20th Anniversary of The Painful Truth

The Painful Truth

It is hard to believe it has been 20 some years since Ed Mentell, Sr. started The Painful Truth website to document the abuses in the Church of God.  The PT is the "granddaddy" of all of the sites critical of Armstrongism and the Church of God.  From the days of the WCG upheavals in 1996 to the present day upheavals that STILL occupy the church, the PT has been there holding leaders accountable.

Of the many subjects the site covers, one of the more popular has been, You might have grown up in the Worldwide Church of God if...

The PT also has the complete series of Ambassador Reports which were published in Pasadena and covered the shenanigans of church and Ambassador College leaders for many years.

You can still read Herbert Armstrong's letter to Rod Meredith here.

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG 
Tucson, March 14, 1980
President and Pastor 

Dear Rod: 

Your letters of February 1 and March 7 show, I am sorry to say, that either you still cannot understand WHY the living Head of God's Church, Jesus Christ, had you sent to Hawaii, or you are unwilling to see or admit--and I prefer to believe the former. There is no point in telling you this letter is written in LOVE for YOU -- for you ought to know that without my saying it. But out of love for you, and DESIRE to see you back as PART OF GOD'S TEAM, working in full co-operation and right attitude with the rest of us; I shall take time and space to make it clear once for all this time. I have tried to hold the mirror up for you to see yourself as others see you. But still you don't see in that mirror the same YOU that others see--or are unwilling--I hope not the latter. But now I must be SURE!

I shall speak plainly, candidly. If this letter hurts, I quote from a letter the Apostle Paul sent to brethren at Corinth: ''For though I made you angry with a letter, I do not repent ... for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance, for ye were made sorry after a godly, manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorry worketh repentance to salvation ... but the sorrow of the world worketh death.'' (11 Cor. 7:8-10)....

John Kiesz (Church of God 7 Day) wrote a letter about his early days with Herbert Armstrong.  You can read that here,  John Kiesz Recalls Herbert W Armstrong’s Early Ministry.

The Painful Truth also has kept the HWA incest story at the forefront of the Church of God movement.  Various COG cult leaders, like Bob Thiel, have tried to disprove the story and have always failed.

There is also The Painful Truth Blog which carries more up to date events and allows readers to comment.

Stop by and check out the checkered history of the Church of God movement.  It is not a pretty story which is at times disturbing, appalling and unbelievable, yet it is a story we have all experienced and of which much more are still trapped in.

Long may it continue to disturb the sensibilities of the Church of God!

Roderick C Meredith Dies

Offical LCG Statment

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dr. Roderick C. Meredith, Presiding Evangelist of the Living Church of God.  He had been suffering from cancer and died peacefully late Thursday night, May 18, 2017.  He would have been 87 years old in June and took his 67th Passover this year.  He is survived by his 6 children, 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Dr. Meredith was one of the first evangelists ordained by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in 1952 and spent 64 years in the Work that Christ began through Mr. Armstrong.  He was active in the Work until recent months. The Living Church of God, which Dr. Meredith raised up, has more than 350 congregations in 55 countries worldwide. He is succeeded as Presiding Evangelist by Mr. Gerald E. Weston.

Even after the partial paralysis of a stroke in 2008, Dr. Meredith pushed himself to continue to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world and to shepherd the flock. His greatest wish was for the Work in which he labored for so long to go forward in unity and power under Jesus Christ.  We look forward to seeing him again in the resurrection at Christ’s return.

The funeral is scheduled for Sunday, May 28 with Mr. Richard F. Ames presiding. An additional announcement will be made with details.

The family requests that donations be made to the Living Church of God in lieu of sending flowers.

Prayers are requested for God’s comfort and peace for his beloved family.

I get all excited Saturday morning knowing I get to preach

Ever so humble Dave Pack:

You know, you better understand why, when we’re going to wade in…Can I just tell you, brethren. I’ve been trained to do it. That’s why God raised up a shepherd. Mr. Armstrong’s background was a little different. I’m a shepherd…I’d still love to be one. I love my calling. And believe me, I wasn’t complaining earlier about my difficult schedule. I get up every Sabbath morning, and I’m almost like a kid in a candy shop. I can’t wait to distribute this marvelous knowledge, so everybody else can know what God is showing me, and we can all know it together. Oh, I love it! So there’s no complaint there. But I do hope you’ll understand—I’m trained for this. I led the way alone the last time.

