While working on a transcript of a DP sermon, I get a better idea of his manipulative technique. Primarily he's presenting himself as clueless to God's intent for him, then pretending to discover it, and being surprised by the revelation. He knows that his true fans are already brainwashed into seeing him as an apostle/prophet/savior/all of the above, so he's playing on this by pretending to realize what his followers already believe about him. So in their minds, Dave is working out what they are already convinced of. They really believe he's like Moses or Jeremiah who did not want to be God's prime man, and so they are even more convinced when Dave plays this whole thing up about getting it wrong. They see him as just trying to figure all this stuff out, and God is holding his hand walking him through everything. So in the minds of his true fans, it's because of his humility that he gets things wrong. They are then primed to accept whatever conclusion he makes about the office he sits in. The reality is that he wants the power, but he has duped his followers that he really doesn't, that he's just in a process of discovering that he happens to be the one God has chosen. It's like Palpatine who humbly accepted the office of dictator, because it was the right thing to do.
This makes sense. I just could not understand how his ministers, his top 16 advisors, and his members sit there week after week and listen to his blatant lies and think he is telling the truth. After all of his miserable failures they just blindly follow along like sheep to the slaughter.
ReplyDeleteDave's yes-men advisors and ministers are terrified of the outside world and getting a real job, so they tag along with any garbage he dishes up. The same goes for all the other ACOGs.
ReplyDeleteContrary to HWAs marketing spin, AC did not teach it's students "how to live."
It is a complicated subject, but in many ways a very simple to define movement.
ReplyDeleteJust a couple years ago Dave told his membership concerning a specific prophetic event that he identified; "do you think God would let me get this wrong, because if he did, don't you think I know everyone will run out of here like rabbits in a thunderstorm."
Obviously that didn't happen, but why not? If Dave brought God down to his level and they both with the "authority" to bring this "event" to fruition failed, and failed miserably and have failed miserably over and over again for the last many years then why doesn't the membership run out of there?
The simplistic part of this movement is the acknowledgement that Jesus Christ is going to return at an appointed time, which could be any time and to prepare for that coming it is required that they divest themselves of all of their financial worth and must obey the law and follow church government to receive salvation and a crown and rulership.
That is the deal. The connection that holds it together even in the midst of abject failure and error from the membership perspective is fear, admiration, love and desire.
It reminds me of John Lennon's lyrics sung on a rooftop in London: I'm in love for the first time ....... you know she done me - she done me good ---- DON'T LET ME DOWN! A perfect example for a membership that is in love with the concept of an any day now return of Jesus Christ and the admiration for the man who gave them that and has done them good and the pleading of; don't let us down Mr Pack - you can do it.
The dangers in this scenario are far greater than a physical relationship that may fall apart. The membership may just have come unto them (if he is already not there) the one man they are least expecting. Wasn't that the major concern of Paul and Peter and Jesus Himself concerning his coming - take heed, lest any MAN deceive you.
Dave Pack has defined for his membership Matt.24:43-47 as follows: he is the good man of the house and the wise and faithful servant and ruler of the Lord's household (I know that is a lot of titles to claim in four verses, but this is Dave Pack we are talking about) and he believes he is fulfilling these verses presently. The membership completely believes this in part because he hasn't said, (vs. 48) my Lord delays his coming and thereby takes on the role of "that evil servant".
The concerning problem in this vs.43-47 scenario is there is a thief who breaks into and breaks up houses. And if the membership continues to believe that Dave, fulfilling the role of the goodman of the house has their best interests at hand watching for them, they will get a thief who will break apart their minds and spiritually destroy them.
@What about the truth. I totally agree with you, apart from this “The connection that holds it together even in the midst of abject failure and error from the membership perspective is fear, admiration, love and desire.”
DeleteIt is only fear, admiration and desire that binds them. LOVE has no place in that ‘church’. Members are actively told to snitch on one another, and they do. I have seen RCG members running to their minister to rat out friends or even spouses about some made up sins. I’ve seen RCG members snitch on their kids.. And Pack and his wolves are actively encouraging this behavior: divide and rule.
There is no love in that. David Pack’s reign is a dictatorship filled with fear, hate and lies.
5.45 PM
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that so many elderly people are still blindly following a "daddy." And this, after having many years to mature.
John Lennon's song.... "Mind Games".
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ReplyDelete11:27 said: "It is only fear, admiration and desire that binds them. LOVE has no place in that ‘church’."
Good point. Love has many avenues and failures.
The admiration for Pack has, in my honest opinion, evolved into a love relationship. I have seen and heard field ministers and congregation hosts just go on and on talking about how enamored they are with the man. I had one field minister tell me he thought headquarters was being burdensome on him because he wasn't allowed to leave his congregation at least once a month to be in the actual presence of Mr. Pack. I have also heard Mr. Pack talk about the thousands of cards he has received from the membership when his daughter and son-in-law left or another time when he had his health episode.
So there is a separate love relationship going on here between the membership and Pack apart from the peer to peer family to family interactions.
9.12 AM
ReplyDeleteWhat you say squares with the internet article "The Sambo mentality and the Stockholm syndrome revisited..":
"One element of the SM (Sambo mentality) is the relationship that existed between slave and master. As a direct consequence of the nature of the slaves arrival in the US, the relationship degenerated into dependence and child like attachment. According to the STS (Stockholm syndrome), this relationship may metamorphose into deep feelings of gratitude and positive regards."
I would take Dave’s statements that ‘he has received thousands of cards’ with a big grain of salt. Or, as we say here “Bull crap!”
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ReplyDelete10:01 AM said: "I would take Dave’s statements that ‘he has received thousands of cards’ with a big grain of salt. Or, as we say here “Bull crap!”
That is hilarious. I forgot about the numbers game that Dave likes to play.
When I entered the RCG my minister told me that I was never to approach Mr Pack while in his presence and that I shouldn't try to cleave unto him with flatteries.
So I for one, never sent any cards to him. That means the cards tally came in at 1999 maybe.
@WATT
Delete“... When I entered the RCG my minister told me that I was never to approach Mr Pack while in his presence ...”
That is still the case. At the FOT we were warned not to walk up to David Pack, to try and speak to him or to ‘bother him’. His Royal Highness Mr David Pack was only there to be admired from a distance.
This is in response to 11-9 7:23 am, so much for being a servant. My understanding of the minister was to be a servant, not worshipped as Pack seems to think he is deserving of.
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