Twoteetwo Wrote:
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>

Quote
Reepicheep
> It is small wonder that those of us who spent many
> years in this cult often have great difficulty
> with believing in anything after leaving. The
> trust is so obliterated that resurrection of
> belief is unlikely. On this day, of all days,
> perhaps there is hope. I wish us all hope. <3
>

>
> Godspeed, Reepicheep.


Yes.

Reep - I wish us all hope too. Thank you for your eloquence (as always) and for telling a story that even shocked me. Seriously? Big crosses in a walk church? I wonder what happened to the notes nailed to the cross. I can easily picture Rick reading them during one of his drinking parties everywhere he went.

Very weird.

Onion, yes, I can imagine that too. And leave it to leaders completely illiterate in regard to mainstream Christian teaching to goof up the symbolism so thoroughly. This day is not even about the cross, it's about the victory over the cross and the grave. It's about resurrection, not crucifixion.

Thank you for you good wishes, Twoteetwo. That meant a lot to me.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 08:10AM by Reepicheep.

Reepicheep Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Onion, yes, I can imagine that too. And leave it
> to leaders completely illiterate in regard to
> mainstream Christian teaching to goof up the
> symbolism so thoroughly. This day is not even
> about the cross, it's about the victory over the
> cross and the grave. It's about resurrection, not
> crucifixion.

TLWF leadership was obsessed with the subject of the cross experience ('drinking the cup'). Strategically, it kept people in a state of unworthiness, which made them easier to control and do as their told. Those lacking self-esteem are much more unlikely to call out leaders for wrongdoing. They're too absorbed by their own infractions...conveniently emphasized so often in the 'living word.'
The resurrection signifies life. There's no place for self-abasement.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 10:24PM by changedagain.

The true essence of a dictatorship is in fact not its regularity but its unpredictability and caprice; those who live under it must never be able to relax, must never be quite sure if they have followed the rules correctly or not.
Christopher Hitchens, Hitch 22

Sound familiar?

Quote
changedagain
TLWF leadership was obsessed with the subject of the cross experience ('drinking the cup'). Strategically, it kept people in a state of unworthiness, which made them easier to control and do as their told. Those lacking self-esteem are much more unlikely to call out leaders for wrongdoing. They're too absorbed by their own infractions...conveniently emphasized so often in the 'living word.'

That is so true. It's a slight of hand. If you are always preoccupied with groveling and making sure your "spirit is right", you won't notice all the outrages being committed by the leaders.

Anybody remember the bus driver. I think from Anaheim to living word school. Ken?
I got a whooping from him while preaching the word. Every word a spank. Not sure what I did. Maybe deserved it but anyway He was known for his whooping. My sis got whoop to.

edwards?

Ohman? I have heard a lot of references to someone named Ken who was the mad spanker. Sounds like an S&M villain. I think he was definitely a villain. Sometimes we look back on decisions we made under obedience to the dictator's and wish we could get a do-over, but I think someone who was known for spanking a LOT of people had a much bigger problem. Like the stories about discipline at Shiloh.

Very creepy.

I can't get over Reep's information on the service where G&M had all the crosses and had people nailing private notes on them. Talk about creepy. Isn't that kind of like denying Jesus' ministry all together and saying we have to "keep trying" because it didn't work? That is so nasty!

I read an excerpt from one of the reports prepared by Pastor Serve and they said the message of the TLWF churches was a cycle of keep trying - do better - work harder - starting over and keep trying. They described it as a very harmful cycle for any church. Amen to that.

The “walk with God” in the Living Word is nothing but a carrot on a stick. What a stressful way to live!