Twinky

Good gried, OS, that's outrageous. How long do all those penalties lasdt? How long till someone can vote again, receive Federal aid, etc.? Surely these things are time-limited, though the article doesn't say so. The US doesn't seem very good at rehabilitating people back into society, but surely punishment doesn't go on...and on...and on.

Thanks, BA. And yes, Loy used to talk about it as a step to "one world" government and devil-control, or whatever...without (it seemed to me) thinking of all those US states all falling under Federal jurisdiction Holland is The Netherlands (not just "in" The Netherlands). Do you really not think of the US as being one block? Do you-all think of yourselves as being Texan/Californian/Alaskan etc first, and then American second? Or are you American first, then Texan/Californian/Alaskan etc. Maybe you do think of yourselves by State, since each State is so big and the lot of you are so much one continent (excluding Hawai'i). Certainly in the EU people see themselves as Brit, or French, or Spanish...and then European. In Britain we might also think of ourselves as English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish before thinking of ourselves as British. And some Brits are not altogether sure they are or want to be Europeans. Like Europeans are some other species. Maybe French and Germans (the original EU countries, straight after WW2) would think more of themselves as Europeans...but each country is still so different. For anyone that's interested: European Union The European Parliament is now the highest rule-maker for each country...it makes laws and countries have to bring their own legislation into line with it. This is not always a welcome or happy process (says she, in true Brit fashion, understating how things go!). Anyway, sorry, this has gone way .

Went to church this morning. Usual laid back stuff. Lots of jolly songs, some old, some new. People waving hands in the air. Invitations to do this or that - or just sit and enjoy being where you are. Some of the younger church members wrapped in toilet paper to represent grave wrappings - which they then burst out of (sermon was on Lazarus - Jesus offers (1) promise; (2) words of comfort; (3) a new reality). I wept for the freedom of it. To be able to rejoice. To express joy and rejoicing. Free indeed. The Lord is RISEN. REJOICE!!

Spent a lot of time with my great grandfather, who died aged 94. Old and full of days. And later with my grandfather, who died "prematurely" at 84. Legend there is that he befriended a young workman working on the house next door, helped him, fed him... and the young man broke in to steal from my grandfather's hous. The shock depressed him badly and he died a few months later. Nothing proven, of course, but his giving heart...gave up. It's amazing what our old folks have lived through. The changes they have seen. Their oral histories. We need to cherish our old folks. Part of the richness of our culture. My mum always says: "I may be 80 [she's older than that] on the outside, but on the inside I'm still 18." It's the body that gets old. The mind doesn't - it often stays interested and curious. Never too old to learn. Good on all those folks here who are doing degrees and other studies in their 40s, 50s and older. Live long and prosper [thrive].

Lovely! Happy Easter to you all, too. Rejoice!!!

I remember Lovely Loy sounding off one day (well...more than once) about the European Union and all the countries working together for closer economic union. He had lots of scathing things to say. And (as a European) I could only think, "Keep your bloody nose out of it!" Who is he to make a statement about Europe, or my own country? What does he know about their politics, individually or collectively? Does he even know where these countries are? My view is in no small measure based on how little most Americans know about Europe - not knowing the countries, or which major city is in which country, etc, etc. I also thought: that Lovely Loy or his "advisers" perceived the larger economic unit of Europe a threat to US economic interests. With a bigger block and more countries working together, the US economy perhaps couldn't pick off or wedge into smaller countries and use those as a foothold for more economic oppression. And I further thought: yeah, all right for you to say that...now...now that your States are all one block. Do you want to disband the US union because that union is so evil? No, thought not. You just want to stop others achieving the benefits of cross-border business, multi-nationalism, etc. Call me carnal-thinking if you like. His opinion wasn't based on anything other than his "spiritual revelation" and we all know how that ended up. With apologies to those Europhiles among you who do know that Madrid isn't a city in Italy...LOL. And Belgium is not the capital of Holland...ah, where?

