:)--> It's a place to vent -- let out the steam buildup from varying amounts of pressure-container existence from not being able to express true feelings / personal opinions, etc. And it's so nice for all of us to have a place to speak our piece.
:)--> Inspiration for those who are afraid to be a be-leaver. There is really some good living and GOOD loving outside of twi.
:)--> Place to learn about computer / internet world. It's the people here and at the fore-runners of WayDale and Trancechat that took the time to show me the way to do stuff on the computer.
:)--> There's a place here to grieve for people loved who have fallen asleep.
:)--> There's a place here to post prayer requests which get some good praying over.
:)--> It's a safe place to kick back and enjoy good food, good fun and games, and pleasant conversation, (Birthday cake is never stale, and the champagne is always bubbly!)
p.s. It takes all of the cafe patrons to make this place so nice.
People can learn from each other here how to overcome using the TWI filter ~ and what that actually is ~
GS addresses the stumbling blocks and obsticles people find in common.
If some do not want to let go of the 'filter' for whatever reason
...they may find others here who are 'like-minded' and offer mutual support.
People can get past the embarrassment and shame of 'culting' (if that's bothersome)
by sharing the commonality of this experience with others.
Once people come here, they find out this is not a twig meeting, or a fellowship, but a serious site that exposes the cult along with the behaviors & attitudes many needed to utilize for the survival of 'belonging' to the cult.
Closure requires taking full responsibility for ones' own life and the actions also taken.
Without assuming (old) leadership or follower roles, one can venture to sound out their general thinking regarding this cult experience, as well as their personal take of it, without being penalized.
For some, it's a long time over-due.
Dropping cult behaviors in order to deal with life in real time, seems a very good thing to get on with, no?
Who doesn't want to just have a nice life w/o being messed with or controlled, down to the minutiae?
When one is able to reach closure with their TWI experience, the blame-games lessen or stop completely, and genuine acceptance brings a peace.
People need to move ahead and can more readily when they are empowered.
Informed, not indoctrinated, by a system designed to control rather than nurture.
Where do you get self-reliance when you are constantly told how to be, when to be, where to be...every single moment of your day, week, month...through constant contact and practices and pecking orders...it's religious boot-camp, for sure.
And no one disagrees that military boot-camps use mind-control as a practice to pump out our best and bravest...order, following, soldiers.
Finding closure becomes simpler without
the need to create or believe in the delusions utilized to persuade members to stay 'in' the cult, that kept the mind and person oppressed.
It is what it is/was...now what?
We move ahead and on in life.
Lots of people have gotten to do what they've dreamed of, and are capable of, because a cult isn't interfering in their life anymore or selling them short...impacting their lives...and personal values...creating disadvantages for families and isolations away from those who love them.
GSCafe is a good place to examine for oneself, their time spent in TWI, to see what their losses were, why things were allowed to happen...how it all came about...and how by design, it basically was going to happen.
And who actually benefitted from all this happenning ~
GSCafe supports people, (when everyone is behaving) by encouraging others
to think for themselves, w/o exploitation
(usually).
Looking ahead to living life as a much wiser person, with the understanding, we can gain some balance.
The flaws/defects TWI imposed/ingrained, encouraged within it's membership can be thrown off or stripped away, and seen for what it was, now that the smoke has cleared for some.
contempt for other churches and faiths, homo-phobia w/contempt,
female diminishment/servitude
slave-labor, no benefits or retirement planning, etc.
Leaving the cult attitudes in the past (along with TWI) takes time and understanding,
but GSCafe seems to weather it well.
It's like a mirror, for many, at different stages of recovering themselves fully.
To become all you want to be or finding the path for you to grow or heal on in the real world...it can be done by shedding the TWI-ness or it's goggles you had to peer through for so long...
Life, without being blind-sided by fears and doubts, TWI-style, like
...the fear of demons, death w/o TWI, fear of other people, fear of displeasing or loosing God, obsessive thinking, being superstitious from TWI-brand of lessons, over-spiritualizing every little ioda of life
...or even a movie or book or work of art
...can be arrested
And one's life can be well worth living, consciously through it too (presence of mind)
and very good again for any ex-cultist, as it is meant to be
...and will begin to happen as you reach for closure.
