I recognize that matters of faith, hope and belief are unique to each of us as is our experience in coming to, going through and passing out of the WCG experience. We all have our story and the thoughts, feelings and emotions that go along with them for having had that experience. Once burned, twice smart as we say.
I also recognize there are, or should be boundaries in the topics expressed here. The purpose of Banned is well stated in the Blog Header. Each of us, I am sure, only ever wanted to know what is true in life and what is not. We all come to different conclusions and like it or not, what is true for one is heresy and annoying to another.
I do consider the criticism received here, though please know, I express my own experiences and journey through all this in my own life sincerely. We all think others will "get it" if we just explain it well. But ultimately it is each to their own and we all have a right to the personal outcomes in our hearts and minds for having had this experience.
All that to say, I take the criticism to heart. It is not my purpose to offend, destroy faith or take one's crown. I only ever wished to share my own perspectives , interests now able to be better expressed and conclusions for myself in my own life if it helped others in some way. As a former member and pastor, I simply wished to share my own journey out of both.
I do apologize for straying too often outside the boundaries of the intent of this Blog and will tighten it up to reflect appropriate observations about the WCG experience and all the reminders out there of why are very glad to be free of it.
And now we return to our regularly scheduled program
19 comments:
Dennis. I have appreciated your experiences, stories and views you have shared with us over the years. I embrace intelligent and well articulated views that challenge my own. Your first-hand and inside experiences are extremely important to those of us who care about developing an objective and balanced sense of WCG history. There really aren't many of us who came into this constructed reality post-HWA but we are around and some of us want to know what really happened and what it was really like. Call me crazy but I don't think leaders writing articles like, "I Was Wrong" are trustworthy perspectives in and by themselves. What goes on here between your views and those who disagree is truly an "iron sharpening iron" phenomena for those that do the hard work of listening for comprehension. Thank you for being a participant that ensures this space doesn't become an echo chamber.
I enjoy the variety- maybe a poll could help to see what most readers want to read and what most find disturbing.
"This is a test of the Emergency BANNED posting System." This is only a test.
The COG posters of your area in voluntary cooperation with other COG blogger authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of a COG emergency.
If this had been an actual COG emergency, The Attention Signal you just heard would have been followed by official information, news or instructions. Banned serves the English speaking internet COG area.
This concludes this test of the Emergency BANNED posting System."
I think many of your detractors forget where and what belief we all came from. Are you castigated by many as extreme to the point of ignorance - having taken the forbidden leap to acquire and believe knowledge apart from and against very God?
I had no problem for many years to proclaim that I was a member of the one and only true church of GOD - the "one in a million" member who could understand what most others couldn't because they are deceived and can't have an open mind. I also believed that my church and my church only was preaching the gospel to the world but more importantly warning the nations of "Israel" of the soon coming destruction of their nations. I also believed that my membership in this church granted me physical protection from the Great Tribulation and all others; family, friends, worldly Christians would be either killed and taken into slavery. I believed in "the mystery of the ages" - that man can become very God.
Those on the outside whether family or fiends or the greater Christian community easily have castigated me as extreme to the point of ignorance and as one having taken the forbidden leap to acquire and believe knowledge apart from and against very God depending upon their perspective.
Some historians look at 1st century Christianity or 1st century movements and classify Jesus Christ as nothing more than another in the line of bandits or zealots that appeared and were ultimately all killed. All of these men were proclaiming sovereignty and a kingdom apart from Rome. These historians like to look at Matt. 10:34 where Christ said "do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I have come not to bring peace, but the sword" to validate their reasoning and belief.
Back in the 80's, the Plain Truth had an article whose headline was: How Do You Know It (Christianity) Is True? The summation of the article was you just have to live it. I thought that was an awfully weak answer to a very pertinent question. Through many years I have lived it and lived it with zeal just as I lived apart from Christianity. What did I find "living" this way of life? I had one man tell me "government" is everything" and all I needed to do was follow it. I had another man who said he was an expert tell me I could not understand anything because I didn't know the Greek language. I had another man lie to me because he thought that was best for me. I had another man lie to me and tell me I was all wrong in my understanding and by the way "I(he) was God".
I think many if not most have either started out as or become a zealot in one way or another. Zealotry has a track record of bringing fundamental error along with death and destruction. Christianity has a centrist theme if one looks for it. For the zealots that are trying to live it, it is imperative for us to find and embrace it.
For those zealots that have lived it (Christianity) and determined that there is no God or there is a different God should have at the forefront of their minds whether it is correct to jump from one extreme into another extreme. The possibility to be twice dumb is always present as I know full well, because I have "lived it".
