waysider

". The railroading sociopath was incapable of registering compassion, or empathy, or longsuffering, or patience, etc in the very real sense that scripture embodies 'fruits of the spirit'." He claimed that he spoke in tongues so much he could go for days on end without sleep because SIT was supposed to be a sort of perfect rest/substitute for sleep. He also claimed that speaking in tongues, and the manifestations in general, produced the fruit of the spirit described in Galatians, yet, he failed to display those qualities in his own life.. For a guy who was supposedly so concerned with mathematical accuracy, I think he failed (or ignored) to notice that something just wasn't "adding up".

Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of gifts never given Proverbs 25:14 New International Version (NIV)

"Is there a third option?" Yes.... He was flying by the seat of his pants. Looking at the definitions as they appear in the Advanced Class syllabus, it becomes apparent they did not originate with VPW. They use phrasing and terminology that does not reflect Wierwille's *voice*. I think he was like one of those guys who starts a small business in his garage , never dreaming it will grow into a large corporation but ready to roll with the punches as it does.

During PFAL, Wierwille goes into one of his homiletic rants and says, regarding Christ's return, "He's coming back as Lord God Almighty!" I think it's in session #5 but I'm not sure. That was in 1967. As class instructors in the 1970's, we were explicitly instructed to gloss over that section in the teaching and to assure the class (but only if asked) that Wierwille was NOT a trinitarian. I don't know if that helps answer the question.

Indeed. The twig was never intended to be autonomous. If you look closely at the semantics, you will see that it was structured to be a part of the hierarchy. Here is the definition of a twig, as seen in the Way Tree syllabus. I'm emphasizing the portions that invert what we thought it meant. "Each Twig is self supporting, self propagating and self governing IN COOPERATION WITH its respective Branch AS each Branch is TO its respective Limb, AS each Limb is TO its respective Trunk, AS each trunk is TO the Root of The Way"

The Trinity: That's a subject that is totally irrelevant to this thread. There have been many discussions of the subject over the years. Try using the search function. If you don't find what you are looking for, start a thread in the doctrinal forum. Toxic doctrine: Perhaps the most toxic of all is the so-called "law of believing". Again, it's not really relative in a direct sense to this particular thread. Indirectly, I suppose, one might squeeze it in as a factor of "life in neverland". Throw in some dispensationalism, guilt and absence of remorse and you've got enough toxic doctrine to kill a horse. Incidentally, you do know he wasn't really a "Dr.", don't you?

I've visited the FLO site and can tell you that is the case for that site. Unless, of course, you want to reminisce about singing Kumbaya around the fire circle or affirm how blessed you are to know how to make your own bean sprouts.

"But.....you sure as he!! won't find many who champion the corps indoctrination." There actually ARE graduates of FellowLaborers who champion the indoctrination of that particular program. They have their own (closed group) facebook page. As if we learned some profound life-lessons as we watched the mung bean sprouts take form on the commune windowsills, priceless wisdom being imparted at the Wednesday night azz munching sessions.. Sad...Really sad.

Stickin' my nose in here where it probably doesn't belong. But what the heck. First: Wierwille wasn't merely "engaging in a few 'moral improprieties'", he was drugging and raping (yes, I said raping.) young women over whom he had moral authority. Had he done these things today, in a society that is much more tuned in and technically savvy, he would probably have been caught, tried and convicted and gotten a life sentence.....these are not "moral improprieties" being discussed. Second: This is not a Christian site. There are many Christians here. There are many Non-Christians here, as well. We don't judge each other by virtue of how much time and energy is spent on personal interests and beliefs.. Third: We all heal at our own rates of speed. Some heal quickly and some never do. Our concern is to provide a place and resources that can aid in the healing process no matter how long it takes. Fourth: Nowhere did anyone say your choice of music is "Devil-Possessed". You like Takit. That's fine. We all have our personal tastes in music. It's a non-issue. Fifth: We're in complete agreement on the bumper stickers....tacky as hell.

I had some good times. I won't deny that. I also had some bad times---- lots and lots of them. The cost of those "good times" was much too high. Some even paid with their lives. When the smoke all cleared, I was faced with the reality that The Way was nothing but a cult, not even a special cult, just a piddly little Bible cult set in a cornfield, led by a scam artist who used the Bible to attach credibility to his twisted agenda..

Yes, by all accounts, The Way is what some might call a "closed corporation". You can't just buy things from their bookstore or attend a Sunday Service without some degree of vetting taking place. Wierwille was fond of saying, "You're always welcome at The Way"...Uh-huh... Try slipping into a Sunday Service sometime and see how "welcome" you are.

edit: Sorry. I didn't see that Twinky had beaten me to the punch. :)

And, if you should discover you need an item that's just a tad bit too high for your reach, "You just STAND on it, baby.".

I contacted both these institutions a couple years ago, seeking general information on VPW. My requests went unanswered.

"The real reason wasn’t that the daily devotionals would “let you down” – it was that readers might get a different perspective. Might have something that competed with the Word of God as taught by TWI. Might present a wider view, a different meaning – or (gasp!) something that contradicted what TWI said. Might allow some wiggle room, or even the strength to escape the clutches of TWI." The perception of having "elite knowledge" is a common trait found in most cults. The Way was no exception.

GSC is volume 2.

Personally, I think Wierwille's ultimate goal was to build a customer base of people who would systematically forward a portion of their income to him on a regularly scheduled basis. (ABS) The PFAL class was merely a vehicle to enable that. In that sense, I see the W.O.W. program as a wholesale failure. WOW's and class instructors didn't (and weren't supposed to) comprehend the bigger picture and, so, energy was mistakenly focused on a peripheral goal. (ie: get people in the class.) On the other hand, the WOW program cost him nothing. Any profit that came from it was icing on the cake. Wierwille knew it was never about "moving the word" in a Biblical sense.

What an irony, use a concept from the OT to emulate life in the NT.....and fail at both.

Yeah, study at the man of God's feet or something.

Without the WC, there probably would have been no Fellowlaborer program, either. I'm just sayin'. THE ZERO CORPS

If Wierwille was an expert at anything, it was blame shifting. He had that down to a art form.

That would be like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

....seasoned with a unique blend of "aw shucks" spices.

I have my doubts that even that sentiment was genuine.

And in summary: He was a selfish old fart who didn't give a damn about anyone but himself. Dat's Riiiight!