If you would take the time to read on the main Website you would see that:
"Our mission is to provide information that tells the other side of the story about The Way International and its trustees."
Now the question that arises for me is why in he heck are you here? What is YOUR agenda?
Are you one of glassy-eyed TWI psychophants folks who thinks telling the facts and truth about TWI is "bashing slamming and cutdowns"?
Were you ever even involved in TWI? I suspect you weren't and are just here to stir things up. From your posts that I have read you dont have much of a clue.
If you don't like it here, you know where the door is.
1) This is America, the Good Old USA, home of the brave and the one-finger salute. Asking an American why they bitc H is like asking a tic why it bites. Why? Because we can.
2) "If the ministry was really that bad" is a relative perception. Some people like what was taught but didn't like the nut cases running it. Some people didn't agree with what was taught or the nut cases running it. Some people didn't like being treated like severely retarded dogs with bibles. It goes to show one thing - if you screw enough people enough times and think you can get away with it you're not going to get much slack and you're going to hear about it.
3) Ask the mother who started MADD why she's so peeved about drunk drivers. When it happens to you, it's personal.
4) I left the Way about 15 years ago. I tend to not talk about it a lot. When I do, this is a good place to do it.
The real purpose of this site is what Goey stated. If you think it's something else, say on.
quote: If this ministry was really that bad why continue to talk about it. I know if I had a bad experience with a group (which I have) I might talk about for a little bit, but then its history! Why the constant talk??
Constant talk/discussion, since (as yet), twi is still in operation. That answer the question? -->
What is the real purpose of this website? All I see is bashing, slamming and cut downs. If this ministry was really that bad why continue to talk about it. I know if I had a bad experience with a group (which I have) I might talk about for a little bit, but then its history! Why the constant talk??
It took me clear to the bottom -destroyed my world and left me indifferent to life as a whole--It took almost 7 years before I STARTED TO CLIMB BACK and even then the doubts, and confusion and self condemnation were still there.
I found the old Waydale by accident one day while surfing the net. I read for a week--floored that so many understood so much of my life--I posted there and later Greasespot for over 3 years.
Then much healed I struck out into my new life --
BUt I found I missed the people here--They had become friends --a group I could come to and they would understand without being told- the circumstances of my life for that tumultuous 14 years. So I post because this above all for me is a healing place and A place where , hopefully, I can help heal
The answer is so obvious...........................
To make you wonder, wonder1!!!!!!!!!! :D-->
And we wouldn’t be doing our duty of being cop-outs if we didn’t show how possessed all that leave the walls of Zion are!!!!!
Dang-it! We have a mission and we are going accomplish it to help prove the BOD/BOT right!!!! Take the snow-cone, eat the snow-cone............. you won’t feel a thing!!!!!!!!!
What just happened on this thread is why I'm here. You were free to ask your question. The responses ranged from brief to longer, more thorough answers. They included different feelings about your post in the first place. But no one disconnected your account for asking. No one is filling out a 3x5 card on you for use against you in the future. Sift through all the posts you get including what is said and not said. In my experience, you get a pretty good answer and the end of the day (thread).
The Way International still exists. Its doctrines still confuse, and its leaders still abuse, even though it is supposed to be a "kinder, gentler" TWI these days. And there are still many people out there who were isolated and thrown away and never understood what was going on with TWI.
I suppose we could all just post our stories and walk away. But it lacks the immediacy of speaking to real, live people about what's bugging you.
Are you concerned that we shouldn't be going around "speaking negatives" all the time? I think that little Way doctrine is just incorrect, a warping of verses like "whatsoever things are honest..." and "love thinketh no evil." Compared with the things spoken by John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, etc., I think we're in good company for speaking out the truth as we see it. It was the silence that hurt people.
