In the later years it was like an episode of the original Twilight Zone...
Six-year-old Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy) is a monster. He has eliminated the rest of the world, or has whisked Peaksville, Ohio into its own dimension. He creates, mutates, and kills animals for his pleasure. He's eliminated electricity, grocery supplies, and television signals. He controls the weather. He terrorizes and controls the people of Peaksville by disfiguring them wishing them away, forever into "the cornfield" if they don’t think happy thoughts or otherwise act according to his wishes. - From Wikipedia.
TWI was like being Tantalus in Greek mythology. Everything you wanted was just out of reach coming almost in your grasp then slipping away only to resurface again before slipping away in an endless cycle
For me it was like being in a greenhouse. Taken out of the world, put in a controlled environment until I was strong enough to deal with the world, then back in the world with much better results.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...." Charles Dickens
Euphoric in the beginning, and for a good many years after. But as time moved on, and I slowly edged my way closer to the inner core, it got ugly.
But I cherish the good times, cast off the bad, and have no regrets, other than I wish I had been more vocal and less afraid to voice objections to the inequities that crossed my path, as they came into view. And yet, I met some of the finest people I will ever know when I was in The Way.
For me, it was not a waste of my early years, it was not a prison, and I still hold to the good that I learned which has helped me be the successful person that I am today...
Robert Heinleins book *the puppet masters* comes to mind.
People would be attacked by aliens, who would attatch themselves to humans out of sight and controll them.
The people looked normal ...which is what would disarm everyones suspicions so that they could get close enough to infect the next victim.
Nice looking normal people posessed by evil malevolent aliens....being used to lure their fellow mankind to their destruction....it has a familiar ring to it <_<
It was like being trapped in the waiting room of a doctor's office, hours on end, having nothing else to do but flip through an old copy of "Time" magazine and "Happy Housekeeping", and listen to the same loops of muzak playing again, and again, and again, and again.
Ditto to what Johnny Lingo said. As time wore on though one of my good friends remarked to me it hit him one day when he was driving through his local town that the 'unbelievers' looked happier than he was !!
It was like eating a great meal with a lot of friends-only to discover a few hours later that the food had been poorly prepared and the restuarant had been sited by the health department numerous times.
I once had a friend (former TWI-er also) who saw the movie, "The Truman Show," and it reminded her a lot of her experience with TWI.
I agree with the post, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." The highest and lowest moments of my life came during my association with TWI ... and I am thankful for what I learned, and for the relationship I have with God, but honestly, most of that came AFTER I LEFT from other Christians (yes, are mostly TWI, but not in a "spinoff," as folks call it) ...
For me, in a way it was like Helter Skelter, being in the Manson family. The extreme control they seemed to have on us was heavy. You went through it thinking it was "THE" way for life & the answer to everything when all the while it was simply mind control to get you to do what they wanted - give money, devote every part of your life to them & them only.
I go to church now, and it's not like twi because I can stand up for what I believe.
I have friends now who are not my friends because twi dicates -- and therefore, when twi kicked me out twi could dictate to them to "mark and avoid" me.
There is nothing worse than a religious cult because our relationship with God strikes at the core of a person. And twi was a pretty good counterfeit, especially back in the 70's.
"But I cherish the good times, cast off the bad, and have no regrets, other than I wish I had been more vocal and less afraid to voice objections to the inequities that crossed my path, as they came into view. And yet, I met some of the finest people I will ever know when I was in The Way."
Johnny - take it from me - I was vocal on many occasions, and it did no good. Having been on staff, but not WC, and having been married to a man whose trade was needed at the root level, I often confronted leadership on stuff pretty much knowing I would not be let go because they needed him. While at Indaiana Campus I would schedule time with DEW, our Dean at the time, whenever he visited. I would point out how what we were taught in PFAL and in SNS did not even resemble what went on at the root level. Did my homework, presented things in a lovingly confrontational manner, la,la, la..... I loved Don and Wanda, but those meetings NEVER resulted in change. Later, when I tried to confront Loy-boy, I was not granted an audience. Even Rosie wouldn't talk to me. They knew more about what was wrong than I did, and they had no intention of changing. Talk about conscience seared with a hot iron! What the h*** was I thinking? That the Word meant something to them? Silly me!
