waysider

You are grossly mistaken. It was made very clear that we were in no way, shape or form to use ABS or money from "love offerings" for postage, money orders, class expenses or anything else at the local level. That was the official Way International policy as stated by limb leadership on numerous occasions as the question was raised at statewide branch/twig area leader meetings. The point here is not the cost of a stamp, etc. The point is that the money traveled down a path of no return. Like a roach motel for personal funds. The money goes in but it never comes back out. Makes no difference whatsoever if we are talking about a nickel or a thousand dollars.

I think practically the whole thing was in error. (That's my doctrine and, having done all, I'm going to STAND! by it.)

:o

Nobody ever did it quite like Skeeter Davis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnbqWaG6_w0

-----------plus the cost of the money order, at a time when the average pay was something like $1.50/hour. But the actual amount is irrelevant. The money collected was supposed to be used to do God's work. Why is it that this part of the process didn't fit that definition?

----and a filet gumbo!

Forever Young

Gophers

You got it George.

If You Don't Know Me By Now

Some alcoholics find AA to be what they need for recovery. Others find small group therapy better suits their needs. And yet others find individual, one-on-one therapy seems to fit the bill. One shoe doesn't fit all.

Why do birds suddenly appear-----------?

Surfin' USA

Hiya, ClayJay Pull up a chair and have a cup of Joe.

Converting the cash to a money order seemed to make sense. What DIDN'T make sense was having to use personal funds to pay for the cost of the money order and postage. Most of us hardly had enough money to buy lunch. We were expressly forbidden to use any of the ABS for such things. After all, look what happened to Ananais and Saphira!! Wouldn't want to end up dead like them, now would we?

The following is only my opinion: I believe a real turning point for many TWI followers was session #7 of the PFAL class. It was in this session that Wierwille taught that Eve was deceived by Satan because she stopped to "consider" what he was saying. The essence of the lesson was that we, too, would be tricked by Satan if we ever allowed ourselves to examine was was being presented in a critical and logical manner. Instead, we were admonished to never consider conflicting viewpoints but, rather, to "STAND!" and never be swayed in our thinking. This partly explains their stubborn insistence to always be "right". In addition, we were encouraged to study accounts of people who had exhibited extreme dedication, such as Brother Andrew (God's Smuggler) and Cory ten Boom (The Hiding Place) and strive to achieve that sort of high level commitment. And, of course, it was widely promoted that if one were to ever leave the "protective hedge" that the "household" provided, dire consequences were sure to follow the individual and their loved ones. Some people who were willing to take that risk with their own lives were much more reluctant to jeopardize the safety of their spouses and children. I know it's probably still hard to understand but I hope that gives you a bit of insight.

Maybe "Rita" should click on this link.

From The Rise and Expansion of the Christian Church------1981 "Dear Believer: Greetings and God bless you in the name of our living *lord and savior, Jesus Christ" *(lower case usage is verbatim.) "It is my priviledge to welcome you to this class on the Book of Acts, 'The Rise and Expansion of the Christian Church.' Our believing is that the truths presented within this teaching aspect of our Way Ministry will cause your believing and commitment to rise beyond your greatest goals to the end that the expansion of the ekklesia will be abundantly multiplied in your Twig and Area. And we trust you will apply what is covered in this class so God's Word can rise and expand in our day, even beyond that in the growth life of the first century believers." Etc, Etc.--- (Emphasis added) ___________________________ Holy crud! This class is nothing but a cleverly disguised admonition to sell, sell, sell. "We're going to cause your commitment level to rise so you will apply these lessons and expand the number of sales you close." Jeepers! I'm kinda glad I slept through it. ;)

