Living Church of God has posted an article on its Tomorrow's World web site that deals with the benefits of making apologies when you have done something wrong to another person.
Everything this article advocates is entirely the opposite of what Rod Meredith and the church has done to the Scarborough's and countless others. Has Rod Meredith ever apologized for anything in his entire life? When a person is sinless, its hard to find anything to apologize for.
He did not apologize to Mrs. McNair when he smeared her reputation publicly at the ministerial conference.
He never apologized to Raymond McNair for bankrupting his church as Raymond and Eve were on their knees groveling at his feet.
He has never apologized to the Scarborough's.
Its more important to him to spend millions in tithe money than to admit he was wrong.
This is another case of not practicing what you preach.
The old saying that "an apology goes a long way" means it's effective and yields a positive result. When a company apologizes for selling a defective product or failing to live up to promised service, it usually wins back customer trust. The apology may require rectifying the problem by fixing the defective product or by other kinds of restitution. When a friend or family member has spoken hurtful words or otherwise wronged us, a sincere apology usually wins our respect and forgiveness.
Apologizing can be a hard thing to do. Our human nature fights against admitting we have done wrong. Emotions and pride can get in the way. Sometimes a person fears that apologizing shows weakness or will bring a consequence if wrongdoing is acknowledged.Imagine what an apology would have accomplished if Rod Meredith and Rod McNair had actually apologized to the Scarborough's. There would be no lawsuit, no depositions, no attorneys, and no money being spent using tithe money to fight the lawsuit.
An apology should admit a mistake and express regret. It's an important remedy for healing a damaged relationship. It tells the wronged party that the relationship with them is important. An apology helps resolve disputes and conflicts.There are many benefits to an apology, at least according to LCG. If it si so beneficial then why don't they practice it?
An apology has a number of positive effects for both parties. It does not erase past actions or the harm done, but it can erase the negative effects of those actions. A sincere apology brings relief by releasing the emotions, anger, resentment and bitterness. The apology soothes the wound and begins to heal the hurt. It allows the mending of the relationship to begin.The Church of God has never been about relationships. The law is of the highest priority. Relationships require love, grace, genuineness, forgiveness and work. Its not the priority of the church to do such things. It is the church priority to enforce the law. Law always trumps.
By apologizing, we humble ourselves and are able to unload the guilt for our wrong action and the hurt we have caused someone. It restores self-respect because we have taken responsibility for our actions. We regain the love, respect and intimacy we previously had with the person hurt by our previous actions, especially with our mate.After quoting some scriptures on the "Golden Rule" Meyer ends with this:
It is far better to simply say, "I'm sorry. I apologize." And, depending on the circumstance, we should offer appropriate restitution to repair any harm done. Restitution may mean fixing or replacing something that was broken or defective, or giving compensation that remedies the damages.Could Rod Meredith possibly be considering restitution to the Scarborough's? If he looses he most certainly will be forced to pay restitution.
If you need to apologize, you may want to ask God for help to have the right approach.Imagine Rod Meredith asking his god to help him have the right approach. If only!
