personalentertainr

I lived in NOLA for 2 years upon graduation from the Corpse. I hated it! The wife loved it (she's a grade school teacher and saw the tender side of the chillens [properly pronounced]). While I was there, I learned not to trust the police, the govenor, the schools, the economy, and especially the water. I almost embarked on an endeavor to write a booklet called, "10 Reasons NOT to Live in NOLA". Each chapter could be about a few paragraphs stating the obvious and then giving examples. It would have chapters like: Don't drink the water No left turns Don't get a ticket Don't buy a car there, the taxes will kill you. Don't trust the govenor (who is now in prison) Crime .....no punishment Unemployment (highest in any large city in America) West Bank is in the East.....Don't ask directions Traffic on the NO River Bridge (at the time it was under construction) [rumor had it, it was under construction for almost 10 years] WeBees....Unfamiliar languagee..... Cirriculum director stood up to address the teachers at a school at the beginning of the school year and said, "We be gonna have a goood yeara." True story....my wife, sitting in the audience did a double take and the teacher sitting next to her said, "You heard her right!" NOLA has been told this would eventually happen. They were so dependent on the government that they figured Edwin Edwards would calm the winds and the yankee feds would dish out all the money to rebuild (I was so much as told this while at work one day). They were half right........as usual.

I have a deep craving for fellowship with like-minded believers.........problem: Can't find any. I'm floored by how many of you are so easily able to compromise and put up with traditional Kristendumb. I listen to a radio station with so-called "esteemed" ministers trying to teach the Bible and they hack it to pieces. They may as well be teaching or reciting fairy tales. Here are some of the most common infractions which keep me from going to a "church": They call an account in the OT a "story". It's not a story....Cindarella is a story....Abraham existed and therefore is a historical account. They come up with some of the most ludicrous explanations for why Paul, David, Job, and almost all other Biblical greats went through what they did. Just last night, one guy said that "Issac lied to Ambimelech because Abraham taught him to lie" "After all, Abraham was Issac's father and a son will only follow his father's example." The trinity is so lame! Sometimes I tune into that station while I'm driving and I feel like I could spit tobacco or something. They make up explanations as they go. John 3:16. It is taugh as though it is the way a person gets born again. All evidence points to the verse as being an invitation more than instruction. Administrations. Boy, if they could almost get this one, they could probably actually get the rest. Listening to them makes me feel like the 7 epistles were never written. I wouldn't mind going to church if they weren't so convinced that the Roman Catholic Church has been so correct all these centuries. Wait a minute! Peter is the rock! Oh my God! I've been deprogrammed.

check out Astronomy Magazine for the sky this month. September 6th, Virgo will be in the western sky 30 minutes after sunset. You will be able to see the crescent moon, Jupiter and Venus. This looks very similar to JCOPS.

Leaving TWI was an education indeed! First, I learned I had a great marriage! As my wife revealed things she noticed of which I was oblivious, I came to realize that it was more amazing that we were still together than surviving 3 brain sugeries (which I've done). We are celebrating our 19th this September and she hasn't run me off yet (go figure). I also learned that I can make friends with people based on other things besides the condition that they come to fellowship. Our family actually went to a neighbor's birthday party last month and we had a more fun than I ever had with BCs or in many cases LCs. (Not hard to imagine is it?). Most importantly, I've learned how to maintain fellowship with God while wearing Levis most of the time and without the trappings of SNS. (I now own one suit, which is rarely worn)

On the 1st page, the very beginning, Rico refers to "opening our minds and hearts". Boy! VPW would have a fit! Then later on, I think on page 2 the time was 14:48 post, he mentioned moral obligations. I believe he mentioned the word "moral" about 5 times. People, I've listened to some of the radio hacker ministries for about a year... The minute they start mentioning "morals", they've just told me they don't know what "spirit" is and that they are a victim waiting to happen. Take I Sammuel 15 and talk to God about what's morally right! I love that point! What's considered morally right isn't always spiritually right.... just look at Iraq! Should have been a glass parking lot 2 years ago!

