It's That Time Of Year: Halloween Hysteria Is Back Again In the Churches of God

"To all COG members out there: 

Is your children’s Christianity so feeble as to be endangered 

by a plastic mask and a few candy bars? 

Are your children so inadequately grounded in their religion 

as to be tempted into a life of witchcraft by attending a costume party? 

Are you yourself so poorly rooted in your faith that you fear your children

 will ask questions to which you have no satisfactory answers?"

Keith Stump

It is that time of year again and Bob Thiel is hiding behind his faded curtains in his crooked den all hot and bothered by Halloween. His hysteria is typical of so many of the self-righteous leaders of various COG's this time of year.  They have meltdowns over kids having some fun while they ruin families and their members' lives mentally, physically, and spiritually, with abusive policies and outright demonic teachings.

HALLOWEEN HYSTERIA

by Keith Stump

October is quickly flying by, meaning it’s time for the traditional Christian hand-wringing over that most “demonic” of holidays, Halloween! In anticipation of the usual anti-Halloween propaganda, I offer the following observations about this alleged “satanic festival of evil”:

First, there’s no need to point out that Halloween is not found in Leviticus 23. (Duh.) Leviticus 23 is obsolete and irrelevant anyway. Second, forget the lengthy dissertation about how the papacy (the alleged “image of the beast” and “great whore”) instituted the Roman Catholic celebrations of “All Hallows Eve” and “All Saints Day”. That, too, is irrelevant. Today’s Halloween has nothing to do with honoring Christian saints. For most, Halloween long ago ceased being viewed as a religious observance—and never was, by Americans.

The Halloween that many of us know today is largely an American phenomenon. And it’s a purely secular observance.

Yet some of Halloween’s customs do have roots in pre-Christian (“pagan”) practices. “Pagan” has long been a popular buzzword among Christians, especially among the COGs. As a Plain Truth and World Tomorrow writer, and occasional GHOSTwriter (how occult!) for the Armstrongs, I used the word liberally for decades. If it’s “pagan” in origin, it MUST be evil (like, I suppose, playing cards, wedding rings, dominoes, medicine, beer, the theater, the names of the days of the week and months of the year, and so on—all of which are scrupulously avoided in the COGs, aren’t they?).

Some of Halloween’s customs can be traced to practices of the Celtic New Year, particularly among the Druids of ancient Britain. The Celts worshipped nature deities and practiced a relatively benign type of witchcraft. (Shame on them for living before the birth of Christ! Why, they must have been as evil as Cyrus the Great, who worshipped Ishtar, the pagan goddess of love and war, and Ahura Mazda, god of light and wisdom. [Oh, wait a minute—God still called Cyrus "that righteous man from the East." Never mind.])

The Celtic festival of Samhain (which means “summer’s end” and marked the Celtic New Year, and is properly pronounced SOW-in, not “Sam Hain”) was considered to be a magical time when the thin veil between the worlds was lifted, and the dead walked among the living. It was a night of ghosts and fairies, in which bonfires were lit and fortunes were told, and the thoughts of all turned to the afterlife. For some odd reason, the Celts didn’t think that exposing their children to contemplation of death and the afterlife was a problem. And, of course, the “witches” of the time were primarily herbalists and midwives. Witches as evil, devil-worshiping crones were an invention of the medieval Church, perpetuated by modern fundamentalists.

Despite fundamentalist assertions, there were no orgies or human sacrifices or cannibalism or devil-worshipping during Samhain. Anyone who claims otherwise is an incompetent researcher or an outright liar. And—despite all those sermonettes you’ve heard—there was never a Celtic “god of death” named “Samhain”.

The ancient Samhain festival in no way “glorified” the demonic world, nor—except for a relatively few “Satanists”—does Samhain today. Modern pagans who celebrate Samhain regard it as a time to look back on the past year and reflect on how they can become better people, and a time to honor departed loved ones and welcome them into their presence. Modern Halloween is even less focused on “making contact” with the spirit world.

Stop for a moment and consider rationally: Is a six-year-old girl trick-or-treating in a Cinderella costume “fellowshipping with demons”? Is a child covered in a sheet with eye-holes “associating with spirits”? Are employees attending a company costume party “consorting with the devil”? Is hanging a plastic skeleton in your window “paying homage to Satan”? Is carving a jack-o’-lantern “fashioning an idol”? Is bobbing for apples a “wicked revel”? Some who are reading this would reply with a resounding “yes”. And that’s because of the spiritual myopia that warps their thinking, as I’ll discuss in a moment. Goofball notions are de rigueur for the fundamentalist.

Others who are reading this have heartwarming memories of Halloween. It’s a slice of genuine Americana. It was one of the highlights of their childhood calendar—a time of family crafts and costume-making, a time to celebrate creativity and imagination. It was a time for children to dress up and solicit candy from their neighbors. (We were even taught to say “thank you”, which I’m sure irked Satan no end.) Trick-or-treating allowed the entire community to share in the Halloween festivities, as costumes were admired and rewarded with goodies. Halloween reaffirmed social bonds with friends and neighbors. These are hardly the “unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11), unless one is a fanatic who interprets that phrase like, well, a fanatic.

(A parenthetical note to hypocrites: Anyone who condemns Halloween, yet enjoys an occasional Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff film, or reads a Stephen King or Anne Rice thriller, or a Harry Potter novel, or who watches “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “The Wizard of Oz” or Disney’s “Snow White” or “Sleeping Beauty” or the “Lord of the Rings” films or who plays fantasy-based video games or visits Disneyland’s “Haunted Mansion” or watches a stage magician is a hypocrite, pure and simple. It’s like a conscientious objector being a fan of war movies. But hypocrisy is nothing new to the COGs, is it? And, for that matter, is “glorifying violence” any less “sinful” than “glorifying the occult”? (Hmm. I must have been imagining those LCG members sitting in the theater when I saw “Terminator 3″.))

