I found my Corps list online, maybe on GS, that listed who was in and who was dropped out of my corps, and I noticed that anyone that appeared different from the mold had been dropped, anyone nerdy, fat, really skinny, ethnic, quiet, timid, odd looking, and bad teeth wearin person had been kicked out. Â
Sometime in the mid nineties LCM wanted us to witness to people with cars, jobs and all their teeth. Our fellowship did lots of door to door in upscale neighborhoods for an entire summer. We didn't get one person to come to fellowship.
I don't remember an exact year though. All those mid nineties years all just blur together, hectic times trying to juggle family needs and fellowship demands ( you couldn't really say no.)
My little kids were always paired up with men in the fellowship for door to door--to "soften them" because they were cute.
people with all their teeth? so my mother's "believing" believed all of us kids right out of the way because she refused to get us dental care because her "believing" was enough for her, but not our teeth? thanks mom. really. now i can't go back to the way if ever i have the urge to do such a thing. ^_^
What I've learned so far on this thread... Don't anger the nerds!
Regarding the "no nerds" policy, it was not a policy but simply a prerequisite to participate in certain classes and ministry programs. Oh wait, that was the "No Debt" policy/non-policy.
What I remember was LCM and minions saying was, "We're looking for 'the best and the brightest'..." The folks in this category being those described already - well put together, upper middle class, people of some means.
A side consequence of this was a learned apathy toward people with the greatest needs.
Unfortunately for TWI, most people with teeth, a car, a job, and a modicum of rationality also have a home, a mortgage, and a short tolerance for drivel about a twisted interpretation of "debt" and how you should remain renting for the bulk of your adult life.
Absolutely. I've heard this term many times, and it illustrates the egotistical elitism of the group. It communicates that somehow only the most devout of Christians in their personal lives are worthy of being witnessed to by TWI and joining their organization.
When in reality the antics of TWI's leadership would have gotten them kicked out of most Christian organizations on the face of the planet, especially the ones with any form of democratic non-dictatorial government.
He actually said they weren't approaching "nerds?"
What an idiot! Who did he think would be running the country?
The current US President is an unquestionable nerd!
twi would have given a great deal, say, to get Bill Gates or Steve Wozniak on board.
Between being able to leverage their credibility (twi did that with pro athletes a number of times)
and tap them for lots and lots of money,
it would have been their dream come true.
I believe that my BC used "nerds" in the sense of unsophisticated, poor, and/or ill, not in the sense of skilled with technology! (Though considering TWI's aversion to computers...)
Since the internet was so full of devil spirits it was probably uncool to be know as some kind of computer geek--but I don't know that for sure because I hardly knew anyone with a computer while I was in TWI.
I distinctly remember my BC mentioning to me at my last ROA (1996?) that "we weren't witnessing to nerds anymore." We should be trying to bring in the more well-to-do of the local populace. I asked if we weren't trying to help people anymore. I don't remember his fumbled answer, but it was something on the order of "rich people need the Word, too."
When did this become the official doctrine for witnessing?
George
George,
I remember clearly our state manager teaching that we were to ONLY witness to the "solidly middle class." The thinking was that TWI was not set up to help the habitually poor, alcoholics, drug users, etc. "Others do that" was the response. The poor were too much of a drain and the rich were usually too tied up in the material world. Not my view, theirs. We stopped believing God to meet people and instead drove by their homes and "sized them up." I am NOT making this up. To be a wise-a**, I brought up examples of millionaires living in old homes with wads of cash in the freezer. My sense of humor was, apparently, lost on them. ;)
If it is really true that we were not supposed to witness to those who needed the Lord, it must have been about the time when Holy Spirit took His exit as well because the Father's love is shown in His love to His children. I don't remember hearing this because there's something in there about Jesus Christ came to save sinners, among whom I Kit Sober am the greatest. I would never have believed someone was telling me this except as a joke. Kit Sober,Thankful Jesus Christ came to save sinners
Edited by Kit Sober
I remember clearly our state manager teaching that we were to ONLY witness to the "solidly middle class." The thinking was that TWI was not set up to help the habitually poor, alcoholics, drug users, etc. "Others do that" was the response. The poor were too much of a drain and the rich were usually too tied up in the material world. Not my view, theirs. We stopped believing God to meet people and instead drove by their homes and "sized them up." I am NOT making this up. To be a wise-a**, I brought up examples of millionaires living in old homes with wads of cash in the freezer. My sense of humor was, apparently, lost on them. ;)
JT
LOL JT you reminded me of the nicest man I ever met my WOW year he was theis old duffer he drove a 48 Ford Pickup "YEs he did" lived in an old house on teh edge of town and was the RICHEST man in Montana. No one would ever know just to look at him.
Jesus example was to love all mankind not just the rich or wel off but every one.
TWI never seemed to really get what our life as men and women of God was really supposed to be.
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GarthP2000
... when they saw that their cash cow was in deep doodoo.
From a nerd, and proud of it!
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doojable
You mean "nerds" as in the hippies?
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now I see
I found my Corps list online, maybe on GS, that listed who was in and who was dropped out of my corps, and I noticed that anyone that appeared different from the mold had been dropped, anyone nerdy, fat, really skinny, ethnic, quiet, timid, odd looking, and bad teeth wearin person had been kicked out. Â
Makes you go, hmm..
