I just had an internet conversation with some Way teens. First they deny every claim I make. Then when I prove them wrong I am told to look at the big picture not the "one" scandal that happened 6 years ago.
Other hi-lights:
my experiences were taught, not real.
Even tho VPW plagiarized, they're glad he did.
I was rebuked in the name of JC to stop posting. I refused to stop and pointed out the failed rebuking. No reply.
I was called a liar. Told anyone who speaks against the Way doesn't believe the word. Told I had NO RIGHT to speak against twi.
I was told that I "look poor" (they have my picture) and that I am overweight because I left The Way.
Was told "no one wants to hear this"
Was told that TWI had to reduce membership in order to keep an eye on people.
Was told Mark and Avoid didn't exist.
Was told that being critical of TWI was proof that I didn't believe in God's word. Then , I watched the same people be critical of the Catholic Church. When I pointed out the hypocrisy, they told me that I keep concentrating on the negative.
I was told that people who leave TWI have streaks of bad luck. I told them that didn't happen to me. They said "Yeah but what good have you done?" As if my life were a waste.
I was told I do not believe The Word.
I just want to hug these kids and let them know. But they're so brainwashed they can't even hold a decent argument. They told me arguing is devilish, even as they argue with me.
They also told me gay people cannot be saved!
It hurts that they won't even consider my side. I grew up like them and it ended up really stunting my growth. They're walking into trouble and it kills me that I can't help them.
Le the WAYGB read this and stew on it. You are killing the innocence and spirit of youth!
(((Georgio))) It's terrible what they're doing to these kids! Hopefully some of them will at least ponder and consider your words. God bless your heart for trying!
quote:
I just had an internet conversation with some Way teens. First they deny every claim I make. Then when I prove them wrong I am told to look at the big picture not the "one" scandal that happened 6 years ago.
This happened to me, too. I asked them how they could say they never had a policy on debt when people were kicked out for not selling their homes. They said I was lying that not one person was kicked out for that. When I gave them examples, they started backtracking and making excuses also.
My ex always says that "the ministry would be perfect if it weren't for people." He says people aren't perfect and we can't chuck the whole ministry just because of one person. They just don't see that it's wayyyy more than one person and that it's the whole system that's corrupt, evil and destructive. 'Tis sad, really.
quote:
Other hi-lights:
my experiences were taught, not real.
Then out of the other side of their mouth they say no one can argue with your experience when you're witnessing or speaking of TWI's "blessings". -->
quote:
Even tho VPW plagiarized, they're glad he did.
Do they, then, think it's okay to plagarize their school papers? They don't care that he was a thief and a liar???
quote:
I was rebuked in the name of JC to stop posting. I refused to stop and pointed out the failed rebuking. No reply.
LOL! They must have invoked the wrong Jesus. ;)-->
quote:
I was called a liar. Told anyone who speaks against the Way doesn't believe the word. Told I had NO RIGHT to speak against twi.
A liar just because you speak against TWI? Yeah, that makes sense. --> I see they still have the elitist attitude. Not surprising.
quote:
I was told that I "look poor" (they have my picture) and that I am overweight because I left The Way.
"Looks" can be deceiving. :)--> You have more money than they do and most likely have 100X more savings and future security than they do unless they are kids of the almighty BOD or the president's lover. Did they say how much happier and more peaceful that you look? Did they notice that you look more content and satisfied with life?
If you've gained weight since leaving TWI, it's because you no longer have to spend all your time jumping through their hoops and you're able to really enjoy your food and afford good food now!
Was told "no one wants to hear this"
quote:
Was told that TWI had to reduce membership in order to keep an eye on people.
What happened to Rise & Expansion??
In order to keep an eye on people?? So they admit that they micro-manage people's lives now? They admit they stick their nose where it doesn't belong? Well, that's a start, I guess. Now if they'll just tell people upfront that they're going to do that instead of waiting till after they've "taken the class."
quote:
Was told Mark and Avoid didn't exist.
Then how did they reduce their numbers? By lottery?
quote:
Was told that being critical of TWI was proof that I didn't believe in God's word. Then , I watched the same people be critical of the Catholic Church. When I pointed out the hypocrisy, they told me that I keep concentrating on the negative.