To all COG members out there: Is your children’s Christianity so feeble as to be endangered by a plastic mask and a few candy bars? Are your children so inadequately grounded in their religion as to be tempted into a life of witchcraft by attending a costume party? Are you yourself so poorly rooted in your faith that you fear your children will ask questions to which you have no satisfactory answers?

I have seen no evidence of children being psychologically warped or seduced into a life of witchcraft and perversion as a result of innocent Halloween activities. I HAVE, however, seen many fearful and superstitious COG children who have been conditioned to be abnormally hypersensitive to anything blackened with the feared label “occult”. One child in particular comes to mind, whom I witnessed shrieking in stark terror at the mere sight of a jack-o-lantern. Are you raising fearful children who, like medieval peasants, see Satan lurking behind every tree and demons skulking in every dark corner? Are you raising children who fear they will “open themselves up” to “demonic control” at any moment by the slightest misstep? What a tenuous, precarious and paranoid spirituality! Satan is a defeated enemy! We need not shrink inanimate mortal remains. Explain that fear of black cats is an ancient superstition of the ignorant. Talk to them about the fanciful creations of horror fiction, like werewolves and vampires. It’s healthy to examine the things that frighten us. Tell them about “ghosts” or disembodied spirits. (The dead are relatively safe; it’s the living you need to watch out for!) And talk to them about the subject of life after physical death. Tell them about the Lord of Life who overcame death. Assuage their fears about those who can kill the body but not the soul.

Halloween is also a good time to reconsider our own views about death and the afterlife. The unbiblical doctrine of “soul sleep” would be a good place to start. The Bible clearly teaches (and centuries of experience demonstrate) that death does not interrupt self-awareness; personal identity survives death! By contrast, Herbert Armstrong’s so-called “restored truth” about “What is Man?” is totally without biblical foundation, though his followers blindly accept it. Measuring truth by the teachings of a morally unprincipled deviate who was indisputably unqualified for ministry by biblical standards (i Tim. 3:2-7; Titus 1:6-7) is far scarier than any aspect of Halloween! (A rule of thumb, which I’ll throw in free of charge: The farther an individual or group moves away from the teachings of the so-called Philadelphia era of the Church of God, the closer he moves toward genuine truth and balanced spirituality.)

So here’s my point: Objection to Halloween is a reflection of something much broader: an obsession with trivialities, a confusion of priorities, a primitive fear of the unknown, an arrogance that finds “righteousness” in being odd-ball and out-of-step. Fundamentalists can find something offensive or objectionable in almost anything. They have a worldview in which virtually everything is “anti-Christian”. They have lost the ability to filter the important from the inconsequential. The traditional COG prohibition against Halloween ignores the facts of history, misrepresents the modern holiday, and demonstrates a woeful lack of spiritual discernment.

So, in a nutshell, my message to Christians about Halloween is: Lighten up! There is nothing spiritually harmful about this tradition. Sensibly observed, Halloween can be a day of wholesome fun and merriment. Believe it or not, not everything in life has to have some deep spiritual connotation. Halloween is “Satan’s Holiday” only to those who concede it to him or arbitrarily label it as such. Christians have been redeemed from the forces of evil. We don’t have to give credence to Satan’s claimed authority in any area of life. Don’t surrender to the fear, superstition, and hypocrisy of the fundamentalist, who wouldn’t recognize a little harmless fun if he tripped over it, who is oblivious to the value of fantasy, who has no idea what “magic” and “witchcraft” really are, to whom everything paranormal is “demonic” and who trembles before the power of Satan and his demons (whether he admits it or not). Don’t fall prey to shady “scholarship” and flawed arguments about this holiday. Don’t let anyone judge you in respect of this or any other occasion. Safe, fun Halloween activities are NOT “of the “devil”.

To believe otherwise is just plain silly!

Crackpot False Prophet Claims That You Cannot Be Saved Unless You Are In His Philadelphian Group

 

Wouldn't you know it, the majority of the Church of God members today are Laodiceans and will NOT be able to make it to the place of safety because they are in the wrong groups! Ghastly days! Can they ever do anything right????

The Great Bwana to Africa and 305 Caucasians is currently in Ireland drinking lots of Guinness while looking for the lost ark of the covenant before Gerald Flurry finds it.  This Elijah in our midst is gobsmacked right now thinking he is walking the same hallowed ground Jeremiah and his daughters walked upon millennia ago. At least while he out traipsing around the hills he can thank St Patrick for getting rid of all the snakes so he can have a pleasant hike.

Never one to let his wildly fanatical mind think normally, the Great Bwana posted another idiotic sermon detailing how COG members, not of his church, will not be saved. In this silly sermon, he lists 50 errors he makes regarding the dumb prophecies he foolishly believes. 

Since Bob was foreordained before the world was created to lead the most supercalifragilistic end-time work he just cannot get over the constant butt-burn that 99.99% of the COG members refused to go with him and submit to his authority AND who do not care about his prophetic lies.  So Bob has no other alternative than to try and scare COG members into following him.

Of course, as usual, Bob has the ONLY correct interpretation of scripture and prophecy and the rest of the COG's do not. They and the COG7 are apparently too dumb to understand what he does. The creature that he thinks is "jesus", but is most likely Legion, has revealed to Bwana that he is only going to protect COG members that are in the improperly named "continuing" Church of "god" to which he will only reveal the correct time to flee to Petra. What a f'ing hoot!

