Of course, this all boils down to one important topic in Armstrongism, government. In reality, this actually has nothing to do with anything godly but perverted control tactics of corrupt men. Never forget that god is watching and will be intensely looking at your thoughts and motives behind what you wear!
In the 1970s, God’s Church began adopting the standards of society. Today, standards in society have dramatically fallen—especially since Mr. Armstrong died and God cast down Satan (Revelation 12:9, 12). This means we must emphasize even more what we wear, as well as when and why. Our clothing standards reflect our submission to God and His government (Hebrews 13:17).
Different attire is needed for the Sabbath, formal events, casual visiting, manual labor and active pursuits; all have their proper place and time (Ecclesiastes 3:1). God is watching us. He knows our thoughts and motives (Psalm 33:13-15; Hebrews 4:12).
Do we really want to be in God’s Kingdom? We all answer “Yes,” but as Mr. Armstrong pointed to in his article, THE WAY WE DRESS COULD KEEP US OUT OF GOD’S FAMILY (Matthew 22:11-14). The Laodiceans face this dreadful fate (Obadiah 3-16; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Hebrews 10:26).
God requires us to raise our standards to match His regal Philadelphia standard. Mr. Flurry writes, “You and I, of all people, must uphold the standard of God’s throne, spiritually! If we are baptized members in God’s Church, we have the Holy Spirit, and we must show the world, as much as we possibly can, how things will soon be around God’s throne on Earth!” (The New Throne of David).
The charge God has set before us is not impossible, for with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
Looking at this subject spiritually will inspire and motivate us to raise our personal standards in pursuit of God and His regal example.
33 comments:
This could also be argued from a standpoint of humility rather than uppity arrogance. How many people would be willing to humble themselves by dressing down rather than dressing regally, or GQ all the time? What if someone who was accustomed to seeing you in your suit and tie happened to see you in the supermarket dressed in your oldest clothes that you were wearing to do housecleaning or yardwork? You are still the same person. Right??? Would you feel less than? Do you need certain clothes to be who you are??? Is that your Linus blanket?
Several years ago, I had a friend who was a business owner, in fact my shipping contractor. He once told me , “Damn, Bob! Some days you come in here dressed to the nines and looking like a million bucks. Other days, you look like you passed out in an alley over night on skid row!” The thing is, I have always played with clothes. Dress up if I’ve got business, dress down if I’m just kicking it. I felt secure enough to do that. Actually, I’m comfortable for the most part dressed either way, or in between. It’s what is in the mind and heart that counts, not some manufactured facade.
I’ve just never been real big on “whitened sepulchre syndrome”. They all seem to be infected with WSS in the ACOGs.
BB
"Submission to God and his government." Such statements said over and over, plus omitting independence and self responsibility, paints the picture of tyranny. Tyranny is Satan's rather than Gods system. It's motivated by power, superiority, and envy of their betters. It amounts to robbing people of their lives. It's murder. Such people will not be in the kingdom.
With my job I am required to wear a suit & tie, but if I could I'd rather just wear jeans and t-shirt to work or even church.
PCG's latest sounds like that song that Santa Claus is coming to town - you better watch out...
You think they would show more respect to God than comparing Him to Santa Claus.
When a church focuses too much on respect for their leaders, they end up showing less respect for God.
Maybe they should call themselves the church of flurry and leave God's Name out of the picture.
Churches are meant to turn people to God, not turn them into atheists.
Imagine if all you ever have to read is a third grade textbook over and over again, never progressing to the next grade level. You read the same book for decades. Isn't this the way it is in the Church of God? So much of what I read being taught today in these churches is the same thing taught at AC in 71-73 when I was in Pasadena. We are taught in Scripture to grow in grace and KNOWLDEGE. How can you grow if you only read what little comes out of the C of God? They think that God revealed to HWA lost truths. Does this mean that God gave to him ALL truth. I think that all these churches do is reinforce the same message over and over again: Sabbaths, law keeping, tithing, holy days, government, etc. They tell their members that there is no more knowledge out there that is to be learned. Stick with the third grade textbook. Reading what the churches write today is like stepping back in time to the 70's. Like a baby who can't take nourishment, they suffer from "failure to thrive" syndrome. So it is with the church members, they remain spiritually emaciated and malnourished.
