The psychology of idolatry.......specifically, wierwille-idolatry.
Whether it's Facebook, splinter groups or just simply old "cult friends"...............the adulation/idolatry heaped onto wierwille after all these years is astounding. While they hold up their King James Bible in one hand......they sing from the "Glory Be To Wierwille" Songbook in the other. The stanzas are sung with repetitive gusto ........as splinter groups pass around their horns of plenty. Cha-ching, cha-ching to the money-changers.
First and foremost, the Scriptures speak directly and forcefully against excessive reverence to any man.......yet, it matters not to these folk. They ascribe to the Holy Writ......and yet, they don't. Hey, it's fun to cherry-pick your verses and still hold spiritual authority over others, doncha know? Wierwille did it. Why not? The psychology of idolatry is driven by emotions, nostalgia and mystique-reverence of another person or thing.......not reasoning and logic.
Who is standing behind the curtains at S.O.W.E.R.S.?...........some old-timers invested in wierwille-idolatry.
Who is on the payroll of splinter groups?.............self-appointed opportunists who are "keepers of the flame."
Who extols their Facebook "wall" with wierwille propaganda?.................someone with cognitive dissonance.
Weeks ago, someone came to GSC and posted the virtues of "all nine all the time." To me, it was surreal......like an early-1980s time capsule. Hearing this advanced class cliché that was phased out and shelved in the archives of twi-lore.......and still, someone clings to it with a reverent embrace......and it was a FALSEHOOD. Psychology, the science dealing with the mind and its mental and emotional processes......and idolatry have hit on an inflection point. It just seems to me that without persistent and logical application to break such emotions and cult nostalgia.......one has little chance of connecting the dots and changing course.
But hey...........nobody said that breaking the chains of cults would be easy.
Sky, well-said! If I may add my two cents; I think some of VPW's followers, choose not to think about all the evil he did. Perhaps they enjoy living in their Fantasy Land. From what I understand about Russian History, some people cried when Stalin died. IMO, Stalin was one of the most evil people, who ever lived. The point I am trying to make is this; some people don't want to know the truth. They have their minds made-up; don't bother them with facts.
Skyrider , Having followed online the solar eclipse yesterday I was struck by your topic....in my opinion the reverence for wierwille DOES eclipse the gospel of Jesus Christ..
.recalling the mindset I had for 12 years - I think it was whatever spiritual hunger I had to know Jesus Christ (I've mentioned before of my calling out for him during a bad acid trip - and later signing up for the class because I assumed it was a smart follow - an answered prayer if you will) ...that attracted me to wierwille/PFAL - but now I tend to think of any mention of Jesus Christ and all things Christian in PFAL were just window dressing- to get you in the PFAL store.
But whatever sliver of my savior's light I was able to glimpse behind the umbra of wierwille's ego seemed to shrink year after year...how sad....
Well, to end my post on a good note - I'm still a Christian and intent on avoiding any other idolatrous eclipses.
Skyrider , Having followed online the solar eclipse yesterday I was struck by your topic....in my opinion the reverence for wierwille DOES eclipse the gospel of Jesus Christ..
.......- but now I tend to think of any mention of Jesus Christ and all things Christian in PFAL were just window dressing- to get you in the PFAL store.
Exactly..........pfal was just window-dressing for the company store.
........and corps were trained to give you directions to the store.
I vaguely remember shortly after LCM's ouster that there was some acknowledgement of VPW's shortcomings among some former TWIers. I'm talking about the ones who were still fond of VPW. They made comments along the lines of " I didn't care for his flesh but he sure could teach some hot Word!" Must be the cult of personality phenomena. Not just anyone can pull these things off. Here is an interesting read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality
I vaguely remember shortly after LCM's ouster that there was some acknowledgement of VPW's shortcomings among some former TWIers. I'm talking about the ones who were still fond of VPW. They made comments along the lines of " I didn't care for his flesh but he sure could teach some hot Word!" Must be the cult of personality phenomena. Not just anyone can pull these things off. Here is an interesting read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality
Sky, well-said! If I may add my two cents; I think some of VPW's followers, choose not to think about all the evil he did. Perhaps they enjoy living in their Fantasy Land. From what I understand about Russian History, some people cried when Stalin died. IMO, Stalin was one of the most evil people, who ever lived. The point I am trying to make is this; some people don't want to know the truth. They have their minds made-up; don't bother them with facts.
