>>>Are you aware that many of the workers now have laptop computers which they use, at least partially, for word processing and e-mail, but also for internet access? <<<

Nice that these poor, homeless preachers have such a convenience!

A year or so ago I was talking with a former attendee of the sect and she indicated that a worker had dropped in to visit her. It happened that a neighbor of hers was in her home at the time. The worker came to the part where he was explaining to the neighbor that he was a "homeless preacher." The neighbor replied: "But I see that you have driven here in a Mercedes!" Spring ‘97

>Oh, definitely things are changing.  Not rapidly enough to suit me, and
>not always for the better, but definitely changing.  I'm sure you know
>of the changes regarding the wearing of black stockings, and that was
>more than a few years ago.  Also, the change regarding divorce and
>remarriage that is currently taking place.    

>We used to often hear the fallacy preached from the platform that there
>are never any contradictions heard from the platform.  But now it is
>not uncommon to hear, from the platform, that "we" as friends and
>workers do not always have all the light on a subject, and there will
>be differences of opinions on some matters, and where that happens, one
>would be well advised to search the matter out for ones self, with the
>guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is especially amusing to me when one
>worker speaks along that line, and the next gets up there and tells us
>that we never hear any contradictions from the platform!!  Nearly EVERY
>truther knows of the current hubbub about divorce and remarriage, and
>knows that the workers do not agree on it.  To my mind, one wonderful
>result of the controversy is that it is destroying the false image that
>has been projected of workers being of like mind, united, all the time,
>on every matter.  It just ain't so, and I would wager there are less
>than 10 percent of truthers who are still out there like the proverbial
>ostrich, head in the sand, saying, "ain't it wunnerful, how we are all
>in such perfect agreement!!" 

In my opinion, the IMPORTANT changes that need to be made are changes in the "gospel message"... to the TRUE gospel message of the Bible; NOT changes from one form of legalism and bondage to another.

I will add that I think that "the Truth" is changing slowly such that the 
workers do not have such a tight control over their people now.      

Although the unity in the fellowship is often mentioned, there is little harmony in may areas. The east and west do not agree regarding divorce and remarriage, serving the emblems, ladies hair styles, Christmas, dress codes, and the list goes on and on. The workers don’t even agree on doctrine.

It became apparent to me that there was definitely a lack of unity with the movement on interpretation of scriptures as well as the establishing of policies and the enforcement thereof. My conclusion was further reinforced by learning of the disparity that existed with regard to how matters of divorce and remarriage were being handled, both locally and across the country.

Change does happen in the fellowship. Radios have gained acceptance, black stockings need not be worn by the women (supposedly one worker new to an area had never heard such a rule - when she was told what to wear she responded "I'll not wear the attire of a whore" - such was common of prostitutes where she came from), workers were once able to be married but can no longer.

It is changing, but not in a nice way. It is modifying attitudes about appearance and social interaction which are not tolerated by the rank and file any longer. The rank & file are simply refusing to go along and the leadership recognizes it and keeps quiet on the subject. It is changing only in the locations where it needs to change due to this pressure. (eg: Midwest and western US, maybe Canada too, tolerate truthers dating outsiders with no sanctions, while other places, such as Ireland, demand that they quit partaking of either emblems or testimony.) As for defining itself and really trying to understand the Bible and the NewTestament and Jesus' message, I haven't seen one bit of movement. As long as the system is successful, that is, enough people remain in the system and supporting it, there will be no change. The knowledge of the Bible, Christianity and other thinkers' contributions to these is simply not there. What is there is a xenophobic system of control and domination that is now finely tuned. "What works" has been refined mostly by trial and error for a century now. Workers' testimonies from conventions this year have indicated not a bit of change. Don't hold your breath. 9/97

I have very limited contact these days, but I have noticed some changes.

The workers in Washington State are becoming more broad minded. They don't seem to enforce the old standards. For instance, if a girl cuts or colors her hair or has artificial nails, they don't preach "to them" from the platform or even talk to them personally. I think they are realizing that they will lose their population base if they make the kids feel uncomfortable. If they can't keep the children of old members, they are losing their main source of members.

Another change I have noticed is that the workers don't interfere in people's personal lives as much. My sister says that if one of the workers told her what to do or not to do she would "tell them where to go!" (I don't think she would do that, but she WOULD ignore them.) She says the workers have no business telling you what to do. "The Lord can correct you if you are doing something wrong." She also said that people don't rely on the workers for advice on raising children or marital problems. She says the workers don't know anything about that and she would go to a regular family counselor or psychologist. (That was unheard of when I was in the 2x2.)

