skyrider

Looking back......I realize why wierwille's corps nights were so disturbing. Why?........Wierwille would NOT ALLOW corps or clergy to exit easily. Those highest on the rung, he had to publically strip them of authority. Wierwille had to label them....tripped-out, copped-out or possessed. If leaders left with integrity intact, then they could take others with them. Leaders were NOT ALLOWED to simply exit twi.

Oh yes......it's one thing to read their air-brushed image of "biblical research" in twi's books, magazine, way disciple and corps promo literature, etc.... BUT.......it's quite ANOTHER thing to get a face-melting assault where the sole purpose is to intimidate and overthrow one's ability to objectively ascertain the situation at hand. The carrot or the stick Wierwille was able to modify and control others' thinking and behavior with the "carrot." He had organized an hierarchical system wherein one was motivated to get to the next rung of seniority spirititual maturity. Every class and program completed....one was accessing more seniority in the ranks and stronger probability of positioning. And, this positioning gave access to power-levers over others. Once corps/clergy grads had climbed all the rungs......wierwille had no control over them. Martindale found himself amongst many peers when he took the mantle of twi-presidency. And, from his athletic background.....the "stick" approach seemed to get the most results. Like many coaches, yelling was an accepted approach to "motivate your players." But then, martindale took this all to a whole new level....hyperventilating and froth....and this, disciples were told, was "spiritual anger to back the adversary down." But no matter the labels, and all..... 1) Behavior control 2) Thought control 3) Information control 4) Emotional control ....if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

Here is the whole article. I decided to bold-face some of it....to emphasize common ground in cults. Behavior control.......monitoring what you do and with who you associate Information control....monitoring what you read and criticizing all "worldly" information Thought control........monitoring your thought processes and short-circuiting critical thinking Emotional control......monitoring and downplaying all emotions of hurt, grief, anger, etc. check.....check.....check.....check

Twi harbors a culture of untoward secrecy. Hidden from public view, the secret world of wierwille had an inner circle of accomplices who whitewashed his sins. In this hidden culture were perks, payoffs, and privileges of power and control over others. Martindale, too, was intoxicated with this access to power and privilege. And now, Rivenbark controls the levers of power. Years ago, I predicted that she'd hold onto the presidency for as long as possible. Perhaps, another 10 years? Many hold the view that twi was/is considered a cult because of it's stance on the trinity or the dead are not alive now. Sheeesh. I never believed either of these two "twi doctrines" BEFORE taking the pfal class. That's not it. Isolation, coercion and untoward secrecy classify twi as a cult....a dark sinister world. Click Here

People were deceived.........happens all the time. Seems like wierwille had a propensity for "waving his sin" in full view and then, secretly, following thru on his lusts of the flesh. For example, he states in pfal that "all the women in the kingdom BELONG to the king".....and then, goes on to lure women into his motorcoach, an "entitlement" of his exalted position. Also, in pfal.....when wierwille is speaking of Paul and states, "I'd want to read it line by line and word for word BEFORE I'd call the great Apostle Paul a sex pervert." In other words....you'd better have absolute 100% proof before leveling such an allegation on Paul. And now, with wierwille dead and gone......there is undeniable evidence of many who suffered from his perverted ways and deviant behavior. Who would have ever thought that this "preacher" was a pervert? See, like a thief or murderer who prepares an alibi BEFORE the crime......wierwille laid a "spiritual alibi" right there in pfal so that he'd be the LAST ONE SUSPECTED of ever doing something like that. So,.....before, during and after.....the deception of perversion by wierwille was masterfully deceptive. Seems to me.......this depth of deceiving others comes from one source. And, it's NOT from the Lord Above.

Remember that cliche....."this word fits together with a mathematical exactness and scientific precision." Could it be that wierwille was setting the stage for The Right to Your Wallet with that statement? If A equals B and B equals C.....then A equals C. A) Those of you who sat thru pfal......wierwille claimed that you were taught "the word." B) In Malachi, believers bring tithes.......in Grace Adm. should a believer do less? C) Believers who know "the word" follow these commandments and tithe (or more) to twi. According to twi, no one else teaches the word. Therefore, NO ONE ELSE deserves your tithe. Therefore, TWI has a right to your wallet. When wierwille told corps-candidate martindale....."You can stay as long as your money holds out".....it seems like this mathmatical principle applied to all in twi.

