Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Why Is There A Masculinity Problem In The Churches of God?



For decades we have been blessed forced to listen to Rod Meredith shout about men in the church who are not masculine and therefore in his opinion, weak.  Rod Meredith set himself forth as a "man's man," the golden gloves champion, the masculine disciplinarian, the head of the church and the conduit of our potential salvation.

We hear everything from "queer men" that were causing COG men to wear black socks with their dark suits to the ultimate blashmeny of men in pink polo shirts with little effeminate alligators on the chest.  In 1961 Rod went on the warpath:

America, WAKE UP!  
May God help you to realize that this problem of effeminate men is not concerned just with weak, "queer" characters in some other part of your town or city. It is a thing affecting MILLIONS of American men of all ages and backgrounds! Our very SURVIVAL as a nation is directly affected by this vital problem! As the above report so vividly points out, the American man is just plain WEAK! 
And the sickening TRUTH is that these soft, MARSHMALLOW-like men very easily turn to HOMOSEXUALITY and become "queers" in every sense of the word. They are neither MEN nor WOMEN— they are a wretched, PERVERTED "it"!
Meredith has the answer to make men "men" again.  Go cut some trees, plow some fields and most important of all SWEAT!  Nothing is more important for a man than to be all SWEATY.   Sweaty men are horny men.  Rod Meredith likes that.  Real men need to feel "firmness" and "hardness" in their bodies.  Rod Meredith likes that.
PHYSICALLY: First of all, modern men should quit being physical "marshmallows" and begin to physical strength and energy! Through proper food, sleep and exercise they should develop a sense of self-confidence and leadership which makes them better able to take their place at the head of human society.  
All of the laws of good health enter into this, but one of the primary ones in regard to the problem of masculinity is that of EXERCISE. Most American men, today, sitting in front of their TV sets, riding to work, sitting at their desk, do not get NEARLY enough exercise. That's why they are "softies." They are completely UNLIKE the pioneer men of yesteryear who were constantly walking, chopping down trees, plowing behind a team of horses, working and DRIVING their way through the wilderness and over obstacles! Unless, alas, they are already too old or have heart trouble or some similar condition, American men need to exercise vigorously and really SWEAT. They need to feel their blood stirred up and get the male hormones stirring in their system! They need to feel a firmness and hardness in their muscles, an agility and coordination in their body as a whole and a sense of ENDURANCE when the going gets rough. Even physically, they need to feel what it is like to be a MAN!  
Men need to be men because they need to rule women, apparently with a strong hand from someplace. After all, everything wrong into world is the result of women.  From being school teachers to writing articles for Beyond Today, the women in the church have joined ranks with Simiramis to destroy men.

All real students of the origins of modern "Christianity" realize that most of our modern religious ideas have evolved from a WOMAN—Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod mentioned in Genesis 10. In Alexander Hislop's authoritative volume, The Two Babylons, he shows how virtually ALL of this world's religions have evolved from the ancient Chaldean mystery system evolved by the harlot-wife of ancient Nimrod, who founded Babylon in rebellion against God.

"No wonder he becomes "queer" so easily—and in so MANY WAYS! For not just in war but in broken homes and juvenile delinquency the weak, spineless, effeminateAmerican male is responsible to a great degree. A respected marriage counselor, Dr. A. H. Clemens of Washington, D. C, recently stated that almost all family breakdowns can be traced to MOTHER-DOMINATED HOMES. He said: "That phony romantic stuff that Hollywood is teaching is very misleading." Psychiatric research has shown, he pointed out, that homes dominated by the mother produce "ninety-one of each one hundred mentally sick adult males" and the vast majority of all schizophrenics, split personality sufferers."

"Increasingly today, in America and Britain, men are allowing WOMEN to rule their lives from the day of their birth until the day of their death! And this statement is more LITERAL than most of you probably even begin to realize!  
Notice the typical "modern" situation: When a baby boy is born, first hospital nurses and then his mother dictate his every move. Then he goes to school, and women teachers take him over and mold him to a large extent in their image. After school, most of his play-hours will still be under the supervision of mother. If he happens to take music lessons, chances are that a woman teacher will dominate him during this part of each week. Then, on Sunday, he may go to a typical Sunday school where WOMEN tend to dominate in nearly every department. "

 -----
It is time for real MEN to get back to "the faith once delivered"—To the religion of the BIBLE. It is time for them to really STUDY the lives of Abraham, Moses and DAVID to see what a real man should be like!  
It is time real MEN took the lead in society and got rid of the "queer" ideas in the field of dress, art, music and literature—to mention just a few areas of modern life which have been perverted by our EFFEMINATE society. 
-----

Instead of singing in a deep, forceful, masculine voice, why—especially in the last few years—do we find so-called "singers" whining through their noses in a sick dog, pleading tone to their "ladylove." Why do we find a type of art rising up in the last few years which is indeed "queer" to the nth degree—a veritable MESS of jumbled forms and lines and colors?  
Why do we find the "leaders" in men's clothing styles trying to palm off on British and American males little "pink" shirts and socks and ties to wear, nylon under pants like females wear, and cute little bows and buttons and other childlike contrivances on their suits and sports outfits? Why? 
All of the things quoted above are still things that occupy Meredith's mind. The men in his church are so effeminate and weak that he is holding a retreat for LCG men in August so they can lean how to "man up" and be rulers of their households as MASCULINE SWEATY MEN!




