Prophet Thiel just leveled a slap to Davey pack's face with the following comment:
We in the Continuing Church of God are leading the final phase of the work and many events this week, as well as earlier, help show that.How can that be when Davey Pack says HE is leading the final stage of the work?
What about Gerald Flurry who says HE is leading the final stage of the work?
What's a poor church member to do do? Who are they to follow?
Have any of their members ever stopped to think why they are following these guys?
Here is what an ex-FBI agent who specialized in cults had to say about cult leaders like Thiel, Pack, and Flurry: :
Dangerous Traits of Cult Leaders
Having studied at length the life, teachings, and behaviors of Jim Jones (Jonestown Guyana), David Karesh (Branch Davidians), Stewart Traill (The Church of Bible Understanding), Charles Manson, Shoko Asahara (Aum Shinrikyo), Joseph Di Mambro (The Order of the Solar Temple aka Ordre du Temple Solaire), Marshall Heff Applewhit (Heaven’s Gate), Bhagwan Rajneesh (Rajneesh Movement), and Warren Jeffs (polygamist leader), what stands out about these individuals is that they were or are all pathologically narcissistic. They all have or had an over-abundant belief that they were special, that they and they alone had the answers to problems, and that they had to be revered. They demanded perfect loyalty from followers, they overvalued themselves and devalued those around them, they were intolerant of criticism, and above all they did not like being questioned or challenged. And yet, in spite of these less than charming traits, they had no trouble attracting those who were willing to overlook these features.
Here are the typical traits of the pathological cult leader (from Narcissists Among Us) you should watch for and which shout caution, get away, run, or avoid if possible:
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- He has a grandiose idea of who he is and what he can achieve.
- Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, or brilliance.
- Demands blind unquestioned obedience.
- Requires excessive admiration from followers and outsiders.
- Has a sense of entitlement - expecting to be treated special at all times.
- Is exploitative of others by asking for their money or that of relatives putting others at financial risk.
- Is arrogant and haughty in his behavior or attitude.
- Has an exaggerated sense of power (entitlement) that allows him to bend rules and break laws.
- Takes sexual advantage of members of his sect or cult.
- Sex is a requirement with adults and sub adults as part of a ritual or rite.
- Is hypersensitive to how he is seen or perceived by others.
- Publicly devalues others as being inferior, incapable, or not worthy.
- Makes members confess their sins or faults publicly subjecting them to ridicule or humiliation while revealing exploitable weaknesses of the penitent.
- Has ignored the needs of others, including: biological, physical, emotional, and financial needs.
- Is frequently boastful of accomplishments.
- Needs to be the center of attention and does things to distract others to insure that he or she is being noticed by arriving late, using exotic clothing, overdramatic speech, or by making theatrical entrances.
- Has insisted in always having the best of anything (house, car, jewelry, clothes) even when others are relegated to lesser facilities, amenities, or clothing.
- Doesn’t seem to listen well to needs of others, communication is usually one-way in the form of dictates.
- Haughtiness, grandiosity, and the need to be controlling is part of his personality.
- Behaves as though people are objects to be used, manipulated or exploited for personal gain.
- When criticized he tends to lash out not just with anger but with rage.
- Anyone who criticizes or questions him is called an “enemy.”
- Refers to non-members or non-believers in him as “the enemy.”
- Acts imperious at times, not wishing to know what others think or desire.
- Believes himself to be omnipotent.
- Has “magical” answers or solutions to problems.
- Is superficially charming.
- Habitually puts down others as inferior and only he is superior.
- Has a certain coldness or aloofness about him that makes others worry about who this person really is and or whether they really know him.
- Is deeply offended when there are perceived signs of boredom, being ignored or of being slighted.
- Treats others with contempt and arrogance.
- Is constantly assessing for those who are a threat or those who revere him.
- The word “I” dominates his conversations. He is oblivious to how often he references himself.
- Hates to be embarrassed or fail publicly - when he does he acts out with rage.
