Friday, January 27, 2017

A Polite Exchange of Perspectives




BobThiel writes:

Dear Dennis Diehl   


Read your post about me this morning at the Banned by HWA website. Since I do not always go to that site nor read all that is there, I would have thought that you would have emailed me if you really wanted a discussion.

(Hello  Bob,  Thank you for writing.  I had looked in the past on your site for a "contact me/us" button and did not find one so would not have known how to get in touch. 
I also am in alternative health.  I have therapeutic massage practice on the Willamette just outside Portland.  Have worked for a decade with chiropractors, and others along the way such as yourself.  I live in the neighborhood where HWA lived , worked and got baptized as well as near where Richard and Ted were born. 
Also, I suppose my public offer was because you had also taken me into the public arena on your site and the "Apostate former minister...."  label didn't help.  Just as you, I am not fond of labels and without you knowing my background and such, found my own buttons punched a bit.  Apostate would be your definition because I don't believe as you do or did not chose to continue my ministry through all the chaos and upheaval of the 90's and beyond.  Almost 30 years of daily ministry in 5 states and 14 congregations was enough.  To me, the whole WCG experience was a youthful mistake for which I will pay and pay.  I was a very compassionate, easy going and non judgmental type of minister and not beholding to the Armstrongs emotionally through those years due to my growing up Presbyterian and able to think for myself even as a WCG minister.  I'm not apostate.  I am awake.
I know Rod Meredith, Michael Germano, Gerald Weston and Doug Winnail personally.  I went to school with Gerald Flurry (arrogant even then) and Dave Pack.
(Bob)
As I believe you realize, I do NOT demand (nor want) the type of idolatrous following that David Pack and Gerald Flurry do.
And for that you should be congratulated.  Both of those men are classic narcissists with ALL the symptoms and behaviors.  Dave is taking his delusions many steps further as he, in my view, is slidding into religious delusions that are not going to end well.  He may be classically mentally ill.  We'll see.  His church is doomed.
(Bob)
While the Continuing Church of God does accept tithes and offering, unlike those men I have not asked people to sacrifice their funds or get into debt so that CCOG could construct buildings or make some massive campus.
I agree, you have not done that at all.  Good on ya!
(Bob)
Yet, on more than one occasion, you lumped me together with them--presumably knowing that I have written articles exposing their errors and positions.
I have , as has the blog owner at Banned and most of those who go to that sight for whatever personal reasons they have.  Money, treating members badly, spending on this or that is not the issue others take you to task for or consider you like them for.
The issue Bob is the taking of titles , out of the blue , for oneself  and the reasonings one goes to to come to such conclusions.  Flurry is Apostle and Prophet and even That Prophet which is beyond stupid.  Dave takes every ridiculous title for every ridiculous reason one can imagine.  He just makes it up.  You have declared yourself a prophet based on dreams and a "double portion" prayer during an anointing and it for that they take you to task and consider you like Flurry, Pack and Malm along with lesser knowns who also do the same thing. 
I won't challenge you on your own impression of yourself but you have to know that to trust in a dream , dreams we all have as the mind processes the day and even our inner issues are not how we should govern our lives.  I dream every week of speaking at the feast but don't think it means I should.  They feel you simply could not get along with LCG, were not listened to, promoted or given credit for your ideas and with sour grapes walked off , made up reasons you could become a prophet and here you are, yet another sliver of the church.  That's what they consider you to be like them for.  With 700 slivers all over the world as the debris of WCG, it's an oft told tale
The site watchers and Gary also find your presentations less than professional. If you have some funds, why not put it into making them more credible.  I watched , all I could , your "sermon" using the answers from the letter answering dept of yore.  Why bother Bob?  It makes you look like you have nothing real to say.  Those answers are way out of date and to even bother with some you addressed sets you up for ridicule. No one cares about dogs and tithing and many other nit picking topics of the past.  Much of those answers are outdated and simply out of context and merely opinions on things no one cares about. 
No one cares about dangers of football and what would Jesus watch.  They are going to mock you for that.  (Football is dangerous but it's not a theological topic and makes you look shallow and petty)  No one in the NT fussed about gladiators or the arena down the street and probably did not because it would have been harmful to their survival for going against Rome which you'd not even know ran the show by reading the Gospels, Epistles or letters. 
Anyway, I spare you, but if you want more credibility, at least invest a bit your setting and look professional
(Bob)
You also probably realize that I do not take a salary from the Continuing Church of God. Instead, after paying for expenses related to proclaiming the gospel (mainly related to literature and videos), the bulk of our remaining funds go to Africa to reach people there as well as to support the poor, widows, and orphans.
Excellent.  We did all that growing up in our Calvinistic Presbyterian Church.  It was what churches of my youth did.  WCG only seemed to help out if it benefited them and of course Dave believes helping anyone but himself is just wrong.
(Bob)
Regarding the 6000 years, I presume you realize that I believe in a version of what is called the 'gap theory' (http://www.cogwriter.com/gap-theory-old-earth-long-days-creation.htm), hence I do not believe that I have ignored paleontology.
Yes, and I don't believe such things.  Good science done well shows the universe to be 14.5 billion years old, earth to be 4.5 billion years old.  The issues we could discuss are not so much evolution as that is not either of our areas of expertise, but rather creationism vs science and whether Genesis is literally true or myths with other reasons for being written, which I believe.  I see , as do many, no reason to take Genesis 1-11 as anything but myth and those taken from Sumerian creation tales with a Hebrew spin.  This is not difficult to show.  I have my doubts about the literal existence of Abraham, Moses, the Exodus right up to David and Solomon with those stories including the Pentateuch being written by the established priesthood in the Babylonian captivity etc.  Long story but accepted by many to be the case.  An acquaintance , Israel Finkelstein, author of The Bible Unearthed gave me some good insights into that when digging at Megiddo of which he was in charge when I was there for a summer.  He is one of Israel's premier archaeologists.
You have ignored actual paleontology I think but we can save that for another day.
I imagine you'd defend creationist thinking exactly as Dave Pack did in his almost endless series where he made a fool out of himself and was called out for it on a video rebuttal by Aron Ra, who has the actual background to put such topics to rest.  If you have not seen what he did to Dave ,  you might learn from it if you have an open mind to updated scientific discover of the past 40 years.
You'd not want Aron focusing on you and your "simple four proof against evolution"


