Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Website Update

Hello all,

Just a brief note to let everyone know that my new website is done. I have started to blog on the Our Walk in Christ Blog, which is to teach doctrine, history, and responses to current events.

Also, the forum for religious discussions is open. I think I have the catagories finalized now.

Until next time,
X

Sunday, May 28, 2006

You Don’t Go Diamond Without God

Tape: EDC Leadership, Go Diamond 2003 Part 3

Speakers: Rocky Covington

Stock Number: BWW137

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Motivational Aspects:

Rocky tells us that BWW is the best business building system there is. If it is so great, why is the success level so low? Look at the stats on a Quixtar affiliate business site:

The following are approximate percentages of Direct Fulfillment IBOs of record in North America who achieved the illustrated levels of success in the calendar year ending August 31, 2005: Diamond .0120%; Emerald .0320%; Q-12 Platinum .1683%.

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

A real man is looking for a battle to fight! No, that is a SINFUL man. A real man is kind, patient, gentle, peaceful, you know, all the things Jesus told us to be on the Sermon on the Mount and other places, too. Though a real man is the provider and protector of his family, he would be in sin if he were out looking for a battle to fight.

Rocky tells us about faith by quoting Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (KJV). He then tells us that is our dream, what we want, that we need to focus on what we want and believe in faith we will get it. This interpretation is actually blasphemous. While the context Rocky gives this verse is about us getting what we want, the real context of this verse is faith of our coming salvation. The substance spoken of is the history of what has already come, hence, the author of Hebrews takes us through a tour of the past (vs. 4 and on). The things that have already come on the Messianic Timetable (God’s timing), in conjunction with the prophecies of God, provide the proof of what God will do for the prophecies that are not yet fulfilled. To use this text to sell a self-serving message is dangerous.

Teaching Points:

Rocky starts out by suggesting that everybody needs to read Wild at Heart, which is a “Christian” book (though theologians are in debate over that) that we might remember hearing about a few weeks ago. He gives us three traits of a real man:

1. A real man is looking for a battle to fight (see “Wonderful Faulty Theology” above)

2. He is looking for an adventure to live.

3. He is looking for a beauty to rescue. (see comment below under “Other Notes”)

“Faith will not exist in a mind that is negative”

“Anybody that will put down the books and the tapes and going to functions really doesn’t want you to succeed because they don’t want you to build faith because faith is the number one ingredient you got to have to be successful in anything.” No, actually, as I have clearly documented in over 100 posts in this website, they are damaging to true faith, they cost you more money than you will make on average in Quixtar, and they provide information that is common sense if not useless. I celebrate great success with many people, myself included. It does not take some “faith” that you build up with reading books and listening to tapes to achieve, it takes good old fashion hard work.

Other Notes:

Rocky tell us that a real man is looking for a beauty to rescue. First, I find it funny that the only single male EDC (or at least the only one who has not been married in the past) is talking about that. Indeed, in my time in the business, people were always trying to “hook me up” with some pretty young lady to “complete my life”. I have the gift of singleness, a Godly gift, I might add. Now, because this type of teaching, I imagine that it is getting worse in the Motivational Organizations if you are single and choose to stay that way. I was even warned by an upline to avoid people who choose to stay single.

Rocky tells us that we need complete faith that we will make it to Diamond. His proof text is Hebrews 11:1 (See above in “Wonderful Faulty Theology”.) What is the evidence for this? Nothing, but the fact that fewer than 1 in 400 will ever make it to an income of less than $50,000 provides clear evidence to the contrary.

Next, Rocky starts talking about self talk. You need to speak what you want into existence.

Rocky tells us that he did not start to grow until he started to have faith in God.

“Your business will never out grow your spiritual self image” Whatever THAT means?!? He goes on to say, “I have tried it with Him (God), and I have tried it without Him, and it don’t work without Him. You don’t go Diamond without God.”

Rocky tells us that we need to get to a point where we show a plan and if they are looking, great, if they are not looking, that is great to, but “if they don’t get in, by the time you walk out that door, (snaps) you forgot their name. You’re thinking of the next person you’re going to show it to, that’s faith.”

Quixtar Rules Violations:

Rocky tells everyone that they need to read Wild at Heart, which being a “Christian” book, is against the Quixtar Rules of Conduct [PDF]:

3.1 Registration Form and Registration Pack: To become a duly authorized IBO capable of merchandising the Corporation's products and services and registering other IBOs, an applicant must complete and sign the IBO Registration Agreement and possess only the Business Services and Support portion of the Registration Pack. IBOs shall be formed initially by the individual applicant(s) as sole proprietor(s) or as non-formal (e.g., husband and wife) partners. The IBO Registration Agreement must be sent to, and accepted by, the Corporation for authorization in accordance with the provisions of Rule 3.5. No IBO shall present the business as anything other than an opportunity available to anyone regardless of race, gender, nationality, or religious or political beliefs to any person. (Emphasis mine.)