Life is good, so who needs the trappings and
mannerisms spawned and encouraged by THAT cult anyway.
That's closure for me!
To have your life back, the one you were meant to live...with those you love...happy & free-to-be type people...w/o the chains of any TWI agenda that indoctrinated/introduced countless manipulations in order to exploit and control your life.
You wanted answers, they gave you their agenda instead.
You wanted life, they gave you a prison.
You wanted to share, they took everything you had to give and then some.
If you had special happy moments of love and bliss there, and spiritual rejoicing, it was not by their hand, but by your own grace.
Every person is special...but it's not so fun when some are trying to be 'the special ones'
...and god help anyone in their way
...The Way
Arrogance personified!
...nasty girl, have some tea!
Yeah, Closure & Greasespot, Paw
Like tea & cookies
Goes together...
I'm not doing another long post for a long long time...sigh...aren't you glad?
This place allows for a full range of thinking and different perspectives. And every perspective has a value. As opposed to, the "ONLY" right perspective was the perspective of twi.
Here is a place for people to begin thinking for themselves again. As well as learning not to get "bullied" into an oppinion. But, at the same time learn other perspectives, which leads to being more "well rounded" on various topics.
As you well know we have a wide array of posters here. From the "heavy" thinkers to the all "fluff" and no "stuff", and everthing in between.
Where else do you see a group of people who admit that they were actually stupid enough to belong to a cult? But, smart enough to get out. And, compassionate enough to help others leave the same cult.
One last point (for now),
As seen in another thread, if it wasn't for this place...
Some of the posters here might be wnadering the streets :P--> ;)-->
In closing,
Paw, thanks for all the work you do to keep this place together. :)-->
It's like "Cheers" - - everybody knows your name...and also everybody knows where you've been.
It is where I learned to trust again. It's a place to get your bearings; rest when you need it; expand on your horizons.
Some of us actually learned proper social skills with a little coaching!
And - - many of us have enhanced our spiritual understanding beyond what was taught to us because there is a genuine desire to teach and there is no class fee!
I chose all of the above because it is different for each individual. I remember when I first starting lurking at the discussion forums (while still in), I was really curious and still fearful that I was "opening" myself up. LOL! What a dummy I was! Then my boyfriend (innie) started reading the discussion forums and was discussing with me that there were problems in twi that needed to be taken care of . At the time I was skeptical of twi, but I didn't see how reading the "bad stuff" about it was going to change it. IMO at the time, it would just pees me off. So I told him he should stop reading. Well then later, I started reading and then started posting. That changed everything for me. I saw that God would still be there for me even if I left twi. I went through a lot of mental anguish while still in, but the end result is good. I am enjoying my life out. I don't care what happens in or to twi. I have a great church I go to, and I don't even feel the compelling desire to have to agree with everything they teach. I hold fast to the good. Yeah, any suporter of twi or WayGB probably think I could have done the same thing while remaining in twi, but then again I would be an idiot to stay somewhere where I can be abused.
Funny thing, I'm out, ex-boyfriend is still in.
Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.
[This message was edited by Wayfer Not! on September 09, 2003 at 12:03.]
I came here a little for "nostalgia" (lingo talk, this & that), closure, and information as to why I felt "vague" about TWI - vague feelings of good and bad, believing it and not believing it. Some of my "vague" feelings have cleared up. It's good to read about other people complaining about things I complained about to myself - "good" vs "best" for example. That was a real killer and a killjoy!! Sometimes I grudgingly followed, sometimes enthousiatically, sometimes gullible, sometimes not at all. Best is not really best and good is good!! GS cafe is good!!
Now, how in the world could Ginger Tea make John Kerry cry?
I have no idea, but I do know that someone, probably the aforementioned GT has shown (by the post, above) and incredibly insightful capacity for reflection.
What a blessing.
Others comments hit the mark too... I like the Cheers analogy. (I'll be Norm).
Rocketman--fine, you can be Norm--but I ain't playin' no Cliff to your Norm :D--> --I was thinkin I might reprise the old, crusty guy with the hat who was always on the far side of the bar....
