Usually, it was someone you ran into, perhaps an old friend (who was now involve in TWI), someone you worked with, at the mall, a relative, even some door to door... where you got spoken to about 'The Word'.
After an initial contact, someone usually invited you to a fellowship held in someones home.
The fellowship consisted of a few songs, prayer, manifestations (speaking in tongues with interpretation, word of prophecy), a short teaching(or not so short sometimes :(-->), then a few songs and prayer to close. These fellowships lasted from about 45 min. to 2 hrs. depending on the verbousness of the fellowship leader and teacher.
After attending a fellowship or two, someone would tell about the foundational class and see if you'd be interested in taking it. There was much pressure put upon someone to take this class. Usually their 'spiritual growth' hinged on taking it. Otherwise, you were not committed to God, in that you chose not to know more about God and the bible.
Now, at times, people were introduced to TWI by someone telling them about the 'class' and they attended the fellowship just so they could get more details on how to sign up.
Hope this clarifies some things. I know many posters will be able to add much more to what I've described here...
HAPPY HUNTING!!!
P.S. ...as far as I know, the word recruitment was never used.. it was termed 'outreach' and we were taught it was our duty since God had given us the ministry of reconciliation as one of our Godly rights to exercise.
And sometimes a couple of 'very friendly' girls would come up to you in a bar and start talking to you... being very interested in you... and after some time would invite you to come to a 'get together' with some 'friends' of theirs... and of course you were 'flattered' that they were so 'interested' in you and you wanted to return the favor (never mind that you had shared a couple of pitchers of beer with them)... they weren't 'religious' at all... what harm could there be...
Friends, family, and fellow workers were the mainstream people that twi tried to reach. My mom was witnessed to by some friends that she and my dad had know for over 20 years. Those friends were newbies in twi. They got my mom, cousing, and me involved just like Ala Prochaine said. We were invited to fellowship and then pressured to take the class. The pressure for classes never stopped until you took them all. Then you were expected to be on the class crews while other people took it. It was a vicious circle, and we were convinced that we were serving God's Word on a silver platter........when in fact we were used as free labor to pitch twi's classes.
About recruitment, I present an example from my own experience.
A guy once invited me to a "party". He was a personal aquaintance. I go with him to the party, Its a sales pitch, though there are balloons everywhere, to indicate that its a "party".
I get introduced to his "family", these are the people in his pyramid chain. The family surround me and "lovebomb" me. The women are very personal, very touchy feely and right in my face. Im surrounded by the "family" and they are bombarding me with questions trying to get me to vocalize my dreams about being super rich and visualizing what Im going to "DO with ALL THAT MONEY".
Anyway, I decided to play them at their own game and show negativity to the message. At first they tried reasoning with me, then they got angry, then they turned from me in utter disgust and SHUNNED me.
Well of course WayferNot! I then brought my sister and sainted mother to the class... Mom thought "it was nice" but not anything new... you all know about the sister... :(-->
Most of the folks I brought to fellowship/class were total strangers I'd met through witnessing... well there was my barber and his kids...
I was one of the minority who were recruited by strangers "cold witnessing" (not witnessing to friends, family, or co-workers). A couple of college students sat near me at the student union cafeteria and started talking to me about their Bible fellowship. They used some cheesy line to start the conversation, but after that it was pretty up-and-up. I said that I might be interested, so they gave me the address and phone number of the fellowship location. They offered to give me a ride, but I said that I would rather get there on my own. On the night of fellowship, I was planning to watch a Reds game on Monday Night Baseball. When I turned the game on, though, it was a White Sox game, so I decided to go to "that Bible thing."
I showed up a little late, and I think they were surprised to see me at all. Fellowship was certainly different from RC Mass, but I found it interesting. The speaking in tongues was certainly new. I enjoyed it enough to begin attending regularly.
