The Gauntlet of Classes and Indoctrination

[WordWolf]

The big problem with the "You're sick because of your lack of believing" doctrine is that it put people in condemnation. I'm reminded of John 9, where the Pharisees ask, "Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" To which Jesus responded, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents (so quit trying to blame them)." Crap happens because we have an adversary, and it's always a great joy to see a miraculous healing. If the miracle doesn't happen, we know we still have the final victory.

I wonder if VPW ever condemned himself for his cancer.

George

An eyewitness reported that his final hours had vpw claim he was trying

to figure out where he'd gone wrong, what he'd done wrong that was

interfering with his deliverance.

The irony of a man who spent DECADES committing crimes and sinning then

being unable to locate any moral failings on his own part is probably

not lost on most of the posters here.

Sorry. :redface:/>

Seriously, that reminds me of another tangent (though at least partly pertinent to the gauntlet theme): nametags.

Remember when there were a few tags: Way Corps, WOW, Advanced Class, maybe Way College? Then, there started to be a plethora of nametags. (Would you say I have a "plethora" of nametags, Jefe?) Something for every class, every state. "CFS, Illinois, 1987"; "10xPFAL Club"; "Heard the Word, 1990." OK, I made those up; but they're not too different from the ones which were actually circulating. I think people were just envious of the pinholes on the shirts of Corps and wanted to emulate them.

George

As a youngster,

my choices were between "nametag sticker" and "permanent nametag."

Obviously, I wanted the latter. I could have gotten one made up,

but I waited until I was an Advanced class grad and wore that one.

Edited September 10, 2015 by WordWolf

[WordWolf]

Oh,

and yes, George.

You have a plethora.

[waysider]

They make good ice scrapers.

[GeorgeStGeorge]

They make good ice scrapers.

Not nearly as useful in Houston as in New Knoxville. :)

George

[Allan]

ROA stories lol...I remember being at one, the internationals stayed in tent accommodation with the proviso, NO eating or snacking IN the tents. Fair enough, I understand the ant thing etc...so my 3 year old was sitting on the outside edge eating a cookie. Enter Mike Wh!te who was totally pi$$ed at my 3 year olds leg still being INSIDE the tent edge !! Oops, sorry sir. He moved on but was spotted hiding,peering around the edge of the tent and stood there for ten minutes til my son had finished eating...just to make sure....what's the definition of insanity again ?!

[Lanikaigal]

On 7/10/2015 at 2:51 PM, skyrider said:

As many of you regular GS-posters know, this topic of "good-hearted, quality corps grads

exiting twi since 1978" has been a staple of my postings. For years, it was a few dozen

couples here, a few dozen couples there......and who really noticed when the throngs of

thousands convened at the rock of ages?

Yet, for some of us who worked alongside many of these wholesome corps grads, I found them

to be the salt of the earth....brothers and sisters in Christ. My wife and I have many

fond memories of these fun, energetic, spontaneity, committed-to-the-Lord individuals.

But.....little by little, dribble by dribble, they were putting more distance between

corporate-twi and their lives, families, education, careers, etc. Why? Obviously, they

too were seeing red flags and/or saw the need that to best serve God one needed to have

a solid, family/finances/future for a foundation.

Who stayed in twi? Who stayed to rise to the region levels? The yes-men. The ego-driven.

The Pharisees. The bullies. Yes, those who were made in the image of wierwille.

This background of information validates how twi became a paradox of principles under one roof.

The Pharisee crowd were pulling levers and pushing buttons to manipulate.....and God-inspired

disciples were out ministering to the people, endeavoring to walk by the spirit. Corporate twi

became vexed in its echo chamber of elitism. Plenty of good advanced class grads and corps

weren't spending any time in this echo chamber.

But hey......the days are long past finding out this information. Even here at GreaseSpot,

nearly all of the corps grads and hq staffers have moved on that used to visit this place.

Perhaps, I should move on, too.

Some who came to twi after 1985 might never have known how amazing some of these people were

who passed thru twi's doors.....

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentence. [Rom. 11:29]

OMG ... this is so insightful and spot on!  Thank you!

