WordWolf

GrouchoMarxJr weighed in on this one: "...And another thing that bugged the &$*# out of me while in residence, were their bait and switch tactics. When I signed up, I made a FOUR YEAR commitment. That was it! It was optional to take assignments upon graduation...at least, that's what they said in WRITING! A couple of months into the training, at Emporia, they tell us all that we have made a LIFETIME commitment to the corps!... and if we don't 'understand THAT'...then we are 'spiritually out to lunch'. I sat there listening to this crap, muttering under my breath that I only committed for 4 years, getting angrier by the moment as everybody just sat there with a glazed look on their faces saying 'yup, yup'..not me! I regret not packing my stuff up and splitting right then and there!"

Catcup said, concerning her time in the 6th corps, "When I signed up for The Way Corps, TWI represented to me that I would be training for upper leadership responsibilities that I had not yet held, and that when I graduated, I would hold an accredited degree. TWI misrepresented The Way Corps program specifically to those of us who went into the 6th Corps, revealing only AFTER we were already in residence, that we would NOT have a recognized accredited degree, and that they were training us to be twig leaders."

I'm unfamiliar with any written contract in the Greek for the way corps, and if you're referencing a "lifetime of service" from the Bible, you'd better supply the CHAPTER AND VERSE. I found the word "lifetime" in 2 places in the KJV New Testament, and neither referred to service of any kind. Very few people-in fact, I think it was possibly a maximum of 3- ever said that they thought the commitment to go into the way corps- which they PAID FOR- translated into a lifetime of servitude, moving when twi said 'move', living where twi said 'live', and generally hopping whenever twi said 'frog'. A lifetime serving God? Yes. Having the option of taking assignments? Yes. Lifelong servitude to the organization? No. Maybe assisting in various capacities thru the years, but not the slavery lcm espoused. There was NO written contract as to that. And if there HAD been, it would have been ridiculous to think that someday, people wouldn't get tired of being a puppet on a string and want autonomy.

I DO find that some people look to me for advice and guidance. I think it works because I DEMAND they have other sources as well, so I'm only one of many. twi encouraged/encourages an unhealthy dependence on one direction, so any weakness is spread down to the whole group. Generally, people who look to me for insight don't post here. (Occasionally, they'll read a page of a thread in disbelief, but otherwise they don't read here, either.)

Yes, it is true. If you were willing to accept the ostracism, the vicious lies spread about you by total strangers, the "threats" to your family of demons killing them ("which member of your family do you want to die next?" as one leader was quoted as saying) and leap out from under God's protection into a strange alien world where all other Christians were idiots- then there was ALWAYS the door.

CORRECT! T-Rex did "Get it On(Bang a Gong)". It was covered by Power Station in the 80s (1/2 of Duran Duran), with heavy work on the electric guitars. However, the closing line is only in the original ("but meanwhile, I'm stiiiilll thinking...")

I'd be skeptical about twi selling the copyrights- rather than LICENSING them or retaining them- without some documentation. I don't think they'd avoid taking the money- I think they'd grant a LICENSE to their copywritten material rather than hand it all over. Then again, maybe all the competent businessmen have been run off as well. :)

Congratulations. Me, I left as soon as I spotted that not being the case as well. In my case, that was 1989. And I think the powers-that-be might have been happy to see me go just on the basis of my OWN bucking of authority. :) Of course, I say neither YOUR experience nor MINE speaks for EVERYONE's experience. Some other people questioned or bucked authority, and they were kicked out-either off-grounds, out of the corps, or were made pariahs-even by vpw. I'm thankful that wasn't me, and for you, I'm thankful it wasn't you.