Soon afterwards, there was a "public explanation" of the class after a fellowship. There was not a lot of pressure; they simply played an audio recording of the first hour of PFAL. It sounded good to me, so I signed up. (The class cost $100 at that time.)
As is probaly clear from some of my other posts, I found the class and fellowship to be worthwhile. That's why I witnessed to others.
I was a cult memember waiting to happen. Lovebombing and what I hoped were answers to a confused life. That is what hooked me. At the time the answers made since.
I was witnessed to in a womens botique. I was so desperate for sanity I would have paid thousands for PFAL. Well, I guess in the long run I did.
My last few years with TWI were ALL about recruitment. That was the theme at every turn. In fact, for a while, we would be taken out "witnessing" any time there was not a newbie at a meeting. So much fun. Not. :-( There was little to no attention paid to existing members unless they had a new person with them.
Taking classes was pushed very quickly but so was giving. Not at first but once they were "part of the fellowship" meaning getting into it. Whoever brought them was told to "explain the benefits of tithing and abundant sharing". (Abundant sharing in TWI terms is giving anything over 10%)
Also, keep in mind that TWI maintained some form of formal recruitment program like JWs. In the late 90s it became "The Way Disciples." You had to have taken all of their classes and been a fairly trusted member of one of their groups for some time. The initial guidance from Craig Martindale was that they would "confront the world with the Word." (My paraphrasing but it's very close to exact) It fit with his harsh, abrasive style. His logic was that "the Word was over the World" which meant it was availabe to anyone in the world who wanted it. Don't look for a small, US-centric group to fit that description. No logic in that at all. Therefore what the unbelieving world needed was to be confronted about their unbelief. When I asked if getting in someone's face was really a good way to win them over I got the usual non-answer. Just TWI double-speak.
My impression is that it has never been terribly successful. One way to tell is by what is not said. When they have something impressive like numbers, TWI trumpets them. If not, they dwell on some vague point that can't be measured. "They Way Disciples were so blessed..." etc.
I got in when my roommate was hit on by some hottie and he followed his genitals to a TWI meeting. He dragged me along. I met a couple of cool guys who liked to jam so we hit it off. That was back when playing your own music or (gasp!) worldly music was ok. I didn't really want to take a class but they said to try it and if I didn't like it I didn't have to finish. The rest is history.
One last point. People tried to warn me about TWI but the stories were so ridiculous that they seemed to have no credibility. My favorite was essentially that TWI kidnapped people and tortured them to make them gave in. Nothing of the sort ever happened that I saw. Most of the folks I met were genuinely nice or seemed so which made my other christian friends allegations look silly. In fact, TWI leaders used to even bring them up at meetings as examples of "attacks from the adversary." In hindsight it was brilliant! Bring it up to prejudice us before we heard it from a non-TWI person.
I wish there had been a site like this when I got it. Honest, factual information would been so helpful. But on a positive side, I'm glad Paw's here now. :-)
quote: After an initial contact, someone usually invited you to a fellowship held in someones home.
Ala is right. For me the "initial contact" was a coupla WOW's coming to the meetings I attended (a Jesus Freak group), sitting through the meeting, then "button-holing" folks after it was all over.
They had questions about our beliefs (4 of us responded to their invitation for coffee and discussion), and proceeded to tell us twi belief, and "come to fellowship, and see what we are about".
All 4 of us went, all 4 of us took the class, and all 4 of us are now out. We all lasted for a while, but by asking too many questions, and reverting to the independant thinking we were used to, we realized that we were not welcome at twi.
There were as many "recruitment" methods as there were "recruiters", but the basic common denominator, was to get you to a twig - teach - then sign you up for the "class".
Yea --"love bomb". Lots of that too. But twi (vs Amway) shoulda said ----
Yes, we were to greet one another with an holy kiss! (those of the opposite sex, anyway, we weren't THAT into biblical accuracy). Every "twig" you went to, every "do", there were always lots of cute girls running up to you and giving you a big kiss.
