Rocky

Ok then!

"He wrote more about this that I plan to use in a longer article, but for now, in light of recent news stories about the power of ISIS to brainwash vulnerable and disaffected young men and women around the world, I felt it was important to address this subject. It is real. It happened to me." I wish I could say this was an isolated phenomenon in the world, and in the US, today. It IS real. I believe it happened to me too. This youtube video shed a bit of light for me. I saw myself as this psychologist describes as both the child having been emotionally neglected but even more tragically, as the parent who did the same thing to my child. I believe your experience, Penworks, is related or parallel to mine.

Has anyone examined their own contributions to threads like this? Do you think this kind of thing might have factored into the person who posted on reddit figuring s/he might not be able to find the answers sought for his/her early life in TWI? Just sayin'

I wish each of you a lifetime of happiness, joy, and healing.

Dude, I don't and wouldn't speak for cman, but really even if he was criticizing you, blow it off. In the grand scheme of things/life, it doesn't matter whether anyone here ever agrees with us or not.

This person posted: Looking for former members of The Way International (2005-2015) Support Request Hi all. I realize this may be a long shot and if anyone thinks this would be better off in a different subreddit please let me know. I’m looking for information about TWI during these years or former members to connect with. I’ve browsed GreaseSpot Cafe and while I’ve only scratched the surface there, the community doesn’t seem to be what it used to be. So here I am. Some extra info: I’m 23 currently. I lived at both Headquarters and at Camp Gunnison for several years. My parents were active members since around 2005 and served in The Way Corps. In 2010, TWI relocated us out of Camp Gunnison and although we were living off of the compound at this point, we were still involved in the ministry and hosted biweekly fellowships in our home. Because of family matters in the years to come, I’d say around 2014 my parents lessened their involvement with The Way. Even still, they still believed in the organization, tithed, attended local fellowships, etc. And that’s how things are currently. Around 2015 I started to question everything. Christianity. The things I was taught to believe. How I grew up. Everything. All that to say, it’s been some time since I had my suspicions about The Way. But this year… this year I’ve had the urge to do get answers my parents won’t give me. To do some digging, research, and to hopefully heal. Again, I’m not sure if this is the right place to reach out or not but if anyone has any information they can give me or sites/forums for me to look into, please send it my way. Thank you. **** I'm not sure what this person could or would expect of GSC. However, my recommendation is to post some questions here (at GSC, not necessarily just this thread) as broadly or specifically as s/he would like. Hopefully people with related experience/insight will answer.

Thanks for the link, Charlene. I resist putting a label on myself, at least in terms of religious (or non) leanings. But I totally relate to this paragraph from your post on the link you provided above. Well, except for the yoga part. But I do have a favorite local gym/fitness center where I like to work out. These days, I just try to enjoy the eclectic nature of my interests, spend time with friends and family, and soak up contemplative moments practicing a little yoga and meditation, and walking on the beach. And writing. When I think about this stage of my life, I can’t help but recall one of my favorite quotes. It is advice Shakespeare’s character, Polonius, a philosopher, gives his son as he leaves home, “This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” (Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 78-82).

I realize GSC doesn't condemn those who no longer believe in God. But I figure there are still followers of Wierwille's ministry who might benefit from this (probably quite salient) reflection.

Same here. Which is probably why it didn't matter much to me what the lyrics were, I just enjoyed the video.

Oh well...

Speaking of free will, this video shares some insight on why and how brands influence our choices.

Israeli historian (his nationality, not the focus of his research) Yuval Noah Harari, apparently in his book Homo Deus, posits the notion of collective imagination. My current understanding of Victor Wierwille's ministry and organization approaches it as a very definite collective imagination which many of us embraced FOR A TIME. Based on the book 'Homo Deus' by Yuval Noah Harari (also author of Sapiens), this video explores the potential futures of humanity through the rise of humanism, the crisis of liberalism, and the emergence of god-like beings and dataism. Key topics covered include: How humanism replaced religion in modern society The flaws underlying liberal values like free will and the self Scenarios where AI renders many humans economically useless The prospect of a small elite upgrading to become god-like superhumans Dataism as a new techno-religion valuing information flow Reflections on finding meaning in life and imagination as our superpower Watch this video to understand the historical patterns shaping our possible futures and how we can prepare for the challenges ahead. https://youtu.be/Ucewn8J5fJA?si=rDqrY9U2RUIZXgUn How close are we to [becoming?] Homo Deus?

Could it also/rather have been Buck Dopp's close in that review, Undertow is a lively story and a cautionary tale for the youth who want to search for truth and then save the world. They may end up sacrificing their time, energy and money in the process. The money can be replaced, but the time is gone forever. What glitters isn’t always gold and as Edge discovers, the Word of God may not really be the true Word of God and therefore not the Will of God either.

You nailed it. Lovely faces. Lovely movement. Lovely wardrobes. Conveys much more authenticity. Thank you, Charity. Probably (I surmise) because New Knoxville doesn't get to lord it over these people.

Life is full of them, isn't it?

Pretty much, yes.

Oh. Okay. I'm glad a four year college offered you shelter this year.

This link captures how I think of art and artistic expression by humans. https://proactivecreative.com/different-types-of-art/

No, that's not it. I was referring to the dance routine by African (American) believers. That was SOOOOOO not what one would reasonably expect from Black people. It was what the white wayfer dancers did. e.g. this lame nonsense.

Hearing it in casual conversation (especially with twi followers) is not only no guarantee for truth or facts, but a particularly dangerous method for determining one's understanding of law. Dare I posit especially laws of countries with which we have no experience or other understanding. Just sayin'

Well, somebody, at some point, made the statement that the only members of the Way International were the board of trustees/directors.

Still? Wasn't that Howard Allen's line 50+ years ago?

Perhaps in theory but not necessarily in practice? Which makes Mike's possible misunderstanding potentially true also.

How did you come to that understanding?