Stayed Too Long

If you observe a man or woman smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, you can make the assumption, if they have lung cancer, the tobacco played a major roll. Likewise, if you see a person drinking to excess, and is involved in an accident, you can rationalize the booze was a major contributer. They will probably be issued a DUI by the police. Likewise, if you observe a person who is obese eating a triple cheese burger, superized fries, and large Coke, you can make the assumtion the calorie intake has contributed to them being over weight. At home, eating large portion at a meal, will also contribute to being over weight. Tune into the television show “My 600 Pound Body” to observe how much and what obese people eat. They have absolutely no control over how much they eat in a day. You could look at food pyramids to see if they can contribute to weight gain, but first let’s get the calorie intake under control.

Being over weight and obese is a serious health problem. https://infogram.com/us-adult-obesity-rates-since-1960-1gzxop49on65mwy The cost is becoming astronomical. https://onlinepublichealth.gwu.edu/resources/cost-of-obesity-in-us/ Obesity is preventable, so what are your thoughts on why we continue to put our health in jeopardy? To me, we know it is not healthy, but continue to eat more and more. We even come up with new terms to make being obese seem normal. BBW (Big Beautiful Woman,) is a created term used to describe a woman who is living unhealthy. It is not beautiful to see someone put their health at tisk. The same describes a man who is obese or over weight. Often times, if someone mentions it, they are accused of “fat shaming” someone. But we have no problem telling someone who smokes they are putting their health st risk. If a friend is addicted to drugs, we will point out to them that it is not healthy. It seems we have a double standard on approacing health. We don’t want to “hurt someone’s feelings” by telling them they are living an unhealthy life style. I believe the path we are on will continue to make our country unhealthy.

Mike, Is it just semantics that you cannot figure out who are currently in charge at TWI? You call them the Board of Trustees and the Way calls them the Board of Directors on their web page. Same difference, no?

Newly coming on the scene: This would be a person who had never heard anything at all about The Way. They were never exposed to all the negative or positive information about the group. They were starting a new in their quest to figure out which of the 41,000 Christian groups was the one for them. Many currently today dismiss the teachings of the Way because they were plagiarized, or the because founder used women sexually, or the Way demanded tithes many could not afford. But if the new seeker had no knowledge of any of this, and only read the 10 page booklet, where would their beliefs fall amoung the other 39,999? Would Jesus Christ is Not God seem an acceptable doctrine? Would speaking in tongues be high or low the acceptable beliefs? What have the other 39,999 religions taught on this. My point is if we judged the teachings of the Way strictly on their doctrines and not the character of its leaders, would it rate in the top 15,000? We judge the teaching of the Way from the perspective of the major Christian religions in the West. What about all the other Christian religions we are not aware of? There are people who profess that believing in God is nothing more than magical thinking. As we grew up we realized santa clause, tooth fairy, and Easter bunny do not exist. But we will just not let go of god. We can prove there is no tooth fairy by putting a tooth under our pillow, and observing it all night. In the morning the rotting tooth will still be under the pillow. How can you prove because Jesus Christ lived you have the opportunity to go to heaven? Other than it being taught through the ages how do you know for sure?

https://www.learnreligions.com/christianity-statistics-700533 According to this source there are 41,000 different Christian religions in the world today. How would someone, newly coming on the scene, begin to wade through all 41,000 to see which one they wanted to join? How would they set forth a plan of action to begin with the A’s and work through to the Z’s? Assume that all 41,000 have their doctrines laid out in a very readible fashion in a 10 page booklet. How much time would have to be alloted in a person’s lifetime, to get through all of them making comparisons? That would require reading and examining 410,000 pages of print, and being able to retain each one’s attributes to come to a logical decision and conclusion. In contrast, let’s say a person wants to learn how to repair an automobile engine. Would one have to expect to read through 100 manuals, all stating a piston performs differently than the others? How do you decide if book 14, 29, or book 89 is correct? You would have to throw up your hands and walk away knowing nothing of how to perform wanted you desired to do. Yet somehow, first off, we must decide which of the world’s religions is the one to follow. What process do you use to compare Islam to Christianity, to Judism, to Buddhism, to Hinduism, to??? and make a decision? How much more time do you need to study all of them? How did you determine the major religion to follow? Now fast forward a couple of centuries or a few millenniums and you find a Power for Abundant Living book, or a Receiving the Holy Spirit Today book. Nothing is known of it’s author’s dubious past. Unknown is the plagiarism that was done to complete the books. What would be in those books that would make you absolutely believe they were false and should not be followed at all? Let’s go a step further, and ask why do you believe in a God at all? There are 41,000 variations in Christianity alone.

From first seeing these tv preachers in the 60’s, all they know about is getting rich. Billy Graham probably was the best tv preacher to convince people he was legit. Money, money, money. All are multi millionaires and act like they are so concerned about their large audiences. It drives me nuts when Franklin Graham gets on tv begging for money from people who cannot afford it, to send to hurricane hit areas, while his bank account has $millions. Give your money to local churches.

This article definitely describes the path to my involvement with the Way. My vulnerability of mortal sinning and going to hell, was so important to becoming a part of the Way. They were able to alleviate all the concerns of me being cast with the demons, that was forced on me by being raised in the Catholic church, (which is definitely a cult that has gone mainstream since JFK.) I had feelings of grandeur knowing hell was no longer my final destination. The Way did deliver me from one feeling of oppression, only to be thrust into another. The transition was very peaceful, but once realized, the latter was worse than the former. I was no longer going to hell, but would lose all my rewards, if I did not tow the company line. The new oppression would be not only losing my rewards earned, but be a grease spot by midnight.

