Ham

George, I hadn't thought about that burn the bridges nonsense for years. I had "torched" everything too- and thought it was the will of the Lord.. How true- I had NOWHERE to go- and the fear was indeed, very real. They had us by the "privates"- no question.

But George! The food was good- well, kind of, sometimes at least, heh heh.

Groucho, I remember VP saying how he was trying to pry some cash out of the coors guy to "do something good with all that beer money" or something..

If I have to wear that one, so be it, heh heh. But I don't think its really as much a matter of being stupid, but numb. Numb after a couple hundred or so compromises to have the "priviledge" to get the "truth". I think after a while, my eyes were just plain glazed over. I think they played the good guy/bad buy scheme, and it worked- just a matter of applied psychology..

Yep. Thing I don't understand, why stay in that cesspool? Holy cow.. despite my sarcasm, I'd be willing to lend a hand, or at least point you in the right direction. Do SOMETHING- if not for your own stinking hide, think about your FAMILY. Think the Peeler's don't stand a chance? Go ahead- gamble all you want- its not MY life.

WAYGB- If I was you, I'd start circulating a few resumes- don't know how well "worked twenty-five years in a stinking cult for two dollars an hour" is gonna read with a prospective employer though.

Yep.. folks I heard talking said the guy who sued the tobacco conglomerates didn't have a leg to stand on either.. I wonder how far the damages can be assessed. Seems if there is some kind of conspiracy proven, no amount of corporate protection would stand between the Peelers and any assests any of those numbnuts have hid anywhere, private or not. "poor" old Rosie and Donna probably have to go out in the real world, "borrow" a couple of shopping carts and "work" the dumpsters.. I don't think they'd find very many wayfers willing to support them.

Kind of interesting. A couple of things I observe in a lot of this.. On one hand, I have a physics instructor, real smart guy, his take on it is that anybody that does no fully suscribe to the theory of evolution is plain not educated, primitive, or really ignorant. On the other hand, I see INTELLIGENT christian folk say if you believe in it you're possessed, mislead or worse.. There seems to be very little meeting in the middle of the road. "Atheists" not willing to admit of the possibility that somehow, we are not as alone in all of this as we think, and "Christians" not willing to admit that just possibly, God has designed life to adapt- sometimes in striking ways. I have heard some valid arguments, in my opinion, from both sides.. just wish it wasn't colored with somebody's "believe it or else" agenda.. I still don't know where I am at in all of this.

Yep. Supposed to be resources for "God's people". Not a generous retirement package for a small group of numbnuts in podunk ohio. It makes me even wonder if the bast***s are even really "born again". Just a thought..

The way I understood it- when the "gathering" hit, you would wish that you were rather NOT saved- if you did not tow the company line.. something like, "yes, you have eternal life. But you may spend the most part of eternity getting a real foot whippin". I even heard some bigwigs say that you'd be better of if you just died, than to "lose rewards".

Might be tough for him to get his eternal "fix".. have to go the route of celebacy you know..

Scary thought. Maybe he'll try to buy an aircraft carrier to work us over with, and try to get all the exways, and everybody else for that matter, "in line". Heh heh.

Funny, that is what I heard Loy lay at the feet of the Roman Catholics. Blamed them for causing all the poverty and stuff in third world countries. Interesting to see the shoe on another foot..

But.. makes me think now- how many times did you hear anything that could even be considered "foretelling" in the ministry? I can't think of a single occurence, other than "you'll be a greasespot.." or some such generic nonsense. "Well, foretelling is only incidental"- perhaps just another excuse for not having the "real deal"? Just a thought..

So typical of what I encountered.. just analyze it to death- cripe- maybe it WAS word of knowledge stuff- who knows. In a lot of ways, I think the exhortation/comfort parameters that we tried to box up these manifestations into only served to make them just so watered down, and so generic. I observed the same thing: the same words, the same stuff over and over in any "twig" I was involved in.

Really- I remember a couple of times that I tried to give ABS to one of the nuckleheads outside of "twig" only to have it REFUSED. "Bring it and give when you're SUPPOSED to!!!"

I remember some of the good old days... if you sent your own ABS in to headquarters on your own terms, you were REALLY under scrutiny. Cripe- those guys must have been nuts. What were they afraid of? Or do they get some kind of "cut" out of ABS generated in their area? But you "couldn't" give cash. had to be check or money order. And you couldn't give it when you wanted- had to be when the "holy basket" was given its due rounds.. good grief. "We have to make sure OUR people are even QUALIFIED to give". Thankfully, I put up with that kind of crap for only about a month before leaving..

I dunno. I think ole rose will reach a point that, just for the life of her, she won't be able to remember where she stashed away all those numbers..

Well, this one kind of skipped the idea of learning from Jewish and Christian based spirituality- went straight for earth based spirituality. I saw nothing that could be labelled as Christian or Jewish. Other than maybe the basic idea of doing unto others the right thing.. I don't know if such a thing is possible, but it looked like purely secular based religion to me..

Congratulations, likewise.

And He sure wasn't gonna tell that bunch of morons anything either, was He?

I'm thinking of writing something like that up, but leave a clause in it for my kids to save some money, "just prop me up in the woods somewhere, I'll be alright..."

Sounds like a wedding made in the "other" place, heh heh.

Yep.. I'd like to see that fly in a court of law. "Lets see, you claim you have no responsibility to ANYBODY?" Just "god" and their conscience I guess..

I remember when you couldn't participate in ANYTHING unless you were abundantly sharing. Of course you were not forbidden, just they somehow "forgot" to put you name on one of the invitations.