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The plagiarism explains why there is no research department, why nobody can replicate the research, why nobody can explain the research, most importantly, why nobody can build on it. It's just random stuff that sounded good to the mentality of ignorant, idealistic youth.

Yes, a rather stupid question. Perhaps you should spend some time learning/thinking about what Paul meant by being "changed" in 1Cor. 15:51-52. If we (who are Christ's) are changed, then there won't be any question about whether or not you will know you are changed. So, you do or don't believe that Jesus Christ is God? And if not God, why suppose that he (Jesus) would need to teach us anything if we (then) know God on a face to face basis?

Actually, now that I think about it, the whole background for the Way instructing followers that "research means re-search" or searching out again what has already been discovered. Is this not a plagiarists manifesto? Is this not following in the footsteps of the mighty VP founder? For VPW, "research" meant plagiarism. Like the time he checked himself into the motel and wrote Receiving the Holy Spirit Today on a diet of grapes? Why did he need the motel? So nobody could see him transcribing over 70% of JE Stiles book that he would later publish as his own?

Public Announcement: The position of Kellyanne Conway for wierwille apologetics has been filled. Mike, you can dispense with gloating over imaginary victories - past or present. None of us actually overheard your supposed conversation with John S – and I for one don’t give a flip what Indulgences or Sanctions he may have granted you regarding wierwille’s hodgepodge of plagiarized material. And if the best you can do is claim Whiteside’s quote gets vpw off the hook - then why don’t you open your copy of her book and quote it here. You must have it along with all the PFAL books. Go ahead and post it – I’ll let you know if that is a correct citation – since I have The Way Living in Love book too – but I think you should put your money where your mouth is, instead of having us do your homework for you. By the way, copyright lawyers would have a field day with that quote alone! Probably one of the reasons TWI didn’t sell his books on the open market. vpw was a plagiarist and pathological liar. vpw changed the details of his stories so many times - and now dead men tell no tales...What a tangled web of deception he had woven. If this makes any sense to folks still stuck in his web – escape while you can!

It's still plagiarism. He didn't cite his sources...ever. Not only that, it's his admission he lied when he said *he took all his books to the dump and relied on what God told him to look at in the Bible. *(That was the point he was trying to make with his phony "snow on the gas pumps" story.)

Not stymied, Mike. Simply severely disinterested. Peace.

TWI plunders individual sovereignty.....every class, every program. Wierwille's pfal pitches a "stand on the word".....but really, the message is "stand with twi and against all others." Keep your distance from "worldly influences".....from secular learning, family associations, denominations, etc. Further, in the Dealing with the Adversary class.....one of the FOUR FRONTS of the Devil is YOURSELF. Yeah, you are the culprit. You cannot trust your discernment, your critical thinking skills......you NEED wierwille/twi to do THAT for you. You just surrendered your individual sovereignty. Now......twi has power over you. Classes, more classes......way homes, wow ambassador, fellowlaborers, corps, university of life.....all with the same goal: TWI ASCENDANCY. Every dollar, every hour of volunteer work, every day of witnessing for twi....was profit to the organization. Today, twi sits on some $52 MILLION. Is there any wonder why twi targeted the youth? As youth are easily absorbed into groups, teams, clubs, gangs, they are more susceptible to groupthink and authority figures. Not adults. Generally speaking, most adults have experienced deception and scams and political/religious rhetoric to see the wolf in sheep's clothing. The corps indoctrination had so violated individual sovereignty.....that it seemed like there was a corps cloning factory in Emporia.

