Ham

Yes. They sent me to Michigan, as a wow in 1977. I have stayed here since. Can I "go home".. no. I can visit if I want, but actually go home? No. It's not as bad as it may sound.. but I'm not *really* home.. but I can't really go home either.. does that make any sense?

right before I left- I saw a guy who had a damn good job at a mattress company in Indiana, and a really nice home.. abandon his life and livelihood because der vey told him so.. they were "corps".. supposed to be at der masta's beck and call.. they came to "podunk" Michigan. the couple took it out on the area here.. like you wouldn't believe. Who in their RIGHT mind would abandon a 50K a year job, with retirement, benefits.. while having six kids to feed and provide for.. in their right mind.. finally went on staff at the Indiana campus. but how long did that last.. it's no longer there. Before they left.. they squeezed the area for every last dime they could get.. hope it was "sweet" fellas..

Next item. You'd THINK that they would be open, honest, straightforward about this supposedly godly adventure.. why does just a LITTLE light of day make them run it further underground? Why are just a few honest concerns met with silence? I believe they think I wouldn't like the answers. Perhaps they are following the example of the parent organization. Glad to keep us informed of eveyrthing from pea soups to nuts.. may as well.. looks the same in every other way..

I wonder.. why else would they change the rules, requirements, expectatations on the fly.. unless they KNEW people wouldn't sign if they knew what they REALLY were gonna do? it would be like taking the big executive position.. sign a contract written in sand, and finding yourself cleaning parking lots and hosing out rather nasty dumpsters.. I know corps that experienced something like this. but it didn't happen overnight. It was one little "insignificant" change in the contract at a time..

I think the "payoff" for the training received to go work somewhere else was nil. Intentionally, or unintentially, they made it so. Where is one to go outside of der vey? It's not like you graduated with a real, verfiable degree.. but you've more than paid for one. Some people paid twice over or more. The only place the paper meant anything, was in the organization. And the paper could be stamped "void" at any given time. Nobody had any real ownership in the organization. So on a person works.. striving, lest their little piece of paper be set at nought. The conditions keep getting piled up.. and someone with a few brains who could be doing something FAR more useful finds themself cleaning the parking lot on the way in to the office.. and you'd BETTER get all the oil spots. what's really pathetic.. some of those guys who left or were booted are still at the same game.. they're like the levite in judges, going on the road, trying to shake some sustenance out of the bushes.. I know some who would go from $58,000 a year and a cushy job in hq to not being able to hold down a job at McDonald's. The plan? Pretty obvious- a lifetime of christian servitude. Generally, people treat their mule better..

didn't want that to get lost in the shuffle.. :) I view the new "corpsie" adventure in the same light. I think they are trolling for whoever they can find that will blindly follow orders, do *whatever* it takes to "move da ministry".. can learn how to properly smooze der manogawd, and look good in a suit and tie besides.. after they turn them on each other a dozen times or so, they'll find out who's who.. the number three comes to mind. That's probably about all they'll have left by the end of the year. If even that.

Ya, there was a "plan" alright. I call it "trolling for wolves". with few exceptions, by the time I left, they managed to retain the top one percent consisting of the most arrogant, blindly following orders, mean, nasty, ultra-competitive I'd run over my grandma if she got in my way going to "twig" people you'd ever seen.. whether they MADE them, or if that was their character to begin with. Take this as a compliment- I think you guys who left or were booted likely just weren't quite the right material.

In other words, if I understand you correctly, it sounds like you are saying when it came to "practical" matters, there were plain old no standards, at all.

considering they "trimmed" about say, ninety nine percent of these "qualified" "trained" "leaders" from the honor role, wouldn't that suggest it was practically a complete waste of time, an utter abject failure? "You can go home now. We aren't really interested in running the cult business anymore.." Any university that produced a 99 percent unemployability rate among graduates wouldn't last very long. Where do these "unemployed" go? We have how many "trained" administrators hitting the beat for a job.. some opened their own shop, promising WORSE results than twi. Some are damaged to the extent they'll never fit in with an organization with different beliefs. Some people justify all of the experience with "well, they can teach the bible in a home fellowship, or something like that. see, the *word* can live.." wasn't that where people STARTED, to begin with?

The real sad part of it all.. the abused become abusers..

Poneros- active evil, I think.. kakos- destructive evil.. Phalos- dross.. useless crap.. the unholy trinity that defines der vey.. The thing I've been coming to terms with.. the arrogance where one person can define another's dream and life as "useless"..

anything new, or better?

and to think people actually PAID their own way to do it.. it's enough to make even PT Barnum blush..

and some of those who did, and want to continue his legacy seem to exhibit selective amnesia..

From the LITTLE "they" have chosen to share: the "kid" values cff movers and shakers as counsellors.. thinks pfal is his heritage of sorts. there is NO real trained or qualified staff.. experiences as a "fellow laborer" are "surely enough, aren't they?' dad's on board.. another poster inadvertantly leaked that it's really McM*ILen's project.. when I got to asking about safeguards and oversight.. that's when communications stopped. Or were cut off. The only thing I can think.. they probably figure I wouldn't like the answers I'd get.. I gave him/them several weeks for a reply before coming here with it..

