Are COG Leaders Thiel, Pack, Flurry et al, Spiritually Abusive?

One of  my favorite writers is Michael Camp, the author of Confessions of a Bible Thumper.  Today on his blog I read his latest entry on spiritually abusive churches.  He lists several points that perfectly fit a large majority of the Churches of God and their current leaders.

Of particular interest to many here will be be #7.

Red highlighted emphasis is mine when it closely resembles the Armstrongite mind set.

Is Your Church Guilty of Spiritual Abuse? Check the Top Ten Signs 

1 – Your pastor has an authoritative style of leadership. Churches that abuse typically have one controlling leader whose personality and ideas dominate church sermons, teaching, and decisions. 
Signs: (1) Lead pastor’s ........ sermon is streamed via video to satellite churches. (2) The polity of the church is such that the lead pastor or pastors are shielded from real accountability. (3) There’s a strong focus on members submitting to their leaders and lower leaders submitting to higher leaders. Jesus never organized a hierarchy but told people to be servants. Paul’s form of biblical eldership was based on equality not submission. 

Every single one of the COG larger splinter personality cults  stream the words of "wisdom" of the leader to the minions.  Thiel, Pack and Flurry  seem to think they speak for God and that no one below them has the brains to think. Just look at the pathetic videos Bob Thiel is subjecting his 200 members to! These guys attempt to do all the thinking for their groups members.  Church areas and living room churches are required to play these videos. 

2 – You are expected to commit to rigid rules for church membership and submit to church leaders’ authority. Despite no biblical mandate for formal church commitment or ecclesiastical authority in Scripture, spiritually abusive churches push a rigid form of membership and submission to church leaders as obedience to God. A hierarchy develops of members submitting to group leaders to elders to pastors to an executive board, which is controlled by the founder or lead pastor. Signs: (1) Members are required to sign a contract or agreement with strict rules for doctrinal beliefs and behavior. (2) A church discipline process is spelled out in detail that members must agree to.

One COG splinter cult leader of a minuscule and spiritually bankrupt group actually makes his members sign contracts when they want to attend his feast sites so that they will not discuss his sermons, etc.  He is so fearful that his stupidity will be spread around world that he keeps tight control over his dwindling pee-ons.

3 – The church has a very wide view of what’s considered non-negotiable doctrines and behaviors and a very narrow view of what’s considered negotiable. Rather than making Christ’s one law of love for God and neighbor as the most important characteristic of a believer, belief in the right doctrines and certain religious behaviors becomes the main measuring stick for Christian maturity. Signs: There’s a lot of church documentation and teaching on correct doctrine.

Just look at the hundreds of booklets and letters that the WCG used to print and what all the current splinter groups put out supposedly teaching "correct" doctrine.  These little booklets were slick mind control over the dumbed down members.  By making these booklets authoritative they prohibited any reason for doubt or questioning.  Almost all COG members have never ventured to read theological books outside their current group.  Others rewrite all the books and booklets of Herbert Armstrong and deify those works.

4 – Any expression of concern about church decisions, teachings, or behavior of leaders is interpreted as disloyalty or sin. When a member or leader questions or challenges the status quo, they become suspect of being disloyal, told to submit, and even manipulated to do so. If they don’t, they are forced out. Signs: The history of the church or denomination includes leaders and members being fired or leaving under less-than-peaceful circumstances.

The above is a perfect description of Armstrongism and the Churches of God.  Thousands have been fired over the decades by Church leaders for "bad attitudes." Tens of thousands have left under less than peaceful circumstances!  Lawsuits have abounded, hundreds and hundreds of rancorous splinter groups formed in the midst of angry accusations and outright slander.
  

5 – The church deflects tough questions about their faith and doctrine. Only safe questions are allowed. There’s a veneer of openness but the bottom line is people are told not to be divisive about church doctrine. Pushed too far, sincere, reasonable questions are shut down in the name of unity. But biblical unity is not about creating uniformity. It’s about loving one another. Signs: Members are not encouraged to accept and explore their doubts but rather submit to what the church says is “orthodox” teaching.

