The Summer Camp From Hell

Philadelphia Church of God is running it's latest summer indoctrination  camp for the church youth.  According to PCG the kids are there to learn how to be perfect in all things and to live lives of perfection.

I feel sorry for these kids that their lives are stripped of fun at this camp from hell. Talk about sucking the pleasure of summer camp out of  a person!

I went to SEP Orr, in 1971 and had the time of my life.  While there was some churchy stuff, it was not the main focus of every single activity.  Theological indoctrination was usually relegated to Saturdays and that was minor.  Of course this was during the time GTA had been banished to Orr for sexual indiscretions and the time the church was going through major upheavals because of Rod Meredith's hatred of GTA.

PCG writes:

Director Wayne Turgeon kicked off orientation by presenting a camp theme that would unify the sports, classes, activities and dorm life of PYC 2012: “Focus on perfection.”

Of all the people to be discussing perfection, it should not have been this butt kisser. Oy! 

They continue on with this fun sucking agenda:

Campers said they found the theme reinforced in every type of activity they participated in, from flag football to campus improvement to Bible and leadership according to camper Mahariel Rosario. Instructors found the theme applicable to their activities as well. Preaching Elder Ryan Malone, who oversaw speech class and the Jeremiah musical, said, “The camp theme applies to pretty much anything, whether you’re thinking about archery or prayer.”

The focus on perfection gave a very clear direction for Mr. Malone when approaching speech class. His instructional lecture focused on James 3:2, and used the example of entrepreneur Steve Jobs’s focus on perfecting his presentations.

Sports instructors also zoned in on the focused effort towards perfection. Assistant softball instructor Jessie Beezley said that the staff emphasized the importance of “not just getting through it, but to focus on the game, and pay attention.” Campers were taught to “think ahead, know where the play is going, what is happening next and what to do.”

On the archery range, perfection was a crucial part of the class. “Most of the other sports deal with several different skill sets,” said archery instructor Mark Jenkins. “Archery is about taking one isolated skill and perfecting it,” he said, adding that “making your shot perfect and repeatable” applies to other skills as well.

Counselors took the camp theme and Mr. Flurry’s message to encourage their campers in the dorm as well. AC junior Tabitha Burks, the counselor to dorm 3G, said that Ecclesiastes 9:10 and Matthew 5:48 were two key scriptures that she reinforced with her dorm, to show them the effort it takes to reach perfection. Campers Focus on Perfection

All that's missing from this picture is the PCG ministers running around in bike shorts like they did a few years ago.

Toby Maguire to Play Bobby Fischer in Upcoming Movie

Toby Maguire will be playing Bobby Fischer in an upcoming movie.  It will be interesting to see if they portray Fischer's involvement with Armstrongism.  The Worldwide Church of God used this guy and exploited him for all they could get out of him.  The more money he gave the better they liked him.

I wonder if the movie producers realize that the very buildings that Fischer played chess in are now vacant and can be used for the film.  It would certainly add more authenticity to it all.

Given the numerous articles and books that tell the story of Fischer's involvement with Armstrongism and if the movie producers us it, the church will not be portrayed in a positive light.

Tobey Maguire To Star As Troubled Chess Prodigy Bobby Fischer, But Who Was He Really? 

The movie will look at Fischer's career in the 60's (which started at the age of 13) through the '72 match from a script by Steven Knight ("Eastern Promises"). Spassky was the Soviet Chess champion twice while Fischer was the youngest grandmaster at the age of 15 1/2, and would be going head-to-head with a player six years his senior. I can almost see the sports movie trajectory it could take, "Miracle" on a chess board (although Fischer had a pretty flawless win record, so a montage of him always being good at chess might be a bit of a drag).

It's Fischer's life after the win that's ripe for exploration. He stopped defending his chess title officially after a dispute with the World Chess Federation in '75, and later got in trouble with the IRS over unpaid taxes from his winnings in a '92 rematch against Spassky. Here's where it gets rocky: Fischer, a Chicago native, never returned home to the States, living as an expatriate in Hungary, the Philipines, and Germany, among other countries while becoming increasingly prickly and reclusive.

What Zwick and Knight will be missing out on in confining the story to the '72 match is the impact the sudden rush of fame and success had on Fischer and how it effectively broke him in later years. In the few interviews you can find with him in his later years, he not only becomes critical of his home country but outright anti-American, and laced through all of that is a weird strain of anti-Semitism (he actually disavowed his own Jewish roots at one time, and you can read an interview where he discusses discovering the doomsday evangelical sect the Worldwide Church of God here).

