Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
There is one thing for sure in the church right now and that is that we have never had so many self-appointed liars like we do today. My favorite story is the one you reported here about Rod Meredith calling out Bob Thiel as a liar.
Politicans regards lying a legitimate tool of their trade. It was headline news in my country when a retired politician stated this in his kiss and tell book. With ministers of religion, it's the same. Which also includes slandering those who question or disagree with their church. Members being labeled unconverted or not having the holy spirit is rampant. Anyone who breaks away from the Borg collective is stigmatized with many such ugly accusations.
Agree Anon 1:05. It's exactly what the religious leader's of the Temple in Jerusalem did to Jesus Christ. Christians should not expect any different response from religious leaders of this day.
This is a droll treatment of a very important issue. When you have a collection of little apocalyptic Millerite denominations, each with a particular slant on predictive prophecy and, perhaps, their leader presenting himself as a prophet, which is the genuine predictive prophetic message within Splinterdom? One would think that verity would play a role but I think it is more a matter of economics.
The proliferation of splinter groups and the diversity of prophetic messages has led to a competitive marketplace - a kind of theological free market. This then imposes on the putative prophets the capitalist constraints of supply and demand. Messages must be artfully crafted to appeal to the expectations not only of internal sect members but also members of similar apocalyptic Millerite sects that may change membership to align themselves with the most appealing message. And out of this competition will arise conflict and polemics as efforts are made to capture the market and expand the tithe base.
This little economy is a tempest in a teapot but it is interesting to observe. The economy is small but dynamic with frequent product innovation. This puts pressure on the prophets to engage perpetually in the game of one-upmanship. Ever more thrilling messages. Ever more re-interpretations of the Bible. This also means that no apocalyptic Millerite sect can walk away from the game. If leaders of a particular sect decide no longer to be prophecy weenies and instead focus on Jesus, some other sect will grab their tithe base. It is an environment where a shrewd advertising man could prosper.
The invisible hand acting in this micro-economy is not that of god but that of Adam Smith.
Love the quote from Lawrence of Arabia - Dryden (Claud Rains) to Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) If we've been telling lies, you've been telling half-lies. A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.
Whole lies or half-lies, COGleaders forgot where they put the Truth.
"This is a droll treatment of a very important issue."
Seriously dude, chill out! Not everything in CofGland is a serious issue. I see this as nothing more than a funny, but true meme.
I have never understood why COG people take themselves so seriously at times. Every other church/religion out there makes fun of themselves, but not COG people. It is only after they leave that they dare mock or make fun of teachings or traditions in the church. Every single COG prophet out there is a liar.
I did not mean to suggest that the drollness of the post was inappropriate. I think it is appropriate - it is just underpinned by an otherwise serious matter of credibility. If I were a traditional Protestant infernalist, I would be pretty dour about it because I would envision all these people going to hell - nothing funny there. But, alas, I am a universalist and I believe we will all meet on the apocatastatic shores of eternity. That fact humors me.
"The first duty of every COG minister is to the truth, whether it's Biblical truth or historical truth or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which discipleship is based. And if you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don't deserve to be a minister!" Pastor Captain Jean-Luc Picard
The problem is that until the day they actually up and leave, (if ever), Armstrongites will continue to revere their gurus regardless as to how many times they get things wrong. Because they believe in an "office" allegedly created by Jesus Christ for their leaders, someone like Dave Pack could command them to afflict their souls by drinking diarrhea, and most of his followers would actually do it!
There is one thing for sure in the church right now and that is that we have never had so many self-appointed liars like we do today. My favorite story is the one you reported here about Rod Meredith calling out Bob Thiel as a liar.
ReplyDeletePoliticans regards lying a legitimate tool of their trade. It was headline news in my country when a retired politician stated this in his kiss and tell book.
ReplyDeleteWith ministers of religion, it's the same. Which also includes slandering those who question or disagree with their church. Members being labeled unconverted or not having the holy spirit is rampant. Anyone who breaks away from the Borg collective is stigmatized with many such ugly accusations.
Agree Anon 1:05. It's exactly what the religious leader's of the Temple in Jerusalem did to Jesus Christ. Christians should not expect any different response from religious leaders of this day.