(Bob)
As far as  Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson goes, are you serious? In all due respect, he comes across as a zealot to push an anti-God agenda and certainly not as a scientist interested in the truth. I watched several of his television programs years ago and my recollection is that I found his 'proofs' sorely lacking.
Are you serious?  If that's how you view men such as him with their background and training, nothing will get through to you.  You should update from "years ago" and try again.  Your own "proofs" of many things , including your gross misunderstanding of the context and meaning of Isaiah's "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little" shows you won't change in the midst of overwhelming evidence on even this small point.  It is NOT a scripture on how to study the Bible .  If you have not read the context of it , here is my take on it which reflects that of real theologians well trained. 
Could you admit to being wrong about this?  If not, can you prove to me why you think it does mean "this is how to study scripture " in Isaiah's mind?
(Bob)
I am a published scientist myself, as you can verify if you go to PubMed, the US National Institutes of Health's medical database.
Then you should know better and while you might have a scientific background in one topic or another, you do not have a background in cosmology, paleontology or archaeology as do I not.
(Bob)
, you list in your profile the Banned by HWA website. That site regularly makes false and misleading statements about me, puts out headlines about me that are not true, and lumps me in with others in a manner that is often inappropriate. It needs to cease and desist doing that.
Why don't you write an article explaining what you find wrong and why and send it to me or Gary to print.  I am only a guest writer at Banned.  It is not my site and I don't control who ceases and desists what. 
(Bob)
I would suggest that you work with the people at that site so they stop trying to mislead people about me and the Continuing Church of God. If you can do so, then perhaps a more public debate about why evolution is scientifically-flawed could make sense.

