Belle

Yes, full time RC's over Florida and Alabama. In fact, I think they live right around the corner from Hope & John. Check your pt's, please. :)-->

How did you handle it when an HFC or WC person/couple was on your case about something? I generally listened to them go on and on about why what I did was wrong or was right, but done with the wrong motive of heart. I would try to explain my thinking or motive and then, if it looked like it could go on forever, I would just apologize and say it would never happen again. It was futile to argue because they are experts at filibusters and will argue you to the ground. I would get tired of listening to them drone on and on. Realizing that they already have their agenda and they aren't really going to listen, I quit fighting back as often. What was really sad was watching my ex-husband when we would get reproved. He would hang his head, stare at his feet and almost start crying as he apologized profusely. If I was the one getting in trouble, he would stare at his feet and keep his mouth shut. Even if he had agreed with me and thought what I did was right. Even then, after the "sessions" were over, he would be on my case and scared to death I was going to get us M&A. He was WOW and in WC training and they really beat him down. They utterly destroyed his self-esteem. He has the biggest heart and is the most obedient person I know. They take advantage of that and it p1sses me off. It also p1sses me off that he doesn't see it or that he's too alone and too afraid to do anything about it. How did you handle reproof and confrontation?

I don't think it's much different Mr. H. I haven't even been out a year and what it took for me was: 1. asking too many questions about doctrinal issues 2. asking for how to practically apply the debt issue and to continue asking when they wouldn't give me an answer 3. sharing these frustrations with others still "in" 4. being accused of posting on GSpot 5. wanting to have children AND keep working since we couldn't afford them otherwise 6. confronting leadership when they were wrong or inconsistent 7. Never mentioned, but I think also having an excellent relationship with my BAPTIST, non-TWI family. Today in TWI you can have a mortgage, but you are pushed to the outside ring of "insiders" and not allowed to be a HFC, WD, WC or wear your AC nametag because you no longer have that status. You also can't attend the AC special. I'll bet that those who have bought houses are also financing cars and not mentioning that. Why bother? You're already "weak" in their eyes for not "believing God" to meet your need. If you question leadership, doctrine or express doubt or lack of support for TWIt leadership you will be very kindly shown the door. Individualism and Questions are not allowed. Just write them down on a sheet of paper and we'll answer them when the lights go out.

Will the Real Author Please Stand Up? Here is is, Rejoice. I'm going to order it too. It's only $2.

I plan to make my way there sometime, John. :D--> I remember that night so well. I just wanted to go to bed. I was so tired, we were so poor that I really didn't want to be spending the money on gas, food and hotel rooms but we would have been ostracized if we didn't go. The things we did to stay in good graces.... --> Why did they feel the need to stand up and spend another hour telling us what we had just heard? I think it was just to hear themselves speak and to feel real spiritual. Didn't they make some people spend the night in the room sleeping on the floor to make sure nothing was stolen? I really felt sorry for those people! What happened to God protecting the room and the equipment? Was the crime rate that high in Bradenton? I didn't think it was. To bring it back to topic: ( ;)--> Skyrider ) I think those corpse were conditioned to act like spiritual big shots and to command (not earn) respect. They had their heads so puffed up with knowledge that they felt they owed it to us lowly wayfers to share their great spiritual insights.

True, but they've said it and have it written in other places and I remember a small scandal with a girl who was placed on anti-depressants in my area. They would come back with the argument that they can tell us what to do, but they can't make us do it and that IF we followed what they taught we wouldn't need those expensive counselors. It's b.s. and I think enough documentation would be grounds for a very good lawsuit, but I'm no lawyer and I don't even play one on tv.

Isn't that the truth, Skyrider? They split up couples when one starts asking too many questions, raising too many complaints and showing signs of seeing through the facade. Then they move in on the weaker (more loyal) person and start love-bombing them again. They tell them how smart they were to get out of the marriage (nevermind what the Bible says). They tell them how possessed the person was (nevermind that they were asking good questions). Whatever they need to tell the weaker one to get them to stay and to keep them from talking to anyone else in case they cause others to start asking the same questions. I know for a fact that the RC's wife in my area LIED about knowing anything about craig's evil deeds. When, in truth, she actually counseled women he had raped. Anything to keep that cushy lifestyle, eh?

I heard they'll explode if you feed them Alka-Seltzer. Never tried it though. The gull droppings were enough of a mess for me.

