Two weeks of chest-thumping. Weeks of promising the world that the great Crackpot Bob Thiel—self-appointed guardian of “original Christianity,” tireless enemy of that pesky little doctrine called the Trinity—was about to educate some poor, unsuspecting Confessional Lutheran on a podcast. The topic? The Trinity, of course. The one thing Armstrongism has spent decades treating like garlic to a vampire.
Crackpot Bob was ready. Bob had the scriptures. Bob had the “historical facts.” Bob was going to gently (but firmly) dismantle centuries of Christian orthodoxy while the host sat there in stunned silence, taking notes for his eventual conversion.
Then… nothing.
The host delayed once to “prepare.” Then he simply vanished. No email. No explanation. Just radio silence.
And what does our hero do? Does he shrug and move on like a normal adult? Of course not. Crackpot Bob does what Bob does best: he turns a cancelled appointment into a full-blown theological victory parade.
In his own words: the host “backed out without informing us.” Why? “He probably could not handle the truth and was afraid his audience would have trouble with the truth about the trinity.” Further speculation: the man “may have seen that he did not have valid arguments against the scriptures and historical facts.”
Translation: “I win because the other guy didn’t show up to lose.”
This is the same energy as a kid who challenges the school bully to a fight after school, the bully never appears, and the kid spends the next week telling everyone he scared him off with his superior karate.
Crackpot Bob even treats us to a little diagram of the Trinity (the classic shield) and smugly notes that “logic shows [it] contradicts itself.” Yes, Bob. The diagram that has been used for over a thousand years is the problem—not the man who thinks a cancelled podcast proves the early church was non-Trinitarian.
And because the host’s “non-brave approach to cancelling” was just too much for Crackpot Bob’s delicate sense of justice, he is now adding extra sermons on the Trinity to his schedule. Nothing says “I have the truth on my side” quite like doubling down on a monologue after the other participant ghosts you.
One can only imagine the scene in Crackpot Bob’s study: leather chair, wall of crooked bookcases, glowing Earth backdrop, microphone ready for action… and a man so certain of his own brilliance that an empty calendar slot is interpreted as divine confirmation. The arrogance isn’t just appalling. It’s performance art.
Somewhere, a Lutheran podcaster is quietly enjoying his weekend, blissfully unaware that he has just handed Bob Thiel the greatest win of his debating career—by simply not showing up.
And Crackpot Bob? He’s already polishing the trophy.
No Trinitarian Discussion Podcast
Two weeks ago, I mentioned that I was supposed to be a guest on a Confessional Lutheran’s podcast. The host then delayed that to better prepare himself to read more of my writings, and he set up for us to discuss the trinity on his podcast yesterday. So, I agreed and that was scheduled. But he backed out without informing us or responding to emails from our team.
He probably could not handle the truth and was afraid his audience would have trouble with the truth about the trinity.
The fact is that I do NOT believe that one can have a rational scriptural discussion about the beliefs of the original Christians and conclude the Church was trinitarian if one can accept the plain truth on that subject.
I speculate that host may have seen that he did not have valid arguments against the scriptures and historical facts related to the Godhead.
Below is a drawing that trinitarians use to explain their faulty view, which logic shows contradicts itself:
(Public Domain via Wikipedia)
Anyway, partially because of the podcast host’s non-brave approach to cancelling, this motivated me to add some more to my sermon schedule. So, I plan to give a couple of new sermons on the trinity.
10 comments:
Well done! I can see why Bob's own son refuses to follow him. When your own family thinks you are nuts, you should wake up!
' I plan to give a couple of new sermons on the trinity'. Hands up who won't be listening in lol.
Not to defend Bob, but this argument is fallacious. Did not Jesus' brothers once consider him "nuts"?
The diagram is somehow seen to be relevant. It has as much relevance as the argument than says I can't find the word Trinity in the Bible. A favourite argument of the JW too. Those who think there is a Triune God gain that understanding from a lot of scriptures that seem to work together to indicate the nature of God. Except the JW deny Jesus as God which is one improvement Armstrong has.
Maybe Dr. Thiel should follow HWA's example and offer $1,000 to anyone who can prove the Trinity doctrine. That could get interesting.
Put youself in the Lutheran's shoes. Denying the Trinity would be nothing short of blasphemous. This would be a very big deal! Not something to which one would expose one's audience. To most Christians, this is not even a concept which one should debate! Again, though, here we have another example of copy-catism. John Ankerberg, American Christian television host, had as his guest Garner Ted Armstrong to discuss the same topic, several years back. It may still be floating out there in Youtube Land. It is doubtful that Bob's event would outshine GTA's. Probably best that it was cancelled.
Has Bob considered that the Lutheran host might simply have decided, after reading so much of Bob's verbal diarrhea at his website, that he didn't want to sully his own credibility by giving an audience to a marginal and obviously unwell cult leader? In the wider world of Christianity, Bob has no more credibility, and is no more worth engaging with, than Samuel Kitchen. Debating Bob would be about as meaningful as debating a random patient in an insane asylum.
Eh, the concept of the trinity developed over hundreds of years. It certainly was not a doctrine of the early Church. I suppose the Lutheran, in his preparation, figured out there is no way to defend it using the scriptures.
The doctrine took centuries to define, but the belief is in Scripture and the earliest Christian writings. There’s no shortage of biblical defences of the Trinity.
I speculate that host may have seen that he did not have valid arguments against the scriptures and historical facts related to the Godhead.>>>
One can find scholars who examine the scripture as part of seeking to understand Trinity. There are good books. Also good commentaries are left by Michael Heiser who gave excellent lectures in You Tube about the Trinity. It's by no means as clear cut as Mr Theil orHerbert Armstrong would have us believe.
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