Twinky

Be interesting to see after all this exposure and ridicule whether they try some different sort of dance routine for their next round of song/dances, especially for the bigger events - the forthcoming anniversary weekend? The New Year Watchnight?

Oh. Really. Hnph.

Laugh in their faces, Jeff. It's a real "turn the cheek" opportunity. It's very good that your son is banned from seeing this group and learning such dreadful behavior. You have a great opportunity to show him what being a man is and exercising self-control. He he, I got myself M&A'd by a wannabe splinter group. It was too funny. I couldn't believe how pathetic the leader was. He had a crony there as a witness while he showed off being the big man. Ha ha, everyone else is laughing at him too, now. And nobody but him marks or avoids me. This one and the one that went gunning for you are no better than schoolyard bullies. But far more pathetic. Live life to the full! Here, have a drink on me -

Oh come on, Oldies. You know he thought TWI (=himself) was the only place capable of "rightly dividing the Word." You know he disparaged churches and religious organizations of all sorts. You know he mocked those who gave to other organizations and didn't put their tithe in the place best able to use it (=TWI). Yes, he said that about the Mormons in CSBP. He said, they tithed and they were prosperous. The implication was clear, they gave to their own organization. Which became rich. But then he said or at least implied that one would "get more" if the money were handed over to the organization "rightly dividing" the Word.

Still probably a no but George - have you got Skype?

Extracted from John Juedes's paper: Well, at least they are now talking about net income. Doesn't Christians Should be Prosperous talk about gross income? If tithing off the net income, the logic was, then you were putting the government and man's taxes and demands before giving to God and what was legally due to him. Then at some stage (early 90s??) without any teaching that I can recall, but subtly somehow, it became permissible to give 10% of net income. But about the same time, the ABS required booted up to 15%. So in fact they got about the same amount either way.

Aren't these guys back in the US now? You're welcome to them.

Here's a recipe: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database...ypie_1318.shtml This recommends puff pastry but you can also make it with ordinary short pastry too. Lots of variations on the theme. Try it with a baked potato and some carrots. Me, I'd have Savoy cabbage or Brussels sprouts as well. To follow, and because you already have the oven on: a creamy thick rice pudding. Yum yum. Very good winter stick-to-the ribs stuff.

Hey Chas, how'd the visit go? I don't remember seeing anything you posted. Hope it was a success.

A gun??!! What, they couldn't believe for God to protect them? What sort of branch leaders did they think they were? Somebody gonna steal The Word from them (they surely wouldn't have "earthly treasures"?)

Hmm, so the Soup video has made it onto the Cafe's front page. Funny! :) Not so sure I like the comments that are accumulating on the blog at the bottom of the video. It's one thing to work out issues at the Cafe, but quite another to wrangle in public on the blog. Enough there already to raise questions in the minds of any searchers after truth.

Well, do I have a fusspot cat or what! Tuxedo is getting oh-so-friendly. She has taken to prowling on the couch near my desk when I am at the computer in my "study." Yesterday I captured her (several times) and made her sit on my lap (not a popular choice). In the late evening, I captured her and she struggled a little but not fiercely. When she was calm I carefully cradled her and carried her off to another room. Sat on the couch and she calmed down. Lay on the couch with her on my chest and she stayed quite still and calm. We lay like that for quite a while, an hour or so. She does not relish this, but does not fight or bite or struggle to get away apart from a perfunctory wriggle. I always make slow and gentle movements and talk to her reassuringly, saying her name, and make sure that her eyes reduce to nice little slits and not the staring-eye no-pupil scared look, before I try anything new. Her fur is oh-so-soft and very gleaming. She is, however, a very bony cat, no fat, nothing spare, on her at all. Despite that she appears to eat constantly. She was jumpy this morning and would not let me touch her first thing, but she has overcome that now and as I sit at my desk, she is again roaming the couch so that I can fondle her. She also puts her head near mine, so has obviously realized that I am not about to eat her (or whatever does frighten her) (trying to think "cat" here). Other cat will still only allow me to stroke her and not pick up. However, when I was carrying Tuxy about and when we were lying on the couch Crypto's very concerned face appeared to watch what was going on and (for the first time) she put a paw on the couch and gazed deeply into my face, while I was cradling Tuxy. Maybe she had in mind to rescue her sister, though just a stare at her will scare her away. Nobody could call the look she gave me friendly or participative. I always try to ensure that Crypto can see what I'm doing with Tuxy. She watches carefully and if nothing happens with Tuxy, she will have a go at it herself (eg, a new toy or something different to eat). So if she sees Tuxy enjoys being fondled, maybe she will realize it's an okay thing. She does like to be stroked and brushed but not picked up. So things are moving well and remembering where they have come from, it's just lovely.

Enough already. When I laid me down to sleep last night, that dammed Renewed Mind is the Key song kept flittering through my brain. I felt like lying on my back and sleeping with the pillow snugly across my face. (But obviously I didn't.)

DWBH: "Chairman of the bored."

