T-Bone

I remember the time in high school when some bullies wanted to make me the laughingstock of my class. Fortunately, it was out of stock.

Subvert and pervert I saw this vintage ad recently – and it brought back a sad memory. Living in an apartment back in the early 80s, I remember meeting a neighbor who would put Dr. Pepper in her baby’s bottle. We had moved – and then about a year later my wife ran into her at a supermarket. She mentioned her baby had to have esophagus surgery. I took PFAL in 1974 - being young and naïve, I figured what’s the harm in taking a class on the Bible – it’s just about the Good Book, right?

The absent Christ doctrine is another of wierwille’s switcheroos…think about it – wierwille declared “The Word takes the place of the absent Christ”. Now any PFAL grad worth their salt knows “The Word” really means “the rightly-divided Word as taught by wierwille”. Thus for all practical purposes “The Word”…PFAL… “the rightly-divided Word as taught by wierwille” replaces the supremacy of Christ. Essentially this switcheroo enabled a sneaky pseudo-Christian cult-leader like wierwille to lord it over us! wierwille used, abused, violated, subverted, and perverted cult-followers – and he did all that in the name of Christ! In my opinion that’s a high-octane mind-fvck because if you question, challenge or reject wierwille’s twisted interpretation of the Bible – according to TWI-groupthink you are really questioning, challenging or rejecting Christ – since wierwille’s “The Word takes the place of the absent Christ”…To which I can confidently say now ( after being out of the cult’s clutches for some 36 years ) bull$hit! Let me spring a color-coded synchronicity “commentary” on you… the colors are just my opinion…the synchronicity aspect has to do with me being a former cult-follower and finding certain passages significantly relevant to my experiences in TWI…others my not see the connection…it’s just a walk people . Soooooooooo… bold blue Bible verses below are from BibleGateway website. I marked the phrases in bold red that I think are pertinent to call out some of the deceptive-ideology-swapping perpetrated by pseudo-Christian cult-leaders like wierwille with their pontificating-packed classes of Biblical sounding rubbish, manipulative tactics and exploitative tendencies. I marked the phrases in bold green that I think reflect how God AND Christ are NOT absent in a Christ-centered life…if I was a web-evangelist prone to hype I’d say “my people, we are spiritually loaded for bear !”…but me being the Grease Spotter that I am – let me just say we don’t need any of their stinking classes. …sooooooo keep it simple – remember bold red is bad – detrimental…what harmful and controlling cults do. bold green is good – i.e., beneficial…what God/Christ do. this is the color-coded part of the commentary - believe me I don’t have high hopes to compete with Bullinger…although I have imagined T-Bone’s Companion to Grease Spot Café - - which is actually a strong cup of Irish Coffee…oh - were you assuming it’s a book? Ha gotcha – the old T-Bone switcheroo! anyway here goes…from Colossians 1 & 2: 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. 24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. Colossians 1: 9-29 NIV I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self-ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Colossians 2 NIV

they always come up short

Following up on one point in my post above - eschatology or end times – I wanted to share something from a book by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird on the history of the interpretation of the book of Revelation which …reveals something of the open nature of the book…many have seen it as offering a timetable, a road map towards the ‘end times. From as early as the second century there have been a steady stream of ‘millennialist’ interpreters who saw the book as prophesying a concrete ‘new world’ very like the present one, only with evil, sin, and death banished…On the other hand, there have always been interpreters who have understood the book to be figurative, symbolic, and thus inviting allegorical interpretation… …Four major approaches to the interpretation of the book of Revelation have emerged over the years… First, there are preterist perspectives. These look for the specific fulfilment of the prophecies of the book in actual events that have now already happened…This view certainly appears to make Revelation relevant to the immediate circumstances of its earlier readers, but it appears to make it much less relevant to subsequent generations, including our own… Second, there are historicist approaches. By this scholars have meant that Revelation was predicting the entire course of subsequent world history, including things like the rise of the Goths, the Arabs, the Mongols, the medieval papacy, Napoleon, Hitler, and the Soviet Union. This has the opposite problem to the preterist interpretation: instead of the book being relevant to early readers but to nobody else, these readings make it sporadically relevant from time to time in subsequent history while making it hard to see what its first readers were supposed to think of it… Third, there are futurists perspectives. This is like the ‘historicist’ reading, with Revelation predicting long-range future events, except that the ‘history’ in question only begins in what, for us, is the ‘modern’ period. Revelation is thus seen as primarily predicting distant future events… and they treat …the visions of Revelation 6 – 19 as literal and linear series of events, complete with the ‘rapture’, the ‘tribulation’, and the ‘millennium that is to take place on the eve of the world’s end. The problem here is that interpreters fail to grasp the rhetorical and symbolic nature of apocalyptic discourse, and frequently display a highly parochial and provincial interpretative strategy, supposing that world history is all about themselves. Fourth, there are idealist interpretations. These regard Revelation as a multilayered symbolic portrayal of the conflict taking place between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world in the time between the victory of Jesus on the cross and his final return. This generalized account leaves room for various kinds of allegorical and symbolic understandings of the theological, spiritual, and political realities of the whole period. What can be lost with this approach, however, is the sense of imminence. John insists that he is talking about things that will happen ‘soon’. The best course seems to be an eclectic approach to the interpretation of Revelation. We must insist that the book would have been highly relevant to its first readers (who lived in a culture where this kind of book was much better known than it has been in the modern period)… John the Seer’s apocalypse is designed to be highly affective, not just by stirring the emotions, but in challenging and reshaping the audience’s imagination. The book is designed to inspire its readers to reaffirm their allegiance to God and his Messiah, and in that light praise the faithful, shame the wicked, and steel the resolve of the churches to resist the monstrous and idolatrous Roman power. Joh intends to call out lukewarm faith and acculturation, and above all to urge his hearers to persevere in the faith despite suffering. End of excerpts From page 825ff of The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird ~ ~ ~ ~ The book of Revelation is one of my favorite books of the Bible – but I certainly don’t consider myself an expert on it – or an expert on end times or prophesy. Being a Bible study bug, I like to have an openminded approach – kind of like the eclectic approach Wright and Bird mentioned…most commentaries I’ve read will take primarily one of the four approaches mentioned above. I’ve read commentaries using the futurist approach that imply nukes and other modern technology may be alluded to in Revelation…which – if there’s something to that – it makes me wonder how these images, ideas and situations were conveyed to the author. Was he taken up to another dimension – where time and space are irrelevant? Was he given a time-travel-trip to the future – and actually saw this stuff first hand? Did the Holy Spirit provide something along the lines of remote viewing ? I’m thinking it would have been like watching something in the far-off reaches of time and space. Was it fantastic and bizarre images presented in a vision? Like in Daniel 2 . I tend to think like one of those worst-case scenario planners - - now combine that mindset with studying the book of Revelation. Where am I going with this? Well… Do you remember where you were when 9/11 happened? Do you remember any thoughts or first impressions when you heard the breaking news? My wife and I were on vacation in a cabin at Big Sur, California – our kids were back home. There was no TV in our cabin – so we went to the main lodge for breakfast and when we walked in everyone was glued to the TV. At first I thought it was about some local heavy rains and landslides – I asked someone “what’s this?” and this guy turns around to me and says “they just took out the world trade center” . I think I was in shock – and somewhere in the mess of emotions and confusion I do remember thinking I must have missed some of the other prophetic signs – because this was obviously the beginning of the end. North American civil aviation was shut down for two days after the attacks. Even though our return flight was a week away – I figured I was in no mood to get back on a plane any time soon – so we drove the rental car all the way back to Texas…funny how some beliefs get you to do some crazy things…About a couple of years later - in my saner moments – the thought would occur to me what if things continue like this for thousands and thousands of years. by the way, this topic has been discussed before on Grease Spot Café - here . I think a subtext of this thread might be taking note of the practical impact of doctrine and beliefs. That was the point in sharing about my reaction to 9/11...and also at the beginning of this thread, I noticed anti-Trinity rants tend to polarize and galvanize folks to take a side – and that sideshow trivialized the deeper discussion of the Trinity being an asset or a liability. Maybe things could have been diffused if we didn’t use the term “Trinity” - but went for something too prolix and discursive - like – “do you think it would help your faith to have a deeper understanding of how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit work together?”