Bob Thiel
I'd rather address the topic of biblical errancy, myth vs literalism and New Testament origins and politic.  Would love to chat about who Paul is and was and why you can't go with Peter, James and John AND Paul.  Each hated the other and did not believe the same things about Jesus.  Galatians makes that very very clear.  I will say that Paul declared himself in the same way Flurry, Pack and others have taken their titles and ordinations to themselves.  That is not a compliment.  The Jesus of Paul was a Cosmic, Hallucinatory Christ and Paul had no use for the teachings of the Jewish Christian church under James...  Long story, never mind
Thank you for your response . Hope this helps you to get to know me a bit.  Remember, I am not an apostate.  I am awake
Dennis



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Response:

Dear Dennis:
About a 1/2 hour after I sent my email to you, I saw you posted against me again, etc.

*(I posted nothing so not sure what Bob was referring too and it went unexplained.)

I am sorry that you seem to believe that you are beyond "the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).
As far as many of the matters you brought up, I would refer you to www.cogwriter.com as there are articles on many of those topics.
But I will state that dreams consistent with scripture, that are later confirmed (and this includes dreams of others), combined with prayer being answered, is different than simply having random dreams.
As far as presentations go, Moses, Jeremiah, and Paul were not good that way. I try, but recognize that I have limits. God does not always work through the most entertaining presenters.
Bob Thiel

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dennis

Do you really think Thiel will listen to you? In his eyes you are beneath him and he holds you in contempt. He has inflated himself to a superior position in life and none of us can ever attain his level of enlightenment or superiority.

Anonymous said...

Don't waste your time on Bob. He's not going to change. He has hardened his heart and that may be from the hand of God. He is condemned in my opinion. He supports evil. Evil like child molestation that he defends HWA from against all evidence. Bob is of the devil.

DennisCDiehl said...

Anon said:
Do you really think Thiel will listen to you?"

"… but people prefer reassurance to research.”

Neil deGrasse Tyson
Astrophysicist

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.
Mark Twain

DennisCDiehl said...

"Involuntary ignorance is not charged against you as a fault; but your fault is this---you neglect to inquire into the things you are ignorant of"
Augustine

This is always the bottom line with church dogma or established "teachings." Once mistakes are made or assumptions accepted as fact, how can a church go back? When science makes mistakes or comes to wrong conclusions with the data, they simply must change. They can add the data to the store of knowing about this or that and leave conclusions for a time to come when there is more data and information to draw better conclusions. We see this all the time in science. Progress always flows from religious beliefs towards good science done well.

Religion on the other hand tends to draw it's conclusions and then dig in forever more. Killing the messenger of better information is more the norm rather than saying such things as, "we were mistaken", "I was wrong," "We really can't know that for sure of course," "This is speculation and not fact," etc, . Herbert Armstrong and all the clones that followed choke on such words so they don't utter them. When a change MUST be made due to overwhelming evidence , then it is "God has revealed to us new truth," or "God is giving us more time..." and such because who can argue with or disprove that in a religious context?

Rather like my asking Ron Kelly about any retirement being available when he assured the older ministry there would be of course and then told me "Jesus worked a great miracle in the church (changed his WCG mind about theology and shrunk his true church), and we have no money." He got quiet when I asked him did they not just sell the campus? But he deferred to Jesus doing it all rather than we are screw ups. Can't disprove that as nothing about religious claims can be proved or disproved in reality when faith, which is the substance of what we hope is true and evidenced by absolutely no evidence we can see rules the mind.

Bob would not even answer if he was mistaken on the context and intent of the time worn Bible study method of "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little" as I explained elsewhere. Such as simple thing to see in the context and still can't say, "Yes, I am mistaken on that interpretation"

Religious folk can rant and rave all they want on the topic of the evolution of all humans from ape ancestors over the past 2 million years to the current us today. The reality is that it is so. The evidence is there with only the details shifting this and that way to flesh out the truth of our actual origins. It's not an opinion. It is fact and Bible literalism is what clouds the mind to seeing what most don't wish to see as it raises questions about "then what is it all about?" and "then what is my purpose and what happens to ME after I die?" These are questions and fears that originate religous thought in the first place.

Sorry, I blather...

Anonymous said...

Bob Thiel is the very picture of incompetence.

