The Living Church of God has announced that Rod Meredith has been busy writing his autobiography. Since he is the most significant man left alive that worked with Herbert Armstrong, it is apparently necessary to share his side of the story. This will be a book sure to give Dave Pack major butt-hurt since he claims HE is the most important man to train at HWA's feet.
We have all seen how Herbert Armstrong embellished his own story into such a whitewash that he was beyond human. His was a story filled with ego, narcissism, control and bitterness. Will Rod's be the same way?Greetings from Charlotte,We have all encouraged Dr. Meredith to write an autobiography to fill in some of the history of the Church, since he played such a major part in the Work of God under Mr. Herbert Armstrong. This week he distributed the first of a planned three-part series, titled “The Early Years.” The importance of this project cannot be understated as he is the last man to fill in many details in the early years of Ambassador College and the Radio Church of God during its existence and afterward. We look forward to the completion of this project and sincerely pray that he will have the energy to complete it. Meanwhile, Dr. Winnail was in Baton Rouge last Sabbath where he conducted a Tomorrow’s WorldPresentation and I returned from Canada after recording another two Canadian-version Tomorrow’s World programs. This Sabbath I plan to visit our congregations in Phoenix and Tucson. Please continue to pray for people to respond to the semi-annual letter by committing themselves more fully to God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son through the knowledge they are receiving.—GEW
Will Rod include how he got caught using Third Tithe money to decorate his home on Waverly Drive?
Will he talk about what it was like to be publicly humiliated by HWA and sent off to Hawaii for a year to learn some humility?
Will he talk about how his bitter uncontrollable mouth cost the church hundred's of thousands of dollars when he libeled Leona McNair in front of 700 ministers in Tucson?
Will he talk about how he helped plan Global Church of God with a known child molester while still on WCG's payroll?
Will he talk about how he nearly bankrupted Global Church of God when he did not get his way and took their money and formed Living Church of God, with the same child molester?
Will he talk about how he bragged in a Feast of Tabernacles sermon about spanking his wife, and about how much she "needed it?"
Will he discuss the thousands of marriages ruined because of his heavy handedness due to his enforcement of illogical divorce and remarriage teachings?
32 comments:
Spanking his wife? Isn't that criminal assault?
'She had it coming' is a common psyche line.
How could we even have lived or drawn breath without Rod Meredith's autobiography? Could Bob Thiel's be far behind?
BB
Herbert Armstrong provided one valuable page for Meredith's biography, in his famous letter from 1980.
Letter to RCM from HWA
Some highlights from the letter:
Rod, WHY have so many who have worked with you said that you rub the fur the wrong way? You are DOCTRINALLY correct., But in II Corinthians Paul says we are not to live by the strict letter of the Law, but by the SPIRIT or obvious INTENT — the basic PRINCIPLE of it (II Cor. 3:6). You are a model of doctrinal correctness according to the LETTER — the strictness of the letter — but you do overlook the SPIRIT from the heart. You won the mile in a state high-school meet, You had known, as Satan injects into us all from childhood, the spirit of competition. You became a COMPETITOR. In conversion you learned and accepted the strictness of the letter of God's Commandments. You wrote a good booklet on the Ten Commandments. But now I hold the mirror up for you to see in yourself what SO MANY who know you well see in you — the SPIRIT of COMPETITION is still there!
You have demonstrated, as seen clearly by many others, a spirit of rank-consciousness. In plain language that is coveting higher authority. I do not think you have coveted more money. I do not think more money is what Ted, Al Portune, Dave Antion, Ray Cole, Wayne or others really coveted. They coveted POWER — more authority — like a 15-year old boy coveting the POWER of a steering wheel and a throttle. We have gone through a House CLEANING. We now have PEACE and CO-OPERATION at Pasadena. And eight to ten others on the executive level there have voiced to me their fears and convictions that if you now come back to Pasadena, that PEACE, and HARMONY, and CO-OPERATION will be turned once again into constant contention, irritation, and HARM TO GOD'S WORK!
Rod, in frankest candor, JESUS CHRIST will NEVER put any one at the head of His Work on earth who is competitive, covetous of power and status, and self-righteous. In brutal frankness, you lack the charisma to lead God's work You do not attract-as I said before, you REPEL- people. You are a harsh taskmaster over those under you. THAT IS YOUR RECORD!
I imagine this to indicate the end is near for RCM. It has to be difficult for him personally to realize, like every human before him, nothing he had hoped for all his life in the realm of Second Comings actually happened. All those sermons, all those words and he gets left with "Oh well, I fought a good fight, I finished my course, I kept my faith ...gotta go...." A common experience amongst the prophecy haunted. Actually it is THE common experience amongst the prophecy haunted.
I recall classes and sermons where he spent an inordinate amount of time detailing the agony of cruxification and seemed to like the effect a cat o nine tales had on the body. His "Harmony of the Gospels" class, in hindsight now that I have studied for a couple decades the actually disharmony of the Gospels was shallow and merely a chance for him to give another sermon rather winging it as he went. He understood nothing of the Gospel origins, intent and intrigues.
