I wouldn’t describe myself as the most patient man in the world, but I can put up with a fair bit of nonsense before getting narked.

However one bunch of people I simply cannot abide , are those so called ‘friends’ who call to show me a ‘business plan’, a great way of becoming financially independent.

I remember the first time it happened. He was a youth group leader and I was his youth pastor. I didn’t even smell it coming. I liked the guy and thought he liked me. Then next thing I know he is drawing pictures and asking me what I want more than anything else in life… (For you to go home dropkick!)

Then there was the ex youth pastor, turned church planter, who I hardly knew, who called to see how I was going. I found his interest nice as he was a well known idenity in the Perth scene. Then he asked if he could show me a business plan… I politely told him I wasn’t interested. Sometimes I am too nice for my own good. (No – its true!)

Then two of the folks in my last youth min both hit on me, as well as a friend in the community. I went to a life coaching seminar where I met a guy who wanted to ‘explore things more with me’. I met up with him only to discover it was Amway again… There have been one or two others, but the common denominator is always the same. ‘How would you like to make more money than you have ever dreamed of and live free?’

If anyone asks me that again I think I may just ask them ‘how would you like to kiss my butt?’

I refuse Amway on several grounds:

– there is no get rich quick scheme that works and is ethical. If you want to get fast money then just rob a bank. At least its blatant theft.

– it promotes greed but under the guise of godliness, which makes it even more slimey in my opinion.

– you risk losing all your friends by having to hit on them and get them signed up

– I can’t be bothered spending ’10-15 hours a week’ on a ‘business’ when I am prefectly content. Amway suggests that I ought to be discontent with my life as it is.

– it sounds dangerously like a cult.

If anyone ever calls you to show you the plan then ask them to read this first, then meet with them and ask them how they enjoyed the book!

It is a first person insider account of a man who moved high up in Amway, did not make the momey he expected, worked his butt off in the process and was subject to incredible cultish mind contol and abusive practices.

I don’t think anyone sets off into Amway with bad intentions, but the evidence would seem to suggest that there is much research that needs doing before signing up.

So if you happen to approach me with a ‘business plan’ don’t say you haven’t been warned.