I'm not an eyewitness of those years, but I have some info about that time. First, I was in the second Way Corps (1971 - 1973) with a woman whose parents lived in Troy, OH and who raised her and her sister during the 1950s and 1960s to follow VPW's teachings, although they'd discontinued going to headquarters and supporting VPW. I met her father once, and he said they didn't like VP's arrogance, but stayed faithful to The Word (VP's buzz word for his teachings). She went in the Corps because she got hooked on VP's so-called revelation. She stayed in the Corps despite her parents' not liking VPW, and she's still in TWI today. Last year in Orlando, I met a woman from Van Wert, OH. We have a mutual friend who introduced me to her after she learned about my book Undertow. She met me and we talked a couple of hours while she told me stories, including that she had dated Don Wierwille in high school! She showed me her high school year book with her photo in it and Don's photo in it. He was their class president. She remembers her mother saying something was "odd about Wierwille," but she didn't have enough curiosity to find out more. Maybe her mother did, but her mother didn't share more details with her. I have an old Way Magazine from July/Sept.1969. On the cover is a young couple holding hands, walking through a field with a wooded yard in the background. The words, "The Walk of Youth" are below the photo with an arrow pointing right, as if hinting we should open the magazine. That is the title of an article by VPW called, "The Word speaks to the "Now" generation. The Walk of Youth." A key phrase is, "Become an example of the believers" and the article expounds on I Timothy 4:12. As an example, the second article is called, "The Walk of Youth on College Campus," which is about The Way Home down the street from East Carolina University. This is where I was recruited in 1970. The article is a patchwork of little essays by these people: John T. and Mary Somerville (Mary is VPW's second eldest daughter) who were the Way Home "directors" at that time. Later "directors" would be John and Pat Ly*n, who were there when I took PFAL. Other essays are from people who lived in the house and other students who fellowshipped at the house on a regular basis. The next article is by Pete* J. Wad*. I think there are some posts here on GSC that he wrote. He is in Australia now and runs his own Christian group. Walter J. Cum*ins wrote the next article. It's titled, "Walter Cum*ins discusses the walk in darkness," which is about the two gods and how to be born of either seed, etc. The issue has an ad for the 1969 Summer Youth Advance and for a Way family camp in Minnesota. Bernita Jes* has an article about the Oriental Backgroun in the book of Ecclesiastes, and there is a Children's Corner with Audrey Hamilt*n encouraging kids to learn the Word at The Way. The News from Headquarters section includes a new phone number for HQ 419.753.2523. A report on a Pentecost Truth Rally in Columbus with 300 people. Then the Board of Directors met. 480 new PFAL grads were recorded from the previous year. A Renewed Mind camp was held at HQ and a West Coast Women's Advance was held near San Francisco. 29 women came, including Mrs. VPW. I see some familiar faces in the photo of young women who soon afterward entered the First and Second Corps. There are letters of thankfulness near the end, a Bulletin Board with dates of classes and advances, and an Our Times editorial by VPW. Here are a few quotes from it: Opening, "In our day, the denominationally organized bodies are in a position of ecclesiastical desperation. They manifest an acculturated church marked by a conformity of unbelief and bureaucracy. ..." He goes on to bash churches in ways many of us have heard before. At the end, there's an ad for Sunday Evening Fellowship, offering, "Here positive and accurate teaching of The Word by Dr. Wierwille and other teachers. Enjoy bright singing and good fellowship with like-minded believers. Everyone welcome to these non-denominational services." Yikes! I'll refrain from editorial comments of my own on this material. I suspect you already know my opinions, anyway. I'm at http://charleneedge.com Cheers.

Yes, T-bone, that song was on the radio just before I left in 1988. To me, it meant that TWI would get it's stuff together after POP. Hah Didn't happen. Just as well. I was better off just getting out.

Saw that series outandabout, was cool to see how the family went through each era 50s 60s 70s 80s and 90s being born in the late 80s I can say im a true 90s kid. I can sympathise with you on the "too bad I missed it" The Way international cult stole most of our valuable time but being out fresh 2 years I'm grateful I don't have to spend another day in lies and deceit. I hope you have precious time now outandabout I'm staring my travels soon something which has long been anticipated and was discouraged by those in the way

You have some good points there. If I may, I’d like to add a few comments. I don’t mean to derail this thread – and I know this is not the doctrinal forum – but as is often the case in About the Way forum – there are many issues to sort out involving our personal experiences and TWI’s convoluted doctrine and practice. There are many paradoxes in the Bible and salvation is certainly one of them. Scripture does indicate that salvation is forever – yet – there are also passages that stress we are to persevere (or remain faithful) until the end. It is my opinion that some folks in TWI (at least while I was in it) focused more on the salvation-is-forever thing. And concerning some folks this may even have been to the detriment of a properly functioning conscience. To be honest, I don’t really get into looking ahead to the judgement seat, eternal justice, etc. probably for no other reason than I’m more concerned about what I’m supposed to do right now. I don’t mean to come down on anyone’s hopes or theology – I just believe TWI had a way of getting followers to think more about the rewards and glory of heaven rather than responsibilities in the here and now. Like one leader encouraging me to spend what little money we had at a restaurant (of course it was our treat for him and his wife) while at an out-of-town TWI event – because Christ could come back at any time don’t you know. For some reason this week I kept coming upon verses in the Old and New Testament that address false prophets, corrupt leaders, and developing discernment in such cases. In that regard, Grease Spot is a valuable resource for me. One of my favorite study Bibles is The Life Application Study Bible, NLT. In some ways rummaging through my personal experiences and mental baggage alongside Grease Spot forums is sort of like a life application study bible process. I hope to see more people of note coming forward to spill the beans on TWI’s dark underbelly. Maybe not a “comforting” thought but in my humble opinion any exposing of its all-encompassing deceitfulness does wonders for untangling a wide assortment of TWI entanglements (emotional, intellectual, social, etc.). There is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes with discovering the cause of a problem. You realize that you are not the cause of the problem. You figure out that absorbing TWI’s doctrine and practice was the chewy caramel center (the cause) of the problem.

