TrustAndObey

Course, now that I'm thinking about it.. I do remember those trips to the Rock were always an addventure. Shortfuse probably remembers my first trip to the Rock more than I seeing it was with his WOW family. I was a teenager and wouldn't let anyone drive my car, so I drove the whole way (from Texas to Ohio) and took naps while we stopped for lunch/supper. But I was so half asleep the whole time. lol.. Surprised I made it in one piece. And of course one of the cars in our caravan had a water pump go out in the usual breakdown spot of Hope, Arkansas. Birthplace of Clinton! It seemed 3 years in a row cars in the caravan I was with going to the Rock always broke down there. Maybe God was telling us something! ;)

lol... You might just get possessed letting him rain all over you. You didn't cough or have the sneezes afterwards, did you? Yup, could of been them der debil sperts infiltrating you body already.

You betcha.. Statues of Timothy and the great Vic, but none of Christ.. Only the absent Christ.. And to think they publicly proclaim such a thing. They definitely try everything to keep him absent from there. :(

That's only because the Pope had a bigger following..

Having sat down and confronted her face to face for over an hour, I just don't know.. Maybe someday I'll upload the recording since I recorded my confrontations with Linder and the BOD so I could always listen back to why I left. But she kept ignoring every point I brought up and kept trying to say I lost the passion for truth.. Which actually in my mind was the reason I was leaving, because I was passionate about truth.. lol.. But I just don't know. If anything, I'd say she is definitely self-deluded, and with everyone giving allegiance to her and paying her tribute and agreeing, they only help her be more deluded...

Agreed.. I remember being very cautious myself when speaking of these dissenting views while I was in. About the only people I felt "comfortable" with discussing it with were those who I already knew had issues with TWI/leaders. Else I didn't want to rock the boat cause I knew it only took the wrong person to tell, and out you'd be.. But now that I look back, what I was trying to do, stay in?! lol.. I guess to some extent I was.. I wanted to see if there was anyone else I could help see what I saw, and at the same time I needed more validation because i thought maybe I was in the "wrong" for not seeing it how I thought everyone else saw it (with those rose colored spectacles). Thankfully there were a few whom I had the opportunity to help leave prior to my departure. But even when I was ready to leave I still kept quiet that week, except for confronting the top dogs Linder and the BOD face to face. Thankfully, they allowed me to give parting words to my friends. But even then, I was quiet about the details. I was still uncertain in my mind and I didn't want to hurt anyone's relationship with God. So I let them know I just didn't agree with a few things and that they ought to keep fighting for truth.. What an idiot I was! lol..

Oh, flashbacks of my old self.. Thought I was doing the right thing, getting into these debates with people over stupid TWI bs.. Thought I was really proclaiming der verd of gawd.. Yeah.. Making God look bad is what I was "really" doing.. I'm really really sorry God! Really! Did I say "really" enough.. Reminds me of the SNL skits.. Geez.. I've found 90% of what I've learned about the Bible to be utterly false or worthless in my real relationship with my Father and my Lord and the rest of my brothers and sisters on this earth. Maybe just me.. Orientalisms.. Found most of those to be just opinions that wary with the speaker.. Figures of speeches.. Maybe only once has it been actually useful in helping understand a scripture, and then it was just negligible.. Pronunciations.. Lol.. Yeah, if anyone actually took a biblical language course in college would know that it varied from dialect and location and no one "REALLY" knows how it was pronounced, but then.. I'm not debating any specfics here. Just not worth it..

And all along I thought he was of the cult of zero.. So I think it only fitting he should try and remain there! lol... Yikes.. But not -6..

Lol.. Enjoyed reading those horror stories.. Gee, makes me not want to go! But alas, I did.. And well, I actually enjoyed it. I just got out of HS, and was a newb in the ministry. But I grew up in the outdoors. Raised on a farm, loved to go hiking in the mountains, and loved to stay in tents in rainy weather.. Maybe I'm just a masochist and don't know it! lol.. I knew how to keep my tent dry for the most part. And the first 2 years I didn't even know about the work groups! Well, maybe the second year I did, but I was a returning WOW and had already made plans to go backpacking in the smokies with my dad, so I only stayed halfway.. The showers were a bit awkward. But then, it was only a year or so since I was in HS and was on the swim team, so taking showers with other guys was the norm. And at least I wasn't being attacked with towels like in HS.. lol.. Since I bought into TWIs "teachings", there wasn't much complaints until possibly the third Rock I went to and it was "determined" for me that I ought to be helping work in the pizza tent. Wasn't too bad, but being "volunteered" rather than it being my choice was just the beginning of realizing their ways of take but never give! And even their hypocrisy when once while working I was confronted for making a joke of something only to have the person who reamed me, turn around and do the exact same thing as I did, and then get even more upset when I pointed out his hypocrisy.. lol.. That didn't turn out well! Course it was a little weird also coming to this Christian gathering and having women willing to do things I was told never to talk about in public.. lol.. But I was a kid, what did I know! At least I had enough self control to say no thanks when offered.. Yeah, just weird! But overall, since I enjoy the outdoors, it was like group camping, which is something I still enjoy!

Lol.. Thanks for sharing bliss.. Sounds like last year.. Last years Adv. Class had only 69 attendees from 16 states. And then 70% of those attendees were teens, which made about 48 teens and 21 adults! I feel sorry for those kids growing up.. Looks like that's all that is left keeping the Way #'s up.. Unfortunately, many kids are just like the adults at HQ, scared to leave and go off on their own, and all they know is what momma and tatta are doing. Just like many staffers that know whats going on, but think that's normal. It really is sad.. Just like Oldskool was saying, they've been desensitized since birth! :( And they have lots of friends "in" which adds to the peer pressure, yeah, many are going Corps soon, already know a couple of em that have been accepted (Which is a different topic, since it seems the age limit for acceptance is getting pretty low these days).

