Broken Arrow

Yes! Self-structured, not "free" time! Geez louise, don't ya know that if we call it "free time" it would connote that the rest of our time was in bondage, and a good Way follower "freely" avails himself to the ministry. I said, FREELY! Now no more questions until after session 12 please!

Yes, but we were all given leather-bound Receiving the Holy Spirit Today books during that time! How benevolent!

Skyrider I'm curious. When did you obtain these very interesting insights you have? Was it after or before you left TWI? Did you leave during one of the great purges, or did you finally personally see something and leave on your own? As for me, I left when it was "safe" to leave when Geer read POP. I went with that offshoot for awhile, then another, then I briefly involved myself in another cult not TWI related, THEN I finally realized not only was it all BS, but that a lot of ME was BS and I had personal issues that led me into cult-like groups. I was the one that needed to change and when I slowly did, I stopped looking for a strong leader to validate me. But I'm rambling. I'm just interested to hear if you were strong enough on your own somehow to see the "man behind the curtain".

Relating to something said earlier in the thread about Wierwille not being confronted with the demonic, er I mean devil spirits, I once heard a story from a 6th Corps guy. The story goes, and I hear from others that were also present that this guy took someone to HQ for a Sunday Night Service. This person had mental issues but the Way believer thought he would be healed or at least helped by hearing "The Word". As Wierwille began teaching, this person stood up and yelled, "I am Jesus Christ!" One version of the story says that Wierwille tried to cast the spirit out and failed, then Walter C. and Howard A. each grabbed an arm and escorted the man out. The other story said that Wierwille did nothing and WC and HA escorted him out. I will say that I personally heard WW relate a story where he said that the devil spirit "just wouldn't leave". It was clear, though, whether he was referring to this particular incident. Where both stories agree is that Wierwille did nothing for the troubled person. So Wierwille was, in fact, confronted by a devil spirit and came up short. That's assuming that the problem with the individual was in fact demonization. I have no problem with someone who believes in the gifts of the Spirit falling short. We're human and often fall short. However he purported himself to be some sort of super spiritual expert who was so wise he was beyond failure or imperfection.

In my Advanced Class, VP credited Oral Roberts. But after playing the sermon he went on and on about how it broke his heart that "Oral Roberts sold out to the Methodists". Whatever that was supposed to mean. I can't remember his exact words but basically Wierwille said he the only one now standing on the Word. He didn't use those words, he was too clever for that.

Well, for my part I must say that I ended up in beautiful Idaho. So that part was great, except that I didn't have any money because I was "moving the Word".

For what it's worth MRAP, it was the Allen County Fairgrounds near Lima, OH. There aren't you enhanced?

I was very moved by your posts, Twinky and Out and About. I certainly hope for the best for both of you.

Well said! I'm afraid it's becoming a lost art though. Really, it doesn't appear that anyone is actually interested in listening nowadays. It seems anymore that people just want to yell out their opinion. There doesn't seem be a desire to find middle ground anymore. Christians are among the worst offenders.

I heard that same teaching about the original sin but it was the revised '75 rendition. I didn't see how VP reached his conclusion but I was told that that was because I didn't have the scope of The Word that VP had.

YOU HAVE CONTRABAND!!! Those songbooks were supposed to be DESTROYED years ago!! You may expect a visit from the Blue Songbook Police anytime now!

I suppose it could be a political topic but I was more focused on people's mindsets. I find it ludicrous that people could be so offended because a "sacred" poem (I don't really believe it's sacred but some do) is recited in a language other than English. Even though the words mean the same thing. So I'm not really discussing the appropriateness of the Pledge of Allegiance itself in this particular thread.

Yeah, they even taught that in "The Way Tree" seminar. They just didn't do it.

I still say, go for it Johniam. Sex sells. You have such great wisdom. There are plenty of hurting people out there who will hang on your every word and make you their guru. I mean, why all this talk?