Jump to content
GreaseSpot Cafe

Blamed for being sick


nandon
 Share

Recommended Posts

In TWI, they taught that god doesn't make us sick.

cool teaching, never had a problem with it.

when we'd get sick, TWI also taught we had to believe to get better.

never really had a problem with that. Good idea, do what you got to do to get better.

HOWEVER...

when someone was ILL,,, or suffering from a more serious sickness/disease than a cold or flu... I always felt that TWI would start to blame the person for not believing to get healed or better.

this happened to my mom. she was sick for a long time, still to this day dealing with the condition. As my parents were slowly turned against in our last few years of TWI she began to slowly get blamed for her sickness.

It was real slow and gradual.

STEP 1:

you get sick, twi people pray for you, you get lots of good luv'in.

STEP 2:

you're not getting better. EVERYONE has a little advice on for you, or some sort of remedy that might work (god might be working in them to BOTH will AND do of his good pleasure u know...)

STEP 3:

People start praying for "everyone's physical health" in fellowship ALL the TIME... u know who they are really thinking about...

STEP 4:

TWI'ers wait for you to make some sort of mistake (maybe you didn't wear the appropriate shoes for a meeting or something small and irrelevant)... at this point (assuming you're still sick) they confront you, and imply in a very innocent way that maybe this type of negative believing is contributing to you not getting healed or delieverd.

STEP 5:

you make another minor error in the TWI rotaing/changing code of conduct... this time the confrontation gets harder, and depending on how long you've been sick they either drop the hammer on you and straight up BLAME YOU for not getting better... OR if you are well liked they do a harder version of step 4....

STEP 6-???.... pretty much step 5 in more intense incraments...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh,yeah. Been there, done that.

Many years ago, a friend of mine became ill with a life threatening condition.

He came under heavy criticism from TWI leadership at the HQ level regarding his "believing".

How could he have allowed it to happen? How could he not believe to get healed? How dare he seek help from medical doctors?

Long story short, he died. Then he was blamed for his own death.

Now to be honest, it may well be that his condition was beyond medical correction, but to suggest that it was all his fault is just cruel and ridiculous.

My hope in posting this is that perhaps an "innie" will stumble on it and stop to consider what I've said.

Oh, wait, I forgot that "considering" is the first step in a downward plummet. :asdf:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 years ago (1977), I had a tree knock out one of my front teeth.

Seriously.

Working at a state forest in Indiana, we were cutting down some trees,

so the better ones could grow, and produce a good timber crop.

I went to cut out a small tree (caught underneath a larger one),

and it snapped back, hitting me full force in the face.

Smacked me right in the mouth, and took out one of my front teeth.

I was knocked out, and when I came to there on the forest floor --

the chainsaw I was using, was still running,

and less than 4 inches from my outstretched hand.

I went home that day after work, but instead of heading to the house first,

I dropped by the twig leader's home for prayer.

My twig leaders at that time were Dean and Laura Ellenwood.

They lived about 6 blocks from where I did.

They took one look at my battered face, lost tooth, sad demeanor,

and both wrapped me in their arms, and prayed.

Back then that was the *norm*. "You're hurting? Let's pray".

That sort of thing. NO CONDEMNATION FOR WRONG BELIEVING.

I guess I'm *lucky* that happened to me when it did.

otherwise the know-it-all-bozos from headquarters,

would of said my *believing* caused the accident.

As I've said before -- (and I'll say it again) ---

BELIEVING = RECEIVING IS THE MOST INSIDIOUS TEACHING OF TWI.

When that accident happened to me, I needed comfort and prayer.

Not condemnation.

Perhaps it was a kinder and gentler era then. At least in my area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the time we left TWI towards the end of LCM's reign, even having a cold was a cause for condemnation and suspiciscion. Unless you were in the HFC family--then it was the fault of the little people for dragging themselves or sick children to Household Fellowship and getting their nasty cootiesgerms on the godly hfc family.

