I've recently had occasion to observe yet again the "TWI spiritual superiority complex" in action.
That's the best name I can come up with to describe the utter disdain for all beliefs, Christian and non-Christian alike, that fall short of the glory of TWI beliefs; a disdain that was psychologically engrained into us by TWI.
Friends, this complex is an ugly thing to behold. It's even uglier to behold when it comes at you.
So that's my contribution to this thread - to point out the utter disdain for others that binds TWI together today as they claim to occupy the spiritual and moral high ground.
It's too easy to point out TWI's moral failings and the yawning chasm between them and any moral high ground; a casual observer need only glance at the many US court cases, the many out-of-court settlements, and the books and articles written by victims of sexual abuse at the hands of TWI leadership over the decades. To point out their spiritual failings, the same casual observer need ask only one question: Where is the love that Christ taught us to have for each other?
To point out their spiritual failings, the same casual observer need ask only one question: Where is the love that Christ taught us to have for each other?
So.....did the MOGOAT (man of god of all time) function supercede the five gift ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers?
Is that how the counterfeit command center operated?
Pretty much; VPW told us that he had a direct connection to God...inferring that we did not, because God would teach 'him' what had not been known since the first century.
Wierwille taught that "be not high-minded, but fear" was not addressed to him or the church. Wierwille was high-minded.
How he mangled Romans 12:3, "For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think soberly, as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith."
What Wierwille taught was too confusing for me to reconstruct exactly, but if I remember right it was something about a figure of speech making it mean the exact opposite of what it says, because the measure of faith makes us better, and if we think less or our selves, then we are thinking more highly or our selves than God thinks about us, or some such garbage.
Arrogance is the opposite of the fear of the Lord, which is simply humility before God.
Wierwille's arrogance infected ALL of us who stuck around after PFAL.
All of the off-shoot leaders suffer from the same arrogance.
We ALL knew what the Word of God meant better than God Himself did... because Wierwille told us so.
the "one moving part" was always latent, because vpw was there.
However, enforcement of it came with the "way tree," which imposed top-down authoritarian control. The rotten root then poisoned the whole tree.
And, thus.....IMO wierwille was a false teacher.
While some proclaim that pfal validates wierwille as a "man of God"......I say that it was a vehichle he carjacked from Rev. B.G. Leonard's class: 1) foundational scripture build-up, 2) highlighting gifts/manifestations given, 3) class scheduling, 4) attendance and punctuality, 5) class graduation, 6) class picture, 7) repeat class for free, 8) canada research centre - biblical research center, 9) Canada Christian Press - American Christian Press, 10) class format ministry.
And, from there.....wierwille constructed his "ministry" into a self-idolizing command center wherein he was The Teacher, The Man of God, The Father in the Word, The Patriarch, The President.....The Recipient of TWI Praise. He stood in the spotlight, full and proud......not once, telling the twi followers to STOP PRAISING HIM.
Year after year, the idolatry thickened in twi and consumed it. As wierwille battled health issues and was nearing death, Geer's POP paper gives testimony that wierwille felt "his people had abandoned him." The false teacher was embittered to no longer bask in the daily praise of "his" followers.
Thus, from 1957-1985.....it's the wierwille, the wierwille, and nothing but the wierwille.
the "one moving part" was always latent, because vpw was there.
However, enforcement of it came with the "way tree," which imposed top-down authoritarian control. The rotten root then poisoned the whole tree.
I agree. He ran the show. As Corps grads, we were to take "his heart" out on the field and run the ministry like he wanted. When we didn't, we heard about it!
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waysider
The Way has ALWAYS been one moving part.....an iron lung, to be more specific.
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skyrider
Well, at least.....you didn't subscribe twi as the colon.
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waysider
I was thinking "iron lung" because it was one entity, being sustained through the intervention of artificial means.
(The so-called "ministry" was the iron lung that gave life to Wierwille's MLM dreamland.)
