LCG is reporting:
Late this afternoon, Dr. Douglas Winnail reported that the day went well for the youth at the Ohio Living Youth Camp. The kids are sobered by yesterday’s tragic accident but are coping well. Dr. Winnail gave the youth spiritual support today when he took the Christian Living Class. The ministry has provided individual counseling as needed and group counseling in each dorm.
Dr. Meredith, Mr. Ames and the headquarters team has been in close contact with LYC leadership to support our campers and those affected however we can, and additional ministry is traveling to the camp in the next two days, including Dr. Roderick Meredith who will arrive at the camp on Wednesday. Dr. Meredith has sent a letter to all the Church members today.
Camp leadership anticipates that camp will continue through its planned term. Please continue to pray for the campers, for the staff and for the Montgomery family.
32 comments:
Perhaps he can give a sermon about God's protection.
you are one sick puppy.
This is the right thing to do in the aftermath of such a tragedy. He should definitely make this trip and do what he can to help everyone touched by the events.
BB
Black Ops, what a sick hateful statement to make.
You better hope that Yahweh forgives you for your lack of humanity.
I am sure that his presence will be a great source of comfort for everyone. His warmth, obvious love for the brethren, etc. will shine through very brightly.
I am sorry for the loss.
I made the comment I did because Roderick Meredith is not known for his warmth and empathy.
It is my suspicion that Meredith is going there because of the image of the LCG corporation.
It should also be noted that a water skiing student at Big Sandy came down on an island in Lake Loma and died from poisonous snakes. I know of this incident because of a ministerial assistant, otherwise it was not at all a widely known incident.
You should be aware that several members of the Church of God Seventh Day in a bus on the way to services were hijacked by drug dealers last year and have never been heard from again.
These unfortunate circumstances happen to many groups. It is always a loss.
But did Roderick Meredith go to the congregation where Terry Ratzman shot members and the minister to comfort them.
I hope people can get the point. It would be unfortunate if people were too dense to understand the point I made... rather pointedly.
I am sure that his presence will be a great source of comfort for everyone. His warmth, obvious love for the brethren, etc. will shine through very brightly.
Most of the teenagers at that camp are counting the days until they turn 18 and can tell their parents where they can stuff their stupid religion. Camp is a two-week break in the horrible, constricted lives these kids are forced to lead for most of the rest of the year. Like most of Meredith's own kids, you can be assured that most of the kids at Living Camp don't believe 99% of what they hear the ministers say. They just want to be with friends who understand their parent's crazy religion. Most of the kids at Living Camp know what a fraud and liar and con man Meredith really is, but if they spoke up they wouldn't be allowed to be with their friends at camp, so they will pretend to listen to Meredith as if they are taking him seriously. They have no other choice.
Personally I am the opinion that Meredith could care less. If he does care he will pay the family of this young lady something to cover their costs and some extra to see them through this time of utter devastation. After all, a volunteer should be considered a temp employee.
When Rod Meredith arrives he will project the corporations empathy using the 'Magic Lantern' that shines a light of righteousness upon itself in order to appear as if they really care. But in the end what really matters is action on his part and those of the membership. And if the LCG is anything like the WCG, don't expect much love or empathy. Rather judgement as the final response.
Black Ops Mikey,
You wrote: "...These unfortunate circumstances happen to many groups. It is always a loss..."
And we did get your major point regarding Rod, but yes, unfortunate circumstances happen, but not only to groups, but virtually to everyone of us in one form or another......and oftentimes on a daily basis. Most of the time death isn't the end result, but sometimes it is.
In other words, each of us daily is looking forward to good things happening in our lives, not evil things. Yet evil things do happen...kind of like "accidents;" however, even accidents have some cause, intentional or not.
Job would perhaps phrase it much more simply this way:
"When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness." Job 30:26
The young water skiing female was looking to have a good time. She sleeps now and does not even know that she is dead.
In my opinion God isn't finished with her and she will be resurrected, healed/saved, however you may want to say it, and have the rest of forever to live happily again. Assuming she comes up in the second resurrection she will probably marry, have children, etc. and have a wonderful life. The evil she encountered will be history, her cessation from life will be like the blink of an eye to her.
If she is in the first resurrection, then it will be a different story.