And I'm still waiting for a response about how he slandered / libeled the Church of God Seventh Day....

Anonymous said...

Dennis, your 6.47AM intellectualising is interesting. But the reality is that many members in these slivers (including stay at home Christians like myself) have prayers answered by God. He affirms the bible and existence of salvation. So most of what you say is water off a ducks back.
We are qualifying for eternal life. You are not. This is what should be occupying your attention.

Byker Bob said...

Bob obviously feels some sort of calling, not unlike what Dennis did many years ago. Whether the process to maintain that is called "staying focussed" or "wearing blinders", the process is a tedious one, and often wears thin in the face of time and failures or negative feedback. And, yes, Bob probably imagines that his prophetic yearnings have been confirmed through his personal prayers.

If history provides any lessons, callings which are based on Armstrongism generally consume one's life without actually going anywhere in terms of validation or fulfillment. There is also the prior history involving William Miller. In the intervening years since the 1840s, many have revised the math, prided themselves on being different and having additional information, or have a bad case if "it can't happen to me" (failure of their interpretation). They also come up with reasons for why Jesus' description of something as being unknowable no longer applies.

Basically, best advice for humans is to be aware that devastating events are always possible in the equation of life. The problems come into play when people attempt to become very specific, and to amass followers. These teachers generally discover that there are greater forces in play than themselves or their limited knowledge or outright theories. It just takes time, also known as the great truth serum. Prepare for the worst, expect the best, and reality is usually that something in between those two ends up happening.

BB

RSK said...

I would have just copy/pasted Rod Merediths letter to him. Can't credit Rod with particularly sharp perception, but he described Thiel well for much of that letter.

Unknown said...

Thiel and Diehl both need to get REAL!

Unknown said...

LOGISTICAL ISSUES FOR PETRA...

If one quarter of the 144000 are still of menstruating age, (half being women, and half of those still having menses) and with the average menstruating woman using 20 tampons a month, this means that 720,000 tampons a month will be needed EACH AND EVERY MONTH! Over the 3.5 year period (pardon the pun!) or 42 months, this means that 30.25 MILLION tampons will be needed.

Toilet paper is even more problematic. Google says that the average personal use is one roll of toilet paper per person per week. This means 144,000 rolls a week, or 4000 cases a week. Over the 3.5 year period of time , this equates into 780 THOUSAND cases of toilet paper, (26.25 MILLION ROLLS!)

Each case of toilet paper is approximately 2 cubic feet in size. This is 52 MILLION Cubic feet. For a rough equivalency, the Houston Astrodome Stadium is only 42 million square feet in volume under the roof.

So, at a minimum the so called "place of final training" will be a great training place for logistics, supply, warehouse and distribution management!

DennisCDiehl said...

BT notes: "But I will state that dreams consistent with scripture, that are later confirmed '

Talking serpents and donkeys and healing by gaze upon the Bronze Serpent Pole are also consistent with scripture. Evidently snake venom is neutralized by this act.

Flood waters 15 cubits above the 29,029 foot high Mt Everest is also consistent with scripture along with boats that carried Kangaroos , platypus, polar bears and penguins around the Middle East for a year where oxygen was a bit in short supply.

However, none of this can actually be confirmed.

Anonymous said...

Connie, you seem to forget that according to the COG ministry God can seal up the rectums of all the people in Petra just like he did the animals on the ark. No need for toilet paper then. God can also stop all menstrual flows too. Since women are to pray that they not flee during childbirth, God will stop all pregnancies at least 9 months prior to the trip to Petra. It is all very simple.

Anonymous said...

How long do we have to wait now for Thiel to start pitching a fit that his "private" letter was made public. Narcissists don't like that kind of publicity.

Anonymous said...

Keep the pressure on Thiel.
This blog has hit him hard.It exposes his flawed theology.
Dark hates light.
And it also calls into question the foundations of "his church".
And his devious character.

DennisCDiehl said...

