TheHighWay

Fascinating Womanhood was definately recommended reading for corps, even to the late 80s, but it wasn't required. The other books mentioned all sound familiar but I don't remember reading any of them. However, the book Bedside Manners was required reading during the reign of the 15th-13th corps because Doc Vic did a lecture series on it at Emporia... it was during that delightful stint that at the tender age of 18 I saw the doggie porn flick and felt physically ill the rest of the evening!!

Coolchef, I think it's a great obit. It's simple and it gives a sense of your personality. So I respectfully disagree with those suggesting you add more about what you did in this life. I like it just the way it is! THW

I always liked that song... but yeah, now I'm sure it would sound differently to me. I have found that the twi songs sung by the earliest artists, the ones they wrote from the heart and sang from the heart, don't bother me to listen to even if they are filled with twi jargon and doctrine. The only agenda these folks had was their own personal joy and the belief they had in God. The music that really creeps me out is the later way-prod stuff that was written per instruction of the mog, and performed under strict guidelines, and intended to do nothing but indoctrinate the masses and promote twi. BLECH!!!!

I'm glad they are acknowledging the age thing... Looks like some good fun!!

From your own links above: To produce this cash, Congress created a one-time tax credit to reduce taxable income for most taxpayers this year. Normally, you wouldn’t see that cash until the spring of 2009, when you filed your 2008 return. But Congress wants to speed that money to you now, so checks will start going out in May. If it turns out that you're entitled to a bigger tax credit than the checks you receive, you'll be able to claim that when you file your return next year. If you got too much, you won't have to pay back the excess. But you'll have to account for any rebate checks you receive this year when you fill out next year's taxes. That doesn't mean you'll get less than what you would have if there were no tax credit and rebate check --- but accounting for the checks on your next return will ensure you don't get the tax credit twice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree, people should realize the government isn't just "giving away free money"... they don't have any money to give but what we are forced to send them. But at the same time, telling folks it's just gonna be taken away from next year's tax return isn't exactly the truth, either.

You know... if twi was some big corporation who was causing harm by the product it put out (like, say lead paint in toys or asbestos in the insulation) and they continued to do it, despite several lawsuits being aimed at them, despite folks trying to speak out publically and privately, we would be applauded for speaking out about the harm that's been done and is continuing to be done!!! Just because they disguise themselves as a Christian group, and because some of us on these boards are practicing Christians, should not give them a pass on the harm they inflict to this day!!

Rascal... they weren't dubbed the Way-GB for nothing... I and a few others found out the hard way that HQ had paid staff surfing WayDale and Greasespot looking for folks who were still in, but posting online. That's why folks around here are quick to warn any newcomers who seem to be saying too much about themselves, just in case they think "this is the last place twi-bots would look". Whether the WayGB are still around these days, in the "kinder, gentler twi" who knows? Better safe than sorry.

Mom was a quiet Christan, Dad was a scoffer. My siblings were mostly main-stream Christians and when I joined twi they were scared for me because they had folks who told them cult stories of twi stock-piling guns at Emporia, and things like that. Of course, I assured them they were wrong. When I showed up engaged and they didn't like the guy much they were afraid to speak out because they thought it would force me to defend him and therefore drive me deeper into the group. And it might have at that moment. Little did they know, though, it was being married to this hard-liner that kept me in twi about 10 years longer than I would have stayed solo. Who knew? They pretty much kept their distance for the years I was a twi-let but I'd say that was my fault... one vacation a year? go to ROA, of course Easter? Thanksgiving? go to WIBP of course spare money? send more ABS of course visit your family? witness to them of course become a leader? move around the country of course Once I left twi, my whole family welcomed me back with open arms. Completely willing to forgive and commiserate. Taught me a lot about human compassion.

Let's see... They had hubby and I pegged as "spiritually weak" for a few years but weren't willing to get rid of us because we were too whipped, and willing to do whatever they needed doing at the moment (clean a house, watch a kid, make a card, etc.) Then the first lawsuit hit, and I got online. At first, I spoke to my hubby and the local leadership about what I was reading, and they were 'forgiving'... telling me that in the current climate of unrest, there were a lot of folks who were upset and looking in the wrong places for answers... and then they told me to stop. Don't get online. Don't talk to cop-outs. Don't question leadership. Don't question your husband. Don't think. Don't breathe. Don't do anything without our permission. I couldn't do that. I stayed online. I kept talking to ex-wayers. I cleared my head of a lot of twi-bs. And they caught me. Showed up on my doorstep with printouts of some of my posts. Looked me right in the eye and said I was Mark and Avoid. I felt so special.

Dot... your posts have moved me to tears because they describe the phenomenon so well... the sense of looking up one day and realizing you no longer recognize your surroundings and you aren't sure how you got where you are, and you wish you could go back and fix it, but you can't. All you can do is keep moving forward from where you are. That's the way life works. And it's terribly sad. And the only good thing is that because that's the way life works, you can find joy and love and whatever else you hope to find. It's out there. And even though you probably feel like sitting still right now, not even thinking about what comes next, eventually you will get up and start moving forward again, and one day you will look up and realize you are in a good place and that it's okay for you to be happy again. My thoughts and prayers are with you, sweetie.