I know......along with others, I too pointed this out to johniam. Interlaced within his posts, there is a pattern of this. Reminds me of sitting in some of those corps meetings with martindale......time and time again, he would throw in sex jokes or sexual innuendos or genitalia references while we were flipping to the next bible verse.

Knowles breathing........... Everytime I hear of knowles breathing.....I associate Mich@el Gud0rf as "the instructor" on these techniques and guru of the benefits. He was my roommate at hq.........and took LONG NAPS EVERYDAY. He now has his OWN leadership training...... Click Here

Okay........somebody's gotta say it. Healthy eating is one thing.....proper exercise is another... But there ain't nothing like....a colon cleanse.

Don't forget................wheatberries The breakfast of champions.

Twi's slogan in the mid-70s......"Life of the ministry is in the Twig" Am I remembering that correctly? It sounds so ludicrous now..... Put another way.........ministry's life = twig What about YOU? What about Jesus as lord?

Stay "tapped to the root".....was the twi-marketing slogan. God forbid that you decided, independently, to spend your week (or month) studying something from the scriptures that was intriguing you. You see....the mog was adept at knowing what all the followers needed from Maine to California. Even today.......the OFFshoots use the same ploy. Oh, the messaging might be less in-your-face, but the tactic is the same. The elitism is more subtle and hidden a couple of layers below. If you're not hearing THEIR teachings......you're missing out! A few weeks ago, I pointed out to an ex-twier that his group had the same elitism that twi had.....and, in backtracking, his response was "Christians should not forsake the fellowshipping with other Christians." Of course, the trinity issue and the "dead are dead" issue are the biggies for not just attending any church. And the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round......... Exit questions: 1) Why do ex-twiers get so adamant on the trinity.........and NOT adultery? 2) Does there need to be solidarity of like-mindedness to enjoy christian fellowship? 3) In listening to offshoot teaching tapes/cds......are you "tapped to the root?"

Or......really obfuscating. With one hand gesturing to the heavens for spiritual hallelujahs, the other hand was busy adjusting lapel pins and nametags and breath mint ediquette. In a world of mixed-messaging, the person in the pew is the obfuscating target. Or, in other words..... The proper pin protocol of personal presented paraphernalia was paradoxical in principle. While pretending to preach platitudes of pentecostal purity.....paranoia was pervasive. .

Yeah......but every corps guy worth his salt knew that proper pin protocol required constant vigilance in checking which way holy spirit dove was flying every so often.....and especially after hugging one of the ladies.

T-Bone......the wolf/sheep or black/white areas ARE too simplistic, I know. For many, there was alot of grey area.....lots of facilitating going on. Looking back, it just seems that wierwille's corps program and all-leaders-corps was bound to have a saturation point......"too many wolves feeding on the sheep." Now, I certainly don't think wierwille sat down and thought thru an endgame scenario, or anything. As the corps grads were sent out........the sheep scattered.

The Scriptures make reference to wolves and sheep. Here at GS.....many think wierwille was a "wolf in sheeps' clothing." When I read this quote below, it stirred several questions: 1) Was wierwille dividing twi into two classes?.........wolves and sheep 2) Even corps grads seemed divided into two classes?....wolves and sheep 3) The black (wolf) and white (sheep) ideology was growing every year in twi. 4) Why were agressive (wolf) leaders always promoted to the front of the pack? 5) Was there no "middle ground" in twi? Didn't veepee see this? 6) Jesus, the shepherd, guarded the sheep......wierwille fed the wolves. 7) Why should I care?..........

You remember the song, don't you? ...Six-foot three at his ankles high ...His feet on the ground, his head in the sky, ...Hey, Pauuuuuul, Hey Pauuuuuuul, ...Victor Paul Bunyan!

So, in full view......there is the HYPOCRISY of wierwille and twi. The roads THEY took were fine.....and propelled them to fortune and fame. And, now, these fine examples stand before you to teach you 'how to believe the promises of God.' See how the Lord opened doors before them......never mind that they did NOT go wow, or corps, or work on staff for 10 years. When these "respectable professionals" disappeared from twi.........silence.

With all the yarns and tall-tales of wierwille.....how about Paul Bunyan? Remember when vpw....with one swing of his axe cleared the Way Woods?

