If you thought UCG could not discredit themselves any more than they already have, get a load of the excerpts below. UCG is under the belief that St. Patrick was a sabbath keeper, ate kosher (no snakes) and kept all of the same days that UCG does.
Is Saint Patrick’s Day in the Bible?
Saint Patrick’s Day is not a biblical holiday or Holy Day. And, as it is currently celebrated, St. Patrick’s Day actually has nothing to do with the historical man Patrick. Many “Christian” holidays are a mixture of truth and error. Because of this, most people don’t really know the history or purpose of the day. We encourage you to read what God said in the Bible to know which Holy Days He made and who He said are saints. The United Church of God traces its origins to the Church that Jesus founded in the early first century. We follow the same teachings, doctrines and practices established then, and believe our commission is to proclaim the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to all the world as a witness and teach all nations to observe what Christ commanded.It appears that Patrick believed these same teachings. We encourage you to read the online Bible study aids, Fundamental Beliefs of the United Church of Godand The Church Jesus Built to learn more about what individuals like Patrick taught and what we teach from Scripture. From our best historical understanding, the Patrick you didn’t know lived a life according to the Bible, rather than human traditions. You can too.
So how can UCG claim that St. Patrick was a true Church of God member? They claim he had Celtic roots, and as we all know according to British Israelism mythology, the Celts were sabbath keepers that traveled through Europe and into England, Scotland and Ireland. This is what they are basing their story upon.
One thing I know for sure is that if St. patrick were alive today there is no way in hell he would ever be part of the United Church of God or any of the other Churches of God. He he had more integrity and morals to do that. His Christianity was sound and made him who he was. UCG can never aspire to reach that level.Patrick observed the Saturday Sabbath, Passover and rejected the Trinity doctrine
Patrick also rejected the merging of church and state (a main teaching of Catholicism). He believed and taught the same as Jesus in John 18:36 that God’s Kingdom is not of this world. The Celtic Church had local ecclesiastical councils and kept Saturday as a day of rest , (A.C. Flick, The Rise of Medieval Church, pp. 236-327). In this matter of a Saturday (Sabbath) rest, Dr. James C. Moffatt wrote that, “They [the Celtic churches] obeyed the fourth commandment [the Sabbath commandment] literally upon the seventh day of the week” ( The Church in Scotland , pg. 140).Patrick (and the Celtic Church) observed the other “festivals of the Eternal” (Leviticus 23), believed human beings were mortal (that is rejected the teaching of an immortal soul and the doctrine of going to heaven or hell), rejected the Trinity doctrine, followed the food laws of Leviticus 11, refused veneration of “saints” or worship of Mary, and believed that only Jesus Christ is our mediator (Leslie Hardinge, The Celtic Church in Britain ; B.G. Wilkinson, Truth Triumphant ).The Celtic Church had a long history before the Catholic Church pushed deeper into England, Scotland and Ireland. Celtic writings speak of individuals coming from Asia Minor who brought with them the doctrines they received from John, Paul, Philip and other apostles of Jesus. A Catholic “father,” Bede, (who lived in the mid 700s A.D.) who wrote about the Celtic Church: “They ignorantly refuse to observe our Easter [Pascha, or Passover] on which Christ was sacrificed, arguing that it should be observed with the Hebrew Passover on the fourteenth of the moon” (Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica ). Who Was "Saint Patrick"? Should a Christian Observe Saint Patrick's Day?
WTF?
ReplyDeleteNow, just a minute: There may be some basis for claim here, if you check the article at The Painful Truth where it is disclosed that Stuart Piggott in his book The Druids that the Israelites were really Druids and that is the source of British Israelism.
ReplyDeleteI mean, who can argue with an historian (unless he's from some Armstrongist college or church)?
Can't you just see it? The Druids making up Stonehenge laying stone by stone to establish the Hebrew Calendar and then teaching all of this to Abraham?
So with this rich history (perhaps alternate world history like British Israelism Worst Science Fiction Ever), shouldn't it be reasonable that Saint Patrick was part of the Armstrongist churches of God because he practiced the very same ancient pagan Druid religion?
Yes, the UCG is going green... but perhaps it's not because they're Irish -- it may be something they ate (green beer may be an unfortunate double entendre).
[Notice: No one but no one should take anything about the sects of the Cult of Herbert Armstrong Mafia seriously, since Armstrongism is nothing but a sick joke.]
I am well aware of the Celtic migration through Spain and up through Europe, through Scandinavia and into the Isles. It is my genealogy background. The belief that there were all sabbatarians is nonsense that the COG movement try to use to "legitimize" themselves. They have so discredited themselves over the decades that they will never be able to redeem themselves.
ReplyDeleteI keep trying to write a comment but it just comes out like -
ReplyDeleteWhat the...
I can't freaking....
But...
*frustrated hand gestures*
Who In the heck...
What kind of ignorant...