TWI taught that believers receive only rewards at the bema. However, a part of Scripture they conveniently forget is where we all stand before the judgment seat of God. No hell-fire, our incorruptible seed guarantees that ... BUT I do know enough about God and His Word to know that there will be eternal justice for all the things they have done during this life that were done in secret. Nothing is secret from God ... they will pay when the time comes .. at the hand of God, not man. That is a comfort to me concerning not just TWI leadership, but others who have done wrong with no remorse.

ABS=All B.S.

Lots of jumbled assertions and accusations in that paragraph. "you folks want the dirty laundry"...........nope. I want to dismantle the wierwille-mystique and the cult's power to "steal, kill and destroy" others. "an entrusted person, a confidant".........how else would someone be privy to inside information? "it dirties the concept of loyalty, friend or foe".......umm, MRAP have you ever read about the Apostle Paul, a Pharisee of the Pharisees? "evil or good, I despise a breach in loyalty"...........wow, guess everyone who leaves a cult should cower and slink away, huh? Since I started this thread.....let me repeat the gist (first post) of why write "a tell-all book".... Secrets that could bust the wierwille-mystique once and for all? Secrets that could enlighten the geer power-grab and fog years? Secrets that could rattle the martindales and craig's buy-off? Frankly, I could care less about hearing any more of wierwille/martindale/twi "dirty laundry"........who really cares to hear more about seducers and seductresses? about three-somes in Dayton motels, corps girls abused and/or raped in motor coaches? about Cabin 12 at camp gunnison and the set-up wherein corps coordinators made sure martindale was provided privacy and access to selected in-rez girls? What about "the loyalty" to the faithful followers who think (cough, cough) that twi is legit? What about the craig martindale payoff.....the buy-out to silence him? How much was he given up front.......cash money, ira investment, insurance access, nice car, perks, stuff.........and THEN, $60,000 per year for life. At $60,000 per year..............martindale has ALREADY received $900,000. At this rate, .......in another 25 years.......add another $1,500,000. Wonder if the newbie cult-followers understand that their ABS helps supply "retirement funds" to a sexual predator? We know that martindale slithered away into the night to Toledo......to live in a twi-owned house. So, does craig STILL have this added perk? Does twi pay the property tax, electric, water and association fees? If so........WOW, that stretches that $60,000 even further. Then......does craig get access to Camp Gunnison? What are ALL the hidden perks that are skimmed from the cult's "abundant sharing" that pay for martindale's silence? If I were in the twi-cult...............I would want to know this evil. Then, and only then...................could I make an informed decision as to stay or not.

(((((Twinky))))) It's good to "see" you! Hard to believe it's been 10 years! The time has flown and it's amazing how close we get to people we haven't even met in person. You were also very helpful to me.

Chapter 1 "It was the best of times cults, it was the worst of times cults, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..."

I disagree about that Skyrider. If Ham is observing the "rules" of walking in love as he teaches and disciplines his class in mathematics, he's teaching in a Godly way. He's working heartily unto the lord, showing no preference to anyone, encouraging and lifting up the weaker students and so on.....he is working in his profession in a Godly way. That's what God expects. We cannot all sit around thumping bibles all day....we need to work. Paul worked, Jesus worked. They had secular jobs. Even the most-honorable-and-highly-elevated Corps were all working secular jobs.....putting out a magazine....food preparation, motor pool, housekeeping etc. Was vacuuming the auditorium and different from vacuuming ay home? I don't think so....a carpet is a carpet is a carpet.

Or God forbid we should feed the hungry, help the poor, etc. I mean after all - The poor you always have with you. We could probably start a thread on TWI excuses for not helping those in need.

If you don't mind me adding a comment: even if the life, the love, the way is SECULAR. TWI. in its spiritual immaturity, has often time chosen to disdain the secular. You know, academic pursuits.. math, chemistry, physics, psychology..

Old school, I think many of us feel like that. And that is a shame. Of course our opinions change as we grow....and at the moment, I don't think it matters to God what church we associate ourselves with, it, indeed we do gravitate to one special church. It's the life that we live, the love that we live and the way we live to glorify Him that's important.

Same here. I got involved with da cornfield cult in my early 20s. Needless to say leaving in my late 30s left me bouncing around quite a bit. I have stabilized somewhat since leaving and have new friends and new direction in life that I am happy with at the moment. I will say that my stint with TWI has left me very wary of organized religion. It will take some time before I become involved with any Christian group.

And if they got them young enough - around 18 ish - their brains aren't fully formed....so they cannot think critically. That comes between 22 - 25.