From a PCG source:
In classic dance mom style, pushy American parent Stephen Flurry gets into the spirit of the Days of Unleavened Bread by taking to Twitter to boast of his vicarious victory in Irish dancing by posting a tweet of his son Jude coming eighth place in a recent competition. Stephen, “newly-revealed heir to the throne of England” Flurry posts the following:I wonder how many of the rank and file PCG members would be able to reconcile an activity like this during what is supposed to be a week of humble reflection through removing human nature and the spirit of this world which Herbert W Armstrong summed up in the word Competition.In the same week when PCG completed the purchase of a private jet and now Stephen Flurry’s son takes part in a regional dance competition, you have to realistically wonder where the heir-apparent’s spiritual focus has really been.If this was an ordinary PCG member they would be on the receiving end of severe correction from the ministry for having a wrong focus during this pivotal time.Anyway now that Prince Stephen has his own private jet perhaps Jude will lift his game and come seventh next time….1 Cor 13:4 (NKJV) Love … does not parade itself…
33 comments:
You are so right about the wrong focus (for this time of year). The PCG has been hung-up on the physical for many years. It's been about buildings, concerts, dances, mailing of literature, etc. Of course, it was about HWA in the beginning, now it's all about Gerald Flurry. What role can Stephen Flurry take on...when HWA & GRF have taken them all.
What you are seeing here is the real reason for the purchase of the jet - Irish dancing competitions. Don't let anybody tell you different.
HQ Edmond is literally bristling with these dance mom types, uber-competitive people all wanting to promote themselves via their kids.
Edmond PCG HQ has become both a literal and figurative stage for these "elites" to parade themselves.
Look at the size of the trophy, it's bigger than the FIFA world cup!!!
Seeing this I couldn't help think of Ricky Bobby from Talladega Night "If you ain't first you're last!
I love how Flurry boasts about his son coming first, second or nineteenth in "worlds", as if it's some sort of global competition like the Olympics, or the soccer world cup, something involving thousands of participants, when in real fact Irish dancing "worlds" involves no more than a handful of kids.
There's just something about the medium of Irish dancing that always makes the dancer look stiff, graceless and ungainly, which just proves how perfect it is for the PCG!
All this competitiveness makes you wonder what ULB is really like for the Edmond "Elite"?
"If you ain't first you're last!
You have to wonder. Wouldn't this have been considered "worldly" back in the so-called golden era of classic WCG? I mean, not even Laodicean, just plain worldly! If the Flurrys were mainstream Christians, they would be using this to try to reach the Irish dancing community for Christ. As it is, I seriously doubt that any of the other participants even know that they are any different from anyone else walking the street. Surely, some sabbath-related issues must come up? How do the Flurrys conceal that???
BB
The girls look like painted up hussey's and Stephen's boy sure looks like he is carrying the gay gene.
Herbie kept saying over and over 'beware of the evils of competition and self esteem,' while his ministers were beating and tearing down members in order to gain power and superiority over them. It was the rule rigging wolf talking to the sheep.
The gay gene comment is cruel and unnecessary. I am sure Jude Flurry is a fine young man simply trying to please his parents. It is with the PCG adults where the problems lie.
I do agree with BB's comment that this looks like a very worldly activity, perhaps that's why they call it "worlds".
It's only dancing. Big deal. Ballroom dancing is far better.
Interestingly according to the competition's website:
https://www.clrg.ie/index.php/en/championships/world-championships.html
The competition ran for the duration of ULB, starting on of all days Sunday 9 April (eve of the Passover!) and ran until Sunday 16 April (eve of the last day of ULB)
Fine example of spiritual priorities - not!
As mentioned above, if this were a ordinary member there would be serious consequences. Apart from the Passover, there must have been issues with at least one Sabbath and one Holy Day being involved during this period.
Having said that I do not agree with Anon 10:43's personal comment made about Jude.
LBGT Youth Talant Awards 2017.
The competition ran for the duration of ULB, starting on of all days Sunday 9 April (eve of the Passover!) and ran until Sunday 16 April (eve of the last day of ULB)
In case anybody has the patience to compare the PCG competitors' dancing schedules to the Sabbath and Holy Days, here's the detailed event schedule:
Final Timetable 2017
People here shure know how this particular feast needs to be observed.
Stupid.
To my knowledge from years past there were only two holy days or whatever they were called.
Nck
I don't agree with the accusation of the dancing being worldly. I have had that accusation thrown at me several times by church members,including for reading books and magazines other than church literature. I came to the conclusion that these accusations are the result of envy. For instance, I have never heard a reasonable definition of 'worldly' anywhere, including outside the church. They know that the accusation is dubious. In John, Christ prayed that Christians not be taken out of the world. Christ knew that the world is a rich cultural universe in which people can profit, if discretion is used. Dancing is one such wholesome activity.