That might not sound like such a big deal, but for a homely, dumpy, less-than-popular, adolescent boy, it was a helluva sales technique. Wow! They like me! They really like me! (said in my best Sally Fields voice)
Hmmm. so it tended to be a friend or aquaintance apoproaching you. Either that or a "casual"(not so casual)approach by two hot specimens of the opposite sex in a public place.
Im here to learn Vickles, and to pass on what Ive learnt.
Now when I joined the Mormons that was pretty interesting. They rush you. Within a few days of commencing study you find yourself studying with them every day and youve got Mormons crawling all over you like fleas, all telling you how much they love you.
Theyre calling you up, uninvited, at 11pm at night.
They rush you off to the baptismal font within a week of starting study if youll let them.
But we had fun with the Momos cause when the two mishies brought the local Bishie round to meet me and guide me thru study 6, I had an exit councellor there waiting for them.
They werent too happy about that.
Cult recruiters dont like it when you turn their own deceptive methods back on them.
I have been involved with a couple groups, Such as the Elonias Foundation and Lyndon Larouche where people just lay it all on you, you got people hissing at you, shouting abuse and accusing you of betraying your country.
This is real early in the piece.
I suppose it is a matter of whether you are at a place in your life where you will let people treat you like a dog. Thats the only kind of person theyre looking for, if your not willing to place yourself in slavery to them very quickly, and be a punching bag, theyre not interested.
quote:are when u are 17 just starting college no friends away from home horny as hell and a beutiful girl say hi would like to come to my place
Yeah, I was witnessed to by a babe in a bar.
Danny, do you remember the name of that bar there in Baton Rouge where I was first witnessed to? Was it Jesters?
I recall a bar with a small dance floor and dancing with your roomate "F--- N--- " who then invited me over to your place on Edson St. for a "bible study" the next week.
I got there about 10 minutes late and y'all almost didn't let me in!
You sound as if you think the "recruiters" are different people from the other members of twi. I don't know about the other groups you infiltrated in an effort to expose them, but aside from the WOW program (1-year evangelizin' missionary-type commitment; later they had Way Disciples or something...after my time), that wasn't the case.
In other words, "We have met the enemy and they are us." (thank you, Pogo) In the early 70s, if we liked what we heard and saw at a twi fellowship or class, we enthusiastically told others about it. Thus twi grew.
By the late 70s, people were being pressured more and more to push PFAL and twi. To "go witnessing" and "sign people up for the class." Thus the seeds were planted for it to shrink, if you ask me.
By the mid-80s, twi had become much more "corporate" than in earlier days (or, much more obviously corporate, to those who believe it was never more than a money-making scam to begin with). Up and coming Twi leader wannabes imitated LCM, who was imitating VPW in form more than substance, and voila, more shrinkage resulted.
Not a very successful "recruitment" program anymore, so they went into the "the Word's already over the world" mode. I see this as comparable to the attitude your cat might exhibit right after falling into the toilet: I MEANT TO DO THAT!
The term "love-bombing," is one of those anti-cult cultists' buzz words that sounds like some sort of a commie plot. I've always felt that term to be misleading. Who were these "love bombers"?
No one during my 17 years in twi ever said or implied or hinted to me, "Pretend you care about people to suck them in." Our care for people who came to fellowship, in my own experience and that of many friends, was genuine.
I know there were those who were playing the numbers game--how many new people they could get, how many classes they could run, etc., and they certainly were encouraged in this direction by twi HQ. But the average twi believer out there was for real when we invited someone to fellowship.
We took kids off the street and fed them, we comforted those who were hurting, we tried to give answers to those who were searching--because we cared, not because we were trying to "recruit" anyone.
I understand that by the 90s, under LCM's fearless leadership, twi followers were told NOT to "recruit" any down and outers--they were instructed to go only after people with jobs and money and prestige and whatever other qualities LCM deemed desirable. So much for the last shreds of altruism that might have existed in that outfit, eh?