Seems to me, Christ condemned the church, if you told the rich sharp dressed man to come on up and told the poor person go sit in the back row. Mr. Flurry is trying to say "I am the King, and you are the peasant." Mr. Flurry and Mr. Pack love to peasant hunt.
I remember being urged, "If you can't afford to buy a suit 'where they sell suits,' look to Goodwill stores or Salvation Army stores." "Acceptable" clothing could be found there, if you looked.
This was nonsense, because then the game we all played, of comparing ourselves and making judgments about others being 'less righteous' than ourselves -- assuring ourselves we were winning the competition that NONE OF US remembered signing up for -- was based upon CLOTHES, for God's sake, instead of the amount of time we spent praying and studying. Couldn't you tell when a suit jacket was old, or pre-owned, and didn't you judge? Anything to feel better about ourselves in that environment where we were constantly told we were not measuring up!
So many of us were practiced at slipping "how much time we spent" into conversation at Sabbath services -- no matter what the conversation was about to begin with.
We thus treated RIGHTEOUSNESS as if something that could be measured in a measuring cup. The impossibility of living happily in the Land of Extreme Legalism. Can't you Flurry acolytes see the misery you take on yourselves is not "godly," or "Christian," or any such thing?!?!?
Let me see if I understand the ACOG mindset:
1. A man who occasionally wears his wife's underwear but by all outward appearance remains obviously male = SINNER
2. A man who constantly shaves his face bald, feminizing himself by removing all signs of the unique sign of masculinity that God gave him = RIGHTEOUS
I wonder whether That Profit's new beard will spark a trend among PCG men?
"Yes I know you are converted and have been an outstanding human being. When I was thirsty you gave me drink and all that...but...your tie is crooked, so sorry...go weep and gnash your teeth now"
Armstrongites tend to weight some lessons from the Bible heavily, while negating or diminishing others. Then assign, as an example, literal twenty four hour periods to the figurative “days” of creation because that supports pre-Mosaic existence of their sabbath. But then they ignore the implications of clothing even existing in the first place because of Adam and Eve’s sin. They also ignore the fact that Adam and Eve were apparently vegetarians.
BB
God is my Father. He is also my provider. He loves me UNCONDITIONALLY. It doesn't matter what I wear. What matters is what is in my heart and head. I am a female and truthfully, I don't even own a dress. I wear jeans, slacks, sweats, shorts, whatever. Who cares? Not God, that's for sure.
"I’ve just never been real big on “whitened sepulchre syndrome”"
it's rare, but BB and I agree from time to time...lol
I had a minister tell me once that if a man doesn't wear a coat & tie every week he shouldn't be allowed to participate in services (lead music, prayer, that sort of thing)
We had a couple of really poor people in our congregation, and one man in particular only wore the "uniform" when he was to be in front of the congregation...the minister told me that he shouldn't be allowed to lead anything unless he wore a suit every week.
I explained to Mr. Minister that the man was poor (but never asked for handouts, he took care of himself) and he looked forward to participating in services when his turn came, and I would not remove him from the schedule. There was no way I would deny someone the opportunity to worship God by contributing to services, simply because he could not afford to "dress up" all the time.
I got "the look", but the man stayed on the schedule. I've never been big on the "government" thing anyway. If a minister is wrong, he deserves to be told. It would be very unloving to allow someone to continue in error. I don't know if that particular minister changed his view on the matter or not.
"But then they ignore the implications of clothing even existing in the first place because of Adam and Eve’s sin."
well said...clothing is our attempt to hide ourselves from God....a giant scarlet letter that covers our entire body...(well, some cover more of the body than others...lol)
maybe someone should start the NCG, Naturist Church of God, then we'd all wear the suit provided us at birth....and if someone doesn't like your suit, they can take it up with God.