Change the subject when you are shown to be wrong. Yeppers! Those kids have learned very well from their parents' examples.
quote:
I was told that people who leave TWI have streaks of bad luck. I told them that didn't happen to me. They said "Yeah but what good have you done?" As if my life were a waste.
And nothing bad has ever happened in their life? How do they know that people who leave TWI have "streaks of bad luck"? Have they talked to people who have left TWI or are they just believing yet another set of lies fed to them by adults who are supposed to be teaching them truth?
Besides that....what the H#ll are they doing using the word "luck"???? :D-->
quote:
I was told I do not believe The Word.
I believe God's word. I believe they are gonna be in for a very rude awakening one day, hopefully it's before they have to stand before God Almighty.
quote:
I just want to hug these kids and let them know. But they're so brainwashed they can't even hold a decent argument. They told me arguing is devilish, even as they argue with me.
Georgio, it's truly heartbreaking. The good news is that most of them DO come around once they are exposed to many different cultures, beliefs and kinds of people outside of the influence of their parents (college or real world life).
quote:
It hurts that they won't even consider my side. I grew up like them and it ended up really stunting my growth. They're walking into trouble and it kills me that I can't help them.
Let the WAYGB read this and stew on it. You are killing the innocence and spirit of youth!
Georgio, you don't know that they aren't considering your side. :)--> Darlin', you probably caused them to stop and think, but they may not admit that to you. They may also need some time to chew on what you've said and some private introspection time. Since there was just you and more than one of them, they would be afraid to admit that they agree with you. That could be very detrimental to them. Doesn't mean that they don't agree with you or that you didn't get through.
Sometimes it takes people to come around. You're planting seed, Georgio, and you're doing a darn good job of it, too. Keep on keepin' on! I'm proud of you!
Incidentally, I became diabetic while I was IN. Lived like a pauper and couldn't buy a house while we were IN.
And the saddest thing is that those kids have apparently been taught that TWI has a copyright on the Bible. I DO believe God's Word. I just don't believe TWI's word...and Yes, there is a difference!!!!!
"And nothing bad has ever happened in their life? How do they know that people who leave TWI have "streaks of bad luck"? Have they talked to people who have left TWI or are they just believing yet another set of lies fed to them by adults who are supposed to be teaching them truth?"
They tell the standard story about the guy who quit going to twig. His wife left him, his bussiness went uner, his son died.
I told them that it's not wonder they're afraid to question TWI! They're afraid they're life will fall apart.
If I believed TWI, I would too. In fact I did. I was ruled by fear in TWI.
I think one or two of them are secretly thinking about it. Their inabilty to defend simple truth was getting to them. Today, one of them emailed me and said he wishes he had the gift of discerning spirits to see if I am telling the truth or if I am posessed.
georgio... sounds like they need to know the link to http://www.gscafe.com... if you haven't told them already... youthful curiosity might just bring them here... and then they'll register... and then...
Child abuse was a very acceptable institution when I was in the way. I was in a long time ago, circa 1985, and I recently told my pathetic excuse for a father that if I gave him a demonstration of how he treated me when I was young, he would be laid out on the floor whimpering like a little bitch. Sorry for the very disturbing imagery, but it's IMPORTANT to drive home the severe impact it has had on many. This isn't a .... game.
It's hard to forgive when you have PTSD. Not talking about anyone but me. I still have nightmares, I still get mad when I think aboiut it. I don't have flashbacks anymore, but I did throughout my 20's. It's really not about forgiveness until you deal with yourself first. It can take a long time to reach the forgiveness stage. I was in age 4 to age 17. I was in rome city. The abuses that occured are staggering. It's not something you simply forgive.
BTW-- I didn't actually tell my dad that, but I often WANT to.
It's so weird to talk to people who have been through or witnessed the same thing. It's like being in a time warp because I've been away from it for so long. To try and talk about something like this with someone who hasn't been there, well I might as well be from Mars.
But I was like 20 before it really hit home what a strange background I came from. I suppose I knew it was strange before, but I couldn't really FACE it until then. Even then, it's only been in the past couple of years that I've really gotten to the point where I could revisit memories that were just too painful and humiliating to think about.