It is nice to see that people we may have known in the past are still around. I am amazed at the many different opinions people now have about most everything we have ever learnd in twi. It seems that we have thrown out the "law of believing" (the needs and wants parallel thing always slew me...never ever understood it even though so many, many people tried to explain it all to no avail), but as I have mentioned once before, we may have left twi, but has twi left us? I have to say "no" to the latter. We all (well most of us, myself included), still have residual crap that needs to be sifted through. GS helps us see various viewpoints and as there is safety in the multitude of counsellors, we are in good company here.
Aww, you noticed I was away. How sweet. ;)--> Out of town again.
I guess I wouldn't have wasted time well, wasting time at a dead ministry where I never felt comfortable, always felt spiritually inferior, yet always was trying to convince others these were the ones with the truth. When the people who I was trying to convice were leading happy lives and I was MISERABLE, confused and lonely cause I was convinced not to go out to the world or another church to get my needs met cause only the wayfers were the ones with the truth. (I was in an offshoot)
...Ain't no grave, gonna hold this body down..when I hear that trumpet sound...
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Ttessa
cuz you & Kit need more to do?
Just a JOKE!!!!
:D--> 
Thankyou, thank you Paw (and Kit) for all you do. This forum facilitates my healing and growth!
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WordWolf
I think you covered it all.
This is a social arena, where regulars DO
interact, old friendships are renewed, and new
friendships start.
However, IMHO, the most vital functions of the
GSC are its role in assisting people in leaving
twi, or in never getting involved in twi,
and in offering a place to communicate, and
possibly assistance in recovery, for those who
successfully escape twi.
As I see it, everything else, fun though it is,
is a secondary consideration.
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WhiteDove
Paw one more the prayer room .
Without Coffee
I Would Have No Personality At All!
Drink your coffee children in India are sleeping
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Kit Sober
p.s. It takes all of the cafe patrons to make this place so nice.
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simonzelotes
Uhhh,...what's TWI?
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Ginger Tea
People can learn from each other here how to overcome using the TWI filter ~ and what that actually is ~
GS addresses the stumbling blocks and obsticles people find in common.
If some do not want to let go of the 'filter' for whatever reason
...they may find others here who are 'like-minded' and offer mutual support.
People can get past the embarrassment and shame of 'culting' (if that's bothersome)
by sharing the commonality of this experience with others.
Once people come here, they find out this is not a twig meeting, or a fellowship, but a serious site that exposes the cult along with the behaviors & attitudes many needed to utilize for the survival of 'belonging' to the cult.
Closure requires taking full responsibility for ones' own life and the actions also taken.
Without assuming (old) leadership or follower roles, one can venture to sound out their general thinking regarding this cult experience, as well as their personal take of it, without being penalized.
For some, it's a long time over-due.
Dropping cult behaviors in order to deal with life in real time, seems a very good thing to get on with, no?
Who doesn't want to just have a nice life w/o being messed with or controlled, down to the minutiae?
When one is able to reach closure with their TWI experience, the blame-games lessen or stop completely, and genuine acceptance brings a peace.
People need to move ahead and can more readily when they are empowered.
Informed, not indoctrinated, by a system designed to control rather than nurture.
Where do you get self-reliance when you are constantly told how to be, when to be, where to be...every single moment of your day, week, month...through constant contact and practices and pecking orders...it's religious boot-camp, for sure.
And no one disagrees that military boot-camps use mind-control as a practice to pump out our best and bravest...order, following, soldiers.
Finding closure becomes simpler without
the need to create or believe in the delusions utilized to persuade members to stay 'in' the cult, that kept the mind and person oppressed.
It is what it is/was...now what?
We move ahead and on in life.
Lots of people have gotten to do what they've dreamed of, and are capable of, because a cult isn't interfering in their life anymore or selling them short...impacting their lives...and personal values...creating disadvantages for families and isolations away from those who love them.
GSCafe is a good place to examine for oneself, their time spent in TWI, to see what their losses were, why things were allowed to happen...how it all came about...and how by design, it basically was going to happen.
And who actually benefitted from all this happenning ~
GSCafe supports people, (when everyone is behaving) by encouraging others
to think for themselves, w/o exploitation
(usually).
Looking ahead to living life as a much wiser person, with the understanding, we can gain some balance.
The flaws/defects TWI imposed/ingrained, encouraged within it's membership can be thrown off or stripped away, and seen for what it was, now that the smoke has cleared for some.