God doesnt judge as man judges but looks on the heart.
The sick troll, who thinks no doubt, that it's funny and clever to copy and paste other peoples comments on here and then repost months if not years later needs help.
Needs serious help and also needs to revaluate why they think brethren should be intimidated by this behaviour.
Do you aim to hurt others because you were hurt yourself ?
I will not be intimidated by you on line.
No matter what, this game will go on for as long as there are people! Even a nudist colony COG would have a "My Birthday Suit is more appropriate and godly than your Birthday Suit" mentality!
I try not to run repeats here too much, but here’s an oldie but goody that I’ve posted at least once before but not recently. Towards the end of the 1990s, I had a Dodge Dakota crew cab pickup with the hot little 318 motor in it. Though nearly new when I bought it, it had about 160,000 highway miles on it, and wear and tear was beginning to take its toll. Bottom line was that the fuel guage was not working properly, and one day while I was on the road to a city 140 miles to the south of my home base, the engine started to sputter just as I was approaching a rest stop. Realizing what was happening, I quickly pulled into the rest stop, running on fumes, and parked the truck. It was a hot summer day, but I was wearing a shirt and tie, and some dress slacks.
In looking for help, I approached one of the people whom I recognized as probably being on the grounds crew for the rest stop, and got turned down. I then asked various people who looked like “responsible citizens”, some of whom shook their heads no without even looking me in the eye. This went on for about a half hour.
Suddenly, I saw an old, beat up Nissan pickup pull into the parking lot. The guy who got out looked homeless, and he led a mangy looking mongrel of a dog over to a watter spiggot, and began running water for the dog to drink. I said to myself, “Bob, there’s the guy who is going to get you out of this. He knows what it’s like to be down and out!” I approached him, explained my situation, and asked if he had a gas can or some gas. He had a can, and we asked several of the people at the rest stop if they’d let us siphon some gas that I’d gladly pay for. I think everybody here already knows what their answers were.
Anyway, we climbed into the guy’s pickup, and he drove me several miles to the nearest town. On the way, he shared that he was a Vietnam vet with PTSD. Normally, he would be inheriting his family’s hardware business in the Midwest, but because of the PTSD, he lived by himself in Mexico. He was just returning frim a road trip. His best bud from ‘Nam was going through a divorce, and was suicidal, and he had just spent several weeks with his buddy helping him over the rough patch. The dog was being abused and starved by a neighbor, so when he left for his trip home, he asked if he could have the dog, and rescued him.
We filled the gas can, went back to my Dakota, and got it started, and the guy followed me back to the station, where I refueled. I thanked him profusely, topped off his tank for him, slipped him a twenty, and wished him a safe journey. I hope life has been good for him the past twenty years.
The point is, often when we’re in trouble and need help, it is often the most unlikely people who will be willing to assist us. Most nicely dressed “citizens” won’t want to even get involved. You’ve got to be careful in this, but it’s usually the people who are a little rough around the edges and can relate because they know the downside who will help us.
These mandatory suits at church in no way define the wearer’s quality as a human being. I would suspect that some of the poor members who had no suits would be the first ones to attempt to help a fellow human in trouble.
BB
When I briefly attended WCG on & off for almost 3 years I experienced some very hate-filled people that supposedly were baptized members. Here on this website I find some people here filled with the same hatred and even worse. I read comments that border on what some, such as myself, would consider hate crimes. I can no longer visit this site because I don't want to be dragged down. If a "god" exists or not, you shouldn't treat people like dirt.
Actually clothing came into being not because of Bible mythology but for protection , warmth , power, prestige, religious hoopla and to attract the opposite sex.
Byker Bob,
Thank you for your excellent and heart warming post. What you experienced is so true. It doesn’t cost a lot to be kind.
