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Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/05/2018 in all areas

  1. Wierwille continues to be a polarizing figure of huge dimensions and consequences......as another generation of youth are indoctrinated by cult elders. Some view his life and "ministry" on par, or greater, than biblical prophets or apostles. Others have documented accounts of wierwille as a sexual predator, deceiver and opportunist. Few, it seems, have moderate views of the man. Of course, twi-headquarters and splinter groups, hold a superlative opinion of "Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille." They have a vested and profit-making interest in cheerleading his legacy. Splinter groups have little relevance without clinging to the wierwille brand and all that he taught. I tend to see wierwille in terms of his narcissist pathologies to acquire power and dominance over others. It was only after he had "cornered the market" of stolen and plagiarized work from others that his "ministry" came to the fore and he made greater strides of controlling others. Dependence on twi was the alpha and omega.........not independence. Everything in the cult is a sequence..........of followship. Not once in all my years in twi did any leader encourage me to "go to the Lord in prayer." Every cog in the twi-machine functions on OBEDIENCE TO WIERWILLE-DOCTRINE..........not biblical authority. To study the effects of wierwille's cult...........one needs to analyze the evolution of wierwille. I submit my thesis........ The Six Stages of Wierwille's Climb to Power The Unfulfilled Pastor..............church pastor in Payne (1941-1944) and Van Wert, Ohio (1944-1957).......restless and unfulfilled. The Searching Opportunist......traveling to seminars, retreats, and church camps looking for direction and opportunity to advance. The Plagiarizing Teacher.........starting December 1957, wierwille is now unhindered from church boards to plagiarize and teach others' work. The Ensnaring Supplanter........filming pfal in 1967, vpw uses preemptive strikes against family, church and community to entrap followers. The Usurping Authoritarian......wierwille power-grabs movements (Way West/East) in 1969-1970 and operates with stealth & subterfuge. The Pinnacle Cult Leader..........5 corps training campuses embody isolation, immersion and indoctrination --- to teach and recruit others. Base Camp...........scripture and homiletics training. From this starting position, wierwille could always rely on his "supplies" to climb greater heights. Who doesn't want to hear about God's love, abundance and power? Who doesn't thirst to know that a Merciful God will bestow health and prosperity to them and their family? Who doesn't hunger to know that a Righteous Heavenly Father will guide them thru life and into eternity? With homiletics training, vpw was adept at uplifting many who heard his sermons. But.............church was confining. And, wierwille was a man on the move. Clearly, his seminary classes and life's experience were limited. He needed to learn more, much more.....to advance his thinking beyond its confinement. His narcissism wanted to stretch its legs........and, besides, every seminar or retreat that wierwille attended gave him the opportunity to get out of Van Wert. Did it also give him opportunity to see other women? Probably. Wierwille was a man who didn't like boundaries. In the late 60s, he headed to California to check out the orgy action in Haight-Ashbury, didn't he? Yep. And, in 1953..........B.G. Leonard's class, The Gifts of the Spirit, changed wierwille's life and trajectory. It was THE ROPE that aided wierwille to climb higher, much higher. After leaving the Van Wert Church in December 1957.......wierwille, the plagiarizing teacher, hit the highways month after month to teach "his" foundational class and pay the bills. He not only needed students........he NEEDED faithful people to tithe to his fledgling work. From 1958-1967, wierwille was a one-man show........teaching classes, city after city. Wierwille's class and marketing strategy was to reach church people. What he didn't seem to grasp.........is that nearly 85-90% of these students went BACK to their churches and communities. They were not looking to be transformed or transplanted into twi-servitude for a lifetime. Mrs. W's book, Born Again To Serve, documents years of classes and confrontational letters that wierwille sent out at certain points of frustration. The Troy believers launched a mass exodus in 1960 when vpw and harry voted to move the Van Wert Headquarters to the family farm. They believed that the wierwilles could not be trusted in keeping the finances separate from the farm and The Way, Inc. The filming of the 1967 class...........had a subterfuge agenda. What was this new hidden objective? To entrap new students into his organization by destroying their old support systems of family, religion and community........and erect a new system, a spiritual family that replaced their "earthly family." In essence: A Cult. Add lots of homespun stories........intermix ridicule of church denominations......then, demand that all students ---- "stand with the ministry that taught them the Word. Having done all, STAND." Oh, and just write the teacher. Make sure to come visit the farm. See the wierwille barn. Meet "Uncle Harry" and "Aunt Sevilla" and have lunch in the Ecumenical BRC basement. Cult Warning: The agenda is to replace your "earthly family" with this NEW spiritual family, the Household of God. In 1969.........wierwille's narcissism flares up big time when Heefner and Doop [Way East and Way West] are pulling in MORE students and growing exponentially. According to Doop, he and wierwille had an agreement that 15% of all tithes would be sent to headquarters and the other 85% would stay in the area. [I will look for that GSC-information for confirmation.] So, what does wierwille do? He goes into their statewide meetings and power-grabs the movement. The Usurping Authoritarian HAS to be the Top Dog of the Show. Wierwille NEEDED young ministers and firebrands to advance his climb to power. The Corps Training Program was the final act of betrayal by wierwille. It will always entail "The Zero Corps"...........the ones who would NOT commit to wierwille's demands. Though wierwille turned the reins of this program over to others, he was always hiding in the shadows to plunder the youth. Spiritual abuse was part and parcel to its methodology. It was subtle and deceptive and devious. For years, wierwille traveled on his motor coach to these corps campuses and preyed upon these young, innocent corps girls. When he summoned the unsuspecting girl, she had no idea what was about to happen. The cult leader had reached his pinnacle of power over others. He was "untouchable." This 58 year-old sexual predator made sure that he had consumed several cups of Drambuie coffee so that he was well liquored up for these late night sexual romps. With absolute power over others..............wierwille had reached his summit and fulfilled his narcissistic pathologies. ~~~~~~~~~~~
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  2. I suspect that many/most GSCers feel likewise. Of course, I wish him no harm but am unconcerned about whether he's happy or not.
