Twinky

Cos you're an addict?? Cos you have nobody else to play with at silly o'clock?

Intellectual growth never stops. Might slow down a bit. Doesn't stop. Those who are curious/interested can still be curious/interested no matter what their ages are. Those who can't be bothered ... will lapse out no matter what their ages are. There are plenty of new careers started by people in their 50s and 60s. One of my friends even did her degree in her 70s...she's 84 now and doesn't regret it at all. Even got herself a little business out of it. I'd agree with you that the cost (which might not be recouped quickly) is a big deterrent from starting a new career/ new degree / putting it all on the line now. That extract makes it sound like life's nearly over... if you look hard enough, or maybe not even that hard at all, you'll find people who think life begins at 40, 50, 60, whenever you've got rid of the kids... Every day you can be open to new life experiences. In short, article is rubbish.

Yes, and that was insidious... in rez, we were not supposed to read any other materials. Was that an explicit prohibitioin? Probably. I remember maybe a couple of months in, finding in Plurality Palace an interesting looking book. I was browsing through it and my Corps sister came in. She saw me, hit the roof, and demanded I put the book down straight away and if I didn't she'd tell the Corps Coordinator. Boot camp under LCM's reign of terror was well under way. I complied, grumpily, irritatedly.

Actually, I don't recall him saying precisely that. He probably did say to study the PFAL materials (of course he would), but I recall him saying, "Read the epistles" to see who/what/how the new man should be. [lasst bit my paraphrase] Read the epistles. Not "Read the gospels," or "Study the life and behavior of Jesus." Not "Practice the Christ lifestyle." Personally I think there is merit in telling people to read the epistles. Too many churchy types read the gospels and think that that's it. The epistles are somehow irrelevant. So they don't "Learn to walk as he walked" in cultural situations such as we face today. But I don't think that reading the epistles to the exclusion of the gospels is a good thing. It's remarkable, really, how much is so very relevant to any culture, in the epistles. Be kind. Be forgiving. Pray. And remember, God's power is available to us to minister healing - just like Christ did. Yeah. Now! We can't learn that from the gospels. But we can learn how to operate that power...as Jesus did.

I thank y'all for your kind and gracious comments. Yes, there was a culture of "give and expect to be blessed" - regardless of whether the person sponsored completed the training. I do believe that God would honour the commitment in those people's hearts, though not necessarily in a way they might expect - if expect they did. Sky, I could've paid my way too but it was frowned upon. And I felt that if people wouldn't support me, perhaps I wasn't appropriate for this form of leadership. God honoured my own commitment (I think) and I got through but that bought me a whole raft of other problems. I think God had a load of other things to teach me that were nothing much to do with WC training; things that came much later. And he's used WC training to show me right and wrong ways to treat people.

I suppose I should hold up my hand and say, when I've sponsored people who've left, I've been a bit disgusted at them and their lack of commitment. I believed the slanders spread about them (why would my higher-ups lie?). Others, I've been bewildered about (but that was part of the secret mass exodus.) One, I told go to back and apologise most humbly to CG who'd thrown him out of the European Corps (EC) - I knew how hard this person had worked to get into the EC. Now, I think I have more respect for those who left, voluntarily or otherwise, than for those who stayed (like I did) - they didn't let the system beat them down.

Good one(s), BB. Two near misses. Who knows how long it would have been if these hadn't been found when they had - and how bad it could have got for you. Unpleasant procedures that you had, though.

This is a topic that is aimed most particularly at those who have NEVER BEEN IN THE IN-REZ WAY CORPS. What did you think, if a person you'd sponsored left the Way Corps? Did it make a difference whether they left of their own volition, or whether they were dismissed? Did it matter if they left during in-rez training, or after graduation? What, if anything, were you told - by the person, and by local leadership? Did what you were told appear to be true then? And now? The idea promoted was that a candidate rose up through his/her spirituality and became a (potential) leader. As such, that person was supported by those from whose ranks s/he had risen. Sounds good, huh? In actuality, it was, I believe, a way of tying the candidate in even more - just think of all those people you let down if you drop out! You had no respect to their efforts, their hard work, in paying your way for you. (A sort of sideways look at simony, if you will.) (You didn't "buy a ministry" - your supporters bought it for you.) A good ole bit of emotional blackmail. But at the time (not now) - when someone you supported left - did you feel cheated? Let down? Disappointed? Angry? Deceived, even? Or did you feel that they must have had some justifiable reason? No doubt you all have different feelings about it - you might have sponsored several people, some of whom stayed and some of whom left. I'm not thinking of the time when vast numbers left - areas left as a group - but when individuals dropped out before or after the mass exodus.

That's just plain mean, Nero. Your efforts should have been valued and appreciated for the "heart" you put into it. But then, you need "heart" yourself to see how much heart someone else invests.

Course he won't. Anyway, anyone who posts here knows the gory details anyway. All I want to hear from him is that he truly repents of the evil he has done, and the evil he has by his own actions propped up. (His true repentance will be evident from his actions in humbly helping disadvantaged people in whatever community he finds himself.)

:biglaugh:/>:biglaugh:/>:biglaugh:/> :confused:/> :evilshades:/>

Really good news, Tommy. This is such an interesting thread, and so relevant. There probably isn't a adult on the planet, or at least the developed world, who hasn't known someone who's suffered. The more it's talked about and the more people know, the more likely they are to take prompt action about those strange marks or lumps. And the sooner the action, the better the outcome. And every day is a day to be thankful. Rejoice in the Lord today.

