houseisarockin

I agree in the challenge to do all you can do and expect the rest to be handled by someone more able than me. For me that is God. But they took it to control of your finances, this was a step along the way. Sometimes the recognition of how they gained an upper hand on our lives not only helps the greasers here but also the lurkers there. Your saying you would have been blessed with it was nice to see oldiesman.

It's more you need these classes to retain your spiritual standing, being blessed seemed of less concern to them. Something that changed I noticed. Also the classes went to 1 hour segments (only 2 segments per night) with break and for the most part included table and chairs. That was a goodie we thought. Geez! I don't know current charges for classes. Shipping off children, yup still alive and well.

kewl :)-->

No history for that time frame. But in the past few years had you altered your financial status it certainly was grounds for removal from whatever you were in the process of (WD, WC training, etc). And if not to that end it would have involved being controlled into a rude and belittling meeting of at least one leader present. As I was a part I saw it worsen, regardless of the application. The foundation failed.

Mr. Hammeroni, thank you for hanging out in this thread, makes it much easier to be away when the need. (as he says to himself, oh great...now I can really leave) :D-->

You left before the 90's didn't you?

YUCKY worms too. And I second your words to Mr. H....he's wonderful.

Steve, when they taught it as towards God they were right on. We could freely avail with no limits. But why have the fullness of folks around you to tap into if not to partake. I never understood that backing on anything taught from the almighty corn rows in Ohio. And in that sharing why could I not open my heart expecting them to have a beginning in whatever they may have said. They had to hold the control. They couldn't be with us each step of the way, but they could insist you limit your outside twi household activity. Which included family for years but just recently they let up on the reins on. Too many lights being shined towards it I think.

And we went round and round!

We've heard it rumored they were working on new classes. Ed Horney went somewhere, somewhere in the belly of the system. I've wondered what he was doing. New classes...I've wondered. All it is, all it is.

This quote is from their website: We do not commit our work to publication until we are fully persuaded on a subject. After all, research doesn't mean a simple, cursory reading. It denotes study, observation, and unemotional, detached consideration. © TWI I found this to be odd, is it me? "It denotes..unemotional, detached consideration." While I understand their definition of "unemotional" we know it's a word of convenience. It depends on the one showing or not showing it. Craig was a walking piece of emotion. What of the word "detached?" I do believe that is well defined there, and gives a view of their capacity to be attached at all. I'd say they prefer us be "emotional" for their cause and "detached" from all else but them.

I have no friends when it comes to the Word=I have no friends. I'd say that would be accurate if everything we did had to line up with the standard of the Word. But God knowing we couldn't quite pull that off thought to mention things like "forget not all my statutes." So if He didn't expect me to be Word perfect (not the Bill Gates kind) then why should I expect my friends to be? Part of their mission statement: "a follower of The Way is filled with and manifests power from on high, holy spirit, and freely avails himself of fellowship meetings for spiritual nurture and growth." © TWI But what they're really saying in "freely avails" is you should want the fellowship and instruction. If not then you need to think about what needs changed to get it back correct in your thinking. What they say=freely avails! Alarms that "freely availing" yourself to some things could see your fall was overlooked. Don't avert attention to yourself, just "freely avail" away. In their "full sharing" a few quotes from their current mag: (truths learned from Epistle)..First, our fellowship, or full sharing, is with our heavenly Father. When our continued relationship, or fellowship, with God is put first in priority, then the fellowship we have with others is the best because it is based on God's Word. © TWI Okay that sounds right on but they taught us there was no full sharing outside the household so we couldn't have true fellowship either, not without that full sharing. Is this circular or what? Their "others" in that statement is not you and I is it?

Been busy sorry, back soon.

:D-->

Hey oldiesman, that is something from you! :)-->

If I the time I will peruse this years mags for current standards. But rather doubt they touched on this subject, unless it was handled, and come to think of it probably was in their new Family class. (thread done on it somewhere I think). Anyway the best I had was the class prior and have provided a few quotes from it along with my opinion. I've brought this here to show my thinking of who would benefit who in divorce. Based on what was taught above I believe it to be a better choice for the husband to pursue the divorce. In this case it was available based on admittance to understated activities outside his bedroom. He stated himself (years before he would need it) "their husbands didn't want to believe". When he told us openly (because his foot was busted and he would soon be on probation) that he had failed in a certain upholding (ie..believing), he was in fact giving himself a way out in time, should he need it. A way out that would provide for the current occupant of what I'm sure he still refers to as his home. And she would have all the accolades of having been the faithful wife and God will provide her the honor because of it.

