OldSkool

My biggest disappointment with the way corps training as well as living as active way corps was learning that the commitment I made in "salting myself to a lifetime of Christian sevice" to the way international was the commitment is one sided. As noted in previous posts on this tread and is encapsulated in the fololowing quote from TWI website: God will have to enrich their lives and supply their every need because the way international will do little to help them. Commitments biblically are typically a two way street. For example, a doulos (bond slave), would commit theirselves to serve their master's household and in turn they would be taken care of for their service and sacrifice. The way international expects the way corps to stay salted to the ministry that taught them the word (barf-ola) while the way international feels it owes nobody anything. The way international has a very long and sordid track record of using people up and tossing them aside when finished. The way international is a fiduciary by the very nature of their salted relationship with the way corps. But that is a one sided commitment. As way corps I salted myself to the way international yet they never salted themselves to me, not ever not once. Of course if the way would actually follow the bible they wouldn't ask anyone to take a salt commitment ever.

Yeah, well her credentials are great up until they start the biblical research stuff.....but they did say that she has enjoyed biblical research for 40 years as opposed to serving on the board of a church that does biblical research...she very well may have done biblical research on her own for 40 years. That same 40 years likely coincides with the 40 or so odd years that the way international stopped doing biblical research...yada..yada.

Hey, no worries, I am enjoying going over the topic the way we are. The article I wrote is by no means the end of the subject for me. I wrote it and put it out there for discussion, and perhaps selfishly, so I could learn more from discussion and other's points of view. I read the article you posted and of course your post and enjoyed the read/insight. For me, as it relates to the law of believing there is so much to carry away in application on a personal level because the magical thinking aspect, where there is literally no correlation between anything, yet a huge leap of logic occurs and leads to people being blamed, accused, lauded, etc because their believing was negative/positive. That's been a vital piece of the puzzle for me in learning to restore some sense of reason to my faith. Thanks for the link and taking the time to post. I guess this next bit from me really goes outside the topic quite a ways but maybe it ties into our discussion here or needs it's own subtopic. The following quote from your post illustrates both sides of the sword: His patient appears hopelessly trapped in a trap of her own mental choosing. I can relate to that state because of course I have lived it myself when I used to live by the law of believing. You simply couldn't talk me out of my own insanity on the desires I wanted to make happen according to my will. Yet he cuts right to the quick when he says "that chanting has the power to yield wisdom I didn't know I had—a power, however, that can only ever be proven by someone to themselves.” So this brings up my other off topic point. Matters of faith cannot be substantiated/unsubstantiated by rules of reason alone. In the scheme of things our very highly cherished sciences are shifting sand because the rules of logic have changed, and even the age of reason is a concept that only has a few hundred years at it's foundation. We are warned biblically time and again about puffing ourselves up with knowledge and even the fall of creation centers around the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Man has elevated his knowledge and rules of reason far above simple faith in God, yet it's a slippery slope or we wouldn't be here talking about it. Yet, matters of faith start with what a person has proven to themselves with the things of God and cannot be nullified by rules of the natural world because God is a supernatural entity. Anywho, more later, again - thanks for the post!

Complete transparency. You will never find anywhere a public expense report from the way international. They have no accountability to those who donate.

That makes sense to me. Even though we were mesagging on FB I was pretty sure it was someone trolling

I always thought she was just trolling. I was even talking to whomever it was via direct mesage here on GSC. Supposedly, they were in the marines and were working on getting a PHd in quantum physics. I was in direct contact and even have her supposed real name, if it's a real person and not a troll. Personally, I thought about all of the possibilities and in the end didn't really care. Also, they said they were terminally ill with brain cancer and then disappeared off my facebook page sometime later. Were they real, terminally ill and passed away? Or just a troll? I dunno. Her real name was supposedly K@trina @llard - but who really knows.

Rev. Vern Edwards Rev. Bill Greene Dr. Angela Priester Rev. John Rupp https://www.theway.org/ It's way down at the bottom of the page. I agree with you GerogeStGeorge, I always thought very highly of both Angela and Perry.