Further, on IBOfacts.com, a site to send business prospects to for answers to their questions, we read:

Question #19

Am I required to hold certain religious beliefs to be accepted?

No. Respect for every individual is a foundational value to this business. This has always been an equal opportunity business, open to people of all walks of life, varying religious convictions, political affiliations, nationalities, ethnic backgrounds and racial origins.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Some Things

Hello all,

I have begun the site redesign. The archives are not re-formatted yet, but they need to be since some of the old posts use bright colors that will not show up well on the new backgroud. I hope this change makes the site easier to read and follow. It may take a while to get all the archives re-colored, so be patient.

Also, my new website is more or less open. The blog over there is not, but the Forum is ready to go. It is for any type of religious discussion or debate, sharing ideas, etc. I also have some lessons up (I am still working on that part) and will be posting some other things as I move along. If there are any other forum catagories I might need, let me know, as I am still testing everything out. As any internet community, it is only as good as participation leads.

The site is www.ourwalkinchrist.com

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Committed to the Cause

Tape: EDC Leadership, Diamond Club 2003 (Part 2)

Speakers: Angelo Nardone

Stock Number: BWW137

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Cult-like aspects:

Angelo emphasizes the importance of the “9 habits”, of which regular participation in the Standing Order systems. [These are means of information control.]

God apparently wants you in this business or else you would not be in it.

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

The Good Lord wants you in this business, and if not, you wouldn’t be in this business. [I would suggest instead that if you are flat broke, have not made anything, and are constantly struggling, you have turned down all promptings that God has given you and you have been handed over to your lusts and passions as per Romans 1:24-25. This statement is made in total deliberate contradiction to the self-help / motivational books which tell you to let nothing get in your way of achieving your dreams. I have detailed greatly on this site why this business holds practices contradicting sound interpretation of the Bible.]

Teaching Points:

Angelo gives us pitfalls to avoid:

1. Not building the Eagle structure fast enough [Drew has details on Eagle here].

2. Not developing the Nine Habits [The nine habits are: Show the Plan 5 or more times per week, do 150 PV (single, or 300 PV (couple) per month, Develop 50PV Minimum Member / Client volume per month, Listen to tapes daily: Standing Order Tape Program, Read Daily: Book of the Month program, Attend all business conferences and seminars, Associate regularly with counseling sheet, Build business with integrity and accountability, Subscribe to Communicate.]

3. Putting other down to build yourself up. [Take Angelos advise here. This is never a good thing to do in any industry.]

4. Not building up your downline. He tells us to edify them to tell people how well they are doing. [This would be good except, as QuixtarInsideOut Radio tells us, often times they are lying about how successful that person really is to make the opportunity look good or to motivate downine. In fact, Angelo talks about this on another tape (I think it is Accelerated Sponsoring through Good Communication or 1000+ Protocols) about saying how ‘smoking’ someone is doing, even if he doesn’t have anything. He says this under the heading of “never exposing your group to your group”.]

5. Showing favoritism. [Again, good in principle, but often not the reality in practice based on experience. In my case, there was a great deal of favoritism, those that did not get attention “didn’t want it bad enough”. Perhaps (as will above), this is the reason Angelo is addressing this point.]

6. Not being coached properly.

7. Not laughing a lot.

Other Notes:

Angelo tells us that there are basically two types of people that come to these weekends, those that are new wanting to learn how to grow, and those that have been in a while wanting to know what is wrong, why they are not growing. [That last part seems a little ominous, does it not?]

The biggest problem in the business is that people only do the minimums.

Quixtar Rules Violations:

Although not a complete violation, I would like to point out that participation in the 9 core steps as this tape teaches could easily transgress into a violation:

5.3.3. Training and Motivation: IBOs must be able to train and motivate the IBOs they have registered with a minimum of assistance from his or her first upline Platinum or above. If the IBO is a member of an established business-building system, he or she may make arrangements for his or her IBOs to be trained and motivated by the activities and BSM of that system, but under no circumstances may an IBO be forced or coerced to participate in the system. If a downline IBO is unable, for any reason, to access the system or chooses not to use the system, his or her IBO must be able to provide training and motivation.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

I hope You Aren’t Castrated!

Greetings everyone!

