CGI'sTony Buchert’s Civil Disobedience

 

Tony Buchert’s Civil Disobedience

The Church of God International’s Medina, Ohio congregation was treated to a discourse this past Sabbath (10/16) on the “proper” understanding and application of the thirteenth chapter of Paul’s epistle to the saints at Rome as it relates to modern Christian resistance to the Covid-19 vaccines. According to Mr. Buchert, Paul’s instructions to the saints at Rome should not be interpreted to suggest that U.S. Christians should conform to government mandates regarding Covid vaccination. Mr. Buchert insisted that those who would dare to employ Paul’s instructions to those ancient folks in their arguments in favor of Christians being vaccinated in the Twenty-First Century are twisting Scripture and attempting to force these “good” people to violate their consciences!

The fact that Mr. Buchert saw fit to address this topic at all suggests that this scripture (Romans 13:1-5) has been troublesome for anti-vaxxer elements within the church. After all, Paul’s language in this instance was fairly straightforward and clear. He wrote: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course, you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment but also to keep a clear conscience.” Well, that’s plain enough, right? “Not so fast!” says Tony Buchert.

Mr. Buchert begins his diatribe with a statement of the obvious: This scripture does NOT sanction blind obedience by Christians of every law and edict of the human governments we are currently living under. As he goes on to point out, when some edict/law/mandate contradicts God’s law, Christians should not obey it! Indeed, as Mr. Buchert underscores, to do so would violate that Christian’s conscience and force him/her to violate God’s law. Even so, Mr. Buchert seemed to completely ignore the Christian’s obligation to submit to whatever penalty/punishment that the human government devises for those who would disobey its will. Yes, there are numerous examples of “civil disobedience” in Scripture, but many of the saints who engaged in such behavior often ended up suffering horrendous consequences for their failure to obey. For example, John the Baptist lost his head, and Jesus Christ was crucified! In other words, Christians are still obligated to SUBMIT to the authorities which Paul says that God has placed in charge.

Unfortunately, Mr. Buchert did not confine his arguments in this regard to Scripture. He also chose to introduce things like the Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers into the conversation. In addition to condescendingly implying that the proponents of Covid vaccine mandates are unfamiliar with these documents, he strongly suggests that they buttress his arguments about personal and religious freedom relative to mandates.

And, although he never actually elucidated how those documents support his own views relative to vaccine resistance, he went on to proclaim that government officials must also conform to the Scriptural foundations on which they rest. Did Mr. Buchert forget the concept of the separation of Church and State? Does he understand that many of these secular authorities do not view themselves as serving at God’s pleasure? Does Mr. Buchert understand that the Kingdom of God does not yet currently reign over this earth? And what about the powers that those charters grant to the government (federal, state, and local) to protect the LIFE, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of its’ citizens? Does Mr. Buchert realize that government must be the arbiter when one citizen’s rights conflict with the free exercise of another citizen’s rights?

Unlike his citation of those august documents of American democracy, Mr. Buchert did actually employ the material of two extreme right-wing sources to support his anti-vaxxer views. Indeed, it came as no surprise to me that Mr. Buchert used material from Culture Watch and Project Veritas to buttress his message to his mentor’s (Pastor Bill Watson) congregation. On the Culture Watch website, we find the following headlines: “Do you think Biden should officially resign?”, “Pope Francis just put a big smile on Dr. Fauci’s face with this pro-vaccine demand”, and “A judge just smacked Planned Parenthood with the worst news they’ve ever gotten.” Likewise, on the Project Veritas homepage, we find headlines like “PFIZER LEAKS: Whistleblower Goes On Record, Reveals Internal Emails from Chief Scientific Officer & Senior Director of Worldwide Research Discussing COVID Vaccine ... ‘We Want to Avoid Having the Information on the Fetal Cells Floating Out There’.”

Obviously, Mr. Buchert is comfortable with sources that deal in conspiracy theories, misinformation, lies, and overt support of extreme political ideologies. For him, these voices should be given the same “rights” in the marketplace of ideas as those of scientists and public health officials! But I guess the end justifies the means – right? After all, Mr. Buchert points out that God rewarded the Egyptian midwives for lying to Pharoah when he questioned their disobedience of his edict regarding the murder of Israel’s male babies!

