Broken Arrow

WordWolf, I completely agree with your assessment that the WOW program was organized around vpw's sins. As far as it being profitable for TWI, I don't know. I'm not sure that was the point for vp. I think it was more of a control thing. I think he got a charge out of the thought of a bunch of young people going out and promoting "The Word", which, when properly understood, meant we were promoting him. My WOW years were just horrible. I hated it so much I decided to do it twice. Why? I have no idea. The 2nd year was the worst. Now that I'm older with kids I cringe at the thought of putting 2 guys and 2 girls in a home together and they don't even know each other. TWI didn't know much about them either. One could just go to the "Rock" and sign up then and there, and off would some idealistic cute little 18 year old girl who took the "class" 3 weeks before would be traveling across the country and then living with God knows who? In some cases, people would bring their children out on "the field" and expose them to...whoever. It's just plain sick really. You know bad stuff had to have happened to people. Not so much in my "family". We were just 4 people who all desperately needed to be medicated. Wierwille knew and was aware of the dangers. He just didn't care. But I think he got a charge out of the whole thing [ =======================

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Sorry about that last post. I'm still trying to figure out how to navigate. "I didn't mean to quote the whoooole thing."

Are those red drapes on the window?

Personally I would consider suspect any group where one or a few persons have absolute authority and where there is some sort of inner circle. When Jesus Christ ascended the Bible says he sent the Holy Spirit (gasp! Capital "H", capital "S"!) and that He would lead us into all truth. Jesus clearly taught that the Church is to be guided by those who are submitted to authority outside of themselves. True leaders are those who are emptied of themselves and realize that they have nothing that was not given to them by something higher, i.e. God. There is opposed to being led by someone who has a "special revelation" from God. That is called Gnosticism and that was very much a part of twi. The model of leadership exhibited by twi was improper, unhealthy, and devilish. I respectfully submit that at our basic core we as people are selfish. Even our "good intentions" are marred with our own selfishness and desire to control our environments for our own benefit. A leader therefore must be submitted and willing to be wrong and corrected by others. A leader must be intent on guiding others but draw up short when it comes to dictating how others should live out truth in their own lives.