Clifhanger

'76 was the year I started fellowshipping with believers. I lived and worked in the DC area and had, for several years prior, heard of work being done on a new constitution. The political slant was that the existing Constitution was outdated. There was very little press on the subject, less if any outside of the capitol area. Though there was call to pray for our country, there was hardly the pending doom and gloom attitude of '79 (MAL-PACKs, et al), at least not in the DC area.

How can we get answers without first asking questions? I alsways have, never stopped and don't intend to. I even question that which I believe to be true. This didn't go over too well at "The Church" of my youth, so I left. I continued to ask questions and God answered them, once or twice I listened. When I was introduced to TWI, I started listening more. I believe anyone or group that makes asking questions difficult has something to hide; excluding when questions are asked not looking for answers.

Thanks, and I trust I do not come off as trying to "set you all straight." Even if there are some who would try to do the same to me, I realize this is your site. If I do post a view which is contrary to yours please do not take it is as an attempt to "win you over"; I just might see things a bit differently. :)

I work in a technical field - an instructor for many of those years - so I am at least a little familiar with learning subjects that are new from both the first and second person perspectives. It is interesting how the human brain learns to associate unknown information with what is already known (I have yet to figure out how a baby gets the first 1,000 or so knowns, but I digress). With this experience I better understand how someone could take PFAL 10, 20 or more times and still find something they had never seen before. Even more obvious is how this could apply to those who slept through class the first 9 times.

Way to go John. It was hard for me to finish reading your last post. By the time I got to "Hmmm sounds like the original Way Ministry to me." I got something in my eye. It wasn't so much what you said as the way you said it and the memories it brought back. I remember as a TC (before my futile attempt at the 10th WC, but that's another story) making those calls, just to check on loved ones and praying for those who, for what ever reason, were not staying in contact. Back then, there were only 3 members of TWI, the rest of us were followers of the way of Jesus Christ. No doubt some here will say I was duped, brainwashed, out of touch, etc., but I never allowed anyone to talk me in to anything I now regret. Quite the contrary. I questioned and sometimes bucked authority, back then it was allowed and even, on occasions, appreciated.

Thanks Raf, Hmm... interesting response. I've "been around" for a long while, not here though and not TWI for a number of years. Though I wasn't officially excomunicated, I (along with my wife) were apparently "maked". Didn't change anything though. I did see and hear a lot about the hurt in the past 20 years or so. It was good to hear that some have made it through and moved on with their lives. I can't put in to words how I feel about those that didn't make it or are still holding on to the past. Got to go, but I'll be around; lurking if nothing else - though it will be difficult for me not to jump in. :)

John, read your "Why?" posts over on the myspace board. Very honest and loving - like what I remember folks were like in the "old days". It hurt to hear what so many of the family had gone through. Maybe that's what God means by, "when one memeber suffers all members suffer." Personally, I saw it comin' and ran for the hills - actually my wife and I just stopped receiving mail and getting invited, it didn't really matter, but it still hurt.

Well said Mike. Oh, by the way, this is my first post here. I thought my first should be positive and I finally found one I could agree with. :) As for Adam's navel (or not), I don't know and I don't care. Seriously, what difference does it make? As for the navelites story, I guess VPW should have been confronted before he fell asleep if it meant that much - it's a little difficult for him to defend himself now against this and other accusations.