JavaJane

Reading this thread just brought some recent (2003-2007 when we left) stuff. I remember that Rosie was wanting to bring the international WC back into HQ for assignments so they could become more connected with HQ and how HQ did things (meaning that they needed to bring them under the micromanagement of Rosie.) And... the Camp Gunnison vacation spot for believers - when wee left the believers were being encouraged to spend their summer vacations at Gunnison. Yup, the dream lives on.

Was wondering the same thing...

The only way Rosie is planning on leaving is in a box. She knows how old people have been historically handled by twi, and she doesn't want that for herself, I am sure.

I don't know if she did the procuring, but I had a friend who was one of LCM's women. When asked why she thought it was ok to have sex with him, her answer was "I thought it was ok because Donna was such a good friend." Take that for what it's worth. I never got an explanation as to what she meant by "being a good friend" to Donna, but it would appear from this statement that Donna knew and encouraged women to sleep with her husband.

Figure of speech - condescencio - bringing God down to LCM's disgusting level.

Twi cannot be changed - for those of you who might be reading this who are still in, know this: It's foundation is rotten, it's fruit is rotten... It is an old wine skin. God is functioning and moving and living (and His Word, too) OUTSIDE of the walls twi has erected to keep you inside. Twi is incapable of becoming godly. They buy and sell men as merchandise. Don't waste your life trying to change them. Leave, and smell the sweet air of freedom where you can really live life for God without the constant influence and interference of the Pharisees at the top. OldSkool, you removed all doubt of this when I found your posts here. The current administration is as corrupt if not more corrupt than the beginning of twi.

OldSkool, my husband and I ALMOST stayed with twi because we knew you were a good person and were close to the top. We thought if anyone could change the corruption in twi it could be you and Mrs OldSkool. We decided to leave anyway, but thought that there might be a glimmer of hope since you guys were still there. When I found you here on GSC, I knew it was all over for twi - they were irredeemable.

I knew I could count on you guys... I think I was defining orthodox incorrectly as "mainstream". At least in twi there is a veneer of equality of the sexes. This place is out and out overtly sexist. ...and perverted, voyeuristic, controlling... Wait, maybe it is twi.

OldSkool and Steve, do you consider their views towards women to be "orthodox?" Edited to add: those views alone would label them as a cult to me.

That, and if leadership could have kept it in their pants. ;)

I heard this same comparison to Newt Gingrich yesterday... Off topic, I know. But just because David had an affair doesn't mean it's justification for anyone else to do so... VP, LCM, or any political figure cannot be compared to King David. Sorry, just don't see it. Edited for autocorrect stupid spelling.

Typing in tongues? Or word salad?

That could be fun. Didn't someone around here once talk about two sets of books - one for the IRS and then the real one? Then again, it might be easier for the IRS to find since they employ such antiquated computer equipment at HQ... But, maybe it is kept in an actual BOOK? Given Rosie's hatred of technology, I wouldn't doubt it.

I know a few women who were really cool people before they went into the WC, but when they came out they were not the same people who went in at all. It was creepy. I don't know if they went in residence during LCM's reign or Rosie's, but they came out as robots on the inside. Ike their personalities had been removed. One of those girls recounted to me that her husband (she went in single) had seen her picture in some group shot of the in residence WC and had decided he wanted to marry her. He was on staff and one of the higher ranking guys in Way Prod. He contacted her, told her he saw her picture and they started dating. I always thought it was weird that he had picked her out - almost like something you would buy from a catalog. Then I read the thread about VP and me in wonderland and it reminded me of LCM and Donna. I sorta wonder how often this happened. The girl in question was drop dead gorgeous, but I can't imagine how i would feel about someone deciding they would marry me based on a picture, having never met me before. They seemed happy enough... The other girl was a crazy free spirit intellectual before she went in - the next time I saw her she was so uptight and rigid she didn't even seem like the same person. How many people came out of that program broken?

Not "mandatory" but STRONGLY ENCOURAGED for the edification of the believer. Literal translation of this policy according to usage? If you don't come we will send your department coordinator to get in your face about how if you aren't blessed with the fellowship of like minded believers there must be something spiritually wrong with you - and that has to be confronted.

I don't particularly care for the two priests in the parish... The young one is a neophyte... But he was sble to ecplain the sumbolism of a weird cross dream/vision i had. But I love the deacon. He's awesome. And Ham... One of my weird beliefs leans towards reincarnation and this earth being our purgatory.

I did the same thing, lindy. Just dropped out with no explanation. I didn't owe them one, and I really didn't think I would change anyone else's mind if I did give an explanation. All it would cause me was more pain than I already had.