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Bolshevik
"upper middle class" I believe is what I was told. When? dunno 90s or 00s.
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Bramble
Sometime in the mid nineties LCM wanted us to witness to people with cars, jobs and all their teeth. Our fellowship did lots of door to door in upscale neighborhoods for an entire summer. We didn't get one person to come to fellowship.
I don't remember an exact year though. All those mid nineties years all just blur together, hectic times trying to juggle family needs and fellowship demands ( you couldn't really say no.)
My little kids were always paired up with men in the fellowship for door to door--to "soften them" because they were cute.
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brainfixed
people with all their teeth? so my mother's "believing" believed all of us kids right out of the way because she refused to get us dental care because her "believing" was enough for her, but not our teeth? thanks mom. really. now i can't go back to the way if ever i have the urge to do such a thing. ^_^
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WordWolf
He actually said they weren't approaching "nerds?"
What an idiot! Who did he think would be running the country?
The current US President is an unquestionable nerd!
twi would have given a great deal, say, to get Bill Gates or Steve Wozniak on board.
Between being able to leverage their credibility (twi did that with pro athletes a number of times)
and tap them for lots and lots of money,
it would have been their dream come true.
Then again, nerds THINK FOR THEMSELVES and aren't afraid to go "left" when the herd is all
going "right". twi was SCARED to recruit new people who could THINK FOR THEMSELVES and
see what a fragile house of cards they had.
"We don't want the nerds, we want the people with money." Only those as stupid as twi management
could so easily dismiss the nerds with money as nonexistent.
twi wanted to pretend it was more "godly" to recruit only the people who looked good on a recruiting
poster- but did Jesus Christ come only for the photogenic? The outcasts and the oddballs have a long,
proud tradition across the Bible, from left-handed commandos to poets and musicians, to the people
nobody expected much of because they were "least in their father's households", to too short,
to tax collectors and lawyers, and even mothers-in-law.
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shortfuse
What I've learned so far on this thread... Don't anger the nerds!
Regarding the "no nerds" policy, it was not a policy but simply a prerequisite to participate in certain classes and ministry programs. Oh wait, that was the "No Debt" policy/non-policy.
What I remember was LCM and minions saying was, "We're looking for 'the best and the brightest'..." The folks in this category being those described already - well put together, upper middle class, people of some means.
A side consequence of this was a learned apathy toward people with the greatest needs.
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chockfull
Unfortunately for TWI, most people with teeth, a car, a job, and a modicum of rationality also have a home, a mortgage, and a short tolerance for drivel about a twisted interpretation of "debt" and how you should remain renting for the bulk of your adult life.
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T-Bone
yeah, maybe TWI doctrine never attracted many computer geeks cuz they usually can spot a virus a mile away.
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mstar1
hmm....that sounds like just about all the people that built the ministry up from nothing
another brilliant decision ----kick out everyone who made it what(ever) it was and dont accept their kind anymore....
---good move
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Bolshevik
"seeking the devout" - another term
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chockfull
Absolutely. I've heard this term many times, and it illustrates the egotistical elitism of the group. It communicates that somehow only the most devout of Christians in their personal lives are worthy of being witnessed to by TWI and joining their organization.
When in reality the antics of TWI's leadership would have gotten them kicked out of most Christian organizations on the face of the planet, especially the ones with any form of democratic non-dictatorial government.
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GeorgeStGeorge
I believe that my BC used "nerds" in the sense of unsophisticated, poor, and/or ill, not in the sense of skilled with technology! (Though considering TWI's aversion to computers...)
George
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batcave
Sounds like if you didn't measure up to standards, you'd be herded to the "nerd couch" like in Animal House.
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Bramble
Since the internet was so full of devil spirits it was probably uncool to be know as some kind of computer geek--but I don't know that for sure because I hardly knew anyone with a computer while I was in TWI.
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now I see
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ChasUFarley
Well... there's enough people in the room so that they could have manifestations... "Loshanta trweiorjlskfj lkj lkj joij oi"....
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JustThinking
George,
I remember clearly our state manager teaching that we were to ONLY witness to the "solidly middle class." The thinking was that TWI was not set up to help the habitually poor, alcoholics, drug users, etc. "Others do that" was the response. The poor were too much of a drain and the rich were usually too tied up in the material world. Not my view, theirs. We stopped believing God to meet people and instead drove by their homes and "sized them up." I am NOT making this up. To be a wise-a**, I brought up examples of millionaires living in old homes with wads of cash in the freezer. My sense of humor was, apparently, lost on them. ;)
JT
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Kit Sober
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waysider
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now I see
They woulda probably passed on Warren Buffet since he apparently lives in the house in Omaha he lived in 40 years ago.
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GeorgeStGeorge
Depends on how nice the home is, I guess.
George
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leafytwiglet
LOL JT you reminded me of the nicest man I ever met my WOW year he was theis old duffer he drove a 48 Ford Pickup "YEs he did" lived in an old house on teh edge of town and was the RICHEST man in Montana. No one would ever know just to look at him.
Jesus example was to love all mankind not just the rich or wel off but every one.
TWI never seemed to really get what our life as men and women of God was really supposed to be.
NO surprise there look at who started TWI!
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