I heard of one study once.. somebody claimed that the global average temperature would directly affect the number of lightning strikes. They even put together something to count the lightning strikes. Never heard much after.. I always wondered what the results were.

sometimes I can almost hear what some people are thinking.. about five minutes after I started this, I could almost swear I distinctly heard "you sarcastic son of a *%$^@.."

I dunno. I think it was still as warped thinking, just perhaps we didn't know better. It's called.. young and dumb. Were we storing up treasures for all eternity? Now I doubt it.. somehow I don't think "eternity" will start with an interview with the lord.." lord, lord, I sat through seventy pfal classes, assisted in twenty, ran the tapes in forty, served the refreshments.." I run into the same thing today. "Whadya need a degree for, when you can have the WORD?" "What makes that SO IMPORTANT?" my answer: "tough *%".. go get your own life.." I heard a local "preacher" say something like.. "don't you dare think a SECULAR calling is any less of the lord.." I think we were conned into a pyramid scheme, where those in top couldn't sell a free meal to a hobo.. they just needed to find enough stooges to do all the work..

It's the only thing that makes sense to me at the moment.

Wanted: Low maintence sheep. Come join us at our unique opportunity to learn how to REALLY give of yourself. Among the select few, you will learn to chop and stack firewood for cooking, clear land of stumps and such, and move large rocks, and prepare the finest mutton this side of heaven. Please, space is limited. Only the best (and tastiest) need apply. Come, break through your limited barriers, and learn how to make yourself meat (ahem, meet..) to serve at the masters' table.

And I think that says a lot of what these "leaders" think of "gawd's people".. sheep to be coralled in.. there are some comparisons with people I suppose. But as it goes, the ordinary sheep are kind of clueless.. have no idea of who the enemy really is.. they need protection, feeding.. they really weren't made to win a real fight with anything.. on the same notion, sheep aren't exactly suited to clearing large stumps with pickaxes, moving large stones, chopping and stacking firewood.. learning how to butcher and prepare mutton.. and when unable to bear up under the tasks given them by the "masters" of the camp who couldn't bear them themselves, I haven't heard of sheep given the ultimatum by a shepherd: "tow the line, or we'll cancel on you and send you home.." Maybe they are looking for "super sheep"..

The whole concept seems sooooo bizarre to me. So you go to "way university".. and you can't really "graduate". Besides, the piece of paper one walked out with entitled one to a grand total of nothing. To maintain "nothing", one must constantly have to jump through hoops, continually go back for classes, seminars, corpses nights, etc., etc... and for what? The "real world" equivalent of it would be if upon supposedly graduating, I'd STILL have to go back for three seminars a year to maintain my bachellor's. way university was the first I ever heard of forcing a "professor" to clean up oil spots in the parking lot as part of his duties.. even going as far as calling him to ream him a new one because he "spiritually" missed a few that morning. I think for all of this to look "normal".. you need the right kind of glasses..

The university doesn't keep a list either. You know, active graduates and students, inactive graduates and students, dropped from active students roster, "disgruntled" students and graduates to abandon and avoid.. They keep just enough records that they may supply a transcript if requested. I never heard any professor threaten disaster or dire consequences if one chooses to leave.. I didn't have to write a "birth to da college" paper, either, for some slimebucket to look over and see if *it* could gain sexual favors with me.. generally speaking, the staff isn't paid on "need basis". Don't have to submit a budget to their superiors, sign in and out on potty breaks.. one thing I can say: twi and the clones make the "world" look REALLY GOOD.. give me debils behind any given tree anytime. I have NEVER seen a professor sign an oath of eternal loyalty to the president of the university, either. A contract perhaps, detailing length of employment and agreed on compensation and benefits.

I have NEVER seen an instructor scream at a student. Not once. You'd think if anyone was "qualified" to do so, it would be someone with real credentials.. over three years into the curriculum, I don't see the bait and switch.. "now, students.. it's no longer a four year commitment.. you've REALLY signed on to a lifetime of university service.." what would I do? Well, probably what most people would: presuming there were real benefits to finishing the last semester, just keep quiet and go through it, and get the hell out as soon as I could.. Actually, an HONEST, ACCREDITED college can't indiscriminately change the curriculum I signed on for. They can't add half a dozen classes they think I might need as a requirement for the degree along the way.. A professor might SUGGEST them.. I've heard one say "ya know, you might be a little more employable if you took a few computer classes.." Neither can an HONEST, ACCREDITED place just say, "come on in, we'll figure out the curriculum as we go along.." "we'll start with stump-pulling 101"

Neither do they "train" people how to run little meetings.. go "witnessing" at large for the university.. or run classes, keep track of who's returning fifteen percent of their income to the university, who's really winning new students for the organization. No weekly or even daily meetings to "follow up" on those they've "witnessed to".. twi, along with it's clones, are like a "university" on the planet Bizarro..