Sometimes, I think the easiest way to explain twi and its deceptive tactics......is to equate its patterns, trappings, seduction, and money/power to the movie The Firm. In the movie, Tom Cruise is a young, energetic lawyer who is targeted by a "little-known" law firm in Memphis. Full of excitement, he plunges into a corporate darkness where secrets lie behind every door. In "upholding" the law, he finds senior lawyers who are blurring issues, over-billing clients, smooshing with the mob, jetsetting to the Bahamas, wining and dining on the corporate account, etc.... As suspicion grows, the young lawyer is over-worked and out-played. The Firm (Way) sets a seductive trap for Tom when a young woman needs "help" on a beach. With these photos, the corporation will pressure and mold the young law grad into their system. As the conflict mounts, Tom and his wife discover that The Firm has intruded on their privacy at home. Even a senior law partner is hitting on the wife while the husband is away. Only by applying the law and documenting evidence....is Tom able to walk away from The Firm. What lies ahead for his career, he doesn't know......but he learned that evil can be dressed up in fine suits and a corporate image. Perhaps, my experience in The Way has some movie-equity in it. :)

In-breeding can do that to families........... ~~~~~~ But seriously......since none of my family got involved with twi, my brothers exemplify a life and lifestyle that stands as a testimony in contrast to my pfal/corps trajectory. While my siblings built their lives, education, careers, families, church and community involvements....I was moving from city to city to run pfal classes. And now, I find that Proverbs and other scriptures show the wisdom of THEIR faithfulness......not mine. I believe that God ordained the family unit as the bedrock of life, living, fulfillment, strength and prosperity. The scriptures speak of the faithful seeing blessings and grace to our childrens' children. Living simple truths and common sense goes a long way. Twi sent me "panhandling for gold in the hearts of men".....wasn't there a twi-song like that? Of course, all of these decisions were mine....at least, before the corps assignments. The longer one stays....the more ingrained the pattern to stay. Some have equated their twi tenure to..."institutionalized." Wierwille sold me on the all-or-nothing ideology.....you're either with twi or not! That's a perversion of the scriptures. I've found wonderful Christians who happen to be doctors. I know several Christian businessmen who look for ways to give to non-profit groups and help in their communities. Loving God and neighbor.....what a concept (gasp)! I found my way back home.....and to God. :)

Weeks before this incident......wierwille told some of us corps guys that his bodyguard was selected, because he wasn't intimidated by anything. Wierwille liked that. Perhaps, vp's last bodyguard was a suck-up or whatever? And, no.....he didn't talk back to wierwille that night. Yet, his actions stated clearly what he thought. He was NOT going to suck-up to wierwille and make amends for this mistake. In hush-hush tones, two staffers told me the next day that he was pi$$ed by wierwille's outburst....so he packed his bags, left late that night. I have no proof......but I was left with the impression that he gave twi the middle-finger as he drove away in anger. Never saw him again.

What about wierwille's teachings on...... .....the law of believing? .....the fear in that mother killed her kid? .....the word (pfal, etc) takes the place of the absent Christ? .....the word is the ministry and the ministry (twi) is the word? .....masturbation was the original sin? .....cancer is a devil spirit? Some of vp's plagairized work had truth in it. Some of vp's own work was flat-out private interpretation. Some of vp's sharings with corps were pornographic-related. C'mon J-man........pfal was only an appetizer at Hannibal's table.

Exactly!!!.......and those "Blart Cops" took their assignments so serious. Even at a stupid nightowl with wierwille.....vp's bodyguard walked around like one of us corps was going to tackle veepee to the ground. Sheeeesh. And, later as the fire was crackling, and the crickets were chirping in the way woods....and wierwille was giving his "aw, honey you just gotta believe the word".....the bodyguard's two-way radio broke the stillness. Somehow, the volume was too high....and wierwille was red-hot MAD. Wierwille lashed out at him and the public humiliation was ugly. And, this was a guy who stood his ground no matter who confronted him. He wouldn't take shi+ from anyone.....not even wierwille. The next day......this bodyguard was gone.

Yeah.....thanks T-Bone. One thing I know.......when I'm with my siblings and family nowadays, I enjoy every minute of it. We stay up late and relish the moments. Life is really good.....and I've always said that my "bucket list" is NOT to travel the world and see the sights. My bucket list is to enjoy my wife, my kids, my family and friends all the days of my life. And, I never use that stinkin' term......"earthly" family. Like....twi's "spiritual" family was so freakin' great.....(barf)