UCG's "Compass Check" Youth Magazine - Another Epic Failure In The Works?

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For many years the United Church of God tried to produce a magazine similar to the WCG YOUTH magazine.  Just like the youth of the WCG who never read the YOUTH magazine, the youth of UCG did not care for Vertical Thought either.

Like all of the various splinter groups of the Worldwide Church of God they are failing to draw in and grow with younger folk.  All of the Churches of God are currently dying off as the older WCG related generations die off.

Lecturing  the youth of the church with mindless Armstrongite drivel is not impressing any of them.

They are leaving.

Vertical Thought could not keep them in and Compass Check will not either.

At least with Vertical Thought the name implied one direction, upwards.  The Compass Check has no fixed point.  As one person on a proCOG site said,

Compass Check” does not show any direction, but rather, that one may be off track and has to reorient themselves. A compass has 360 different points, but only one can be correct; whereas, “Vertical..” has but one point – upward and outward from one’s base – a 90* angle from horizontal.

They would be better off (send a stronger message/emphasis) to have retained “Vertical Thought” which only points one way. And abandon the “Compass Check” which could allow 359 different wrong ways vs the one good way. Clarity in vision is better than clouded, diffused, and misdirected vision – even if accidental.

Ouch!  UCG is setting itself up for another epic failure.  Over the last several years since it imploded UCG has one failure after another.  All of the glossy propaganda they spit out every other week is nothing more than a smoke screen.  UCG members are just as disillusioned as those in other COG's.  People are asking WHY they even remain any more.  

The only real hope the youth of United Church of Godr have is to leave when they are of age.  There is a glorious world out there waiting for them to change it.  As long as they remain within the cultish walls of UCG they will never truly be free.

Robert Kuhn Still Willing to Stretch the Boundaries of Thinking

Robert Kuhn was a high ranking WCG member/employee for many years and was highly educated on many aspects of life and religion.  He particularly was well versed in the science of the brain.  The Plain Truth magazine, a Worldwide Church of God  publication ran many articles by Kuhn.

After leaving the beliefs of Armstrongism behind he has led an amazing life exploring the human mind, the cosmos, religion and the search for the meaning of life.  Kuhn's widely popular program is on PBS here in the Untied States, and online.  When you compare the well thought out and deep questions of Kuhn to the amateurish drivel that Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry and Rod Meredith put on on their TV shows, Kuhn's program is light years ahead of them.  The difference between Kuhn and the Armstrongite splinter group leaders is that Kuhn is not afraid to ask questions, allow room for doubt and not find it necessary to have the answers.  Pack, Flurry, Meredith and other COG leaders claim to be the ultimate source of all knowledge.  They have an answer to EVERYTHING!  God is working overtime keeping all of these men's brains filled with the latest revelations. Its no wonder he needs a day of rest.

Closer To Truth explores fundamental issues of universe, brain/mind, religion, meaning and purpose through intimate, candid conversations with leading scientists, philosophers, scholars, theologians and creative thinkers of all kinds. The shows are a rich visual experience, shot entirely on location in high definition with multiple cameras generating rich production values.

Public fascination with questions of Cosmos, Consciousness and particularly of Meaning has grown substantially in recent years. Public debate has been intense, often heated.
Closer To Truth presents to mass audiences these leading-edge ideas in an approachable, rational and balanced manner, and introduces the human personalities behind these ideas. By meeting these change-making characters close-up, the thinkers behind the thoughts, visiting them in their homes, offices, labs, gardens, churches and temples, Closer To Truth humanizes riveting ideas and makes them more accessible and more relevant.

Closer to Truth YouTube channel is here.

Gerald Flurry Reenforces Racist Intermarriage Teachings of Herbert Armstrong

Gerald Flurry is well known for spouting off racist comments, much like his idol Herbert Armstrong.   Now that Gerald Flurry owns the copyright for Mystery of the Ages (after losing a humiliating court battle) he continues to publish and endorse the racist polices of Armstrong.

The following is from a defunct exCOG blog that is still filled with a wealth of information.

Herbert W. Armstrong's views on interracial marriage were not at all a secret. I have found various sermons and written works by Armstrong that express a great deal of racism. The following collection of quotes is intended to illustrate how open Armstrong was about his racist beliefs, and how he enforced his prejudices upon members of the Worldwide Church of God.

