waysider

Of course not. That's because you weren't (dead wood). How twisted was this organization that it could get us to think that non productive members were something other than human beings and needed to be "pruned"? And, this was back in the early 1970's. You know------------- "the good old days".

A long time ago, I worked pretty closely with this guy named Tom who seemed a pretty decent sort. He really knew his trade. I asked him how he knew so much about it and he explained that he had grown up in the business. We worked well together. One day, we stopped after work for a couple beers and small talk. During the course of the conversation, I asked him where he went to high school. Well, I thought he was making some kind of joke when he casually offered the name of an all girls school. Then, he explained that he had been born a girl but was now a man. Even had an estranged teenage son who didn't know about the change and still sent him Mothers Day cards. At the time, I was still in The Way. So, what changed for me? Suddenly, due to all the teachings on devil spirits and such, I was now obligated to be very cautious about any information I shared with him because telling him anything was like telling something to devil spirits. And, I felt like I was really "missing it" spiritually because it took me so unawares. Shame, really. He is a genuinely nice person who deserved better treatment from me. I ran into him some years later and we jabbered for a bit about the old place of employment. Clearly, he hadn't been put off by my sudden aloofness all those years ago. I'm both ashamed and thankful at the same time for that.

I think we called them "deadwood". Gotta prune the deadwood from time to time to make room for new growth..

Congratulations! You are the new Weed Coordinator!

I wonder if the guy who shared P.T. Barnum's final hours ever got this kind of adulation.

Current AC requirement

What do you want him to do? Are you hoping, dreaming or praying he will pay you back? Well, my friends, the ball is in your court. All you need to do is simply follow the advise posted on his web site. "What do you want? What are your hopes or dreams; what are you praying for? Believing is the key to receiving your answers."

"Some people who were in "The Way" deny that it was/is a cult." If you just stayed in your own little local area and went to twig when you felt like it, took classes when they hit your fancy and lived your life by your own dictates, it probably wasn't very obvious to you what you were really involved in.

OK Maybe I'm remembering this thing wrong. Maybe it was just The Word Over The World Auditorium. I'm not sure. I do know, though, that they were very adamant it was never, ever to be abbreviated or referred to using acronyms.

Make no mistake. VPW had armed thugs that he dispatched to threaten trouble makers. Corporate meetings were held with firearms openly displayed to intimidate any non-compliant attendees. I believe that qualifies them, at the very least, as a POTENTIALLY violent organization.

Fellow Laborer Training "The one on the left is a turnip. The one on the right is a weed. Pull the one on the right." :o

Oh, great. Now I can't get that old Steelers Wheel song out of my head. Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right Here I am

In a way, you have to feel kind of sorry for these people. Spend their lives building an elaborate race car for a race that was canceled years ago. Oh, well----Makes a good conversation piece.

I don't know if you call it revelation or a vision or spiritual awakening or whatever. It wasn't a hallucination. And it was NOT that "small still voice", "Christ's eyes behind your eyes" stuff that was taught in the AC. Did you tell anyone about your experience? What was their reaction? BTW---When I took the AC, it was in the old BRC so your description really caught my attention. edit This probably should have it's own thread.

I don't know if you've ever read any of my posts about VPW "giving me the finger" but I don't doubt your experience for a nanosecond.

Was that before or after we were "asked" for special ABS to defray the cost of restoring a 1949 Indian motorcycle to "bless" The Man Of God?

When plans were first announced for construction of the auditorium, we were told to always refer to the structure by its full name . We were told that acronyms and abbreviations were unacceptably disrespectful. Does anyone remember this?

Maybe you just weren't "believing".

http://wordcentered.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=133&Itemid=28

That's why we were encouraged to be selective in our recruitment efforts. We were supposed to seek out people who would be potential "leadership material" (franchisees).

From what I've gathered here at GSC, he works at the wholesale level. His customers are the retail outlets who market the product. A franchise operation, if you will. A bit like what the big hamburger chains do. That keeps him one step removed and out of the spotlight. I think (personal opinion) that this is a path Wierwille was exploring in the very early days. (Mid 60's to mid 70's) I believe this may have been what his original intention may have been with WOW, Fellow Laborers and early Way Corps. Remember, the W.C. was originally designed to be two straight years of in-residence training, followed by a return to their previous venues. For what ever reason, Wierwille scrapped that plan and redirected his efforts into developing his intense indoctrination program that became the new and improved Way Corps. In fact, as an enticement to WC enrollment, some Fellow Laborers were offered a one year apprenticeship credit for their final year and successful graduation from the F.L. program Perhaps Wierwille was too impatient or lusted for the control and power that resulted from the centralization of company operations. I don't know. That's purely speculation on my part. On the other hand, maybe those two elements are not as critical to CG as they were to VPW. that's my 2cents edit RE: WOW This would mean that the actual running of classes was only the secondary goal of participants. The primary goal was to locate and enlist enthusiastic franchisees who would set up shop and perpetuate the business once their WOW year was over.

I believe that conclusion is much too general. Even though we were taught that we should all think alike, the simple truth is that we do not. In addition, the "mindset" we were all admonished to subscribe to has, itself, evolved and changed.

I'm not really sure what you mean by that. My comments were directed more toward the progressing, evolving realizations one faces, not the abrupt, sudden confrontations.

Maybe so----but you and I are not Wayfers.

Sky4it I'm very sorry about your friend. The Way is an evil organization. Lots of lives have been damaged by their doctrines and practices. Some people even lost their lives due to The Way's idiotic "law of believing" and nonsense about being "born of the wrong seed". Some of us (myself included) lost dear friends and relatives forever because they died as a result of believing Way doctrine. I know that really isn't any consolation but I just wanted you to know you are not alone in your disdain for this vile organization that calls itself The Way. As for the longfellow reference, I want you to know that there were plenty of us who did not subscribe to that doctrine. Unfortunately, there were some who did. I was not among them. I know you said you will not be responding to this thread so I want to end by telling you I am truly sorry for the pain you are in. I hope there is some way we can help you here. waysider