You're going off on one just a little bit here, WW. Pontificating a bit too much. This isn't doctrinal; Nero was expressing some honest concern about family that is still Waybrained Which is affecting Nero somewhat in actual or perceived parental responses and in family relationships. Nero, rejoice in the Lord. Be lighthearted, be kind, be patient. TWI folk have plenty of rejoicing in the "Word" but have forgotten how to rejoice in the Lord - how very sad!

I don't remember any banning as such, just that there is so much material available relating to KJV [which is actually called the Authorised Version, did you know that?] [because it is "authorised to be read in churches" - see its foreword] that it's easier to use KJV/AV. And of course everything always came at us in that old-fashioned wording. Also, we were always so busy doing - whatever - that few would find the time to spend hours reading another version - when if you'd tried to prepare a twig teaching using another version, you'd probably have been jumped on. But what kudos! You can give a "literal according to usage" that might have been uplifted almost word for word from some more modern version. And you can spend hours teaching people some inane perceived nuance, thus avoiding having to teach something that can actually be applied and used in someone's lifestyle. Be kind to her. Really kind. Surprise her. You're not in TWI now.

Maybe, Nero, that's a way you could get to reach your Mom? Show/read to her from a different version, Hey, look what I discovered! (It might even be something close to one of the dreaded "literals"). After all, TWI never banned use of other versions of the Bible. They said that more study materials were available for KJV. And of course since VPW recorded the original PFAL class, some good new versions have been produced (some awful ones too). KJV is not "God-breathed." I like Holman Christian Bible which is very readable, in sensible comprehensible English, yet seems to give nuances close to (what I understand as) the meaning of "original" words. NAB is good, RSV/NRSV are good too.

Thank God TWI hasn't really discovered the internet yet. Even though some of its splinters have. TWI's website has to be about the most static website one can possibly imagine.

Thanks, Krys and Dave. Those are pretty much the conclusions I came to, too. I think as time permits I will sift out and retain any useful articles, and there's probably stuff that I don't need to keep any more that can go into the paper recycling. Is keeping stuff ... building a monument to an ugly past? Or building a pillar of witness and warning to say, "Don't go here again!"? Or is it something else?

I was rooting around at home tonight for some documents I need to complete my tax return. In my cupboard are 3 or 4 THICK ring-binders of stuff I printed off from GSC when I first discovered the site. (I tell you, I was open-mouthed, shocked and completely horrified to begin with; later, open-mouthed with anger.) I printed off (at my then employer's expense) vast amounts of documents and threads and read and re-read at home. At a guess, this was 8-10 years ago. I also printed off a load of CFFM newsletters and some of their articles. Of recent years, these things have just sat in the cupboard. And now I need the space. It's time for them to go, don't you think? I burned all my TWI material two years ago. That was very satisfying. I just don't quite know yet whether I want to keep some of the awesome articles reprinted from GSC, just to remind me of the arguments against and flaws in reasoning of TWI. Anyway... how different life is now, 10 years on! Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :dance:/> (I was gonna put 3 of those little dancing figures but it reminded me too much of the Singing Ladies' rigid routines, LOL)

Nero, so difficult for you with loved ones still tied in to TWI. It's true that there are some great people there - just not the ones in charge. At least, there used to be some great people. Maybe not now. It is easy to make superficial friendships while everyone is buddying along. When things get tough, it's a little different. As in, such and such a person has problems; therefore they have a d.s.; therefore if you hang out with them you yourself will get pozzessed - so stay away - it's their problem. I totally agree with you about different versions. When I started reading the bible again after many years I decided to avoid KJV and started on The Message - two versions nearly as far apart as you can manage. Now, I read in several versions though I have a fave version. Sometimes one version puts something differently, words it in a way that makes you think. That's nice. It avoids all that BS about in-depth meanings. Keeps it simple. Like it's supposed to be.

May this year bring fulfillment of some of your hopes, dreams and ambitions ... and leave you with some new aspirations for another year.

Interesting talk, Rocky. Lots to think about.

Happy Christmas everybody. Eat a little too much, drink a little too much, sleep a little too much ... and enjoy time with those you love. And thanks to Pawtucket for another year hosting this site. Blessings, Twinx

It was all about distortion. As a final stab, when I got thrown out, the then Country Coordinator growled at me (with a fair degree of viciousness), "You could have been great!" as if to say, if I'd toed the party line more, I could have been a bigwig in TWI. Fact is, I'd done everything they demanded and still couldn't get it right. Because I wasn't "meek" enough. Fact is, I was meek to God and did as He wanted - not as TWI wanted. In God's eyes, I'm as "great" now as I'm ever going to be. As I was then, too. It's nice to be liked, but I don't care too much for man's fickle approval. I've got "me" back ("reclaimed," if you like) and I'm a better person for it. And that's because I have a closer walk with God. And with true Christians who have a close walk with Him. End of!!!

"What the Bile says" ... !! I misread what you said at first.. It's definitely "what the Bile says" coming out from that place. Rants and all. As in that infamous blue book, "the Bile tells me so."

Here's two words at a time for you, Sky. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!