shortfuse

I've never heard of The Way helping any individuals financially. The argument was always that if you do something for one person you have to do it for everyone. Since we are not prepared to do it for everyone, we'll do it for no one. I have helped people out of my own pocket, and have been tempted to set up a side fund just for helping local people but never did. Any giving to help individuals was always between the individuals and not a ministry sanctioned deal. That said, TWI has contributed to the Red Cross on occasion, namely after a few significant disasters. Also they contributed a bunch of equipment to community organizations after they stopped doing the ROA. These seemed to be with the motive of engendering good will in the community.

Honestly for several years before I left, I prayed for death. Often. It just seemed like a much easier way out of the trap of The Way. I didn't fear dying from leaving. I feared living through it. At some point, I don't recall when, it occurred to me how ridiculous that was to feel that way. I realized there was nothing they could truly do to hurt me, and that my freedom was more important to me than anything else, even family. It took a few years to sort out, but I am happily out of that mess now.

Reading that post was like looking into the face of God, and him saying, "You are my beautiful child." Well played.

I have assumed the same thing. However, apparently it's not the legal department keeping this policy in place. It's Rosalie. LOTS of currently leadership including several region coordinators, presidents cabinet and others are not on board with this policy. And yet it persists. It's seems to be just about control. To make the change now would be akin to admitting error, and they never do that for fear of weakening their position. I agree some of the Corps and Advanced class grads have adopted their own "don't ask, don't tell" policy on debt. They figure it's none of their business in the first place and as such don't view it as being deceptive not to volunteer this information.

Mmm, good verse. Thanks for that thought.

Way Leadership Still Douche Bags That is all. Good night.

There's no one issue or event. Perhaps sometime I will put it in a "my story" post.

Sadly I think this is really true.

It has taken me years to extricate myself from The Way, but I have finally done it. I am starting to realize that I am a little more fdup than I would really like to admit, and I have a long recovery ahead.

And Will Rogers

Debt Free Trapped inside a thorny tangle of thoughts Your conscience is a weapon turned against you Your own moral strength used to restrain you Struggling to break free with reason but sinking deeper, Mistakenly you believed that this evil was reasonable Let me be clear, YOU OWE THEM No explanation You have no obligation Except to yourself

I know, "WTF", right? Just venting - out into the universe/cyberspace. It is the "open" forum.

Accosted with adjectives and adverbs You Cripple me with Clichés Oblivious to the Thesaurus Abuse You use, so Prevailing and Abundant No, Annoying and Redundant And stagnating and dead inside and smiling as if you really had life and a light to guide, but you're empty it’s plain to see, you're empty out of ideas, you keep “renewing your mind” Rehashing the line, tell yourself that s h i t one more time And then another, don’t stop or even breathe long enough to think You’re never too far from the brink You think you play it safe But what you do abnegate yourself by denying your nature It’s not sin that’s within, you were meant to be free, Not spoon fed, second hand, third hand gruel Show the world you’re not a fool and make your own choice The voice in your head it’s not Satan tempting you It’s the voice of reason, and the lies you tell yourself are poison.

nevermind

Suppose you were actually a literal bag of douche. Would it still be a personal attack to say, "Oldiesman is a douche bag" or just a statement of fact? Hypothetically speaking.

You could give them TWI's name and number, but nothing would happen. This is nothing but grandstanding politicians. The targets chosen are selected based on public name recognition. I am in favor of financial transparency to church members, but keep the government out of regulating the church. I realize this separation of church and state has made it difficult to prosecute some wrong doings in TWI and else where, but the alternative is not better. You do not want the government running your church. Let these grandstanders clean up their own sphere and crack down on inappropriate spending by politicians.

I imagine LCM would say a "spirit of error".

Good question. I only recall it being in a general sense.

A few things I remember on this: He talked about the evil effects of the internet after the Columbine tragedy. Something about how it was enabling disturbed little nerds to access to information on weapons, ammunition, and so forth. Regarding the ministry and all the criticism on the internet, he referenced Acts 28:22. "But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against." Everywhere Paul's ministry was spoken against - so we must be in good company! He rather famously "Marked and Avoided" anti-ministry websites. Another time I heard him remark that the stuff on the Internet was either "not true or it's none of your business".

Nametags, we all know what an important status symbol these could be. Does anyone know when all that goodness started? I remember hearing about it being a part of Summer School at HQ in the early 70's (it was your ticket into the dining room, I've heard) and probably from the get go with the Corps. Does it have any earlier roots than that at TWI? And on a broader note, WTF with nametags anyways? Sure I can see value at an event where people don't know each others name, but isn't it just a little cultish to be so obsessed with them in general? Mommons rock 'em, Wayfers rock 'em, (hmmm, wonder if scientologists are into 'em...). What the big dealyo with nametags? P.S. I'm not saying they're not awesome - they are. I'm just sayin.

Remarkably, people seem pretty excited about it.

No new leader. There was some speculation that a new prez might be announced at the anniversary... There was a discussion about the possiblity of B. M0ynihan being this new leader and then some discussion of how much some folks here dislike his folks. I think there will be some changes coming, but I would project that to be about 5 years out, and it won't involve BM, imo. makes for lively discussion though. Peace, sF

It's not really important to discover the origins of the specific doctrines right now. I was thinking more along the lines of whether there was a transition point where VPW began to embrace all these things for the sake of being different. Never heard that orgy bit before. Did D00p approve of that position? WW, exactly what I was getting at. Right, the scarcity principle. People still hanging around the Way because the think they won't be able to find this teaching, this "rightly divided Word" anywhere else. In some ways they are right.

Machismo, eh? He should have went with that. The Machismo Bible would have sold some units.