GrouchoMarxJr

My suggetion for the title: "The Bad Seed of the Cornfield" ...The opening scene would show the famous sign on Wierwille road... suddenly blood starts running down it and dripping on the ground...the background music is an instrumental version of an early Ozzie Oborne song. ...cut away...next scene shows Vic (Jon Voight) walking out of the motorcoach pulling up his zipper as Howard (Steve Buscemi) is handing him a glass of Drambuie and asks..."Well Vic, did she see the holy septre?"...both men start laughing... ...cut away...

Good thread Jonny...the book sounds interesting and worth reading. Reading this thread reminds me of a story that my dad used to tell me. My dad was born in 1908 ( I was the youngest)...and he grew up in the 20's. (He passed away in 2003 at the age of 95 and this coming March would have been his 100 birthday)... Here's the story: There was drunk who lived down the street on Lincoln Ave and every night he would come home drunk and beat his wife. She was often seen with black eyes and bruises...but of course in those days people "minded their own business" and didn't get involved with family matters... ...One night when he was out drinking, his wife poured some poison in his whiskey bottle that he had at home. When he returned home mean and drunk, he went for the bottle and took a few swigs as usual...only instead of beating his wife that night, he died from the poison whiskey... Everybody knew what had happened, including the police...but nobody said a word or did a thing about it...it was considered "home town justice". It really is unbelievable how women were treated in the past

I have a hard enough time trying to understand my tax forms. Does the caterpiller understand how he turns into a butterfly? Being dead is about as helpless as anyone can be...it's entirely up to Him. I don't care how He does it as long as He does it... :)

I think that one thing twi taught well was...HOW TO START YOUR OWN CULT...think about it...most of us here know the essential framework and "start-up" methods. It's not that hard. With a little work, you could end up with a tax exempt organization, preaching the "whatever" and collecting money through classes, tapes, and "abs"... A lot of these guys with the splinter groups opted to use their "twi popularity" to get the ball rolling for themselves...Have any of these clowns ever held a real job? So Gawd called them to Christian ministry?...First, give yourself a name and then hoist your flag...and don't forget to open a bank account. Of course, the bottom line to any person's life is not the blather that seeps out of their pork chop hole...but it's their behavior and their heart. I have nothing against Christians who organize for worthy purposes but I find them suspect when their experience and background come from an abusive cult...all these splinter groups remind me of some lyrics from a Jerry Garcia song... ..."Don't lend your hand to raise no flag upon a ship of fools"...

Hmmm...I wonder why John S. didn't include in his bio that he is a graduate of the 6th corps and sat at the feet of doctor dirty?

Harry Dean Stanton as Don Wierwille would be worth the price of admission alone!...Colonel Sanders as Uncle Harry? It might work if you make him wear the same clothes for 3 days straight without bathing... Richard Simmons as Rosie?...I think Richard is too good looking for the role...perhaps Milton Berle with a wig? I vote for John Lithgow for the Geer role and I'm still thinking about the JAL role...maybe Dan Akroid?

Gary Busey is a good suggestion for VPW...I also think that John Voight or Anthony Hopkins would do well in the role....LCM?...I liike John Turturro.

Can good fruit come from an evil tree?...The fact that they are still in business, teaching the same crap is reason enough for me to draw certain conclusions about them....Oldies wants to sing a song with them and eat their cookies?...no thanks...no cookies for me.

I think that the masters of black comedy, the Coen brothers should make the film...Steve Buscemi could play Howard Allen...Kathy Bates could play Rosie...hee hee, it's fun to think of it.

As a dog lover, I must say that I was touched by the story and the photos...thanks for the thread.

Are you denying that twi continues to this day, to do the same things?...Did you not read what I posted?

I suppose you're right. Perhaps "holding a grudge" should be defined...it may mean different things to different people. To me, it describes my thoughts and feelings towards what these people did and continue to do to other people. I think it's terribly wrong to lie in the name of God and abuse people. It's not being obsessed or filled with bitterness...it's a cold calculated opinion. If these people were to cease from their sinful activities and ask for forgiveness, then I would gladly "seperate the sin from the sinner" and forgive them...but it's THEIR choice to continue doing what they are doing. ...and they are not even good at what they do anymore...they are still living on the fruits of Wierwille's scam. They are clouds without water...