"God originally set the bounds of national borders, intending nations to be separated to prevent interracial marriage. [...] Noah was of perfect lineage in his generations. His wife and three sons were of that same white strain."

Mystery of the Ages; H.W. Armstrong; pg. 149

"God intended to prevent racial intermarriages. But man has always wanted to violate God’s laws, intentions and ways. They wanted to become one race or family through intermarriage
of races."

Mystery of the Ages; H.W. Armstrong; pg. 151

Below, I have transcribed pieces of one of Herbert W. Armstrong's shockingly racist sermons. I have included a link the the audio of the entire sermon. He was 90 years old when he spoke these words. I have capitalized certain bits of text to note the volume of Armstrong's voice. Anyone who has heard a sermon by HWA will remember his bouts of screaming, when he was trying to make a point.

Apparently, what had spurred him to write this sermon was a letter, written by one of his followers.

"Today I want to speak on what may possibly be the very next attack that Satan will use against this church [...] interracial marriage."

"It was stated that the blacks in God's Church are dissatisfied with such doctrines that are not in keeping with the current social trend in the world [civil rights movement] that are a part of this nations background. [...] And this letter also says that they are trying to line up a group of blacks to give ME AN ULTIMATUM, that I get on the side of the social trend of this world, or else! I'll tell you what I'll give them, I'LL GIVE THEM THE 'OR ELSE!' (church audience laughs) I WON'T COMPRIMISE ONE MILLIONTH OF AN INCH! And if you will, you can go into the Lake of Fire if you want to. [...] Some are saying that we have to to have racial balance at ambassoders college. [...]"

"Genisis 6:1; And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of
the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
Genisis 6:2; That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were
fair; and they took them wives of ALL WHICH THEY CHOOSE."
"That's what they want to do today. A black man wants to take a white woman for a wife, THAT'S WHAT HE CHOOSES. [...] Now I don't know any cases where a WHITE MAN wants to marry a black woman, WHY IS THAT? Answer that for me! Why is it only BLACK MEN who want to marry white women?"

This is obviously a twist of scripture. Armstrong is trying to 'prove' his racist beliefs with the Bible. There is no mention in the Genesis 6 that God sent Noah's flood because of interracial marriage; nor is there any evidence that Noah was white. HWA himself declares this, but there is no evidence in the scriptures.

And why should 'the church' question him? He is God's end-time Elijah... GOD TALKS TO HIM (or at least that is what WCG members were told.) Going against Armstrong was like going against God, for members; leaving the church was the worst sin one could commit. Apparently, these are concepts that are found in many cults*.

Gerald Flurry And How He Is Justifying Ripping Families Apart

A few days ago a person with PCG ties sent this blog, Silenced and a couple of others a copy of the latest Royal Vision.  In this issue is an article that was approved by Gerald Flurry for publication, Preserving Unity God's Way written by Brian Davis.  The particular story the person wanted publicized was the on on unity.  

Unity is a huge issue today in the Churches of God.  After the melt down of the Worldwide Church of God in 1996 and onward, numerous splinter personality cults formed and took tens of thousands of members with them.  These harlot daughters of the WCG have never recovered from the dissolution of the church and have never been able to maintain unity in their groups. 

Its no wonder unity cannot be preserved when these groups when the very founders were the original ones causing division.The Royal Vision rag is a for the members of PCG who are in good standing with everything Flurry teaches.  Thankfully that number is shrinking more and more each day as the PCG looses control of its members

In this article Brain Davis seeks to justify the PCG's perverted reasoning as to why they label all exCOG members as Laodicean and why PCG member should cut off all contact with them, including family members.

Countless horror stories have emerged from people who have witnessed the appalling actions of PCG members towards family and friends.

 
Here are some excerpts from the rag:

Notice that the article cannot even start with Jesus and any mercy that he was constantly showering on people.  Instead the article immediately starts out with big bad meanie Satan who seems to be the most powerful person in Armstrongism.  Never ones to rest in the safety of Jesus, the Armstrongite groups, and PCG in particular, cower in fear.  Satan is the ultimate god of the COG.  That is all they seem to be able to talk about and give power to.

 

The article immediately starts out by mocking PCG members who question Gerald Flurry's personal teachings on this subject.  Many have refused to stop talking to relatives and friends and Davis is not happy.  His god would NEVER allow PCG members to do such a thing.