Besides snow cone giving (I don't really 'sell' them, and of course we have beer flavors)... I come here for what the TWIt's would call feelowsheep... it's all here at the cafe!
you can discuss/learn about computers (for free!)
you can discuss/learn about movies & music
you can discuss/learn about different political/religious views
you can post your prayer requests and your prayers
you can find out what's happened to johnny jumpup and maggie muggins
(if you want to know where jonny lingo is these days, he's in alaska)
it's a lot like any other internet community except it's made up of folks with a 'common history'... (where else can you post what you think did or did not happen when veepee looked out the windows and saw snow on the gas pumps?)... and like the others have said it's not like person A brings the same thing up every three weeks and person B brings up something different every four weeks... from what I've seen, different folks come and go, some hang around... but it's in the coming and going that a lot of things get re-introduced...
new people have questions, thoughts and ideas... what are we supposed to do? just tell them "hey, we covered that three months ago, go read it"... now while we do reference prior discussions, we allow the new person to contribute and feel and think in the present while dealing with the past...
if you're of the opinion that things might better be discussed only once and then referenced then perhaps you'd be interested in a thread called "Mastering PFAL" down in the doctrinal section... be sure to start on page 1.
wonder1, Decide what you want to read from the topic headings. This forum 'The Way' may not be one you want to frequent at the start. You may be touched by 'The Prayer Room' and replies, as I once was when reading a poster's reply that I had all but assumed hated God yet they were right there with their tenderness for someone.
As far as pigeonholing this website as ones who can not move away from their bad accounts, I would not agree that is a fair assessment. In the years I have been lurking here I have noted a few that seem to go in circles so I don't give them much mind. But the majority has incredible fortitude to have lived through abuse on one level or other and moved out of it into healthy and balanced lives. I am basing this on my reading of them but it is my take nonetheless. I even respect some who seem to have all but alienated themselves with most, yet they still persist with their views. Why? Because they have the same right to state it as the one that is convinced not to buy it, because they were there and it isn't sellable to them.
No one is a part of twi for any length of time without it having some impact on their lives. I have not and will not throw it all away because I know God gave to me while a part of that group. I know a few here would say they learned nothing there which is their right, but it lessons the truth for my life not one iota! If you chose to stay around long enough you will learn you can hold fast to your conviction regardless of another's denial of same. I hope you chose to stay.
If there are snow cones being passed around can I have one with tequila and lime on the side please. :)-->
The REAL purpose of this site, unbeknownst to most of the participants, is to deprive the psychiatric profession of BILLIONS of dollars of revenue from the loss of "therapy" sessions.
God knows I've saved a fortune venting my spleen on Greasespot (you didn't get any on ya, did you? Sorry...) about my ill-advised tenure with WayWorld.
And I haven't even STARTED talking about Mom yet...
I will not attack your doctrines nor your creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they hold thought to be dangerous - if they aver that doubt is a crime, then I attack them one and all, because they enslave the minds of men. -Robert Ingersoll
I have not spoken of TWI with anyone, with TWI experiance, close to 15yrs. My therapist yes. She has gone as far with me as she can go. She assisted with getting my core self to the surface of my life. Not buried anymore underneath layers of abuse and self destructive behavior.
With this site I am able to adress some of the doctrinal beliefs and mind sets that still prevail my thinking. It's nice to see yourself in others post, knowing first your not alone and have had the same questions.
Although some folks means of communication might be uncomfortable...Who is to say thay can't express the what they fell. If I did'nt have some restaint, I would be Miss Pottie Mouth.
For me, this site has healed and challanged the very depths of me. And it was all free. :D-->
I don't feel any more hurt from my experience with TWI (except for maybe the inability to find old friends). I don't use this site for healing, either. I just find it interesting to see the spectrum of views expressed by the Cafe visitors. I'm sure you'll find that there are many who don't "bash" TWI at every opportunity, and you'll find that there are many who do. (Sometimes, when they post on the same thread, it's like watching people from different parts of the world who are unable to understand each other's viewpoint. "How can you say that?" "Oh, yeah? How can you say THAT?" ad nauseam.)
Stick around, if you like, but don't expaect the "bashing" to go away any time soon.
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Goey
Wonder1,
If you would take the time to read on the main Website you would see that:
"Our mission is to provide information that tells the other side of the story about The Way International and its trustees."
Now the question that arises for me is why in he heck are you here? What is YOUR agenda?
Are you one of glassy-eyed TWI psychophants folks who thinks telling the facts and truth about TWI is "bashing slamming and cutdowns"?
Were you ever even involved in TWI? I suspect you weren't and are just here to stir things up. From your posts that I have read you dont have much of a clue.
If you don't like it here, you know where the door is.
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imbus
Goey,
:D-->
Wonder 1,
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socks
I can think of several answers that might apply-
1) This is America, the Good Old USA, home of the brave and the one-finger salute. Asking an American why they bitc H is like asking a tic why it bites. Why? Because we can.
