Belle

WD, I didn't come out swinging. Tone of voice doesn't really come across correctly sometimes. I had genuine questions and I apologize if it sounded that way. The thread is obviously one where people who all enjoy the HP books are sharing their enthusiasm and I just didn't see where your comments were well placed. I would have started another thread to discuss the "devilishness" of HP and how "ungodly" you seem to think it is. There may be others on here who feel the same way, but wouldn't comment because they wouldn't read this thread based on the content in the first posts. You keep saying that you're not calling us stupid, however, your comments are very subtle in implying such opinions of us. Then you actually clarify it with this statement: So, you DO consider us HP fans to be "dumbed down" members of society! Watch? Be Vigiliant? Not all of us on the board are Christians and not all of us subscribe to your same Christian values who are still Christians. I respect you and think you're pretty wise, but you are coming across as the "holier than thou" people whom I left church originally to avoid and then again left behind in TWI. Parents are responsible for teaching their children. That kid who believed everyone gets up after being knocked down had a mom who was taking drugs and who harldy ever supervised her child, much less made sure that he was properly taught. Can't blame that on wrestling, my friend. Same with any kids who believe they can fly on brooms. Just because we enjoy HP, enjoy reading it with our children doesn't mean we're encouraging or teaching them to become sorcerers. This "dumbing down of society" is because there is no personal accountability anymore. People are suing left and right and expect the government to "babysit" grown adults. It is insulting to have you insinuate that you are better than us because you happen to think a little fantasy is opening us up to devil spirits and that we aren't smart enough to know the difference, much less teach that difference to our kids.

I didn't get the joke, Linda, but I get defensive as soon as I see something negative about our law enforcement officers. :)--> I know you weren't bashing the police. It IS frustrating trying to find the balance, but they ARE trying....all the time. Most people just want to complain about them instead of offering actual, realistic solutions or alternatives. That's not what you're doing, but even with new, practical alternatives, there will still be cases of innocent people getting hurt or killed. All are sad. Google officers + anything and you'll find sites that bash them for whatever it is. You can find people to support whatever grief or belief you have in any category. :)-->

Well, Craig talked a lot about "turning people over to satan". People who "left the household and therefore the spiritual competition." He talked about the devil being the one to prosper them when they left the household, so that their lives were cursed. Let me think on it. I know there's more. Bob Moneyhands told my ex that his dad was either possessed with major devil spirits or at the least being heavily influenced by them. That's when he suggested that he cut all ties with his family.

Thelema, sounds like a Unitarian Universalist church to me. That's what they do....read from and sing songs from all kinds of faiths. They promote all beliefs and every service is different because of that. You'll get bits and pieces from all different faiths in every service. They also don't judge people or condemn them for their sexual preferences. ;)-->

Well, Dovey, you're in good company. You and the pope can sit around with all the TWIts and discuss how we're all stoopid for enjoying these fantasy stories. It's okay if you don't like Harry, but I wonder what the purpose was for your comments. I mean, if you don't like Harry then why even bother? Do you want us to try to convince you to like him or did you just want to throw a wet blanket on our enthusiasm or were you looking to start a fight?

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Thanks JustLoafing. I'm getting better at being patient with me. :)--> Bluzie, I understand the creepy feeling. TWI taught us to be afraid of other christians in a way. That we would be opening ourselves up to devil spirits if we had anything to do with them, especially in their place of worship. Like playing with Ouija boards. My therapist is a UU and I get the hippy dippy definition. :D--> I like their philosophy and acceptance of beliefs. I haven't been to a Quaker church or a UU service but have toyed with the idea. Maybe I'll look into it. Maybe not. Depends on the day and the mood. :)--> I appreciate your input. Thank you.

So Rosie isn't saving that strap-on for just Donna? Makes sense.....Donna's used to sharing.

NapkinLady, thanks for posting the link to your paper. To say that it helped me a bunch would be an understatement. You very accurately and very precisely use TWI's very own rules for research and show them beyond the shadow of a doubt the biblical definition of debt. I think they KNOW you're right, but it would require them to admit they were wrong and that could open them to lawsuits from people forced to sell their homes. They know you're right and that's precisely why the teachings don't use any of the scriptures or cover any of the words that you studied. They very deftly avoid any truly relevant scriptures for fear the TWIts will see the truth.