I've talked about them with my mom, but never with my dad. He's a real fascist SOB, and the Way was athe perfect place place for him to unleash all his sick, sadistic BS. He knows I don't respect him, but I don't think he really understands why. It's as if he doesn't want to face facts about his past. I have only seen my dad twice in the past 5 years, once to take care of a family related issue, and once because my bro was getting married and I didn't want to miss his wedding.
I won't lie, I pretty much treat my dad like s h i t, and it torments him, but that's why I do it. I He wants a meaningful relationship, but he doesn't want to own up to his past. But before you feel too sorry for him, just bear in mind he's a real azzhole and made my childhood a living hell.
I won't make any bones about it-- I'm embarassed to have ever been affiliated with the way, and have felt that way, to varying degrees, from elementary school on up. The corny songs, the creepy speaking in tongue/ word of prophecy sessions, the pointless lessons, none of it useful for preparing for dealing with life. Then there is the social aspect: the isolation from peers in school, having to explain where I "go to church," my parents telling other parents what I could & couldn't watch because it was "devilish," the punishment sessions that would often go on until past midnight, and so forth. THAT doesn't add up to a premature inferiority complex. Not quite the same perspective as an adult Wayer. My parents could have been grooming me for college and the real world, but instead, they groomed me to be a freak.
Anyways, I'm not trying to bring the house down here; I suppose I just have more free time than I'm used to because of the holidays. But some of these ex-way people need to recognize the bitterness that has been bred in their children and why, though I get the impression that most people on this board already do. It just blows my mind that after all these years, there are so many things that my parents just don't get. Sometimes, I really don't know how they managed to get through life.
MiniCorpsConscript I cannot believe that I didn't write the words you just posted. To a letter, I feel everything you said. I MUST know you. I was there when you were. I went thru identical crap. Every word really hit how I feel. I also have distanced myself from my parents. They put me through hell whether they want to admit it or not.
Folks, we were beaten, humiliated, used as borderline slave labor and we were abused (some sexually, some emotionally, some physically, some all combinations of same) and our parents endorsed it.
"outreach" policies meant that we would stick out as freaks in school. We had to sacrifice friendships and relationships with peers who wouldn't take the class. I had to take a Way girl to my prom and watch my (non way) girlfriend dance with another guy all night. I know schoolboy love is fleeting but she left me for him that night and it killed me. I didn't blame her, I forced her to make that choice. I basically told her she wasn't good enough for me but hey, leadership made me do it. Hallelujah!
Every adult in Rome City had a wooden spoon, so we were always a moment from being hit by any adult at any time for any infraction, perceived or real. Different adults had different standards so there was no consistency to it. I could get hit for swearing or for "being negative" or for being late. I could swear like a sailor, disrupt twig and talk back to my twig leader and be OK until I smiled during manifestations, then I'd get PUNCHED by Greg.
Schoolwork, extra curricular activities and homework were 2nd to twig and farm work. We had a lot of bright Way kids in Rome City who brought home D's and F's.
Students often resented us for not contributing to bake sales, school events and such. We went to a new school every year , which means starting your life over every year, in a new town, in a new school with a new curriculum. That does a number on a lot of kids.
We didn`t know. I had no idea what was happening to you guys.
Being 17 when I became involved, I always envied you guys getting to enter the corpes with your parents.
I once made the foolish mistake of pointing out to a corps kid how very fortunate he was to be raised in the word by his corpes -parent. Lord, he looked at me like I was from mars, I understand why now.
Please believe that most of us just didn`t know what you poor guys endured. I humbly apologise for supporting and promoting an organization that treated you poor kiddoes so visciously.
The part about carrying a wooden spoon is true. We were in FWC in 1993 for three hellish months, until the Sunday after Thanksgiving when we were deemed unworthy of the privilege. Each adult was to carry a wooden spoon and wallop any kid who got an inch out of line, EXCEPT EXCEPT EXCEPT the children of staff. They could do anything they pleased. My son saw the daughter of the FWC director bouncing on a trampoline with no one else in sight and ran and got me, because it was against the rules and she might get hurt. This young lady quite haughtily informed us that her father was W**** C**** and she could anything she wanted to.