...and so dear friends, if holding a grudge is a sin, then I admit to this sin. Yes, I do hold a grudge. I refuse to let them off the hook...like I said before, twi is still operating, still in business, still conning people and still ruining their lives... ...was Jesus NOT walking in love when he told the pharisees what he thought of them? ...was Jesus NOT walking in love when he held a low opinion of them and told others? ...was Jesus NOT walking in love he flipped the tables over in the temple area? ...was he NOT walking in love when he told the woman to "go and sin no more"?...Twi continues in their sinful ways. I won't stick my head in the sand and disregard those who are still being victimized...and do so in the name of "Christian forgiveness"...that's both selfish and dishonest.

I think that oftentimes the "warning" IS part of the recovery...the things that are said here mean different things to different people. We are not trained psychologists and there is no professional recovery program here...we are more of a "blue collar" recovery program...people telling their stories, giving their opinions...newcomers can relate and feel at home because there are folks here who understand and went through the same things...that's the real value in the recovery process here. Those of us who have gone through this can say "it's ok, we understand, things will get better"...that means a lot. and yes, part of the recovery is becoming aware of the "nasty" things that twi did...in other words, it wasn't your fault! So...to me, this place may be more about warning for those who need to be warned and more about recovery for those who need to recover...it simply depends on where a person is at...and let's not forget that people can search a wide variety of different topics and focus on the ones that they feel are appropriate for them.

The bible also says to be aware of false prophets...Some of us are helping in that regard.

I've been out of twi for over 20 years and to be honest...I was over it the day I walked out. I knew I was right and they were wrong...it was that simple for me. I come here to provide a source of information regarding twi that I believe is honest and helpful to people. Twi is a cult that abuses people and robs them of their lives and finances and has a track record of destroying marriages and families. Truth?...the truth is...avoid twi like you would the ebola virus.

There seems to be a reoccurring theme in some of these threads encoraging us to "forgive" twi for all their unseemly ways... Just for the record, I enjoy holding a grudge against this organization. Have THEY come to me seeking forgiveness?...hell no. Other well-meaning folks have encouraged me to forgive them but I've yet to hear from them. I am not consumed by bitterness...it's been over 20 years since I left. I'm over it...have been for a long time. I just happen to have a very low opinion of these scoundrals and as long as they continue to operate and con people, I will let my opinion of them be known. Ths is an ONGOING cult! They are continuing to control people and take their money...forgive them? Let them cease from their sin and ask forgiveness and then I will be glad to do so. For those of you who continue to lobby for the forgiveness of twi...I have a question...Are you empowering them to continue with their scam by trying to silence their critics?

...until one day, like Chief, we tore the sink out of the floor and crashed it through the caged window.

Well said Hap...well said. I too marked and avoided THEM...after I told them what I thought of them, they immediately told the other cult members in that branch to stay away from me. The folks in my twig stood with me and left twi themselves, shortly thereafter. The "Martindale years" were total insanity. I don't think I ever saw an ounce of compassion come out of that man...and I was around him for years....for me, it was easy to leave.

There is no way of proving it one way or the other...I tend to agree with Jonny Lingo...when I look at all there is to see, I conclude that there must be a God. I think religions miss it...it's something that needs to be dealt with on a personal level.

...Exactly! That's why I voted for starting your own cult. If you went to the trouble of getting a phoney degree, why not follow through on your potential?... Any person who spent any amount of time in twi should know the basics on starting a cult. First, you put together a package, give yourself a name and then start marketing it. ...The papermill degree will add to your credibility to many of the "marks".

...By not allowing questions during the class, the "pfal experience" became a subjective one...there were no healthy question/answer exchanges between teacher and student...the experience was like sitting there watching television...where you do not participate, you merely sit there like a sponge soaking it up. I believe that most forms of indoctrination operate this way.

My guess is that somewhere around 20% of those who vote will cast a vote based solely on gender, race or both... Unfortunately, there are no shortages of dimwits and borderline morons who stumble into the voting booths.

...And I was about to say the same thing in a much "different" way. Gotta hand it to you socks, I admire your diplomacy. ...now where was I?...oh yeah...well, never mind.

Good questions posed by Imagine... ...As far as I know the "University of Life" was just another way that Vic Wierwille repackaged the same crapola and found a different market for it. It was all about making money for twi...like everything else they did. Is it inappropriate to question the validity of Wierwille's theology on this thread?