Ever since Bob Thiel stabbed Rob Meredith in the back last year by starting his own splinter personality cult, he has been repeatedly humiliated by Meredith and other LCG members comments about him.
Bob has produced yet another long missive about how the Living Church of God is picking on him.
A reader sent me an email last week which mentioned that Wallace Smith of the Living Church of God had posted statements attempting to discredit the internet reach of COGwriter and the Continuing Church of God. After responding to the reader, I decided to post a response on the News of Those Once Affiliated with GCG page.
Bob Thiel is just like David C. Pack. Bob seems to think his new upstart ministry is the most awesome thing to ever hit the Church of God. No other work is doing as might a work as he is. Bob thinks he is doing a more powerful work that Dave Pack. Pack thinks he is doing a work mightier than Thiel. The pissing contests are getting to be silly and childish.
Bob has been claiming the Alexa web counter is saying he is getting more hits than other COG groups. Wallace took him to task for his deceptive twisting of the numbers. The COG, particularly in Pasadena, was great at twisting numbers to fit the scenarios they were trying to get across to members. One Accounting Department manager told me several years ago that they could make numbers mean anything they wanted, even if the income was down.
Bob was particularly incensed that Wallace said this:
Bob then respondsAnd as for the “flag draping” Alexa fan I mentioned parenthetically up there who keeps beating the same drum–no matter how tattered and torn that drum gets–forgive me as I mix my metaphors by recommending a prescription: (1) Read Proverbs 20:10 & 23, (2) consider what you’ve claimed of others concerning having (ahem) a “love of the truth”, and (3) prayerfully study Matthew 7:3-5.
My apologies for those who find all of this minutia boring. Frankly, I do too. But when minutia is used to deceive (even self-deceive) and accuse, it’s helpful to get some honest perspective. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to be convincing anyone, as I have heard of literally zero people who find such figures convincing. But in the event that anyone ever does get confused by such nonsense and “horn tooting”, hopefully this can be a resource for them.
...in addition to passing on insults, Wallace Smith is flatly accusing me of being dishonest or self-deluded. He also later in his post claims my use of (verifiable) numbers is deceitful.
The facts prove that neither of those accusations against me are true.
Bob wants everyone to know that the LCG no longer has God's blessing because Bob took it with him when he left.
Wallace Smith’s “perspective” on this is not, in my view, honest. I am also not ‘flag draping.’ Yet, if he is saying that most of the people he knows prefer to believe a lie than the facts, that is sad, though probably true. LCG simply does not have the Philadelphia mantle anymore, so it is little surprise that most there will accept these improper attacks against me as valid and will choose not to believe the truths I try to report. And the truths about CCOG’s and LCG’s Alexa rankings are so easy to demonstrate.
You can read Bob's little snitfest here: LCG Leader Again Continues to Attempt to Discredit
Talk about being thinned skinned! Grow some balls and stop whining like a little spoiled brat!
People who indulge in hyperbole generally are attempting to overcompensate. Personally, I believe that all of the bragging amongst the ACOGs is futile. If any one group's visibility were to rise above negligible status, the entire world would take note. If huge numbers of members began to be added through baptisms, again, it would not go unnoticed. The remaining measurable activity would be phenomenal increase in income.
ReplyDeleteFeeling the need to argue about the truthfulness of one anothers' boasts really demonstrates that none of them are making any headway. It's nearly as dumb as contending that one's I am not a prophet prophecies are all being fulfilled when anyone can see that none are. Armstrongism is all an illusion.
BB
Dave Pack is a fraud, a con man. He knows that Herb was having sex with his minor aged daughter, that Herb was a fat little glutton. Dave knows that he has no special god status, no special protection. Dave is not really even a good dad as is evident by his sons having criminal records to include being cocaine dealers. But Dave has hand picked his flock, excluding anyone who won't buy his bullshit, and he tells them all that he needs more and more money. Nice cuff links Dave, and the suits and shines shoes, your mommy would be so proud, and you could tell your dad that he can't beat you anymore because you have made it. At the expense of simple minded religious folks, just like Herb did. What a huge success you are Dave, at being a sociopath. FREAK!
ReplyDeleteBack when Thiel started his church, someone made a post that he should call it the "No One Acknowledges My Awesomeness Church Of God!" I can't help but remember that every time I see anything written by him and thought that it was worth repeating. Sorry that I don't remember the person's name that posted that, but Thank You!
ReplyDeleteYour picture for this post is very fitting as he is like a child screaming "Look at me, look at me!" Such obvious attempts to get attention and when it doesn't come, start blasting those who get it. Now if we could only put him in an indefinite time out!
Internet "hits" are very overrated.
ReplyDeleteThey may sound impressive, but it must be realized that most internet views are people who are just browsing, and spend less than 30 seconds at your site.
