It's that time of year when the weather is frosty and nippy. A holiday spirit is in the air. Christmas decorations are turning hotels into wonderlands. Stockings hang around the fireplaces, mulled cider brews in the hospitality areas.
Jumping right into that mix are the various COG's who hold their annual Christmas Family Weekends.
COGWA does it, UCG does it. LCG has smaller versions.
The one I want to highlight today is the Church of God a Worldwide Association.
COGWA is heading off to celebrate being part of the world at Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Galt House has these wonderful holiday activities planed:
Experience the Magic and Wonder of Christmas at the Galt House Hotel!
Christmas at the Galt House Hotel is so spectacular, it’s featured on the Travel Channel’s Christmas Crazy special. The event is fast becoming an annual tradition for families across the U.S. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Christmas at the Galt House Hotel will get your family in the holiday spirit!
New for 2013:
Sing ‘n’ Joy International Choral Festival and Competition
Experience the culture and traditions of choirs from across the globe as they show off their talents in this first-of-its-kind in the Americas event. Learn more.
Ernie the Engineer
Ernie the Engineer is excited to join Christmas at the Galt House Hotel and meet all the Junior Engineers who visit. He knows they’ll just love riding the Peppermint Express Kiddie Train Ride through the Candy Cane Forest. Learn more.
Ernie the Engineer’s Express Lunch
Ernie the Engineer will host a new Express Lunch that will give Junior Engineers the chance to enjoy and assist in engineering a large model train display. Plus, guests will take part in an interactive lunch and tour KaLightoscope Christmas. Learn more.
Santa’s Sleigh Experience
Jump in the sleigh and help Santa deliver presents with the magic of a green screen. You’ll get a photo of your family and can download a video of your Santa’s Sleigh Experience. Located in the Christmas Village. Learn more.
Make a Flake
Learn how to make beautiful snowflakes that feature everything from snowmen to birds to dinosaurs, oh my! Located in the Christmas Village.
Santa Cam
Capture your kids' visit with Santa Claus on video, then download and share this precious moment with family and friends. Located in the RIVUE Tower, 2nd Floor, outside KaLightoscope Christmas.
As COGWA willingly immerses itself in the rituals of Christmas, it hypocritically calls the weekend this:
Here is a COG who claims they had to break away from UCG because they thought UCG had one foot in the world and cared less about God's laws. Yet, COGWA is sticking both feet into the middle of a huge Christmas party and is acting as if not a single person at the resort will be celebrating Christmas. As they turn their heads as they walk past the Christmas trees and refuse the holiday treats, they will be focused solely on how much Satan has ruined their lives.
I can guarantee you that many COGWA members take great delight in being in the midst of the holiday cheer. It makes them feel a little more "normal" to tell friends and coworkers that they spent the weekend at Galt House, which is well know for it's Christmas celebrations. People will assume they were there for of the Christmas fun and not there celebrating how much power Satan seems to have over them.
So if you are in Galt House over the holidays and see a bunch of self-righteous people with their noses in the air, IGNORING the Christmas cheer all around them, you will know they are setting a righteous example by being separate from the world while begrudgingly having to live in it.
These "Winter Weekends" have irritated me for years because of the hypocrisy in the entire event. They hate Christmas but immerse themselves in it.
ReplyDeleteWell, one thing's for sure: They'll probably here the name of Jesus Christ during their "Winter" family weekend in song and carols playing in atriums then they will hear his name JESUS - at Sabbath Services!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck? This I had not heard of.
ReplyDeleteThese weekends are also a major speed-dating/hookup event for teens and young adults, just to add an extra layer to their hypocrisy. The ministers hate it and preach against it, but it happens anyway, unimpeded. It's the side-effect of collecting a bunch of single young people in a hotel for a weekend of totally not Christmas activities.
ReplyDeleteIt is only a matter of time before they ditch Harmstrongism and celebrating satans holiday.
ReplyDeleteThe next generation will change the whole lousy ball of shit we have all come to despise.
You have to wonder when they might finally ask themselves, "What would be the most effective way of counteracting paganism?" The answer was originally provided in Constantine's time! You ruin and co-opt the paganism by deliciously and subversively making it all about Jesus!
ReplyDeleteI guarantee you that the only ones who associate Christmas with the worship of pagan gods are the people who have heard or been influenced by the so-called Armstrong gospel. Ask some of the activist members of the atheist community why they try to secularize the holiday. Their answer won't have anything to do with paganism!
BB
The Sabbatarian Churches of God are not going to be keeping Xmas! Come on now!
