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B.G. Leonard attended VPW's funeral?


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So I got into a discussion with my parents (who are still in the Way) the other night. I was bringing up some points about the plagiarism and B.G. Leonard's class. My dad made the statement that B.G. Leonard thought enough about VPW to attend his funeral. Is this correct? How close were he and VPW? Did he not mind VP stealing his material?

Edited by Through the Looking Glass
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Did B.G. attend VP's funeral? Did they have a personal relationship? Did B.G.mind having his work plagiarized?

These are all moot questions and do not for a moment negate or justify what VP did.

He lied about getting his information directly from God.

(He stated that he tossed all extraneous materials when he began his search. Obviously a falsehood.)

He lied about having information that was unknown to anyone but himself.

(Again, an obvious falsehood)

This evening I watched an airing of Dateline, the TV show.

The subject of the show was how a con man named Fred Brito assumed multiple identities and won over the trust of numerous people in the process. When interviewed, people who were unaware of his deception spoke glowingly of what a benevolent man he was. They were shocked to discover otherwise. Still, that does not alter the cold, hard fact that the man deceived and conned countless people for the last three decades.

A quick visit to BG Leonard's web site(ctcoftexas.com) will display the forward to his book "Gifts of The Spirit".

Allowing for some obvious paraphrasing, the gist of the forward may sound hauntingly familiar to anyone who has sat through PFAL.

I guess we could speculate on whether or not BG and VPW wore the same shoe size but it only draws attention away from the real issue at hand,VPW abscounded BG's work and claimed it was his own.

Through The Looking Glass----------- I hope that did not sound like an attack on you personally. That was not at all my intent and I apologize if it came across that way.

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I attended the main, public memorial for V.P. They had the bigtop set up and all. I don't remember if it was just a thing they did at the R.O.A. that year, or if it was a special event. Anyway, I remember B.G. Leonard being recognized from the main stage and him getting up and giving a brief wave to the crowd.

I also remember Craig grousing about it later at a Corps meeting. "B.G. Leonard comes to town and all of you guys immediately start ....ing all over me and Dr. Wierwille!" or words to that effect.

But, yeah, he was there. Seems like a civilized thing for him to do, but I wouldn't read much more than that into it...

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I attended the main, public memorial for V.P. They had the bigtop set up and all. I don't remember if it was just a thing they did at the R.O.A. that year, or if it was a special event. Anyway, I remember B.G. Leonard being recognized from the main stage and him getting up and giving a brief wave to the crowd.

I also remember Craig grousing about it later at a Corps meeting. "B.G. Leonard comes to town and all of you guys immediately start ....ing all over me and Dr. Wierwille!" or words to that effect.

But, yeah, he was there. Seems like a civilized thing for him to do, but I wouldn't read much more than that into it...

Thanks George. :) I looked up B.G., and see he passed away in 2000.

Maybe he went to N.K. those 15 years previous,

to reclaim his work and get recognition???

Nahhhhh.

I also remember Craig grousing about it later at a Corps meeting.

"B.G. Leonard comes to town and all of you guys immediately start ....ing

all over me and Dr. Wierwille!" or words to that effect.

So King Okie got preempted by King Canuck.

What-a-shame!!!

:biglaugh:

Edited by dmiller
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Perhaps Ex10 would like to share the story of how he was recieved at the Way. T are you around?

If I remember correctly also I believe that Steve Sann had a part in him being there I think it was Steve with Don Wierwille's approval who invited him. I know Steve is a grad of BG's class.

Edited by WhiteDove
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Thanks for the info you all have. I would really like to hear more about this.

I wrote this reply to Waysider last night, but we had some bad weather and the internet went out before I could post.

Did B.G. attend VP's funeral? Did they have a personal relationship? Did B.G. mind having his work plagiarized?

These are all moot questions and do not for a moment negate or justify what VP did.

Nothing will ever justify the atrocities VPW committed in the name of God. However, if B.G. and VP did have an amicable relationship, maybe even a trust or respect for each other, that does make it a little harder for me to see B.G. as a victim who was swindled out of his life's work. I'm saying that if he didn't view himself as a victim then why should I?

He lied about getting his information directly from God.

(He stated that he tossed all extraneous materials when he began his search. Obviously a falsehood.)

He lied about having information that was unknown to anyone but himself.

(Again, an obvious falsehood)

Did he ever specify exactly what information he got directly from God?