http://www.innvista.com/health/ailments/eyeail/eyecanc.htm "Malignant melanoma, or intraocular melanoma, is the most common of all tumors that originate in the eye. Little is known concerning the cause of malignant melanomas. Unlike skin or conjunctiva melanomas, sunlight exposure is not related to these tumors. This type grows from melanin-laden cells in the choroid, iris, or ciliary body. Usually slow to grow and metastasize, it generally affects one eye only and may develop spontaneously or from a mole within the eye. The onset may be at any age, and it is more common among whites than blacks and more often in people who have skin melanoma. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, malignant melanomas account for up to 80% of all eye malignancies, making them the most common primary (originating in the eye) inner-eye tumor. Nevertheless, little is known about the cause and progression of these tumors. Symptoms include redness, inflammation, loss of vision, and the presence or development of glaucoma. Pupil distortion may be present in melanoma of the iris. A melanoma can be detected in an examination. It may first appear to be a choroidal hemorrhage, but can be identified further by fluorescein angiography or ultrasonography. Melanomas of the iris are extremely slow-growing and are often treated during observation. Approximately 60% of those diagnosed and treated for malignant melanomas are alive five years after treatment. Clinical trials to test other treatment methods are ongoing; but three types of treatment are commonly used: surgery, radiation therapy, and photocoagulation. * Surgery is the most common treatment, which can involve removing all of the diseased eye (enucleation) or just a portion of it. * Radiation uses X-rays and other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. It can be used by itself, or in combination with surgery. * Photocoagulation treats the melanoma by destroying blood vessels with a tiny beam of light, usually from a laser. Destroying the blood vessels kills the tumor." -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When I first became involved with The Way, in 1972, I heard stories of how "Doctor" had burned his eyes out filming PLAF (The Wonder Class). That filming took place in 1967. So, his eye problems date back, at the very latest to 1972 when this story was circulating. Later, after his eye had been removed, VP is quoted as saying, "I gave my eye for The Word. What have you given?" Even if you can get past this obvious self-martyrdom, he also taught that alcoholism and sexual predation are caused by a devil spirits. (Pages 20 & 21 of the Advanced Class Silly-Bust for those who desire to look it up.) I'm sure by now, most people who have spent any time at Grease Spot Cafe realize the man was in an almost constant state of alcohol induced stupor and viciously preyed upon young TWI women for sexual gratification. So, by his own definition, the man must have been virtually overflowing with devil spirits. Why did no one detect it through the operation of "discerning of spirits" that he taught in The Advanced Class? Of course, if he was wrong about devil spirits causing these things, he could have been wrong about any and everything he ever taught. His credibility is worthless. (IMO)

No arts in the curriculum? :(

This is a bit difficult to explain because it involves several TWI doctrines intertwined. Musically speaking, think of it as a chord rather than a single note melody. For starters, Way doctrine teaches that they are "the one true household of God" and that God has erected a special "hedge of protection" around them. Leaving the fellowship of The Way (or varying from its doctrines) is, in their thinking, the same as venturing outside the hedge of protection, like leaving a military fortress without a weapon in times of combat. Secondly, Way doctrine teaches that everything in life is controlled by a process known as "the law of believing". In other words, if I get run over by a dump truck, it must indicate I had a weakness in my ability to "believe" for safety. Add to this, they believe that if you speak something out loud, it will have a direct effect on your "believing". Or, to phrase it in a catchy way, "What you confess is what you'll possess." Furthermore, they believe that all sickness is death "in part" and that The Adversary (The Devil) is the author of all sickness. They believe that cancer is caused by devil spirit possession. (VP Wierwille, incidentally, died from cancer. That presents quite a doctrinal dilemma for them.) God, on the other hand, never causes sickness or tests our faith by putting adversity in our path. Add to that, they believe that they must hold fast to their beliefs and never allow themselves to be swayed by critical thinking or thoughtful consideration. Or, as Wierwille admonished, "Having done all, STAND!" That's why they have a need to always be "right" and will not consider any other viewpoints. Well, that's the basics. There is, of course, more to it but that should give you some understanding of their reaction. edited to add: Someone asked me recently what sort of benefit could come from visiting this site. That's a valid question. Being able to provide some insight for people with questions, like motherof2, is part of the answer. (IMO)

Somewhere around here I have a silly-bus of a class by that name. To be honest, I don't even remember taking the class, much less what the content was. Must have been pretty impressive, huh?

My memory isn't what it used to be. But, as I recall, it was taught in PLAF (The Wonder Class) that doctrinal error led to practical error and thus the need for more doctrinal instruction to get back on the right path. That's in the teaching on the Epistles being set up to follow a sequence of "Doctrine, Reproof, Correction". Conversely, it was taught in The Renewed Mind that practical error lead to doctrinal error. ----" If I act excited, I'll be excited, blah, blah, blah."--- The premise was that if you acted a certain way long enough it would become doctrinal in your life style. It's really just another example of the gibberish they twisted and manipulated to fit whatever purpose suited them.

YO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

More Andy McKee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaiM8Fh-8kc