Who could have ever imagined that laceless men's shoes would be banned by a Church of God leader? Oh wait, they have banned so many other things, so why not!
I remember decades ago that penny loafers were considered the shoe of choice for gay men, at least according to some COG ministers. According to these ministers, putting a penny in the loafer and not wearing socks with the shoes was a signal to other men that the person was looking for sex.
David C Pack, the leader of the most superfantabulous Church of God to ever exist has supposedly banned his "men" from wearing loafers.
God expects a properly dressed man to have laces in his shoes and tied in a proper bow.
28 comments:
Well, I'll be damned! So that was how I became gay. I wore penny loafers in high school and college. Here all along I thought it was because of wearing white socks!
Proper shoes have always been a "thing" in the Church.
When I was very little, I can remember clearly wing-tip shoes being the thing, with it's characteristic design. Polishing the shoes was very critical before church. We'd go to a shoe store, and buy one of those black sponge polishes (or brown), and on Saturday morning, polish away. Still remember the smell!
I often did wear penny-loafers (Yes, I am straight), as well. Easy to wear, just slip them on. Also more comfortable than the wing-tips or the shiny lace shoes. Once, I even wore alligator-skin shoes to church. No one ever said anything for or against it. (Fake. Not real. Alligator skin shoes can go for 2.5K.)
But if the report is correct about Pack banning non-laced shoes? That's treating grown adults as children in the worst possible way. What does it matter to God whether or not you have laces in your shoes? What was he worried about - that someone would trip on their shoes, ruining the holy appearance? Or trip on shoes going up to give a prayer or lead songs?
Yes, the Church banned or discouraged colored underwear and pink shirts at one point for men. They even dictated jackets or no jackets during services. But to dictate shoes with or without laces?
The only thing I can compare that too is when teachers would ban small children from wearing velcro-latch shoes, because the kids would open and shut them making inappropriate noises during school. This is nothing like that. Just another method of extreme controlling dictatorial behavior.
Why in the world people put up with this stuff at this level of extremity is mind-boggling.
Dave Letterman would NEVER have been welcomed there! (He'd walk in with sneakers wearing a suit!)
I just hope it is not true. Shoes is a personal preference and if it is in good condition,what is the fuss? It is not doctrine, for goodness sake!
So far I have high respect for Church of God,The Eternal. But if they ever introduce this stupid shoe restriction, I would quit it proper and good.
James Malm and Bob Thiel wear loafers. Hummmm.....verrrrry interesting!
Jeff Ambrose is no longer with RCG. He was one of the leaders at RCG HQ.
Yep, it's there in the bible. Men are forbidden to wear non-laced shoes.
The more evil a church culture becomes, the greater the need to cover up the truth by emphasizing appearances.
A leader, Jeff Ambrose, left RCG.
Moses was Told to Take Off his Shoes. For the Place he was Standing On was Holy!
Dave pack should not be worried about shoes, except the one that is dropping on his face.
Here is a video showing the headquarters letter to members about daves number 2 guy leaving the sinking ship J Ambrose is gone!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0uxttmSXDY
Not having my own private jet, that's my shoe of choice for air travel, along with beltless pants (and beltless trench coat), zipping ahead of those who must remove their belts and untie their shoes for airport security...
Mental illness.
10:48PM, please don't hate on Bob. Isaiah 54:12 shows us that ruby slippers aren't just Biblical, they're a prophetic type of the New Jerusalem!
Dave has always been a shoe in for Heel of the Year. Winning this title would be of "overarching" importance to him and yet another title he can claim to his fame.
No penny loafers, only white shirts for men that speak in services, no sport coats for Sabbath services, no hoodies in public, 1930-50 hair length but no short buzz cutting and the list goes on and on.
The city officials of Wadsworth have a nickname for the ministers that they interact with concerning the getting of permits. They call them the "suits" - here come the "suits" they joke with one another.
Dave Pack has always had a motto from his church's inception, and that motto is "squeaky clean" in all facets. Penny loafers don't fall into the squeaky clean category because that is not the look that Dave Pack wants portrayed. If you would happen to stop by for a visit to their headquarters you would quickly learn that you have not entered their HQ, but you will think you have entered GQ by mistake.
All their YouTube videos proclaim; look how we look, look how our campus looks, look how our ministers look, look how our Feast looks, look how our Spokesman Club looks, look how our spring dance looks, look how our winter social looks, if you would like to join our look, and look look look at how our HQ looks.
I hear the local Wadsworth thrift shop has availability of many low priced penny loafers for those that are interested.
Actually, it's in the bible.
Matthew 22:11-14 "Friend, how camest thou hither not having shiny lace shoes? And he was speechless? Then said the king to the servants, bind him hand and foot, and take him away and caste him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
What kind of shoes did Christ and his disciples wear - laced or loafers?
When the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matt. 24:3). Did Jesus answer by saying, "Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come wearing loafers in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many wearing loafers also?"
Richard
I prefer going to services barefoot. Let's see, does that make me gay,straight or an old fashioned hippie?
Wow! They're now policing shoes?!? I wonder what they'd say if I ever walked in wearing my Beatle boots. (Yes, I am a child of the 60s.)
Oh wait! Once they saw my shaggy hair, I'd never get in the door anyway. (Sigh.) I guess I can never join this group. :-(
--Wes White
Seriously??? Has the man so little to do, that he can come up with such nonsense? There does seem to be a church uniform however, the person I know always go to his meetings with a white shirt and dark suit. He has nice colored shirts but he is only allowed to wear the white ones to church. Don't get caught out of uniform!
I'm wondering if this isn't another example of racial prejudice? Basically, loafers are Native American moccasins with soles and heels. One popular brand is even known as Sebago Moc.
Conservative religions always conflate decorum with morality, and the strictures tend to get tighter with time. Decorum includes worship rituals, dietary taboos, forms of address, and (most visibly to outsiders) costumes. Look at the Amish. Look at Hasidic Jews. Look at Sikhs. look at Muslims.
For Abrahamic religions, it starts right there in Genesis. What do Adam and Eve notice as soon as they gain "knowledge of good and evil"? Nothing whatever about being kind to each other or taking care of the garden for the sake of their descendants. Not at all. Just, "OMG! We're nekkid! Quick, grab some fig leaves so we can hide our dirty bits!"
Herb started his Armstrongite descendants down the road toward distinctive sectarian costumes with his insistence that business attire of the mid-twentieth century was the only fashion his god found acceptable. If Pack has any followers three hundred years from now, their garb will look as weird to their contemporaries as the eighteenth-century Hungarian costumes worn by Hasidim look to us now.
I'm surprised Pack hasn't declared the wearing of sandals as the "shoe of choice" because that's what they wore in Jesus' day. Oh wait...I forgot. Jesus isn't even in the picture.
Guess I won't be going to Pack's church either, as I love wearing boots with skirts and I think other gals look great in them too! ...
https://youtu.be/SbyAZQ45uww
I love girls in boots. Thanks for the uplifting comment!
And all this time, I thought wearing shoes without socks meant you were following a great leader. Alabama football coach Nick Saban is famous for that.
Wouldn't all of Packs' BS here come under that reference to "choking on a gnat & swallowing a
camel?" And I thought I was the ignorant, stupid one in all this. Thankfully, I too saw the
"light"(black) & quit before getting too deep in this humongous pile of horseshit...sorry horsey, not your brand here. Yours is natural, Packs' stinks to "high heaven". Wonder if GOD has to put a clothespin on his nose to block the stench, not only w/Pack but also w/those "other would be prophets" .Call it "STINKATHON"?
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