Ham

Hey, maybe there's hope, I actually got a spot on You tube..

Oldies, you HAD a place to go to.. I was another one who didn't. I put up with bad manners, false accusation and confrontation, for that simple reason. But I tried to make sense of it, and magnify the little bit of good. I convinced myself well enough that I stayed in the Gulag through quite a few of my adult years.

388 views on a thread with a squirrel gone nuts, and 1043 hits on a page about a poodle allegedly getting whacked.. You guys are ignoring the REAL talent here..

What I wonder is, why does da "werd of gawd", as espoused by twi, make people's lives worse. Often, much worse. And I can almost hear the apologist's excuse, but the "freedom in Christ" seemed merely enough to free the patients to run the sanitarium there..

Where the rubber hit the road, this was the ONLY power they had.

As funny as this is Satori, I think you've really hit the bullseye here.. Honest to God.. it really makes some sense..

Once you admit there was "some" error in twi doctrine (not to mention practice), perhaps we should examine what some of it was. How does this error play in the exercise of free will? 1. You shall be as God. Though not overtly spoken, is this not equivalent to being able to receive ANYTHING from God? Oh, which by the way, has never been proven to really work, to my satisfaction. Maybe George Muller tapped into something, and a few others, but I don't think it was because he was "entitled". But I think this is the error, just find the right promises, push the correct levers, and you have your heart's desire.. 2. POWER. Yep, the power to "do", the power to.. be.. the power to speak the holy ghost's words upon command, the power to cast out devils.. power, power, power. Of course not limited to der vey, by no means. I ran across a woman who disagreed with me on a doctrinal issue. Of course, I MUST be possessed. "out in da name of Jesus, out in the name of Jesus.." "sorry, I think you are looking for spirits in the wrong person here.." "out in the name of Jesus, out in the name of Jesus.." "Lady, you are nuts.." "OUT, OUT in the name of Jesus.." Some "power".. sheesh. I think the promise of "power", or such ilk, is the very hook buried in a nice tender morsel.. Appealed to baser instincts. Not free will. I kinda agree with Skinner on a lot of this..

At least we're getting SOMEWHERE. Oldies finally admits that there were VICTIMS. Just that they aren't entitled to restitution for one reason or another. Perfect defense strategy. "There are no victims." "well, if there were, they aren't entitled.." I think you have to look at the facts.. was my involvement really from "free choice"? Or was it a knee-jerk instinctual reaction, prompted by someone who knew how to take advantage of my baser instincts, using every motivational technique known to the mind of man? Looking back, it pretty easy to see what happened. but it wasn't so clear at the time. You could use the same logic to make the case that it was the fishes fault, that it CHOSE to bite the bait.. but it wouldn't have gotten the hook down it's throat, without the right kind of deception.

It would work, maybe if they changed their legal names, and had their looks changed with plastic surgery.. sheesh. It really wouldn't suprise me in the least. But how to amass a following.. form a splinter group, from a splinter group?

Too bad Paw couldn't send twi the bill.

I live next to a chemical plant here.. back in the old days, they could pretty much dump whatever they wanted. Downstream of the river is contaminated with PCB's about a hundred times the accepted amount allowed. They are now in a rather costly process of pulling up muck, dirt, you name it.. and somehow removing the contaminants. I am SURE they would be happy if people "just got over it" and the nightmare could just miraculously go away.. It may have been silly, but I really had a few legitimate thoughts behind this: http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.php?showtopic=13891

Yeah, there may be light at the end, most of the time, but it isn't exactly a tunnel..

Frisco Guy, talk with the waiter with the funny towel on his head. He might put it in the microwave in the back for you..

COLD coffee? well, I guess one form of caffeine is better than none..

I should know; it's been a long climb for me..

If a person doesn't like what's falling on them, you'd at least THINK they'd have enough sense to just climb up out of the outhouse..

I dunno.. I've woken up in the middle of the night, twenty five years after some unresolved issue. Truth indeed was so much stranger than fiction that I was relieved that somebody else saw it.. Oh, hello Johnny. Nice to see you around again.

What a fate.. maybe karma is a genuine concept. Imagine, ending up on "the bottom end" of Greasespot Cafe..

and since you won't find this in the newspaper any time soon: I suppose they must only be content to come here in volunteer service for "the master", and try to convince people that they have problems with "forgiveness", and throw Jesus's blood on swine (i.e. vic, loy, and crowd) who don't want it and didn't request it, to begin with.. If I were them, I'd really consider getting an education somewhere.. in the real world, nobody's gonna hire somebody for a position like that.. maybe the mob, but who wants to live like that? Some do I guess.. going about selling "protection" for the lord..

But I think that WW describes here, is a pretty accurate assessment. I think "they" are in some pretty thick, dark doo doo. If they REALLY wanted to find some "devils", I think they should have looked a little closer to the top of the organization. Yeah, "we're humble to the word", but confront them with the truth in love, and they'll kick your a**. All the way out to the street.. happened a few times. It took me a couple of years out of that quagmire before I could take a REAL honest look at it. Every generation of "corps" got progressively worse, at least the ones assigned to this area. First, they got better at just picking a fight, trying to establish who's in charge.. then they learned how to meddle, and manufacture problems they simply were not there. then they learned how to more effectively confront people, and try to force a "solution" to the manufactured problem. I witnessed the early stage of this development. Plus the vocabulary- slowly got more vile and primitive. If I was in the shrinking twi universe, I'd watch my back.

Perhaps. But the low forehead, ears, and beady eyes are a pretty darn close match. Just take off some hair on top.. It's your guys fault here.. see what happens when I'm left unattended?

Sent to some locations with humans, heheh. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome your new Region Coordinator for the year 2007.." I dunno, I think it looks like loy..

I think that spirit and emotion are very close allies, if not the same thing. But it is a renewable resource. I think a person wakes up in the morning with just about the same amount of energy that they did the previous morning, but how to spend it.. some conserve it, some spend it all at one place with fear and hate, and go through the rest of the day emotionally bankrupt. I am of the opinion that our internal spirit, or emotional energy, is based on God's nature. The bible does attribute love, hate, and other emotions to the almighty.

I wonder how much of this kind of behavior is hereditary. They make bold claims of victory over sin, prevailing over mans more primitive godless nature. But they end up embracing it. WW, I think you hit the bullseye.

I dunno. I think sometimes "free will" is forfeited, chosing the easy way out, not necessarily the correct way. Instincts do tend to get in the way..