waysider

Why is it when we talk about Wierwille, we so often feel compelled to compare him to Biblical figures? He wasn't a Biblical figure. In fact, aside from the fact that he used the Bible as a backdrop, there was nothing especially Biblical about him at all. Same thing with incidents we experienced in The Way. Why do we compare them to incidents that happened in the Bible? We don't live in Biblical times. We live in a completely different time and culture. Me, personally, I think VPW was more like Harold Hill from the Music Man than anyone in the Bible....except, of course, for Wierwille's unhappy ending.

Same reason we post on ANY thread, Pinky..... To take over The World. Mwahaha!

Isn't that what they did, in essence, by filing for 501( c ) status?

FREE POST!!

Makes me wonder why God would put his trust in the "weakest link", VPW.

Hopefully the "founder" isn't singing.. I'm my own Grandpa... I'm my own grandpa...

Alex: The Singing Ladies Contestant: Who would possibly think they could influence any honorable or sustainable investment of anything else?

CMA tuition Some serious coinage. How does one graduate from CMA and qualify for a Pell grant? (If, in fact, he ever received such a grant.)

Ha! I always wondered why "Roll Away" became such a favorite.

Maybe they should reconsider their stance on bake sales and car washes.

Nothing wrong with grants and scholarships. I'm just wondering where "the balance" comes from. I mean, surely, no one has ever dipped into the ABS till to make up the difference, have they? The IRS would surely frown on such a thing.

20,814..... annual tuition, etc. -5550......Pell grant ---------- 15,264 Does a staffer have the ability to make up this difference in cash (No debt policy, remember?)

He graduated from Bowling Green?, the same Bowling Green that has been linked to the offspring of other Way leaders? I wonder where his tuition came from. <_< I sure hope it didn't come from funds that were meant for 501c purposes. That would be embarrassing.

Did they (these various "offshoots") not assume the responsibility of stewardship?

If I understand your (diversonal) point correctly, here, you're implying that because these "laundry lists" aren't to be found in the Bible, we should, likewise, refrain from talking about the shortcomings of various so-called leaders. Guess what? These aren't Biblical times. This is real life in the 21st century. When leaders make unethical decisions, they open themselves to criticism from the congregation. That's how it should be. Checks and balances. If you really want to do something productive, sift through the scriptures for instructions detailing how the church's checks and balances system is supposed to function. There is plenty there to be found. It doesn't include sweeping bad behavior under the carpet or diverting attention away from genuine problems in an effort to protect the image of whoever your MOG of choice happens to be.

(slightly) "In '73 and '74 even before there were official branches and limbs, the area leader kept the abs for a month and then turned it in to the limb leader. Said limb leader then kept it also for a month before turning it in to hq. If either the area or limb leader needed something that month, the cost came out of the abs. My area leader needed some tires because he traveled a lot to care for his people so that was taken frrom the abs. Somewhere in '74-5 hq called all abs directly in to hq because they said some were abusing the privilege." ........................................................................... When I took the class in 1972, the Way Tree structure was already solidly in place. (branches and limbs). We were instructed to never use the ABS for local needs. We weren't even allowed to use money from the ABS to buy the stamps to send it to HQ. Maybe other people's experiences had to do with geography. I don't really know. That's my personal experience of that period of time. edit: And we were forbidden from doing things like bake sales and car washes to provide for local needs, such as hall rentals. I think this was supposed to be based on the George Mueller idea that God would be the sole source to supply your needs. Or, perhaps, that's the image Wierwille wanted to convey to the public. What that did, in reality, was to create an atmosphere of codependency. (Some people are givers and some people are takers) I never really saw that aspect of it very clearly until I went into fellowlaborers of Ohio. In that program, with 50 people living in close quarters, it was quite apparent. I think one's memories (ie: fuzzy feelings) of the FLO program may be related to where one stood in the codependency queue.

Now, now, there's no need to sugar coat it for these kids. Just come out and say it.

Well, he probably meant SPIRITUALLY young and firm.

They've already imploded. The major components are being reconstructed in Smith County, Mississippi at this very moment.

I guess this would make brother Harry "our uncle in the upholstery business"......except that he wasn't our uncle and his best "cover up" skills didn't involve sofas and chairs.

No, but, aside from the title, it's probably the most well known.

If you search the threads from a couple years ago, you will find documented records of individuals who did, in fact, commit murder (of fellow believers) while on the WOW field. You will also find records of leaders who were arrested and convicted of sex crimes. In some instances, "upper management" knew of the problems and simply moved the offenders to other locations.

edited by poster