How

[Bolshevik]

I remember, in The Way, parroting this "how" talk many moons ago.

See this LINK.

What is the meaning or purpose of The Way International's use of the word HOW?

Example.

People have not been taught how to understand things like figures of speech, Eastern customs, what revelation truly is, and the accuracy of the Word. Our ministry provides this service and direction.

Why is "how" italicized? What is the writer/editor/The Way International intending with "how"?

Is "how" a process? Is "how" The Class? Is "how" a perception? Is "how" the rose-colored glasses?

How is "how" important? Is The Way International implying "you're doing it wrong"?, "you're unsupervised"?, or "do it our way"?

"How" seems to be paired with "teach", "taught" or "teaching". Is italicized "how" to distract from another word? Teaching?

Teaching gives the details of how to get the Word into our lives—it’s specific instruction on the will of God.

"How" could distract emphasis from "teaching/teach" . . . so what is meant by teaching?

I know what a figure of speech is. I can google it. But that's not how. . ?

We are ever seeking to teach how to better appropriate the promises that God has given us of a more abundant life.

Oh . . . they're saying whatever you can do The Way International can do BETTER, and how.

[Steve Lortz]

I know what we (the teachers at The Summit Academy) meant by the difference between teaching "what" and teaching "how" according to the philosophy of classical pedagogy. I think Wierwille was aping that language, but he wasn't really doing it. He was teaching us "what" to think the Bible says (his own interpretation) by means of a very severely limited and dysfunctional repertoire of hermeneutic tricks ("to whom addressed", etc.) that made the Bible say "what" he wanted it to say.

Love,

Steve

[waysider]

It's a rephrasing of something out of PFAL. Remember the story of how the town drunk came to Sunday services looking for deliverance? (Session #1, I think) Wierwille preached on the negatives and evils of drinking. After the service, in the reception line, he sadly told Wierwille he already knew about the evils of drinking, he had come there to find out HOW to get sober. Wierwille said he was crushed and decided at that moment to never preach a negative sermon again. Yeah, how'd that turn out?

[Bolshevik]

Thanks Steve and Waysider, good input. That makes sense.

Okay, according to Generally Accepted Greasespot Theory (GAG Theory), Wierwille could only give that which he is, ego. He gave the gift of PFAL, to standardize thought processes so that His Ego could speak to our ego, and we became Bourne Identity Again. Our minds are subject to PFAL are subject to VPW.

The *how* is a remnant of a VPW manipulation tactic.

Followers of TWI, as his little Waybot clones, are likely parroting VPW when emphasizing how.

[shortfuse]

Thanks Steve and Waysider, good input. That makes sense.

Okay, according to Generally Accepted Greasespot Theory (GAG Theory), Wierwille could only give that which he is, ego. He gave the gift of PFAL, to standardize thought processes so that His Ego could speak to our ego, and we became Bourne Identity Again. Our minds are subject to PFAL are subject to VPW.

The *how* is a remnant of a VPW manipulation tactic.

Followers of TWI, as his little Waybot clones, are likely parroting VPW when emphasizing how.

Yeah, I think so. In order for me to teach you the "how", you're going to need to do whatever the foot I tell you.

[Steve Lortz]

Funny, Bolshevik!

FUNNY!!!

Love,

Steve

[Bolshevik]

Funny, Bolshevik!

FUNNY!!!

Love,

Steve

Thanks. The humor makes it easier, I think. LINK.

I wonder if the writer/editor on the TWI site used *How* deliberately or not. Did they know they were doing it? . . And if they did know, is it meant for the nostalgic? Keeping people in? Because who would be drawn to that message?

[shortfuse]

Thanks. The humor makes it easier, I think. LINK.

I wonder if the writer/editor on the TWI site used *How* deliberately or not. Did they know they were doing it? . . And if they did know, is it meant for the nostalgic? Keeping people in? Because who would be drawn to that message?

So, you just sent me back to http://www.theway.org with your comment. I read through some articles. And I was abundantly blessed. Thanks!

[Bolshevik]

So, you just sent me back to http://www.theway.org with your comment. I read through some articles. And I was abundantly blessed. Thanks!

Shoot. The link I intended to post had more realistic depictions of people and places you'll go.

