Dennis On: Dave Pack...Fo-Nay Home!

The Greek word for “voice” is phone (fo-NAY’)

DP...Fo-Nay Home!

"I'm invited?  Great!  See ya soon!"

Dear Mr. Pack, (maybe I will get through if I am respectful)

I have read your entire incredible and best ever letter written to all of COGdom.  You have a very loud voice (Fo-Nay) in print and in your Sabbath Service I am sure.  Unlike the Apostle Paul who felt he was troubled by a weak bodily presence as well, I'm sure that's never been a problem for you either. 

That being said, I'm feeling rather anxious over my eternal future since your "fo-nay"  letter spoke so plainly about my absolute need to return to the true Church begun by Mr. Armstrong and now continued by none other than yourself. 

You said:

"The most important and conclusive letter I have written to the Worldwide Church of God splinters has been posted! I promise this will be the single most crucial one you will ever read. If you do not read it all, it will be the worst decision you have made since God called you. Believe this!"

That was said with a loud fo-nay for sure and you got my attention.  Since me making the worst decision I could make is not reading it and I can think of some really bad decisions I made along the way since being called already, I feel compelled  to get the answers I need to make it through.

Your loud fo-nay went on to threaten my lack of understanding of your way of seeing all things GOD with not only committing sin which can never be forgiven, no, not in this world or in the next, but also a free eternal vacation of permanent non-existence, compliments of the Lake of Fire.  That's a lot of fo-nay to handle all in one sitting. Especially since I bet both your an my enthusiasm back in the day over what we were learning from the WCG as teens probably matched pretty closely.  My kids grew up where you were born and your kids were babysat by my parents as they grew up, so we have ties.

Mr. Pack...never in my life did I ever wish to speak with a phoney fo-nay.  I always , like you, just wanted to know the truth of the Bible.  Now we both know you and I are very good Bible readers.  We were so very well trained at reading the Bible.  On top of that, we got really good at reading the Bible in all sorts of orders and in all sorts of combinations to get out of it what we needed to get out of it.  We "hear a littled and there a littled" ourselves right into any truth that needed to be proved.  We were trained "Cobblemeisters" if ever there were any.  Line up line, precept upon precept, we cobbled our way through everything from "ye are gods..."  to "will a man rob God," and beyond.  We were the "Cut n Paste Church of God," and while many churches are also that, if not all, we were pretty good at it.  Well, you still are. 

Well, throw me in the lake of fire, I know, but I went on  to other perspectives too numerous to mention, but all very Biblical in nature and I really would love to share them with you.  After all, so much is at stake and being wrong seems to have such severe consequences.  The one scary thing about Christianity is that one must be the very correct form of it or else.  No pressure there!

We could talk about Adam and Eve and really get lost in just the first 11 chapters of Genesis wondering if they are literally true or a bit less than that.  We can really have a great time with women's issues, the fall, Original Sin, Noah and his Aardvarks and just were did all our human languages come from? I'd like to discuss evolution of all life and what in the Bible might just be mythically so but not so literally so.

 I'd just love to talk over those Two Trees in the Garden Mr. Armstrong spoke so often about and what they really meant .  Would it not be amazing to finally get the uni-plural rascal called Elohim straight once and for all?  Who are the "let us" and "we" El was speaking to and just what are Elohim in the first place?  Boy, we all about passed out when Mr. Armstrong said, "There were two trees in the Garden of Eden..."  ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.  I always felt bad but we both had what was to follow memorized but good.  Finally, we can get it right!  Would that not be awesome?

I really have questions I'd like you to answer for me about the Gospels including the contradictions I think I see, Jesus birth stories and just what did happen when he died?  Rod Meredith won't talk to me about such things and he was the one who taught it all to us.  Harmony of the Gospels he called it.  Whoa..no offense, but I have found there is much less harmony than we had both been taught.   Alas...I appreciated his efforts, but he too was and is a mere Bible reader and he never once allowed me to ask any questions he might no know the answer to.  I know you would not do that to me. Our fo-nays must be clear on these matters if one is to feel the need to tell others how they should and must be in this life.  If we don't speak with a clear fo-nay, we might be perceived as fo-nee.  Get my drift???

Would love to discuss the Apostle Paul and his relationship to the Apostles with you too.  You and Paul both have much in common.  No one knows how the Apostle Paul got to be an Apostle and no one can figure out just who laid hands on him to do so, but with Bob Thiel being a Prophet without hands , we may be able to get to the bottom of this too.  You are an Apostle and I have the same question about that as I have about the Apostle Paul but we can cover that when you invite me to debate and discuss these things before the masses.  I think it is humorous that of the 24 times in the NT Paul is called an Apostle it is Paul who calls himself one 22 times.  Isn't that interesting?  Luke, his side kick called him one twice.  Other than that, I can't find where the original Apostles themselves said he was one.  I think the original rules for being an Apostle were that you had "seen" the resurrected Jesus , but those rules are confusing.  Mary should have been one to then I suppose.  Paul never met Jesus so his "have I not seen the Lord," was in his head as we know.  I think that was fudging the credentials of an Apostle.  I saw Santa once come down the stairs at my house, when I was little. I saw him so I guess I am a Santanist?  No wait...not that!!!  Never mind!

At any rate, one last time.  Since my former association as both member and minister qualifies me as one of those who will all return IF I get your story right , we gotta talk about your story.  I have some questions.  I believe I will know the answers you will give before you actually give them, but I'm not so sure you will know mine.  I don't wish to be in the Lake of Fire.  I don't want to commit any unforgivable sins (Christ must have not qualified enough to forgive that puppy!) and I don't particularly like being threatened with such things without a chance to question you and explain myself... Good questions well put can't be all that frightening can they?

So how about it?  Debate me. Sit with me before your own audience of believers and followers in the comfort of your surroundings.  I will be the one to step into your world.  To be fair, I will bring one person of with me to record accurately what is said so it can be accurately passed on to others like me who are in this danger of unforgiven sin and eternal death.  (I know how you used to redraw church boundaries when the next door minister wasn't looking so there would be more in your Church area, so I gotta keep an eye on ya a bit. ) Unforgivable sins and lakes of fire are not small things for us to ignore for sure, and I'm trying not to  but you gotta work with me on this one. 

Give me two hours during Unleavened Bread to sit with you during services and chat about these things before your church.  I won't bring or eat unleavened bread , pork or Jello the whole time .  To the Jew I will be a Jew and to a Gentile I can be a Gentile.  Now I never understood how one could trust an Apostle and what he really believed who thought that way, but it sounds good.  If you need til next FOT to prepare, we can do that too.

Debate me Mr. Pack.  Invite me to discuss all things Bible together before your own friendly folk who also claim to just want to know the truth of the Bible and if what you tell them about it all is accurate and inerrant in all things.    

And if you won't, or can't or shouldn't...don't you ever again imply that I or any of us who have puked our way through the drama and trauma of the World Wide Church of God are in mortal and spiritual danger, staring both sins that can never be forgiven and eternal damnation in a Lake of Fire, in the face,  for not joining your vision and version of the "Good News." 

If nothing else...think of the good press you will get and potential newbies you may reap if you can crush me in public with your real truth and awesome knowledge of who and what God and Je, Christ are doing on earth today. .

DP..fo-nay home.  We have much to speak freely about, in public and wherever you are comfortable. 

And no, I am not kidding

Dennis

denniscdiehl@AOL.com