Showing posts with label False propeht's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label False propeht's. Show all posts

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Offers of Assistance to Bob Thiel


I have been reminded that ex-church members still want to help Bob with his bookcases.

People have suggested how to straighten his bookcase.

Others told him about the sunbleached and worn-out curtains he uses for his backdrop. 

Some remind him to not wave his arms wildly about accentuating his limp wrists.  

Others have said how distracting it is to see him hold up a booklet in front of his face or wave a big thick bible to impress us. 

People have even suggested not sitting in front of his bathroom door with a 
doorknob next to his head or a wall thermometer gauging how hot his sermon is.

Some have recommended he stop talking about himself in EVERY single sermon.

Does the great Bwana to Africa ever listen?

NO!

And so, his programs look like amateur hour in COGland and are widely mocked and ridiculed in most COG's, particularly in LCG. 

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Have No Fear, Malm Is Here!



Have no fear ye followers of the one and only TRUE god.  James Malm, your humble end time prophet, apostle, 1/2 of the two witlesses (sorry Mr. and Mrs. Weinerdude) and future martyr  has firsthand revealed knowledge on just how things are going to start happening as the end times rolls in.  Isn't this exciting!  Wow!  Time to start my Petra pack........




1  A Middle East war is expected to set the conditions for a peace agreement.
2  The Abomination, which IS the false prophet; will be set up (this is the first seal of Revelation). 
3  A peace deal will be reached; allowing for a declaration of peace and safety very near the time that the abomination goes to the Holy Place, 1 Thes 5:3.  There may or may not be a seven year treaty with the Jews, Palestinians and Vatican.  There will NOT be 3 1/2 years of peace (this is a non biblical tradition of Protesant origin). War will begin AS SOON AS peace is declared.
4  He (the abomination; false prophet) will call for and bring about a revival of the Holy Roman Empire during a 75 day period.
5  The two prophets of God will begin their work.
6  Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies; probably peacekeepers to enforce the agreement.
7  The Church will flee into the wilderness; arriving at the time that the abomination visits the Holy Place.
8  The false prophet will travel to the Holy Place.
9  This will trigger violence which results in the occupation of the city  by these European peace keepers.
10  Israel will not give up Jerusalem without a fight and all Judea will be subjugated.
11  The US will enter the conflict in support of Israel and will be nuked and defeated but not totally destroyed and probably not occupied; just brought to her knees.
12  Europe will be supreme for about 2-3 years.
13  Europe will attack the Asian nations of Russia China ect.
14  Asia will absorb the attack and move into Europe destroying it.
15  The beast and false prophet (abomination) will move to Jerusalem to make their last stand.
16  The two prophets will be killed 3 1/2 days later the resurrection will take place
.17  The Asian armies will move south toward Jerusalem and camp at Miggedo, the Wedding Feast of the Lamb will take place in heaven; and the seven last plagues will be poured out; during the 45 days between the resurrection and the end of the 1,335 days.  See the Wedding Feast article at the link provided above; and also the article on the 1,290 and the 1,335 days.
18  The Asian armies will attack Jerusalem and take half of the city.
19  Christ will come WITH his saints and put down all factions.
20  The beast and false prophet will be killed at the end of the 1,335 days of Dan 12. 
21  God's spirit will be poured out on all flesh, establishing his kingdom on a Feast of Pentecost.
22  There will be 1,000 years of peace; completing a 7,000 year plan for the firstfruits.
23  Satan will be released for a short time and then removed forever.
24  Then the 7,000 year plan for the main harvest will begin; and the Feast of the Ingathering of Nations or the Feast of Tabernacles will bring all repentant humanity into the family of God.
25  After the seven thousand years of the Feast of Tabernacles, the surface of the earth and all wickedness will be destroyed and cleansed by fire.
26  The New Jerusalem will come down from heaven, the Father will come to be with his Christ and his saints; and an eternal future of peace and harmony will bring an endless increase of God's Kingdom throughout the universe. 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Why is Critical Thinking Not Practiced in the COG's?




Dennis Diehl - EzineArticles Expert AuthorI have always been taken back by the seemingly total lack of  Biblical  questioning by my former ministerial friends in WCG or in the membership over all.  It is amazing to me how little study into other ways of perceiving the Bible, it's history, it's construction and origins, its many contradictions real or imagined is done.

In the COG groups, the one man show type can get up and declare the Bible "clearly" shows the goofball to be an Apostle, Priest, King or Witness, AND FEW IF ANY QUESTION THE ROAMING AROUND IN THE BIBLE THAT IT TOOK TO DRAW THAT CONCLUSION.

