Twinky

(blushes again) Thank you, Skyrider. Yep. If it's "you" that got hurt, it is a big deal. "You," basically are all you've got. Yep again. I've posted this before: I was so desperate and destroyed that I was prepared to crawl across broken glass to get back to TWI after ten years in the wilderness. I got on the net to find their zip code. The first result for TWI was - GreaseSpot Cafe! I looked. I was appalled, horrified. And ultimately healed. My grovelly letter of apology for my imagined sins never got written. I thank God for Saint Pawtucket and this place.

Thank you for your kind words, T-Bone (blushes). I'm just out there doing my best. Whenever and wherever. Thinking about the damage caused, Rocky and Sky, I was a confident professional woman when I entered the Corps. The "head games" that they played were far worse and longer lasting than physical ill-treatment. After they booted me out, I was a wreck, thinking at one time that I was so useless that I probably wouldn't even be able to kill myself effectively. I spent ten years ("the lost years") in a daze not really knowing what was going on, and I was so hurt and damaged and spiky that it's a wonder nobody killed me before I could do that to myself. Seriously. I was a mental basket case; even now, I'm not sure I'd have the patience or compassion to love someone like me as I was then. So, I know the damage that was caused to some people, and specifically to me. I think I was being groomed, by LCM himself (Rosie saved me from that; I think she saw lawsuits coming if he persisted) and later, by his head honcho in the country where I was living. I rather fancy my non-compliance had a bearing on my being booted out. But not before they'd beaten me into total inadequacy, then left me for dead. I know what they did to my most wonderful Corps sister. I know what they did to other people, that I knew and loved. Yet because of that, I can love others in hopeless places. Thankful others cared enough. Thankful to have found a tremendous church with outstanding people who looked out for the desperate, the injured and the hurting ones. For me, I know what lingers and where the trigger points are. But still, Sky, in the wider Christian world - VPW was such a nonentity. Thank God!

I really don't think I can fully agree with you on this. "Polarizing," definitely, among some that heard of him (most, don't care - if his memory ever crosses their minds). "Huge dimensions and consequences" in some people's lives (inc many who hang out here and on other TWI-focused sites), but many walked away without a backward glance. In the scale of things - he was just another small-town sex-obsessed liar. Who actually was of such insignificance that very few have heard of him (granted, more than most small-town sex-obsessed liars). In the Christian world, he's not even a nonentity. Pathetic, really. All his grandiosity - he was just an empty paper bag.

Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse is a life changer. I couldn't put it down when I first read it. I could feel the oppression evaporating. Within a very few hours, I was like a different person. Not that all my problems disappeared; but the oppressiveness did. I saw a therapist/counsellor for a short time. She got me to talk about - can't remember now - and basically watched my body language as I talked. What she said at that point stuck with me: "When you talk about your cats, your face lights up and you look happy. Think about them when things get too much." And I think maybe things progressed from there. I remember that, when I started getting strung up about things after that, I thought about the cats. Therapist also wanted to explore parent-adult-child (P-A-C) responses. I couldn't deal with that. I told her that I felt I'd already been split into different people, characters; I was already fragmented; and I didn't need to fragment myself any more, I needed to be myself and become whole. I doubt she had ever met a cultie before and was herself a little lost with what to do, hence this P-A-C suggestion. Anyway, the short time I was attending her was enough to get me to begin to grasp hold of myself again, and with the help of loving, patient friends, many of whom are from a really supportive church, I thank God that so much has been restored to me and indeed, I have so much more to give to help others in dire circumstances. BecomingMe, you can indeed become the You that God intended. It's even okay to go off the rails a little bit, as your pendulum swings from oppression to a type of freedom. You will find a balance. You are safe, here, to explore the strange things that happened to you; your strange thinking patterns; your unusual behavior or responses; or whatever. In a way, we're all recovering addicts here. Some of us are just plain wacky in other areas. Here. Have a hug. And a good laugh. Now let's have a bevvy. Waiter!!

Hmm. Living Hope Ministries. "Living Hope International Ministries provides many services to the believer including Teaching, Counseling, and Fellowship." Different... teaching, counseling and fellowship. (Not that I'd want to be "counseled" by anyone ever associated in any form with TWI.)

Don't know about that poem, WW, too many connotations about the "fair haired youth" that danced around in tights. It was really promoted, to boost up both Loy and the amazing leadership and preparation made by the lonely but visionary wise old grey-head. I knew the poem before I'd ever heard of TWI, but (as ever), the twist TWI gave it has made it unpalatable. However, I do like the idea of we older escapees being bridge-builders for the newer escaped, except that we're not aiding them at evening twilight, we're aiding them into the bright light of day, clearsightedness and FREEEEDDDDDOOOOMMMM! (note the sunnies, for the bright light; not wearing the rose-tinted glasses of PFAL).