I really appreciate your post. I wanted to respond to the entire post I only have so much time so I'll be back to discuss more shortly. When I was working the topic I actually started out with the self-help gurus, such as Rhonda Byrne with her Oprah approve book "The Secret" and you completely hit the nail on the head and drive that sucker home. They all seemingly operate pyramid schemes of various sorts and they all seemingly push the idea that there is this magical, hidden, knowledge that they can impart if you just buy something of theirs. The concepts still trace back to Quimby and others that took a secular route with their magical thinking crap. The step they took was actually logical, though it's based on a lie. That step is if you can heal yourself by your positive thoughts then you can also command riches by your positive thoughts. Now, I'm not letting the religous gurus off the hook either because Wierwill sold his classes and books as well. But the secular side is just as variegated and corrupt as the religous side. And you are so very very correct in noting the ones getting the loot from their magical thinking are the con artists selling their wares. I realy enjoyed your insight on Provergs 23 as well. I covered it briefly and you added some really cool insight. James Allen in his book "As a Man Thinketh" is typically the departure point for that twisted doctrine. And you have to completely ignore the rest of the verse to make it say what James Allen says it means. Twisted scripture for certain. More later. Thanks again!

That is so incredibly gross. It still amazes me that people were so deceived that they thought this kind of behavior is Biblically acceptable. Don't get me wrong, I had my own areas of blindness that other's would be amazed as well with me.

This sure describes my former way corps self, and it really is a good description of a lot of folks still in TWI. Excellent post! My experience is that most people that hang onto to TWI are more willing to leave if something better were there - my summation of many voices I've heard expressing disdain for TWI's current and recent state of affairs. Of course there is so much better out there when the blinders are off. My purpose in posting here from the beginning has been to expose the top leadership and their really treacherous practices. As an organization TWI is rotten from the roots and that will never change. My prayer is that more people wake up and walk where the Lord leads them.

I feel the same way. I will never go back to TWI for a multitude of reasons, but at the same time, there are a lot of good people trapped (by their own choosing) in that group and anything that makes life better for people is a welcome change.

I tend to agree. Obviously, they have a set of beliefs and practices they push on people but they are a 501-c3 corporate entity - a church, not as in ekklesia but as in modern day usage. The VPW auditorium is their church building.

I was told recently by someone in the know that Vern, Bill, and John all got together and voted Rosalie off the board. When Rosalie added Vern to the board, and I guess he was CEO or president or whatever they call it now, he addressed the staff without getting her permission and this appearantly did not go well as it appears the Vern has a backbone, unlike Rupp or DeLisle who were Rosalies placeholders for years. So Vern got John and Bill on his side and they ousted her. I don't know any more than that, and I also do not know if she is retired or if Donna is still cabinet. I do know that without Rosalie as head honcho that Donna likely is highly diminished. It makes me wonder if Donna is still part of director meetings - you know they meet a lot. Anywho, that's all I know.

She used to run the advanced class department many moons ago. She was a really sweet person. Her husband worked in Safety, he was a good guy as well. I wish her all the best. I doubt it will work out for her but hey, who knows.

https://www.theway.org/blog/board-of-directors-addition-2021/

That's a really good point and one I never thought of. What kind of God would set that sort of chaos in motion? After spending a few months working the topic pretty vigoursly I have come to see most everywhere I look some guru (Christian or otherwise) is selling the idea of "tapping into the power of God." I firmly believe that this thinking was started by Phineas Parkhurst Quimby/Mary Eddy Baker/ E.W. Kenyon types - especially Kenyon - and as a result, God is a source of power to be tapped into like some kind of cosmic keg that pours pints of power as long as we stay focused in our believing, as if our minds were the controlling mechanism for all of life. In my experience most of these gurus market these concepts openly while clandestinely luring people in with great promises that simply do not deliver.

I was told by my department coordinator at hq back in 2000 that Indiana Campus was pretty much where a lot of wife swapping and crap like that took place on a regular basis amongst the in-residence corps. He was in-rez there, but I don't know this first hand.

