tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post5365511583601672886..comments2024-03-29T02:57:52.065-07:00Comments on Banned by HWA! News and Observations About Armstrongism and the Church of God Movement: UCG - 19 Years of Repeatedly Saying: "...this has been the most spiritually productive series of meetings that I have yet experienced."NO2HWAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018654662518613623noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-25769002953033421032014-12-21T13:48:31.187-08:002014-12-21T13:48:31.187-08:00Who are they trying to convince?
If they can just...Who are they trying to convince?<br /><br />If they can just hold out a few more years til retirement ...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-61950187869494717092014-12-21T07:41:11.682-08:002014-12-21T07:41:11.682-08:00I will miss Professor Farnsworth.I will miss Professor Farnsworth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-78744704048926802712014-12-20T19:22:50.765-08:002014-12-20T19:22:50.765-08:00How about... the Council of Elders know United is ...How about... the Council of Elders know United is a cult, so divesting themselves of The Good News will <i>apparently</i> distance them from the reputation Armstrongism has been building from the fringes? Of course, in order to really escape the well-deserved cult reputation, they'd need to take down Herbert Armstrong's picture displayed prominently in the Home Office. Another move would be to abandon British Israelism, but I suspect that horse pill is a bit much for them to swallow, even though they absolutely <i>must</i> know by now there's absolutely no excuse for embracing it.<br /><br />What to do; what to do.<br /><br />Transformation has to come from the inside out, not from ritualistic cultic practices to attempt to change from the outside in.<br /><br />After all, the wolves will continue to be wolves even though they wear wool suits.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-41181084213130408092014-12-20T17:39:48.357-08:002014-12-20T17:39:48.357-08:00I wouldn't recommend the WCG/GCI to anyone but...I wouldn't recommend the WCG/GCI to anyone but that is the only group of the COG's that even has a slight potential for growth. But even there the fact that it is still a top down org. and has such a low visability limits its growth to slight. All the other COG's will no doubt slowly decline and continue to split including the UCG. The media efforts of the UCG are a small fraction of the old WCG. With out a charismatic leader like HWA there is nothing to draw in new members. Most current COG members will not admit it but the fact is that HWA was the main reason that the old WCG had some mild success bringing in new members. The doctrinal teachings of all the COG are considered weird and totally unorthodox to most people. Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-56625041020444401902014-12-20T11:12:09.916-08:002014-12-20T11:12:09.916-08:00This reminds me of when these same Tkache people w...<br />This reminds me of when these same Tkache people were yapping away back in the WCG about how the Church under them was becoming more spiritually enlightened and loving all the time. Yet the people that I had gotten to know well in the WCG were actually behaving more degenerately all the time.<br /><br />The only thing that the dis<b>United Church of God</b>lessness will ever work at seriously and exhaustively is their smooth talk about how spiritually enlightened and loving they are. The problem is that if you actually go to a UCG congregation and see how rude and crude and evil the people there really are, you will understand why no good will ever come of the UCG.<br /><br />Back in the WCG under HWA there was a magazine called <i>The Good News</i>, which in Greek would be <i>The Gospel</i>. It is not surprising that the UCG would decide to change the name of its magazine from <i>The Good News</i> to <i>Beyond Today</i>. Even more changes will need to be made to take the UCG back into the world like these same leaders did in the past with the WCG.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-82327307192346912832014-12-20T09:11:16.868-08:002014-12-20T09:11:16.868-08:00Beyond Today?