Maybe I’m old-fashioned – but I just think pubic schools SHOULD be private.

That’s an interesting thought, Mark! And that makes me think of the tension, overlap and unknowns I find in several of my favorite subjects: philosophy , religious philosophy and philosophy of religion . We know that the word philosophy is from Greek and means “love of wisdom”. In my opinion they all examine fundamental questions – but the big difference as I understand it is that “regular” philosophy relies on human knowledge – whereas when you add religion in the mix – one is also relying on or being strongly influenced by the help of God, some higher power, some absolute principle or adopted tenets – whatever – which always looms large in the background…there’s lots of variations depending on traditions, culture, shared values, sacred texts, etc., of the particular religion. Some interesting hyperlinks on religions and sacred texts: Quora – what relationship does philosophy have with religion? Quora – why do religions have holy books? Belief Net com: the Holy Books of world religions World Atlas com: sacred texts of major world religions

It was Bartholomew’s first Talons Show but he was fairly confident he nailed it.

As SNL’s Stefon would say yes yes yes yes yes ! On page 5 of Power For Abundant Living book , in chapter one, The Fountain of Living Waters wierwille said: The first and most basic key for power for abundant living is that the Bible is the revealed Word and Will of God. This key is the greatest secret in the world today. It is a secret not because God is keeping it to Himself; it is a secret because people have not believed. Most people do not believe that the Bible is the revealed Word and Will of God. End of excerpts ~ ~ ~ ~ As many others on Grease Spot Café have pointed out wierwille’s definition of abundant living was mostly concerned with having much more material abundance so as not to be outdone by unbelievers…so I won’t get into that aspect in my post – but in re-reading and thinking about Twinky’s post, I was roused into a deeper understanding of wierwille’s hypocrisy. wierwille had so many blatant sanctimonious-isms it’s not even funny – but I’ll get into that shortly. First let’s look at his use of the logical fallacy of exaggeration – a fav among con artists: 1. Falsehood: The Bible being the Word and Will of God is secret information: The Bible (from Koine Greek τὰ βιβλία, tà biblía, 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthology—a compilation of texts of a variety of forms—originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. These texts include instructions, stories, poetry, and prophecies, among other genres. The collection of materials that are accepted as part of the Bible by a particular religious tradition or community is called a biblical canon. Believers in the Bible generally consider it to be a product of divine inspiration, while understanding what that means and interpreting the text in differing, various ways. From Wiki - the Bible How could wierwille claim “the Bible is the revealed Word and Will of God… is the greatest secret in the world today…because people have not believed” ? I guess “Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions” that hold the Bible as their sacred text don’t count…If any would care to knit pick any flaws in my line of thinking - be my guest - but be aware you’ll get into other untenable arguments over the supposed superiority of wierwille’s theory of divine inspiration, understanding what that means and interpreting the text in his own twisted self-promoting way. In simple terms – any person or group who - sees the Bible as religiously and intellectually significant…because… It provides insight into its time and into the composition of the texts, and it represents an important step in the development of thought. It is used in communal worship, recited, and memorized, provides personal guidance, a basis for counseling, church doctrine, religious culture (teaching, hymns and worship), and ethical standards ( Also from Wiki - the Bible ) is by all definitions a believer ! I mean, any person or group who venerates the Bible as holy, worthy of one’s utmost respect and recognizes it is connected to God and uses it in dedicated religious ceremonies, rituals, and counseling certainly believes it – or at least they’re going through the motions of a believer…Unless they’re a hypocrite…which brings me to point # 2. 2. Hypocrisy: wierwille claiming BUT NOT CONFORMING to The Bible as the Word and Will of God: As Twinky mentioned the word is all about ACTIONS. Love God and show it by doing things. Being kind to people. Being giving, being kind and compassionate. Forgiving one another. Looking out for the needs of others, and selflessly tending those needs. Certainly, the public persona of wierwille was that he was THE man of God – the ideal believer – a humble servant of God selflessly and tirelessly giving all his time and energy to teach “The Word” aka PFAL until the day he died. Let me clue you in to the greatest secret in Way-world. How do you hide a sexual predator, pathological liar and thieving weasel in plain sight? How did his reprehensible behavior remain unseen despite being surrounded by devoted followers – like the way corps? Speaking for myself - the only way I can explain it is the power of the wierwille-colored-glasses – I had favorably disposed opinions in the way I looked at wierwille. You may ask “Hey, T-Bone where can I get a pair of those wierwille-colored-glasses?” Again, deferring to SNL’s Stefon “Say no more. If you’re looking for a harmful and controlling cult – look no further. The Way International’s most potent Kool-Aid is PFAL. It’s got everything – magical thinking, pseudo-intellectualism, fundamentalism, spiritualism, Gnosticism and tying it altogether is wierwille’s signature intuition.” * * * Warning * * * PFAL can be habit forming – especially since TWI-leadership pushes folks to take the class over and over and over and over again – ad infinitum…well, at least until they're marked and avoided ( reasons may vary ), trip out, cop out, rust out or they out-and-out lose the will to believe to keep on living (that’s according to wierwille’s folklore anyway ). How did I not see this charlatan for what he was? I didn’t notice the double standard. He was one heavily concealed hypocrite under the cloak of respectability – he was a law-giver, the Head Pharisee, blind-leader-of-the-blind-voracious-wolf-diseased-tree-extraordinaire! ( for references see here - here - here and here ). Odd, isn’t it? He pushed the Word of God was the Will of God. Doesn’t the Bible have lots of verses that say lying and stealing is a no-no? Yet – he was an unabashed plagiarist. ( for references see here - here - here and here ). Odd, isn’t it? He said the Word of God means what it says and says what it means. Doesn’t the Bible have lots of verses that condemn adultery and sexual immorality (like here - here - here - here and here ) . Yet he was a sexual predator hidden in plain sight – see here and here . ~ ~ ~ ~ The first and most basic key that provides an understanding to how wierwille got away with being a ginormous hypocrite is comprehending how a pontificating-two-faced-pathological liar-thieving weasel-sexual predator can be hidden in plain sight. This key is the greatest secret in Way-world today. It is a secret not because God is keeping it a secret. It is a secret because people believe the bull$hit shoved down their throats in PFAL and in the new and improved and yet totally regurgitated PFAL Today class…it will continue to remain a secret as long as TWI-leadership pushes folks to take these bull$hit classes over and over and over and over again – ad infinitum…well, at least until they’re marked and avoided ( reasons may vary ), trip out, cop out, rust out or they out-and-out lose the will to believe to keep on living (that’s according to wierwille’s folklore anyway ).

