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Your discussion on this subject made me think of this verse: Matthew 4:23: And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kindom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among his people. Why did I think of this verse? Because there are two words in this verse that mean almost identical things but the second one 'disease' has one definition that is different from 'sickness'. That is "a problem in society: a serious problem in society or a serious problem with a particular group of people or person within a society." Jesus was also a Jew and would understand the concept of shunning in the context of someone harming the community. According to this verse Jesus came to 'heal' even that. Which would explain the tone that Paul used when he spoke of 'marking them and then avoiding them'. It also explains why Paul and others spend so much time explaining how the family is supposed to act towards each other and how the body works.

Or we were just chasing our own tails while vp was chasing his own kind of tail... Actually I can see twi being both or either depending upon the individual and what they were actually looking for and being fed. Personally I was in a the labyrinth and then I got placed in the maze but I thought that I was still in the labyrinth, in other words I still thought that I was 'going somewhere' but I was really stuck in a series of dead ends.

True dat! Knowing what I know now I wish I had turned the bird loose.

Unfortunately I saw a lot of the suit wearing bible thumpers that always complained when the local folk just wanted a real bbq and not a rented, bought in the store, 'decent and in order' dinner. I really hated it when they would try to turn a day in the park into an afternoon and evening in a stuffy rented 'room' with lots of sitting an listening to them talk. I can see why some folks stopped going. Jesus taught under the olive tree and people heard him and got healed. He didnt wear a suit that I'm aware of so why did twi think that this was the way to go? I should have taken the bottom off of ole Buzzy's cage or just let him out. He might have made some lovely decoration on Mr. Perfects pressed silk shirt. But then his poor wife would have had to clean it.

You know those clean pristine 'dont sit on the furniture' homes just annoy me. Our house was always clean but we could sit on the couch and pet the cat if we wanted. My first TC tried to get my parents to get rid of our pets and when they told him to take a flying leap he tried to have mom move the bird into the bedroom during twig because Buzzy liked to sing when we were singing and he often told the tc to 'shut up'. Because that's what the tc said to him. Turn about is fair play in a parakeet world.

That really sucks for all of you. It is hard on all of you when this type of thing happens. I cannot imagine my childhood without my parents. My father was the bread winner my mom was a 'domestic engineer'. (gotta love the title! ) My parents were old school, real old school not like the gangsta crud they call old school today. My parents were born when life was good in America and then they fought a world war and saw what they had fought for take a serious downhill slide. The last major news my mom saw before she passed was 9/11. It made her sad, profoundly sad. Unfortunately their grandchildren live a life similar to yours, parents divorced and for whatever reason they dont get the type of supervision that really nurtures a child. I hope they turn out as well as you sound like you have, minus the whole cult thing. I personally never could have children so the ones that I often claim were actually my ex's. I havent seen any of them in years and have only heard from one of them in the past two. They have no structure now either, but I cannot help that if they wont let me. I was always the kid that did what she was told and was respectful of her elders and all of that so when the Corps came along and I got talked into going because it was the thing for me...well, I was obedient...and I'll never be blindly obedient to anyone again...except God but he's another subject. I bet you were a pain in some unsuspecting TC's tail! That could have been fun to watch.

Yes it did and I really loved the way that she said some of the things. Some of it even sounded 'logical' for that split moment before I remembered what year it was... My roommate said something to me yesterday that really kind of made me mad...because she was right...I was good in the Corps because I was obedient, not because I was spiritual, or called, or gifted, but obedient. When I ceased being obedient they told me to leave. That just p!sses me off!