I was an 18-yr-old college kid. I earned the money working in the school cafeteria. ($100) I had always been a Christian but hadn't found a "version" I liked. I thought this was the best I had seen, so I signed the card.

Congratulations, Bingo!! The truth can sure be a hard pill to swallow, but it does set you free!! Enjoy your life, my friend.

I'd like to know exactly when that changed... when I went in-rez, we had to come up with our sponsorship to pay twi, AND sponsorship to cover our $30 a month. And if you had any special needs (medicines, etc.) you had to find sponsorship for that as well... And there were hundreds of us in-rez by then... no profit? HAH. Yes, they had several hundred paid staff as well, but look at how little they were paid, and the fact that the corps did most of the unskilled labor (dishes, meals, housekeeping, grounds)... How could they not be making a profit?

Ham, are you aware of the little hand-drawn poster that hung in Vic's retreat (the shed-thingie behind his house)? It showed a dog's back with two fleas uh... fornicating... with the caption "flea fornication". Yeah, that's what I want my minister to have on his wall !!

I don't believe Sean Penn is actually in the movie... just behind the scenes. I found this paragraph on the www.imdb.com entry for the movie: "Actually, McCandless did not live through the winter here in Alaska. He set out on the trail in April and died in August. In winter the trail he walked in on is covered with many feet of snow. He died during the summer, when the rivers are full of fish and the sun is always out. For anyone who wants to know what really happened just check out "The call of the Wild", into the wild de-bunked. This is a good film that tells the truth. It appeared here in Alaska a few months ago and the real people in the film were in attendance. Chris McCandless did a lot of things the Sean Penn left out. Hollywood evidently sees what it wants to see." And this from another site: A company called Terra Incognita Films has produced a documentary about Christopher McCandless, the inspiration for Into the Wild. Call of the Wild disputes several primary arguments made by Into the Wild, both Sean Penn's movie and Jon Krakauer's book. For those of us who were moved by Into the Wild, it may or may not be something we want to know about, but there is a page of the Terra Incognita website devoted to the argument, entitled "Into the Wild Debunked" [www.tifilms.com/cw-sub/debunked.htm]. The evidence presented is impressive, and the whole affair pretty sad. Sounds like the "real" Alaskans confirm everything you are saying, Johnny.

Definately a keeper! I crack up every time I see this commercial, and my son just looks at me like I'm a dufus. Oh well.

Yup. I think this is a really good summary of about where I am these days. It's not so much that I don't believe there is a God, I just don't think religions hold the answers, so in many ways I function as if there were no God.

I really wouldn't try separating the two cats. Even though they aren't huddled together, it would probably only add to their upset at this point if you tried to separate them. Good to know they are exploring when they think you aren't around. That is a first step. If the one isn't using the litter box it makes me wonder if their mom ever taught them the fine art of burying their stuff in dirt or sand? Most cats will take to it instinctively once they've been shown. If your litter box is covered I would definately leave the cover off for now so they won't be afraid to go into it. Other than that, it sounds like you are going about things the best way you can. Hang in there!

Okay, I know this is a long post, but I've had probably half a dozen cats in my life and I've done the same with each of them with good success. Every time I've brought a new cat home, whether it was completely tame from someone else's home, or if it showed up wild on my doorstep.... whether it was the only cat coming into a clean area, or my second or third cat joining the gang... they have all done what yours are doing. (maybe not as long, but certainly for a few days at least). And a cat who is scared can go a long time without eating, drinking, or using a litter box. My experience has also taught me that the one you had to catch will likely be the hardest one to win back over to you. I happened to be holding a new kitten when another cat walked out in front of me and the kitten freaked. Instinctively I tried to hold it close and assure it with my presence. Wrong. This cat that never before had a problem letting me pick it up and hold it, took a year before it would let me pick it up at all, and now years later, I still have to be careful that no other cats are around when I pick her up or she freaks and I end up having to win back her trust all over again. What I do is just sit in the middle of the room (or leaning against the wall on the edge of the room) and let them come to you. If you have to sit on a pillow and quietly read a book all day, fine. Do it. If you don't have whole days to give, then do at least some time every day. As much time as you can give. Put their food, water, and litter box in the same room but as far away from yourself and as close to them as possible. They probably won't use them in front of you but that's okay. If they come out or move at all, you do nothing. And when they eventually come out and investigate you, which they will eventually do (even if it takes a week or two) you still do NOTHING. You let them walk all around you, sniff you, rub on you, sit a foot away from you and stare for an hour. Whatever they want to do, you have to be patient enough to let them. It's the only way I know of to overcome their fear. They have got to get it through their heads that you are just "there" and it's okay. And any reaching out or initiating you do will often just deepen their fear, not relieve it. Once they come out a couple of times with you sitting in the same room, you can stop doing that and just go about your business but try to be mindful when you are near them and be extra calm and quiet. They will eventually come out more and more. And at some point they will slowly, thoroughly explore every inch of their new home. Cats rely on a knowledge of their territory for safety, even housecats. When they do start approaching you, slowly hold out your hand flat, palm up, and let them sniff, rub against you, etc. without really trying to reach out and pet them in return. Just curl your fingers a bit and they should naturally try to scratch their jawline against your fingers and rub their forheads against you (marking you with the scent glands in front of their ears, so you belong to them now). Once they aren't afraid to come close to you and let you touch them, a sure way to win over most cats is to scratch them on the back of the neck and between the shoulder blades. And when they are really trusting of you, stroke their ears between your thumb and finger. You wouldn't think they would like that but mine all squint their eyes shut, jut their chin out, and purr their loudest when they are getting their ears stroked. (reminds me of the Ferengi on Deep Space Nine, lol) Oh, and I do know someone who had good success with her cat by putting a small pompom of yarn on the end of a string on the end of a stick, and dragging it on the ground in front of the cat. The whole contraption was long enough that she wasn't really "close" to where the cat was and it got so excited by the chase-toy that it forgot about her in very little time. I don't know if this will work with your kitties since they've already been a little stressed. Every cat is a different personality!! Good luck!