Smurfette, I think they shift their standard of prevailing so far off center that what your typical person would consider a prevailing, successful life is so far from realistic or attainable for them that just having a junker car that doesn't break down but maybe twice a month is considered prevailing. TWIts are told over and over again that they CAN get those red drapes and have material abundance, BUT in the very next teaching they are taught that having "da verd" is the TRUE abundance in life. Having spiritual wisdom is considered the true litmus test of abundance to them. They have the corner market on the truth, so they are already prevailing. They are told that people are in debt up to their eyeballs to live like they do. They think that if those same people weren't in debt they would be living like they do. It's just not true. I have a mortgage, a nice 401K, a very nice car, a wonderful AKC registered dog for whom I also pay for lessons and contests, I've travelled quite a bit this year and I'M NOT IN DEBT. I manage my money well and I pay all my bills on time and I DON'T live beyond my means. My credit score is 790. I'm not the only one. There are lots of people who live very well and manage their money well but TWI won't tell you about those people. They are full of lies. How to get your family to see that? I dunno. Maybe by pointing out to them how important it is to have a nice retirement fund, a house so you don't have to worry about working till you die just to pay rent, how much money you would save by buying/financing a newer model car that doesn't need anything more than regular maintenance.....things like that. TWIts always worry about money because there never seems to be enough of it to just cover the basics. They can't really see into the future because they are so burdened by the present. If you don't buy a house, then you have to have TWICE the retirement funds of someone who DOES own their house or has at least a few more years of reasonable payments left. That alone should scare people into wanting to buy a house. How to get people to see that.....I really don't know but it's a good question.

Thanks, House! I don't miss getting that every other month. It is funny that they are promoting their pitiful little website. Leading people to the web is only going to send people here. If I look up a website on a company I also do a search to see what OTHER people say about that company. :D--> Good deal! They have to keep teaching their p.i. on debt because they keep losing people because of it. If you tell the same lies over and over enough eventually some people will believe it. At least that's what they're hoping..... They actually BOUGHT a present for the HFC's usually it was US having to provide the gifts. At least in FL it was. One year it was a photo album, once it was just a fancy card, once it was a dinner at one of our homes always something each year, but always something WE made or purchased. Maybe they did that because we've talked about how cheap they are and how they never do anything for "their people".

I think I missed something really good.

JJ, I HAVE made this request directly to Bob in my house and his comment was that he did not want an apology to him from my ex's dad to be the determining factor in reconciliation. It was said under his breath and half-heartedly. IN NO WAY did Bob encourage or suggest that my ex reconcile with his family and I seriously believe he doesn't give a rat's a$$ about my ex or his family. He's happy that my ex doesn't have his family around, afterall, they LOVE him unconditionally and it COULD result in my ex leaving TWI. I am in contact with my ex's family and I would know if Bob actually got off his lazy butt and did something to encourage this particular person to reconcile with his family. He hasn't. Even if Bob doesn't have a heart and even if he doesn't follow through with my heart-felt request, people can come on here and see what TWI and specifically someone in the upper echelon of their Pharisees does to families who get involved with TWI. And, there's always the hope that one of the WAYGB bots does have a conscience and would tell Bob he should do what I requested. I hope this answers your questions. I also still hope that Bob will do what I requested. I KNOW he reads GSpot. So does Dottie.

Paperless-shmaperless! Why use a computer when you can have hard copies of everything. ************************************ I've GOT to quit ordering those free samples.

I'm going to get mine today. It was so tempting to buy it in the airport at full price, but I already spent too much money this past week-end. Can't wait to read it so I can join the spoilers thread. :D--> It's tempting to jump down there and cheat, but I won't.

LOL!! Can't wait to see the pictures, Ron!

Sounds like good news, herbie! Happy for you whatever the situation. :)-->

Kewl! Thanks Cindy! Put me down to have Marvin for the September Oak & Reikilady wedding, please! :D-->

Well, I was married to a police officer for 8 years. It's a very sensitive subject for me. I can tell you they are extremely frustrated and it's aggravating being an officer, especially since you are always under scrutiny and attack. They can't win for losing. No matter what they do it isn't right, isn't safe, doesn't seem like a wise decision..... Police officers have more and more rules and laws implemented every day that limit their effectiveness. CRIMINALS HAVE NO RULES! They put their lives on the line EVERY DAY. EVERY traffic stop, EVERY domestic violence call, EVERY police call could put the officer in a lethal situation. They arrest bad guys all the time who are released back onto the streets because of the judicial system and because they have more rights than the arresting officers. They ARE researching, testing and implementing new things every day. They have computers in their cars and can get information quicker, but it's still not quick enough. Police officers are expected to be perfect 100% of the time and it's just not a realistic expectation. There ARE going to be mistakes and there ARE going to be people who are wrongly killed. It's not something any officer expects to happen to him and it is something every officer hopes to NEVER happen to him. They have good days and bad days just like everyone else. They sometimes don't sleep well; they sometimes come to work with a head cold, in a bad mood, upset over their marriage, their family, their bills....in addition to that they live every single day of work, every single minute on high alert, always watching and hyper-sensitive to the fact that any situation could become life threatening for someone, including themselves. AND most of them do it because they love the job, they love feeling like they are effecting change and helping keep the country, their city/county safe for people. God knows it ain't because of the paycheck!!! Putting those disabling remotes in cars would be a good idea, but how many cars are on the roads and how much would YOU pay to have them put on your car? Are you also going to advocate the US becoming a real live Orwellian 1984? How much freedom are you willing to give up so that it's easier for the police to find and arrest criminals? You try hitting a few inches moving at 80mph with a bullet. It's not that easy, AND it wouldn't blow out the tires like in the movies. Helicopters can't be instantly in the air exactly where something is happening. It takes time. It's also extremely expensive - paid for with tax dollars that they have to fight tooth and nail to get and which usually isn't enough money to do the things they would LOVE to do. There are some good ideas out there but they are either impractical, too expensive or would require the general public to implement themselves which they most likely aren't going to do. Most people have absolutely no idea what it's like to be an officer and why what seems like an easy answer to them actually isn't practical or a realistic expectation. Believe me, they ARE always looking at ways to make things safer, quicker, more accurate and more affordable. :)--> It truly is a thankless job and I'm surprised we don't have a shortage of men and women willing to put up with so much b.s. for such little pay. Stepping off the soapbox now....

