skyrider

I, too, have sat with a few individuals and had THAT conversation and months later go back to twi. What happened? Oh, most likely a number of things really. For one thing, the person had been conditioned to the twi-commune style of living and found it strange and uncomfortable to make his own way. The twig gave him a sense of belonging and psychological comfort. Besides, wierwille's sins and shortcomings were none of his concern.....nor did he care to *connect the dots* of how this deception played out. Like water finding its own level, people seem to find their level of comfort and conformity. In the past 25 years, some of our twi 'friends' left and found a good church. Some 'friends' left and found a spouse, career, hobbies, and family. Some 'friends' went to a splinter group.......and many, later, exited it as well. Some simply left.......and we never heard from them again. From my experience, I have observed that the strong, independent types.....those who were aggressively minded to pursue goals, education, advancement, careers, etc.....were the ones who split from twi early and did NOT go back. Whereas, the dependent and low esteem types, they were the ones who had little life outside twi and therefore were willing to attend everything. And often, these 'dependent' ones had a set of issues that, in their mind, prevented them from advancing in society.

First of all, what is THERE to go back to? What can twi's headquarters offer today that could possible attract any of us who've 'been around the block a dozen times' on this same snake oil salesman routine? At least, in the 1970s there was: 1) Far less legalism and micro-management 2) Youthful zeal and young-blood-fun spontaneity 3) The wierwille mystique was still hidden then 4) Nazi corps were in their infant stage of growth 5) If you didn't like your twig, then go to another 6) Camping at roa was an adventure and reunion 7) Realities in life were still on back burner Most all of these "benefits" were pocketed from a youth experience.....nothing more. So, after say 30 years, what could possibly be twi's attraction TO ANYONE WHO HAS CONNECTED THE DOTS? From every angle or perspective, I just don't see any benefit to re-connecting with a distant 'headquarters' who pontificates how I should direct my life and choices. What could possibly entice me to kow-tow to their directives? Guilt.....Shame......A longing to 'belong?' What? To embrace nostalgia? Must be something in the 'sheep-mindset' of follow the one in front. Security and comfort in numbers for some, but only at the expense of twi's twisting of scriptures. I remember twi teaching that *neighbor* was to be viewed in terms of *your believer neighbor.* So, therefore.....yeah, be kind and loving to a fellow [cult] believer, but not to a regular neighbor next door. Every doctrinal teaching of twi was skewed to strengthen the fabric of twi's household and isolate their followers from ever integrating with neighbors, coworkers, society. If you ascribe to twi-doctrine......AND faithfully attend their home fellowships, AND take updated classes, AND tithe/abs 12-15% of your income, AND respect their protocols, AND exhibit no dissent, AND subscribe to their magazine and ideology, AND attend major events, AND refrain from personal gains in career, education, family, AND not veer from this path till death do you part......THEN you might be briefly acknowledged in the end by twi leadership. But then, my Bible speaks of refraining from ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL and wierwille sure walked hand-in-hand with plenty throughout his life. Martindale, Geer and Rivenbark, too. Thus, it makes no sense to disobey God and submit respect and obedience to these low-lifes. So, what's it going to be? A domestic sheep Or, Bighorn sheep :)

Twi's claims to exclusive 'Speaking The Word' copyrights were greatly exaggerated. Churches everywhere claim the same. Small churches, large churches and revivalists alike make this claim. Even Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson is contemplating leaving A&E so he can more freely SPEAK THE WORD. What wierwille claimed to do....hundreds upon hundreds, before and after, claim the same. Obviously, of course, twi's claim was the wierwille version. Whatever wierwille authored, or taught, or publicized.....THAT was 'the Word." See, the marketing behind the book or tape or magazine is CLAIM IT and PROCLAIM IT. PT Barnum knew this well. He claimed to present "The Greatest Show on Earth." Remember hearing wierwille boast of having the largest tent on twi-property at the roa? Yeah, I do too. With wierwille, BIG was better and BIGGEST was best. Perhaps, he didn't really get the message of the gospels. Perhaps, he didn't read the Gospel of John where accounts of Jesus ministering the Word ONE-ON-ONE is highlighted time and time again. Nor did he find any record of Jesus boasting of the thousands who'd gathered to hear him teach. To this day....I still believe most in twi have fallen prey to a cult of personality, the wierwille mystique. How many still hear THE VOICE OF WIERWILLE proclaiming to speak the word. Some of us, having sat in pfal classes 25-40 times.....etches the indoctrination deeply into the brain cells, doesn't it? Classes, teachings, tapes......we sat in that indoctrinational-meditation pose for years on end. Thus, some find profit in dismantling wierwille doctrine. Some see a need to stay away from the KJV altogether. Some jumped ship and found a 'lifesaver' splinter group Some tend to want to keep their distance from anything twi-ish. And....pursue career, goals, hobbies, interests. Maybe, the 'copyright' of truth is exclusively owned by the Lord Almighty. He, and He alone, will teach you and guide you in the pathway of Life.