It worked like a charm, didn't it? Today twi is a teeny, tiny shadow of its former self, just bringing in enough cash to make sure its current head honchos can live out their days in comfort and style. WOW.
Linda Z. I dont believe that "recruiters" are a specially trained cadre' trained in the skills of manipulating people.
Nor do I think that cult members get together and deliberately plan to "lovebomb" a person with the intent of manipulating them.
I believe these things, such as the lovebomb (to coin a very 'loaded' term),the guilt manipulation, etc, happen spontaneously within groups of a certain dynamic.Why this occurs is another of those mysteries that Im trying to figure out.
I thought your comments were most excellent by the way.
"Not a very successful "recruitment" program anymore, so they went into the "the Word's already over the world" mode. I see this as comparable to the attitude your cat might exhibit right after falling into the toilet: I MEANT TO DO THAT!"
ROTFLMAO! And it is SO true! TWI can't be wrong because "God runs the corps, we believe the Word, etc."
Having left a little over a year ago, I can say that any shred of real heart was gone. It was all directed and imposed outreach. The fellowships in the state where I had friends who hadn't left were small and mostly shrinking. Some were stable but that was just a core of old Wayfers who hadn't died yet. No new people and their own kids bailed when they turned 18. Dead Church Walking.
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A la prochaine
Refiner,
You make me chuckle!
:D-->
Usually, it was someone you ran into, perhaps an old friend (who was now involve in TWI), someone you worked with, at the mall, a relative, even some door to door... where you got spoken to about 'The Word'.
After an initial contact, someone usually invited you to a fellowship held in someones home.
The fellowship consisted of a few songs, prayer, manifestations (speaking in tongues with interpretation, word of prophecy), a short teaching(or not so short sometimes
:(-->), then a few songs and prayer to close. These fellowships lasted from about 45 min. to 2 hrs. depending on the verbousness of the fellowship leader and teacher.
After attending a fellowship or two, someone would tell about the foundational class and see if you'd be interested in taking it. There was much pressure put upon someone to take this class. Usually their 'spiritual growth' hinged on taking it. Otherwise, you were not committed to God, in that you chose not to know more about God and the bible.
Now, at times, people were introduced to TWI by someone telling them about the 'class' and they attended the fellowship just so they could get more details on how to sign up.
Hope this clarifies some things. I know many posters will be able to add much more to what I've described here...
HAPPY HUNTING!!!
P.S. ...as far as I know, the word recruitment was never used.. it was termed 'outreach' and we were taught it was our duty since God had given us the ministry of reconciliation as one of our Godly rights to exercise.
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Tom Strange
And sometimes a couple of 'very friendly' girls would come up to you in a bar and start talking to you... being very interested in you... and after some time would invite you to come to a 'get together' with some 'friends' of theirs... and of course you were 'flattered' that they were so 'interested' in you and you wanted to return the favor (never mind that you had shared a couple of pitchers of beer with them)... they weren't 'religious' at all... what harm could there be...
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A la prochaine
Tom,
You make me chuckle too!~
:D-->
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Nottawayfer
Friends, family, and fellow workers were the mainstream people that twi tried to reach. My mom was witnessed to by some friends that she and my dad had know for over 20 years. Those friends were newbies in twi. They got my mom, cousing, and me involved just like Ala Prochaine said. We were invited to fellowship and then pressured to take the class. The pressure for classes never stopped until you took them all. Then you were expected to be on the class crews while other people took it. It was a vicious circle, and we were convinced that we were serving God's Word on a silver platter........when in fact we were used as free labor to pitch twi's classes.
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Danny
are when u are 17 just starting college no friends away from home horny as hell and a beutiful girl say hi would like to come to my place
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Refiner
About recruitment, I present an example from my own experience.
A guy once invited me to a "party". He was a personal aquaintance. I go with him to the party, Its a sales pitch, though there are balloons everywhere, to indicate that its a "party".