This is an example of what the Church of God International is currently allowing to be preached from its pulpits? Just when I was beginning to be encouraged by the voices of Jeff Reed and Vance Stinson within that organization, we have this! I guess we should all thank Mr. Buchert for giving voice to all of those poor Christians who are being asked to receive this wicked jab in their righteous arms!

Lonnie Hendrix

Mark Armstrong Melts Down Again And Finally Brings God Into It All

 

If you thought Bob Thiel ran the official Debbie-Downer COG, then think again. Mark Armstrong is giving him a run for the money.

Notice where Mark Armstrong mentions God in this trainwreck to his few followers. I have highlighted all the times that the director of the church, which supposedly represents God, mentions the sacred dude.

Mark needs to turn in his church leader mantle and go be a reporter for NewsMax, the official go-to source for news that COG prophets and apostles use to frighten their followers.

Greetings from Tyler,

The global humiliation is underway.  It was intended as one of those off the cuff, wild exaggerations for humor's sake when this Update suggested we were headed for another escape from Saigon. It's worse.  You can access whatever news you will, but it's not good anywhere.  It's a disaster we can't and won't imagine.  It's off the charts.  Pride and honor are a big deal in Middle Eastern culture.  We're fresh out.  One very worn out top official, (sometimes known as the big guy) who not a month ago adamantly assured the world this wouldn't happen, couldn't be reached for comment.  Until he gave a canned speech and explained the situation before darting away.  No questions.  The ever defensive mainstream press is starting to turn.  The events of recent days, and perhaps future days constitute a black eye the U. S. will wear for all eternity.  Those in charge have only excuses.

Some images stick with you, and you can no doubt remember some that were so disturbing you can never get them out of your head.  We've been treated to several of those this week, things we'd never seen before and couldn't imagine actually happening.  One is the military cargo plane completely jammed with Afghans that had scrambled on board.  Where are the women and children?  They're not anywhere to be seen.  We'd also never seen people climbing all over each other up ramps at a departure gate, or the hundreds trying to hitch a ride as the jet taxied to take off.  Turns out that flesh and bone are no match for the C-17's hydraulics.

So the fall back position is “it's Trump's fault,” this situation was inherited.  That's already the retort, even though the Donald is seething with anger at the way this has been handled.  It seems like ISIS got humiliated and wiped off the face of the earth during… Let's see, which president was it?  The caliphate was dismantled, remember?  Now that the “adults” are back in charge the goat thumpers have made a comeback.  Who'd have guessed?

Glenn Beck has to be credited with this.  He opened his radio program on Wednesday proclaiming a great triumph for inclusion and diversity.  Never in recorded human history has a debacle of this magnitude been pulled off by such a diverse group of people.  From the agency heads to the intelligence apparatus and all down the line, the highest priority has been racial equality and multi-gender inclusion.  Even the generals have been preaching it.  They'd just finished gay pride month at  U. S. embassies around the world.  They were particularly PROUD that a rainbow flag was flying at the U. S. Embassy at the Vatican, as if they don't have enough trouble in Rome.  But in Kabul the U. S. obviously wasn't planning for what would come next.  Now thousands are marked for death.  Was that part of some deal?

It's been pointed out that the big guy was on the phone congratulating Ft. Worth school board members for standing up against Governor Abbot's ban on mask mandates as Afghanistan fell.  We're over here deciding whether we want to re-inhale carbon dioxide while people who cooperated with the United States are hunted down and killed.  Mind you, the Taliban are the nicest of terrorists even when chanting death to America according to CNN.  You probably saw the scene of the Taliban press conference, delivered from within the presidential palace in Kabul.  There were about a dozen head wrapped geniuses with automatic weapons and the combined IQ of a third grader.  The organizers?  They were in Guantanamo Bay until they were traded along with 5 billion dollars, for traitor Bo Bergdahl.  You probably remember who did that.  Gay pride parade?  Anybody?

