waysider

Even if you find a number, it's accuracy would be dubious at best. The Way never considered itself a cult. I suspect many others fly "under the radar" as well. I used to work with someone who, at one time, belonged to a cult called The Fellowship Of Believers. From what was described, it was remarkably similar to TWI. I have never been able to find any information on them at all. There is a church that uses that same name but, as far as I know, there is no connection. You might try the following link: http://www.caic.org.au/zentry1.htm

I heard this being used as early as the early 1970's as a corroboration of something that VPW taught. It might have been four crucified. I don't recall off hand. The point that people made was that if two people who knew nothing of each other's work had reached the same conclusion, it surely must be true. This reasoning is tainted on more than one level. First, because we now know that Wierwille WAS aware of Bullinger's work. Secondly, because Wierwille presented this as being unique information that was given to him personally by God. Third, because Wierwille had stated that he had hauled all his reference material to the dump and started over. Fourth, because we now know it is faulty research that arrives at an erroneous conclusion. Wierwille not only used someone else's work as if it were his own, he never even did the proper work required to prove or disprove its validity.

The commonality that exists among "The Big Three" is that they are monotheistic and all consider their origin to be with Abraham. It's an academic point, not a subjective evaluation. Here is a "Wiki" that explains some of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religion Sorry, I know that strays from the larger topic but it addresses the sub-topic at hand.

Here's the next one. It's not the opening line but I think it's pretty recognizable. (At least I hope so.) "Now the sun's coming up; I'm riding with Lady Luck, freeway cars and trucks".

Drive downhill-----Both ways.

Actually, two come to mind on this one. 1. Day Tripper-------Beatles 2. Kind Woman-----------Buffalo Springfield Or is there another one?

Here's Rupert Oysler as he kicked some serious butt on an old Sonny Boy II song yesterday.

Brought to the top for new arrivals. (Click on little red arrow at top/right to go to start of thread.)

I could be wrong on this but, it was always my understanding that the word "pagan" referred to someone who was not Jewish, Christian or Muslim.(Simple as that.) The Native American peoples, for example, had spiritual beliefs that were deeply seated but since they did not fit this criteria, they would be technically classified as Pagans. It's a matter of semantics, really. Many people use the term in a derogatory sense but I don't think that's an accurate usage of the word.

I'm not sure I know how to answer your question, jeast. Seeing things in perspective now, I realize I never turned my back on God, I walked away from a cult. That's about the best I can explain it. It reminds me of an old joke that has some wisdom laced in it I saw a man standing next to a wall. He was methodically banging his head against it. I said, "Why are you doing that? Doesn't it hurt?" "Yes", he said, "It hurts terribly----but it feels so good when I stop."

Don't be so sure. I think a lot of people here can "relate".

I couldn't find JB and RS together either, Jonny.Will this version be OK?

The FLO program was located in a rural area, also. (Both the Limb HQ and our apartment housing.) I don't think they planned it that way, except maybe to get the most real estate for the dollar. Sounds like a good enough reason to me, really. I'll tell you this, though. It kept us really isolated from the outside world. You needed special permission just to go into town to visit the post office. We seldom ventured into "the real world" except to go to our secular jobs which were a required part of the program. You couldn't take just any job. You had to take a job that did not conflict with the program. We were supposed to use those jobs as a vehicle to witness and promote PFAL. If the job was not conducive to that, we were supposed to find a job that was. We also went into town to do laundry but always with a car full of other FLO. No TV's or phones, just a high priced long distance pay phone at the truck stop a 1/2 mile away. And, as WG mentioned, there was a restaurant a couple miles away you could get to if you had a car. The best thing about the truck stop(The Wayside Truck Stop) was that you could walk there with someone you trusted and discuss matters of concern without being overheard. I like to call people who did that----waysiders. That's my 2 cents (just another) waysider

Phil Allow me to put this in the perspective of a non-member. Suppose you were told by the Eastern Orthodox Church, to which you belong, that unless you gave them 20% of your gross income(preferably more), not only would they cut you off, the devil himself would bring death and destruction to you and your loved ones. What would you do? (Supposing, of course, that they had programmed you to believe they were telling you the truth.) BTW----The former president of TWI said that if you ever left "the true household" of The Way after having heard "The Truth", you would be a grease spot in the road by midnight. That's why this place is called Grease Spot Cafe!!

Thanks, Socks He was quite a guy. It wouldn't hurt the World to have a few more like him.

Thanks, Cowgirl Sometimes the simplest truths are the most profound. waysider

P.T. Wierwille (As in Phineas Taylor Barnum) "I am a showman by profession------and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me." ----------P.T. Barnum--------------------------

Sorry----Couldn't pass this up.

BOY HOWDY! If that don't just say it all ! Even after all these years I find myself having an almost instantaneous internal reaction to things that people do and say that are similar to things I saw in TWI. Psychological bullying is a biggy for me.

Carrot & apple raisin salad. Yum Yum! Yup---We had plenty of that too. And Waldorf Salad, which is especially delicious when made using home-made mayo that's been prepared in mass quantities in someone's dank basement using fresh farm eggs. Sprinkle some mung bean sprouts on that puppy and you got yourself some mighty fine(and "Oh, so tasty!") vittles.

Sorry if I'm intruding here but it seems from the context of your post that the word "this" was referring to the subject of discussing possible errors in PFAL and the possibility that it(PFAL) might not be God breathed.

Maybe this is off topic, I'm not sure. Many years ago, I copyrighted several songs. The copyright at that time was 28 years. (It has since been extended to lifetime.) At the end of those 28 years, I had an option of renewing or allowing them to go into public domain. I chose the latter. Once they have gone into public domain they can not be copyrighted again by me or anyone else. A specific 'arrangement' can be copyrighted but that's another issue. Now, admittedly, I don't know much about how all this works with journalistic works but had these been public domain songs that he claimed to have written, he would have been in violation of the law pertaining to copyrighting a "PD" song. Now, some stickler may argue that, since these were "arrangements" he could do so. However, if you try to copyright a song exactly as it appeared in the original you are not really copyrighting an "arrangement". Dr. Wierwille copied some of this material "word for word" and then proceeded to copyright it. Illegal? That's beyond my scope of knowledge so I'll just label it dishonest and shady. (And that's a generously kind assessment.) edited for spelling error.

Ditto here as well.