Gerald Flurry has never been known to come up with anything original so he has to revert back to the failed utterances of Herbert Armstrong concerning wayward members.  This was the only way Herbert could keep the membership ion line so Gerald has to do the same thing, Its was and still is a control issue. 

Herbert Armstrong always loved to call church members "dumb sheep."  Church members are naive and unthinking and apparently the dumbest creatures on the face of the planet.  So stupid that they give Satan power to corrupt them.  Maybe part of that problem is that most church members know noting about Jesus. Again, that's another story.

Next Davis warns PCG members to NOT even allow these disgusting vile ex-member family members into their homes.  Their mere presence brings in the doctrine of demons.

As you can see Davis also warns members that these disgusting people can enter their homes in ways other than the front door.  Pretty soon PCG will be banning cell phones, televisions, Internet and email.   Evil people such as this are spiritual fornicators.  Even though certain individuals at the PCG compound are fornicating, that apparently is not as bad as exCOG members.  Like every single COG leader in charge today in all the various groups, they pick and choose what they beliefs and doctrines the elite will practice while having another standard for the membership

Since they cannot actually PROVE this doctrine from the Bible, no matter how  hard they try, they have to resort to REVEALED information from Gerald Flurry.  God apparently speaks to Gerald all the time.  From revealing hidden books, to how to build a mini-me auditorium, and how to dream up aberrant doctrines.

 

Read below Flurry's take on Herbert's "dedication" to the youth of the WCG.  All of those thankless children turned their backs on Herbert just like they are turning their backs on Gerald.


Flurry now has taken upon himself a new title - "breaker."   But who is leading this "breaker?"  It certainly is NOT God.  Its not Jesus because they cant even utter his name 99% of the time.

Like all other COG leaders from HWA on down, it is always someone else's fault.  Its not Flurry's fault that he invented this disfellowshipment/shunning doctrine.  It is the xCOG members fault.  It was THEY that departed from the one true, holy, apostolic Church of God.

The ironic thing that is disturbing a LOT of PCG members in the Edmond Oklahoma area is how they are forced to cut off contact with friends and relatives because they are considered unclean, but have to watch as Flurry and crew hobnob and court rich old Christmas/Sunday keeping ladies from Edmond in order  to keep their concert series afloat.  Its no problem dealing with these pagans, but it is perfectly OK to ignore your children or parents.

More information about the horrendous abuses that the Philadelphia Church of God is perpetuating upon its members read here.  There is 15 years worth of letters there on how sick Gerald Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God is.

More PCG info can be found here: The Plain Truth About Malachi's Message and THAT Prophet

Ron Weinland: Prophesied On Operating Table He Was To Die, Dies, Then Was Resurrected A Short Time Later

We all knew it  was a matter of time till Ron Weinland would imitate his predecessor Herbert Armstrong who  claimed he died and was brought back to life.  Like Armstrong, Weinalnd is using his resurrection as a way to revitalize the Church of God and put it back on track. Weinland says he has big things in store for the church.  Is ANY Church of God leader capable of EVER coming up with something new and original?

Recently Wienland had a heart attack and was rushed to the operating room.  Here is how he describes it:

The last thing I remember was when they were getting ready to transfer me from the portable bed to the operating table. However, after I woke up in the intensive care unit of the hospital, several nurses and some doctors who came around began to fill me in on what had taken place. One of the first that I talked to was a cardiac nurse who asked me what I remembered and if I remembered what I had said when, at one point, I sat up and spoke to them. I explained that the last thing I remembered was when they were getting ready to transfer me from the portable bed to the operating table, but I did not actually remember them doing the actual transfer.

This nurse informed me that on the operating table (but at what specific point, I am not sure) I sat up and said that I was going to die. Then I laid down and immediately flatlined (my heart stopped). They told me that at that point they announced over the hospital system a “code blue,” which was to notify all those who had anything to do with giving me defibrillation (electric shock therapy to start the heart) to get to their station and do so. They gave me the jolt I needed to get my heart going again. I have no idea how much time passed, but I think I understood them to say it took a couple of times to do this to get my heart started again. I’m not sure I have explained all this in a correct manner medically, but in my understanding, this is the best that I can relay what I was told.

