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I understand how you could come to that conclusion and there is a forum in doctrinal. My main comment is, why should we believe or trust anything VPW said? Please don't allow his words to continue to have any say over your current life. I am thankful for all of us who have found freedom outside of TWI.

We need something to get us out of all of this gloom..

This one is a real treasure.. heh. Half (drunk?) clueless (expletive beginning with B) looking for God in all of this mess.. heh. I have grown to love and appreciate Cheryl.

I think this one was earlier.

Thank you dear Oldiesman..I enjoy your Saturday Night. here is my new Saturday night.

If their pro-abortion stance would be problematic for today’s movement, their John-Birchy flat-earthiness might just be enough for a second look and possible seat at the theocratic table.

Pro-choice? Hardly. It was never about a choice. Pro-abortion is a more mathematically accurate and scientifically precise description. Abortion was merely a rational and practical method deployed to mitigate risk of reputational and financial loss.

Will that work?

Out of respect: You posted this in atheism. You do NOT want to know what I think of Charlie Kirk. So I will move it and I will ask that we refrain from referring to the killer's motive as "demonic," which (under the umbrella of the atheism forum) is a lazy scapegoating that robs a homicidal a-hole of responsibility for his despicable act. And I will ask that we refrain from politics, which is impossible in a conversation about Charlie Kirk (which is why I feel compelled to change the name of the thread). So henceforth, this thread is narrowed to the following: Do we agree? [moving to doctrinal).

My opinion is that using AI-generated answers instead of researching things on your own, or to do your own thinking for you, is bad for your mental health. I've seen obviously incorrect answers about things that were relatively straightforward. About things that aren't, the odds are far worse for the answer to be correct. An answer is only as good as the information the AI uses to compose the answer, and the AI can't tell the difference between tinfoil hat conspiracies and legitimate science.

What's that I hear? Is it the sound of thin ice cracking?

It would seem so on the surface, but we must remember as freedom loving Americans that any form of total government may start inoffensive and exciting at first but turns out to be a tyranny later. Remember that old saying from Lord Acton: "power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Might not this be better in the Matters of Faith > Atheist thread?

LOL! That and a few rhetorical tricks.

Getting back to how The Way's ideology can often affect its followers' political views, here's something I wrote that seems to add to this conversation: Former Religious Right Leader Endorses "Undertow" | Charlene L. Edge

He was ordained into the Methodist church and had theological differences. Left and retrained an Episcopalian minister. I think he is also having difficulties there. As we here know all too well, it's hard having to be in an environment that is so rigid to its own rules and forgets that the rules and the organisation are there to serve the people, and not the other way about.

NEW KNOXVILLE — The Way International concluded its four-day festival, Rock of Ages ’25, on Saturday evening with music and a fireworks show. The event drew more than 3,000 participants from around the world, according to a release from The Way International, with attendees enjoying amenities such as a petting zoo, a splash pad, food trucks and more. The final tent meeting included the commissioning of more than 900 people to serve as Way Ambassadors for the next nine months, traveling throughout the globe and spreading the message of The Way. For more information, go to theway.org. Link to the article here. It looks like they are now editing whatever press release TWI sends to the paper. I especially like how they most likely changed the wording from "spreading the Word of God" or "sharing information on how to properly interpret the Bible" or some other TWI-speak nonsense. "More than 3,000 people" - were these people pestered over and over until they caved in and used vacation and PTO to appease the gods of TWI?

Yeah. Thanks for noticing. Oldies, come on, man. :)

You may ask what the book "validates that some of us have been talking about for so long." At the top of my list would be VPW's misogony, his vindictive attitude towards Christian denominations, and outrageous claims and opinions about what God does and doesn't do. He tells that story about when he heard God tell him audibly that He'd teach him The Word like it hasn't been known since the first century if he would teach it to others. And the phony snow story ensues. Anyway, for some people, they may be wasting their money to buy the book (at this time you preorder it on their form, which lacks a field for your street address, so you have to put that in the same box as the state). For others, it might be worth it to get the book and see for themselve VP the conman who double-talks his way through answering questions Whiteside puts to him. Elena was a nice lady but totally starry-eyed like the rest of us back then. She interviewed me and many others at HQ back then and shaped the material into a propaganda story. I could be wrong, but I don't think there's anyone in the book that's still involved with the original Way organization. They're either running Way offshoots, or, like me, have rejected any connection with VPW teachings or fellowships. Some who are featured in the book have passed away, like Del Duncan, Ian (Doug) Murphy, and George and Bernita Jess.

I know Rocky, but I would love to help people all over the world to overcome the chains of TWI. Have a good day!

Jammin' in the basement on a Saturday night...hehe!..

Well, if they haven't deleted any of the text, I'm here to let you know I'm glad it's in print again. In the years to come, the kids of people who were loyal may be helped to understand what the appeal was. Also, I quoted some of that book in my own book, Undertow. Now folks can check that source and see for themselves what I referred to. I'm even quoted in that book, LOL, while I was in the Way Corps training and totally enamored with The Way. So you'll read what First and Second Corps members had to say and what we did back then. For anyone who wants to know some history of TWI and read what VPW said himself about a number of things--he's quoted extensively by the loyalist author, Elena Whiteside, this book will open your eyes. It validates what some of us have been talking about for so long ...

I started two years ago this month. I'm doing well. thanks.

OK thx...

You too? I hope you're doing great on it and feel good Rocky.

.5 ml/once per week

"I'm gonna add some bottom, so that the dancers just can't hide."

BTW Seth, I forgot to ask you before but what is considered the top dose for Ozempic? Thx.

You may be correct... I did a little numerical research (AI OF COURSE) and that average of wow ambassadors to rock attendees is greater than even in 1974 when the first 1000 ambassadors were commissioned...

And if it’s NOT possible, just apply that foundational hermeneutic: if it doesn’t fit, you got to MAKE it fit. Make the numbers whatever they need to be. What a tremendous truth!

During the absolute height of the WOW program, Wierwille had a dream of sending out 1,000 WOW Ambassadors, which was essentially a self-funded, uncompensated sales force. I think it might have been the the Bicentennial (1976). I could be mistaken on the year. I don't recall if that goal was ever reached. Well, my point is, it's almost comical to think they could ever come anywhere near a goal of 900 WOW Ambassadors, given the current state of affairs. As Twinky said, "In their dreams!". edit: I suppose anything is possible if you redefine WOW Ambassador.

They did open this year's festival to the general public. How many of the 3000 were locals, I wonder.

Nice to see you, Belle. It's been a while.

3,000 participants. Does that include, I wonder, all the staff pressganged to work on the event? Limb coordinators, etc (if such still exist), dragged in? Together with spouses and children? I'm almost surprised that there'd be 900 non-staff present. And 900 "ambassadors"? In their dreams!

This sounds plausible.

And where the eff did they get "more than 900 people" to sign up as Way Ambassadors? Or is it just that they have 900 actual "members" and declared that wherever they are they are "ambassadors of TWI"? A mere technicality to be able to claim they have 900 ambassadors.

Great question.

That's great and glad its working for you. Seems like a promising treatment for many folks suffering from obesity.

Thank you for the report Seth. How long have you been on Ozempic and what are the side effects if any? I've heard great things about it. Did you settle on a dose and keep on that dose for a long time? Thx.

Much Less Prayer Requests: I believe that is because there are much less people here.

She didn't, but since she's the professional and I'm the student, I didn't argue and simply accepted what she said.

How did she convince you that you had been hypnotized other than saying you were?