Belle

JT, I've been out just under 2 years and, in my area at least, rent to own was not acceptable avoidance of debt. But, then again, I have some of the most LCM loving, nazi like leaders in my area.

I have found the coolest site for asking questions like this! Ask Anything Just in case you want to ask in another place as well. ;)--> It's totally anonymous!!

Oh, Oldies, you're way tooo logical for TWI. It's a wonder you still like them. ;)--> The will tell you they don't have a policy, but that they have requirements for certain things, such as leadership and classes. re-read the deposition on Pat's site or a million other threads on this site about the subject - it's been beat in the ground and someone as regular as you should know these things already, unless you're just being a ****. Accurate information is the non-policy is whatever is best for TWI at the time. No, you can't have debt and what's considered debt is anything at all - credit cards, mortgages, car payments and leases, child support, school loans, business loans, ANYTHING. Now it appears as though some leadership in at least one area has decided that, in order for him to keep his quota up or meet whatever expectations are required of him, it is okay to "rent to own" because we know renting is not debt. BUT leasing a car, even though it's technically renting was considered debt when I left. I don't know if that's the policy they don't acknowledge or not. You know as well as everyone else on this board who's been here for any length of time that policies vary from leader to leader, area to area and profitabilty prospects for TWI. I have no reason to doubt the information given, you shouldn't either if you use your brain to try to think like a TWIt leader.

OM, THEY HAVE NO POLICY ON DEBT!!! They will tell you this over and over and over and over again. THEY HAVE NEVER HAD A POLICY ON DEBT!!! You should know that by now! They want people's money and maybe these people are the only ones who will coordinate a fellowship or have a house big enough to run a class, so they told them that if they are "renting to own" then it's technically not debt. BUT if someone is buying a house that's too small for meetings and classes and the leadership doesn't like the people, they very well could tell them that it IS debt anyway and that they can't go. Come on, you know by now the conditions change with the area and the value of the people involved. How about you call TWI for us and ask them what their official policy is and about the "rent to own" bit. Ask if they've now added "leasing" a car to allowable debt since it's renting.

The nerve of *some people*!!! Can you believe that still goes on, ex??? Completely shocking!!

When they told us to stay off the internet and that craig's deal was consensual and a one time affair, I went looking and found WayDale. I was shocked! Couldn't sleep for weeks but was afraid to come back on for fear of getting possessed and found out by my husband or others in TWI. Slowly I started coming back and became more and more disgusted. I fought for my marriage and tried to help my husband see how awful the group was. When it became hopeless I gave in and divorced him. Through all of this friends from WD and GSpot helped me tremendously. More support than I ever had inside the walls of TWI. Even people I don't know posted things that I needed to hear and helped my heart. So glad all y'all post here! Even if you think it's not going anywhere, I promise - there are innies coming here every day and you never know who you're helping with your words.

Mr. H We have never openly condoned either of those. We have no policy on these things......So, how bout that new song the Singing Ladies performed last week? ;)-->

Thelema We only ask for all this information because we care about you. If something happened to you, wouldn't you want us to know where you are? Wouldn't you want to be able to contact someone to help you? We know you don't talk to most of your family any more since they woke up and left...errrr...have turned their back on God and you really can't trust the ones left to take care of you like WE can. Just fax that itinerary and your planned route to me by end of day, okay? JustThinking - God talks about the remnant, that's a very small group. It's hard to be faithful and to stand for God in our day and time. Most people just aren't strong enough or they get lured away by the riches of the world. Even all the believers in the NT left Paul at one time. We're never going to see a huge number of truly faithful people. Most people don't really want to know the truth and fewer want to live it. If you're more concerned about numbers than you are God and THE TRUTH, then church might be a better place for you. Of course, if you go to church after having had the opportunity to learn THE TRUTH, we'll pray for you since you're turning your back on God and the one true household who lives in his favor and under his protection.

Yep. Even being divorced and required to pay child support was considered debt when I was in.

WOW!! I'm extremely impressed! Congratulations and a hearty pat on the back! :D--> :D--> :D--> :D-->

Will Flat be spending Christmas in Sunny FL with Raf? :)--> Inquiring minds want to know!

me: Can I borrow one of those books you keep talking about? TWIts: Ummm, no. We found that people, even with good intentions, borrow things and don't return them. You can buy your own at the next limb meeting, though. They always have a bookstore open. In fact we'll be pushing all sorts of products at the limb meeting, so bring lots of money.

me: Do I have to take your classes in order to keep coming to your meetings? TWIts: No, of course not. You're welcome to come as long as you like. We don't require that. me: Great. Can you tell me the answer to this question I have about the Bible? TWIts: That's covered in the class. You should really take the class if you want to know about that subject.