50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors
While many seem to believe that all the Churches of God are the same, this is not so. In the end time, most true Christians are Laodicean and not Philadelphian. In this sermon, Dr. Thiel mentions over 50 prophetic errors that Laodiceans, independents, and some of the remnant of Sardis have held to. Dr. Thiel also mentions scriptures that Laodiceans and other non-Philadelphians miss. Dr. Thiel sites scriptures such as Zephaniah 2 related to gathering together before it is time to flee. He also mentions that Jesus only promised to protect the Philadelphians from the coming ‘hour of trial.’ Furthermore, Dr. Thiel mentions that unless they change, Laodiceans will not know when the Great Tribulation will begin until after it is started, and hence too late for them to flee prior to its beginning.

Crackpot COG Prophet Gets Bent Out Of Shape Over April Fool's Day

 

Our favorite Chief Overseer of his African brethren and the modern-day embodiment of Elisha, Elijah, Amos and Andy, Johsua, and the most important and doubly blessed man the Church of God has ever been privileged to have in its midst, is back today getting his wholistic knickers into a homeopathic twist:

Today, it is April 1st on the Roman calendar.
Many people call the first day of April, “April Fools’ Day.” Notice something about it:

Today is April 1 — April Fool’s Day, if you will…in more recent times it’s chock full of good-natured pranks. But watch out; any scams or pranks can end up being costly. Case in point: Back in 2005, KBDS-FM radio conducted an April Fool’s giveaway for a Hummer, but used a play on words to actually give away an R/C model of a Hummer. The winner, Shannon Castillo, was not amused. She filed suit for $60,000, the cost of a new Hummer.
Beware of tax-related fraud and scams
Have you ever pranked a coworker?
Implausible, unexpected event occurred, will have terrible business impact on you

With that in mind, it’ a good idea to be hypercritical of anything you read online today. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-57577203/beware-hoaxes-can-be-costly/

Like any good COG prophet, the Great Bwana doesn't have to search far to find something to back up his nitpicking nuttiness.

Nasty unconverted people not only play innocent jokes on each other on April Fools Day, but they cause tax scams and other issues.

It's all lies brethren when someone plays an April Fools joke on you. All Lies! Woe is me! Oh, the humanity! Lies! Lies! Lies!

However, there is one glowing thing that is missing from Bwana Bob's whinefest list...

What about the lies of self-appointed COG prophets and false teachers in the church, of which he is one? Are not their lies even more damaging to people than some silly pranks? Destroying the spiritual and even physical life of members is far more damaging.

Never in the history of the Church of God have we had so many self-appointed men who are preaching the most idiotic things the church has ever heard. From Dave Pack's ongoing vomit stream of his creature, he calls "christ", that supposedly is returning every Friday and Saturday for the last several years to Gerald Flurry's supposed possession of the new coronation stone that his creature called "christ" is going to come back and sit his holy butt upon. From Bob Thiel's self-appointment and his endless diarrhea stream of prophetic bullshit that no one in Africa or the rest of the world gives a rats ass about, to Ronnie Weinland's failed return of his "christ" in 2008 and every year since.  The Church of God has in its midst the biggest bunch of FOOLS the church has ever seen!

Sadly people in all of these groups sit there and listen to these raving lunatics and their spiritual diarrhea week after week. Lives are being damaged spiritually and physically as members are losing their homes and businesses due to these guys stealing their money during their prophetic push to end God's work here on earth. Many have even lost their lives due to these FOOLS!

Bwana Bob Thiel is one of the Church of God's biggest liars and apparently has been playing April Fools jokes on us for over 10 years now. But like any good April Fools joke, we can laugh at him with the derision he deserves.

Happy April Fools Day Bwana Bob! Continue to keep us entertained!

 

Sideshow Bob Ridicules David Hulme For Starting A Splinter Group While Tripping Over The Same Rake

 

It's another sunny glorious day in California and Sideshow Bob is giving us more slapstick comedy by stepping on his proverbial rake. Who would ever have suspected that the Church of God, in these frightful end times, would have such a slapstick comedian as a prophet! We are truly blessed!!!!!!!!

A reader here sent this:

Bob has an article up on Vic Kubic's not being appointed again as President of UCG.  He goes over a brief history of UCG presidents and has this gem

 

"UCG’s first president, David Hulme, started his own church when he was not reconfirmed in 1998. His church is called:  COGaIC: Church of God, an International Community.' 

United Church of God: Victor Kubik not reconfirmed as president, though he wanted to be

 

Oblivious to the fact he did the same thing when he was not "confirmed" as a prophet.  

Hilarious! After Rod Meredith and the Living Church of God hierarchy turned their backs on his self-appointed prophethood and his wild demands that the church change their doctrines and beliefs to suit his interpretations, Sideshow Bob, in typical COG fashion, threw a self-righteous sanctimonious hissy fit and started his own new and improved Church of God.  

Rod Meredith and crew never confirmed Bob Thiel's legitimacy. That's part of the reason LCG refused to ordain him. They knew trouble was bound to happen if they did. Look at the mess Theil has created today as a non-confirmed church leader and you can see that Meredith was justified in rebuking him.

Rake on dude! Keep us entertained!

UPDATE: COG Groups Waking Up To Bob Thiel's Deceptive CG7.org Website Which Is Meant To Deceive Members

 

UPDATE:  See bottom page

COGNews has a rundown on Bob Thiel's new website that is using deceptive tacts to deceive COG7 folk and other Sabbatarian groups that his site is for all Sabbath-keepers. What he does with every single link on his site is send people directly to his crap. Bob gets really ticked off that no one in the Sabbatarian groups follows or recognizes him as a legitimate leader, this is why:

In July 2020 we reported that Bob Thiel had launched a new website: cg7.org – Church of God 7th Day Sabbath Observing Christians, which is very similar to cog7.org – Church of God 7th Day, based in Denver, which is the largest ‘Church of God 7th Day Sabbath Observing Christian’ group. 