I get introduced to his "family", these are the people in his pyramid chain. The family surround me and "lovebomb" me. The women are very personal, very touchy feely and right in my face. Im surrounded by the "family" and they are bombarding me with questions trying to get me to vocalize my dreams about being super rich and visualizing what Im going to "DO with ALL THAT MONEY".
Anyway, I decided to play them at their own game and show negativity to the message. At first they tried reasoning with me, then they got angry, then they turned from me in utter disgust and SHUNNED me.
I was left to make my own way home.
Twas Amway.
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Tom Strange
Well of course WayferNot! I then brought my sister and sainted mother to the class... Mom thought "it was nice" but not anything new... you all know about the sister...
:(-->
Most of the folks I brought to fellowship/class were total strangers I'd met through witnessing... well there was my barber and his kids...
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GeorgeStGeorge
I was one of the minority who were recruited by strangers "cold witnessing" (not witnessing to friends, family, or co-workers). A couple of college students sat near me at the student union cafeteria and started talking to me about their Bible fellowship. They used some cheesy line to start the conversation, but after that it was pretty up-and-up. I said that I might be interested, so they gave me the address and phone number of the fellowship location. They offered to give me a ride, but I said that I would rather get there on my own. On the night of fellowship, I was planning to watch a Reds game on Monday Night Baseball. When I turned the game on, though, it was a White Sox game, so I decided to go to "that Bible thing."
I showed up a little late, and I think they were surprised to see me at all. Fellowship was certainly different from RC Mass, but I found it interesting. The speaking in tongues was certainly new. I enjoyed it enough to begin attending regularly.
Soon afterwards, there was a "public explanation" of the class after a fellowship. There was not a lot of pressure; they simply played an audio recording of the first hour of PFAL. It sounded good to me, so I signed up. (The class cost $100 at that time.)
As is probaly clear from some of my other posts, I found the class and fellowship to be worthwhile. That's why I witnessed to others.
George
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imbus
I was a cult memember waiting to happen. Lovebombing and what I hoped were answers to a confused life. That is what hooked me. At the time the answers made since.
I was witnessed to in a womens botique. I was so desperate for sanity I would have paid thousands for PFAL. Well, I guess in the long run I did.
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JustThinking
Refiner,
My last few years with TWI were ALL about recruitment. That was the theme at every turn. In fact, for a while, we would be taken out "witnessing" any time there was not a newbie at a meeting. So much fun. Not. :-( There was little to no attention paid to existing members unless they had a new person with them.
Taking classes was pushed very quickly but so was giving. Not at first but once they were "part of the fellowship" meaning getting into it. Whoever brought them was told to "explain the benefits of tithing and abundant sharing". (Abundant sharing in TWI terms is giving anything over 10%)
Also, keep in mind that TWI maintained some form of formal recruitment program like JWs. In the late 90s it became "The Way Disciples." You had to have taken all of their classes and been a fairly trusted member of one of their groups for some time. The initial guidance from Craig Martindale was that they would "confront the world with the Word." (My paraphrasing but it's very close to exact) It fit with his harsh, abrasive style. His logic was that "the Word was over the World" which meant it was availabe to anyone in the world who wanted it. Don't look for a small, US-centric group to fit that description. No logic in that at all. Therefore what the unbelieving world needed was to be confronted about their unbelief. When I asked if getting in someone's face was really a good way to win them over I got the usual non-answer. Just TWI double-speak.
My impression is that it has never been terribly successful. One way to tell is by what is not said. When they have something impressive like numbers, TWI trumpets them. If not, they dwell on some vague point that can't be measured. "They Way Disciples were so blessed..." etc.
I got in when my roommate was hit on by some hottie and he followed his genitals to a TWI meeting. He dragged me along. I met a couple of cool guys who liked to jam so we hit it off. That was back when playing your own music or (gasp!) worldly music was ok. I didn't really want to take a class but they said to try it and if I didn't like it I didn't have to finish. The rest is history.
