It is always fun watching Church of Gods battle it out amongst themselves over how many souls they can add to their groups. Today in the Church of God we have two self-appointed leaders who think they are doing the best work that has ever been accomplished in Africa. The battle is going on between Almost-arrested, but not-arrested Bob Thiel and Dingy Wade Cox. Both have the same acronym, CCG.
Thiel claims he is drawing in thousands and thousands of members in Africa to his improperly named "continuing" Church of God, while Wade Cox says he is also bringing thousands in Africa into his improperly named "christian" Churches of God.
Several years ago Dingy Cox claimed that he had converted 1/2 of the entire African continent into his group. He was widely mocked and proven to be a complete fool. That still has never stopped him as he tries to poach SDA's and other COG groups for followers.
It is also equally sad that there are probably sincere people who are desperately looking to follow Christ, but they will never find him in either of these two silly personality cults.
Wade CoxJanuary 13 at 6:32pmWell God has been dealing with the churches in Africa this week and we suspect there will be increases following now in Africa. We had church groups leaving the Armstrong offshoots and asking to be inducted to CCG in East Africa and in Benin in West Africa this last week. So also people in Brazil and elsewhere.The fun thing about all of this is that these Africans they are both so desperate to convert are the same people who have jumped from one COG after another and from one Seventh Day Adventist Church after another. Whoever has the money gets the newest converts. Of course, both of the white Bwana's think they are the new saviours of Africa with their own version of the "truth."
Several years ago Dingy Cox claimed that he had converted 1/2 of the entire African continent into his group. He was widely mocked and proven to be a complete fool. That still has never stopped him as he tries to poach SDA's and other COG groups for followers.
It is also equally sad that there are probably sincere people who are desperately looking to follow Christ, but they will never find him in either of these two silly personality cults.
With any luck, these new converts will bankrupt both of these splinter cults. One can only dream.
14 comments:
Perhaps Bwana Bob and Bwana Ron are the Two Bwanas of Revelation
When I first saw this article I thought it said white banana.
Neither Wade or Bob can properly spiritually feed any converts. Even the XCOGs only feed their members spiritual milk. And that by design - keep the sheep spiritually poor and beaten down to maintain minister superiority. How despicable is that?
The word Bwana brings back many good memories.
If all true we could replace the blowin' of the shofar with the call of Johnny Weismuller.
nck
Again at 3:15 we get the recurring complaint about COG members getting only spiritual milk, whatever that is. I don't remember any clear definition, or any examples.
The complaint suggests an opening, though, in the crowded field of new COGs. Somebody should start the Ground Mutton Church of God. I suggest this motto:
NO MILK. JUST STRONG MEAT.
This COG could distinguish itself from the others by enforcing the kosher ban against serving meat and dairy together.
Retired Prof, I think you (and the critics you mention) are quite mistaken. ACOG members have been getting a bunch of bull from their ministers for as long as I can remember.
Great term for Thiel, Cox as EXPLOITIVE COG COLONIALISTS in Africa...
PIRANHA BWANAS !
Youse gotta also get the doctrinal hallucination part of the equation into Armstrongism. Piranha Marijuana Bwana!
BB
spiritual milk, strong meat
My take on the HWA doctrinal wedgie method is to lure potential members with candy and junk food. Any strong meat is overshadowed by the side dishes and desserts. The problem come from diabetics, vegetarians and the lactose intolerant.
Retired Prof
The definition of spiritual milk? Hmm, the same message without a new slant or information is spiritual milk. New subject matter that is relevant to everyday living is meat by contrast.
Two examples. First negotiation, there are many examples of negotiation in the bible. For instance, Christ told Peter that He will have no part of him unless he washes the disciples feet. There are dozens of such examples in the bible. Has anyone ever heard a sermon on negotiation??
Oh, I just remembered, the church teaches the give way. So why negotiate? Just give people what they ask. So don't hold your breathe expecting a sermon on this.
Second, I'm presently reading a spiritually meaty book (all 300 pages) called 'Envy a theory of social behaviour' by Helmut Schoeck. Their are many examples of envy in the bible. Has anyone ever heard a sermon on envy??
Oh, I just remembered, the ministers are envy ridden of their betters, so no sermon on this.
The whole purpose of going to church is to be spiritually fed, but it doesn't happen. And don't try to paint me a nag Prof cause this involves peoples salvation and eternal reward. So it's not some minor point.
3:47, do you know the difference between a negotiation and an ultimatum? "My way or the highway" (which is what Jesus said) is an ultimatum.
Anon 3:47, thanks for the explanation.
And don't worry. I'm not going to scold you for dwelling on points I consider minor. We human beings are all casting about for ways to alleviate the tedium of this dreary interval between birth and death. One favorite strategy is to take some trivial simple accomplishment, such as dropping a small ball into eighteen holes in succession, and then erecting barriers to make it difficult, such as standing three hundred yards away and trying to knock it in with a club. If the ensuing difficulties don't arouse enough interest, we place bets on the outcome. In addition, sometimes we reward those who succeed with outlandish sums of money.
Another strategy is to argue about things we can never know the answer to, such as whether imperceptible beings exist, and if so what rituals they want us to perform and when, what taboos they want us to observe, and how they will treat us when we obey, defy, or simply ignore their wishes. If the arguments themselves don't arouse enough interest, we raise the stakes by saying eternal life hangs in the balance. This idea gives scoundrels such as Gerald Flurry and Dave Pack the leverage they need in order to monetize the game and rake in outlandish sums of money.
Trouble is, if you decide to play by taking out a membership in one of the COGs, you will become one of the schlubs supplying the money, and the religion game will get even more expensive than golf. The good news is, we non-members can play for free if we find the right venue. _Banned_ is an excellent venue.
6.38 PM
'If you brother refuses to repent, treat him like a heathen' is also a ultimation, and a negotiation. Gods blessings and curses are a type of negotiation as well. There are everyday negotiations in the bible such as Jacob informing God that he will tithe if He agrees to be his God. Abraham negotiated the price of his wife's burial site is another. Jeremiah negotiated with the king that he will only pass on Gods message if he protects him from those who wanted to harm him. In the NT, the workers in the field negotiated a fee of one penny for a days labor.
Negotiation presupposes self love and self interest, both taboo in the Herb church culture. So no sermons are coming.
No forgetting, as we all know, the Pharisee ministers are very much into self love and self interest. One standard for me, another for thee.
i CAN TELL YOU THAT ALL THOSE WADE COX AND THIEL REPORTING ARE FAKE,THEY ARE BEING LIED TO BY THEIR LEAD MEN WHO ARE OUT TO GET MONEY FROM THEM.
THE TRUTH IS THAT THOSE CHURCHES HAS FEW FOLLOWERS
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