Jim-AZ
BB
A friend of mine shared a similar experience. He once asked passerby's to answer a short questionnaire for a school assignment. The men who were dressed in suites were uncooperative and sometimes abusive. It was the casually dressed men were friendly and cooperated. The expression 'you can't judge a book by it's cover' is so true.
No Dennis.
You mistake fashion for clothing.
Clothing was an invention by women to signal to any other wonan that the guy with the boring christmas gift sweater was already taken.
A rutless symbol of female power over men who thought that the "it looks really good on you" comments were actually compliments while beimg efficiently castrated.
Nck
Connie: NO wrinkled BD suits, no Saggy, Baggy Elephant types ...they'd all have to be smooth & sleek, properly toned and so to be "righteous"? Guess I wouldn't fit in, then.Not with this
old, broken down, used car basis bod (no warranty, guarantee,refund AS-IS what you get is what you got I came in to start with.:-):-)
Dennis,
Actually, women use the lack of clothing to attract men. It's the Wonder Woman costume look that turns heads, not the nineteenth century frontier western look.
"They all seem to be infected with WSS in the ACOGs."
All? Really? All? Every single one? Rubbish. Not even close.
In the latest issue of the Church of God International's "The International News", Bill Watson writes: "Yet, as hard as it might be to believe, some in God’s church seem to
occasionally lack good old common sense. How many times have I traveled
to a church area, when attending services, to see eating and drinking going
on while the song service or sermon is being conducted! How many times
have you seen the appearance of certain brethren among us dressed in such
a casual fashion that frankly, it’s not only an embarrassment to them, but to
the congregation they represent?"and "Why are we doing what we’re doing? Why would I go to church looking like I’m going to a football tailgate party? Why would I come
before God unkempt, dirty, and smelling of body odor? Why would I take
a drink or food into the sanctuary during the worship service? What is it
that causes me to resist conforming to the etiquette of respect and subdue,
mortify, my covetousness ways––my will–– in the presence of God, who
deserves my best appearance and behavior?" and "If we have a healthy grasp of just who our God really is, it shouldn’t take much to be sure we take the time to “prepare” ourselves physically and spiritually for the weekly Sabbath and holy day worship services He commands
and expects us to attend. It should be compelling and motivating to get
into our “zone of worship” when realizing we are going before the very God
that is responsible for everything, including being the beneficiaries of His
salvation program. It shouldn’t be difficult, or even a struggle to put down our
food and drink for this worship time and put on our best for Him and those we
fellowship with. After all, it is to His glory and out of due respect for Him we
take the opportunity to express our deep appreciation and gratitude in our
worship services. Let His will be done as opposed to ours in our life, lest we
find ourselves falling victim to the idolatry of covetousness and vainglory."
If you view this historically, it is only in our modern times that the type of attire these Armstrong cretins command would even be possible. Consider the incredible amount of sweaty and filthy work the priests were required to do on all of the high days right up through the time of the second temple, such as slaughtering the animals and preparing burnt offerings. Imagine the people coming from afar on their animals, smelling like those animals at a time when bathing, brushing one’s teeth, and toilet tissue were things not even dreamed of. Dusty, smelly garments at a time when washing machines, detergents, and irons were unheard of. I can’t even begin to fathom the odor of the wandering Israelites in an era before Irish Spring bath soap or Tide laundry detergent. No deodorant, no toothpaste.
When cars and tires were less reliable, and most of the roads people travelled were dirt, before electricity came to rural areas, and the odor of wood fires from the household furnace or stove created a lingering odor ten times worse than just plain body odor, even the early part of the twentieth century would have been primitive in terms of the 1950s standards and customs demanded by Armstrongism. Why the smell left behind by early soaps was nearly as pungent as B.O!
Throughout the history of mankind, the vast majority of humans were physically unable to abide in the standards commanded by this Bill Watson, and the other ACOG leaders. Therefore, these rules are man-made. They were not laid down by a God who looks upon the heart. I’m not advocating deliberately neglecting hygiene, or dressing in homeless chic for services, but there are three basic socio-economic classes here in the USA. It is unreasonable to hold people to the standards of the moneyed class.
