waysider

I knew they invented those microwave noodles I like so much but, hey, who knew? Oops. I guess those are Ramen, not Roman Ahhh...never mind.

You couldn't pay tuition for the PFAL class, you had to make a "donation". I find myself wondering if VP was already anticipating that someone might sue The Way when it failed to deliver on "the green card" promises. If you make a donation, they can do whatever they want with it (as long as it's not something illegal) and don't have to give anything in return.

Hey, keeeds! Let's move the word!

Looking back----What a dichotomy ! Life at the top often included a secret life of drunken debauchery, while at the bottom, life consisted of burying one's head in the sand, reciting Lo Shanta's and relying on magic thinking to make everything O.K.

Better hurry, Mr. Ham. It won't be long before it's a bit too nippy for roasting weenies.

Just for the sake of giving credit where credit is due, it was actually E.Stanley Jones who said that fear is sand in the machinery of life. VPW merely "borrowed" it.

Looking back, it's pretty obvious to me that, when we used to talk about "moving the word", what we were really talking about was selling the PFAL class and recruiting new members for the group. When ex-Way people talk about "moving the word today", aren't they really talking about promoting a flawed system of theology, based on teachings of The Way? Why on earth would I want to do that or be proud of it? I'm rambling.

After some further checking, I discovered that Latin does not have a letter "J". It seems that it's often substituted by the letter "L". So, then, this raises the question: Why issue a recall on said coins at all? Why not simply issue an explanation? :blink:

Oh, Jesus! Vatican medal recalled for misspelling the Lord's name http://now.msn.com/jesus-misspelled-on-vatican-medal-for-pope-francis?ocid=ansnow11

There is really no special training required. It's simply a matter of letting go of your inhibitions. Relaxation techniques might help. (close your eyes, deep breaths, etc.) That's what session 12 was about...relax and let go....Remember the first time you let go of the handlebars and rode your bike with no hands? It's kinda like that.

Free vocalization was part of the training I received when I studied improvisational acting. I don't remember it actually being referred to by any particular name but, that's what it was. The process involves learning how to let go of your inhibitions, a quality that is quite valuable in ad-lib situations. I think this is why it was so easy for me to *speak in tongues* when I was introduced to it. It was sort of a reverse epiphany for me. Instead of thinking that speaking in tongues was free vocalization, I guess I thought that the free vocalization I had been doing was really speaking in tongues.

Something else to consider is the seventh session of PFAL, the one that deals with Eve being tricked by the serpent. According to Wierwille, Eve's first mistake was allowing herself to consider what the serpent was presenting. The lesson in this, Wierwille implied, was that we must never allow ourselves to give thoughtful consideration to viewpoints that might contradict "The Word" (read: Way Theology).....STAND!! Never allow yourself to be talked out of PFAL-centric doctrine. It's no wonder Wayfers are so intellectually stubborn.

I would say that anytime you consider your group's (whatever group it may be.) information base to be unique and elite,you are going to filter any new information through that knowledge base. This is a common problem with ex-Way people, in particular, when they attend non-Way sermons. Everything is viewed in light of whether or not it agrees with Way-based theology. I don't think, however, that The Way is alone in this sort of practice. In a sense, it's part of simple human nature to scrutinize the unknown in relation to the known.

Only "The Shadow" knows.

Pasturized....Isn't that what you call a cow that's escaped the barn?

"I think waysider answered some of it but I am going to have to chew on that stuff if you have anymore to add that would be awesome!" That's an off-the-cuff recollection of what I was taught about it 40+ years ago.If I can find more information in a syllabus or book, I'll post it here. My computer access, however, is somewhat limited at the moment.

Perhaps your dream is somehow linked to a phenomenon called false memory syndrome.

So, what's your point?

Here's how I remember it. Wierwille said that there was no verb form "be/was" in the original. Therefore it had to be translated "became". Yeah, I know. That's a derivation of the same thing. Wacky stuff. He also said it had to be translated as such because it explains the phrase "tohu waw bohu" (null and void). It seems the idea here is that God would not have first created nothingness and then replaced it with something tangible. He would have created something of substance and then nullified it. As to the Lucifer reference: This is supposed to explain the section of Isaiah that deals with Lucifer's fall. According to Wierwille, Lucifer (the bright and morning star) was second in command to God but plotted to overthrow God's authority. His plot was foiled and he was banished from Heaven, along with 1/3 of the angels. (These were the ones who were part of his plot.) This idea was also used to teach how the firmament came to be compromised in the cataclysmic battle that ensued, as well as explain the existence of devil spirits who roam the Earth. His vacated position as bright and morning star was later filled by Jesus Christ.

VP was clever enough to claim that, if any of "his" research proved to be wrong, he would willing change his position, though he never actually did on anything of real consequence.

La Tomatina

There weren't too many in TWI who had developed their own voice. Most were a cheap cover version of VPW, complete with awkward mannerisms and "aw-shucks" demeanor.

Maybe there were two governors named Quirinius. It's a really common name,here in Ohio.

Here's the thing...You read in Aesop's Fables and the like of grasshoppers talking to ants, turtles and hares engaged in foot races, and so on. Now, I don't think too many people actually believe these things really happened. Still, if you can look past the obvious discrepancies there are many great lessons that can be gleaned. Insist on these fables being literally true and your vistas of learning become dim and clouded.