Pining For A New Moon

A small minority of COG members have moved into new noon observance of the last several decades.  To me this is just further delving further into legalistic rules and regulations that ultimately have no meaning whatsoever to a Christian's walk. Plus, the 'new moons' worship is tied directly into pagan worship that was centered around new moons well before the Israelites left Egypt.  Like the spring and fall harvest festivals, the new moons were already a part of the ancient cultures.  Each just 'rebranded' the observances according to their cultural traditions. With all of them, and with Malm, the focus is as usual upon something physical.  Armstrongism has attached great significance to the physical while ignoring or devaluing the mystical and spiritual essences of belief.

Even Armstrongism's biggest apologist site Bible Study.org says Christians are not supposed to be observing New Moons.  Of course Apostle Malm would call these people agents of Satan for saying so.

Apostle Malm went to great lenghts yesterday in determining IF the New Moon was actually seen.  If these witnesses had not been able to see it then Malm was not going to observe it.

I accept that any sighting between the International Date Line and Jerusalem would mean that the moon would be visible at Jerusalem.

I will also say [this was not applicable this month]  that the New Moon can be seen in the morning before sun rise on those occasions where the moon sets before the sun in the evening.  If the New Moon IS seen in the early morning before sun rise,; the New Moon day would begin at sunset the coming evening because we cannot begin a day in its middle.

Please remember that one does not have to be in the faith to observe the moon as this requires no biblical understanding, just good eye sight.

Pakistan:

Seen: Sultan Alam (MCW member) from Karachi reported: Today (Tuesday 30th August 2011), our  observers sighted the moon and central official moon sighting committee of Pakistan also received many positive reports hence it has been announced officially that Wednesday 31st August 2011 is 1st Shawwal (Eid-ul-fitr) 1432 in Pakistan. Nearly whole Pakistan was cloudy or hazy.

• Kuwait:

  Seen: Hussain Khushaish (MCW member) from Kuwait reported: In Kuwait at Kabad desert on Tuesday August 30, 2011 the crescent was seen by 11 people with us which means that it was very difficult to be seen by naked eyes

• Bangladesh:

  Seen: Engr. Azizul Huq (MCW member) from Dhaka reported: The crescent moon was seen in many places of Bangladesh

• Lebanon:

  Seen: Dr. Hadi Jaafar (MCW member) reported: This evening I was able to see the moon of the month of Shawwal here in Tyr, Lebanon. I started scanning the partly cloudy western horizon with my 7*50 pair of binoculars at about 7:15 PM. I was able to see the moon very briefly at about 7:25 local time. I was barely able to see it with the “naked eye” ( I wear eye glasses) for a couple of seconds before it disappeared behind the clouds. The lighted portion was extremely thin, with crescent horns pointing between 1 and 5 o’clock. The moon was located at about 258 degrees magnetic azimuth ( as the compass of the binoculars pointed) and it was low at the horizon.