[JayDee]

On 9/10/2015 at 7:00 PM, Allan said:

ROA stories lol...I remember being at one, the internationals stayed in tent accommodation with the proviso, NO eating or snacking IN the tents. Fair enough, I understand the ant thing etc...so my 3 year old was sitting on the outside edge eating a cookie. Enter Mike Wh!te who was totally pi$$ed at my 3 year olds leg still being INSIDE the tent edge !! Oops, sorry sir. He moved on but was spotted hiding,peering around the edge of the tent and stood there for ten minutes til my son had finished eating...just to make sure....what's the definition of insanity again ?!

Bump

No Allan, that's the definition of an a$$h0le. 

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 7/7/2015 at 1:42 PM, skyrider said:

Thankfully, our two boys never had to run the gauntlet of classes and twi-indoctrination

where there is NO LIGHT at the end of such striving.

Where would our lives be today if we'd kept prevailing (cough, cough) in twi's cornfield? As we were exiting, my Region coordinator smugly told me that Martindale was going to assign me to the Presidents' Cabinet at HQ. Wowsers. I am SO GLAD that we never got pulled back into that snare again. The micromanagement, the monitoring, no life to call your own......and what about our boys? Looking back, I shudder to imagine how things would have turned out. Would twi have allowed my oldest son the time and space to study and excel in high school? in college? in medical school?

More than likely, there would have been corps grads along the way to browbeat and belittle his "secular" studies. What about the guilt that builds inside from such manipulation? Heck, I've read articles that the suicide rate amongst medical students is very high.....let alone a student who graduates #1 and gets the chancellor award in a class of 300+ medical students. Thank God my son was far removed from twi by then.

On one hand, twi boasts of "believing" to live the more abundant life......YET, they demean THE YEARS OF DEDICATION AND ACTION that it takes to get from point A to point B. Are the directors and corps grads THAT clueless? Are they so regimented in lockstep loyalty that they cannot see their demented logic? Sure, Dr. Carol-yn R@wlins was committed to twi.....BUT she had made her journey and reputation years before hearing pfal. Are all those innie kids going to follow in the path of brian moneyhands or j2p2?

The gauntlet of classes and indoctrination......I remember. I was in college when I started thru this gauntlet. Month after month, the leadership was lining up ANOTHER class for us pfal grads to take. They were poking and prodding us onward. Don't look back. And, twig after twig, they'd end it with a plug for going wow ambassador. Go and grow with God. Subtle, slick indoctrination. And, even though I decided to give 'a year to God' as a wow, I had every intention of finishing college. But the seduction of twi's indoctrination had a way of subverting my soul. Why give heed to secular learning when God has/had a much higher calling for your life? Go Corps.

Looking back, I see whole swaths of corps grads whose lives have been upended, divorced and destroyed. Dozens and dozens of my fellow corps have run the gauntlet and succumbed to defeat. Heck, look at martindale, the corps mascot. Where is HE today? Divorced. Devoured. Dethroned.

WARNING: Run the gauntlet at your own risk.

.

Sky, you are so right!!  I know a lot of people tried to talk to me about going Corps.  I am so glad I didn't listen. I remember when I was in college, I was a full-time student, and worked two jobs.  Our area leader, who had never been to college, used to tell us we should put The Ministry ahead of our college studies.  That used to p--s me off; I used to think I'll do that when TWI gives me some money for my studies.  What an azzhole he was!

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 7/8/2015 at 10:04 AM, skyrider said:

Lots of quality men and women STOPPED running twi's gauntlet.

When I think about the benefits of higher education and the vast avenues

that open before an individual.....I think of a 5th corps grad and friend,

Dr. L0nnell J0hnson.

A Man of Integrity

Sky, I remember him!  Nice guy, helped a lot of people.

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 9/3/2015 at 11:53 AM, frank123lol said:

So story I heard is Martindale is getting 65 grand a year.A house.Name still on Gunnison.Talk about a golden parachute.

Someone who deceives.tears down will get what is comin'.Your abundant sharing at work

Everything we did was to support this?Thank God I got out.God had to work overtime it seems but I ended up ok.....@@ me off as so many did not fare as well

Frank, that is how I feel.  So many were so hurt, who knows if they will ever recover?

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 8/29/2015 at 5:06 PM, Twinky said:

"Penny rich and pound foolish," waysider.

Save money on pens and toilet paper, and blow it on vehicles, fancy clothes and Drambuie.

Twinky. and cars, and motorcycles.  And then of course some of the Ladies on Staff, would need to spend a lot of money on their weekly shopping trips to the local towns near NK.  Every week I sent in my ABS to HQ.  Even, if I needed it more than them.