Welcome, and have an interesting time here. You'll find others that were raised in TWI too. It must be hard for you to adjust to life in all its abundance outside the wails, sorry, walls, of Zion. Many of us who have been out for a long time stay around to help newbies like you. You can talk here about some of the things that happened to you and you don't need to explain too much. We understand. Have a cup of coffee and put your feet up!

Good point, Thomas.

Or, if you like Outandabout's analogy, here's another little something. Please do pay attention to the "state" (and barely "standing") of the item referrred to.

Here is a little something, for the Way Tree:

Anyway - how many "households" are there in a body? My body, and doubtless yours, comprises blood, skin, bone, various soft tissues (and harder tissues), arranged as fingers, toes, lungs, etc. But my body, and doubtless yours, doesn't have any "households." It's just ... a body.

So thankful for the outstanding Christians that I have encountered in my church, the parent church, the local abbey (traditional main city church). and the very many people I've encountered through Christian organisations I'm involved with. There are so many ways to learn from each other (and preaching in church is only a small part of it) and so many ways to serve each other and the very much wider community. I wouldn't want to pull any elitist cards over them; such tremendous people, I'd prefer to emulate their heart and commitment, not "lord it over them." Oddly, there are some that think that about me, too! (Now I know they must be lacking in role models!). Try checking out this verse in other translations: and also this: Sorry, I missed the elitist bit that shows that the "household" gets to be the superior part of the Body of Christ.

Gets better. Might he have assaulted this child whilst he was a director? Conviction Jan 2014, incident likely therefore some time in 2013 at latest. One hopes he was M&A'd and publicly humiliated, just like those of us who looked at someone else without the appropriate expression of awe on our faces. Any of our newer Cafe patrons know about him being M&A'd?

Lovely, what a nice man. Obviously didn't get the memo that only girls over 16 were "fair game." Conviction 2014; would that be close to the date of the crime, or might it a historical crime (ie, he assaulted the girl 20 or 30 years ago and it's only just come to light)? Could it be something that happened at a Family Corps location? What sort of sentence would he get for this - suppose it would depend on the extent of the unlawful activity. Scuse me while I go and throw up.

Well, that sounds quite promising. Sounds good. One of the things that I have enjoyed about going to my church is that sometimes a familiar Bible passage will be read - and then the talk (sermon) is something so wildly different from the TWI "standard line" that it might as well be a different book altogether. But always, there is the Bible passage, and then an effort to link that to how we should be responding now, what our actions and heart should be - without ever "pointing the finger" and NEVER with any kind of bellowing, shouting, name-calling or bad language. Perhaps you can encourage these people you're hanging out with to read a variety of different Bible translations. You might find that very helpful, both in choice of words, and in how some passages are punctuated. Also try looking at one or some of the more modern "thought for thought" versions, considering why they chose a particular turn of phrase, and what that might communicate to people today. Frankly, now, I find it impossible to read, or hear read, the AV (what you call KJV), for a variety of reasons, one of which is the mindset I find myself being dragged back into, and dubious teaching brought back. There are other threads here about what Bible versions people prefer, and why. You do understand, don't you, that VPW chose AV not because "it's the most accurate" but because he pinched a class that had been started in it, then pinched other men's work (esp Bullinger's); and giving his versions of archaic language made him seem to be a scholar. In fact HE DID NOT understand the language or some of the turns of phrase. If he'd understood English, especially idiomatic English, and English grammar, some of his phony difficulties wouldn't even have been there for him to expound his great wisdom. And if he'd understood English, especially idiomatic English, and English grammar, there are in fact some real gems that he could have drawn from some passages.

Taxidev, nice that you've found a local fellowship that you can enjoy. My question is: these teachers - are they doers of what they say? even more, are they doers of what the Bible commands them to do? and do they lead others into doing by example? This will have a practical outworking of service to the community at large, regardless of whether they are Christian believers or other people? Are these teachers full of head knowledge, or has that head knowledge developed into really wise, gentle, ways of dealing with complex situations?

I'd agree, and perhaps this part can be split off from the original "cite his sources" thread.

I never saw "Staying Alive" but I just watched a couple of clips on YouTube. Wow! Yet more plagiarism!! Extended plagiarism!!!!

Sky, glad VPW was wrong, and you got to make up with your parents. You also got to see the clay feet of your tormentor. But he achieved his goal: bound you closer to himself, and there you remained, at least for his lifetime. So much for "builds harmony in the home." Only if your "home" is in a cult!!

Looks like re-editing might be a job for DWBH.

Why??? I find "mass" a weird thing ("communion," too; the Anglican version). Isn't it supposed to be a "sacred" meal? Since when did people have meals kneeling down with their hands cupped? Or drink wine, kneeling (unless they've had too much!)? Too much ritual, for my liking. Anyway, Wildcat, enjoy your spiritual journey wherever it takes you. There is much to learn, from humble Christians everywhere.

Yeah, yeah! Considerable improvement on the original.

Either. Both. But not 114 pages!

Maybe you could copy it and post it as a document, or at least an attachment, here?

That needs a WARNING, Rejoice. Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!