Philadelphia Church of 'god' Kicks Out New Member Till He Corrects His Attitude Towards Pagan Symbolism

Armstrongism has always had a strong dislike for the Mason's, Shriner's and other fraternal organizations.  Jack Elliot wrote a lot about the evils of the Masonic Lodge decades ago. Yet, in spite of all that rancor, the COG met in hundreds of Masonic Lodges, Elk's Lodges, Odd Fellows halls, and other fraternal organizations.  Paganism be damned, if the church could use the hall then it would.

I have fond memories of sitting in an Odd Fellow's hall during DUB high days looking at the "all seeing eye" staring down at me.  Standing directly underneath that eye was a WCG minister railing on about some silly topic that was never as fascinating as all the symbolism in the room.

Recently a new "convert" to the Philadelphia Church of God attend his first meeting which was held in a Masonic Lodge.  This new convert had the audacity to point out to someone that they were surrounded by all kinds of pagan symbolism.  That did not sit well with the big wigs of Flurrydom.  They told the man he had a "disobedient heart" and suspended him from church till he corrected his attitude and read a LOT of Flurry's writings, repented and accepted meeting in Masonic Lodges.

Here is what he wrote:

May 1, 2014
I arrived for my first PCG service at a Mason hall after tithing for over a year and was surprised to find Chaldean and satanic symbolism all over the place. I spoke up and was told I had a "disobedient heart" and was banned from further services until I read a lot of material and repented and accepted the Mason hall. I was told I was not welcome back--but my tithes were.  From Exit and Support

Never Ending Arguments About the Bible

The Internet is a treasure trove of opinions about the Bible, as it is on many other subjects.  Everyone who writes or speaks attempts to convince others that their view is right.  Naturally that is life.  Most of the arguments about the Bible are in my view, just opinions.  College degrees, such as PhD or whatever are no more a guarantee of truth than having no formal Bible schooling at all.  None of us lived thousands of years ago and everything we believe about the past is simply what we read that others said, sometime in the past, or what someone today thinks is truth based upon their own studies.  We all interpret what we read from different perspectives.  Many think God is a myth, because they believe the Bible is a fraud.  Granted the Bible is full of holes, but that does not disprove God.  I don't consider science as God either.

Humans assign their own beliefs or agendas to God and lying scribes have always attributed words to God, which the gullible and naive have never been able to discern as fraud.  Just because some author or liar long ago said "thus saith the Lord", does not mean that God Almighty is the author of whatever the lying scribe penned.  It is more than frustrating that so many people are so programmed and indoctrinated that their thinking cannot be penetrated.  Try telling a Mormon that his beliefs are bull.  Try telling a Jehovah Witness that her beliefs are far off the beaten path.  I have even tried to tell some splinter group people of the Worldwide Church of God that what they espouse has nothing to do with the truth in Christ, only to be told that I am so far removed from what they believe, why waste their time or mine?  What does it take to awake people from their stupor?

The human mind generally does not want to hear anything that challenges the comfort zone of its built in censorship.  Don't tell me anything that differs with what I am use to believing.  Indeed it can be very unsettling to learn that most of what one believes about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ and "truth" has amazing alternatives.  "Christians" always think that what they believe is an "exception" to what all others in the world believe.  Of course all others in the world have the same view about their beliefs.  Small world!

Most likely humans will be arguing about the Bible for as long as there is human life on earth.  Absolute TRUTH is only known by God Almighty, no matter what human beings think.  What we all think is simply personal opinion. Is there really such a thing as "proof of truth?"  You can say science proves this or that and many will counter that and say something different.  Of course gravity is true and not hard to prove, but when it comes to religion, God, the Bible and "spiritual" matters, is there really any proof of what people believe or teach?  I seriously doubt many things I have read in the Bible, such as the book of "Revelation", but many others think it is true.  Many think the "rapture" is true, but with time, it appears that millions have lived and died who believed in the rapture theory and they were never raptured(?).  I suppose only time will tell what really is and what is not truth.  Should there be another 10,000 years of life on earth, what then will church goers think?  Will they lose faith in the Bible and the self-appointed gurus who stand in pulpits?


Van Robison