That sums it up for me as well. When my wife and I exited twi, I had five or six R-Kive boxes of notes and syllabi. Detailed notes from teachings thru the years....advanced classes, word in business(es), adv. class specials, corps notes galore. When we were on those 'corps night phone hook-ups' one of the corps in our area could type as fast as martindale could talk and we had verbatim notes for those 3 years. Yeah.....I know. Crazy stuff like that. Chucked 'em all in the trash. Don't need 'em. Don't want 'em. Don't care. Nor do I care to hold in storage a bunch of stuff dismantling twi doctrine. IMO....if someone has a concern on this, then I simply believe the Lord will open their eyes when the simplicity of truth/Christ is spoken. Sure, there are those steeped in Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic jot and tittles that can't see the practical error in twi if their life depended on them.....but the Lord will find a way if they need an exit strategy. My focus is on the here and now. If my threads and posts help others....great. If not, then at least I'm endeavoring to expose twi's corruption and evil who may someday read GS. And, besides all that....you guys and gals make this a fun place to hang out. Good quips, good insight and laughs along the way. Who could ask for anything more?

Yeah.....fearful AND dependent. When youthful exuberance is coursing thru one's veins....independence, thrills, spontaneity, funny pranks, extreme sports, skydiving, etc. are staples of the free-spirited crowd. Others have never tasted such freedom and choose to travel the safe, dependent, comfort-zone, groupthink herding of the "institutionalized." Twi has long been known for the latter. Do-what-you're-told and all is well in twi-land. That's the message and its clearly repeated in their top-down organization. Even the newly-attendees of their home-lectureships quickly learn the rules of compliance. Pavlov's dog and conditioning comes to mind. Some dogs retreat to their little doggie cage when the owner is gone all day at work. Why? The dog finds "security" more compelling than romping thru the house and experiencing all its nooks and crannies and smells. Did the dog "decide to retreat" to his cage.....or was he conditioned by his owner to refrain from such independence?

Twi doctrine highly promotes its followers to COMPARTMENTALIZE. By separating into detached compartments [times, leaders, situations, etc] the follower is manipulated to NOT *connect the dots* of a series of evil. Hence, with Martindale gone.....see, it's all better now. Few ever step back and analyze the scriptural lists in Galatians and how it exemplifies twi. Wierwille purposefully pointed in pfal to denominational churches as broken cisterns. Wierwille pastored in the church setting for some 17 years [?] and then, with Leonard's class, broke away to start a class-based ministry. Obviously, wierwille wanted to taint the churches in black and his newfound "ministry" in bright colors. Hahaha... what a joke! Ever notice that ALL mogs start out *sweet and tender*......??? .....wierwille chumming with the youth and hippie-types at summer camps .....martindale having sit-downs with folk after the fog years .....rosalie and her "kind and gentle" org once lcm was ousted YET....behind the window-dressing, the same, calculated agenda of twi-servitude. Make NO mistake.....twi doesn't care about individuals and their needs. The twi-machinery is there to keep the trains running on time and money in coffers. The minute you ask a glaring question or show dissent, you are black-listed. Personally.....I would never go back in the FRAY.

excie.....this thread is an attempt to show that pfal was marketed with elements of deception and manipulation. Perhaps, it appears to be "too intellectual" .....but really, its just a turning of a phrase in today's culture to point out the obvious. IMO.....wierwille KNEW that his ever-changing, always-updating classes would be the *treadmills and stair-climbing* apparatuses to facilitate the "repeat-customer membership to his spiritual health gym." You want to stay involved and better yourself, don't you? Wierwille was deceptively replacing activity for accomplishment. Sure, call yourself a pfal grad.....fine. But when the wap class came out (martinfail's class).....another class fee, another rung on the ladder was needing to be climbed. Then, after lcm's ouster.....another update taught by the field corps in the interim of another update. Then, twi designated three sanctioned hq-teachers for the Rosalie-era plug-a-thon. And, that's just the FOUNDATIONAL class. If someone is, say, 58 years old.....and has already updated FOUR versions of the foundational class, HOW MANY MORE will they be expected to sit thru in their lifetime to remain "active in twi's book of life?" Imagine looking back at this ever-changing-moving-twisting-gyrating-contortion of "truth"......and REALIZE that it started with one itsy-bitsy hook: PFAL. If you like your pfal class, you can keep your pfal class. Period.