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 9/3/2015 at 1:58 PM, Oakspear said:

Yeeeeeaaaaahhhh....that's the ticket!

I've lived in your home state for 35 years now (still haven't started rooting for the football team!) and have gotten used to people dressing "formally" by putting on clean blue jeans and a checked shirt!

Absolutely

I started going to ROAs in 1978 and I had fun. I enjoyed the fellowship, the hanging out, and didn't half mind the evening teaching.

I was not active between 1983 and 1990 and was surprised to find how structured everything had become

I remember that Rock; I went out WOW that year.  That was also my first Rock; and it was the best one I ever attended.  It was fun, and people were free to do whatever they wanted to do.

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 7/10/2015 at 2:51 PM, skyrider said:

As many of you regular GS-posters know, this topic of "good-hearted, quality corps grads

exiting twi since 1978" has been a staple of my postings. For years, it was a few dozen

couples here, a few dozen couples there......and who really noticed when the throngs of

thousands convened at the rock of ages?

Yet, for some of us who worked alongside many of these wholesome corps grads, I found them

to be the salt of the earth....brothers and sisters in Christ. My wife and I have many

fond memories of these fun, energetic, spontaneity, committed-to-the-Lord individuals.

But.....little by little, dribble by dribble, they were putting more distance between

corporate-twi and their lives, families, education, careers, etc. Why? Obviously, they

too were seeing red flags and/or saw the need that to best serve God one needed to have

a solid, family/finances/future for a foundation.

Who stayed in twi? Who stayed to rise to the region levels? The yes-men. The ego-driven.

The Pharisees. The bullies. Yes, those who were made in the image of wierwille.

This background of information validates how twi became a paradox of principles under one roof.

The Pharisee crowd were pulling levers and pushing buttons to manipulate.....and God-inspired

disciples were out ministering to the people, endeavoring to walk by the spirit. Corporate twi

became vexed in its echo chamber of elitism. Plenty of good advanced class grads and corps

weren't spending any time in this echo chamber.

But hey......the days are long past finding out this information. Even here at GreaseSpot,

nearly all of the corps grads and hq staffers have moved on that used to visit this place.

Perhaps, I should move on, too.

Some who came to twi after 1985 might never have known how amazing some of these people were

who passed thru twi's doors.....

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentence. [Rom. 11:29]

Sky, so very true!  Back in the late 70's,  ROA used to be fun.  The food, and fellowship were great.  And the music was mind-blowing; JN, and others.  I noticed a big change in ROA around 1981-82.  Things became a lot more legalistic.  I attended a few more, but  my last one was ROA in 1987.  Compared to other rocks, it sucked.  That was my final one.

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 9/4/2015 at 7:18 AM, skyrider said:

Yeah....when I say that, for me, the roa ceased being fun in 1981 my perspective is one of way corps

and having ALREADY been there for a week in the hot, humid, work-slog drudgery of corps week.

Oftentimes, corps....if seen just "hanging out during roa" were requested by those roa-overseers in those

golf carts to help work in an overburdened area [ie--food prep, chicken wagon, trash detail, put down plywood

for mud areas, etc]. See, the corps were ALWAYS on duty.....and it was THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to do whatever

was necessary to make the roa run smoothly [wierwille's orders].

And.....even though corps did the service with a smile, the dissent and contention was building. With each

passing year, corps grads were moving on with higher education, careers, and family and there was a major

divide growing between those corps who were ON TWI PAYROLL [and some riding around in golf carts] and those

who drove a thousand miles on their OWN EXPENSE and gave 15 days of time/labor to be in Ohio EACH YEAR.

Then, get back home, get to work, etc. etc. and have twig meetings, branch events, twig coordinator meetings

and corps meetings to attend. That's why....by the 1986 Corps Week and chris geer reading his pop paper,

there was a seismic shift in twi THAT HAD BEEN BUILDING FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

The 1984 roa was the largest on record......24,000 showed up. Those in the trunk office said that, with this

figure, they calculated about probably 30,000-32,000 were faithful twi followers in 1984. All that hooey of

100,000 taking the pfal class was irrelevant to the numbers guys.

I remember that ROA; I had to carry around a jug of water all the time.

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 9/3/2015 at 9:52 AM, Bolshevik said:

Sounds like he belonged on television. Maybe he would have done less damage?

Or perhaps he would have done more??