The disgraced former leader of the United Church of God has started a new
blog where he weighs in on almost everything. I guess once you are a COG leader who was expected to be an authority upon everything it is a hard path to give up.
Melvin is particularly upset with the stories of the new Pope and the press calling him the
"...the personal representative on earth of Jesus Christ."
I’m nauseated by the coverage of the change in the papacy.
It’s not that I have a problem with the new pope, because I don’t.
He seems a very humble man and his focus on the poor is commendable.
What’s wrong is not even his fault.
I’m talking about the constant references to the “fact” that he is the personal representative on earth of Jesus Christ.
It’s also frequently said that he is the 266th pontiff, a direct successor to St. Peter, who started the Catholic Church.
If that’s true, then Peter has a lot to answer for!
That is pretty rich coming from a Church of God minister and church leader. The ministry, through the example of Herbert Armstrong, has claimed that they are the voice of the TRUE God on the earth. The members are to obey their words as if God was speaking directly to them.
Melvin is also upset with this:
At great length, he explains that the papacy’s claim to go right back to
Jesus Christ is inaccurate and a convenient misreading of scripture.
(I will post something on this on another day.) The legitimacy of the
Church is based on this claim and gives them a big advantage over other
churches – but it is totally, biblically and historically without basis!
We hear the exact same hot air form the Churches of God! That's the claim thrown out almost daily that the COG goes directly back to
Jesus Christ. The legitimacy of the Church of God lies solely in this claim - but it is totally, biblically and historically without basis!
Will we soon see blog entries on adultery and sexually inappropriate activities of the ministry?