"Yes, Ma'am, Ms. C***, Ma'am, sorry to have bothered you, ma'am."
Another time, two staff kids marched through a playground full of 1-2 year olds carrying rifles, for pete's sake, and when I asked them not to, they prompted reproved me! Scared the crap out of me. Some of those things can accidentally fire with little provocation.
And darned if I didn't forget my spoon most of the time. I didn't really want my son beaten by any and all, but of course when you apply they don't tell you, "Oh by the way, every adult on campus will be gunning for your brat, to beat him at every opportunity. " Had they been that honest, I would have tried a lot harder to get out of going.
"And nothing bad has ever happened in their life? How do they know that people who leave TWI have "streaks of bad luck"? Have they talked to people who have left TWI or are they just believing yet another set of lies fed to them by adults who are supposed to be teaching them truth?" <BR><BR>They tell the standard story about the guy who quit going to twig. His wife left him, his bussiness went uner, his son died.<BR><BR>I told them that it's not wonder they're afraid to question TWI! They're afraid they're life will fall apart.<BR><BR>If I believed TWI, I would too. In fact I did. I was ruled by fear in TWI.<BR><BR>I think one or two of them are secretly thinking about it. Their inabilty to defend simple truth was getting to them. Today, one of them emailed me and said he wishes he had the gift of discerning spirits to see if I am telling the truth or if I am posessed.
Hey, ya know when Vince's Dad died it was an attack on a Man of God. When you leave the Way and someone dies it is because you left the protection. Mmmmm
People die. And TWI taps into that fear to demand loyality. What a heartless group of idiots.
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Catcup
I, too am new to this particular thread. I spent several hours this morning looking through it. While I was never a part of any "initiation" ceremony (tongue in cheek or otherwise) that Evan describ
Georgio Jessio
I just had an internet conversation with some Way teens. First they deny every claim I make. Then when I prove them wrong I am told to look at the big picture not the "one" scandal that happened 6 years ago.
Other hi-lights:
my experiences were taught, not real.
Even tho VPW plagiarized, they're glad he did.
I was rebuked in the name of JC to stop posting. I refused to stop and pointed out the failed rebuking. No reply.
I was called a liar. Told anyone who speaks against the Way doesn't believe the word. Told I had NO RIGHT to speak against twi.
I was told that I "look poor" (they have my picture) and that I am overweight because I left The Way.
Was told "no one wants to hear this"
Was told that TWI had to reduce membership in order to keep an eye on people.
Was told Mark and Avoid didn't exist.
Was told that being critical of TWI was proof that I didn't believe in God's word. Then , I watched the same people be critical of the Catholic Church. When I pointed out the hypocrisy, they told me that I keep concentrating on the negative.
I was told that people who leave TWI have streaks of bad luck. I told them that didn't happen to me. They said "Yeah but what good have you done?" As if my life were a waste.
I was told I do not believe The Word.
I just want to hug these kids and let them know. But they're so brainwashed they can't even hold a decent argument. They told me arguing is devilish, even as they argue with me.
They also told me gay people cannot be saved!
It hurts that they won't even consider my side. I grew up like them and it ended up really stunting my growth. They're walking into trouble and it kills me that I can't help them.
Le the WAYGB read this and stew on it. You are killing the innocence and spirit of youth!
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lindyhopper
Wow.
That is sad.
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rascal
aww Georgio, that IS sad.
You wonder if these poor kiddoes will ever be able to overcome this handicap and function in the real world.
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CoolWaters
{{{{{Georgio}}}}}
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Belle
(((Georgio))) It's terrible what they're doing to these kids! Hopefully some of them will at least ponder and consider your words. God bless your heart for trying!
This happened to me, too. I asked them how they could say they never had a policy on debt when people were kicked out for not selling their homes. They said I was lying that not one person was kicked out for that. When I gave them examples, they started backtracking and making excuses also.
My ex always says that "the ministry would be perfect if it weren't for people." He says people aren't perfect and we can't chuck the whole ministry just because of one person. They just don't see that it's wayyyy more than one person and that it's the whole system that's corrupt, evil and destructive. 'Tis sad, really.
