Why is it that in Church of God land, with its many self-appointed blithering idiots, so many have to constantly get upset over innocuous things? Everything makes these little guys upset. Life apparently is meant to be a miserable existence. Joy, fun, and humor tend to be lacking in the personalities of these bumbling idiots and they need to make sure everyone around them is just as miserable as they are.
Every year around this time the Great Bwana to Africa and the 100 Occasional Caucasians reposts his idiocy about Groundhog Day. Every tribe and culture since the dawn of humanity has identifying legends and myths that are central to its identity. Those things are what describe them as a nation or people group.
Every religious system in this wonderful world also has its own myths and legends that are specific to their identity, including Christianity. Not everything in its sacred scriptures actually happened. Filled with countless stories employing metaphor and myths the Bible tells the story of the God of Israel in a constant battle with mythic beasts (leviathan), gods (Baal), and the forces of evil (Satan and his demons) to make the people of Israel set apart from all other nations.
For some reason in COG land it is perfectly ok for the people of its scripture to believe in and be rescued from mythic beasts and gods, but people today cannot have their own stories. This is all pretty hypocritical of Armstrongism considering how its movement is filled with so many incredulous myths and legends that set it apart from all other Christian and non-Christian groups in the world.
The myths of Leviathan are no worse than the playfully fun people have with Groundhog Day, yet our ever-present self-righteous know-it-alls in COG land can’t stand people having fun with legends. If these adult-sized childhood bullies had been around Jesus in his time they would still be a bunch of whiny little bitches complaining about everything he said.
Even those specially chosen by God to reveal themselves in the end times of the world would end up being consumed by Debbie-downer syndrome. This includes of illustrious Great Bwana to Africa and the 100 occasional Caucasians. Always on the lookout for something to get his miserable little life upset over, he has gotten his holistic little knickers in a twist over the legend of Groundhog Day and the 1993 movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. Oh, the humanity!
There is an odd observance on February 2 each year in North America that is called Groundhog Day:
Groundhog Day … is a popular American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2nd. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will persist for six more weeks; but if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early.While the tradition remains popular in modern times, studies have found no consistent correlation between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather. … The Groundhog Day ceremony held at Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centering around a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, has become the most attended. (Groundhog Day, Wikipedia, accessed 04/25/20)
So, no this is not a biblical holiday, so why mention it?
Well, in 1993, there was a movie starring Bill Murray titled Groundhog Day. Since coming out, it has become a cultural icon, in a sense, in the USA and elsewhere.
Groundhogs everywhere are starting to laugh in derision right now. You know things are pretty bad when even the animals mock our Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel:
Here are parts of a synopsis of the Groundhog Day movie from IMDb(Internet Movie Database):
On February 1, self-centered and sour TV meteorologist Phil Connors (Bill Murray), news producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) from fictional Pittsburgh television station WPBH-TV9 travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities with Punxsutawney Phil, the Groundhog. Having grown tired of this assignment, Phil begrudgingly gives his Groundhog Day report the next day (February 2) during the festival and parade.After the celebration concludes, a blizzard develops that Connors had predicted would miss them, closing the roads and shutting down long-distance phone services, forcing the team to return to Punxsutawney. Connors awakens the next morning, however, to find it is February 2 again, and his day unfolds in almost exactly the same way. Connors can change his behavior, but other people do and say the same things they did and said the previous day, unless Connors changes something. He is aware of the repetition, but everyone else seems to be living February 2 for the first time. This recursion repeats the following morning and the one after that, and over and over again. …After briefly trying to rationalize his situation, and then thinking he is insane, Connors takes advantage of learning the day’s events and the information he is able to gather about the town’s inhabitants, and finds that his actions have no long-term consequences for himself. He revels in this situation for a time: seducing beautiful women, stealing money, even driving drunk and experiencing a police chase. However, his attempts to seduce his producer, Rita, are met with repeated failures. He begins to tire of, and then dread, his existence, starting the day by smashing the alarm clock and professing the inanity of Groundhog Day as a holiday in his newscast. (Groundhog Day, 1993. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/plotsummary)
Our illustrious Bob Mzungu has to immediately find fault with a fictional character and find some biblical passage that he imagines describes Bill Murray's character:
Yes, Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors displayed what was warned about in the last days by the Apostle Paul:
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:1-2, NKJV throughout)19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, (Galatians 5:19)
He continues with this:
Phil Connors loved the world and wanted to pursue the works of the flesh. He did not care much about the following that the Apostle John wrote when his time loop began:
16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:16-17)
The Great Bwana Mzungu does go on to admit the following:
Yes, in a sense, life can be like Groundhog Day in the sense we have to go through a lot of the same or similar tests and trials to learn how to better live and serve.
