So_crates

Those signs in restaurant windows: Seeing eye dogs allowed. Who are they for? How does Venus de Milo hitchhike?

So your point is: Other than that did you enjoy the play, Mrs.Lincoln? There's no denying we all have good and evil in us. The question is does the good we do outweigh the evil? I'm sure like all humans, vp had his moments of generousity, loved puppies and gave his grandkids quarters. But then, does all this pay for all the lives he ruined? I posted in another thread, I was looking to understand God. Instead, I got somebody who took advantage of that desire to understand. He used it to profit himself. Then, when his promises didn't materialize, he blamed me (believing). I know how used I feel. And I've had it pretty easy compared to many of the women in the ministry. SoCrates

Thanks. I appreciate all your efforts SoCrates

He taught God's word or Weirwille's word? I would think in order to teach the word you would first have to know the word. God puts people first--as seen in the incident where the apostles were eating corn on the Sabbath. Weirwille and his minions only concern was spreading their doctrine. Remember, they built a memorial to Weirwille, not a statue of God's love or Christ resurrecting, but to a person who put a stumbling block in how many peoples paths. Made sense out of the bible? Seems to me I'm even more confused than before. What is abundant life? What is faith? What is love? What are saints? Heck, I don't know anymore. Sure I know the books and I can spew verse on command, but do they have meaning? No. To me they're like doing a rosery. A prayer I've recited for so many times, the words have lost all meaning. Difference between Christianity and religion? How do you show the difference between the two by being a religion? Face it, the TWI is a religion, they worship Weirwille. If Weirwille passed gas, it was chisled onto stone tablets and given to us the great unwashed as an enlightened revelation. I'm surprised they didn't try and sell his used toilet paper in the lobby at limb meetings. Think about it: did Weirwille embody the love of God? Yah, the love of God seduced all those women, right? Was he able to renew his mind? That's why even though he knew what he was doing was wrong, he continued doing it,right? Did he show us God's faith in action? Well, he did get laid an awful lot... You have to look at did the little bit of so called good he did balance the evil he did. I say no. Why? He taught the word. True, but he taught a version of it that set him up to be the monster he was. Make sense out of the bible? Everything the man taught led back to him and how to get what he wanted. When you think about it its a sweet little deal he maneuvered himself into. He tools around the country in his motorhome, wearing his Way logo jammies snarfing cognac, getting laid like a rockstar, while Gods people are shoveling money to him and trying to figure out how to make their bills while doing his grunt work. SoCrates

Do I see JAL in line?

Or maybe a bust of him with his mouth wide open so it could be used as a bird bath.

One of the things I always found annoying about vp was all the people that had Way generated pictures of him pressed in their bibles. Being from a Catholic background, I thought, "Holy cards." I thought it rather egotistical of him to replace Jesus Christ in people's bibles. SoCrates An example of a Holy card (for those non Catholics):

For some reason the messaging options have been on the fritz for a little while. I opened an email account for this purpose. You can e me at so_crates711 [at] r0ck3tmail.xxx. Thanks for your efforts SoCrates

Guys, guys...Lets all chill. A musical interlude....Dance spaz suit dude! If that didn't put some twinkle back in the ol' twenty-twenties, not much will. Thank you JavaJane SoCrates

Oh, let's bring him out again and give him a real Way send off. Okay, get out you hankerchiefs. Sing us outa here, Roy SoCrates

This is a bit off topic and I'm sorry. But it needs to be said. Catcup, next time you speak to your dad would you please tell him I said thank you for serving. Thank him for the sacrifices he made to preserve my freedoms. SoCrates

As for da vey, remember vey leadership, Kipling said it best: There are only four things certain since Social Progress began. That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire, And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire; And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins, As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn, The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return! Think not? Look at all the splinter groups. As Christ learned in the desert, you never get rid of evil, it just goes away for a little while. Sometimes I think civilization is very Syphion. We roll rocks up the hill only to have them roll to the bottom, so we can roll them up again. SoCrates

The only answer I can come up with is what my WOW coordinator told us WOWs. Life with the manifestations is the abundant life. But then, that doesn't fit because not all Christians manifest. My personal opinion: it was purposely sold as physical abundance to attract people, then once snared, they changed the definition. Put simply, the abundant life is a scam. I mean, whenever da vey needed more ABS they had you turn to Malachi, where it says the windows of heaven will open and pour you out a blessing your stores won't be able to contain. After ABS for a year about 25 years ago I can tell you I'm still waiting to see that. SoCrates

I had a twig coordinator once tell me Amway was the devils counterfeit for PFAL. SoCrates

Easy He looks like George Burns. SoCrates

Just goes to show you, the dude would sell his ethics--if he had any. SoCrates

Hmmm. Maybe he should try dancing like that guy in the Renewed Mind video. SoCrates

It moves That shirt looks like a place old squares go to die. If it were a sweater I'd say he thinks he's the Craigmiester.

This smile can be cured at birth

:wacko: Huh? I thought truth needed no defense. If the integrety of the word is at stake, I think I've proved its lack of integrety a couple million times in my life. Beliving--a sick joke by a sicker person. Power of Attorney--How many times have I tried this and got no effect? More than a conquerer--yah, sure. God and me a majority in any situation--yaher, surer. Windows of heaven opening with ABS--where? Great life God has planned for me--still waiting on this one. Want integrity? Try politics. SoCrates

Yah, they say you can't take it with you, but I heard werewolf had an asbestos lined coffin SoCrates

Let's see: Create a sham religion--check Promise the world (those of you who got it, take good care of it will you?)--check If anything goes wrong, make sure there's a clause in their that makes it the seekers fault--check Tag any questions as unbelief or stopping them from reaching their potential--check Wrap the whole thing in faith and claim it spiritual, so nobody can present a logical arguement--check I don't see how anything can stop me: not logic, not emotion, not the laws of physics. And like an idiot, I stop beating a dead horse--or werewolf as it were SoCrates

Meet you guys at Milliways. Hopefully no Vogons will be there reading poetry. Oh, don't forget to bring your Babel fish. SoCrates

With their track record, they'll probably steal--oh, sorry, do an homage of her routines. SoCrates

I've often heard people say that. Bad things happen, but they often lead to good things. Or everything I went through before led to where I am now. Wish I could say that. To me life is this random jumble were things happen and as Kurt Vonnegut said some people get cancer and others get free furniture. All the things I listed above didn't lead to better things in my life. Nor did they help make me what I am today (unlesss you count being a cynical curmugeon). One of the excuses I got from one of the religious peple I know was it rains on the just and the unjust. My response: Wouldn't mind that if it rained on me once in awhile. SoCrates