[MRAP]

Thanks for the reminder Waysider. I think the "Drunk" story was probably the best lesson taught in PFAL. I don't care if it was true or not, it taught a good lesson. Not sure if it fit in with the rest of PFAL, who cares; the Drunk story has stayed with me for years and I thank you for bringing it to the fore front once again.

[Bolshevik]

"HOW not to be a drunk"

Step 1. Don't.

[skyrider]

Thanks for the reminder Waysider. I think the "Drunk" story was probably the best lesson taught in PFAL. I don't care if it was true or not, it taught a good lesson. Not sure if it fit in with the rest of PFAL, who cares; the Drunk story has stayed with me for years and I thank you for bringing it to the fore front once again.

This post is one of brutal honesty.

1) The "Drunk" story was probably the best lesson taught in PFAL

2) I don't care if it was true or not

3) Not sure if it [drunk story] fit with the rest of PFAL

4) who cares?

5) the Drunk story has stayed with me for years

6) I thank you for bringing it to the fore front once again [pfal nostalgia]

And, that folks......encapsulates the wierwille/pfal fan club

right up there next to the mickey mouse club of yesteryear.

[Bolshevik]

This post is one of brutal honesty.

1) The "Drunk" story was probably the best lesson taught in PFAL

2) I don't care if it was true or not

3) Not sure if it [drunk story] fit with the rest of PFAL

4) who cares?

5) the Drunk story has stayed with me for years

6) I thank you for bringing it to the fore front once again [pfal nostalgia]

And, that folks......encapsulates the wierwille/pfal fan club

right up there next to the mickey mouse club of yesteryear.

Yertle the Turtle was a good story. Good lesson. Not a true story. Disregard it. Who cares. Good memories are for the weak.

WHY would VPW use the alcohol story? WHAT was he HOWing?

[Bolshevik]

Thanks for the reminder Waysider. I think the "Drunk" story was probably the best lesson taught in PFAL. I don't care if it was true or not, it taught a good lesson. Not sure if it fit in with the rest of PFAL, who cares; the Drunk story has stayed with me for years and I thank you for bringing it to the fore front once again.

"HOW not to be a drunk"

Step 1. Don't.

[Steve Lortz]

In the drunk story, Wierwille was projecting humility and compassion that were as phony as everything else about him.

I don't remember clearly, but that may have been part of Wierwille's campaign to shift attention from sin itself to sin-consciousness as the problem in our lives.

Love,

Steve

Edited February 16, 2016 by Steve Lortz

[Bolshevik]

In the drunk story, Wierwille was projecting humility and compassion that were as phony as everything else about him.

I don't remember clearly, but that may have been part of Wierwille's campaign to shift attention from sin itself to sin-consciousness as the problem in our lives.

Love,

Steve

Thanks, Steve.

I have vague memories of it as well. I was 12 years of age watching VPW's PFAL. One of the last years that it was run.

I do picture PFAL as a swath trolling lines, this HOW story is one of the hooks set in a Wayfer's mind. It had to attract something off in a thinking process. Identifying what that is can help the de-hooking?

The story sounds like he's trying to relate to life being difficult (a reason people drink).

The drunk was blaming VPW for his inability to stay sober ("I came here to change, you ruined my chance, boo hoo"). VPW suddenly feels responsible?

VPW then sets out to fix this problem? (By not being honest about life's hardships?)

My take is that this is avoidance to the work required to change. VPW is promoting a passive attitude, if you take the story, you accept that?

[skyrider]

Thanks, Steve.

I have vague memories of it as well. I was 12 years of age watching VPW's PFAL. One of the last years that it was run.

I do picture PFAL as a swath trolling lines, this HOW story is one of the hooks set in a Wayfer's mind. It had to attract something off in a thinking process. Identifying what that is can help the de-hooking?

The story sounds like he's trying to relate to life being difficult (a reason people drink).

The drunk was blaming VPW for his inability to stay sober ("I came here to change, you ruined my chance, boo hoo"). VPW suddenly feels responsible?

VPW then sets out to fix this problem? (By not being honest about life's hardships?)

My take is that this is avoidance to the work required to change. VPW is promoting a passive attitude, if you take the story, you accept that?