Now U. S. allies including those in NATO have important questions about the reliability of the United States.  It appears that things are not buttoned up in the way you'd expect of the American military or State Department, which is reportedly in charge of the “evacuation.” Promises have been broken.  The world is watching, realizing that the U. S. is inept under current leadership.  Whoever planned and carried out the withdrawal of the advisory forces still in Afghanistan needs their heads examined.  Whose idea was it to leave all manner of valuable equipment and munitions behind?  Word is that the volume of weaponry and vehicles now in the hands of the Taliban is “immense.”  When asked what ‘was the plan?’ to keep American weapons from falling into the hands of the Taliban, General Hank Taylor said in a nationally televised press conference that he had no answer to that question.   Let's just say we're impressed.

The answer is to give the Taliban a taste of U. S. military capabilities.  It's not like we don't have bases all over the Middle East, not counting the eleven that were turned over to the Taliban.  But alas, we have the big guy and he's not even writing the script.  Biden is taking a beating that more properly belongs to Obama and crew.  Never in the annals of history has the American presidency come in for the kind of rebuke delivered on the floor of the House of Commons.  America's institutions have been shamed, and deservedly so.  It turns out that the British Prime Minister was trying desperately to talk to the big guy, it was urgent.  The Brits have people in harm's way, now that the whole of Afghanistan and an unbelievable cache of American weapons have been kindly handed to the terrorists.  It would be nice if we could coordinate.  Sorry, he can't come to the phone.

If you've not seen the absolute disgust displayed toward the White House on the floor of Britain's House of Commons, you might consider looking it up.   Anger arose over helplessness amid the chaos. The fact that allies can't even communicate during an emergency with countless lives in the balance is “shameful,”  “dishonourable.”  The White House was castigated for taking unilateral (“catastrophic”) action, “throwing us (the British) and everybody else to the fire.”  This is not just some diplomatic faux pas, innocent lives are being snuffed out by these inbred bozos and nobody better intervene.  Meanwhile we continue to be battered with COVID news and the coming orders.  It's like they've been learning from the Taliban, but they can't just shoot us.   God sees it all.

Mark

Well, there he is!!!!!!!!!

 

Mark Armstrong: Doubles Down On Politics While Ignoring Jesus

 

It is well known that Mark Armstrong had no desire to take over daddy's church when Garner Ted died, but his mother made him do it in order to keep the income stream alive. This also was documented on several websites over the years.

Almost all of the present-day COG leaders will talk about anything except Jesus. That dude seems to embarrass the hell out of them all. Talk about the law, talk about prophecy, talk about sin and grievous punishment and they can wax eloquent, but rarely does the name Jesus ever dribble out the side of their mouths. 

To them, Jesus is an effeminate weak man who is powerless in their sight. They can't get past the image of a long-haired white effeminate looking man and that's all they see when they see or hear the name, Jesus. 

Say Christ to them and they immediately see a bearded, sweaty, masculine, carpenter toiling in the hot Palestinian heat as he builds some furniture or is walking down the dusty road to preach his next sermon or perform some miracle. These things turn them on, but not so much his preaching and very much not what was accomplished at the resurrection. Grace, justification, sanctification, and mercy are the things that the effeminate Jesus does. COG leaders need a pissed-off Christ leading an army of loyal COG followers just itching to destroy half of humanity.

So what is left to talk about when the law topic has been used up?  For some COG leaders, like Mark Armstrong, Gerald Flurry, and Bob Thiel, it is prophecy and politics. Though with Mark Armstrong it is politics, politics, and more politics. It is easy to see where the leaders in the mother church, Church of God International, got their sermon topics from! Daddy's legacy lives on!

In Friday's update to his dwindling small flock, Mark Armstrong he had this to say:

August 13, 2021

 

Weekly Update

 

Greetings from Tyler,

 

          Real life has become a science fiction thriller that we wouldn't even watch.  It's too predictable, not believable, and hokey beyond description.  It has ugly proponents who think they're movie stars, telling us what we should and should not be doing,  They might change their minds in a day or a week, but we're supposed to hang on their every word, ESPECIALLY when they make no sense!