 

The new website stated that it “… is intended to help people who wonder about the seventh-day Sabbath as well as those interested in learning about the different groups that claim Christ, but who also keep the seventh-day Sabbath.” 

 

The Bible Sabbath Association, established 77 years ago, does exactly that, believing in “promoting fellowship and co-operation between Sabbath-keeping people of various groups; on a non-denominational basis; to restore respect and honor for the Ten Commandments as a whole (with emphasis on the Fourth).” 

 

The purpose of the new website, however, appeared to be to draw to it people searching the internet for the words and phrases in its website title, or mistyping cog7.org – then explaining the supposed doctrinal errors of other groups, and promoting the CCOG. 

 

On the 2nd of February 2022 CCOG’s founder, Bob Thiel, wrote that he “had began to embark on a potentially large expansion for the website.” So now that there is much more information on the new website, is it non-denominational, or a CCOG website in disguise? 

 

The home page on the menu bar has the title, Sabbath Keeping, Prophetic, and Church of God Resources, which suggests that the website is non-denominational, but all of the links on this page go to cogwriter.com, which is Bob Thiel’s personal website that he has run since the time he was in the Living Church of God. His beliefs are those of the LCG, plus some additions where he says the LCG is wrong. 

 

Clicking on History on the menu bar takes you to the Continuing Church of God website. 

 

Clicking on Books provides a list of Books all written by Bob Thiel. 

 

Clicking on 7th Day Churches provides a list of various Sabbath groups, but the links all go either to cogwriter.com or his Youtube channel. 

 

Clicking on Sermons provides a list of Sermons all given by Bob Thiel.

Bob has never been able to do anything on his own other than hanging on to the shirttails of others for information and legitimacy. As crazy as they are, both Flurry and Pack have at least come up with original things to entice their followers, Bob has been unable to do so and so he has to find ways to deceive other Sabbath-keepers into believing he is right. Even in this though, he is an abject failure.

Update:

To see first hand how deceptive Bob is in using the CG7 name he has advised a couple of his so-called "evangelists" in Africa that they do not need to stop using the CG7 Day moniker in their church affiliations.

Last week we mentioned some new Youth Bible Lessons and CCOG/CG7 Pastor Samuel Ofosu contacted me from Ghana and we have ordered a couple of sets of each of the six lessons we now have completed (that group is with CCOG, but since they were called CG7 before, when they asked to be part of CCOG, we did not require them to change their name, file legal registrations, etc.).

Power and Malignant Narcissism In Today's COG Leadership

 

An LCG source sent me a link to an article on Frank Viola's Beyond Evangelical blog, The Danger of God's Power.

Where Power Is Safe 

 

God never gives His power to you or me to wield as individuals. He gives His power to the bride of Christ, the ekklesia. 

 

Whenever I see men wielding God’s power as isolated individuals, I immediately see imminent destruction. The power of God on an individual will destroy him. It’s safe only when that person remains properly connected to other members of the body. 

 

In every case I can think of when an individual abused God’s power, that person was disconnected from the body of Christ. Yes, they may have attended church services. In fact, they may have even regularly preached in them. 

 

But that’s not the same as having a living experience of the body of Christ, where close-knit relationships are forged and members temper one another. 

 

I’m also impressed that Jesus didn’t try to gain fame through His signs and wonders. Have you ever noticed that the Lord never made a production out of healing the sick? 

 

When Jesus performed a healing, He virtually always told that person not to tell anyone.[iii] We see a certain modesty in Christ whenever He exercised His power. 

 

God’s power is available to accomplish His will, but it’s so easy to corrupt, pervert, and make cheap and common. 

 

But wait, it gets even worse. 

 

Malignant Narcissism 

 

Spiritual power causes some people, perhaps many, to believe they can handle everything on their own. These befuddled souls are marked by titanic arrogance mixed with paranoia. They are erratic narcissists and serial liars who have an unwarranted confidence in their own sagacity. 

 

They are rude, crude, insensitive, judgmental, and as crooked as a dog’s hind leg. 

 

They are also prone to violate Proverbs 27:2, regularly lathering themselves up with praise.
In some twisted way, they believe they have a right to such self-indulgence because they carry God’s anointing. 

 

The same thing happens when individuals acquire political power. Many of them turn into insufferable human beings. Privilege has a toxic influence on most humans. 

 

How ironic that those gifted with God’s power slip into the same temptations. Unfortunately, malignant narcissism abounds in both the political and religious worlds. 

 

But a major fall awaits such people. They will move from a powerful place to a place of deep weakness. This is God’s generous grace, because power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and only the weak and poor in spirit can heal the broken and needy. 

 

It was said of Jesus that He would not break a bruised reed nor snuff out a smoldering wick (Matthew 12:20). In the ancient world, smoldering wicks signaled that they should be extinguished and replaced with new ones. 

 

Bruised reeds couldn’t measure accurately, so they too had to be discarded and replaced.
Strikingly, Jesus didn’t discard or replace the damaged, the weak, and the broken. 

 

He healed them. 

 

As the One gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29), our Lord consistently helped the least, the lost, and the lowest. 

 

By contrast, those who take God’s power for granted not only discard the broken; they run over them. 

 

With weakness comes the power to heal the weak. Without weakness, God’s power becomes a dangerous thing. So be careful.

