shazdancer

David Jernigan does the same thing with chronic Lyme patients. http://hansacenter.com/about-hansa/doctors/ His bio used to talk about his affiliation with a nondenominational Biblical research organization, and there was more Way-speak on the site. His treatment regimen includes an initial 2-week stay and purchase of his own compounds of herbal treatments, not antibiotics. All paid in advance. He wrote this: http://tinyurl.com/cz5f7ba and this: http://tinyurl.com/cm7dnkd

Wierwille couldn't have cared less what happened to TWI when he was gone. He put the family farm in the name of TWI, so all the improvements could be paid for by the organization, and he would pay no taxes for it. It didn't matter that his children would never inherit it. His Board of Trustees was made up of the minimum number of people it takes to be a nonprofit (3), making the Board easier to control. He didn't want strategically-placed individuals, mighty in the Scriptures, or even lawyers or accountants, like most nonprofits. He wanted yes-men who would let him do what he wanted. When it was time to "pass the mantle," this leader who proclaimed the importance of the ground-breaking research he was doing didn't choose the much-respected head of the Research Department to succeed him. Instead, he set up the two biggest tushy-kissers, one in Europe and one at home. Craig was his mistake, because Craig couldn't wait to grab the throne and minimize Wierwille's influence while he was still alive. So Wierwille turned to Gartmore for adulation. When he was alive, he drank, overspent, used, and screwed his way through as much money and humanity as he could. He almost lost the whole thing when he forgot that one of the few things he shouldn't do as a nonprofit was endorse a political candidate. But he could promote or discredit just enough people that his indiscretions were never revealed to the believers at large. It took the Internet to do that.

As to how sexual predators pick their victims: It isn't about morality as much as availability and yes, vulnerability. Sometimes it is the MORE moral person, because that person just can't fathom that a "man of God" would actually have evil motives. I noticed how, in many of the sexual assault stories, they begin with VP or another predator doing something "edgy" -- casual nudity, spanking a woman on the behind, Sandusky's horseplay in the shower. The predator does that on purpose, to push the boundaries and gauge the reaction of the potential victim. A sharp rebuke will result in denial of motive -- "we were just horsing around, it didn't mean anything" -- and the predator might even accuse the victim or the witness of thinking evil. But if there are easier prey available, the predator will most likely write off the one that was hard to catch, though some feel entitled to continue to go after even the resistant ones in ways that will humiliate them. Sandusky: sets himself up in the role of a hero creates situations for physical contact uses "edgy" behavior to lead to assault pleads guilty to the lesser charge of edgy behavior, but questions the validity of witnesses Sound familiar? -- Shaz

Lessee, Board of Directors... free lodging, free food, free servants, free groundskeeping, free vacations (just call them trustees retreats, er, advances), free healthcare. And a salary for doing, uh, whatever it is she does. Why would Rosie want to mess that up by grooming someone else for the job that might vote her off? Why would any of them? As long as they don't rock the boat, they have it made. IMHO, Shaz

Um, Paw, could it be TWI funds that were being invested? (Sorry if you already answered -- didn't want to review 8 pages of thread for this one question.)

I agree, Bramble. I feel bad for those people who gave up their jobs. I hope their employers held them for them, just in case! I also heard about a family where the parents believed, but their teenage children didn't. The parents spent the kids' college funds. The kids are trying to be understanding. I've heard other "true believers" dismiss their families with, "I hope they make it into the Rapture, but if they don't, oh well, God is just." I wouldn't be surprised if Camping "raptures" himself, as I can't imagine him being able to face the people he duped. The longing for release must be so desparate in those people to be this dogmatic. Sounds vaguely familiar.... Shaz

I just heard of a guy who wants to prank everyone by taking some old clothes and laying them out downtown as if someone had just been vaporized out of 'em. That's so warped, I'm very tempted.... :D Shaz

