Twinky

Hi Extremist. I read here at the Cafe for a few months before I got posting. I couldn't stop reading! It was so shocking - and enlightening. Later, I found The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse (recommended above) a real eye-opener. With each chapter I read, it seemed as though everything in my heart was getting lighter. Couldn't put it down. Felt like I was floating on air when I'd finished it because all the burdens laid on by TWI had been taken away. And it doesn't even mention TWI, just goes on about typical culty behaviour. As the Good Book says: the truth will set you free. I'd suggest you read some of the better threads - first few pages are usually the most interesting, then they sometimes get derailed, but may get back on track. You will find a variety of opinions and views here, some of which will annoy you and some of which you will agree with. That's fine! Means you are beginning to think clearly again. Form your own opinion. It's very interesting when we see new people here, still a bit Waybrained and parroting the company line, and then we see them starting to put it together for themselves and really engaging with - with themselves, mostly. Enjoying the right to look outside of the Way tramlines. You may find it helpful to join a good church that preaches the gospel. Try not to be too critical in what you think of people and the gospel message presented. Are the congregation pleasant, welcoming; or aloof and disengaged? Do they appear to care about each other and socialise before or after the service? Is the message soothing and uplifting, or condemnatory? You do not have to share anything about yourself that you are not truly comfortable doing. Most of us here don't discuss our culty pasts with people we don't know well - or even then. Some people have found Divorce self-help groups useful to deal with the trauma of separation from what you've invested your life in. But having said that, a true and trusted, empathetic, non-judgmental friend or maybe a couple of friends (no more) with whom you can be very honest, may be very helpful in being a sounding board to help you sort yourself out. Your recovery strategy may to some extent depend on how you left TWI - voluntarily or kicked out, M&A'd or less viciously, and how long you'd been in. Feel free to post your wackiest thoughts here. We have all been through the process of re-setting our courses post-TWI. Some still espouse Christianity, others don't want a shred of it. We want to help people like you.

It's interesting. People have received this postcard and it has brought some old posters back to this site, people who haven't been seen in a while. Perhaps they have been lurking, watching without posting. Would be good if we could get the database that TWI is using, and send everyone The Other Side (GSC) postcards . Not going to happen, of course.

You got one too, BecomingMe?!! Hmph. Couldn't get the Weirwille family to "stand," so they think they'll have a go with the Martindale family?

Waysider! Naughty, naughty! Ouija board, maybe...?

Actually, I think that sums things up very nicely, T-Bone. We here can all see the counterfeit "GP" at work within us (well, all of us except one).

How do they know who to send these postcards to, anyway? If someone's been kicked out, especially out of the WC, who knows where that person might have departed to - and where those individuals might be now, several if not many, years later. Please don't tell me that they have a "research department" to research where ex-Wayfers are now living - by trawling through phone records, previous addresses, any recorded next of kin for ex-Wayfers, and contacting current Wayfers in the last known state. That would be akin to stalking.

Heh heh, all of us here have well "shared our testimony." I don't think it's the testimony TWI will want shared with potential new recruits. Or with current members who want to call us back to Wayland.

In all honesty, if the "great principle" causes such blindness in understanding the things of God; if it causes such stubbornness in recognising evil; if it causes one to think that Jesus Christ will return with the orange book in his hand - well, all I can say is I really don't want it, I don't want any of that. What works for me is praise and thanksgiving, acknowledging God in all my ways, and respecting (and to the best of my ability obeying) the things expected of me by God. Then I have peace, and, somehow, gentle knowledge manifests itself and I "just know" the right thing to do or say or understand. Seems a lot simpler than tying oneself in knots understanding some "great principle" that nobody can agree on - and that God didn't think important enough to spell out in minute (or any) detail in his Owners Manual.

There's another work party tomorrow (Saturday) with a view to cleaning the inside of this tatty old building. The idea is to do "warm space" in here, and bring it back into community use. (However the actual church building next door is fully heated, so why move to this horrible temporary building for Warm Space?) Anyway, it will be good to get the community back into going to the building for something. And the work party will be good. Hopefully some members of the wider community will come and help, not just church members. Working together will build links, too.

Who cares? Mike's playing games again. Mike, don't you get it? Most of us here have moved on - moved way on - in our thinking from the little box in which VPW wanted to imprison us. Do YOU remember what the one single key idea that should have run through all the Way ministry's teachings ought to have been? Unlike you - I will give you a clue. It is to do with the fact that GOD LOVES US unconditionally and would really like it if we would love HIM back. Love him. And not some man, or some idol, or some book or some thing.

Not sure this is true. Where did VPW get this "claim"? It's not "awareness" of fault, but genuine repentance and a change of lifestyle that will "transform into grace."

Bling (Merriam Webster) The meaning of BLING is flashy jewelry worn especially as an indication of wealth or status; broadly : expensive and ostentatious ... Pretty much what TWI was: flashy, looking expensive (rare knowledge) and ostentatious (We're the only ones who know this! Pin back your ears!) OldSkool: you probably meant "blind guides" but "bling" seems to sorta fit...

Against this background, maybe one could say that the alleged 1942 promise was very successful. This story kept VPW from having to do anything worthwhile, and it gave him potential access to single females. It in fact was successful. It's kept a fake ministry going for 80 years, it sucked all of us in, one way or another. But the content - "I'll teach you the Word like it hasn't been known..." - outright fabrication.