Then out of the other side of their mouth they say no one can argue with your experience when you're witnessing or speaking of TWI's "blessings".
-->
LOL! They must have invoked the wrong Jesus.
;)-->
A liar just because you speak against TWI? Yeah, that makes sense.
--> I see they still have the elitist attitude. Not surprising.
"Looks" can be deceiving.
:)--> You have more money than they do and most likely have 100X more savings and future security than they do unless they are kids of the almighty BOD or the president's lover. Did they say how much happier and more peaceful that you look? Did they notice that you look more content and satisfied with life?
If you've gained weight since leaving TWI, it's because you no longer have to spend all your time jumping through their hoops and you're able to really enjoy your food and afford good food now!
Was told "no one wants to hear this"
What happened to Rise & Expansion??
In order to keep an eye on people?? So they admit that they micro-manage people's lives now? They admit they stick their nose where it doesn't belong? Well, that's a start, I guess. Now if they'll just tell people upfront that they're going to do that instead of waiting till after they've "taken the class."
Then how did they reduce their numbers? By lottery?
Change the subject when you are shown to be wrong. Yeppers! Those kids have learned very well from their parents' examples.
And nothing bad has ever happened in their life? How do they know that people who leave TWI have "streaks of bad luck"? Have they talked to people who have left TWI or are they just believing yet another set of lies fed to them by adults who are supposed to be teaching them truth?
Besides that....what the H#ll are they doing using the word "luck"????
:D-->
I believe God's word. I believe they are gonna be in for a very rude awakening one day, hopefully it's before they have to stand before God Almighty.
Georgio, it's truly heartbreaking. The good news is that most of them DO come around once they are exposed to many different cultures, beliefs and kinds of people outside of the influence of their parents (college or real world life).
Georgio, you don't know that they aren't considering your side.
:)--> Darlin', you probably caused them to stop and think, but they may not admit that to you. They may also need some time to chew on what you've said and some private introspection time. Since there was just you and more than one of them, they would be afraid to admit that they agree with you. That could be very detrimental to them. Doesn't mean that they don't agree with you or that you didn't get through.
Sometimes it takes people to come around. You're planting seed, Georgio, and you're doing a darn good job of it, too. Keep on keepin' on! I'm proud of you!
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Watered Garden
((((((Georgio)))))))
Incidentally, I became diabetic while I was IN. Lived like a pauper and couldn't buy a house while we were IN.
And the saddest thing is that those kids have apparently been taught that TWI has a copyright on the Bible. I DO believe God's Word. I just don't believe TWI's word...and Yes, there is a difference!!!!!
Those poor young'n are in my prayers.
WG
:(-->
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Georgio Jessio
"And nothing bad has ever happened in their life? How do they know that people who leave TWI have "streaks of bad luck"? Have they talked to people who have left TWI or are they just believing yet another set of lies fed to them by adults who are supposed to be teaching them truth?"
They tell the standard story about the guy who quit going to twig. His wife left him, his bussiness went uner, his son died.
I told them that it's not wonder they're afraid to question TWI! They're afraid they're life will fall apart.
If I believed TWI, I would too. In fact I did. I was ruled by fear in TWI.
I think one or two of them are secretly thinking about it. Their inabilty to defend simple truth was getting to them. Today, one of them emailed me and said he wishes he had the gift of discerning spirits to see if I am telling the truth or if I am posessed.
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Kevlar2000
Georgio, did he actually write "gift of discerning of spirits"?!
For all of the Way's hyperbole, this is the best they can accomplish - either wishing for the things of God's spirit, or genuine spiritual suspicion.
Georgio, I admire you for keeping up contact with these folks. They're on their way out - they just don't know it yet!
:)-->
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Tom Strange
georgio... sounds like they need to know the link to http://www.gscafe.com... if you haven't told them already... youthful curiosity might just bring them here... and then they'll register... and then...
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Georgio Jessio
Tom, I brought up g spot (haha) and they said "aha! you are just being tricked by a website"
No matter how mnay times I told them I had 1st hand experience, they blamed it on gscafe.
Georgio, did he actually write "gift of discerning of spirits"?!
Yes he did. He said he wished he knew who was telling the truth because I seem so nice for someone who is posessed!
