When Herbert Armstrong Said Interracial Marriage Would Be Satan's Next Attack

Interracial Marriage in the United States (1850–2017)

How the love of one family changed everything.

 

A reader sent a link to Herbert Armstrong's 1982 article on interracial marriage. Here are several excerpts:

Satan's Next Attack:

Today I want to speak on what may possibly be the very next attack that Satan will use against this church. I was studying at lunch before the meeting last Sabbath, with our minister there and he said "I think that very likely, the next attack of Satan" — now there was the attack of the State of California against us. There's been another attack that most of you don't even know anything about. It only hit a few of us at the top. But there has been trouble and don't you think there hasn't. Satan is on the job. But Christ is on the job and Christ is winning. And always will win! It's like my executive assistant, Bob Fahey said, he's looked at the book to see how it comes out in the end, and he says we win. Yes we do. That's the way it's going to turn out. At least Christ is going to win and we'll only win if we're on Christ's side. We don't need to worry about getting Christ over on our side. But he said, the thing that's going to hit this church next, that Satan's going to use, is interracial marriage. 

 

Oh the pity. People can sometimes get their feelings all stirred up to a red hot pitch on something of that kind. Their prejudices, their emotions, their feelings. God almighty created us all. He put us here for a purpose. And we don't have much longer. And we need to look into this. Now that was in New York City last Sabbath. On the plane, coming back, Mr. Fahey showed me a letter that had been handed to him from a member. I believe this member is in, yes, just across in New Jersey, just across from New York but had attended the service. And she had been talking to another member who lives in Philadelphia. And there'd been quite a heated conversation on the telephone. And I want to read you just one slight little bit of what was in that message and what is coming up in the church now. And you're going to have to — IF GOD BE GOD GET ON HIS SIDE. AND IF YOU WANT TO GO WITH THIS WORLD AND THE WAY IT'S GOING, GET OVER ON THAT SIDE, and go into the lake of fire with it. That's all I have to say. 

Herbert, being the Herbert he was, now has to use the proverbial threat of the "lake of fire" for anyone that dare questions him. 

I just want to read a few, this is about a 3 or 4 page letter, so, I'll just read a part of it. She says,
"During the conversation, [that's the telephone conversation, that's the telephone conversation she had with this woman in Philadelphia] it was stated that the blacks in God's church are dissatisfied with such doctrines that are not keeping with the current social trend in the world, which they feel are in keeping with the premises of international relationships that are a part of this nation's background"

So we should go along with our nation and the social trends of the world. And this letter also says that they are trying to line up a group of blacks, TO GIVE ME AN ULTIMATUM! THAT I GET ON THE SIDE OF THE TRENDS, THE SOCIAL TREND OF THIS WORLD. OR ELSE! I'll tell you what I'll give them. I'll give them OR ELSE. I won't compromise one millionth of an inch. And if you will, you can go into the lake of fire if you want to. Now, I've never started a fight in my life but let me tell you, I've won every fight I've ever been in. But someone else always started it. I don't want to start a fight. I'm the servant of the Most High God. And I'm as much a servant of blacks or of yellows or of any other color, pinks, polka dots, anything you want to mention - and the like. But I know what God has said. And that's what I'm teaching you and that's the way this church is going to go. We're getting this church back on God's track. That's where it's going to be and that's where it's going to stay.

Next, Herbert is not happy that the college was attempting to not discriminate on race and sought to increase its racial balance. Racial equity is a thing of Satan!

Also, I understand that some are saying, we've got to have racial balance at Ambassador College. Well, what does God say about that? WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO WITH THESE TRENDS OF THE WORLD!! THE POLITICAL FOOTBALLS, THE SOCIAL TRENDS, THE THINGS OF SATAN. Those are all the ways of Satan and now God is going to use us because there are laws in the supreme courts of the United States. They passed a law here a few years ago and they're taking advantage of it. Now, they may try to get laws, use the laws for the sake of the nation, against us if we don't approve interracial marriage. But I say, as for me and my house, we shall serve the Eternal God. What are you going to say?

Then he goes on to say this, which doesn't t compute with the above comments:

Now let me tell you something. This isn't anything to get all emotional about at all. I happened to be born white. I don't know why? I'm not white. They just call it that. I'm anything but white. So are any the rest of you that think you are. You're not. But what difference does it make? If we make it into the Kingdom of God, what color skin are we going to have? You ever think of that? We're not going to have any skin at all. But our eyes are going to be like flames of fire and our faces are going to be like the sun full strength. What color is that? It's so bright it'll blind you if you look without a smoked glass. And that's the way it's going to be.

