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I agree with everything you say waysider. What I'm trying to say and my own shortcomings are obviously preventing me from getting my point across is that the conversation is not going to happen, there is not going to be an "other person" if we have labels up that prevent further victims from seeing this space as a safe-haven for healing. Now, whether or not we believe that a simple misunderstanding of a word could/would actually prevent a person from enjoying said content and healing of this site is obviously the line in the sand for my particular argument. But I just wanted to let it be known that from my experiences, the terminology being used here could be counter-productive towards the site's primary objective, for some people.

In the most lovingly way possible I guess I disagree. (I'm totally just having a conversation, in case this comes off as more than that.) Adapting one's terminology to another individual's can continue to make things unclear and arguments can go on and on because people don't understand each other since their meanings do not line up. I believe that you have to define terminology first, be on the same page first before a productive conversation can actually begin. Those whose master status and identity are tied up in gender/sexuality identity will judge us based on whether or not we are respecting their language. I say their language because they are the ones proactively using and they are the ones defining it today, and therefore they are the ones who it affects the most. I feel that your response is precisely what they would expect, and then they may falsely judge us and not care what anyone around here has to say. Again, I know I'm way down the rabbit hole of "no big deal" and "who gives an f." It's just I'm around and aware of the people I'm talking about and I know that what I brought up is both factual and an issue...for them. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the site is/has/will be judged by others based off of the misuse of a label that is voluntarily being put out into the world inaccurately by today's definitions. I am trying to say that those that this label affects will react in a way that may seem reactionary and over-the-top to you and me (not listen to anything else we have to say), but that is the reality of those that are utilizing the language today. If we wish to utilize the same language (i.e. put it on the site), we must adhere to how it is being used today - else we signal to others that we do not care about our ignorance, because we "know" or do not care that we are right. And that just sounds way too much like those we broke away from imho.

Yes more details! It is interesting for sure. I’m pretty sure the RNE book is treated with the cone of silence by TWI lol. Meaning no quoting in Wag mag articles or teachings. It is an example of research which they have released no other research books since I’m aware of which is probably why they still sell it. Yes Acts is pretty much the only canonical history of the Christian church so it’s easy to see why some would get all caught up in it. I think some of those “figures of speech” are just ways people can make scripture say something it really doesn’t. I can appreciate things in native languages but they use it to twist and shoehorn scripture into places it is not naturally. It should be just an enhancer like cinnamon on rice pudding as opposed to changing rice pudding to banana pudding like they do with it. Peter and Paul. Very different lives and callings. Jerusalem and traveling the world by wooden ship. And letters. Then the conflict at the end with Paul over the legalistic Jerusalem crowd. The problem with the great statements is they basically just extracted sales numbers out of “growing and prevailing” and put them down for field assignment quotas. That’s where you see it today - the Way Tree and all the Pharisee responsibility lists. “Run classes while quoting the BOD” or something. Actually “carry the heart of the BOD to the field” is more the nonsense. The problem is the Pharisee heart just leaves people wanting to run for the hills. I think the Word prevails more here than under the “dull Way traditions where believers are controlled and censored”. Here we have a rich input of scripture, psychology, and many other fields blending together to help people escape the grasp of the legalists who would put you to work for free.