PFAL: The Foundation of Spiritual Abuse

[skyrider]

If I were to write my autobiography....one of my chapters would be PFAL: The Foundation of Spiritual Abuse. Why? Because this class changed the trajectory of my life in unimaginable ways.

While in college, I was introduced to wierwille's class "Power for Abundant Living." The WOW Ambassadors who introduced me to "The Class" as it was promoted, were instructed to highlight the key points on the green registration card and allow the class material speak for itself. The bullet points.....ie separates truth from error, eliminates fear, how to pray effectually, more harmony in the home, etc. were talking points to kickstart any conversation by asking, "Which one of these BENEFITS appeal to you?"

I signed the green card and sat thru the class.

About midway through pfal, the class instructor started introducing the "building blocks of the pfal series"...... ie renewed mind, dealing with the adversary, witnessing and undershheparding, etc. And further, the INTERMEDIATE and ADVANCED classes were interjected as the manifestations were coming to the forefront of the class. After all, you want to be FULLY INSTRUCTED, don't you?

The hook...........pfal.

The line...........twi wants to pull you in.

PFAL: The Foundation of Spiritual Abuse.........because it laid the foundation for dependency on trusting man's private interpretation of the scriptures. The 33 hours of presentation, without dialogue and questioning, built an acceptance to wierwille as "the teacher." Questions that arose in my mind were squelched by the methodology of the class rules and overload of class material. Three hours a night........after a long day to boot.

In hindsight, I easily see the trappings. I see the deception. I see the sales pitch. I see the abuse of power to override any questioning. I see the manipulation. I see the stripping of individuality. I see the cult mentality that has set totally altered the trajectory of my life.

Another chapter of my book........Escaping Spiritual Abuse. In detailing my account, a major portion would include the BENEFITS of Greasespot Cafe participation. I love the coffee served here.

Thanks.

[Bolshevik]

I can't relate. The class was boring.

I thought the hippie/jesus freak movement was the foundation of the waytards.

[George Aar]

It's the same bait in every cult and MLM that's ever been. The cult of the "secret knowledge". You want to know the secrets behind everything in creation? The secrets to REALLY succeeding beyond your wildest dreams (you know, stuff that "they" don't want you to know), and the secrets to overcoming ANY eventuality that life may throw at you? Well, if you play your cards right I can get you into this really exclusive, special, elite, unbelievably blessed group of people who can show you the way.

Then, once you've been initiated into this chosen group, and have the secret knowledge - the regular, accepted, "normal" knowledge is so obviously inferior, that it can (and SHOULD) be derided and ignored.

There ya go. Indoctrination is now complete. You will not only NOT be dissuaded from paying obeisance to a blatantly nonsensical, POS line of reasoning, you'll be more than eager to try to convince others of it's veracity.

Human nature definitely has it's shortcomings...

[JeffSjo]

I get it skyrider and I can recognize those things now just THINKING and REMEMBERING the PFAL class.

It has caused me to consider that long, long before I was a Wayfer, Wierwille already had the abuse living in his heart and ministry. Perhaps the thing that made it more or less successful for such a long time was the fact that he was especially adept at "grooming" his victims/helpers. :(

[skyrider]

It's the same bait in every cult and MLM that's ever been. The cult of the "secret knowledge".....

One of the cult awareness groups said years ago.....twi was one of the more SUBTLE cults. Their methods did not have the blatant patterns of other cults, but had coercise and manipulative subtleties as in all cults.

The "secret knowledge" ain't worth going into the DUNGEONS OF DARKNESS.

Wierwille dies and the two-fold darkness continues under geer. In-Your-Face PAY-AS-YOU-GO.......Wierwille mentored geer, and geer franchised the MLM madness. Sell your "secret knowledge"......bait them with more knowledge. Bait them with an advanced class. Same sell, different charlatan.

<_<

[waysider]

And the piece de resistance--------if you ever leave, the bogey man will gitcha!

[excathedra]

it was truly utterly boring, thus i kept climbing lol -- the promise of something better -- the intermediate, the advanced, the way corps

the itsy bitsy spider or something like that

[skyrider]

it was truly utterly boring, thus i kept climbing lol -- the promise of something better -- the intermediate, the advanced, the way corps

the itsy bitsy spider or something like that

Maybe there were 33 levels to the Grandmason Grandpappy level of "secrets to the universe."

I think I stopped a couple dozen short.

