It is sad how many people here sit behind their computers and spew lies. What is even sadder is that most people here leave the church for one tiny supposed error on the part of the Church and before you know it, they're no longer attending any church.This was a comment made on the following story: The Living Church of God Needs 377 Page Manual To Tell Ministers How To Behave from April 7, 2015.
For most people who have left the church, it is certainly more than some tiny "supposed" error on the part of the church. Errors do not necessarily drive people away from church, but spiritual, sexual and mental abuse certainly does.
22 comments:
Wouldn't it be nice for the ACOGs if this PR cliche fabricated by the ministers were actually true? It'd mean that Armstrongism was good, and true, and that the members were all perpetually child-like and foolish. I'm sure we all remember stories like the one about a deacon on one of the feast days carrying a tray of fresh fruit to the ministers, when a member approached him and asked "May I have a banana?" The deacon replied, "No, you may not." As we were admonished from the pulpit, the member packed up and left God's True Church that day, giving up his crown and eternal life over something so simple as a banana! Stories like these were used to trivialize the much deeper and well-considered reasons most people had for leaving. It takes an awful lot to overcome the alleged penalties for leaving which are frequently enumerated. People didn't leave because they still found the penalties and the teachings credible. A certain percentage of those who were disfellowshipped for some sort of screw-up continued to believe the hype, but most who walked away had seen the prophecy timelines fail numerous times, were also aware of the corruption, and most importantly, had made a deeper study of the doctrinal issues, finally reaching their own conclusions rather than embracing the spoon fed "approved" conclusions.
So Innocent Ugwu can you please define what you mean by “one tiny supposed error” along with supporting examples that in your view led to members leaving “the Church” as you see it?
Anonymous 10:40 PM said: “...most who walked away had seen the prophecy timelines fail numerous times, were also aware of the corruption, and most importantly, had made a deeper study of the doctrinal issues, finally reaching their own conclusions rather than embracing the spoon fed ‘approved’ conclusions.”
These are the 3 main reasons why I ended up leaving the UCG about 7 years ago now.
Is there a link to the 377 page manual? I would love to see what takes 377 pages to describe.
One good reason to leave any armstrong based church is that the founder molested his daughter for a 10 year period.
Now tell me, does God back child molesters? To put it bluntly, the man put his penis into his daughters vagina. Is this right or is this wrong?
Your answer will be most revealing.
If your of the parasite class you answer this with the David defense. If your not of the parasite class you answer this with your own moral stance.
I can't tell you how many people who defend Herbie and his crime just so they don't have to look deep into their soul and see that they have been a mark in a religious con. People who are honest with themselves (and others) will admit to errors they make and remedy them. Those who are cowards hide from their mistakes and failings and pretend they don't exist.
In the cults we learn that character is so very important to salvation. This by men who approve of armstrong's sexual behavior. This is revealing as to their true character. Your acog leaders character is made up from the sum total of their thoughts:
"Watch your thoughts, they become words;
watch your words, they become actions;
watch your actions, they become habits;
watch your habits, they become character;
watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."
– Frank Outlaw, Founder & Late President of Bi-Lo Stores
And the churches of god, what is their destiny?
Before anyone jumps on on me with claws outstretched, allow me to explain that I respect open discourse and robust debate and believe that a 'healthy' society should remain open to a broad range of ideas and opinions as a way to create the best conditions for discovering the truth. I don't buy into lies and deception like some lemmings do. I investigate.
The acog's are currently limited to shrieking and spitting (selective moral outrage) when they are confronted with inconvenient facts. Facts that essentially effect their bottom line financially.
It's called blame the victim. Anyone who left the church was smeared with a negative comment by the minister in spokesman club. The church was exalted and its victims denigrated.
Deception worship is a golden calf that's worshipped in these groups. HWA having led the way.
Or maybe for over 100 doctrinal changes, 7 failed prophecies and a corrupt top ministry like RCG?
"It is sad how many people here sit behind their computers and spew lies. What is even sadder is that most people here leave the church for one tiny supposed error on the part of the Church ... "
The part about people spewing lies cannot be denied.
The picture shows that the naked pastor hates and defames all churches, not just HWA churches.
Anon 7:28 AM, If people are spewing lies why don't you enlighten us? Tell us the truth....
James asks "Does God back child molesters?" It's a loaded question. What many seem to miss is that God used Balaam. Remember him, the evil guy? I don't know about God "backing him" but his prophesies were God inspired and did come to pass. Life is more complicated than some posters make out.