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  3. Does anyone care?
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  4. Reminds me of the Duke of York nursery rhyme… When the weasels are out – they’re out And when the weasels are in – they’re in And when the weasels can’t make up their minds They’re neither out nor in. Ok…what else can I do with the Duke of York nursery rhyme There was a cult of yore That ripped off thousands of folks And weasels few fought for king of the hill Beneath invisibility cloaks But when you’re not in charge You’ll have to wait in the wings Disgruntled? yes, with this present mess Start a new cult and do your own thing alright so I don't get paid for my poems
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  5. I think a TWI meteorologist would probably mark and avoid Florence.
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  6. yeah Rocky - I agree. I think of Twinky as looking at a bigger picture – “in the Christian world” as she put it; from meeting her at the Texas BBQ and going on things she shares in her posts, I really believe she is a woman with a mission AND with a compassionate heart for service; some of the stuff she shares about her street pastoring sounds like it could be in a new chapter in the book of Acts. I’m not qualified to speak about gift ministries or know much about them – but as far as I’m concerned she’s got something special up her sleeve – I believe she definitely has a calling...of course she brings a lot of good "things" here also - let's not forget that. folks like Skyrider and Don’t Worry often focus on all things way-world; they’ve got that warrior ethos – never leave anyone behind…they pack some serious heat - - as well as some serious therapy. They are the big guns that expose and obliterate the hypocrisy of “those lying, thieving weasels” (as Don’t Worry calls them); then there’s the healing side of their ministries (there – I said it… and I’ll say it again through an amp that goes up to 11 ) – then there’s the healing side of their compassionate ministries reaching out to those who were hurt by “those lying, thieving weasels”. I hope I haven’t embarrassed you all in some way – just thought I pass along some praise and encouragement. like Skyrider was saying the extent of the consequences is relative to one’s life and experiences…this stuff may not matter much in the Christian world at large - but it matters to me - since part of my life was in way-world. ...every once and awhile I get to feeling down about how I devoted 12 years of my life to a cult and however much mental baggage I’ve been dragging around since then. There’s the shame…embarrassment… the… stigma that some folks associate with cults…sometimes I don’t mind that…maybe that keeps me on my toes…maybe it’s something I’ve got in the habit of doing from technical work – where I double, triple and quadruple check some things cuz I know I’m not perfect – me or someone else is going to screw up or a part will fail – so be prepared. I often look at it as a challenge to do my best critical thinking if we happen to get in a doctrinal or philosophical discussion..i know I’m rambling here – but trust me I’ll bring it back to this thread in a minute or two. I’ve always tried to live my life like an open book – I have nothing to hide – I’ve really tried to live a good Christian life while in TWI and afterwards too! On occasion I have even shared with co-workers of my experiences in a cult as some tough lessons on the importance of a Christ-centered faith and giving heed to one’s authentic-self…the machinations of TWI went so counter to anything that had to do with your authentic-self… some of that crap from the mouths of those lying thieving weasels was really just blowing smoke up my a$$ - to make me think I was destined for greatness. I used to think I’d better go in the corps cuz God has some big plans for me…maybe I’ve got a gift ministry…I tried to picture myself as being the perfect PFAL believer spreading blessings and good fortune wherever I went…alright…about to reconnect to this topic in 3..2…1… If I would have stayed in TWI I believe I would have been groomed to follow – on a small scale – wierwille’s power grabbing style: I think I was a restless and unfulfilled leader - going through the motions of handling my TWI assignment – oh the drudgery...trying to act enthusiastic about moving “the word” – I’m wondering if that’s the equivalent of a woman faking orgasm.…and I was a searching opportunist – taking the same classes again and again, going to advances, special events, joining programs…looking for direction and opportunity to advance spiritually – whatever the hell that means…I was even like my Plagiarizing “mentor “ – making PFAL my own, writing songs about it; looking for other verses to prove some point wierwille had made…and listening to the ensnaring supplanter - I learned to choose TWI’s “household” over family, friends and whatever I was taught in the Roman Catholic Church…in ignorance I endorsed that usurping authoritarian…and revered the consummate cult leader – I volunteered to be isolated, immersed, indoctrinated so I could teach and recruit others. Reflecting on my life since I left TWI: I have such a sense of fulfilment from just trying to be a good husband, dad and competent technician. That may be underrated in some folks’ book but that’s my “ministry” and I’m damn proud of it! I also get a sense of fulfillment and some peace of mind from Grease Spot. To me it’s a far cry from getting the halfway-house-treatment by well-meaning Christians who try to take me on as their next project – that has happened several times over the years in different places where I’ve worked. I can figure out a lot of $hit myself, thank you very much – but there’s nothing like the cyber-camaraderie of folks who have survived a cult. Sorry for the long post, major detour and cuss words but I sure do feel better. Sweet dreams all – nighty night.