2) "If the ministry was really that bad" is a relative perception. Some people like what was taught but didn't like the nut cases running it. Some people didn't agree with what was taught or the nut cases running it. Some people didn't like being treated like severely retarded dogs with bibles. It goes to show one thing - if you screw enough people enough times and think you can get away with it you're not going to get much slack and you're going to hear about it.
3) Ask the mother who started MADD why she's so peeved about drunk drivers. When it happens to you, it's personal.
4) I left the Way about 15 years ago. I tend to not talk about it a lot. When I do, this is a good place to do it.
The real purpose of this site is what Goey stated. If you think it's something else, say on.
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A la prochaine
Wonder 1,
What Goey and Socks said...that goes ditto for me!
Guffawed out loud at that one! Thanks my Amazing brother Socks.
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dmiller
Constant talk/discussion, since (as yet), twi is still in operation. That answer the question?
-->
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Kit Sober
Well, over on Greasespot 101 is a thread with the same type of question, posed by Pawtucket.
Pawtucket's "What is the Purpose of Greasespot Cafe?" thread
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Shellon
Wonder1 Said: All I see is bashing, slamming and cut downs
==========================================
Thats ALL? You are not looking then.
You see no humor, no kindness, no great stories, nothing that gives you the slightest hint of people just being people?
Life is messy. It's not always pretty and good and nice. This stuff we have here is real life, day to day life.
How boring would it be if there were never any disagreements, debates, discussion.
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Tom Strange
I come here to visit... and occasionally sell a snow cone or two... would you like one? they're Amazing!
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dmiller
Got any beer sno-cones left there??
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WordWolf
In order:
A) "What is the real purpose of this website?"
http://www.greasespotcafe.com/main/aboutus.htm
B) "All I see is bashing, slamming and put-downs."
That's odd-especially considering that the LAST thread you posted consisted of civil
replies to your own pointed question, without bashes, slams or put-downs.
(Except one post which said, in essence, "here come the slams", which completely failed
to predict the rest of the thread, nor characterize the preceding posts.)
Perhaps the problem is that you're not looking around enough.
The forums alone cover a wide variety of subjects.
You have chosen, voluntarily, to participate in a dedicated forum called
"about the way".
It's labelled correctly. That's what it's about.
There's variety among the posts in that forum. Look around-you'll learn a lot that you
didn't imagine existed.
Don't like ANY of the posts? Participate in a different forum. We talk about Doctrine,
birthdays, prayer requests, movies, and all kinds of stuff in different forums.
Don't like ANY of the forums? Nobody's forcing you to come here. Exercise your free will,
and visit elsewhere. There's thousands upon thousands of message boards out there.
One or two (or a dozen) are bound to meet your approval.
Another issue may be that ANY criticism of twi, or vpw or lcm or their ruling elite or
practices or doctrine, are viewed by you as "slams, putdowns and bashes".
That's not a fair use of the language. Many of us have intelligently discussed matters
of doctrine and practice here. Sometimes (surprise!) we agree with a particular doctrine
or practice. Other times (you noticed), we disagree. Our reasons vary as widely as our
POSTERS vary. Some are still Christians who revere the Bible-their positions will reflect
that. Some are Christians who are more traditional and reject Bible emphasis-their
positions will reflect THAT. Some have rejected Christianity altogether after encountering
twi-their positions will reflect THAT. A few still approve of what they were taught in
twi in general-their positions will reflect THAT. Each poster posts what they think.
The result is a rather cosmopolitan mix of responses, often. Sometimes there's consensus
on a subject, sometimes the responses are scattered.
C) "I know if I have a bad experience with a group, I might talk about it for a little
bit, but then it's history! Why the constant talk?"
Since you asked.....
Some people are new arrivals.
They're still coming to grips with the things they're discovering and realizing. They
trickle in across months and years. The current group of posters arrived over a span of
nearly 10 years, and some are still arriving. Some arrive, get what they needed, and
move on. Great. Some feel this site serves a need in their life, or an interest, so
they stay. Great. Some feel they serve a purpose by posting, so they post. Great.
One of the things that characterized-and characterizes to this day-twi, is the push to
control information. vpw began that, with selectively providing information, and not
volunteering what would not serve his own personal agenda.