Given their record, no one should b...<i><b>Beyond Today</b></i>?<br /><br />Given their record, no one should believe they know what's coming.<br /><br />I wouldn't trust their next day local weather report for a desert.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-36346239803664762892014-12-20T06:36:19.385-08:002014-12-20T06:36:19.385-08:0099% of the men in the UCG have never studied the B...<i> 99% of the men in the UCG have never studied the Bible without an HWA booklet or UCG article in hand tell them what to believe.</i><br /><br />As someone who attends UCG, this admittedly concerns me more and more.<br /><br />Men often come to services talking about the great sermon they watched online, or suggesting a series of Bible studies going through a church booklet. Not much about their <i>own</i> searching of Scriptures for truth and answers.<br /><br />At least the Wednesday night Bible studies from Cincinnati are using the Bible as a base, not UCG literature.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-68398420029995597742014-12-20T03:31:07.656-08:002014-12-20T03:31:07.656-08:00So, Robin Webber was pleased to bring exciting new...So, Robin Webber was pleased to bring exciting news as follows: "...The Council members (11 were present) unanimously decided to approve the administration’s proposal to change the name of The Good News to Beyond Today..."<br /><br />I'm pleased too, but for different reasons. For one thing, the Good News brought a lot of bad news and lies when they kept writing about Christ's soon-coming to earth to rule, because Jesus Christ never agreed with the United Ass. on that.<br /><br />Jesus Christ knew he wasn't going to be coming back that soon to earth and a number of scriptures told us that He would be in Heaven with His Father until all enemies have been subdued.<br /><br />Sure Satan would be in a pit for a 1,000 years, but then that vile evil thing was to be loosed out of that pit to do what? Deceive the entire world again! That enemy, like death, had yet to be subdued and be put under Christ's feet!<br /><br />A Good News magazine should be filled with "good news" in it and tell us the truth.<br /><br />So, good move on the Council's part to change that magazine name to some name that is more truthful: Beyond Today!<br /><br />Why? That is because it not only is closer to the truth, but the phrase "beyond today" is as vague as can be..........<br /><br />In fact, I anticipate that magazine will the "same thing" it has always been, but just with a different name....and certainly will be so vague that it will be nothing like "...quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."<br /><br />And we know that their magazine, whatever the United Ass. would choose to call it, will continue to quote the words of others of varying outside publications than it will quote verses of the Bible, but time will tell....<br /><br />JohnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-66627869751602102462014-12-19T19:16:07.026-08:002014-12-19T19:16:07.026-08:00I used to feel sorry for these people, but as of l...I used to feel sorry for these people, but as of late, I don't.<br />They must really want to be enslaved as they are. It must meet some psychological need for them. I think that pity has replaced concern. Do they have the ability to know better, yet choose not to? The true church should take care of widows and orphans in their distress and teach the truth. They don't want to or refuse to be a part of what the church should do, then let them have what they have. How much energy should be focused on them? How much of our effort towards them distracts us from what we should be doing? It is interesting to keep up with what is going on, but it shouldn't be our main focus. I teach Scripture in our home on Sunday evening to people who attend Catholic, Baptist, Methodist churches and will be leaving for my fifth trip to Tanzania later this month to teach the Bible. What goes on with the C of G's is little more than a side show. I sat at the feet of RCM and HWA, etc. at AC in Pasadena. It is part of my past. It doesn't distract me from what I think I should be doing today. The "true believers" will continue with their arrogant belief that they alone have "the truth", and will continue to have little or no impact for good on the world. My reservoir of sympathy for some of them is diminishing more and more. What has troubled me the most with these groups is not their beliefs, but their arrogance and hypocrisy. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-62703411979762955772014-12-19T16:11:44.038-08:002014-12-19T16:11:44.038-08:00It all boils down to...they are all just trying to...It all boils down to...they are all just trying to keep from having to go to work at Walmart. THE END.old EXPCG haghttps://plus.google.com/u/0/113084575537501184298/posts/p/pubnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-48190829553102302932014-12-19T12:56:36.493-08:002014-12-19T12:56:36.493-08:00So, it occurs to me that "the brethren’s desi...So, it occurs to me that "the brethren’s desire to go deeper into God’s Word and have our ministry draw out the rich meanings underneath the surface in God’s Holy Word" might lead truly prayerful elders to conclude that the "flock" of "sheep" and "lambs" includes all the humans God created, and that "feed" and "tend" are literal, not metaphoric. The duty of the church would then be to organize food banks, homeless shelters, and storefront medical clinics. <br /><br />As things stand now, the "poor dumb sheep" are not fed and tended, but only milked and shorn,Retired Profnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-73285196423174918052014-12-19T09:06:07.699-08:002014-12-19T09:06:07.699-08:00It's time to buy new deck chairs for the Titan...It's time to buy new deck chairs for the Titanic.<br /><br />If only they could afford them....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-88786896621802998132014-12-19T08:45:31.025-08:002014-12-19T08:45:31.025-08:00They're going deeper and deeper?
