Isn`t it wierd?

[rascal]

Isn`t it wierd .... that really nice, decent, people were maligned and cast out of twi for seemingly minor offenses like...maintaining contact with family members....spiritual suspicion...questioning the leadership....writing papers on adultery.............while on the other hand tolerating people who indulged in adultery, at times covering for abusers....leaders who treated people with viscious cruelty on a regular basis....and even tolerated pedophiles?

It strikes me as out of whack t that twi leaders regularly indulged in down right viscious abuse .....while castigating people mercilessly for the condition of their sock drawers and the tops of their refridgerators...don`t even mention ill health.

Isn`t it wierd ... to assme that there is value in learning *the greatness /accuracy of God`s word* as presented in twi if this is where it eventually takes those whom master it?

Isn`t it wierd .... that the *greatness/accuracy of God`s word* as it was presented taught by twi ....didn`t result in much charity, spiritual fruit ...the understanding and operation of the two great commandments....or an exhibition of other signs of spiritual health.....in those permitted to stay?

Isn`t it wierd that there was so little use for the genuinely kind and caring ministers...I saw them deemed *weak* more than once.

Isn`t it wierd tthe ones the most visciously hurting people, condemning them...and drawing them away from the love of God and our responsibilities as christians...even going so far as to deny them access totheir family members, their teachers ....the very body of Christ???

It just doesn`t make sense to me....if the word being taught was so great, so accurate.....if we were really understanding it.......how come the people who taught it were so cruel and those who were driven away from twi were the ones who tried the hardest to be meek, spiritual, and Godly?

It seems like twi created a toxic environment for believers ........ this supposedly knowing, understanding and presenting *the greatness/accuracy of God`s word*

Given the evidence of the scholars cruelty..... I have to wonder if what we taught is really THE *greatness* or if we can trust it as indeed accurate, given the results....or if we YET even understand it ..though we seem to have aquired an unparallelled knowledge of the scriptures :(

Edited March 2, 2006 by rascal

[Bramble]

Nice post, Rascal.

I've had many of those same thoughts.

If the word taught in TWI was so powerful and healing, the all truth for all people everywhere, why did it produce such cruel people?

[penguin]

I am currently attending a church :o and they are currently memorizing and learning a chapter of the Bible together. The pastor asked his congregation if they would like to do that together. The congregation memorizes 3 verses a month and he is teaching on each verse at a time. (He usually has to take more than one week-he even goes into the Hebrew words.) He explained why he was excited about the idea but I thought it was very interesting that he was very concerned about his idea also. He was concerned that it would be a temptation to get legalistic like the Pharisees. He stated too much memorizing/studying of the Bible without keeping the right focus could lead to big egos and less love for each other and God.

I find it interesting that he can see the possibility of becoming legalistic, and will stop his plan immediately if he thinks it is starting to happen.

[rascal]

Thanks Bramble...I have to wonder if what we were taught was ever actually spiritually healthy, the way it seems to have created so many monsters.......I also have to figure out if it was even profitable ...given the damage caused ....even though scriptures were our passion.

Penguine, Oh wow....that minister sounds like he has a handle on the ego thing.....it reminds me of the verse talking about knowledge puffeth up...charity edifies....

Knowledge in hindsight doesn`t seem to be that highly regarded in the bible ... it is all about how we love God/our neighbors/ourselves/children/strangers

Isn`t it wierd...... how we believed that there wasn`t anybody out here in the world who could teach US anything?

Good for you penguine!

Edited March 2, 2006 by rascal

[GrouchoMarxJr]

Nice post, Rascal.

I've had many of those same thoughts.

If the word taught in TWI was so powerful and healing, the all truth for all people everywhere, why did it produce such cruel people?

The answer is obvious...the word taught in twi was not powerful and healing. It was twisted and used for the personal agendas of those cruel people.

[ex10]

and when you remove the lordship of Jesus Christ and our responsibilities in our relationship with him and others......

And teach that the gospels don't apply to us.....

and the "law of believing" is the key to getting prayers answered......

among many other erroneous doctrines.........

what's left to keep anybody from doing as THEY please.......?

It's trying to have Christianity with the Christ.

Ridiculous.

[justloafing]

Good Lord rascle. That post is hardly fair. Each paragraph is worth a look at and since I am "hunt and peck" on the keyboard I wont even try to comment on all of those things. :)

I guess what I have learned from the bullies down to a loving believer is this. When people climed the ladder way up in the ministry I honestly think they lived by seperate rules than the rest of us and I'll be damed if they did not tell us so. So many times were we told not to watch TV because we did not need to hear what was on it. We were told they would watch it for us and tell us if we needed to know anything. They were there to control our lives, teach us what they wanted us to believe and for us to live by it. Anything short of that and we were failures in their eyes hence we got the boot.

I also believe they were kicking out people that questioned things that were done and taught so they could lead their life style. Heavens forbid a lower ranked believer had better ideas or insight than they did. It was a total ego trip and they were going to protect it NO MATTER WHAT.

Edited March 2, 2006 by justloafing

[johniam]

Weird is spelled W E I R D. It's one of the few exceptions to the grammatical rule "i before e except after c" just like either, neither and seize. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just trying to be a jerk; you understand.

Yes, all that stuff IS weird.

[rascal]

John, thank you....I really hate being stupid... posting the same gramatical error over and over.....(I wish I had used the word *strange* instead as I almost did) .... .it is like having a booger hanging from your nose that everybody else sees....but few people care enough to point it out so that you can fix it :)

Though it is embarrassing, you are always very apreciative that someone brought it to your attention.

Thanks friend.

Lol Loafing, sorry about that...sometimes this stuff bottles up and explodes all at once...and then you guys are stuck wading through all of the mire :)

Ex 10... Christianity without the Christ....what a concept. That would explain a lot...

Groucho, I think that you are right.....we were taught the word and then it was then used to imprison and hurt.....bewildering.

[WordWolf]

It's one of the few exceptions to the grammatical rule "i before e except after c" just like either, neither and seize.

"That would have messed up 'Einstein'-

he's got it wrong TWICE in his NAME!"

Gallagher.

[igotout]

Excellent post, Rascal. I am beginning to slowly reevaluate (spell check? ) EVERYTHING I was taught in TWI. This is not easy because we were brainwashed with the "doctrine", especially in the Corps. I am proud to say that I am not really sure I know what I believe in other than just some very basic Christian things. But I also find freedom in that. I am not afraid of NOT knowing all the answers and I do not feel lost. But I have a long way to go.

Obviously there were huge doctrinal errors. And most certainly there were errors in the way people were treated. To me that is far worse and more damaging than the doctrinal error.

It reminds me of an abusive and disfunctional family always with problems surfacing right and left.

[lindyhopper]

I like that John. Freedom in the not knowing. There is comfort and freedom in ignorance. The old saying "ignorance is bliss" isn't all that bad. Not in that you are stupid or that you are permenantly without knowledge of anything, but it is an absolute joy to realise that you have the opportunity to learn in any and every direction. Then after all that learning we learn that we are still mostly ignorant and that is crazy and exciting.

[johniam]

WW: I doubt if that would've messed HIM up; he was an exception to the rule in some ways. I've come to the conclusion that MOST of the time when i and e are next to each other in a proper name the second of the 2 is the one pronounced. Examples: EInstEIn, wIErwille. Got another exception to the i before e rule; leisure.

[MountainTopCO]

The interesting thing about focusing on the accuracy and greatness of God’s word is that it is like a two edged sword. You swing it one way and it brings grace, deliverance, and insights but swing it the other way and it brings legalism, destruction and control. Same word. Ain’t that weird.