This was taken from the Good News of February 1980. A Teenager wrote to the Editor with what he thinks should be a focus of the Church. Obviously, by reprinting this, the Editors seem to agree.
What do they agree on?
That Satan's after Herbert Armstrong.
That Satan's after the 18-year old author.
That the devil's after everybody.
That the devil's after the church - and that everyone should know this.
Where's Jesus in the picture? Anywhere? Bueller? BUELLER???
ht: from a reader here
Satan was vanquished and restrained by Jesus Christ. Christians (whether they keep Saturday or Sunday, or whether they consider every day their sabbath rest) don’t have to worry about Satan. Whatever bad things happen in their lives or in short circuiting their goals are a matter of probability and circumstance, and Christians are often even delivered from those.
ReplyDeleteThe Armstrong movement falsely attributed their own negative curcumstances to Satan in an attempt to validate themselves. In fact, that accomplished exactly the opposite! Had they been of God, they’d be strong and unsplintered today, and if they were chosen to get out an endtimes message (assuming this were the endtimes), they’d be getting it out with power.
The question is, who is Satan?
ReplyDeleteThe orgasmic Pan like animal spirit, dancing like Mick Jagger video speeded up, or the cunning Jesuit with an IQ of 180 points on the scale of western middle class testing planning 100.000 years in advance every detail to attack that sperm on its way to be gods?
Nck
How did a teen boy come to that conclusion anyway? No girls with bossoms like grapevines in the Plattsmout Neb congregation or a nice squaw with eyes like deer not to be touched?
ReplyDeleteOh boy....,,,Saaaaatan get away from me.
Nck
Perhaps I'm cynical, but I question the real source of some of the letters to the editors. Knowing the level of deceit in these churches, I wouldn't be surprised that the staff writes some of these letters.
ReplyDeleteI got that impression at times too, 11:15, especially with Youth magazine's advice column.
DeleteIf you have reasonably good Google skills, you'll be able to confirm that the letter-writer grew up and moved to the (relatively) big city, got a college degree, and now works for a catering company that, as part of its business, serves pork on the Sabbath. I'm going to guess that the adult Mr. Murphy greatly regrets that letter.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how simple life becomes when you see the bible for what it is: a man devised book full of truth and error, as well as some good and some very bad advice. Once you stop worshiping the bible, you will have time to focus on the realities of living life. Many previous worries just disappear over time.
ReplyDeleteReligion and worrying about biblical prophecy is a complete waste of your time and energy. Until you recognize this basic fact, much of your life's energy will be misdirected.
Think about it. Do you honestly believe the bible was written for people living in the 21st Century??
"Perhaps I'm cynical, but I question the real source of some of the letters to the editors. Knowing the level of deceit in these churches, I wouldn't be surprised that the staff writes some of these letters."
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure it would have gone around in the grapevine if the church had made up the name and location of the author, especially in the local Nebraska regions. I don't think that would have really gone very far with them getting away with that. Someone would call BS on it.
If it was the Plain Truth, maybe they could have gotten away with it. But since it was GN, and specifically said it was a church teen, it seems to me to be quite legit.
Though I will say that the WN around the same time had a whole front page dedicated to articles all about the power of Satan. Perhaps that's also what this teen saw and influenced his mind.
No one seemed to have come to rush to point the teen to Jesus Christ, though, that's for sure. It's just fear of the devil and losing your "protection" if you leave the church.
"How did a teen boy come to that conclusion anyway? No girls with bossoms like grapevines in the Plattsmout Neb congregation or a nice squaw with eyes like deer not to be touched?"
ReplyDeleteThere were more than a few of us who were teenagers in the church who were really, really serious about the church and it's teachings. Maybe only a couple per congregation, and only in some congregations, but we were there. Then the Day of Decision came in 1994-1995 and blasted those of us who were just coming to adulthood around that time - blasting our minds with 1,000T of brain-wracking dynamite. Some went this way, some went that, some here, some there. And yes NCK, I'm sure guite a few of them said "forget it all" and decided to go shopping for grapes.