Does not believing in god really mean there is no hope? Hope of what? Hope for getting through today or hope of an eternal tomorrow? Or both? I think one of the biggest things that faith provides for people is a sense of strength... it gives people something bigger than themselves to hang on to when they feel overwhelmed and vulnerable. And it gives them a sense of justice in an often unkind and unfair world. It gives them a reason to push through the bad, because of a promise of good in return. But if there is no god, then that means you really have the strength within you. A strength that, up until now, you have credited to an outside source. I find that thought empowering rather than depleting. It means I don't have to wish and hope and pray for some outside source to help me through the hard times. I don't have to wonder if I've jumped through all the right hoops and confessed all my sins, or if I'm being 'tested' in this life. I have the confidence and certainty of knowing that I have it within myself to be strong. And I can be pro-active on my own behalf without worrying about breaking some religious rules dictating what I can or cannot ask of god. I find it broadens the opportunities for help and deliverance. And it broadens the opportunities for me to be a good, kind, decent human being. And if there is an afterlife, that seems to me to be the best way to approach it.

CFF was started by John Shroyer and Wayne Clapp, so if you knew those men at all, you knew they both have/had HUGE hearts for people. Very decent people. And, of course, Wayne was Martindales' "go to" guy for a lot of his Greek research and stuff (not that Craig listened to him, so don't blame Wayne when Craig spewed some of his twisted garbage) I've heard good and bad about this group. The bad mostly being that they started from the premise that what Doc Vic taught was basically correct, just got legalistic and egotistical in its practice, and that they structure their fellowships, etc. very similarly to twi. Personally, I would have a hard time working from this starting point. So, whether you would like it, I think, depends a great deal of what you think of The Way International start to finish... I know people who think the sun rises and sets on this group. Say they've had personal experiences with great physical, mental, and spiritual healing, etc. If that is so, I am happy for them. Unfortunately, they are not good witnesses for me because I know what they once said about TWI and it turned out to be lies. I also see the way they carry on in their everyday lives and it is not an example how a loving Christian should behave toward their fellow man, in my opinion. So, like everything else: it seems to come to down individuals, not the group as a whole. If you are around good individuals, you will get something out of the group. If you are around "not-so-great-examples" of the one body, you probably won't like the group. You can see that even in peoples' posts about twi here on this board.

That's so cool... I was just looking at a bunch of Saturns this week... they had a display of them at the local mall. I really liked what I saw, my plan is that in two years I'll be ready to move on from the car I have to my very own first NEW car. Thanks for sharing your story, and your excitement!!

I just watched this parody video and almost peed my pants laughing... http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3f716ffebe THW

Agreed. Yet, I find that I believe in "spirituality"... I'm not sure how to define it, it has no rules at all... but it has to do with a sense of your time on this earth being about more than just what you can get out of it, but learning how to get and give at the same time (cuz I also don't believe in the other extreme of giving until it hurts) So, if you find your spirituality in a religious group, that's fine as long as helps you become a better person as defined above. Some people manage to do that, even in the context of the most confining of religions. Some people manage to do it as free-agents. It no longer matters to me how you achieve it... I am far more interested in the end result.

Hey, that's just how I got my moniker... they said, "It's our way or the highway!" and I said, "Nope, I'll take The High Way, thanks" and went my merry way. Sales Clerk: Can I help you (sign up for our super duper class)? Customer: I just want to understand the Bible when I read it. Sales Clerk: Well, we can do that for you and SO MUCH MORE!!! Customer: But I don't really want anything more than that. Just to understand the Bible. Sales Clerk: But if you get the PFAL-Pack, you get that PLUS abundance, PLUS a great marriage, PLUS a complete understanding of life, the universe, and everything!! Customer: Oookay, so if I get your PFAL-Pack I will be able to makes some sense of the Bible? Sales Clerk: Oh yes! (every time you read a passage from now on, you will hear Doc Vic's voice in your head telling you what to think it means) Customer: Well, it's still a lot more than I want right now. Sales Clerk: But it's not more than you need. You need it ALL. (sign here, please) Customer: Well, if it will help me understand the Bible... okay, I'll sign. (signs away the rest of his life...)