Rocky

Btw, T-Bone, I very much enjoy that you and I can bounce ideas off of each other and come up with a bigger understanding.

IMO, that male/female dichotomy is changing. Men "socialized to be more independent" are, too often, becoming the examples of toxic masculinity. But I love the imagery of people willing to take risks about their view of God and religion graduating. For a number of years, I've considered that Wierwille's view of God and the bible was far too narrow. He talked about his God being big, but he acted as if God wasn't really so big. Chipping away at him until he fits in a particular box. That box, of course, was the size of his ego. That's one big give away on why The Way International wa

Yeah, I picked up on that too. Wonderful insight, IMO.

I realize this is anecdotal and not based on aggregated data, but I wonder for how many of you this might ring true. From a 2/25/2021 Twitter post from a young minister, @Caitlin J. Stout A friend asked the other day what percentage of people I went to youth group with “deconstructed” and what percentage remained evangelical. As I thought about it, I realized that for the most part it was the kids who took their faith the most seriously who eventually walked away.

What a wonderful article. Thanks T-Bone.

3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. In Romans 5:3-4, as I understand it now, Paul articulates that process of developing our authentic self.

The museum idea came to me because of events last year around the country regarding removal of confederate monuments, which became a controversial issue. During a zoom meetup with historians facilitated by the Arizona Historical Society, some of them opposed removal. Others recommended the artifacts be preserved in museums dedicated to putting them in historical context so people now and in the future would better understand the changing times in our country. I'm all for preserving them, despite twi's practice of burning books and other objects they consider dangerous. Putting twi (and o

Thanks T-Bone. Methinks you told the your story of how sunesis worked in your head in this situation. Thanks for sharing that insight.

They belong in a museum for cult symbols... that's what your display is, right?

Not an endorsement of their message, but these gals are much more enjoyable to watch than the Renewed Mind singers.

YES! Shortcuts for our brain! Cognitive dissonance that festered, perhaps, to ultimately free you from the power of twi symbols.

An enlightening and very legitimate inquiry. From wikipedia, "A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences. All communication (and data processing) is achieved through the use of symbols. Symbols take the form of words, sounds, gestures, ideas, or visual images and are used to convey other ideas and beliefs. For example, a red octagon is a common [virtually universal] symbol

That's why twi is barely hanging on by a thread.

Brandeis made his famous statement that “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants” in a 1913 Harper’s Weekly article, entitled “What Publicity Can Do.” But it was an image that had been in his mind for decades. Twenty years earlier, in a letter to his fiance, Brandeis had expressed an interest in writing a “a sort of companion piece” to his influential article on “The Right to Privacy,” but this time he would focus on “The Duty of Publicity.” He had been thinking, he wrote, “about the wickedness of people shielding wrongdoers & passing them off (or at least allowing them to pass th

Indeed, MLE's approach is bold. As long as she's telling her own story, she should be okay.

Your entire post/comment resonates with me. I believe I've said the same thing about the authoritarian structure in different words, a number of times over the last twenty years. I saw it as the accountability in the social structure was bass-ackward in twi. In Acts, the elders held themselves accountable to the people who supported them. IMO, the entire Christian church, at least in the Western world, looks at authority in such a way that the elders were considered "leaders" who must be followed. That's dangerous stuff all around. And I believe that's why sexual abuse is pervasive regard

My community believes Phil, and other men trained as ministers in The Way International, are righteous, knowledgeable authorities and that the beautiful women they surrounded themselves with are lucky to be in their presence. This organization, a recognized cult, has significant claims of sexual and spiritual abuse, dating back to the 1970s. In this community, these are swept under the rug and brushed aside as “how men behave.” Is that how your community behaves? Where a man “teaches” sexually starved young women, who believe him to be a friend and mentor, by forcing his fingers inside their v

My community believes Phil, and other men trained as ministers in The Way International, are righteous, knowledgeable authorities and that the beautiful women they surrounded themselves with are lucky to be in their presence. This organization, a recognized cult, has significant claims of sexual and spiritual abuse, dating back to the 1970s. In this community, these are swept under the rug and brushed aside as “how men behave.” Is that how your community behaves? Where a man “teaches” sexually starved young women, who believe him to be a friend and mentor, by forcing his fingers inside their v

Nice! An apt summary.

Truth.

Sorry, I didn't see this until now. Glad you found the book to be thought provoking. Another one you might find intriguing that I recently learned of is The Tao of Psychology by Jean Shinoda Bolen. IF you can find a copy. I bought one (used) on Amazon recently and now can't find the book by searching Amazon at all. But Bolen's website does have a link to it on Amazon. Immanence as described on your linked Wikipedia page seems to fit with Bolen's concept of synchronisity. The blurb on Amazon reads: Understanding the Moments That Touch and Transform Our Lives Who hasn'

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/12/us/ravi-zacharias-sexual-misconduct-report/index.html "We want to help the victims of Ravi's abuse, and we want to thoroughly understand what has taken place in our organization so that we can do everything we can to make sure nothing like this happens again," the board statement said. Seems like they need to shut that whole thing down.