Then Herbert takes a rapid descent down eh rabbit hole:

Matthew 24:37-38 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

What's wrong with eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage? How did these things bring an end to that world? Those are the things he mentioned that brought an end to that world. And those same things are bringing an end to this world now. Alright, let's go back to that world and see what the history of it is.

Wives they chose:

Genesis 6:1-2 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, (2) That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Which THEY chose. That's what they want to do today. A black man wants to take a white woman for a wife. That's what HE chooses. A white woman wants to become the wife of a black man. Now I don't know of any cases where a white man wants to marry a black woman. Why is that? Answer that for me! I'd like to have someone give me an answer to that. Why is it our white women want to marry black men? Why is it our black men want to marry white women? Black women don't seem to want to marry white men and white men don't seem to want to marry black women. Why? It's time we begin to think about these things and quit boiling up with our emotions.

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 

 

So God just ended that world. Did you ever think about, why did God absolutely kill or murder if you want to call it that every human being that except Noah and his family, eight people? They were bringing us even unhappiness and misery on themselves. Sure they were getting a kick out of life. They were doing things they thought would be pleasurable. That they thought would be exciting. They had violence and oh how exciting that was. The earth was filled with violence. Something caused it. Jesus told the cause. He said they were eating and drinking; they were marrying and giving in marriage. That's the only thing that you can find in the Bible that will give you a cause for the end of that world then.

Eating and drinking is a bigger sin than racial bias, apparently. Eat that extra cupcake when you know you shouldn't have? Lake of fire for you! No kingdom of God for you!

Now what's wrong about eating and drinking? Nothing at all if you eat and drink the right kind of — water or the right kind of, well orange juice is fine, and even wine in the small amounts, with temperance. But drunkenness is not right. No drunkard is ever going to enter into the Kingdom of God. And eating the wrong kind of food and eating too much is a sin. Now a little bit of it can be a very mild sin and I guess every one of us is guilty of that. We don't seem to realize that, that's important. What we eat is important. More than we realize. We just go along with what pleases us. What appeals to our appetite, our desire of wanting to get, wanting to have, wanting to enjoy. And we're in a very small wisp of a lifetime and judgment is on us as to whether we're going to have joy and happiness and peace and everything wonderful FOREVER. And we're just letting this time go by, most of us, without taking it very seriously.

The cause of our troubles:  

Now I want to go into some of that with you. Let's get a little bit about the Way of God. Turn to Deuteronomy. 

 

Deuteronomy 32:8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, 

 

Oh today they say that the cause of our troubles and racial troubles is segregation. So the Supreme Court of the United States, in human wisdom, without any wisdom from God, says we're going to have integration. Man wants to go — you see, man chooses him the way that seems right in his own eyes. He takes to himself the knowledge of what is good and evil. That's what our Supreme Court did. But… 

 

Deuteronomy 32:8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, [notice, segregation not integration] he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. 

 

Different people, different families or different races, had their own land, their own plot of the earth. And God's way is GEOGRAPHICAL SEGREGATION. AND INTEGRATION IS NOT THE WAY OF THE ETERNAL GOD (pounds on desk). It's the way of deceiving man. It's the way of Satan. And look what its doing in this country. Look what is going on in the 1960's in this nation and the violence that came here and there and all over the nation. I'll be going over this in other sermons that are coming on, like I did fifteen or twenty years ago. It's time to get back to a lot of that again. Because man always thinks he knows better than God. It's all what man thinks is the right way to go.  

Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: 

Herbert's god has decreed segregation! 

Adam begat a son in his likeness. A black man married to a black woman begets a son after his likeness or a daughter maybe and they will be black. A white man and a white woman begat a son or a daughter after their likeness, and the son or the daughter will be white. And if you mix it, they won't be either one. They'll be part one and part the other, a blend of the two. Now I want to go a little further. But man, going the way HE chose, marrying the ones HE chose, instead of the way God said it should be, wanted to amalgamate, wanted to integrate. God had decreed segregation. Man wanted integration. 