But, like Johnny, I still think back on the hundreds of wonderful believers, my brothers and sisters in Christ I would not have otherwise met, and I did learn a lot - by negative example of a few and by positive example of many. A few will have some 'splaining to do at the Bema...
My period of time around TWI was like the two faced people, and spiritul operated that i think they really are. At first you're the best thing in the world, and every thing you can think of starts coing to you. I was recruited by an incredible looking woman , who i almost married; then when up through the system of TWI
to be friends with Donald , and the older Ms Wierwille. Strangely enough she was one of the few that talked straight. Lori Wierwille ran the WOW group, and my first class, and Ms. Wierwille came to vist , at that point it was the dead point in the class that goes on forever, and I was about to quit. She talked to me for a while and said how is tha class going? I said the first part was great butnow i'm about to quit. She said look dr. was a preacher, and when they get on the soap box , they are all the same, just grit your teeth through this and he gets better. So i did, and all the other classes all the way to the first New Advanced Class.
But things started getting wierd, and people started taking me aside and talking to me about things that sounded really wierd, like sci-fi , or satanist, or the mafia i grew up with.
I met Craig and his wife , and most of all the leaders, and the wierd kept getting worse. There was i public side, and then a secret , and sick side , that nothing mattered about anything but TWI getting it's way, and getting away with it ; even to the point of conversation about the legalitys of forming their own atonamy like tha Catholic Church property, in that it's not a part of the us and not altogether subject to their laws.
A i listened and watched, then went throught the grief that my then fiance was putting me through . Things got to be clearer, and clearer ; TWI would get their way , or there was going to be a bad problem.
When this extended to my fiance , as one of their best recruiters, being urged to get going with her Way work again , and me being told straight out i would not have anything to say about this, or her time with other men!, reguardless of how many , or to what extent ; I was told "you will not ask" , it's ministry business, and what she's doing is not your concern. My answer was less than agreement to put it mildly,
so Martindale advised her to do what ever she had to , TWI was her first concern, and he'd back anything she did, the V*** Mc*** got involved, and he and my fiance hit it off much too well.
After alcohol, some druges, and her sneaking out anytime she could to party sex, i made it through three
times but at a party she was out with someone else and got caught by several people , and there was a scene. I told her i wanted to know what was going on and she said ,"you can't stand what you did see , let alone what you haven't shut-up". Shortly after I end our relationship, and she went on with V***, and from what i know of the people , some thirty others , in about a year.
This whole disertation has a point though! TWI s a secret group, dead set against many bible principals like baptisim , and W*** C*** will get in your face in a second if you get into the book of IS , and start on
it. There are other parts like money and power, and secret ways to enforce things to people , right or wrong,
that become evident. Later i went after TWI when i found out the truth that my fiance had all sorts of sex partners as WOW, and they all enjoyed her well before me, even by groups. All with her concent, but always
what ever got TWI it's way of getting new people, new money, and getting them into situations that they would not like publicly known. Even the regional director of the FBI , who's son was a member, was dating a great looking TWI girl for a while.
This kind of corruption, wife swapping, the leaders better neve be denied anything even your wife if they chose it , and the secret mafia style dealings, like threats to my life, and waring against everything they could with me for 15 yr. ; and all the sick spirit mess that becomes evident, it WREAKS of serious
devilish operation , or out right criminal operation. My anolagy is like an asyllum with the sickest ones in charge, or an extreemly well built criminal organization , with no interests except TWI , and that's demonic.
A zoo with the cage doors open works too , but that almost too mild.