Sabbath Restaurant Eaters are "...pathetic, self-serving, childish..."

Apostle Malm has some stern warnings for those of you that dare to eat in a restaurant or get a coffee from Starbucks on your way to or from church:

When you are paying someone to work on the Sabbath, you are responsible for them having done so. Whether they would do it anyway or not is immaterial. The fact is that you, by your action have become the root cause of them doing it. You have encouraged them and suborned them to commit this sin. Therefore, you are guilty of that sin. If they are adulterers: Will you join them; because they are going to do it anyway? The idea that they are going to sin anyway somehow justifies us joining in with them: Is a pathetic self-serving, childish self-justification. And it demonstrates that such people; really want to join in this sin, and DO NOT want to truly keep God’s commandments.

E.W. King on "Exorcising" Faith

No wonder Armstrongism has such difficulties!  Exorcise?  Now we know why they are all having such difficulties in maintaining members.  They consider faith something to be cast out.

Doubting God is also something we sometimes struggle with. We seem to be born doubters. This sense is also proper. This means that we must develop faith. True faith is a gift but it must be exorcised. If you don’t use it you lose it. When we do not exorcise true faith we become self-dependent. Learning to be Christian

ex·or·cise/ˈeksôrˌsīz/

Verb:

Drive out or attempt to drive out (an evil spirit) from a person or place. Rid (a person or place) of an evil spirit.

E. W. King - Mockers Beware!

E. W. King, the wanne-a-be prophetic end time leader of the Worldwide Church of God and/or Church of God Speaking To The Remnant, is not happy that people doubt his prophetic end time standing.  Woe be to you mockers out there!

I am always fascinated by these kooks that refer to themselves as Mr. in their communications. Dave Pack does the same thing.  I guess they think it adds an air of authority to their otherwise impotent names.

Integrity of Mr. E.W.King

Many people who used to be friends with Eric are now on a mission to attack him because he teaches the Truth! If one truly takes time out to visit the website, “Church of God ~ Speaking to the Remnant” and to really read the articles posted in the Library they will learn the Truth.

Eric has asked all members of COGSR to continue praying for all those who are on a “Hate Mission” against the True Church of God [WCG]. We are now even finding out that people in private chats have said things to disrupt the COGSR on Hate Blogs.

God is coming back only for His true Church, “The Worldwide Church of God” [COGSR] and that church has Mr. E.W.King teaching and proclaiming the One Truth about the One Church which was started by the One Christ.

The other thing that continues to fascinate me about these kooky COG leaders is that they declare that God is only working through them and will only come back to their church specifically and use it in the world tomorrow.  When pigs fly...

Did UCG/COGWA Ministers Play "The Good Germans" or Were/Are They "Academic and Ethical Prostitutes?"

The Malmites have been an a tear against the "academic and ethical prostitutes" that run UCG and COGWA.  These men, all former WCG leaders who actively worked to disfellowship those people who were not in agreement with WCG's new teachings, while working in the background to form a new church.  While they played heavy handed dictatorial policies towards others, they themselves were whoring themselves out to a new organization and the almighty dollar.  The Malmites are correct in their observations of these men and the continued hypocrisy they all share to this day.

This is a comment written in by an acolyte of Malm.  Malm's comment is the highlight section.

No second hand, twice removed, hear-say, gossip in this matter. Rather, we have the informed and published comment of Michael Feazell and the official WWN heroic triumphal PR releases published for the consumption of the brethren.

The truth that emerges from these documented sources is that Donald Ward was in early and up to his eyeballs in the process of indoctrination of both the executives and the academic teaching faculty of WCG Inc. in evanghelical protestant theoogy(which is to say reformed Roman Catholicism).

Ably assisting and helping in the process were such other UCG bigwigs as Robin Webber, Larry Salyer, and David Hulme.

Don’t forget Victor Kubik, Michael P Germano [who now "educates" LCG youth and is a big influence behind Bob Thiel's false prophecies] and Michael Synder [the Tkach front man to the Evangelical Movement from at least 1990] who is now the consultant for the changeover to the New UCG. James

They and the others of their ilk not publically identifiable (at least not yet anyway)were mostly either the “good Germans” who would never countenance the results of their superiors actions, but efficiently carried out their assigned duties like so many parts in a well oiled ($$ being the “grease” applied) machine. As Victor Kubik told Warren Zehrung at the UCG founding conferance in Indianapolis when asked by the latter for an apology for having disfellowshipped and fired him from his former employment–”of course not, I was just doing my job.”. Like the switchmen who kept the Reich’s trains of cattle cars running and the guards who “maintained order”, they were the “good Germans”.

