Imagine

Does anyone remember that The University of Life fight song?

Memories of strange occurrences There I was... I awoke one morning on a wing of the Rome City campus that had a uni-restroom ( This was way before Ally McBeal's tv show) So I entered one stall and then my girlfriend's hubby entered the restroom and went into the other stall. Good Morning, John Good Morning, Ms Imagine How are you doing this morning? Fine and you? Flush... Flush... Would you like to wash your hands first? No, you go ahead. Ok See you at breakfast. Have a great day! Does anyone else think this is a strange way to start the day???

1. What web site is this? "If you leave you will be a Greasespot by midnight." 2. What Area of the Web site is this test in? About The Way 3. Do you still believe The Way Ministry was not a cult? Is cult an abbrevation for culture? Wayworld was certainly another culture. 4.Do you still love to see Victor Paul Wierwille at the Rock? No, but I look forward to seeing him in heaven where we BOTH will have a perfect mind. 5. Do you still plan to go to the Rock of Ages? I occasionally go to Rock in my memories. 6. Are you planing to go WOW this year? I am a lifer WOW ambassador. I plan on presenting the Word to the World as God's Ambassador till I die. 7. Do you still give money to the Way ministry? No, but I get a free Way Magazine subscription. I like the pictures. 8. Are running a class in your home right now? No, but I enjoy inviting folks over for dinner and sometimes they even learn something from the conversation. 9. Do you feel sorry that the Way ministry lost a lot of people? I feel sorry for them that they lost me! 10. Do you still believe the Way doctrines were of God? There are more important things than accurate doctrine. I have come that they may have doctrine and have it more abundantly. 11. Is it possible Victor Paul Wierwille lie to you? All men are liars. 12. Do you still pray for Victor Paul Wierwille? 13. Do you still send money to move the Word of the Way forward? 14. Do you still go to Limb cookouts? I put tree limbs in my fireplace and roast marshmellows. 15. Do you still with pride have a Way sticker on your car? No, but I hang my Way Corps certificate in my office. I'm proud of all the efforts I gave. 16. Do you still sing at your home fellowship? The only place I am allowed to sing is in the shower pr when the praise band is playing really loud. 17. Do you still hide from people who have been mark and avoided by the Way ministry? There are no longer Jews or Greeks, slave or free, mark or avoid. 18. Do you still witness about the class? No, but I have worn my Athletes of the Spirit t-shirt to a witnessing function. 19. Were you smart to get out of the Way ministry? I prayed "God I am too stupid to know whether to leave." and I got kicked out. 20. Did you stay to long in the Way ministry? This is a difficult question. I asked God to use me in his service so I have to assume His plan for my life was best. Sometimes I like to run my own life instead of trust God's way. Which questions did I get right? Which questions did I get wrong?

I am so old that... I have to look up my profile to remember who I am!

What the Hey... I don't know if this is the right time I don't know if this is the right thread But I just wanted to say that .... It would be difficult to find finer men than Wayne Clapp and John Nessle. They both have knowledge based credentials but the highest of these is LOVE! (I would also add you to that statement.)

This unwritten rules thread has a lot of great comments. Would someone be willing to organize and summarize them and present them on one post so they could be copied for sharing?

Potato, Your wrote, "getting over the shame of living 20 years in a cult" Be proud! The characteristics of cult personalities types are highly intelligent, seekers, loyal and committed to a cause. Nothing to be ashamed about. Say it loud and say it proud...I'm x-way and won't have it any other way! I would write more about that but I'm on my way to a counseling session...:)

We we joined The Way we volunteered. We did not volunteer to leave. But when we left, we decided not to take our fellowship out with us. We could have called and talked with them and shared with them about what happened to us, but we didn't. Today some are still in and some are out. We let them come to us when they were ready and ask us why we were kicked out. I wonder what our reasoning was... mostly selfish I suppose. We had carried them for so long.... And when we were reeling in pain and trying to figure life out from the roots, we just needed to be on own. Just curious...what did you do when you left.? Did you encourage others to leave with you?

So I wonder about questions... Was Paul in God's will when he went to Jerusalem or not? I don't know. Does a loving God reprove by suffering? I don't know. Can I explain why Jesus the man is to be worshiped in the book Revelation? I don't know. Equally intelligent and Godly men differ on all sorts of scriptural topics. I can live with the "tensions." I can enjoy God without knowing it all. I don't want a doctrinal discussion about this, but I want to share how questions bounce about it my head. It's ok really it is. Now, when I wrote about packages, I was thinking about Christmas packages. Silly me. Of course, sperm count is the topic! Tom you are Strange :)

Looking back now, I remember that the way always had an easy answer for everytihing. I told people, I can answer 97% of all your questions to your satisfaction. How conceited was that! Now I understand God to be so much more complicated. There are opposite beliefs that seem to be true at the same time. How can man explain God in mathematical accuracy and scientific precision. My question: Have you found there are no easy answers after you left the way?

