T-Bone

Thought all these needed to be here too - it all goes together quite well.

Thought this post goes together well with the other one.

Just thought I’d capture this particular post. It certainly says a lot about you.

Great stuff, MarkO - thanks!...and once again thanks to all...great thread!

Hint: Squirrels with sharp nuts have holes in their underwear.

Well darn you all to he11 then!

Another Spot, I'm glad you put them to good use. If you’re interested in accessorizing, I’m also getting rid of Halloween and Easter decorations. You could do like a Nightmare before the Christmas Bunny theme or something. It ought to be a real conversation starter when you’re mall witnessing anyway.

That was funny, Hamm…I don’t know who was nuttier – the guy who phrased his pesky squirrel problem in a theological context or the guy suggesting back to him he’s got a squirrel for a stalker…It wouldn’t be right for me to render an official judgment without hearing testimony from the squirrel first - so I’m going to have to go out on a limb here and dismiss the case entirely – on the grounds that it may have been a ground squirrel.

Belle, I hope this isn't too off topic - but MarkO – I have never been in the military but after leaving TWI I've often wondered about the military experience in comparison to heavy involvement with a cult – of which I'm very experienced. Leaving out the bizarre and religious aspects and considering just the tough, regimented, disciplinary, and at times demeaning, often military-like process of Corps training [and for that matter TWI as a whole]- I sometimes wonder about the effect that has on the person. I don't mean to insult you or any military personnel by even suggesting the military is in the same class [or even the same universe] as a cult. I pray for the military everyday and think there's a world of difference between the real military and dah crazy little "lawd's army" headquartered in New Knoxville. I know there's more to it [the real military that is] than the stereotype of "a lean mean fighting machine." I just know from a civilian's viewpoint – any current or former military folks I've worked around for the most part hit me as strong, capable, grounded people that don't seem to be as challenged with self-esteem/self-worth/decision-making issues like Belle talked about in her first post. I would be interested to hear from you and any other folks – thoughts on similarities AND differences of indoctrination, training, operation etc. between TWI and the military – in regards to our topic on the authentic self.

Here's a picture of 7 of 9; she was part of the Borg collective.

Wawhoo! Love it, Another Spot! That’s a great piece of [looks to make sure that yelling dude isn’t around] creative writing for sure!!!!

"We are Borg." Say, did you ever meet 7 of 9?

Path of delusion: In the beginning there's a false assumption…and the assumption becomes law…and the law becomes God. All things must be interpreted through the assumption. For it is by the assumption that delusion is free to reign.

You have a point there – TWI is a Mickey Mouse operation. Laying the plagiarism issue aside for the moment there's another matter that is very bothersome as well. VPW led everyone to believe many of these "ideas" presented in his works were actually from God teaching him the Word like it hasn't been known for centuries. Sure, that's a convenient way for folks enamored with his persona to skirt around VPW stealing other people's ideas – but the fact remains he was also a big LIAR…uhm…unless you fell for that God's audible voice/snow on the gas pumps business.

Do you have to have it do all that every time you want to take the car out for a spin? Well...that would be a handy back-up if the Garage Door Opener went on the fritz...Cool video - thanks, Paw !

Thanks all...Another Spot, watch your language around here! You used the word "creative" - - please oh please think before you speak - I don't want to hear this guy go on another rant...[now raising my voice] Oh and by the way, I'm getting rid of all my Christmas lights too, and turning in those rubber bands I took from the office. Full compliance here, sir, yes sir!

There's always been a law of some kind – written on the hearts of mankind by our Creator. Romans 2: 12-16 NIV 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. I'm just going by a directive of my Lord Jesus. Matthew 7:15-20 NIV 15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. It appears you have a problem with communication. Indicated by your frequent use of VPW's phrases. No offense, but it comes off as if there's a chimp [or TWI chump] randomly punching buttons on a VPW Quotation Machine - most of the time they don't make sense within the context of the discussion. It's difficult to take YOU seriously because your posts have an artificial quality about them – like they're not really YOU.

Students, pay attention now – this will be on the test. Your teacher is showing a key strategy to use whenever you find yourself in a jam – resort to name-calling.

WiseCracks 19:15-20 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize LCM , and I know about VPW [he kinda creeped me out though], but who are you?" 16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to all, both TWI and GSC, who lived on the Internet; and fear fell upon them all and the name of GSC was being magnified. 18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.19 And many of those who practiced chair setting brought their strings and tape measures together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it equivalent to Corps sponsorship for one person. 20 So the words of an idiot were growing mightily and prevailing.

