The Absurd and Fanciful Excuses the Churches of God Come Up With To Not Keep Christmas

Redfox has great patience to sit and read through the drivel that the Philadelphia Church of God prints as if it were well researched and educated theology.  Ive never been lucky to get past the first two pages. This time he has highlighted the fraudulent booklet printed by the PCG: The Truth About Christmas.

He writes:

It is important to understand that the reasons presented by HWA for abandoning Christmas are wrong and often quite badly misinformed. Both booklets, for instance, insist that Christmas is a continuation of the Babylonian religion deifying Nimrod and Semiramis. It is never admitted in either booklet that this idea comes from Alexander Hislop's book, The Two Babylons, which was made in the 1850s. It was an anti-Catholic polemic designed to vilify the Catholic Church and the Papacy. That book has been proven to be nonsense.

As Bereans Did has done great work in documenting just how absurd and fanciful many of the justifications for shunning Christmas are. Here is some of what As Bereans Did has said on this matter.

Over the years, As Bereans Did has done some great research on Christmas. Like "The Plain Truth About December 25th" which makes the case about why the December 25th date likely did not originate in paganism after all. "Jeremiah 10 and Christmas Trees" which makes the case on why Jeremiah was referring to idol worship, not Christmas trees. "On Nimrod and Christmas Trees" part 1, part 2 and part 3, which make the case on how the origin of Christmas Trees has been distorted. "Nimrod's Birthday Was January 6?" which makes the case that the claims on Nimrod's birthday are faulty. And "Quotes Before Christmas" which makes the case that most of the claims the COGs make about Christmas' pagan origins are based on questionable research. And we haven't even found the time to explain how winter was a great time of year for sheep to be in the fields of Bethlehem (see point 5 of the linked article). 

So there is no good reason for a Christian to shun Christmas. In fact this teaching in effect served mainly to socially isolate HWA's followers from mainstream society in order to make them socially dependent upon the group of HWA's followers. The abusive way this teaching has been used to isolate followers from family and friends is just one of many persuasive reasons why the COG groups are often identified as cults.

HWA's Christmas ban was also a way to get more money from his followers who no longer spent money on Christmas, as HWA obliquely reveals himself in his booklet.

But I can say by years of experience, as I believe most pastors and ministers can say, that when the month of December rolls around, nearly all professing Christians forget to give gifts to Christ and His cause [HWA's group, Radio Church of God renamed in 1968 as Worldwide Church of God] almost altogether. December often is the most difficult month to keep Christ's work [HWA's cult] from dying. People are too busy trading gifts back and forth among themselves to think of Him and His Work [HWA's cult], it seems. Then, in January and even into February it seems they have to catch up from what they spent for Christmas, so they seldom get back to normal in supporting Christ and His Work [HWA's cult] before March. (HWA, p. 19.)

That is the real reason HWA banned Christmas. Herbert Armstrong wanted more money.

You can read and follow Red's blog here:  No Good Reason to Ban Christmas for Christians: Reading PCG's Plagiarized Denunciation of Christmas

UCG, LCG, COGWA And Their Annual 'It's Not A Christmas Party" Weekend

Christmas with COGWA at the Galt House where UCG used to meet every year till COGWA apostatized and usurped the facility from under UCG.

A reader here took exception of me making fun of UCG, LCG, and COGWA's annual "It's Not A Christmas Celebration" weekends.  UCG, COGWA and LCG started this tradition several years ago in order to give the kids of the various splinter groups something to do while the rest of the world celebrates Christmas.  Children in Armstorngism have always gotten the short shift on every thing.  Most of the things their friends enjoy they are not allowed to do.  UCG, COGWA and LCG have made themselves slaves to the pagan mythology and the membership pays the price for that silliness. 

They book these weekends in resorts that are decked out for Christmas from trees, to garlands and millions of lights.  Yet through it all, not one single UCG member, LCG member or COGWA member looks at any of those decorations, listens to the Christmas music playing, or marvels at the beauty of the lights.  When  they walk into these places the blinders go on and the ear plugs go in. Then once they are sequestered in their meeting or play spaces they click their tongues at the poor uneducated, deceived, pagan worshiping, filthy heathens outside the doors bowing down to Christmas trees decked out with Lucifer testicles, dead babies and Satan's snakes.  

The hypocrisy of these groups know no boundaries.
 

I would like to inform you about North West Weekend which you are accusing to be a Christmas party in one of your blog's. Do you even go to our church? Have you ever been to our church? North West Weekend is not a Christmas party yes we have a dance Saturday night but we only use that weekend because everyone has it off we would gladly use another weekend but that one is easiest we don't have Christmas trees or wreaths or any of the fixings of a Christmas party this year our theme for the teen dance is a night in old morraco we also have volleyball on Thursday day this year we have our ski day. Christmas has no part in your weekend we usually forget it's around Christmas unless someone brings it up. Also it is not the only weekend we do stuff. We have church Saturday and after sundown we set up we do it in winter time because sunset is early and we have time to set up and have a three hour dance, and then have time to pack up and leave. As a fourteen year old I'm ashamed that you as an adult don't have enough reasoning power to realize this.

Apparently sunset is a rather inconvenient thing to work around the rest of the year.

Christmas with UCG at the Great Wolf Lodge and not a Christmas decoration in sight!

