penworks

In response to the mention of religious fundamentalism, I've benefited from a lot of reading on the topic ever since I left TWI in 1987. If you're interested in part of what I learned, here are a few blogs I've written about that.

https://charleneedge.com/the-certain-curtain-how-fundamentalism-hooks/

https://charleneedge.com/the-word-which-bible-is-it-anyway/

https://charleneedge.com/christian-nationalism-notes-for-fundamentalist-friday/

Cheers,

Penworks

Welcome to this site, sastain, where you'll read many posts that reveal other sides to The Way story than what you'll find on its website or from Wierwille's loyalists.

I was in the 2nd Way Corps (with Gerry Wre*n) and a member of VPW's research team. So I invite you to check out my own website at https://charleneedge.com for blogs on cults and fundamentalism, and The Way.

Cheers to expanding our understanding of our Way experiences!

Charlene Edge

This thread is a perfect place to refer people to my interview--in two parts--with an eye-witness on this topic of VPW's plagiarism. BTW,  the link was posted in another thread right after I published the interviews on my website.

Click here.

In my opinion, it is a disgrace for anyone to consider VPW as anything other than a con man, plagiarist, and narcissistic womanizer.

This Charlene, a.k.a. Penworks. 

I met Gera#d Wre#n at ECU in 1970. I graduated from the 2nd Way Corps with him, and in my opinion, unfortunaly he is lost in his delusional adoration of VPW.  We were all brainwashed back then. It is clear that Ger#ald has not sought to snap out of it.

P.S. The Ger#Ald I refer to is the Jurry that DWBH refers to.

Yes, Engine, I remember who K.F. was. His insisting people stand up when he entered the room definitely was something VPW taught us early Way Corps people. It was worse with men and women he ordained who assumed they represented God wherever they went.

So much ego, so much b.s.

DWBH:  VPW got bolder with expressing his hate speech as the years went by. I was in the 2nd Corps and you were in the 4th and he didn't express his sympathetic views about Hitler in any private meetings with us that I remember, but, knowing you, I do not doubt your recollection! 

Based on my personal experiences with VPW, I would say yes, he was a holocaust denier. He sold that awful book, The Myth of the Six Million, in The Way bookstore when I got involved in 1970.

Karl Kahler cites the following in his book, The Cult That Snapped: A Journey into The Way International:

"In a mailing to students of the 1979 Advanced Class, The Way recommended that students read The Hoax of the Twentieth Century and The Myth of the Six Million, which claim that the Nazi Holocaust either never happened or was grossly exaggerated by Zionist propagandists in order to win sympathy for Jews." pg. 119

There are other passages in Karl's book, which can be purchased from Lulu online at http://www.lulu.com/shop/karl-kahler/the-cult-that-snapped/paperback/product-14363949.html 

The following is from my own book, Undertow (available -- cough, cough-- for sale online at major booksellers):

"In 1982, I had attended a small research fellowship meeting during
which Wierwille had said, “I’m not afraid of those Jews who are out to
get me.” I have no knowledge of any actual threat, but I do know that
Wierwille’s selling of the book The Myth of the Six Million, which denies
the Holocaust, was evidence of his anti-Semitic attitude. He blustered
about dozens of other things, too—the IRS, cult deprogrammers, upset
parents, the preachers in New Knoxville. Wierwille would say, “The
Devil has his boys after me, but they won’t get me.”

Whoa. In my neighborhood somewhere! I should ask him over for tea.

Is Rico's group based in Melbourne, Florida?

For my blog response to this Parcast show, visit my website here.

Hearty congratulations, JavaJane! Book writing is no small feat, I know. I wish you much success with getting the word out about your story. You can rest assured that your efforts will help people near and far, and its journey will reward you with lots of surprises.

Cheers to the healing process via writing and reading!

Warmest wishes,

Charlene Edge

P.S. If you want to contact me, I would love to hear from you. Just send a message through https://charleneedge.com/contact

There's a video on TED Ed about why people join cults that fits the theme of this thread: deception.

I invite you to visit my blog that includes a link to the video: https://charleneedge.com/ted-ed-why-join-a-cult/

Thanks, DogLover. I see that book by Mrs. W. sells for $102.99 on Amazon. Think I'll pass. :-) It's not THAT important to me now ... it was published long after I left (in 1987) and I have enough history of TWI stashed in my own files to fill several more books of my own. But don't think I will write any more books pertaining to TWI. One was enough for me!

Thanks for posting this, Rocky. I just finished listening to both episodes. I think they did a good job researching and was grateful they cited from Karl Kahler's and Kristen Skedgell's books, and from Undertow. Not that the producers should have, but they had not contacted me prior to the podcast, so I was surprised. 

I hope the show will inform more people still in the dark about TWI, especially those who prefer to listen rather than read stories.