As many have stated, however, there are wide variations in what people do and believe in different parts of the world and even among different generations of 2x2's. I imagine the older folks still rely heavily on advice from the workers.

I have met some of the friends from Alaska. (But just briefly.) They LOOK like friends, but some of the things they say are QUITE different. One of the old, faithful friends from Alaska said (in my parent's home) that "It's time the people in the Truth came to recognize that you don't have to be part of the fellowship in order to be saved. Salvation depends on knowing and accepting Jesus as your saviour." My parents were terribly upset and couldn't shut her up fast enough! The Alaskan friends seem so much more loving and accepting of people who are "outsiders."

I'm anxious to hear more from those of you who have a wider range of contact and recent experience with the Truth. Please add more insight to this subject; I sincerely believe they need to make some radical changes if they are to maintain their membership in this "information age." I'll save my ideas on that subject for another post--I hope some of them are listening! 9/97

I told a head worker, "I don't know how much longer I can continue to have fellowship in this group when you do not honestly tell people about the founding of our fellowship." He said, "We workers do talk about this, but we just don't know how to handle it; we don't know how the people would take it." I stated, "Just tell the truth and go fresh from here and correct the errors."

Well, nothing has changed, that I can tell. 9/97

I just wanted to relate these experiences, to let you all know that the statement _______ made about the Alaskan friends are not without foundation. Even much of the theology is different (as we found out when we moved South) and is part of the problem that other workers have with the Alaskan friends.

I still keep in contact with them and we often talk about these differences. We have had some of the Alaskan friends visit us and stay in our home when they came here. Most are disgusted with the behavior of the workers, including those that were replacements when all the trouble began in 1991. 9/97

The thought that the "Truth" was the same the world over always appealed to me, and I pretty much believed that's how it was whenever I heard someone say it. Even though I noticed a number of things I never did ask questions outright to people about changes and differences I just let them tell me things and then thought them over. I had managed to convince myself that there was a reasonable explanation for all this and it was only the Devil planting seeds of doubt in my mind that made me think about such things. 9/97

"Recently, on the evening news, I saw one of the "long-time friends" here in Denver as he was being interviewed for something that had happened in his neighborhood. I couldn't believe my eyes. He had short shorts on. So I asked my Mom-in-Law if he still professed. She said, "Of course!" So I told her what I had seen and how that felt really bad considering how I was raised. She told me things have really changed. The young people can now wear tank tops and shorts to their gatherings and one worker even complimented one person on their new perm." - Cheryle Winberg

>>I can not imagine men's shorts ever becoming acceptable in New Zealand while the head worker here is still alive. He feels they are "immodest" and speaks on the subject every year at convention. He is also opposed to the wearing of jeans (other than as work clothes) on the grounds that they are "worldly".

Seems the American workers are a bit more enlightened.<< 9/97

It is difficult to make changes in any church but particularly so
in the 2x2's, where all power is held by a few at the top. 9/97 

My Mom is staying with me for a few days, and today I took her to meet with some of the Friends that she knows around here. I am amazed at the subtle, but constant, changes that are taking place with this group. This professing woman was over 80 and had a very nice and large stereo system prominently displayed, along with lots of tapes and CDs. One of the other women (probably in her 70s) had on a large diamond ring. Both women had on open-toed shoes of one kind or another. On Sunday one of the middle aged men had a beard. I'm amazed at these things because none of them would have been tolerated for a second 25 years ago in the Midwest, USA when I was growing up. In fact, _______ was an "antenna breaking state." I had to laugh at a post I read several days ago about the workers breaking the radio antennas off the cars at a convention. That also happened at ______ Convention in the Midwest when I was growing up in the 60's

I think if we studied the evolution of the dress codes and acceptance of outside influences (TVs, radios, movies, etc.) we would find that this group simply moves about 30 to 50 years behind mainstream American society (although I believe the pace of changes may be starting to accelerate). When I was young (50s and early 60s) some of the older Friends were still wearing black stockings. Some would not wear zippers. Both those items had been common in the general populace 40 or 50 years earlier. I think there are a lot more of those types of issues out there if we looked at it closely. 10/97

It would seem that the majority of the changes have to do with acceptable dress code. It is difficult to know if the workers are adopting a more orthodox Christian doctrine or not simply because they have never given a statement of their beliefs. Even the workers don't have the same beliefs. And the friends don’t understand what they believe either. 10/97