"How long do we have to wait now for Thiel to start pitching a fit that his "private" letter was made public"

I did consider that and thus waited a week. My initial email to BT was in response to his publically singling me out on his own website as "Apostate Former Minister Dennis Diehl..? who challenged him in one small area in the comment section here at Banned with "context, context, context." He chided me in his article to understand the "here a little there a little" concept of Bible study to which I responded with my previous explanation of that "context, context, context" having NOTHING to do with how to study the Bible. None of these issues are personal and he was very vague if not avoidant to just about everything I asked him anyhow.

As long as I am at it. His initial reaction was concerning:

" The webmaster at the Banned by HWA site, Gary Leonard posted about my post in an article later that day titled “Habakkuk Is Now In Our Midst! Heed His Warnings!.” The next day, Dennis Diehl posted the following comment in response:

Blogger DennisCDiehl said…

“For I will work a work IN YOUR DAYS Which you would not believe, though it were told you. 6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs”

Context, context, context

Notice how Dennis Diehl emphasized the words IN YOUR DAYS related to Habakkuk 1:5 (which my article quoted) and emphasized context.

His implication is that Habakkuk’s message was only for his day and my writing that we need to pay attention to Habakkuk’s message today is essentially unfounded.

Could Dennis Diehl be correct about this?

No.

Why?

Because there are other scriptures that demonstrate otherwise. For example, the Apostle Paul quoted Habakkuk 1:5 as having applicability centuries after Habakkuk died:

41 ‘Behold, you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.‘” (Acts 13:41)"

The first context and work they would not believe was the Caldeans were coming to kick their asses.

The Second use of the "work you will not believe" was by Luke giving Paul's sermon on Jesus is not dead but alive and salvation has come to all. This is the context of this second "work you won't believe."

My problem with how Bob and all COG's use that is that they use it to make their small selves look huge. Something like, "We are a little flock, AS JESUS SAID WE WOULD BE, BUT!!! You just wait and see how powerful we are in our work" and then quote Habbakkuk or Acts to show "we're doing that unbelievable work...you scoffer."

Anonymous said...

Awesome! You have inspired me, Connie!
-----------------------------
Reservations in Petra are limited.
Quick! Go brown-nose your favorite HWA loyalist.
8th Circle is for VIP only!
Only 143,999 left!
Thank You!
Remember, next year in Petra!

Addendum for Bolgia 2:Don't bother bringing any "personal items", there would never be enough anyway. You are full of shit and you will all drown in it. For all of our vain flatteries will never be enough to cleanse us.

See you there!
Next Year!

DennisCDiehl said...

PS Henry Ford and Mark Zuckerberg could quote Habbakkuk and Acts to show their work would be unbelievable and was prophecied by the prophets.

However, it is no different in usage for this or that than me being told by God to go to Wadsworth on the Sabbath during services and stand up during Dave's sermon and challenge him....and saying,

"Not so Lord, for the deacons findeth me and shall slay me!"
Genesis 4:17 sorta
(Don't bother asking just who Cain was worried was "out there" to kill him since there was only Mom, Dad and him on earth since he just killed off his only brother.) "
Continuing....
"Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home in Greenville? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Portland. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending me into calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die right now than to have to do that and be yet another dead guy who opposed Dave Pack.”

Jonah 4:sorta

"And thus it was fulfilled. He shall be numbered among the chicken hearted."
Somewhere:I'm sure





Hoss said...

Connie wrote: LOGISTICAL ISSUES FOR PETRA..

Just like at Bricket Wood, where ladies used tampon substitutes. while HWA drank Dom Perignon…

At a stall in Petra

In Petra, there may be a lot of small, smooth stones, which were used prior to the Chinese inventing toilet paper. Just like the stone David hit Goliath. And Arabs used small pieces of wool, but sheep may be scarce.
And both the stones and wool are recyclable!

Byker Bob said...

At the end of the day, cult zombies are just cult zombies. We should take them as seriously as we would a neighbor who knocked on our door to announce that he was a Martian, and to warn us that his planet would soon invade ours.

BB

The Painful Truth said...

I think its time we send Thiel to Hawaii so he can contemplate and repent of his sins.

Anonymous said...

This blog gives Bob plenty of opportunities to tell his listeners how much Satan is slandering him.

Anonymous said...