It is, and I believe it is a stupid one, like their views on contraception and a few other things. While I am "converting" I am not buying everything hook line and sinker. I don't feel that I have to do that anymore in anything. No religion I find will be perfect, but I like the depth of theology and the symbolism in the Catholic church, and I like the community and their activity in it. I don't agree with every doctrine, and if the priest knew about all my "weird" beliefs I don't know if I would be allowed to convert. I think the whole "you are a sinner" thing hit me so much because I never understood SIN before. My experience with understanding what sin was was all from my experience in twi... and that was total bu!!$hi+. So, in contrast, maybe the Catholic church is a good place to learn something about this subject given my background. I do not believe the Catholic church is 100% right on every doctrine. Not at all. I don't mean to be trying to convince anyone else of that in these discussions. It is just that in my experience, so many things are in sharp sharp contrast to what I was involved in in twi.

I just finished one of my classes to become a part of the Catholic church. The topic tonight was salvation, justification, sin, grace, and conversion. Basic Christian stuff, right? Or so you would think - but the contrast between this and twi was immense. Sin - in twi, nothing more than "missing the mark." We shouldn't even have sin-consciousness. No sin is any bigger than any other sin in God's eyes. Feeling guilty or condemning oneself for sinning was broken fellowship. Etc. etc. etc... Justification "just as if you never sinned." And, along with this, all the sacraments and symbols present in most Christian churches that show or represent the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sin were never present - no baptism, no crosses, communion only once a year... No kneeling in prayer. I hope this all makes sense. It's hard to put into words - it was a huge epiphany of understanding for me... Suddenly the "absent Christ" and the reason and necessity of His sacrifice came into focus in a way I had never seen before (probably because He was ABSENT in twi doctrine.) No more was this just a necessary sacrifice to fulfil a legal contract... Jesus died for MY sins. Probably pretty elementary for most, but eye opening for me who had been taught twi doctrine from my youth.

And the irony? I now have very little reason to drink anymore since I left the Way.

OldSkool, the detailed names, numbers, schedules, plans.... Ugh. I was never WC (and I thank God for that) but your description reminded me of a time I went to visit another believer in another state who was a mutual friend of my fellowship coordinator. I didn't leave my vacation plans (as specified above) because : 1. It was stupid, and I was starting to wake up. 2. My fellowship coordinator had my cell number. 3. My fellowship coordinator was close friends with the believer I was visiting. 4. I was gong to be attending the region fellowship while there (the region coordinator had invited me on the phone and I had said yes.) Well after being there for a few hours I got a call from my fellowship coordinator yelling and screaming that I hadn't filled out the proper forms. I calmly asked "why do you need that information?". The answer? "Because if there was an emergency, how would I be able to get ahold of you?". My response - "how did you just get ahold of me?" Silence. "And you know I am visiting our friend - you have her number." Silence. "And Rev. ________ will see me twice before I leave. I know you have his number." Silence. The final words from my fellowship coordinator were "This is not how we do things. I am going to speak with the Limb Coordinator and we will have a meeting when you get back." No such meeting materialized. I was going Way D that year and I think they were afraid I would unvolunteer myself from that honor if they pushed too far. More on topic: I still don't like Christmas much - I want to, don't get me wrong. But after being "raised in the word" and hearing the evils of "Christ-Mass" it is hard to change my thinking on it. It is probably one of the last bits of twi-think that needs to be eradicated from my brain. Although it was a Christmas Mass celebration at a Catholic church that is what set me to start thinking that there were people outside of twi that loved God. And that Mass ministered Gid's grace more to me than any twi fellowship had in over a decade. Merry Christmas.

I am more recently out than some here on the board - Was in through LCM and then Rosalie. Was "raised in the Word" as well. You can PM me if my experiences could help you.

Having all the answers doesn't solve anything. Usually because when you are at the point you think you have all the answers is the point you stop considering you could be wrong. I heard this song earlier today and it hit me just how I had been exactly so set in the mind frame that twi had all the answers, and was I ever wrong! "There's more than one answer to these questions Pointing me in a crooked line And the less I seek my source for some definitive The closer I am to fine." Hope my link worked so you can hear it "in the original" but since I'm posting from my iPhone I am not sure...

This is how the food pantry I support works as well. There is a central group within the city that the different churches and others donate food, money, clothes, etc. to that then distributes as needed to the different food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens in the metropolitan area. Also, when the deer population gets out of control in public parks the city allows now hunters to come in and thin the herds, but they have to donate the meat to the same charity that feeds the poor. It's a nice setup. Our church donates premise meatloafs once a month for "Meatloaf Monday" at the soup kitchen. I hear it is a very popular day.

Saw this yesterday on a local church billboard: Passed Over Opportunities Repeatedly POOR Reminded me of twi.... If you are poor, or sick, or whatever - YOU did something to let the adversary in. It must be your fault. Has my opinion on this ever changed! I believe that we should help those who are less fortunate. In fact, my business (food related) will be donating a portion of profits and product to the local food bank this year.