ReplyDeleteThe winter weekends are a great idea in providing fun and fellowship during a period of time when, in general, everyone has school and work off. A perfect time for the church membership to get together and enjoy each other and activities.
There is a big gap of time between the Fall and Spring Holy Days, and this is a good "pick me up" kind of event.
It is difficult being "out of step" with the world, and Xmas, is virtually universal, even amongst atheists, and non-christians as well.
SO what are the bloggers here suggesting?... what just stay at home and mope and feel strange? The COG membership is not doing anything at all related to Xmas celebration. Using time off that is granted can be viewed as "meat before idols", and is not an unholy thing in this context.
Joe Moeller
Cody, WY
On the first day of Winter Family Weekend
ReplyDeleteMy Mistress gave to me:
A test of Paternity!
On the second day of Winter Family Weekend
My Mistress gave to me:
2 Baby Booties,
and a Test of Paternity!
On the third day of Winter Family Weekend
My Mistress gave to me:
3 Sippy Cups,
2 Baby Booties,
and a Test of Paternity!
On the fourth day of Winter Family Weekend
My Mistress gave to me:
4 Pacifiers,
3 Sippy Cups,
2 Baby Booties,
and a Test of Paternity!
On the fifth day of Winter Family Weekend
My Mistress gave to me:
5 Picture Frames!
4 Pacifiers,
3 Sippy Cups,
2 Baby Booties,
and a Test of Paternity!
On the sixth day of Winter Family Weekend
My Mistress gave to me:
6 Onesey Snap Suits,
5 Picture Frames!
4 Pacifiers,
3 Sippy Cups,
2 Baby Booties,
and a Test of Paternity!
On the seventh day of Winter Family Weekend
My Mistress gave to me:
7 Swaddling Blankets,
6 Onesey Snap Suits,
5 Picture Frames!
4 Pacifiers,
3 Sippy Cups,
2 Baby Booties,
and a Test of Paternity!
On the Last Great Day of Winter Family Weekend
My True Love gave to me:
8 Tests of Paternity,
7 Swaddling Blankets,
12 Onesey Snap Suits,
15 Picture Frames!
16 Pacifiers,
15 Sippy Cups,
12 Baby Booties,
And a filing of Legal Separation!
"SO what are the bloggers here suggesting?... what just stay at home and mope and feel strange?"
ReplyDeleteWhat did people do in WCG prior to this practice?
Hypocrisy? Maybe, but if getting to participate in something like this helps the kids growing up in these groups to feel less like social rejects this time of year, it's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteArmstrongism is an ever-bubbling fount of hilarious Christmas babblings.
ReplyDeleteLast year, I was treated to a version of the often repeated COG mantra about Christmas, or celebrating the birth of Jesus, not being mentioned in the Bible. I tried to referenced Luke 2:13 -14 to the ranting COGite but, they never listen to any voice outside the cult. Just like the COGWA folks at the Galt House, they all miss the party right under their noses by ignoring how Heaven celebrated the birth of the Savior while they turn up their noses at those who attempt to follow the Luke 2 party plan on Earth.
I also recall a fairly recent conversation with a COGite whose first language is Spanish. However, true to Herbie-speak, he ridiculed Christmas as being the mass of Christ and stated that Santa was just a slight jumble of the word Satan. It didn't phase him a bit when I pointed out that Christmas in his native language is "Navidad" - which just means "the birth" (not mass) and the word "santa" in Spanish means "holy" or "saint" (feminine form of the word).
COGs speaking on Christmas do add a bit of merriment to the season ... until the laughter subsides and you realize how sad these deluded people are.
I'll be making a list and checking it twice. I WILL find out who has been naughty and who has been nice. If you have been good, I will invite you on my "Crusin' With Jesus Non-Festival Cruise" next Fall. If you were naughty, I will sentence you to sitting through an Apostle Pack sermon and the gyrating 'til ya puke.
ReplyDeleteSatan's Claws
Huh, I just read a good article written about this very subject it seems...didn't mention any names or organizations, but it sure smacks of the same things. The author had some pretty logical points concerning this asinine hypocrisy. http://allaboutarmstrongism.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/merry-christmas-winter-family-weekend-people/
ReplyDeleteand I agree with this author.
Back when I was in the WCG org in the 60's and 70s, even the 80's, this kind of thing wasn't even thought of, wouldn't have happened. Nobody would have gotten 100 yards of a Christmas Party of that magnitude. Sheesh. Shaking my head.
This might be the first time Ive wondered what Velvets opinion would be.
ReplyDeleteShe might be going by anonymous, or by some guy names at this point, and still stirring up weird mischief wherever she goes. There is some of that going around on the sites.
ReplyDelete