Monday, January 25, 2016

COG Members Sick of the divisive church divisions

double click to enlarge


These are photographs are of an ICOG Feast of Tabernacles sign from this past year.  This same location also had UCG, COGWA and LCG groups meeting in the same building and close by in the same city. 

 COG members are getting sick of the divisions that abusive leaders continue to use as control measures.  There were at least three groups meeting in the same town and none of them officially acknowledged the other, with some even discouraging members to stay away from the other groups.


20 comments:

Martha said...

I really feel your pain, guys. It's heartbreaking. At one time, I was a big advocate for COG unity. My family was split across six different COG splinters. Eventually I understood that the COGs' core teachings on salvation mean that these splinters can never, ever get back together, at least not conscientiously.

http://asbereansdid.blogspot.com/2015/07/why-pleas-for-cog-unity-will-always-fail.html

Anonymous said...

"There will only be one kingdom."

At most.

And if there turns out to be that many, I have my doubts that any COG members will be topping Santa's list of who's been nice.

If there is an afterlife, unto reward, unto perdition, or unto any other outcome designated by the Three Fates, I think COG members will be shocked to find out it bears no resemblance to anything they were anticipating. I'm sure they'll want to rush right over and lodge a complaint with Santa's representative on duty that these were not the accommodations they had booked for their eternal FOT in the sky.

But, alas, a postmortem reinstatement of cognition seems so unlikely, predicated as it is upon such a host of implausible assumptions and upon so great a cloud of presuppositional apologetics, it seems hardly likely anyone will notice that eternity looks nothing like what they were promised. Meanwhile, 700 COG leaders put on their Gucci loafers or Rossignol snowboots, and each independently laughed all the way to the bank today.

Anonymous said...

Intercontinental Church of God was never as cool as the World Heavyweight Church of God. I would never Tag Team with them.

Byker Bob said...

This is a really sticky wicket!

In order to reunite, the ACOG members would need either to come together to eliminate all of their leaders, or lobotomize all but perhaps the best one of them, so that there could be unity. The problem being, the very system of doctrines and beliefs actually produces the flawed types of leaders that have been the overwhelming tradition of the Armstrong movement. The leadership model is their worst enemy.

Now, let's say an ACOG-wide election were held, to pick the unifier. Probably, a few days later, someone who didn't like the results would start a splinter. And then someone would start another. And, soon you would be back up to the 700 Club of groups once again. Even when a leader is democratically elected, like in UCG, someone rises up to start a COGaWA, and wants the cows.

We've witnessed all manner of histrionics and hyperbole as various ones have attempted to prove that they "had the conch", and could orchestrate a reunification. They've ordained themselves as prophets, and apostles, and have made ridiculous and evil predictions, with themselves as center of them all. But it all boils down to one thing. This is Armstrongism. It is a personality cult, based on HWA. So I guess everybody is just out of luck, unless there is a second coming of HWA. At this point in time, I seriously doubt that even he could put it all back together in the face of his own serious character issues, and the genetic disproof of B.I.

BB

Anonymous said...

i cling to the hope that Elijah the Prophet will Restore all things cuz clearly these organizations are a major fail...

Martha said...

I'm holding out for Intergalactic Church of God or Interstellar Church of God. I mean, why not, if they're going to get their own planet in the Kingdom...

Anonymous said...

I'm still waiting for the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Church of God to appear...

Ronco

Homer said...

There will never be unity within the various “churches” - what ever they call themselves - because they are all based on the concept of organizations, and not the unity of the mindset of individuals based on the principles put forth in the book they profess to live by. How can an organization even call itself a “church” when the word is not a part of any of the languages within that book? It can easily be shown that the word “church” was dictated by King James to be put in the 1611 KJV rather than use the word “assembly” translated by William Tyndale 75 years prior to the time of the translators King James brought together. The translators did, however, use about 85% of Tyndale’s translation. King James was the head or leader or boss, in you will, of the Church of England. If he could put the word “church” in that book, then he could also claim superiority of that book as well. The great and mighty King James, the best “queen” England ever had.

All churches, whatever their origin, miss the importance of the “Christ like” mindset of each and every individual, whatever their gender, age, nationality, race or previous understanding. Only a “Christ like” mindset will ultimately bring together the unity of mankind. That is what the Bible is all about. It has never been about a nation, religion, race or church group pitted against another. It had never been about “church” organizations or physical governments, even the so called government of God on earth ruled from the top down, as we were taught for so many years.