- Doesn’t seem to feel guilty for anything he has done wrong nor does he apologize for his actions.
- Believes he possesses the answers and solutions to world problems.
- Believes himself to be a deity or a chosen representative of a deity.
- Rigid, unbending, or insensitive describes how this person thinks.
- Tries to control others in what they do, read, view, or think.
- Has isolated members of his sect from contact with family or outside world.
- Monitors and or restricts contact with family or outsiders.
- Works the least but demands the most.
- Has stated that he is “destined for greatness” or that he will be “martyred.”
- Seems to be highly dependent of tribute and adoration and will often fish for compliments.
- Uses enforcers or sycophants to insure compliance from members or believers.
- Sees self as “unstoppable” perhaps has even said so.
- Conceals background or family which would disclose how plain or ordinary he is.
- Doesn’t think there is anything wrong with himself – in fact sees himself as perfection or “blessed.”
- Has taken away the freedom to leave, to travel, to pursue life, and liberty of followers.
- Has isolated the group physically (moved to a remote area) so as to not be observed.
13 comments:
These people need to be mocked, since stoning people to death for being false prophets is more or less restricted in most "civilized" countries these days.
There's a certain amount of irony associated with insisting Olde Testament Laws are in force and yet the Old Testament pronounces the death penalty for their being false prophets.
Let's have some consistency here!
And as for references, "Life Code" by Dr. Phil McGraw is another good look at such people called in his book, "BAITERS".
It was the very doctrines of Armstrongism that exaggerated, condoned, and blossomed Narcissism within the church, instead of servant leadership, servitude, and humility. Notice these Armstrongism narcissism feeders that fed a person's self-importance and warped many minds:
1) You were born to be a King.
2) You were destined to rule.
3) You were special, one of a very few called in this whole world.
4) God chose You out of everybody else
5) You were a part of a very special work.
6) You were important.
7) You were going to be GOD HIMSELF.
8) You were keeping the Law right where everyone else weren't.
9) You are going to recreate the whole universe.
10) You're the first of many brethren. You'll be in the FIRST resurrection.
11) If you're a minister, you're even MORE important! You're the special of the special, the best of the best!
12) The World is not important, you are, the church is, and Herbert Armstrong.
13) You're a part of the biggest work in the whole wide world.
14) NO ONE ELSE in the WHOLE WORLD knows what YOU know or understands what YOU understand.
This is what Armstrongism taught. Those with narcissistic tendancies could not have ever been in a better environment then Armstrongism to completely shut themselves out to reality and feed narcissism with the strongest "fuel" possible. It's missing the whole message about Jesus: Focusing off of service and focusing on self. This is one of the biggest ways to see a false religion from an attitude of true service and love.
Just once, it would be nice if when it turned out that one of these guys had spoken presumptuously, when they had extracted moneys from people on a level that God Himself does not command or expect, and when it turns out that what they forecast does not in any way, shape, or form come to pass, that they would come to the attitude of Zacchaeus, and their consciences would force them to make restitution to the people whom they had defrauded under false pretenses. In my opinion, that would validate that perhaps they had been sincere from the start.
Unfortunately, not one of them accepts the responsibilities for the damage caused by their false teaching and false prophecy, and that is perhaps the primary "tell" by which we can identify them as charlatans. It is just a shame that it all ends up being retrospective. Unfortunately, they just can't wrap their minds around Zacchaeus, or other such lofty spiritual principles. Instead, they act as if people's aftermath attitudes are a complete mystery to them, they employ the "b" word and they and their lackeys tell people, "Oh, man! Just get over it!" as the defrauded later call for accountability.
Place your bets right here; your money is far safer than it would be if you placed it with them! If August 31 turns into anything less than what Davey has indicated by his hyperbole, how much do we want to bet that he repents, leaves the ministry to find his real and more honest calling, and develops a plan for making restitution to the victims he conned? What honest career move is Ron Weinland going to make when he is released from the federal penitentiary? Any takers?
