Are UCG Members Being Encouraged To Particpate in a Witchcraft Ritual? UPDATED

Beware the next time you are in a UCG church service and you are asked to hold hands with the person next to you in prayer.  It seems that Denny Luker has been over taken by the spirit of witchcraft and is encouraging the membership to join him in bringing forth demons........

Did you know by clasping the hand with another in prayer that you will be participating in witchcraft! I have never heard that one in all the years I was part of Armstrongism!  Little did I know that UCG is being invaded by pentecostal witchcraft!  The Apostle Malm seems to think that you are indirectly participating in a seance to bring forth demons!

HOLDING HANDS IN PRAYER is a Pentecostal custom coming from witchcraft which is very popular with Denny Luker and is creeping into the UCG.  The pagan concept behind this tradition is to demonstrate UNITY by holding hands together.  This is believed to multiply the power of the prayer by indicating to the deity that many are fully united in making the request.  Seances to contact demons are always accompanied by hand holding.  This also creates an emotional bond between the participants.  Hand holding is a definite emotional bonding between people; instead of a personal contact with Almighty God.

The holding of hands during prayer degrades a spiritual matter of contact with God, into an emotional experience.  Prayer is degraded into an emotional experience; indeed much such prayer is not to seek God, but to impress those present by voluminous flowery and impressive language.  Such prayer may impress some people but it does NOT impress God.

It is certainly not wrong to touch others, to cry on someone’s shoulder if the need is there, or to hold hands; however to do so as a means to try and influence people or God in prayer, is most definitely wrong and has its roots in witchcraft [Satanism].

It's no wonder people in the world look at Armstrongism with such derision and non-interest!  Who in their right mind would follow such idiots?

UPDATE:

The Apostle has had several of his acolytes write in with questions.  The appalling thing is that people actually value The Apostles' opinion on this matter!

How dare men hold the hand of a man or a married woman in prayer!  Does this imply you will turn gay or be committing adultery?  The idea that any person needed to ask such a question shows how simple minded Armstrongism has become!

Do you mean brethren holding hands with each other during opening and closing prayers at UCG Sabbath and Holy Day services ?? If so this is complete madness and would cause all manner of problems and it’s so weird.
Would a married man have to hold the hand of another man ??? Or another married womans hand ??
What will they think of next …. the mind boggles…….
It might eventually come to that, but right now it is more a matter of a few more pentecostal type elders who ask for this in smaller meetings and also tend to want to include this type of thing in counselling sessions etc. james

Concerning the issue of holding hands.
As a family, we have always held hands as we give thanks over a meal as well as when we ask God to watch over us as we travel. Since our children are small this helps them to focus their attention on what we are doing. It does foster a sense of being together as we do this. As a family we do a many things together to foster unity – especially to teach our children the Faith (Bible studies, singing hymns, etc).
Other than that some “pagans” hold hands in their practices … is there a reference in scripture condemning the practice? I wouldn’t want a family tradition to replace Scriptural commands or examples. I am sure there are many things that non-believers do when they come together that we might unknowingly imitate in our practices and worship. Is the fact that they also do them make them inherently wrong?
We have been for the last year looking at a great many things we do in the practice of our Faith. Some areas are stall wanting – some areas have been strengthened. Above all, we must do all we do in Faith to our Father within the bounds of His commands. Is this a matter a practicing sin or a matter of personal conscience?
We are commanded not to learn the ways of the heathen to do them. We are not to use paganisms in our worship or religious practrice. We are not to worship our God as the pagans worship theirs. We are to keep all Gods commandments and are not to add or take away from them. We are to worship God ONLY as HE directs. Our children are learning what we teach them and if we teach them the ways of the pagans it will need to be overcome later in life. We are to dilligently teach our children to serve the Eternal as he commands and not by our own methods and the imaginations of our own hearts. It is not necessary to point every single possible false way in scripture; for we would run out of years in which to read the list of errors that men contrive. There are millions of counterfeits and the only need is to teach the real thing, then the false will be recognized as anything that deviates from the real thing. We are to cleave to God’s commandments and to worship him as he commands, not as we devise for ourselves. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is death. James