Read the complete article here: The Danger of God’s Power by Frank Viola

Hunt and Peck. Cobble and Prooftext: Bob Thiel Warns the World on the Dangers of Valentine's Day...badly

 

Bob seems oblivious to the obnoxious and this absolutely horribly produced and presented screed on the horrors of observing Valentine's Day. Of course, we would expect this just as we would expect "God Hates Football" that will precede the Super Bowl.  Would it ever cross his mind to review it and conclude, "No, that sucks. Let me try again"

God forbid, well evidently He does, expressing love, appreciation, and emotions towards those one actually loves. He loves to be worshipped, praised, prayed to, obeyed, and paid, but a day He didn't think up expressing love towards those loved, and not Himself, not so much.

Pagan religion is more real, fondly memorable, and very much more fun

Bob's God needs to lighten up...

And too...someone needs to explain to Bob the Babylonian, Sumerian, Assyrian and Canaanite origins of the Hebrew spun Old Testament practices and beliefs he carries over into his version of Jewish Christianity. Judaism and the God of the Old Testament did not spring from the vacuum of itself no matter how the tales are told.

Crackpot Prophet's Book On Dating Making A HUUUUUUUGE Impact in Africa

 

How is it that we continually fail to see what a magnificent and important man Bob Thiel is? No human the history of the world and particularly in Christendom has had an impact in Africa such as he has. No one on the entire continent had ever heard the real truth till Bwana Bob hit the scene. At that moment the gates of heaven opened and the True Light shined down upon Bwana Bob's doubly blessed head and Africa knelt at his feet as the Great White Overseer come to tell them his truth.

Like any good Church of God leader, Bewana Bob has to stick his nose into every corner of the lives of his followers in Africa, even into their dating and sex lives. Though with their sex lives he treads lightly as polygamy is still an accepted practice by many there.

Like all white missionaries from the past, Bwana Bob the Chief Overseer is here to tell Africans how to date and they are lapping it up! Noting is more important to the Christian walk than to have some smug white American tell you just how things should be. That includes how Africans should be dating. 

Bwana Bob, like all of his fellow COG leaders, has never had an original thought in his head so he has to plagiarize and rewrite Worldwide CHurch of God literature and pawn it off as his own. His dreams can't keep up with his needs so he takes the works that others have done and repurposes it for his own edification.

The Bible teaches that “in a multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 24:6). Therefore, this book consulted many Church of God writings on courtship from ancient times to present. Such as a book originally published by the old Worldwide Church of God in 1969 titled “Modern Dating,” a series of articles in the 1987 editions of the “Good News” magazine, a 2003 article in Servant’s News, 21st century writings at COGwriter.com, and, most importantly, the Bible.

This new tome by the Great Bwana is so important that Africans are flocking to read it.

As far as dating goes, CCOG evangelist Evans Ochieng mentioned that our booklet, Dating: A Key to Success in Marriage, a practical dating guide for Christians, has been popular in Africa.

The proper translation to the above comment by Bwana Bob is that one little group of probably no more than 10 - 15 kids might be interested in his book, yet it is important for the Great Bwana to make it look like it is wildly important in Africa. 

One of his tidbits of "truth" states:

If you are dating to be seen, to be more popular, to get physical affection, or other selfish motivations, you are following the way of get.

Interesting comment considering how much Bwana Bob does and says is due to his constant need to be seen. He has an intense need to be popular in the COG so that people will flock to his group, but as usual, all of these deceived people are following the way of "get" and refuse to follow him. Everyone is so selfish!

When a gentleman asks a lady out, he is putting himself on the line - risking rejection and hurt feelings. By using charm and grace, a lady can promote a man’s self-esteem in a right way, even if she wants to (or has to) turn a date down. 

 

If you are a woman, be a gracious and truly feminine lady. Likewise, if you are a man, be a noble and masculine gentleman.

As usual in the COG movement, most of the responsibility lies at the feet of women so that the delicate egos of its men don't have to face rejection. Bwana Bob's blatant rejection by the ENTIRE COG movement is constantly simmering in his head and it carries over into what he writes. 

Like all other COG literature on the subject, you can tell it is written by a man. Its always from the man's point of view:

Women appreciate men who take the lead in the proper manner. Not on some macho kick, but truly showing thoughtfulness and consideration. Pulling out a chair, helping with her coat, opening the car door - these are but a few of the characteristics that make a man stand tall in a woman’s eyes. 

 

In the same way, men genuinely admire and appreciate a true lady - one who will respond and do her best to make the occasion he has planned for her successful.

And more words of wisdom:

Men and women are different emotionally. Men often accuse women of being over-emotional and irrational. Women frequently complain that men are demanding and insensitive. 

 

Because God’s morality has been more and more rejected, women sometimes say: “Where are the men? We just meet irresponsible, immature little boys - we never meet any real men!” The men counter: “Why don’t women stop being so aggressive and hard? Aren’t there any sweet, gentle, feminine women anymore?” 

 

Now, men should not be cavemen types, with no regard for a woman’s feelings, nor should women be spineless, clinging vines.

Spinless clinging vines and immature little boys pretty much describe a certain "leader" of an improperly named COG who seems to be in a constant state of immaturity and whininess.

33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:21-33)

And on that last point (verse 33) ladies, if you do not really respect the man you are dating, you obviously should not marry him as you are told to respect your husband. A man wants to be respected.

Another sore point with the Great Bwana is that there is no COG leader today that is disrespected the most than he. Even the craziness of Gerald Flurry and Dave Pack fails to keep at bay the lapdogs that grovel at their feet willed with respect and awe of them. Bwana Bob is incapable of getting that kind of respect and it gnaws at his ego constantly.