It's obvious that he had a tendency to embellish, if not just make up whatever stroked his ego best.

Specifically what information did he claim to have that was unknown to anyone but himself? (I already heard about turning snow into fire or something nuts like that).

This evening I watched an airing of Dateline, the TV show.

The subject of the show was how a con man named Fred Brito assumed multiple identities and won over the trust of numerous people in the process. When interviewed, people who were unaware of his deception spoke glowingly of what a benevolent man he was. They were shocked to discover otherwise. Still, that does not alter the cold, hard fact that the man deceived and conned countless people for the last three decades.

Maybe Fred Brito was benevolent to some people in some cases. I don't really see people as all good or all bad. People make a series of choices throughout their lives, some good and some bad. Now someone may tend to make more bad choices than good, but that doesn't mean he can't make some occasional good choices.

Are you using this story to say that B.G. was conned by VP, unaware of the deception, even to the point that he attended his funeral? Please clarify the point you are trying to make.

A quick visit to BG Leonard's web site(ctcoftexas.com) will display the forward to his book "Gifts of The Spirit".

Allowing for some obvious paraphrasing, the gist of the forward may sound hauntingly familiar to anyone who has sat through PFAL.

That would be why I am asking these questions. Why would BG attend the funeral of someone he felt wronged by? Did he even feel wronged in the first place? Did he go with hopes of setting the record straight?

I guess we could speculate on whether or not BG and VPW wore the same shoe size but it only draws attention away from the real issue at hand,VPW abscounded BG's work and claimed it was his own.

Maybe there is another issue at hand here. Are we indignant on the plagiarism of B.G. Leonard's work because of moral and ethical standards? Or are we so worked up because we were had?

Through The Looking Glass----------- I hope that did not sound like an attack on you personally. That was not at all my intent and I apologize if it came across that way.

I am unoffended, as I hope you are. Just trying to fit some of the pieces to this rather large matrix together.

Edited by Through the Looking Glass
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B.G. was invited to HQ by Steve Sann also I believe. This was during corps week. Many corps that day went to visit him and have him pray for them for healing, etc. One of my friends went and was extremely blessed.

LCM went ballistic - ofd his rocker when he heard BG was there. He didn't just grouse, he was furious that BG Leonard had been brought on grounds. I believe he was ordered off, and to leave, or else kept isolated so no other corps could see him.

Edited by Sunesis
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B.G. Leonard being at VPW's funeral only to me speaks of B.G. Leonards charactor. He was a man of grace knowledge, wisdom and integrity; Perhaps he came out of repect for more than VPW's funeral sevices. Perhaps he recognized the profit and benefit that even his plagerized works had accomplished in many lives that had associations with TWI. At the very least, I am certain, that B.G. Leonard knew that God is the searcher of all hearts and will ultimately judge accordingly.

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Wow! This is all very interesting stuff. Sunesis, I wonder if LCM's reaction sent warning bells off in anyone's head? Is it possible he thought he would lose his following to BG?

Yes and yes. I'm pretty ashamed of myself for staying after that egregious display of jealousy.

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Maybe there is another issue at hand here. Are we indignant on the plagiarism of B.G. Leonard's work because of moral and ethical standards?

Yes

Or are we so worked up because we were had?

And yes.

I'm angry and indignant because I believed the lies of Victor Wierwille; that, at the very least, he was an honest, educated and diligent researcher of God's word, whose main concern was to present that word as accurately as he knew how from his years of "working the Word", and, at the very most, he was a man who had discovered a more powerful connection with God than anyone else had, who had been taught the Word as it hadn't been known since the first century church.

You know the main lesson I have learned from Victor Wierwille? All men are liars, but some men are far better at it than others.

It will take an act of God before I trust another religious person or group with my life.

And I'm not including Jesus Christ as a religious person; imho, he's the least religious person I've ever read about.

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Through The looking Glass

You asked that I clarify my point regarding Fred Brito.

On another thread,"All the women-----", someone suggested that perhaps VPW may not have believed all that he expounded from the podium.(my paraphrasing)

Someone else responded with this quote," Are you suggesting that somebody can teach something so specific, so faithful for so long, so positive and exalting of Jesus Christ, and not really believe it himself? Preposterous."