This masculinity issue is not confined to LCG though, the Philadelphia Church of God is also suffering with weak men in its midst.  Part of that problem is that so many of the men at the PCG compound are closet cases, according to many members.  It has gotten so bad that Joel Hilliker had to write another article for PCG men on how to be masculine.  Joel Hilliker should NOT be the one teaching this, but that's another story.

Joel too wants to see men SWEAT!  Physical exertion that produces sweat and strength is good and manly!

What is the essence of biblical manhood? Biblical manhood means leading, providing and protecting.All of these roles require one attribute: strength. They take strength of character, strength in resolve, strength in determination, strength in confrontation. The Christian man’s responsibility also requires another type of strength: physical strength.
--- 
Proverbs 20:29 begins: “The glory of young men is their strength ….” God gave men this glory of greater bodily strength! Why? To help us fulfill our roles as providers, protectors and leaders.
You shouldn’t shy away from that. You shouldn’t apologize for it. In fact, you should maximize it. Build your physical strength. 
----
Every aspect of the man’s role is under attack in our society, and we need to fight that in our own lives. We need to do what God designed our bodies to do. We need to become more physically capable in our masculine duties. And we need to strengthen our thinking toward fulfilling these duties. In fact, I am convinced that building your physical strength is a specific, tangible, effective means of accomplishing all of these goals! 
----
While men cant be out plowing fields, they can be digging post holes, lifting bags of mulch and mowing lawn's!  Some are asking, "When has Hilliker ever mown his lawn?  When has he ever fertilize it?"  Students and the landscape department on the compound take care of his lawn.  There may be a reason for that too, but it's another story.
Physical strength is very useful to be a provider. If you work with your hands, the stronger and more able you are physically, the higher your quality and speed of work, so maintaining your vitality is often connected to your earnings. Even if you have a day job at a desk, manual tasks will come up at the office and especially outside of it. In fact, you never know when you might need to take a job as a laborer. The stronger you are, the more you will be able to care for your property, digging post holes, lifting bags of mulch, mowing, moving furniture, and so on. The fitter your body is for these tasks, the less you will have to hire these out. And you just never know when some tool will fail; when you are strong, you can be comfortable resorting to brute strength when you have to. 
Strong he-men make great leaders, though not so much in PCG apparently.  Hilliker also likes the fact that a good workout make men horny.  The testosterone gets pumping with a good workout.

Physical strength is very useful to be a leader. A physically stronger man naturally commands more authority and respect than a weaker man. A strong physique does not automatically make you a good leader, but it is more of an asset than a weak physique. Men who are strong are healthier and have higher testosterone. Building strength combats depression, boosts your mental health, increases your confidence, and fortifies your willingness to face challenges. A physically strong man will not be a good leader without higher attributes, but those higher attributes can be wasted on a physically weak man.
Men in the true church must experience pain.  No pain, no gain!
 It wasn’t until my late 20s that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain.I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: Pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness.
Hilliker ends with these words of wisdom:
Getting stronger may seem intimidating. But at its most basic level, exercise is simply moving something, whether it is a barbell, bricks, or just your own body. When I was in my 20s, I bought some cheap dumbbells and checked out a library book that contained simple descriptions of how to use them. You can find barbells and fitness equipment in the classifieds or on Craigslist all the time, because people buy those things with great intentions and then don’t stick with it. 
For basic and extremely effective strength-building, I recommend learning three simple movements: the deadlift, the back squat and the shoulder press. If you can find someone to coach you on these movements, you can learn the proper form. Then it is simply a matter of devoting some time to it every week. If you’re doing it safely, the more effort and intensity you put into it, the greater return you’ll receive. 
And as you strain and sweat, remember what you are building strength for.
If Hilliker and Rod Meredith want to see what a real man does, they need to look no further than the gay man in Orlando that saved lives during the horrific shootings the other day.
Horror inside the massacre club: Survivors describe hiding under bodies as hero nursing student tells how he saved man who had been shot three times
How many LCG, PCG and UCG men would have done that?