And if there is no God, then that is another whole different story......no resurrection at all.
Our lives seem to be filled with lots of vanity, but I think the skier's parents, and siblings if she had any, will look forward, despite the loss, with hope.
"For the creature was MADE SUBJECT TO vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same IN HOOPE," Romans 8:20
So yes, it is a loss, but a temporary one if there is a God who has the power of resurrection, and time will tell...
John
At least Solomon covered his act in Ecclesiastes 9:11 by saying that "time and chance happens to all".
The LCG and most of the Armstrongists are quite pragmatic about how God intervenes, particularly in church business, and yet they seem to have on the balance more "time and chance" happening to them all.
When you get down to the nitty-gritty, and we're talking about faith here, there are questions. Are we to expect events like these to occur randomly without any evidence of Intervention and then, out of the clear blue, when the chips are down, expect to be whisked off to a Place of Safety? By what criteria could we ever know?
For that matter, should we have confidence in God's help, support and intervention when we are in a cult led by a false prophet, liar, covenant breaker (who abandoned the very church he created)? How does that work? If you are willing to follow a man who has proved himself ungodly, why, in heaven's name, would you ever expect God to pay any attention to you.
Of course, this rests on a lot of assumptions which cannot clearly be supported by the evidence -- to wit, it's pretty clear that men of this sort can commit all sorts of evil without consequences and live to a ripe old age without anything much major happening to them. Except of course, Ronald Weinland...
But we would suppose that that is just time and chance.
And besides, he'll be getting out soon, so it's all good.
Black Ops Mickey said, "Perhaps he can give a sermon about God's protection."
MY COMMENT - I didn't find anything offensive about this comment - this sermon as suggested by Black Ops Mickey would be typical for ACOGs.
In fact, if it had been Herbert Armstrong, he would have blamed the Church for her death citing the lack of faith and lack of prayer for protection - AND THEN USE HER DEATH as an excuse for a "brass knuckles Lake of Fire threat fund raising letter" as he did when Loma Armstrong died.
Rod Meredith is no Herbert Armstrong.
Sorry if the truth hurts sometimes folks. I thought the same thing before I even read Black Ops Mickey's Plain Truth comment.
Richard
Black Ops Mikey said...
“But did Roderick Meredith go to the congregation where Terry Ratzman shot members and the minister to comfort them.”
Er – yes, actually – as did a number of the 'top' ministry.
http://www.thejournal.org/issues/issue98/brookfield2.html
I look forward to the day when God will wipe away every day from every eye. Not sure if this will be published. Nothing I ever have said on the positive side has ever been. There is still hope.
the question of God's protection or lack thereof is a legitimate one, considering the fact that many cogs claim to be distinctive from the world and favored of God.
i have always contended that if we cogers persist in not distinguishing ourselves we will likewise perish, as it is Written...
Questeruk, thanks for the link. However, it shows that Meredith showed up for the funeral, but I did not see where he came to the congregation for Sabbath services, which was the point of the question.
2:40, in the past, it was assumed that since WCG members (I left after the Disappointment of 1975) were God's special people, much the same as the Israelites of the Old Testament were God's people, that there was special protection against death, disease, and financial ruin that "the world" just didn't have. To validate this, our "elect" status was based on the keeping of the sabbath, holy days, tithing, and clean meats laws of the OT., while many of the Christian principles of the New Testament were overlooked.
The problem that this assumption created was that when bad things randomly happened to "the elect", it was judged that the one who appeared to be an exception to this protection was somehow responsible for the reason he or she suffered the misfortune. It led to the proverbial "blame the victim" mentality. Either there was some sort of secret sin involved, or an attitude problem. And, of course, this sort of judgmentalism is always going to happen naturally as a by-product of elitism and legalism. Good and bad happen in equal measure to everyone, sometimes as a result of blessings or trials, and sometimes just at random chance.
An individual who is conscious of his or her relationship with God is going to be attentive, looking to see if there might be reasons behind certain blessings or apparent curses or punishment. That is where the discernment should ideally come in, not from fellow brethren or ministers who can only guess what is in another's heart. I think that was the whole lesson behind the story of Job. If Job had been a member of WCG or one of the splinters, probably the ministry and church members would have assumed he was secretly horribly evil or even had a demon problem!
