Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
Normal people watch this with empathy. Pack, Flurry and Meredith are not normal people. Their consciences have been seared by the years of power hungry mistreatment of everyone around them. And the higher up others are in these "Godly men" ranks the more like them they are. I don't see what a post directed at Pack, Flurry and Meredith specifically would do other than ruffle their feathers more so that they can mistreat more people. In their minds they will never be wrong.
It might help their near brain dead members to grasp what their leaders will never be able to and draw conclusions about the wisdom of warming a seat for them.
The problem is often selective sight. These three men might watch this video and (unbelievably to us) they might think to themselves that they are so glad they have been gifted with Godly compassion. Hate to be crass about it, but they're like the little old lady in the joke with a sinus problem and a gas problem, who keeps blowing eye-watering noxious farts, not knowing how devastating the odor really is. When the doctor gives her antihistamines, she finally becomes embarrassed and of course, more careful.
Or, as a second alternative, the "ministers" might see the people in the hospital in terms of "the law", as in, that guy with the malignant tumor probably has eaten unclean meats all of his life, or the guy who was in the accident probably had it while breaking the sabbath. Or, in Flurry's case, "Hey, these people are in a hospital! They are trusting sorcerers instead of God. In our church they wouldn't qualify to take Passover!"
When I contemplate the pervasive culture of ignorant and cruel hard-headedness as we witnessed in Armstrongism, it always reminds me of the Vic Morrow sequence in the Twilight Zone movie, in which he got his re-education by being forced to walk in the shoes of some of the people whom he hated. That is about the only way you could get the full attention of these three ministers, and honestly, that may not even be effective. Some peoples' dna coding rules out empathy, and someone must teach them some form of intellectual or logical construct that when practiced, simulates empathy. The problem is, they would need to be under constant supervision by a professional or mentor, which would preclude the level of independence required by a leader in Armstrongism.
All three of these ministers suffered the early deaths of their wives, yet some of their worst behavior has manifested itself after their loss. If their experiences didn't teach them compassion for others, it is difficult to imagine what might. The fact is, they are toxic individuals who have no business being in the ministry. The very attitude with which they teach and practice their religious beliefs causes misery and suffering in all of the people around them. I've met more humane postal employees, cage fighters, and garbage men.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
The first part of this is completely ignored by these men; we have testimony here that family members who need care, and that fairly constantly, are, they say, to be jettisoned. The burdens they cause are distractions to devoting yourself to work, so tithes can be paid, and to studying all the group's printed literature, in what time you have left, so you can stay a part of the group.
Second part: these men think that keeping "oneself from being polluted" means building a place far away, where no possible contact with anyone other than they who believe the same things, will occur.
You speak the name of Jesus sometimes, someone who came right up to, touched, and gave comfort to a prostitute. He didn't stop to consider whether she might be diseased, or even whether she was clean.
"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21:25 ---> There were probably more prostitutes he knew.
You can look these things up in the Bible you proclaim you believe in, and about which these men you follow say the same. Would they even consider going to a hospital, the most aseptic place possible? I have seen the benefit of just taking the time to stop and see someone who, perhaps, didn't expect you. In the land of Armstrong and those who claim his legacy, you'd write a letter in care of the hospital condemning the person for not having faith in God to heal. It's hard to think of such as that when the pain you feel is unbearable. These men wouldn't know about that.
These men do the opposite of what the Bible says. Ask them why.
Viewing this video shows us a lot of evils, pains, suffering, oppression, etc., all about us. Who isn't without pain of some sort?
If we could see inside, is it possible that any of the following could be seen?
"...The SPIRIT that dwelleth IN US lusteth to envy?" James 4:5
"...SIN that dwelleth IN ME." Romans 7:17
Romans 7:20 "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but SIN that dwelleth IN ME. :21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, EVIL is present WITH ME."
Is there any hope? It doesn't seem so for today in a world controlled by Satan, an oppressor, in this present evil world. Must we await something in the future?
Solomon wrote about lots of oppression in his day:
"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the TEARS of such as WERE OPPRESSED, and they HAD NO COMFORTER; and on the side of their OPPRESSERS there was power; but they had NO COMFORTER." Eccl 4:1
Lots of tears with very little comfort for the oppressed. Sounds like today. Beyond Solomon's day, God the Father provided some relief for a few who were oppressed:
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were OPPRESSED OF THE DEVIL; for God was with him.