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skyrider
Got it.
And.....there are clearly no "Happy Feet" in twi any more.
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waysider
Except, maybe, the ones that are headed toward the exit sign?
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OperaBuff
I've recently had occasion to observe yet again the "TWI spiritual superiority complex" in action.
That's the best name I can come up with to describe the utter disdain for all beliefs, Christian and non-Christian alike, that fall short of the glory of TWI beliefs; a disdain that was psychologically engrained into us by TWI.
Friends, this complex is an ugly thing to behold. It's even uglier to behold when it comes at you.
So that's my contribution to this thread - to point out the utter disdain for others that binds TWI together today as they claim to occupy the spiritual and moral high ground.
It's too easy to point out TWI's moral failings and the yawning chasm between them and any moral high ground; a casual observer need only glance at the many US court cases, the many out-of-court settlements, and the books and articles written by victims of sexual abuse at the hands of TWI leadership over the decades. To point out their spiritual failings, the same casual observer need ask only one question: Where is the love that Christ taught us to have for each other?
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skyrider
So.....did the MOGOAT (man of god of all time) function supercede the five gift ministries of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers?
Is that how the counterfeit command center operated?
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waysider
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Rejoice
Pretty much; VPW told us that he had a direct connection to God...inferring that we did not, because God would teach 'him' what had not been known since the first century.
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Steve Lortz
One word...ARROGANCE!
Wierwille taught that "be not high-minded, but fear" was not addressed to him or the church. Wierwille was high-minded.
How he mangled Romans 12:3, "For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think soberly, as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith."
What Wierwille taught was too confusing for me to reconstruct exactly, but if I remember right it was something about a figure of speech making it mean the exact opposite of what it says, because the measure of faith makes us better, and if we think less or our selves, then we are thinking more highly or our selves than God thinks about us, or some such garbage.
Arrogance is the opposite of the fear of the Lord, which is simply humility before God.
Wierwille's arrogance infected ALL of us who stuck around after PFAL.
All of the off-shoot leaders suffer from the same arrogance.
We ALL knew what the Word of God meant better than God Himself did... because Wierwille told us so.
Love,
Steve
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skyrider
But, but, but.....isn't it a "kinder, gentler, superiority complex" in action?
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OperaBuff
Not in my recent experience, no. And I've got a fresh and deep scar on my heart to prove it.
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Ham
I think it was somewhere close to 1972, 1973, or 1974.
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johnj
the "one moving part" was always latent, because vpw was there.
However, enforcement of it came with the "way tree," which imposed top-down authoritarian control. The rotten root then poisoned the whole tree.
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skyrider
And, thus.....IMO wierwille was a false teacher.
While some proclaim that pfal validates wierwille as a "man of God"......I say that it was a vehichle he carjacked from Rev. B.G. Leonard's class: 1) foundational scripture build-up, 2) highlighting gifts/manifestations given, 3) class scheduling, 4) attendance and punctuality, 5) class graduation, 6) class picture, 7) repeat class for free, 8) canada research centre - biblical research center, 9) Canada Christian Press - American Christian Press, 10) class format ministry.
And, from there.....wierwille constructed his "ministry" into a self-idolizing command center wherein he was The Teacher, The Man of God, The Father in the Word, The Patriarch, The President.....The Recipient of TWI Praise. He stood in the spotlight, full and proud......not once, telling the twi followers to STOP PRAISING HIM.
Year after year, the idolatry thickened in twi and consumed it. As wierwille battled health issues and was nearing death, Geer's POP paper gives testimony that wierwille felt "his people had abandoned him." The false teacher was embittered to no longer bask in the daily praise of "his" followers.
Thus, from 1957-1985.....it's the wierwille, the wierwille, and nothing but the wierwille.
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penworks
I agree. He ran the show. As Corps grads, we were to take "his heart" out on the field and run the ministry like he wanted. When we didn't, we heard about it!
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