The 1970s, I believe, is the original, which is the one I'm quoting. "Well you're built like a car You've got a hub-cap diamond-star-halo. You're built like a car, oh, yeah." "Meanwhile, I'm stiiiiilll thinking"

I agree on you on this particular. It should have been brought up while he was alive (like some other things were, but they were buried.) Furthermore, it's not a BIG deal. We've discussed a lot of the BIG deals over the past several years. I was just curious about this one, and did a search, and opened a discussion. As you can see, not every discussion here is about something earth-shaking. :) Frankly, I think the discussion that spun off this one is more interesting. BTW, I recommend the "pinned" "sticky" thread "Welcome to the Greasespot Cafe" for basic advice to new arrivals, and the forum "Greasespot 101" as basic information for new arrivals. Enjoy your stay, and feel free to jump into the discussions where you want. If I could ask anything, it would be to not be one of the posters who arrives here to "set us all straight" and presume they're the ONLY ones who really "get it." We're already over our quota on those. :)

Actually, that she brought it up first makes a considerable difference. She didn't seize on something YOU said and run with it. After all, what are the odds? I mean, she still could have been messing with you, but it's less likely under this scenario.

"Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage."- Richard Lovelace.

=== Oh, BTW, Oakspear, thought you'd find this interesting. In police procedures, if a criminal, in the course of being captured, is fatally shot and is dying, I've read that it is in the procedures to inform the criminal that he's dying, so that, if he wants to clear his conscience before meeting his Maker, he can do so. It certainly might make it easier to question him. People, when they see death approaching, often get very philosophical, and look back on the good and ill they performed in life. You might find this short-story interesting along those lines. I read it in high school. It's called "the Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets". http://www.is.wayne.edu/mnissani/2030/Deadman.htm

Hm. Interesting. Of course, you can compare this to Pope John Paul II, a man who was roundly condemned BY vpw. Karol Wojtyla was a man who sought to do his best for God and to bless God's people. Was he perfect? No. Was his doctrine perfect? No. However, if he had his life to do over again, there are fairly few improvements he could have made to perform as a "better" man. Even in his dying moments, he sought to bless God's people. (He raised his hand in benediction to the window-as if praying for the world or the people outside, then lowered his hand, and then he "fell asleep.") NON-Catholics (like myself) were sorry to see his passage, and expressed their sorrow all around the world. In short, Karol Wojtyla was the man he knew himself to be.

Greetings, freelady! Many of us who took that class still think it's a good idea to learn how to understand the Bible. If you're interested in making your "best get better", then some of us would be ready and willing to help you make improvements on the pfal class as taught. Heck-that was my approach when I was IN twi, so I've always thought that was a good approach.

Ok, a new song... "Meanwhile, I'm stiiiiilll thinking"

Bingo.

Jonny, I didn't question that she said it. My only questions centered around her truthfulness. At the time, did she seem like she was making up stories for attention? (Sadly, some older people will say anything, since they are neglected so completely unless they can hold an audience.) Did she seem in her right mind otherwise? (Also sadly, some people, usually also older, will have problems develop in their brains where they are unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality.) So, I was asking if she seemed of sound mind and to be honest in all OTHER things, or if there were one or two other reasons to doubt her testimony. I mean, I believed you were there and she said that... (Unless you had replied and said "No, just funning you...")

Before I forget, I've been instructed, very matter of factly, that the phrase "put your shoulder to the wheel" comes from an Eastern custom involving a condemned man. I ignored the person telling me that, since I already knew the source was "Aesop's Fables." === "A farmer was driving his wagon along a country road when the wheels sank deeply into the mud. The farmer stared at the wagon, then began calling out for Hercules to come and help him. Hercules appeared and spoke to the farmer. "PUT YOUR SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL OF THE CART. MAKE YOUR OXEN PULL WHILE YOU PUSH. NEVER PRAY TO ME FOR HELP UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO HELP YOURSELF. THE GODS HELP THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES." ====== For those of you who are wondering, this little story is also the origin of the saying "God helps those who help themselves", which-as you know-does NOT appear in the Bible.

For those who would like some, there's a whole bunch of similar stories here: http://www.snopes.com/glurge/glurge.asp A few of them, as you'll see, are actually true.