Anonymous said...

instead of writing on the sign, how about just attending services there?

there is the false assumption that any organization that uses "Church of God" in its name is like all of the others that do.

there is actually a wide variation of teachings in the various "Churches"...from incredibly liberal to extremely stuck up.

I don't know if any of them are actually on the right page....some are probably closer than others.

Redfox712 said...

It is so petty that some of those who receive tithes tell people not to attend the other congregations in situations like that. Why can't those people show some self confidence and just let the member meet openly with others without fear of recrimination?

Anonymous said...

I'm waiting for the "We are just another humanly devised organization that pretends to be divinely ordained Church of God".

Anonymous said...

The Star Trek folks attend the Delta Quadrant Church of God.

Anonymous said...

I personally believe that cog was a movement (turned into church).

Over 2000 years and maybe even longer this movement has some common characteristics.
When the perfect mix arises again which it does in a hundred years time cycle people will unite under a this recognizable banner.

Traits are:

-It is outside mainstream religion
-It is revolutionary (there must be radical societal change in the air, (rise of fundamentalism)
-It is raised by a businessman turned christian (waldo, hwa, mennonites)
-It is charismatic
-It is practical and simple (so it appeals to the common man instead of elites)
-(of course the basics to distinghuish sabbath, 13th nissan, tithing etc)
-It is apocalyptic (so there must be fear in the air, war and rumors of war, nuclear destruction, or other fear from the east)

This is a mix that apparently occurs in cycles of 100 years and picks up the pieces.

To extend this idea a bit further. A next cycle must by analogy be 2033. I guess this is when the Chinese will lead the world, the Wasps are turned into the worlds factory and people long for a deliverer....... The charismatic business person must be 17 years old now and is that silent clever guy in services who you don't pay much attention to since he seems to be somewhat out of line with current leaders in the cog's..........

Unknown said...

If they were COG members...

Who could do the job here...

Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders?

They both claim that they can unite and make America great again don't they? Heck a church would be childs play for them then shouldn't it?

Anonymous said...

British Israelism is fantasy and any 'church' based on it is a delusional cult.

It's the religious equivalent of dividing by zero.

And what do you get when you divide by zero?

It's undefined.

Although you can probably measure it in Armstrongism in terms of the number of splinters.

Quote from Criminal Minds: A cult is a group dominated by a charismatic psychopath.

The only heartburn with that is the definition of 'charismatic' -- it's not what you think it means.

Anonymous said...

Well said Homer. For the 45 years I've been in the "church", the two timbers in the eyes of the "leadership" have been the idolization of the "minister" and worshipping the Sabbath and Holy Days, instead of worshipping our Creators on those days. We are no deferent than the Pharisees if we think we are "holy" or special because we keep the Sabbath and don't eat pork. The Pharisees were missing the "Christ like" mind set of loving others, especially if they don't belong to your "group". One of HWA's biggest errors was to say the Church must just proclaim the coming Kingdom of God and avoid the preaching about Christ like the Protestants. Without preaching about the mind set of the King of this coming Kingdom, you had many of the ministers ruling like the Gentiles instead of being a servant following Christ's example.

Anonymous said...

The problem with any two groups merging is that you nearly always end up with three groups!

Group A plans to merge with group B. So you get a new group A+B, but also you almost certainly will get the diehards of group A, who couldn't possibly merge with group B, continuing on with a 'strenghtened'group A (having got rid of all the liberals who wanted to compromise in joining group B), and equally the group B diehards will continue on, as there is no way they could possibly merge with those in group A.

This happens in polotics and religion in general, not just the COGs.

Anonymous said...

Many years ago I sent a letter to the CoG 7th day asking about the splits in their church and HWAs departure years ago. He was honest enough to acknowledge that oftentimes doctrinal issues were little more than a smoke screen. He acknowledged that personalities and seeking of power and position were the main causes of divisions in their church and others. Church government, which day to observe this or that holy day,etc. These are small issues. But, they can be used as an excuse to start their own church. How many "evangelists" were waiting in the wings for HWA to assume room temperature and thought that they were entitled or better qualified to be the heir apparent? Rader, GTA, Meredith, LaRavia, and the list goes on and on. They all wanted the title, access to power and money and of course the nice office on the fourth floor, the limo and let's not forget the Gulfstream jet and the adoration of church members. How many people can tell the doctrinal differences between the splinter groups today? The doctrinal differences are minimal. WCG has always been a cult of personality.

Anonymous said...

..............love will find a way.

Anonymous said...

"..............love will find a way."

Armstrongism: Love not finding a way since 1934.