Unwritten Policies

[outofdafog]

Main Entry: 1pol·i·cy

Pronunciation: 'pä-l&-sE

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural -cies

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English policie government, policy, from Middle French police, policie -- more at POLICE

1 a : prudence or wisdom in the management of affairs b : management or procedure based primarily on material interest

2 a : a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions b : a high-level overall plan embracing the general goals and acceptable procedures especially of a governmental body

I guess the question is, do our combined personal experiences meet the definiton of a policy? Or are these just random events in the lives of different believers? At least in our area, we were required to pretty much ful-fill all corps requirements and policies and we weren't even corp.

Sometimes when I read these threads, it seems the farther away from HQ you were, maybe there was less tendancy to take these as mandates, but we who were 20 minutes away, were the buffer zone for the man of god and were therefore required to follow an almost corp like program including shuffling our work and family lives to make sure the adversary didn't mess with him BOO.

[QuietThinker]

I will be happy to qualify my time, so to speak.

my experiences began in 1992 and apparently haven't ended, considering the LC just called again to ask if I'd had a change of heart.

The time I reference in my above post took place between 1993 and 2002

fwiw,

qt

[WordWolf]

I am continually amazed at the intensity of this discussion.

I can't understand why there would be such a dispute about what was or wasn't taught 30 years ago in a particular area. It was my experience that debt was seriously frowned on, giving time or money to another charitable group was seriously frowned on and that the only way to *prove* you were born again was to speak in tongues.

Now how these thing were enforced varied widely depending on the zealousness of the local leadership. Many good-hearted leaders looked at their people's hearts or just looked away. Others, the brown-shirts of the Corps and potential Corps, enforced the rules and unwritten rules with an iron fist.

It was the luck of the draw as to which one you had. I got out in '83 so I didn't see the walls closing in as many of you did.

I would think that after all these years we could agree that each of our experiences was unique.

MOST of us can.

[Belle]

I just find it extremely humorous that OUR experiences don't mean squat when others haven't had the same experience.

It's hearsay coming from me, but the person calling it hearsay doesn't consider their information hearsay even though it's based on their experience. :blink:

Also, I believe it has already been established that OM lives in another TWIt world than the rest of us. His experiences never parallelled anyone else's experiences and if it didn't happen to him, it didn't happen. Apparently Lorna feels the same way.

And if people weren't kicked out for not selling their houses, then I have no idea what Paul Brooks was screaming about when he yelled at our whole FOUNDATIONAL CLASS that X family LOVED THEIR HOUSE MORE THAN GOD because they chose to keep their mortgage than to continue being allowed to attend TWIt fellowships, classes and functions. :unsure:

And I'm not sure why Family Y was put on M&A status after they said they were trying to sell their home, but since it didn't sell within three months, they were accused of lying about trying to sell it and accused of loving mammon more than God.

And there's Family Z, who - gasp! - BOUGHT a home after the no debt non-existent policy was put into effect. They were M&A as soon as it came out that they had bought the house instead of renting it.

And family S sold their home very reluctantly after many, many confrontations by the HFC's. Then they moved from crappy rental house to crappy rental house for five years and being put on probation many times because of their "mental attitude" about money and resentment for having sold their home due to the pressure from leadership. Finally, they said "screw it" and bought a beautiful home. As soon as TWI came out and said they never had a policy on mortgages and debt this family was contacted by TWI and invited back to TWI. I'll never understand why they accepted the invitation.

But, nope, there never was a policy on debt and home mortgages. Never once was it written down that TWI had a policy on debt and mortgages.... I guess all of us just imagined those things happening.

Edited July 28, 2006 by Belle

[skyrider]

But, nope, there never was a policy on debt and home mortgages. Never once was it written down that TWI had a policy on debt and mortgages.... I guess all of us just imagined those things happening. [/color]

And......since there NEVER was a policy on debt and home mortgages (cough, cough)....I found it very odd that a standing corps couple [in Florida] had worked out a backdoor arrangement of mortgage payments by having HER FATHER BUY THE HOUSE. The monthly mortgage payments were simply paid to the father instead of a mortgage company. Slick deal, eh?