I don't quite know what you mean about straying outside the bounds. I've never felt that you did. Your original Ezine articles were a big help to me way back there, and I never fail to read and appreciate what you post on here. We're friends on Facebook, and I value that too. You're a caring person with only the best of intentions as far as I'm concerned.
Nice, and considerate observations, but, I can’t see this as making all of your posts palatable to the rabid COGlodytes amongst us. They will continue to see you as they were taught to see you. The funny thing is, they were also taught to leave places like Banned, to shun people who hold your points view, and to not indulge in fellowship or conversation with you. The fact that they don’t adhere to what they were taught by those whom they consider as being in charge of the crowns means that if any crowns are stolen, it’s their own responsibility. As some used to say in the old WCG, “That’s what you get when you disobey!”
BB
I really have appreciated both types of posting. Although I do not always agree with your viewpoints, I fully appreciate ideas that challenge what I have taken for granted, and that help me think outside the box! All of your posts in general (whether I’ve agreed or not) have helped me, as someone who was born and raised in the COG, to realize that I have so many preconceived notions that are often unfounded, or at least questionable.
The Elephant in the Room:
Many of the people who look at this blog believe in God. And most would have no trouble with the serious posts of an atheist. Atheism is a viewpoint held by many people and needs to be considered by all. But a "Mad Magazine" approach to ridiculing god does not win friends and influence people or have much comedic value. You may legitimately have a problem with the concept of god that is worthy of debate but the overwrought, sarcastic, derisive part you could keep to yourself.
(Haven't we had this conversation before?)
cracks in the facade, are there?
So what happened to the other post I saw yesterday by Dennis that I think had a b/w photo of him when young and then disappeared after a few hours?
Anonymous said...
So what happened to the other post I saw yesterday by Dennis that I think had a b/w photo of him when young and then disappeared after a few hours?
I was working on that one but simply changed my mind and decided it didn't need saying. It was about a large reason I was drawn into the ministry etc.
Poor Dennis!
If he had a freind here, he surely urge him to seek professiomal help for the delusiobs, extreme narcissism, and illusions of grandeur. However, Dennis' state does cause one to wonder if one couuld become a COG minister without such proclivities.
the same invisible forces control much of the public discourse nowadays..the bible calls it scoffing, and it is a hallmark of the end times...
c f ben yochanan
I'd just like to fill out my ballot and vote that Dennis keeps posting what's on his mind.
Not everyone who is recovering from Armstrong is still convinced that any of this god stuff is real, and not just ancient anthropomorphic confirmation bias designed to deny the reality of death.
If it were not for Dennis' expieriences and viewpoints, I'm not sure this is a site I'd find worthwhile to keep coming back to. Although for many of the hardliners here who probably think I'm the spawn of satan at this point, I harbor few doubts they'd like to see us all go away.
So, yeah, they're going to keep savaging Dennis in an attempt to make him, if not people like myself, pack it in. I'm just not sure that's a good reason to do so.
My $0.02.
"matters of faith, hope and belief are unique to each of us"
That's because all the churches and TV evangelists in the world have been brainwashed, infiltrated, and compromised.
Former ministers seem to be harshly treated, distrusted and dog-piled by folks from both sides of the Armstrong problem. I’ve always felt that they deserve their recovery just as much as any of the rest of us. In fact, they’ve most likely suffered more of the extremes and pressures, things that are completely unfathomable to mere members and ex-members. I know that some of them were commanded and forced to violate their own consciences. As such, they can provide deeper insider insights into what was so wrong about the movement. What we do with that, and how we allow it to affect us is up to us, a function of our own personalities.
BB
Clearly Tom Mahon is still alive and well, posting anonymously on this blog because he is too much of a coward to use his real name. His writing style is one of a kind and unmistakable.
I also vote for Dennis to continue writing whenever and whatever as he is so moved. The articles he wrote a decade or more ago really made a huge difference in the quality of my life and contributed greatly to my exit from Armstrongism and to my embrace of living in the moment and enjoying what's left of my life while I still can.
And to NEO: I have been a reader of this blog almost since the beginning, and I have no clue what you are talking about. Dennis's posts are respectful, well reasoned, and from the heart. I cannot think of a single instance where he has disparaged an individual personally. If you can't handle sarcasm then tough shit. The apostle Paul was a master of sarcasm and derision.
Anon 12:27 ". . . I have no clue . . ."
Diehl's consistent hyperbolic tenor is documented on this website. But if you did not get a clue the first time around, I don't imagine a review would be enlightening.
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