(For example, the degree to which his collateral readings and pfal books were rewrites
or transpositions of work by BG Leonard, JE Stiles, EW Bullinger and EW Kenyon.)
This continued thru his personal foibles, and thru causing dissenters to vanish in a
cloud of rumours, never to be seen again. twi always presents itself as if only twi has
any REAL answers-anyone else is uninformed, ignorant, biased.
Then the internet came and changed all that.
Now, anyone can communicate with people all over their country and the world fairly
easily. Now people who would have "vanished" can tell their story-and compare notes.
Odd how so many had similar experiences......
People who seek understanding can come here and "connect the dots" in their own lives.
New information is STILL coming to the surface. (This week we saw where vpw got all his
mysterious announcements about overthrow of the government and so on.)
People who are kicked out by twi, or leave in desperation, full of inflicted fears that
God will turn away from them now, can see that isn't so. We're all here, and we still
have lives......they can go on, even prosper, after twi.
Finally, people who receive invitations for an "innocent little Bible study" do what they
always do NOW-
they go online and do a little research.
In this case, they find places like this website.
They can then make informed decisions, having now heard more than one side of the story.
Amazing how, once they hear both sides, the few people who express an interest in hearing
about the Bible, become wary of twi and don't stick around, isn't it? If all we told
were lies, surely it would be easy for experience to show that.....
So twi is unable to draw members now-
partly because of its own weaknesses,
partly because it can no longer control information.
THAT's why the constant talk.
Again, as I and others say, if you don't like this message board, don't visit. Find one
you like and visit THAT one.
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templelady
I'll answer why I post here--
FOr Me TWI was a severely abusive experience--
It took me clear to the bottom -destroyed my world and left me indifferent to life as a whole--It took almost 7 years before I STARTED TO CLIMB BACK and even then the doubts, and confusion and self condemnation were still there.
I found the old Waydale by accident one day while surfing the net. I read for a week--floored that so many understood so much of my life--I posted there and later Greasespot for over 3 years.
Then much healed I struck out into my new life --
BUt I found I missed the people here--They had become friends --a group I could come to and they would understand without being told- the circumstances of my life for that tumultuous 14 years. So I post because this above all for me is a healing place and A place where , hopefully, I can help heal
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Grizzy
The answer is so obvious...........................
To make you wonder, wonder1!!!!!!!!!!
:D-->
And we wouldn’t be doing our duty of being cop-outs if we didn’t show how possessed all that leave the walls of Zion are!!!!!
Dang-it! We have a mission and we are going accomplish it to help prove the BOD/BOT right!!!! Take the snow-cone, eat the snow-cone............. you won’t feel a thing!!!!!!!!!
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GarthP2000
... especially the beer snow-cone. Except you'll feel quite a bit happier after eating that one.
... and you won't have this iritating desire to bahave like a freekin' *troll*.
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Bluzeman
The real purpose of this website?
The Amazing Sea Monkeys From Mars, of course!
:)-->
Rick
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JustThinking
Wonder1,
What just happened on this thread is why I'm here. You were free to ask your question. The responses ranged from brief to longer, more thorough answers. They included different feelings about your post in the first place. But no one disconnected your account for asking. No one is filling out a 3x5 card on you for use against you in the future. Sift through all the posts you get including what is said and not said. In my experience, you get a pretty good answer and the end of the day (thread).
JT
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shazdancer
Hi, wonder1,
The Way International still exists. Its doctrines still confuse, and its leaders still abuse, even though it is supposed to be a "kinder, gentler" TWI these days. And there are still many people out there who were isolated and thrown away and never understood what was going on with TWI.
I suppose we could all just post our stories and walk away. But it lacks the immediacy of speaking to real, live people about what's bugging you.
Are you concerned that we shouldn't be going around "speaking negatives" all the time? I think that little Way doctrine is just incorrect, a warping of verses like "whatsoever things are honest..." and "love thinketh no evil." Compared with the things spoken by John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, etc., I think we're in good company for speaking out the truth as we see it. It was the silence that hurt people.
Welcome to the 'Spot!
