waysider

Yeah, it went from helping MYSELF, to serving OTHERS. In the early days, that shift happened rapidly......Had the foundational class?...OK, now you're on chair set-up and it's no longer about YOU...Had the TIP/(intermediate class)?...OK, now you're a twig leader and it's no longer about YOU....Had the Advanced Class?...OK, now you're a class instructor or branch leader or whatever...and it's still no longer about YOU. You were instilled with this lofty notion that you were doing something noble, that you were a vital part of something bigger than yourself. Stop thinking about YOURSELF! Maybe that's part of why it's so hard for some people to let go. They still can't come to grips with the reality that we were just puppets in Wierwille's fantasy play, numbered assets in the organization's inventory. We were like spare tractor parts in Wierwille's tool shed. A part breaks? Go to the shed and fetch another. That's the reality. There was nothing intrinsically "noble" about anything we did.

I never go any place where the people on stage outnumber the audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtVRoFqBxbE disclaimer: I'm not suggesting this,literally.

That wouldn't take a village, it would take a stream roller.

He has an an account here. You could send him a P.M. (I don't remember his handle.)

That's the story of my first marriage, in a nutshell.

Last I heard, The Way was sitting on about 56 million dollars in assets. (probably somewhat less, given the current state of the economy) They're supposed to be a charitable organization, according to their 501 status. What are they waiting for??

501 c(3)

It's rather telling (in a pathetic way) that Wierwille knew more about work animals than he knew about human beings.

.....Beware of P.T. Barnum impersonators and Harold Hill wannabe's.

I don't think anyone is really disputing the need to cover business expenses. What has come into question is the motivation involved. Let me state it another way. When I see all these offshoots springing up and offering new material, I don't see someone saying, "I need to charge for my classes". What I see is someone saying, "I need to have classes I can charge for".

It could never happen.....'cause they'd get rebellation...... Cookies would fall out of the great cookie jar in the sky.....There would be so many cookies, the sky would turn back and cover the gas pumps.

Geeze! If you really want to "learn" something about T.I.P., just use the danged search engine on GSC. And, if you choose to subscribe, we'd even entertain/discuss any questions you might have.

On-line excellor sessions!! HERE

The whole premise of Power For Abundant Living is that it supposedly contains information that will make you a better Christian. I don't think you have to look too far beyond the title, itself, to understand that concept. Not entirely a bad concept. But, it didn't stop there. No, it was made clear that one could not expect to see these results as an individual, without becoming an active member of the group.....stay within the household...don't fellowship with unbelievers, etc. And, what was the primary focus of the group's activity? Simple, bring people into the PFAL class and make sure they continue on a class-centric path. If you need proof, please refer to page 2 of Witnessing and Undershepherding. "The basic reason we witness is to help people into the classes on Power For Abundant Living..." (All of which comes with a price tag.)

Twinky You're trying to apply logical thinking to something that defies logic. There is no way anyone can be sure how the scenario might have played out. One thing I know, though, is that when someone points a gun at you, you have to assume it is loaded and there is a possibility they will use it.

The whole household thing was about being "better" than the unwashed masses of mainstream Christianity. The corps was about being the "best" of the household. edit: I'm not sure how patterning one's life after misinformation in an error riddled class can improve the quality of one's personal, Christian walk. Maybe someone could enlighten me with specific examples of how this is possible.

".....bum-rushed off twi property in the middle of the night by a security guard with a 9mm firearm". Oh, so THAT'S what they meant by "all 9 all the time".

Buzz-words....yeah...I see people talking on face book and find myself wondering if they would actually be able to communicate without all the "way speak", or have a simple conversation that doesn't have PFAL related material at its center.

He probably just needs to speak in tongues a little more and get a clearer focus on the situation.

I love the smell of rhetoric in the morning.

Hmmmm.... Did Reynolds take the advanced class? Did he confront Wierwille or report him to authorities?

Grad school??? His aforementioned rambling seems to be more on the level of a high school sophomore. (Am I being too kind?) edit ...spelling

Why on earth does anyone still believe these nut-cases in New Knockwurst have the slightest clue about real life?