Genesis 11:1-8 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. (2) And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; [And this is after the flood now, shortly after the flood] and they dwelt there. (3) And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. (4) And they said, Go to, [that is, "let's get going here"] let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; [skyscrapers, we call them] and let us make us a name, [WHY?] lest we be scattered [or segregated. We want integration WE don't want segregation. Lest we be segregated, scattered.] abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (5) And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. (6) And the Eternal said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (7) Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. (8) So the Eternal scattered them [or segregated them — He didn't integrate them, He segregated them and scattered them] abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

  

Genesis 10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families… 

 

Or their races. The Bible uses the word family instead of race. A family is what you generate, as I say, two Japanese married will produce a Japanese child which we might call the Yellow and not the Caucasian race. Two Caucasians or whites will produce a white. Two blacks will produce a black. But it was after their families, after their races, in their nations. Now the sons of Ham and he begins to give them and I won't go into those genealogies now. But there were a good many there.

Now, at the time of the flood, now let's see. Man going the way He chose, wanted to amalgamate and integrate the races. Now, at the time of the flood, again. Noah was righteous in his generationS, plural. Not his generation. Meaning in his ancestry. Noah, in Genesis 6, in a minute I'll have it here. Let's read this again.

Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations… 

 

He wasn't perfect in himself or spiritually or anything of that kind. He was only perfect in generations or in his ancestry. He was the same strain that he had been. And if you want to check it all the way through, and his ancestry on down, you'll find Noah was white. Noah's wife was white. Now apparently, he was the only man left that was pure white. He had not mixed the strain. The family had remained intact, as God had decreed that it should.

But the others were not. They had intermarried and interracial, brought racial trouble they had racial violence and other violence in those days and we're back to the same things today. As it was in the days of Noah, so it is today and that's exactly where we are today.

Alright. Abraham was of the family of Noah. And Abraham was white. God called Abraham and told him to leave the family where he was and people of all of his race, his family, or his color or whatever you want to call it and go to a land where he would show him. In that land were people poaching there that didn't belong there and God had never given it to them and God intended to give him that land, because it is the geographical center of the Earth, and it's marvelous for climate. And once again, when God restores it like it used to be, it'll be a land of milk and honey, which it is not exactly today. But it's marvelous what has happened to it since the Israelis went back there. And the part that they have is rich in agriculture already. Whereas other parts that are occupied by Arabs are not. But Abraham went to a land that God showed him and it was a Promised Land that God was going to promise to him. Now God said to Abraham in that land, that he would give it to his children forever. That is the Promised Land but at that time, there were the Canaanites there. And they were black not white. Alright. Abraham finally had a son of his own through Sarah and the time came to select a wife for Abraham's son. So he sent this older servant, which was really, the manager of all of his properties and over all his other servants, of which he had many, he sent him to his own family, where his family lived, to select a wife for Isaac. "Isaac must not," he said. 

 

Because Of the wrong religion?

Now some people will say that when Ezra and Nehemiah cause people, who had intermarried with another race, to send their wives and even the children born back away from them, and divorce them, and put them away, they said, yeah but that was because of their wrong religion. Oh no, it wasn't. Abraham sent over to his kindred, to his color, but they were of a different religion. So a little later, you will find, Abraham's grandson, Jacob, who had worked for Laban for a long time you know, and when he left Laban, his wife Rachel stole the idols from her father Laban and carried those little idols with her. And Laban came out to find them. They were his gods. So they were worshipping a different god over there. But Abraham sent to get someone of that race, of that color, of that family, for a wife for Isaac, even though they were of a different religion. But I think they got God's religion, once Rebecca came over. She got God's religion through Abraham and through Isaac. So you can say that the only reason for not marrying another race is because it means that you'll be going into a different religion. That's not the reason. Rachel was of a different religion than knowing God and she stole those gods when they fled.

Now the ancient nation Israel is called the family of Israel. There were a family and they were of that race. I have traced it down and I find that God kept that family pretty well intact all the way down through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and down into the Children of Israel. And they didn't mix with the Egyptians. They were in a country of their own, geographically segregated in the land of Goshen and not with the rest of Israel. And they were making bricks and things that were carried over to the Egyptian part of the land and not the same at all.

Herb then discusses the millennium where everyone will be segregated according to skin color, though be assured that God does NOT discriminate! 