Rascal, it's only every OTHER year now! See, it's not as bad. ;)--> You'll also get to be blessed standing in the pouring rain waving to people and telling them where to park at those meetings at your house that you bought while they were paying outrageous rental rates.

Plotinus! Good to see you. I've missed your posts. I'd also like to know who didn't like you? Musta been some wacko. ;)-->

I didn't know. If'n I was the kind of person who would give an enema to someone (and I'm NOT ;)--> ) I would have killed him too - out of igernance, not malicious intent.

O&A, it's true! He got so mad that people were having a hard time dealing with the rain and buying supplies from them and also using garbage bags to stay dry. He was probably also mad that their tents weren't waterproof and things were floating away because it rained so much. --> It was a rant to behold, for sure.

I got pelted with sea gull sh1t at the beach once because some kid next to me was feeding them. I asked them to stop, but the mom just laughed. She quit laughing when all their stuff got covered in the crap too. P1ssed me off! I spent the rest of the afternoon wiping sh1t off my stuff. Do you think they were unbelieving seagulls, ex?

I saw that this morning. I wonder what else he has done on his own when Mom said, "No". :D--> That's one determined kid. Which can be really good or really bad.

What kind of wife would agree to do such a think? I love ya, Honey, but there's some things I just ain't gonna do! ;)-->

Flat Stanley didn't think he had to hitchhike, did he? -->

Uh, Mr. H...Unless that's one of the things they changed, they don't sell raincoats at the bookstore anymore - umbrellas either. You should be believing for clear weather or be prepared. Craig stopped that a few years before the last ROA because we were too immature and weak in our believing and it was a burden on him and the rest of hq to take care of us naughty children.

Yeah, I heard that I don't know what it's like now. It's changed for the better. I think that's their way of saying, "It's not so bad now". They certainly didn't give it a glowing review or say that it's a wonderful, spiritual, loving place to be now. In fact, they didn't really say anything good about it, just that it's changed. I think that does mean they are employing the foxes methods of control instead of craig's. :D-->

So, after this crash, what changes did TWI make? How many people had to be hurt, killed and maimed before they cancelled the hitchhiking part of training? How many people have to be seriously wounded before they change LEAD? I know they still do it and I know it's still just as dangerous.

That makes me want to puke. Nothing in there about chemical imbalances in the brain. Nothing about having depression exacerbated or self-esteem destroyed because you're trying to "do" what they say they teach. It DOES sound like a lawsuit waiting to happen. If I could figure out how to document it, I WOULD sue them.

They did teach us that God would tell us first, but, funny how they didn't believe us when God told us to get out or not to do some absurd thing they would ask us to do. Peahead, Welcome to the Cafe! If you want to try a danish, I'll be happy to buy.

JT, that's a groaner. :D--> They talked to us like we were kids. I remember B*b M*ynihan pitching a fit for about 30 minutes about how disrespectful we were for "clicking" our syllabus while he was talking. --> He told us that he had had a lot of spiritual stuff to share with us, but that he went "spiritually cold" and wasn't going to do it now. Just picked up his toys and went home after giving us a good talking to.

IN FACT, I know of a BC couple who HAD been full time and (I believe b/c of reading GSpot) asked to be put on "the field" so that the husband could get a real job, real health insurance and START retirement accounts. They are middle aged and haven't done anything but go to school and work for TWI. Imagine how hard it has been for them, especially with kids, one car in a big city, living in the most expensive part of town, and the wife HAVING to be a stay at home mom. We watched them struggle and couldn't help because you can't give gifts to the corpse. They're great people and it was really sad to know they were having such a rough time in "the real world." I know they are much better off not depending on TWI, but I also know the husband had a real hard time finding a job that would support the whole family and, 3 years later, I'm still not sure he has. :(-->

skyrider, that's PRECISELY why they will never leave. They KNOW they can't do anything else and the prospect of having to live like the lowly field people is not appealing at all. The really sad thing, though, is that they will be cast to the curb like Mrs. W as soon as they become more of a burden or need more from TWI. If they think they won't they are more pitiful than I suspected.

JT, you'd think it would be a red flag for people that they don't feel free to come here, post here or let anyone know that they do. I was scared to death of being possessed or found out for reading stuff on here. Now I realize that fear like that is NOT NORMAL. If your (rhetorical) leaders have that much power over you and your actions, then you are NOT living the more abundant life. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but TWI has.