And further......wierwille's manipulation [and the WHOLE of twi] was 1)deception and 2)submission. Same trick, different day. Hasn't that been the SAME deception thru the ages? To not have other gods before the Lord God and not serve them. Sure, wierwille held his bible and spoke some of these truths, but IN PRACTICE he served the flesh in all its wretched 'glory'......food, drink, lusts, sex, possessions, etc. Then, in spite of it all.....vic wanted "his people" to stay isolated on the commune grounds and in the way homes. Refute your friends, family, parents, hometowns, all of it......YET, did wierwille do this? NO. He moved back to the WIERWILLE HOMESTEAD and relished in the wierwille heritage and bloodline. Wowsers! Does it get more blatant than that?

Yes....twi leaders ALWAYS try to get in the last parting stab with a twist of the knife. At the end of my confrontational exit, the region guy told me that martindale was thinking of requesting my next assignment as a member of the president's cabinet at hq. Ooooooh, the enticement to "sit with the big-wigs at hq." If twi can't manipulate you thru shaming and the probationary period, then they angle to entice you thru vanity. "Look at what you're going to miss?"

Your 2013 foundational class status will be invalid in less than 2 weeks. Be sure to check with your nearest corps for the 2014 Foundational Class. You want to make sure all spiritual plans are UPDATED to current regulations mandated by Twi Headquarters. No one will be exempted from this policy. New classes will give you full coverage of all the spiritual benefits that you're entitled to receive. We look forward to another 'abundant' year.

Yeah.....in our youth, many of us didn't quite know the essence of our true identity BUT some of us recognized we were being manipulated to places that we didn't want to go. The sociopath wierwille knew that he had to deceptively distort our desires and good intentions by pushing buttons of ego and pulling levers of peer pressure. Wierwille KNEW that he was socio-engineering a generation of way-bots to conform to twi-servitude. He was cunning, not stupid. Reminds me of that 1978 Ice Castles: Click Here In the movie, Alexis is a young, naïve skater from rural Iowa. She's quite good in smaller competitive venues, but wonders and dreams of bigger achievements. When that opportunity arrives.....her new coach begins to MANIPULATE everything from her looks to her ice skating style. Soon, Alexis realizes that she does NOT like what she's becoming......she wants out. In the end: young Alexis returns to her roots and true identity.

I couldn't agree more. When I visit my brother out west.....all it takes is getting on that John Deere tractor for about five minutes and its like I never left the farm.

Words matter. Oftentimes, here at GS, I reference twi's use of wayspeak, or buzzspeak, in my posts. Words are powerful little items in a cult's arsenal. Words have a way of attaching themselves to associations, ideology, groups, situations, etc..... and then, nestle into one's brain. Good or evil, these little words are powerful. Ho Ho Re-Lo is one such word-phrase that incites all kinds of imagery in my mind. It reminds me of my in-residence years at Emporia, KS and the drudgery of sitting cross-legged on the floor for hours when wierwille came to the campus. The buzzspeak behind it was......at Christmas break, the corps were given 12-14 days break from the corps program and many would re-locate to a different campus in January, hence Ho Ho Re-Lo. See, ain't that just so clever? And, that *clever* little wayspeak trickled down into way society to others who NEVER WERE CORPS. Did they not realize that the term had in-house nomenclature only to corps? Don't know. But there it was.....grafting itself into the WHOLE of twi. And, it was taboo to say 'Merry Christmas' because of the connotation involving Roman Catholics and it wasn't a mass for Christ. Besides, he [JC] wasn't born on that day anyways.....so just spout the generic 'Happy Holidays' and be done with it. Right? Wrong. Someone got the clever idea to add 'household' to make it MORE "accurate"......so, it evolved into Happy Household Holidays. SEE....words DO matter. Now, don't ya feel more spiritual, twi? {Sigh} So....its been a long journey in reclaiming my own identity. Me. What I believe. What I deem important. How I view the world around me. My family and our traditions. Our moments of memory-building. What we value. Why we sing....or don't sing. For many, its that time of year when THINGS THAT MATTER ARE EMBRACED....the love of a spouse, children, traditions, memories, etc. For some, its a very lonely and depressing time....and I attempt to keep this in mind, and pray accordingly. So, the words in cards, letters, greetings, around the table, and throughout the holiday season matter greatly. I hold dear those words that convey love, joy, peace and hope. Little words are the building blocks of relationships, of memories. They are the mortar that constructs our dearest of all possessions.....precious relationships. Make sure that, with loved ones, you 'spend these words' wisely. With these little words from the heart, I am reclaiming my identity. My soul is sovereign and I eschew things from a cult-foreign past. Enjoy the holidays and family. Keep it real....every word of it.