Explain class 3 felony please. All I see is he pleaded guilty...to fraud or deceit. Sounds unpleasantly serious. I did find this: "With a felony conviction comes a substantial penalty. Class 3 felonies can be punished by incarceration in state prison for anywhere from 2-10 years. Convicted felons can also face fines of as much as $10,000. A person convicted of a non-violent Class 3 felony may not be sentenced to prison at all. He may get a shorter sentence in a county jail or even a long probation sentence." I had to check out what "class 3 felony" means. How interesting that Wikipedia notes: "The reform of harsh felony laws that had originated in Great Britain was deemed "one of the first fruits of liberty" after the United States became independent." Whereas nowadays the harsh laws of the US are scary and outrageous by Brit standards...but that's another thread. Suffice to say - he knew better...what a conman. Learned well.

I've both hitched and given lifts to hitchers. It could be risky, but neither way have I felt in danger. Poof! as to instructions given on how to stay safe. We were told not to get into open-back vehicles (utes). That's all. The reason for that was more that we might suffer hypothermia and freeze with the windchill. Or maybe it was because we wouldn't have the opportunity to "witness." I think we were supposed to believe God for the right ride to come along...nothing about not getting into cars if we felt uncomfortable (chance would have been a fine thing...my partner and I got seriously stranded, going out Lightbearers). We wre just to "believe God" - presumably ignoring "senses" that said such and such a ride might be a bad thing.

The thing is, Bibliolaters (of which TWI is only one group) idolize the words themselves. But words alone are not enough, not anything at all really. The words encapsulate ideas. Attitudes. Imaginations. Hopes. Despairs. Fears. The "heart" of it all. Those, the ideas, are what we need to get to. If you stop at studying the words, you see only the whited sepulchre. You don't see either the rot behind - or the angel in the tomb.

1. Love God. 2. Love your fellow man. That's about it really. The Bible is a book about what goes on, on the inside, not the external actions. Maybe the Bible should be read once in a while as a book about how people loved their fellow human beings. And how some others didn't love their fellow human beings. Both, in about as many different ways as there are and have been human beings. So of course there will be myriad "contradictions." Welcome to "Life". We mostly have far too small a picture of (mindset about) God.

Really? Wherever did they drag that idea in from? oh never mind... Never heard that before. Can these spirit beings feel pain, then? How can physical pain be caused to something that doesn't have a physical body?

"You can learn as much hitchhiking as you can from studying the book of Genesis" ???? Okay, "teacher" - let's see, when was the time you hitchhiked? (Except on the shoulders of giants when you pinched their work)? One of the best times I had was wandering around in the mountains on my own for three weeks. Completely alone. An overnight layover in a little hamlet to re-stock my food. Everything (tent and all) except water carried on my back. Saw a handful of people the first week; "enjoyed" a minor earthquake; hitched a lift with strangers to the hamlet. Saw only one person on the first day the second couple of weeks or 10 days or whatever it was. Lotsa miles, not sure the mileage; distances are measured in days to take, not miles or km. I enjoyed "just being." How can you replicate that on LEAD?

Too right! I do think there were some that were motivated more by jealousy. "...you have an education, I didn't 'get the opportunity,' I'll bully you for having had the opportunity." Heh heh, perhaps they hadn't the "stayed mind" enough to take the opportunity to get an education when they were offered it. Education was definitely mocked. If one has learned to think and evaluate...what I got, constantly, was: "You are leaning to your own understanding. You are not trusting God. You are too carnally-minded." And then the clincher: "You are not meek to the Word" (because you do not obey me/dare to question me, your leader.) Interesting now that some of those people have to get on in the world (not being with TWI any more) that they have - gone and got an education. Trained for something and got some qualifications. I wonder if, now that they have their secular qualifications, they mock those who do not have any qualifications - the junior staff in whatever organizations they work in, for example.

I think he was angry all right - but at himself, his wife...maybe VPW. Couldn't express it to those people so took it out on the Corps, especially the in-rez Corps. Perhaps LCM was the biggest dupe of all. But he didn't have to be the biggest prat (I'm being nice) of all.