I started a new thread on this. Kindly take moose and squirrel over to new thread, Fearless Leader.

I'll start off by telling one that happened to me one night last summer. I had a lot of time on my hands, so I took a long walk. To be specific, I crossed the footbridge on the Willis Avenue Bridge. That one connects Manhattan to the South Bronx. Anyway, I was possibly halfway across the bridge when I saw a guy on the footbridge, over past the security railings, as if he was getting ready to jump. I closed in on him until I was close enough to pull him clear if he tried to jump, and tried to talk him into coming down. We spoke at length. Eventually, we got to what was bothering him. "No one loves me!" "GOD loves you, you nit!" "You know, I DO believe in God." "Really? Are you a Christian?" "Yes." "Really? Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?" "Protestant." "Really? Me too. What franchise?" "Baptist." "Me too. Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" "Northern Baptist." "Me too. Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?" "Northern Conservative Baptist." "Me too. Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, or Northern Conservative Reform Baptist?" Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist." "Me too. Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Eastern Region?" "Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Eastern Region." "Me too. Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1893, or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1912?" "Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist, Great Lakes Region, Council of 1912." "DIE HERETIC!" and I shoved him off the bridge. ======== Ok, of course, that never happened. (Thank God.) And I should change that story soon, since they're thinking of retiring that bridge. The point-for anyone who missed it- was the swiftness which some Christians will condemn and attack other Christians with whom they have almost everything in common, and for whom Christ died. But I didn't feel it was unfair to leave out "my" story. ("My" story which was first told by Emo Phillips on his album, E=MO2". Although I added the name of the bridge and swapped the Great Lakes and Eastern region answers.) I think few people would fault me for telling this story-especially since I say "that was a made-up story" at the end.

Ok, this is spinning off of a different discussion. Here's what you missed so far..... When someone is doing a sermon/homily/teaching, it is not uncommon for them to use an illustration of a point they are trying to make. Sometimes the illustrations are actual-from historical accounts, eyewitness accounts, and so on. The account of George Mueller on-board the fogged-in vessel "the Sardian", for example, was told and vetted by the captain of the vessel himself. Using this as an illustration is not a problem to most people. I've told a story as if it has happened to me-but invariably end it by saying "ok, that never happened", and then explaining the illustration (as if it needed it), and I've told anyone who asked its origin. Sometimes, the speaker will preface the story by saying it's a story. Sometimes, it will seem obvious in the telling (to most people, but, I've discovered, not all.) So, this thread. Please discuss this subject from all angles. Do you like these stories? Why? Do you dislike these stories? Why? What's your favourite? Which one do you hate the most? Which ones fooled you at the time? Which ones surprised you that others were fooled?

Ok, I take it back-this is also worth discussing. There's a style of teaching called "homiletics". In homiletics, an illustration can be made up out of nowhere to make a point. Whether that is ethical or "right" is a matter of opinion. In the same school, Bible language researchers dug for the truth, and Bible historians dug for the truth, and homileticists learned to use made-up stories to make a point. I guess it's worth a separate discussion: 'does training in Homiletics condition a preacher to lie and make up stuff and hobble his ethics?' Of course, there is a big difference between using real examples, or making it clear an example is "apocryphal", and giving them all the same treatment. The only story I ever seriously tell where I use an apocryphal instance is the one about "The Bridge", and I always end that one by saying "Ok-that never happened," and then making my point. I usually didn't get too many made-up stories from leadership, and those few I got sounded like obvious made-up stories. (Like the house-builder who was preparing to retire.) However, I DID face someone who told a story as if he had seen it on TV, back in twi. He supposedly saw the tv show where one guy from Wendy's refused to comment when asked if the beef in their burgers was "stretched" by adding worms to the meat. Imagine my surprise, years later, when I realized he was lying thru his teeth. http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/wormburg.asp (For the record, a pound of earthworms is much more expensive than a pound of beef.)