For sure, thanks to Pawtucket for the years he has been such a patient host putting up with so much criticism and BS. I truly do not know where I would be today if not for this forum. Thank you to Charlene for putting into words what so many of us have felt deep inside.

Bayside 25 years in the making. https://www.corporationwiki.com/California/Los-Gatos/bayside-fellowship/42628867.aspx

Welcome to GSC Grace and Mercy. I was also one who lurked in the forums reading and digesting all that was posted before signing up. I couldn’t get enough of others having the same concerns as me, and to my amazements, still alive. After leaving TWI, I was so afraid of God’s protection leaving me, that I would be a greasespot by midnight. Some days it was amazing to me I was still alive. Thanks to GSC, and all its denizens, I was able to get on with my life. WELCOME!!

https://sites.google.com/site/vpwierwille/

TWI was able to influence your mother to use funds to pay for her corpse training that was not hers. She stole your rightful money. It amazes me how low TWI could get parents to stoop to. Somehow they loose all sense of right and wrong in order to follow The Man of God.

If your family has been in TWI for almost 40 years, they lived thtough all the lawsuits with LCM, and the plagiarism of VPW. LCM has only been gone for 20 years or so, and they have had ample time to evaluate all that has been going on. What is your relationship with your family? What do they think about you leaving TWI? How do you correspond with them? Do you get together with them physically? i wouldn’t rush into trying to enlighten them about all you know. Talk to them and see if there are small things they maybe questioning about TWI? This might be a way to introduce light into the situation. Welcome to the cafe. There plenty of people here willing to help you out.

I wonder how long negative reviews will be tolerated until they are removed?

Welcome to GSC, PAA. The love the Way showed to me was the linchpin that convinced me I had found nirvana. I was going through a very rough time in my life, when a complete stranger sat next to me at a cafe, and began talking to me. He was very kind and understanding to me. He invited me to a fellowship at his home, but Christmas break was just beginning at college, and I told him I would be going home for a month. He assured me he would contact me after the holidays were over, which he did. All (twig leafs, not sure that is the lingo today,) were very loving to me, and without a doubt, pulled me from the dark place I was in. Of course, that alone hooked me, and it was “full speed ahead,” from then on. I was willing to take all the classes they offered and joined all the programs they asked me to. However, as time goes on, you are expected to no longer think for yourself, and especially not ask for any “clarification” of anything they teach. The Way International believes they have “the word of God, like it has never been taught since the first century.” They may not state it those exact words today, but believe God gave Victor Wierwille the “right dividing of the word of God.” VPWs interpretation is the only valid understanding of God’s word. That is why they will not allow anyone to question their teachings. They talk about how the corruption had been cleaned up, but let me assure you, if anyone questioned the corruption as it was going on, they were “marked and avoided”, which means they were shunned. There is absolutely no room in the way to question a belief, or question the actions of any leader. If you do, you will be kicked out, as dissention is unacceptable at any and all levels of Way leadership. It does seem out of place that your love interest is discussing marriage and children with you, at this stage of your indoctrination into the Way. It maybe they have stooped to that level deception. Or, unless, as someone else suggested, she is planning an escape herself. If that is the case, you will be very important to her mentally and emotionally, as the guilt she will bear, will be overwhelming. Welcome to the GSC, and know you have everyones understanding.

Steve Sann was the Limb guy in Montana in 1985 when BG was in the State running his class in Helena. It seems to me Sann had all the corp in the state take BGs class. The rest of us twiggies would come to Helena on Sundays and go to BGs public fellowship. The thing rhat stood out to me was how jerky he made the hymns. BG said he got possessed once, while singing hymns nornally, so he added sudden stops in the middle of the verse. It became so distracting to me. A teaching that stood out was he prophesied that JC would come back in the year 2000. That cinched it for me he was a false prophet since it did not come to pass. Not that it matters to me today. Sann was so excited about BG coming to the ROA that summer. From other comments on GSC, that didn’t turn out so well.

Man having a sin nature is why Jesus Christ had to live, die, be resurrected, and ascend into heaven. The Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost so mad could be redeemed.

I thought politics was off limits?

Stepping away from God’s protection was my biggest concern leaving the way. They are able to keep people by instilling fear if you leave your life will be over. I have been gone 25 years and it has only gotten better. The name of this web site is in reference to LCM always saying, if you left the protection of God’s ministry, you would be a grease spot my midnight. I wonder if LCM believed he would be a grease spot when he was booted out?

I lived in Great Falls in the 80’s and Helena in the 90’s.

Bob Dylan is a master dealing with whatever he devides to deal with. This is fitting to the understanding of this thread and abuse.

My bread hasn’t been rising and browning in the over as it should. Thinking the temperature in the oven may not be accurate, I purchased a thermometer. With the oven temp set to 400 degrees, it read 350. This seemed quite a bit so I bought another thermometer and it read 370 degrees. I don’t know which reading to trust, but am pretty sure the oven temp control needs to be set higher. Fun time learning to get things just right.

I recall hearing from VP that God also told him if the Weirwille family didn’t stand on the word, the ministry would fail after he was gone. Did anyone else remember this?