After a while, we ceased asking for prayer or ministering, it was better to just keep your mouth shut(after 1997 or so.)

I had a kid in kindergarten who got the flu--followed by strep, double ear infections and pneumonia. Sick kid, but not hospitalized, just antibiotics etc. Hubby and I switched off week night HF so the kids would get to bed on time for school, otherwise they wouldn't get to bed until nearly 10 pm. I went to HF that night, didn't say a word. My thinking was that the nasty reproof would damage my believing, get me all upset and stressed, and put my 5yr old in deeper danger, since as the Mom, I was responsible for such things.

Fun times. I did want to leave, but hubby didn't during this time frame. Or, more accurately, he was afraid bad things would happen if we left.

As it turned out, alot of bad things ceased when we left!

Edited by Bramble
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first incident I saw of this was in 1973-74. A woman in our limb had cancer, bad, and was yelled at, condemned and criticized by the Powers That Be in that state and from HQ. She was accused of not believing God, not believing God's Word, and of course the worst thing that she could not possibly do, not believing VPW. She died, of course.

My own experience I have recounted many times here. In 1994, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes less than a year after we were kicked out of the FWC 20. I was criticized and talked about roundly. A sister of the wife of the MOGFODAT asked me "Do you understand what it is that YOU DID that caused this to happen to you?"

After that we were under suspicion. When we went to the ROA in 1995, people shied away from us that we had known and loved for years and years. No one from our old fellowships in SC wanted to be seen talking to us. This wasn't the only reason, of course, but I think looking back it had a lot to do with it.

WG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is SO sick, so evil and cruel. Every time I hear these stories, I get upset.

I have to ask these morons....Do they have no recollection of what Jesus did when people were ill???? Geeeeze I don`t remember him condemning, I don`t remember him yelling, he healed them.

I am just ill thinking about people at their very lowest point, the fear, the pain, the devistation....when they needed the comfort of God the most, the love and support of their bretheren to give them peace during this the most terrifying of times when you ar e staring death in the face....That sole comfort, the peace that should have been theirs in relying on a loving God to be there to hold their hand come what may....was STOLEN from them...

They couldn`t go to God, because it was their own fault, they had blown it....he couldn`t help them according to twi rules...

I can only imagine the horror of feeling not only the family turning their back on you, the condemnation and shame of not being able to believe or correct the sin that allowed them to be ill....but to feel like God himself had turned his back on them because of something they had done.

Evil perverted bastards to deny that comfort to an ill or dying person. Of ALL of the things stolen from us by these wolves, these liars in God`s name, I feel this was the most visciously destructive.

Edited by rascal
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not think illness is sin.

It isnt Gods will for our Life but that doesnt make it sin.. we are made of dust, it is written our time is short here on this earth.

why would God make such a big deal of the HOPE of the kingdom to come if He didnt recognize our suffering here and now?

why would we need new bodies etc.

God knows we suffer. and He has made a great deal of promises for the days when we will no longer suffer and when those who have died will be alive again.

our bodies are limited today and the love and compassion of God is very close when we suffer with the death and dying of our flesh. the hOPE of better days is what is the focus of Gods heart NOT the condemation of those who love Him.

rascal I hate it to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw/experienced this kind of condemnation all the time. You weren't supposed to get sick. Your kids weren't supposed to get sick. Not even the sniffles.

But what hypocrisy!! Doc Vic smoked like a chimney and lost his eye, and died of cancer... I remember him teaching about no condemnation, that sometimes you do your best to believe and you don't know why or where you missed it but the physical healing doesn't come through... you just go on believing. And we thought, what a great man...

I guess he got a special dispensation, being the MOGFODAT and all...

The rest of us peons... well, we couldn't believe to keep the rain off the tents at ROA... we couldn't believe to keep ourselves healthy... we were just a worthless unbelieving lot weren't we?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know sickness comes, and deliverance is available.