BB
I have been telling my friends over the last few years, that Yahweh's government is not in the shape of a triangle, meaning from the top down to the lowly persons on the bottom that make up the majority of the membership.
It is instead shaped like the atom. Yahweh is the nucleus and we are the electrons and protons revolving around Him.
Our spiritual condition does not depend upon another human being unless we allow this. Our spiritual condition reflects how close we have come within His Holy presence.
The audacity of HWA, Pack, and others to take upon themselves the right to insert themselves between us and Yahshua and hence, Yahweh the Most High, just wants me to respond with a swift kick to the most painful area of the male body.
How dare they?
Reads like chapters from DCP's autobiography...
I say go for it Sweetblood! :-)
The only problem is you might find that there is nothing there to kick......
I guess it was pretty bad when H "dubya" was alive as he was supposedly THE Apostle or THE Elijah to come bla bla bla. But now looking back on the history of these sociopathic splinters you see how much worse it's got when you realize how his narcissism led to so many other narcissists (or BAITERS as Dr Phil labels them) and their WORSHIPPING of this guy and EVERYTHING he said or wrote like ex cathedra or did to the point they want to mimic him! Shows who their "god" truly is! Seriously these self-absorbed Armstrong-lovers should be prescribed Ablixa!
I will never understand why someone would use the Hebrew word "yahweh" in a sentence(probably misspelled anyway), and use English words in the rest of the sentence. :-)
Steve Kisack said...
"I will never understand why someone would use the Hebrew word "yahweh" in a sentence(probably misspelled anyway), and use English words in the rest of the sentence."
You have it backwards: Why would anyone change His name to a deity. Even satan has a name (god of this world). When a a person writes in Russian about the president, do they change Obama's name, etc. I have come to understand, that those that truly want to worship the Father fully, must have his name Yahweh and Yahshua the Son. "My name" occurs 104 times (exact phrases) in the scriptures. I say that's important and proves why there is so much derision and corruption in these "churches".
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Rev 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, [even] where Satan's seat [is]: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas [was] my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Isaiah 42:8 I am Yahweh: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Why did they keep alleluyah which means "praise Yah". Isaiah, etc. All Hebrew names have a meaning. Shaul/Saul (Paul) was also changed on paper, but did not happen at all in his life. The works of men cause much confusion. Very sad.
A thought for the day.
Is cussing only sin if you do it in Hebrew?
anon noted:
1) You were born to be a King.
2) You were destined to rule.
3) You were special, one of a very few called in this whole world.
4) God chose You out of everybody else
5) You were a part of a very special work.
6) You were important.
7) You were going to be GOD HIMSELF.
8) You were keeping the Law right where everyone else weren't.
9) You are going to recreate the whole universe.
10) You're the first of many brethren. You'll be in the FIRST resurrection.
11) If you're a minister, you're even MORE important! You're the special of the special, the best of the best!
12) The World is not important, you are, the church is, and Herbert Armstrong.
13) You're a part of the biggest work in the whole wide world.
14) NO ONE ELSE in the WHOLE WORLD knows what YOU know or understands what YOU understand.
Don't forget that most of these ideas can be easiy mined from scripture and the alleged sayings of the Apostles in the NT. Churches don't have to make bold things up. The Bible promises b0ld things, specialness, rulership and crowns. It promises the true folk will be like Jesus etc. We need to blame the book at times for the kooks it brings to light by the somewhat unstable folk who wrote it.
Dennis you're right re the various promises of the Bible, but imo the problem was/is the way HWA & the COGs twisted these divine promises. Our Lord Jesus Christ personified these promises in Himself by His words and His deeds! How? Through servant-leadership. He was willing to bleed for us to demonstrate God's Love for mankind. HWA otoh appealed to one's carnal, selfish ego--pure and simple making plea after endless plea for more money to fund his own selfish ambition at the expense of his followers. Instead of bleeding for his sheep he bled his blind sheep dry and the COGs employ his same destructive practices to this day.
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