Belle

Reading John's post reminded me of the wc couple who were planning their pregancy around the WAP class! Yep, they wanted to make sure the pregancy and delivery did not interfere with their ability to "move the word". God forbid a child should inconvenience their job! --> The ministry itself serves as a second idol in the minds of many kool-aid drinkers left. (BTW, great topic, CW!)

Dadgummit, Rascal! Don't you get it?? At least our leadership only rapes women and has heterosexual sexual harrassment! At least we only worship men from our modern time and the Bible, but that can be completely rationalized, so it doesn't count! At least we don't tell people NOT to use birth control...in fact, we DEMAND it. We don't have confessionals, our leadership has their heads so far up our a$$ we don't need them. We don't publish lists of who gives how much for the rest of the church to see, we track those things privately. We don't worship the dead, in fact we do everything we can to prevent people from visiting the area where their dead loved ones are buried. We're light years ahead of the RC's spiritually. How dare you compare us to the catholic religion?!?!?! ;)--> ;)--> ;)-->

OMG! It's like watching a train wreck. Did anyone notice that not one person in the audience was smiling at the end of "Valiant for the truth"? I don't wanna watch but I can't help it.

Did Claudette come back as a special treat? The only people who know she moved to "the field" are those who might ask. And where is D*bra Olth*use? They went back through the corps program and I'm pretty sure she was singing again when I left. Wonder if they found another reason to scr#w with them. The WayGB hasn't been doing a good job of communicating changes that we've suggested. The women in the choir are still wearing those awful tent dresses and those smiles actually look pretty pained to me. It's amazing how you can notice these things once you get out. It's like they are smiling so hard because they are trying to convince themselves that they really are happy. I'm also surprised that Tr*dy is still there seeing as how she named her son Loy after meathead. I wondered if he was the daddy. Those clips depress me. I wonder how people can live such empty lives just jumping through hoops like trained monkeys and think they have the "more abundant life" but then I remember that I was there myself not too long ago.

People are just going through the motions. No one enthusiastically witnesses anymore and those "I was so blessed....." lines are monotonous now because people can't even pretend to be excited. Single people are scared because they know the pool of potential mates is pretty shallow. There is a general sense of apathy toward the ministry when I talk to people who are still in. The term "zombie" doesn't really work, but it's similar to that when it comes to twits. Everything is pretty bland with the same ole subtle and not-so subtle messages behind the messages encouraging and blackmailing people to give more - more time, more money, more witnessing, more service, more dedication, etc. They still want your life and they still want to control it so they are keeping the manipulative aspects of the past that worked and are trying "nicer" tactics where past manipulation hasn't worked. They still haven't encouraged anyone to contact family members who they alienated during twit II. I think the only people left are those who are afraid of change, afraid of leaving the protection of zion or are too worn down to put up the intial fight they think they would have to battle to get out. Those are the adults. The teens are just biding their time till they can leave.

Very good analysis, WW! I think you forgot to take into account the staff members who will be booted because TWI doesn't want to pay for their health and retirement expenses. Maybe drop that number down to 75%-80% instead of 85%. If they won't take care of Dottie, they sure as he11 aren't going to take care of some lowly wc person, much less a mere advanced class grad.

"9/10 goes further than 10/10 with God's blessings." Used to blackmail people into buying God's protection by giving to twi-ts. If you want more protection then you should give more. "The tithe was the MINIMUM in the Old Testament. Since we're in the Grace Administration we should want to do MORE." Used when craiggers was pushing people to give minimum 15% of their income....then again when they wanted 18% and in almost every teaching when they went to the "plurality giving" push to get people to give up everything they had for twi-ts.

What Radar said! :D--> Way to go, Pat!

Those numbers are "from around the world" , so take a thousand off the count since they probably had 100 people "from around the world" on phone hook-ups and a little slip of the finger makes that 1,000. It would really suc k to be single and strictly devoted to TWI. I guess you just get used to the idea of celibacy after a while.

I think that people who take the class either see TWItville for what it is or are more susceptible to the propaganda, especially if they are being constantly attended to by people in the twig. I know I was hardly ever alone once I attended my first twig and after I signed up for the class I had a hard time getting any time to myself. It was annoying at first, but I just quit fighting it after a while. so glad you are so much stronger than I was Gart.

((((((((((((RASCAL)))))))))))))))) I'm soooo sorry! I know the pain of losing a family member, especially a pet who truly needs us and loves us unconditionally. My heart aches for you and your family.

Got it, Song! Check your e-mail today. ;)--> "IT" says not all shall be saved, but "IT" doesn't say it's because they weren't called out. It's because they don't answer the door., like ya said:

Wordwolf, you can go to the bank with your odds. Would you give me the winning lottery numbers, too? :D--> Yeppers, I'm a 90's drone, but no longer.

That's what I was wondering, Oak.

Sounds like prime training for people to fall victim of the Stockholm Syndrome. Jesus died to make us free, didn't he? Why did we let them imprison us? (rhetorically) Another phrase we used to hear all the time was, "what else do we have to do with our life that's better?"

mindless drone here... --> I left on my own, but when I was seriously way-brained I would have left if my LC or RC left. I have hated every BC we have had in our area so I would just shown them the door on the way out, but leadership higher than that....sad to say I would have drank the kool-aid. My leadership had been with twi-ts for a very long time and most people in my area respected them more than the people at hq (those left still do, especially now that Rosie is in charge). All it would take is for this leadership to stand up and tell what they know (they do know a lot!) and most everyone in the region would leave with them. The only problem is, they're firmly attached to the twi t*ttie and they wouldn't have the glamorous lifestyle they do now if they were to leave. I seriously doubt they could do anything else but manipulate and control people.

I think this fits just fine here, Song. I kinda think everyone has been called out. Doesn't it say somewhere that God wants everyone to be saved and that he stands at the door knocking? I'm sure his hand must get sore since some people don't answer.

I left quietly, but I started a lot of ripples right before I left. I just hope those ripples are still moving some people toward the shore.

No, I'm just speaking from experience. They do the same things with the way disciples, too. I'm just not too good at math. ;)-->

Y'all are cracking me up!! I didn't know we had so much talent here in the GSpot.

Yeah, but can't you just hear them "ooohhh"-ing and "aaaaahhhhh"-ing over how "blessed" they are to have it and how excited they are about the annual hanging of the poster in their living room? The applause at the ceremonial unveiling of the poster must have been absolutely deafening (even in the living rooms where branches and limbs gathered to pretend they were at the actual service).

John and Meg K*sh are still in and coordinating a fellowship. That poster is truly ugly, disturbing and difficult to look at. I am so glad it isn't going to be hanging in my living room. Looking at the poster and the stuff on the website, it appears as though they are really pushing "workmanship" and "servantude" which means they are asking more and more of people again. They honeymoon is over, they want them getting back to WORK. Witness, clean leadership houses, mow leadership yards, open homes for "coffee houses", classes and fellowship, plan to go into the wc training program, spend so much time with their study materials that they don't have time to do anything else and realize how abused they really are. Sad, truly pathetic. Is anyone even smiling in that poster and what century is it supposed to be in the poster?

They don't read them any more and probably because it is so embarrassing. They give percentages instead: 20% are going to work on staff at HQ 50% have received bc assignments 30% will be staying to work on staff at Gunnison. They don't even give their names anymore.

OMG!!! Is that REALLY the former WC Coordinator from the IN campus, P*ul M*squeda??

LOL!!! Is that his Hugh Heffner Wanna-be costume?? :D--> :D--> :D-->