On a couple of Facebook pages there are stories being shared about the abject evil that the Philadelphia Church of God is perpetuating on its members. The vile filth that these so-called men of God are doing to members is appalling to read. No one in the PCG speaks out for these people who are mistreated and traumatized. They sit by and do nothing. Marriages and families are ripped apart. Grandparents turn their backs on children/grandchildren all because a narcissistic drunken despot and his cadre of gestapo agents have allowed themselves to sink into a cesspool of moral depravity.
Contrast that to the short film above about a man with severe disabilities and how a best friend and a community of fellow travelers came together to help him accomplish a 500 mile journey on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail through northern Spain. A loyal and devoted friend helped push his friend over what seemed to be an insurmountable mountain. Joining him on the way were other travelers that saw a need and joined in accomplishing something that will remain with them their entire lies. A community of people who were filled with compassion and love that conquered something unimaginable.
In spite of what is displayed in the film above, many in the Churches of God are all about CREATING mountains and obstacles. Abusive ministers, manipulative members and all kinds of evildoers conspire to keep members beaten down, devalued and dehumanized. Fear and legalism are the two things that keep the members compliant. That's why they sit by and do noting when their friends and relatives are treated like dirt. That is why they turn their backs on these same friends and family members.
The film closes with the following words which I think describe what we do here and others are doing in numerous web sites, blogs and Facebook pages. There are desperate people out here that need to be pushed and pulled over the mountains of abuse and out of the valleys of quagmire that Armstrongism has trapped people in. There is no community or loyalty in Armstrongism, only people slightly joined together in fear. Disrupt that apple cart at some point in time and you will truly see who your REAL friends and community were. It will NOT be those in the COG. That road has been littered with the bodies of tens of thousands of former members of the Churches of God over the past eighty some years.
Everyone of us have people in our lives who pushed, pulled and drug us over mountains at some point in time and everyone of us have people in our lives that are desperate for hope, who are desperate for someone to come along up the face of their mountain, over the precipice of their mountain and push them forward in life. Push them beyond their limitations.
Who are you going to push?
Well la de da. This is what happens when you turn your back on the truth of God. It is you and your kind that are living in the cesspool and the quagmire. Go walk that same filthy trail that Catholics have walked for centuries. Those are the ones you have prostituted yourselves over to as you join Satan in attacking the truth. I choose to follow the truth that God restored through to his end time Apostle.
ReplyDeleteWell aren't you deceived by this cult!?
DeleteSo ridiculous. 😀
I have pretty negative views of the Catholic church, mostly because of my WCG upbringing, and the Catholic church has done some awful things, but despite all that they probably are more spiritual than WCG. There is actually spirituality in their religious experience, whereas was there anything spiritual about WCG? Nah it was all hypocrisy and judgmental. I got a little bit of spirituality from some of the Psalms and hymns we sang, and from looking at the stars and thinking of the vast universe which God created, but even that was interpreted through some kind of Dale Carnegie vision of rulership. I can imagine someone in one of the vindictive splinters of God would say something like 'you'll feel very spiritual when you are starving and been beaten by your German masters'. I am beginning to think it is my upbringing in that church that made me so negative about everything. It's not the message of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon 11:08 for reminding me why I left the church. Life is so much more beautiful after leaving your ilk behind and all the worthless opinions.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't 100 percent related, but is maybe 57.6% percent related. It's also for BB since iirc he likes the blues.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90-O6c20PLk
If anyone actually reads the whole thing, I'd be interested in reading peoples' thoughts.
I am trying to "push" some of my gay brothers and sisters who are still active members of one of the Armstrong splinters. I am trying to "push" my father and some of my friends who still belong to the Church of God International. Whether or not you think that you need to be pushed, no one should feel justified in walking away from a brother or sister whom they regard as fallen or of imperfect understanding. We should all remember these powerful words:
ReplyDelete"If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish." --Matt. 18:12-14
"My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins." --James 5:19-20
I think that is what this blog is all about. For those of you who are still active in Armstrongism, if you are so certain of yourselves, why aren't you trying to do the same thing? Aren't Christians meant to engage with, support, inspire and strengthen each other? What's up with this "la de da" stuff?
" Anonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWell la de da. This is what happens when you turn your back on the truth of God. It is you and your kind that are living in the cesspool and the quagmire. Go walk that same filthy trail that Catholics have walked for centuries. Those are the ones you have prostituted yourselves over to as you join Satan in attacking the truth. I choose to follow the truth that God restored through to his end time Apostle."
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The truth of God according to who? Your bible in its current format was put together by those evil Catholics fool.And you fools use it to promote armstrongism.
Thanks to the anonymous poster who linked the Robbie Robertson interview on Sonny Boy Williamson. There were two Sonny Boys, and the one Robbie was speaking of was Alex Miller, known professionally as Sonny Boy Williamson II. The incident Robbie describes would have to have occurred in April or May of 1965.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, musicians have done so much to promote understanding and racial equality over the years. It is sad to think that the police actively prevented black people and white people from eating together, and fellowshipping together because that was the law. In 1965, I had black friends while in high school. I could get just a little sense of their angst, because as a religious pariah, it's not as if I didn't experience a little bigotry from time to time myself. It must have been funny for some of the students, watching a white guy and four black guys sharing a quart of beer in an ancient Oldsmobile in the school parking lot before first period class, but it seemed perfectly normal to me.
Bigotry and ignorance are often a stone wall. There are some mindsets that you just can't educate people out of. And it still happens today. People citing Bell curves and such, pretending to add some intellectualism to their racism. I just don't have time for ignorance like that.
Robbie and his band, the Hawks (at that time) had the right idea. Thanks, again.
BB
Links to Facebook posts? Would be nice to see what people are saying.
ReplyDeletePoor people in PCG, they are sort of like doormats. God never wanted people to be zombie like followers of men.
To writer of first comment: Somehow I just can't see Jesus talking to people in that snippy way. You exude nastiness and that is not a trait of a Christian. Change your approach.
Well la de da, very Christ like and Christian comment, told me something right off the bat. Anyway, it's obvious this person simply believes what he's told in his church and doesn't prove anything said against it or its leaders out whether they be true or not. I was at that place once but finally I decided okay, I've got to research all this and see what's going on, well did I get the shock of my life when I found what I really didn't want to find about HWA, GTA, Flurry, RCM, DCP and many other SELF APPOINTED leaders, it was a shock when I found out it wasn't just all heresay but actual truth. As I was forced to now believe what I found because it was proven to be true, it started to become clearer and clearer because I no longer hid my eyes from checking it out and realized it was true. There was a lot of truth to what these leaders taught, and that's what we liked and hung on too, but as HWA himself said, truth and error mixed is still error and because error is mixed in with truth we were easily deceived. I could spend all day talking about the things I found and was absolutely shocked about, right from being conned into giving money I really didn't have at times from 10, 20, 30 percent of my wages plus more on offerings plus feeling guilty if I didn't give more into a building fund so some building which cost millions could be built, even though Jesus was going to return in 5, 10, or 15 years, actually some are still saying the same thing even now, all used to con people to give give give, more more more, and sad to say people are still throwing their money away and falling for it. I ask myself, where is all that money now, where are the buildings, where is HWAs expensive possessions he at one time deeply coveted and bought from hard earned tithe money many couldn't afford, things like mansion like homes, high end vehicles, expensive art, gold, crystal etc., items he had to have to make himself noticed as he lived high on the hog as others suffered, as well as jet around the world to countries most of us only heard about, all in the name of so called spreading the gosple but yet not even mentioning repentance or Jesus Christ and giving us a phony excuse as to why not, now how can anyone teach the word of God without repentance or Jesus, but, we at the time swallowed his reasoning hook line and sinker. Well la de da, you go ahead and not check the things you hear out, if you like being deceived into remaining stagnant and happy believing lies even though mixed with truth, that's your choice, but if you decide to check it out it may take you a while and lots of reading, ask God to guide you into what and where to read and look, it's actually a very interesting and rewarding study once you find the truth, as well as make you wonder why in the world you didn't see these things at the time, it still makes me wonder how I missed a lot of things I was deceived into believing but now see as clear as glass.
ReplyDeleteLuke 18:9-14
ReplyDeleteWow, did I ever need to read this! We are currently dealing with extended family members in the PCG and this reminder is timely and relevant. One member is recently exited and another is absolutely MISERABLE in this cult. Needless to say we are afraid for this member. I know this website isn't faith-based, but I do feel this post was an answer to many recent prayers. Thank you!
ReplyDelete