A Devil that oppresses? How so? Among other things we read the following:
"He that committeth sin is of the devil..." I John 3:8
Sin has wages attached: death. So far, everyone has been dying, including those few who received some temporary relief (including healing for some) from that good God did through His Son Jesus.
We are all experiencing pain, suffering, to one degree or another.....and then there is that death because that has been appointed to occur at least once. Who can stop all of this? Is it all just hopelessness as we continue to learn about evil and come to hate evil?
Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away ALL TEARS from their eyes; and there shall be NO MORE DEATH, neither SORROW, nor CRYING, neither shall there be any more PAIN: for the former things are passed away.
Well, that is not yet reality, but it will be some day, and when it occurs it will be a great day.
God told Jeremiah healing and salvation were going to happen...some day:
"Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved..." Jeremiah 14:17
And those last 2 verses will one day be fulfilled, or God was/is a liar.
I am reminded of the Season 4, Episode 7 of Star Trek Voyager, titled: Scientific Method.
The only major difference between that video and the video of this post (and the one about the nail in the forehead) is that in the Star Trek Voyager video, the oppressors (similar to this present evil world in many ways) were invisible...and the oppressed did not know what was causing all of their pains.
In reality, there are currently visible and invisible causes for many of our tears, our sorrows, our pains, etc., and fortunately or unfortunately, the cited xcog leaders seem to be so blind in so many ways. I am thankful, that this condition is not forever.
John, the point of the video is to remind us that everyone has something going on and it would behoove us all to be more kind to everyone not knowing what they may be dealing with in life. Pontificating on our sinful state and the solution of the wonderful ever distant future, as if you knew, is missing the point entirely.
This "present evil world" of yours has some wonderful folk to get to know and show a bit of compassion for as they wend their way through the maze. Sermonizing on what you think is the cause of it all, as if that even helps or is remotely true, is just more of what is actually wrong with folk today. All talk and no kindness or respect.
As John might say, "I was hungry and you reminded me I needed to work harder for my food. When I was sick, you told me why you thought I was ill and what I needed to change, When I was in prison you told me "well what do you expect if you do that," When I was lonely, you told me God was lonely too. When I was afraid, you told me Satan is the God of this world and it would all be fine in the World Tomorrow"
Normal people watch this with empathy. Pack, Flurry and Meredith are not normal people. Their consciences have been seared by the years of power hungry mistreatment of everyone around them. And the higher up others are in these "Godly men" ranks the more like them they are. I don't see what a post directed at Pack, Flurry and Meredith specifically would do other than ruffle their feathers more so that they can mistreat more people. In their minds they will never be wrong.
ReplyDeleteIt might help their near brain dead members to grasp what their leaders will never be able to and draw conclusions about the wisdom of warming a seat for them.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is often selective sight. These three men might watch this video and (unbelievably to us) they might think to themselves that they are so glad they have been gifted with Godly compassion. Hate to be crass about it, but they're like the little old lady in the joke with a sinus problem and a gas problem, who keeps blowing eye-watering noxious farts, not knowing how devastating the odor really is. When the doctor gives her antihistamines, she finally becomes embarrassed and of course, more careful.
ReplyDeleteOr, as a second alternative, the "ministers" might see the people in the hospital in terms of "the law", as in, that guy with the malignant tumor probably has eaten unclean meats all of his life, or the guy who was in the accident probably had it while breaking the sabbath. Or, in Flurry's case, "Hey, these people are in a hospital! They are trusting sorcerers instead of God. In our church they wouldn't qualify to take Passover!"
When I contemplate the pervasive culture of ignorant and cruel hard-headedness as we witnessed in Armstrongism, it always reminds me of the Vic Morrow sequence in the Twilight Zone movie, in which he got his re-education by being forced to walk in the shoes of some of the people whom he hated. That is about the only way you could get the full attention of these three ministers, and honestly, that may not even be effective. Some peoples' dna coding rules out empathy, and someone must teach them some form of intellectual or logical construct that when practiced, simulates empathy. The problem is, they would need to be under constant supervision by a professional or mentor, which would preclude the level of independence required by a leader in Armstrongism.
All three of these ministers suffered the early deaths of their wives, yet some of their worst behavior has manifested itself after their loss. If their experiences didn't teach them compassion for others, it is difficult to imagine what might. The fact is, they are toxic individuals who have no business being in the ministry. The very attitude with which they teach and practice their religious beliefs causes misery and suffering in all of the people around them. I've met more humane postal employees, cage fighters, and garbage men.
