Ham

The car pulls up the fourth or fifth time. "Which way did you say to go?" We're just trying to get expert advise from somebody with the same amount of mental acumen as ourselves. Now you see why guys hesitate to ask for directions.. heh heh.

X marks the spot on this one.. Besides, it is SO educational. How else can you learn the ninety nine INCORRECT ways to get to said destination? Then you're the expert. Then if somebody else is looking for it, you can say "no, don't go that way, or that other way- this way may work..."

What about this character? Was in Morgantown WV in 1974- went corps- what happened to him? I think he did some work in the research department when it was still active.

Was it worth it.. at this point, I have to say I don't know. Don't know if my opinion will ever change. Makes me want to answer a question with a question. Why in the world did those two lousy sonsabitches have to make it so damn hard? Life would be so much easier to figure out if they just kept their friggin ***** in their pants, kept from spewing their lousy venom, and just did the godly thing. Would have made life a heck of a lot easier. Finding out about the bad stuff, I now find myself sorting out what's good and what's poison. They betrayed me, betrayed all of us- in my opinion. Anything good I got out of that organization, I have to learn it over again, and again. I would have been better off learning from somebody that was godly to begin with. So I know how to use a concordance, do a word study, and read greek. Whoopee. Could've got that almost anywhere else. The same organization that brought me to all of those "wonderful people" is the same one that marked and avoided, separated close friends, and some of these I may never see again. Some are instructed that if they happen to see me, just act nice, and run as fast as they can when I'm not looking. But if there was no ministry, the likelihood of coming to where I am now, with the two kids I have- and they are fifty times better than me- probably never would have happened. I wouldn't trade away all the heartache in the world for them. Was it worth it? I'll probably be confused about this crap till the day of my death..

"How was work today honey?" "Lousy. My bursitis is killing me. By mid-afternoon, I couldn't throw another cat..."

Quite agreeable with me. I find it interesting how those with the morals less than jackasses- Loy, Vic, and crowd, had the worst stuff to say about him. I remember what jist was, "well, he MAY be a good guy, but getting them born again doesn't give them any real answers.." or some such nonsense. I remember old Loy's "living sanctified" series. he certainly did not live up to his words.. Billy Graham on the other hand, didn't give people a single valid reason to rattle their jaws.

Oldies, not that I need to defend her or anything, but remember that Rascal is a LADY. My momma taught me better..

No, they do not toss pussycats out of penthouses and observe what happens. I already asked somebody "in the know" that question, heh heh.

That was kind of the question I had when I first started reading some of the posts here. Then I started remembering things- and stuff really started adding up. So I think it has a useful purpose. I don't see the same people post all the time either- I can think of quite a few that I haven't seen a post from for a very long time. Most seem to be newcomers, like Belle, Bob, and all the other nice folks.

Some of us were in that rot-hole for over twenty years. You do have an honest question- but some people take quite a while to really "get over it". Especially with the kind of time an resources we dumped down the hole.

Yep. I have heard that called "white man's fire". You know- twenty gallons of gasoline, two or three cords of wood, and you still have a heck of a time getting the thing to go.

Veterinarians and scientists have devoted years of research to falling cats, and call it "high rise syndrome".

Cats that fall from a twenty story building are more likely to survive than those that fall from a two story building.

In a lot of ways, I think the owing the stinkhole your lousy, meager existence is the true vey definition of "thankful" or "blessed". "I'm soooooo thankful..." What for? The answer I've heard nine times out of ten- "for the ministry that taught me da vord". And "they" make sure that they are on the top of the prayer list. I know, I know, they put "God" on the top- nice custom, but in name only, in my opinion. Certainly not to put God first.

Bob, good choice- "you owe your whole stinking rotten miserable life to the outhouse that presented you 'heaps' on a steaming platter" is among one of my favorite dead horses to give a real workout, heh heh.

Well, I was alluding to more of the reality of the situation. They have tried taking God's place. Blind obedience to leadership required case in point- and even God himself does not require such stupidity. When it does not work- they get madderenhell. They are "god", after all. Just CANT do any wrong. Have all the answers. And yes, they blame the individual- unfortunately. "It does not work" just is not even in their vocabulary.

Really stinks when you have to stoop to the level of duping your own kids to run a class. "Here, you can be 'blessed' just like mom and dad (said with a glazed empty look in the eyes).." Probably have the poor suckers earn the money for the class by cleaning the branch guys yard, cleaning out his pool, and digging out his antiquated septic system.. With a smile! I have seen stuff like that..

Then they get so darned mad when they can't perform what they say they can do. Friggin idiots..

One thing I can say about B.G.- he lived up to his word. Can't say that for a lot of other folks.

One explanation I was given about never being alone with the opposite sex- especially if you were a minister- they don't want to give ANY opportunity for scandal to be given to the gospel. They just did not want to be a bad witness. Makes a little bit of sense to me.. Even in the "swinging" seventies I witnessed religious folk, if they did the human thing like anybody else, were targeted with scathing ridicule. Many times from people with the moral values of guinea pigs. Held to a different standard. Unfair? Perhaps. I guess if you claim sanctification and the such, you better live up to it..

Or his little aircraft carrier too, heh heh.

Cute. Now I've gotta go find out where my mouse ran off to, heh heh..

Interesting.. recently I don't seem to have a lot of the thoughts any more, just find myself acting out some of the old garbage once in a while. What you said about waking up and thinking the stuff- reminds me of something similar. I quit smoking about nineteen years ago. Until last year, I would still smoke in my dreams, fairly often. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, asking what in the H I was trying to do to myself again. I don't dream about being in the ministry anymore though- those were some REAL strange dreams to wake up from- twig. The last one was about a year and a half ago, and both Rosie and Donna were there- wasn't scary, part of me knew it just couldn't be, heh heh.

Could have been para - legal.. probably quazi- legal. Definitely not para normal..

I think they got the spelling wrong. Her ordination certificate probably just says her "ministry" is supposed to be an expert in the art of "pestering" the saints.