How many times have we heard in Armstrongism that we were followers of "the faith once delivered?"  How many more have heard that they are followers of the "first century TRUE Christians?"  Thiel claims his little personality cult is following "the apostolic Christian faith."  By making such claims it shuts down any doubt or question that members might have.  They are labeled as having "bad attitudes" or being influenced by Satan the king of doubt and questioning.

6 – Church discipline is overdone and over taught in the church. Leaders will deny this by pointing to the percentage of discipline cases. But you need to measure the threat of discipline as well and how it’s done. Spiritual abuse happens when the interpretation of Matthew 18 and other Scriptures is very narrow and goes beyond what is stated or what can be reasonably applied to a contemporary situation. Signs: (1) There’s a long document about church discipline policy. (2) There is no appeals process for someone accused. (3) Members suspected of needing church discipline, or who are subject to it, must sit through lots of long meetings with leaders. (4) Shunning the accused is common when someone is deemed unrepentant or chooses to leave the church. Identifying “sin” and real “repentance” can become highly subjective and the church ends up shunning people for minor offenses (disagreeing with leadership or doctrine or what constitutes moral behavior) and rejecting people who have repented but haven’t jumped through sufficient hoops (e.g. signing a “discipline contract”).

There has never been an appeals process in Armstrongism.  The Church claimed it had one but it never worked.  Once an evangelist or pastor made the decision it was sealed in heaven.  Like what is mentioned above, the disciplining process in Armstrongism was and still is subjective.  The same standards never seemed to apply twice.  Those standards most certainly were never the same for ordained and lowly member.  The ordained got away with murder while the pee-on's were treated like shit.  Just look at UCG's recent removal of a Church Leader/minister for adultery who now is back in good graces and treated like a saint who was persecuted unjustly.  Then look at UCG members, the lowly pee-ons, who have been disfellowshipped for doing the exact same thing.

7 – Your church and/or denomination has ex-member websites with stories of spiritual abuse. It’s one thing if a few disgruntled ex-members complain, but when a large number of people come out with stories about spiritual abuse, and are willing to post their stories, it’s a huge red flag. Especially when the stories reflect a pattern of misuse of authority, manipulation, and doing damage control to protect the reputation of the church.

Every church has disgruntled members regardless whether they are in mainstream Christianity or in Armstrongism.  Their grumbling doe snot make waves.  Their whining dies out rather quickly, however in spiritually abusive groups and particularly in this case, Armstrongism, it is a HUGE red flag.  Hundreds of books have been written about the abuses in the Churches of God.  Hundreds of web sites and blogs have in great detail described the abuses. Many of these web sites and blogs were formed not to destroy the Church of God but to help cleanse it of the idiots with low morals in charge.  The best example of this was the Ambassador Report that came out in the late 70's.  It was to open the eyes of the membership to the abuses going on and the waste.  One can only imagine what an impact it would have had if the internet had been open to all at that time. Those sites were started with good intentions. Then the swift knee jerk of the corporate COG leaders cried fowl and started threatening members for daring to believe them.  Those that did side with the ex-member sites were immediately were disfellowhipped, marked, shunned and made anathema.  Fear of being cast in the Lake of Fire was a great Armstrongite threat.

8 – The church has a very strict definition of gossip. When members have concerns about the church or strains with relationships, they are expected to keep their thoughts to themselves. Signs: Any sharing of negative experiences in relationships, even if it’s healthy venting to a close friend, is perceived as sinful gossip.

In Armstrongism and the Churches of God it was a sign of the devil at work.  Satan was seeking to destroy the "work" and gossip was his greatest tool.  That is part of the reason why there were not many really deep friendships  in the COG.  No one was really willing to be open with those they knew on a deeper level.  If they dared to express doubt then that friend would run to the ministry.  Friendship in Armstrongism were superficial.  Look at how quickly friends turned their backs on spiritual brothers and sisters because they would not jump ship to a splinter group with them.  Look at the lives destroyed because of family members split into various COG factions.  Look at the lives of Flurry's cult members who are cut off from biological family members.  Because some family member dared to doubt or question, they are cut off.