Now, that's what it will be like in the millennium when God is ruling. Now what of us in the Church? In the church, God said that in Abraham would all the families, all the races of the Earth will be blessed in Christ. One race has just as much chance and just as much blessing in Christ as any other. Race is only a matter of generation, of begetting children. And that's why the marriage is so important. God is not the author of discrimination. We should love one another and in God's Church, we've been trying to do that. But we find this racial prejudice, which gets down to hatred if you don't squelch it before it gets that far. It keeps cropping up every once in a while. I'm sorry. I don't want to have to get back to it like I did about fifteen years ago or twenty. But I see that it's coming out again and we're going to have to get back to it.

The millennium will be a place where skin color will not matter nor will sex. Sex was that thing that the unconverted masses did before the kingdom of God hit the earth. It was your duty then to raise children of the same skin color because God wanted the races kept separate.

Now in the resurrection and in the World Tomorrow, how many of us will be black and how many of us will be white, brethren? And how many will be yellow? If we're in the Kingdom of God, not one of us will be any one of those. Our faces will shine as bright as the sun. What's the color of the sun? That'll be the color of your faces and your skin. Well maybe not your whole body, but there isn't going to be any matter of color at all. You know why? 

 

What about sex in the millennium? There won't be any. There won't be men, there won't be women. We won't have sex. We'll be as the angels in heaven, so said Jesus Christ. Sex is a matter now of generations but it has nothing to do with coming to God through Christ and gaining Eternal life and getting into the Kingdom of God. It has to do with the raising of children and God wanted the races kept separate.

If we want to keep our stock "pure breed" then we cannot have sex with inferior breeds.

Now we have different color of roses. We have different variety in a lot of things. We have different variety of horses, different varieties of cows, different varieties of dogs. And different varieties can interbreed. But if you're a stock raiser and you're raising stock for display, to win a prize, at a stock show, you're not going to mix the breeds. It'll be a thoroughbred or a pure blood or whatever you want to call it. And that's the way it ought to be with us. 

Herbert then claims that when you integrate, you get dangerously close to interracial marriage. 

Race is only something that has nothing to do with your salvation. It has only to do with reproduction. Now that's why when you integrate, you get in danger of interracial marriage. We have integration at Ambassador College here. And this college was going so far over into Satan's way, that we had an interracial marriage here. I don't know was it, one year ago or three years ago? Something like that. Now one man who was one of our leading ministers, endorsed it and was going to perform that wedding. I understand he backed out at the last minute. And the couple, of course it was a black man and a white woman, they went over to Las Vegas and got married over there.

Herbert wants you to know that he always thought about the black man. It has always done everything it could for blacks in the church. We accept you as members but don't DARE to intermarry any of the white folk, because that is your inclination!

God is not in favor of interracial marriage. God is not in favor of discrimination either. But marriage and the reproduction of children is another thing altogether. Now this church has done everything it could for the black people. We've tried to have no discrimination of any kind. You know how the college in Bricketwood actually got started? I went over there in 1969. We'd outgrown the office. We had to get a bigger office in London. And at the time, I had the idea, because we had not gone to integration in the college. But we wanted to do what we could for our black people. Because they were in the church but we were not accepting them in the college just because we were afraid it would lead to interracial marriage. But they were accepted in the church. And one thing I wanted was an office that would be on the kind of a property where we could also have a school for black men since we could not accept them at Ambassador College. Because I thought a lot about them. And I didn't want to discriminate and I wanted to give them every opportunity that the white man had, and that is as ministers. And we were only thinking of men only at that time because we were only thinking of a school for ministers. Actually what we found, we ran across the place that we did, and when we saw that, we said, "well God wants a whole, liberal arts college over here. He led us to a property for an entire big college. Not just a little small place. We found a little place that would have taken of the kind of the little school. I thought about only having thirty five students. And we found a small place that would have taken care of that. The office and 35 students and a school. It led to an entire college. But that's what we had in mind at the time. 

 

Geographical Segregation:

Now in the millennium, there's going to be one pure language so that all nations can worship God but they are going to be segregated geographically in their own different places. Now if you turn to Nehemiah 13: 

 

Nehemiah 13:23-26 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: (24) And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. (25) And I contended with them, [and God had divided them and divided their language in order to divide the nations, geographically] and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. (26) Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. 

Those wicked wily women! They are always at fault, even though the men couldn't keep their robes closed. Just like Adam standing next to Eve when she had him the apple and he takes it, but it's her fault. 