When we begin to recognize the differences in emotional makeup, problems that come up can be defused and overcome. A true gentleman will respect a woman’s feelings. He will seek to understand her point of view, and he will strive to be sensitive to her moods and emotions. He will try to support her in both her ups and her downs. He will do things within his power to put her at ease. He will realize the value of a sincere compliment at the right time to encourage her. 

 

Likewise, women should recognize how fragile the male ego sometimes is. As well as realize that men simply do not always see things the same way as women. That does not necessarily make them insensitive—it makes them different.

Never has the COG had a leader with such a fragile ego as we have in the Great Bwana Bob. Literally, anything with burst it and send him into a narcissistic fit.

The Great Bwana also talks about morality.

So, what should be your authority for morality? 

 

Jesus taught: 

 

4 It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) 

 

Yes, we get teachings on moral authority from the word of God.

It is always laughable when you see a COG leader and so many in the ministry talking about morality when some of the most immoral people the COG has ever seen are in its ministry and leadership. 

No one should ever look at COG leaders as standard-bearers of morality!

The Great Bwana then goes on about "loose" women.

 

As morals become more and more lax, men need to be even more wary of “loose” women:

3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. 4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. 6 For she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it. (Proverbs 5:3-6, NLT) 

 

Whatever “comfort” sexual relations with the immoral provide is not good for you. Consider also that prostitutes are usually women pretending “love” for their clients—they want their clients’ money, but otherwise despise them.

It is painfully obvious to anyone reading Bwana Bob's book as to where he copied material and anecdotes from - Herbert W Armstrong. Anecdotes and stories from the late 1800s to mid-1930s filled so much of HWA's writings and personal views on sex. 

Once a man has engaged in fornication (and other forms of sexual immorality), it is more difficult for him to keep from wanting to continue in it. Once a woman has engaged in fornication, she knows she is no longer a virgin and it is more difficult to turn down fornicating pressures. 

 

Let me add that studies have found that Protestants that identify themselves as Evangelicals are about as likely as those who do not claim Christianity to engage in fornication. Many reason around scripture and confuse sexual desire for love.

Not only is it "protestants" fornicating but Church of God people at Feast of Tabernacles sites. Feast sites have long been hotbeds of wild sexual escapades. Facebook is filled with stories of people who had their first sex at the Feast of Tabernacles when talking about "Feast flings". As usual, though, COG leaders love to throw the first stones.

Did you ever turn down a date because you found something wrong with the person and made up an excuse? The Great Bwana Bob says this is a direct ticket into the Lake of Fire! Who knew! Bwana Bob has apparently been on the receiving end of this kind of rejection far too many times!

Realize that a date is a commitment. Whether you are the one who asks for the date or the one who accepts the date, you need to keep your commitment. If you have agreed to a date, be ready for it and be on time. 

 

Remember, the Bible teaches, “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8).

Only truly masculine leaders are men who lead on dates and plan those dates according to what HE thinks the women would like:

For the first few dates, the responsibility for selecting and planning activities normally rests on the man. While some men are not comfortable with this (especially when they first start dating), this is a unique and profitable opportunity to develop proper masculine leadership, and have fun at the same time. 

 

A thoughtful leader will try to plan dates around activities that he thinks that the woman would like to do. A man could have two or three ideas in mind, and ask the woman which one she would prefer. This allows the man to do the planning and preparation, while giving the woman input.

It's important for the man to take control like this so that the woman can dress properly:

A man should tell his date what she will be doing and where she will be going so she can plan and dress appropriately.

The Great Bwana even tells them how to dress properly. Remember, COG members are too stupid to know how to dress for dates.

If you are going to a fancy restaurant, to see a play, or do something somewhat elegant, formal attire might be called for. 

 

If you are going on a hike or some similar outdoor activity, boots and/or rougher clothing are more likely to be called for. 

 

If you are going bowling or something casual, casual clothing would seem to be called for. 

 

If you are going to a beach, appropriate swimwear, which for women would tend to be a full one-piece bathing suit and a cover-up, and for men some type of bathing trunks (not like small, tight underwear) and a t-shirt may be appropriate.

More words of advice:

Men and women can consider styles and fashion, but should not try to dress in ways society now considers to be sexy/seductive.

This basically means you should not wear clothes that are too tight or are sheer enough in inappropriate places to see through (unless there is a slip or something not see-through under it). Also, your underwear should normally not be seen and your clothes should cover up a sufficient amount of skin.

Do you want your date to end decently or in tragedy?

While dressing decently does not guarantee the date will end well, dressing provocatively increases the risk the date will end tragically. 

Why is it that COG leaders think women are too stupid to know how to dress? Mansplaining seems to be their main job.

Ladies, despite seductive clothing styles many wear today, be assured that you do not need to dress seductively for a man to have interest in you. Any man who chooses to date you because you dress like a harlot or seductress will later look for others that way, even in the unlikely event he would stay around long enough to marry you.

The Great Bwana then warns us about COG men who can't keep their pants zipped and usual it's really the woman's fault for enabling those men.

Ladies, consider that men, Christian and otherwise, can have issues with self-control. Male libido hormones tend to engage more quickly than female ones. Be careful on dates to not be in situations that may tempt your date to pressure you to sin. If someone, be a date, relative, friend, or stranger, attempts to force you to have sex resist and scream as loud as you can—do not allow it (Deuteronomy 22:24-27). If you are raped, report it to the proper authorities. Do not enable rapists.

Gentlemen, you also need to remember that when a seductress grabbed Joseph’s clothes, he fled (Genesis 39:12). “Flee fornication” (1 Corinthians 6:18, KJV)!

