Where would the Living Church of God be without scapegoating gay people as the source of all the world's problems?
For decades, Rod Meredith was fixated on an anti-gay crusade. Something in his early life triggered an obsession that bled into every letter, article, and broadcast. Perhaps it stemmed from his idol, Herbert Armstrong, who once remarked that Meredith seemed effeminate at times. Meredith faced this issue a lot while growing up took up boxing, becoming a "Golden Gloves" champion—a fact he never let anyone forget. Overcompensation? Maybe. His relentless hatred was often so intense it made him look utterly foolish.
Then there's Bob Thiel, who seizes every chance to rant about gay people causing one catastrophe after another. His eyes practically gleam with visions of his god casting them into a lake of fire or rounding them up into concentration camps in the Midwest or Canada.
Yet, while Thiel foams at the mouth and flails his arms and wrists, he ignores the mess in his own backyard. One of his African leaders abandoned his wife and is committing adultery. Others dabble in witchcraft, while some cozy up to young women to "comfort" them on their travels as they are proclaiming a witness in a few places in Africa.
What will Bob Thiel say when an earthquake inevitably strikes his home in Arroyo Grande, California? Will he call it divine punishment from his god or a test of his unwavering faith? And what about the Living Church of God? When a hurricane or some other disaster wreaks havoc in Charlotte, will they claim it’s God’s wrath for their mistreatment of members or a trial to prove their loyalty?For decades, Rod Meredith was fixated on an anti-gay crusade. Something in his early life triggered an obsession that bled into every letter, article, and broadcast. Perhaps it stemmed from his idol, Herbert Armstrong, who once remarked that Meredith seemed effeminate at times. Meredith faced this issue a lot while growing up took up boxing, becoming a "Golden Gloves" champion—a fact he never let anyone forget. Overcompensation? Maybe. His relentless hatred was often so intense it made him look utterly foolish.
Then there's Bob Thiel, who seizes every chance to rant about gay people causing one catastrophe after another. His eyes practically gleam with visions of his god casting them into a lake of fire or rounding them up into concentration camps in the Midwest or Canada.
Yet, while Thiel foams at the mouth and flails his arms and wrists, he ignores the mess in his own backyard. One of his African leaders abandoned his wife and is committing adultery. Others dabble in witchcraft, while some cozy up to young women to "comfort" them on their travels as they are proclaiming a witness in a few places in Africa.
This is why no one takes these delusional men seriously anymore. Decades of lies, failed prophecies, and absurd biblical interpretations aimed at others—while their own lives and churches fester with depravity—render their words meaningless. These clowns will never deliver a powerful message or a credible warning to the world. Even their supposed god seems to mock their hypocrisy!
If I were them, I’d keep my mouth shut; their track record is already a perfect 100% failure. They constantly need scapegoats to prop up their self-righteous egos.
Armstrongist ministers should clean their own house before casting blame. The corruption and degeneracy in the Church of God’s ministry could outshine any Hollywood scandal!
Sobering Signs of the Times: World events and trends increasingly resemble biblical situations where God dramatically intervened in human affairs. God sent a flood to destroy a world that had become filled with violence, wickedness, and evil (Genesis 6). Some 400 years later, God obliterated Sodom and Gomorrah because of their perverted and depraved behaviors (Genesis 19; Ezekiel 16:49–50). Lot and his family, although warned, were reluctant to leave because they had grown accustomed to and tolerant of the evil around them. Today, the same sinful behavior that the Bible describes as an “abomination” to God is accepted and promoted, such as homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and transgenderism (Leviticus 18:22–23; Deuteronomy 22:5). We are also told that biblical examples are recorded for our admonition today (1 Corinthians 10:11). We need to wake up and come out of the ways of this world so we can be in the coming Kingdom of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
10 comments:
Just notice that Winnail recycled a 2020 posting, which was probably recycled from 4 years earlier than that...https://armstrongismlibrary.blogspot.com/2020/03/lcg-thanks-gays-its-your-fault-again.html
Eh, accepting homosexual behavior contributes heavily to the general corruption and degeneracy of the world. It is a cancer on society. Maybe that's why God instructed that they were to be killed.
Winnail doesn't seem to care that the Bible also calls his own marital conduct an abomination. The same Bible that forbids homosexual conduct also forbids a man from re-marrying a woman who after divorcing him married and divorced another man. Why is Winnail failing to heed that admonition but insistent that others heed the other Biblical admonitions? It's total hypocrisy!