I hear what you're saying, Geisha. We were taught to be anti-mainstream Christianity while we were in TWI, and now we're being anti-TWI. I just don't hear that in what everyone posts. This is essentially an anti-TWI site, so of course you will hear anti-TWI stories and opinions. And there have been a few who express that they pretty much go from day to day without an over-arching belief system. But many others have written about very definite belief systems and why they have adopted them: various Christian denominations, Judaism, paganism, or none of the above. I also have heard heartfelt stories on Greasespot of people doing amazing things for others. Their actions are telling you what their beliefs are -- no, not beliefs in the resurrection necessarily, but beliefs in love, service, work without expectation of reward, forgiveness, etc. And isn't that what sickened us the most about TWI -- the hypocrisy? I can bet there are a few hermits among us. But if half of what I've read is true, there are also a lot of people writing for a short time on a website, but the rest of the time going out and doing, trying to be the kinds of people we had wanted to learn to be through TWI. So Waysider, to answer your question... I know longer think that "I know that I know," but I hope there is something after. I try to make a difference in the world just because it helps, not because I want a "crown." So yeah, if Christianity had only been about the Golden Rule, and Jesus had been a great guy who died of natural causes, I still would be following His precepts. Shaz

Oh sheesh, I was so put off by the hoopla when Wierwille visited, especially when he himself would say wistfully,"I wish I could just come and go as I pleased without all the fanfare..." that I asked him about it at one of those "personal counseling sessions" you could sign up for. I noted the disconnect, because I felt that I should be treating ALL my brothers and sisters in The Word as special. His answer was a non-answer: "Aw, they're just doing it because they want to show their respect," or something to that effect. He could have changed that at any time just by saying "stop." And yeah, I hadn't wanted to be Corps, but my husband did -- Wierwille had told him he should go, so we went. But having made the decision to go, I spent our Recognized Corps year fully committed, despite the red flags and the wondering when were we going to get to anything truly "inner circle." (Always the carrot before the horse at The Way.) Because I became pregnant shortly after arriving, and was allowed to remain on special dispensation, I felt that I should be grateful and not rock the boat. It wasn't until about a year after my Corps year, when I asked for help from a limb leader who was Corps and didn't get it, then responded to a letter from Wierwille and was told I was "bitter," that I knew it was corrupt from the top down. Having already promised myself that if the organization was bad I would leave it, I had no trouble walking away, only sadness for what it could have been. It took Waydale and Greasespot to expose the rest of the story for me years later. Shaz

On his blog, HG also said: You can be sure that the POWOWs were stumping for Gahagan and witnessing for TWI at the same time, which would quickly become an embarrassment to Gahagan. As to TWI's run-in with the IRS, yes, one of the few things you cannot do as a nonprofit is officially endorse a political candidate, and Wierwille's encouraging support from the podium, sending WOWs to Maine to work for the campaign, distributing literature that encouraged contributing to Hayes' campaign, and perhaps sending abundant sharing to the campaign were enough to put TWI in deep doodoo. They didn't need any more dirt than that. Shaz

If a nonprofit corporation decides to fold, if it does not have a dissolution plan in its bylaws, it must give the assets to another organization, usually another nonprofit with similar interests. Though in TWI's case, don't count on it. Shaz

Umm, Paw? Did the BOD get suckered into this guy's scam? Back in the TWI heyday, they were even asking my husband, who had run a stamp and coin booth at a collectibles flea market in NYC, how to invest all the TWI dough, and whether they should get into the silver market. It might explain why they're M&A-ing everyone now.

Big difference in healthy family love and TWI "love:" The real thing: when a family member hurts (illness, injury), the family rallies around to protect and help TWI love: when a family member hurts, the "family" pushes them away (and often find fault with them) unless or until they can be useful to the ministry

Umm, method number 3: maybe they should TALK TO EACH OTHER?

I'm thinkin' it was more a power trip, similar to rape. And what better way to create followers than to make them?

"Stop! I called dibs on that mouse first!"