Yet in all this, as everyone should strongly know, my life is fully in God’s hands, just as with everyone who has been called, begotten, and is then yielding to God’s purpose in their life. This has happened to me as a part of God’s purpose in what He intends to accomplish and produce through it, as well as it occurring precisely in His timing of those things He is working out. There has already been some incredible good that has come out of this, which will be revealed more fully at a later time. Although it was a pretty rough and difficult thing to experience (as my pain tolerance is not high, and this was extremely painful), it is truly nothing compared to the good that it has already produced. We should all keep that in mind and realize that in those things we experience of hardships, trials, and pain, that often others can be helped and/or strengthened by our experience. Then of course, we too can learn personally and become more fully perfected through such things we may go through in life, and especially in how we go through them.

PCG: Ministers Are Here To Rule Over You. When They Make A Mistake You Need To Ask Why It Might Be Your Fault

The most perfect ministry that rules upon this earth today is in the Philadelphia Church of God. (Sorry Dave Pack, with all of your impotent claims lately your ministers have no credibility.)  The ministry of the PCG has been set upon this earth by God's direct hand and your salvation is dependent upon how you listen and follow what these men tell you.  If you dare to question or resist one of Gerald's ministers then you are resiting God!  The PCG even takes it down the ranks to the point you cannot question teachers, parents, and employers. In other words if you work at the PCG cult compound you CANNOT question ANYTHING!  Above all you cannot question WHY the PCG spends hundreds of thousands of dollars so that the PCG elite children can learn Irish dance - but that's another story.

The most telling comment below is that PCG members are not to question when "mistakes" are made.  Apparently by putting it in parenthesis this lets the PCG members know that the ministry is incapable of making mistakes and that it is most likely an issue of poor attitude of the  person complaining or questioning.  It is also apparent that when a person feels a mistake has been made that it is somehow THEIR fault.

Remember that God also uses His ministers to give counsel (Ephesians 4:11-16). The ministry is there to give guidelines, to encourage and exhort, but not to make decisions for you. God wants you to learn how to make decisions.

We are judged on how we incorporate God’s instructions into our lives. We must not resist Him. By judging those in authority—employers, ministers, parents, teachers—and then deciding that since they are not perfect we don’t have to look to them for guidance, we are denying God’s authority over us.

God judges us on how we treat those under our authority and how we submit to those in authority over us. We rule and are ruled.

How do we react when “mistakes” are made? Perhaps we need to ask God what He is trying to show us about ourselves.

Gerald Flurry: To Reject Herbert Armstrong is to Reject God

Did you know that the only way to true salvation is in the idolatry of Herbert Armstrong?  Gerald Flurry thinks so.  He claims that if you reject the teachings of Herbert Armstrong you are also reject God.  It is funny to see Flurry write such things considering the fact that Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God have CHANGED Herbert Armstrong's writings to FIT the theological stance of the PCG.  Even the most holiest of Holy Books in the PCG, Mystery of the Ages, has been changed in order to make Gerald Flurry's claims of being a prophet/apostle legitimate.  Numerous other books have had entire sections deleted and Flurry's words inserted.

Flurry is using that rejection of Herbert Armstrong as the main excuse in forcing his gullible members into cutting off all contact with family members and friends who are exCOG.

Mr. Flurry writes: “We must fellowship in the context of the God Family and our engagement to Christ. We can’t even begin to fathom such depth without God’s Holy Spirit. The world does not understand fellowship with God—they are cut off (Genesis 3:22-24). Unless our fellowship is with the Father and the Son, we are just another deceived church. … The Laodiceans rejected Mr. Armstrong’s office and most of God’s revelation through him. That was the single most significant way they stopped fellowshipping with the Father. Is it logically possible for someone to have family fellowship with God and still reject the man God used to restore all things?”

That imagined rejection is what makes PCG members throw their teenage children out on the street.  This imagined rejection is also what makes PCG ministers tell parents of disabled children to take them to the mall and abandon them so that the State will take care of them.  This is the imagined rejection that belittles and intimidates women to the point they commit suicide.This imagined rejection is what makes PCG parents cut off all contact with children and grandchildren.

Of all the Churches of God out there, with maybe the exception of the Restored Church of God, the PCG has the potential to turn deadly at some point in the future.  We have already seen what aberrant teachings did in the living Church of God when a disturbed member killed seven LCG members after being pushed over the edge by one of Rod Meredith's doom and gloom sermons.

What is it going to take to wake PCG members up and place their faith in someone OTHER than Herbert Armstrong or the demonic rants of Gerald Flurry?

CGI's Bill Watson: Does He Believe That Gays Soon Start Beheading Christian On The Streets?