"Good science done well shows the universe to be 14.5 billion years old ... "

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Dennis, you are such a cad. Eric Lerner is splitting his sides.

By the way, Stephen Hawking is a certified liar and moron. I guess you could call him and idiot-savant, with emphasis on idiot. The only people who take him seriously are the fools who don't know that good science requires looking at two sides of an argument.

Anonymous said...

Malm is old and dying from a medical condition, so what he's doing is understandable. But Bob is relatively young, so he should get a real job. He would learn about the real world, and build some real character. But no, like people addicted to video games, he will stick with playing church and church leader in his Mickey Mouse church.

Anonymous said...

If the media did their job right they would put on the air some of the good scientific (not religious) critics of the big bang (a theory supported by Pious X) and people would all know Hawking is a FOOL who has never investigated both sides. Proving him wrong is so EASY I actually feel sorry for the lying piece of crap.

Michael said...

Anon wrote (or snarked?):
"Connie, you seem to forget that according to the COG ministry God can seal up the rectums of all the people in Petra just like he did the animals on the ark. ... It is all very simple."

Thank you Anon, for my first, and without a doubt best, laugh of the day.

Hoss said...

Anon 828 wrote: he should get a real job

Bob is self-employed, with his own consultancy, and having been down that road myself, I'd say it's a real job.

Anonymous said...

I had a dream, just like Bob. I dreamt that I ate a giant marshmallow. In the morning, my pillow was gone.

Anonymous said...

Hoss, the label consultancy sounds very professional. But what is behind the nice sounding label. A computer consultant would be very knowledgeable. But what is Bobs area of expertise. It sounds like a continuation of consulting Rod. The cheap curtains and bookcase points to a financially challenged business.

Charlie said...

Byker Bob and Dennis Diehl, is there a contest between you two as to who can make the most comments and yet say nothing? So far I would say you are running neck and neck, but I'm sure once you realize how close the race is we will get to hear more.

Anonymous said...

Dennis Diehl..every time you talk about God or things in the bible from your way of thinking and unbelief, it just goes to show how little you know about an all powerful being and his way of thinking and doing things, even if it's speaking through a donkey which to him is nothing at all and for a reason you fail to grasp or believe, actually if you don't believe in him then you really know nothing about him or his word even though you've read it over and over, and so you just keep on following and mimicking others who don't believe and try to tell others the bible is wrong, To each their own, your choice on what you believe, but I do think you will have the opportunity in the future to change your mind, because I think you are sincere and just don't see what some others do see and believe.

The Painful Truth said...

Connie Schmidt said...
LOGISTICAL ISSUES FOR PETRA...
If one quarter of the 144000 are still of menstruating age, (half being women, and half of those still having menses) and with the average menstruating woman using 20 tampons a month, this means that 720,000 tampons a month will be needed EACH AND EVERY MONTH! Over the 3.5 year period (pardon the pun!) or 42 months, this means that 30.25 MILLION tampons will be needed.

Toilet paper is even more problematic. Google says that the average personal use is one roll of toilet paper per person per week. This means 144,000 rolls a week, or 4000 cases a week. Over the 3.5 year period of time , this equates into 780 THOUSAND cases of toilet paper, (26.25 MILLION ROLLS!)

Each case of toilet paper is approximately 2 cubic feet in size. This is 52 MILLION Cubic feet. For a rough equivalency, the Houston Astrodome Stadium is only 42 million square feet in volume under the roof.

So, at a minimum the so called "place of final training" will be a great training place for logistics, supply, warehouse and distribution management!
_________________________________________________________________________________

Easily managed. Gaud is going to build an Amazon warehouse there in Petra. It will stock mail order shit paper and tampons.

DennisCDiehl said...

uh oh...Bad Hominid attacks!

Byker Bob said...

No, Charlie, that's actually what the ACOG leaders do! We just run with the inane stuff they say, and have a little fun with it. They are dishing up such a huge amount of new material on a day to day basis that it's impossible to even keep up with it!

BB

Anonymous said...

So many of us sit in the seat of the scornful. How in the world will man ever rule on his own and come to an expected good end?

Byker Bob said...