16 comments:

  1. Richard Simmons sweat a lot every day... and to the oldies

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't know that the cross section of Armstrongites presents itself the same as the cross section of Americana. However, if we define a man's inability to stand up to and to challenge arbitrary authority as a lack of masculinity, yeah, it's a problem in the ACOGs. What is so ironic is that even the hyper-macho guys suffer from this inability. When you become an Armstrongite, unfortunately, it is preferred not only that you check your brain at the door, but also your testes. Or as they say thru the mike during pre-sabbath service sound check, "Testes, one, two...."

    BB

    ReplyDelete
  3. Funny. Meredith gave a sermon a couple of years ago, a must play no less, where he blasted gym goers saying that they are too into themselves. Of course when the sermon was released on line that bit was cut out. Just another one of his crazy tantrums that just goes to show how off his rocker he has been in recent years. He always has been but you can see it more and more in recent years. Oh and just my personal opinion but I don't really think of strong masculinity when I think of the majority of LCG men. Just a bunch of posing narcissists trying to look good to each other.

    ReplyDelete

  4. “Why Is There A Masculinity Problem In The Churches of God?”


    Because they are not really Churches of God at all, but rather false churches led by false prophets. In the PCG, RCG, COG-PKG, CCG, etc. members are required to put up with complete nonsense and outrageous evil or else get kicked out.

    Even in groups like the UCG, which tries to market itself as more reasonable, people are required to put up with stalkers and perverts and not say anything or else get kicked out.

    The continual, relentless teaching of Satan's splinter churches that you must submit to all evil and go along with it and keep quiet about it or else get kicked out and threatened with the lake of fire wears people down. They get conditioned to play these losing games.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was stalked by 5 people until l stopped coming to church. Every time l noticed these people, they were staring at me. I was always on their mind. The minister protected such people, since to him, the master race were the criminals of world. That was the vision that drove him and other ministers that l had over the years. Bible quoting was nothing more than code words for submitting to appalling criminal mistreatment.

      Delete
    2. Stalked by five people, i believe you. The feast can be bad even with crowds of people everywhere. They don't care if your already in a relationship, if your engaged, married, pregnant you name it.

      Delete
  5. Nimrod and Semiramis? People actually still buy that story? Geez. Its the information age, people, all the knowledge you could ever want is at your fingertips.

    ReplyDelete
  6. And yet Paul said that physical exercise profits only a little.
    But the Church of HWA has no respect for the Bible, only for HWA whom they worship above all else.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It takes a really masculine man to obey the Old Testament and kill off false prophets.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A true man respects people's rights. Yet rights is a taboo topic in the churches, since the unspoken attitude is that the ministers have all rights, which must be religiously respected, and members have no rights

    ReplyDelete
  9. "American men need to exercise vigorously and really SWEAT. They need to feel their blood stirred up and get the male hormones stirring in their system! They need to feel a firmness and hardness in their muscles..."

    Like GTA, the muscle below the waist line. How much exercise does Rod Meredith do now. He must be getting soft, a bowl of jello.

    ReplyDelete
  10. How much exercise does Rod Meredith do now. He must be getting soft, a bowl of jello.

    Rod still likes to surround himself with vigorous young men. When his second wife died, he refused help from several married couples. Instead, he chose an unmarried young man as his roommate. When his first roommate got married and moved away (hired into the LCG ministry), heartbroken Rod got himself another recent Living University graduate as his new roommate.

    ReplyDelete
  11. people who screams the loudest usually are the ones struggling with their own sexuality.....

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yes, the married woman stalked by a single pervert in the UCG for 7 years had to go to court to get a restraining order because the church (including the Council of Elders) would not do anything about it. In fact, the ministry supported the stalker. I approached Robert Dick who was not only the Chairman, but also the head of the ethics committee to get relief for the woman, but he rebuffed me by saying that it was the province of the Regional Pastor who was protecting the stalker.

    The PCG also has a spectacular problem with older single male perverts pursuing teens at the behest and support of the ministry.

    This sort of antisocial behavior of the Cult of Herbert Armstrong Mafia should be prosecuted, but if the Feds can't do anything about the FLDS why would anyone think they'd be able to get protection from local law enforcement (and in the case of the CoG-PKG, the spouse being threatened and abused may just be the wife of the local law who is also a member of the ACoG).

    Many of the problems of the ACoGs are because of the rampant alcoholism. It turns out that the alcoholic men are particularly obstreperous when it comes to the question of masculinity and have quite distorted standards when it comes to their own manliness.

    Just when are the ACoGs going to address the problems of alcoholism? Until they do, it is just better if they all disband as social groups for the sake of society.

    ReplyDelete
  13. An ethics committee in an ACOG setting is non sequitur. I can't imagine why they would even bother.

    BB

    ReplyDelete
  14. "And yet Paul said that physical exercise profits only a little."

    It is possible that Paul had general marshmallowness, a painful abscessed tooth, a gimp leg, scrotal lymphedema, plague, herpes, shingles, or some such when he wrote that.

    ReplyDelete