 

          Two governors in particular are in the crosshairs of the media, the CDC and authoritarians everywhere.  That would be De Santis of Florida and Abbott of Texas.  Who do they think they are, saying that there will be no mask mandates or “vaccine” passports in their states?  They apparently realize that their citizens have had about enough.  We've been chased around over the last two years, many are willing to do just about anything to make it stop.  Take the shot, present papers, whatever.  People want their freedom back, and the ticket (we're told) is to fulfill whatever requirements are demanded.

 

          Both De Santis and Abbott are standing in the way of the tyranny that is promoted as if for our own good.  Not so long ago, we were considered responsible enough to look out for ourselves.  But not anymore!  No, we have been told, scolded, prodded and then punished.  Our representatives will look out for us.  Except they seem to be reeling with newfound power that has turned into a game of Simon Says.  Whether it makes sense to you or not, YOU WILL COMPLY if you want to access any number of goods and services.  It's not the mark of the beast, but may be a precursor.  The “let no crisis go to waste” crowd has determined that they'll make life miserable and block participation in commerce unless all requirements are fulfilled.  Where it ends, if it does, is anybody's guess.

 

          Who knew the CDC had all kinds of law-making power?  Apparently, they can order everybody to do whatever they say.  Otherwise, you'll be in line for some kind of punishment, yet to be determined.  The current administration is working on that, and they have nearly every recognizable corporate entity to do their bidding.

 

          You can hardly believe your eyes as you watch French policemen randomly check diners' proof of “vaccine.”  Unbelievable.  You don't suppose this nonsense is coming here?  It's already here.  How in the world is anybody expected to accept all the bullying we're being subjected to, while tens of thousands of third world refugees are being shipped into American cities and towns?  That's the argument many are making.  Busloads are transported to cities and towns to take advantage of whatever the local church charity has to offer.  Half a million have come in since May according to the mainstream news.  The government is in effect paying “charities” to infiltrate the immigrants into American society with no requirements whatever.  Meanwhile, citizens have mandates.

 

          Rand Paul says, “They can't arrest us all.”  He's urging people to stand against the “petty tyrants” and just say “no.”  If you think the vaccine is a good idea, get it.  But don't do it because some bureaucrat says you “have to.”  If some business says you “have to” in order to have access, let them know they just lost a customer.  Well, you might have guessed, Senator Paul has been “deplatformed.”  That's but a small example of what we've been talking about.  A medical expert, Dr. Dan Stock gave a succinct six minute speech that apparently went viral, having been forwarded like crazy.  He said that we're getting federal agency advice that contradicts science.  He said “vaccinated “ people can get and transmit the virus without becoming “symptomatic.”  He said several other things that are contrary to the party line.  At the end, he offers to become an expert witness should anyone find themselves in a legal scrape over the “mandates” flung out across the land.  Youtube has deleted his video for violating “community guidelines,” though it's still available at certain websites you never heard of.  It's gone “viral” already.  The mainstream news knows nothing about it.

 

          “Challenge accepted.”  That's Amazon promising to save the planet.  There are now “global warming” commercials that feature young children leering disgustedly at the camera, and they're madder than Greta Thunberg. They know that unless all transportation goes to re-chargeable batteries, the future will be horrific.  Nobody seems to care where that charging energy comes from.  We're just subjected to dirty looks from children, angry about global warming.  They know best and they're none too pleased.  Thanks for “accepting the challenge” Amazon.  Major corporations are lauded for having “accepted the challenge.”  They're going to save the planet ten years early, no less. Nothing has to make sense, you just do what they say and you'll be fine.  You'll still be able to access the business community as long as you've jumped through all the hoops.  Otherwise, let's just say things will be difficult.