The great Tampon challenge will resolve itself! Statistically, these ACOGs are greying as time goes on. The younger generations of the general public seem to be immune to a message and way of life that was time and date stamped for the 1950s, so the influx of new blood (heh, no pun intended, ladies!) has been greatly throttled. Reality is, the ACOGs should be renamed! Living Menopausal Church of God, United Menopausal Church of God, COGaMA (Church of God, a Menopausal Association), Non-Restored Unsustainable Church of God, etc.

As for toilet paper? Oh brother! That will be a problem, exacerbated by the fact that the ministers are all so full of crap that they will need double or triple allotments. Not enough water in Petra for European style bidets, either. The problems of Woodstock will be the problems of Petra. Wait a minute! On second thought, considering Armstrongian government, Petra is going to be more like Altamont! We shouldn't even call it Petra because that kind of demeans the excellent praise-rock band of that same name whose creativity and musicianship transformed Christian music and made it contemporary. I am hearing the opening chords for "Grave Robber" as we speak!

BB

Anonymous said...

If the members of the COGs are representative of those who will flee to Petra, the average age will be over 60 with very few premenopausal aged women. Connie's musings on the amount of toilet paper may be pertinent but the number of tampons needed will be far below her estimate.

Anonymous said...

2.16 AM
Dennis is sincere, but doesn't see the truth? If he was a young man, perhaps. But as a old man, nope. It's wilful rejection of truth at this point of time. 'Choose life or death,' we are told. Dennis has made his choice.
This 'people will change their minds' or 'finally repent' non-stop song, is the typical slivers lack of respect for the choices people make. Again, Dennis has chosen.
Accept and respect it!

Hoss said...

Anon 1141 consultancy

Yes, a 'consultant' or 'specialist' can cover a broad area. I was a computer consultant, mostly for mid-range legacy (old) systems, and it was based on accumulated experience. Bob's specialty is in nutrition and natural health, and I remember seeing his business website (I can't recall the URL). I meant to contrast that with 'professional' COG ministers who may have never done a 'real' job.

As for Bob's video production - yes, that does look like something I would throw together as a kid. Last year I had an urgent request from a teacher to do some voice-overs, and then some video clips. It took very little effort to turn my dingy office into a decent studio, and the teacher had someone edit and clean up the videos. That's why I wrote elsewhere that Bob has need of an assistant.

Bob's ability to spin a topic worthy of a footnote into a stage production is another issue.

Anonymous said...

The guy with long hair looks like s.h.i.t. What sewer did he crawl out of?

Anonymous said...

The story about fleeing Egypt cannot be true. Where would they have gotten the toilet paper? And did they carry their toilets with them?

Anonymous said...

"Involuntary ignorance is not charged against you as a fault; but your fault is this---you neglect to inquire into the things you are ignorant of"

That's one reason we know Hawking is a complete moron. His denunciations of Einstein's critics are based on total ignorance of Einstein's critics. If you read Hawking it's obvious he has never read Einstein's critics. Other mainstream cosmologists are just as stupid. They only read each others garbage about what each other thinks the critics think; they never read what the critics actually say. They sound like a bunch of journalists spending all their time listening to other dumb-butt journalists just as ignorant and stupid and clued out as they are. The group think, conformity, and intellectual laziness is shocking. If people are stupid enough to follow these complacent arrogant ignorant fools the human race is a lost cause. Finished.

Anonymous said...

Some of you should pray to God that he doesn't exist. You are in trouble if he does exist.

Byker Bob said...

Hawking and Einstein are still blessed with greater intelligence than you.

BB

Hoss said...

I watched several of his television programs

If Bob is referring to Cosmos, Dr Tyson was the narrator, but he didn't write the script. There was some anti-religious bias, and I read that the producer, Seth MacFaralne, was blamed for that. Possibly the most glaring bias was the time spent promoting the myth that Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for holding the Copernican view of the solar system. The myth was repeated more recently by Stephen Hawking in an episode of his "Genius" program.

RSK said...

Who's "we", Anon 2:30?

Anonymous said...

I doubt they ever used tampons. More likely to have used organic reusable towels.