Rocky

The answer to your first question is: selective amnesia aka denial. It's a very powerful human emotional defense mechanism. We all do it.

"What's the profit" that you get from attempting to play down or minimize the sociopathic behavior that pervaded twi? Do YOU have anything more than just what your mind imagines it was or could be? To far too big a degree, it was a rape culture at Way HQ. First hand accounts of survivors are included in this forum. How feasible is it to attempt to prove a negative? Just stop it.

Be on the lookout for notice next month on where to place your order.

Links to local and national news coverage, including video from Fox9 and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Photo essay... Star Tribune article with video Two Childhood Rape Survivors Just Ended a Cult Leader’s Terrifying Reign (nymag.com) Minnesota Cult Leader Victor Barnard Sentenced to 30 Years (nymag.com) Excerpts from survivors' (Jess and Lindsay) statements included in a couple of the linked articles. It might be important to remember and reflect on the fact that Barnard didn't come up with his scheme completely out of the blue. His "father in the word" sowed the seeds, and so did LCM. And current prez Rosalie R, as noted in documents from legal proceedings related to Martindale's misadventures was fully aware of the sexual abuse at TWI's top levels of leadership at least as far back as the early 1990s.

Barnard was sentenced today. 30 years, as expected.

Welcome Grace!

And Jess too.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jgF_ycCmF18?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?

Norm MacDonald?

Link to Fox9 story with video in case embedding the video doesn't work. Couldn't get the video embedded. The lede paragraph in the Fox9 story: Cult leader Victor Barnard pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges on Tuesday in Pine County, Minnesota. Barnard will spend 30 years in prison. Barnard pleaded guilty to two of 52 counts and agreed to upward departure. Upward departure is a new term to me. Apparently, it refers to exceeding the sentencing guidelines. Clearly, he knew they had him dead to rights.

His point was to make his audience believe he's a better defense attorney than he really is.

Yeah, they had him dead to rights. You might find it interesting to review this story from May 2015 when he had been captured by Brazilian police and somebody -- likely one or more of his followers -- hired a pair of defense attorneys who made it sound like VB actually could have a shot at being acquitted at trial. " Barnard's attorneys say their goal is to strip the case of its most sensational elements, essentially making it Barnard's word against the two women who were once devoted followers." Another possibility is that when VB's followers got an estimate on how much the legal fees actually would be, they thought better of it.

GREAT NEWS!

Some who wants to satirize twi.

JWs are cultish too. I know I wouldn't fit in with them.

That's not what you said, and I quote, " Here I say is a transition point for GSC, send out the life boat and a damage control ship to keep the twi ship afloat but if (and you know what if means), let it sink." WTF do you mean suggesting GSC is about a "damage control ship to keep the twi ship afloat?"

Welcome, StayQuiet. You're not necessarily expected to do anything in particular here. The forum "New Members" is for those who would like to introduce themselves. Please consider GSC a safe place for you. Of course, discretion as to the degree to which you reveal any details that might identify you to others outside of GSC is fully understood here.

WTF? Where did you get the idea that GSC had any such purpose?

I <3 this comment on the Sun Sentinel live video: " Why do these two look like they're in line waiting for Train tickets? "

Ding, dong...

Hi Bapsy, You're not likely to find a church or fellowship where the TWI interpretation of the bible will fit in. You might try a twi spin off or two, but even those are likely to feel weird. When belonging to a group where you can feel like you fit in becomes important to you, more than likely you'll have to decide which things you now believe that you're willing to overlook or change your beliefs. It can help if you find someone in a Christian church that has known and helped people who have left twi. About a decade after leaving, I tried going to a church for a couple of years. One of the associate pastors had known someone in my situation before. We became good friends. It was helpful to me. But eventually (and this friend moved away to take a senior pastor position in another state) I lost interest in churches and the bible altogether. I found other people with whom to feel like I belonged.

Is the Cone of Matthew anything like the Cone of Silence?

Chances are she won't turn away from you unless she thinks you are trying to tell her how to run her life... which can be difficult for parents in any situation.

My comment was most definitely not intended to let them off the hook for anything. Their appeal to nobler motives is most assuredly manipulative rather than authentic.