That’s another great benefit of “filled to overflowing”.

Unfortunately I was…Your video clips activated a sleeper program…the only way Tonto could snap me out of it was by ripping the Corps name tag off my casually elegant shirt, getting me to recite “I break with thee, I break with thee, I break with thee,” as I snapped the green name tag in two. I celebrated my deliverance by exceeding the 2 drink limit.

Oh my, ladies – I’ve been reduced to a pile of heaving, sobbing blubber…I’m overwhelmed…so little time and so much to do…now I’m having to explain to Tonto why I’m feverishly straightening the dining room chairs, putting some breath mints by the armchair and going on a neighborhood scavenger hunt for a cornucopia. Geez, yah just can’t go broadcasting powerful seminars like that without thinking of the ramifications. Now, which one of you is going to teach tonight – I’m too busy setting up the living room and then I gotta go pick up some new people at the mall.

Good questions, Penguin. I think the way I organize stuff in my head - I focus on particular topics rather than particular books of the Bible. I can relate to ignoring the gospels while in TWI – I probably overcompensated by reading them like crazy after leaving. Some folks on this thread talked about the extreme dispensationalist viewpoint of VPW. That may be one way of seeing how God works in the Bible – I tend to shy away from any rigid format that could superimpose a foreign interpretation onto Scripture. I try to have a unified approach to understanding the Bible – the information I seek may be scattered all over the place. I also believe what God thinks is important for us to know – He makes very plain and simple. Like the man who asked Jesus which is the great commandment in the law [Matthew 22:35-40]. Jesus' answer, very simply was there's two: Love God and neighbor as you love yourself. I sometimes imagine He said the next part as if He was revealing a big secret "matter of fact, everything written in the law and the prophets depends on these two commandments." "Law" has been mentioned a lot on this thread. Some folks get all up in arms over "not being under the law." Our words need a little more specificity on this topic. Because of our Lord's work, we are under a new covenant – and are no longer bound to the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament. But the moral law as concisely expressed in the Ten Commandments and supremely summed up in Jesus' words to love God and neighbor have never been removed! As you will find them referred to even in the epistles [Romans 13:9,10; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8]. I was reading The Believer's Bible Commentary by William MacDonald on the Romans 15 passage – I thought Word Wolf's post # 30 handled it quite well – and think you may find this commentary helpful too: "15.1 The first thirteen verses of chapter 15 continue the subject of the previous chapter, dealing with matters of moral indifference. Tensions had arisen from Judaism and those from paganism, so Paul here pleads for harmonious relations between these Jewish and Gentile Christians. Those who are strong [that is, with full liberty regarding things that are morally indifferent] are not to please themselves by selfishly asserting their rights. Rather, they should treat their weak brothers with kindness and consideration, making full allowance for their excessive scruples. 15.2 Here the principle is this: don't live to please self! Live to please your neighbor, to do him good, to build him up. This is the Christian approach. 15.3 Christ has given us the example. He lived to please His Father, not Himself. He said, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on me" [Ps. 69:9]. This means that He was so completely taken up with God's honor that when men insulted God He took it as a personal insult to Himself. 15.4 This quotation from the Psalms reminds us that the OT Scriptures were written for our learning. While they were not written directly to us, they contain invaluable lessons for us. As we encounter problems, conflicts, tribulations, and troubles, the Scriptures teach us to be steadfast, and they impart comfort. Thus, instead of sinking under the waves, we are sustained by the hope that the Lord will see us through." End of excerpts

MarkO, that is one of the books I read in the first year of leaving TWI – that quote just hit me light a thunderbolt!...My wife also read it – uhm…since we’re into true confessions now – I’ve gotta tell yah about a picture I took. I came into the living room and noticed Tonto [pregnant at the time] sleeping on the couch with the book The Closing of the American Mind covering her face like a sleep mask. It took every ounce of discipline to not giggle as I snapped a picture of my beloved sleeping bookworm…In reality I’m usually the one who falls asleep reading – that’s my inside joke if you ever look at My Gallery – Tonto took one of me – I entitled it Sleeping or Reading. [The above incident has been approved for release by Tonto and is suitable for all ages.]

I’ve already confessed to a BIG mistake I made – and I’m not falling for that BS ever again: