Gee, I always thought the Prime Directive was "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart, soul, mind and strength."
Excellent point, WG! I think that's why most of us were attracted to TWI - to have a better relationship with God, but that was replaced with Bible worship and a sense of urgency to peddle TWI and their classes. Lord knows, Jesus certainly wasn't a part of any focus.
These are great posts, y'all. Thank you!
djs, I understand your dilemma. :) You and your family are in my prayers. It's scary to think about leaving and hard to imagine that there's something better out there and had to think about how you'll be treated and will never see those folks again if you do decide to leave. It's a big decision.
I am glad you enjoy your fellowship. That's why we stayed so much longer. But we both had issues with what was happening at the root of twi, especially when it came time to write our abs check. It got to the point that i couldn't bear to write it out because of what it was supporting/helping to continue. We too kept looking for real change.
We finally had to start to explore what else was out there. We found there were some places with just as much truth as twi--but with loving hearts and with real relationships with Jesus Christ.
I also was floored when I attended a local church and was moved to tears during their worship service. It was a part of what I had been missing for so long, to be able to sing with real meaning and thankfulness to our Father.
We are still in transition, but we had no idea how much control we had allowed twi to have in our lives until after we left. The amount of pressure that was lifted was amazing. What has really surprised me is the change in my children's lives in the short time we have been gone.
...It's scary to think about leaving and hard to imagine that there's something better out there and had to think about how you'll be treated and will never see those folks again if you do decide to leave. It's a big decision.
Guess I was blessed in this regard. It was that ROA where they read the 'passing' paper in '86(?). My best friend who I'd already been doing 'outside' research for a couple of years already but were both still gung-ho twiggies up until then. (One of the things we eked out in the HS area was that interpretation of tongues is, in truth, a prayer and not a message to the believers)... Anyway, he came back with John Lynn's tapes, the adultery paper and the news that everything had fallen apart. Well, when he initially told me about it I just went into total defense mode and I got angry and almost to the point of punching out my best friend for the things he was saying but then he got me to 'just listen' to the Lynn tape... and I did... and I got about half way through the first one and suddenly that whole TWI house of cards came tumbling down and I saw that it was all true and God gave me a vision... my mind immediately pictured the proverbial floor falling out from under my feet and just then when I thought I was going to fall, I found myself standing straight and steady in the palm of God's hand...
...and I left, taking half the branch with me... and never looked back.
I understand what you mean about leaving the good friends. I think that is really the main reason people have such a problem leaving... and then there were people like me who were so screwed up before I ran into TWI it was such a huge step up in my life by comparison... well, let's just say it's a good thing God gave me that vision.
Even though I'm still in - I guess I have been de-programing for quite sometime.
Three years before I exited twi.............I was "deprogramming" as well. My eyes were opened to the manipulation and I took mental notes watching things unfold. For me, it was simply a matter of time..... knowing that there was a day coming to escape.
When twi can no longer control your thinking.............they know, they can NOT control your actions.
It was September, 1983. I was walking to my job in food services through the halls of the OSC at HQ.
My thoughts? "Something's not right. It's probably just me and my messed up head?" And in the forefront of these thoughts? I will never forget....were the words and tune to that song "Where is the love...where is the love......where is the love....where is the love?"
I'll NEVER forget that. But little did I know the evil that was afoot.
AND I didn't exit TWI for another 22 FREAKING YEARS!!!!!!!!!!
It feels good to throw off chains of bondage...and to hide no longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Free2 -- Yea -- it was the *Overview Tapes* from JAL that finally
*unlocked the door* for me too.
BTW -- Welcome to GreaseSpot! Good to have you here. :)
Thanks D, I am honored.
I had forgotten they were called the "overview tapes"... Twenty years on is a long time. As I understated in my post, I really do think I'm blessed. As I have been faithful to continue to search out the scripture, which I did ten times more enthusiastically when faced with all those lies, God has been even more faithful to teach me and work through me.
You say the tapes finally unlocked the door for you... That would be different from myself as I was pretty much clueless right up until the moment I described. When I first joined up in '79 it seemed that everything was synchronized. I was in 'international outreach' and there were a lot of really loving people there and it seemed like every waymag article and Sunday tape that came out our way came just at the right time and it was that way with the teachings from our local leaders. As the years went by though the 'hot' Sunday tapes became rarer as the duds increased and then they decided to make I.O. part of the corps training so we got these... well, I could go on... but even with all this I never thought anything was wrong other than me. Now I see that it was a big part of their success... since you believing equaled your receiving, the fault was always automatically yours and never theirs. .. and I was clueless.
I am so grateful to God for His never-ending love and for all my brothers and sisters.
