Dennis says "I'm just sayin'..."
My all time favorite, with
a bite, childhood story is Hans Christian Anderson's, The Emperor's New
Clothes. In the 19th Century, Thomas H Huxley also noted in a similar way
as Anderson, that it took the simplicity of a child to see through the smoke and
mirrors of adult illusions and delusions.
First a
refresher...
Summary of „The Emperor’s
New Clothes“
|
by H.Ch.
Andersen
|
The Emperor’s New
Clothes is a story about an
emperor who is very fond of his beautiful new clothes. He doesn’t care about
anything else in his country but his clothes and he has a different outfit for
every hour of the day.
|
One day two swindlers
arrive at the capital of the kingdom. They pretend to the emperor to be weavers
and boast to be able to weave the most beautiful cloth he’d ever seen. They
explain to the emperor that clothes made of this material have a special effect,
only those who are good at their job or are intelligent would be able see them.
|
The emperor is very
enthusiastic about the material and gives a lot of money to the two impostors so
that they can start their work right away. They set up two looms and pretend to
be working. The news of this magic cloth spreads quickly throughout the whole
country.
|
After a few days the
emperor sends his old minister to look after the work but when he gets to the
weavers he sees nothing. He is very upset and afraid to be judged as being
stupid. So he reports back to the emperor how beautiful the new cloth is. A few
days later another man is sent to the weavers to make an inspection of the
cloth. This man doesn’t see anything either of course, because there is nothing
to see. Afraid of not being good at his job he also pretends to see. He returns
to the emperor and tells him everything about the most wonderful cloth he has
ever seen.
|
Now the emperor decides to
visit the weavers himself and to see how things are going. Arriving there he
naturally sees nothing but because of his fear to be seen as stupid or incapable
he tells the weavers how magnificent the cloth is. He even gives them more
money, silk and gold and asks when they will have finished their
work.
|
He decides to wear his new
clothes at the upcoming great parade. On the day of the parade the weavers meet
with the emperor and dress him in his new clothes. They tell him how beautiful
he looks and praise the lightness of the material. The Emperor, without seeing
anything, praises them for their excellent work. He then goes out to the parade
with nothing on but his underwear while all his lords-in-waiting are holding the
train of the clothes, or at least pretend that they are holding
it.
|
All the people in the
streets and at the windows say: “How magnificent these clothes are!” No one
dares to admit that there is nothing to see because then he would either be
incapable or else very stupid. But suddenly a little child says: “But he
hasn’t got anything on!” After a moment in silence soon everyone is shouting:
“He’s really got nothing on!” And because children are innocent and honest, it
is clear that the child doesn’t lie.
|
Even though the emperor
realises that they are right, he proudly walks on with his lords-in-waiting,
holding the train that isn’t there at all. Only because he is too proud to admit
that he has been cheated.
________________________________
Sound familiar? Can we see
the old familiar story coming alive in the Unification of All the Churches of
God by the end of August 2013 as spoken of by Haggai the Prophet and misapplied
by The Emperor of the Restored Church of God? Can we see the Council of 16 in
the story of the Emperor's New Clothes. Can we see ourselves outside the hype
as the child simply noting what actually is?
"Ummm....he gots no clothes
on..."
As the clock ticks away on
the now silent Apostle David C Pack's debut of his new garments, that he has
made up in his head, having exchanged them for the filthy garments of having
soiled himself wasting time in the Global and Living Church of God, the
children gather for their final view of the finished product. I don't feel any
doubt as to what we will see when the Emperor puts August 2013 behind him.
There will be a shiver of uncomfortable coolness and a terrible temptation on
the Emperor's part to find a way to still be nicely clothed but not quite as
originally promised. Will we hear the time worn excuses of "God is mercifully
giving the splinter people more time to consider their ways", "I never said
'I' was literally Joshua the High Priest spoken of in
Haggai...it's spiritual!", or "You people assumed ......"? In a short time we
shall know.
What you probably won't
hear is "I apologize. I get excited about stuff in the Bible and I was
wrong." Nor will you probably hear, "I don't know what I was thinking and am
sorry for going a bit overboard on this."
You can be sure you won't
hear...
Why did none of you quote
this right back to me? I told you I had the potential of going off the rails.
Oh I know I said "but brethren, I'm not going anywhere..." but that was just
so I could tell you to watch out for me and be careful of my weird and strange
ideas because I have some, but then not really look too closely at me because
you're safe and I want to explore my weird and strange ideas. . I know how I
think and I got ya! You council of 16 are fine friends! Why did you not say
something....?" (Michael Venish did but that didn't work out so well for
him).
Tick...Tick...Tick
Lessons the Church of God
learned in August 2013
For the love of
God...please stop setting dates for anything!
Maybe we to whom it applies
need to reconsider the Rogue Minister Leader Problem
Perhaps continuing
theological and pastoral skills classes for ministry should be mandatory and
where our minister gets to listen instead of doing all the talking.
If the minister gets bored
with his fast running mind, we still need to be sure he doesn't just make shit
up to keep us overarching
Perhaps there is something
to be learned from the good ol' boy, who, after hearing Joe Tkach's Big Sandy
screw what we all believe sermon, stood up to lead songs and said..."Well wasn't
that the biggest load of crap you ever heard. Let's all rise, take our hymnals
and sing to the real God."