BB
Hey sweet blood, stop making up names for God.
So so pretentious.
We all know the Hebrew has no vowel points for it.
I've been hearing rumors that this horrible incident is going to really cost LCG. I'm not sure if gross negligence was involved or what.
LCG members might just be speculating. It hasn't really been my experience that they are educated enough to really understand how the law works.
But who knows. Sometimes rumors have a thread of truth woven into them.
I can't say that it would be heartbreaking to see Rod Meredith finally reap all the bad stuff he's sown over the years. He's a horrible man.
I noticed LCG is live streaming the LYC fun show tonight from Ohio. That's questionable to say the least.
the cogs need to do some serious reflection on why the tragedies of the world keep happening to them as well, and understand that you cannot embrace the ways of the world, e.g., right wing extremism and bigotry, and expect to be seperated from the evils of the world...
Are Meredith, Monson and Winnail qualified to counsel youth for this kind of thing?
I hope they will get real professional help.
Sadly most of them probably won't because going to the doctor (especially a psychiatrist) is still seen as a sign of weakness or as a demonstration of a lack of faith in LCG.
when Jesus Spoke the Words found in Luke 13:2-5 He was Speaking to His disciples, and the cogs need to understand that, and understand the God is no respecter of persons, especially they who are righteous in their own eyes...
When Scripture promises safety or victory of the Israelites, there were individuals who were not spared injury or death. As I understand some promises, they are corporate promises, not individual ones.
clearly Christ was talking to individuals in Luke 13:2-5, and why He Said what He Said gets to the heart of the matter: the Churches of God have a serious Job complex in that there is this persistent problem of self-righteousness and arrogance...
it is very plainly stated: by virtue of our failure to distinguish ourselves from conservative hate and self righteousness, that we in the cogs are no better than they of the world whom have suffered calamity, and if we do not repent, we too will suffer calamity, and that is exactly what has been happening...
isnt remarkable that they who claim to be moral the authority find themselves subject to the state because of their absence of any substantive authority and because of their negligence?
12:43pm is further validating my point: in the mind of cogers if a tragedy happens, the answer is always: it is not because of something we did wrong but merely that individuals will not always be spared...
God caused injury to David His Anointed because of the wickedness that he did: Psalms 38:4-7, and He Decreed that the sword would not depart from his family...
read again Christs own Words in Luke 13:2-5...and then read 1 Corinthians 12:26 and tell me whether an individuals suffering can possibly be deemed seperate from the body...
so what is it you lot want? that we all leave the churches of God? is that it? what do you have to offer? we all have to make it through life as best we can in this sick and depraved world. whether it's all a con or not I certainly prefer hope to Prozac. its interesting finding this blog and seeing clearly that you have not found anything better in life than to slag off the LCG ministry. you would do well to remember Numbers 16.
its interesting finding this blog and seeing clearly that you have not found anything better in life than to slag off the LCG ministry. you would do well to remember Numbers 16.
Numbers 16:44,45: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.
You seem to agree that we should get away from the congregation(s) doing these awful things, so we will be spared God's judgment. So why are you still defending a ministry that supports lying, theft, adultery and other commandment violations as long as they are done by ministers favored by RCM?
I am appalled by the the complete lack of empathy exhibited by some of those who post here who apparently can feel superior enough in their positions, in their thinking, in their views on life, the universe and everything that they find it necessary to inflict their own doubts and views to what end?... compound the suffering of those enduring a horrible tragedy? What, you wanna show everyone you're right... well suppose your are right (although I don't believe you are) well, then what?? You're right and these people have suffered a terrible loss your "correct view", "astute observations" are worth exactly what to someone else's unimaginable grief?
What is wrong with you? Wake up! You condemn yourself with your own words.
You are not better, you're just as bad or worse than those you condemn.
Right.
These days Roderick Meredith would be Korah.
Wait.
He's a false prophet.
Isn't that depraved?
"isn't it remarkable that they who claim to be moral the authority find themselves subject to the state because of their absence of any substantive authority and because of their negligence?"
So true anon.
And from what I hear, LCG will soon be "subject to the state" for breaking NC law.
"May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob you;
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice.
Selah"
(Psalm 20:1-3)
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