Therefore...........the corps couple didn't "technically" have this mortgage, this debt. :blink:

So, it's okay to lie and deceive within the system. One just needs to know how to manever in the alligator-infested waters...........that's all.

Edited July 29, 2006 by skyrider

[Oakspear]

Whether or not these incidents can be called unwritten policies depends on whether or not you believe that the Corps were doing the will of Wierwille (and later Martindale) when they implemented them. It depends on whether or not you believe that Way Corps and other local leaders could get away with doing things differently than what was mandated from "The Root" for very long.

I can recall several incidents when a local leader didn't do what he or she was told, or taught a doctrine that varied from the company line. That leader was privately reproved and corrected (or at least not in front of non-Corps) and then began to quickly, obviously and often clumsily, teach the "correct" doctrine, all the while pretending that it had never been any different.

But some of these "unwritten policies" persisted, and cropped up in many areas. It is difficult for me to believe that some rogue Way Corps were out there teaching doctrines and practices contrary to what the top dogs wanted, and nobody ever found out <_<

Despite some posters' view that the Way Corps ruined the "ministry" and the "movement of the Word", it was all but impossible to get ahead without being in lockstep...ahem...likeminded agreement...with Wierwille and Martindale

Edited July 29, 2006 by Oakspear

[waysider]

Oakspear-------- It never even occured to me that the WC might be responsible for ruining the ministry or the movement of THE WORD. HECK! I thought all this time that the devil was supposed to take care of that.See what happens when you delegate?

[skyrider]

It is difficult for me to believe that some rogue Way Corps were out there teaching doctrines and practices contrary to what the top dogs wanted, and nobody ever found out <_<

Despite some posters' view that the Way Corps ruined the "ministry" and the "movement of the Word", it was all but impossible to get ahead without being in lockstep...ahem...likeminded agreement...with Wierwille and Martindale

From day one.......in-rez corps training was all about OBEDIENCE. The corps program monitors several different categories of obedience.....the five corps objectives (later, called principles). Martindale was selected as the 2nd president...because he always DID what wierwille asked.

Reporting back thru the chain of command was strictly taught in the 90s.

And, there are some posters who suggest some way corps were violating the "marching orders" of wierwille and martindale.........and still retained their status in the ranks..????

Edited July 29, 2006 by skyrider

[Patriot]

In light of the "argument" that UNwritten Policies didn't exist since they were not written down, it reminds me of the Tom Cruise / Jack Nicholson movie "A Few Good Men." There was the one part where Kevin Bacon (the prosecutor) handed a Marine on the witness stand the command's rules manual. He asked the Marine to turn to the page where it describes "Code Red." The Marine said it wasn't in the manual....Kevin Bacon's reply that it must not be something sanctioned by the command. Tom Cruise wisely asked other "assumed" questions like "Where is the Chow Hall?" Since the manual didn't have it in it, there must not be one, and no one eats (something to that affect). Same is the situation here. Since twi didn't write down specific actions that were being carried out continually by their own top leaders, it wasn't "policy."

As J*n Ge*rge continually said "We teach that which we allow." Too true! Did the BOD, once they heard the reports of the heavy handedness of the Corps to get their people to sell their mortgaged houses, did they come out publicly or at least on Corps Night to tell them "STOP!" We didn't say to do that!"Did they ever make dorks like Pa*l Br*oks go back and apologize to the couples Belle specified (to which I can confirm she is telling it like it happened). They had a total of ONE, ONE, ONE teaching tape that taught on the topic - and it was sent only to the Corps. How else could they have caused so many to sell their houses without actively teaching to the full ministry at public events and in their printed cure for insomnia (The Way Rag)?

[shortfuse]

In light of the "argument" that UNwritten Policies didn't exist since they were not written down, it reminds me of the Tom Cruise / Jack Nicholson movie "A Few Good Men."

