Twinky

This is precisely why Mike and his bloody "Easter eggs" that "doctor" hid in his various books annoys me so much. Who the h3ll needs to hide "God's secrets" when God himself wants to reveal them to us and so states, very plainly, very many times?

Not only was VPW self-contradictory in what was taught in PFAL (which hopefully this latest class will have sorted out by now, unless they're still practising the same particular type of double-think), his grammar was absolutely terrible, he didn't understand the English language well at all (not even the US version of same). So those folk here who want to nitpick about grammar had better start with him and his books - not with people here. And not only were his English and his grammar poor. His knowledge of the OT was poor, too. That I find particularly surprising. He did get a sort of divinity degree, which I think was sort of legitimate (unlike the papermill doctorate) but it's as if he'd never really read or deeply considered the OT apart from the bits he used to bolster his take on the NT. I'd've thought that he needed to have read and studied part if not all of the OT at divinity school. But perhaps not? Without a decent knowledge of the OT, much of the NT is reduced in its richness. There's a depth that comes from reading and understanding the OT and in all honesty, I didn't see that depth in VPW. Not once I'd got into and studied the OT, thought about it looking backwards and forwards and in context of later NT knowledge. Perhaps that's why he never taught much from the gospels? Didn't understand even them? I wonder if there is more depth in this new class? Are there "teachers" who have actually read the OT? Or are they just reciting VPW's words and least egregious errors, without engaging brain? Do I care enough to pay $xx to find out? No, I would not pay even one cent. Indeed, not sure I'd sit through their class even if they paid me!

Joke: “A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air. "Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife annual and tosses it over his shoulder. "I'm a panda," he says, at the door. "Look it up." The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation. Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.” Book: Eats, Shoots & Leaves eBook by Lynne Truss - 9781101218297 | Rakuten Kobo Available from various sources. Book description: We all know the basics of punctuation. Or do we? A look at most neighborhood signage tells a different story. Through sloppy usage and low standards on the internet, in email, and now text messages, we have made proper punctuation an endangered species. In Eats, Shoots & Leaves, former editor Lynne Truss dares to say, in her delightfully urbane, witty, and very English way, that it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them as the wonderful and necessary things they are. This is a book for people who love punctuation and get upset when it is mishandled. From the invention of the question mark in the time of Charlemagne to George Orwell shunning the semicolon, this lively history makes a powerful case for the preservation of a system of printing conventions that is much too subtle to be mucked about with.

Well, that was a waste of 4-1/2 minutes of my life. The only one who seemed remotely interesting to listen to was the black guy in the middle. The others were so boring and - and where was the New? the Today? If I cast my mind back (which I don't care to), I reckon I could recite what they're going to say. I thought they might put something more - titillating? - today-ish, in, to tempt people along. And to start the bloody video with a clip of VPW... Yikes! Needs to come with a special "health warning" !!!!!!!!

It might be much more pertinent to discuss how we love God and how we love other people. Instead of discussing how other people claim to love God. (As a matter of fact, I can't recall hearing that VPW ever said he loved God. His actions - like the actions of a child - show otherwise.)

Let's distill this right back. WW states this: They knew the Torah. And the other books that comprise what we know as the OT. The leader of the early sect that became known as Christianity - one Jesus Christ - distilled the law and the prophets down very simply in Matt 22 to: 37Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’e 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’f 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” THAT is "knowing the Word as it hadn't been known since the first century." Anything else is puff, really. "How to" but not the thing itself. FIRST: Love God NEXT: Love (not just be nice to) your neighbour I strongly suspect people knew how to do that in the first century. And in the second, third, and subsequent centuries. And hey, even in the 20th and 21st centuries. How does this fit with administrations, dispensations, whether God spoke (or not) to VPW? It doesn't. It overrules them as unnecessarily. Those things are nitpicking, frills, wish-lists for naysayers to argue about. Hey! God has spoken audibly to me on two occasions (and less audibly on other occasions via various diverse means). The audible words were personal for me and I don't plan on building a ministry out of it. No doubt others here can say much the same. It would be a sad and empty thing if God never spoke with those who love him.