Dave cannot wait to get up every Saturday so he can dispense his superfantabulous knowledge to his little minions.

Yes, Bob Thiel, Dave was trained to do this mighty work, YOU were not!  You self-appointed yourself.  Dave is the rightful heir to the church, YOU are not. Besides, Dave was created for this very day, YOU were not.  It must be so humiliating to know Dave is so superfantabulous and YOU are not.

Dave Pack: The WCG Would Have Killed Me If They Could Have

The Church of God Chief Narcissist is making another outlandish claim about his superfantabulous self. Has there ever been a man born on earth who is as awesome as Dave is?  How long will it be till he declares he was immaculately conceived?

Dave claims he is the ONLY man to stand up to the WCG and the Tkach's over the doctrinal changes.   Dave thinks that the Tkach's and others were so incensed by his actions that they wanted to kill him, instead, they threw him out on his ass and marked him.

The way the Catholics come in…And I’ll take you in a moment to this; it will help you understand the fraud…it opens kind of like this—“if you like your doctor, you can keep him…If you like your Sabbath, you can keep it…If you like your policy, you can keep it…If you like your Holy Days, you can keep it…and the prices will go down.” I watched this system, and brethren, I want to say something that I hope, I hope shocks you. I watched this system. I have actually already…I am the only man on Earth, who, by himself, already went up against this system. That’s why I wrote There Came a Falling Away.

I know what they would have done to me if they could. They would have killed me, but they threw me out—marked me all over the world. It’s the same system—people who came in God’s Name—who, eventually many other people realized weren’t of God at all. But I went up against it, and I dealt with it. I called leaders—by myself. That’s why I was the first man fired. And I saw how they would come in and “bait and switch.” “We’re not going to get rid of the Law, Sabbath and Holy Days.” I kept saying, “Yes they are!”

Never fear though, Dave escaped with his life so that his god could use him to bring 15,000 people out of the WCG.

I even escaped before it really got bad, you know? And helped a lot of other people escape. So in a way, and I’m not trying to brag, I was just…all I was…I used to tell people, “Don’t make me a villain or a hero. I’m neither one. I’m just a guy who signed a contract in the blood of Jesus Christ, and I’m not going to break it. If a lot of people are with me…great! If it’s only a few…not great, but that’s okay. I don’t care. I didn’t sign on for whether there were a lot or a few.” And I said that over and over and over and over and over and over again. I’m not a hero and I’m not a villain. I’m just a guy who’s going to keep his word, since it was signed in my Savior’s blood. You think the same way but I just want you to know—been there and done that.

Super Dave!

So you might ask…It might be inspiring to you…You’ll know a little bit more about me…if I’ve waded into the first perilous—dangerous—furious time—by myself…do you think I won’t do it the next time? Don’t kid yourself. That’s why I wrote all the books about how to get out. I was assassinated…Believe me, they would have killed me, if they could. You’ve got to understand the system. There’s nothing new under the sun.

So…I went up against the system and escaped. So I hope, in a way, that inspires you. I’m not trying to go…hey, pat me on the back here. I’m going to show you how all of you…what escape looks like…when all of you, individually, know that you did. I’m going to tell you exactly what happens. That’s next week. But I thought you might find it encouraging that I…It could be said, I know whereof I speak.

Still waiting for HWA and GTA to come back and whip the world into shape

It is amazing that there are still some in the church that feel Herbert Armstrong is going to be resurrected to come back as one of the two witless witnesses.  How can he really come back when Bob Thiel, Gerald Flurry and Dave Pack, all claim they or their minions will be the two witnesses.  Just how many COG witless witnesses does the world need?

The Kitchen clan has this up on Facebook:

These two anointed ones all apart of this same golden lampstand that is with mr. Herbert W Armstrong!  

Only one Church - the worldwide Church of God! 

Since Zerubabbel is listed as one of the anointed ones, mr. Armstrong fulfilling this end time type, and since God only works through one man at a time, the second anointed one must be the main of the two witnesses!

