The "Dear Leader" of Living Church of God is still turning off people with his required fast for healing of himself and others in the LCG.
This in some ways continues comments from a few weeks ago regarding Rod’s enforced fasts. I agree the tone of Rod’s desperate letter sounds like the desperation of the priests of Baal cutting themselves and jumping around wildly to get Baal to answer them. And like Elijah said in modern language: “maybe Baal is on vacation–or maybe he’s across town that he can’t hear you.” Maybe the God (or perhaps more appropriately god) Rod worships is not hearing him because of his terrible selfishness. I cannot believe how self-serving Rod’s “fast” is. He and his “leading” cronies get the hot seat of sickness–and he wants everyone else to do something about it!! It doesn’t work that way! “you fast for strife and debate–and to smite with the fist of wickedness (brutality.)” To be fair, I don’t think Rod’s “church” is as bad as the concentration camps run by F & P (Flurry and Pack) but Rod has never learned anything in his life. He never learned humility, (to this day boasting about his golden gloves boxing days; now that’s humility!)–he never learned how to obey orders, always insisting he be the one that gives orders–he has a long history of abusing people, but if he thinks God is “abusing” him or his cronies with sickness, why all you losers fast and pray so God will help me! It’s a sad, pathetic letter. I truly think the poor brainwashed members of Rod’s church (not God’s church) will be forced to see their “Dear Leader” for the carnal personality he is.
I wonder how he enforces the fasts. Does he use guns and a goon squad?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it curious that these top leaders of churches never seem to have heard of "God resists the proud"?
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to "thy will be done." Do we really finagle or bully a god into compliance with our needs or wishes with gut wrenching prayer? I never have. I have bargained, finagled and begged, but I can't say I ever heard, "Well, ok. That was a great beg so here is your wish...poof"
ReplyDelete"Grasping at things can only yield one of two results:
Either the thing you are grasping at disappears, or you yourself disappear.
It is only a matter of which occurs first."
Goenka
I am thinking there are several major life issues that the average COG Minister, member and Master will have to accept sooner or later.
1. The Bible is not the clear cut and harmonious book it has been portrayed as being.
2. What the New Testament writers, whether the men who actually wrote the letters attributed to them or not, meant about "shortly," the night being far spent, and other such terminology was not for today. They were mistaken in their time as many are today.
3. Jesus is not coming in your lifetime to uniquely save you or give you the skip death option. A hope is not a reality.
4. The musings of your gurus are just that, musings. They don't know anymore than you do. They are no more special than you and will die like you and I
5. Tithing does not enrich you or protect you from life.
6. Begging God does not get many answers of "Ok, Yes."
7. The chance that you and your few dozen, hundred or thousand fellow members are the ONE TRUE CHURCH in a world of 7 billion is zero.
8. There never was One True Church nor did the characters in the NT like, believe and speak the same one true thing. They competed with each other as done today.
9. The Apostle Paul never met Jesus of the Gospels so may not have got it right.
10. Pious conviction with marginal information is not your friend and a deluded minister does make the delusion true.
11. Nothing in Genesis 1-11 is literally true. This has implications.
12. Good science, well done, is not your enemy.
Amen and Aaaaaaamen as they say around here.
To fully understand Roderick Meredith (who would want to?), it is necessary to grasp that he fully expects to live up to the time Christ returns.
ReplyDeleteHe is desperate because he realizes that if he does not, at some level he realizes that he will branded forever as a failure and a false prophet, rather than merely being branded a false prophet.
If I may be permitted to be really mean spirited:
ReplyDeleteAt least Roderick Meredith can never die from a heart attack!
The clock is ticking on the life expectancy of their interpretation of the Olivet discourse as contained in the synoptic gospels. If the allegorical trigger to the events of the end times is indeed the rebirth of the nation of Israel, well, that happened in 1948, making the baby boomers the generation which will not pass until all things be completed. Heck, most of us are in our 60s already.
ReplyDeleteWith the mammoth doubts which would have to be in play within certain circles due to the known bogussness of British Israelism, I would have to guess that there are people leading and attending these ACOGs who are beginning to realize that they wasted their entire lives for nothing. That must be terrifying. They've waited for the Gifts, they've waited for their groups to be suddenly thrust into prominence, and they've waited for certain events which were held over their heads for decades, and it just ain't happenin'!
BB
From my secular point of view, a good religion is one that prepares its members to treat other human beings--not just fellow sectarians--with respect and compassion; that enhances their joys; that consoles them in their sorrows.
ReplyDeleteThe final thing it can do for them is to help them accept their own decline and death with equanimity, or at least with dignified resignation. Obviously the COG promise that devout members would live at least another five years, ten at most, and then join Christ in the glorious heroics at Armageddon has failed to prepare Meredith and the senior members of his sect to face the ordinary mortal dissolution they should have faced up to long ago.
Even though in his earthly life he had a disability that disqualified him for military service, my Armstrongist father expected to be awarded a military commission to fight, some time around 1975, alongside his Savior against the forces of Satan. He had never seen blood flowing as deep as the horses' bridles, and he looked forward to it. What actually happened was, a relentless series of ministrokes gradually robbed him of his mind, and he breathed through his final months almost totally inert. At least his disease spared him the kind of terror Meredith and his top men are feeling.
Nicely put Prof.
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