Why Did You Leave TWI?

[Out There]

When I recieved the Loyalty letter in the mail I immediately called LCM and by some miracle after leaving a message he actually called me back. When I asked if this letter was a call to blindly follow him he said I had been doing this all along. I then told him thats what he thinks he could "kiss my foot".

I think I was dropped from the rolls of the Way Corps that next morning.

[Eagle]

Belle,

It is a story such as yours that makes me grieve the most about people in TWI, putting "God" inbetween people and separating them instead of putting them together as a family unit.

I am so sorry that happened to you. The Church was meant to marry people, not recommend divorces. You may be okay now and I am glad of that, but you sure were victimized more than most I know.

God Bless You and I hope you found someone else to really enjoy God with.

Whatever the rest of your story, your's drives the point home the hardest.

Eagle

[Lifted Up]

I left because I was like yanked out. Was told it was needed because we were so mind contyrolled that no one would or could ever leave on his/her own no matter how bad things got. Obviously that has not been the case.

[def59]

I walked away because I just didn't care anymore.

[Belle]

Awwwww, Thanks, Eagle. :)

It was pretty painful, but I"m stronger for it I 'spose. They definitely weren't "Godly" in their doctrine and handling of things regarding family and relationships.

I'm much better off outside the confines of TWI, but also coming to terms with the fact that I many never have the kids I always wanted since I wasted my most "fertile" years with a man who didn't love me the way a husband should. 'Sokay; I've got an awesome family and a spoiled rotten dog. I also think I'll make one heck of a crazy aunt when my little brother starts his family. :P

[oldiesman]

Belle, I am sorry to hear that you don't have kids and you are sad about that.

If it is any consolation to you, I also have no kids and probably never will.

[Belle]

Thanks, OM. I appreciate that. :)

[Eagle]

Belle and O.M.

I share the same situation. I have adult step children but none of my own. My wife and I tried but when we went to the fertility clinic, I thought it might be my wife because she was in her forties. Turns out she was okay...I was not. I was pretty much sterile in what they described. The little "guys" I did have (not many) didn't move. They are supposed to swim.

I had couch potato sperm, I think. Kind of describes it. Instead of them going to the egg, my guys just sat there doing nothing...probably wanting the egg to come to them. Probably all sitting there with a remote control trying to move the egg. Heck, the description was not good. Even if the egg did come down to them, they couldn't penetrate it. They would just flop over and maybe lay on top of it or something. They suggested I had been like this since birth and inquired if my mother had a difficult pregnancy. She did, I was a premie. They suspected she was given a medicine called DES or something, causing birth defects. I suppose one of them was sterility.

That answers a lot of questions on why none of my old girlfriends got pregnant, even whey they tried to trick me into it. I was glad about it then, but not now. My wife is okay with it because she had two children already from a previous marriage. But it really depressed me when I found that out.

Our solution is adoption. We are doing a search and we want a little girl between three to six years old. It is a tough search but we are on it now. Belle, if you still want children, though maybe not your own, then maybe you might think about that. Or maybe see if you still can, with some modern science, still have kids...

God Bless the both of you...Belle and O.M.

Eagle

[Belle]

How exciting, Eagle! I hope you get your new little girl soon! I've heard of DES and the problems that children have had as a result of their mom's taking it. I'm sorry about that. Those poor mom's thought they were doing the right thing and unfortunately sometimes we don't know about the long term side effects till there's already lots of victims.

One of my dog training buddies, for her fortieth birthday, adopted a child from China. She's seven years old now and absolutely adorable and sooooo intelligent. Just a delightful child to be around. My friend figured she hadn't met "Mr. Right" and would maybe never get married, so this was the best way for her to have the child that she had always wanted.

I figure if I'm not married by then, I will probably adopt also. I'm still hoping to find Mr. Right and have his babies, though. :P

[Eagle]

Belle:

I'll pray for Mr. Right to come across your path and marry you. And I'll pray that you CAN have the children you want.

While I'm at it I'll pray he's excited about God, extremely attracted to you, good-looking, great personality, and RICH!

Eagle

[dmiller]

I left because I was like yanked out. Was told it was needed because we were so mind contyrolled that no one would or could ever leave on his/her own no matter how bad things got. Obviously that has not been the case.

I wasn't *yanked out*, but once I saw the hypocrisy of *do as I say*, I was on the way out.

After hearing multiple stories of something I never would have imagined possible, I began to see that twi was no more than a church in sheep's clothing. Woops -- did I say *church*?? I meant wolf. :unsure:

I didn't believe the first reports I heard (hey -- I am a long ways from hdqtrs), but when they kept coming up;

and coming up;

and coming up;

It got pretty hard to ignore the reports.

It got really hard to absolve guilt from all I heard;

AND THE GUILT STARTED FROM THE TOP!!!

I left the outfit because they had sunk to lower depths than those they had castigated in the past. They became the outfit that they always preached against -- the church.

Legalistic.

Demanding.

*Our way or the Highway*.

