And now for something completely different--
answers to the question: buried or cremated?

[youtu.be]

Q & A continuted:

You're not on good terms with a few former friends who are still supportive of the cult, is that correct?

Yes, that is correct. But there is no hostility between us, at least to my knowledge.

So you didn't recently send one of them a holiday card that read "May You Rot in Hell, Merry Christmas!"

Of course not. I think you have me confused with someone else.

A few posts from four years ago:

Posted by: Aleutian
Date: January 10, 2019 12:12PM

I recently recalled a time I was volunteering working on ¨G and M´s¨ luxury home on Oahu in Hawaii. It was a hot summer day, and I didn´t bring any sunscreen.

I had the nerve to ask for some. After all, I was working for free. Instead of them helping me, they called for their ¨handler¨ at the time to help me. He was quite flustered that I didn´t ask him first and chewed me out, telling me to follow ¨divine order¨.

It was a good light-bulb moment for me. After that I said "F%$K this" haha.

Another light-bulb moment occurred when I watched the Netflix documentary "Holy Hell". I would highly suggest it to people in this group that are fascinated by the social intricacies of "cultish groups".

Posted by: puddington
Date: January 10, 2019 12:28PM

Yep. “Holy Hell” is excellent. Their leader reminds me of a gay Rick Holbrook.
: )

Posted by: changedagain
Date: January 11, 2019 06:45AM

As far as I know, Gary never asked directly for volunteers to work on his homes. How were you roped into this? I worked on his home on Kling street, and the rental next door and his first home once he moved to the L.A. area. And then, of course, various 'Kingdom' facilities over a 20-year period. It was always an intermediary who told me my services were needed...with the underlying message that it was part of the 'upward flow,' and a privilege to be asked/told. Now we know they were living the high life while the rank and file were struggling to get by and often being rebuked for not being dedicated enough. No amount of PR will wash away the stench of their hypocrisy. I continue to appreciate this forum for allowing the truth of the ways things were/are to be fully exposed.
Good to hear from you, Aleutian.


Posted by: Reachingforward
Date: January 11, 2019 12:20PM

I have been reading this forum for several years and am finally making my first post. I was in TLWF for 22 years. It's been 20 years since I left and I still have a difficult time explaining this experience to anyone. Like so many on this forum, my family and I gave everything to TLWF. We attended services 3 times/ week, mustered out for Saturday work days, assisted APCO on numerous "kingdom" projects, made dozens and dozens of trips to Shiloh and gave of our finances. We had no time left for anything and were working the equivalent of two full time jobs. I still struggle with why I believed God was in this and that the leaders had integrity. It makes me question my own intelligence and sanity.

I struggle with why I stayed so long. Why did I waste that part of my life and sacrifice family and personal relationships to remain in TLWF. I was never comfortable with the rock star treatment enjoyed by JRS, Gary and Marilyn and the control and authority the church exerted over it's members. Eventually we did get burned out and left. We were also fed up with being used by APCO.

What freedom after leaving! It felt like a weight was lifted off our shoulders. We moved into a different city and started a new life. And eventually I stopped worrying about the lightening bolt that was going to hit us. However we had trouble finding a new church since nothing seemed to fit our expectations. The problem was us.

I was an atheist as a teenager and was looking for meaning in my life. I thought I found it in TLWF. I was one of the elite who was bringing in the kingdom. Now I needed to be deprogrammed. After we left, I had to start over and reevaluate what I thought about God, Christianity and organized religion. I reexamined everything from the ground up starting with arguments for the existence of God. I studied apologetics and started reading my bible. Jesus Christ is now the center of my life - not JRS, Gary or Marilyn.

Thanks for the posts made in this forum and the insight you all have provided. Hearing about what went on behind the curtain was especially helpful. It confirms what I suspected for a long time. I'm sure your postings haven't always been easy but I'm grateful for your honesty, candor and wit. I'm especially grateful for the courage of those like Shalom who have stepped forward and have shown a bright light in a dark place. God bless you all.

An interesting item has come to my attention, and I see it as a cause for celebration. Regarding Shiloh University from their website's history section:

"Through the years, Shiloh University fostered a history of faculty loyalty and student satisfaction. The school, however, was unable to sustain sufficient growth to maintain the quality and integrity of future operations. In addition, a great many other online and affordable seminary programs had become available to students, and some with tremendous world-wide outreaches. So, in 2021, the University leadership agreed to begin the process of closing its accredited seminary degree programs. As of December 31, 2023, Shiloh University’s academic programs officially closed.

"As closed higher education institution in the state of Iowa, the University of Iowa has become the custodian of all student transcripts. Transcripts for degree seeking students and those who otherwise took courses for college credit can be ordered through the University of Iowa."

[shiloh.edu]

Unfortunately, the news about the end of Shiloh University must be tempered by caution. Gary Hargrave is not finished with education altogether. Now he is focusing his efforts toward the K-12 homeschool community.
[www.shilohlearning.org]

***********


“Shiloh Learning is focused on encouraging and equipping parents in their God-designed roles and responsibilities for engaging in the learning and development of the next generations.

“Shiloh Learning offers resources for the restoring of education to its biblical roots – which we believe are in keeping with sound educational research for the wholeness and well-being of students, families and communities.

“A restoration of education must also involve the restoring and strengthening of parents to their God-given roles of loving, caring for, raising, and teaching their children.

“In addition to the resources above, Shiloh Learning offers A Framework for Creating Reformational Education Environments. This framework describes a pathway for parents and educators to create education environments in keeping with God’s inclusive and creative design for teaching and learning.”



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2023 02:00PM by Reepicheep.

Wholly submit your lives to specific people who supposedly are God's representatives on earth? Yeah, I can see how this 'education' can lead to yet another authoritarian church movement, with leaders functioning with zero check and balances on their behavior.

Hey parents, stay away from anything that involves Gary Hargrave. Protect your children's lives--it's your responsibility.

Thanks Reep for issuing this warning.

“Shiloh Learning offers resources for the restoring of education to its biblical roots – which we believe are in keeping with sound educational research for the wholeness and well-being of students, families and communities.

Any leader who has produced the opposite of this statement, over and over again, should not be given another chance. Now that would be in keeping with the "well-being of students, families and communities."

May this long-time abuser fail in his latest effort to exploit more lives on behalf of selfish ambition. Parents--protect your children!

"Shiloh Learning offers resources for the restoring of education to its biblical roots – which we believe are in keeping with sound educational research for the wholeness and well-being of students, families and communities."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2023 11:11PM by changedagain.

What if there seems to be a conflict between science and the Bible. Which one should I believe?

That's what your designated relationship is for.

What is a designated relationship?

You'll find out. No need to be concerned about that now.

#NoWorries


Shiloh Learning offers resources for the restoring of education to its biblical roots

Shiloh Learning
'Let us tell you how to think!'

#MarketingFail

I suppose that is better than 'independent thinking will be punished!'