The devil did it

[OldSkool]

This has probably been discussed here many times, I didn't search so please forgive me. How many of you noted after leaving TWI just how infatuated they are with the "adverasary"? I remember how so many undesirable things that happen in people's lives, no matter how insignificant, would trigger the "blame the adversary response". This especially shows up when an event is taking place.

Here's something I used to find comical. TWI's HQ is in rural Ohio where thunderstorms are commonplace in the summer months. If it's summer in Ohio you will regularly have thunderstorms. Period, end of story. They do a two week class every summer called the Advanced Class. Almost without fail there are multiple thunderstorms in June. However should the storm happen in proximity to the Adv. class schedule the you might hear something like "the adversary is roaring like a lion and didn't want the class to take place and we need to be diligent, etc, ad nauseum." If the storm happened during the class it was always attributed to a direct attack on the class. But if the storm happened during the three days of the discerning of spirits garbage sessions, you would hear something like "the adversary doesn't want this information taught and he is mad because we are exposing his kingdon...blah blah blah.."

Are they nucking futts or what? What a bunch of self important TWIts. Pssst....hey TWI BOD....the adversary already has you entrenched in erroneous practices...there's no need to attack you during your boring classes....hello....can you hear me?.....

They will probably attribute my post to the adversary...lol

[mstar1]

I have never been among anyone, or any group anywhere that is so full of irrational fear.

It got ridiculous toward the end of my time, every sniffle, every 2 minutes late to twig,

(never mind normal everyday stuff like thunderstorms, cars that have trouble starting in the winter etc.) was attributed to devil spirits. I sneezed (snozed??)one time at a twig and got told that I had a sneezing spirit. Everyone in any field that was successful who hadnt taken 'the class' was seed.

It definitely was time for me to leave.

Interestingly during my advanced class in 1984 at Emporia, it hadnt apparently rained in quite awhile and they needed it.

When there was thunder, lightening and rain during my class -- that was all attributed to our manifestation of believing.

I wonder how they tell which lightening is from God and which from the devil? :wacko:

Nutcases all--they should fill a psychiatric ward with them

[OldSkool]

I sneezed (snozed??)one time at a twig and got told that I had a sneezing spirit. Everyone in any field that was successful who hadnt taken 'the class' was seed.

It definitely was time for me to leave.

ROFL! I haven't heard of that category before, man that's rich!

I helped patch part of the roof on the PWA once and I had cold tar on my hands. I was walking back to founders hall and ran into a fellow Staffer who noticed the black stuff on my hands. He as asked me what it was and I told him what I had been doing and he interrupted me to attribute the mess on my hands to the increased spiritual pressure at the PWA. (The Victor Paul Wierwille Prevailing Word Auditorium )

[Nottawayfer]

I remember LCM coming to lunch ranting and raving about the devil spirits working in the copouts and how they were talking about him.

Little did we know he was probably reading TranceChat (Ex Way pre Waydale).

He tried to hoodwink us in to believing he was so frikkin spiritual. The more I ate lunch with him, the more I realized he was a FRAUD!!

[JeffSjo]

I have often wondered how many "fighting the devil" scenarios over the centuries have only covered up what really amounted to incompetancy, cruelty, and brutality.

Edited November 7, 2009 by JeffSjo

[waysider]

The Devil Made Me Do It!

[yourmom]

I remember hearing this EVERY year. A storm strikes in June=the adversary upset about the Advanced class.

In all honesty, it was probably doing the grounds department a favor--getting a break from deadheading geraniums in order to pick up sticks blown from the trees! And on summer staff at that time, making 1.25 an hour (how fantastically legal that was at the age of 12).

I believe irrational fear ensuing from an overinflated sense of self-importance (AKA egotism) sums it up. No doubt Dr. Wierwille started this (with Geer practicing taking a bullet for him, the preparations for 'Russian invasion,' etc.).

[WordWolf]

I remember hearing this EVERY year. A storm strikes in June=the adversary upset about the Advanced class.

In all honesty, it was probably doing the grounds department a favor--getting a break from deadheading geraniums in order to pick up sticks blown from the trees! And on summer staff at that time, making 1.25 an hour (how fantastically legal that was at the age of 12).

I believe irrational fear ensuing from an overinflated sense of self-importance (AKA egotism) sums it up. No doubt Dr. Wierwille started this (with Geer practicing taking a bullet for him, the preparations for 'Russian invasion,' etc.).