He used Pharaoh too. But, he like Balaam was not considered a good guy. A person used temporarily as an instrument is highly different than someone whose teachings you follow as being inspired. Following the way of Balaam as well as Pharaoh was condemned. Some, perhaps many, of hwa’s teachings are also ones that should be condemned.
Anon 8:35
I am a little confused, you said HWA’s prophesy’s were God inspired and did come to pass. What prophecy has come to pass. Yes life can be complicated. But once you start thinking for yourself, it gets a little easier.
Jim-AZ
I am not aware of any prophecy HWA ever made. Do you mean the biblical prophecy as interpreted and "brought by" HWA?
I believe prophecies are made by prophets. He did have a lot of friends among the descendants of the prophet Muhammed though, this is fact.
Nck
Anon 7:28 Haters gotta hate.
Hell has no fury as a minister grassed up.
If you tell the TRUTH you WILL be called a liar. You WILL be hated and your reputation destroyed. But i say keep telling the truth anyway.
Haters hate bravery. Haters hate honest truth. Haters really hate themselves. Haters ALWAYS lose in the end.
Tell the truth and NEVER stop.
10.34 AM
It was Balaam's prophesys that came to pass. My point is that a persons evilness does not disqualify a person from being used by God.
I believe HWA had some things right. He wasn't 100% wrong.
He’s referring to balaam’s prophecies, not hwa’s which as you rightly said have been false.
Balaam got reprimanded by his ass.
Are you willing to take correction from your ass?
Does your ass ever talk to you?
Has your ass ever saved your life?
Anonymous said...
10.34 AM
It was Balaam's prophesys that came to pass. My point is that a persons evilness does not disqualify a person from being used by God.
--------
When my morals exceed the god of the bible, why would I worship such a creature?
The god of the bible is made after mans image.
Let's get real, and do some thinking here, as opposed to buying into spin.
What did HWA teach was the key to understanding prophecy? Obeying God! Above all things, he especially made the sabbath the test commandment, but in defining obedience to God, he also included the holy days, clean meats, tithing, and acceptance of and obedience to HWA/WCG as "God's Government on Earth". Who amongst us is so foolish as to believe that God grants you understanding for keeping these points but is willing to overlook the fact that you are screwing your own daughter??? Not just once, but for a whole decade! Is a God who would do that the type of God that most of us would find worthy of worship?
What about credibility? Would you find someone credible as a prophet if he smoked an occasional cigar? What about someone who had been a thief at some point in his life, but had seen the error of his ways and repented? How about a zealot who had committed murder and repented? If in an internet search you found that a sex offender lived around the corner from you, would it even remotely occur to you that he was being used by God as a prophet, or had special understanding of prophecy?
You see none of this makes any sense at all. In fact it's preposterous. But to followers of HWA (who always point out to us that they follow the Bible, and not a man!), since it is HWA that we are talking about, it makes perfect sense that God still could have used him as his representative on earth. On the street, the term "represent" is often used. What I want to know is how anyone could possibly believe that God would allow HWA to represent Him. The correct answer to that question perfectly explains why some people we all know are still waiting for "1975", and still running around thinking of themselves as being genetic Israelites.
4.03PM
God is a God of opportunity. Hence He chose king Saul and Jeroboam. Both went off on a tangent. Do you blame God for these men falling away? Do you deny that God chose these men? Again, it's not as simple as you claim.
After being in an organisation that taught that all religions and churches outside of their fellowship are wrong, decieved, corrupt, would it be a surprise many past members resent religion after they leave Cogdom, after all some had been programmed to think that way by the Church for many years. The assumption people always leaving for some little thing without knowing the details of the incidents is classic programming from the pulpit,I am surprise the critic didnt use the classic " you all are just bitter". Departing from religion is a standard procedure of many who leave high demand groups such as JW's, Mormons e.t.c the negatvie psychological damage done can take a lifetime to repair. I used to be so brainwashed that I automatically thought that all criticisms of the Church were lies and untrust worthy, until I stopped listening to the propaganda from the pulpit.... such as "don't go on the internet and read negative things about the Church" or "dont get your feelings hurt", I did my own research and found that too many of the accussation against the Church are (Gulp) true. I will not talk about my own experience that would take awhile but I once reasoned just like that person. The koolAid can taste good at first until you realise it contains poison.
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