waysider

I've found this approach to be very effective over the years. (as a student, not a teacher) Something I've discovered by doing this, also, is that, often, textbooks contain inaccuracies and contradictions that contribute to confusion. edit: This is one of the reasons why it is so academically dangerous to put so much stock in PFAL materials alone as a sole source of Biblical reference.

A couple years ago, GSC was going to shut its doors. Since then, things have changed and it remains open. (I'm not in a position that would lead me to have any special information.) Aside from that, your post is right on. They will drop you like a hot potato if you no longer bring them any benefit. "You're always welcome at The Way." ...VPW Uh huh "The moon is made of green cheese"...waysider

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ5-BTdcqjk

Drift away from that common ground of "Way-ness" and see how long the *friendship* survives. I suspect the answer would be, "not too long".

Well, it's spiritual----- ya know?

You can go all the way back to session #1 and see that, by taking John 10:10 out of context, Wierwille was able to severely distort the meaning of the message in a manner that excised Christ.

"We don't live in the past." And, yet, that's precisely what some do. A hypocrite in all his might, so wrong in that he thinks he's right.

I think song poses a similar question.....

Living in a commune type of setting (FellowLaborers) drove this idea home for me. There were several awakening moments, moments when you seem to be an outside observer of yourself, baffled by what you see, wondering how you happened to be there.

In the real world, friends drift apart over time. In the *ministry*, it's a real cold turkey kind of event.

Years ago before that, I had somebody in an offshoot look me up to see if I wanted to go to his church.. Yeah, I got that, too. Not to a hockey game or out for a couple of beers....just "Come and join my church."....no thank you.

"We sure do love you. You're always welcome at The Way. Bless your little heart." Tears are running They're all running down your dress And your friends, baby They treat you like a guest

How do your ex-TWI friends feel about some of the revelations that have come to light over the past several years?

I should add that I got this information from the twig leader, whom I trusted implicitly. The official spin I got from HQ was that the twig did not represent enough diversity. Yeah, as if a twig of all 19 and 20 year old believers represents diversity.

I personally know of a twig that was comprised of retired, limited income individuals. They were told, by HQ, to either start sending more money to HQ, disband or stop promoting themselves as part of The Way. This was in the mid 1970's. It didn't just somehow start after VP left the planet.

Inside the walls of Zion, there was the dismissal of The Zero Corps and labeling of dissidents as "tripped out". Outside the walls, the mantra was "You're always welcome at The Way.". Not only did it exist under VP's regime, he set the purge policy in motion.

"None of us would've ever even taken pfal if this had been done by VP in the 70s" There were versions of it done on Veepsters watch, as well. (Zero Corps and others) VP, though, was too clever to let any of the sordid details be known by the rank and file.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Ga0v_GAck

Chapter 1 "It was the best of times cults, it was the worst of times cults, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..."

Beat The Reaper...definitely near the top, as game shows go.

That's pretty near an exact quote from Harry (He's not MY uncle) Wierwille.

A lifetime of learning is what I had in mind.

Needs-basis doctrine was nothing more than a device The Way used to rationalize their exploitation practices.