"Duh, boss.  Whatever you say, huya huya...whatever you say." 

When Dave Pack goes on and on qualifying for membership in On and On Anonymous, why can't someone tell the man he talks too much and sees way too much of himself in the scripture.  Why can't someone say the sermons aren't always as amazing and never before understood as they are being led to believe. When he can't explain anything in less than two to four hours each week, where is the common sense of the audience?  When the man says either, "And yes, I am an Apostle," or "Send it in,"  blah blah blah...who are the people who just do this?  Are they defective of mind and common sense?

When Flurridians are told the Guru is "that prophet" or "God wants you to kiss your unconverted family goodbye and please no more talking to them,"  who are the nutcases that say, "ok, ok, whatever you say?"   Have they all been lobotomized?
Evolutionary author Donald Prothero notes...

"Looking over the shoulders of the hundreds of hard working , dedicated, self sacrificing biologists who spend years enduring the harsh conditions in the field to observe evolution in action inspires admiration in us real scientists.  This is in sharp contrast with the creationists who sit in their comfortable homes and write drivel about subjects they have never studied and do not understand."   (Evolution-what the fossils say and why it matters.  Page 113, Prothero)

This is also how ministers "do their hard work."  They skip along as good Bible and booklet readers.  Or as I have often noted, "piously convicted and marginally informed."
  
For as intelligent as GTA was, when he wrote about evolution as the authority on it for the Church, and why the Bible was right and science was wrong, he didn't know what he was talking about.  When Herbert Armstrong droned on and on about the two trees or the word "Elohim" and what it meant, he didn't know what he was talking about theologically.  When he said once in Bible study that dinosaurs were of Satan's world because they, like Satan, can't reproduce, he had no clue as to what he was talking about.  The current issue of National Geographic had dino eggs on the cover.

When Gerald Flurry declares this or that is God's way, he doesn't now what he is talking about.  When Dave Pack spins his sermons and mocks Plato, Socrates and the like, he doesn't know what he is talking about.  When he dismisses Albert Einstein because he had "wild hair,"  he has really run out of ideas and does not know what he is talking about. 

When Ron Weinland declares himself and his wife the Two Witnesses, well you know...it's just bullshit.  When you see yourself spoken of in the scriptures by the prophets, it is not time to start a church.  It is time to get some help.  I ask why Ron never studies what else  the Book of Revelation might be, who really wrote it and to whom for whom about whom?  Of course, if he did or if any of the COG ministers read the other issues raised by that book, it might require taking a lot of fancy literature off the shelves and throwing them into the shredder.

But back to the original question.  Why do COG types and really most Evangelical Christian ministers or members lack the critical thinking skills that would provoke them to ask questions about how we really got the Bible, who really wrote it and why?  Those few who do have good critical thinking skills usually end up teaching them but not at church, disfellowshipped, excommunicated, marked and otherwise marginalized.  God may love a cheerful giver but He is not much for a clear thinker evidently.

When debating Art Mokarow over the issue of creationism vs evolution, his "Oxford trained" side kick on stage blurted out when I was recommending Evolution--What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters,   "I have that book!" I was so tempted to reply, "Well I suggest you actually read it."  However, I restrained myself.  Many have a Bible but few ask much about how it got to be.  The non-Sunday School answer can be pretty darn challenging to one's faith.  Perhaps that is the total reason right there.

He told me I was too dogmatic about the problems in the Bible and too specific, whatever that meant.  I asked him if he was the author of "God's Puzzle Solved?"  He said  yes of course and i noted the words  "Puzzle" and "Solved" are pretty specific and dogmatic.  He said that's not what he meant.  Uh huh.

So, let's try this.  A couple of years ago I wrote a series of articles entitled, "Questions Your Pastor Will Hate."   They can be found here:



Questions Your Pastor Will Hate-Part Five


And just for fun and as a bonus....

Now I admit the form was a bit cheeky at times in challenging us to look outside the box or at least how to even notice the Bible has contradictions, but I was processing my own "why was I not taught this?" experience. 

Art Mokarow assured me he had asked himself every one of those questions and that he was able to easily answer them to his satisfaction.  Good, I'm glad.  He had to say that.  It's like the Pope forgiving the guy who shot him.  He has to forgive him!!!!  He's the Pope.  He's a professional forgiver!  In the same way, if one is going to say the Bible is without mistakes or contradictions, one has to get a bit defensive at times, circle the wagons and ultimately feel sorry for the poor slob who even thinks to ask the questions.