I won't tak up any mor time, but the real extent of this is sickening. I was arrested in a small town , just to gewt back at me and "warn me once and for all , and when they were putting me in the car, i was told
remember Craig? , TWI , they said hi. There was a judge that after three days got me out and was not very complimentry of what had gone on, but advised me , '' SIR GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM , JOB HERE OR NOT I CAN NOT ASSURE YOUR SAFETY , EVEN IF I ORDER THE POLICE TO".
Criminal , spirit pit of hell , or "best" parts of both, I think they are a dangerous , sick , trap.
I am deeply saddened by your horrible experience with TWI. The corruption of the ministry's leadership is indeed a well documented fact, and although many are still dealing with the painful repercussions of the systemic evil, the perpetrators are the ones who will ultimately answer for their wickedness. You have come to the right place to begin your healing. There is life after TWI! Welcome!
Welcome to Grease Spot, Connerron - and let me buy the first round of French Vanilla Cappuccino. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm sorry to hear about your weird TWI experience. My heart's sincere prayer for you and everyone else at GSC is healing, understanding, and growth.
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outintexas
In the later years it was like an episode of the original Twilight Zone...
Six-year-old Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy) is a monster. He has eliminated the rest of the world, or has whisked Peaksville, Ohio into its own dimension. He creates, mutates, and kills animals for his pleasure. He's eliminated electricity, grocery supplies, and television signals. He controls the weather. He terrorizes and controls the people of Peaksville by disfiguring them wishing them away, forever into "the cornfield" if they don’t think happy thoughts or otherwise act according to his wishes. - From Wikipedia.
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templelady
TWI was like being Tantalus in Greek mythology. Everything you wanted was just out of reach coming almost in your grasp then slipping away only to resurface again before slipping away in an endless cycle
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OnionEater
Childrens day care
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Jim
Two movies:
Stepford Wives (the original, not the remake)
A Boy and his Dog.
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johniam
For me it was like being in a greenhouse. Taken out of the world, put in a controlled environment until I was strong enough to deal with the world, then back in the world with much better results.
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excathedra
at times, for me, it was like being in a family where the father or uncle molests you and family members hush it up or ignore it or blame you for it
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Sunnyfla
:( The Girl in the Plastic Bubble :(
When the bubble popped it was hard to breath at first.
But with each day the air got clearer and clearer.
Years later..... you look back.
How did I get into that darn bubble in the first place?????
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rascal
It was like a prison.
The scriptures were the bars and door that kept me in the dark little cell that I was enslaved in.
The scriptures were used like a weapon to force us into horrible situations, and to do horrible things to one another.
The scriptures were used cruely to enable evil men unjust control over our lives.
The scriptures were used to steal, kill, and destroy.
The name of God and fear of losing his love and protection was the padlock that kept us securly locked away from freedom and light. :(
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J0nny Ling0
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...." Charles Dickens
Euphoric in the beginning, and for a good many years after. But as time moved on, and I slowly edged my way closer to the inner core, it got ugly.
But I cherish the good times, cast off the bad, and have no regrets, other than I wish I had been more vocal and less afraid to voice objections to the inequities that crossed my path, as they came into view. And yet, I met some of the finest people I will ever know when I was in The Way.
For me, it was not a waste of my early years, it was not a prison, and I still hold to the good that I learned which has helped me be the successful person that I am today...
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rascal
A few analogies that I think are applicable as well...
Ravening wolves seeking whom they may devour...
Whited sepelchers...white and polished shiney on the outside...filled with death and decay on the inside....
Ever searching but never coming unto a knowledge of the truth....
I borrowed those :)
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rascal
As far as book or movie?
Robert Heinleins book *the puppet masters* comes to mind.
People would be attacked by aliens, who would attatch themselves to humans out of sight and controll them.
The people looked normal ...which is what would disarm everyones suspicions so that they could get close enough to infect the next victim.
