Life is spiritual?

[OldSkool]

The way international taught me that life is spiritual. I think life is inherently physical and at best perhaps it could be argued that it is influenced, or even at times manipulated by the spiritual. I could dart off in several doctrinal directions about why I believe this but that would take a detour from my point. My point? By acting like life is spiritual the way international went ape in spiritualizing everything from the weather, people's behavior, your next door neighbor's attitude and the list could continue.

Common sense would dictate that whether or not you are involved in the way international you will be in a thunderstorm. But what is a thunderstorm to the way international during a class? It's an attack of the adversary.

Common sense would dictate that sometimes people get sad, angry, happy, indifferent or whatever. But how are these interpreted when they are in disagreement with the way international? It's an attack of the adversary.

Common sense would dictate that some neighbors are great and others suck. But what is a next door neighbor that is mad because all the parking in the cul-de-sac is taken up by the way international's home fellowships? It's an attack of the adversary.

I could be clever and tie all these in to the four fronts of the adversary but I just don't have the energy. Besides it would just be misconstrued as an attack of the adversary.

The end result from my by my decision to believe that life is spiritual and then apply it in the "mania" fashion popular in the way international is anything that went against the way international's purposes was an attack of the adversary. Now, they would never come out and say this. No, not at all. But that IS the norm. And to make matters worse, instead of working through dysfunctional relationships with family, neighbors, the boss, or whomever, I was taught to treat it all as spiritual and therefore there was some deeper significance in my irritated co-worker, for example. Instead of enjoying life I was always over analyzing the insignificant and making up hidden, spiritual reasons. The result? I lived in an alter reality. Lala land.

This lifestyle strained and nearly killed relationships with family and friends and led to my complete dependence on the way international to provide me an acceptable, "sanctified" social structure where there was no influence from the adversary that a little confrontation couldn't cure.

Thank God I am free from that puzzle factory that is the way international. I've also mended a lot of fences since leaving that awful organization. I am thankful my friends and family love me enough to forgive and forget.

[waysider]

You see what happens when you stop to "consider"?

[OldSkool]

You see what happens when you stop to "consider"?

Which is an interesting point that pokes all kinds of holes in Vicster's claim that one of Eve's mistakes was considering what the serpent had to say. It seems plain to me that Jesus Christ when tempted by the devil considered very carefully what was said and even more so his response.

Begs the question - How in the hell can you discern good from evil without considering? (oh spiritually mature ones....)

Edited June 2, 2010 by OldSkool

[bliss]

Don't forget all the front spot parking spaces we missed because of the adversary!!!!!!

[OldSkool]

Don't forget all the front spot parking spaces we missed because of the adversary!!!!!!

I guess part of his job as the thief is to steal the front spots!

[waysider]

But---but---but----if you stop to consider, you are likely to fall---away from the spell of PLAF (The Wonder Class).

[OldSkool]

But---but---but----if you stop to consider, you are likely to fall---away from the spell of PLAF (The Wonder Class).

And that, my friend, was one of the best things that ever happened to me! Guess I'm a rebul!

[waysider]

That's the beauty of speaking in tongues. It keeps the mind in a state of passive acceptance.

Neuroscience

In 2006, the brains of a group of individuals were scanned while they were speaking in tongues. Activity in the language centers of the brain decreased, while activity in the emotional centers of the brain increased. Activity in the area of control decreased, which corresponds with the reported experience of loss of control. There were no changes in any language areas, suggesting that glossolalia is not associated with usual language function.[10][11][12] Other brain wave studies have also found that brain activity alters in glossolalia.[13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossolalia

--------------------------------------

There is evidence that while speaking in tongues people experience a sharp decrease in frontal lobe function, the area of the brain that enables reason and self-control. There is also increased activity in the parietal region of the brain, which takes sensory information and tries to create a sense of self relating to the world. Psychiatrist Andrew Newberg, Director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania, studied five African-American Pentecostal women who frequently speak in tongues. As a control activity, Newberg had the women sing gospel tunes while moving their arms and swaying.*

Newberg gave the Pentecostals an intravenous injection of a radioactive tracer that allowed him to measure blood flow and "see" which brain areas were most active during the behaviors. Newberg and his associates published their findings in the November 2006 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. During glossolalia, the part of the brain than normally makes a person feel in control was essentially shut down. The findings make sense, says Newberg, because speaking in tongues involves giving up control and feeling a "very intense experience of how the self relates to God."*

Newberg noted that the glossolalia responses were the opposite of those of people in a meditative state. When people meditate their frontal lobe activity increases, while their parietal activity decreases. In meditation, one loses the sense of self while controlling one's focus and concentration.

http://www.skepdic.com/glossol.html

[OldSkool]

So, let's just say that speaking in tongues is misapplied against people through error in practice....just saying...

[waysider]

So, let's just say that speaking in tongues is misapplied against people through error in practice....just saying...