BB
Bill Watson needs to roll with the times!
Food and drink should be a part of services, and seating should be stadium style recliners , like they use in the new movie houses, (complete with dual sided arm cup holders).
Popcorn, Starbucks Coffee, Peanutles, M&Ms etc, will help retain audiences and soothe them during inevitable boring stretches that occur during services.
Actually, Id love to see services have a panel of judges like they do on "Americas Got Talent", where presenters get evaluated and even perhaps ridiculed for bad performances. The good goal could be something like all the judges saying "Your Going to Pasadena"! LOL ;-)
HWAs church did not fall apart because of clothing standards.
Miller Jones
What strikes me about the article from Bill Watson is his intelligence and creativity.
That is, why has this intellectual and creative firepower never been focused on magnifying Gods way? Why are all the COGs stuck in a 1960s/1970s time warp, with no new meaningful material added? Such articles prove that the church leaders are not dummies, and have deliberately chosen to keep their members dumbed down and dependent on a Gestapo ministry.
John the Baptist wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt. If someone dressed like he dressed were to come among many cog groups today he would be chastised for what he was wearing and they would ignore anything he had to say. The spiritual lessons of the Bible are often missed and instead humanly devised rules and regulations such as the way one dresses are often over emphasized to the point that spiritual lessons are completely missed. How would most cog councils, or leaders react to someone like Stephen coming in among them and correcting wrong headed behavior and attitudes? Would they see him as the servant of God he was, or would he be figuratively stoned, ridiculed, or kicked out of most cog groups today? Would they cease listening because his speech was too long, or too short, or because he didn't have a high enough "office" to correct such behavior? Would he even be allowed to speak at all if he wasn't wearing the prescribed suit and tie? New people have in some cases been jumped on and criticized as soon as they walk in the door for various reasons including the way they were dressed in many of these groups. It is no wonder most of these groups numbers are stagnant or shrinking. Those who put such emphasis on humanly devised rules or "teach for doctrine the commandments of men" may one day have a rude awakening if God sends someone to teach them a lesson who doesn't necessarily adhere to all their rules and regulations.
BB
You haven't travelled a lot I see.
The standards of nomadic people in dress and fragrances on days of rest and feasting is remarkable. The female attire stunning at times. Although I so not expect acog women to be bare breasted underneath the golden, bracelets or the men to wear a rusty dagger to services.
Also dr Tabor spent a lifetime recovering the many mikvahs for clean appearance before the deity.
In the Sudan somehow the traditional guys manage to keep their clothes white in a very dusty environment. Whereas the typical complaint about western civilized men is that they cannot find the other sock, or wear them too long.
I never met a priest, sangoma or muazezin who was not crisp. We should acknowledge the role of women there, whereas I usually find the private collection of catholic priests dull for the lack of female influence in the matter of attire although I do have a tendency to distrust clergy in a suit over 2000 dollars.
Nck
If an unrighteous minister gives a sermon wearing a black suit does that make him righteous. If a sinner wears a black suit does that make him righteous. So much attention given to outward appearance because there was no understanding of spiritual matters. Focusing on the physical is a dead giveaway for being oblivious of the real spiritual matters of God. The Pharisees were unrighteous. Covetous. greedy unloving and uncaring. They comprehended nothing of the nature of God which made them unable to recognise the goodness of Christ. They loved to wear robes that made them stand out from all the others and to receive honour for looking holy. In James God comments on not treating people according to how they're dressed. "If a rich man comes into your assembly etc". I live in a hot climate and I've seen men sweltering in dark suits because they e been brainwashed into believing that they have to wear them to please God. They have been duped by Herbert and his enforcers. It's sad. Such a pity there wasn't more emphasis on preparing to be with the members by being kind and humble. Emphasis instead was on being pleasing to Herbert Armstrong. What a shame and it's still like that.
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