WhiteDove, I think we do agree. While I'm not sure I agree with the Swiss bank accounts theory I do know they abused our ABS. Even if Uncle Howard said they could account for every penny of it. So I gave it over to God, and asked he honor my giving regardless of their usage of it (don't ask why I didn't just walk away okay). My service is to God, agreed. And I've been some lost in that since leaving twi. But I'm closer to the source now than I was then, so I figure he'll be able to work better with me now than He could before. And He knows my heart in this area. As far as "bad taste in mouth". Well I have a few things that make me crazy. And one is being a victim as convenience for a multitude of things. I have to believe as long as there are people around that need it there will be enough to serve for God's purposes. Or call me a daydreamer one WhiteDove. Sorry I derailed myself somewhat.

Mr. Hammeroni, yup...you nailed it well there.

WhiteDove, While I agree completely regarding a person's service towards God and think I understand in respect to a business rather than a church, I still hold to the point they taught us their version of "privilege". As if we'd not have this chance/opportunity every again anywhere else. Taking it away from serving God whom they supposedly worked for and directly to serving them. In that way it no longer resembled our giving to God and His church but to their ego and fleshly ways.

Another example of phrases from their current magazine. This was taken from their latest advanced class article about the grads that had worked the class. The leader said this: They were a part of the teaching sessions with the new students and had the privilege to work at headquarters in support of the class. © TWI The responses that followed by the workers. I've provided only the salutations, all you'll need to see some of their latest phrase methods. It was a tremendous "privilege" to serve in the... Thank you for the "opportunity and privilege" to... Not only was it a "privilege" to be able to work along side of...but the "opportunity" to... They taught us it was our "privilege" to serve them. While in the real world they would have paid us a decent wage and generally asked for reasonable hours.

Taken from their current Nov/Dec/04 magazine. The fox stated in their article on 62nd anniversary and WD XI commissioning: "Purposeful reading" helps me to gain understanding in a particular area of Biblical study. © TWI So what does "purposeful reading" me to twi? Well to start it means all secular materials are to be scrutinized under the cloud of guilt provided by your leadership. It'll sound something like this: Sure it's okay to read that novel, as long as it's not more time spent in our materials (mag, etc). Why thank you so much master, that's mighty white of you.

"Fully share" was originally meant as the relationship between God and His sons, but twi taught it in regards to person to person. And very narrow boundaries were attached to it. We were to "fully share" only with someone in the household. In fact we were told it wasn't possible to "fully share" otherwise. The non-household person wouldn't be able to receive what we had to offer. Talk about arrogance.

I can't say it any better Mr. Hammeroni. I was thinking of the phrase "sound mind". Which is required, not optional per their rule book. However, they fail to allow the moment(s) in time required in a "un"sound mind needed to get you to the "sound" part of that phrase. Just renew your mind, find a verse and shove it in the hole. I've nothing against holding God's Word in my heart in bad times and good, but we were given the mechanics of thought for a reason. Could it be they were afraid we may discover them while in the thinking process of "un"sound to "sound"?

And since the "ministry" was the "Word" we started to hear the word "Word" when we heard the word "ministry". Oh yea, those "second rate causes". It could be a first rate job you were doing on something that was yours to steward and you'd here about it. "Stop putting first rate efforts into second rate causes." Well, okay I guess. But didn't you just teach us about stewardship? And don't you people get all b**chy when we don't steward our stuff? Because then we're allowing an open door for filth or the likes to infiltrate us and on and on we go.....were we stop NOBODY knows!

One that I think hurt us most was not being able to retain our understanding of what "household" meant. Based on their definition it didn't include your earthly family, which could include your children or parents. Their usage of "household" held us away from our flesh and blood families (household) and into a world of make believe people (a sizable part). And they used the "flesh and blood" from the Word knowing our hunger would allow them to reel us in.