I got booted before I'd ever heard of Waydale or Greasespot. My wife (fiancee at the time) chose to leave with me. I think she was actually looking for a way out, anyway.
(((Oakspear))) What a long strange trip it has been. I remember you before you left twi, how open and honest you were, how genuine you were in your attempts to bridge the gap. Twi missed a bet when they threw you out, you were loyal.
Most of us would never have been brave enough back then to say what you did.
My journey out of TWI started on the night that the A||en lawsuit was announced. One of the things that we were told was to report any mention of the lawsuit, but to avoid cruising the internet looking for information about it. That night I went online and found, among other things, WayDale. Behaviors that I thought were isolated incidents, things that I thought were only perpetrated by rogue leaders, were revealed to be widespread.
Soon after Martindale resigned his position and later was put on an open-ended probation. I began to wonder how someone as screwed up as Martindale obviously was could have been competent to have taught "foundational truths" and how we could trust any of his supposed "revelations" like 'The Word is Over the World', so I began researching his WayAP class page by page. TWI leadership made it easy for me; they were doing a 24 week series focusing on each one-hour segment in the WayAP class. I found so many problems with that class that it took me 10 pages to type it all up.
Now I didn't try to reinvent the wheel, or even look at the class through the lens of mainstream Christianity, but used TWI's own research principles and found inconsistencies and contradictions on virtually every page. Segments about 'The First Sin of Mankind' and 'The Face of the Deep' were especially ridiculous. I even taught fellowship regularly, teaching what I came up with, not what Martindale taught...and nobody noticed. Eventually my research took in some of what Wierwille taught in PFAL as well.
After about six months of this I was completely disillusioned with what TWI was teaching. In the past I had justified some of the bad behavior, temper tantrums and even abuse because I rationalized that those things were minor compared to 'the greatness of The Word'. Now I finally saw that what they were teaching was a motley collection of private interpretation, dubious Greek & Hebrew definitions and plain old made up ..... But I gave them one last chance, I wrote to John Reynolds, secretary treasurer of TWI with my ten pages of issues with WayAP & PFAL. He called me at home one night and attempted to assure me that the class had been reviewed and vetted by people other than Martindale and that I should take my concerns to T*m H*rr*cks, the region coordinator, who would be teaching WayAP live in my city. Reynolds told me that H*rr*cks had been working the Word in preparation for teaching and would be able to address my concerns.
When I met with H*rr*cks he told me that he didn't need to work the Word, if the class was good enough for the Trustees, it was good enough for him. at that point I left TWI in my heart and never went back. My posting on Grease Spot increased and I was caught and thrown out.
Well Oaks, you fooled them longer than I did... the night they announced the Allen lawsuit I, too, surfed the net and found WayDale. More importantly I found contact information for some well-placed former twi leadership that I trusted, and I started asking them specific questions. The answers I got blew me away. Between their answers, what I was reading on WayDale, and what my own gut had been telling me for a long time, I knew it was over.
But, like you, I tried to "play the game" long enough to get my spouse to see what I was seeing and understand my point of view. HAH!! Since he was the 'head' and never listened to anything I had to say anyway I don't know why I thought he'd listen to "anti-way stuff" but, oh well... I did try.
Not realizing that the WayGB was out there reading all our posts I detailed a few too many meeting details and altercations with leadership than I should have. Within a couple of months they had me outed and booted. Next month marks nine years. Wow, time flies when you're having fun!! (well, when you aren't giving all your time and all your money and all your energy to someone who doesn't appreciate it)
Cangratulations to you, and to every one of us who has made our escape!!!
So sorry about your wife. Her choice, but they will have to answer for their part in the breakdown.
But elsewhere you've said she's also out now, isn't she?
This comment got me thinking. I wonder how many people who chose twi over their spouses now live in deep regret and are lonely. What a terrible and wrong choice to have made.
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Twinky
Unbelievable response, Oakspear...but actually all too believable.
Glad you got out. Rejoice in your freedom. :)
So sorry about your wife. Her choice, but they will have to answer for their part in the breakdown.