The envious killjoys can weep and gnash their teeth.
Strange, because I thought that "make up" was "verboten" in the PCG. Guess it is ok for the Flurry grandkids to wear it, at the dance competition, because they need to impress those "worldly judges".
"Came in eighth place"
There were only 8 competing, right?
Somebody missed the point. First of all, don't make the mistake of confusing what Armstrongism taught with my personal opinions. Even as a church member, I was always an individual who still held and would express my own opinions rather than parroting the approved programmed opinions. Having a conversation with Bob was never having a conversation with my church.
Secondly, it is not the dancing that classic Armstrongism would have considered as worldly. It is mixing it up with outsiders in a public competition, acting on their level and seeking their recognition and approval which would have been considered an improper focus. This is not on the same level as occasionally taking your wife out to the approved but very boring ballroom dancing available these days at nostalgic big band revivals.
Classic WCG cut members off from most pleasurable or professional outside activities. Members were to look exclusively to "God's" Church, and "God's" ministers, even eschewing needed help from outsiders such as real marriage counselling or the assistance of AA. The sabbath was kind of a built in restrictor for kids' activities in high school. Also, HWA didn't want members to participate in anything that would upstage himself or the ministry. Even lifelong hobbies were seen as being something that distracted the attention of members from the church, or the "work". Parents would be counselled away from healthy outlets for their kids, like racing go karts. And, forget about such things as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts of America.
The point is, the Flurrys claim to emulate all things Herbal. This Irish Dancing competiton is a marked departure from what was permitted under HWA. If you can't take Passover because a minister finds out that you used a little Neosporin on a cut, how can they justify such a big Pharisaic no no like participating for your own glory in some sort of competition outside of the church? And again, I'm not criticizing the Irish dancing here. I'm criticizing PCG hypocrisy in claiming strict adherence, even advocating leaving some of their afflicted children at the mall, while giving Gerald Flurry's grandson somewhat of a pass from something that HWA had always imposed on the dumb sheep.
Flurry breaks up functional families, teaching that it's not right to have a relationship with a spouse who has left the PCG, but it brings a big smile to his face when his grandson is a respected participant with people who don't even rise to the level of Laodicean as he defines that description? This example should make his members to seriously reconsider whether he has the right or spiritual authority to impose breakups of relationships in his church. If Jeff Foxworthy had once been a participant in Armstrongism, he could have started a comedy routine based on "you might be a cult member." As in "If your minister makes you put away your wife because she has left the cult and is now an outsider, but proudly lets his son do Irish dance competitions with outsiders, you might be a cult member!"
BB
BB
I don't think you nailed the former WCG policy on hobbies and socialising with outsiders. Based purely on my dealings with the ministers, their attitude was that if a hobby doesn't benefit others in the church forget it. Like wise with socialising outside the church. I could tell by the tones in their voice and their body language, that they were playing the game of the unjust steward. The ministers knew that many came to church for no other reason than getting something for nothing ie, robbing others. It was the churches way of boasting numbers and the ministers power level. Some ministers were also driven by the vision of creating a paradise for crooks. They radiated drive and zeal, but it wasn't for Gods way.
PS The purpose of insisting members exclusively social inside the church was to create a 'closed system' so that church bullies and exploiters would have a abundance of victims who couldn't escape and go elsewhere. As I said, this was obvious in the ministers tones of speech, plus what the ministers said to me.
Whether or not there were any actual conflicts with the holy days or the Sabbath, I think some of the commentators are missing the point with this post. The point is that unleavened bread is supposed to be the most spiritually important period of the year. The time should be that of self-examination and repentance.
Here you have the number two guy in the PCG, an "evangelist", taking to social media crowing over his son taking part in a dance competition which ran during the period and boasting about the result, and all done on church money! How does that fit into the theme of the festival? That is the point of the post.
Stephen Flurry famously related an incident, when during a dance competition, the issue of the Sabbath came up going right down to the wire. I remember sitting in services thinking to myself, did he really say that? A few months later Stephen Flurry carefully clarified what he meant during one of his squealing sermons. You could tell he had received a lot of questions over his earlier comment.
As far as Irish dancing is concerned, although there are definitely some in PCG field congregations who enjoy and participate in it, by and large the overwhelming majority of the general membership are being increasingly alienated by this obsession that you see coming out of HQ.
The Church's leadership would be alarmed if they knew the full extent of this hostility. Sadly, as with a lot of things in PCG, when anyone voices concerns about Irish dancing they are simply dealt with in the time-honored manner by being suspended. I do know of people who have left over the years or have been put out for having had "bad attitudes" about Irish dancing. Most have learned to sit there, smile and say nothing.
