The latest issue of the Philadelphia Church of God's rag, The Philadelphia Trumpet has an article about conquering depression, Defeat Depression - Master Your Mind. This is appalling coming from one of the most morally bankrupt COG's out there! More people have suffered, been abused and died because of this cult than any other COG - including LCG which had a shooting.
Families have been destroyed, marriages broken up, parents abandoning their children, grandparents refusing to see their grand-kids. People have died because of their medical stance. People are mentally and spiritually raped by this despotic cult, and, they have the gall to talk about depression!?
There is so much to mock in this article but too many to list here. Here are a few highlights.
The article starts out with
Twisted and distorted thinking is the major cause of suffering for people flattened by depression. Those who have experienced a major depressive episode feel locked onto a painfully negative mental and emotional tilt-o-whirl—a cruel carnival ride stuck on go!
Hellllllo! Gerald Flurry needs to take a look at his own twisted and distorted preaching to see what it has done to members!
Mental health experts recognize that depression sufferers often resort to suicide “to achieve a peace of mindlessness.” Most seriously depressed people struggle to find the words to describe their mental torture. It is just as difficult for the non-depressed to relate to descriptions of it.
What about the PCG, LCG, WCG, UCG members who have killed themselves because of the mental torture that Armstrongism has put them through? Never being good enough for God's love, never quite getting it right, always being beat down but disgusting sermons. The list could go on and on!
So what causes mental health issues? Here is PCG's example:
i.e. - you are horrible sinful disgusting filth that is an abomination in God's sight. Unless you repent there is no hope for you.
In order to conquer anxiety, depression, fear and worry, you must come to know how the human brain, empowered by the human spirit, works. You must learn how to properly operate your mind. In addition, you must come to face the truth about your human nature.
Then to support their stance they immediately get into Herb and his amazing knowledge:
Greatest theologian??????? In who's eyes? The world? The world did not know he was a theologian because Herb admitted himself that he could not go around the world talking about "god." It was embarrassing to him. Herb was NOT a theologian. He had absolutely NO training in theology. Was ignorant about bible study. He also was no authority on the human brain! He got the information he had from Robert KuhnHerbert W. Armstrong, the great theologian of the 20th century, understood special knowledge about the human mind.
So what is the ultimate cause of depression:
All of you mentally ill people are rebellions sinners for not keeping the law! Therefore Satan has been allowed to infiltrate and use your mind.You must admit this next fact: Modern Christianity does not provide such education! In fact, most ministers and other Christian leaders teach that God’s law has been done away. People are not taught to practice the only way of life that produces true happiness—the way outlined by the Ten Commandments.
Your mental illness is from being a degenerate law breaker!To truly solve our mental and emotional problems, which are all spiritual in nature, we must have the spiritual knowledge that can only come from God through His Holy Spirit. Yet the Bible states emphatically that God will only give the Holy Spirit to those willing to obey Him (Acts 5:32). Realize also that the Holy Spirit, actively living in a human mind, is sound mindedness (2 Timothy 1:7). A sound-minded person is in control of his thinking, emotions and moods.
Here are some tough questions you must ask yourself. Is God’s Holy Spirit residing in me? How do I know for sure that I am obeying God? The answer to both of those questions is found in the practice of the Ten Commandments. If you are not actively keeping all of God’s Ten Commandments, you can be certain that the Holy Spirit is not actively leading, instructing and helping you. If you are depressed—meaning you have lost control of your thinking, emotions and moods—then look at your life. Where are you disobeying God? Study His Ten Commandments to find the answer.
Hallelujah! The Ten Commandments are the cure for depression! What disgusting bullshit! When you do not have the holy spirit in you you have a "carnal" mind and therefore are Satan's plaything.
The carnal mind refuses to yield to and obey God in all things. The natural human mind is heavily influenced by Satan the devil (Ephesians 2:2-3). Satan’s top goal is to control your mind.
So when Gerald Flurry was arrested parked along side the road while in a drunken stupor with beer cans piled on the ground outside his car door and in his lap, was he in a state of carnal mindedness? Was Satan controlling his mind?
The PCG is the last COG than needs to be lecturing the world about depression considering you are a major cause of depression in the COG's.
Mental Illness is a physiological disease influenced by genetic predisposition involving distorted perception aggravated by lies. Most mental illness is initiated by a psychotic break. Generally, mental illness must be treated by professional mental health professionals, most often using prescribed medications. According to the National Institute of Health (NIMH), 90% of all suicides are the result of clinical depression.
ReplyDeleteAmateurs may unknowingly aggravate mental illness through their ignorance and that ignorance may lead to death.
All of the leaders of the ACoGs suffer from mental disorders, which is a superset of mental illness: Specifically, they suffer and make other people suffer because they are narcissists, sociopaths and psychopaths.
Many leaders and ministers of the ACoGs suffer from clinical depression and several of them are under the care of a certified professional mental health medical professional. Those who are not, probably should be.
Now that you have this background, you can fill in the rest....
The INTENT of the Big Ten:
ReplyDelete1. You shall have no other gods beore me.
Original text says, "you shall not bring any other gods into my presence, for I am jealous of them."
Polytheism was understood
2. You shall not make any graven images.
Unless you are Moses and need a bronze serpent to raise up in the wilderness to heal the people of snake bite.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Because knowing the name of the God gives you power over that god as we see in 'tell me who sent me.." This is not about cursing, it is about power.
4. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy
Original Sumerian tale was so the Gods could rest not the humans but this is reasonable
5. Honor your father and your mother.
Reasonable unless you are Jesus cracking off at Mary "what do I have do with thee?" etc.
6. You shall not Kill.
This means 'each other'. Everyone else in your/our path is fair game including women, children and the unborn. Not to mention the 3000 we killed in the Golden Calf incident just before i read for us not to do this.
7. You shall commit no adultery.
This is not about romance. it is about property rights. It is about birth control and paternity. no Israelite man was giving his wealth to any other man's child. The threat of stoning a woman was sufficient to insure her faithfulness even if miserable. Any babies will be the lord of the hearth's and appropriate heirs.
Men of course, could have multiple wives.
8. You shall not steal.
Unless you are all the Israelites pillaging Egypt in the text under direction of God. You only change the rules after you have benefited from breaking them.
9. You shall not bear false witness.
Unless you are Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or the Apostle Paul along with the Church and its origins in history.
10. You shall not covet.
Unless god tells you to take the stuff or it serves a higher purpose like overunning another's land, country or women for personal gain.
Excellent response, Dennis. I'll just change it a little (as a tribute to what you just said).
ReplyDeleteThe INTENT of the Big Ten for the leaders and ministers of the ACoGs:
1. You shall have no other gods beore me.
Me, being the top cheese leader of your little cult.
2. You shall not make any graven images.
Of any other leader or minister besides Herbert Armstrong.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Except to guarantee your salary and retirement.
4. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy
Go out on the Sabbath to restaurants and engage in commerce to demonstrate that you are God as God is God to be worshipped and served by more of these sorts of people in the New World Order under YOU!
5. Honor your father and your mother.
By telling the congregation how they were alcoholics, drug abusers and beat you while you were a teen.
6. You shall not Kill.
The minister after services, like in the LCG.
7. You shall commit no adultery.
Not now that your wife is dead from cancer and you're a minister preaching against adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
From the ministry lying to you and taking your money.
9. You shall not bear false witness.
Too late. Everything is pretty much a lie -- including your phoney church history.
10. You shall not covet.
What the leader has, because you are supposed to be content with your wages taken from the first, second and third tithes with offerings paid by deluded members thinking you will help them get into the Kingdom of God.
You know, I don't think that worked -- using the Ten Commandments to Cure Depression. I wasn't depressed before I started this posting, but I think I am now just by going over the Ten Commandments.
While the article did mention Satan, it did not cover the real cause of depression -- demons.
ReplyDeleteWe all know from the days of hyperbole of Herbert Armstrong that depression is caused by demons. Therefore, there is only one real solution: Exorcism.
Nothing in the article mentions exorcism, yet this is one thing that the PCG can offer which is unique and not available through mental health professionals. Casting out those demons by a Philadelphia Church of God ministerial exorcist is the fastest, best and most effective way to rid one of depression.
Accept no substitutes.
When you realize you are depressed, demand that a PCG minister come and exorcise the demons.
You paid for it. It's about time you got some service around here.
"Twisted and distorted thinking is the major cause of suffering for people flattened by depression."
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely correct! The twisted and distorted thinking of drunken, lying false prophets like Gerald Flurry and the perverted and malicious demoniacs that he set up as "ministers" in the PCG is the main cause of depression in the Philadelphia Church of Fraud.
Having been tricked and trapped into supporting Satan's PCG fraud must be very depressing and discouraging indeed. The suckers were initially told what a short work the PCG would do. There would not be time to build another auditorium or start another college. What a surprise to find out after all these years that there is now a building fund for that very thing, and that they are expected to contribute to it, above and beyond all their regularly required tithes and offerings.
Having been tricked and fooled into thinking that they were standing up for the truth and supporting HWA's teachings must be very depressing and discouraging indeed. Now they are forced to go along with all the outrageous doctrinal changes that Gerald Flurry keeps on coming up with, or else they will be expelled and Gerald will cut them off from all their so-called "friends" and even family members in the PCG.
In the PCG people are cut off from the Holy Spirit and have instead been filled with an unsound spirit of fear and cowardice. They dare not look into any matter or search out the truth.
The entire PCG experience illustrates that serving Satan is such a thankless task.
I find the title rather humorous. Turn it around and that is exactly what Geraldean is doing. Mastering their Minds and making them into his slaves. Another characteristic of a dangerous psychopath.
ReplyDeleteThey expose themselves for what they really are and just don't realize it. They do my work for me...thanks Geraldean.
Then too, if you have bipolar disease, there's a solution to depression: Go out and spend a lot of money on credit! That's sure to put you into a manic mode! You'll feel so powerful!
ReplyDeleteJust like Flurry did when he got into millions of dollars of debt when he had the Auditorium built!
So instead of allowing for people to get help medically they add the burden of guilt to depression. Nice (not).
ReplyDelete"Nope there's nothing wrong with you medically, nope there's nothing wrong with your belief system. What ever your problems are, they because you are a nasty sinner. So you just focus on nitpicking your behavior till you come up with something to account for your sadness that doesn't point to us"
I think Jesus said something about folks who tie up heavy burdens on people and do nothing to lift them. It wasn't exactly, "good job".
Mickey,
ReplyDeleteWhen a person joins a cult, and it doesn't work out well for him/her(or his or her family), the cult says the solution is for the person to get more deeply immersed in the cult.
That's crazy talk!
Norm