Well anyway, Ezra and Nehemiah just simply caused them to divorce those wives and to send them away. And they were the ministers of God and that is the way of God. Now there is a great deal more to this. I only wanted to give you just sort of a foundation and the background today. But we're going to have to go into this. This church still has a little leaven to clean up and get out of our house. But we've been getting it out and we're going to continue getting it out. And we're going to continue right along to now. So that's as much as I'm going to take time for today. But I'm going to write some more on this God willing.

Many COG leaders today want to make excuses for this kind of crap and claim it was just Herbert speaking with the understanding he grew up with and he did not really mean it like we perceive it today.

If that were true then why over the last several decades have so many African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and other people of color in the church spoken up about what they endured in the church? Why have books been written about it if it never happened? 

The Church of God movement is broken and has always been broken. There were no "glory days" of the past but the wreckage of hurt and injured people by a church that claimed it was exemplifying 1st-century Christianity.

"Put on the Dress"

Put On The Dress

In the World Ahead (Weekly Update) this week, Gerald Weston concluded that "As our world descends into greater chaos and confusion, let us spend our energies on drawing closer to our Creator, rather than getting caught up in the politics, conspiracies, and squabbles of this world."

Certainly good advice to their own. LCG has no doubt, read the criticisms online concerning their right-leaning political views that often spill out in their sermons and in their writings. This week marks the 35th anniversary of HWA's death but he has definitely left his mark to lesser and greater extents in all of the splinters from his WCG. Most notably has been the enduring blind, unscientific, ahistorical, and white supremacist belief that NW white Europeans are the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel.

The religious right in America right now are beside themselves because for the life of them, they cannot understand why they are being called racists and white supremacists. But when the left, center, and those enlightened on the right explain that they are not individually racists perse but that they are failing to acknowledge the existence of white privilege and systemic racism which are both impersonal and institutional, this only seems to enrage them even more.

A pastor recently wrote an article making its rounds on the internet. The title says it all: "Jesus is Not a Republican and Christianity is Not Nationalism." This is interesting because the Churches of God have traditionally paid lip service to the idea Christians are to be above politics. Not voting has always been their proof. Their kingdom is not of this world and their citizenship is in heaven, therefore, they do not serve in the military or on juries. This stance quite possibly could be considered a noble one if they actually lived up to them. But just like many don't pay full tithes, sneak out on election day to vote and have very strong political stances on many things, the churches of God are no different from the rest of their Christian counterparts in America they so disdain in another never spoken doctrine: whites are superior to blacks.

"White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity" was written by a Southern Baptist professor and founder and CEO of Public Religion Research Institute. Below is the description of the book from Amazon:

"Drawing on history, public opinion surveys, and personal experience, Robert P. Jones delivers a provocative examination of the unholy relationship between American Christianity and white supremacy, and issues an urgent call for white Christians to reckon with this legacy for the sake of themselves and the nation.

As the nation grapples with demographic changes and the legacy of racism in America, Christianity’s role as a cornerstone of white supremacy has been largely overlooked. But white Christians—from evangelicals in the South to mainline Protestants in the Midwest and Catholics in the Northeast—have not just been complacent or complicit; rather, as the dominant cultural power, they have constructed and sustained a project of protecting white supremacy and opposing black equality that has framed the entire American story.

With his family’s 1815 Bible in one hand and contemporary public opinion surveys by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in the other, Robert P. Jones delivers a groundbreaking analysis of the repressed history of the symbiotic relationship between Christianity and white supremacy. White Too Long demonstrates how deeply racist attitudes have become embedded in the DNA of white Christian identity over time and calls for an honest reckoning with a complicated, painful, and even shameful past. Jones challenges white Christians to acknowledge that public apologies are not enough—accepting responsibility for the past requires work toward repair in the present.

White Too Long is not an appeal to altruism. Drawing on lessons gleaned from case studies of communities beginning to face these challenges, Jones argues that contemporary white Christians must confront these unsettling truths because this is the only way to salvage the integrity of their faith and their own identities. More broadly, it is no exaggeration to say that not just the future of white Christianity but the outcome of the American experiment is at stake."

You can watch an interview with the author below:

It doesn't take long at all to find material online that verifies a very racist HWA and church culture. The churches of God were no different than the rest of America's Christian churches who conveniently decided to stay on the sidelines as the Civil Rights Movement raged on. Christians are still largely absent in standing up for police reform and an overhaul of the justice system in America. They refuse to look at the historical proof on the racist roots of the war on drugs that began in America in the 1930's. American Christians have been more firmly entrenched than ever before in the Republican party ever since Carl Rove (the architect) solidified the Christian block to the party in the 2000 election.

The elevation of Trump by Christians as a Savior of America has backfired epically and has no doubt damaged the name of Jesus and Christianity for possibly decades to come. All this at a time when Christianity was already trending downward.

All this to say that Weston and the rest of the churches of God are in a unique position to salvage Christianity. They could capitalize on their anti-politics stance and pull the American church out of the Jaws of the Republican Party. They could. But they won't.

In the very same update where Weston says the church needs to stay away from the politics of the day, this anonymous piece on prophecy is at the end:

News and Prophecy—January 14, 2021

Unrest in U.S. Capital: Riots and demonstrations rocked a number of American cities in 2020, but the protest in Washington, DC, on January 6 was something different. On that day, protestors claiming to be supporters of President Donald Trump pushed their way into the U.S. Capitol Building, resulting in widespread damage and five deaths. Protestors apparently felt emboldened by comments made by the president in the weeks leading up to the Electoral College certification and his remarks at a rally immediately preceding the onslaught. Regardless of the president’s level of responsibility, which is the subject of ongoing debate, international opinion has come down hard on America and on Donald Trump. German Chancellor Angela Merkel commented, “A ground rule of democracy is that after elections there are winners and losers. Both have their role to play with decency and responsibility so that democracy itself remains the winner” (Deutsche Welle, January 7, 2021). Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an ally of President Trump, leveled criticism at the president and his supporters (Politico, January 7, 2021). Mr. Johnson lamented, “All my life, America has stood for some very important things, an idea of freedom and an idea of democracy and… in so far as he encouraged people to storm the Capitol, and in so far as the president consistently has cast doubt on the outcome of a free and fair election, I believe that that was completely wrong.”

Although many are lamenting the “assault” on American democracy, the reality is that democracy, like all other forms of man’s government, is a humanly devised system. While many would argue it is the best form of government man has devised, democracies are inherently unstable. Long ago, in his famous work The Republic, the Greek philosopher Plato described a theoretical cycle of human governments, with democracies ending in chaos that invites the emergence of a tyrant who promises to restore order. However, the Bible reveals there is another government coming that will not be created by imperfect human beings. This government will be headed by a perfect ruler with perfect character—Jesus Christ—and will be built on a perfect set of laws (Isaiah 9:6–7; 11:1–10; 32:1). To learn more about the future of democracy, be sure to read our exciting article “Perfect Government Coming Soon!”

The bias is blatant in this "anonymous" update. Riots vs. protests. Claiming to be supporters of Trump leaves for the belief that real Trump supporters would not do such a thing...it must have been antifa in MAGA hats, carrying Christian signs and waving the Confederate flag.. The further comments allow for the reader to dismiss any notion that the President could be at fault for inciting the crowd. And notice that the real problem isn't the President or the rioters, excuse me, protesters, but just humanly devised government. People are just doing what people do in Satan's system. It's the Devil's fault. Am I splitting hairs? Possibly. But let's look at some of the comments from LCG during the summer protests, excuse me, riots:

"The Path to Justice: We are living in an age when lawlessness, rioting, and looting are viewed as legitimate ways to attain social justice for almost any cause (2 Timothy 3:1–5). From a human perspective, it is tempting to want to support a cause that “seems” right in our eyes (Proverbs 14:12) without fully understanding both sides of the issue (Proverbs 18:17). While it is noble to want to alleviate suffering and injustice, we need to remember that this is Satan’s world (2 Corinthians 4:4) that is permeated by his spirit of lies, envy, hatred, and violence (Ephesians 2:2; Galatians 5:19–21). The goal of modern social justice warriors is to improve the world by human efforts without the need for God or a Messiah (Isaiah 59:4–5, 14–15). However, our Creator is a God of truth and justice (Deuteronomy 32:4) who hears the cries of the poor and oppressed who look to Him and wait on Him (Job 5:8–9; Psalm 17:1–2). Christians who live by faith need to remember that Jesus Christ is coming back to establish judgment and justice on this earth (Isaiah 9:6–7), and He will need leaders who can rule with justice and mercy (Psalm 72:1–4) and point people away from the unfruitful ways of this world (Ezekiel 45:9). This is why we need to develop the mind of God (Philippians 2:5) and wait on God to change society. At that point, we will have the opportunity to show the world the true path to justice (Isaiah 26:7–9). Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail" [June 11th]

See, what happened on January 6th was different. It was legitimate (white) political protest. But what went on over the summer was (black) lawlessness, rioting, and looting seeking the justice they have no right to seek and church members will do well to not get sucked in by emotional pleas for justice. In his June 25th commentary, Winnail said,

"The Path to Peace: Many have been shocked by the recent eruption of riots and violence, anger and hatred all over the world—and many wonder what is happening in a world where many yearn for peace. However, the Apostle Paul warned, “in the last days perilous times will come,” as proud, self-centered people mistreat and attack one another (2 Timothy 3:1–5)."