But elsewhere you've said she's also out now, isn't she?
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GeorgeStGeorge
I got booted before I'd ever heard of Waydale or Greasespot. My wife (fiancee at the time) chose to leave with me. I think she was actually looking for a way out, anyway.
I'm glad you "got better"! ;)
George
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JustThinking
Awesome Oak that you're here! I'm glad you are.
JT
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rascal
(((Oakspear))) What a long strange trip it has been. I remember you before you left twi, how open and honest you were, how genuine you were in your attempts to bridge the gap. Twi missed a bet when they threw you out, you were loyal.
Most of us would never have been brave enough back then to say what you did.
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Oakspear
My journey out of TWI started on the night that the A||en lawsuit was announced. One of the things that we were told was to report any mention of the lawsuit, but to avoid cruising the internet looking for information about it. That night I went online and found, among other things, WayDale. Behaviors that I thought were isolated incidents, things that I thought were only perpetrated by rogue leaders, were revealed to be widespread.
Soon after Martindale resigned his position and later was put on an open-ended probation. I began to wonder how someone as screwed up as Martindale obviously was could have been competent to have taught "foundational truths" and how we could trust any of his supposed "revelations" like 'The Word is Over the World', so I began researching his WayAP class page by page. TWI leadership made it easy for me; they were doing a 24 week series focusing on each one-hour segment in the WayAP class. I found so many problems with that class that it took me 10 pages to type it all up.
Now I didn't try to reinvent the wheel, or even look at the class through the lens of mainstream Christianity, but used TWI's own research principles and found inconsistencies and contradictions on virtually every page. Segments about 'The First Sin of Mankind' and 'The Face of the Deep' were especially ridiculous. I even taught fellowship regularly, teaching what I came up with, not what Martindale taught...and nobody noticed. Eventually my research took in some of what Wierwille taught in PFAL as well.
After about six months of this I was completely disillusioned with what TWI was teaching. In the past I had justified some of the bad behavior, temper tantrums and even abuse because I rationalized that those things were minor compared to 'the greatness of The Word'. Now I finally saw that what they were teaching was a motley collection of private interpretation, dubious Greek & Hebrew definitions and plain old made up ..... But I gave them one last chance, I wrote to John Reynolds, secretary treasurer of TWI with my ten pages of issues with WayAP & PFAL. He called me at home one night and attempted to assure me that the class had been reviewed and vetted by people other than Martindale and that I should take my concerns to T*m H*rr*cks, the region coordinator, who would be teaching WayAP live in my city. Reynolds told me that H*rr*cks had been working the Word in preparation for teaching and would be able to address my concerns.
When I met with H*rr*cks he told me that he didn't need to work the Word, if the class was good enough for the Trustees, it was good enough for him. at that point I left TWI in my heart and never went back. My posting on Grease Spot increased and I was caught and thrown out.
It's an anniversary to celebrate!
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waysider
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TheHighWay
Well Oaks, you fooled them longer than I did... the night they announced the Allen lawsuit I, too, surfed the net and found WayDale. More importantly I found contact information for some well-placed former twi leadership that I trusted, and I started asking them specific questions. The answers I got blew me away. Between their answers, what I was reading on WayDale, and what my own gut had been telling me for a long time, I knew it was over.
But, like you, I tried to "play the game" long enough to get my spouse to see what I was seeing and understand my point of view. HAH!! Since he was the 'head' and never listened to anything I had to say anyway I don't know why I thought he'd listen to "anti-way stuff" but, oh well... I did try.
Not realizing that the WayGB was out there reading all our posts I detailed a few too many meeting details and altercations with leadership than I should have. Within a couple of months they had me outed and booted. Next month marks nine years. Wow, time flies when you're having fun!! (well, when you aren't giving all your time and all your money and all your energy to someone who doesn't appreciate it)
Cangratulations to you, and to every one of us who has made our escape!!!
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crystalclearblue
This comment got me thinking. I wonder how many people who chose twi over their spouses now live in deep regret and are lonely. What a terrible and wrong choice to have made.
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