"the seeds of self-destruction are sown into all the "ministries" that share the "spiritual DNA" of the way international" Worth repeating. Worth considering.

When I used the spaghetti analogy, I was thinking about the factor of TIME. It was taking me time to suck all that sauce off those noodles. But reconsidering, that analogy is weak as well. Besides time, there is EFFORT. There is really little effort in the noodle sucking, just time. Then I thought about a knotted rope or knotted yarn. Someone else mentions this as well That would require both time and effort. It seems more appropriate. But today I thought of a third factor- PAIN. So there is time and effort and pain involved with reconfiguring all one's beliefs. What about tangled matted hair of someone that has been in a slumber for years and wakes up to a situation? For me the transition from way world to understanding the Bible has been like combing through a mass of snarls. Another thing... As t-bone shared, the need for time alone with God is so critical for the healing process. I don't think people can jump from one group to another. .. Exchanging one group think for another no matter how wonderful the group is. Thank you for letting me share.

I quick thank you to those who replied. I learned some great stuff from T-bone and also enjoyed the laughs. The scripture references were very insightful! and helpful! Paul had to change his whole belief system as well. Good Thought!

The saying was " Don't throw out the baby with the bath water." But that is not helpful because it is easy to know which is the baby and which is the bath water." The baby is noisy and the bathwater is quiet. The baby is pink and the bath water is blue. The baby is alive and the bath water is not. It is not easy to separate my current beliefs from my past beliefs. For me it has been more like spaghetti and sauce. I need to clean off each individual strand. It has taken so much time and effort. But the results of my self deprogramming have been so worth it!

Whatever I posted before this was simply a technical error. What I wanted to say is.... Thanks to Don't Worry and There is only one man I know that uses all those dots.....

When I was in The Way, all I knew about was what The Way was doing. I was NOT aware of global Christian happenings. Today I find myself in a similar bubble of ignorance. So.... my question is not what is everyone believing? But what are people doing? What do you know about what Christians DOING around the world to show compassion. "And Jesus was moved with compassion" For example, The local church I currently attend asked for volunteers to help with flood victims. Can people in cyberland share with me some Christian leaders or ministries that are making on impact around the world by what they DO?

Besides TULIP There's GGG in the catechism Guilt Grace Gratitude A Calvinist does good things not for merit with God but out of gratitude for what God has done for him. Now how is that like a cult? hmmm :)

My neighbor, John Lender, would lend me those tapes.

Who would be in favor of inaccuracy? Who wants to believe a lie? Who wants to be deceived? It is not wrong to be right. I love studying the details of scripture and learning as much as I can. When I wrote I thought accuracy was over-rated. When you are rating things of importance. Knowledge puffeth up and Charity edifieth. "Nah Nah Nah Nah I know more than you do" is an attitude that we all have to guard ourselves against. What can I say or do that will be something that builds up another not myself? Still learning after all these years, Imagine that!

Johniam How did you know what I make on my paycheck? It's almost as if you are psychic. :) ..... What Bible subjects you do think are worth arguing about? I wasn't accurate about spelling accuracy which REALLY bothers me! And the 75% off my paycheck is not so bad when you consider all the fringe benefits!

There was a movie called The importance of Being Earnest but I think most people are concerned with... The Importance of Being Right How important do YOU think it is to be right? In the Way accuracy was paramount. I think Accuracy is Overrated! Why is it that people are so concerned about promoting and defending their view of scripture and religious issues? When I go to a fellowship with my Trinitarian friends, they like to tell stories about the foolish and heretical people who don’t understand the truth that Jesus is God and they laugh at their ignorance. When I go to a fellowship with my non Trinitarian friends, they tell stories about how they witness to those stubborn folks and how they were so clever to show them the truth that Jesus is not God and they laugh at their ignorance. Equally intelligent and loving and genuine Christians find the need to put each other down because of what the other believes. I hesitate to visit my relatives because I could at any time while the conversation is pleasant be asked to defend my views on a religious topic. Of course-who God is-is a more important issue but I’ve noticed that even on lesser issues, people will leave churches, abandon friendships and spend much time in argumentation trying to convince others they are wrong. Why?

I don't care if there were four crucified with Christ. I don't care how many denials Peter made. I don't care if you go to heaven when you die. I don't care if there is a trinity. I don't care if I am a possessed Christian or just a troubled one.

Yes, Penguin. Do you know any more about him? One more thing... I was very leery in my own soul about taking another class. Then my family cautioned me. Then I was warned online. So during session, I was very suspicious and waiting for the backlash. I worried for nothing. I was pleasantly surprised. Just a lot of great Bible principles. Mostly a good review of what I already knew. Nothing unusual like four crucified or teaching on speaking in tongues. Very vanilla until the retreat.

Amen, Skyrider. I always appreciate your thoughts. Thank you. At one time I when H & A were ready to walk, N told me at HQ that I had convinced her to stay. I am so happy to hear they found THE WAY OUT!

Thanks, Rocky. I'll be in Phoenix next summer.