Tomorrow's World, July/August 1970
In 1970, Rod Meredith described what he thought ministers in the COG should be like in the end times. The quotes above certainly do NOT describe any
Living Church of God minister or leader today.
"Without fear or favor..."
Current leaders of all the spinter groups do all they can to not offend anyone around.
Meredith's description does not even describe Bob Thiel, James Malm and the other henchmen currently leading various splinter groups.
Who would have ever guessed that 48-years later
the COG would be run by such weak, namby-pamby men?
nam·by-pam·byˌnambēˈpambē/
adjectivederogatory1.
lacking energy, strength, or courage; feeble or effeminate in behavior or expression.
"these weren't namby-pamby fights, but brutal affairs where heads hit the sidewalk"
synonyms:
clippings courtesy of SHT, comments mine
The change was apparent immediately when the WTM presenters started presenting from scripted teleprompter. My rationalization at the time was that the message was now far more structured and intelligent as compared to HWAs rambling.
ReplyDeleteBut gone were the times of Savonarola or Martin Luther hammering the church doors and nailing their message litteraly on the door of the powers that be.
nck
Being 'obedient' and 'doing his commandments' are not one and the same. The church has mentally fused the two (a favorite crafty ploy used many times by Herb, and murderous at that). But they are different. In church culture, 'obedience' is blind robotic obedience to a minister. Forget 'obey God rather than man' or 'prove all things.'
ReplyDeleteBy contrast 'doing Gods commands' is like a person following natures gardening rules in his/her garden. There is free moral agency, and no drill sergeant barking orders.
Another example of fusing concepts was Herb associating his 'give way' with love and virtue, while fusing the 'get way' with hedonism and evil. Where's respect for self interest?
Yeah...we were to give, HWA was to get. End of story.
ReplyDelete"Martin Luther..nailing..message..on the door of the powers that be"
ReplyDeleteHistory done right:
LCG-cult should nail US & Britain in Prophecy to the doors of Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard..show them the true history of our nations!
Anon 8:02AM, shouldn't they nail Ivor Fletcher's "Incredible History of God's True Church" instead? Rod Meredith published an LCG version of the Fletcher book several years ago, so I assume it is the current LCG position, and that where it contradicts Ogwyn's obsolete booklet LCG wants us to believe the Fletcher history instead.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Was he ever wrong! For one thing it is very hard to find a true minister who is teaching the Truth. Most of the prophesies the church taught then, and now are plain wrong. As far as preaching the Gospel to the world. No one group is having much impact. Even though they may say they are.
ReplyDeleteMost organizations have their own agenda, but claim to teach what HWA taught.
After almost 40 years of COG involvement, we have decide to stay at home this year for the Feast. Not in "rebellion", but due to several issues. The last Feast we attended (a few yrs. ago), was with less than 25 people. Even that small group couldn't get along. Enough said...
Anon 457 said:
ReplyDelete"Most of the prophesies the church taught then, and now are plain wrong."
This includes both the Old and New Testaments as well
Anonymous 4:57 said: "After almost 40 years of COG involvement, we have decide to stay at home this year for the Feast. Not in "rebellion", but due to several issues."
ReplyDeleteGood on you! ;-)
The last time I observed the FOT as the COGs traditionally do was with the UCG a few years back. I now keep it just like I do the FOUB ie Observe the 1st and 7th holy days and go to work in between. Idk why the COGs still keep it like HWA commanded since God hasn't commanded NT Christians to have an 8 day holiday every year in the autumn at a place the church administration claims "God has placed His name there (to keep the FOT)." It's just another (economic) burden that the COGs refuse to repent of due to their Armstrongolatry. I imagine Christ's words to the Pharisees of His day could be applied to them today: "They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden" (Mt 23:4) and "For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden" (Lk 11:46).