There is a Timothy R Murphy living in Omaha Neb. who is the exact right age , and who lived in Plattsville , so Im willing to bet that he is a real person. Phone number is listed, perhaps someone might want to give him a call!
ReplyDeleteFrom "Been Verified"...
Timothy R Murphy
City: Omaha, Nebraska Age: 57
Relatives: Merlene M Murphy, Richard D Murphy, Kathleen M Al
Phone Number: 402-344-8871
Email: timm****@gmail.com
Addresses: 149 N 31st Ave Apt 3, Omaha, NE; 149 N 31st Ave, Omaha, NE; 2922 Jackson St, Omaha, NE
Previous Locations: Plattsmouth, NE
Assuming he did exist, the writer would be about 56 years old now. Does he still live? Did Satan catch up with him?
ReplyDelete11.55 AM
ReplyDeleteExactly. In fact the staff wrote 'your comment' in order to encourage comments.
I'm not sure it is appropriate to publish Timothy's phone, email and address without his permission.
ReplyDeleteWe all had our “snapshots in time”. Any one of us probably did at one time have the same beliefs and attitudes that Timothy expressed in the letter.
ReplyDeleteThe error is on the part of whatever organization chose to reprint it, bringing it into the present, and actually using Timothy’s name without determining whether he still maintained these same beliefs. Apparently, although the name Timothy R. Murphy is a common name (there are 10 listed in the White Pages for my state), several people here were able to trace the name in Nebraska, and one to verify that the guy’s company sells pork on the sabbath. Had the ACOG which reprinted this letter done their due diligence, they would have perhaps seen the wisdom in redacting the name, and presenting the letter as a generic representation of a teenager’s attitude from the ‘80s. People change their outlooks all the time. Staunch liberals become conservatives later in life, believers become nonbelievers (and vice versa), stingy people become philanthropists, straight people go gay, racists become tolerant, and there are all manner of other changes that people undergo based on their continuing experiences. But, the ACOGs have always gone shopping for materials and opinions that agree with them, rather than following a true evidentiary trail.
Right on, Dennis. Some of our bulls in this little china closet of ours will probably call Timothy, and ask him "So what's this I hear about you selling pork on God's holy sabbath???".
ReplyDeleteAt least they didn't list his social security number!
BB
2:01
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right!
We are missing the point that this letter is a reaction to an earlier article.
The "teen" is turning 19........... I remember very well feeling that between the age of 18 and 21 I would "lose" the "special protection of the blessing of the little children" and felt some pressure to enhage in the "adult covenant" of baptism and have to make some real decisions.
The remarks about "christians" being protected are not quite accurate. The 18 year old boy raised in the church would have "felt" the magical star trek protective shield diminishing in power and the need to replace it with a new updated one, expressing this concern in a letter at least for the time being letting god know publicly to not forsake him during the process.
Nck
People looked to the ritual blessing of the little children for that?
DeleteI remember having an “oh shit!” moment during my senior year in high school when my mom suddenly cornered me with “What is keeping you from getting baptized?” She had heard that some of the teenagers in the congregations of neighboring major cities had recently been baptized and thought there was something wrong with me that I hadn’t. I explained to her that it was a very serious thing, and something that I wouldn’t be pressured into doing, but would do it in my own time when I felt ready. Talk about an unexpected confrontation!
7:32
ReplyDeleteI don't think "people were looking for that". It"s just that 99% of non baptized christians are promised a one way ticket to hell and " the blessing" offered some special protection against the wiles of the evil one until the age of discernment.
It seems the 18 year old "letterboy" is reaching that age and is realizing that increased ability of discernment comes with a larger amount of persecution.
That is the way of all people and the first to come persecute you is "the tax authority" and then other functions of government, perhaps the draft, then the fast food companies and by the age of 21 you will be fully assimilated in the economic system and enslaved by a mortage.
Please stand by the 18 year olds of this world as they stand at the treshold of life. They are a persecuted minority and motorically disturbed with half matured brains, pity them :-)
Nck