It takes a while to build godly character, even for Christians:
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)
Then like any good Church of God leader he lectures members on what miserable followers they are of their God. Never good enough to do anything right and if they don't shape up they will never be crowned kings and priests in some mythical kingdom that's part of Bwana Bob's imagination.
The Apostle Paul also wrote:
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:25-27)
Yes, unlike Phil Connors in Groundhog Day, we are striving for an unperishable crown.
Just because you may have been a Christian for a long time, do not think that if you give up you also cannot become disqualified.
Why is it that everyone in COGland is always on the verge of being disqualified over something? Christians down through the centuries have found rest and assurance in Christ, but not so much in COGland. That Christ is unknown to so many in the Millerite groups today. The law and its prescriptive of death are always hung around the necks of church members instead of having the shackles of the law broken and living free.
7 comments:
In less than two hours, Groundhog Day teaches a moral lesson more valuable than what ACOG members typically receive during a Sabbath Service of similar length. The Punxsutawney Prophet inculcates in us a lesson of humility and of overcoming our carnal human nature, as we watch the insufferably arrogant Phil learn to practice the way of give, esteeming others better than himself.
Reading between the lines of Bob's infantile screed, I can't help but get the sense that "giving up" is a topic often on his mind. At some level, even Bob must realize the futility and ridiculousness of what he is doing. But while Phil in the movie becomes willing to repent, change, and grow, Bob has convinced himself that repenting of his arrogance would be "giving up" and losing his crown. Yes, Bill Murray playing Phil in the movie is on a much higher moral ground than Bob Thiel playing Prophet in his own mind.
Sunday School teachers asks class the meaning of Easter:
A shy little girl in the back of the room said, “Easter is when Jesus died.”
The teacher replied, “That’s right, Shauna. And what happened to Jesus that makes Easter special?”
“Well, he died and got buried. And every Easter he comes out. And if he sees his shadow there’s 6 more weeks of winter.”
What he really means about giving up, is if you give up on your approval of him or CCOG.
For anyone who has been a longtime COG Christian, he claims you will lose your qualification if you "give up" on expecting your crown to be offered exclusively via faith in CCOG. He believes God requires you to have faith that Mr. Bonjour anointed this man to "govern" you.
His hierarchy had some crumbly shifty sand with the performance of guys such as Bradox & how Bradox's father took slow action over sonny.
More than 1 Youtube posted had serious fugazie boo-boos, but just go to the next one & fuh-gedda-bout-it.
But don't judge Bob, he's judging you 1st. Dave Pack is also trying to be runner-up.
After a hard day of getting his edits undone on Wikipedia yet again because fellow editors will not recognize his AUTHORITAH, Bob turned on the TV and lashed out at... Groundhog Day.
It is difficult to regard Bob Thiel as anything other than de facto satire. He should submit this article to the Onion.
"It is difficult to regard Bob Thiel as anything other than de facto satire. He should submit this article to the Onion."
Everything about Bob is a clown show. That is why he has been an epic failure in drawing in COG members from other groups to his silliness, especialy those from Living Church of God.
Curious that he didn't invoke the paganism aspect of Groundhog Day which I heard in the church for years.
The history of it being called "Candlemas" or Imbolc. COGWA warned about that last February in a Friday night Bible study.
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