waysider

They were supposed to be our proof of how the law of believing works. And now that you know that the law of believing was a crock of hooey, what do you do with everything we were taught about The Book of Hebrews?

quote: I maintain that we all have eternal life, incorruptible seed, access to God, peace in our hearts (not as the world giveth), and an Advocate (comforter); Jesus Christ the righteous. None of your arguments has negated any of this. This is where you may have missed the point. You are assuming that what Wierwille taught you about those items is accurate. From what I've observed, regarding his credibility, you might want to examine his teachings with a more critical eye.

So---- there's old Doc Vic, at the very tip-top of our lift lists, with thousands of people all speaking in tongues for him, using the "Way approved" camera-focus technique, coupled with the infallible "law of believing" that "works for saint and sinner alike". And, yet, it all seems to have been for naught. The old cooter just went right on living his usual life of drunkenness and debauchery. And then, in the end, he just got the life sucked out of him by those pesky old cancer spirits that he warned us to be on the look out for. What's it all mean? A thousand voices chanting apathetically in time while the epitaph's recited in an faultless droning rhyme

I don't think he was really afraid of government take-overs. What I think he was afraid of was that some irate father, husband, son or brother would come looking to put his lights out because of his misdeeds. His fears were well founded.

I think it must be one of life's big struggle's for people our age. I know that I, personally, have struggled with it many times. There are two sides to every coin. One side says "What if Jonas Salk's mother had aborted him?" The other side says "What if Adolf Hitler's mother had aborted him?" Life is full of "what ifs?" and "might have beens". So, even though I will never know if my life would have been better or worse if I had never encountered The Way, like skyrider, I am quite certain I regret missing all the birthdays, weddings, wakes, little league championships, Christmas pagents, and time spent in meaningless idle talk with my parents and family. I can never get those years and opportunities back. I don't think it's wrong to admit you feel regret. Why shouldn't you? Still, I think it would be wrong to let that regret rob you of all the good memories that have come your way, too, despite the craziness The Way invoked on our lives. Regret? Absolutely. But, be thankful, too.

I heard him say something similar at the Advanced Class in 1973, but I don't remember the details.

Here's one from a very young "Benny 'levenletter"

"Have you seen this?" Yes, many of those things have been posted on various threads before. However, you did a nice job of bringing them together, in one place, to examine.

Well, my point, really, was that there really was something that at least resembled a "research department" at one brief point in The Way's history. It certainly wasn't anything like it was promoted to be and it was quite short lived. Still, it did exist at some level. I wasn't trying to single out any one particular person.

Here is another link. http://www.greasespotcafe.com/main2/editorial/editorial-items/research-geeks-top-ten-list-of-doctrinal-errors.html

Actually, there was, at one point in The Way's history, what could loosely be defined as a "research dept". There are posters here on GSC who were part of it. HERE is an interesting article that examines some of the workings of the "research department".

True, but Wierwille was very familiar with Jones' work. In fact, if you research the works of Jones, you will find the parallels unsettling. Even the Way Corps concept is strikingly similar to Jones' modern revival of the Ashram. The actual execution, of course, is unfortunately dissimilar. Jones, you may recall, had a rather lengthy and successful career in India. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Stanley_Jones http://www.robinsonlibrary.com/philosophy/practical/missions/jones.htm

Fear is sand in the machinery of life-----E.S. Jones

Some Valentine for the ladies.

Wow! Some great thoughts there. Myself? Well, though I freely admit that "date and switch" got me into the class, I think a lot of the things you mentioned are dead on for me, as well.

Our young friends at S.O.W.E.R.S have their very own L.E.A.D. program. http://sowersonline.com/LEAD.aspx Maybe it's time for them to "see it in the original"

Geeze, Geisha! You sure know how to put a damper on that whole martyr role VPW laid on us.

*It reminds me of when Paul and Barnabas were travelling together after God called them to a specific work. They were out traveling as “WOW Ambassadors.” They rode into one city after another teaching the greatness of God’s Word until they were chased out of each city. Finally, by the third city, just when many were beginning to believe, the unbelievers from the previous two cities came to town and convinced the people to stone Paul…and they did. After they dragged him out of the city “supposing he had been dead,” the disciples stood around him and he got up and went back into the city. The next day Paul and Barnabas went to one more city and taught the Word to many, and then they did the craziest thing. They turned right around and headed straight back into those cities where they had just taught the Word and where their names were on all the “Most Wanted: Dead or Alive” posters. They went right back in to where they had just barely escaped the danger with their lives, and they had not escaped scratch free. Why did they go back into the danger zone? In Acts 14:22 it says they went “confirming the souls of the disciples.” They went back in order to reestablish and strengthen those new believers who had just heard the Word for the first time and saw Paul and Barnabas get chased out of town or get stoned. They went back because of their love for the believers. It is written, “Perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18)* *From previously listed link Am I mistaken or is this being directly quoted from VPW? (No attribution is given in the link.)

------Status QuoFREE POST!!

I think Wierwille's "ministry" may have been more along the lines of one.

Yeah, maybe you could have a casual discussion with him about this editorial: http://www.greasespotcafe.com/main2/editorial/editorial-items/driven-to-suicide.html Or maybe this one: http://www.greasespotcafe.com/main2/editorial/page_2.html

I thought it was the hook shot. I guess I should have paid closer attention.