Apparently one of HWA's assistants will also come back to life to stand next to HWA as the troll the streets of Jerusalem for a few days.   Far too many believe this to be Garner Ted.  That is why he needs "cleaned up."  There can't be any whoremongerer calling down fire from heaven when he has his eye on some nubile middle eastern woman.

If you listen to Gerald Waterhouse's sermons you will find that the second witness only gives witness to the first Witness! The Joshua the high-priest type mentioned​ in Zechariah 3 and 4 was an assistant to mr. Armstrong! He will give witness the main Witness! He was there!

But the second Witness will need to be cleaned up first. 

The entire world will soon be worshipping at the feet of Herbert.  As ususal,, Jesus is no where to be seen.

But notice worldwide Church of God under Herbert W Armstrong is the spiritual Temple that Jesus Christ will return to! Before mr. Armstrong the great Mountain Babylon will be made low. So when Jesus Christ returns with his bride his church Babylon will be stopped. Need Revelation 3 and verse 9 and read how the synagogue of Satan or return to worship God at the feet of God's apostle mr. Herbert W Armstrong knowing that God loves him​. 

Not some other Church but the church that Christ raised up to Herbert W Armstrong called the worldwide Church of God! That is the only lampstand the candlestick that is here today.
And it will be the one that continues into the world tomorrow!

There is no candlestick today. No lampstand.  No two trees. No prophet.  No apostle. No witless witnesses.  The "worldwide" Church of God is dead.  Hundreds and hundreds of splinter groups being lead by liars and false prophets who enslave their members with legalistic bullshit.  That is no legacy of Herbert Armstrong to look up to.

Egyptians are a hybrid race of a mix of human and alien

What was the alien’s mission? To announce the arrival of his species who had expressed their interest towards the Egyptian people. The Pharaoh held the visitor in high regards and the papyrus scroll claims that the Great Pyramid was actually built as a receptacle for the crystal capsule containing the small humanoid.

This is the kind of idiocy that Wade Cox 

post on the church Facebook page for his cult:

Evidence To Show The Egyptians Were Helped By Aliens

Wade Cox Claims Time Is Short For Muslims To Correct Error's Of Armstrongism

The Koran or Qur’an is an important work that is the Holy Testament 

of approximately one billion people. 

Few understand its original message and intent. 

It is correctly a commentary on the Bible by

 the Unitarian Sabbatarians in Arabia in the seventh century of the Current Era.  

Wade Cox

If you thought the Church of God could not get any crazier, then check this out from Wade Cox. The deluded mind of Cox is presently working on a "commentary" on the Koran, from an Armstrongist point of view. According to him the Muslims are to directly intervene in the sad state of affairs in the Churches of God and correct their mistakes.  Did I say things couldn't get any crazier????

We only have a very short time to finish our job and to reach the Arab tribes both the Arabs of Keturah and the Arabicised Arabs of Ishmael and of the other Shia and Hadithic Muslims in the world. We have less than Seven years and we must be finished by 2024 in order to save the lives of the one claiming to be Muslims and also those claiming to be Christians. We have much less time to save those claiming to be of the churches of God. They of the Sardis and Laodiceans will be exterminated by the end of the Witnesses and the arrival of the Messiah.

It is critical that they understand and realise that they have to correct the errors of the Armstrong offshoots and the COG (SD) and also the errors of the E. G White of the SDAs and the errors of the JWs. Never has there been a time where the churches of God and the Sabbath system been so corrupted and where Hadithic and Shia Islam has been such a poison among mankind.

As if any Muslim is going to waste their time trying to "correct" Armstrongism.  It is laughable beyond belief.

Cox claims he has the correct calendar that the church should be using.  James Malm claims the same thing.  Bob Thiel claims the same thing too.  Various COG's claim they do.  Yet, not a single one of them know what they are talking about.  Besides, it is NOT a salvation issue.

