The Philadelphia Church of God has the following article, by Brad McDonald, on their website: The Fatal Consequences of Dehumanizing Your Neighbor. This is coming from a church that regularly dehumanizes its members and youth, so much so that people are committing suicide. From its spiritual bankrupt ruling on disassociation with family members (parents, grandparents, children, spouses), to its morally bankrupt sermons.
The Oxford dictionary defines dehumanize as: “the process of depriving a person or group of positive human qualities.”
To dehumanize a person or group is to stop recognizing the features that identify them as human—their natural rights, their thoughts and emotions, their familial and social relationships—to the point that people consider them to be like an animal or even an inanimate object.
History is laden with examples of humans dehumanizing one another and the sickening consequences. Recall Adolf Hitler’s dehumanization of Jews, whom he referred to as “rats” and “parasites.” Jews didn’t live in homes, he said, but in “nests.” Like dogs, the Jews traveled in “packs.” During the war, Hitler had Jews herded into camps and branded with a number. Hitler considered the Jews to be animals, and this view, naturally, allowed him to treat them as such.
Harvard University psychologist Herbert Kelman has studied the effects of dehumanization. When a victim is no longer considered human, he wrote, “the principles of morality no longer apply to them and moral restraints against killing are more readily overcome.” Deprive a foe of his or her status as a human and it becomes much easier to persecute, torture and kill him. History shows that dehumanization is often an inevitable step toward unimaginable suffering, violence, torture and mass murder.
Since when has the Philadelphia Church of God been a "moral" church? It is another COG that is founded upon rebellion, theft, and despicable behavior. From rebellion against the mother church to stealing tithe money and the works of Jules Dervaes and passing them off as channelled information through Gerald Flurry. When they do things like this why else would they feel justified in ripping families apart and literally killing its own members by driving them to suicide?
Notice the following from McDonald:
In the end time, men will be “without natural affection.” Many will be cold, heartless, without compassion or empathy. And this lack of natural affection for fellow human beings will make them capable of committing extreme acts of violence. Prophecies in Isaiah 1-3 and Ezekiel 7 talk about America being plagued by race wars and civil unrest.While he is discussing the current political scene in the United States, the first two sentences above are a perfect description of how the PCG operates. The leadership is cold hearted and calloused towards its members, totally heartless as it demands families turn their backs on each other and friends upon friends. As for compassion and empathy, when has the Church of God as a whole, EVER practiced this towards its members?
13 comments:
These splinter groups, such as PCG, couldn't possibly have that many members. Who the hell is even joining those groups?!?! When I stopped attending WCG back in the 90's, I never had any desire to go to any of the other spin-off groups because I'd had enough of the bull shit. Yet, apparently, these groups seem to be coming out of the "woodwork" spouting of the same old dry shit. When is the madness going to end?!?!
Anon 11:37 AM , In dreams, some of us walk the stars. In dreams, some of us ride the whelming brine of space, where every port is a shining one, and none are beyond our reach. Some of us, in dreams, cannot reach beyond the walls of our own little sleep.
It is sort of like how the mafia and organizes crime operate. In general, they leave the general public alone, or avoid them. However , when it is other gangs, or those within their own groups who fail to conform, they are brutal and ruthless. You get initiated in, and they will definitely initiate you out!
They are doing that for the sake of "appearance", in my opinion. Appearance, appearance, appearance. If they LOOK good, then people will THINK they're good.
If they *appear* so good and righteous, then people will go to their concerts and attend their events in their oh so holy mini-me auditorium. The tithe-slaves that fund it all are nothing more than that - tithe-slaves, brainwashed in the lies of Armstrongism so deeply entrenched they can't see they are tithe-slaves, and keep waiting for the carrot in front of the horse.
On the inside are the no-contact policies, the strict physical interpretations of Armstrongism, and the 3-tithe policies that fund the Auditorium and the Jet, and all of the deviants everyone is fully aware of.
My opinion? Whitewashed tombs, which on the outside are clean and shiny, but on the inside are full of everything disgusting. The love of money and mammon blinds them to seeing this reality.
Anon 3:33PM wrote:
Polish proverb: The Jews always screams when he hits you.
Evidently, Anon 3:33PM does not grasp even basic English grammar. He is hardly in a position to feel superior to anyone, and certainly not the average Jew, who on average is one of the most educated members of American society. Anon 3:33PM, please take your racism elsewhere (maybe to an ACOG where it will be welcomed).
It's pretty hypocritical for the PCG to complain about dehumanization when they themselves engage in demonization, which is worse, i.e. making someone look like a devil, not just an animal.
Shame on you all criticizing such a wonderful organization.
They are the only ones with a prayer rock idol.
The only ones who have inherited the throne of David.
The only ones with "that prophet".
The only ones with a jet they can't afford to fly.
The only ones splitting up families to remain pure.
They are the only true worshipers of HWA.
A misleading outer face is a trait of all abusive cults, secular and religious.
The religious variety is worse since they smear God, and they know bible morality.
The only ones splitting up families to remain pure.
LCG's Rod McNair has done this, too, but fortunately not to the same extent as PCG.
Can someone comment on Church of God, the Eternal? This one was started in 1975 by Raymond Cole and now headed by Jon Brisby. it claims to be the only COG which is holding on to 'the faith once delivered'.
It follows the original' unadulterated true teachings once taught by HWA as inspired by God. It did not follow HWA's departure of truth in 1974 such as Pentecost, D&R, and other liberal teachings.
It claims WCG erred in prophecies and administration but not the original doctrines especially Monday Pentecost and D&R. It emphasizes that HWA's doctrines was of divine revelation. His human weaknesses does not mean he was not being used by God as God works with fallible man. His latter leaning on human scholarship(hence not relying on God) was the beginning of the end of WCG, failed prophecies and abuse of administration not withstanding.
It strongly believes that the 1974 departure of truth has resulted in today's sorry state of COGdom.
It is good if we have present or former members of this group comment on the fruits of COGTE as a result of following HWA's God-inspired doctrines.
The fact that the COG The Eternal is a obscure Mickey Mouse church, says it all.
Where's Gods blessing on the church? Like soap powders, they all have their special spin.
Just another sliver, yawn, yawn.
This practice of dehumanization goes on throughout all WCG splinters, even the more liberal ones.
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