shazdancer

My opinions -- sorry, no links, but maybe others will help you there.... The corps program was advertised that way, as a leadership training program in The Word. But I think VPW always had it in mind that he was looking for people to follow him, not God. He wanted an inner group of believers he could trust to jump when he said jump, and even anticipate his need before iterating it. Untrained believers tended to be too independent. I don't think it did change. When I was in ('79-'80), he had already called the 4th Corps back into residence. Those people were already ordained, many were married. I'm sure they were just as surprised as anyone to be called back into living in a dorm! TWI at one time had made it known that they were going to try to make The Way College of Emporia an accredited college. I think they had even suckered (!) some people into the Corps on that basis (I think someone posted about that). One "small" hurdle was, they had no faculty with any credentials to teach courses at a college level. I think Don W. was the only PhD, and I don't know if anyone else had so much as a masters degree. Some probably didn't even have a baccalaureate.And some of the curriculum (how to roll clothes to pack for a trip, and gun safety come to mind) would never have qualified for an accredited degree. A few in the Research Department (back when there was one) were encouraged to take courses in koiné Greek or Aramaic at the college level, but that's all I know about. I was able to transfer some of my classwork at Rome City toward my undergrad degree, but that wasn't TWI's idea, it was mine.Wierwille was much more indulgent of people going to college in the early years. He even had a College WOW Ambassador program for those who wanted to do a modified WOW commitment on their college campuses (I did in 1975). But usually, if he wanted people to learn from someone, he tried to bring them to the campus to address us. He did not encourage us to go out to, say B. G. Leonard's class or any college theology course. (I don't think Leonard would have been very happy with us, since Wierwille had basically ripped off his class and renamed it PFAL.) On the contrary, he bashed his own college education regularly, said they taught him "all around the Word, but they never taught me the Word!" 'Course, when he wanted to impress you with his education, he dropped the names of many he studied under, but that was only for him, ya know...! Regards, Shaz

QT, I think you'd find it sterile. (WG, Limoges chamber pot, omigawd, lol....) -- Shaz

I'm thinkin' that the person who wrote, "I learned that our plan had many variables" is gonna wake up one day and be SOOOOO embarrassed to have written that! :D Shaz

Hey, Pirate, My mom lives nearby, so we've been there. Yeah, there are several other pinball palaces in the area, and between those and I have no idea how all of those (and the ZILLION tourist shops) make enough money during the height of tourist season to make up for the ghost town the place becomes in the off-season. How many Myrtle Beach key chains and T-shirts can a person need? Maybe they're looking more to cater to the adults-with-money (golf) and families that go down there. More money, less mess than the college crowd. Sorry to see it go, but it was inevitable, I think. -- Shaz

true, watersedge. Part of the healing is in understanding what happened. The other part is getting yourself to the place where it doesn't happen again. I'm still working on the second part. Regards, Shaz

Aww, that one got me all teary. Nice, Wafernot....

Better yet, serenade us! Congrats, Mr. Smokin' Keyboard.

Oldies, We're not saying Wierwille thought we were the only ones with any of the truth, we're saying that Wierwille declared TWI to be the MOST accurate. From Elena W's book, not an exact quote (hey, it's been 20 years, maybe someone has the book and can look it up): Said Wierwille, "Putting it all together, and making it fit, that was the unique* part." Trouble was, Wierwille was missing the most important part, the I Cor. 13 part. It was the Mary and Martha story all over again. Fretting over details, looking real godly, but missing the bigger picture. Very narcissistic to substitute the gnat, so he wouldn't have to face the camel. -- Shaz * I know that word is wrong, but the idea was something like that....

"I love Mozart soooo much, I could just eat him up!"

I'm just trying to picture a Corps person with a 2-week class under the belt trying to consult with a physician about reducing a psychotic patient's medication....

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Yes, it was a Corps requirement. I took it the one year I was in-res. The textbook was called Competent to Counsel. Believe me, we weren't. -- Shaz

That was pretty good, OFM... "Hmmm, maybe I was a little TOO aggressive with that plumber's snake...." :D Shaz

Divorced twice I didn't learn the first time.... :D :( Shaz

Funny you should mention "Metropolis." It was used as a metaphor for the challenges of technology v. humanity in a course I'm taking on "Information Ecologies" for my master's. Made me want to check it out.

