T-Bone

Sending love and hugs your way, Tonto & T-Bone

Dear Zeke, Sorry about zapping your mane. I was right in the middle of a self-defense class sponsored by some new friends – it was just a reflex reaction on my part. Once again, apologies. sincerely, Bonsai Buckaroo P.S. The deer feeder by the south water tank needs more corn

You dah Man! Welcome to Grease Spot!

I'm with you on this one, Rum Runner. Rhino, I love that movie! When I was a kid I had the Mars Attacks trading cards.

Letter to the editor of a local newspaper in Stephenville, Texas Dear Editor type person, Regarding the recent sightings of UFOs, I thought I should let folks know about a weird deal at my deer lease the other day. I shot at a 10 point buck and the bullet just bounced off some kind of invisible force field. He then returned fire with a ray gun. Other than my mullet getting slightly singed I'm pretty much okay. barely traumatized, Zeke Moore Toody [edited by E.T. after the universal communicator screwed up]

Fast Food Clerk: Welcome to McBible, can I take your order. Customer: Yes, I just want an order of increased prosperity to go. Fast Food Clerk: I'm sorry – our theme here is "Have it our way or the highway". You'll have to stick around here to maintain the feeling that your prosperity increased.

Stop right there! You had me at Cream! Welcome to Grease Spot, Lucy. Nice avatar...and that's a heck of a bargain on psychiatric help...I wonder if you're listed on my provider network.

This reminds me of something very important - there's a thread that should be required reading for all new members: The Way: Living in Wonderland by Word Wolf http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.ph...st&p=178369 Just read the above thread – it's a marvelous exercise in critical thinking and cause to re-examine what sold us on vpw and TWI in the first place…Don't get me wrong - that's a good post, Spectrum – but TWI's problems go much deeper than that! From your posts, PMs and emails it's obvious to me you've got a lot on the ball – the only thing I can offer for advice is be patient - you can't process this all in one month... MarkOMalley speaks for many of us here. vpw was a boldfaced liar. That came as a real shock to me back in 1987. Look in my gallery Blast from the past – you'll see a letter I received from the Moody Correspondence School. After I left in 86 - I not only began looking at all his teachings, "logic" and methods of interpretation but also checked out his credentials. vpw claimed he took everything Moody Correspondence School had to offer – yet the letter I posted states they have no record of him ever completing a course with them. It's all these "little details" about the man that add up to an overall picture of a con artist. This, my friend, is a bitter pill to swallow. Yes – truly it's tough – because it calls into question so many things that TWI followers took for granted. Things that we assumed were bedrock become quicksand…I know the feeling well – first comes the shock…then denial. But I don't mean to be a downer – in thinking about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life – maybe the solution is not as complicated as we think – He's the Shepherd who goes out looking for the lost sheep. TWI took the place of the "absent Christ." But the only way He was absent was in our thinking. You know, after I left I started reading the gospels like crazy – even felt guilty for awhile because of TWI's hyperdispensational viewpoint. But reading about Jesus…thinking about Jesus…communing with Jesus, got me re-focused on what matters most…Jesus!

I agree with you both. I don’t like people telling me what to do and think what you do with your stuff is a personal decision…Let’s see if TWI likes folks telling them what to do by referring to it as Burn Uncle Harry Day.

One of the reasons followers never took it "further" than vpw was because they never questioned his "rule" - you can't go beyond what you're taught. Word Wolf referred to vpw's silly rule as intellectual hobbling. I don't think the founder could see past his own ego. There was such an oppressive atmosphere under his reign – though most folks were unaware of his iron-fisted grip on their thought process – it was just something understood by committed followers – your teachings and research must never contradict anything vpw taught. You make a good point though – most leadership had a TWI mindset that was cast in concrete so dense as to bring creative/critical thinking skills to a standstill and for that matter immobilize any response to the Holy Spirit. TWI was never interested in change, addressing errors or issues – their only concern was maintaining the status quo.

I'm old school too – all this computer stuff is just the way things work now…I think we could work up an analogy with old school appeal – like how TWI screwed with your head being similar to how 8 Track Players eat a tape – it gets all crinkled up and doesn't work right after that.

Great post Oklahoma, and welcome to Grease Spot! Your hypothermia analogy is dead on for describing the numbing effect of the TWI mindset…Not long after joining Grease Spot - while watching The Matrix again – I was struck by a weird analogy. The Thomas Anderson/Neo character was me – asleep in a make-believe worldview fabricated by TWI – and what kept the whole thing going was their parasitic system that lived off the collective energy of its members. And it's quite a shock to the old noggin when, for whatever reason, you're jolted into reality. And yes, the experience can leave some deep scars. That's one of the reasons I come to Grease Spot – which for me is sometimes like a CSI episode – through a collective effort we sort through the convoluted issues, emotions and experiences and try to make sense of things. My ongoing prayer for everyone who frequents here is for healing, understanding, and growth.