Then again, maybe what we called "speaking in tongues" isn't really the same thing that the Bible calls "speaking in tongues".

Speaking in tongues, as we know it, is really glossolalia. Not only has it been practiced by non-Christians for millenia, it predates the time of Christ.

Edited June 2, 2010 by waysider

[OldSkool]

Then again, maybe what we called "speaking in tongues" isn't really the same thing that the Bible calls "speaking in tongues".

It's been my only exposure. I have questioned everything since leaving the way international. Especially the manifestations of holy spirit as taught by them. I believe the biblical accounts but I do not believe their interpretation of those records in relation to the subject. I damn near drove myself insane trying to heal a loved one using their methods. Of course failure was my fault.

According to them.

[waysider]

It's been my only exposure. I have questioned everything since leaving the way international. Especially the manifestations of holy spirit as taught by them. I believe the biblical accounts but I do not believe their interpretation of those records in relation to the subject. I damn near drove myself insane trying to heal a loved one using their methods. Of course failure was my fault.

According to them.

Yes, people literally DIED trying to "operate" the "manifestations" in conjunction with the pseudo "law of believing". I can think of first hand examples, as I'm sure several other posters can, also.

[Human without the bean]

Were all in a better place now that we have left that brainwashing cult. I know I am!

[OldSkool]

Were all in a better place now that we have left that brainwashing cult. I know I am!

Same here! Life opens up a new horizon every day.

[OldSkool]

Yes, people literally DIED trying to "operate" the "manifestations" in conjunction with the pseudo "law of believing". I can think of first hand examples, as I'm sure several other posters can, also.

That law of believing is one of them damnable heresies we were warned about.

[Twinky]

The way international taught me that life is spiritual. I think life is inherently physical and at best perhaps it could be argued that it is influenced, or even at times manipulated by the spiritual. I could dart off in several doctrinal directions about why I believe this but that would take a detour from my point. My point? By acting like life is spiritual the way international went ape in spiritualizing everything from the weather, people's behavior, your next door neighbor's attitude and the list could continue.

Common sense would dictate that whether or not you are involved in the way international you will be in a thunderstorm. But what is a thunderstorm to the way international during a class? It's an attack of the adversary.

Common sense would dictate that sometimes people get sad, angry, happy, indifferent or whatever. But how are these interpreted when they are in disagreement with the way international? It's an attack of the adversary.

Common sense would dictate that some neighbors are great and others suck. But what is a next door neighbor that is mad because all the parking in the cul-de-sac is taken up by the way international's home fellowships? It's an attack of the adversary.

I could be clever and tie all these in to the four fronts of the adversary but I just don't have the energy. Besides it would just be misconstrued as an attack of the adversary.

The end result from my by my decision to believe that life is spiritual and then apply it in the "mania" fashion popular in the way international is anything that went against the way international's purposes was an attack of the adversary. Now, they would never come out and say this. No, not at all. But that IS the norm. And to make matters worse, instead of working through dysfunctional relationships with family, neighbors, the boss, or whomever, I was taught to treat it all as spiritual and therefore there was some deeper significance in my irritated co-worker, for example. Instead of enjoying life I was always over analyzing the insignificant and making up hidden, spiritual reasons. The result? I lived in an alter reality. Lala land.

This lifestyle strained and nearly killed relationships with family and friends and led to my complete dependence on the way international to provide me an acceptable, "sanctified" social structure where there was no influence from the adversary that a little confrontation couldn't cure.

Thank God I am free from that puzzle factory that is the way international. I've also mended a lot of fences since leaving that awful organization. I am thankful my friends and family love me enough to forgive and forget.

There is also so very much in "nature" that we don't fully understand, even if we come up with some sort of explanation.

And I think there are influences (call 'em spirit if you like) that affect the wider world around us.

But not everything is "spirit" influenced.

TWI taught us to look for "devil spirits" everywhere and over-spiritualize everything.

We know the "theory" of what causes a volcano to erupt. But can we predict it? Or is it an "attack of the adversary" if it happens to take place when (say) a TWI class is about to take place? The theory of plate techtonics (say) is surprisingly recent. Maybe in a couple of hundred years time, human beings will laugh at that as much as we might laugh now at ideas of "humors" in the body.

"Common sense"? Well, who invented common sense? God gave a few basic rules to help us get along. Even people with no religion have "common sense."

For an organization that prided itself on its ability with personal relationships - TWI was worse than an erupting volcano. The simmering hatred of the outside world manifested itself in TWI in the dramatic explosions from LCM and others. The concept of "spiritual anger" was everywhere.

But the Lord's compassion, forgiveness, kindness, and genuine concern was nowhere to be seen. TWI focused on Jesus's confrontation of Pharisees (never even seeing themselves as Pharisees) and never on Jesus's compassion for people.

Forgiveness is such a big thing, and one which many of us here have had to (re)learn. There are heaps of threads on the topic.

