I saw zombies where before I had seen believers, and that was then.
I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like today.
Even more so now, in my opinion... Not people kept so much by fear as in LCM's days, bur more people who are staying because of HABIT.
A few years ago I actually had dreams that HQ was being attacked by zombies - Gee, wonder why I kept dreaming that?
VeganXTC said:
Weren't they splitting twigs anymore? While I was in, 30 to 40 people would have been at least two, if not three twigs.
Many times, fellowships (no longer called "twigs" at this point, that way they are seen as more "mainstream) exceeded the normal amount that could fit into a house simply because there was no one who was "spriritually mature" (transaltion: willing to put up with the crap and obey mindlessly) enough to run fellowships.
Now, there are many who are coordinating fellowships but who cannot bear the title "Fellowship Coord." because they don't meet the qualifications - i.e. they are in debt, etc... so they are called "contacts" and not "coordinators" even though they do exactly the same thing.
I find this very disrespectful to these individuals who are taking time out of their lives for twi and don't even get a real title. What a load of crap.
A great story! True? Okay, I'll take you at your word.
Now - I have to say, and this may tweak a tail or two - but while it does tend to sound a tad overdrawn the story does remind me of some people I'd meet here and there over the years while in the Way. I hope none of them post on this board, as I don't mean to be insulting.
But - in the absence of common sense (or the temporary disconnect from same) the resulting void will get filled with something, whatever's around. And I have found people will do this kind of thing. I think it has more to do with the people than anything from the bible they'd been taught. They're just not all that smart. So they could look at "Mineral Spirits" and think "GASP!" what's that mean???? Because they're just tweezed anyway.
Or a painting of people on a wall, say - "They're looking at me - that's - there's just something wrong with that painting, it's just wrong!" And it has to come down off the wall because they're creeped out.
Which says more about the person getting creeped than the painting. Now, I'm sure there's even completely reasonable people on GS who think paintings can be possessed, but at this point most would agree that sometimes we just don't like some paintings. And they creep us out. And it's not a spiritual thing, in the painting itself. Some paintings are weird, strange, a waste of canvas and oil. But if you're sure the eyes are following you, really following you, around the room you may need to do more than take the painting down.
I once heard a perfectly normal and otherwise sound guy talk about a music concert he'd gone to and how he'd noticed that the stage had a set of markings on it that appeared to be a series of triangles and the performers always moved around them, at different times different ways. He felt it was a "spiritiual" symbol that they were invoking.
I explained they were probably lighting marks, so the performers would know the areas they should stand in or near for the lighting on different songs.
That explanation isn't as exciting as the pagan symbol interpretation of course. He preferred that there was somethin' goin' on.
Anyhoo - not to digress too far. The next 4 stories should be interesting!
Just to clarify my latest post; when I said I "knew" every song on the first 3 SPIRIT albums, I surely didn't mean I knew how to PLAY them. I only meant that I knew them by regognition.
If I thought I could actually play that stuff, I wouldn't have spirits in the garage, I'd have bats in the belfry.
But if you're sure the eyes are following you, really following you, around the room you may need to do more than take the painting down.
Socks, I'm trying not to hurt myself laughing so hard..
What is interesting.. I've been out of the organization for about ten years, and I still look for spiritual reasons for often ordinary natural events..
but the eyes in the picture don't follow me around the room any more..
A great story! True? Okay, I'll take you at your word.
Now - I have to say, and this may tweak a tail or two - but while it does tend to sound a tad overdrawn the story does remind me of some people I'd meet here and there over the years while in the Way. I hope none of them post on this board, as I don't mean to be insulting.
But - in the absence of common sense (or the temporary disconnect from same) the resulting void will get filled with something, whatever's around. And I have found people will do this kind of thing. I think it has more to do with the people than anything from the bible they'd been taught. They're just not all that smart. So they could look at "Mineral Spirits" and think "GASP!" what's that mean???? Because they're just tweezed anyway.
Or a painting of people on a wall, say - "They're looking at me - that's - there's just something wrong with that painting, it's just wrong!" And it has to come down off the wall because they're creeped out.
