Hi Notta. Glad you're doing OK. Just a couple of benign comments about...
quote:
The thing that chaps my hide: I was filling out a resume and had to put down 15 years of work history! That meant I had to put TWI down. I thought 10 years work history was the norm. Anywhoo. It gets better each day with time out.
1) My last twig cordo in twi was a family corps guy who was an accountant for twi for 9 years before moving to Michigan. He told me that he really wished he didn't have to include being an accountant for a "cult" as part of his work history. He's still in twi too. Ironic.
2) I don't know if you remember who David Craley is, but he got into twi in the early 70s. In 1979 he released a book in which he described himself as a well to do gay guy who went to gay events all over the country. On GSC Groucho once posted that David is now out of twi and openly gay, so I did a search for him and he is on facebook and says he does biblical studies AND he includes twi as part of his biblical training. OMG! I know of 3 celebrities who wanted to distance themselves from twi as much as possible, either for their own involvement or a relative's. Again, ironic.
Once in awhile I mention one of the places where I lived once, which leads me to a brief explanation why I was there because of TWI. It is hard to explain though, that I was in a cult. Sometimes I say I was in a Bible ministry that became more and more cult-like so then I left.
I actually tell people I was involved in an abusive fundamentalist Christian church. Mainly because we have another bigger group headquartered in the town I live in, and I have reason to speak out against their practices backed by my experience in twi.
And when people meet me now they know there is no way I would get involved in a group like twi again (now a liberal free spirit small business owner and member of a Catholic parish). I make it easier for people to see how easy it is to be influenced by groups like twi when you are in your teens and early twenties - the target demographic for this local group.
And weirdly enough I am no longer ashamed of my involvement. I was, as recently as a year ago. But I don't care anymore what people think about it. I was duped. I am smarter now. Wiser now. More self aware. It gives me a perspective and empathy that can help others.
One day I hope to start a support group for people who have been involved in groups like twi (and IHOP our local group.). I want to get some mainstream churches involved in this, but not allow proselytizing by those groups. I know the deacon at my church and a United Church of Christ pastor helped me a lot in the last year to see that not all Christian groups are like twi.
(Funny, the UCC church is the current incarnation of the Evangelical and Reformed denomination that VP was kicked out of back in the day.)
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excathedra
hi nottawayfer!
i'm so old, i haven't had to put the way down on a resume for years -- so you should be "thankful" ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
let me know when you write your book. i would love to read it.
good to see you
excathdra (WTF is she still doing here?)
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What About It
Hey notawayfer! I put Way, Inc. on my resume, hoping no one will find TWI. It doesn't come up in Google searches that way...whew.
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johniam
Hi Notta. Glad you're doing OK. Just a couple of benign comments about...
quote:
The thing that chaps my hide: I was filling out a resume and had to put down 15 years of work history! That meant I had to put TWI down. I thought 10 years work history was the norm. Anywhoo. It gets better each day with time out.
1) My last twig cordo in twi was a family corps guy who was an accountant for twi for 9 years before moving to Michigan. He told me that he really wished he didn't have to include being an accountant for a "cult" as part of his work history. He's still in twi too. Ironic.
2) I don't know if you remember who David Craley is, but he got into twi in the early 70s. In 1979 he released a book in which he described himself as a well to do gay guy who went to gay events all over the country. On GSC Groucho once posted that David is now out of twi and openly gay, so I did a search for him and he is on facebook and says he does biblical studies AND he includes twi as part of his biblical training. OMG! I know of 3 celebrities who wanted to distance themselves from twi as much as possible, either for their own involvement or a relative's. Again, ironic.
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OldSkool
Not one person who I know in my post TWI life knows I was part of the way international. And I won't tell anyone either.
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outandabout
Once in awhile I mention one of the places where I lived once, which leads me to a brief explanation why I was there because of TWI. It is hard to explain though, that I was in a cult. Sometimes I say I was in a Bible ministry that became more and more cult-like so then I left.
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JavaJane
I actually tell people I was involved in an abusive fundamentalist Christian church. Mainly because we have another bigger group headquartered in the town I live in, and I have reason to speak out against their practices backed by my experience in twi.
And when people meet me now they know there is no way I would get involved in a group like twi again (now a liberal free spirit small business owner and member of a Catholic parish). I make it easier for people to see how easy it is to be influenced by groups like twi when you are in your teens and early twenties - the target demographic for this local group.
And weirdly enough I am no longer ashamed of my involvement. I was, as recently as a year ago. But I don't care anymore what people think about it. I was duped. I am smarter now. Wiser now. More self aware. It gives me a perspective and empathy that can help others.
One day I hope to start a support group for people who have been involved in groups like twi (and IHOP our local group.). I want to get some mainstream churches involved in this, but not allow proselytizing by those groups. I know the deacon at my church and a United Church of Christ pastor helped me a lot in the last year to see that not all Christian groups are like twi.
(Funny, the UCC church is the current incarnation of the Evangelical and Reformed denomination that VP was kicked out of back in the day.)
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JavaJane
It helps that I don't have to worry about resumes, too.
Also, please understand that I don't bring this up in conversation all the time. Just if the subject comes up, I talk about it willingly.
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