They did refer to The Way's official biography of Wierwille, but gave no title. Does anyone here have a copy of it? 

On 10/25/2018 at 10:10 PM, socks said:

penworks - howdy! I've got a question for you on this topic and I'm kind of spring boarding from some things in your book "Undertow".

Did you think or do you think now that Walter Cummins had any real moral or ethical platform from which he dealt with the lack of footnoting and crediting in the books? Since he'd done the time in Germany and been the bedrock of the current work we heard and saw in the Way Corps I have to wonder - in reading through what you wrote in Undertow, and what I've heard from others that were in the Research department, I don't think i've ever heard if there was an actual set of standards & guidelines for how to deal with footnoting and crediting that covered this topic of copyright and ownership. Or was it just ignored? My sense is that it was ignored but perhaps I'm just looking for a clear statement, was it ever really recognized by the teams over the years, to your knowledge? 

T'anks!

Also -  I remember you DWBH one day early in the 4th Corps when you came from VPW's study with some photo copies of pages from one of his copies of a Bullinger book - some stuff on Ephesians? Anyway it was a big deal as I recall, like there was real mojo in that paper! 

 

 

Hi Socks. I neither saw or was told any guidelines for citing sources.

Btw, in the reference books for the Aramaic project that I helped produce, included in the front matter were acknowledgements of related works done by others that were consulted.

Good detective work, RottieGrrrl. Thanks so much. Can you tell us the date of that edition of the book? 

I think it's ridiculous that they are getting any attention from anyone on the planet.

Yes, I remember it well. It was at the end of my first year in the Way Corps. I'm in that film wearing a sweat suit, running down Wierwille Road with other members of the Corps. My to-be father-in-law at that time is the preacher on stage near the end who says, "May your tribe increase." He had no idea what he was really endorsing ... what a pity so many of us spent our youth as pawns spreading VPW's propaganda.

Good morning.

If you are not a subscriber to my blogs and are interested in my two-part interview with Ralph Dubofsky regarding his first-hand experience of discovering plagiarism that Victor Paul Wierwille engaged in, here are the links to the blog posts that came out yesterday and today. Interesting they came out during The Way's 75th anniversary month 

https://charleneedge.com/part-1-of-2-victor-paul-wierwille-and-plagiarism/

https://charleneedge.com/part-2-of-2-plagiarism-v-p-wierwille/

P.S: The Comments feature on each post is now activated. 10-07-18 11:48 am.

Cheers,

Charlene

Speaking of Viktor Frankl ...  I recently returned from paying my respects at Auschwitz and Birkenau, which is in Poland. All day we walked through the former physical location of hell on earth.

Being there, I felt an even deeper shame that I ever considered Wierwille "the man of God." He not only denied the Holocaust but sold the book, The Myth of the Six Million.

When I'm ready, I'll be writing about this on my own website.

From the book's description on Amazon, "Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory-known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")-holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful."

The second episode was on Jehovah Witnesses. The third one coming up on Tuesday, June 5, will feature several people from different groups. Which ones they are is not disclosed on the A&E website. I am eager to tune in and find out!

On 5/27/2018 at 9:01 PM, skyrider said:

Yeah, Rocky.......ole wierwille would have never lived three more decades, but I was jousting the R&R guy on his hypocritical wierwille-adulation. 

Keeping on the railroad tracks of wierwille............Moynihans, Forts, Horneys, and others want to keep the locomotive churning down those tracks.  They can't abandon wierwille or else they lose the indoctrinated-followers that are institutionalized to the cult lifestyle and nostalgia.  Warts, sexual predator and all.......they can't stop riding on his coattails.  Else, they'd have to look in the mirror and SEE WHAT UTTER FAILURES THEY'VE BECOME.

It's just easier to keep living the dream......façade.

And, starting a non-profit organization.......gives them a lane to run in during "retirement."

What does it take to stop their getting a non-profit status?

Get ready to watch the A&E special program next week on Cults and Extreme Belief. Janja Lalich, Phd is interviewed. She enthusiastically read and blurbed my memoir, Undertow, before I published it, and with this televised interview, she will help more people understand the recruitment process.

It airs on Monday, May 28th at 10 pm, then continues at its regular time on Tuesday, May 29th at 10 pm.