The Great Bwana then tells us about the time he got trolled online by a seducer: 

Let’s look at a real-life example. I got the following message recently when I was on Facebook (with slight edits): 

 

Shalom: 

 

I am Ian XXXXXX from Africa. I'm happy to meet you. I'm looking for a wonderful lady like you. I hope you will like me too. 

 

... God bless you we are in touch as a church. 

 

So, this person is claiming to be a Christian, hints he is a Sabbath keeper, is claiming to be interested, and wants to someone to ‘like’ (presumably romantically) him. Well, he apparently does not pay too much attention to who he sends this type of trolling trash to as I am not female. 

 

Also, during the time I was working on this book, I got a some type ‘Flirt’ request from some social media email. 

 

Should you receive them, do NOT be flattered by such things and other improper flirtations. You need to be concerned about flattery (cf. Psalm 12:2-3; Proverbs 6:24; 26:28), even from people, like Ian, who claim to be interested in the Church.

Ian can't be any worse than a Chief Overseer who starts a cult based upon some silly dreams and a mythic double blessing. Ian and Bob are the same kinds of trolls. 

The only proper online dating letter one should receive is this:

Hi. I am XXXX XXXXXXXX. I am a member of the Continuing Church of God in central New Zealand. I saw your profile on Facebook. How long have you been part of the church?

Also, remember the fields are white with potential dates out there...somewhere...

If God is involved in your choice of a wife or husband, and both you and your future mate set yourselves to obey God’s laws concerning love, marriage and sex, you can’t go wrong. Ask God to help you see everything you should as you decide who you want to marry.

Jesus told His followers:

2 The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (Luke 10:2)

More laborers for the harvest means more Christians. Which also means more potential people to date.

The Great Bwana also speaks out about dating people in other COG's with one HUGE qualification:

Does this mean that the only people in the Continuing Church of God can date are those who are baptized members in the Continuing Church of God? 

 

No. 

 

There are other true Christians in many Sabbatarian Church of God groups. 

 

However, since we are unaware of other such groups/organizations being Philadelphian, it is our hope and prayer that your potential spouse is one who would be ‘Philadelphian’ (Revelation 3:7-13).

The Great Bwana then tells people to look at an individual's mental stability when deciding to marry. Imagine that, Bwana Bob telling someone to look at a person's mental stability first. This is Bob Thiel, remember. Bob Thiel.

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, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7) 

 

Yes, there are people you should not hang out with.

Amen to that Bwana Bob! That's exactly why people in the COG will not follow you. 

Not everything in his book is bad but the problem remains is that this is Bwana Bob writing this, a man who is a walking comedy routine which leads us to not take anything he says seriously.

Crackpot COG Prophet Claims He Did Not Start A New Church

 

It's another sunny day in California and the craziness out of Grover Beach continues unabated. One never knows what fantastical utterance with come from the lips of the most important Church of God leader in human history and the Great White Bwana to Africa and 305 Caucasians.

After getting called out for quoting too much from Herbert Armstrong, and making endless excuses as to why he does so, the Great Bwana said this:

We strive not to teach error and do not teach that what Herbert Armstrong wrote is not subject to correction. The Bible, not Herbert Armstrong, is the standard that we go by. 

The improperly named "continuing" Church of "god" is filled with so many erroneous errors that even Satan himself can't keep up with them!  Starting with his utter rebellion and hissy fit with Rod Meredith and the Living Church of God to his self-appointment due to a bunch of nightmares he had, there is nothing legitimate about this guy. 

Despite organization changes, successively and doctrinally we are NOT a new church. We teach Laying on of Hands succession from the apostles. We clearly trace our history from the Book of Acts to present. 

Herbert Armstrong would have kicked Bob's delicate ass to the curb so fast his flailing hands would never have caught him. Thiel is right up there with Pack and Flurry joining with them in direct rebellion against everything Herbert Armstrong taught. 

Therefore, we often quote Church of God leaders, not just from the New Testament, but also those from the second century A.D. to present. We do this to demonstrate the consistency of the doctrines of the true church as well as to show what “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) was in the period immediately after the death of the last of the apostles.

When Bob Thiel says he follows the teachings of the things HWA supposedly restored, he is a liar. 

“Don’t simply believe me – Believe what the Bible really Teaches – Believe the Truth – Prove all things –Believe God!”

And I will take it one step further. Irrespective of how any may view the role that God has for me, unless I am directly quoting the Bible, or preface a statement to something of the effect of “thus saith the Lord,” I am NOT necessarily stating anything that is not subject to later correction. We who are truly part of the Church of God only accept as inspired the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament and no other document. Therefore, although other current and historical documents/articles/books/booklet/posts by various Church of God leaders throughout history often have value, as they generally also tend to contain personal opinion, we do not consider that any of them are on the same level as sacred scripture, and hence believe that they can contain error.

Never has the COG had such a snake in the grass prophet in its midst. Impotent to make a true prophecy, he weasels his way around everything making one excuse after another so that he cannot be pinned down.

Unable to come up with any real doctrines of his own he has to plagiarize everything HWA said, and more.

That being said, Herbert Armstrong’s writing style often conveys many points in an understandable manner. A manner that we do not feel that we must re-word. A manner which provides variety. Hence, he is quoted.

The Almost Arrested Bwana thinks that because he quotes HWA he is continuing those teachings. What balderdash, as HWA would say!

As mentioned before, he and/or the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God literature are quoted here is to show that certain points covered at COGwriter.com are consistent with the them. Hence, we truly are continuing those teachings. Teachings that groups outside the CCOG sometimes have forgotten or neglected to teach.

Remember Bob's main excuse when he apostatized from the Living Church of God and claimed that Meredith and the church failed to heed his correction and correct doctrines and teachings that he claimed were wrong? That's when he had his little fit and left resulting in Rod Meredith publicly rebuking him.