World events and trends , for 2000 years, have always and increasingly resemble biblical situations where God dramatically intervened in human affairs. It is the resemblance that keeps the prophetic schtick going and going. It's what world events and trends do and yet are never indicative of any God about to intervene in anything. This intervening god made this mess by mistakenly labeling the presence of humans as "very good". Of course, in the next couple of chapters in Genesis he regrets the whole thing and drowns all the rats he created.
An unstable god is unstable in all his ways.
We're on our own for better or worse and there is no indication anything or anyone is going to intervene to save us. IMHO.
Over decades, as well, I have found that "me thinks you protest too much" often applies and indicates an underlying personal tendency or curiosity one is waging as a personal battle against in the fear, guilt and shame one believes is associated with it all.
As some suspect, the Apostle Paul fell into this category of perhaps in his famous personal despair of Romans 7:15-20. He solved his personal dilemma, whatever it was, by concluding it wasn't actually him doing all this personal wrong but this entity of "sin" that was in him. Paul's life long struggle was ongoing and not something he seems to have ever overcome without "Grace".and going so far as to "beat and keep myself, lest after preaching to others I become a castaway". Paul sounds like a repressed gay man perhaps or maybe a "Paul the RIpper " type after hours?
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Thus was born the theology of Paul's "Grace" since he was helpless himself in it all and "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" needing a blood sacrifice to cover it all nicely. IMHO again.
I think at AC and in any local congregation it was evident at times in some who seemed overly obsessed with such topics. Humans are so interesting...
PS Carol and I just returned from a road trip to the Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology, a worldclass museum, in Drumheller, Alberta Canada. The finest dinosaur fossils on the planet as well as a very clear chronological view from the Big Bang to the Present in the evolution of all things. (Not the origin of life, only how it evolved once here). That is still up for grabs.
Drumheller is about 80 miles east of Calgary where we also went to the Calgary Stampede. Too hot and as a massage therapist the sight of spinal, neck and head snapping and twisting holding on for dear life was a bit hard to watch. Seats in the sun drove us out early.
We both came and went through Banff and the Canadian Rockies which are simply hard to describe in their geological magnificence
We also stayed in Coeur d"Alene during memorial services for the ambushed and murdered firemen of a week earlier. Very moving. I believe I'd become Canadian in a heartbeat these days having grown up on the Canadian border as well.
LCG wrings their hands about “the gays” and such, but in their actual behavior, the only sin I ever saw enforced was not being having enough awe over the “ministry.” Pedos, adultery, stealing, lying, drugs, violence, all swept under the rug. But if a “minister” felt a person isn’t worshipful enough of them or the organization, bring on the outrage. Maybe if they want to be respected they should act with integrity and not consistently say stupid things.
Yes, Winnail, our modern society needs to wake up, but so do you. Homosexuality is not the only sexual sin outlined in scripture. There is one that he currently is guilty of found in the law (but he ignores it). As much as they think they are giving a warning, their publications aren't going to stop the "gays" in western society.
It's the same recycled stuff. I just briefly looked at their recent magazine issue and the first three topics are: the pope, Europe, Red heifer. It's the same old prophecy stuff. Is it important, perhaps, but it's what they wrote back in 2005, 1995 etc. All that stuff could be true, but it doesn't mean Christ in you.
So does adultery, idolatry and lying but the church doesn't give two cents about that. You just have to be 'sorry' you got caught (and be in good standing with your tithing š) and you get a free pass. The gays are all they have left to bash. My kids once came to me horrified after services (Sheldon's tragic group) wherein the minister preached that the Ukraine deserved what was happening to them because they allowed homosexuals on the front line… and everyone knows that homosexuals are not good frontline defense. Holy hell. Just embarrassing that someone would preach suck vomit. Thankfully my children were intelligent enough to know what utter BS this was.
Yeah Bob is way over his head- he really believes he's leading the way in all the churches of God , when his own church is full of Witchcraft , Sex Scandals, Adultery and Politial graft and major money siphoning schemes. Can't believe my former CCOG associates believe his AFRICAN PIPE DREAM. SO SAD
People of all types exist, and frequently occupy places in the authority structure. Forgetting basic decency as human beings for the moment, it is no longer tenable to shut others out, or refuse to deal with them. They're there, and it's best not to blame, or mistreat others based on something with which they were born.
Since Armstrongism always taught that people choose their sexuality, Armstrongites will continue this bizarre blame game, until a beloved family member, or long term friend breaks their secrecy.
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