I always enjoyed fellowship and the connection with people based on a standard (even though many times there was a double standard in the ministry). So, after listening to radio hackers try and teach "psychology today" from the four Gospels, I went back and started a Romans 100 club. In first year of the 10th Corps {1979-80}, Dr. was teaching Romans 8-16 to the Corps. Someone got the bright idea to read Romans 100 times. During the 1st month they taught speed weeding, so it seemed possible. Sure enough, someone hit the 100th mark around the end of October. I doubt he understood it, if he was speed reading. I only have a handful of "members" in the club. And to avoid duplicating the ministry, I keep pretty close to Bullinger's stuff. It's informative and to the point. It allows for people to email me or one another with questions or comments and there isn't any real contact with each other. The feed back had been wonderful. I write about 2 pages on MS Word and copy it over to email. This allows them to see a concise, to the point teaching that will allow them to get their noses out of the Gospels and into the Epistles. just email romans100club@yahoo.com

If anyone has the little booklet, "Also", I need to buy or borrow it. I know, some will think, "Good Gravy! What is his problem?" But really, I got a new Bible last Christmas and I want to mark the "Also" notes in it. (it is a Bullinger Bible for those of you wondering if I still think about what we were taught). In fact, I also have marked the RHST usages, also. (no pun intended) I have been out almost 4 years, I still see value in much of the work we learned. When conversing with people about the Bible, I simply put more emphasis on Bullinger instead of VPW. After all, I do have a copy of "How to Enjoy Reading the Bible". I simply qualify material I share with a disclosure that some things he did may be inaccurate. Usually, he's right, sometimes he's wrong. People tend to respect the fact that the guy lived in the 1800's and give me the benefit of the doubt that there is more to the topic than tradition teaches. I don't remember exactly who did the work on "Also". I seem to think it was Wade. Is that correct? If no one wants to sell their copy, just email me with the rules laid out in the book. I can figure it out from there. rx78250@yahoo.com

Just one more thought. Betting is unethical. I want all to understand the last comment about being "willing to bet" is a FOS. I don't gamble. Someone pass me a penny...I've got to check this scratch-off! ! ! !

I would be willing to bet that the instructors of the new class next Mar/Apr will be Vince, Roger, and John. Surely, Rosilie wouldn't put new people through the gruesome accent of hers for 30 hours. It would give new meaning to "falling asleep in class" Even the grads would be drueling.

Here's a name you haven't heard in years.... Annie Whitaker was the daughter of Jack Whitaker on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Though Jack never took the class, his daughter, Annie was a Corps grad (8th if I remember correctly) Annie married a fellow corps man and soon after they married, were never heard from again.

This is a tough one. It's so hard to improve on xtreeeme excellence. But since you brought it up. I'd like to see more detailed profiles. How did you learn of this site? How long were you in TWI? When did you leave? Did you ever hold back some of the ABS to pay for the money order? Just interesting stuff that allows us to know more about the person posting. Make it required that the person fill in a real city and state. If it's not impossible, add voice chat to the chat room! Now that would be great! (But probably not very feesable)

Belle, I get it. You don't believe anything taught by Dr. Wierwille. You aren't alone. A lot of people disagreed with him while he was alive and after he died. I, (a definite minority) however believe he was fundementally correct and consistant with his teachings and would have to say I was satisfied with his motives and conclusions. "Truth on the lips of the towns biggest sinner is still truth" If you don't like the movie, change channels. I am of the position that copying something from someone who is quite dead (Bullinger)is a compliment. When I teach the Bible to people I still implement many of the things taught to me in his class. Not because I don't know anything else, but because the majority of what I refer to fits. In the first paragraph you wrote re: Disposing of Death you rattle on about the way he handled Psalms 116:15 and the entire subject of death..............Oddly enough, I Corinthians 15:26 does claim the last enemy to be destroyed is death. No matter how you wrongly divide the Word, death is an enemy. I still hold fast to the sound doctrine I discovered while Dr. Wierwille was active in the ministry of the Way. Not because I worship him, but because of the obvious error and predisposed opinions of all the other ministries I stumble onto while listening to the radio. Compared to what VPW did...they (Dr. Straus and Chuck Swendall for instance)will most likely be the ones to hear, " I never knew thee!"

I was in the 10th Corps for a year and then went back in to the 14th. I remember so many of these incidents and occassions. I vividly remember how hungry all the guys were at lunch and supper. Unfortunately, there was this one kid in the 14th Corps who thought with his stomach. As many of you will remember, the only food one could have on their solo (later called "duo") [for those of you not familiar with the program, the duo was a 3 day survival/alone time with God... no meals just water) was the food they saved and horded throughout the week of climbing rocks. Most of us men, never had anything saved. This one kid was on his "duo" and by the 2nd day was ready to eat the bark off his lean-to. We had all heard stories of people having the odd moment of an animal approaching their area and the person catching it and having a gross meal. He figured he could do the same. So he climbed a tree. Got high enough, he could see the Corps residence. He climbed down and proceed towards the direction of the building absolutely sure he would have a great meal that day...........HE WAS LOST FOR 3 DAYS. When the staff finally found him he was almost looney. Needless to say when he hitched back to Emporia he was dismissed. I felt sorry for him, but I knew it was right for him to leave....I almost asked him to send me cigarettes or Copenhagen.