Thanks for the update Steve.. Good to know where NOT to be.. Must be their lack of believing over there.. It's sad their BOT doesn't have the ability to invoke their covering and believe for the adversary to leave. Just a shame they are so incompetent..

Course thinking about this brings up a thought in my mind.. Long ago, there used to be plenty of Way Corps, and possibly things went differently, but I know at least in the last 10 years, most of those going on the "field" for Corps assignments were either rejects that the top brass didn't want to mess with, those being demoted, or those on staff who had smelt the garbage and wanted to get away QUICKLY... So with that in mind.. I'm just curious as to how it all looks these days.. With all these rejects running the local fellowships.. I've been told, so just hearsay, is that the local fellowships are a bit nicer but since they are so small (at least round here), that the limb/region guys (Those who aren't rejects) are close by hounding everyone cause they know their reject buddies ain't doing what they want.. Maybe I'm wrong! lol..

I agree.. For a very short time I thought they understood this, until I looked at it further, only to realize they were full of &^%&^ when it came to their interpretation.. The Greek does not agree with them none the least. If it weren't for the English translation in a few translations (RSV,KJV), they wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

I used to give relevance to Pillai's book. That was until as graduated Way Corps, we received a copy of what was suppose to be all the transcripts from his teachings on a number of tapes amalgamated into one large book in the order of the books/verses in the bible. Was actually larger than the bible.. And thumbing through that book, you could just about go to any bible passage and read what he said, and many times he would contradict himself! lol.. Unfortunately, this book was never for sale and was supposedly just a "rough draft" for a future real book "I was told". But yeah, he was definitely no expert. For a guy who they'd make you think he knew what he was talking about because he "lived" it, sure had a faulty memory and made up some "weird" stuff..

I have no doubt people can.. And have seen it.. But that's not to say the status of their feet afterwards!

lol... Course some people just name their kids cause the name is "kewl" or popular or sounds different. Or umm, a million other things. (Like me, I liked a name since I was a kid, and named my dog it [solomon].. lol.. As if my wife would let me name my son after my dog] or my sis who had a Cabbage Patch doll that came pre-named Donovan, so umm yeah, she named her son that!]... Actually my wife required we name our sons a name that was both Polish and American.. Kinda limited my choices. I guess I could have just rebelled...

lol.. Yeah, that sounds like TWI tooo.. I was never into imitating or repeating words just cause someone said to. And that included the vow we all partook of at the Corp graduation.. They worded it something along the lines of pledging a lifetime commitment to supporting God "AND those who taught them the Word..".. Wasn't about to repeat that.. Course that's not to say what they taught was "The Word" anyways.. Much of it was just BS.. I am thankful for those who have pointed much of that BS out too!

You just reminded me of another really weird thing we did in TWI.. Taking people's names and definitions and attributing that to their life.. lol... I have no doubt every person on the face of this earth has rebelled! lol.. As if Mary was some great "rebeller"! No, I know you aren't saying that JJ, I'm just saying how TWI used to do this and take it to the Nth degree.. David's warriors.. Since we just have their names listed, let's find out what they were like.. Their name meant so and so, and that's what they were like! umm. Yeah, ok... Please.. But I do agree...

Not to derail this thread but, I still have never quite figured out what that statement means... Didn't understand it when I was in, still don't know.. But alas, it's been accomplished, so what do I care! I'm not sure I ever put it in the "ultra-cool" folder, but umm, I sure thought it was a gem. And I can't say that I have yet to see enough evidence to overturn the details. I mean, he was being warned one way or the other. Whether it was being warned NOT to go, or a heads-up this is what is going to happen.. I'd like to think God would warn us so we DON'T end up in those messes.. But, what do I know! Maybe it was the only logical thought I had in TWI (Besides leaving)!

Maybe that's why it seemed their modus operandi was never to let anyone know they made a mistake.. At least not publicly to the masses. Since there was once I heard them make a correction at the "noon meal" at HQ, but they weren't going to share that with the rest of the public..

Maybe many do not do it this way.. But I know many that do.. They are certainly smaller groups, 20-25 at the most maybe.. But open for anyone.. They usually have "elders", those who are older, been in the groups awhile, and usually seasoned from either being pastors in their previous life or those who have studied.. It just depends on what your need is. Christ's body is diverse for that reason..

As God leads.. As you see the need. I don't think making doctrine out of when you should do this or that is good for the spirit.. It can strangle the spirit and put God in a box.. And I do believe Christ is very capable at being the head of His body and leading us.. And God is very capable of showing us what we need to know to help when we look to help others.

Well, I might be the strange one of the pack.. I actually wanted to be a minister BEFORE I got into TWI.. Or at least a missionary.. Made a plan when I was 15 and thought I was right on schedule.. Wanted to work on computers, make lots of money, and then live off that money living for God.. Well, never had time enough to make lots of money while in.. And since it looked like I could accomplish my plan without having to have money, well, there ya go.. I joined the Corps.. Yeah.. I got duped.. Realized that pretty early on in my Corps training how sold out they were to the world. But made a promise to finish training, so I stayed. And left after graduation after a few promised confrontations to possibly see if I could change the BOT's mind.. Yeah, they didn't care. So, now, back to .. well, I dunno.. lol.. Running my businesses for now.. And wherever God takes me from there!

lol... Sure..