Remember this stuff:
intolerence, arrogance, eliteism, know-it-all-ituity, obsessiveness,
over-blown need for approval, self-righteousness, judgementalism, group-reinforcement, child-parent role-play, all-consuming neediness,
non-stop service-rituals,
unhealthy dependancies, self-devaluation, demon ideations, self-absorbed zenophobia,
little-to-no emotional range,
emotional suppression, anti-social,
contempt for other churches and faiths, homo-phobia w/contempt,
female diminishment/servitude
slave-labor, no benefits or retirement planning, etc.
Leaving the cult attitudes in the past (along with TWI) takes time and understanding,
but GSCafe seems to weather it well.
It's like a mirror, for many, at different stages of recovering themselves fully.
To become all you want to be or finding the path for you to grow or heal on in the real world...it can be done by shedding the TWI-ness or it's goggles you had to peer through for so long...
Life, without being blind-sided by fears and doubts, TWI-style, like
...the fear of demons, death w/o TWI, fear of other people, fear of displeasing or loosing God, obsessive thinking, being superstitious from TWI-brand of lessons, over-spiritualizing every little ioda of life
...or even a movie or book or work of art
...can be arrested
And one's life can be well worth living, consciously through it too (presence of mind)
and very good again for any ex-cultist, as it is meant to be
...and will begin to happen as you reach for closure.
Life is good, so who needs the trappings and
mannerisms spawned and encouraged by THAT cult anyway.
That's closure for me!
To have your life back, the one you were meant to live...with those you love...happy & free-to-be type people...w/o the chains of any TWI agenda that indoctrinated/introduced countless manipulations in order to exploit and control your life.
You wanted answers, they gave you their agenda instead.
You wanted life, they gave you a prison.
You wanted to share, they took everything you had to give and then some.
If you had special happy moments of love and bliss there, and spiritual rejoicing, it was not by their hand, but by your own grace.
Every person is special...but it's not so fun when some are trying to be 'the special ones'
...and god help anyone in their way
...The Way
Arrogance personified!
...nasty girl, have some tea!
Yeah, Closure & Greasespot, Paw
Like tea & cookies
Goes together...
I'm not doing another long post for a long long time...sigh...aren't you glad?
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simonzelotes
Uhhh,yeah Ginger,...If you divided your post into two you'd have two long posts....
Really though,a lot of good thoughts...
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Zshot
Among other things...
This place allows for a full range of thinking and different perspectives. And every perspective has a value. As opposed to, the "ONLY" right perspective was the perspective of twi.
Here is a place for people to begin thinking for themselves again. As well as learning not to get "bullied" into an oppinion. But, at the same time learn other perspectives, which leads to being more "well rounded" on various topics.
As you well know we have a wide array of posters here. From the "heavy" thinkers to the all "fluff" and no "stuff", and everthing in between.
Where else do you see a group of people who admit that they were actually stupid enough to belong to a cult? But, smart enough to get out. And, compassionate enough to help others leave the same cult.
One last point (for now),
As seen in another thread, if it wasn't for this place...
Some of the posters here might be wnadering the streets
:P--> 
;)-->
In closing,
Paw, thanks for all the work you do to keep this place together.
:)-->
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QamiQazi
Greasespots talking.
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krys
It's like "Cheers" - - everybody knows your name...and also everybody knows where you've been.
It is where I learned to trust again. It's a place to get your bearings; rest when you need it; expand on your horizons.
Some of us actually learned proper social skills with a little coaching!
And - - many of us have enhanced our spiritual understanding beyond what was taught to us because there is a genuine desire to teach and there is no class fee!
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Nottawayfer
I chose all of the above because it is different for each individual. I remember when I first starting lurking at the discussion forums (while still in), I was really curious and still fearful that I was "opening" myself up. LOL! What a dummy I was! Then my boyfriend (innie) started reading the discussion forums and was discussing with me that there were problems in twi that needed to be taken care of . At the time I was skeptical of twi, but I didn't see how reading the "bad stuff" about it was going to change it. IMO at the time, it would just pees me off. So I told him he should stop reading. Well then later, I started reading and then started posting. That changed everything for me. I saw that God would still be there for me even if I left twi. I went through a lot of mental anguish while still in, but the end result is good. I am enjoying my life out. I don't care what happens in or to twi. I have a great church I go to, and I don't even feel the compelling desire to have to agree with everything they teach. I hold fast to the good. Yeah, any suporter of twi or WayGB probably think I could have done the same thing while remaining in twi, but then again I would be an idiot to stay somewhere where I can be abused.