The stupid things Church of God ministers continue to say continues on unabated: 

CGI Embraces Bill Watson’s Attack on Homosexuality

By

Lonnie C. Hendrix/Miller Jones

The lead article in the latest edition of The International News, makes clear that the CGI leadership has decided to fully embrace Pastor Bill Watson’s campaign against homosexuality. The article, “Required Immediately:  A Spiritual Conditioning Plan,” (by none other than the said Mr. Watson) is a diatribe against homosexuals. In the piece, Mr. Watson uses several fallacies to justify his homophobic rants and ensure that CGI Christians don’t succumb to this “secular malignancy.” He skillfully employs false analogy, guilt by association and an appeal to fear and pity to make his case against homosexuality.

The following quotes are representative of the tenor of the language and methodology used in the piece:

“Our nation is currently sick and in jeopardy, as was the nation of Israel before it was devastated, conquered, and exiled into captivity from its homeland by the ancient Assyrians. It’s obvious by the historical legacy of Israel, nations that have adopted the God of Israel as their guiding source of morality, judgment, and liberty have been held accountable for their abandonment of those statutes, judgments, and laws.”

So, because the United States is moving in the direction of greater protections for the rights of Gay people and tolerance for their existence within society, our current situation is analogous to that of an ancient agrarian kingdom that failed to meet the standards of the covenant which God had established with them?

“Undoubtedly, for some of us, it’s quite disturbing to see some of these changes and effects now beginning to affect our lifestyles. Even our language has been mandated, in some cases by legislation, to be more sensitive and accepting toward those circumstances and conditions that were at one time considered wrong, or illegal, but now are acceptable and something to embrace. Political correctness is growing exponentially, causing those not in agreement with these progressive changes to be viewed as narrow-minded, discriminatory, bigoted, or just simply mean-spirited and irrational.”

Those poor, mistreated and persecuted Christians – Folks are calling them bigots and accusing them of being narrow-minded and mean-spirited. They’ve even made it unacceptable to refer to those abominations as “fags” and “sissies.” What will these evil folks come up with next?

“Make no mistake:  This is taking its toll on many Christian people who find themselves faced with contesting these ‘progressive changes.’ And don’t think for a minute the Christian way of life and belief system isn’t under attack outside of the cultural wars in the West – because it is! Anything resembling Christianity is being assaulted in many areas of the world today. Whether you look to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, or Africa – so-called Christianity – the name of Jesus Christ – is viewed as a ‘danger, or threat’ to the homeland cultures of these areas, primarily due to the perceived peril (which is not a peril at all) it poses for Communist regimes and those radical Muslims aggressively executing jihad on many traditional Christians throughout the world. Literally thousands every day are being kidnapped, tortured, raped, or killed in extremely gruesome ways!”

So the “campaign” for greater tolerance, civil rights and the fairer treatment of Gay people is an attack on Christianity? Moreover, this movement is somehow analogous to “radical Muslims” and the “jihad” which they are perpetrating against Christians overseas? Is Mr. Watson suggesting that Gay militants are about to start beheading Christians on the streets of America?

Sorry, it all sounds like a bit of a stretch to me – a leap in logic. It also propels me to the conclusion that I was right about discarding the perception that the CGI is any more enlightened or moderate than the other manifestations of Armstrongism!

Contrast Bill Watson's absurdities with how this  minister came to change his mind and let grace enter.

Who Are You Going To Push?

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?

Basil Wolverton: Creeping Death From Neptune

This is the first in a two-volume retrospective—collecting full comics stories, unpublished art, ads, etc.—and biography of the famous Mad cartoonist.

This is the first of two volumes reprinting copious amounts of comics stories and recounting the career of cartoonist Basil Wolverton. Based on his correspondence and journals, the biographical portion of the books follow Wolverton from childhood to adult day-to-day life as freelance cartoonist, itinerant handyman, persistent contest enterer, and local pastor of the Radio Church of God. Wolverton lived and worked in the Pacific Northwest, unique among the first generation of comic book pioneers. In the precious period before the industry calcified into a commercial institution, Wolverton was free to work under the radar to explore in detail his weird tales of the future. The book collects all of Wolverton’s non-humorous comic stories and a substantial selection of his humorous comics, alongside dozens of pages of unpublished artwork, unsold features, and never-before-seen correspondence, including rejection letters! Full-color

