tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post3851265063897861452..comments2024-03-28T10:21:50.226-07:00Comments on Banned by HWA! News and Observations About Armstrongism and the Church of God Movement: Dennis On: "Well, the Bible Says..."NO2HWAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018654662518613623noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-58012710358439219142013-05-29T10:29:02.783-07:002013-05-29T10:29:02.783-07:00I think the bible might possibly have a core eleme...I think the bible might possibly have a core elemental truth of some kind, and is somewhat unique compared to other 'holy texts' on this planet. Then again, that feeling might have been emprinted on me from a childhood experience. I was raised a fundemental baptist and went to a private baptist grade school. When I was in the third grade, I returned my homework to my teacher's desk but had inadvertingly placed it upon the 'HOLY BIBLE" that was on her desk. Boy!, did she let me have it! She scolded me in front of the whole class and brought me to tears. I can look back at it now and laugh at my teacher, that school, and myself for having taken it so seriously. But then again, I was raised to behave and believe that way. So, I wonder if some people's 'blind' faith about the bible comes from some long forgotten experience like mine. <br />After saying that, the problem that i have with the bible is that it gets in its own way. Whether those reasons come from various authors, vain people like Paul, misc. interpretations, reinterpretations, misinterpretations(says who?), mistranslations, and whatever. Which begs the question, <br />Why didn't Jesus Christ write His own autobiography? <br /><br />Dennis said,<br />....Paul demands the Church all speaks the same thing, it is not possible in any real group of over 2 or 3 human beings. That's what one says when they really mean. "We must all speak the same as I say."<br /><br />"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those that think differently" - Friedrich Nietzsche<br /><br />another seekeroftruthAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-5248583278741273022013-05-29T09:39:17.945-07:002013-05-29T09:39:17.945-07:00Great post, I loved the graphic of "I just li...Great post, I loved the graphic of "I just listened to Apostle Pack explain the Bible to me."...<br /><br />That could easily also apply to, "I just listened to a United Church of God minister explain the Bible to me."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-10163835795547274762013-05-29T02:32:51.457-07:002013-05-29T02:32:51.457-07:00I didn't you Dennis and the COGs had that in c...I didn't you Dennis and the COGs had that in common; rubbishing the scriptures.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-55272279361224542792013-05-28T19:08:51.994-07:002013-05-28T19:08:51.994-07:00Government from the top down means that members an...Government from the top down means that members and ministers can't utilize their own judgment so long as an "apostolic" edict exists on even the most mundane physical detail, or personal matter. And, by now, everyone here knows what I believe "government from the top down" is a substitute for. Just in case anyone is new, though, His initials are H S.<br /><br />Keep those sideburns acceptable to the ministry, but, damn! Don't you dare cultivate or receive the Christlike attitude that opens your heart and compels you to help that homeless person, or contribute to tornado relief!<br /><br />How do you have a spiritual experience in an ACOG? With all of the preoccupation on the physical, when does one ever get time for the spiritual? Yet, that is the essence of the Bible. Legalism and death of animals foreshadowed the real deal, leading up to Jesus, and providing in graphic detail why Jesus, the living waters, and transformation were necessary. Armstrongism denies all of that and prefers the shadows.<br /><br />BBByker Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15602697337552385535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-38801702620729146042013-05-28T18:02:18.624-07:002013-05-28T18:02:18.624-07:00How about, "watch what you ask for, you just ...How about, "watch what you ask for, you just might get it." I love you Dennis!whatmeworrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-4292616262379894462013-05-28T16:04:59.566-07:002013-05-28T16:04:59.566-07:00Dennis, that was superb, as most of your articles ...Dennis, that was superb, as most of your articles are. I haven't paid any attention to what the Bible supposedly says for decades now, and it was when I stopped that nonsense that my life started to straighten out and have real meaning. This worshipping of ignorant (comparatively) and superstitious writers from a hallowed past is stupid.Allen C. Dexterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06615706118359802452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-50913212259118702052013-05-28T14:14:56.741-07:002013-05-28T14:14:56.741-07:00Dennis, you're going to hell.