The previous posts got me thinking of the juxtaposition of Genesis and Revelation…found an interesting comparison chart: Genesis And Revelation Comparison Chart Genesis Revelation 1. Genesis, the book of beginning. 1. Apocalypse, the book of the end. 2. The Earth created (1:1). 2. The Earth passes away (21:1). 3. Satan’s first rebellion. 3. Satan’s final rebellion (20:3,7-10). 4. Sun, Moon, and Stars, for Earth’s government (1:14-16). 4. Sun, Moon, and Stars, connected with Earth’s Judgment (6:13, 8:12, 16:8). 5. Sun to govern the day (1:16). 5. No need of the Sun (21:23). 6. Darkness called night (1:5). 6. “No night there” (22:5). 7. Waters called seas (1:10). 7. “No more seas” (21:1). 8. A river for Earth’s blessing (2:10-14). 8. A river for the new Earth (22:1,2). 9. Man in God’s image (1:26). 9. Man headed by one in Satan’s image (13). 10. Entrance of sin (3). 10. Development and end of sin (21:22). 11. Curse pronounced (3:14,17). 11. “No more curse” (22:3). 12. Death entered (3:19). 12. “No more death” (21:4). 13. Cherubim, first mentioned in connection with man (3:24). 13. Cherubim, finally mentioned in connection with man (4:6). 14. Man driven out from Eden (3:24). 14. Man restored (22). 15. Tree of life guarded (3:24). 15. “Right to the Tree of Life” (22:14). 16. Sorrow and suffering enter (3:17). 16. No more sorrow (21:4). 17. Man’s religion, art and science, resorted to for enjoyment, apart from God (4). 17. Man’s religion, luxury, art and science, in their full glory, judged and destroyed by God (18). 18. Nimrod, a great rebel and King, and hidden Anti-God, the founder of Babylon (10:8,9). 18. The Beast, the great rebel, a King manifested Anti-God, the reviver of Babylon (13:18). 19. A flood from God to destroy an evil generation (6-9). 19. A flood from Satan to destroy an elect generation (12). 20. The Bow, the token of God’s covenant with the Earth (9:13,14,16). 20. The Bow, betokening God’s remembrance of His covenant with the Earth (4:3, 10:1). 21. Sodom and Egypt, the place of corruption and temptation (10:19). 21. Sodom and Egypt again: spiritually representing Jerusalem (11:8). 22. A confederacy against Abraham’s people overthrown (14). 22. A confederacy against Abraham’s seed overthrown (12). 23. Marriage of first Adam (2:18-23). 23. Marriage of last Adam (19). 24. A bride sought for Abraham’s son (Isaac) and found (24). 24. A bride made ready and brought to Abraham’s Son (19:9). See Matthew 1:1. 25. Two angels acting for God on behalf of His people (19). 25. Two witnesses acting for God on behalf of His people (11). 26. A promised seed to possess the gate of his enemies (22:17). 26. The promised seed coming into possession (11:18). 27. Man’s dominion ceased and Satan’s begun (3:24). 27. Satan’s dominion ended and Man’s restored (22). 28. The old serpent causing sin, suffering and death (3:1). 28. The old serpent bound for 1000 years (20:1-3). 29. The doom of the old serpent pronounced (3:15). 29. The doom on the old serpent executed (20:10). 30. Sun, Moon, and Stars, associated with Israel (37:9). 30. Sun, Moon, and Stars, associated again with Israel (12). Courtesy of Grace School of the Bible This chart copied from: http://www.shorewoodbiblechurch.org/ from: Saved by Grace com: Genesis and Revelation comparison chart ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ and in related charts

Our Twig coordinator announced she’s been checking out the forbidden website Grease Spot Café for months – but said we’ll have to wait until next week for her to share about it. Talk about a real cliffhanger.

one man’s trash is another offshoot’s Twig

Imagine if you were the last Twig on the Way Tree

And like a boomerang fits in a gloved hand, we come back to the book of Revelation: The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water — the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. Revelation 8: 8-11