 

          There's no way to candy-coat the news coming out of Afghanistan.  As American forces withdraw, the Taliban floods in, killing those they don't like and taking slaves of the women folk.  Everything was telegraphed in advance.  The Taliban was ready to roll in as soon as American forces departed.  Whatever brave talk there was about the Afghan army maintaining civility is out the window.  Twenty years of arming and training the Afghanistan army and now those guns and vehicles are in Taliban hands.  Afghanistan is about to be back where it was before 9-11, and that's the depressing reality.  Those Afghans who cooperated publicly with American forces are being flown to the United States.  The rest of the population is in trouble.  Which explains why they're so happy and excited when the Taliban shows up.  Whoever has the guns is an honored guest.  It's a cultural thing.  

 

          Is China about to annex Taiwan?  That's a rising concern .  Who's going to stop that from happening?  At this point I wouldn't blame you if you gave up reading this Update.  The fix we're in domestically and internationally is horribly depressing.  Sometimes maddening.  When Arnold Schwarzenegger this week said, “Screw your freedoms,” it elicited a response that I'd rather not have.  But that's in essence a tenet of the indoctrination we're being told to accept before they figure out how to force compliance.  Maybe a mark in the hand or forehead?  

 

Mark

While this plays right into the NewsMax crowd, where Thiel, Mark, and Flurry gather their news, it has absolutely nothing to do with anyone's path towards God, finding rest in Jesus or salvational assurances.

Mark Armstrong Is Leading A Sinking Ship Thanks To His Political Stances

 

If you thought the political crap from Bill Watson and Bob Thiel was mind-numbingly tiresome, Mark Armstrong has exceeded them by miles. Every single thing he writes is a political crapfest of Republican against Democrat, liberal against conservative, and doom and gloom. Everything is wrong with the world he lives in and he is MAD! Like Bob Thiel and other self indulgent COG leaders, he cannot find anything good to write about. He would do better to channel his opinions into writing for Newsmax or some other ultra right site than pretending to be spiritual by spiritualizing politics when god is brought in at the last sentence, but that is how COG leaders have operated for decades.

His entire financial existence is built upon rebroadcasting his dad's videos and republishing his writings and expecting people to still support a dead guy. 

Check out some of his weekly updates here.

From Church of God News:

The church is in the midst of a major make-over of its old websites for The ICG and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association – but will there be any changes to reverse the decline of the ICG itself? 

 

When Garner Ted Armstrong died in 2003, the ICG had around 90 congregations and was on around 30 television stations and cable outlets. His son Mark took over the day to day operation of the church and the production of the television outreach program. He was not ordained, and had no interest in ministry. 

 

Tom Kerry and a number of other ministers considered him unqualified for leadership and left in 2004 to form the first split in what eventually became known as Church of God Ministries International. 

 

Under Mark Armstrong’s leadership, two-thirds of the congregations have now been lost, and there has been no television outreach program for years. His personal involvement is a weekly blog and an occasional article for the quarterly magazine, both of which have little or no Christian content.

GTA Vidicated! It Was NOT His Fault!

Beddy Teddy has been vindicated! All that romping around with 200 coed's, the stewardesses on the three WCG Corporate jets and that hot masseuse,  was NOT his fault!  Hallelujah and pass the collection plate!  COG leaders take note!  You now have an excuse!

Thrill-Seeking Gene Can Lead to More Sex Partners

SUNY Scientists Find Longer DRD4 Gene Can Lead to Double Risk for Promiscuity, Infidelity

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES

Dec. 6, 2010

John Coleman, a 22-year-old from Syracuse, N.Y., has been engaged for the last two years and cannot fathom having sex with anyone other than his girlfriend.
"I find cheating appalling," said Coleman. "There's got to be something going on in your head to cheat."

It turns out Coleman is right.

In what is being called a first of its kind study, researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York (SUNY) have discovered that about half of all people have a gene that makes them more vulnerable to promiscuity and cheating.

Those with a certain variant of the dopamine receptor D4 polymorphism -- or DRD4 gene -- "were more likely to have a history of uncommitted sex, including one-night stands and acts of infidelity," according to lead investigator Justin Garcia.


Read the article here: Thrill -Seeking Gene