You want the truth?!! You can't HANDLE THE TRUTH!!

Love that movie :)

[Watered Garden]

Re babysitting, mortgages etc. The incidents regarding which I was posting took place in Everett WA between 12/93 and 4/96.

D*** M***er, the branch coordinator, starts teaching the "NO DEBT" policy. For sale signs quickly appear in yards. One very nice guy is no longer around. I asked Chris somebody, our TC, what happened. I am informed that this person refused to sell his house and was declared mark and avoid, because "he loves and worships his house more than he loves and worships the one true God." This was about 1995.

A friend of D***'s and fellow WC announces he has figured out how to pay of his mortgage in two years. D*** allows him to keep it. Chris thingame tells me she and her husband have to either sell their house in two months or be declared M&A.

Earlier, 1993-94 & early 1995 I am requested again and again, requested, not asked, to babysit for my TC's, V*** and K**** R****. My butt is on the line, because we've been dismissed from FWC 20 and I feel compelled to trot over there. Upon arrival I am confronted with a lengthy to do list. The meal has been consumed and I am privileged to wash, rinse, dry and put away the dishes. The shelves in the cabinets and refrigerator are all labelled so there's no chance of putting them away in the wrong place. The children do help. Then, each child in turn gets a bath. The two older bathe themselves, but the two younger must be bathed. Each child in turn brushes his/her teeth, and receives a glass of water just before bedtime. During this time period also, the kitchen floor must be swept and the living and dining rooms must be vacuumed.

I was told I was permitted to remove a glass from the appropriate cabinet, remove the water jugjfrom the refrigerator, pour and consume a glass of water, refill and replace the jug, (be sure to note where the label "water jug" is on the shelf in the fridge). Nothing else is to be touched for my personal benefit.

One night when my husband was working second shift my son and I went over to serve the WOG in this manner. It was colder than he11 in the house. After I had completed my assigned responsibilities for her majesty, I fell asleep on a love seat in her family room. Being weakened from my recent diagnosis of diabetes and exhausted by a day of work and my labors, I fell into what was actually a hypothermia-related deep sleep. The WOG came back, and could not rouse me. (Now in her position, I would most likely have called the squad). She finally shook me and yelled at me so hard I woke up somewhat. She was filled with exceeding great rage, and mighty and unspeakable fury. Her youngest had processed the glass of water she received just before going to bed and she had to change the sheets and WHAT IF ONE OF MY CHILDREN HAD NEEDED YOU? Now this all happened because I WAS NOT PERMITTED TO TOUCH THE THERMOSTAT OR THE STACK OF BLANKETS I KNEW WERE IN THE HALL CLOSET!

A couple weeks later, after a doctor's appointment where I learned what had happened to me, I explained the situation to her, reminding her of her ironclad rule that nothing was to be touched except a water glass, etc. I was hoping to get her to see that I could easily have died due to her silly rules, had she stayed away an hour later (WC meeting with the Limb folks). All she said was" You were absolutely right not to touch the thermostat or the blankets. You know I don't permit anyone to do that."

This women NEVER EVER ASKED me to babysit. She simply called up and said I need you to babysit tonight. Be here at such and such a time. Being on the line after the WC disaster, I felt I had to obey. Yeah, I had a choice, all right. Obey the great women of God or get kicked out of TWI and die!

WG

[QuietThinker]

((((WG)))) nothing else I can say, or add.

QT

[Watered Garden]

That was, by the way, the last time I ever babysat for her. For a while she was too mad to call me. Then when she did ask, I was mysteriously busy and couldn't come.

WG

[Twinky]

Unreal!

[Belle]

(((((WG)))))

And I thought I had it bad with all the chores I "got" to do when I babysat. :(

Your post reminds me of some other times when they had total disregard for our health.... <_< I think I feel another thread coming on.