Fred Brito has been doing that very thing since about 1970. He impersonated city officials, PhD's, medical experts, professional fund raisers and,yes, even a Catholic priest,(a man of the cloth) with a great deal of success and belief on the part of those he was deceiving. All the while he himself was fully aware he was living a falsehood. One common thread that appeared in the testimony of those he had duped was that most of them said something like"Gee, he did so many good things,too."

Now where have I heard that before?

As to the funeral: We can only know the facts surrounding the event, such as who invited him, how he got there, etc.

We can only speculate on what was in his heart and mind at the time. Maybe he had gotten to a point in his life where he was able to forgive VPW.(He was about 80 at the time). Maybe he thought it was good PR for his own ministry. Or maybe he was just a classy guy who was willing to forsake his own ego to further a cause he really believed in. I don't know if any of those examples explains it nor can anyone else for certain unless they have some inside information that originated with BG himself.

Edited by waysider
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"Are you suggesting that somebody can teach something so specific, so faithful for so long, so positive and exalting of Jesus Christ, and not really believe it himself? Preposterous."

It's called ACTING, and you don't have to work in Hollywood to be an actor.

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Brother Leonard & his wife were invited and flown to "Valhalla" at Way expense. They never would have come otherwise. It wasn't for the funeral, which was an amazingly perfunctory not-a-big-deal. It was for the big public memorial some months later.

They were put up in a trailer on grounds. Corps and staff were coming to their trailer all hours of the day and night, even after they were forbidden from doing so. The words I remember from the Great ForeHead was (voice:screaming; face:crimson; eyes:bulging; emanation:spittle) "Dr. Wierwille isn't cold in the ground and you're $h itting on his grave" or something like that.

The Leonards were indeed gracious but cautious. But VP & BG did not enjoy a cordial relationship. There was no relationship at all. In my opinion, Wierwille avoided Leonard. I heard BG hint at how hurt or perhaps angry he was about VP co-opting his his material and his work VP was doing in Leonard's name. I think he should have just let it go.

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B.G. was invited to HQ by Steve Sann also I believe. This was during corps week. Many corps that day went to visit him and have him pray for them for healing, etc. One of my friends went and was extremely blessed.

LCM went ballistic - off his rocker when he heard BG was there. He didn't just grouse, he was furious that BG Leonard had been brought on grounds. I believe he was ordered off, and to leave, or else kept isolated so no other corps could see him.

[/quote

Exactly Sunesis and as I remember Don whimped out and left Steve holding the bag for bringing him there (I guess he forgot that he suggested it in the first place)

Edited by WhiteDove
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Suesis

I recall him being ordered off as well.

I heard BG Leonard was around and I wanted to meet him. I was so excited - then I heard they made him leave...

Or was that corps week? I heard he was invited by Mrs. W.

Alright, it may not have been the funeral, it may have been the following corps week after the funeral. I am getting old

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Is it possible Don had ulterior motives? Didn't I read that there was a lot of tension in the BOT at this time? I can only imagine there might be a little jealousy on Don's part. From everything I've read and heard it seems Don is smart and calculating. There must have been more to the reason BG was invited if they went through the trouble of footing the bill. Just a thought.

Waysider, I get what you are saying now but I'm not sure I can buy it. He had a massive ego and it probably wasn't to hard for him to buy into all the yarn he was spinning himself. People can get so wrapped up in a lie that it becomes truth to them. But that's just my take at this point, it could change.

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If it was really Don's idea, I see there as being exactly three possible reasons

for him thinking of it:

A) As the only man left alive whom vpw ripped off, he wanted the chance for any one of

them to attend, thinking that they were entitled to attend, for some noble reason.

B) lcm was already drifting into his fog, and Don concluded that the fastest way to get

him out was to introduce another Christian leader, and let lcm's jealousy, envy,

possessiveness and pettiness drag him out of his lethargy.

Unless lcm was ALREADY in his fog, this isn't likely.

Was lcm ALREADY in his fog in August 1985?

C) Don KNEW that Leonard was the real deal. Don KNEW who really taught the class

vpw passed off as his own. Don KNEW that Leonard was the man he knew himself

to be. Don KNEW that Leonard was the real deal.

Don ALSO knew that lcm's main claims to leadership were a history of embracing anything

vpw said, and an ability to shout like some high school coach.

Compare the two side-by-side, and it's obvious which Christian any OBJECTIVE Christian

would call a "teacher" and which they would call a "student."

