One of the things some diamond leaders would proclaim at major functions, in front of tens of thousands of IBOs, was that Amway was a God pleasing business. That Amwayers were saving the world and thus, making God happy. Amway major functions generally have a non denominational service on Sundays before they wrap up the weekend. I believe much of this still applies to major functins today.
As an IBO, I never thought much of the emphasis on God and I even attended the Sunday service. I honestly thought IBOs were doing good and bought into the lies told by upline. Looking back at my time in the business actually made me realize that some of our uplines were basically systematically ripping off their downlines in the name of God. I suppose one day these leaders will stand on front of God and be made accountable. They certainly have never been held accountable by their downlines.
I wonder how God would feel about downlines being lied to about their chances of making an honest buck in Amway? I wonder how God would feel about honest hard working people being misled to the benefit of those who claim to own mansions and jets? I wonder if these diamond leaders actually give ten percent of their take to the church? Actually that is irrelevent because the Pharisees in the Bible were careful to tithe 10% but many of the parables in the Bible imply that the Pharisees were headed towards destruction.
I also wondered how IBOs actually helped others? Muc of our spare time and money was concentrated on Amway related activites. While the congregation at church was in service and/or helping with community projects, the Amway faithful are at functions or out in malls stalking new prospects. I don't think I did much that was useful to the community or for others when I was an IBO because I was too busy. I was misled into thinking we stood for something good.
One day after church, I asked the Pastor for a minute of his time and asked what he thought about Amway (after I had quit). The Pastor said Amway and multi level in general are not good ideas because ultimately, too many people are filled with false promises and will end up worse off financially than if they simply took a second job. I believe he was spot on then and I share that same opinion. For those who believe Amway is the only way, try asking your church Pastor, if you attend church. You might be surpised to hear the answer.
pleasing to God? ummm.....i think NOT!!!
ReplyDeleteJoe, the WWDBers, epitomized by Ron Puryear, may be genuine Christians, but if so, they are definitely confused Christians - with their unbiblical idolizing of "positive thinking" and the gospel of "health and wealth" peddled by apostate greedheads like Robert Schuller. Of course, this (the "tools" sales) is where the real money to be made in Amway is - off trusting, christian, fools like me. Wise as a serpent I was not.
ReplyDeleteWWDB still offers, as far as I know, a book title "Success, Motivation, and the Scriptures", which is a weak attempt to justify the WWDB "system" - the author purports that the apostle Paul was a "positive thinker"!
I recommend a great book by Dave Hunt titled "The Seduction of Christianity" - to you and especially to anyone reading this who may be getting pulled into WWDB, Britt Worldwide, or any other of the fraudulent Amway "systems" out there.
-----Daniel, Esq.----- (longtime WWDBer)
Daniel, I too was taken in by the pleasing to God movement. It wasn't until I left the business that participating in WWDB actually took away from God. The leaders as you say, may be Christian but they are certainly using authority and power to abuse people financially. In the end, they will get their just desserts.
ReplyDeleteThe Pharisees thought they could earn justification and salvation by keeping The Law PERFECTLY. They did not realize (or denied) the fact that they were sinners and could not earn justification and salvation from God. Only Jesus kept The Law PERFECTLY during his life. No amount of good works can justify anyone before God, because ALL haved sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The only way that we are justified with God is through repentance of our sins and the forgiveness bought for us through the bitter sufferings and death of Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteI heard similar claims about Amway having God's blessing and favor. All of it is only a form of pietism, which is a way of trying to win God's favor. Those who abstain from alcohol, card playing, dancing or any other activity because their religion forbids it are pietists, because they are trying to curry God's favor. There is no way that anyone can earn God's favor. Everyone is a sinner. BTW: This is known as Original Sin.
Sorry if I come across a bit harsh Joe, but those have been the facts of life since The Fall in Genesis 3.
If you were a platinum or Ruby or Emerald or diamond your blog would carry a lot more weight.
ReplyDeleteIf you prove you made money in Amway your comment would carry a lot more weight.
ReplyDeleteTo Unknown at 8:58 AM --
ReplyDeleteDo you have to be a Nazi or an ex-Nazi to understand the evils of Nazi-ism?
Take a class in elementary logic, Unknown. And tell us, precisely, how much money you have lost in Amway so far.
Come on, fella. We're waiting for your answer.
I joined off and on a couple of times. Once as quixstar. Once as Amway. The people are real. Nice. But at the end of the day, it’s not for me. Some people make very good money, but it takes years of buying from yourself for the business volume, and teaching others to do it. To promote the vitamins you have to do the real work, showing the vitamins and makeup at your house, having people buy from you as either a client (for your business volume or have them become your down line). But the products are expensive. Much more thank you would normally spend on regular household items. And you just get only a small percentage back. It’s like a point reward credit card. At the end of the day, if one is not smart enough to create your own business model, then this would be your only way to create an income for yourself plus you have the support group to help you. But you will have to brainwash yourself to believe that it is the best product or organic when it is not. The extreme green vitamins that supposedly the fastest runner in the world takes are not certified organic, Amway downlines are just taught to tell people that they are. That you can see the factory tour whenever you like. I eat enough organic to know that if it is organic, you certify it in black and white on the packaging. If it’s not, it’s not. And the whole God thing. God only wants us to preach the gospel—that is His only will for us as He says to preach the gospel to every creature. Anything else like making money or living in the flesh is just a distraction away from His main goal, and for that God will never be pleased. The Bible never said that if we be good people and confess our sins we can go to heaven. It only says when we believe all of our sins are washed Clean forever and that we believe we are washed as white as snow by Jesus’ blood are we considered righteous in God’s eyes. If we still believe we have sin inside our hearts, even though Jesus came to this world to wash them 100% away with his blood, then that is the sin that cannot be forgiven in this world or the next. For anything that is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23)
ReplyDelete