Ham

Soooo.. what happened to this in depth spiritual perception and awareness? Sure didn't help "protect" ME from these "bad influences".. Apparently these "bad people" slipped under the radar..

They were pressured on two fronts: 1. Their committment to the corps was a committment to the almighty god, irrevokable at that.. and the bastards would not even think of letting go of that, and giving them a little slack. And the couple thought that the corps was what god wanted them to do with their lives. 2. They were pressured (understatement) to abort the baby. But she did not have the heart, or conscience for that matter, to abort the baby.. They ASKED for a leave of absence. Denied. No "exeptions" in der vey, you know.. They were labelled "idolatrous" for allowing a "little piece of tissue" coming between them and committment to the corps. They lost EVERYTHING. No friends, only the wife had some family that I can remember, whom she had previously alienated because of der vey. This part of the memory is a little foggy.. but I think they came to their rescue, to some degree. The only reason I even caught wind of this stuff, was der vey did not cover their tracks, sufficiently. They were from an area about 100 miles south of me. Apparently, a warning was issued to the fellowships there, but not here. They had no clue that we would be connected in any possible way.

Yep. And this all happened under: vic's reign. Good old days? Ptooie..

These good folks that I remember cowered too, at first. Then they started waking up when they saw the spiritual bankrupcy of the organization. I don't know if they could be considered stronger than others, maybe they were just damned lucky..

I've seen too many "smoking guns"- people cowering under the threats issued of what would happen if they left, or didn't do this, or didn't do that- to dismiss it as some kind of fable.

Oh yes, this was the "good old days". 1978 to be precise..

Which century? I am aware of very different circumstances- those who abandoned their committment to da vey and "god" were marked as traitors.. if they didn't have any family support, they were sent to the outback, with NO help or support from any locals. We were "warned" of their coming- to refer all pleas for help and support to the bigwig in the area. This happened more than once or twice, that I remember.. One instance, a corps couple were dropped for: an accidental pregnancy. It was UGLY.. apparently she would not get an abortion or anything. They coulda just said "go in peace, come back when you're ready".. but NOOOOOO. "You're breaking your commitment to GOD ALMIGHTY." So they desperately tried to continue with the corps in their existing circumstance.. without having their "cumberance" surgically removed.. I got to hear the story before any "warning" was issued. That's a "mistake" I never saw "them" ever make, again. But yes, I would say they held a gun to their heads. "You're gonna really get it if you try to duck out of this, and by the way, don't 'corrupt' the 'household'" The only reason some people left that ....hole, was because the idiots went TOO FAR.

But still, with the raw copying.. surely did not spare him the plaigiarism they abundantly showed to others.. Hmmm. Makes me wonder a little more. vic knew the guy, personally. Perhaps vic was counting on BG being "a nice guy" about it all.

True.. that makes a little more sense to me now.

Just TOO obvious. Good grief, you could walk into one of those lessons to the household thingies during lunch at that stink hole, and it'd be like Deja Vu.. "OUR people, because of our stand managed to have great deliverance. The hurricane was averted from its TRUE course, the heartland of northern Ohio..." And they probably still lap that stuff up like there's no tomorrow..

I dunno.. "their take on it" is pretty obvious by now.. that place hasn't changed in the last thirty or more years. The problem for me though, their "answer" to this question seems to echo in my head every time something really bad happens.. I really wish I COULD forget it.. I can still see the bastards back in a smoke-filled room somewhere, "Yuck yuck yuck, they shoulda been like us.." Spiritually, I think you'd be better off IN the stinking hurricane..

Well, that would only work if we could SEE you, invisible one..

My short answer to the question.. "Noooooooo."

Honestly, I can't see how somebody that claims to understand quantum physics, really thinks they are so stinking smart.. We haven't begun to scratch the surface in this big universe of ours. Even at the very best, we know so little.. So I agree. Hip Hip Hooray, for ignorance.. sorry, we're all in the same boat..

Good grief- you never get over it. I am not wallowing in self pity or anything, but I still miss my parents. Oh well..

All this crap is nothing new, to der vey. I would date this in the spring of 1975.

This DOES bring back an old, old memory.. The "leadership" in the "good old days".. I lost both of my parents at a rather young age. They apparently thought that I had spiritual problems because- drum roll please- I didn't over it. That must have been why I was getting the same results they were, jumping through the same hoops.. Friggin idiots.

Absolutely.. others offered kind suggestions along the way (Igotout and others) and were not only ignored, but given "the bums rush" out of the joint.. Apparently there was some things- and people- of value in TWI. Why they threw both off the ship still is a puzzle to me. Look what's left in their two-class society. The rosies and donnas, and the cleaners, dusters and food tasters.

Yep. I remember a couple of times here, "they" seemed to encourage people to get rid of pictures and memorabilia- that somehow it was devilish, and "just get over it and move on in life, etc, etc, etc.." The branch coordinator was upset to hear the deceased persons voice on the answering machine once.. could have been a lot more gracious about it.

Perhaps. But in other ways, this may be like opening old wounds. In a lot of ways, I think the old victster started a good fight, and left us to fend for ourselves. He seemingly was isolated in his marble castle, while the rest of us were "facing the music" out in the real world..

Def, not quite so sure about that. Bullinger Publishing Trust sold rights for publication to Kregel and others I think.. even der vey bought rights (shared with others though..) to publish the Companion Bible. A few hundred copies were marred with the label "American Christian Press" during their brief ownership of said rights..

The "dark side" of my existence reads 74 percent evil on that thing

Ah, memories of roofing.. I remember a time I went to help somebody with some roofing work.. They covered up a big hole in the roof with some tar paper. The one guy turned to the other and said, "no problem here, WE'LL remember that there is a hole there.." Then I leisurely take a stroll accross the roof.. No problem for THEM! :D-->

Belle, careful is my middle name. You might say I'm even as careful as a naked bee-keeper.. ;)-->

None taken. At the worst, I took it humorously :)--> Well, all he claimed was that it was a brand new machine, and all he did was log in and get mail. The guy at the computer shop did find a LOAD of viruses.. who knows. Maybe he didn't want to admit where he REALLY went to on the web! :D-->