One class he was late and we were all just sitting there waiting and he chided "the men" for a lack of leadership and wasting time and so the next time he was late, I got up and lead a discussion so as to not waste time. He walked in and you'd think I had usurped his position. He was not happy. We laughed, I sat down and later when he saw me on campus he called me over and asked me if I had repented of that. lol I"d love to teach that class.
It was tense when he was in my home back in the day when visiting my church area and the man never could relax.
At any rate, uncivil theological war will break out when he passes so there should be plenty to chat about on Banned.
It would be wise for him to write his obituary at the same time to save time....
If a wife ASKS or even DEMANDS to be spanked, then that is a whole different proposition! :-)
Autobiography + obituary = autobitchuary.
Important New Book Announced: Rod Meredith's Autobiography
“Will Rod include...[these seven things]...?”
Umm...probably not.
Autobiographies and authorized biographies often leave out all the really interesting stuff that one was reading them to learn about in the first place. What is needed with controversial figures is an impartial and complete unauthorized biography.
do you think that it will be as popular as Transformed By Truth? ;-)
“Will Rod include...?”
David C. Pack came out with a two-volume “authorized biography” that was a bit of a letdown. You could read 1200 pages without even a mention of Donald H. Tiger and what happened to him.
I probably ought not to say this, but I would expect to get more satisfaction out of reading his obituary than his autobiography.
I don't mean to be unkind, BUT..... I can't think of anything Roderick C. Meredith ever did during his lifetime which would warrant an autobiography. At least Herbert Armstrong started and created something - a whole religious movement as an offshoot of an offshoot of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He was a pioneer in radio religious broadcasting. He never went to College himself, yet he founded three College campuses. Herbert Armstrong was a well known religious entrepreneur during his lifetime. He dined with the classes because he sold to the masses.
Meredith didn't pioneer anything. Meredith didn't do anything unique. Meredith just took a splinter of what his boss Herbert Armstrong left behind and claimed Armstrong's mantle for himself. If he was so important to the Armstrong religious movement, then why didn't Herbert Armstrong make the idiot Rod Meredith the heir of the Worldwide Church of God religious empire? Why did Armstrong select Tkach over Meredith? Perhaps that is a story which could be told by Meredith, but certainly not in a self serving Autobiography about a life that accomplished nothing other than avoiding real work while living off the dumb tithe slave sheep for an entire lifetime. But again, I don't want to be unkind. An autobiography of Roderick C. Meredith would have to be a joke!
Richard
The Lake of Fire Church of God
'She had it coming'
Many years ago, in a domestic violence case in Western Australia, the judge used that excuse to side with the husband.
Could Bob Thiel's be far behind?
With the details in Bob’s own blog, and Gavin’s research, we already have a few installments.
I’m wondering if RCM will write anything about Bob in his. Either way, there’s sure to be a response. As Oscar Wilde wrote, The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
I diagnosed Rod Meredith long ago as suffering from irony-deficiency anemia. Too bad. If his earnest mind held any trace of ironic detachment, he could follow the example of children's author Lemony Snicket and write an unauthorized autobiography.
ZZZZZzzzzzzzz.............
I vote RCM names his book, "Rubbing The Fur The Wrong Way"
When they were ready to put Dibar Apartian out to pasture, they suggested he write his "memoires". It's what the power-hungry corrupt men at LCG headquarters do when they want people out of the way so they can take over. Dibar didn't fall for it. He wanted to do the work more than focus on himself. Obviously the ever prideful, completely full of himself Rod Meredith thinks more than 10 people would be interested enough in his pitiful life to read such a rag.
Meredith is world renowned as an epic liar. I'm sure this book will be more of the same. Propaganda for the LCG zombies to gobble up. I'm sure he will leave out the part about how many lives he has ruined.
I hope it's printed on soft paper so I can wipe my arse with it.
From what we've recently learned, pseudepigrapha is pretty big in the ACOGs. Probably somebody else will ghostwrite it, and if it's good enough, will get ordained as a deacon!
BB
it will be full of how HE had to keep Mr. Armstrong on track. And how he had to always correct Mr. Armstrong. RCM is a legend in his own mind. To bad he can not see himself as others see him.
He is a pitiful, self-exalted little man with a Humongous ego. But deep down he is so very insecure and self-righteous.
He will be the "Rod" that Christ rules the Kingdom with or so he believes in his little mind.
Can you imagine how his kingdom would be... all the backstabbing and intrigue and trying to make it to be # 1. And he would not stop until he, Just like Satan, tries to pull God the Father off his throne.
Greetings from Charlotte,
More phoney baloney,
rod's autobiography? Not important and who cares!
Retired Prof,
Yes,I would prefer to read rod's obituary. I wouldn't even pee on his autobiography or his ass, even if they were both on on gehenna fire!
