waysider

Within the context and relevance of this thread, that would be the assumption. I might add, though, that I've been using "afterlife" in a rather generic sense, meaning a life of some sort that follows the life we currently experience as humans. In that sense, the broader concept is certainly worthy of discussion, though perhaps not in this thread.

The greatest WMD of all time is...famine. Famines don't coincidentally happen because there is a shortage of food. They are executed in calculated fashion. They're not destined to go out of style in any of the foreseeable future. That is why the way we live and cooperate in the immediate present is vital to the survival of mankind. The afterlife takes a back seat when your belly is empty.

Isn't it curious how two people can read something and come away with a different interpretation? If I understand your interpretation correctly, you are implying that what T-Bone is suggesting is to consider something infinite from every possible angle, which would, as you say, be oxymoronic. My interpretation, on the other hand, would be that what T-Bone is suggesting is to simply consider it from a variety of diverse angles. There's quite a difference between all and many.

T-Bone said: "I wonder how many folks would be interested in Christianity if all it provided was Jesus Christ." We had a discussion here that revolved around some similar thoughts. It was quite animated, to say the least. LINK

I have no desire to watch it, but for those who do, here's the LINK.

It sounds like you have a healthy attitude toward the law of believing.

I used to think there was comfort in "knowing that I know that I know, ad infinitum". I now realize there is a sense of relief in accepting I'm not as smart as I once thought. It gives me the freedom to explore, to change, to learn in ways that I may have avoided in the past. It was a bit scary, at first, learning my foundation was built on something defective. Wierwille used to say "You can't go beyond what you're taught." My wish for you is that you discover how very wrong he was about that.

Or moving from one "house" to another on a moment's notice with no advance warning. Because, ya know, who knows when the Illuminati might sweep in and try to grab us all. We have to maintain a state of preparedness.

Yeah, I remember that crazy stuff. People thrown out in the middle of the night, being told they had to clear the state lines before the sun came up. What a joke. Too bad there's no funny punchline.

Maybe he should have phrased it, "Why are we still here?".

ABS=All B.S.

He won't get that much from social security. That's close to the maximum amount anyone can possibly receive. (Currently, the max is about $2600/month) In order to do that, he would have needed to earn the maximum amount for at least 35 years. (The current 35 year max is somewhere around $127,000 per year.) Most average recipients get somewhere around $1200-$1500 per month. In addition, he will have a tax liability if his individual annual income exceeds about $25,000 ($32,000 for joint filing). Aside from that, I totally get the point you are making. Source: Those numbers are approximations of the amounts found on the official GVT. site.

Bit of a side note here. I used to recommend his books and frequently lent out PFAL, though I had my doubts about the organization in general and didn't promote any activities, such as twigs and classes. The book was rarely ever returned to me and I would replace it from time to time. Finally, about 10 years ago, while still quite the novice in how the internet worked, I accidentally stumbled into GSC in my search for a replacement copy. Wow! were my eyes ever opened. I discovered I really didn't know anything about the workings of the organization I had inadvertently promoted. One thing that had plagued me after I left was a sense of guilt for deserting my commitment, including the salt covenant. I was also concerned about crazy stuff, like "how safe would my family be now that I have walked away from the so-called hedge of protection?". I was concerned that I would see consequences in my health and safety because I longer abundantly shared (tithed). Lots of things ran through my mind. It's not a good place to be, mentally. This place has helped me tremendously in understanding that my concerns were misplaced. I'm not exactly sure if that addresses the concerns expressed here but those are my immediate thoughts.

Like Sonny Boy Williamson said: Don't Start Me Talkin', I'll Tell Everything I Know. Warning! Link contains "The Devil's Music".

I wouldn't rush into anything too quickly. Pick something specific that interests you and explore that before expanding out on a bunch of tangents. Almost any subject you can think of has been discussed here over the years. We can help you find those discussions or help you initiate a new discussion.

Almost everything he wrote was lifted from uncredited sources. I can't tell you what to read and what not to read. If you like some aspects of what you read, we can certainly help you find the original sources. Personally, I'm not inclined to believe the original sources had it right either but that's just my opinion.

Welcome to GSC. I hope we'll be able to help you resolve some of the confusion you may have. See, here's the thing about his death. He taught, in the Advanced Class, that cancer is caused by devil spirits. In not so many words, what he implied was that people with cancer are "possessed". He died of cancer. His brother, "Uncle Harry, died of cancer. His son, Don, died of cancer. Do you see a pattern? Now, what we have here is a dilemma. If he was right in what he taught about cancer, we were following the teachings of a man who was possessed. If he was wrong in what he taught about cancer, he could have been wrong about anything and everything. It all comes down to credibility. As to what he taught, via his classes and books and so on, the vast majority of it was plagiarized material, sometimes whole paragraphs, even whole chapters and. yes, even entire books. This, despite the wild claims he made about God talking to him directly and having exclusive knowledge that hadn't been known for 2,000 years. I've gotten off-topic. This thread is simply to let people know the truth about the cause of his demise. There are probably many who still have no idea.

Is he teaching ballet?

Send him a PM.

Insert: Anyone who was/is on the outskirts of twi.....or simply took a couple of classes......has NO IDEA about this cult. Extrication is so intricately interwoven into every fabric of one's heart, soul, emotions, relationships, memories, fiber of being, approval before God......that to get out is an arduous process. Wierwille AND martindale strictly taught that to leave twi........was to leave God. Sure, it's laughable now......but to those who exit AND those still in.................it is very real. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is why I've so often said that it's not about doctrinal issues, such as 4 crucified or cry of triumph or figures of speech or whatever else we focused on. It was about a crazy lifestyle we lived that sometimes escaped the attention of those fortunate people who only remained involved at a local level.

I think it's a bit unfair to say I'm not willing to look at it from another perspective. I did, after all, suggest you present one.

Quite a few new posters are showing up these days. Just in case they may have missed it, here is the official word on VPW's cause of death: HERE

Remember that class that was supposed to show people how to separate truth from error? Yeah, how's that working out? You rock! Loved your book.

You're a good man, Charlie Brown.