Bramble

Arg, I missed this Friday night. will have to set a reminder!

Quote, Hope R:

I was in too long - any good TWI 1 did for me in the early years was made null and void by TWI 2.

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Yup, that's how I feel about it,too.

I look at the photo albums of when my kids were small,but remember the behind the scenes crap we were going through. There was always something.

I do not enjoy groups, clubs or class settings, though if they are blue jean/sneaker casual I'm more comfortable. I tend to resent having to put the time into such things for work etc.

While I have gone to public festivals etc, I prefer to practice my beliefs in private in my own home and yard.

I'm no longer a Bible believer/Christian, but I do understand that not all groups/churches are like the Way. Most of the churches are much better in helping their followers with quality of life issues than the Way was, as far as I can see. I just lost interest somewhere along the way, and saw no reason to pretend to believe so I could belong to a group.

Scientific question:

If I replace my allergy meds with sex, can I operate heavy machinery?

Our last ten years in, we probaly gave 30k in ABS, more when you count classes, advances etc,etc.

Many months we just scraped by, on one income with little kids, paying one bill or another late. Our savings usually were earmarked for some way event. Oh! And renting was more expensive than the mortgage we gave up to be good Wayfers.

We would not have tossed that extra money away on drinking--we could have had decent cars, for one thing. Medical bills wouldn't have been so long and drawn out. We could have started a college fund for our kids.

As far as I can see, we got nothing in return for giving that money to TWI. No services from TWI, that's for sure.

Due to the deaths of both sets of parents, we did inherit a great deal of money, after we left TWI. That has repaired the holes in our finances left by our years in TWI. College money for the kids is still a concern, though.

Maybe I'll spend my 'teen friendly rec room' money on a cruise! Send the kids to my sister's.

Hmmm.

Hmmm, I wasn't a poster back in the days of the Agnostics at the back table thread, but I did read it. Can't remember what year that was,I hadn't been out of TWI too long. I was pretty sure I wasn't really a Christian,though, so that thread was of interest to me.

I found it pretty ugly, and the Christians sure didn't impress me with their arguments. How can you argue any one into belief or unbelief, anyway? Either the person does or doesn't believe. How does all that anger and insulting help ?

I really didn't feel like getting any more involved with GSC at that time, and left around then to pursue other interests. Only dropped in now and then until recently.

I wonder how many shy unbelieving ex twis never speak up due to no desire to go through something like that?

Since I've been here, and in chat now and then, people have been very friendly, though there have been a few snipes.

But I do get the impression that some here would be much happier if this was a Christian only forum.

Pat, I ptd.

Quote:

Yeah, until your friends from those boards come into a Christian site and stir the pots.

****

Hmmm, and none of your Christian friends would ever come onto a clearly wiccan board and sling around the Satan worshipper label and threats of Hell, now would they?

That's why some religious boards have Rules of Conduct and moderators that aren't afraid to delete and ban.

Grease Spot isn't a Christian site.

I guess I missed the Peak.

I first read GSC back when it was on ez board, in 2000, I think, but I never posted or got to know people.

I'd pop in occasionally after that, maybe every couple of months.

As far as I can see, there was always plenty of arguing and flame wars going on. Kinda makes some of my wicca/pagan boards seem very sedate.

Oz girl--I have a friend I IM constantly who lives in Austalia--Bateman's Bay. No way connection.

Excie--I was playing.

Tom, if I send you my money, how will I ever afford that cool rec room where my kids can sneak boys and booze?

Exie, what can I say, I'm a marshmellow. I have to be careful around fire.

Maybe I need to make a teen years agenda, starting now so I'll be ready.

Sudo, i'm so NOT looking forward to that. Would buying a big, big house help? So they could hang out in the rec room?

This is my coping plan for the teen years.

Well, I meant as in list of things to do.

At work I always have an agenda for the day.

Will do, Ex.

Saturday Night Agenda:

1 Super clean the kitchen in preparation for much use.

2 Brush dog.

3 Make peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

4 Get entire family to bed early, Mr. Bramble included. ;)-->

What's your Agenda??

Hope this isn't a derail. . .

sirguessalot, do have you looked at other belief systems wisdom teaching? Seven chakras comes to mind.

I am sorry for your turmoil, and hope your decision leads you to peace.

I so agree with Raf--Gease2 was just eeevil.

quote:

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do you mean when the OT people attributed bad things to god, they really meant satan but they did not or could not SEE or say that ?

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You're correct.

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See, that's the answer I got when I voiced the same doubts as in Refiner's first post to Christian friends.

It makes no sense to me--Their jealous God tells them to massacre whole villages, infants and children, a righteous act against the evil unbelievers, but, oh wait, it Wasn't really GOD.

But it says it was god.

Oh, but wait, that's not how we undestand it NOW.

That, and the whole savior thing made no sense to me, either--just what exactly are we saved from? Hell? The Devil? Something in the afterlife, that has no real effect on life in the here and now?

I was once pulled out of the way of a car that gunned around a corner and didn't see me--pulled back onto the sidewalk by a friend. The car could have killed me. I knew I was saved--I could tell!

But saved, in a religious or spiritual context? Never could tell.

Honestly, it makes me weary. Christianity didn't work for me, before or after the Way. I will not spend more of my time on earth trying to understand True Christian Doctrine so I can Believe.

I did have an intersting talk about this with a feminist woman pastor of a mainstream church. (I work with her occasionally at a

food warehouse/soup kitchen.)

Her opinion was the armies of the OT did what they wanted to do to get the lands they wanted and stamped God's name onto it.

That made sense.

My husband was one of the WOWs who got me in the word.

But I married him because he reminded me of my Dad--smart, generous, funny, kind, hard working.

That was the best decision I made during the Way years. (That and the decision not to go into the corps!)

We went through many difficult times our last five or six years in TWI, plus just life things, like lay offs, medical emergencies etc.

But the core man remains the same. He never once pulled the 'I'm the Head' card on me, though we saw it happening all around us. And he thought the branch's attitude that wives should be treated like twelve year olds was absurd.

We've always talked and come to agreements about decisions, and I have never felt like a servant. The Way's marriage doctrine never really made it into our relationship. I'm glad.

I've been in and out of town quite a bit for the past three weeks, but vacation time is almost over.

Went to Fairmont Hotsprings with my sister last week--guess what stuffed toy DD#3 brought with her??! A stuffed pink monkey with velcro hands. It mostly hung off the balconey.

Ahh, monkeys!

You might try using the search function at Religioustolerance.org

I always look up stuff about denominations etc there.

I get Mormons, JWs and Baptists from a local church several times a year.

In my Way Daze I did lots of door to door, and I know some of those folks sincerely want to help someone, and are nervous, too, or believe they must do their duty, etc.

But I don't want to discuss their beliefs, I don't care to share my own with strangers, and I really don't want to be too nice and get a return visit! So I say something as soon as they finish their opening line--I'm not interested and I'm in the middle of something. Have a nice day.-- Shut door.

Raf, I don't remember all the words, just the chorus, confrontation. Over and over, before household fellowship--one of our HFC favorite songs.

This was in the time of rigid scheduling, Y2K prep, constant needling and 'reproof,' home inspections, financial budget inspections, child rearing instuction("You need to spank them more, harder...") two by two, marriages breaking in the branch up and folk being M&A and gone overnight.

Maybe you had to live it to really hate it.

And let's not forget "Confrontation." It really warmed the heart(not)