Blacks erupted in riots fueled by violence, anger, and hatred, This is prophecy of perilous times with proud and self-centered blacks in our streets mistreating and attacking one another. But Jan. 6th was different, brethren. That was law-abiding white protesters airing their grievances lawfully as is provided by our Democracy, albeit a flawed form of governance. The overall message is consistent: don't get involved. But it fails to pass the smell test of objectivity devoid of taking political sides.

American Christianity continues to stay on the sidelines when it comes to social justice and reform. Christians are to wait on God. It will be interesting to see how that perspective holds up as Christians are increasingly the target of injustices. Will they wonder in horror as their neighbors and co-workers stay on the sidelines when they are being treated unfairly or being brutalized? I have a feeling they will have a come to Jesus moment about fighting for one's own rights.

In the July-August 2020 Living Church News, Wally Smith says in his article, "Christians and Causes"

"God's Spirit within us is stirred when we see unborn children exposed to the horrors of abortion, hatred unleashed against individuals due to the color of their skin, and leaders casting aside righteous judgment for naked, carnal politicking. Such causes tempt us to join them in an attempt to make this world at least a little better here and now. Should we? [his answer] ...too many of this world's causes and movements share two important characteristics: They are products of the devil's world, and they generally represent attempts to improve the devil's world using the devil's own tools."

How do you justify such a perverse way of looking at things so contrary to scripture? So the only job of the church is to preach at people but never lift a finger to actually help people. It's that HWA Martin Lutheresque perversion of Matthew 24:14 alone! Wally, how do you explain away Matthew 25:31-46? Tell me Wally, how do you escape being the priest or the Levite in the parable of the good Samaritan? Wally, how do you get around all of the early church examples of easing pain and suffering in Satan's world? Did you know that in Rome, if you wanted to get rid of a child, not only was abortion legal but you could abandon a child up to 2 years of age at the village walls to be eaten by wild dogs? Guess what Wally, it was Christians that began the practice of scouring those walls every night for abandoned children. According to your vile logic, they should have been left to the dogs because there was PREACHING ALONE to be done!

[A little side note. Wally says in the article, "...as movements and organizations grow larger in the world, they often begin to transform into business ventures in ways that should leave us uncomfortable-a fact worth noting. The love of money is, indeed, the root of many evils." You don't say, Wally! You don't say!]

One of the primary problems with HWA gnostic dogma at its core is pacifism. This is not a Biblical concept. The proof is in the simple logic. Both Old Testament Jewish thought and Greek Christian thought support and believe in the "right of exclusivity." For this to be possible and upheld, society must be organized. There must be law and order that upholds contractual agreements. If the Bible (god) gives man the right of exclusivity, then by reason, logic dictates that god must give man the right to defend his exclusivity rights. What good is a marriage contract that declares to society that said woman is my wife if any man can come along and take her to himself and I must stand passively by without a peep? There is no right of exclusivity without the right to fight for it.

So it is ungodly, unbiblical to stand idly by and watch injustice, unfairness, evil treatment of others because by doing so, you are throwing the right of exclusivity out the window and embracing chaos. When God says the poor are to be taken care of, that validates the right of exclusivity. Ownership of lands, goods, animals, crops, goods, and service contracts create wealth imbalances. This is inevitable and natural. When it does, God declares that the poor and the disadvantaged be cared for. How can a Christian partake in the right of exclusivity and enjoy the protections of civil society and turn their backs on those who lose, fail, get cheated, or are outright dehumanized and systematically forced into an inferior position?