Grace.......it's amusing to me whenever I have conversations with ex-twiers who STILL cling to wierwille-doctrine and clichés, yet....when "the rubber hits the road" as the conversation deepens, usually they are clinging to the social aspects and "friendships."
When it comes to people "getting to the place where they know that they know".................they don't.
I vaguely remember shortly after LCM's ouster that there was some acknowledgement of VPW's shortcomings among some former TWIers. I'm talking about the ones who were still fond of VPW. They made comments along the lines of " I didn't care for his flesh but he sure could teach some hot Word!" Must be the cult of personality phenomena. Not just anyone can pull these things off. Here is an interesting read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality
Info, I heard VPW teach live several times, and thought he was boring as Hell.
Grace.......it's amusing to me whenever I have conversations with ex-twiers who STILL cling to wierwille-doctrine and clichés, yet....when "the rubber hits the road" as the conversation deepens, usually they are clinging to the social aspects and "friendships."
When it comes to people "getting to the place where they know that they know".................they don't.
Sky, well-said. I saw a lot of Manure in Way World, and hated it. I prefer Truth over Manure, any day. Perhaps some day those people will get tired of the lies, and want the truth like we did.
Some enterprising individual at TWI Headquarters…or maybe in an offshoot - should come up with a product that would generate some cash flow while at the same time endearing followers to their favorite cult leaders…like say maybe idol nesting dolls…
...now if it was me designing it – I think wierwille would be the smallest doll (being the patriarch of little pi$$-ant idols that he is - - also in another sense - symbolically - after opening up each doll you would finally get to the "juicy caramel center" - - - the con-man who started it all - the rest were merely derivatives of him...or perhaps a seed...a bad seed...like a seed of a weed...not to be confused with The Wrong Seed - - oh get your head out of PFAL and just buy the d@mn idol nesting dolls !)...
....couldn’t find an appropriate image for idol nesting dolls – so I went with the next best thing:
Some enterprising individual at TWI Headquarters…or maybe in an offshoot - should come up with a product that would generate some cash flow while at the same time endearing followers to their favorite cult leaders…like say maybe idol nesting dolls…
...now if it was me designing it – I think wierwille would be the smallest doll (being the patriarch of little pi$$-ant idols that he is - - also in another sense - symbolically - after opening up each doll you would finally get to the "juicy caramel center" - - - the con-man who started it all - the rest were merely derivatives of him...or perhaps a seed...a bad seed...like a seed of a weed...not to be confused with The Wrong Seed - - oh get your head out of PFAL and just buy the d@mn idol nesting dolls !)...
....couldn’t find an appropriate image for idol nesting dolls – so I went with the next best thing:
I could never understand this Wierwille worship when I first started going to twigs. Nor when I went to another country and one of the people I flatted with was even more of a Wierwille worshipper (and he a non-Way minister's son, too). Thought it was bizarre then, still think it is. Even in rez (90s) I couldn't understand it.
But then, the man was dead about the time I "got in the Word" - perhaps that makes a difference? I remember challenging someone in the early days and got short shrift for an answer.
I have to say that in the churches I attend, although some people like to be respected as good teachers/preachers, it's not to eclipse JC in any way. And most churchmen/women that I know really don't push themselves at all but manage rather skillfully to refocus conversations onto the needs of the other person, prayer, and turning to Jesus for answers. They seem to see themselves, very humbly, as the compassionate voice of Christ and try to minimise personal info and "look-at-me-ness." [For avoidance of doubt over the "printed word" of the Internet, I mean that last sentence in a very good way.]
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Grace Valerie Claire
Sky, well-said! If I may add my two cents; I think some of VPW's followers, choose not to think about all the evil he did. Perhaps they enjoy living in their Fantasy Land. From what I understand about Russian History, some people cried when Stalin died. IMO, Stalin was one of the most evil people, who ever lived. The point I am trying to make is this; some people don't want to know the truth. They have their minds made-up; don't bother them with facts.