Buy the book here: Creeping Death From Neptune

New Book: Walking From Lockney to Jerusalem

It’s a walk of faith--and it also involves a “faith of inconvienence”...Join Coy Reece Holley as he takes you through a "walking tour" of his life in this unique "memoir with a twist". ”Walking From Lockney To Jerusalem: My Life In The Worldwide Church of God" will help you see evangelical Christianity through totally different eyes and will provoke you to explore issues not only in religion, but also in society that you may not have otherwise considered. Mr. Holley also recounts the journey he went through as a member of the Worldwide Church of God (founded by Herbert W. Armstrong; now called Grace Communion International) through both the years immediately prior to Joseph W. Tkach's 1994 "Christmas Eve" sermon as well as the aftermath of "the changes" that rocked the entire foundation of WCG/GCI itself in the years immediately following. Mr. Holley also talks about how those changes are still impacting its past and present members even to this day.

Buy the book in Kindle or paperback here:  Walking From Lockney to Jerusalem

New Book: From Fear to Freedom

The documented personal stories continue to be published year after year by those that have escaped from the clutches of Armstrongism.  In spite of these books many still sit in COG's believing nothing is wrong with their belief system.

Peter Black lives near Brisbane Australia and was introduced by his parents to life in a powerful, destructive and fundamentalist religious cult at the early age of 3. Most of his childhood, teenage and adult years were shaped by the twisted and fear-filled belief system of the Worldwide Church of God, until he walked out of the group when 34 years old. As just a small child himself, Peter heard many times the horrible and sickening sound of children being bashed week after week during church because of the cult’s insistence on this for even small misdemeanors. Also the author lost a number of friends who went on to suicide due to lives totally wrecked by Herbert W Armstrong’s so-called Christian Church. As if this wasn’t enough, the author has been vision impaired all his life. He says the Worldwide Church of God was a lonely place to grow up because he was rejected by most of his peers who just couldn’t deal with someone who has a disability. Peter says people with disabilities were seen as having a “blemish” within the cruel sect. Despite all of that, Peter pulled his own life back from the brink and then went on to work with a number of other cult survivors in a similar position with their own lives. As well, the author gave a presentation entitled “the cult which almost changed the world” at a meeting of the “cult information and family support” (CIFS) support group in Brisbane during 2011. The writer believes that the recovery needs of religious cult survivors are poorly understood, even by many professional counselors and he says “who better to write a book on the subject than another cult survivor”. From Fear to Freedom concludes with a resource list of support organizations, some of which are of a general nature and others dedicated to assisting survivors from many different cultic groups. The book itself will help anyone who has left a damaging cult to put a wrecked life back together, just like Peter did. 

Buy it here in Kindle or paperback:  From Fear to Freedom

New Sabbatarian Motorcycle Group Forming

The latest issue of The Journal is out and has a small blurb on a new motorcycle group that has formed for Sabbatarians.

A new Christian motorcycle-riding group, XII Legions Christian Motorcycle Ministry, has started up in New Jersey with the intent to develop chapters in other areas of the country.

The bikers are “looking for other bikers who have an interest in motorcycles, riding and the Word of God, including God’s holy Sabbath day,” Mr. Paparella said. The group is nondenominational and open to all regardless of church affiliation and “wants to promote the gospel of the Kingdom of God on two wheels,” he said. The founders are longtime Church of God members, with past and current fellowships with the former Worldwide Church of God, United Church of God, Church of God (Seventh Day), Beth Israel Messianic Congregation and Church of God Flemington (an affiliate of Church of God Ministries International), as well as several private-residence-based church groups.

I just envision hoards of Sabbatarians riding through peaceful neighborhoods on Sunday mornings revving their bikes in order to disturb the heathen Sunday worshipers.

Just imagine the scene at some future Feast of Tabernacles site as the Charlotte Spankers, Wadsworth Narcissists and the Edmond Idolaters clash over which one is the one true Sabbatarian biker group.

I highly doubt any of them will put John 3:16 or Colossians 2:14 on their jackets.  Can't have any of that Jesus stuff, just the law.

Like everything else in the Church of God, this is nothing new.  There have been Adventist Sabbath Keeper motorcycle groups for many years that attend all the motorcycle gatherings around the country.  One of those events is here in California in Hollister.  There is also The Sabbath Keepers Motorcycle Ministry.

I doubt if they will name one like this either

Shall we start naming the various COG motorcycle gangs?