Wow Abi if I had done that as a child I would have gotten my own switch, if you know what I mean but then again I wouldnt have been at the party in the first place. I kind of came from a different lifestyle than you or Kristen so in that area I saw no paralells with my own life. The thing that stuck out for me was the mindset once we were in. The insidious cancer thinking that kept me doubting myself and yet always wanting more to correct the doubt. It was a horribly sick circle. The line that a person wasnt spiritually mature enough for whatever was a great hook to keep a person going to more classes and repeating the same ole stuff over and over thinking that somehow you missed something because the MOG keeps saying I'm not spiritually mature. What a crock! I know that they really used the whole believing and spiritually mature stuff a lot on the 16th and to some extent on the 14th Corps. We were in res when the great Man of God for our day and time died of devil spirit possession! Oh holy cow did we drop the ball somewhere. He died on our watch because our believing didnt protect him! Anyway Kristen really showed the entire Corps thinking mind set that kept us from questioning, kept us in and kept us under their thumb.

You'll get no argument from me on that point Cake!

It was an amazing book, well written and intuitive. It certainly was a walk down memory lane. And like Purple said there were times that I just couldnt believe that I once thought Just Like That. Give me a break! :blink: It certainly was a great expose of what it was like to be in the Way Corps and what it was like to think like Way Corps. Crazy! Well done Kristen. Thank you.

I couldn't help notice that the women were playing 'backup' or second fiddle in more ways than one. Couldn't they afford handless mikes for all of them? Or does the man get it because he's 'dancing' more than them?

interesting....indeed

Happy birthday Bride. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Both and neither. Her memories do not mirror mine. But when she quotes VP or LCM or mentions an event that I had heard about...things like that trigger memories. Now some of those memories had been buried pretty deeply and others are there just lurking below the surface. Some of them are bad or lead to bad ones but that is the way with my experience in twi. I have both good and bad memories. What I liked about the way that she wrote was her justification (as it was happening) for the bad that was happening, it really showed how many of us simply accepted what we saw or did because of some ridiculous teaching. In your case only you can determine if the memories that you have buried are too painful for you to want to bring them up again. The book itself is an enjoyable read. Her manner of speech is simple to follow, light and enlightening all at the same time. Certain incidents are difficult for me but only because I experienced similar. But then again I have found a bit of self therapy in writing my own autobiography and getting my own lingering pain down on paper.

I got mine today and am zipping through it. She is an excellent writer. It's very easy to read and yes it brings back memories. I cant wait to read more.

Welcome to the Spot. Hope you find everything that you you need. :)

From a legal point of view, correct me if I'm wrong, the defendant cannot settle out of court unless the complainant agrees to the terms. The one bringing the law suit can persue the case to the full extent of the law regardless of how many 'offers' of settlement they may receive from the defendant. So in answer to your question Krys the Allen's would have had to press the issue. The Judge obviously thought that they had a case and so did the defendants if they were so quick to settle. But for whatever reason or reasons the Allen's were content with the settlement.

Oh well...its cool tho. Dont know if it would go with my decor but its nice.

Congrats to Steven and all the gang, but I got a question how come the turtle is only a green belt. Looks like he has the whole karate kid post kicking down pretty good. P.S. Rascal you sure have a nice looking crew of children!

You would think that her head would be bigger given the perspective. But it's nice. How large is the actual painting?

I dont know about enlightening but it was fun. I compared war in general and then went into how each artist portrayed the various human elements of war, the pain, the confusion, the anguish, the desire for existance and life...just so much to see in each painting...the Professor really liked it. Funny she had the same idea to compare the two as the day that we turned in our final essay/thesis we were given the final test and the extra credit essay was exactly that...compare these two paintings.

So here is one of my favorite paintings in the world. It is by Eugène Delacroix and it's called La liberté guidant le peuple. In my humanities class I compared the composition and themes of this painting and the Picaso that Dooj presented a couple of pages back. Actually I decided to just post it again. Guernica by Pablo Picaso.

On stage stood the man with the 'power' and he would preach and scream by the hour if you sat in the front on your hard tree stump you ended up with a shower. YUK!!!! :blink:

There once was a man from New Knoxville Who had trouble keeping his cock still, He'ld see a young woman and he would go runnin' For hours or more with no pill.

After WOW there was something more, You could sign up and go into the Corps, Learn how to hear God, While you're scrubbin' the john I'm so glad that I found the door. (I almost said something else in that last line!)