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  7. Some of the size perspective just depends on where the viewpoint is. For instance, I used to be a little paranoid when I told my story to other Christians that they would have heard of "the Way". By and large they have not. So from that perspective it is small. But I look at the number of lives that were damaged of people I personally knew and know. That number seems really large to me. Especially when you compare percentages to your average church. There are problems in churches too but not that kind of damage.
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  8. Every time I consider and review the wide-ranging aspects of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as it relates to wierwille..........it is stunningly accurate. Narcissistic personality disorder Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder with a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. Those affected often spend a lot of time thinking about achieving power or success, or on their appearance. They often take advantage of the people around them. The behavior typically begins by early adulthood, and occurs across a variety of social situations. When I think back on staff meetings, after-corps night meetings, night owls, sharings, etc..........wierwille always viewed his German heritage, his wierwille lineage, his New Knoxville church with Dr. Kunst, and his masters/doctorate degrees of excellent and supreme caliber. Everything his daddy bought was....."the best." Boastings and exaggerated expressions of self-importance were excessive. When I came back to hq from my deprogramming experience......I was summoned to meet with wierwille in his motor coach. He had reviewed my typed summation of this 10-day experience and wanted to include it in his By The Way articles for the St. Marys Evening Leader. Not once, did he show empathy towards my ordeal, or mental state......nor did he offer to pray for or with me. He immediately wanted to dive into the details of my account......when I look back and think about it, he wanted to take advantage of this event and add credence to the *us versus them* mantra (i.e. those in twi are righteous and vilified for it). And......his "personal prophesy" to me did NOT come to pass. Here Yep.....these "all 9" align with wierwille: Grandiosity with expectations of superior treatment from other people Fixated on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness, etc. Self-perception of being unique, superior, and associated with high-status people and institutions Needing continual admiration from others Sense of entitlement to special treatment and to obedience from others Exploitative of others to achieve personal gain Unwilling to empathize with the feelings, wishes, and needs of other people Intensely envious of others, and the belief that others are equally envious of them Pompous and arrogant demeanor
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  9. I agree, T-Bone. I believe I was "in" later than you (78-97), every time I can wrap my head around another piece of this, it is a blessing to me. I'd like to think that I'd gotten all the old twi cobwebs out, when you shine your finely tuned light on it, lo and behold, another one pops up! Thanks, because when I see it, I can begin to eliminate it.
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  10. Surgically accurate insight. "Though wierwille turned the reins of this program over to others..." He had to in order for his legacy to have live forever. Bravo, Skyrider!
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  11. Great stuff skyrider. Sometimes people get this image of the man ingrained into their brain cells and the image becomes larger than life. The Way continually promotes this with the never-ending whitewashing along with life-size bronzes of VPW and other such idolatry. When people spend decades not questioning that mental image, it leads to disaster. You are breaking down the man into realistic pieces so that people should be able to pop the bubble of that image if they so desire. Peace
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  12. Let's see....he could start by calling out Islam for what it really is, an ideological, political force intent on enslaving the world ( would probably trigger a 'holy war' tho !! ) He could put an end to the church 'forbidding to marry' priests. He could sanction the use of contraception especially in third world countries. Heck, the RC church has enough money to supply the contraception BUT, they still have the same mindset as muslims...increase converts by breeding. This is just for starters.
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  13. Welcome back to posting here! I can't say I've made the same choices as you, but then I don't have your reasons for making them. If it's working for you, then fine. I also think Pope Francis is tops. (Frankly, I would have rather he gotten the Papacy rather than Benedict last time.) I think he's just what the RCC needs.
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