JT
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JustThinking
One last point. People tried to warn me about TWI but the stories were so ridiculous that they seemed to have no credibility. My favorite was essentially that TWI kidnapped people and tortured them to make them gave in. Nothing of the sort ever happened that I saw. Most of the folks I met were genuinely nice or seemed so which made my other christian friends allegations look silly. In fact, TWI leaders used to even bring them up at meetings as examples of "attacks from the adversary." In hindsight it was brilliant! Bring it up to prejudice us before we heard it from a non-TWI person.
I wish there had been a site like this when I got it. Honest, factual information would been so helpful. But on a positive side, I'm glad Paw's here now. :-)
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dmiller
Ala is right. For me the "initial contact" was a coupla WOW's coming to the meetings I attended (a Jesus Freak group), sitting through the meeting, then "button-holing" folks after it was all over.
They had questions about our beliefs (4 of us responded to their invitation for coffee and discussion), and proceeded to tell us twi belief, and "come to fellowship, and see what we are about".
All 4 of us went, all 4 of us took the class, and all 4 of us are now out. We all lasted for a while, but by asking too many questions, and reverting to the independant thinking we were used to, we realized that we were not welcome at twi.
There were as many "recruitment" methods as there were "recruiters", but the basic common denominator, was to get you to a twig - teach - then sign you up for the "class".
Yea --"love bomb". Lots of that too. But twi (vs Amway) shoulda said ----
"Think of all that money you'll be spending".
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Dot Matrix
Tom
Did I witness to you at the "Gingerbread" bar?
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George Aar
And don't forget all the kissing.
Yes, we were to greet one another with an holy kiss! (those of the opposite sex, anyway, we weren't THAT into biblical accuracy). Every "twig" you went to, every "do", there were always lots of cute girls running up to you and giving you a big kiss.
That might not sound like such a big deal, but for a homely, dumpy, less-than-popular, adolescent boy, it was a helluva sales technique. Wow! They like me! They really like me! (said in my best Sally Fields voice)
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WordWolf
I agree with a la prochaine as to how meetings went.
Me, I was approached in a non-standard fashion, and you won't get much
insight from my details.
Simply put, I needed information they had. I was NOT love-bombed.
I already knew about love-bombing and sat right next to the door. If they
had acted like brainwashers, I was going to run.
pfal WAS pushed, but not every 15 seconds.
Not everybody fit the formula. The people in my area weren't so formulaic.
Then again, we're talking NYC, where conformity is a joke.
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dmiller
George -- you sure did grow out of that there description of yourself!
:)-->
I hear you about the "sales technique". It was used different ways, to "meet the goals".
-->
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Refiner
Hmmm. so it tended to be a friend or aquaintance apoproaching you. Either that or a "casual"(not so casual)approach by two hot specimens of the opposite sex in a public place.
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vickles
You got it refiner, at least it was for me.
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Refiner
Im here to learn Vickles, and to pass on what Ive learnt.
Now when I joined the Mormons that was pretty interesting. They rush you. Within a few days of commencing study you find yourself studying with them every day and youve got Mormons crawling all over you like fleas, all telling you how much they love you.
Theyre calling you up, uninvited, at 11pm at night.
They rush you off to the baptismal font within a week of starting study if youll let them.
But we had fun with the Momos cause when the two mishies brought the local Bishie round to meet me and guide me thru study 6, I had an exit councellor there waiting for them.
They werent too happy about that.
Cult recruiters dont like it when you turn their own deceptive methods back on them.
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Refiner
I have been involved with a couple groups, Such as the Elonias Foundation and Lyndon Larouche where people just lay it all on you, you got people hissing at you, shouting abuse and accusing you of betraying your country.
This is real early in the piece.
I suppose it is a matter of whether you are at a place in your life where you will let people treat you like a dog. Thats the only kind of person theyre looking for, if your not willing to place yourself in slavery to them very quickly, and be a punching bag, theyre not interested.