I also know we don't always receive the deliverance.

I don't know why.

I DO know that two of the "reasons" given by TWI are wrong (or, at least, not always right):

"He wasn't believing." Explain that to Steven, who was having a vision of Jesus Christ even as he was stoned to death.

"He quit fighting." Explain THAT to Steven.

George

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was blamed for my son's autism. *shrug* I knew it as a crock, cerebrally knew it of course, but I won't pretend that it didn't hurt.

It was normal to blame someone's believing, because it then became easy to shift the focus from the very right question which would be this...

Dear Leader,

You said if I followed all these steps and completed all these things on the believing check-list, then I would be delivered--or not have suffered affliction in the first place. Please reply as to why, then, having completed these actions, your promised plan is not working.

Thanks in advance,

A. Believer

Easy answer: You gave "place" to the devil and your believing faltered. It's not our teaching that is flawed, it's your thinking.

I have a t-shirt upon which are little dancing characters meant to represent bacteria. I wear it at work. It reads: Be nice to bacteria, we outnumber you 100 trillion to 1. Take it for what it's worth...cause I'm jus' sayin'.

Yours anti-bacterially,

~QT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes this false teaching of the Way was a tool for the evilone to bring condemnation upon the Christian believer.

To me the teaching,"All believing = receiving is like witchcraft. My our Works of Beleiving, we make God to heal us, nor not heal us. We make God do things if we believe in General if it is a LAW.

The Way had no Way of dealing with real life and human suffering that we are go through because of the Sin of Adam and Eve. Suffering has become part of life, and good people, holy people, go through the hardest of times and sufferings it seems. The Psalms are full of such examples.

Human Suffering for Christians or non Christians will not end until Christ Comes back for the last Judgement. The Key in this life is to remain faithful to God not only when things go good but in bad times. I have been married for 24 years now; for better for worst, for richer of poorer, in sickness and health, to death do us part. I have experienced all these things in life and in marriage, I am still married and love my Wife and Still in Relation with God and Love him. All beleing does not equal receiving let me tell ya.

Loving youse all,

Joe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think when it comes to a handicapped child or an illness that is long lasting , twi made promises they couldnt keep.

I know of a family that wanted so badly to believe their child was going to be "normal" and twi had the stock answers that fed their own denial of the situation.

times have changed regarding the handicapped I think society as a whole is becoming more accepting of the fact we need to do more, but in the 80's it was still not common to have a dr. say a quick do not have any hope type of answer and that was that.

people needed to hear hope and twi gave it to them thinking or believing they would be healed.

and then i saw people leave those who were more needy maybe sick or handicapped in some way and tiw gave them the righteous Godly reason to walk out because they had a higher purpose now .

that always shook me up.

if your had an illness they LOOKED for something you did wrong and it often ended up in you giving more money or giving up a pet or a job, a spouse, they decided it was the cause of the symtoms with the devils.

and something eles happened that still frightens me to this day and christian groups in general:

the forgivness part of it just didnt matter what happened in the past not at all your now a son of God with all power , do not speak of the past your good and basicly we do not ask just come into my home and my life and my fmaily and be considered ok as long as your running classes and doingthe busy bee for twi.

it attracted peopel with serious mental health issues peoplewho had NO where eles to go.. people who had comminted crimes and had problems that they needed to feel guilty about.

twi made a home for them alright, and the bible said they were healed ,and no one would confess any different about them, esp. if they had in with the LC and they often did because they would work for free and be available. they even believed they were ok no matter what the type of hell they were playing out amoung the people and families, continuing in dangerous and nasty things it didnt matter cause God said they were great and forgiven ..so no metion of THAT problem.

it got to be dangerous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

damn,,, u guys are right...

i remember one time i --Think-- it was a corps meeting,,,, lcm pretty much blamed the way corps for him being sick. the leaders must have started doing that to "their" people on the field.

maybe that's where it came from...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what a sick joke nutjob basterd

just like that psycho geer and his poo poo crapola paper

ugh

i think i killed dr. wierwille

ha

i remember seeing the truste picture one year (they sent a special one to leaders, my parents were limb coords at the time)

and LCM looked REALLY bad, he looked puffed up and pale.