United Church of God Is Now Embracing "Transformative Learning" After Mocking WCG Over Its Own Transformation Learning Process

During the mid 1990's when the Worldwide Church of God was transforming its thinking and beliefs, many of the so called "loyal men" headquartered in Pasadena, and elsewhere, balked at this new way of thinking.  The WCG was throwing out the phrase "cognitive dissonance" in almost every sermon, article and interview.

Wikipedia defines cognitive dissonance as such:

In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values.^[1][2]

Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance focuses on how humans strive for internal consistency. An individual who experiences inconsistency (dissonance) tends to become psychologically uncomfortable, and is motivated to try to reduce this dissonance—as well as actively avoid situations and information likely to increase it.^[1]

After months and months of claiming the church was NOT changing any of its teachings, even though the rumor mill was working over time claiming it was, the Worldwide Church of God  abruptly departed from the path and made epic changes.  These changes ripped the church apart by forcing members to "think" on their own for the  first time.  Some got the necessity for the changes and many did  not.  How could Herbert Armstrong have been wrong?  Is everything I ever believed wrong? These questions disrupted the life of the church.

Some of the biggest enforcers of the "new" doctrines of the WCG were the very same men that sit in positions of leadership of the United Church of God today.  For a long period of time, while they planned and plotted their new church, they kicked out hundreds of members from the WCG for disagreeing with the new teachings.

While these men were punishing questioning members, Vic Kubik, Robin Webber and others to gathered in Kubik's apartment on the Pasadena campus where they plotted to form a break away group where they could divert as much money possible in order to preserve their jobs.  Word was quickly spreading as to what these men were up to.  Church of Administration was also aware and told them to get in line or get out.  Many paid lip service for several months till the UCG  officially had money coming in.  Then they left.

Once these men left thy started mocking WCG's comments on the "cognitive dissonance" comments being made.  They claimed that they had no cognitive dissonance in their thinking.  They were right and there was no possible way they could be wrong.

Now jump forward a decade as United Church of God started facing its own upheavals with major splits happening.  The splintering groups and members claimed that the UCG brass were up to something and making subtle changes doctrinally.  UCG swung into denial mode claiming no such thing was happening.  Disgruntled members and employees in Cincinnati kept spilling the beans on all kinds of things happening.  Pretty soon UCG big-shots started claiming that those upset were dealing with cognitive dissonance.

Now jump forward to 2015.  The United Church of God ha snow embraced "Transformative Learning" as  its new tool of "educating" its "college" students and members into examining their thinking and to being open to new ideas.  The UCG recently hired on a new minster trainee who is educated in this thought process.

What is transformative learning?

Here is what the University of Central Oklahoma define Transformational Learning as:

Jack Mezirow, a leading thinker in adult education, developed his characterization of transformative learning (TL) in the late 70s and early 80s. Dr. Patricia Cranton of Penn State, another leading writer on transformative learning, says that the “elegantly simple” definition of TL includes the idea of people changing the way they interpret their experiences and their interactions with the world:

. . . an individual becomes aware of holding a limiting or distorted view. If the individual critically examines this view, opens herself to alternatives, and consequently changes the way she sees things, she has transformed some part of how she makes meaning out of the world. (Cranton, n.d., available here) 

This idea of a fundamental change in perspective or frame of reference (King, 2002) is at the heart of transformative learning. When someone undergoes such a change, he has, in essence, “transformed” his view of himself or of the world or of how he interacts with others and his environment. 

There is nothing wrong with that approach and should be what every single person heading off to college or parked on their butt in church is using.  However, in the historical Church of God movement under Herbert Armstrong's influence, critically examining ones view, being open to alternative thinking and actually changing ones thinking was NOT something that members were encouraged to do.

The entire foundation of the 20th century Church of God movement was based upon Armstrong's six months spent in a public library, a dream of his wife, and a distorted interpretation of British Israelism.  Once that was set into print or uttered by Herbert Armstrong it was FINAL and no one was to question him.  Anyone that dared to question or actually prove he was wrong was immediately kicked out and marked as a dissident.

So what is the United Church of God really up to?  Many see this is just one more in a long line of hypocritical things that UCG is doing.  What is UCG going to do if someone comes forward and says that everything that UCG believes is actually wrong?  Will they stop, listen, examine and open themselves up to new alternative thoughts and practices?  You and I know the answer to that!