The letter to myself is sent to 1974 just before I took PFAL: Here's a bit of friendly advice from your future self. Don't get big headed and think all those years of reading comics and sci-fi books will pay off by inspiring you to invent a time machine. This message is coming to you from you - courtesy of a pirate who frequents a greasy café. Without getting too technical, this Keith Richards of a buccaneer has figured out a way of reconfiguring the flux capacitor in Davey Jones' Locker - whereby any document placed therein [be it treasure map, investment tip, movie review, etc.] is redirected in the space/time continuum. It's not my style to play God and tell anyone how to live life. I just want to say – don't fall asleep at the wheel. What I mean by that is don't turn your brain off as you journey through life. There is so much uncertainty in life – but your faith and curiosity are great resources – so don't leave them behind in your travels. And sometimes it might be wise to ask yourself "Is it time for me to change the road I'm on?" You're about to take a class called Power For Abundant Living. Though I am tempted to describe the hardships that befall the gullible – I will refrain from doing so – since I know the sense of adventure in a young man can make reason take a back seat. I'm not telling you to make any drastic changes in your plans. I would not dream of denying you all the experiences, the people who you will touch and those who will touch you, and especially since while in this group you will meet someone special who will experience it all with you – she will become your wife and remain your closest friend. This is what I was getting at earlier – you will get more out of your experiences and will have more to offer others the more you put your mind into it. Engage every aspect of your mind…So I leave you with some simple advice, please take it to heart: Don't absorb information – instead, analyze it. Check out all the details for yourself. Don't keep emotions pent up and hold on to the Golden Rule.

Have a happy birthday...and be safe

Legalism begins when the Pharisees are enthroned. Legalism is accepted when the Pharisees are revered. Legalism increases when the Pharisees' jurisdiction is threatened by freedom. Legalism is kaka when the Pharisees-colored glasses are removed.

The attitude prevalent when I was in TWI was that if someone didn't sit through PFAL and speak in tongues at the end of the class – then they weren't worth helping and it was considered debatable if they were even saved. That's what TWI really "taught" by the attitudes they encouraged.

Cornvicshun: a firm belief in the avoidance of anything associated with Corn Vic. Typical usage: It's obvious by the fact that you haven't read any of the PFAL books in years - that you have a very strong cornvicshun.

Excellent point, Highway!

Great thread, great posts, and a darn good question Bullinger – and ditto of what Oakspear said – "no simple answer."…I think it's all relative to each person – and I think the motive behind the legalism has always been there – in that it's a means of controlling followers. Here's my 2 cents from experience. I joined TWI in 74, went WOW in 75, went in the Corps in 84. Left in 86 after all the commotion over Passing of a Patriarch…My whole time in – I never perceived the legalism. Sort of like the frog being put in a pot of water and then slowly turning up the heat. Initially why I left was to get away from the madness – and try to sort things out – it wasn't that I was fed up with legalism…But looking back I now realize it was there all along – and think that as the organization grew – they had to ramp up their control on everything. That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking to it!

Being a Trinitarian, I'll stick with the original wording "I'm possessed by all nine all the time" - sort of a Trinitarian Squared type of thing - the Father, Son & Holy Spirit own me big time! How convenient - you're a Vet and a sheep...surely many shall say to you, "Sheep/Vet, heal thyself."

In that case, you need to order a MA Vet T-Shirt. And I'm pleased to announce a new item in stock - soon to be a favorite of all those who were told they were under the influence of devil spirits: "I'm possessed by all nine all the time" [Note the actual color of the letters on the T-Shirt are guacamole green - same color used in Linda Blair's hurl scene in The Exorcist.]

Good point, Rhino! And I'd like to add – the truth has a way of getting out. In Matthew 28: 11-14 some of the guards reported to the chief priests everything that happened at the tomb of Jesus. The chief priests and elders paid the soldiers to say the disciples stole the body of Jesus. Though this story was widely circulated among the Jews at the time, it did not stop the spread of the disciples' message – that He is risen! The Matthew passage reminds me of TWI's oppressive mindset – how like the chief priests and elders – they control the flow of information – shaping it to their liking…changing it…suppressing it… Shortly after Passing of a Patriarch came out, and the major players focused on their power struggles and damage control – TWI's ironfisted grip on followers was weakened – cracks formed in the Lock Box. That's when stories of sexual immorality of top leadership began trickling out…Truth has a way of getting out. TWI prided itself on being like the first century church. That's a laugh! When the word got out that sexual immorality was going on in the Corinthian church – Paul didn't cover it up or ignore it – he wrote a very sharp rebuke – found in I Corinthians 5. And thinking about the Ananias and Sapphira incident of lying about their donation and Peter exposing their lie by the Holy Spirit [Acts 5] gives me the impression the early church operated above board – and never tried to suppress the truth.

Best wishes to both of you ! !

Hi Cattcar9 and excuse my bad manners – I forgot to welcome you to Grease Spot. As far as your response to my post - I don't mean to sound critical but maybe the doctrinal forum would be a better place for this stuff - where you could elaborate more on how you draw certain inferences from Scripture. Anyway – I'm a bit confused over your assertions – and you've failed to convince me from Scripture or logic that God does all things and that we believe because He causes us to believe…See, there's two ideas for threads in doctrinal right there…Have fun at Grease Spot – great people here – but I warn ya – folks will take you to task on the details of just about anything!

Great poll - thanks for putting that together Twinky. It was a toss up for me on why I left - a combination of seeing how inept upper leadership was in handling issues after Passing of a Patriarch and starting to question the things we were taught...I finally chose leaving over what I was taught...Ever since I left - life has been wonderful!