That to me was a victory. He was willing to consider the other side! That might even qualify as a miracle...
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penguin
One thing that got me was the absence of true thankfulness and praise to God in twi. I only noticed that after YEARS of listening to
"secular" Christian music. It helped me see I was missing something that everyone else had. (A real connection to God and their Lord Jesus Christ.)
(All the twi teens I have known couldn't stand the Singing Ladies music anyway! It's way too boring)
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lindyhopper
I thought discerning of spurts was a manifestation and not a gift. This little wayfer needs to be re-indoctrinated. He's slippin'.
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MiniCorpsConscript
---
Edited by MiniCorpsConscriptLink to comment
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MiniCorpsConscript
Child abuse was a very acceptable institution when I was in the way. I was in a long time ago, circa 1985, and I recently told my pathetic excuse for a father that if I gave him a demonstration of how he treated me when I was young, he would be laid out on the floor whimpering like a little bitch. Sorry for the very disturbing imagery, but it's IMPORTANT to drive home the severe impact it has had on many. This isn't a .... game.
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likeaneagle
Your right MMC..this is not a game.. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive...
hugs
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waysider
CONSCRIPT: To enroll by compulsion for military or naval service.
To recognize that you were conscripted is a big step in the right direction toward dealing with the problems it undoubtably caused. IMO.
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Georgio Jessio
It's hard to forgive when you have PTSD. Not talking about anyone but me. I still have nightmares, I still get mad when I think aboiut it. I don't have flashbacks anymore, but I did throughout my 20's. It's really not about forgiveness until you deal with yourself first. It can take a long time to reach the forgiveness stage. I was in age 4 to age 17. I was in rome city. The abuses that occured are staggering. It's not something you simply forgive.
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MiniCorpsConscript
BTW-- I didn't actually tell my dad that, but I often WANT to.
It's so weird to talk to people who have been through or witnessed the same thing. It's like being in a time warp because I've been away from it for so long. To try and talk about something like this with someone who hasn't been there, well I might as well be from Mars.
But I was like 20 before it really hit home what a strange background I came from. I suppose I knew it was strange before, but I couldn't really FACE it until then. Even then, it's only been in the past couple of years that I've really gotten to the point where I could revisit memories that were just too painful and humiliating to think about.
I've talked about them with my mom, but never with my dad. He's a real fascist SOB, and the Way was athe perfect place place for him to unleash all his sick, sadistic BS. He knows I don't respect him, but I don't think he really understands why. It's as if he doesn't want to face facts about his past. I have only seen my dad twice in the past 5 years, once to take care of a family related issue, and once because my bro was getting married and I didn't want to miss his wedding.
I won't lie, I pretty much treat my dad like s h i t, and it torments him, but that's why I do it. I He wants a meaningful relationship, but he doesn't want to own up to his past. But before you feel too sorry for him, just bear in mind he's a real azzhole and made my childhood a living hell.
I won't make any bones about it-- I'm embarassed to have ever been affiliated with the way, and have felt that way, to varying degrees, from elementary school on up. The corny songs, the creepy speaking in tongue/ word of prophecy sessions, the pointless lessons, none of it useful for preparing for dealing with life. Then there is the social aspect: the isolation from peers in school, having to explain where I "go to church," my parents telling other parents what I could & couldn't watch because it was "devilish," the punishment sessions that would often go on until past midnight, and so forth. THAT doesn't add up to a premature inferiority complex. Not quite the same perspective as an adult Wayer. My parents could have been grooming me for college and the real world, but instead, they groomed me to be a freak.
Anyways, I'm not trying to bring the house down here; I suppose I just have more free time than I'm used to because of the holidays. But some of these ex-way people need to recognize the bitterness that has been bred in their children and why, though I get the impression that most people on this board already do. It just blows my mind that after all these years, there are so many things that my parents just don't get. Sometimes, I really don't know how they managed to get through life.
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WordWolf
Don't forget the "kindler, gentler" twi of today hasn't owned up to it either,
and any of that which it doesn't do now is more the result of a lack of children on grounds
to treat like crapola than a desire to, you know, treat them like children.