Some others were academic and ethical prostitutes who just wanted the best job they could find and who would go wherever and do whatever it took for that to occur. (Like Larry Salyer whose COG career eems “born to trouble as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7).

Those who behave in such a manner declare themselves more intersted in their reward in the here and now than in waiting for Christ to grant it to them at His return. Those who remain willingly blind to such motivations on the part of their presumptive leaders and brethren are more to be pitied than mocked.

Malm: COG's Full of Fornicators

James Malm, the gift that just keeps on giving:

Modesty is not only in the way a person dresses, but in their behaviour. A lady in a burka can still give that “come hither look” with the eyes.

True Christian modesty is about attitude and honest humility which then rsults in dressing so as not to inflame passion in the society where one lives.

I happen to know that there is agreat deal of imopdesty and even fornication going on in many COG Groups. Those activities come from a basic carnal worldly attitude. If you are forni ating; then MARRY your lover. If you are just looking for conquests, or you ladies are looking to seduce; you should be ashamed of yourselves and withdraw yourself or be THROWN OUT of the assembly.

If the elders vigorously taught and enforced the commandments of God; there would be absolutely no need for man made dress codes. Modest dress would come naturally from a real zeal for God’s commandments rsulting in God’s spirit inspiring a balanced and modest behaviour.

Our lack of modesty is a symptom of our lack of zeal for God and his commandment’s, our general spiritual condition and our lack of God’s spirit inspiring our behaviour.

Malmites: UCG Women Showing Too Much Cleavage and Leg!!!!!

The Malmites are incensed at the immodest harlots parading around UCG services.  How dare these women show cleavage when they sing special music!  How dare they wear stockings that have patterns on them!  It is making the men in the congregation lustful and have to avert their eyes in order to control their sexual urged. The Malmites sound more and more like radical Muslims.

In the Executive Committee Report one item stands out which is “Mr. Kubik explained the next item offered for Council input. Some have recently asked about the Church’s policy of appropriate Sabbath wear for speakers, song leaders and for those giving opening and closing prayers.” Where is the leadership training? Where is the guidance from the ministry? Why aren’t the commonly understood standards being enforced (ooops maybe there aren’t any)? Must the COE rule on this, or, couldn’t the President make a policy decision, or perhaps even, the Director of Member and Ministerial Services? Doesn’t anybody have real authority? What would Paul have done in his time?

Additionally, the item above leaves one important aspect out of the view of the COE. Ladies dress code. Why do we see Deaconesses showing cleavage? Why are women showing half their thighs when they sit down in a dress? Have women forgotten the use for a “slip” as a piece of modest dress? Why are young women walking around in church with skirts 1/3 – ½ way up their thighs? Oh, I guess modesty and decorum for women isn’t part of the COE or ministry’s agenda. (By the way ladies, it doesn’t make any difference if a man is a Christian or not – he still notices. However, the Christian will not concentrate on, nor think further about your immodest dress at worship services {which does not give you an excuse to keep dressing that way}.)

--------------------

Since UCG is so careful about how the men appear before the congregation, what about the IMMODESTY of some of the ladies & how much skin they are showing these days. When they do “special music”, they are before the congregation – does that not matter more than a fellow who shows up missing his tie or jacket? More & more “cleavage” is showing also & I don’t appreciate my husband & my brothers having to look the other way to avoid looking at their suggestive dress. Several years ago during the Feast, a male friend sat with us – the gal (not lady), who did “special music”, was showing so much cleavage & otherwise, that both men averted their eyes, until she was finished. How about the “patterned hosiery” that many are wearing now – why do they want people’s attention averted to their legs? Think about it ladies!! One of our deaconesses has & is “leading the pack” in these behaviors & it’s so disappointing. Why aren’t our men reminding us wives, when they see a problem such as this? AND, why aren’t the elders addressing it? Oh, well – since the pictures of the ABC women show so much cleavage in their group photos & a new Pastor’s wife was also, in a United News article a few months back, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore to Home Office. It’s disgusting!!

Thiel: COG7 Celebration of 150 Years of Bible Advocate To Be Short Lived

The Church of God Seventh Day begins the next year celebrating the 150th anniversary of one of Americas oldest religious publications.