John, you've been on Greasespot since 2002. I've been gone from here for quite awhile, but here you are still saying the same thing: "I don't much care what happened to them, 'cuz I can speak in tongues." I'm going to say this one time -- not for you, because I really doubt that you want to listen. But because there are people out there wondering if, as long as they got born again, filled with holy spirit, speaking in tongues, if it didn't matter that some got hurt. I Corinthians 13:1ff -- you know what it says. The love of God means that I would have gladly given up having "the proof in the senses realm" if I could have taken away somebody else's abuse. Lives were broken for PFAL. Hearts were hurt. And you, John, are also a victim of PFAL, because you are so enamored with what you received that you missed seeing the greatest thing of all: love. Shaz

Johniam, you said, "Who cares how it was marketed?" I do. I care that the multi-level marketing system cares more about dollars and numbers than it does about the people who actually take the course and sell the course. I was watching the story of another MLM scheme the other night, that of the personal power guru James Arthur Ray. He teaches the "power of attraction," bringing what you want to yourself by how you act, think, and feel. (very much like the "law of believing.") The guy took people from a free "public explanation" of his method, encouraged people to make a quick decision to invest in his course, then drew along those who wanted to learn even more to sign up for his personal training where he would push everyone to their limits. (Sound familiar?) The end of the personal training involved a sweat lodge, where he encouraged people to ignore their body signals and endure the heat. Three people died. But what I found most significant was the interview with one of the people who had attended. They showed him unable to pay his bills because he had spent so much on classes. But when they asked him if he would attend more of Ray's classes, he said "yes." In spite of it resulting in the death of three people? he was asked. In spite of not being able to make ends meet? Yes, he said, because his life was so much better. Think about it. Shaz

The "abundant life" was the carrot before the horse. We were drawn in with the promise of power and abundance. Those were synonymous with the list on the green card, "more harmony in the home," and the like. Doctor said something like, "Ask any businessman, he knows what prosperity is." Power was supposed to be in positive believing, faith v. fear, etc. Get what you want -- the red drapes on the windows. When VPW originally taught PFAL, he taught all nine manifestations -- the fullness of spiritual power, or so we were taught. But by the time we baby boomers got into it, there were 3 classes that were supposed to teach you enough to manifest "all nine all the time." Session 12 makes you think like you've got a hotline to God. Now some prayers are gonna get answered! But we needed more classes to get to the other 8. And more classes meant more money, and more time spent in TWI. Twig, abundant sharing, class, Twig, abundant sharing, class, WOW, more Twig, more classes, Corps. All designed to relieve us of our free labor and money. And slowly, we were taught what to want. Shaz

Thanks, Karl. Read it on my Nook. Enjoyed. Shaz

Gee, and I thought the purpose of writing a bio on an SAT prep course site would be to explain to parents why he is qualified to teach their kids to pass the SAT and go to a good college. He sounds like his college career was all about sports and the frat, and he barely squeaked by with a degree. Sheesh! Shaz

I am poking my nose back in to say my deepest thanks to Paw for what he did for a bunch of us disenchanted, contentious ex-Wayfers. For me personally, you helped fill in the gaps in my knowledge of how TWI could say it had the truth yet be so wrong. For you to continue to keep helping for a decade, despite all the craziness and zaniness that went on here, speaks volumes about your goodness and tenacity. This whole community came together in a wonderful way to speak up and to help, and I am grateful for so many of you. I am afraid to name names for fear of missing important ones, but I would have to say Pax, socks, excathedra, Dot, gmiller, Raf, Wordwolf, George, Belle, Chas, Shell, krys -- yup, I am going to be in trouble for not naming everyone, but your comments served to make me laugh, cry, and think, often at the same time. Hugs to all of you, Shaz

The very best to you both. You deserve it. Shaz

So lessee, 30 people, let's say they are each earning about $20,000 each (and many will be making much more than that), and they tithe 10% to JAL (some will give more, some less). That's already $60K per year. With his resume and at his age, he would be hard pressed to beat that as a starting salary in any other line of work. And that's why he is working on advertising a new offshoot. IMHO, shaz

Has anyone posted this yet? I thought you might enjoy this story, about the 4 institutions that own the oldest text of the Bible there is – the Codex Sinaiticus, written in the fourth century – getting together to make the full text available online. Pretty cool what technology can do, though the site itself is not the easiest to negotiate. The story is here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106312433 The website for the Codex is here: http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/