I look around at feast sites and I marvel at how many black folks I see. I want to ask each one how or why they would be sitting in a church in America that has never lifted a finger to ease the suffering and debasement and forced inferior status put upon them for hundreds of years? How do you sit in a church whose founder was a blatant racist and hid it behind the mask of British-Israelism? A church that has actually allowed "interracial" marriage of all kinds between whites and Asians and Hispanics and Indians and Native Americans ... as long as it was NEVER a black man marrying a white woman? Of course, the unpardonable sin of black men with white women is not just a church of God doctrine. That is an American doctrine.

Dave Chappelle, a black American comedian, did an interview with Oprah Winfrey about 15 years ago. It was after Dave left his own show on Comedy Central in the middle of the season and retreated to South Africa to do some soul searching. Oprah asked him why he left because the rumors were that he was a drug addict, mentally ill, and various other attacks that were simply not true. Hollywood was mad at Dave and sought to destroy him. The reason is that Dave Chappelle refused to put on a dress.

He was in the process of making a movie and the director had sent one of the writers to Dave's trailer to give him a scene change for the movie. It required Dave to put on a dress and get made up like a woman. He asked why they wanted to do that and they told him because it will be funny. Dave said no, he didn't want to do it. The scene was unnecessary. A few minutes later, the writer comes back and tries to get Dave to go along and Dave told him to tell the Director he won't do it. Dave started thinking about how all black comedians that made it into movies eventually dressed up like a woman. This really bothered Dave. When the Director came to Dave and insisted he do it, Dave refused and walked off the set and did not do the movie.

Hollywood is a weird place with strange rituals and control mechanisms. Not unlike churches, sometimes. I know what I have pointed out in the weekly update is probably too subtle for most white folks to perceive. But I know some black folks see it. And I only did it to highlight the much bigger reality. American Christianity has a lot to unpack. There is a lot to answer to and reform is necessary if Christianity will ever be a growing religion again. As it is now, I see no reason to support it if it continues to turn a blind eye. American Christianity removed Galatians 3:26-28 from their sight a long time ago. The churches of God are just using black folks as cover for their own self-image. Black brethren in the churches of God need to stop putting on the dress. White brethren who realize this need to hold the door and head out together.

submitted by Stoned Stephen Society

"...so please do yourself a favor and stop trying to break up the church! "

This was a comment just left on the Lily White Church of God Leadership post. 

Your thoughts?

Unknown said...

I am a black man, did any one notice God tells us in the Bible who his chosen people are, oh did I mention my name? Well it’s William f Butler, I was baptized in 1981, we know that what Jacob who’s name God Changed to Israel blessed his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, one would be a League of Nations, England, one a great Nation America, they are the only people that fit the description! Controlling the enemies sea gates And having the best farmlands which means having the most food, I go to living and have never been treated unfairly, Please show me in the Bible where the Other nations were in charge in the Church, how many of Jesus disciples were Black, Noticed how many nationalities in living! Because each has that same minister’s leading them, so you need to stop trying tear us apart God places in His Church whom He wants to, so please do yourself a favor and stop trying to break up the church! The Israelites are in Charge of Most of this earth in one way or another, God bless America,

June 11, 2020 at 4:51 PM

PCG: Gerald admits it IS all about RACE

Jeremiah 7:32-34 speak of a horrific time soon to come when dead bodies will pile so high there isn’t anywhere to bury them.

All joy and mirth will cease. Then notice what happens next. “At that time, saith the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves” (Jeremiah 8:1). They will have to know exactly where those graves are in order to  unearth them. “And they shall spread them [those bones] before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven ...” (verse 2).

The discovery of the tombs of the kings could create a world sensation very soon. The Holy Roman Empire destroys those bones because it worships the dragon (Revelation 13:4; Revelation 17). Satan hates David’s throne more than any throne on this Earth because it is about to replace his throne forever!

Jeroboam had a fierce hatred for these righteous kings. That hatred comes from Satan, the god of this world. He has contempt for the throne of David, especially now that there is a new throne! Look at what these Satan-inspired people will do just to the bones of the righteous kings of David’s throne! Can you imagine what they would like to do to God’s people who possess that throne?

You could say this will really upset God, but those kings are going to be resurrected right after this. Bones are not going to mean anything to us in the future. We will be able to visit personally with men like David and Solomon—what difference will their bones make then? Soon we will get to the point where there aren’t any more bones!

What Satan wants to blot out most of all is the scepter promise. It’s about the race of kings who sit on that throne—and about Jesus Christ sitting on that throne and bringing grace to the world. Satan is in his greatest wrath because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12), and he wants to blot out everything that has anything to do with the throne of David.