Little known fact – there were only three vehicles at the first Rock

Officer Holmes was surprised to see that Doctor Jack Griffin – though invisible – did have the proper government issue photo ID

Here’s another thing that shoots holes in the timeframe of the gap theory coinciding with Satan’s rebellion - How is it that sometime in the future an angel with a great chain will have no problem seizing the devil, binding him and throwing him in the Abyss for a thousand years…but I’m supposed to believe that God Almighty or this angel of Rev. 20:1 ...or any angel…or the Logos (who was in the beginning…or rather even before the beginning since John 1: 1 & ff is obviously alluding to Genesis 1) could not stop Satan from devastating the “original” cosmos of Genesis 1:1? And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. Revelation 20: 1-3

Not worth the effort for me to dig out my PFAL books – but if memory serves me well – wierwille addressed “the time gap” between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 in PFAL, in which he said you could have as much time as you need in the gap – to allow for the earth being really really really old and where dinosaurs would fit in. Below I’ve quoted from one source that attributes Arthur C. Custance with being one of the biggest proponents of the gap theory…Oddly enough there were several of Custance’s books in the Rome City campus library…hmmmm a coincidence or the smoking gun of an unabashed plagiarist… Fyi - me being a big science fan – I looked at Custance’s books a few times while I was in residence…anyway here’s an excerpt concerning the gap theory: Origin of the Gap Theory The gap theory became increasingly attractive during the end of the eighteenth century and first half of the nineteenth century, as the new scientific discipline of geology made it increasingly obvious that Earth was far older than a straightforward, literal interpretation of Genesis and the Bible-based Flood geology would allow. The gap theory provided an attractive escape from this dilemma, allowing religious geologists to preserve both their faith in the Bible and in the new authority of science, which, according to the doctrine of natural theology, was now considered a second revelation—God's word in nature as well as in scripture. The two revelations could not contradict each other; some means of reconciliation had to be found. (Another popular approach was simply to denounce science, and geology in particular, as being atheistic and impious. But most geologists of this era were good Christian believers who were convinced that God's truth was discoverable in nature.) The agony of this dilemma is clearly seen in Philip Henry Gosse's Omphalos: An Attempt to Untie the Geological Knot, published just two years before Darwin's Origin of Species. A member of the fundamentalist Plymouth Brethren as well as a very competent naturalist, Gosse was torn between the obviously conflicting evidence of geology and the Bible. He cut this Gordian knot by his ingenious suggestion that Earth, including its geological strata and fossils, was created with the appearance of age, just as Adam was created as an adult, fully formed, with a belly button ("omphalos"). A functioning Earth would look mature—ancient even—the moment it was created. Gosse's triumphant and heartfelt suggestion met with ridicule from all sides. Fundamentalists condemned its conciliatory attitude toward scientific theories of the age of Earth. Creationists today, however, are often forced to concede "creation with appearance of age" for refractory evidence, although they are somewhat embarrassed by Gosse's bold application of this principle to its logical extreme. The gap theory proved to be a much more popular reconciliation of Genesis with geology; in fact, it proved to be an almost irresistible temptation. In a scholarly appraisal of creationist theories, Bernard Ramm, an evangelical, wrote: The gap theory has become the standard interpretation throughout hyper-orthodoxy, appearing in an endless stream of books, booklets, Bible studies, and periodical articles. In fact, it has become so sacrosanct with some that to question it is equivalent to tampering with Sacred Scripture or to manifest modernistic leanings. The gap theory may not be the "standard" creationist interpretation today—Ramm was writing a few years prior to the reemergence of young-Earth Flood geology creationism in the 1960s—but it is still surprisingly popular. Arthur C. Custance, a Canadian physiologist with a doctorate in anthropology and author of the well-known Doorway Papers series on creation and Christian evidences, wrote a privately published book, Without Form and Void (1970), arguing for the gap theory. This book is considered the strongest and most able defense of the gap theory available. Custance, who also has a master's degree in oriental languages, makes a valiant attempt to demonstrate the validity of gap theory biblical exegesis by analysis of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin versions and study of other Bible passages claimed to support this interpretation. He also claims that belief in the gap theory antedated the aforementioned conflict engendered by the discovery of geological ages—that the ancient Bible commentators and church fathers endorsed it and that it is, in fact, the orthodox view rather than a desperate maneuver to avoid the inescapable dilemma posed by the rising science of geology. from: From: NCSE: formless and void gap theory creationism

I think Nathan_Jr is probably referring to wierwille’s/ancient Hebrew cosmology mishmash. I’m not one to claim I can unravel wierwille’s hodgepodge - since it lacks coherency with science and Biblical theology, the best I think anyone can do is parse each identifiable chunk for what it is – and good luck on trying to figure out his fallacious logic in tying it all together. There are a few pictures I’ve posted below that show ancient Hebrew cosmology. wierwille’s pseudo-science extravaganza point # 1: You might recall wierwille’s teachings on the creation in Genesis 1 where wierwille suggested that the Devil’s rebellion after Genesis 1:1 was so catastrophic as to cause the original universe to be flooded – which brings us to God’s cleanup job of Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. wierwille said the ginormous amount of water needed to flood the entire universe came from outside the universe (which reflects ancient Hebrew cosmology – see below). I also remember him saying that the giant chunks of ice floating in space that science has observed are a remnant of the waters from outside the universe…I guess in a Cecil B. DeMille Hollywood special effects scene, once you plug the leaks in the “cosmic ceiling” the looooooooooong streams of water (traveling however many lightyears across the cosmos to earth ) petered out and voila you have big aqua-globules that eventually froze. another thing his cosmic model makes me wonder about - why was there this ginormous body of water in the first place? doesn't make sense - if you read Genesis 1:1 it says In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth A brief aside here - while wading through wierwille’s pseudo-science gobbledygook. What is your criteria for truth? I’m not asking about scientific truth – I mean metaphysical truth. Scientific truth gives us no criteria for metaphysical truth. Therefore, what is needed is another definition of truth for the metaphysical realm. In reading up on philosophy, I lean toward one theory of what truth is – it’s called the correspondence theory of truth “In metaphysics and philosophy of language, the correspondence theory of truth states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes (i.e., corresponds with) that world. Correspondence theories claim that true beliefs and true statements correspond to the actual state of affairs. This type of theory attempts to posit a relationship between thoughts or statements on one hand, and things or facts on the other.” from: Wiki - correspondence theory of truth I think it's silly to try and shoehorn the Bible into science - but I will say this - if you look past the poetry and viewpoint of the ancient culture in the first couple of chapters in Genesis - I think the simple statement of creation in Genesis 1:1 might just correspond to the big bang and to point out the obvious - there is no water outside the expanding "cone" Side notes see also SC18 Super Computing org: The First Water in the Universe Wikipedia – the universe Witcombe SBC EDU: The PHYSICS of WATER in the UNIVERSE Quora: how do things freeze in space? Big Think: water in space does it freeze or boil? ~ ~ ~ ~ wierwille’s pseudo-science extravaganza point # 2: I’ve heard wierwille teach on Noah’s flood drawing again on ancient Hebrew cosmology. In the Genesis 7 account it says In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. . . .according to wierwille God used the water outside the universe – but this time only to a limited degree to flood the earth and not the whole universe. ~ ~ ~ ~ wierwille’s pseudo-science / pseudo-Biblical conflation that doesn’t have a point: wierwille had no problem merging different ideas with as much finesse as a blind interior decorator would mix and match different but supposedly complementary concepts to form a theory. So, if God the creator is indeed the God of the cosmos – then the whole enchilada can also be considered the kingdom of God. This wierwille clearly stated on page 24 of The Bible Tells Me So, in the chapter Are You Limiting God? wierwille says: As there are four kingdoms in this world, and one supersedes the other: the plant kingdom, animal kingdom, kingdom of man and the Kingdom of God; so, there is a natural world and a supernatural or spiritual world. ~ ~ ~ ~ below are a few representations of ancient Hebrew cosmology:

And on your points, I’d like to add a few things… I gave a couple of hyperlinks in my last post on the book “Love Wins” – one link is to the book on Amazon – and another link is to a very thoughtful thread on that great thought-provoking book…one of the many reasons why I come to Grease Spot Café is the sumptuous buffet for thought…even after checking out that book that Rocky recommended my belief system is still in a mind-blowing mood! Concerning the kingdom of God something I shared on that thread - here - where I said: my fascination with superstring theory and extra dimensions. Bell uses it as a springboard to suggest Jesus’ talk of the kingdom of God as being an all-pervasive dimension of being, that was here, at hand, right now. Basically that was Jesus’ answer when the Pharisees asked him when the kingdom was coming - see Luke 17: 20 & 21 . Something like this always makes me wonder about the nature of the spiritual realm. I usually think of it as something distinctly not me…really another dimension and perhaps a place far away from me. But in superstring theory multidimensional particles could be compacted and folded up inside each other – and as far as we know nonexistent compared to our experience of only 3 dimensions and the passage of time… …And I guess if one could control how multidimensional particles are compressed and rolled up – then it would be possible to change the properties or characteristics of something. Makes me think of the city bending scene in the dream sequences of the movie Inception and the manipulation of reality scene in the movie Dr. Strange ...And probably the movie that comes closest to describing a world within a world is the scene of a futuristic city popping up in the middle of an open field in the movie Midnight Special (happens at about 2:15 minutes into the You Tube clip). Indeed some passages like II Peter 3:10 and Revelation 6: 12 - 17 that talk about the heavens disappearing with a roar, the elements destroyed by fire and the sky being split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up fires my imagination of what might happen on a cosmic scale… ...The majority of books I’ve read and scripture that I’ve studied have always reminded me of a transcendent God. Bell’s book got me to think about the immanence of God in the comprehensive and eternal work of Jesus Christ in all people in all situations. Something Bell said about God’s love near the end of the book seemed to circle back to superstring theory (the “stuff” of extra-dimensions curled up into a compact space) – but His love is not static or diminutive in any way – “the indestructible love of God is an unfolding, dynamic reality and that every single one of us is endlessly being invited to trust, accept, believe, embrace, and experience it.” End of excerpts from my Love Wins post (note if you're in need of some entertainment go to my post on that Love Wins thread - in the original text you'll find hyperlinks to Bible verses and you tube clips ) ~ ~ ~ ~ *** Just thought I’d mention that whenever I quote from books, websites, or give hyperlinks – it’s not without having reservations…in other words - I don’t mean to suggest these references are 100% right on everything or that I agree with everything they say. My purpose is to serve them up as food for thought. I do not necessarily agree with everything they say, and some of their ideas may reflect belief systems that are totally different from mine. But all in all, I value alternate viewpoints when they have something of merit. I believe our individual uniqueness may be necessary to give us all an inkling of the bigger picture...whatever that is… I know there’s certain folks on Grease Spot Café who might think I get hypercritical of wierwille’s works and give anyone else’s work a free pass – but NOPE - that wouldn’t be honest or reliable cognitive skills…I believe their perceived disparity in how I treat wierwille’s works from others may be due to some big-wierwille-fans don’t think there’s a level playing field in About the Way or Doctrinal forums – but I think they may have an erroneous concept about fairness in forums – I’m not saying that each Grease Spotter has an equal chance to win an argument - but that we ALL PLAY BY THE SAME SET OF RULES - and NOT resort to logical fallacies, proof-texting, personal attacks, dodging, etc. *** ~ ~ ~ ~ Speaking of putting God in a box – I wanted to add a few things: So while we do not downplay doctrine, at the same time we must admit that it can lead us to place limitations on God. This should not lead us to conclude that the fault is with doctrine in general or with biblical doctrine in particular. The fault is with us. So let’s examine three ways doctrine can lead us to put God in a box… …The first way we can put God in a box is through our misunderstandings of Him and His nature. We have a responsibility to know and believe what He has revealed of Himself in the Scripture… …A second way we can put God in a box is through creating or assuming knowledge of Him that He has not revealed to us. When we understand our limitations, we will have to conclude that there are some things that are simply too wondrous for us to comprehend… …The third way we can put God in a box is through making theology an end in itself. In our flawed, limited understanding of God, we can make an idol of theology. Rather than studying God with a view to making theology a practical outpouring of the wonder of who He is, we succumb to theology-ology, or “the study of the study of God.” From: Challies com: Putting God in a box end of excerpts And some other interesting links: Christianity com: why do people put God in a box? The Gospel Coalition: don’t put God in a box Grant Montgomery com: Putting God in a box