Which says more about the person getting creeped than the painting. Now, I'm sure there's even completely reasonable people on GS who think paintings can be possessed, but at this point most would agree that sometimes we just don't like some paintings. And they creep us out. And it's not a spiritual thing, in the painting itself. Some paintings are weird, strange, a waste of canvas and oil. But if you're sure the eyes are following you, really following you, around the room you may need to do more than take the painting down.
I once heard a perfectly normal and otherwise sound guy talk about a music concert he'd gone to and how he'd noticed that the stage had a set of markings on it that appeared to be a series of triangles and the performers always moved around them, at different times different ways. He felt it was a "spiritiual" symbol that they were invoking.
I explained they were probably lighting marks, so the performers would know the areas they should stand in or near for the lighting on different songs.
That explanation isn't as exciting as the pagan symbol interpretation of course. He preferred that there was somethin' goin' on.
Anyhoo - not to digress too far. The next 4 stories should be interesting!
Anyhoo - not to digress too far. The next 4 stories should be interesting!
Socks- Thanks for reading the story. It is relief to have a forum in which some of these tales can be shared. Sometimes I can not believe what I accepted as matters of faith, principle or doctrine those 20 years ago; when examined through my lenses of perfect hindsight, many of the experiences i has in TWI are down right embarrassing. Without a place like Greasepot, I would still be carrying around a bag full of question marks, teaars and chuckles of chagrin...
Well, it's my, our, pleasure! Egi! I hope I bring no long term discomfort Hamm!
Being a Christian, I view life in a spiritual context. My beliefs are whacky by some standards, perfectly acceptable by others, moderately misguided but benign by still others. None of us have to go far to find someone ready to fill our pockets with cafeteria chits, give us a nametag and welcome us into heaven. Or clear a spot on the grill and baste us for He ll.
Way-Time proved one thing about the average religious order - it's always better to be a Newbie. When you're new, you're courted and cuddled and loved like it's always the First Date and your sponsor hasn't gotten to 3rd base in a year. Make mistakes, it's forgiven - you're new, you're still learning. Wander off for awhile and come back - you're Home! and welcomed with hugs and kisses.
Get a few months down the line - the shine wears off. Now "You Know", time's been invested, money spent, dinner's and endless hours of chit-chat invested in talking about what actually interests you. It's time to put up or shut up, get with the program and see that they've got needs too. And one of them is to see that some of the stuff is sticking, that you're worth the time and effort they've put in to convert you. Into whatever it is they have built as their Ideal Person Who Believes.
But as some of us have seen, there's another way, a better way, a different way. A middle ground out on the vast expanses of the extreme terrain of faith.
Recommended Posts
JavaJane
Even more so now, in my opinion... Not people kept so much by fear as in LCM's days, bur more people who are staying because of HABIT.
A few years ago I actually had dreams that HQ was being attacked by zombies - Gee, wonder why I kept dreaming that?
VeganXTC said:
Many times, fellowships (no longer called "twigs" at this point, that way they are seen as more "mainstream) exceeded the normal amount that could fit into a house simply because there was no one who was "spriritually mature" (transaltion: willing to put up with the crap and obey mindlessly) enough to run fellowships.
Now, there are many who are coordinating fellowships but who cannot bear the title "Fellowship Coord." because they don't meet the qualifications - i.e. they are in debt, etc... so they are called "contacts" and not "coordinators" even though they do exactly the same thing.
I find this very disrespectful to these individuals who are taking time out of their lives for twi and don't even get a real title. What a load of crap.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bolshevik
I have trouble believing that twi was ever anything different then it was in the 1990s and now.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
waysider
I think I was "in The Word" all of 2 months when I first became a twig leader.(1972)
Was I "spiritually mature"? HA! HA! HA!
I had the 2 main qualifications----- a car that ran and an apartment big enough to hold fellowships.
Nobody seemed to mind that my hair was down to my shoulders and I wore a big gold earing.
They were a bit concerned about my choice of music at the time but didn't press the issue immediately.
Nope, as long as people were signing that "green card" it was all good.
How it went from there to here is a question that boggles the mind.
And so, Mr. B, a guy with your kind of spunk probably would have made branch leader status or at least twig area coordinator in no time flat.
