Tzaia

and to think that some people haven't figured out that all the programs in TWI were never designed to help one become a disciple of Christ, much less Christlike.

Like I backtracked earlier - it's clear that Ohio is the state of origin. It looks like all the other states (that I looked up so far) became foreign entities between 1980-82. Arizona doesn't have a sales tax that is paid by the consumer. Vendors are taxed on gross receipts, so the taxes are built into the price of the goods. That is how gasoline is sold in my particular state, which was a godsend when that change was enacted.

That's really not the way it works. As an incorporated entity that offers goods as well as services, I am required by law to collect sales tax for the state I'm incorporated with for any taxable goods. I'm not required to collect tax for out-of-state sales. A business can operate in another state as a "foreign" entity and thereby collect sales tax in that state on behalf of that state. If the bookstores are operating as separate legal entities from TWI, the only reason why I can see that happening is it is easier to do so in that particular state, not to avoid collecting/paying state sales tax. TWI is an active foreign entity in every state I've looked up so far, except California, where it is acting as a DBA. What I cannot find is any registration in Ohio, which makes sense. (thanks, chockfull) As an entity, I don't pay tax on any items purchased for resale, but I do have to give my reseller's tax ID to do so. Anyone who is tax-exempt has to present a tax-exempt form, which is kept on file. Every document I've pulled up (so far) has coincided with the Arizona incorporation in 1980. Another sidebar worth noting - TWI carefully worded its classes (complete with books) as "donations" to not only avoid paying state sales taxes on the books, which were included as part of the cost of the class, but to allow people who itemize to write off purchases as charitable contributions. This is standard operating procedure in church organizations.

My understanding of incorporation is that it is only done in one state. Arizona may have been chosen due to the ease of incorporating a not-for-profit compared to other states, or because it was not an obvious choice - like Ohio. The original filing is in Ohio. All the others that I've looked up, except California, are registered as foreign entities, including Arizona (whose wording is confusing to the casual reader). California's entry looks like someone was on something when it was filed. Just an FYI, not-for-profits are REQUIRED to provide 3 years of federal tax filings to anyone who asks for a reasonable fee. Not-for-profits are encouraged by the feds to have public financial disclosure statements.

Was that *his* idea, or was it an "upgrade" of Jim Jones' thing where older people gave him their homes and in return he gave them a nice place to live until they died? The snow rescue snowmobile thing in Gunnison was about the most hare-brained thing I'd ever heard of for a "Christian" ministry to be spending money on. Didn't know about the other things - thankfully. I'm not defending the man, but he was not about being practical. Practicality was not a virtue in TWI-land. My experience was that practicality was a sign of lack of believing. So the more outlandish an idea, the better it was from a believing perspective.

STFONLINE.org

APA Style was my best friend before I switched to MS Word 2007. After that I had to switch to Endnote.

I believe it includes health care, but not trips. Trips would be part of the office expense.

I guess then we can assume that TWI's publications are works of fiction?

I have it. It's based on a set of premises which may or may not be correct an is (IMO) one of many possible viewpoints. I'm still conflicted on whether to applaud people who are so all-fired sure about a future that is predicated on a prediction, or smack them upside the head.

I've done a bit more digging - JB is office manager. JaSp is assistant office manager. At least 2 of the 5 board members are also paid staff. It's probably more like 3. There are 4 additional full time staff members and 5 part time. There are 3 women working in the office - 2 full time. There are 2 contract laborers and outside computer consulting. It appears that the inside guy is gone. Salaries, wages, and benefits totaled $555,300 last year. While there was no breakdown of who gets how much, the AVERAGE wage including benefits was $46,275. Draw your own conclusions.

Isn't pretty much anywhere one is sent is like going to hell?

"I'll be forever grateful for the accuracy of god's word that I received in TWI." How many times have I (we) heard (read) that one? Might I suggest that the gratitude is misplaced? Might I suggest that the "keys" we received were the wrong set of keys? Just sayin'.

MP's job title is "Executive Assistant to the CEO". JB's job title was/is(?) Assistant to Dan Gallagher (who is the CEO). There does not appear to be any overlap in job duties. It was my understanding that JB was being groomed for "management" and mentored by Dan himself. Maybe he still is, but it does not look like he got a promotion. STF is not being archived as of April 2008 - not that it's any big deal, but it does make long-term comparisons a bit harder. MJ is nowhere to be found. JaSp, who if I remember right was a JAL hater, is taking on a more prominent role.

This appears to be closed. Not anymore. Yesterday it showed it had been Re-docketed. Today it showed it as dismissed or disposed.

Seeing it is one thing. Admitting it is another. Doing something is even more problematic. Most hard-core TWIers or offshooters are up to their eyeballs in denial.

Whaaat? and leave it to "chance" or gasp - the holy spirit?

Kinda flies in the face of "not my will, but your will be done," doesn't it?

You can't really put a price on that. However, lessons learned are rarely cheap.

I'll be believing for your deliverance.

Absent Christ followed by praying and worshiping Jesus is not idolatry. Law of Believing. Then Body - Soul - Spirit. Dispensations<-- recent Things I never bought into: Tithe Devil possession The "household" Things I no longer care about: Trinity or not - this was huge Whether dead is dead bible inerrancy

How convenient.

Were you sad yet "grateful" for the "word you were taught"?

What I am saying is that I don't care what takes place between two consenting adults as long as both sides have the same understanding about the relationship. It wasn't that they were having sex that bothered me. It's that the way corp guy used the lure of a relationship (a deeply committed Christian relationship, I might add) to get this girl to take the class. Then when it was all said and done, he dropped her because "now they were brothers and sisters in Christ". He was feeding the same line to a girl who was taking the class I was helping with and the dropped girl was there as well. That's how I found out what was going on. What that guy did, in my opinion, is wrong. There were a couple of way corp females who were doing the same thing.

Hopefully you didn't intend to sound snarky. I know why people stay in abusive relationships - many stick around hoping to see the thing that attracted them in the beginning. Most abusers are smart enough to throw a few bones from time to time, even if they are cruel. TWI attracted me because I don't like religious organizations and it claimed that it wasn't. As soon as it started acting like one, and one that wasn't all that nice; one that didn't extend grace; one that was JUST as legalistic as the organizations it held in such disdain, I retreated. To me it was a contract of sorts and for me TWI failed to hold up its end of the contract - that it wasn't an organization, much less a legalistic one. I'm probably overly pragmatic when it comes to stuff like that. In this case, being the way I am was probably a good thing. However, it didn't feel that way at the time. Do you get that?