Besides exploring the Trinity, this thread has also touched upon eschatology or end times and the kingdom of God. John M. Frame, American theologian and philosopher in his Systematic Theology says that there are many ways in which the Bible story can be told – other perspectives from which it can be seen. One way is the kingdom of God – which describes the dynamic movement of history: …the kingdom is dynamic, indeed dramatic. It is a world-historical movement, following the fall of Adam in which God works to defeat Satan and bring human beings to acknowledge Christ as Lord. It is preeminently, the history of salvation. God could have remedied the fall in an instant, sending his Son in an accelerated time frame, bringing him to death, resurrection, ascension, and triumphal return in a matter of seconds. Or he might have accomplished this work in a matter of decades, allowing for a somewhat more normal kind of historical development. But instead, he determined a process spread over millennia. He spent centuries narrowing the messianic line to a chosen family, bringing then into the Land of Promise, ordaining the birth of his Son in the “fullness of time” (Gal.4:4), accomplishing redemption in thirty-three more years, and sending his disciples on a journey of several thousand years at least to bring this good news to all the nations. Why he chose to stretch out the drama of salvation over so long a time is a mystery. The length of this time is related to other mysteries of Scripture, such as the problem of evil…If God had determined to complete his purposes in an instant, and the sting of pain and suffering would be much less if God were to abbreviate his story to a few decades. But God’s decision is clear: that the history of redemption will take millennia, leaving space for dramatic movements, ups and downs, twists and turns, longings and astonishments. Salvation is to be a great epic, not a short story. God will glorify himself, not by measuring his kingdom in time spans appropriate to human kings, but by revealing himself as “King of the ages” (Rev. 15:3 NIV). From: page 87 & 88 of Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief by John M. Frame end of excerpts ~ ~ ~ ~ Other sources of interest: Revelation 15 NIV Bible Hub: commentaries of Revelation 15:3 Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell Grease Spot thread about the book “Love Wins” The Bible Challenge org: Consummation of the Kingdom Got Questions org: What is the Kingdom of God? Wikipedia – eschatology Bible Study org: eschatology Christianity com: what is eschatology? Logos com: What Is Eschatology? 4 Views, Why There’s Disagreement