UCG - 19 Years of Repeatedly Saying: "...this has been the most spiritually productive series of meetings that I have yet experienced."

The United Church of God recently finished another Council of Elder's meeting.  This has been going on for 19 years now and every single year they say the exact same thing.  "This was the most productive and spiritually energizing meeting ever!"  "We are more unified than ever as a church"  "The ministry is more unified and excited than ever in preaching the kingdom of God"....on and on the platitudes go.  YET, for 19 years the UCG has been a church filled with turmoil and division. Bitterness and resentfulness has always been roiling around in the background when all the positive platitudes are announced.

Robin Webber writes:

The Council of Elders of the United Church of God met in Milford, Ohio, from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11. We started on Sunday with a retreat at a nearby facility where we could collectively appeal to God for His direction. When we approach God on our knees and surrender our good ideas to His perfection, things happen!Our four days of formal meetings followed. It’s always exciting to share a “good report” (Philippians 4:8).I am now in my seventh consecutive year on the Council, and I believe that this has been the most spiritually productive series of meetings that I have yet experienced.

All the elders sat around the table talking bout the spiritual struggles they all endure in their walk as ministers.  They had this to say:

We concluded: We all—every Council and administration figure, pastor and member—need to seek an even deeper and exhaustive desire to center our thoughts, actions and underlying motivations in light of this “lamp unto our feet” (Psalm:119:105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.) and this decisive instrument designed to discern our thoughts (Hebrews:4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.)—the Bible!

The deeper desire they have to center their thoughts is more law and more Old testament rules and regulations.  Law always trumps grace in the Church of God.  Why should I ever expect otherwise?

Webber then brings his version of Jesus into the mix:

Beyond our personal needs as individual Christians, we also affirmed our God-given responsibility to not only “tend” (John:21:16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.), but also to “feed the flock” (John:21:15-17[15]So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.[16]He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.[17]He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.). That is, to feed the flock directly and correctly from the living Word of God. It’s the Council’s resolve to go even deeper in establishing the Church’s mooring and understanding on the Word of God. Just like the deer described in Psalms, panting for the water brooks, we too must pant for the Word of God (Psalm:42:1As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.).

It can be guaranteed that when the UCG Council says it will go "deeper" in understanding God's Word it will be about the law.  The things that they feel are required for one to make it to Petra.  Grace and justification will get short shifted to law keeping.

Recent attendee surveys speak to the brethren’s desire to go deeper into God’s Word and have our ministry draw out the rich meanings underneath the surface in God’s Holy Word—be it doctrine, Christian living or prophecy. And to that end, based on multiple comments from the recent surveys, we are moving forward as soon as personnel and resources allow to engaging our membership once again with the Bible Commentary (also called the Bible Reading Program).

Its a shame that the members of the UCG or any Church of God for that matter, does not feel empowered to do their own study of the Scriptures.  They always have to rely upon the theologically bankrupt ministers making personal decisions on what to believe and to do.  99% of the men in the UCG have never studied the Bible without an HWA booklet or UCG article in hand tell them what to believe.  Whey never have dealt with biblical criticism, metaphors, or real church history.  They mock and frown upon anyone that studies in a seminary were truly educated men and women have more research and understanding under their belts than any COG leader will EVER have!

Webber then announced that the UCG is dropping the name of the Good News magazine for a new name.  It has been a bone of contention in many of the COG's because several of the personality cults are using the same name for their own use.  Every single one of them stole it from WCG without asking because they thought it brought warm fuzzy memories of HWA into the nix.  Have a name he chose made them feel their magazine was more legitimate in the church members eyes.  They problem that has arisen over the almost three decades after HWA's death is that no one remembers who he was or CARES!  Not matter how hard they plug the guy's name or hang pictures on their walls, people no longer respond to his name.

I’m also pleased to bring exciting news regarding our major publication The Good News.The Council and the administration have discussed for nearly a two-year period how to: 1) simplify the pathway for people to access our various media outlets, 2) while at the same time magnifying the ongoing impact of what we can share in their spiritual journey. The Council members (11 were present) unanimously decided to approve the administration’s proposal to change the name of The Good News to Beyond Today, which coincides with the title of our television program.

Why? Currently, no one can have full rights to the “Good News” name—which multiple organizations use every day. There are multiple Good News magazines used by a variety of organizations. It’s in the public domain. But we do have the trademark (service mark for non-profits) to Beyond Today. The subtitle is projected to read: “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow,” which defines our writing and engages the audience in the wide framework of our calling to be followers of Jesus Christ today, while looking towards the ultimate hope of God’s Kingdom.

Given the massive failure the UCG suffered with its latest media campaign using the Beyond Today program, I wonder what is going through their minds thinking that with a new name change it will increase readership?   No one in the "world" cares to be lectured about paganism, being burdened down with numerous laws and regulations all the while Jesus is ignored  Empty platitudes about a "soon coming kingdom" do nothing to help alleviate pain and suffering in the hear and now.  Blabbering on and on about HWA and Old Testament rules does nothing to promote peace and unconditional love and grace.

Like everything else in the COG these "new"ideas will not bring in new members or increase their funds.  UCG is doomed to rot away into oblivion just like all the other COG's currently are.  For 19 years now they have been saying the same phrase.  For 19 years NOTHING has changed.