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Belle
Excellent point, WG! I think that's why most of us were attracted to TWI - to have a better relationship with God, but that was replaced with Bible worship and a sense of urgency to peddle TWI and their classes. Lord knows, Jesus certainly wasn't a part of any focus.
These are great posts, y'all. Thank you!
djs, I understand your dilemma. :) You and your family are in my prayers. It's scary to think about leaving and hard to imagine that there's something better out there and had to think about how you'll be treated and will never see those folks again if you do decide to leave. It's a big decision.
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penguin
djs
I am glad you enjoy your fellowship. That's why we stayed so much longer. But we both had issues with what was happening at the root of twi, especially when it came time to write our abs check. It got to the point that i couldn't bear to write it out because of what it was supporting/helping to continue. We too kept looking for real change.
We finally had to start to explore what else was out there. We found there were some places with just as much truth as twi--but with loving hearts and with real relationships with Jesus Christ.
I also was floored when I attended a local church and was moved to tears during their worship service. It was a part of what I had been missing for so long, to be able to sing with real meaning and thankfulness to our Father.
We are still in transition, but we had no idea how much control we had allowed twi to have in our lives until after we left. The amount of pressure that was lifted was amazing. What has really surprised me is the change in my children's lives in the short time we have been gone.
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
penguin
i am so happy you got out and are doing well
so glad for your little ones
live really is grand
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free2love
Guess I was blessed in this regard. It was that ROA where they read the 'passing' paper in '86(?). My best friend who I'd already been doing 'outside' research for a couple of years already but were both still gung-ho twiggies up until then. (One of the things we eked out in the HS area was that interpretation of tongues is, in truth, a prayer and not a message to the believers)... Anyway, he came back with John Lynn's tapes, the adultery paper and the news that everything had fallen apart. Well, when he initially told me about it I just went into total defense mode and I got angry and almost to the point of punching out my best friend for the things he was saying but then he got me to 'just listen' to the Lynn tape... and I did... and I got about half way through the first one and suddenly that whole TWI house of cards came tumbling down and I saw that it was all true and God gave me a vision... my mind immediately pictured the proverbial floor falling out from under my feet and just then when I thought I was going to fall, I found myself standing straight and steady in the palm of God's hand...
...and I left, taking half the branch with me... and never looked back.
I understand what you mean about leaving the good friends. I think that is really the main reason people have such a problem leaving... and then there were people like me who were so screwed up before I ran into TWI it was such a huge step up in my life by comparison... well, let's just say it's a good thing God gave me that vision.
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skyrider
Three years before I exited twi.............I was "deprogramming" as well. My eyes were opened to the manipulation and I took mental notes watching things unfold. For me, it was simply a matter of time..... knowing that there was a day coming to escape.
When twi can no longer control your thinking.............they know, they can NOT control your actions.
djs.....you will know when the timing is right.
Peace.
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I Love Bagpipes
Belle, you struck a chord here....(pun intended
)
It was September, 1983. I was walking to my job in food services through the halls of the OSC at HQ.
My thoughts? "Something's not right. It's probably just me and my messed up head?" And in the forefront of these thoughts? I will never forget....were the words and tune to that song "Where is the love...where is the love......where is the love....where is the love?"
I'll NEVER forget that. But little did I know the evil that was afoot.
AND I didn't exit TWI for another 22 FREAKING YEARS!!!!!!!!!!
It feels good to throw off chains of bondage...and to hide no longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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dmiller
Free2 -- Yea -- it was the *Overview Tapes* from JAL that finally
*unlocked the door* for me too.
BTW -- Welcome to GreaseSpot! Good to have you here. :)
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free2love
Thanks D, I am honored.
I had forgotten they were called the "overview tapes"... Twenty years on is a long time. As I understated in my post, I really do think I'm blessed. As I have been faithful to continue to search out the scripture, which I did ten times more enthusiastically when faced with all those lies, God has been even more faithful to teach me and work through me.
You say the tapes finally unlocked the door for you... That would be different from myself as I was pretty much clueless right up until the moment I described. When I first joined up in '79 it seemed that everything was synchronized. I was in 'international outreach' and there were a lot of really loving people there and it seemed like every waymag article and Sunday tape that came out our way came just at the right time and it was that way with the teachings from our local leaders. As the years went by though the 'hot' Sunday tapes became rarer as the duds increased and then they decided to make I.O. part of the corps training so we got these... well, I could go on... but even with all this I never thought anything was wrong other than me. Now I see that it was a big part of their success... since you believing equaled your receiving, the fault was always automatically yours and never theirs. .. and I was clueless.
I am so grateful to God for His never-ending love and for all my brothers and sisters.
God Bless You... You really are the best!
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