Here is what I remember of the "Drunk Story".....

1) Wierwille claimed that he worked long and hard on a sermon on the abuses of alcohol

2) Lo and behold....this one Sunday, this drunk sits in the very back pew

3) Wierwille (claimed) he taught this long sermon on alcohol woes

4) After sermon, wierwille felt pride....and patted himself on the back

5) Then....the drunk comes forward and bluntly says that he came to church

to learn HOW TO OVERCOME HIS ALCOHOLIC PROBLEM....and that, he could tell

ole wierwille more about it than wierwille would ever know

6) Wierwille quit shaking hands with the congregants and went back to his

church office and knelt down in prayer....and ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS

7) Wierwille claimed that "if God would forgive him and allow him to live"

.....then he would NEVER PREACH ANOTHER NEGATIVE SERMON AS LONG AS HE LIVED.

Translation:

Wierwille's ministry was a how-to ministry.....ie HOW to receive power into manifestation

and therefore, the more abundant life.

Ugh.....it still amazes me how much I retain of this made-up story.

edit///left out word (negative). oops.

Edited February 16, 2016 by skyrider

[Bolshevik]

. . .

Ugh.....it still amazes me how much I retain of this made-up story.

It was deliberately placed, by chance you heard it, why did it stick? What role did it play?

Weren't you aghast the first time you heard it? Should you have been?

[Raf]

Maybe I'm soft, but I don't see a problem with inventing anecdotes to demonstrate a point. It's only a problem if you somehow assert the veracity of the anecdote to prove something demonstrably false.

[Bolshevik]

Maybe I'm soft, but I don't see a problem with inventing anecdotes to demonstrate a point. It's only a problem if you somehow assert the veracity of the anecdote to prove something demonstrably false.

Could you elaborate?

[hiway29]

the way I recall it, Weirwille claims that if God forgave him and let him live, he'd never preach another negative, not another sermon.

He didn't say anything about the other 23 hours in the day, apparently.

[Raf]

I suppose.

Does it matter when Jesus taught the story of the Prodigal Son that the story he told probably never took place? He was illustrating forgiveness and the father's desire to have his son come home. So what if the story never actually happened.

Now, if someone were to say The Prodigal Son was Jim Smith, and this proves Jim Smith had the favor of his dad over his brother, then we're talking about a different use of the story. Then it MATTERS whether it actually took place. But for the purpose of what Jesus taught, it doesn't matter.

Make sense?

[Bolshevik]

I suppose.

Does it matter when Jesus taught the story of the Prodigal Son that the story he told probably never took place? He was illustrating forgiveness and the father's desire to have his son come home. So what if the story never actually happened.

Now, if someone were to say The Prodigal Son was Jim Smith, and this proves Jim Smith had the favor of his dad over his brother, then we're talking about a different use of the story. Then it MATTERS whether it actually took place. But for the purpose of what Jesus taught, it doesn't matter.

Make sense?

Yes, Thank you Raf.

I personally don't care about the truthfulness of whether it happened or not.

Assuming he made it up, I don't think VPW even made up a good story.

Within VPW's telling of the story (from the collective memory here) I think there may be problems with the way VPW handled the Drunk, and that says something about VPW, and the people he "reached". Most folks who took "The Class" were very young the first time (early 20s?), is what I understand. I'd like to find and articulate the error in the class-takers judgment. I'm hopeful understanding that can be helpful.

The "HOW" also serves today for "old-timers" as nostalgic, probably reinforcing old Waybrain thinking, and probably in a very subtle way.

[skyrider]

The "HOW" also serves today for "old-timers" as nostalgic, probably reinforcing old Waybrain thinking, and probably in a very subtle way.

I disagree.

Just because someone remembers something, that doesn't make it nostalgic.

Now if someone like MRAP goes on to embrace the reasons for remembering it,

then yes......that would fall in that category.

One aspect of the "how" illustration was to help set the HOOK

in the "importance of the vpw-ministry." Note the quotation marks.

[waysider]

Everyone takes away something different from the story. The big thing I take away from it is the blatant hypocrisy of Wierwille vowing to never preach another negative. Once we got past the basic classes and committed to one of the training programs, we were guaranteed to hear all the negative directives we could ever imagine or want.