That's right-

it wasn't just that everything had deep spiritual significance...

vpw started it all by claiming he was the greatest Christian since the Apostle Paul,

and then acted as if the amassed forces of evil for the planet would be focusing all

their efforts to frustrate or stop him.

That's why he had people stand when he entered a room, had musicians play

"Hail to the Chief" when he entered a room (like the US President), thought reporters should have treated him

as some sort of head of state of a country,

made up a seal to stand behind as if he was the US President,

and had a plane for his use like the US President,

even calling it a name similar to the President's "Air Force One" ("Ambassador One".)

The idea he might be in danger of assassination was entirely his own,

and he had bodyguards who, in some cases, literally expected that people WERE

trying to kill him.

With all that. it's almost a footnote that vpw was always blaming everything he didn't

like- traffic jams, static cling, whatever- as movements of the devil.

[Nottawayfer]

That's right-

it wasn't just that everything had deep spiritual significance...

vpw started it all by claiming he was the greatest Christian since the Apostle Paul,

and then acted as if the amassed forces of evil for the planet would be focusing all

their efforts to frustrate or stop him.

That's why he had people stand when he entered a room, had musicians play

"Hail to the Chief" when he entered a room (like the US President), thought reporters should have treated him

as some sort of head of state of a country,

made up a seal to stand behind as if he was the US President,

and had a plane for his use like the US President,

even calling it a name similar to the President's "Air Force One" ("Ambassador One".)

The idea he might be in danger of assassination was entirely his own,

and he had bodyguards who, in some cases, literally expected that people WERE

trying to kill him.

With all that. it's almost a footnote that vpw was always blaming everything he didn't

like- traffic jams, static cling, whatever- as movements of the devil.

Wow.....now THAT is a classic example of narcissism.

[Tzaia]

It truly was all about him...

[ChasUFarley]

The idea he might be in danger of assassination was entirely his own,

and he had bodyguards who, in some cases, literally expected that people WERE

trying to kill him.

Yes, he did, actually. It was the husbands of the women he was sleeping with in the motor coach!

[Broken Arrow]

I sneezed (snozed??)one time at a twig and got told that I had a sneezing spirit.

You have got to be kidding me. That is probably one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Sneezing spirits??

Edited November 10, 2009 by erkjohn

[Mark Clarke]

And the paranoia extended to bizarre interpretations of music. I heard somebody (I forget who) say that Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" was inspired by "devil spirits" addressing Wierwille - "Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone!"

Now that I think about it, maybe it was God telling him to leave the "girl" kids alone!

[OldSkool]

And the paranoia extended to bizarre interpretations of music. I heard somebody (I forget who) say that Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" was inspired by "devil spirits" addressing Wierwille - "Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone!"

Now that I think about it, maybe it was God telling him to leave the "girl" kids alone!

If we follow that logic, then Hot for Teacher from Van Halen was devil spirits trying to help LCM lure girls onto the motor coach.

Edited November 10, 2009 by OldSkool

[taxicab]

And the paranoia extended to bizarre interpretations of music. I heard somebody (I forget who) say that Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" was inspired by "devil spirits" addressing Wierwille - "Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone!"

Now that I think about it, maybe it was God telling him to leave the "girl" kids alone

TWI believed that The Beatles were the "Marxist Minstrels".

If we follow that logic, then Hot for Teacher from Van Halen was devil spirits trying to help LCM lure girls onto the motor coach.

Funny you should mention "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen. I was at the Michigan/ Purdue football game on Saturday and the fans got to text which song they wanted the Marching Band to play. We were given 3 choices and the winner was.................drum roll please, "HOT FOR TEACHER."

[taxicab]

When I was in-rez, Craig woke us up in the middle of the night to teach us about devil spirits. Obviously something really, really bad must have been brewing in the devil spirit world at the time. So what if hundreds of us walked around like zombies the next day, we saved the world from catastrophe. Who knows, if it wasn't for that teaching maybe there would have been another thunder storm!!!

[chockfull]

If we follow that logic, then Hot for Teacher from Van Halen was devil spirits trying to help LCM lure girls onto the motor coach.

Followed by "Ain't Talkin Bout Love", "Eruption", and then "Runnin With the Devil" ?????

Now this thread has been properly Van Halenized.

