waysider

:eusa_clap:

Hi, Steph Welcome to our little coffee shop. I'm not sure why you would need to discuss The Way any differently than you have discussed any other serious topic. I suppose one caveat I might offer is that people who have been heavily indoctrinated by The Way tend to become quite stubbornly defensive of their beliefs and behaviors. I'm sure that reaction is not unique to Way followers, though.

Is that Warren Zevon? (Send Lawyers, Guns and Money)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUNgbOr...e2CkRAD93JGLI80 OJ Simpson was found guilty on all counts.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Or maybe it is because speakers were invited to The Way Hdqts because of the audience size ,recording capacity, meeting space and other things that you small program did not offer. The fellow laborers in Kansas was not all that huge either. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We had recording capabilities at the Limb HQ (a former meeting and banquet facility) where F.L. nights were, in fact, taped just as SNS was. And so I ask you once again; who were these "speakers" and in what way did they expand our knowledge of the "Truth"?

Hang tough, Roy We all love you, Brother. (Holy Hugs)

Fold

That is a blatant attempt to distract attention from this: The record is clear that for some 30 years, after the point where John maintains that VP claimed he knew all the truth his actions did not coincide with John's claim VP clearly was learning more truth by inviting speakers to teach at whatever location. You made this statement: No one ever spoke in my area as a guest either not the point. It really is an important part of the point. Fellow Laborers was not just some dot on the map. It was supposedly a strategic component of the leadership development process, not just a remote group of "Joe Believers". Not only did we never have any guest speakers come in to expand our understanding of the "Truth" (your word), VPW himself never once spoke or even paid a visit to our program, despite your assertion that he would invite speakers to teach at "whatever location". Why do you suppose that is? Maybe it was because he had already closed the sale with us. He had a guarantee that we were already financially committed to supporting his efforts.

Happy birthday, young lady.

Can you name, let's say, 10 or 15? I mean, we're talking 30 years here! Ought to be an easy list to compile, no? I can tell you exactly how many guest speakers addressed Fellow Laborers (a two year, in residence program at a "whatever location") regarding Biblical matters during my time there. ------------Zero.

I dunno, Hammy Maybe 'the critics" are related to the famous "They" family. You know----"They" say this and "They" say that--- Or as Dr. John once said, "Who are "they" and has anybody ever seen them?"

Excie That's Tom Keane (musician, writer, producer) Here is Chicago performing a song he co-wrote. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydoiUVa7tFs

Whether he ever used the actual words ONLY or BEST is really a moot point. He promoted TWI and what he, VP, personally had to offer as a product that was unparalleled. But, for the sake of bringing the topic back into the discussion, tithing is, in fact, not a requirement of The Church, now or in the NT. Making a statement like "Don't pray for prosperity if you don't tithe"---VPW, demonstrates either an ignorance of the history and meaning of the tithe or a blatant disregard for accuracy.

Twinky Nope, no bar witnessing. In fact, we didn't do much witnessing as we were there to work at the limb. Any witnessing we did was door-to-door and mall witnessing. We turned those leads over to the local twigs to follow up and undershepherd. Of course, we were supposed to use our day jobs as a vehicle to witness but it's pretty tough to get close to co-workers when you're not allowed to hang with them, have no free time and live a regimented schedule. No alcohol permitted in the townhouses.

So, then, it was in the pre-gas pump era, before he cornered the market on "truth".

As WG said, there was a "no drink" limit in Fellow Laborers. Zip. Zilch, Nada. And they could conduct a "house inspection" anytime of the night or day. (Or decide, on a moment's notice, that everyone had to move to different houses---NOW!) Even your underwear drawer was subject to inspection. Nope, no "al-key-hall" for us. (Unless, of course, you happened to be the limb leader. <_< )

It would be interesting to see just how many non-TWI "guest speakers" actually spoke to TWI audiences over the years. (Excluding political pitchmen, gun safety instructors, etc.)

I don't recall anyone ever voicing that expectation.

What is the point you were making?

So, then, what conditions existed in TWI that made it the BEST place to give a tithe?

Wouldn't that seem to make God a "respecter of persons"? Also, it contradicts this passage from CSBP, page 3: "God has no favorites. Prosperity is dependent upon certain definite laws which everyone may learn and apply." As well as this one from page 20: "This is God's basic law of prosperity for all people. This law stands firm in the face of all realization to the contrary and operates in all fields of endeavor." Side note Re: Net or Gross page 11 "When we allow anyone or anything, such as government, to take from our incomes before we have set aside at least one-tenth for the Lord's work, we are simply defeating ourselves and indicating by our actions that someone or something is ahead of God in our material life."

So, then, in essence, the top dogs, VPW included, didn't really "believe" all their own banter about how we were "more than conquerors" in every situation because of the "Christ in me". They didn't really "believe" God would protect them and give them adequate wisdom. Instead, they resorted to the same methods used by "natural man"----- guns, goons, guard dogs and bodyguards. And to think that these are the same guys who once told us that carrying a spare in the trunk meant we were believing to get a flat tire. Where was their "believing"?

There's really a yes and no kind of answer to your question. TWI taught that spirits can not cause any physical action in the real word without a living host, be it human or animal. In other words, spirits can't take over a machine like in the Stephan King novel about a car that comes to life. The "influence" thing, though, is a whole different story. TWI taught that devil spirits can influence your thinking and actions. In the Advanced Class, there is a whole list of devil spirits that supposedly can do exactly that.

And the scriptural basis for this would be--------????