Well, I left before the Okie went super-anal and banned everything. But, before that, all sorts of stuff was frowned upon, and one soon learned what activities to avoid (or keep secret anyway).
Reading the newspaper or news magazines was not favorably looked upon. T.V. was always suspect, so you had to be careful what shows you talked about. Movies were dicey too. You could watch just about any of them you wanted to, but you'd have to be sure to "rightly divide" the contents if you were to discuss them later.
All sorts of words became verbotten. "Luck", "Chance", "create", even "happy" were seldom used by "good" believers. Anal-retentiveness about vocabulary became the norm very quickly.
Anything one did that put demands on your time or resources (so that you may have less to dedicate to WayWorld) were always vigorously discouraged. So college, major hobbies, or - GOD FORBID! - getting insurance, were all well beyond the pale...
Well, I left before the Okie went super-anal and banned everything. But, before that, all sorts of stuff was frowned upon, and one soon learned what activities to avoid (or keep secret anyway).
Reading the newspaper or news magazines was not favorably looked upon. T.V. was always suspect, so you had to be careful what shows you talked about. Movies were dicey too. You could watch just about any of them you wanted to, but you'd have to be sure to "rightly divide" the contents if you were to discuss them later.
All sorts of words became verbotten. "Luck", "Chance", "create", even "happy" were seldom used by "good" believers. Anal-retentiveness about vocabulary became the norm very quickly.
Anything one did that put demands on your time or resources (so that you may have less to dedicate to WayWorld) were always vigorously discouraged. So college, major hobbies, or - GOD FORBID! - getting insurance, were all well beyond the pale...
Oh the memories. I remember times being caught reading a book and having to justify why I wasn't reading the word instead. I once came across a magazine with an intersting article in it and got the magazines can be devilish lecture, why didn't I just read the blue book on my break?
Vocabulary was the worst. I once had the audacity to say in a sentence "If we get enough people for the class........" I was reproved for my lack of beleiving by using the word if when referring to class registrations.
I used to not invest in a 401k because I was told it was gambling. So glad I think for myself these days. We're behind financially to our age group, but at least we have a shot at doing better now.
T.V. was always suspect, so you had to be careful what shows you talked about. Movies were dicey too. You could watch just about any of them you wanted to, but you'd have to be sure to "rightly divide"
Dang! I had forgotten about "rightly dividing" the TV
.of course I didnt have that problem much since I didnt own a TV for 7 or 8 years when I was in.
Music--especially "natural man" music was also heavily heavily frowned upon. Most likely anything (and I mean anything...)that wasnt ministry produced and sanctioned was done by possessed people.. LCM even laid into some in ministry music from time to time.
Damn when I think of the music collection I had as a kid that went to the Uncle Harry burn pile it makes me sick.
You do know we had a burnin day didnt you?
Books, records, a whole lot of stuff got coerced into that pile
I remember uncle scary quite well...people were hauling boxes of vintage albums from the 60's and 70's...books by Vonnugut, Ginsgurg and Kerouac were pitched into the flames of twi censorship with the promise of "now you're thinkin' right" just on the horizon...bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of a drunken womanizer...
and uncle scary?...Harry Wierwille reminded me of the dirty old old man who used to live down the street and watch the children walking past his house...my personal experiences with him left me rather cold.
I was a kid, so I was just raised to hate the forbidden things, I suppose. We weren't allowed to watch TV and movies without the parental "pause and explain the evil." I remember being scolded by one of the other twi parents for making up "not nice" storylines when I played Barbies with her kids. By not nice, I mean that one of the dolls was an orphan.
I was a kid, so I was just raised to hate the forbidden things, I suppose. We weren't allowed to watch TV and movies without the parental "pause and explain the evil." I remember being scolded by one of the other twi parents for making up "not nice" storylines when I played Barbies with her kids. By not nice, I mean that one of the dolls was an orphan.
Hm...you're just a year older than I am... So I guess TWI's attitude hasn't changed, eh?
This whole discussion makes me think of the Jehovah's Witnesses. :blink:
Hm...you're just a year older than I am... So I guess TWI's attitude hasn't changed, eh?
I haven't been to a fellowship for a few years, so I'm not sure. I was still indoctrinated up until April, though, which is when I consider myself out. But I don't think it could have changed very much in so little time.
Books, records, a whole lot of stuff got coerced into that pile
The only thing I burned were extra copies of TWI stuff. I kept a copy of everything. I remember JAL telling me he sold all of his stuff, to which I replied "HOW COULD YOU expose other people to that garbage?" I did overwrite SN tapes with other stuff and used a hair dryer to warm up the labels so I could peel them off.
In the Corps we were forbidden to set the Holy Trinity of seasonings (kelp, cayenne, sea salt) on the table lest they would become stranded and forgotten behind the common plate, thus failing to deliver a full round of salty, kelpy, peppery goodness to every Son of God seated with all power. The proper way to avoid this was to hold them in the palm of your hand, select the spice(s) you wanted, and then pass them on to your left. Many brothers' and sisters' sense of community, as well as their in- depth spiritual perception and awareness, was questioned over the sheer selfishness of tabling the spices.
Since I/we were excomunicated for asking to many questions in the early 80's I'm not sure where to start. Any time u disagreed with a leader you were apt to be "talked to". Even if you did not want to go to the one twig that was a good time for you or your family then they would tell you how out of "fellowship you were".
In some ways it was even more personal for me because my exhusband would deside somthing was evil and would find some one in leadership to "reprove me" and make me get rid of it. It has taken me years to replace books and other things I was made to get rid of.