Nice looking normal people posessed by evil malevolent aliens....being used to lure their fellow mankind to their destruction....it has a familiar ring to it <_<
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TheInvisibleDan
It was like being trapped in the waiting room of a doctor's office, hours on end, having nothing else to do but flip through an old copy of "Time" magazine and "Happy Housekeeping", and listen to the same loops of muzak playing again, and again, and again, and again.
It was great.
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allan w.
Ditto to what Johnny Lingo said. As time wore on though one of my good friends remarked to me it hit him one day when he was driving through his local town that the 'unbelievers' looked happier than he was !!
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outandabout
It was like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and I thought I was the crazy one.
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topoftheworld
It was like eating a great meal with a lot of friends-only to discover a few hours later that the food had been poorly prepared and the restuarant had been sited by the health department numerous times.
You pay for it later on the pot.
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DogLover
I once had a friend (former TWI-er also) who saw the movie, "The Truman Show," and it reminded her a lot of her experience with TWI.
I agree with the post, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." The highest and lowest moments of my life came during my association with TWI ... and I am thankful for what I learned, and for the relationship I have with God, but honestly, most of that came AFTER I LEFT from other Christians (yes, are mostly TWI, but not in a "spinoff," as folks call it) ...
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dmiller
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Vyctorya911
For me, in a way it was like Helter Skelter, being in the Manson family. The extreme control they seemed to have on us was heavy. You went through it thinking it was "THE" way for life & the answer to everything when all the while it was simply mind control to get you to do what they wanted - give money, devote every part of your life to them & them only.
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Kit Sober
dmiller -- I can't read what's on the doors.
An analogy -- For me twi is the analogy.
I go to church now, and it's not like twi because I can stand up for what I believe.
I have friends now who are not my friends because twi dicates -- and therefore, when twi kicked me out twi could dictate to them to "mark and avoid" me.
There is nothing worse than a religious cult because our relationship with God strikes at the core of a person. And twi was a pretty good counterfeit, especially back in the 70's.
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goodseed
"But I cherish the good times, cast off the bad, and have no regrets, other than I wish I had been more vocal and less afraid to voice objections to the inequities that crossed my path, as they came into view. And yet, I met some of the finest people I will ever know when I was in The Way."
Johnny - take it from me - I was vocal on many occasions, and it did no good. Having been on staff, but not WC, and having been married to a man whose trade was needed at the root level, I often confronted leadership on stuff pretty much knowing I would not be let go because they needed him. While at Indaiana Campus I would schedule time with DEW, our Dean at the time, whenever he visited. I would point out how what we were taught in PFAL and in SNS did not even resemble what went on at the root level. Did my homework, presented things in a lovingly confrontational manner, la,la, la..... I loved Don and Wanda, but those meetings NEVER resulted in change. Later, when I tried to confront Loy-boy, I was not granted an audience. Even Rosie wouldn't talk to me. They knew more about what was wrong than I did, and they had no intention of changing. Talk about conscience seared with a hot iron! What the h*** was I thinking? That the Word meant something to them? Silly me!
But, like Johnny, I still think back on the hundreds of wonderful believers, my brothers and sisters in Christ I would not have otherwise met, and I did learn a lot - by negative example of a few and by positive example of many. A few will have some 'splaining to do at the Bema...
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CONNERRON
Hello;
My period of time around TWI was like the two faced people, and spiritul operated that i think they really are. At first you're the best thing in the world, and every thing you can think of starts coing to you. I was recruited by an incredible looking woman , who i almost married; then when up through the system of TWI
to be friends with Donald , and the older Ms Wierwille. Strangely enough she was one of the few that talked straight. Lori Wierwille ran the WOW group, and my first class, and Ms. Wierwille came to vist , at that point it was the dead point in the class that goes on forever, and I was about to quit. She talked to me for a while and said how is tha class going? I said the first part was great butnow i'm about to quit. She said look dr. was a preacher, and when they get on the soap box , they are all the same, just grit your teeth through this and he gets better. So i did, and all the other classes all the way to the first New Advanced Class.