The paganised Arabs when they took over Islam and the Jews when they were banished in 70 CE at the fall of the Temple destroyed their calendar, following their heresy, under the Will of God. Hillel II issued the false calendar in 358 CE. Paganised Islam destroyed their calendar at the end of the Eighth century CE 

Enoch and Elijah Getting Ready To Open A Big Can Of Whoop Ass

Leave it to those fun and crazy guys in the "christian" Church of "god", or the Coxites, as many know them.  Thanks to deluded teachings for Wade Cox, his personality cult believes that the two witless witnesses are Enoch and Elijah who will come back to raise Coxite hell in Jerusalem.  While other COG's believe these witless witnesses will arise from within the COG, the Coxites see it differently.

The Coxites also do not believe that Enoch and Elijah were transported anywhere past the orbit of the
earth, where they have apparently been circling the earth for a couple millennia now.  During that time they have been planning their strategy by using the millions of Sabbatarian CCG members in Africa that Wade has converted as their army.  Since Wade has converted half of the African continent into his personality cult, it is going to be one huge army of Sabbath keepers with a few million Muslims thrown in for good measure, since they too are part of God's Wade's "true" church.

Russell Hilburn We were all originally called keepers of the way because we all walk the path with Messiah. Anyone who follows the the path taught by preachers of righteousness such as Enoch are walking with God. Enoch followed the path of righteousness on earth and was credited as walking with God. He was then taken in a Fiery Chariot to travel in time in near orbit. Not to the throne of God. Enoch stopped off and picked up Elijah because he needed to bum a ride to the Last Days. They will both show up together in Jerusalem with a bung wrench to open up the 55 gallon barrel of WA. May 4 at 8:44pm

Enoch and Elijah are no more orbiting of the earth in a chariot than Wade is a prophet of God.  Enoch and Elijah died and were buried.

Gerald Weston: Lentil Soup, Satan's Tool For Keeping You Out Of The Kingdom

Gerald Weston has an article up on the Living Church of God member site (Choose life over lentils) trying to encourage LCG members to "fight the good fight" and stay loyal to the LCG, otherwise, you most likely will be eating Satan's lentil soup.

How many have we known along the way who dropped out of the race? What form of lentil soup were they pursuing? What difficulty was so great that they would toss in the towel and give up eternal life? Clearly, they lost the vision or never had it. Sadly, most never realized the gravity of the choice they were making. What about you? Do you recognize how the little decisions each day—whether to pray, whether to study, whether to fast, whether to give of yourself for others—all add up to whether you are choosing eternal life or lentil soup?

What Weston fails to realize is that those who leave the LCG are NOT turning their backs on eternal life, or freedom in Christ, or any other thing you want to call it.  The fact is their very life may depend upon leaving LCG!  Sanity and human dignity are required by many to make that choice compared to remaining shackled to the legalistic mumbo-jumbo that the church passes off as "truth."

Weston starts his article off in typical COG fashion, continually ingraining in members that their salvation is forfeited if they leave the church.

 Make Your Decisions with Care

The Bible reveals that the decisions we make today should be made with care, as they may carry with them long-term consequences. Esau realized too late that his birthright was of far greater value than a bowl of soup. He was tired and hungry. How could he know? Then again, how could he not know? God tells us he despised his birthright and, “afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:17). As we are told in Genesis 27:38, “And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.” The die was cast! Imagine what it will be like in the resurrection when he realizes, to a degree he could never understand in his lifetime, the value of that bowl of lentils: the incredible real estate later given to the sons of Joseph! 

Weston goes on to state that those who leave the church have no vision in their life, who gave up on the church and therefore have turned their back on Weston's god.

Yet there are those who have little vision and who trade away the Kingdom of God for today’s lentil soup. Luke 9:57–62 gives three examples of men called to follow Christ, but who apparently chose to act on other priorities. While the rewards of discipleship are wonderful beyond our imagination, the immediate cost can be significant to mere humans such as you and me. This is why we are told we must “count the cost,” and why we normally review Luke 14:26 and the verses that follow prior to baptizing someone. For Jesus declared, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” We understand that “hate” here means to “love less by comparison,” yet some have been forced to choose between a spouse and obedience to God. Others have had to make a choice that disappoints and angers their parents. And how many have lost jobs or been passed over for promotions for following God’s Truth? 