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T-Bone
Skyrider , Having followed online the solar eclipse yesterday I was struck by your topic....in my opinion the reverence for wierwille DOES eclipse the gospel of Jesus Christ..
.recalling the mindset I had for 12 years - I think it was whatever spiritual hunger I had to know Jesus Christ (I've mentioned before of my calling out for him during a bad acid trip - and later signing up for the class because I assumed it was a smart follow - an answered prayer if you will) ...that attracted me to wierwille/PFAL - but now I tend to think of any mention of Jesus Christ and all things Christian in PFAL were just window dressing- to get you in the PFAL store.
But whatever sliver of my savior's light I was able to glimpse behind the umbra of wierwille's ego seemed to shrink year after year...how sad....
Well, to end my post on a good note - I'm still a Christian and intent on avoiding any other idolatrous eclipses.
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skyrider
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skyrider
Exactly..........pfal was just window-dressing for the company store.
........and corps were trained to give you directions to the store.
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Infoabsorption
I vaguely remember shortly after LCM's ouster that there was some acknowledgement of VPW's shortcomings among some former TWIers. I'm talking about the ones who were still fond of VPW. They made comments along the lines of " I didn't care for his flesh but he sure could teach some hot Word!" Must be the cult of personality phenomena. Not just anyone can pull these things off. Here is an interesting read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality
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Grace Valerie Claire
Info, thanks for the link! Good observation!
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skyrider
Grace.......it's amusing to me whenever I have conversations with ex-twiers who STILL cling to wierwille-doctrine and clichés, yet....when "the rubber hits the road" as the conversation deepens, usually they are clinging to the social aspects and "friendships."
When it comes to people "getting to the place where they know that they know".................they don't.
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T-Bone
Speaking of idols - here's a little ditty about TWI's favorite idol....to the tune of The Carpenter's "close to you"
Why do turds suddenly appear
Every time wierwille's near
Just like pee, they long to be
A WASTE of time
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Grace Valerie Claire
Info, I heard VPW teach live several times, and thought he was boring as Hell.
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Grace Valerie Claire
Sky, well-said. I saw a lot of Manure in Way World, and hated it. I prefer Truth over Manure, any day. Perhaps some day those people will get tired of the lies, and want the truth like we did.
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T-Bone
Some enterprising individual at TWI Headquarters…or maybe in an offshoot - should come up with a product that would generate some cash flow while at the same time endearing followers to their favorite cult leaders…like say maybe idol nesting dolls…
...now if it was me designing it – I think wierwille would be the smallest doll (being the patriarch of little pi$$-ant idols that he is - - also in another sense - symbolically - after opening up each doll you would finally get to the "juicy caramel center" - - - the con-man who started it all - the rest were merely derivatives of him...or perhaps a seed...a bad seed...like a seed of a weed...not to be confused with The Wrong Seed - - oh get your head out of PFAL and just buy the d@mn idol nesting dolls !)...
....couldn’t find an appropriate image for idol nesting dolls – so I went with the next best thing:
Edited by T-Boneavoiding censorship
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Grace Valerie Claire
T-Bone!!! Clever!!! Good for you!!
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Twinky
I could never understand this Wierwille worship when I first started going to twigs. Nor when I went to another country and one of the people I flatted with was even more of a Wierwille worshipper (and he a non-Way minister's son, too). Thought it was bizarre then, still think it is. Even in rez (90s) I couldn't understand it.
But then, the man was dead about the time I "got in the Word" - perhaps that makes a difference? I remember challenging someone in the early days and got short shrift for an answer.
I have to say that in the churches I attend, although some people like to be respected as good teachers/preachers, it's not to eclipse JC in any way. And most churchmen/women that I know really don't push themselves at all but manage rather skillfully to refocus conversations onto the needs of the other person, prayer, and turning to Jesus for answers. They seem to see themselves, very humbly, as the compassionate voice of Christ and try to minimise personal info and "look-at-me-ness." [For avoidance of doubt over the "printed word" of the Internet, I mean that last sentence in a very good way.]
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