9 – The church interprets Bible verses on women in submission to the nth degree. Women are expected to submit to their husbands. Paul’s teachings on women are rigidly and unevenly interpreted—e.g. wives are reprimanded for being unsubmissive but husbands are rarely reprimanded for not loving their wives like Christ and never for not submitting to their wives (Ephesians 5:21 tells believers to “Submit to one another”!! ). Signs: (1) Some churches teach husbands to monitor their wives communications, e.g. email. (2) The debate about women’s roles in the church is not up for discussion despite many alternative biblical interpretations, even in conservative churches, e.g. Four Square, Vineyard, and Evangelical Covenant churches allow women in leadership.

Men were taught that they were "Lord of the Manor" in the COG.  Since they were to be literal Kings of planets they had to learn how to whip their lowly households into shape.  Women were subservient and lowly in knowledge compared to the men.  There were ordained men in Pasadena that bought their wives clothing, told them what hair styles they were wear and a couple even had their wives walk three steps behind them.  They were never to be directly by their side.  Women in horribly abusive relationships were told to be submissive tot he husband that beat them regularly.  Women were raped and assaulted by their husbands because it was their "right."

10 – A church deals with cases of sexual abuse in ways that serve the interest of the church not the interest of the victims and their families. When a member of the church is sexually abused by another member, rather than following the law and best practices (reporting it to local police and social services), a church will keep the abuse quiet under the guise of handling it “biblically.” Victims are forced to “forgive” their abusers and remain in their social sphere with no protection from post-traumatic stress and future abuse. Abusers are protected from local authorities and social stigma while victims and families are forced to remain silent about their pain, even to close friends, in the name of squelching “gossip.” Signs: People are familiar with this happening in the Catholic Church but it’s also common in Protestant churches. E.g., in 2012, a lawsuit was filed against several Sovereign Grace Ministries churches, the co-founders, and other leaders claiming cover up of child sexual abuse.

This is exactly what happened with child abuse in Armstrongism. In most cases it was swept under the rug.  Abusers were protected and the abused made to believe it was their fault.  In most cases the law was never brought into the picture unless it was witnessed outside the church community.   There have been numerous child abuse cases involving COG members that have made national news over the decades.  Victims were told to forgive and get on with their lives.

I am glad to see the news story that broke a couple weeks about about the COG elder that is sitting in jail for abusing three young boys in the mid 90's.  Sadly, there are already discussions going around in COG circles that these young men (now in their 30's) should have moved on with their lives and forgiven the abuser.  They say that since he is an elderly man he will die in prison and that is not really fair.

What should you do if you think spiritual abuse is taking place at your church? There is no set answer to this question, as it depends on the situation in the church. People should leave highly abusive churches and don’t look back or feel guilty. If spiritual abuse is not entrenched and it’s only in isolated cases, you should consider approaching a trusted leader in the church with your concern. How they respond will to tell you to what extent it is prevalent or if they desire to stop it from spreading. If they don’t acknowledge a problem and use abusive techniques like 2, 4, 5, & 8 above, it’s probably a highly abusive church and you should leave and consider warning others.

Sadly these steps will never be allowed in the Churches of God.  There seems to be far too many men in charge that cannot be trusted to rise above their situation and make a difference. 

Dennis On: "I Despise Being Bi-Polar - It's Awesome

I believe it was during the great Elijah vs. the Priests of Baal cook off that it was said, "IF God be God, serve him.  But if Baal be God, serve him"   (I Kings 18).  At that time, it appears there were only two Bronze age concepts of God to choose from.  There was no room for any third options.  It was a simple either/or moment.  I suppose it would have been considered in bad taste to speak up and say, "Ummm...we forgot Molech or Chemosh!  Can we select one of them?"    "No...you can't."

A few years back the Trilemma (derivative of di-lemma which is what the Priests of Baal were faced with, was introduced concerning Jesus as presented in the New Testament.  Was He  "Liar, Lunatic or Lord?"   Of course, the author chose Lord and that was the end of it.  As in the OT example of choosing only between the two  deities of the times YHVH or Baal we could have added "Legend" to the Trilemma and called it the Quadlemma I suppose.   

Religion is plainly designed to comfort the human consciousness that life ends and then what.  On the other hand, some can't imagine that there is really nothing more and so insist on finding something that is hopeful or give the impression that any falsehood you believe is better than truth that is what it is.  I don't think that way. 