The church has always held up as "spiritual martyr's" those that leave spouses or their jobs in order to belong to the church. If the church was actually a new covenant church then this would NEVER be an issue.  These so-called "martyr's" ruined some part of their lives because they followed men who placed more importance upon the rules and their own man-made interpretations than following a life of grace, mercy and freedom.  Freedom is anathema in the Church of God.  How dare people want to be free from the shackles of the law! How dare they might possibly screw things up in life and move onward without fear, instead of wallowing in guilt and shame. Damn Jesus for ever giving a hint of the concept where grace, mercy and love trump the law.

Then Weston makes the following absurd statement:

None of this should come as a surprise to those who read the scriptures, but did we ever hear a sermon on this subject in the churches that some of us once attended? I never did! And what about this passage? “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:34–37). We should never take these words lightly or think that Jesus did not mean them!

I don't know what planet he was on, but this has been the ongoing message the church has pawned off on members for decades.  The god that the church has always preferred is the god who was coming with a sword, the god that is eternally pissed off, and the god who is filled with extreme wrath.

Be damned the good Samaritan who helps the person by the side of the road. Be damned the person who reaches out a hand to the prostitute and makes them a person of worth.  Be damned the person who cooks a meal for a homeless person on the street. Jesus screwed up the picture and COG leaders are not happy about it.

Because Weston and his cronies have turned their backs on new covenant understanding, they have to continually be in a battle fighting for their salvation. It is exhausting work for these guys, as they have been doing it for 40/50/60 some years. For a person who understands the new covenant they know that the battle has been fought, victory has been accomplished and peace is found in being at rest, knowing they no longer have to fight.  The good fight has been fought and won.

Weston ends using one more dose of fear. Anyone that dares to leave the church will be wailing and gnashing their teeth over that decision at some point in the future.

There are several references in the New Testament describing a future day when some will weep and gnash their teeth over the poor decisions they made. They will only understand after gaining a glimpse into what they traded away. Right now, we do not know all that God has in mind for His faithful children. How can we know? We are physical, mortal beings. God is Spirit and eternal. But we can trust our Heavenly Father. And we can do as Moses, who chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (Hebrews 11:25–26, KJV).

Weston and his ilk in the COG want church members to continue to trust like Moses instead of trusting like Jesus did. They never seem to say much about anything the dude did, but sure love to talk about Jewish heroes. Because that misplaced devotion is on rules, Weston and the LCG cannot for upon spiritual and eternal things that make new covenant Christians perfectly at peace and perfectly comfortable LEAVING the LCG.

No one's salvation is at stake for leaving the Living Church of God. God is not going to damn you to the lake of fire. In fact, your very life may depend upon leaving the church, given the bloody track record of LCG history.

LCG Members Now Being Encouraged To Go To Satan's Colleges/Universities In Order To Earn Higher Incomes So They Can Give More To The Church

The Chruch of God has a rich history in disdaining and mocking higher education.  It was always labelled higher education as Satan's education in Satan's colleges and schools.  Part of that disdain came from Herbert Armstrong being ridiculed by his peers for not having a college education.  In his proud, arrogant and boastful mindset, he set about to prove them all wrong by spending countless hours parked in public libraries when he should have been out working at a job and providing for his family.  Armstrong also felt that by associating and being seen with highly successful business men, interviewing them and emulating them, would make him look more educated than he actually was.

Church members were conditioned to look upon the Ambassador Colleges as God's colleges and therefore anything outside of Ambassador was Satan's colleges.  The teachers at Ambassador went out of their way to reinforce to the students that they were at GOD'S COLLEGE and that their education was something more special and elite than anything they could ever receive in the outside world.  That was why they called the Pasadena college the Church of God's version of West Point.

Today in 2017, with several of the splinter groups running one room school house "colleges/universities" in their office buildings, that mindset still prevails.

Doug Winnail is determined to stop that way of thinking, at least in the Living Church of God.  Like everything in Armstrongism, there is an ulterior motive to his thinking.  With church members being educated in worldly colleges/universities or attending good trade colleges, members would have higher incomes and therefore have more money to send into HQ.  Church members should never forget that Meredith and McNair boys need to have expensive yearly paid vacations Feast trips to exotic locales.