AAAAaaaaarrrrrggggggggghhhhhh!!
Another example of the quality of Armstrongite research. Dr. Hooey would be so proud of this, the next chapter of the true history of the true church!
ReplyDeleteBB
Non in the COG believed the Celts were Sabbatarian. Rather having lost their identity taking the religion of Baal with them which became Druidism. I don t believe that historically accurate, but that is what it was.
ReplyDeleteThe Celtic Church being 14th of Nisan adherents and thus probably sabbatarisn stems from the first church believe system, fleeing to Egypt and then taking the common trade routes to Ireland because of the metal trade. Nck
Yes, Patrick believed that, during the Feast of Tabernacles, true Christians must stay in a hotel at the site the church chose.
ReplyDeleteHe believed that the United States was Manasseh and would be carried into Assyrian captivity at the end of the age.
Hey, wait a minute...
Yes, March 17th is to be celebrated as Druid's Day.
ReplyDeleteSaint Patrick was a Druid and Armstrongists all came from the Druids (realize that there were many different sects of the Druids, just as there are of the Cult of Herbert Armstrong Mafia, so choose carefully just which Druidic sect of the ACoGs you want to join as an ancient pagan).
From this point on, all members of the Armstrongist churches of God are to wear green on March 17th to show their allegiance to the Druid's British Israelism as being the key to understanding the Bible.
Also, they should drink green beer in honor of the ancient pagan Druids for... reasons....
And hey, can nck read? Is he literate? "Non in the COG believed the Celts were Sabbatarian." The UCG just clearly stated that Saint Patrick and the Celtic church kept the Sabbath and Holydays -- it's right there in their literature -- although to be fair, non of us have heard of such a thing before this utter nonesence from Untied.
Oh, and one more thing. Saint Patrick was Scottish, not Irish.
ReplyDeleteSo from now on, all men in the UCG should wear kilts to church... everywhere, really.
No, we really don't care if you are Asian, German or Native American. You need to wear kilts, darn it!
NEWS FLASH!
ReplyDeleteNew archaeology discovery finds that St. Patrick owned his own JET! Complete with a gold leaf ceiling and gold door knobs to the bathroom!
St. Patrick believed that Herbert Armstrong was the end-time "Elijah" who would "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers," and preach the gospel OF Jesus, instead of ABOUT Jesus, to ALL the WORLD, ushering in the end of the age?
ReplyDeleteBecause unless he believed that, he's still a heretic in the cults of Armstrongism.
The Celts are NOT the Celtic Church. I was referring to a GTA booklet where he said that the Baal worshipping Northern Israelites took Baal whith them thus creating the Druidic cult of the House of Omri. I also said that I don t think it is historically and philologically accurate to say the Ebrews named the river Ebro in Spain etc.
ReplyDeleteNck
O Padraigh was as Irish as Flurry btw.
ReplyDeleteNck
This is hilarious, please tell me its an April fool joke. Who wrote that rubbish.
ReplyDeleteNext thing you know, some ACOG will make an attempt to rid St. Patrick's Day of the pagan elements which pervert it. They'll lobby for a name change, like "the Apostle Patrick. Can't have leprechauns, because they are materialistic, do magic, and play tricks like Allah does. Kilts? Effeminate! No cross-dressing allowed. Green beer? That's got to be some sort of deceptive perversion, because beer is really amber or in the case of bock, brown.
ReplyDeleteHey, maybe this thing can replace spring (Easter) break, just as their winter family retreat has replaced Christmas!
BB
Although I do not condone the UCG's liberal attitude and departure from the doctrines and teachings of the Church, they do have it right on this. Where you are right, you're right. And it is based on other historical documents, although they did not make the time to source them all. This was taught in the WCG under Mr. Armstrong, and if I'm correct on this, the book "The Incredible History of God's True Church"(written and compiled by a member in the UK) was recommended to students at Ambassador. In this book it records its sources and uses other secular literature for others to look up and do one's own research on. It recommends looking it up for oneself, to prove all things. Something to look at. SO their claim has some basis.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, 10:36. Unfortunately, "look it up for yourself" meant "find and read this out of context quote for yourself just as we did". They didn't do deep enough research in most cases. They lifted what we now call "proof texts" which appeared to support their belief, while either ignoring the context in which those quotes were presented, or failing to mention that their reference sources were either discredited, or were antiquated and had been superceded by deeper and more accurately researched information. These days, we have the information superhighway, and can easily and quickly fact check their research. That process is no longer a painstaking, time consuming, nearly impossible task.
ReplyDeleteYou could never trust HWA or the WCG's research. It did not follow an evidentiary trail, or allow facts to dictate the ultimate outcome. It was "end justifies the means" research, information deliberately and systematically compiled to support pre-existing church conclusions. And if anyone ever investigated their research on a more than superficial level, they were generally counselled and disfellowshipped over what were essentially matters of conscience.
BB