Shaz
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Tom Strange
Wonder1,
Besides snow cone giving (I don't really 'sell' them, and of course we have beer flavors)... I come here for what the TWIt's would call feelowsheep... it's all here at the cafe!
you can discuss/learn about computers (for free!)
you can discuss/learn about movies & music
you can discuss/learn about different political/religious views
you can post your prayer requests and your prayers
you can find out what's happened to johnny jumpup and maggie muggins
(if you want to know where jonny lingo is these days, he's in alaska)
it's a lot like any other internet community except it's made up of folks with a 'common history'... (where else can you post what you think did or did not happen when veepee looked out the windows and saw snow on the gas pumps?)... and like the others have said it's not like person A brings the same thing up every three weeks and person B brings up something different every four weeks... from what I've seen, different folks come and go, some hang around... but it's in the coming and going that a lot of things get re-introduced...
new people have questions, thoughts and ideas... what are we supposed to do? just tell them "hey, we covered that three months ago, go read it"... now while we do reference prior discussions, we allow the new person to contribute and feel and think in the present while dealing with the past...
if you're of the opinion that things might better be discussed only once and then referenced then perhaps you'd be interested in a thread called "Mastering PFAL" down in the doctrinal section... be sure to start on page 1.
the snow cone stand is open!
:D-->
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houseisarockin
wonder1, Decide what you want to read from the topic headings. This forum 'The Way' may not be one you want to frequent at the start. You may be touched by 'The Prayer Room' and replies, as I once was when reading a poster's reply that I had all but assumed hated God yet they were right there with their tenderness for someone.
As far as pigeonholing this website as ones who can not move away from their bad accounts, I would not agree that is a fair assessment. In the years I have been lurking here I have noted a few that seem to go in circles so I don't give them much mind. But the majority has incredible fortitude to have lived through abuse on one level or other and moved out of it into healthy and balanced lives. I am basing this on my reading of them but it is my take nonetheless. I even respect some who seem to have all but alienated themselves with most, yet they still persist with their views. Why? Because they have the same right to state it as the one that is convinced not to buy it, because they were there and it isn't sellable to them.
No one is a part of twi for any length of time without it having some impact on their lives. I have not and will not throw it all away because I know God gave to me while a part of that group. I know a few here would say they learned nothing there which is their right, but it lessons the truth for my life not one iota! If you chose to stay around long enough you will learn you can hold fast to your conviction regardless of another's denial of same. I hope you chose to stay.
If there are snow cones being passed around can I have one with tequila and lime on the side please.
:)-->
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dmiller
And get just about as much out of it.
-->
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George Aar
The REAL purpose of this site, unbeknownst to most of the participants, is to deprive the psychiatric profession of BILLIONS of dollars of revenue from the loss of "therapy" sessions.
God knows I've saved a fortune venting my spleen on Greasespot (you didn't get any on ya, did you? Sorry...) about my ill-advised tenure with WayWorld.
And I haven't even STARTED talking about Mom yet...
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Shellon
Thinking about this some more.....What differance does it make why we are here.
We are. We need this place. We enjoy it.
That's enough for me.
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excathedra
I will not attack your doctrines nor your creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they hold thought to be dangerous - if they aver that doubt is a crime, then I attack them one and all, because they enslave the minds of men. -Robert Ingersoll
all hail, great sea monkeys
;)-->
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imbus
I have not spoken of TWI with anyone, with TWI experiance, close to 15yrs. My therapist yes. She has gone as far with me as she can go. She assisted with getting my core self to the surface of my life. Not buried anymore underneath layers of abuse and self destructive behavior.
With this site I am able to adress some of the doctrinal beliefs and mind sets that still prevail my thinking. It's nice to see yourself in others post, knowing first your not alone and have had the same questions.
Although some folks means of communication might be uncomfortable...Who is to say thay can't express the what they fell. If I did'nt have some restaint, I would be Miss Pottie Mouth.
For me, this site has healed and challanged the very depths of me. And it was all free.
:D-->
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GeorgeStGeorge
Wonder1,
I don't feel any more hurt from my experience with TWI (except for maybe the inability to find old friends). I don't use this site for healing, either. I just find it interesting to see the spectrum of views expressed by the Cafe visitors. I'm sure you'll find that there are many who don't "bash" TWI at every opportunity, and you'll find that there are many who do. (Sometimes, when they post on the same thread, it's like watching people from different parts of the world who are unable to understand each other's viewpoint. "How can you say that?" "Oh, yeah? How can you say THAT?" ad nauseam.)
Stick around, if you like, but don't expaect the "bashing" to go away any time soon.
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