---this was a pictrure, so he had make-up and lighting etc... so he must have looked even more ill in person.---

So i asked my mom why he looks so sick, she said he's under a lot of spiritual pressure. She told me something to the effect that the believers werent moving the word and he was feelling the spiritual pressure--- that he was having to boot a bunch of corps for being spiritually weak, so it was making him sick.

---this reminds me of a teaching I heard, i have no idea who taught it (maybe a STS or a limb meeting) BUT the catch phrase i remember was---> HOW CAN YOU SERVE YOUR LEADERSHIP, not what can your leadership do for you,,,,, what are you doing for them, are you speaking the word tithing etc...

like our leadership is doing SOO much for us, and we aren't holding our own, that's why there is no expansion, and miricales etc...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Didn't Jesus Christ touch and heal lepers? His compassion was there for everyone to see. Why didn't this example "shine" on our "leaders"?

Talked to a friend of mine who just had surgery...Hmmm. I think it would have really blessed her if I would have accused, and asked her where her believing was.... No, I just told her I'd been concerned about her, and just wanted to hear how she was doing...She was happy to hear from me, and was encouraged...

You know, I would much rather be on this side of the fence!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I have mixed feelings about this thread. Because I know that God heals and that is His will. I do believe our believing or trust in God does result in healing and God doesn't miss - so it's me O Lord. But I also know that attacking a person's believing or trust in God never, never, ever causes a person to trust God more. It most often causes them to give up on themselves, or stop trusting God. To condemn a person, even behind their back, removes your spiritual support for them. Paul in his epistles menitioned people who were sick. He did not condemn them. In the early days of TWI I heard a teaching about healing where it was said, "when a person is sick is not the time to teach healing, but God's love.

Some people may never get to the point that they receive healing. Does that make them any less of child of God? These same people may do more to teach about God's love and care and show it, than twenty able bodies believers. Jesus did not condemn the man at the pool for being sick for 15 or more years, He healed him. Same with the woman with the issue of blood. And if they don't get healed when we pray, - don't be stuipid, go to a doctor and thank God for what the doctor does.

On a side note, I was once healed instantly of a compound leg fracture, (yes, that means the bone was sticking through the skin.) But I have psoriasis on the other leg, a nice big patch, it's been there for over 20 years, it was even there when I broke my leg. Why was one healed and not the other? I don't know, but I'm not going to condemn myself for it or accept condemnation from anyone else. "Where's my believing?" - right where it is supposed be....looking at God. If I don't receive healing for psoriasis before I die, I know that my new body won't have it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keith, you allude to an interesting point. I believe that my "new body" will have a pancreas that works perfectly. I also believe that sometimes the healing comes after this life is over, in heaven.

I still do condemn myself for being diabetic. sometimes for a few minutes I will try to believe myself to healing. It's been a rough eight years working full time in a big city in a big medical center hospital. I haven't always taken care of myself as I should. But in 11 more days I'm retired, and on the road to whatever recovery I can make.

I knew a guy once who had type I diabetes and tried to get healed by throwing away his insulin for a while and claiming perfect health. Some years later, he died while undergoing dialysis. I've prayed for people who were delivered of diseases, including one woman who walked inside a hospital in Charleston, and "coded" right outside my office door. While others were scurrying frantically about I stood quietly and prayed, and she took a breath, opened her eyes, and looked right at me. Finally the ER folks arrived to scoop her up and carry her off, but I suspect she got better quickly.

Our women's group has started studying a book titled "Becoming a Woman of Faith." I hope to learn a lot from it.

At least I don't have a bunch of people screaming at me and shaming me anymore. That's a huge blessing.

WG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...