Thanks, Y'all! Had a blast with my cousins and Mexico was quite the experience. The weather was perfect and the beach pleasantly relaxing. I've never smelled the ocean mingled with the smell of horses before. :)--> Had my very first fish taco and washed my hands with lime all week-end. I could have gotten my hair braided, but decided against it. I did buy some beautiful turquoise jewelry and pure Mexican vanilla. Can't wait to cook something with it! I found a beautiful hemetite and pearl necklace for one dollar. Proudly wearing it to dinner, my cousin's Irish husband complimented me on the rosary! How ironic is that?!?! If I run into any TWIts can you imagine those looks if they recognize that it's a rosary? I saw some cousins I haven't seen in over 20 years. We picked up right where we left off and it was so healing and fun to be around them. I had some very interesting conversations over the week-end. We are a motley crew of beliefs. :D--> One of my favorite cousins has researched all kinds of religions, hands on healings, reads auras and uses the EFT tapping techniques 2Life introduced me to. I was able to spend a good bit of one on one time with her over the week-end which I had been hoping would happen. She's a remarkable lady and so full of information and wisdom. I wish we didn't live so far apart from each other. Next year the Texas cousins will be hosting the reunion. We already have the date set and I'll be saving money and vacation time for these awesome week-ends with true family who love you no matter what and never gives up on you. I feel very grateful for my family and for you here at GSpot.

Thanks, Y'all! :D--> I'm leaving the cube farm for a few days and will enjoy a bit of Yellow Tail Shiraz~Grenache, but not too much....only 'cause Bob asked so nicely. ;)--> I hope y'all have as wonderful a week-end as I plan to!

ex, here's a rundown on the cube farm techno-talk for ya: BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible. SEAGULL MANAGER: A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves. ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard. SALMON DAY: The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream onlyto get screwed and die in the end. CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles. PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on. MOUSE POTATO: The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato. SITCOMs: Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.) STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiney. SWIPEOUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because the magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use. IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them. The Anna Nichole show or the Bachelor is a prime example. PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again. ADMINISPHERE: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve. 404: Someone who's clueless. >From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found" (meaning that the requested document, like the person's brain, could not be located.) GENERICA: Features of the North American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, subdivisions. OHNOSECOND: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake. WOOFYS: Well Off Older Folks. CROP DUSTING: Surreptitiously farting while passing thru a cube farm, then enjoying the sounds of dismay and disgust (leads to PRAIRIE DOGGING.)

LOL! Raf, that happens to me when I'm talking to someone "back home"....only it isn't a Bronx accent, it's a thick southern drawl. Lots of prairie dogging goes on in my cube farm because the boss doesn't let us play music or anything, so you can hear every little peep in someone else's cube. You know who's fighting with their spouse, who's kid broke curfew, who had beans for dinner.....

Thanks, Y'all! :)--> That fortified egg nog sounds pretty good, Oak! Community organizations can be a blast, can't they, Ham? You get to meet some really neat, cool and "unique" people when you volunteer in the community. My neighbors are very involved in community support and civic organizations. They are always having a blast and I go to things where they are volunteering just to see them sometimes. Good for you Vyctorya! And Welcome! :D--> Our involvement with TWI can certainly taint any interest in God and organized religion if we let it. That's a very healthy attitude and I'm still working on getting mine to that level. :)--> WG, I thought those darn Baptists I grew up with might have changed, but was so disappointed that they hadn't. Trust and boundaries are issues with you too, huh? It stinks. I want to trust people and I want to feel completely comfortable, but there's always this little nagging in the back of my mind trying to figure out if there's an ulterior motive, how long the "niceness" is going to last, etc...... Dunno how involved I'll get with any group again, but it is nice to go be around really good, honest people and to sing, praise and hear uplifting messages. Thanks!

Oooohhhh, Yellow Tail?? Most Excellent Taste, Ham!! :D--> :D--> :D--> I'm rather fond of Yellow Tail! The Shiraz~Grenache Blend being my absolute favorite! I'm also rather fond of that two finger limit at your brother's. ;)--> Waterbuffalo, I think we need to go back and look up which Strongs Number is used for the word "offshoot"; see how it was used at that time and if there are any orientalisms about offshoots that we could learn from to definitely come to a conclusion about whether non-offshoots are offshoots or not. :D--> :P-->