Back to 1942. Let's see. World War 2. Many theologians, especially in Germany and continental Europe, were being persecuted for their beliefs and for their active resistance to Nazi dictats. Many other Christians set up various support networks to help escapees from persecution, at risk of, and often at cost of, their own lives. And many other lives, Jewish and otherwise, were saved. Some of these rescuers are honoured by Israel as being "righteous among the nations." Churches, especially in Germany, were corrupted and only allowed to preach an adulterated version of Christianity that supported the Nazi Aryan view. But many ministers stood up against such requirements and were themselves imprisoned and some murdered, for their stance. Some we know about, many others we don't know about. Here are some events and people you may have heard of. They lived their faith - and taught many others. Against this background, a nonentity, lazy, cowardly mid-west American man has the idea to have a fake vision and thereafter avoids doing any serious work of his own. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Righteous_Among_the_Nations_by_country - if you read this carefully, you'll see many churches and church leaders listed (esp in the Netherlands section) - there's no telling without checking every name whether their faith sparked their resistance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer - his works are still widely published and read. Well respected, and his writings are still influential. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrie_ten_Boom - her works are still widely published and read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsie_ten_Boom

1942. Let's see. What else was going on at that time? The rest of the world was engaged in violent conflict. The USA was slow to this party, not joining until December 1941. In the USA, young men were being rounded up and sent overseas to fight. The draft was approved September 1940. By December 1941 America's military had grown to nearly 2.2 million soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. By late 1942 all men aged 18 to 64 were required to register for the draft, though in practice the system concentrated on men under 38. The draft boards considered factors like the importance of a man's occupation to the war effort, his health, and his family situation. Many men volunteered rather than wait to be drafted. That way, they could choose their branch of service. I cannot recall how old VPW would be at that time. I can foresee that setting up his own church might be seen as a way to escape being drafted. I don't know if clergymen were drafted, or might volunteer because they could provide succour to fighting men; both happened in other countries. I can also foresee that, with men being drafted and sent overseas, that would provide a fair number of temporarily unaccompanied nubile females. Perhaps New Knoxville, being a farming area, might have a number of exemptions, since food production might be an essential industry (though in other countries, women did the farming, because the men were away fighting - or dead). Nonetheless, there were likely to be more "single" females who might welcome a hug (or more) from a "kindly" (?) minister. Against this backdrop, finding an excuse not to get drafted might become of prime importance to a lazy, cowardly man. He might be able glibly to claim that he could provide home succour and comfort, keep up morale, etc.

Right, so J and LCM had a long-standing thing. WHY would Ed put up with that? Repeatedly - over a long period, by the sound of it. Why would any husband put up with that? Why?? Yet I know that G@ry B@rnes knew his wife J@nuary was seeing LCM. He'd watch her get ready: she told me this, years later. She told me he felt powerless to stop her. And she had changed, to feel that he was contemptible and weak. How can that wicked man LCM make a man feel so? How can an organisation make men and women feel so? (I think I'll just go upstairs and scream quietly into my pillow. So angry!) Thank God P@ul Allen wasn't powerless to stop what was happening to his wife, despite both inducements and threats.

I don't like to ask. Don't like to imagine. Tell me this is imagination, and didn't happen.

Thank you, Chocky.

I never knew any of it either. Don't look for it, couldn't possibly expect it in a Christian place of work and study, just - naive and innocent. Thank God for his protection over me at that time. It makes me feel ill to think of it now. Jacque... my corps coordinator. A groomer. Ugh.

1. I am not using "tactics." I merely say what I think. I speak plainly, not in riddles or with hidden or special meanings - unlike you, Mike. 2. You could try paying attention. My handle is TWINKY with a Y. How many times have you seen the name? You managed to spell it correctly the second time. Attention to detail is something TWI drums into its followers. How could you miss that? 3. When the blindly obvious is ignored or overlooked, it makes one wonder what other less obvious things are overlooked or ignored. Wonder how trustworthy the person overlooking things really is.

Absolutely right, and it had never occurred to me until now. It's always described itself as a "Biblical research, teaching and fellowship ministry." Never a "Christian research, teaching and fellowship ministry." Mind you: it's no good at research, Biblical, Christian, or otherwise; no good at teaching, though it is good at indoctrination and bullying; not good at fellowship, being so exclusive and manipulative.

The Book of Longings is a very readable, very intriguing book. Time I had a re-read.

Interesting little video, Rocky.

We have an architect in our congregation. I don't know if he will be doing the design (quite likely) but he will be overseeing and helping smooth out any planning objections when planning permission is applied for. I have seen some draft sketches, but they're only sketches at this stage. I'm guessing it'll be next year at least before we're breaking ground on this new venture. We'll have to raise the money (or most of it) for the building works first. But the ££ will be there when it's needed. Meantime, the Youth minister is already hatching plans and can't wait to get in there. We will also be housing a Foodbank, much needed in this area. It would be good if we can re-start Homework Club, much better for kids than trying to do homework on the end of the ironing board or in the room they share with two noisy siblings. The Debt Advice centre [Christians Against Poverty - CAP] or the Credit Union might come back. I am going to suggest Repair Cafe does a session once a month, too (that'd be new). We have big plans :) !!!!!!!!!

Gross, OS. Guess that's why she was happy to be at Emporia, away from his sweaty clutches.