<_<

[geisha779]

And we can't forget all our new instant best friends. . . . those who love bombed us and stalked us I mean under-shepherded us.. . .our true family. The one true "household".

Or how our support systems outside TWI eroded once we took a "stand" on the word, . . . . unless of course we got them "Into the word" . . ..whatever that means.

Sheesh. . . I really was in a cult.. . . and I still know the lingo.

[Bolshevik]

And we can't forget all our new instant best friends. . . . those who love bombed us and stalked us I mean under-shepherded us.. . .our true family. The one true "household".

Or how our support systems outside TWI eroded once we took a "stand" on the word, . . . . unless of course we got them "Into the word" . . ..whatever that means.

Sheesh. . . I really was in a cult.. . . and I still know the lingo.

support systems outside of twi? mine never eroded. they were never there. lol. you leave twi you leave your connection to the past. it some sense.

[Oakspear]

I can't relate. The class was boring.

I thought the hippie/jesus freak movement was the foundation of the waytards.

If I remember correctly, your parents were wayfers, right? For those of us in our 50's, PFAL was a new and exotic break with what our parents taught us. It was counter-cultural, it was a rebellion against authority, we were after something and this looked like it. If you were brought up in TWI it was just your parents' stupid religion.

[Bolshevik]

. . . If you were brought up in TWI it was just your parents' stupid religion.

I find this statement slippery.

from what I understand from other religions, you go to church on Sunday. That's it.

[Bolshevik]

. . . For those of us in our 50's, PFAL was a new and exotic break with what our parents taught us. It was counter-cultural, it was a rebellion against authority, we were after something and this looked like it. . . .

This is consistent with what innie's have always said.

[cheranne]

There is just SO much I could say about this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y745rRo1YJ8

[cheranne]

And we can't forget all our new instant best friends. . . . those who love bombed us and stalked us I mean under-shepherded us.. . .our true family. The one true "household".

Or how our support systems outside TWI eroded once we took a "stand" on the word, . . . . unless of course we got them "Into the word" . . ..whatever that means.

Sheesh. . . I really was in a cult.. . . and I still know the lingo.

Although my new best friends we Cult members,I did love them for that human connection.

However the spiritual deception of that I too think had blinded them in the moment too.

Here is how I saw it after getting out,years after...

http://hubpages.com/hub/Symbolic-Thinking-about-Cult-Life

[excathedra]

any new friends you met were f'd up -- any one who thought i was their friend -- i was -- but i was a f'd up friend

[rascal]

I never could see the *greatness* in this class that everyone so glowingly painted. Course I didn`t want to be such a spiritual moron that I couldn`t see what everyone else saw, so it was like you guys said...I kept retaking the class and others to understand, to be spiritually mature and sharp....to get that knowledge that would make me a real spiritual warrior sigh.

Take these classes, you will see, go wow, you will grow, advanced class you will get there...corpes program will get you there...oops that is a life time commitment.

Yes, pfal was the beginning of the entrapment, the snare.

[Bolshevik]

I was snared before I took PFAL . . .

[soul searcher]

Here is how I saw it after getting out,years after...

http://hubpages.com/hub/Symbolic-Thinking-about-Cult-Life

Cheranne, you are a poet. Nice work.

[penworks]

I was snared before I took PFAL . . .

Me, too.

[soul searcher]

Did the PFAL class teach that one should not marry or date a non-believer/agnostic/atheist?

[penworks]

Did the PFAL class teach that one should not marry or date a non-believer/agnostic/atheist?

Not that I recall (but maybe it did), although in TWI verses like II Corinthians 6:14 were used to promoted that idea:

Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers...

Naturally, the unbelievers usually were identifed as people not born again (according to Rom. 10:9, 10), but in practice they were those outside the TWI belief system.

[waysider]

It was one of those sort of rules that existed but wasn't formally taught.

[Bolshevik]

It was one of those sort of rules that existed but wasn't formally taught.

. . . I'd guess it was . . . by the ringing in my ears when I think of the subject . . . not sure

[soul searcher]

My decision to not take that class in 1983 marked a huge crossroads in my life. Sometimes I regret not taking it, but mostly I don't. On balance, I tend to believe that it was probably for the better that I did not take it, but who knows? I'll probably spend the rest of my days wondering how my life would have unfolded -- for better or worse -- if I had decided to take the class and go Wow with her that year. It would have been different, that's for sure.