So.  Do you even know how to ask questions about the Bible, its purpose, its real authorship, its politics, its errors (real or imagined) its intent?  If you know how to ask the question or what the question even is, why don't you?  Are you going to let others get away with telling you there are no questions or that questions are suspect around here? 

Enjoy the questions. You may or may not like them, but they are oft asked questions, they are not original to me and at least may help one ask enough questions when needed to maybe save them from believing just one too many made up answers that, in fact, are not so.

I think it matters to ask questions when in religion, there can be so much at stake for the questioner.


DenniscDiehl@aol.com  

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

The Pope, Thiel, Malm, Elijah, COGaWA and LCG



Reading the Shining Light blog today is like reading one huge conspiracy theory after another.  Of course Armstrongism is filled with conspiracy theories up the wazoo and has always thrived on the nuttiness.  The crazier the theory is the more people believe it.

When I came to Pasadena a group of church members followed a deranged idiot who had proclaimed the egret sculpture was going to come alive. An egret was going to get on each corner of the Auditorium and the fifth would lead as they picked up the Auditorium and flew it to Petra.  Since this was God's House he was going to protect it from the invading German armies.


Also in the  late 70's early 80's Gary North books were spreading around the campus.  Old town Pasadena was filled with newsstands that contained his free books. Monetary and religious themes permeated his writings.  Because he was so conservative (North was a Dominionist) he fit into the mindset of the uber-conservatives struggling to gain control of WCG HQ in Pasadena.

Another book that made the rounds on the Pasadena campus was The Protocols of the Elders  Zion,  that is supposed to be about the the Jewish take over of Christianity and society.  The whacked out Armstrongites that believed this nonsense were the ones behind the anti-Stan Rader movement.  Rader was a Jew who 'converted' to Christianity.  While he was hobnobbing around the world with HWA he was secretly attending Synagogue and supposedly would be at synagogue every Friday night when he was back in LA. Rader was supposed to be the one behind the government take over of the church.

Then we had the Jim Jones tragedy.  Many of the uber-conservatives said this was a work of Satan to deliberately stop the WCG from fleeing to Petra.  There were secret groups in Pasadena supposedly planning our escape to the wonders of Petra.  By this tragedy happening the news media and society started eyeing cults and weird groups like WCG. Therefore, no trip to Petra could be planned.  Boo hoo.

The Ambassador Auditorium was constructed as a Masonic symbol.  The square black cube that the Auditorium is shaped as has Masonic symbolism and also points back to the square cube that is the Kaaba in Mecca.  The number of pillars, the colors, the location of various rooms inside up in the ceiling area all supposedly have Masonic ties.  Church members faced East toward the rising sun when they worshiped their 'god'. In essence the Auditorium is filled with pagan symbolism.

These listed above are the 'normal' ones that do not even compare to the religious themed ones WCG was filled with.



Due to Armstrongism's fascination with numerology and Esotericism we made counting numbers and divination a byproduct of Armstrongism that carries on to this day.  The Oracle of Delphi pales in comparison to the myriads of 'prophet's Armstrongism has produced.

Malm on the Shining Light has turned himself into one of those prophets.  Of course he trips and stumbles around claiming he is not, but in fact he is.

Today it is all about Bob Thiel and his book 2012 And The Rise of the Secret Sect, that was written with the cooperation of the LCG higher ups. He presents an exact time line of future world events in the next few years.  There will be soon coming peace for 3 1/2 years for the Jews followed by 3 1/2 years of pure hell.

There is the supposed COGaWA conspiracy of Kilough and Franks to secretly planning to join up with Rod Meredith and proclaim an 'Elijah' Message.

While it would not surprise me at all that Kilough and Franks have ulterior motives I think many in the new COGaWA will balk at joining up with Meredith due to the fact they had refused to join his cult in the previous incarnations.  

There are theories about the present pope dying within the next two years.  The rise of the final and last Pope of Catholicism who is going to bring a reign of false peace and terror to the world.  

There will be a huge war against the Muslims where they will be whipped into submission.

Malm goes on to utter other trigger words that Armstrognites will quickly understand.  But just like HWA, Malm covers his tracks with this disclaimer:

Do NOT believe me!  Do keep this in mind and do keep eyes wide open!  The only real proof will be in watching these things being fulfilled before your eyes!  Then when the two are empowered you will recognize them and be ready for them.  Do NOT fall for this strong deception of 3 1/2 years of peace when God’s word says, that when Peace and safety is declared; sudden [immediate] destruction will come, 1 Thes 5:3.!
WATCH!!!
Reading all these silly conspiracy theories is like watching the idiot Jesse Ventrua:


Thank God I am free!  Free at last from this kind of stupidity!