So Don may have brought him in as "the man who could save the ministry" by being the

man everyone looked to-which would lead sooner or later into him being the official

leader by acclamation.

Anyone see any other possibilities?

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Been waiting for Jonny Lingo to post this again, but maybe he's in no hurry :)

Since this thread is entitled simply "B.G. Leonard", I think that there is some lattitude here for me to deviate from the plaigerism(sp?) thing. And so, a short stow-ree:

When my wife and I were at the Rock the year that we had a memorial for VPW after he died, I happened to be privy to a very interesting situation that involved Rev. B.G Leonard his own self. A good friend of my wife and myself happened to be the "guest buddy of Mr. Leonard. She was/is an Eight Corps grad by the name of Carolynn. B.G. had been invited to that ROA/Memorial for VPW as one of VP's teachers you see, and so, he came. And one day, as Carolynn, Mrs. Lingo and I sat for lunch with Rev. Leonard in the "lunch tent" (his wife was not present), all of the sudden, after the greetings and the pleasantries, Rev. Leonard just plain went off! We had been eating and enjoying each other's company, while listening to the music of Takit while they practiced to get ready for the evening's entertainment. I was a bit uncomfortable that this older gentleman from another generation had to listen to the "piped in" music of Takit, because I knew that he probably did not approve at all. And sure enough, at one point, he slammed his fist down and said vehemently: "This ministry will not stand! That music is the music of Baal! There is no way that this ministry will stand before God!" And, being the good little apologist and newly ordained Way Rev that I was, tried to defend the ministry with some weak excuse about we believers having "liberty in Christ". But, with fire in his eyes, he repeated the same words with a vengeance, and we were all very shook, and, I believed him. Well, that was '85 I believe, and the lid was just about to blow off of the whole damned thing as he spoke.

Interesting, huh? I have shared this story here before, but, I know that there are a few new folks here these days since I last shared it...

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There's also this:

Bolshevik

I wrote to the B. G. Leonard group about the VPW plagiarism thing. They did not address VPW specifically, but sent the following reply (which effectively does not lend any support to VPW but seems to imply by omission that his actions were not approved) :

01/08/03

"Dear Brother ******

Greetings to you in The Name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Enclosed is a gift of one of Rev. B. G. Leonard's books (With other information that we provide here from Christian Training Centre of Texas) on the subject "Gospel of Grace". On the eighth page from the front of the book with the heading that says, "AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE RE REV. B. G. LEONARD'S BOOKS FROM THE AUTHOR TO YOU" Brother Leonard makes it clear concerning the issue of plagiarism and what God's Word says about this matter! I, Sister Evelyn, Mrs B. G. Leonard, continue to fulfill this same fact and truth. If you are interested in any more of Brother Leonard's works that God gave him which he walked in throughout his life in the ministry please feel free to contact us.

God bless you for your interest in furthering the work of The Lord Jesus Christ!

Sincerely in God's Love,

President - Rev. Evelyn T-Leonard (Mrs B. G. Leonard)"

The message makes it clear that B. G. took a very strong line against those who plagiarised his books.

He quotes the following bible verse:

Jeremiah 23:30

"Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour."

He also states that this has happened "from the first appearance of my books" (the book "Gifts of the Spirit" was first published in 1949).

You might also like to consider whether the following prophecy has come to pass upon those who stole his words:

Jeremiah 23:40

"And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten."

Scary, huh!

and this is a list of some of the conversations about BG Leonard to be found at the cafe:

Do you really want to know or are you merely trying to defend the man? If you really want to know the truth, then it will take a little bit of work on your part and a lot of time because there are so many examples of it.

The top right corner of the screen has a "search" option. Click on that, type in the word "plagiarism" and you'll be very surprised at what you find.

Here is just a little to get you started:

The Integrity of Your Word

John Juedes Site

Plagiarism 101

One Stop Shopping

ADAN

JE Stiles

JCING

JCOP, JCING

VP and his sources

No Hands but Our Hands

There are many, many, many side by side comparisons that prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that vee pee stole the works of other men and put his name on it. Most of PFAL is plagiarized.

The parts vee pee did change he got totally wrong. If you still subscribe to much of PFAL and what you learned from the man you may want to look into that too.

Actual Errors in PFAL

RG's list of doctrinal errors

PFAL Review

And then there's the things he just plain lied about in addition to the plagiarism he committed.

The Way: Living in Wonderland

VP and Me in Wonderland

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