Yup, they...They're going deeper and deeper?<br /><br />Yup, they've dug themselves into a deep hole in the ground, and efforts at extraction from said hole may prove fatal.<br /><br />Only a gun-slinging cowboy riding Supercow with a piggish-digging snout can save them now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-72186786746054121232014-12-19T07:23:25.406-08:002014-12-19T07:23:25.406-08:00Growth would seem to verify the superlatives, so i...Growth would seem to verify the superlatives, so if they ever get around to experiencing some sort of resurgence in that department, perhaps the professionally crafted public relations orientated words that they use each year will take on a new aura of reality or credibility.<br /><br />And, of course, a proper facade mandates that they are going to use verbiage befitting the profession. I mean, what would everyone think if Robin had made a statement like, "Aw right! Now we really gonna boogie down, chillen! What a stoned gas when the elders is in the house!"<br /><br />BBByker Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15602697337552385535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-72779357960891307102014-12-19T07:22:43.217-08:002014-12-19T07:22:43.217-08:00Underscores that nothing "Good" comes fr...Underscores that nothing "Good" comes from United.<br /><br />Beyond Stupid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-31723407063928557312014-12-19T07:21:55.707-08:002014-12-19T07:21:55.707-08:00The statement '...and surrender our good ideas...The statement '...and surrender our good ideas...' shows clearly that they are 'dictating' to Elohim rather than praying for good ideas from Him.<br /><br />To me, UCG is very much like the others. They are trying to succeed using the same methods that applied to a different era. HWA was fortunate that he came about during the 30s where there wasn't an Internet, which would have stopped him dead in his tracks.<br /><br />There are many other reasons why they are failing today.<br />1. Wrong government<br />2. Accepting tithes that don't belong to them.<br />3. Having ranks within the ministry, ignoring the fact that Eph.4:11 is speaking about spiritual gifts.<br />4. Making the ministry an elite group that lives far above the means of its members.<br />5. Making its membership depend on the spiritually or lack thereof, of their ministers for spiritual growth.<br />6. Looking at physical characteristics such as number of people responding, writing, or sending in money, as signs of spiritual growth.<br />7. Making its members like slaves working on a farm in the heat, while they live like kings working in air conditioned rooms.<br /><br />Sweetblood777https://www.blogger.com/profile/11000268749016977800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-78829221831423041812014-12-19T05:16:24.485-08:002014-12-19T05:16:24.485-08:00Mainstream churches, which do not have the draconi...Mainstream churches, which do not have the draconian rules to live by, are declining themselves. How does the UCG expect to grow beyond today? The "market" for what they offer is very small. The personality types (obsessive-dependent personality) are so few in number, there is little potential for growth, regardless what they do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-56480962355958068222014-12-19T02:15:15.990-08:002014-12-19T02:15:15.990-08:00"When we approach God on our knees and surren..."<i>When we approach God on our knees and surrender our good ideas to His perfection, things happen!</i>"<br /><br />Yep. What happens? Prettymuch what would have happened if they had instead spent that time adjusting the scope on their rifle or sharpening the knives in their survival kit: more infighting, cutthroat political intrigue, power plays, backstabbing, stepping on other's throats in order to raise yourself up the corporate ladder by that extra 5 inches. In other words, business as usual.<br /><br />"<i>We concluded: We all—every Council and administration figure, pastor and member—need to seek an even deeper and exhaustive desire to center our thoughts, actions and underlying motivations in light of this “lamp unto our feet”</i>"<br /><br />Deeper and more exhaustive than, well, what? <br /><br />After 80 years of Armstrongism, you would think they would have gotten somewhere. Instead, Armstrongism is predicated upon stagnation, constantly reinventing wheels, and misguided attempts to "really get serious this time." As a result, "depth" is something no one has ever achieved. Armstrongism's idea about "going deeper" is to double-down on strategies that have proven to lead only to failure, and to go around in an old, familiar circles yet one more time.<br /><br />How "deep" or "exhaustive" has any COG minister or member's attempt to understand the bible or live like Jesus ever been? Armstrongists keep on using words like "deeper" or "more exhaustive," but the fact is, these now-trite sayings are incoherent. Either something is exhausive, or it is not. It is not possible to do a job "more exhausively." All this means is, "We were wrong about saying we did it 'exhaustively' last time (like every other time) and we'll probably be wrong this time too. The reason why they can't even come up to "the world's" standards is because, for all their talk about "mooring" they're completely unmoored from reality. Everything they say is without any objective referent to anchor it. The only thing that's possible is more pie-in-the-sky talk and meaningless platitudes. They've never been serious before and they're not about to get serious now.<br /><br />The trouble is, when one really does make the personal decision to "get serious," it winds up in that person realizing that he needs to leave Armstrongism behind, because the COGs, in and of themselves are an imposition to "getting serious." Acceptance of the tenets of Armstrongism bind you with shallowness and stagnation. They make the abandoment of seriousness incumbent upon the believer. Instead, they divert any "seriousness" they might have had into useless old testament rituals like "deleavening" their homes. Ritualized "progress" takes the place of any actual "progress." The only thing ministerial types like Robin Webber have ever been "serious" about is coming up with that extra 5 inches.<br /><br />"<i>The Council members (11 were present) unanimously decided to approve the administration’s proposal to change the name of The Good News to Beyond Today, which coincides with the title of our television program.</i>"<br /><br />Translation: "<i>We unanimously agreed upon a new shade of lipstick for our pig.</i>"<br /><br />Exciting...<br /><br />Nobody is interested in their program or their literature because they have nothing interesting or valuable to offer. Everyone who stumbles across it realizes it's worthless drivel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com