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Basically, the gawd of this world is not all-powerfull, all-knowing or everywhere present, as "our god" is. But he, for all practical purposes, is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present. And greater is he that is in you, than he who is going to take you out . . .

Which part of THE WORD are you talking about? You do remember that adherence to Jewish law fell (rather quickly) to the wayside to accommodate the Gentiles when it came to food. At that time there was no "WORD" other than the Hebrew scriptures with all its dietary laws. Yet, when those dietary laws and circumcision became an obstacle to receiving the good news, they were set aside. I'm reminded of the Ethiopian eunuch that traveled to Jerusalem to worship in the temple. However, he ran into several unsurmountable obstacles once he got there. One, he was the wrong color, and two he had no testicles. He wasn't allowed to enter the temple due to his "defect" (apparently his defect was flagrant). He was headed back home when he came upon Philip. Philip shares the good news with him - fully aware of the Ethiopian's defect and what that meant in Jewish society. The Ethiopian asks whether the good news is for him - a humiliated and defective man who has no hope of descendants <== a big deal back in those days - and he asks to be baptized. Philip didn't flinch. He baptized him. Humiliated, rejected, and a social outcast (sounds like Jesus) - he came to know the Lord. Where did Philip go in "THE WORD" to know if it was ok to do that? Maybe he went into Isaiah 56 where God says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely exclude me from his people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree." For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant-- to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-- these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." Here we have two instances: One where "THE WORD" was set aside in order to welcome what would be outcasts (Gentiles), and one where "THE WORD" is used to welcome another outcast even though "THE WORD" has specific regulations that forbid any person whose penis is crushed or who lacks testicles to enter the temple. In each case, common decency, compassion, and mercy is considered more important than "it is written." How can I, in all good conscience, do less?

Um, scripture says lying is wrong....ever tell a lie? Scripture says pride is a sin....ever been prideful? Scripture says discontentment is a sin....ever been discontent? Scripture says being un-thankfulness is a sin......ever not been thankful? Scripture says selfishness is a sin.....ever been selfish? Here are a few more, lack of self-control, anger, envy, jealousy, worldliness, sins of the tongue......AND ta da judgmentalism!! Ever go to fellowship having those in your closet? The gospel is ONLY for sinners.....perfect people don't need it......the gospel is not just for salvation, but to enable us to deal with the ongoing activity of sin in our lives. Now, knowing all that, where do you think someone grappling with some kind of sin.....should actually be??

I've said this before, but one of the more curious and rather distasteful personality traits that my ex-Way friend seemed to have acquired during her twenty-year plus stay in The Way was this irrational condemnation of gay people. I guess I tend to overlook negative personality traits in people I like.

How long does it take to change? There was a girl who came to a twig I used to go to. This girl was very quiet, none too bright, had been going for TWO YEARS and once the twig coordinator murmured: "I don't know why XXX keeps coming, nothing seems to go in." XXX was a nice girl, pleasant, faithful, had taken PFAL, but so limp and unassertive that you might wonder if she was still alive. Another period of time (a couple of years or so?) passed. Then suddenly this girl blossomed, seemed utterly changed. Full of life and energy. Overt enthusiasm for God. And then she met another believer, married, and bore children. Everyone was amazed at the change. But it took a long long time to happen. What if she had been a homosexual looking for a safe place to reassess her life? She'd long since have been run off, never got the opportunity to see patient unconditional love. Never seen that goodness of God that leads to change. (Actually she would have been "run off" under late-LCM as "dead wood" or "unproductive evil".)

Kinder & Gentler? Well they can't Mark and Avoid ten thousand people, because there aren't 10,000 left (is mostly why).... And to shiftthis... I'm just a gal that was never in The Way herself, still it's part of my life. You can request to have copies of all those court documents sent to you via the freedom of information act. You'll get quite a bit more than what Greasespot has available. If you get an attorney to make the request, you can get even more (I'm not sure how they can do that, but they can). I did. and there's more than just the suggestion in those documents of the matters I mentioned above. At first LC Martindale was going to fight the suit, during the course of things he was "removed" from running the ministry. This happened after the info on DM and RR was introduced. Donna knew for over a decade that her husband was a soup sandwich for sex. So she formed other attachments. Anyways, you're right about one thing shiftthis, If they find you looking into it, or asking about it, they'll kick you out. Especially if you are suspected to know the truth. And you won't be the first one that's happened to. I have no personal beef with you. The Way Ministry is - sort of kinder and gentler now,... no more mass excommunications, but (EASILY) 90% of the old Ministry are gone As to Asia. All Asia forsook Paul. But Paul did not kick them out.... Nor did Paul have sex with their wives and daughters. There is a difference, you know Donna and Rosalie knew about L.C. Martindale for over a decade, and said nothing till they were about to be exposed for what they had allowed and were doing. They're not going to let some schmoe like you, learn, and then tell, the truth. They'll crush that, you're right. But it's really pretty easy to find it out A quick visit to the home of Rosie's friends and a chat with the neighbors,.... but I don't want you to get kicked out if you want to stay in.