Sunday School Syndrome
"Readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmatic don’t occasion much questioning. But subjects like history are another matter! Learning history, or anything else for that matter, can be likened to learning Bible verses if questioning is excluded from the process. This kind of learning without questioning is carried over to our colleges and universities where the problem becomes really severe.
Subjects are taught as if they were comprised of revealed truths. Hardly anyone ever questions them because questioning them is discouraged. So we end up with people who graduate with degrees under their arms who are no wiser than they were on the days they matriculated as freshmen. No new idea ever enters their heads. In this society, people who are learned are not educated. They are little different from hurdy gurdy monkeys, but we elect them to office. Such is the legacy of the Sunday School Syndrome. It yields the stubbornness of what are essentially stillborn minds. No amount of information conveyed can ever make a stupid person smart! So nothing fundamental will ever change until intellectual development rather than the conveyance of information becomes the principal goal of learning."
"In many homes in America‘s Bible Belt, children are nurtured in constrained intellectual environments. The only recognized book is the Bible, and children are told from early ages on that it contains the revealed word of God himself which not only is never questioned but is never even questionable. These children go or are taken to church three or more times a week where they are enrolled in Bible school and hear stories, often as outrageous as the parting of the Red Sea, that are never questionable. No one ever asks, or is even ever allowed to ask, How can that be true?"
How did asking questions of the ministry or concerns about the blustering ideas 'the church' could come up with from the Bible, which usually was really what HWA or Joseph Tkach could come up, work out for you? I once asked Gerald Waterhouse what he was going to think and do when HWA died just like every other old man on earth? That didn't work out well for me. He said "I'll believe it after three days and three nights." And no I am not making this up. I once called Joe Sr and asked if it was true HWA was divorcing as it was all over the church and I'd like know as minister. He screamed "put a lid on it!" and hung up. Of course it was true. In my world, 100% of my questions asked of the Tkaches were 100% denied and 100% true. Yes meant no and no meant yes is what I learned real quick towards the end.
Take me! Take me!
Ever express a concern or fear about the how can this be after a sermon proof texing for an hour over the "Place of Safety" and not get the "God will work out of faithless one" look? I hated that topic and any sermon on it I had to sit through raised ever antenna and alarm I ever had. To be honest, I was not ever going to tell a church "it's time" for anything. But questioning it could be fatal to your advancement I suppose.
Does anyone in Dave Pack's Deplored Church of God EVER get away with questioning Dave's sermon content? Anyone uncomfortable with "And yes brethren , I am an Apostle" or "I am Joshua as spoken of by the Prophet Haggai"? No? Why not? Are you stupid? Anyone ever question Dave not abiding disagreement, "study papers" or input he didn't ask for? Are you stupid? You can't tell me at least some of those who had to endure MONTHS of sermons on Dave's personal view of his vast importance in the world of religion weren't wondering if this was really so. I know when he was told by one of his former "agreers", Michael Venish, that it might not be the best idea to build a replica of Ambassador College in Wadsworth, Ohio he got fired. I'm glad he wasn't stupid. You don't question Dave....ever, and you accept the answer you get one time only.
"Pretty cool huh? Didn't cost me a cent. Fred Diehl in NY paid for it"
Anyone get uncomfortable when HWA traveled around the world giving out expensive gifts and paying for audiences because he was to "go before Kings" never quite telling them why? The "strong hand from somewhere" was code for "Jesus" but we don't want to offend. Those that did found out you don't ask questions about obvious abuses and foolish perspectives in the Church of God without going to the penalty box. I always like the "blessing for the Czar" that was in Fiddler on the Roof. I applied it to many men in the church who had stupid ideas and answers to sincere questions and concerns. "May God bless and keep the Czar...far away from us." I always wondered why ten healthy WCG ministers or members didn't show up at Joe Tkach Sr or Jr's office and haul their sorry asses and furniture out to the curb and be done with it. "You want to go to church on Sunday, get swoozy over Jesus, put up your Christmas tree and enjoy and Easter Egg hunt, knock yourself out. But not here. I'm sure there is a church of your choice somewhere," seemed the proper response to me. Letting the Tkaches take the helm of WCG was one of religions more stupid moves without question. It is said Joe Sr. died admitting he had "been so stupid." Why does it take so long? It amazes me in all things political and religious how ONE Person can control the minds and opinions of the many without question.
It doesn't get more embarrassing than this and I am sure Ron was used at "Idea City" for entertainment. Many folk got up an left.
During the Weinland "I don't need a point for a sermon. I just need to talk for 90 minutes. Me and Mable are the Two Witnesses" era, did anyone sitting there raise their hand to express concern or caution for his ideas? Evidently not. Were you stupid?
We know the folk in Gerald Flurry's grasp are stupid. That man can put those folk in a steel box, shut them off from family and real life and demand all their resources and get away with it week after week evidently. He can declare himself "That Prophet" of Malachi all he wants but I'd declare him "That Fool" personally. How long will it take PCGer's to do the same. Anyone tired of passing the baton of religious empire control over to the kids? Let's see..HWA/GTA Joe Tkach Sr/Joe Tkach Jr. Gerald Flurry/Son Steven. I'm seeing a pattern here. Dave Pack will pass his empire on to himself after he dies no doubt. Are you stupid?
Read it again, in your Church of God context and ask yourself just how much longer am I going to sit here standing up on the inside but sitting down on the outside acting like I agree with the answers to my concerns, fears and sincere questions from my "minister" when I don't. Of course if you are a Deplored Church of God member under the all knowing Apostle David C Pack, you won't be allowed to restate the question a second time.
"Readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmatic don’t occasion much questioning. But subjects like history are another matter! Learning history, or anything else for that matter, can be likened to learning Bible verses if questioning is excluded from the process. (And in my Church it is)This kind of learning without questioning is carried over to our colleges and universities where the problem becomes really severe.
Subjects are taught as if they were comprised of revealed truths.(Because my minister runs all over the Bible hunting and fishing for scriptures and concepts that fit his story) Hardly anyone ever questions them because questioning them is discouraged.(Ya think!) So we end up with people who graduate with degrees under their arms who are no wiser than they were on the days they matriculated as freshmen. (And broken homes, anxiety, depression, shoot outs, suicide, and theological zombies) No new idea ever enters their heads.("Everything you need to know Brethren is right here.") In this society, people who are learned are not educated. They are little different from hurdy gurdy monkeys, but we elect them to office. (Or let them be undereducated ministers who know it all) Such is the legacy of the Sunday School Syndrome. (Sabbath School Syndrome) It yields the stubbornness of what are essentially stillborn minds. No amount of information conveyed can ever make a stupid person smart! So nothing fundamental will ever change until intellectual development rather than the conveyance of information (Way too long sermons where you don't get to raise your hand) becomes the principal goal of learning."
"In many homes in America‘s Bible Belt, children are nurtured in constrained intellectual environments.(i.e for example, the Restored Church of God.) The only recognized book is the Bible, and children are told from early ages on that it contains the revealed word of God himself (Or Gerald, Ron and Dave) which not only is never questioned but is never even questionable. These children go or are taken to church three or more times a week where they are enrolled in Bible school and hear stories, often as outrageous as the parting of the Red Sea, that are never questionable. No one ever asks, or is even ever allowed to ask, How can that be true?"
Apostle David C Pack
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