Not to take away from the brutalities inflicted on resident children,
the indoctrination foisted on other kids is not to be dismissed either.
I mean, when you have a high school featuring a guest speaker who is a Holocaust
Survivor, and a handful of students feel the need to ridicule her until she breaks down
into tears at the podium, and all of them just HAPPEN to be from the same religious
group, then obviously something is wrong there....
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Georgio Jessio
MiniCorpsConscript I cannot believe that I didn't write the words you just posted. To a letter, I feel everything you said. I MUST know you. I was there when you were. I went thru identical crap. Every word really hit how I feel. I also have distanced myself from my parents. They put me through hell whether they want to admit it or not.
Folks, we were beaten, humiliated, used as borderline slave labor and we were abused (some sexually, some emotionally, some physically, some all combinations of same) and our parents endorsed it.
"outreach" policies meant that we would stick out as freaks in school. We had to sacrifice friendships and relationships with peers who wouldn't take the class. I had to take a Way girl to my prom and watch my (non way) girlfriend dance with another guy all night. I know schoolboy love is fleeting but she left me for him that night and it killed me. I didn't blame her, I forced her to make that choice. I basically told her she wasn't good enough for me but hey, leadership made me do it. Hallelujah!
Every adult in Rome City had a wooden spoon, so we were always a moment from being hit by any adult at any time for any infraction, perceived or real. Different adults had different standards so there was no consistency to it. I could get hit for swearing or for "being negative" or for being late. I could swear like a sailor, disrupt twig and talk back to my twig leader and be OK until I smiled during manifestations, then I'd get PUNCHED by Greg.
Schoolwork, extra curricular activities and homework were 2nd to twig and farm work. We had a lot of bright Way kids in Rome City who brought home D's and F's.
Students often resented us for not contributing to bake sales, school events and such. We went to a new school every year , which means starting your life over every year, in a new town, in a new school with a new curriculum. That does a number on a lot of kids.
Thanks for your post MiniCorpsConscript!
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rascal
Guys, I am so sorry.
We didn`t know. I had no idea what was happening to you guys.
Being 17 when I became involved, I always envied you guys getting to enter the corpes with your parents.
I once made the foolish mistake of pointing out to a corps kid how very fortunate he was to be raised in the word by his corpes -parent. Lord, he looked at me like I was from mars, I understand why now.
Please believe that most of us just didn`t know what you poor guys endured. I humbly apologise for supporting and promoting an organization that treated you poor kiddoes so visciously.
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excathedra
if anyone so much as looked at my kid like they were going to hit them, i'd.....
when i think of the isolation and the stuff you waykids talk about, it tears me up
it reminds me how i felt as a child with physical and sexual abuse. and then i got in the way to get "delivered" from all that. ha
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Watered Garden
The part about carrying a wooden spoon is true. We were in FWC in 1993 for three hellish months, until the Sunday after Thanksgiving when we were deemed unworthy of the privilege. Each adult was to carry a wooden spoon and wallop any kid who got an inch out of line, EXCEPT EXCEPT EXCEPT the children of staff. They could do anything they pleased. My son saw the daughter of the FWC director bouncing on a trampoline with no one else in sight and ran and got me, because it was against the rules and she might get hurt. This young lady quite haughtily informed us that her father was W**** C**** and she could anything she wanted to.
"Yes, Ma'am, Ms. C***, Ma'am, sorry to have bothered you, ma'am."
Another time, two staff kids marched through a playground full of 1-2 year olds carrying rifles, for pete's sake, and when I asked them not to, they prompted reproved me! Scared the crap out of me. Some of those things can accidentally fire with little provocation.
And darned if I didn't forget my spoon most of the time. I didn't really want my son beaten by any and all, but of course when you apply they don't tell you, "Oh by the way, every adult on campus will be gunning for your brat, to beat him at every opportunity. " Had they been that honest, I would have tried a lot harder to get out of going.
WG
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Dot Matrix
Hey, ya know when Vince's Dad died it was an attack on a Man of God. When you leave the Way and someone dies it is because you left the protection. Mmmmm
People die. And TWI taps into that fear to demand loyality. What a heartless group of idiots.
Sorry mini-corps, you guys had it rough
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