Never heard of that zany reality tv show. :B) To my mind, *spiritual maturity* is one of those fabricated terms that cannot be measured with specified accuracy. One person's judgment of "maturity" may vastly vary from another person's. Highly opinionated. Extremely varied. Ambiguity. It allows deception, partiality, favoritism, weighing the scales in someone else's favor, etc. "Spiritual maturity" is junk bible study; junk science. For someone who claimed to speak of "mathematical exactness with a scientific precision" formula......"spiritual maturity" is one of those terms that shows the DECEPTION of the wierwille scam. It is unbiblical. Whereas, the scriptures speak of life in seasons, harvest, fruit. At the end of a growing season.....one can harvest the fruit. Eat it. Store away excess grain for leaner years. Sell it. Fruit of the spirit has distinct elements and boundaries, as well.

And, to further speak of twi's mumbo-jumbo...... The Way Corps were NOT leaders......what a joke that was. Nor were corps solely class instructors.....too limited. I wouldn't classify them as merely followers either. Enablers? Maybe. Or, what about those military-disciplinary types? Ridiculous. How about disciples for the Lord? More absurd. Or, Nazi-corps as some said. Naw.....just a few zealots. Given that the corps were intermediaries to help with communication, rules, obstacles, class attendance, paperwork, screw-ups, major events etc. etc.....it seems to me that the new terminology of today's lexicon would apply: navigators. Nothing more.

Spiritual maturity......its another one of wierwille's crackpot terms that he inserted into his teachings and programs. Not only are students sent off on a *learning is an exciting adventure*.....but they are sent forth to wander aimlessly. If you like your pfffft class, you can keep your pfffft class. Period. Would it be too much trouble to just stick with scripture, twi? You know, things like.....*ye shall know them by their FRUIT* and indepth studying of each of the FRUITS of the spirit. With twi mumbo-jumbo.....few ever piece together a distinction or discernment of "spiritual maturity." Heck, I've seen wierwille rip twi-clergy up one side and down another for thinking that they'd *arrived* at this point. And, that's the dirty little secret.....the mogs are the ONLY ONES who hold the keys to this krazy-kingdom.

In twi's world, additional classes and updating classes is to ensure everyone reaches "spiritual maturity." From central command and control, twi's board of directors tasks the way corps with class-based initiatives. The Limb monthly report is a series of questions regarding class sign-ups and abs totals. Therefore, to remain obedient to these directives......way corps monitor every active follower in their area. The #5 Corps Principle is Go forth as leaders and workers in areas of concern, interest, and need. So, a class-based ministry that sets its mission of *spiritual maturity* based on progressing thru the steps....er, classes deemed essential by upper command.....is there any wonder that monitoring and micro-managing is involved? Where is the summit of this *spiritual maturity* one might ask? That, my friend, twi will never say......BECAUSE it would unmask the step-climbing-up-a-DOWN-ESCALATOR saga. You really aren't getting anywhere....except tired. Updating classes keeps the masses involved, and moving....BUT it's the ABUNDANT SHARING from each and every follower that greases the twi-machinery. It keeps the staffers at their desks. And, it keeps the doors open at their auditorium each week. And, it allows Rosalie and Donna to go on those secret shopping sprees. Authoritarians love to centralize control. While the masses grovel to survive in an oppressive system, the elites wine-and-dine in luxury and jet off to islands for vacation.

Thank you for your patience as we transition into this newly-improved ministry. Here, at Headquarters, we've instructed our way corps on the new classes, upgrades and policies that will assist you in navigating the various components of the spiritual upgrades available to all. At present, our website is not properly outfitted to assist you, but our staff will be manning the phone lines and order forms will be in your local areas via corps leadership. Know this....we are confident that you will find these new classes a vast improvement for your spiritual growth and maturity. For years, the broken system of uncommitted followers has been vastly insufficient. Left unsupervised and, largely independent, twig coordinators were unaccountable and uncovered with regards to disciplined growth and service around the country. We need to tighten "the ship" and make sure everyone is on board. It is our goal that everyone contributes, and dutifully is monitored, to move our ministry forward. Central planning and conformity will enable us to move as one unit. More to follow. Signed: Twi's Board of Directors .

