goodseed

I like to hear the unvanished version. Having worked at root locations of twi for over 20 years, i worked directly with the way corps, and I must say I have never seen more dedicated and idealistic people. It makes me sick to think of the horrors they endured just to massage the egos of vpw and lcm. However, I think people who were not there might not realize that not EVERYBODY who was in the corps or who worked at root locations was "in on" the orgies and the debauchery. You see, there had to be respectable people there as a front, and vpw knew that. He was masterful at reading people and what they would and wouldn't tolerate (obviously much better at it than lcm). The first time I met vpw I was a young single woman in my twenties. He "accidentally" touched my butt as I was walking behind his chair in the dining room. It was clear by my response that I was not shall we say, receptive, and he never again had an accident around me. Shortly thereafter I was told by Ermal Owens that there would always be a job for me with twi as long as I wanted to work there. There were many faithful believers who lived Godly lives and never realized the depravity going on until much later. I regret any semblance of respectability my stand may have afforded those predators. I do remember on one occasion when the 6th corps arrived at Emporia there was a small group of young women talking about vpw and how awesome he was and how they would do "anything" for him. I told them they were wrong to put him before the Word and they looked at me like I was from another planet. I guess I was. I imagine they were among his conquests at some point. But I digress. The topic here is the hoax, and I am as apalled by that assertion as I was by the inexcusable behavior of twi's MOG.

I have thought about selling mine before, but I couldn't be responsible for someone else getting sucked in. I gave a full set of books to my former pastor whose church I attended immediately after being m&a'd so he'd know what kind of crap I had been feeding on. Other things I disposed of hoping they would never again see the light of day. If someone were to read something in one of those books that made them want to contact twi and get involved, I could never forgive myself. I still have a set (large family), and NEVER look at them, but someday may once again give them to someone who needs to know.

What the...??? I'm with you, Hill Bro. How can anyone look at that kind of devastation and call it a hoax? Reminds me of the assertion by VPW that the Haulocaust didn't happen. I know that wasn't any more original than the rest of his research, but he promoted it. What next? I think Jonestown was a hoax - it gives cults a bad rap!

My unfulfilled promises, to name a few: Peace Joy Prosperity Promises fulfilled: Divided Word - divisionist doctrine Confusion

Yep. I moved to western New York about 4 years ago and took a job at a large IT reseller which employs over 1200 people at this location. After having worked there for about 6 months I saw a very familiar face in the cafeteria. Turns out this woman was visiting her husband for lunch we had worked together at HQ about 18 years before. It was great!

Many people only knew Mrs. Owens because Ermal really didn't like being in the limelight. One-on-one they were really an enjoyable couple to be around. Dorothy was a prankster - making "fake" chocolate dipped pretzels out of pipe cleaners and chocolate dipped "marshmallows" out of cotton balls, etc. And Ermal was one of my favorites to work for. He was demanding and sometimes frustrating, but he was really a great guy and one of the best bosses I ever answered to.

Tom S, Thanks for the exhortation. Even while I was under the influence of twi, I maintained, and still maintain that there are hundreds of thousands of wonderful Christian people in churches. I often have wonderful conversations with great believers of all denominations. I do believe that over time I will probably trust more and be more comfortable in a church setting. I certainly don't hate them or fear them - they're just not for me right now. But, you know, if I felt a need to "connect" with believers it would be in a church - not in a twi offshoot.

I agree, Oldiesman. I loved Don and Wanda dearly. They were like a brother and sister to me. Does anyone know where Wanda is and how she is doing?

Corporate apology? Naw - wouldn't happen, and wouldn't do any good for anyone. Heartfelt acts of contrition - yeah, they go a long way. Some posters here will likely not believe this, but a couple of years after LCM slandered me in a corpse night and M&A'd me I was at one of my kids' graduation from NK school. Right before the ceremony got started while everyone was getting situated, I was standing in the aisle behind a section of chairs set up on the floor of the gym. Don W. came over to me and wrapped his arms around me in front of God and everyone and with tears in his eyes congratulated me on my daughter's graduation. Believe me, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Even my fellow ex-wayfers, some with some pretty hardened attitudes about twi, recognized Don's "love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation". I had long before forgiven all of them, but Don allowed me to forgive and forget. Do I want a hug from LCM? Heck, no! He never showed any humanity to me or my family in the 20 years I knew him. But a heartfelt apology would be accepted, although I would probably still not forget. <_<

I have had plenty of opportunities to join groups consisting mainly of ex-wayfers, and have not been able to do so. If it looks like a dog and barks like a dog.... For those who want that, I say have at it, but even the church experience is too much for me, and I was a faithful church-goer before twi.

Divorced from an ex-Wafer 16 years ago after 15 years of marriage and 4 kids. I have now been happily married to a wonderful unbeliever for 7 years, and I do not regret it at all. Do we always agree? Of course not, and there are definitely times I think he's a total a** h***, but you can't live without an a** h*** - I just happen to have two! He's the best father my kids have ever had, and they consider him to be just that - their father. He's a loving husband, and despite my past life as a cultist, he loves and respects me. OK, he occasionally teases me about being an ex-Wafer, but hey, it's true. Besides, I wasn't the one who married a middle-aged woman with 4 kids and no money. So who's off his rocker? Some of us are just happier married than single. I always knew I'd remarry because I love having someone to share with, to do for, and to keep me warm at night. With my husband I got an extra blessing of the sweetest mother-in-law and a great bunch of siblings-in-law. What's not to love?

When I was M&A'd by LCM about 12 years ago, I was living in NK, and my kids were in NK school. One of my older children had mostly way kids for friends, including Leah Martindale, and she was active in a local twig. My daughter and I discussed the situation, and although her siblings preferred to abandon twi with me, she felt the need to continue to fellowship with twi, maintaining the close friendships she had with the other way kids. It hurt, but I understood her decision. It broke my heart to see how her twig coordinator and others at twi tried to pump her for information about me and my doings. It was a bizarre situation. When Laura Lombardi called me, supposedly on LCM's behalf, she mentioned my daughter and her decision to stand with twi, trying to taunt me, I told Laura that my daughter and I had discussed my daughter's decision to continue to fellowship, and that I loved her and was very proud of her. Laura's response? "We'll see how proud you are of her - that will change" What a vile witch! I am happy to report that all four of my children are Way-free and happy, well-adjusted adults. They were not able to destroy our family.

Good observation, TomTuttle, I'm sure there are many who could verify your allegation of SPS, but as far as being cut off - well, in the case of VPW it is too late. In the case of LCM - no first hand knowledge, but I'd just venture a guess that there is too little.

It always seemed to me that VPW hammered pretty hard on the fact that the scriptures are of no private interpretation unless it was his own PI. Then he'd preface his "revelation" with some gobbledegook about "if you'd really study it and get into the depth of the Word, blah, blah blah, you'd see...." Then he'd come out of left field with some cockamamie bunch of crap that was opposite what biblical scholars have come up with for the past 2,000 years. How frustrating it must have been for God to have had no one listening to Him for such a long time before His anointed VP showed up to really speak for Him. Even his schtick about SIT being the outward manifestation of being born again was, IMHO, PI.

In Western New York there is a very large prison in Attica, which is located right next to the interstate. There are signs posted in the area that read something to the effect of, "Prison area - do not pick up hitchhikers". That cracks me up. They should add "especially if they're wearing orange jump suits"!