Okay, so, I'm new to TWI and I'm asking questions. What are they going to say? me: I heard you're a cult. Is that true? TWIts: Well, let's look up "cult" in the dictionary. It says it's a group of people who think alike and believe the same things. So, yes, we are a cult and so are the Baptists, Methodists, ROMAN Catholics.... me: I heard you are very controlling of people's lives. TWIts: We always allow people to make their own decisions. We don't force people to do anything, but if we teach that God says to give 10% of your income, why WOULDN'T you want to do that? We expect people to say what they mean and mean what they say. People don't like accountability, but you're much more mature than that, aren't you? You WANT to do the things God wants you to do, don't you? me: I heard you can't buy a house in TWI. TWIts: We have no such policy. If you want to buy a house go right ahead. Of course, it would be better to pay cash for the house and the Bible says, "Owe no man anything..." We've done years and years of study on debt and I'll be happy to show you why we don't go into debt so that God continues to protect and bless us (you won't be protected or blessed if you go into debt - heck, yo might get sick and die or get mangled really bad in a car wreck if you walk out from under God's protection. You don't want that, do you?) Anyone else want to contribute?

Welcome, JM! I'm recently out and had to get divorced to get out. My story is in the MY STORY section of the forums. There are other stories there, too, that might shed some light on how TWI treats people. I'm happy to talk to you and answer any questions you might have. Just send me a private topic. TWI is very good at giving political type answers to your questions. I might start a thread on that for your benefit (and our fun). We jest, but remember there's truth to everything we joke about or it wouldn't be so funny. I laugh because crying just isn't productive. I just say be careful, be very careful. "Normal" churches have contemporary services now and do things a lot more geared toward young people in those services. I suggest trying a Methodist, Presbyterian or Baptist church (not Baptist if you're in the south, though. ;)--> ) They teach what they believe, but they don't check up on people to make sure they're towing the line. They don't invade the privacy of their members and they don't have stupid rules of engagement. BTW, if you get heavily involved with TWI, you will not be able to marry anyone outside TWI and y'all will have to take the full series of classes they offer, which means you will not be able to buy a house or be in debt for a nice car. These people teach "The More Abundant Life" but look around....are they REALLY living the more abundant life? In all categories of life, not just monetarily, but most of them are just a step above the poverty line - at least in my area they are.

OH GOOD GAWD! WILL THE HIPOCRACY NEVER END?!?!? --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> --> -->

serious cleaners I know use www.flylady.com

Ah, well, I ran into some people who are still "in" this week-end and it couldn't have been any colder in Alaska than their stares were toward me.

The pets don't know the house is a mess, so I just quit cleaning. :D-->

Don't kid yourself, George. They still talk bad about you to their twig. They'll be nice till they feel comfortable asking you to come back to fellowship. Turn them down and you're right back where you started. Trust me. I haven't been out THAT long!

Naw, she's still got all that land in the carolinas. She'll take Donna there and they'll build their dream home.

my ex-husband, but when we were married. He was a stickler for everything he learned at hq and made me follow it to the rule. I was afraid he was going to start making me fill out a floss chart in the bathroom every night.

They won't house people on campus. They'll expect you to stay in the local hotels like they do for the Advanced Classes. This way they can blackmail the community to support them because they're bringing so much revenue to the area.

LOL, Knuckles - and too true! outandabout - OF COURSE IT'S THEIR BUSINESS! They have to keep the household clean and if people aren't "doing what they say and saying what they do" then they are hypocrites and are not welcome into the spiritually elite rooms of Zion. Besides that, most of the wayfers left are too scared/wimpy/apathetic to do anything about it. Steve! - ROFL - :D--> At least we know the lesbian encounter will NOT be the original sin! ;)--> I think you're right though, it's might be debt, but couldn't it also be refusal to witness? I mean here's satan asking Eve all these questions and instead of telling him all about God and her household she lets him control the conversation. That's not very godly!

Thanks, ex! Now I have that freakin song running through my head and I'm having to resist the urge to disco down the hall at work. :D-->