The sad reality is that while Rod is a pathological liar, there could be some truth on technical issues in his autobiography. Psychos are often more perceptive and more accurate on technical issues (a separate topic) than ordinary people. So historians will be interested in his autobiography, since Rod himself has failed to qualify for the kingdom.
Why wait? Just read my 2009 biography of him. It was remade into the flipbook format thanks to Black Ops Mikey in 2015.
http://ambassador.report/RoderickMeredith/
The original biography may be seen here.
http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/02/roderick-c-meredith-biographical-sketch_15.html
I predict that Meredith's autobiography will be shallow propaganda. A blunt PR exercise. It will be more useful for reading between the lines instead of taking what he says at face value.
We often discuss the many problems that exists within Armstrongism. But how can Meredith understand such problems? For him Armstrongism has given him the time of his life, power and privilege. Having gained such things because of Armstrongism he will be loath to admit that his joy came at our expense through the tithes, offerings, numerous time consuming and disadvantageous requirements that his organization enforced upon members. He will be loath to admit that much of what is taught is simply wrong; that his prosperity was accompanied the pain and suffering of many.
It is quite unlikely he will address the problems that accompanied his prosperity.
Having said all that I would read it in order to comment about it.
Will he comment about why he says on his telecast that he presents information available nowhere else when that is simply not the case since there are hundreds of other COG groups that teach many similar things?
Will he comment about why HWA overlooked him as a possible successor? David Robinson suggested that he had lost favor with HWA as early as 1972 and he was only returned to HWA's inner circle in order to rally WCG around HWA during the receivership crisis only to be swiftly booted out of his inner circle to spend a year in Hawai'i. That account suggests HWA was never going to let Meredith succeed him.
Will he comment about the horrific "divorce and remarriage" rules that were enforced until 1974 causing numerous happy marriages to be dissolved for no good reason? He was one of the main enforcers of this frightful practice. His July 20, 1969 letter to ministers instructing them how to enforce HWA's draconian rules on "divorce and remarriage" may be seen here:
http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2015/03/roderick-c-merediths-shameful-role-in.html
******
Richard Ames stated that Meredith was working on an Autobiography in his July 17, 2012 co-worker letter.
"Dr. Meredith has asked me to write this month’s co-worker letter.... Since turning 82 years of age in June, he has also been spending time researching and writing his autobiography—a project many of you have encouraged him to complete."
And after RCM's demise, LCG will probably follow the path of WCG and publish a redacted edition.
This is Rod. Connie is right. It's only after my wife pleaded and begged, that I finally relented, and begrudgingly agreed to spank her. And this, only after much heart felt prayer and bible study. It was a difficult task, but someone had to do it.
Herbie wrote his when he was young enough that it was a help to his ministry. Because he seemed like a bigger than life American original, many of the people who came into his church had questions about him. Who was he? Why did he sound so authoritative on the radio? How did he come upon the "knowledge" that he was sharing? As such, it was not seen as some sort of ego project. It served a purpose.
It seems silly for people who are not American originals, but whose only claim to fame is that they went to Ambassador College, joining a movement, would be writing their own autobiographies. Their mentor's autobiography is sufficient. It's not like they were Hank Williams Jr. and actually equalled or outshined their Daddy. By the time that David Pack, as an example, attended Ambassador, HWA was really not even interacting with the students on a day to day basis, and very rarely got to know any of them personally.
BB
Rod must hide it, but he must have mental injuries from his boxing days. All boxers do. All those blows to the head causes internal brain bruishing and some permanent physical brain damage.
Very good point, Byker Bob, about why HWA wrote his autobiography. I had forgotten that until I read your post.
In the late 1950s/early 1960s, HWA penned his autobiography and it ran periodically in serial form in the Plain Truth for the exact reasons articulated by Byker Bob. The movement on radio was growing so fast, people wanted to know who he was.
Richard
Lake of Fire Church of God
It gets funny sometimes, Richard. I once read an article in Guitar Player Magazine about the process Eric Clapton goes through in purchasing a guitar. First, the neck must be the correct width and thickness to properly fit his fingers. The action must be right for the strength of his hand. It must have a particular tone that he needs for a particular style or song. It must resonate sweetly, being made of quality woods. The pick-ups must catch his every nuance, as he crafts his songs. The guitar must be balanced and weigh in at a comfortable weight for playing in concert, and it must stay in tune during demanding and intense solos.
And then, he helplessly watches as people purchase the same brand and model simply "because it's the one Eric Clapton plays".
This is a very eloquent statement as to why copy-catting is so useless and ridiculous.
BB
They just wanna be SEEN and not heard. Like maybe fame and fortune and even skill will rub off on them because they are familiar with someone else who has already had great success. Where as many great guitarists treat their instruments as if they were just tools from the workbench. I stumbled across this a few weeks ago, even Tony Levin was on stage.
Have a Merry Axemas!
DBP
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