Edited November 10, 2009 by chockfull

[ChasUFarley]

Oh, and "Every Breath You Take" by The Police was about familiar spirits...

[imperatrice]

When Mt St Helens blew its top off in May of 1980, leadership in Oregon said that it was due to how hot the Word was being taught, of course, by them at a weekend 'Advance' in Portland.

[Mark Clarke]

Oh, and "Every Breath You Take" by The Police was about familiar spirits...

And Paul McCartney's "Let 'Em In" was about opening your mind to "devil spirits."

And Billy Joel was born of the Wrong Seed because his song "Just the Way You Are" encouraged you to not grow and change.

(The line "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints - the sinners are much more fun" in "Only the Good Die Young" of course makes it obvious!)

I actually heard real Wayfers say these things!

Edited November 12, 2009 by Mark Clarke

[waysider]

And Paul McCartney's "Let 'Em In" was about opening your mind to "devil spirits."

And Billy Joel was born of the Wrong Seed because his song "Just the Way You Are" encouraged you to not grow and change.

I actually heard real Wayfers say both of these!

When I first got in the word, I was very into the music scene. I heard dozens of these from believers who were trying to show me "the true" meaning of these things. Some are quite comical.

was an invitation for the devil to posses you.

Spirit (the band) adopted their name to reflect their true devilish nature.

King Crimson was supposedly another name for the devil so that meant they were "seed".

Santana sounded like Satana so that meant it was "from the pit".

and on and on and on and on------

And don't even get me started on the Rolling Stones album, Their Satanic Majesty's Request

[taxicab]

When I first got in the word, I was very into the music scene. I heard dozens of these from believers who were trying to show me "the true" meaning of these things. Some are quite comical.

was an invitation for the devil to posses you.

Spirit (the band) adopted their name to reflect their true devilish nature.

King Crimson was supposedly another name for the devil so that meant they were "seed".

Santana sounded like Satana so that meant it was "from the pit".

and on and on and on and on------

And don't even get me started on the Rolling Stones album, Their Satanic Majesty's Request

And Santana had a girlfriend who happened to be a "Black Magic Woman." Scary!

[waysider]

And Santana had a girlfriend who happened to be a "Black Magic Woman." Scary!

Thought you might enjoy the original.

:B)

[taxicab]

Thought you might enjoy the original.

:B)

Thanks, I don't know if I've ever heard that version.

[T-Bone]

Great thread Old Skool - I never tire of this topic. More toward my latter years of involvement, "blaming the Adversary" seemed like it had become such an entrenched mindset for most folks. I remember in my first Advanced Class vp remarking about the Big Thompson Canyon flood in Colorado was typical of how the Adversary always kicks up his heels around an Advanced Class time.

When used out in the field - I think of it as a wonderful diversionary tactic to confuse followers and get them to focus their attention elsewhere - especially useful if there's some kind of scandal or anything to jeopardize a leader's good standing with the masses. I remember in the branch I was in - a year before we went into the Family Corps - I had a lot of responsibility along with a few others in assisting the branch leader. He and I had our own businesses and we would occasionally share employees if one or the other had a slow period or heavy work load. Most of the employees in my company were Way believers.

First there was some "murmuring" in the ranks - rumors of this guy being dishonest or a little bit shady with how he paid workers & mooched off others. He put the kibosh on that with a series of teachings on how murmuring was off the Word. But as things began to escalate with a louder buzz among "the masses" about his dishonesty and mooching - the area coordinator stepped in [actually one of the good guys in my book] and worked with our "inner sanctum" of branch leadership to resolve the issues: his solutions being basically removing the guy from power and advising me to quit walking around with "a video camera on my shoulder" [his words] [Hey, I was just doing my part in being the eyes & ears of the church ]. You know, after the dust settled - the guy would still talk to me about how the Adversary orchestrated the whole thing as an attack on his ministry & the integrity of the Word. Yeah, right.

This diversionary tactic "appeared" again in the aftermath of Passing of the Patriarch reading. This was probably one of the biggest things to jar my head into awareness & alarm, fuel my ever increasing questions and actually helped me make a decision to leave that stupid crapstorm:"Ignore the facts - look for the truth behind the facts", .. . and of course the ever popular:"the real issue here is the integrity of the Word being under attack by the Adversary". Yeah, right - now where have I heard that before.<_<

Edited November 12, 2009 by T-Bone