[Watered Garden]

Of course as far as health goes, this was 1994-95, when the doctrine had been established by LCM himself in the preface to a Sunday night teaching: "If you have a chronic disease in your life, it is because you have chronic sin in your life." I was quizzed by his sis-in-law later: "Do you understand what it is that you did that caused this to happen to you?" I nodded dumbly, thinking she meant did I understand the mechanisms of the disease (born wearing the wrong set of genes). Later an old friend told me my sin was that I did not believe that LCM was The Man of God For This Day and For This Time and For This Hour. For this, God smote me with a disease called insulin dependent diabetes!

If God wanted to do something about my not believing in LCM, He would have probably rewarded me!

WG

[doojable]

Harumpfffff!

Dang those folks! So who went into all their Bibles and tore out the verses where the disciples as Jesus who sinned - the man born blind or his parents???? I do not recall any place in the Bible that blames a person's sickness for their sin.

Honestly, how many devil spirits must have been around to help this line of bull go through the filters.

Thank God for justice!

[MaggieM]

I had the opposite experience with the "babysitting" issue. We had a newborn son around the time there were weekend classes that required overnight stays away from home once a month for several months. (This was the summer of 1998) Although we had a newborn, we were "encouraged" to attend the classes and leave our son with people we barely knew. Of course, we gave in and did it but I still kick myself to this day!

Another "unwritten" thing we dealt with was the issue of breastfeeding. After giving birth to a 10# child via emergency c-section and developing severe mastitis in both breasts, I was harangued by my branch coordinator and limb coordinator for "giving up" on breast feeding. I stuck to my guns on this one, though!

What about the policy that "stated" that if only one of the spouses could attend a meeting, it should be the husband?

Or how about having leadership "insist" that we should continue to hold fellowship in our home even with a newborn AND me being sick?

[WordWolf]

Welcome to the forum, MaggieM!

[QuietThinker]

Hi Maggie! Glad to say hello to someone new, like me.

And wow...I'm still digesting your post. You really must have been amazed by those things. My little girl was a small giant when she was born, while I did nurse, I too, caught a bunch of flack for supplementing her.

I will say, though, that the one person whose friendship I will really miss, helped me through good times and bad. I have seen her accept every suggesting with the *meekness* twi seemed to desire, even she she felt it was wrong...she bailed my @zz out when my little girl was an infant, and one day, I hope she is able to step out and stand in the sunshine without the overwhelming guilt and fear.

cheers, and welcome, MaggieM,

qt

[Jim]

The one thing I'm getting from this thread is that in general, the women had it harder than the men. I'm amazed at what can only be justified as abuse and cruelty leveled at so many good women. And what about the women like the one Watered Garden babysitted for? What kind of seared conscience would that person have to treat another as she did WG? Is there any healing for that?

I'm sorry. I really am sorry for what this sick cult did to so many fine people.

[Watered Garden]

The sad thing is, this woman was a 6th WC grad, and was generally thought of as the living epitomization of Proverbs 31:10-31. She indicated to me once that she thought so, too. With an example like this, how could anyone like me, an ordinary peon with a checkered past, aspire to being the woman God wants her to be? She was very rigid and demanding, even with her own children, and despised my own son with a passion, criticizing him at every turn, forbidding her children to be anywhere near him. Her own kids were turning out like her, and even in my own home reproved me for not folding my bath towels in the proper manner, or putting a fitted sheet on the bed with the corners pulled down in the wrong order. Amazing, a 10-year-old has to demonstrate to a 40-something-year-old how to properly fold a bath towel in a godly manner! I of course was so intimidated by this woman I didn't even say, "Hey they fit on the shelves better the way I fold them!" I was intimidated by her #1 son that much. (admittedly I was somewhat wimpy, but would have gotten in trouble had I answered that brat!

When they left the area, several of us sighed with relief. Little did we know that we would end up with the BL & wife as our TL's also. From being chastised with whips, we went to being chastised with scorpions!

WG

Edited August 4, 2006 by Watered Garden

[Belle]

bumping for relevance to current topics.

[Imagine]

This unwritten rules thread has a lot of great comments.

Would someone be willing to organize and summarize them and present them on one post so they could be copied for sharing?