I can't believe they would ever call me back in? (It's kind of like the military...getting called back into service ) I distinctly recall the strict teachings regarding Matthew 18:15-17 15. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. When we went full time Corps (I had sold a business and my wife had quit teaching {we used her retirement money to get out of debt}. During ROA, we had been told we had to let this lady and her unruly son(about 4 yrs old) live with us in a 3 bedroom house [note, the lady had been living with this area leader for 2 years]. We refused. The area leader gave us the guilt trip of putting a believer out on the street. Then, finally and in a subtle way indicated we would be dropped if we didn't do it. "After all, Family Corps lived in less room than what we had and as Corps we should be the 1st to give" A week after the lady moved in, I informed the AC it wasn't working and that I had to ask the single mom to leave. I received a call from John Rupp that was introduced as a call to dismiss us from full time Corps. There was no teaching, no reproof, no confrontation until we were dismissed. Not to mention that the AC dropped 3 months later. My wife and I had stood through so much s***. And we had given our all. So yea! I'll come back! I'll come back when John Rupp acknowledges and apologizes to my wife and me. I'll come back when TWI re-imburses the thousands we spent of my wife's retirement to meet their ridiculous no debt requirement. I'll come back when TWI re-imburses me for the business I sold and and then had to buy back. That was pleasant! Do I sound bitter, I'm not bitter. I made stupid mistakes, too. I subjected my wife and sons to the torment of fellowships with a bunch of dweebs for years. Do I sound angry...........wait till I get a microphone! I'm still in a perpectual state of dormant mental awareness.

Around '79, I witnessed to a guy named JB, who went on to be WOW. While on the WOW field he left and went straight to a newspaper and a church and announced he was in a cult. His picture was in the paper and the leadership in that town never regrouped. I never told anyone I signed him up after he left the field. But HQ did communicate with my Branch leader and he and I sat down and discussed it. Looking back now, I wonder if they suspected JB was trying to get me out of the ministry. --> I had put about a dozen or more in the class before I went Corps. But after going through one year of the 10th Corps and having to leave because my spouse and I couldn't get it together (she didn't want to be Corps), I found it difficult to get people to get to a fellowship, much less a class. The 70's were the last years of serious outreach. The 80's introduced the brief case and 3-piece suit. ( you could sweat but you had to smile doing it) The 90's introduced total control over the lives of those who wanted to love God but couldn't figure out how to do it without someone dictating the next move.

I went through one year of the 10th Corps and then went through the entire Corps program and graduated 14th Corpse. During the fog, we lost touch and then discovered I had a brain tumor. I've had 3 surgeries for it and discovered that much like my resume during the Corps years, I had nothing to brag about when we left the ministry in 2001. I had never considered going on SS because I hate the idea of a limited income. We have survived because of my wife working as a teacher. Recently I discovered a work at home business that could allow me to acheive 100k a year residual income within 2 years. I'm working it like a fool, incorporating everything I learned over the years. I expect by Christmas to have a residual income of about $2000.00 a month. At which time, I will retire from social security. What a country! You're welcome to email me for more information.

I can hardly believe TWI actually responded. As I remember lunch times announcements, I'd bet there were some big teachings on JP's website. It seems to me, it may be time to remember the 5 steps down.....Gen 3. She "considered" was one step. Well, in considering the letter by TWI's representative (with my limited 25 years of exposure to their way of thinking) it may be time for JP to have any or all of the other sibblings get on his web-site to respond to the letter. If the accusation from TWI is correct that JP just has a burr in his saddle and is acting alone, that is relevant just as much as anything. I would hope that this is not the case. I also suspect it isn't. But I'm just a jury member with one a one-sided opinion. Definitely need both side now.

I'd like to hear from Marco Rivera. After graduation, he was sent to Corpus Christi, TX and then to Reno, NV. He left in May. It was a rough situation with his leaving (I know, cause I was there) Please email me with his current address. Rx78250@yahoo.com

Lynn was on the east coast about 3 years ago. I went to yahoo "people search" and typed in her name. bang! she was there. I called her out of the blue. She was cordial and a delight to talk with. But she sounded busy (as was her natuer) and I kept it short.

Pat was in San Diego last I heard. You can go to yahoo people search and include san diego in the city and narrow down your search. Might even try to just put California in case the live somewhere else like El Cajon