Living on a "need basis," then. One wonders what their "needs" could possibly be, when staffers earn less than minimum wage (taking into account the mandatory "voluntary" overtime.

It's widely reported over the last few days that Elisabeth Moss, star of The Handmaid's Tale, was raised as a Scientologist, has no issues with it, and says it's an "open" and "misunderstood" organisation. (Others might disagree.)

A bit like Google, then, with all our personal information that it constantly gleans.

Is it time to move this thread to Just Plain Silly? Who cares, anyway? Hands up, now!

Don't know if this has hit US airwaves, don't see any mention of it on CNN. Yet another tale of abuse. Three Scientology defectors sue church leader David Miscavige (msn.com)

Strikes me that it's a bit like new wine (new presentation) into an old wineskin - since their website states: "Although it has been nearly seventy years since the original Power for Abundant Living class was first taught, the heart of it remains the same—to teach the timeless truths of God’s Word [according to TWI] so that men and women of all ages can manifest the power of God in their lives." Although they do admit this: "While it expounds upon the same foundational truths covered in the original class, Power for Abundant Living Today is tailored to the day and time in which we live. It truly is a new class for a new generation." Perhaps they have updated things a bit. Perhaps.

Let's hope they got rid of the red drapes, Johnny Jumpup, Maggie Muggins, and some of the more obvious errors. No doubt they've also reworked the Orange and White books. Do they still push the collaterals, I wonder? I won't be signing up again to find out!!!!

Here we go again. This is NOT a thread about PFAL. This is a thread about Gurdjieff - and his possible impact on VPW. Gurdjieff never took PFAL. So that's not relevant.

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I thought the original OP was post was the opening of silly season. Intended to be humorous. Perhaps it should be in Just Plain Silly.

Hey, Sunesis! Long time no see!

Very jaded view, Bolshy. Maybe some males - husbands - would think the wife is the boss. That's not what marriage is supposed to be. Not a "cult of two."

For interest. No loss to society. Only a small cult, but did a lot of damage to some women. You do have to wonder what problems his daughter has had to overcome, to adjust to normal society. Cult leader Aravindan Balakrishnan dies in prison - BBC News

That's exactly it. Not praise and worship. Not done from the heart. Catchy jingles (sometimes) for Wayfer teaching. Occasionally with scriptural content ("Be-e-e-e strong in the Lord and the power of his might...") Thank goodness I can't remember much more of that song, which for most here is way later than their time with TWI. It was the song for the year about 1998 or 1999 I think.

Good one, T-Bone.. Can see why that would resonate.

Good post, BTW, T-Bone. Go on, play us a tune while we enjoy a bevvy?

Welcome, Cheri. Please excuse T-Bone for being so rude and not offering you cake and coffee. Do you like cheesecake? Share a piece with me! Waiter! on my tab, please! You sound as though you escaped with your thinking ability still intact, Cheri. Good, keep it that way. You will find likeminded folks here - and some who are not so likeminded, so it makes for interesting discussions at times. And why not? If you can find yourself a decent church (choose a smaller one where you can get to know people, not a mega church), you may well find more like-minded folks than you expect. There will be differences in belief, but do overlook those: no-one is wholly right on anything, and we as exWayfers surely know that! Instead of thinking that people in a church are "wrong," look instead to what you have in common: a love for God, acceptance of what Jesus did for us all in choosing to pay for our wrongdoings of all kinds, and the great grace shown to us. See how the congregation manifests love to each other, to you, and to the community around them. While it's worth exploring why they may believe something differently (and thus testing the integrity of your own beliefs), do look more to what you have in common with these brothers and sisters in Christ. You'll spend eternity with them. Why not start getting to know them now?

Nice, Chocky. Our little singing group at our church produces a great sound, made by passionate singers. Puts the Way lot to shame. Hey, come and learn, Wayfers!

Hey, that's unfair. There is a bit about Eph 4:32 in the middle, in the "fellowship meeting." But, oh, the chorus. EG around 3:30 I think they're singing "We can all fellowship" or some such. Sounds more like "We can't all give a sh!t." Or maybe that's the Cafe version.