If you like your pfal plan, you can keep your pfal plan. Period. For those of you who liked your pfal plan.....an absent Christ, red-drapes believing, needs and wants parallel, vpw's stories, etc......you can keep it. No one is going to take that away from you. We have said all along, that for those folk who like pfal.....you can keep it. But if new mandates are upgraded, such as the corps indoctrination training......then upgrades will be imposed. For instance, OBEDIENCE TO CORPS LEADERSHIP trumphs the pfal plan that *God will tell you first.* Therefore, you are required to submit....or a probation penalty will be proclaimed. If you resist, then twi will take the necessary steps to mark/avoid you. Thankfully, wierwille never addressed the sin of adultery in this age of Grace.....so there is no need to grandfather or un-grandfather his position on that. The sin of omission does not apply. The initial fee of enrollment is $85. But in subsequent years, tithes and offerings of your yearly income will be assessed at no less than 15% abundant sharing. For those who embrace the pfal claims of *free-will giving, not begrudgingly*......compliance to updates is mandatory. Old Testament scripture backs our position. Any new updates to your spiritual plan will be forthcoming thru your nearest corps leadership. You are responsible for compliance and any and all resistance will be met with the full-force of twi-justice. Signed: Twi's Board of Directors

And....taking it a step further, **How do you isolate people from mainstream society and expect them to LEAD and REDIRECT the masses?** Everything coming out of twi has connotations of power--impact--prevail.....so one can't just meld with the masses or, seemingly, go along to get along. NO. A THOUSAND TIMES, NO.....or else, twi's teachings are just syrupy sermons. Yet, the dominant twi-leadership will hardly allow little johnnie to go outside and play. He's learned to be a recluse....just like "his parents."

And....another way to look at this might be how *this aspect of culture* impacts neighborhoods, communities, boroughs, localities, states, regions, or the nation. Twi's cult-sure was a commune. Heck.....twi bastardized Christmas carols to try and seem relevant, yet different from the church community.

The twi *experiment* was a flashpoint in time where needful elements burst on the scene at precisely the right time. 1) On the outer waves of the Jesus Movement 2) A film class in late 1967 ready for market 3) Plagiarized material from godly sources 4) Tapping youth ministers and youthful zeal 5) Friends bringing other friends on board 6) Love, fun, sex, drugs --- no condemnation 7) Mystique and hidden knowledge fed curiosity 8) No internet -- to help expose fraud

Last night, I attended a Yuletide Celebration at the downtown theatre and symphony orchestra. With a singing legacy as host, the presentation came in waves of entertainment for the entire family as singers, dancers and story-lines of Christmas joy filled the stage. The songs and dance gave a special tribute to music.....from Motown to California to Italy, the celebration of music in a snap-shot of cultures. With special guests - the four great-grandchildren of Captain and Maria von Trapp from The Sound of Music fame beautifully told the story how music has thrived and evolved in cultures the world over. Now, contrast this with twi's auditorium. In their auditorium BUILT to "impact culture," the emcee comes forward with his little duties. And week after week, the Singing Ladies of the Way sway and smile to the rigid conformity of wayspeak. Some prayers, songs, manifestations, and horns of plenty passed......the appointed reader, umm, "teacher" steps to the podium and basically reads the approved-message to the audience. This tape is then sent around the country [and world?] as twi's prevailing word of the week. Where did that grandeur vision of "Word in Culture" go? How many churches have an orchestra pit? Or, a balcony-viewpoint for a bland sermon? Of which, most of the time the balcony is sectioned off so that attendance will somewhat-fill the main section near the stage. But hey, some churches peak in attendance while others die on the vine.....it's been happening for a long, long time. The absurdity of twi is maintaining their arrogance in this charade. And further......that former followers, of decades past, STILL claim the grandeur and impact of this little known cult in the cornfields of southwestern Ohio.

I love it when johniam keeps adding to our discussions. His quantum leaps of logic bode well for the cult indoctrination that lingers decades after one leaves the organization. Thanks, John......I so appreciate the stark contrast of twi-mysticism with the gospel of good news.