The Value of Education: Over the years, some have concluded that getting an education is of little value to Christians. Since Satan is the god of this world, and Christians are commanded to come out of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4; 6:14-18), some have assumed that getting an education in this world is ungodly and/or a waste of time. Such ideas overlook how God has used individuals who were schooled in this world. Moses was raised as a prince in Egypt and was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22). Solomon was knowledgeable in many areas (1 Kings 4:32-34), and he collected wise sayings in the book of Proverbs. Daniel was one of several intelligent young Jewish captives who were educated in Babylon “in the language and literature of the Chaldeans” before they were used by God (Daniel 1:3-4). Paul studied at the feet of Gamaliel, the leading rabbi of his day (Acts 5:34-39; 22:3), before being used by God to write 14 books in the New Testament. Numerous studies show that more education and training in a trade result in larger incomes, and this enables Christians to provide better for their families and support for the Work of the Church. Christians who understand the Truth of God and the Plan of God should take advantage of the opportunities to gain an education and marketable skills that will help them prepare to serve others now and in the Kingdom of God. This is one of the reasons why we developed Living University—to help God’s people prepare to lead and teach in Tomorrow’s World.

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

It's always about the money.

LCG Dream Team turns into MASSIVE dud in Manhatten

From an LCG source:

It looks like our new dynamic leader is not the big draw he thought he would be in Manhatteen.  Could part of the reason be is that he paired up with Jonathan McNair?  Two uber-legalistic gestapo agents in the same room is not appealing to anyone, including LCG members who did not turn out to support this appearance.

Typical of a lacklustre ministry, they blamed the low turnout on something else other than their boring personalities and topic. It was those damn bikes in the city again!!!

You will notice that Weston does not list how many attended either session.  This is partly because this blog made fun of their last few failures. You continue to be a thorn in their privileged backsides.

With Mr Meredith days from dying, Weston is trying to make a name for himself and ends up failing every single time.  Members are waiting for Mr Meredith to die and when that happens you can expect people to start jumping ship into other COG's.

Last weekend Jonathan McNair and I gave a Tomorrow’s World Presentation in Manhattan, New York. The attendance was short of what we expected as there was a bike tour going on that cut off easy access to the hotel for many, including some members. Nevertheless, the afternoon session, which we billed to be for those who wanted to get further involved in this Work, went very well and we believe some will do exactly that. Mr. Rod McNair recorded a Tomorrow’s World telecast titled, “Hope for the Next Generation.” We are preparing for Living University graduation and Council of Elders meetings this coming week. Mr. Lambert Greer, Mideast United States Regional Director, is scheduled to give the sermon in Charlotte this week. Dr. Meredith continues to grow weaker and your prayers for him and for his family are appreciated at this trying time. Please remember to pray for God’s guidance upon the Council meetings coming up and for His protection for all those traveling for them.—Gerald Weston

"You Know I love You..."

 I Corinthians 13 kinda

If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, which you don't, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal, Dave and Gerry.  2 If I have the gift of prophecy, which you don't Bob, and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, which you can't, and if I have a faith that can move mountains,  which you have never done, but do not have love, I am nothing, which you are. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor, which you never have thought of doing, and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, which is not what you come up with to boast as you do,  but do not have love, I gain nothing, which you won't. 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

8 Love never fails. Unless someone disagrees with you of course. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; or never get off the ground in your case, where there are tongues, they will be stilled, or we could only hope in your case; where there is knowledge, which you lack in spades,  it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, and you still are,  I talked like a child, which you still do. I thought like a child,  ditto, I reasoned like a child. Yep, but when I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. Well not you.  12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, and you find yourself beautiful; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but you will figure it out by next week so just tune in; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love, well and your titles and delusions, stuff and simply terrible mistaken theology and grasp of scripture, history and context.

Why don't the abused speak back to fake religious power?

Why do they just sit there?

Why be insulted with no reaction?

Why be intimidated with no response?

Why don't they defend their own?

Why doesn't some say, "That sounds stupid"?

Why doesn't someone say "See, you were wrong"?

Why doesn't someone stand up and say "that's enough now"?

Why do they come back?

Why?

"love is arrogant and testy..."

"Umm..Pastor....That was my dad on the phone... my mom died"