Hits are cheap too, literally available at a cost of a "dime a dozen".
What really matters in all sense of the business term is the amount of "sales closed" because of the internet action. Otherwise it is just "peeing in the wind".
Although many COG groups claim large internet presence, and this is indeed true in fact, the amount of "true fruit" of new people and conversions has been rather pitiful, relative to the literally millions of visitors and traffic received.
This is why there is still the efforts to "recruit" internally, and "sheep steal" from the COG shrinking pie, for it is still the best source for "supposed" growth. The acquisition cost for doing so is much cheaper than the $50k or more acquisition cost from doing media, internet, television etc to the cold market.
Bob and others will be able to claim numbers, but in the end, effective marketing produces tangible results, otherwise they must be tagged as "failed marketing efforts". Putting out crap all over the internet and calling it "the witness" to give it credibility, or "effectiveness" or "fulfilled the mission" is simply mind masturbation.
Joe Moeller
Cody, WY
Joe is right. Getting new people was comparatively easy and cheap for old Herb. Cover millions of people with spellbinding oratory about imagination grabbing crap like British Israelism by buying time on mexican clear channel stations, give away "free" publications that soon convinced people they were obligated to tithe and "bingo." Enough suckers bit to keep things growing at 30% per year for years.
ReplyDeleteIt's a different world today. That ship saled decades ago and can't be called back to port. They search in vain for something to grab attention and are left fighting for the deteriorating remnants of what once was.
And, let's face it, Herb had the bombastic personality that grabbed people. These wannabes only dream they can do it. Even he would have difficulty in an information and internet world where people are used to checking up on things easily and quickly.
Sorry guys. It aint gonna happen no another time, to paraphrase the country western song.
This is going to be tragic to watch.
ReplyDeleteBB
Re: Seeking's post above...
ReplyDeleteI think it's long overdue that some of these splinters chose more-or-less accurate names for themselves like:
Discontinued Church of god
Church of god, A Dissociated Congregation
Redundant Church of god
Superfluous Church of god
Imitation Church of god
Unoriginal Church of god
Derivative Church of god
Spurious Church of god
"I Needed To Be An Apostle/Prophet" Church of god
Plagiarizing Church of god
Clichéd Church of god
Banal Church of god
Pablum Church of god
British Israelism Church of god
Lilly-White Jews Church of god
Dead Idol Church of god
Swindler's Church of god
Failed Prophecy Church of god
Sunk Cost Church of god
Declining Church of god
Dead Church of god
Dividing Church of god
Closed Door Church of god
"You're Pagan and We're Not" Church of god
Theologically Impoverished Church of god
Circular Reasoning Church of god
The One And Only True Church of god
Dissimulating Church of god
Whitewashed Church of god
Our Minister's Shit Doesn't Stink Church of god
Don't Want No Jesus Church of god
Incompetent Church of god
Empty Church of god
Puffed Up Church of god
If secular organizations are required to follow truth-in-advertising guidelines, shouldn't religious organizations be required to work within similar ethical constraints?
Hey Bob:
ReplyDeleteShow us all the Bible where any organization is going to be leading the Final Phase of the Work? Where is this slogan even used is scripture?
When does God's Work end? Does he really need puny man to help him?
What does "Flag draping" mean in this sense? Not familiar with it.
ReplyDeleteGood grief, who are all these people posting about a nobody??? Who is this guy, and why are you people so keen on focusing on him?
ReplyDeleteDoes this guy thiel owe you money or something? Get a life people; or do you people derive energy and validation from bashing these losers?
Anonymous 9:40----- Dude, they stay little partially because we do present truth and reason to counter their so-called ministries. Wouldn't it have been a gas if the internet had been around at the genesis of HWA's ministry? I know the quality of my life would have been vastly improved, because my parents, in their own way did do due diligence, and did check into things in their mental contest between HWA and Billy Graham, and there just wasn't a readily accessible collection of materials around to counter HWA's theology, lifestyle, or prophecy track record. They ended up going with HWA, based on who they perceived as having the gift of prophecy, and the "truth" about the sabbath.
ReplyDeleteIf we can prevent the children of potential members from being physically abused, or families from being fraudulently impoverished and mentally enslaved, then one can hardly classify our time as having been uselessly spent on losers. I mean, there are organizations for the prevention of abuse to animals. If we can prevent abuse to people just like us, I'd say we are duty bound to continue our fight.
Now that you know how important this is, we are always looking for new volunteers.
BB
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ReplyDeleteI agree with BB. Think how different it would have been for HWA if all those ministers he bad mouthed from the supposed "Sardis" era had been able to blog and otherwise use the internet to counter him. They were basically helpless to defend againset his lies, both theological and personal against them. It was an entirely different world back then.
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