Who comes to the Cafe?
Who we are at the Cafe
159 members have voted
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1. What level did you reach with TWI?
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Ordained as clergy4
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Graduated Corps, in after graduation for more than five years23
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Graduated Corps, in for 2-5 years after graduation10
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Graduated Corps, in less than 2 years after graduation2
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Entered the Corps program, went in residence, did not graduate19
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Entered the Corps program, did not go in residence, did not graduate10
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Studied with University of Life8
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Advanced Class52
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Intermediate Class23
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Foundational Class only4
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Did not take any VPW classes but others in the WAP series0
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Never taken any Way International classes2
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2. What did you do for TWI?
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Went Wow108
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Fellow laborers15
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Country coordinator3
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Limb Coordinator4
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Branch Coordinator26
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Twig/household fellowship coordinator113
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Twig/household fellowship member only28
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Was not involved with TWI but a family member or friend was1
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Way Productions/music/orchestra19
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Other performing arts/dance10
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Divine Design5
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Way Builders3
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Was on staff (office)15
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Was on staff (none of above)14
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Other26
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3. Why did you leave?
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Was thrown out24
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Spouse was thrown out and I went with2
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Child or other relative was thrown out and I went with1
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Voluntarily - did not like what was taught56
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Voluntarily - did not like what I saw97
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Voluntarily - bored23
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Left when coordinator higher up left6
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Left when other family member decided to leave2
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Health issues4
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Financial issues2
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Other (please give info below)18
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I'm still in TWI2
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4. What did you do when you left?
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Moved area26
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Tried to rejoin a twig/household fellowship10
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Tried a different Christian religious organization40
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Tried a different religion9
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Didn't do anything for a long time61
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Was seriously depressed28
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Life became wonderful52
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Got a decent job28
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Got any old job, couldn't cope3
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Counselling/psychotherapy/similar18
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Other35
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5. How long is it since you left TWI?
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More than 20 years61
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15-20 years35
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10-15 years18
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8-10 years15
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5-8 years12
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4-5 years2
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3-4 years2
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2-3 years4
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1-2 years4
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Less than a year1
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I'm still in TWI3
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Bapsy
I like your last words in here, the freedom to think and choose also adding the agree to disagree and examine careful the teaching. While on TWI i didn't with everything they taught over there and I e
chockfull
Bapsy I didn't attend Hindu or Buddhist gatherings or ceremonies, it is just that with a less elitist attitude I found myself more readily exchanging ideas with people of different religions. Previou
waysider
"What's next?" Enjoy life. do something you like to do . Fish, watch movies, skydive, go to concerts. Whatever floats your boat. I have most of mine. I refer to them when discussing variou
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Bapsy
Hi Chockfull,
I real like these two lines mentioned in red but can I ask you why did you decided to try with many different brands specially Hindus, Buddhists, what it's feel like. in other words you wanted to try your freedom in many different perspective?
actually i tried also a splinter groups but not yet other churches and i'm sure with time i will find one where my family will be comfortable.
Thanks for your thoughts and contribution
Bapsy
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chockfull
Bapsy I didn't attend Hindu or Buddhist gatherings or ceremonies, it is just that with a less elitist attitude I found myself more readily exchanging ideas with people of different religions. Previously those conversations had been limited because people pick up on a closed-minded attitude, one that I didn't even realize I had while in TWI.
For example, one of my Buddhist friends and I have ongoing conversations about God and Jesus, and the nature of Buddhism, which he says is just learning about yourself through observation. It's cool to learn his perspective, and share mine. Maybe i pick up something from the exchange too, like about being self-aware and observing, while not accepting his overall framework or perspective of the religion as my own. Now maybe people will look at this like "what's the difference?". I would say the difference is people being more open and willing to exchange with me. When I was TWI door-to-door, or accosting people in malls, or in planned outreach events I never felt that way. There was always pressure from somewhere to go for a hard sell environment. People were a byproduct of my self-serving goal of furthering putting together a class according to planned times we needed to make our goals. Oh, but people will say it wasn't your self-serving goal you were moving the word over the world. Here's the key: God moves His Word over the world through His Ways which are higher than ours. Not through the motivated efforts of deluded followers hard selling a boring and ludicrous class offered by a gang of controlling psychopaths. If I was successful at selling the class to people then I was drawing them in to a lifetime of control like I had experienced.
That is a little more of the perspective and discovery I have gone through post TWI.
I'm sure all religious groups have an element of outreach and selling the idea of membership into their group, but honestly, the churches I've been drawn to lately are not like that. They are more about rescue and genuine service.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Very interesting topic!! I left TWI because the Navy sent me to Italy.
When I came back to the US, TWI had fallen on hard times. I no longer attended TWI events, but I did attend in-home fellowships. I had no idea of all that evil that had happened in TWI; I was sickened when I first learned of what so many of my fellow believers had endured. Never again will I trust people the way I used to; how could "Christians" be so warped?? From what I have learned here at the GSC, TWI is almost dead. I pray that someday that the people who were wounded during their time in TWI, will be healed, and that God will take care of those who did such evil.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Twinky, great question!! I left TWI because the Navy sent me to Naples, Italy for two years.(1988-1990.). Thank God for small favors!! When I came back to the US in 1990, TWI had blown-up, and I decided to leave for good. Thank God for the Navy!!
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Twinky
Think you missed something really nasty going down in the USA, Grace. The shambles you found on your return must have been startling.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Twinky, I had no idea how much perversity, and sickness existed in TWI, until I came to the GSC. So many women were raped, and abused by the leadership. I had no idea of what how sick, and twisted VPW, and other leaders were. It made me so upset. So many kids were abused; for what? So much of our money was wasted on garbage; I thought it would be used to help fellow Christians. I was so foolish, when I was young!! But, I did have some good times in TWI. However, if I had known back in 1978, what I know about TWI today, I would never have gotten involved with it. Such an unholy, and ungodly organization.
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Grace Valerie Claire
GM, it certainly has gotten better! I met some great people in TWI, but I got so tired of having to sign people up for classes all the time. Especially since the classes were boring!! I heard VPW teach several times, and I thought he was boring. I left in 1988, but heard about a lot of the garbage that Craig did, and said. What a jerk! And a terrible dancer!
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Grace Valerie Claire
BS, consider yourself blessed in you were never in TWI.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Twinky, I had adjustment issues, but not because of TWI. I had adjustment issues after getting out of the Navy. However, today life is good!
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Grace Valerie Claire
T-Bone, I think it is very interesting to read about the different experiences people had in TWI. For example, my WOW sucked! It was the worse single year of my life. Some people had a great year, some didn't. I thought the AC was a waste of money; what a bunch of sheet! Some people thought it was great. I did have some great times in The Way, but when I left, I left for good. I thought leaders in TWI, had it made. Some may have, others went through hell. So many of us had such a variety of experiences in TWI. If I could turn the clock back, I would have left TWI years before I did.
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Grace Valerie Claire
No way would I ever be a JW!! Their lives are centered around witnessing all the time!! Not for me, but it helps others, that's great. But, please stay away from me. Too religious for me.
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notinKansasanymore
Not much to add, except to say I'm glad we're out, and that we have this place to gather. (Waving)
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Grace Valerie Claire
Kanas, yes!! I too am glad to be out of TWI. But, I did meet some really great people, and enjoyed some of my Twigs.
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