tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post77661574932125148..comments2024-03-28T13:58:12.329-07:00Comments on Banned by HWA! News and Observations About Armstrongism and the Church of God Movement: Escape From The Iron-Fisted Worldwide Church of God Cult into The Power and Freedom of Jesus Christ! NO2HWAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02018654662518613623noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-13690769896583987422013-06-27T06:05:33.356-07:002013-06-27T06:05:33.356-07:00Ah, yes. Lasciviousness. Because once you accept t...Ah, yes. Lasciviousness. Because once you accept that nibbling on a lobster tail isn't a sin, the next natural step is to go out and have a torrid affair. <br /><br />The difficulty many have with turning from Armstrongism to grace is that those in the COGs can't fathom how they would possibly know what to do without the Pentateuch. Or even want to submit to anything or anyone.<br /><br />Well, that's because obeying the Law of Moses doesn't change hearts. It didn't for Israel, and it still isn't today. A changed heart realizes the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice for us and lives in accordance to His commands. <br /><br />That's also because the guidance of the Holy Spirit is almost totally ignored in the COGs. Why take the time and faith to listen to that still small voice when you can just read the law and know what to do?<br /><br />If that's too hocus-pocus for you, just open the book of James and see how trying to live by the principles mentioned there work for you. Spend the time you would normally use to check labels for pork or watching the clock for sunset times serving others and you probably won't end up passed out drunk in an alley with a prostitute. Lurkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-49045517531428155262013-06-25T23:31:04.105-07:002013-06-25T23:31:04.105-07:00well Sharon, it's obvious that I have a much b...well Sharon, it's obvious that I have a much better understanding of grace than you seem to....<br /><br /><br />how can one possibly be under grace without obeying God???<br /><br />your definition of grace certainly leads people toward lasciviousness....each person setting their own standard...<br /><br />what is perfecly acceptable to me might be full blown lasciviousness to you.....and since we each use our own standard of right & wrong, who can challenge us? ...do we agree on that point?<br /><br />your definition of grace is clearly nothing but confusion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-33159677423984859632013-06-25T20:55:36.812-07:002013-06-25T20:55:36.812-07:00Boy I feel for Mark & his entire family!
I gue...Boy I feel for Mark & his entire family!<br />I guess you have right there in his testimony about what happened to his dad, mom & siblings once again a demonstration of <i>the</i> FRUIT of Armstrongianity i.e. estranged relationships, depression & suicide! I empathize with his brother who he described as a "vagabond" who travels the country as I've been described as "lost" more than once by a few people including my Catholic sister. <br />Ultimately I believe God is bigger & far righteous than we can ever imagine with our finite minds & He will reveal His Way & His Truth to each of us in His time be it now or in a future time so we all may "know Him" who is the One True God & His beloved Son Jesus whom He sent as <i>the</i> True Way of Eternal Life so long ago...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-32106074273509082342013-06-25T14:48:58.195-07:002013-06-25T14:48:58.195-07:00One important mistake they all make is in knowing ...One important mistake they all make is in knowing what the gospel or "good news" was/is. Some think it was the life, death and resurrection of Jesus (thus the "gospels") and some think the gospel or "glad tidings" was the soon coming kingdom of God on the earth. Both are wrong.<br /><br />The good news was that gentiles (even bastards and women) could now enter the congregation of the Lord, instead of only the court of the gentiles, they could now enter the sanctuary. That's what was so good newsy about the "new covenant", it includes the gentiles (and others who were excluded in the old covenant) through the adoption of sons. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man tells the whole story if you know that Lazarus is a metaphor for the gentiles and the rich man is a metaphor for the Jews (namely the temple priests). The gentiles no longer had to beg for crumbs from the rich man's table.<br /><br />That was the "gospel" that Peter, James and John were perverting in Paul's letter to the Galatians - the exclusion of gentiles from the congregation because of circumcision and keeping old covenant law.<br /><br />It was not "good news" that Jesus was going to come back some day and destroy billions of people and set up a righteous kingdom.<br /><br />I could elaborate more but I'm atheist and preaching the gospel or what the good news actually was and why it attracted so many people so fast is not my job.<br /><br />Corkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15894537940881776504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-37879623864420842622013-06-25T11:45:00.637-07:002013-06-25T11:45:00.637-07:00One issue w/ understanding Western Protestant-base...One issue w/ understanding Western Protestant-based Christianity is that to an adherent of Armstrongism, or at least someone used to thinking along those lines, is that terms and phrases such as "grace", "legalism", "rest in Jesus", "gospel of salvation", "by faith" and so forth simply don't make sense to us! They sound like wordy nothings couched in very nebulous terms.