Funny thing, I'm out, ex-boyfriend is still in.
Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.
[This message was edited by Wayfer Not! on September 09, 2003 at 12:03.]
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CircleGame
Wow Ginger Tea, excellent post!!
I came here a little for "nostalgia" (lingo talk, this & that), closure, and information as to why I felt "vague" about TWI - vague feelings of good and bad, believing it and not believing it. Some of my "vague" feelings have cleared up. It's good to read about other people complaining about things I complained about to myself - "good" vs "best" for example. That was a real killer and a killjoy!! Sometimes I grudgingly followed, sometimes enthousiatically, sometimes gullible, sometimes not at all. Best is not really best and good is good!! GS cafe is good!!
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Rocky
Now, how in the world could Ginger Tea make John Kerry cry?
I have no idea, but I do know that someone, probably the aforementioned GT has shown (by the post, above) and incredibly insightful capacity for reflection.
What a blessing.
Others comments hit the mark too... I like the Cheers analogy. (I'll be Norm).
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herbiejuan
Ginger that WAS a long post I hadda stop fer lunch half way through it
:P-->
Thanks
:)-->
Mikey
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CoolWaters
The "Cheers" analogy is terrific! GSC is like that a whole lot...in the chummy, hangout style as well as in the drop in after a long absence style.
Hiya Ginger...great post!
;)-->
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alfakat
Rocketman--fine, you can be Norm--but I ain't playin' no Cliff to your Norm
:D--> 
--I was thinkin I might reprise the old, crusty guy with the hat who was always on the far side of the bar....
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pawtucket
I like the Cheers analogy too...
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excathedra
Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
All those night when you've got no lights,
The check is in the mail;
And your little angel
Hung the cat up by it's tail;
And your third fiance didn't show;
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.
Roll out of bed, Mr. Coffee's dead;
The morning's looking bright;
And your shrink ran off to Europe,
And didn't even write;
And your husband wants to be a girl;
Be glad there's one place in the world
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to go where people know,
People are all the same;
You want to go where everybody knows your name.
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
**
okay so screen names or real, it's still nice to be put up with
:)-->
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exousia
It is nice to see that people we may have known in the past are still around. I am amazed at the many different opinions people now have about most everything we have ever learnd in twi. It seems that we have thrown out the "law of believing" (the needs and wants parallel thing always slew me...never ever understood it even though so many, many people tried to explain it all to no avail), but as I have mentioned once before, we may have left twi, but has twi left us? I have to say "no" to the latter. We all (well most of us, myself included), still have residual crap that needs to be sifted through. GS helps us see various viewpoints and as there is safety in the multitude of counsellors, we are in good company here.
exousia
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RottieGrrrl
All I can say is I wish GS and computers and the internet like it is now was here MUCH SOONER. I wouldn't have wasted so much time.
...Ain't no grave, gonna hold this body down..when I hear that trumpet sound...
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Tom Strange
so much time doing what young lady?!?!
and where have you been???
we missed your bark!
... big hitter, the lama...
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RottieGrrrl
Aww, you noticed I was away. How sweet.
;)--> Out of town again.
I guess I wouldn't have wasted time well, wasting time at a dead ministry where I never felt comfortable, always felt spiritually inferior, yet always was trying to convince others these were the ones with the truth. When the people who I was trying to convice were leading happy lives and I was MISERABLE, confused and lonely cause I was convinced not to go out to the world or another church to get my needs met cause only the wayfers were the ones with the truth. (I was in an offshoot)
...Ain't no grave, gonna hold this body down..when I hear that trumpet sound...
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Tom Strange
I'd give you a hug and a kiss but I don't want that dog to slobber all over me!
... big hitter, the lama...
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RottieGrrrl
Awww, I'll give ya full body rottie hug then ((((Tom))))
...Ain't no grave, gonna hold this body down..when I hear that trumpet sound...
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