This gives them soooo much publicity. Years ago they would have "died for it." Now - it's all the evil demons, sorry, devil spirits, of the internet poking fun of the Word. There were some really talented musicians and other performers at TWI. Maybe there still are. But all the talent is squished into "one size fits all" and all joy and spontaneity removed - in the name of being "decent and in order." Over-choreographed, and with plastic smiles that look like they have come from pinning the sides of their mouths to their ears. It's sad.

The essence of this is that when Jesus appeared, Paul changed his mindset completely and followed Jesus. Then later he had further visitations and revelations from him. TWI claims to receive revelation about certain things but we only have their word for it and as such revelation sometimes runs contrary to clear scripture on like matters, one has to ask, was there any revelation to begin with? And if so - from whom? And TWI is hell-bent on being Pharisees. Legalists. You must do it this way. You must obey. You must do what we want even in the face of scripture stating the opposite. And actually they don't really want "gladness". That would be an "emotion" and therefore to be squished. Any expression of joy of heart, or excitement and enthusiasm, outside the carefully trammelled proscriptions of TWI is not "decent and in order." King David with his whrling and dancing in his gladness of heart would have been severely dealt with. His wife Michal's condemnatory attitude condemned her to childlessness - she was barren. Is it any surprise that TWI's joyless condemnatory watchfulness makes it barren and unfruitful?

You have the complete collection, OutinTexas? (tonque in cheek)

Beer actually wouldn't be too good because it will end up making you thirstier. You will need extra water to deal with the dehydration from the beer. In Houston you will never need to buy firewood ever again (even for the BBQ) and a significant inroad into the cost of repair and recovery could be made by selling the pre-chopped matchsticks that places like Galveston and Crystal Beach turned into. (Gallows humor, apologies in advance if anyone's offended. I'm real sorry for those folks.)

Super dog. Looks like he enjoyed life. Eyes so firmly fixed on his owner but that great big smile on his face. How much more fun can a dog have? (Wonder if cats can be trained to dance? (ha ha) Would be nice if mine didn't run away when they saw me coming.)

TLB: What's in my own purse is a mystery even to me! Sudo: I know. Anyone else would laugh. The church I go to launched an event called "Hope 08" which is supposed to be outreach by all the churches in the city to the city as a whole. It was launched in January. Everyone knew we were preparing for it from about October. Goey: Exactly. Oldiesman: Glad you found the Lord within TWI but in later years, he was a bit hard to find. But it was mighty easy to find homosexuals. So, is anyone asking Paw for an application form to serve as wait staff in the Cafe?

A sneak preview of forthcoming events, can't tell you how I got this info so don't ask. Specially announced over the Cafe megaphone but not yet announced within the walls of Zion: The theme for the next ministry year at TWI, to be announced on October 5, 2008, is (drum roll): Serving the Lord with Gladness There will also two new programs, one taking place in the first part of the ministry year and the second in the latter part of the year. These are to enable believers "to serve on the field" in their current location, sort of "Way Disciple" but without compulsory relocation. A splendid reward awaits participants. Those signing up and completing will get ... a certificate. Anybody excited about returning to TWI? Ready to sign up? Innies - get ready to serve! (I believe there are wait staff positions available at the Cafe for those who prefer not to serve TWI!)

I think his point may be that we don't need to follow Jesus Christ but look straight at God. Yeah, I thought it was an odd comment, too. Is this a verse TWI uses to justify the "absent Christ"? Spoudazo, love your expression, "'truth' as a theological sport."

I heard from an innie contact that HQ lost power and the phone hook ups were canceled. I guess this was all the wicked hand of the adversary, out to stop the movement of the word: all that destruction from Ike just to get at TWI. Perhaps there will be something, some spiritual insight, on the next SNS that comes out (this coming Sunday?). Jim, you're excused from listening. Actually I would be surprised if they don't have a generator somewhere to provide essential power for food storage and emergency lighting in the main buildings. And they are pretty good and quick at fixing things that are physically wrong.

Who knows, John, you might find help and support here to sort out some of your remaining residual issues. This stuff, as you know, is very pernicious. I got talking with an elderly friend of mine and her two daughters, who are both about my age, about their experiences in the Plymouth Brethren. It was interesting - they had to deal with many of the same issues that I (and others at the Cafe) have had to deal with. They still have residual issues even though for them it is over 20 years since they were out. They just attended their local congregation - not any pseudo-leadership training to further ingrain it. For me it was good to see that other cult survivors had suffered similarly and I wasn't such a freak. Like ExCath, I suffered profound depression after I got very viciously expelled (marked and avoided) and the idea of suicide briefly crossed my mind (but I though I'd be a failure at that, too....). As Corps and having taken a salt covenant, my sense of failure and my desperation were absolute. Nervous breakdown? Mental illness? Perhaps, nothing diagnosed; I just know I wasn't functioning anywhere near properly. Knowing (via the Cafe) that others including Corps have been through the same stuff has been immensely healing. And every day gets better and I'm more thrillingly alive. I hope your chat group / group therapy brings closure and release to the participants. And to you, too.

Too funny!!!! Maybe it needs to be marked and avoided?