He is also pulling the same hissyfit with GotQuestions.com in its article about Armstrongism...which is spot on its description of Amrstrongism. The Great Bwana and end time Elijah tried to set them straight and they ignored him. The poor little guy just gets NO RESPECT!

Related to one, GotQuestions.com (who still has not corrected something I brought up about a year ago), we put together the following:

What is Armstrongism? Are Some Dismissive of Original Christianity?

The physical head of the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God was the late Herbert W. Armstrong. What he taught has been derided as “Armstrongism.” What were some of those teachings? Was the old Worldwide Church of God some type of weird cult or did it strive to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints? Is “Armstrongism” improperly maligned and falsely described at GotQuestions.com? Are concepts such as the tribes of Israel, ‘soul sleep,’ and three resurrections unique to Herbert W. Armstrong or were they long part of original Nazarene Christianity? What about various holidays and Christianity? In this video, Dr. Thiel goes over his early experiences with “Armstrongism” as well as gives scriptures about persecutions that would affect Christians.

But, as a continuation of the true apostolic Church of God, we in the Continuing Church of God believe it is helpful to quote recent as well as ancient COG writers for their perspective and insight, as well as to show continuity. 

 

All who profess Christ should, “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). 

 

The reason that we quote the Bible and other COG leaders is to help show that we do.

There is nothing about Bob Thiel's little cult that "contend's earnestly for the faith which was once delivered" It is so far from 1st Century Christianity that the apostles would have rebuked him and cast him out of the church and then would have written an entire book about his heresy and rebellion. 

So when Bob says he did not start a new church he is lying to you. 

 

Its Thanksgiving And Whiny Prophet Is Ticked Off Again About Football And Gluttony

 

It is Thanksgiving here in America where people celebrate the freedoms that allow them access to so much they can be thankful for. 

Sadly, for some pretend COG leaders and self-appointed spokesmen, this day is not one that should be celebrated and if you do, you must REFUSE to participate in the Satanic observance of turning on your television and watching Satan's minions play football while being cheered on by scantly clad cheerleaders who are leading the men of God astray.

Where would we be without these hypocritical loudmouths with their endless spiel of pharisaical diarrhea?

Today, God's most highly chosen man from the entire history of Christianity is once more getting his homeopathic knickers in a knot. His very first paragraph is one whiny little bitch-fest of negativity:

Today is the national holiday in the USA called Thanksgiving. And despite certain claims, its specific origins are not pagan. But, of course, no Christian needs to celebrate national holidays like it if they do not wish to (cf. Romans 14). And the Bible does condemn gluttony. And with COVID-9 this year, government officials have warned about family gatherings.

I have never seen God's most amazing prophet ever decry the gluttony of members at the Feast of Tabernacles, at church picnics, or at the annual COG Christmas Party Weekends. Like many in the COG those are times of a foretaste of the kingdom to come and members should enjoy themselves to their best ability.

One thing that I have noticed on the day called Thanksgiving by those in the USA, is when I have been at many other places than the home I lived in, American football has been playing on television. 

 

For many, other than food and family, football is a major focus of the Thanksgiving holiday for many in the USA.

The heavenly realm is weeping at this very thought right now!  

The Chosen One then goes on to quote President Obama and others about their concerns over tackle football and then whines that real Christians should not be endorsing it.

He even goes on to quote that other authority on everything, Herbert Armstrong.

....the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Hostility toward the other is sin… 

 

Football (American football) is a violent body-contact sport. It is often played with an attitude of hostility and is dangerous and is fraught with physical injury. (Plain Truth, July-August 1984)

Wherever a game in sports involves ANTAGONISTS–in HOSTILE ATTITUDE to harm the other and/or to “GET” from the other–to get the best of the other–then a harmful, Satanic and evil attitude enters in, and the sport is EVIL, not good…football, 

 

(American football)…because football is such a violent body contact sport, it TOO OFTEN is played in an ATTITUDE OF HOSTILITY, and is too DANGEROUS and fraught with PHYSICAL INJURY . Therefore it must be BANNED so far as participation by God’s Church or people is concerned…This is sufficient to illustrate the application of the PRINCIPLE of God’s Law to sports. That participated in with an attitude of HOSTILITY toward the opponent is evil. That which HARMS mentally or physically an opponent is evil. 

 

Satan is the author of COMPETITION based on hostility, harm to the opponent, GETTING by taking FROM an opponent–to his harm or loss. God’s way is LOVE TOWARD neighbor equal to love of self. (Armstrong HW. Not all sports are banned. Pastor General’s Report, Volume 2, Issue 36, September 5, 1980)

And yet, Herbert watched American football, soccer, "professional" wrestling, and the Lakers basketball games, all of which are filled with attitudes of hostility and vile satanic COMPETITION which TAKES from the opponent. The hypocrisy of COG leaders is appalling but never shocking. 

The so-called doubly-blessed apostate then ends with this as he accuses all who watch football of being Laodicean. 

...many (including Laodicean Christians) are too selfish to stop watching and encouraging the playing of American tackle football. 

 

Christians should give God thanks, but not encourage violence in sports like American tackle football.

Everything in this world is Laodicean to these pathetic whiny little men leading Churches of God today.  "Laodicean" is the favorite perjorative of COG leaders, falsely so-called.

COG members were given brains so they could make their own decisions WITHOUT any of the spiritually bankrupt diarrhea that currently flows from the self-appointed leaders of COGdom today.

So give thanks for your blessings, enjoy your family and friends, enjoy good food and enjoy a game of football on television or in person. God isn't going to turn his back on you if you do, even if these whiny men say otherwise.