Interesting that this thread, "Confronting LCM" is so named. No-one could really confront the Great Man during his tenure. I honestly don't think he can be unaware of the Cafe and the things that get discussed here. Word gets around! Maybe he lurks...I doubt it though. But he won't come here and be confronted. Much less apologize. Both would require rather too much humility. Or, to use his favorite word, "meekness." No. Not his style at all.

I find that a bit hard to believe. If as alleged elsewhere here they have over $57million in the bank - I can't see they only had $200K left. That $57m money in the bank has been there a long time. On current numbers, they couldn't manage to bring in that much, surely? That would mean bringing in about $3.8m surplus every year since the policy was cancelled. Much more than $3.8m, when you take running costs and salaries for remaining staff into account as well. But I can see it might drain their current ("operating") account and use up most of the annual ABS so that the $57m capital nest-egg didn't build up any more. What a thing that would be - to use the ABS for "moving the word" and paying field staff to get out there and DO something. (Even better if HQ staff had to get out there and do something...LOL)

That's pretty awesome, mstar1. Donating their food...!

TWI wouldn't like the zippy song. Nor the enthusiasm of the performers. Nor the enthusiasm of the audience. And especially not the huge number of people there... ...enjoying themselves. How great is our God - to rescue us from all that meanness of heart.

Cara, LCM was "spiritually angry." That's why the face meltings. He was always spiritually angry. Could be fun when relaxed, but you were always walking on eggshells in case that spiritual anger erupted again. Yeah, I bet he has less spiritual anger or even ordinary human anger, in Home Depot or wherever he found a job. Wouldn't last long with the temper tantrums. He forgot all about this, or deemed it irrrelevant: Gentle. Comfort. Yeah right. These scriptures were also used to justify the yelling sessions: 1 Corinthians 3:2 KJV I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. Hebrews 5:12 KJV For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. We were spiritually mature enough not to need milk and could endure the yelling sessions due to our maturity. He wasn't going to soft-soap (or soft-milk) us. Not going to treat us nicely. We should be able to handle it. After all - we were the elite. We were Corps. Aaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!!

Good to be reminded about, Socrates. Know just what you mean, Geisha. Unfortunately I did get to spend time with him...when it couldn't be avoided. Facemeltings and all.

Hey, I'm not for hoarding! I've been stuck in the box too long, you're not hoarding me into another!(Hey, but I wouldn't mind spending a little time with you and Tonto.)

I got this junk even before I took PFAL and thought it was trash then. Why couldn't God speak to a wife, a woman, if that was what was needed? What, God's not smart enough to talk to women? Women aren't smart enough to hear? Something about a woman's "head being covered" or some such. Just another of those things that they used to abuse and weaken women. In the guise of "meekness" or "submission." Abuse God too. Cos I'm jolly sure he never said or meant any such thing. Amen, sistah! I think a lot of us could say that.

Can't add much except that whoever this person is, s/he (he??) still has a lot to learn about compassion and just plain being kind. Taking pot shots at the messenger (you, Excie) isn't going to help anybody at all.

Well, of course, salt just = commitment. But I have to agree with Johniam (!) on this - that water baptism as the evidence of commitment was laughed at - but the little dish of salt as evidence of commitment - was applauded. Other symbols - like wedding rings as evidence of commitment - weren't commented on. First, however, TWI had taught about the seriousness of breaking the salt covenant. It went through a lot of Corps in rez teaching. So it became a chain to enslave. Or maybe it was a "ring through the nose" so that Corps could be led wherever the Prez wanted. I was worried about "breaking the covenant" when I first got dropped. Then I began to think differently - in my heart I was salted to serve God - not TWI. I still have a little dish of salt, a gift from my elder Corps, when I graduated. And I still serve God.

Clearly the ABS doesn't stretch as far as buying - at least the modern-day standard program, Word - whether or not it's the "best" program, who knows. And probably the "bset" equipment to run it on. Computers are pretty much out of date after a very few years. Bet they keep theirs going for way way beyond the normal business use-by date. WordPerfect...how arcane is that, now? But great on an out of date computer.... (double post, somehow)