Here she is in a promo clip: I posted it on my Facebook page 

You can "like" the A&E page on Facebook. Cults and Extreme Belief

About Undertow:

“A magnificently written life story that sheds light on the enticing ways of cult recruitment and indoctrination ... An important and must-read book—more gripping than a mystery, Undertow will sweep you away.”—Janja Lalich, PhD. Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico, author of Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults

On ‎3‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 12:32 PM, skyrider said:

The reasons for "displaced youth" are vast.........broken homes, abusive fathers, alcohol, sex, drugs, identity, trauma, conflicts, etc.  And then, cult leaders are conspiring to target your vulnerability.  They build their followings, and livelihoods, on the backs of "good-hearted" followers......preaching and exhorting them to faithfully witness daily to bring others into the fold.  You "earn your stripes" by witnessing and shall be rewarded in eternity for it, they preach.  The cult leaders, the big-wigs, are above the fray of door-to-door witnessing and have far more important things to attend to......but demand that witnessing is one of the highest forms of obedience.  So, cult zealots take to the streets, to college campuses, the local bookstores and nearby parks.......scanning the landscape for isolated individuals. 

The cult offered a pseudo-family......to those who gave servitude.

Every cult and splinter group knows the art of deception.

~~~~~~~~~

A quick review of wierwille and twi sheds light:

• Wierwille pastored in Paine, OH and Van Wert, OH.......and was contentious against church board
• Like a caged animal, wierwille was constantly pressing "the edges of his confinement" to find a way out
• He labeled it "spiritually searching"........others might label it "narcissistic"
• In 1953, he stole BG Leonard's foundational class and taught it as his own
• In December 1957, he breaks from church to a class-based ministry
• Teaching 10-12 classes per year (1958-1966).......most went back to their churches
• In 1967, wierwille films pfal......and then needed "instructors" to oversee film classes

It is apparent that wierwille struggled immensely for ten years to get this work jump-started.  All those years of traveling and teaching live classes yielded miniscule results.......and they struggled to pay the bills.  Even though wierwille was adept in homiletics, there were few from those nearby towns who desired to venture over to hear wierwille's teachings.  Of course, his reputation as a rabble-rousing youngster and womanizer was rumored far and wide which didn't help matters when he moved his operation from Van Wert back to the family farm.

The filmed class extended the reach of twi........and, when a few guitar players and firebrands took the stage, twi never was the same. 

Several times, when I was around Dorothy Owens or escorting her......she talked about how the hippies and younger generation revolutionized twi's thinking and standards in the late '60s.   Barefoot and out of control, they started coming to the summer camps.  Hell.....they didn't even know proper etiquette or protocol.  So, Dorothy, being the retired school teacher and all, was assigned to teach classes on dining room etiquette, proper utensils, dress and protocol. 

Looking back.......I firmly believe that it was *the youth culture* in twi, and surrounding its events, that was so enticing.  In utopian bliss, this cult-ure was to refrain from all negatives......everything was "great."  How are you today?  "As He is".......or....."In the heavenlies" was the reply.  Smiles, and hugs and greeted with kisses.......what's not to like?  Not a care in the world (God's got it covered.)  A world without responsibility.  Rock of Ages camping......where you stayed up half the night talking with others from distant lands.  The youth factor begot MORE youth.  Girls and guys everywhere......on an eternal "spring break."  Who needs Ft. Lauderdale when you've got the rock of ages?   It's not necessarily the beach that's the destination.......it's the people and the drunken fun.

Sure, the Bible and all was deeply important........but the passions and likeminded youth culture were mesmerizing. 

Around 1974, wierwille's arrogance could not contain itself as the corps program was growing in leaps and bounds.  Visions of grandeur were dancing in his head and he was going to show church elders from New Knoxville to Van Wert, he was exhibiting the great power of God.  His narcissism had bloomed. 

We thought we were free.

We thought we were serving the Lord.........until the scales fell from our eyes.

 

 

 

Thank you for this post, Skyrider. You sum up what the overall atmosphere was at that time, and it had a little "utopian" feel to it for sure. I was at HQ in the 2nd Corps, 1971 - 1973. We felt invincible for God. We felt our goal was what God wanted, "The Word Over the World." But it was a man's goal, an egotistical, ridiculous idea ... to put it mildly.

 You mention local ministers at that time. Recently, I got a note from a current minister in New Knoxville, Ohio. He gave me permission to publish it on my blog, so here's the link if you're interested https://charleneedge.com/echo-in-new-knoxville-ohio-minister-reads-undertow/

Some of you know I have a connection with the International Cultic Studies Association. They just sent this notice that I thought I'd share with you.

Research Survey on Experiences of Born/Raised

Please Consider Participating

If you identify as someone who was born or grew up in a high demand religious organization, a high intensity faith group, or a cult, and had counseling while either in or after you were in that group, we would like to invite you to participate in a short 20-25 minute survey.

If you are interested, please go here: https://unt.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0wuUIwXSPshTnE1

The research is conducted by Dr. Cyndi Matthews of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Ashley Allen, ICSA Outreach Coordinator, and Elisha Cox, a social work intern working with Ms. Allen. The research study was approved by the University of Louisiana at Monroe’s institutional review board.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Matthews: cyndersm@verizon.net.

Please feel free to share with anyone you think would be interested in participating.