BB
Followers of these men, consider:
ReplyDelete"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
The first part of this is completely ignored by these men; we have testimony here that family members who need care, and that fairly constantly, are, they say, to be jettisoned. The burdens they cause are distractions to devoting yourself to work, so tithes can be paid, and to studying all the group's printed literature, in what time you have left, so you can stay a part of the group.
Second part: these men think that keeping "oneself from being polluted" means building a place far away, where no possible contact with anyone other than they who believe the same things, will occur.
You speak the name of Jesus sometimes, someone who came right up to, touched, and gave comfort to a prostitute. He didn't stop to consider whether she might be diseased, or even whether she was clean.
"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21:25 ---> There were probably more prostitutes he knew.
You can look these things up in the Bible you proclaim you believe in, and about which these men you follow say the same. Would they even consider going to a hospital, the most aseptic place possible? I have seen the benefit of just taking the time to stop and see someone who, perhaps, didn't expect you. In the land of Armstrong and those who claim his legacy, you'd write a letter in care of the hospital condemning the person for not having faith in God to heal. It's hard to think of such as that when the pain you feel is unbearable. These men wouldn't know about that.
These men do the opposite of what the Bible says. Ask them why.
Viewing this video shows us a lot of evils, pains, suffering, oppression, etc., all about us. Who isn't without pain of some sort?
ReplyDeleteIf we could see inside, is it possible that any of the following could be seen?
"...The SPIRIT that dwelleth IN US lusteth to envy?" James 4:5
"...SIN that dwelleth IN ME." Romans 7:17
Romans 7:20 "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but SIN that dwelleth IN ME.
:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, EVIL is present WITH ME."
Is there any hope? It doesn't seem so for today in a world controlled by Satan, an oppressor, in this present evil world. Must we await something in the future?
Solomon wrote about lots of oppression in his day:
"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the TEARS of such as WERE OPPRESSED, and they HAD NO COMFORTER; and on the side of their OPPRESSERS there was power; but they had NO COMFORTER." Eccl 4:1
Lots of tears with very little comfort for the oppressed. Sounds like today. Beyond Solomon's day, God the Father provided some relief for a few who were oppressed:
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were OPPRESSED OF THE DEVIL; for God was with him.
A Devil that oppresses? How so? Among other things we read the following:
"He that committeth sin is of the devil..." I John 3:8
Sin has wages attached: death. So far, everyone has been dying, including those few who received some temporary relief (including healing for some) from that good God did through His Son Jesus.
We are all experiencing pain, suffering, to one degree or another.....and then there is that death because that has been appointed to occur at least once. Who can stop all of this? Is it all just hopelessness as we continue to learn about evil and come to hate evil?
Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away ALL TEARS from their eyes; and there shall be NO MORE DEATH, neither SORROW, nor CRYING, neither shall there be any more PAIN: for the former things are passed away.
Well, that is not yet reality, but it will be some day, and when it occurs it will be a great day.
God told Jeremiah healing and salvation were going to happen...some day:
"Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved..." Jeremiah 14:17
And those last 2 verses will one day be fulfilled, or God was/is a liar.
I am reminded of the Season 4, Episode 7 of Star Trek Voyager, titled: Scientific Method.
The only major difference between that video and the video of this post (and the one about the nail in the forehead) is that in the Star Trek Voyager video, the oppressors (similar to this present evil world in many ways) were invisible...and the oppressed did not know what was causing all of their pains.
In reality, there are currently visible and invisible causes for many of our tears, our sorrows, our pains, etc., and fortunately or unfortunately, the cited xcog leaders seem to be so blind in so many ways. I am thankful, that this condition is not forever.
And time will tell...
John
You never heard Dave Pack quote I Corinthians 13. He'd choke on it.
ReplyDeleteJohn, the point of the video is to remind us that everyone has something going on and it would behoove us all to be more kind to everyone not knowing what they may be dealing with in life. Pontificating on our sinful state and the solution of the wonderful ever distant future, as if you knew, is missing the point entirely.
ReplyDeleteThis "present evil world" of yours has some wonderful folk to get to know and show a bit of compassion for as they wend their way through the maze. Sermonizing on what you think is the cause of it all, as if that even helps or is remotely true, is just more of what is actually wrong with folk today. All talk and no kindness or respect.
As John might say, "I was hungry and you reminded me I needed to work harder for my food. When I was sick, you told me why you thought I was ill and what I needed to change, When I was in prison you told me "well what do you expect if you do that," When I was lonely, you told me God was lonely too. When I was afraid, you told me Satan is the God of this world and it would all be fine in the World Tomorrow"
ReplyDelete