No question of Doctrine.

You follow -- We lead.

And on, and on, and on, and on.

Does anyone here believe in the law of gravity??????????

WHAT IS CORRUPT AT THE TOP, WILL FIND IT'S WAY TO THE BOTTOM.

David

[Lifted Up]

So...what drove you out was what you heard...not (initially at least) what happened to you. Or if what happened to you was a factor, it was not until you looked at it in the light of what you heard. I suppose I should put a question mark at the end of that.

?

Edited October 21, 2005 by Lifted Up

[MadeItThrough]

"My way or the highway!"

LCM's constant yelling and screaming at us naughty little children

TWI first, fellowship 2nd, family 3rd, friends...that's right, NO friends! "I have no friends when it comes to the Word."

Membership with the only "Household of Faith" on Earth! We have ALL truth and there is no other way. You have arrived on your spiritual journey, be thankful and do not question us. "Oh, we love you!" The more you give the more God will give....it's a promise. Sell your house and promote God's Word, your rewards will be great!

"Can you satisfy this mog? He is a new believer in town and needs a friend. God will bless a woman that blesses a mog!" Quote unquote from my WC home fellowship coordinator. A real winner.

Then push, push, sell, sell our wonderful life changing Word of God! What is the cost?

1. Your family

2. Your friends

3. Your higher education

4. Your career

5. Your heart, soul and mind

6. Your bank account

7. If possible, your house and other investments

8. Psych medications

9. Counseling and Anti-Cult Therapy

I am possessed to even write this so I must try to renew my mind and find a local fellowship...or "God won't even spit in my direction!"

:blink: Where WAS I these years?

[railroader]

I left when it became obvious that what we had from BoD was a bunch of B* S* and a dictatorship who seems to think that, just because you are an innie, they could run roughshod over people's lives where and whenever they felt like it. It was like you could not ven breathe without a decree from rr & company. Even though vpw may have been wrong in things that he did or said, I know that what this ministry has gotten to over the past few years is not what he had originally intended. So, hats off to loy, rosie and their friends for turning something that could have been good into something from the black lagoon.....

[Eagle]

MadeItThrough:

You are ever so right about that stupid phrase: "I have no friends when it comes to the Word". That just made the Word sound as if it was elitist, separatist, combative, and that your friends don't matter if they did not believe, so just give up on them, and say, heck, let 'em die and rot in hell if they don't believe. We should be witnessing in one way or another, either through life example or a word every now and then to your friends. A true believer is a true friend, and will not give up on their friends.

Great insight, MIT.

Eagle

[krys]

MadeItThrough:

What a wonderful post. Welcome to our tree house on the net. I'll get your pie while Raf pours your coffee!

Why did I leave? I left from pure exhaustion. I really, really, from my heart really wanted to be the best disciple I could be for God. I just followed the wrong rules, but I was duped into believing they were the right rules - - the only set of rules. Like everybody else, I paid a very high price for being duped.

But Jesus Christ, who didn't really exist in the organization already paid the price in full. Since the price was already paid, I wonder why I worked so hard and spent so much money and energy getting God to spit in my direction. I don't even remember why I thought I needed that.

Good evening Mr. Linder. Happy Trails to you.

[Second James]

Welcome Made it Thru...I too expereinced the same thing...as my circle of friends was pretty much Wayfer-ized..I still have a few from the old days, but overall...I've gone elsehwere & my friendships are STILL genuine..funny how "the proofs in the puddin" so to speak as a true friend is there for you at any cost!

Enjoy the soup....MIT!! JJ

[Ham]

I voted for invasion of privacy and running my life..

But if you had a write in, I'd say, "finally woke up".

I woke up.. to the reality that I COULD NOT do what "they" said. Even if it WAS "the Word". Just plain impossible. I beheld the hoops and standards as they were raised higher and higher.. and I was just too darn tired to jump anymore..

Pathetic, I know..

[Mercedes Benz]

I left when I realized that the person I had been when I first went to a twig fellowship in the late 70's would no longer be welcome in The Way of LCM. That the Twig people who had overlooked my pot smoking, unorthodox lifestyle and embraced me, helped me to heal, would have gotten in trouble with their branch cordinator for allowing me through the front door. When it was no longer okay for me to refer to VPW as "Vic" in front of my Twig coordinator. I can remember the moment when I realized that the person I once had been would no longer have been viewed by Way people as "God's masterpiece" with a little baggage, but rather someone worthly of ridiculing on a Sunday night tape. Someone to distain.

I left when I no longer saw the love.

[penguin]

Amen Mercedes!

I left when I no longer saw the love

[GeorgeStGeorge]

I left because they threw me out (not one of the choices, interestingly); but the "root cause" was invasion of privacy, so that's how I voted.

I also noticed the attitude that Mercedes Benz described. I remember my BC telling me at the last ROA that we weren't witnessing to "nerds" anymore. (By which he meant, I assume, those of less health, wealth, and worldly standing than us. Being a Ph.D. chemist ,I don't think he meant "nerds" in the classic sense.)