I'm thankful, as are you, OldSkool, for the loving kindness and forgiveness of friends and family and indeed the general public, as damaged relationships are worked through and repaired. It's grace beyond what could be expected from those we have injured.

God gave us brains to think things out. And that involves a realistic assessment of what is going on.

[skyrider]

The way international taught me that life is spiritual.

And......The Wahkeena Nature Preserve teaches that life is natural.

And......The National Football League teaches that life is football.

Imagine that! Twi is in the business of sales and marketing. Every slogan, every cliche, every wierwillism has a market to exploit.......pamplets, books, magazine articles, tapes, t-shirts, music, abs, etc. The MLM machine is churning out yearly themes and catchy phrases to capitalize on....what sticks, what doesn't?

How did martindale's "the promised land of the prevailng word" slogan work? How many crossed over into that "promised land" of milk and honey? How much greater were the results?.....more revelation? more deliverance? more abundance? AND, FOUR YEARS LATER......MARTINDALE IS OUSTED FOR SEXUAL PREDATION.

Like a barking charlatan, twi is always selling.......

Let the buyer beware....

<_<

[chockfull]

The way international taught me that life is spiritual. I think life is inherently physical and at best perhaps it could be argued that it is influenced, or even at times manipulated by the spiritual. I could dart off in several doctrinal directions about why I believe this but that would take a detour from my point. My point? By acting like life is spiritual the way international went ape in spiritualizing everything from the weather, people's behavior, your next door neighbor's attitude and the list could continue.

Common sense would dictate that whether or not you are involved in the way international you will be in a thunderstorm. But what is a thunderstorm to the way international during a class? It's an attack of the adversary.

Common sense would dictate that sometimes people get sad, angry, happy, indifferent or whatever. But how are these interpreted when they are in disagreement with the way international? It's an attack of the adversary.

Common sense would dictate that some neighbors are great and others suck. But what is a next door neighbor that is mad because all the parking in the cul-de-sac is taken up by the way international's home fellowships? It's an attack of the adversary.

I could be clever and tie all these in to the four fronts of the adversary but I just don't have the energy. Besides it would just be misconstrued as an attack of the adversary.

The end result from my by my decision to believe that life is spiritual and then apply it in the "mania" fashion popular in the way international is anything that went against the way international's purposes was an attack of the adversary. Now, they would never come out and say this. No, not at all. But that IS the norm. And to make matters worse, instead of working through dysfunctional relationships with family, neighbors, the boss, or whomever, I was taught to treat it all as spiritual and therefore there was some deeper significance in my irritated co-worker, for example. Instead of enjoying life I was always over analyzing the insignificant and making up hidden, spiritual reasons. The result? I lived in an alter reality. Lala land.

This lifestyle strained and nearly killed relationships with family and friends and led to my complete dependence on the way international to provide me an acceptable, "sanctified" social structure where there was no influence from the adversary that a little confrontation couldn't cure.

Thank God I am free from that puzzle factory that is the way international. I've also mended a lot of fences since leaving that awful organization. I am thankful my friends and family love me enough to forgive and forget.

I agree with you in what you are saying here. In a lot of ways the 'life is spiritual' mantra is just an escape route from reality and facing things for TWI members. In that it is like drugs. People have a problem in interpersonal relationships, instead of fixing it they get high. In TWI, when people have a problem with interpersonal relationships, instead of fixing it they just drop back to the mantra 'life is spiritual', label the person they are having problems with as having 'spiritual problems', and cut off communication with them. Voila - problem solved! But in reality, they just push it downstream, as they haven't themselves changed to be able to cope. That's what's wrong with the whole 'mark and avoid' thing, or the modern equivalent - 'probation'. The directors haven't solved their corporate problems, or developed themselves in handling interpersonal relationships. They just issue and edict and voila! This is also why they will continue to get worse and worse over time!

Instead of TWI fixing HR policies and problems that are ridiculous, outdated, and something that if anyone in the organization would pursue education in that area they could easily fix, TWI instead looks at the issue as a 'spiritual' problem. The only 'spiritual' problem is in the thickness of some people in high position's skulls.

Instead of TWI fixing issues with teachings that are dull, boring and lifeless, they rely on tired policy as if the decision some leader made at a previous time somehow is more tried and true because it has been around. In reality the opposite is true - living corporations thrive on change. Corporations that fail to change go bankrupt, get bought out, disband, fail.

"Life is spritual" is a frickin' excuse. It's an excuse for not working to obtain results. It's an excuse for being hard-headed and hard-hearted. It's an excuse for not being humble enough to change when overwhelming evidence dictates it. It's an excuse to allow people a reason to remain a loser. That's right, TWI people - you're a loser. Because you make excuses like 'life is spiritual'.

Life is not spiritual. It's hard. For everyone. The only thing spiritual about your life is your personal relationship with your Heavenly Father. That's between you and Him. And if people will stop using that relationship as a justification and take responsibility for the other areas of their life, they'd be far less easily duped by charlatans.

[Twinky]

Good one, chockfull.