The majority in PCG simply grind their teeth when they see or hear anything about the musicals or the dancing. The unspoken consensus in the church is that because of this fixation of a few the entire church has lost its way
I agree with others above. If this had been regular lay members having their kids compete the ministry would have told them to keep their focus on Christ resurrection and the coming out of this Satan influenced world during these days. But since it is Stephen's son and Brad MacD's son same rules do not apply.
As much as I disagree with the ridiculous flurry cult, you are showing yourself to be ridiculous also.
Please give me proof the little kid misses the Passover. And that ridiculous statement about using church funds. As if that preacher doesn't draw a personal salary. (we could discuss that amount of course).
The former wcg tabloid wwn was full of funny and crazy hobbies of members. I m sorry I you only got to participate in the "common" activities. I never could since my area was so small I could only participate in activities with my schoolfriends. (better as it seems now)
I agree the focus on the Irish dancing seems unbalanced. But it seems these people believe the Irish were Israel and so by definition they believe they are serving the Lord by dancing Davids original dance as a celebration.
Of course like the Christians they know nothing about the origins of Easter and the Celtic fertility dancing an rituals, the mating with the Green man, the May dancing.
No. They think Robin Hood is a Disney character.
Aha Green Men, Maidens, Britons, May fertility festivals.
Get the gist?
Nck
Look guys.
I am not against you.
I firmly believe that they are setting a fine example of wholesome interacting with what nutcases would call "the world."
Just as HWA to me akways set a fine example of seeking medical attention if that would have been required. Whatever us claimed by anyone.
I guess I m healthy and sane because I only looked at the examples set not sp much the pharaseic talk. I urge everyone of faith or without to abandon pharaseic talk and walk according to logic.
Nck
If there were a gay gene, the Flurries and Hillikers both have it, which means Jude has a double dose. However, city boys are four times as likely to be gay, which means environment (like hanging around the PCG sissies at HQ) is more likely the real cause.
I have come to the conclusion that unleavened bread should not be exclusively self examination, but should also include examining other people and our moral environment. You can look at this as fulfilling our responsibility of 'give honour to whom honour is due.' The emphasis should be in self, but not exclusively, which incidentally is what this site does. Abusive people such as ministers want to be psychology invisible to their victims, (a moral blank check) so they will hardly agree with this.
You cannot deal appropriately with others unless you comprehend their character and motives. This means looking long and hard at others, since people wear Pharisaic masks. Christ would have done this with His 'beware of the Pharisees because ....'
This site forfills this role to a good degree with the slivers and their gangster ministers.
2.13 PM
You can also compare people voting for Trump to the cargo cult. As Wikipedia expresses it:
"The name [cargo cult] derives from the belief which began among Melanesians in the late 19th and early 20th century that various ritualistic acts such as the building of an airplane runway [voting for Trump] will result in the appearance of material wealth, particularly highly desirable Western goods (i.e., "cargo"), via Western airplanes."
I believe it is wrong to bully or even speak about real kids in derogatory manner on the internet. I also believe that the webmonitor should (in a week or so after we all had a good laugh of course) delete the postings about children that are real.
That being said.
I also believe that Oklahoman kids have their ways of dealing with reality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZaCiP2_2RM
nck
NCK said "But it seems these people believe the Irish were Israel and so by definition they believe they are serving the Lord by dancing Davids original dance as a celebration>"
The Bible doesn't say that Irish dancing is what David did.
Wouldn't it be hilarious if we discovered in the millennium that all the stuff the ACOGs thought came from the Israelites (like Irish dancing and World War II haircuts) really came from Nimrod?
Welcome to Armstrongism where the ministers get to project their likes on to God, and their dislikes on to Satan!
BB
Considering how the PCG destroys families even driving people to suicide, its pretty rich to complain about critisizing their kids on a blog their kids will never read.
Anonymous,
I only criticize the illiterates that a) cannot even read that I wrote "the Davidic dance" is what "THEY" believe. Or b) Do not distinghuish between, behavior, parenting, or whatever criticism might have or explicitly naming childrens names.
I say you are either an evil person or just an inexperienced youngster both in matters of parenting or online media. Or perhaps you hail from an area without broadband. I only speak for kids or other freedoms. Not defending the evils you mention.
Id go for the latter.
Nck
When it comes to the PCG it's all about being a man. What hypocrites, if this is manly behavior it makes me sick. If my son wanted to get involved in this I'd put a stop to it emediatly. There's no way a son of mine would be involved in an activity that makes him look like a Queer!
They haven't figured it out yet. After pointing their fingers at everyone else,They're the Laodiceans. They're rich and increased with goods, spiritually blind and naked to their own self-righteousness, think they're in need of nothing because they bought all of HWAs books and they're Lukewarm.
I think what you're really trying to say is, the picture looks Satanic.
True.
Post a Comment