waysider

I just come here for the coffee and cookies.

Some of this stuff probably just comes as part of a package deal when you buy the program. But, I don't know much about computers so it's maybe best to just ignore me.

Delusionando

How does Jesus Christ factor into this equation?

Well, shucks, I reckon us country bumpkins here don't stand a chance at understandin' what yer preachin'. edit: Tee Hyuk Hyuk Hyuk!

Thanks, Twinky. You're a kind soul.

I was there. I think it may have been the year the Advanced Class ended right before The Rock. (1973, If I remember correctly.) We (A.C grads) were caught completely unaware this was going to happen. I felt very uncomfortable about it because of the "God told me to tell you" stuff we had been taught. I didn't get any "revelation" to go forward to participate so I didn't. This inaction was a source of self-condemnation for me for a long, long time. Funny how stuff from almost 50 years ago sticks with you for so long.

Hmmmmm. That sounds familia.

Admittedly, it's been a really long time since I associated with The Way, but I remember distinctly that we were forbidden to do this. Everything changes with time.

That's exactly what it is, an opinion. One that's not based on any sort of credible evidence. If there is anything in the Bible (not a Way class) to support your claim, you are more than welcome to present it. You make statements like this: "The most strict laws in the OT were attempting to keep devil spirits out of Israel." Is there any basis for this assertion? Please feel free to enlighten me.

May I ask what led you to this conclusion?

Yeah, but, Doctor said "Fear is sand in the machinery of life." OOPS. That was really E. Stanley Jones who said that. "Plagiarism ruins more mens' ministries than anything else."

I just saw a pig fly past my window.

I used to sing with The Beatles. (Had one of those little radios on a rope that you hang in the shower.)

"The key to recovering from alcoholism is to raise a glass to toast sobriety." -prolly the same guy on YouTube

As I've said many times, the biggest problem wasn't so much about whether we believed "4 crucified" or "the cry of triumph" or whatever other controversial doctrinal issue you might choose. It was about the crazy, out-of-balance lifestyle we were required to live. I initially thought the leadership programs were supposed to advance us academically so we could better fulfill our leadership roles. There was very little, if any, chance for academic growth but plenty of sleep depravation, paltry meals and tedium. This is the part that gets lost on people who weren't in the training programs. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they didn't have to endure it. What's even worse is the people who were subjected to this abuse and are still, 50 years later, not able to see what a large scale scam it was. I posted a short clip in the open forum that deals with cult life on the other side of the world. The parallels are frighteningly sad.

I stumbled on this short video on youtube. (It's about 15 minutes long.) It details the experience of someone who got swept up in a South Korean cult, called Shincheonji. It sound so much like someone talking about The Way it's uncanny.... And we thought we were so special.

Don't be shy said the spider to the fly.

Well, we called it "witnessing", but what we were really doing was not too different than what the vinyl siding guy does when he knocks on your door to tell you about the sale of a lifetime that you can't afford to miss. The only difference is the siding guy actually gets a commission.

Socks might be able to point you in the right direction. Maybe you could send him a PM.

"But, Mom, all the other kids are doing it."

I'm usually not so blunt, Mike, but on this one you are just plain wrong. We were taught that the gospels were more suited for the "natural man" and the epistles were more suited for people with a "spiritual understanding". No one wanted to publicly declare they weren't spiritually mature enough to handle the epistles.

We were advised to avoid studying the gospels, as they were represented as being for spiritual weaklings.

This

Mike, this is a Physics 101 level problem. (Real image vs. Virtual image.) You spent all this time pondering a Physics 101 problem? Well, to each his own. Carry on.