He got sidelined by Donna and Rosie ... He wanted to stay but the lawyers weren't having that

Please note, and I thinnk this is implied in your statement - but to be clear for those who may wonder, they HATED the changes they had to "endure" since the @llen lawsuit. It wasnt that Rosalie and the gang were quietly waiting in the wings to jump on the opportunity to right the wrongs and change how they operate. Think about it -- all the draconian rules for staff and way corps, all the harassment they used to lay on people -- they hated that they could no longer operate in the manner they did up until 2000 or so before the @llen, and other lawsuits were filed. Rosalie went slap the heck off at a cabinet meeting and said just that - "That she hated all the changes they have had to make" - that is nearly a verbatim quote from 2007. So the only way they will treat people any better than they used to is by threat of losing the thing they covet most -- their positions of power over their followers and their 68 million or so they keep in their coffers. When that was seriouosly threatened and they reaslized they were not above the law then they made only the recommended changes to stay out of court and lose their cult classification. I have also heard Rosalie brag about how slick they have had to become over the entire matter. Her name is Rosalie F Rivenbark where the F stands for Fox and she would literally say "Well, that's because they have been out Foxxed. Again - God's honest truth, I am not embellishing even the slightest point or quote. Well, they out foxxed their followers because if the truth came out on public record via court transcripts then most all of their followers would have to wake up and most would leave. And I mean the truth the @llen lawsuit brought to light that's covered so thorougly in other topics. One would have to conclude that the only reason the adultery stopped is it interferred with their positions of power and easy lifestyle at the top. The thing they covet most is embodied in the 501-c3 corporate status that gives them the way international inc. They will do anything to protect that coprorate entity because it empowers them to operate the way they do and give themselves status, allows them to accept tax free donations, and gives them position amongst the rank and file where they demand all their protocol in how you even interact with them on the most insignificant matters. Silly case in point - In the winter of 2007 we had a huge snow storm at HQ. I had been running several large snow removal crews since 4:30 that morning and I came back to my office for a minute. I had just sat down and was utterly exhausted. Rosalie popped into my office and started asking some questions about the status of this or that, I dont remember exactly what. But she had been standing there for about 15 seconds and I had forgotten to stand when she entered the room and you know what she did? Looked at me with a stern look and motioned me out of my seat and onto my feet. I also want to be clear for the record if nothing else - Im telling about all this publicly not because I am bitter and living in the past or unforgiving or whatever. I have forgiven myself, them, and accepted Christ's forgiveness for being involved with them after I knew how corrupt they really are. However, I will not conceal who they are and how they operate even though some of them are well meaning and sincere in their motives even though they should come clean with themselves if nothing else. If I conceal it I am part of covering it up so I will tell the truth of the things I saw first hand. So this is why I say "They won't take any stance where they will look like a controlling, abusive, pseudo-Christian cult. Their lawyers taught em that." Im not being mean spirited and I suppose could be taken that way, but it's the truth. You want to see them make a stand on corona vaccinations? Let them be legally threaned to do so where their coprorate entity is threatened. They wil make all kinds of statements and use the OSC as a vaccination center. Until then, they will remain conspicously silent.

That's the gospel truth. I was on the cabinet and heard the topic discussed openly amongst top leadership.

And I wonder just how many millions of dollars have gone to settle lawsuits and pay their lawyers for wierwille/martindale's sexual liasons...oh and not to mention all the things they used to do (pregnancy policy for example) that they had to unlearn at the advice of BakerHostetler out of Cleveland? That is if they still retain their services.

They won't take any stance where they will look like a controlling, abusive, pseudo-Christian cult. Their lawyers taught em that.

I see it went to good use since they sold it...lol

Yeah no colitas, we have road apples in most of Ohio. "Warm smell of Road a-pples rising up through the air" better?

Hi guys, just got caught up on this thread a little bit. From my personal experiences I say absolutely yes that a true believer can change their mind and in fact change it back. Id did. I will say honestly and openly you wouldn't have found too many more zealous young wayfers than myself. I really believed what they taught and I really believed the facade they put out there for the general public and average home fellowship attendee. It's when I had major problems in life that the law of believing garbage gave me a serious reality check. Again, I followed the law of doctrine to the letter as well as my former wife. IT DOES NOT WORK. And that's where it all came crashing down for me. I was so hurt and disillusioned I just said screw it. It's taken me a slow process during a 13 span to get where I am today. Where am I today you may ask? Very secure in my faith in Christ.