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Goey
Danny,
Yeah, I was witnessed to by a babe in a bar.Danny, do you remember the name of that bar there in Baton Rouge where I was first witnessed to? Was it Jesters?
I recall a bar with a small dance floor and dancing with your roomate "F--- N--- " who then invited me over to your place on Edson St. for a "bible study" the next week.
I got there about 10 minutes late and y'all almost didn't let me in!
Wow, that was over 25 years ago ...
Bill
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Linda Z
Refiner:
You sound as if you think the "recruiters" are different people from the other members of twi. I don't know about the other groups you infiltrated in an effort to expose them, but aside from the WOW program (1-year evangelizin' missionary-type commitment; later they had Way Disciples or something...after my time), that wasn't the case.
In other words, "We have met the enemy and they are us." (thank you, Pogo) In the early 70s, if we liked what we heard and saw at a twi fellowship or class, we enthusiastically told others about it. Thus twi grew.
By the late 70s, people were being pressured more and more to push PFAL and twi. To "go witnessing" and "sign people up for the class." Thus the seeds were planted for it to shrink, if you ask me.
By the mid-80s, twi had become much more "corporate" than in earlier days (or, much more obviously corporate, to those who believe it was never more than a money-making scam to begin with). Up and coming Twi leader wannabes imitated LCM, who was imitating VPW in form more than substance, and voila, more shrinkage resulted.
Not a very successful "recruitment" program anymore, so they went into the "the Word's already over the world" mode. I see this as comparable to the attitude your cat might exhibit right after falling into the toilet: I MEANT TO DO THAT!
The term "love-bombing," is one of those anti-cult cultists' buzz words that sounds like some sort of a commie plot. I've always felt that term to be misleading. Who were these "love bombers"?
No one during my 17 years in twi ever said or implied or hinted to me, "Pretend you care about people to suck them in." Our care for people who came to fellowship, in my own experience and that of many friends, was genuine.
I know there were those who were playing the numbers game--how many new people they could get, how many classes they could run, etc., and they certainly were encouraged in this direction by twi HQ. But the average twi believer out there was for real when we invited someone to fellowship.
We took kids off the street and fed them, we comforted those who were hurting, we tried to give answers to those who were searching--because we cared, not because we were trying to "recruit" anyone.
I understand that by the 90s, under LCM's fearless leadership, twi followers were told NOT to "recruit" any down and outers--they were instructed to go only after people with jobs and money and prestige and whatever other qualities LCM deemed desirable. So much for the last shreds of altruism that might have existed in that outfit, eh?
It worked like a charm, didn't it? Today twi is a teeny, tiny shadow of its former self, just bringing in enough cash to make sure its current head honchos can live out their days in comfort and style. WOW.
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Refiner
Linda Z. I dont believe that "recruiters" are a specially trained cadre' trained in the skills of manipulating people.
Nor do I think that cult members get together and deliberately plan to "lovebomb" a person with the intent of manipulating them.
I believe these things, such as the lovebomb (to coin a very 'loaded' term),the guilt manipulation, etc, happen spontaneously within groups of a certain dynamic.Why this occurs is another of those mysteries that Im trying to figure out.
I thought your comments were most excellent by the way.
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JustThinking
LindaZ:
"Not a very successful "recruitment" program anymore, so they went into the "the Word's already over the world" mode. I see this as comparable to the attitude your cat might exhibit right after falling into the toilet: I MEANT TO DO THAT!"
ROTFLMAO! And it is SO true! TWI can't be wrong because "God runs the corps, we believe the Word, etc."
Having left a little over a year ago, I can say that any shred of real heart was gone. It was all directed and imposed outreach. The fellowships in the state where I had friends who hadn't left were small and mostly shrinking. Some were stable but that was just a core of old Wayfers who hadn't died yet. No new people and their own kids bailed when they turned 18. Dead Church Walking.
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