But things started getting wierd, and people started taking me aside and talking to me about things that sounded really wierd, like sci-fi , or satanist, or the mafia i grew up with.
I met Craig and his wife , and most of all the leaders, and the wierd kept getting worse. There was i public side, and then a secret , and sick side , that nothing mattered about anything but TWI getting it's way, and getting away with it ; even to the point of conversation about the legalitys of forming their own atonamy like tha Catholic Church property, in that it's not a part of the us and not altogether subject to their laws.
A i listened and watched, then went throught the grief that my then fiance was putting me through . Things got to be clearer, and clearer ; TWI would get their way , or there was going to be a bad problem.
When this extended to my fiance , as one of their best recruiters, being urged to get going with her Way work again , and me being told straight out i would not have anything to say about this, or her time with other men!, reguardless of how many , or to what extent ; I was told "you will not ask" , it's ministry business, and what she's doing is not your concern. My answer was less than agreement to put it mildly,
so Martindale advised her to do what ever she had to , TWI was her first concern, and he'd back anything she did, the V*** Mc*** got involved, and he and my fiance hit it off much too well.
After alcohol, some druges, and her sneaking out anytime she could to party sex, i made it through three
times but at a party she was out with someone else and got caught by several people , and there was a scene. I told her i wanted to know what was going on and she said ,"you can't stand what you did see , let alone what you haven't shut-up". Shortly after I end our relationship, and she went on with V***, and from what i know of the people , some thirty others , in about a year.
This whole disertation has a point though! TWI s a secret group, dead set against many bible principals like baptisim , and W*** C*** will get in your face in a second if you get into the book of IS , and start on
it. There are other parts like money and power, and secret ways to enforce things to people , right or wrong,
that become evident. Later i went after TWI when i found out the truth that my fiance had all sorts of sex partners as WOW, and they all enjoyed her well before me, even by groups. All with her concent, but always
what ever got TWI it's way of getting new people, new money, and getting them into situations that they would not like publicly known. Even the regional director of the FBI , who's son was a member, was dating a great looking TWI girl for a while.
This kind of corruption, wife swapping, the leaders better neve be denied anything even your wife if they chose it , and the secret mafia style dealings, like threats to my life, and waring against everything they could with me for 15 yr. ; and all the sick spirit mess that becomes evident, it WREAKS of serious
devilish operation , or out right criminal operation. My anolagy is like an asyllum with the sickest ones in charge, or an extreemly well built criminal organization , with no interests except TWI , and that's demonic.
A zoo with the cage doors open works too , but that almost too mild.
I won't tak up any mor time, but the real extent of this is sickening. I was arrested in a small town , just to gewt back at me and "warn me once and for all , and when they were putting me in the car, i was told
remember Craig? , TWI , they said hi. There was a judge that after three days got me out and was not very complimentry of what had gone on, but advised me , '' SIR GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM , JOB HERE OR NOT I CAN NOT ASSURE YOUR SAFETY , EVEN IF I ORDER THE POLICE TO".
Criminal , spirit pit of hell , or "best" parts of both, I think they are a dangerous , sick , trap.
thanks,
connerron
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J0nny Ling0
Thanks Conneron. Sorry you were hurt so badly. When did you officially TWI?
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goodseed
Dear Connerron,
I am deeply saddened by your horrible experience with TWI. The corruption of the ministry's leadership is indeed a well documented fact, and although many are still dealing with the painful repercussions of the systemic evil, the perpetrators are the ones who will ultimately answer for their wickedness. You have come to the right place to begin your healing. There is life after TWI! Welcome!
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T-Bone
Welcome to Grease Spot, Connerron - and let me buy the first round of French Vanilla Cappuccino. Thanks for sharing your story and I'm sorry to hear about your weird TWI experience. My heart's sincere prayer for you and everyone else at GSC is healing, understanding, and growth.
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