This musing is not about picking the correct answer.  It is about the dilemma of stepping outside the box of what proved to be limited  or carefully controlled information handed out , to myself , in this case on the nature of the Bible and the story of Jesus as presented in the Gospels and interpreted mostly by the one man, the Apostle Paul.  I make no bones about the fact that I have lost my faith in faith  as Dan Barker experienced in his own evangelical life and wrote the book  Losing Faith in Faith.   While liberating , it is also a very bi polar feeling that I don't care for, causes all sorts of unexpected emotions and not a little anxiety at times.  It is also one of the most lonely experiences I think one can experience save for physical rejection or abandonment.  Having had both I can at least compare the emotions and they suck big time.  

"I despise losing faith in faith....It's Awesome!"

I have physically lost friends to their loss of faith in faith.  All were ministers.  Several simply drank themselves to an early death, which is a common out when wanting to escape the thinking, thinking, thinking that loss of faith can produce.  One outright committed suicide and I am sure there are others I am not aware of.  Having the rug of faith jerked out from under you is nothing to scoff at and is not a light thing.   Those in WCG/CGI who provided the majority with that experience, no matter how they viewed it as being "good" or "better" seem never to have thought of expressing any sorrow over the havoc and chaos caused all the way down the line.  Even if WCG was "wrong" , the right thing for leaders, falsely so called who come to such conclusions is to leave the organization themselves and not try to swing it to their view come hell, which it did or high water, which also did.  The miracle of WCG is not in coming to any Jesus more authentically.  The miracle is rather than leaving a faith you no longer have, you hijack the faith and make everyone else leave.  Now that's a great trick and it is the trick played by the few on the many in this WCG experience.  We're not talking about what is more correct.  We're talking about technique.  

At my mom's memorial service I sat ten feet from the minister giving the service.  Lots of memories, both in that seat and sanctuary and in doing funerals myself.  When they sang the tunes that still bring tears to me because of such fond memories and stability back when, I can't bring myself to sing them now.  I just held dad's hand and stood there teary while my sisters sang their hearts out.  A pretty bi-polar experience for me.  Sitting behind me was a former WCG minister and now CGI type looking rather worse for wear in the whole experience. I stood there looking at the same baptismal fount I was baptized in as a baby, sitting next to the woman who carried me up the same isle as that baby to my parents.  The pews were the same pews I sat in when my feet would not touch the floor and mom shoved pink mints in my mouth to shut me up.  The same table was there where I sat in catechism class asking too many questions and being asked to leave, at 14.   It was quite a bi-polar religious experience and lots of time to think about it on the long drive back to South Carolina.  

The Wild World Church of God (WCG) taught me a great spiritual lesson that still is a struggle to cope with in the fine art of  what happens when two concepts collide...

Personal losses due to the stress and shock of reckless theological change, no matter if it is more or less true, that is not the point, are everywhere to be experienced.   There is the "no one is ever again going to tell me how it all is again," stage.  In that stage you suffer the bi polar experience of learning well what you failed to learn the first time to be followed by the depression and anger felt that one had to have that kind of stupid experience in the first place.  It's easy after that to do more dumb ass stuff doesn't help but is a symptom of this stage.  

Marriage falls apart because transitions are messy and being in different books much less on different pages takes its toll.  And yes, I accept my own responsibility for it all.  New relationships seem doomed until the "can't ya just move on stage" shows up.  I found out I was not an easy person to be around or live with and as a result find myself alone again...unnaturally. I met someone from my past  who took my heart with  "I have always loved you..."  but that turned out to just be the first of several sucker punches.   I have met a couple people in my life that seemed to fall into that 'soul mate' category.  You know the kind that you just seem to have to ask, "have we met before?," or "do I know you?" and have learned that ENFP's according to Meyers/Briggs are good at that intuitive stuff.  It also tells us to beware and this is true.  Sometimes in life there is NOTHING left to do but have a good laugh!  And this is also true. 

Someone once said, "Silence is the voice of God," and now I understand what that means.  Being silent and alone is getting more acceptable to my nature, but it was and is a very painful experience.  Sometimes I wish  "I was wrong, I'm sorry, please forgive me, I love you," actually worked, but it doesn't much. 