August 12, 1863, was the dateline printed on the very first issue of The Hope of Israel, a publication now named the Bible Advocate. We’re planning to memorialize BA’s history as one of the oldest religious publications in America and to improve its service in the future.
Join us, please, as we celebrate our one hundred fiftieth year of publication in this and the next six issues. Bible Advocate Online

That's a pretty good accomplishment for a Church of God that has been in existence longer than HWA's version, published a magazine longer than any other COG and has more members.  Of course this does not go over too well with Bob Thiel, the official spokesman for the Living Church of God.

Bob says, in his official capacity as LCG spokesman, that the COG7 has had no real converted members over the decades, though there might have been an incredibly small percentage orginally. Real converted Christians never emerged on the scene till Herb started his empire after Loma had that nightmare.

Back in 1863, not only was the publication not called the Bible Advocate, and Church of God (Seventh Day) was actually called Church of God (Adventist).  Based upon my research into its early history, while it may have some actual COG members back in 1863, they seemed to be the minority until around the early 20th century.

COG7 apparently is looked upon by Bob as uneducated, theologically bankrupt fools.  Bob has even lectured the COG7 leadership on what they are supposed to believe. Bob and LCG know more about the Bible than the COG7 does.

They ignored Bob and continue on in their own beliefs.  Bob gets the last word in though.  Bob wants them to know that the tribulation will soon be upon them and the COG7 will no longer be publishing or have reason to celebrate.

While, as a rule, CG7 has lost certain knowledge of some doctrines (cf. Revelation 3:1-6), especially prophecy (and this loss here seems to have accelerated over the past five or so years), the current issue of the Bible Advocate does have an article by Arlo Gieselman consistent with the COG view that God will give everyone an opportunity for salvation, either now or at the second resurrection.  And while I have personally spoken to one of its former presidents (Calvin Burrell) about why he should teach this doctrine, and he is the editor of the Bible Advocate,  he did have the following disclaimer after the pro-second resurrection opportunity doctrine article:

Arlo Gieselman attends the Church of God Kansas City in Independence, MO, and conducts a ministry to truckers at nearby truck stops. Though Arlo is a good friend of the editor and of CoG7, not every idea in his Viewpoint necessarily represents positions adopted by the Church.

So, while I am glad that more in CG7 seem to understand at least parts of this doctrine, it is still not one that CG7 is fully comfortable about embracing.  Anyway, if my understanding of end time Bible prophecy is close to correct, CG7 will not have too many more years to put out its publications.

 Thiel does not have much to celebrate considering that LCG is just another of the 700 some harlot daughters of Armstrongism, fractured and impotent, that the world knows nothing about.  In the 70 some short years of Armstrongism, hundreds of splinter cults have formed with an equal number of men declaring themselves to be the true leader.  Armstrongism is shrinking while the COG7 gains new members.

Feast Bumper Stickers Are Back

Remember those old green diamond shaped stickers that were passed out every year to affix to your car before you traveled to the Feast?  They transformed later on to large rectangular stickers.  FOT stickers were done away with years ago when it was realized that criminals were hitting cars displaying the stickers.  Church member became targets for theft.  Those green stickers became a symbolic red "A" for all the world to see.

Like all great things Church of God related, there is a catch.  It seems the web site where you can order these stickers is also a money making enterprise for a couple of COG members looking to make money off other members.  Apparently you can sell anything as 'Feast Gifts" and people will buy it.

The Feast of Tabernacle gift page is here:  Gifts 

Ties, jewelry, toys, watches, Murano glass and more.  It looks like the old money making schemes that several in Pasadena fell for years ago.  People bought in with money for the right to sell items from a warehouse catalog that drop shipped items to customers.  People were told they would make hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling to their friends and then involving their friends in the scheme.  Apparently the tradition continues on.

Ron Weinland Brags That Satan and His Demons Sit In On His Sermons To Learn The Truth

The arrogance that comes from Ron Weinland's lips is truly amazing.  Is this man so mentally unbalanced that he believes this stupidity?

J___ said “A prideful haughty hypocrite, selfishly accusing others of being deceived by Satan”.
And those sitting in Ron’s basement tomorrow afternoon will be doing just that.
Earlier this year Ron just happened to mention that Satan and his demons sit in on all his sermons to learn the latest “truth”.
Will Satan be present in Ron’s basement tomorrow afternoon-Or will he just send one of his demons to take notes?

(From Mike's blog: From The Frying Pan Into The Fire)