DeletePack, Thiel, Flurry, Weinland , Cox, ad infinitum , should say what follows below.
ReplyDeleteThey should declare the ultimate , "infinite" , endless loop , conundrum announcement...
"EVERYTHING I SAY IS A LIE"
Good old Alfred E. Neuman of Mad Magazine fame, now in the dust bin of history along with many other magazines.
ReplyDeleteFlurry should revive his persona though! Flurry's face should be on the cover of every "Trumpet Magazine" along with the
slogan ....
"WHAT ME FLURRY?"
Tonto
DeleteAccording to the Wikipedia article on Mad, it's still around. But today it's only available at comic book stores and by subscription.
This is a droll treatment of a very important issue. When you have a collection of little apocalyptic Millerite denominations, each with a particular slant on predictive prophecy and, perhaps, their leader presenting himself as a prophet, which is the genuine predictive prophetic message within Splinterdom? One would think that verity would play a role but I think it is more a matter of economics.
ReplyDeleteThe proliferation of splinter groups and the diversity of prophetic messages has led to a competitive marketplace - a kind of theological free market. This then imposes on the putative prophets the capitalist constraints of supply and demand. Messages must be artfully crafted to appeal to the expectations not only of internal sect members but also members of similar apocalyptic Millerite sects that may change membership to align themselves with the most appealing message. And out of this competition will arise conflict and polemics as efforts are made to capture the market and expand the tithe base.
This little economy is a tempest in a teapot but it is interesting to observe. The economy is small but dynamic with frequent product innovation. This puts pressure on the prophets to engage perpetually in the game of one-upmanship. Ever more thrilling messages. Ever more re-interpretations of the Bible. This also means that no apocalyptic Millerite sect can walk away from the game. If leaders of a particular sect decide no longer to be prophecy weenies and instead focus on Jesus, some other sect will grab their tithe base. It is an environment where a shrewd advertising man could prosper.
The invisible hand acting in this micro-economy is not that of god but that of Adam Smith.
******** Click on my icon for Disclaimer
Love the quote from Lawrence of Arabia -
ReplyDeleteDryden (Claud Rains) to Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) If we've been telling lies, you've been telling half-lies. A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.
Whole lies or half-lies, COGleaders forgot where they put the Truth.
Pots and Kettles do battle for illegitimacy
ReplyDelete"This is a droll treatment of a very important issue."
ReplyDeleteSeriously dude, chill out! Not everything in CofGland is a serious issue. I see this as nothing more than a funny, but true meme.
I have never understood why COG people take themselves so seriously at times. Every other church/religion out there makes fun of themselves, but not COG people. It is only after they leave that they dare mock or make fun of teachings or traditions in the church. Every single COG prophet out there is a liar.
Take the "US & Britain in Prophecy" (please, take it!)
ReplyDeleteHigh School Drop-out HWA promised a world of predictive enlightenment from the tired old worn out British-Israel nonsense he fell for like a sucker.
Of what predictive value has this been the last 90 years? None! A failure! A dud!
But will HWA's moronic sycophants give up on it? No way!
Anonymous 11:18
ReplyDeleteI did not mean to suggest that the drollness of the post was inappropriate. I think it is appropriate - it is just underpinned by an otherwise serious matter of credibility. If I were a traditional Protestant infernalist, I would be pretty dour about it because I would envision all these people going to hell - nothing funny there. But, alas, I am a universalist and I believe we will all meet on the apocatastatic shores of eternity. That fact humors me.
******** Click on my icon for Disclaimer
The ministers resemble Beavis and Butthead more than they do Alfred E. Neuman!
ReplyDelete"The first duty of every COG minister is to the truth, whether it's Biblical truth or historical truth or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which discipleship is based. And if you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don't deserve to be a minister!" Pastor Captain Jean-Luc Picard
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that until the day they actually up and leave, (if ever), Armstrongites will continue to revere their gurus regardless as to how many times they get things wrong. Because they believe in an "office" allegedly created by Jesus Christ for their leaders, someone like Dave Pack could command them to afflict their souls by drinking diarrhea, and most of his followers would actually do it!
ReplyDelete