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Yes !!!!! Thinking along those lines I Googled “what is the skill set of a great performer?” and the first hit was from a Musical Stages website article: Skills needed in the Performing Arts Industry . Since in my opinion wierwille was a great performer (as in a great actor who entertains an audience) I've quoted some excerpts in bold blue from this list that speak to his “talents” ( I have inserted some comments inside brackets in [ bold red ] to explain how they relate to wierwille ) : Anyone who is hoping to progress in the performing arts industry must be skilled in their chosen discipline. Without the required skills, they will not even be given the opportunity to audition. The industry is very competitive [in religious terminology - wierwille’s cult was pitted against mainstream Christianity ] so those who fail to make the grade will not get far. [to be clear, to make the grade in a cult leadership training program so you can ultimately perform like “the master”, all you have to do is follow in blind obedience and hope your sponsors don’t flake out ] Some performers specialize in one single discipline, whereas other performers are multi-skilled. [ wierwille was multitalented – he knew everything about anything cuz he walked by revelation microsecond by microsecond – he had all five gift ministries, plus the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, the 12th level intellect of Brainiac and the brawn of a Super-Duper. ] Candidates who have been to stage school [ such as homiletics] will often be able to show off a wide range of different performance skills. Candidates who have not been professionally trained may need to be more selective about the roles that they apply for. Confidence: Performing in front of other people requires a lot of confidence. Although it is natural for performers to be nervous before they go out in front of a crowd, a performer should be able to use their nerves to better their performance. [ wierwille’s preference was liquid confidence – trade name Drambuie I don't know if having delusions of grandeur is considered a confidence builder ] Self-Publicist Performers must be able to market themselves properly if they wish to get roles in future productions. Most performers will be forced to market themselves regularly if they attend auditions to try to secure work. Being good at self-publicity involves understanding strengths without overselling oneself. [wierwille was exceptional at self-promoting – but lacking humility he probably didn’t realize he kept himself walled up in a prison of lies…I guess being delusional he probably tended to oversell himself] Resilience and Ability to Withstand Criticism All performers will experience rejection at some point during their career, because it is impossible for one performer to be right for every single part that they audition for. Most performers will also experience some criticism about their performances at some stage. The performing arts are often subjective, so it is unlikely that any performance will appeal to every viewer. [assuming the role of a cult-leader, a smart performer will have absolute control over every aspect of the venue and will be well-prepared for his/her “captive” audience] . Rather than withdrawing, a performer must be able to use criticism and rejection to help them to improve on their performance. [cult-leaders like wierwille fostered an us-versus-them mentality amongst followers. That seems to be the most effective way of dealing with the critics and cop-outs. Why is that so effective? I’ve read that the psychological theory of us-versus-them mentality may explain the tendency of the human mind to categorize people into social groups, whether it is nationality, political affiliation, age, culture, gender, race, etc. When these categories are formed, we draw an invisible line where we differentiate between ‘us’ and ‘them’. When cult-leaders establish such a mindset in followers – then it’s simply a matter of this insulating and isolating process embedded in the mind to work its magic check out this thread - the Jonestown massacre / wierwille's spin on it - The Current Psychological Hoax ] Self-Reflective Great performers are self-reflective. They are able to look at each of their performances and use the information that they gather to help them to improve themselves. Being self-reflective allows actors to draw on their own performances without developing negative or overly critical feelings about themselves. [ here’s a thought – can a sexual predator, hypocrite, pathological liar, non-stop plagiarist, megalomaniac, malignant narcissist, or someone who is delusional be self-reflective? Sure! Why not? What is being self-reflective? It’s just meditation or serious thought about one's character, actions, and motives. What is “the self”? In psychology “the self” often refers to a person’s experience as an autonomous being that is separate from others, experienced with continuity through time and place. The experience of the self includes consciousness of one’s physical presence as well as one’s inner character and emotional life. That does not mean it’s always an ACCURATE or HONEST assessment. Remember I Timothy 4:2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. Nuff said on self-reflective...maybe in wierwille's case it's more like self-deceptive ] Quick-Learner Performers should be able to learn new pieces quickly and then be able to perform those pieces without the need for additional cues. Some performers are required to learn new scenes or performance pieces within a few hours. A playwright or director may also want to change the way that a scene works, so the performer may be forced to completely relearn different material. [ “learner” is the operative word here. Learner suggests one who picks up a new skill – but in wierwille’s case there was no learning or skill involved in plagiarizing the works of others – since the work was already done for him. I’ve witnessed his incompetence on many occasions in live teachings or when he was impromptu speaking – where he fumbled with trying to make reference to a principle or interpretive key from PFAL. Such are the risks of an incompetent plagiarist going off-script. ] Flexibility A performer will need to take on a variety of different roles over the course of their career. Being flexible will allow them to move between roles easily. This means that they should be able to play the role of a criminal in one performance and then play a hero in their next role. Dance performers may need to be flexible enough for perform dances from a wide range of different genres. [ yup – that was wierwille to a “T” …in his role as “the man of god for this day and time and hour” he could be out there on stage teaching the greatness of “The Word” and later that night in the motorcoach he’s in his alternate role as a predator sexually assaulting a woman in the way corps…under the pretext of providing counseling, sexual healing…and maybe with a little help from a date-rape drug. ] Stamina Performers may be required to work long hours for lowish pay. In the run up to the opening night or the first performance of a new piece, those who are involved may have to work non-stop. Because there are often set deadlines with performances, those who are involved are required to keep working until everything is ready. Many performers are also required to work additional jobs outside of the performance sphere. A lot of actors, dancers and singers in Britain also do shift work such as waitressing or working in retail. They may be required to finish their day job shift and then go straight on to the performance space. [so true. wierwille had a forced-labor crew – the way corps – stringing chairs, working audio and video equipment, working all the logistics of big events like the Rock, Corps Week, the Advanced Class, Weekend in The Word, etc. – the way corps were working long hours. If they weren’t on paid staff some had to quit or take vacation time since they were required to work at these events...I'll give wierwille the benefit of a doubt, he may have been schtupping for long hours while everyone else was working their a$$ off ] Teamwork There are a lot of different people involved in creating a successful performance; therefore, anybody who is involved in producing a performance is required to have strong teamwork skills. Listening and communicating well with others will help the performance to come together properly. Understanding instructions and being able to carry them out as requested can help performers to meet their brief. [ ditto what I said on “stamina”…and I would also add rather than “teamwork” like a typical business or sports situation, creating a successful performance for wierwille was more like a military operation – if you bear in mind the soldier-like hierarchy pyramid power structure of TWI. There is a phrase many of the way corps are familiar with “a suggestion is tantamount to an order”. Authoritarians rely on psychological coercion and the manipulation of information as ways to control others. The level of control becomes more stringent as one gets more involved. The way corps are also familiar with teachings on blind obedience. ] Analytical A performer should be able to analyze the source material that they are given, so that they can understand the key ideas and themes of the piece. Understanding the key ideas and themes of a piece will allow a performer to improve their interpretation of the piece and enhance their performance. [ ditto on what I said on “quick-learner”. not sure if wierwille even really understood all the intellectual property he stole – and since he was an academical lazy-butt anyway I tend to think rather than improve on any works he copied, he may have mangled them more to make it look different than the original author’s work often providing an impetus to justify his weird ideology. For example, wierwille skewed Bullinger’s handling of II Peter 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” – where Bullinger CORRECTLY explained Scripture did not ORIGINATE in anyone’s private interpretation… that CORRECT explanation is even reflected in other versions – like the NIV – where it reads “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.” In PFAL wierwille twisted it around to mean no one is allowed to privately interpret the Scripture – and he then argued there is either no interpretation possible or the Bible must interpret itself. I got into this nonsense on a thread in doctrinal - here where I pointed out that saying “Scripture interprets itself” implies no other agency is needed – which is total claptrap if you Google the definitions for “interpret” , “translate” and “interpreter” – you will observe in all of those definitions there is an intermediary or go-between involved - a person who acts as a link between people of different languages. And do I need to point out the obvious? All the translations and versions of the Bible we now have did not just magically shoot out of an otherworldly printing press…translators of the ancient biblical manuscripts try to bridge the gap between the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, Koine Greek and the modern languages of various cultures like English, Spanish, French, etc…can’t believe I bought into wierwille’s shtick ! ] Creativity Performers must be creative if they wish to set themselves apart from others who are involved in the industry. In addition to being able to create entirely new material, a performer should be able to reimagine and reinterpret existing work. For example, an actor may be able to gain attention for himself or herself by performing a different interpretation of a Shakespearean character. [ditto what I said about “resilience and ability to withstand criticism” and “analytical”. In my opinion wierwille’s “inventiveness” was one of the most distinguishing features of his ideology. I look at it this way – that little green PFAL sign-up card was the application for one admission ticket to the bull$hit artistry of wierwille. something I mentioned on another thread - here - and here - PFAL is an insidious fourfold mix of 1. wierwille’s signature intuition... 2. dogmatic fundamentalism... 3. pontificating demonology / spiritualism i.e., the “mechanics” of EXACTLY HOW stuff works in the spiritual realm... and 4. Gnosticism – secret knowledge… I consider this quattro compositum to be his “creative” masterpiece. activate the let-the-bull$hit-fly system ] Open-Minded Performers should be open-minded about the subject matter that they are being asked to perform. However, they should also understand that there may be criticism from some parties if the subject of the performance is controversial. Some performances may involve experimental techniques or be largely conceptual rather than following standard narrative patterns. Performers may need to think about challenging their own boundaries to produce the perfect piece of art. On the other hand, each individual must know where to draw the line and be able to say no if they believe that requests are not suitable. [ wierwille had a real knack for coming across as open-minded in his “performance”. If there was any criticism from others, it was attributed to their unbelief of “The Word” or another subtle attack by “the Adversary” on “the man of God”. In public as well as in private wierwille challenged the boundaries of others…he had a great talent for telling convincing lies…he was a bull$hit artist of the highest order who lied and boasted incessantly…truly an “apostle” of sorts - a vigorous and pioneering advocate of his self-serving policies, ideas, and cause…a master of the triple-dog-dare-hyperbole-of-exaggerated-claims meant to be taken literally by devoted followers…wierwille encouraging others to be open-minded to hear “The Word” was actually another one of his subtle persuasion techniques to promote his own rigid opinions, narrow outlook, and twisted ideology.] Time Management and Organization Skills A performer should have strong time management and organizational skills. Many performers are actually required to work on more than one project at a time, so they need to be able to keep track of their schedule. It is essential for a performer to arrive at their performance space in good time or else it could hold up the entire performance. Good organizational skills will help a performer to make sure that they are adequately prepared for each different project. [I don’t think wierwille could have organized his way out of liquor store that sold nothing but Drambuie. Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. I think one of the many reasons the live PFAL 77 class never replaced the "original " (and I use that term loosely ) 1967 PFAL class was because “the teacher” was drunk most of the time. I know – I was there…see my comments above on “quick learner” – at one point wierwille is fumbling around with the “things equal to the same thing are equal to each other” and Bob Moneyhands – sitting a few seats over from me stands up, cups his hands over his mouth megaphone style and yells out ‘the transitive property of equality’. I could tell that startled wierwille – almost like waking a drunk who fell asleep at the wheel…what a poser – he never mastered his own material – or that of others… Organization skills are those related to creating structure and order, boosting productivity, and prioritizing tasks that must be completed immediately, versus those that can be postponed, delegated to another person, or eliminated altogether. Maintaining strong organizational skills reduce the chance of developing poor work habits such as procrastination, clutter, miscommunication, and inefficiency. The way corps training program – wierwille’s baby – was the antithesis of all that! With the structure of a Nazi concentration camp, the hustle and bustle of busy-work and the procrastination-based mindset of working / thinking / doing “the Word” aka PFAL - the way corps program was an incredible waste of sponsorship money and my time!] From: Musical Stages website: Skills needed in the Performing Arts Industry End of excerpts