I will be doing a series of shorter tapes for the next month or so. This is to free up some space for an internet ministry project that I am working on. I will let you know the details of that as soon as it is public. In the mean time, enjoy Danny Snipes:

Tape: EDC Leadership, Go Diamond 2003 (Part 1)

Speakers: Danny Snipes

Stock Number: BWW137

Recording Type: ‘Basic Mix’

Brief Review:

This is yet another tape where the BWW people have used the book Wild at Heart to tell the men that they are not really men unless they build this business. Although he never actually mentions the book, anyone with an understanding of the book will know that is what he is quoting. Ron Puryear did a similar speech on FED16: Dreamers.

Motivational Aspects:

“God’s hand is moving right now and it is bringing people into this business and it’s preparing people to look to this business because we’ve got answers for them.”

Cult-like aspects:

“This business gives you a chance to go into the unknown, to see if you got what it takes to do it, and I know you do because God made you a man, he made you a provider, he made you a conqueror” [ I guess I am not a real man if I don’t try this business then, I must also not be a real man if I don’t do it?]

“I hope you haven’t been castrated. I hope you got enough left in you that you say, ‘I want to be a man’”. He continues this analogy with a wild stallion being castrated to make it tame work-horse, but a tame work-horse can not bring life. [I guess now that if I have a job, I am not a man anymore and I am not supporting my family?]

BWW Tapespeak:

There has never been a time like now!

Wonderful Faulty Theology:

Danny tells us that since this organization (BWW) has been doing it right for so long, God is now going to bless it and give it the fastest growth out there. [Although God does indeed bless people who do things right and that blessing may (though often is not) be though financial means, it is also possible that you worked hard, denied all things, including the true Gospel, and have been so hard bent driven for the coveted Diamond Pin, that God gives you over to your sin.]

Danny tells us that Bill always knew the economy was going to crash, but he didn’t know when that would occur. His message was to not put your confidence in the stock market. [Danny suggests we put our confidence in BWW instead, but God tells us to put our confidence in Him for all things. Read Matthew 6:25-34. If BWW and Quixtar actually helped a large percentage of people earn a living, it would be fine, but it does not, it denigrates work (which the Bible commands), and it shifts your dependence to itself. While I do affirm that the financial situation is shaky for many people, Quixtar is not the answer. The answer is sound budgeting.]

Teaching Points:

Danny tells us that before, if you showed the plan to a kid (18 years at least, I would hope) he talks to his Dad who instructs the kid to go get a good education. He says that the kids see that does not work, so they are open to looking at Quixtar because the dad has no more credibility.

Danny teaches us that many years ago, the business (Amway) had home care products, so it took a long time to go through the products, but now with all the consumables, the people can do 100 PV every month easy, in fact, he says “We can eat our core volume in a month’s time”. [What about the cost? On the list, Danny mentions Double X, Balance health with Ocean Essentials, Concentrated fruits and vegetables, 2 cans of XS, 1 protein and 1 meal replacement bar a day, and uses a skin care system. He says this is 150 PV. Even at the VERY VERY conservative $2 per PV, that is $300 a month. That is not a good diet either. This $300 per person in on top of any real food you might eat in the given month. Is it worth it?]

Other Notes:

Danny says that the founders (DeVos and VanAndel) down to Bill Britt always does everything right and the decisions are based on the right thing to do, not a quick dollar.

Danny claims that divorce is “way down” compared to the world. I question this statement because 1. all the reported divorces in the upper levels of the business and 2. There are no credible reports of this to be found.

Danny tells us that Quixtar is not only going to be number one in health and nutrition on the internet, it will be number one in health and nutrition in the world. Then, the people in Quixtar are going to be healthy and wealthy, and people will “beat down our doors to learn what we know!”

Danny starts to give us an analysis of how men and women were created as adapted out of Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Website Makeover

Greetings everyone,

I have been pondering a site makeover. The things that I thought about were:
1. moving it from a blog site to a standard website which would make it more like a database. The problem is that would cost money and I not really interesting in spending money on this project, my time is valuable enough! Still in the thoughts though.

2. I have pondered changing the template.

3. Haven't much more time than to think about those, so I am asking you. This site has achieved over 16,000 hits in less than a year. That says something to the effect of people are interested in this topic. Please give me your thoughts or suggestions. Should I cover more topics? Should I make the posts longer or shorter? Should I break up long tapes? Any other thoughts?

Thanks,
Xanadustc

Sunday, May 07, 2006

A Little Break

Greetings everyone,

I am taking a little break this evening to work on the website for my hobby (you know, those things that BWW tells you to stop doing for 2-5 so you can chase the dream). If you beg and plead, I might post it...

If you need a BWW tape fix, I doubt you have REALLY read this whole site, so check out the Site Index for a post you have not read yet. If I am feeling zesty, I might indeed post a tape in the middle of the week, or (as if pigs fly), I might post the reast of Magic of Thinking Big! (I am thinking too small to do so at the moment.)

Enjoy,
Xanadustc