changedagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rrmoderator Wrote:
> > This is a long standing active thread that has
> > provided deep insights into a group that has
> > little information about it on the Web.
>
> Interesting.

Interesting, indeed, changedagain. :)

BTW, to everyone who contributes to this board, realize we have an unstated policy of banning at least one poster every six months or so. Don't take it too personally if it happens to you. I know if I am the one that gets the axe this time around, I will be very upset for a brief time period (10 years or so), and then do something completely different. Growing tomato plants and/or drinking copious amounts of Maker's Mark whisky are the things that immediately come to mind.

Good reminder of the rules, will comply, appreciate it.
It's good to remember why we are all here. A couple people were wondering about their anonymity. A friend forwarded Rrmoderator's response to a question of whether they were safe from retribution via the leadership at TLWF.
Rrmoderator stated the forum is protected as a place of free expression online, and referenced a recent case 'Landmark Education v. Rick Ross Institute' where Landmark Education tried to silence these forums in their pleadings. They were unsuccessful. This website posted the litigation in full, it's worth a read:
[www.culteducation.com]

Another fun coincidence: that book I posted by Steven Tipton compared Bobbi Morris'TLW to another popular counterculture movement, EST. Landmark Education is what EST became when it dissolved. The more I read about these groups, the more coincidences I find.

Begs the question, did all their leaders attend the same "how to be a cult guru" seminar in the 60's?

GSchaeff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good reminder of the rules, will comply,
> appreciate it.
> It's good to remember why we are all here. A
> couple people were wondering about their
> anonymity. A friend forwarded Rrmoderator's
> response to a question of whether they were safe
> from retribution via the leadership at TLWF.
> Rrmoderator stated the forum is protected as a
> place of free expression online, and referenced a
> recent case 'Landmark Education v. Rick Ross
> Institute' where Landmark Education tried to
> silence these forums in their pleadings. They were
> unsuccessful. This website posted the litigation
> in full, it's worth a read:
> [www.culteducation.com]
>
> Another fun coincidence: that book I posted by
> Steven Tipton compared Bobbi Morris'TLW to another
> popular counterculture movement, EST. Landmark
> Education is what EST became when it dissolved.
> The more I read about these groups, the more
> coincidences I find.
>
> Begs the question, did all their leaders attend
> the same "how to be a cult guru" seminar in the
> 60's?

The more I learn about other cults, the more I wonder the same thing, GSchaeff! In those days, they probably took a mail order course called, "How To Get Rich Quick By Starting Your Own Cult."



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2018 01:19AM by GoingRogue.

Cute. I vote for the tomatoes.

Woke up this morning feeling fine. And best of all, there is no pressure to attend church, read the Bible, think about God, or wonder with much anxiousness if I’m still in good favor with my ‘divinely appointed designated shepherd’ who, indeed, vacillated between love and hate subject to his moody, paranoid personality.

Agreed: "The hardest day of freedom is better than the best day inside a cult."

Happy Mother’s Day

NickleandDimed – I think all of us are in different places in the discovery process about John. None are right or wrong – just different perspectives that are all subject to change as we learn more. Some cannot face the fact that they have lived under a lie and prefer the illusion and sense of emotional comfort that a false belief system provides. To invest the time and effort to find out otherwise is too painful. And before we throw the baby out with the bathwater and ignore the teachings of Jesus – which TLWF was not – behind much of atheism are also the emotional wounds of religion - not just the logical search for truth as advocated. In fact, the wounds are remarkably similar to those who have been in cults.

In any discovery process, there has to be a plumb line or laws, to separate the true from the false. When it comes to spiritual things, the teachings of Jesus are that for me. They may not be for others. Science is based on natural laws. Without those laws, there would be no science. However, I’ve come to believe it’s more about the condition of our hearts than anything else – and I love science and research and certainly do not see them as incompatible with spirituality as many do. He can write His law on our hearts and will do so for anyone that will let Him - something the world has never experienced.

If you dig a little deeper into John’s life, you will discover much that was never discussed in TLWF. The discovery of how cults and mind control function in general is a real eye opener – the techniques are the same among all cults. Many are recently making that discovery on this site. It may be decades before many can actually admit that they were in a cult – but that doesn’t change the facts or the consequences.

My opinion about John hasn’t really changed in the last five years, because I haven’t learned anything new about him. However, my view about people in general probably has changed. I think we are more alike than different – even other nationalities and religions. Humans are just humans, including John. Any fault that I might see in John, also exists in me and everyone else. I’ve stopped looking for men to provide something that only God can supply and have found a level of success that I never experienced in TLWF. As difficult as my 30 years in TLWF were, I can honestly look back and say it was worth it to bring me to this point in life. Obeying the words of John had very little or no effect on my life except to bring destruction. Obeying the words of Jesus are like turning on the lights and adding new life to every area.

This statement from YouTube has been posted several times here:

"The hardest day of freedom is better than the best day inside a cult."

I have to disagree with this a bit. There were some good days in the LW cult and I’ve had some awful ones post-cult. I would say it is true for 95% of the days of my life. Life is much better now. I am so glad I left. I just wanted to say this to calibrate anyone’s expectations about post-cult life. The statement sounds too glib to me. But YMMV.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2018 12:54AM by puddington.

Well said, FLSC, Larry, and Puddington. Happy Mother's Day.
Puddington, that's a really good point. In the context of the TED talk I think the author of that statement would agree with you, and maybe someone more poetic than myself could phrase it more appropriately.

There's so much to untangle upon leaving "the covering." Yes, it is a little disingenuous to say it's all better than it was before because we're left with holes in our lives where we formerly had a sense of security. However, I think there's a resolve that comes with fighting to end that influence he/she/they had over your life.

I'll speak personally in saying some days it's hard, it's lonely, it's depressing, but it's important to find ways to remind myself that it's also liberating and that's very much worth it. I'd do every day of freedom over again because I found myself in it all.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2018 02:31AM by GSchaeff.

FCSLC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Woke up this morning feeling fine. And best of
> all, there is no pressure to attend church, read
> the Bible, think about God, or wonder with much
> anxiousness if I’m still in good favor with my
> ‘divinely appointed designated shepherd’ who,
> indeed, vacillated between love and hate subject
> to his moody, paranoid personality.
>
> Agreed: "The hardest day of freedom is better
> than the best day inside a cult."
>
> Happy Mother’s Day

Good to hear from you, FCSLC!