Maybe it's time to trade in
all this religion, which seems to be what the Emperor tells me all about, where
to be, how to be and how much to turn in, for an inner spirituality that has
nothing to do with what others think, feel, do or demand.
Maybe I need to do the
Huxley..
.
“Sit down before fact as a
little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly
wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn
nothing”
 ....and admit the Emperor is has no garments at all. |
Thursday, August 15, 2013
The Apostle's New Clothes
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9 comments:
Well, according to Gary's countdown clock, we're at about 14-1/2 days and counting to the date Dave has set in no uncertain terms for his events. Anyone feel so much as a twinge yet?
What occurs to me is that there would be much greater impact if what he is forecasting just spontaneously happened, and if Dave personally did his best to keep the lid on it all, but that it hit the ACOGs and then the media and caused a seemingly irrepressible stir. Unfortunately, the way it has gone down, we have an individual known if for no other reason than for his propensity for hype, standing outside the figurative "big top", proclaiming "Hubba, hubba, hubba! See the big show!"
There will always be some loyalists, who, for whatever reasons, stick like glue, regardless as to how ridiculous their "teacher" has made himself. Ron Weinland has proven that. Allegedly satisfied customers are always a salesman's greatest tool. However, if come Aug. 31, Dave is all excuses, explaining a non event away, the most mentally stable amongst his followers will realize that the nose of a rational camel has appeared under the tent flap. What they choose to do next is up to them, but these sorts of things do not have a very impressive or logic-based history within the Armstrong movement. Dave probably knows in advance that most of his past financial supporters will give him a pass. At this point, they lack the capacity to do otherwise.
BB
That reaction to failed speculations and self aggrandizement has a COG history of not mattering much to the "brethren" for sure as you note. I can't explain it except that the program of their being the one true church and "even the NT Apostles got it wrong but that does not change the fact it is God's Church," runs and runs.
RCG is like one of those Chinese finger grabbers. If you pull away, it grabs on even tighter and if push towards the finger tips, you're less tight but heading in the wrong direction.
Or even worse, it is like two hands full of molasses and feathers where you try in vain to pick out the feathers....all you end up doing is trading sticky feathers back and forth.
Nope, no twinges yet. But I'll keep you posted if I begin to feel an irresistible pull toward Dave Pack's cult. But me and that camel lit out from underneath the big top of Armstrongism a while back. I'm sure the god of Armstrongism is disgusted with me by now and isn't interested anyway, so it's unlikely that I'd be eligible to feel such twinges. Not that Herb's god ever was interested in me in the first place, leastways so far as I could tell.
Dennis:
I like the story and the lesson, and have enjoyed the story for many years since youth, as you have.
However, the idea of seeing Dave Pack's "PACKAGE" in the raw, has me a bit uncomfortable.
Could we amend the story a little bit so that Pack is left with just some skimpy , tight pink , panties, for decorum sake, and for his own embarrassed benefit??
Luv,
Joe Moeller
Cody, WY
When Mr. Pack's fantasy does not happen, his entire congregation should tell him to shut up and then walk out on him. Let him pay his own bills with his own money, not yours.
Have you all seen the artwork involving Dave over at the Painful Truth blog? My favorite are Dinosaur Dave, and Messiah Dave (with long hair). Somehow, even in a cartoon caricature, the arrogance still comes through.
BB
What I have found over the years is that any time someone says that they are so and so, they are not.
If they have to say it, then they are definitely not.
All the examples given in scripture show over and over again, that the ones that are picked, are usually going about their regular business, and don't have a clue about whom they ARE IF ANYTHING, AND ARE THE LAST TO FIND OUT ABOUT IT, AND NORMALLY HAVE TO BE TOLD BY OTHERS.
Its amazing that of all the prophets and men chosen by Yahweh, most did not want it, neither did they go seeking it, or have others become involved by asking for money.
If Yahweh thought that one needed money to do His work, then He would have given it right up front. Remember when Yahshua sent those out and told them to take no money with them. He knew that Yahweh knows what we need, and He supplies it.
These money hungry vultures are doing THEIR works, and making out like Simeon that they are Yahweh's great ones. This is the very first sign that they are NOT!
When the true Elijah comes, he will come just before the Day of the Lord, and not before. Especially years before. He will also perform miracles and heal people directly, just as the real previous Elijah did, and also the true apostles of Yahshua. HWA did no miracles, nor healed anyone. And if one fully knew of his behaviour, they would know that he was nothing but a fraud.
The two witnesses likewise, will show forth miracles and perform, true healings. This of course will reqire people to use their minds in determining wether they are the false prophet by considering carefully what they say, as the false prophet will also do miracles,so what is said is very important.
If Dave fails in this task of getting many to come on over, he will be forced to cancel his building plans for his members pockets have already been emptied.
The best lesson for Dave, would be for Yahweh to decimate his group and to make Da ve financially destitute. Dave needs to be forced into walking in the same shoes as the people he has stoled from.
Dennis wrote, RCG is like one of those Chinese finger grabbers. If you pull away, it grabs on even tighter and if push towards the finger tips, you're less tight but heading in the wrong direction.
I think that's a great analogy!
Kind of a dormant thing (like a fish-hook's barb) that becomes a part of you, and will only become problematic if you try to remove it.
Members of the Armstrongist splinters (UCG, RCG PCG, LCG,,,) all have that problem if they attempt to leave.
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