<br /><br />The problem is not helped by the fact that in countries like Canada and the US, what we now see as "mainstream" Protestantism became a cultural aspect over the past century or so. Many adherents were simply born to it and practice it as they were taught. So when you ask a lay Protestant Christian (or even many pastors) for a clear explanation, they can't do it without using the exact same terminology that confuses us in the first place.<br /><br />On top of that, the reference material out there is abundant, but much of it falls into the same trap of near-sloganeering instead of explaining. The writers cannot escape their own paradigm of nomenclature, so an Armstrong-influenced individual gets frustrated quickly trying to make sense of it. <br /><br /><br /><br />RSKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-82816687318321562132013-06-25T10:44:26.223-07:002013-06-25T10:44:26.223-07:00Thank you, Mark, for your powerful testimony, and ...Thank you, Mark, for your powerful testimony, and thank you, Gary, for posting it! I know that this will be a very controversial post because of the collection of experiences and attitudes that we have here, but if nothing else, you have illuminated a path which leads to some deeply needed healing.<br /><br />I know in my heart that most of us who exited the Armstrong movement made similar promises or vows regarding listening to any future Christian teachers, or really anything that even smacks of religion. Fortunately we serve a loving God who knows exactly what keys<br /> need to be used to open our minds towards Him. Even the possibility that that could be true used to scare the living daylights out of me. That fear was largely manufactured in my mind by Armstrongism, and was totally unnecessary . Whenever members of the deity or their messengers appeared to anyone in the Bible, their first words were always "Fear not!" God's love casts out fear.<br /><br />May God be with you, my brother!<br /><br />BBByker Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15602697337552385535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-42422768802766834342013-06-25T10:40:54.300-07:002013-06-25T10:40:54.300-07:00Dave said:
I'm officially telling you this......Dave said:<br /><br />I'm officially telling you this...Wives, legally you have the 1/2 the funds. What are you going to do about it?...Husbands...'well, my wife is not in the church'...tell her...'you don't have a voice woman' "<br /><br />Boy that makes sense in the Wacky World of Dave Pack.<br /><br />If you are a RCG woman, you have RIGHTS to give day 1/2 of your family funds. If you are NOT RCG, you have NO RIGHTS or a voice woman!<br /><br />What a condescending piece of shit this man is. To include the word "woman" in a sentence by a man is degrading and condescending to the max. And yes I know Jesus said, "Womand, what do I have to do with you ?" to his own mom, in the story. It was equally as rude for the Gospel Jesus to speak so to his mother. <br /><br />As the first Ms Pack said to relative...."You know it's not easy being married to Dave Pack."<br /><br />I can't imagine it being otherwise. <br /><br />M.T.Pension Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-75690806681894772932013-06-25T10:07:40.536-07:002013-06-25T10:07:40.536-07:00Than you once again Anon 9:09 for demonstrating th...Than you once again Anon 9:09 for demonstrating that Armstrongites are ignorant about what grace is. You have listened to the lies of your ministurds for so long that you cannot discern truth from untruth. <br /><br />When you say what you did you admit you cannot live in the grace of Jesus Christ but have to have the security of the law to make you feel safe. <br /><br />The law keeps you in captivity and held liable for things you have no way of ever doing correctly. <br /><br />You are correct that grace sets us free. Free from the law and the legalistic bullshit that still destroys lives in the COG's. <br /><br />I can assure you grace is not scary and that grace does not lead one to do what ever it is you think people lasciviously want to do. Because that is what you are saying. You are saying grace leads to lasciviousness. You are a lair, but I can understand why you do it. We were taught to lie in Armstrongism by everyone from HWA down to the local deacon.<br />Sharonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-23483076965036684412013-06-25T09:19:55.774-07:002013-06-25T09:19:55.774-07:00Mark Smith is sure to get many who were brainwashe...Mark Smith is sure to get many who were brainwashed by Herbie mad at him!<br /><br />Truth is, it's great to escape the mental clutches of Armstrongist "churches" like the UCG, LCG, PCG, etc!<br /><br />Of course, those still in the mental clutches of the Armstrongist "churches" will tell you all about the "freedom" and "truth" they have.<br /><br />Maybe you'll even want to join their Armstrongist "church"!<br /><br />HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226103369043606765.post-51957121411450290112013-06-25T09:09:12.102-07:002013-06-25T09:09:12.102-07:00eh, people like Mark Smith are actually leading pe...eh, people like Mark Smith are actually leading people away from God and into a belief system that says you can do what ever you want, because Jesus died setting you free.....it's a totally bogus teaching, but it makes life easy so a lot of people will adopt it.<br /><br />a lot of old WCG ministers went way overboard, for sure....adding a lot of "man rules" to God's rules....so I guess you can say that the pendulum is swinging too far the other way now....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com