In some sense the overt and covert operations of TWI were entwined. Indoctrination is not an overnight process. Usually, a person does not knowingly join a harmful and controlling cult. The road in may best be described as a subliminal acclimatizing process – where a newcomer finds something - or someone attractive in the group and so they make themselves mentally adjust to the prevailing ideas, attitudes, and behavior to fit in. To someone who has never had the experience of being indoctrinated into a harmful and controlling cult – the stuff they read about on Grease Spot Café probably sounds preposterous and almost unbelievable. It’s understandable that people who have never been in TWI – never taken any of their classes or participated in their programs find all this stuff so astounding - and that anyone would buy into it. To understand how TWI-followers get to the point of being unaware of wierwille’s licentious and malicious nature is to understand how a sexual predator can be hidden in plain sight. It is by masking his nature in the guise of a man of God, a teacher of the Bible. It all started with the PFAL class – which had vague and misleading directives like “as long as you follow the two great commandments you can do as you full well please” and the dubious justification of David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba saying “technically all the women of the kingdom belonged to the king”. I believe part of wierwille’s tactic was to run certain ideas up the flagpole to see if it was given a positive reaction. Like with PFAL, if you sat through the whole class and didn’t balk at anything – then everything is cool. If you stick around and continue to come to Twig fellowships – that’s even better! Then you’ll probably be encouraged to take the class again – for review – no charge this time, of course. Then on to other classes that continue to reinforce the idea that wierwille is THE authority on Bible stuff – and anything else in life. Thus, if newcomers respond favorably to the initial “experiment” of malignant ideas, then many other soft-sell tactics come into play which subtly persuades them to buy into more of TWI’s ideology…And realistically there’s no one cut-and-dried method for ensnaring folks in a harmful and controlling cult. There are so many variables to consider like one’s personality, social needs…usually new recruits are young and naïve so critical thinking skills are not really developed…and the road to indoctrination is not shock therapy but rather a gradual immersion… …it’s like a prolonged seductive intoxicating “romance”…a cult luring neophytes to take bigger and bigger sips of the Kool-Aid…using manipulative tactics like love-bombing, the subtle influence of peer pressure and groupthink......claiming to provide solid answers about life, having a purpose, God, politics, marriage, finances…whatever! ...sadly, those with low self-esteem (like myself) are often drawn to a cult-environment where they seem to be readily accepted – people with low self-esteem are usually easier to break mentally / emotionally. “Fortunately” for them the cult is there as just the perfect supportive environment they’ve been looking for – and along those lines a cult member can learn to feel superior to those not in the cult – an us-versus-them mentality develops and a cult follower starts isolating themselves from family and friends not in the cult – and eventually the new social ties within the cult satisfy a basic desire we all have – to belong…...a TWI-follower's personal boundaries are softened and eventually encroached by certain upper leadership who have a penchant to take advantage of their own position of power and authority. Sometimes I recall the awkward social interactions shortly after my wife and I made our exit from TWI official (we had sent letters to LCM and the Rome City campus coordinator – informing them we resigned from our corps assignment and would no longer associate with TWI. And it’s not like we didn’t give them a chance to explain things – since several months earlier we had written them and asked very specific questions about the issues we were concerned with - but all we got for a response from LCM was "I hope we can win your trust again"). I was also done with the hemming and hawing over current issues, dubious policies / procedures, the “spiritualizing“ of situations and everyone assuming PFAL was the silver bullet for this complicated catastrophe – that was the usual gist in previous phone conversations and letters to our corps brothers and sisters and sponsors. What’s really painful is remembering the various responses from most of our fellow corps – most were a bit taken aback by our official exit. Some of the backlash rhetoric we heard: “you’ve been tricked by the devil”…”you’re entertaining devil spirits”…”you’re copouts”…”possessed”…”you have chosen oblivion”… …mind you, this was in phone conversations and letters… …I imagine if these were face-to-face conversations – they might have looked at us like we were from another planet.

I think that is a very good point, Rocky. A sentiment that I’ve found common in some commentaries and systematic theologies that I’ve looked at. Basically, since God alone is the sovereign ruler of the cosmos, he is the one to institute or delegate authority. This seems to be evident as far back as Genesis: Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 A thought carried into the New Testament…with military might and strict law - ruling with an iron fist, Rome imposed a “Pax Romana”, or Roman Peace, on the ancient world which lasted nearly three centuries…and yet even under Roman rule Paul wrote the following: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Romans 13:1 I think Scripture does make one exception to this – when obedience to civil authority would mean disobedience to God. For example: The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Exodus 1:17 Power doesn't always or doesn't have to corrupt - but it often does – is a fact of life. I believe we are all fallen creatures and have a tendency to mess up this wonderful world…Politics aside, I admire anyone in public service or religious service who does so with the best of intentions and tries to make this world a better place.