George

[Outin88.]

I left becuase I believe God was working in my heart to do so.

Since that wasn't a catagory listed, I selected "Doctrine". Wrong doctrine leads to wrong practice, and I saw quite a bit of both, which I believe grieves God!

For me leaving TWI was not an easy decision, but gradually my wife and I decided it was what we had to do.

Thoughout my time in TWI, I saw several red flags which I ignored, but in the late 80's those flags became impossible for us to ignore.

First Pop was read causing folks in my area to be confused, upset, sometimes angry and questioning.

About six months later John Schoenheit was fired for writing a biblical research paper showing that Adultry is a sin! Which caused more folks to be upset, confused, angry and questioning.

A short time after that Ralph D. resigned. We were told to stay away from him. Words like Possessed and out of fellowship were spoken regarding him. Having been a twig coordinator in Massachussetts during Ralph's years as the limb/region coordinator, I got to know, trust and love the man. So this was very upsetting for me and many folks in my area were upset, confused, angry and had more questions then answers.

Some corps in my area decided to visit Ralph and hear what he had to say, but being a good "waybrained" follower I stayed clear of him for a while at first. I spoke with a friend who saw Ralph and he told me some things that seemed unbelievable.

Eventually, I felt a tug from God and did go and hear what Ralph had to say. Ralph shared on some erroneous doctrines as being taught, and shared that the BOT and Geer had been confronted to change, but they refused. Ralph told how he confronted both LCM and VPW on the adultry going on. He spoke about a suicide by a women over the adultry issue. Ralph said he feared for his life while at HQ and was kept guarded, not being allowed to leave his trailer at HQ after he resigned.

All this was a lot to take in at the time and my wife and I, after much prayer and discussion, felt that since the BOT's were confronted that they would change. We decided not to leave at that time and were believing that the ministry to heal.

A month or so later we received and read the 37 page letter from Jal, Ralph et. al. Now we thought TWI would finally change for the better.

Next we received a tape from Geer and Loy, confronting the letter. The one thing that stands out on that tape was LCM admitting he hadn't turned back to the one true God. Right after Jal and the others were fired.

Next Sue PXXrce came to our area and we decided to hear what she had to say, she shared more erroneous doctrines that TWI was teaching, including the the athletes of the spirit, idolitry of VPW.

Letters and tapes were being sent around from various believers talking about the problems in TWI and some of the wrong doctrines and practices, giving us more food for thought.

Then a week later Jal came to our area, and shared more horror stories and wrong doctrintes as taught by TWI, he also showed where Geer was off the word and was also a part of the adultry going on in TWI.

My wife and I with group of believes mostly corps got together to work the word and discuss what Ralph, Jal, Sue P. and others were sharing and spent months researching the Word to see if these things were so. And yes there was, in our opinion, based on our own biblical research many wrong doctrines and practices.

The Limb Coordinator in New Hampshire, S.M. whom we were fairly close to was ordered by the BOT's to get rid of (from the bookstore) all tapes, books ect which Ralph and Jal were involved in. He just gave them away to anyone who wanted them. A short time after he was fired for doing that.

My wife and I spent time praying and discussing with others and decided that TWI was not changing for the better, but getting worse. We felt God didn't want us supporting an organization where leaders practiced and taught Adultry, taught erroneous doctrines and fired anyone who disagreed with them. We felt TWI was spiritually inept. We decdied that if the leadership of TWI would repent and correct the wrong doctrines and practices that we would once again stand and support them.

After 17 years of being out, I see no evidence of change for the better, quite the opposite, IMO they became more evil. And I believe God is grieved.

Edited October 28, 2005 by Outin88.

[J0nny Ling0]

I was kicked out because I refused to answer the "ultimatum" oriented "Who do you stand with?" letter. I just decided that I had given my all, and if that wasn't good enough, then they could kick me out. I wasn't going to quit, for I'd never quit an assignment or commitment, and if they were going to try and get me to answer such a stupid and unbiblical question such as "who do you stand with, LCM or CG"?, then they could just decide what to do with me and my wife, which they did. We were kicked out via a letter addressed to "Mr" Lingo as opposed to "Rev Lingo". It was so ludicrous, because LCM must have called me "Mr Lingo" about ten times in that letter just to make his point. And ya know, I never did give a .... if people called me "Rev" or not, but his cheap shots were so infantile that it just flat out bemused me and made me really think of how much of a pendejo he had become, only re-affirming my decision to give it up....

Hi Socks...

[excathedra]

i was just so glad i had an excuse to leave. it was easier doing it with the group. when the one-eyed mog died i think the spell was broken for me

holy crappola i'm the only one who voted that way

[J0nny Ling0]

Well ExCath, maybe your situation was more unique than it was for others. I am a guy, and he never made a pass at me. VP treated me as one of the "good old boys", although I didn't know what he and the "upper eschelon good old boys" really did behind the scenes. But now I know, and it was not biblically sanctioned....