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Yeah it looks like a comic book written by the Westboro Baptist Church. Oh wait. It's a comic book written by haters worse than the Westboro Baptist Church. I personally have no issue with homosexual relationships. I do however, have a problem with someone who is the 3rd President of the Way International and current Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Way International living in this fashion while being the head of an organization that publishes this kind of content. The hypocrisy and double standards there mean that they don't themselves live what they require of others. Double standards create circles of Pharisees within Pharisees. But personally could care less about sexual orientation. The most interesting couple at dinner last weekend was a lesbian couple, and also recently attended a gay lawyer friend's dedication party with his partner. None of those people were living a double secret lifestyle.

With July 4th....INDEPENDENCE DAY.....fast approaching, I am again reminded of the exodus account and "Let My People Go." Spiritually, mentally, psychologically, financially......no one wants common sense constraints put upon their lives. That's why moving to a position of STRENGTH is always the best decision one can make. I am SO THANKFUL to be free from twi's ensnaring doctrine!! Today's decisions are MY decisions.....and it feels good and proper to shoulder this responsibility. All of twi's fear-mongering of "leaving the household and the devil will get you" is far, far away in life's rearview mirror. In desperation, twi resorts to "greasespot by midnight" verbage to keep people from freedom in life, freedom to choose. But then, why should I be surprised? Twi's fear-mongering, yell-fests, doctrine-skewing, cherry-picking, abusive-rendering, manipulative-jockeying, organization was the brainchild of WIERWILLE. Twi is worshipping in vain and full of deadmens' bones. No longer do I have to answer to "a board" for my decisions. No longer do I have to move every third year to another city. No longer do I have to sit thru a "corps evaluation interview." No longer do I have to subscribe to repetitive, boring teachings. No longer do I have to give 15% of my income to their hellhole. I learned my lessons well.....I will NEVER submit to deceptive, spiritual overlords again. NEVER. Nor will I fall prey to "soft-cult" splinter groups. Some might like twi's institutionalized living......but I ain't one of them. Give me INDEPENDENCE any day of the week....and I'll take on the responsibility of it all. Thank the Lord for the Good Ole U.S. of A.

Bondage based on fictive interpretations of the bible. Ugh. I'm confident LGBTQ children weren't the only ones put into inappropriate mental and emotional bondage by that crap.

This atmosphere of fear was quite prevalent at that time. As you indicated, it was not exclusive to The Way. Maybe that made it easier to accept. I don't know. It was a one-step-removed kind of thing. The U.S.S.R was out to get us ...and it was the adversary who ran the U.S.S.R. So, it was both. V.P. didn't exclusively create the fear of the U.S.S.R.. Instead, he exploited what was already there by adding a so-called spiritual aspect into the mix..

LCM constantly pushed "The Attack of The Adversary" . . . I do not know if VPW did the same . . . but is was using fear (while saying not to have fear at the same time) If many groups were pushing "The USSR was going to attack" and promoting fear, Any chance you think those two, The Adversary and The USSR, well, the fear of one led to the fear of the other? The Adversary took the place of the Absent USSR?

Click the link in my post.

Fox News broadcaster Bret Baier (with a co-author) wrote Three Days in January which examines historical records regarding Eisenhower's farewell speech. Baier suggests the USSR wasn't likely to actually attack the US.

Yes. There was a huge push around the time of the bicentennial. (1975) Supposedly, the communists were plotting to invade us. In FellowLaborers, we had an emergency meeting where we physically destroyed the mimeograph plates used for the state newsletter (so the enemy couldn't get hold of them and know our identities). We built a root cellar in the side of the hill behind the Ohio BRC. to store food stuffs. We had our own rather large garden plot where we raised vegetables for the groups' consumption. There was a lot of other similar activity. Wierwille had supposedly gotten revelation that something big was about to happen. Of course, the real truth was that Wierwille was reacting to information he was getting directly from extremist groups, such as Liberty Lobby and the John Birch Society. Ultimately, our collective believing was effective enough to stave off the evil hoards. (Does that remind you of anyone?... Hint: the Seekers)

"Our foundations are rooted in the principles taught in the Power for Abundant Living series and the Way Corps principles as enumerated by Dr. Wierwille ....." Golly...based on a class that's been shown to be an error filled work of plagiarism and the principles of a drunken sexual predator, who, according to his own teachings, was riddled with devil spirits. Doesn't it just break your heart to realize you can't join right this very minute?

Can we all agree these so-called "leadership training programs" were oppressive/repressive? If I learned anything at all, it's that the human spirit is surprisingly resilient and can rebound from adversity in ways we might never have expected.

A 6th corps grad borrowed my car to head up to Lima, OH. On the way back, he ran it out of gas and LEFT IT. And, to make matters worse.....he never told me. I had to go find him and ask about my car. What a hassle. Hours later, I had my car back. Gotta tell you.....it sure dampens the christian spirit of loaning my car for others to drive. <_<

Yeah......getting a job and keeping a job were two different things. After about three months, it became obvious who was serious about being a WOW and who were the free-loaders.