Spiritually mature? Yeah. I knew just about every song on the first 3 "Spirit" albums
( "Spirit"= A hippy jazz group from California who were quite popular in the 1960s)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
socks
A great story! True? Okay, I'll take you at your word.
Now - I have to say, and this may tweak a tail or two - but while it does tend to sound a tad overdrawn the story does remind me of some people I'd meet here and there over the years while in the Way. I hope none of them post on this board, as I don't mean to be insulting.
But - in the absence of common sense (or the temporary disconnect from same) the resulting void will get filled with something, whatever's around. And I have found people will do this kind of thing. I think it has more to do with the people than anything from the bible they'd been taught. They're just not all that smart. So they could look at "Mineral Spirits" and think "GASP!" what's that mean???? Because they're just tweezed anyway.
Or a painting of people on a wall, say - "They're looking at me - that's - there's just something wrong with that painting, it's just wrong!" And it has to come down off the wall because they're creeped out.
Which says more about the person getting creeped than the painting. Now, I'm sure there's even completely reasonable people on GS who think paintings can be possessed, but at this point most would agree that sometimes we just don't like some paintings. And they creep us out. And it's not a spiritual thing, in the painting itself. Some paintings are weird, strange, a waste of canvas and oil. But if you're sure the eyes are following you, really following you, around the room you may need to do more than take the painting down.
I once heard a perfectly normal and otherwise sound guy talk about a music concert he'd gone to and how he'd noticed that the stage had a set of markings on it that appeared to be a series of triangles and the performers always moved around them, at different times different ways. He felt it was a "spiritiual" symbol that they were invoking.
I explained they were probably lighting marks, so the performers would know the areas they should stand in or near for the lighting on different songs.
That explanation isn't as exciting as the pagan symbol interpretation of course. He preferred that there was somethin' goin' on.
Anyhoo - not to digress too far. The next 4 stories should be interesting!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
waysider
OK
Just to clarify my latest post; when I said I "knew" every song on the first 3 SPIRIT albums, I surely didn't mean I knew how to PLAY them. I only meant that I knew them by regognition.
If I thought I could actually play that stuff, I wouldn't have spirits in the garage, I'd have bats in the belfry.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ham
Socks, I'm trying not to hurt myself laughing so hard..
What is interesting.. I've been out of the organization for about ten years, and I still look for spiritual reasons for often ordinary natural events..
but the eyes in the picture don't follow me around the room any more..
Link to comment
Share on other sites
egilkent
Link to comment
Share on other sites
egilkent
Anyhoo - not to digress too far. The next 4 stories should be interesting!
Socks- Thanks for reading the story. It is relief to have a forum in which some of these tales can be shared. Sometimes I can not believe what I accepted as matters of faith, principle or doctrine those 20 years ago; when examined through my lenses of perfect hindsight, many of the experiences i has in TWI are down right embarrassing. Without a place like Greasepot, I would still be carrying around a bag full of question marks, teaars and chuckles of chagrin...
Again, thanks for rading-
Egil
Link to comment
Share on other sites
socks
Well, it's my, our, pleasure! Egi! I hope I bring no long term discomfort Hamm!
Being a Christian, I view life in a spiritual context. My beliefs are whacky by some standards, perfectly acceptable by others, moderately misguided but benign by still others. None of us have to go far to find someone ready to fill our pockets with cafeteria chits, give us a nametag and welcome us into heaven. Or clear a spot on the grill and baste us for He ll.
Way-Time proved one thing about the average religious order - it's always better to be a Newbie. When you're new, you're courted and cuddled and loved like it's always the First Date and your sponsor hasn't gotten to 3rd base in a year. Make mistakes, it's forgiven - you're new, you're still learning. Wander off for awhile and come back - you're Home! and welcomed with hugs and kisses.
Get a few months down the line - the shine wears off. Now "You Know", time's been invested, money spent, dinner's and endless hours of chit-chat invested in talking about what actually interests you. It's time to put up or shut up, get with the program and see that they've got needs too. And one of them is to see that some of the stuff is sticking, that you're worth the time and effort they've put in to convert you. Into whatever it is they have built as their Ideal Person Who Believes.
But as some of us have seen, there's another way, a better way, a different way. A middle ground out on the vast expanses of the extreme terrain of faith.
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.