It was enlightening to have Israel Finkelstein, author of The Bible Unearthed, tell me face to face that much of the Old Testament is made up to give a small people an amazing heritage,  and as an archaeologist and historian in his own country of Israel finds, no evidence for the reality of the story as presented.  In other words, what I suspected, he verified and had the credentials to do it.  I know some zealots scoff at the hard work of getting those credentials in the field, but the zealot would not last three minutes in his presence.  Dave Pack...maybe one. 

They say you can't go home, and this true.  I can't un ring this bell of skepticism and knowing more now that I would have wished to know back when so as to make a better life decision.  I kid about wanting to have been a paleontologist, but my love of what I thought I was learning back when theologically diverted me over a cliff.  I would have made a darn good paleo guy and you'd not be reading these musings from an authority on Neanderthal in Ice Age Europe or the Clovis Culture in America.  

Where I currently live can have it's drug selling types too close for comfort.  I spent years thinking I needed a home defense weapon.  But then I thought that might not be smart because I may have too low a moment and really screw up.  Besides, I don't want to be a story in the Journal or have to read from whatever new location I would hope to be in all your comments about it!  I don't want Dave Pack to restate his view that "all who oppose me end up dying..."   To which I say , "The only reason that is true is that it is appointed unto all men once to die sometime jerk and it's not about you." 

This bi polar experience still leaves me with a love of theology.  I admire the Bart Ehrman  and Dan Barker types who went from faith to faithless within the theological community and get to teach why and get paid for it!  The perfect theological position.  "Let's study what your Sunday School teacher and probably your pastor never knew or won't talk about."  I did get a synchronistic moment while watching Bart Ehrman's lecture on "Misquoting Jesus," and got an email from him right in the middle of it.  

Well lots to say about this bi polar feeling about the Faith and the Facts.  I'll probably always get teary hearing the old hymns of my youth but not the rather nasty and OT oriented ones of WCG fame.  I'll have to watch how much I drink and get used to the quiet which I both enjoy and hate.  I'll always read books on the why, when and who of the Bible explained better than the first two times I gave it a go and what the Bible no longer seems to hold over me. I'll be relieved and I'll get anxious.  I will forgive and then take it back and wish someone not well in their ventures.  Then I will forgive again.  I'll move on and get stuck.  I'll get stuck and move on.  I'll be lonely and love it and lonely and hate it.  I'll make friends and lose them.  I'll beat myself up and be kind to myself only to beat myself up again and be kind to myself later again.  I'll vow to give up Banned HWA and Face Book and go back to them time and again.  I'll not care about the Dave Packs of COGdom and I'll spend hours talking with those who agonize over him destroying their relationships and families by injecting his Bronze Age views into their lives.

In short, I suppose  being bi polar on all things Spiritual and Scientific along with Faith and Facts is here to stay.  

"Chose ye this day whom ye shall serve..!  What say you?"

....ok...I chose yes.

I despise being bi-polar...It's awesome!

denniscdiehl@AOL.com  

Prophet Thiel Still Miffed That LCG Did Not Want To Teach Deification of Humans as Gods

The non-ordained self-appointed prophet/Overseer of the Continuing Ed Church of God did his first "offertory" sermonette this week.  It is 17 minutes of more bumbling back-slapping "look at how wonderful we are" silliness.  The crooked bookcase and worn and tattered books are still present but at least the belching demons are not to be heard!

Thiel still is is filled with bitterness with towards Rod Meredith and the Living Church of God. He still cannot fathom why Rod did not listen to him and implement all the things he felt LCG needed to change.

One thing he wanted LCG to start preaching was the deification of humans.  LCG did not want to do it and the non-ordained prophet had a hissy-fit.  That just added more fuel to the fire to cause false prophet Thiel to start his own personality cult.

The non-ordained self-appointed prophet brings this up around the 12-13:00 minute mark.  Get ready for Thiel to soon start proclaiming, just as the Mormons do:

"As man is now, God once was.  As God is now, man will be."

This is the very "doctrine" that HWA took from the Mormons.The non-ordained prophet will soon start preaching this in order to mock Rod Meredith and the LCG.