Depends on the cause. TWI's was money, power, and sex. I think we could have carried on fine without them. Regards, Shaz

Comparing frog turds to lawyers??? Why, I wouldn't insult the frogs... (You know that was the punchline. You know you wanted to say it. I just got it in first.) Drive by poster, Shaz

Oh sheesh, I was just saying something the other day to one of my students about the boy who stuck his finger in the dike. Her eyes went wide, and she looked at her friend, they obviously didn't know I was talking about a D-I-K-E... Shazzie steps in it again, Shaz

'Course, in OUR generation, we had those real deep lyrics, like: She loves you, yeah, yeah yeah, She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah, She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah, Yeah, Yeah. (Loved the harmonies, though!) :D Shaz

hehehe, David, so where does that put me? I really dislike country (particularly the old country/western genre, Tammy Wynette et al), but I really like bluegrass! especially instrumental pickin' and fiddlin.' And no, I don't look down on people who like country. Heck it's mainstream up here -- I'd have to write off half the population. Denny Breau is a native son up here, get to hear him for free in the park most summers. Roger Sprung lived in my neck of the CT woods, and he'd set up shop in the flea market to sell his albums and a coupla banjos, picking just to pass the time. But just for equal opportunity, I really dislike opera, at the same time I really enjoy most things classical. Favorite composer? Vivaldi! So go ahead, dis him. I also really dislike rap, but enjoy most rock, upbeat new age, folk, world beat, and jazz, if it's not too progressive. My kids (and my dance students) have had no choice but to hear a lot of music styles, because in my car, the radio is set to a lot of different stations. High Country Caravan? They were getting ready to produce that about the time I ended my in-res year. I suppose if I'd known anything about clogging (which I didn't), I'd have had a job with them, 'cuz they asked. I saw part of one tape years later, thought it was over the top, HeeHaw without being funny. A waste of a lot of talent, IMHO. Regards, Shaz

Goey got it right about the Princeton/Princeton Theological Seminary thing. Our own Plotinus also went to Princeton Theological. A legit university, fer sure. Just not Princeton. Regards, Shaz

!!!Congrats, Raf!!!

I think this list speaks to the heart of why some people seem to have been in a different group than others. When I was "on the field," far from HQ or even a Limb HQ, I didn't have to account for my time, had non-Way friends, and was not afraid to question and think for myself, even though much of my thinking went along with TWI doctrine just fine. I was amazed and disappointed that, once I got close to the higher-ups, it was clear that VPW had preferred that we venerate the MOG, distrust outsiders, and obey without question. I think Wierwille and Martindale had different ways of going about this. Wierwille couldn't control the massive numbers he had generated. He tried via The Way Tree, but he settled for having a Way Corps who "jumped when he said jump," and thousands of others who kicked in substantial money, but stayed out of deep involvement. Martindale decided to have everyone follow what was being taught to the Way Corps. If they didn't like it, he kicked them out. Fewer numbers, but more loyal cultists, er, followers. Regards, Shaz

Don't worry, Shell, a lot of Lyme folk are taiking issue with the quiz. I can get 100% on it, but there are a lot of "buts" in my answers. Like... #2.) True or false: Lyme disease is contagious. The correct answer is "false," BUT there is mounting evidence that babies can be infected by mothers in utero. There is also the possibility that Lyme is being passed from mother to baby via breastmilk or between sexual partners (spirochetes have been cultured in breastmilk, semen, and vaginal secretions), but the hard evidence is still out on that. #3 is important, though -- once bitten, you might, but might not, see symptoms for weeks or even months. In some cases, no noticeable symptoms for years. #5.) True or False: Antibiotics often fail to cure lyme disease. The key word here is "often." They want you to say "false," that the vast majority of cases are treated early and resolve readily. That is correct. However, THOUSANDS of people have gone on to have real problematic, chronic illness, especially those who were initially treated with only the short course of antibiotics recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. How "often" is often enough? #6.) True or False: If complications from Lyme disease develop, they are usually permanent. The answer is "false," that even late-stage disease often responds well to antibiotics. But even they say, "In some cases, patients may have long-term or chronic problems, such as arthritis, but this is fairly uncommon." The problem is, a LOT of people are being turned away from being re-treated with antibiotics by docs in the IDSA camp. We are told we no longer have Lyme, we've been treated for Lyme, and now have "post-Lyme auto-immune syndrome," even though the symptoms are the same as when they were willing to call it Lyme. And how many people actually fit the "fairly uncommon" scenario of long-term chronic disease? We don't know -- the CDC isn't counting them. Regards, Shaz

Just adding to the above, that the doctor who wrote the article I linked to has also published extensively in peer-review, and I am sure can back up every fact he presents with solid research, as he usualy has a lengthy bibliography when he publishes. Scout, I also thought I'd tell you that I tried SAM-E a couple of years ago when my Lyme arthritis was getting worse. It worked great for that, and for mood enhancement. No, not that kind of mood enhancement ;) , it just took the "feeling down" feeling away. But be warned: my first reaction from SAM-E was mildly manic, about 4 days into taking it, so I think anyone with bipolar should stay away from this one! The positive effect on joints took weeks to develop. When I got worse even on the SAM-E, I discontinued and went back on antibiotics. I currently take only a multivitamin, Co-Q10, and lecithin. I work over 30 hours a week, mostly as a dance and gymnastics teacher. But don't get between me and my hot baths! Regards, Shaz