waysider

Sounds like he should have read "How to Win Friends and Act Like a Human".

You'll understand it when you get all "spurchally growed-up". But for now, speak in tongues like a house afire. It's spurtchal mashed 'taters.

In the early sessions of PFAL, Wierwille makes it quite clear that "the abundant life" has material connotations. (Consider the title of Christians Should Be Prosperous which was on the required reading list) Later, as skepticism starts creeping in, you are told, "Oh, the abundant life is spiritual. Some day you'll understand the deeper significance of it.".

You know, from time to time, someone steps in and says something like "No one forced you to do anything." Locked a grown woman in her room, against her will, for 14 hours??? That speaks for itself.

The Way didn't amass 53 million dollars from class tuitions. In my opinion, Wierwille's vision was that those classes would establish a core of people who would continually give money (ABS) to TWI on a consistent and long-term basis.

It's like Dorothy when the curtain gets pulled back. Sure, the voice she heard was real. But, once the source of the voice was revealed------- Well, you can't make yourself believe in Santa Claus again no matter how hard you try.

Even that part of VP's history was plagiarized. It seems VP's story is a restatement of an incident that Billy Graham remembers from his own early years as a minister. I believe it appears, as a recollection, in his 1997 book, Just as I Am. Wierwille knew Graham. I'm sure he must have heard him relate this story at various times.

hehehe I mean, really, if you ever find yourself wondering if the whole thing was stoooooopid, just think about those times you went through the motions all by your lonesome.

I think erkjohn is correct with .

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Branch leader: How was twig last night? Twig leader: Tremendous! Branch leader: How many people showed up? Twig leader: None. Branch leader: That's tremendous! :P

"Even if NO ONE shows up, you are to run your meeting just as you normally would." ......................................... Raise your hand if you ever did this.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ht6vlyDZU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ht6vlyDZU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ht6vlyDZU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Dear FLO diary 9:30---Well, work detail is over for the evening. If I put the pedal to the metal, I can swing into the truck stop to pick up some moon pies and ciggies before night fellowship starts at 10.00pm. Wife got asked to stay at HQ to clean the limb leader's house. Poor guy. His wife is out of town on ministry business and his days are so consumed with working the word, he scarcely has any time to do any house cleaning. I know it must really bless her, though, 'cause last time she was called on, she came home in the wee hours of the morning with a really contented smile on her face. I sure am learning a bunch about the first century church here.

One single 21 inch hole in the Earth's surface (albeit at the ocean's floor) has created all this havoc. Food for thought.

When you watch a magician, they are likely to wave a magic wand, recite some incantation, like "hocus pocus, dominocus", or send up a flash of light and a plume of smoke. It has nothing to do with the mechanics of the trick. Why do they do it? Simple. To redirect your attention away from what is really taking place. That's what a lot of these chores and assignments in the various programs amounted to......diversions to take your focus off the reality of what was taking place. What was really taking place was that we were unwittingly functioning as an unpaid sales force for PLAF (The Wonder Class)

Well, I know VPP WANTED it to be like the Marine Corps. But, you know what "they" say. "Wish in one hand and fffthththt in the other. See which one fills up the fastest."

WARNING! This is a bit of a deviation from your actual question. I recall Wierwille teaching that God created man because he yearned for fellowship. It sounds really cool and all but what the heck is that even supposed to mean?

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

When the Marines break you down in basic training, it's with a view toward building you back up in a stronger, more vibrant form. That's the ingredient that Wierwille either missed or purposely ignored with his Way Corps indoctrination recipe.

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz_JNyCso-Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz_JNyCso-Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz_JNyCso-Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

I suppose someone might argue that it"s really in a minor key.

I'm not sure I would call it pressure in my case. More like one of those Pocket Fisherman TV ads that ends with the pitchman saying, with a loud, excited voice, "Call now! Operators are standing by!" I remember some WC (probably 3rd or 4th year) coming home for Christmas and telling me that I could live a more abundant life if I would only learn to use a small amount of toothpaste and switch to bar soap instead of shaving cream. I thought to myself that they must be morons if they didn't realize that an abundant life should be one where you DON"T have to worry about how much toothpaste or shaving cream you're using. I knew it wasn't for me. Then Mr. Burden (not sure if he was a Rev. yet) talked to me about this exciting new 2 year, in-rez. program where you lived just like they did in the first century church, did an intense study of the book of Acts and then returned to your hometown to assume leadership responsibilities. Well, it was quite an eye opening revelation to discover that the believers of the first century church lived in socialist communes and thrived on sleep deprivation, hunger and poverty. I never returned to my hometown or assumed any more leadership responsibilities. I did learn, however, how to make mayonnaise from scratch.