Except we don&#...Dennis, you're going to hell.<br /><br />Except we don't believe in it.<br /><br />Damn.Assistant Deaconnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-91464483705780834382013-05-28T14:12:25.757-07:002013-05-28T14:12:25.757-07:00Nice overview Head Usher. People assign the Bible...Nice overview Head Usher. People assign the Bible mystical and magical power of discernment. You are right about what today would seem to just be common sense. <br /><br />The Bible Meme is that it is the greatest story ever told (sold?) and written. Of course, that is ridiculous. Many writers through history have done a much better job with the issues of life . A book like the Power of Now or The New Earth can be more helpful in showing how the mind works than any Bible. The Bible has robotic characters in it. No real emotion. No real family issues we can identify with. Most Bible characters don't even seem to be able to say "I". Well except for the Apostle Paul who uses more than all others combined.<br /><br />The reason scholars know Paul did not write Hebrews is because the author of Hebrews does not constantly refer to himself lol. Which is true.<br /><br />Compare how many times Dave Pack refers to himself as I or me. It is amazing and blatant. It would be a miracle if those in RCG finally did not actually care more for Dave's opinions than for their own views which are just as valid in all things "prophetic" and speculative. ddAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-73928174539272555232013-05-28T13:53:34.468-07:002013-05-28T13:53:34.468-07:00I always knew this wise saying in its secular form...I always knew this wise saying in its secular formulation:<br /><br />"Better to ask forgiveness than permission."<br /><br />I also learned this principle in school because there was always some fool who would ask the teacher if there was going to be any homework. You always ask the teacher if that's going to be on the test. You never ask the teacher if he forgot to assign the homework.<br />_________<br /><br />The HQ bulletproof answer to every sex question was, "The marriage bed is undefiled" (Heb 13:4).<br />_________<br /><br />I started to figure out the bible wasn't all that it was cracked up to be when I was a teenager and in some sermon by some guy, when he was covering John 21, and got to verse 9:<br /><br />"When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread,"<br /><br />he digressed and basically said, hotdiggity, the bible has the answer to every question ever! It even tells you how to cook over a fire. You don't cook over an open flame, you cook over the coals! No idea what his main point was, I just remember hearing that and thinking that might not be the real reason why that verse was phrased that way.<br /><br />Unfortunately, a long time passed before I realized that the answers I expected to be getting in church, but seemed to be missing, was not all my fault--the answers were not there to be found! And the reason why the ministers didn't have the answers I expected is because we were altogether duped into superstitiously believing that the bible was magically encoded with the answer to every human question. Given the available evidence, it should not have taken me as long to debunk the bible as it did.<br /><br />Shortly after that I decided to read through the book of Proverbs, but not the usual way. I decided to make a rather thorough study to see how wise these Proverbs really were. Was there any wisdom in there that was not common sense? Was there anything in there that I hadn't already figured out a long, long time ago? Not really. So why should I ever read this crap again? It might be worth something to somebody, just not to me. Any value it might have had for was gleaned long ago, and on the margin, which is where I live, it's value has diminished to zero. After that, I understood that I wasn't getting answers in church because they weren't in the bible in the first place.<br /><br />I think a lot of people feel that the ancients, even the secular ones, were privy to wisdom that we moderns have lost. I think that people feeling is based on the hidden assumption that the ancients were in contact with supernatural beings that moderns have lost contact with, and that esoteric information was delivered to them. I think the ancients were no less smart than we are, just a lot more ignorant and superstitious.<br /><br />Head Ushernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-67307493095847686202013-05-28T13:30:17.357-07:002013-05-28T13:30:17.357-07:00"Ask and you shall not have. Do not ask...An..."Ask and you shall not have. Do not ask...And all things are possible."<br /><br />You hit the nail on the head with that one. There was a person in our church who wasn't sure what to do with a large painting of Jesus with long hair wearing a crown of thorns that she inherited from her family. The better half of us in the congregation told her to get it appraised and to sell it... the other butt kissing half said to counsel with a minister about it. It's sad really how these poor people feel the need to have to counsel about everything! <br /><br />I have yet to counsel with a minister about anything- because the day I do is the day they start telling me I can't do this or I can't do that; and when you don't ask and just do, 'all things are possible' like you said!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com