Twinky....the term "socialism" has been evolving from century to century and is tweaked to mean different things to different people. But basicly....."Socialists hold that capitalism is an illegitimate economic system, since it largely serves the interests of the owners of capital and involves the exploitation of other economic classes. As such, they wish to replace it completely or at least make substantial modifications to it, in order to create a more just society that would guarantee a certain basic standard of living." Here in America.....the food stamp enrollees have jumped to 48 million, people stay on unemployment when certain entry-level job opportunities arise, and the entitlement society is fueling lazy, non-productive numbers in droves. Should I have to pay for the 25 year old who refuses to work? Should I have to provide for his livelihood while he plays on his computer all day? Why should wealth re-distribution be the new normal WHEN government officials hand out millions to their union buddies who, then, turn around and promote their elections? The cycle of corruption provides helping the government/union good-boy-club to the detriment of society. More people have been killed in gang-related and black-on-black crime in Chicago last year than our war in Afghanistan. Why is government and media silent on all this? Anyone who is paying attention knows that socialistic wealth redistribution is unfair and corrupt. Please excuse me for not having more favorable views of a utopian "social society." For many, the ways of man are evil. And, yes....I understand some of the downside of today's capitalism. If America had a flat-tax or fair tax system without all the corporate loopholes and lobbyists in Washington pushing favortism, then there would be a better level playing field for all. And, some of these fair-minded capitalists give major donations to charitable causes every year. The American dream is NOT owning your own home. The American dream is UPWARD mobility. I do NOT want a socialistic government that "guarantees" my social existence. I WANT a government that defends my rights as a free citizen to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I WANT a government that defends America, supports transportation and commerce, health issues, etc. and that elected officials are the servants OF THE PEOPLE. No kings. No monarchy. Elected servants. Thank the Lord for men like George Washington. .

Wierwille was lazy and heavily plagairized others.....all the while, narcisstically, claiming to have "worked 12 hours a day for years in researching the scriptures." He demanded rigid conformity from the youth who idolized his mogness. Anyone who ventured onward in worthy goals and endeavors was branded "worldly" for their quests of a better life of fullfillment. Twi realized that an independent, hard-working, person would "wander off the reservation" and, most likely, never return. Strong work ethics led to strong confidence......and twi was soon left in the dust. And, the 15% tithe of that individual and anyone else who he persuaded went away as well. Thus, wierwille's twi became controlling and stifling. Yes, it was the WORST of both worlds for the person not wanting an institutionalized version of life. Today, I laugh when reminded of wierwille's teachings about stewardship where he was preaching that "stewardship was better than ownership." He emphasized as his example of how, collectively, the corps/staff could walk thru the way woods and enjoy its beauty without having the burden of ownership. I guess his one-sided sermon made sense.....to him. If one followed his teaching, one would stay on staff.......never own, never invest, never build.......just follow in twi's little world of conformity. Oh, that's right.....MANY have done just that. But really, the vast majority didn't want to be fenced in. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

The worst part of socialism is that it discourages excelling and rewards the lazy. The worst part of capitalism is its callousness-the poor are left to starve. (When these don't happen, the systems aren't taken to their extremes, and people MODERATE them somewhat and don't let them get that far.) twi actually inflicts the worst of both worlds on its worker bees. The people at the top are lazy and rewarded. Everyone else is stifled and prevented from excelling-they must CONFORM. Everyone except those at the top are left to find help ELSEWHERE after spending 15% of their income (at minimum) fattening twi coffers. twi believes that once you have their money, never give it back.

Wierwille couldn't have cared less what happened to TWI when he was gone. He put the family farm in the name of TWI, so all the improvements could be paid for by the organization, and he would pay no taxes for it. It didn't matter that his children would never inherit it. His Board of Trustees was made up of the minimum number of people it takes to be a nonprofit (3), making the Board easier to control. He didn't want strategically-placed individuals, mighty in the Scriptures, or even lawyers or accountants, like most nonprofits. He wanted yes-men who would let him do what he wanted. When it was time to "pass the mantle," this leader who proclaimed the importance of the ground-breaking research he was doing didn't choose the much-respected head of the Research Department to succeed him. Instead, he set up the two biggest tushy-kissers, one in Europe and one at home. Craig was his mistake, because Craig couldn't wait to grab the throne and minimize Wierwille's influence while he was still alive. So Wierwille turned to Gartmore for adulation. When he was alive, he drank, overspent, used, and screwed his way through as much money and humanity as he could. He almost lost the whole thing when he forgot that one of the few things he shouldn't do as a nonprofit was endorse a political candidate. But he could promote or discredit just enough people that his indiscretions were never revealed to the believers at large. It took the Internet to do that.

"He's smokin' like a chimney." hahahahaha

Hahaha! They're suffering from E.D. (ecclesiastical dysfunction)