Since I/we were excomunicated for asking to many questions in the early 80's I'm not sure where to start. Any time u disagreed with a leader you were apt to be "talked to". Even if you did not want to go to the one twig that was a good time for you or your family then they would tell you how out of "fellowship you were".
In some ways it was even more personal for me because my exhusband would deside somthing was evil and would find some one in leadership to "reprove me" and make me get rid of it. It has taken me years to replace books and other things I was made to get rid of.
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George Aar
Well, I left before the Okie went super-anal and banned everything. But, before that, all sorts of stuff was frowned upon, and one soon learned what activities to avoid (or keep secret anyway).
Reading the newspaper or news magazines was not favorably looked upon. T.V. was always suspect, so you had to be careful what shows you talked about. Movies were dicey too. You could watch just about any of them you wanted to, but you'd have to be sure to "rightly divide" the contents if you were to discuss them later.
All sorts of words became verbotten. "Luck", "Chance", "create", even "happy" were seldom used by "good" believers. Anal-retentiveness about vocabulary became the norm very quickly.
Anything one did that put demands on your time or resources (so that you may have less to dedicate to WayWorld) were always vigorously discouraged. So college, major hobbies, or - GOD FORBID! - getting insurance, were all well beyond the pale...
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finallyunderstand
Oh the memories. I remember times being caught reading a book and having to justify why I wasn't reading the word instead. I once came across a magazine with an intersting article in it and got the magazines can be devilish lecture, why didn't I just read the blue book on my break?
Vocabulary was the worst. I once had the audacity to say in a sentence "If we get enough people for the class........" I was reproved for my lack of beleiving by using the word if when referring to class registrations.
I used to not invest in a 401k because I was told it was gambling. So glad I think for myself these days. We're behind financially to our age group, but at least we have a shot at doing better now.
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excathedra
be me
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mstar1
.of course I didnt have that problem much since I didnt own a TV for 7 or 8 years when I was in.
Music--especially "natural man" music was also heavily heavily frowned upon. Most likely anything (and I mean anything...)that wasnt ministry produced and sanctioned was done by possessed people.. LCM even laid into some in ministry music from time to time.
Damn when I think of the music collection I had as a kid that went to the Uncle Harry burn pile it makes me sick.
You do know we had a burnin day didnt you?
Books, records, a whole lot of stuff got coerced into that pile
It was straight out of the middle ages
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George Aar
Yeah, isn't this Craig on Uncle Harry Day?
http://fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/gallery/01622.htm
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GrouchoMarxJr
I remember uncle scary quite well...people were hauling boxes of vintage albums from the 60's and 70's...books by Vonnugut, Ginsgurg and Kerouac were pitched into the flames of twi censorship with the promise of "now you're thinkin' right" just on the horizon...bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of a drunken womanizer...
and uncle scary?...Harry Wierwille reminded me of the dirty old old man who used to live down the street and watch the children walking past his house...my personal experiences with him left me rather cold.
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excathedra
i just know he said i was young and firm
after he squeezed my breast
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kenwas
I was a kid, so I was just raised to hate the forbidden things, I suppose. We weren't allowed to watch TV and movies without the parental "pause and explain the evil." I remember being scolded by one of the other twi parents for making up "not nice" storylines when I played Barbies with her kids. By not nice, I mean that one of the dolls was an orphan.
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Brushstroke
Hm...you're just a year older than I am... So I guess TWI's attitude hasn't changed, eh?
This whole discussion makes me think of the Jehovah's Witnesses. :blink:
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kenwas
I haven't been to a fellowship for a few years, so I'm not sure. I was still indoctrinated up until April, though, which is when I consider myself out. But I don't think it could have changed very much in so little time.
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Tzaia
The only thing I burned were extra copies of TWI stuff. I kept a copy of everything. I remember JAL telling me he sold all of his stuff, to which I replied "HOW COULD YOU expose other people to that garbage?" I did overwrite SN tapes with other stuff and used a hair dryer to warm up the labels so I could peel them off.
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Yanagisawa
In the Corps we were forbidden to set the Holy Trinity of seasonings (kelp, cayenne, sea salt) on the table lest they would become stranded and forgotten behind the common plate, thus failing to deliver a full round of salty, kelpy, peppery goodness to every Son of God seated with all power. The proper way to avoid this was to hold them in the palm of your hand, select the spice(s) you wanted, and then pass them on to your left. Many brothers' and sisters' sense of community, as well as their in- depth spiritual perception and awareness, was questioned over the sheer selfishness of tabling the spices.
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Enchanted
Since I/we were excomunicated for asking to many questions in the early 80's I'm not sure where to start. Any time u disagreed with a leader you were apt to be "talked to". Even if you did not want to go to the one twig that was a good time for you or your family then they would tell you how out of "fellowship you were".
In some ways it was even more personal for me because my exhusband would deside somthing was evil and would find some one in leadership to "reprove me" and make me get rid of it. It has taken me years to replace books and other things I was made to get rid of.
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Enchanted
Since I/we were excomunicated for asking to many questions in the early 80's I'm not sure where to start. Any time u disagreed with a leader you were apt to be "talked to". Even if you did not want to go to the one twig that was a good time for you or your family then they would tell you how out of "fellowship you were".
In some ways it was even more personal for me because my exhusband would deside somthing was evil and would find some one in leadership to "reprove me" and make me get rid of it. It has taken me years to replace books and other things I was made to get rid of.
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Twinky
Using one's brain.
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