Top 10 List of Outrageous Stupidity Dave Hopes Armstrongites Are Dumb Enough to BelieveWe
all know that Dave hails from the ranks of the most boastful, pompous,
and self-absorbed people, not just in Armstrongism, but in the world.
Dictators of small countries, while they might be more blindly
ambitious, ruthless, and brutal, have nothing on Dave when it comes to
other negative personal attributes.
And yet, at his latest set of
claims I stand incredulous, as a man beside himself. The 2015
fundraising campaign of Dave's is already the single most ludicrous,
preposterous, absurd, irrational, unreasonable, nonsensical, outlandish,
unbelievable, delusional, narcissistic, arrogant, greedy, usurping,
egomaniacal, and just plain insane tirade in all of COG history.
Aaaaaand HOW many reasons are there why we should accept this insanity
as dogmatically true? 130? Is he sure that's enough? (Isn't that just
helping to prove my point?)
Without further adieu, here's the
current Top 10 List of utterly stupid things that Dave wants everyone to believe about either his corporation or himself personally:
1) "[RCG] is the only place Christ's government can be found." (The Government of God, 2006.)
2) Dave is the only man on earth preaching the "real" gospel.
"But
a deceived mankind does not realize that the only true hope for its
future is divine intervention. This marvelous hope is going out
undiluted from only one place—The Restored Church of God." (2015 Annual "Fruits" Letter.)
3) The bible says everything you have belongs to Dave. You don't own anything.
"It’s
absolutely biblical that what we have, we sell, whatsoever we have, we
give it to God’s work. That’s why we were called. You’re not allowed to
hold on to your own income. It’s all through the gospels, all through
the book of Acts, and frankly all through the bible that God’s people
have things "in common"....You are not allowed to hold on to your own
assets. You have an income, you live a wonderful life, life goes on
normally. But if you were called by God and you are to participate in
His work and walk in His ways, you have to turn over your assets to
God’s church. That’s the pattern." ("First a MOSES, Now ELIJAH—130 Proofs!," January 2015.)
4)
"Undeniable" miracles are happening to RCG members left and right,
including phantom or accident-proof cars, bouncing bullets, miraculous
protection or healing, and multiplying steaks. (Apparently, Dave and I
have different definitions of "undeniable.")
"Here is but a small
sampling (twenty-one!) of recent powerful healings and stories of
protection and deliverance...Take time to read EVERY ONE of these
undeniable accounts!" (Annual Open "Fruits" letter, January 2015)
5) Dave is a (the one and only, actually) living apostle of Jesus Christ.
"While
I have apostolic authority...Yes brethren I hold that office. I do...If
the highest office in Restored Church of God is not an apostle, then I
was not sent by Christ." ("21st Century Apostle," February 26, 2005.)
6)
Jesus must choose the two witnesses from the ranks of RCG. Dave will
personally train them and be their direct superior (emphasis on the
"superior").
"I state without apology and with God's authority
that both of the Two Witnesses will be members of The Restored Church of
God. Of this there is no doubt!" (The Government of God, 2006.) "Some
day Christ will pick two prophets from this church. It will be obvious
who they are. They have to be trained here...The two prophets—all
prophets—so said Mr. Armstrong in multiple places—have to report to a
living apostle." ("21st Century Apostle," February 26, 2005.)
7)
Dave himself was prophesied to arise during the end-times in the Old
Testament books of Haggai and Zechariah and is personally spoken of in
cryptic language as "Joshua."
"Accept the facts from God’s Word!
The honest reader will at least admit that someone fulfills the role of
Joshua today. Someone, somewhere—one man—must do this. And realize that
this man would (so obviously) be the first to know who he was. Imagine
Joshua not knowing he was Joshua. I learned my identity almost four
years ago. Haggai’s prophecy means you must learn it now." ("Special Announcement #20," 2013.)
8) Dave holds the title of a symbolic "high priest" (whatever that means.)
"Some
will claim I am being self-righteous. I am certainly not claiming to be
sin-free. High priests were never perfect. In Leviticus 16, when the
high priest went into the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of
Atonement, he had to first offer a bullock for himself. Only then could
he offer a sacrifice on behalf of the people. And remember, the modern
Joshua is only a symbolic high priest. In the New Testament, only Christ
is a literal High Priest." ("Special Announcement #20," 2013.)
9) Dave himself was also
prophesied to arise in yet another end-time role by the Old Testament
prophet, Malachi! Dave has been cast (obviously by Jesus) in the
starring role in one of "the most important prophecies in Scripture,"
without whose amazingness Jesus "would have to 'smite the earth with
utter destruction.'" Cloaked in power, majesty and glory, please welcome
to the world stage, ELIJAH DAVE! Yaaaaay!
"Among
the most important prophecies in Scripture, Malachi 4:5-6 states that
without the end-time Elijah’s arrival, God would 'smite the earth with
utter destruction!'" ("Benchmark Sermons,"
February 2, 2015.) "Without [me] God said he would strike the earth
with utter destruction...Now I understand more than ever that God had to
look after me in a unique way. I guess he'd have to do that if I were
just an apostle..." ("First a MOSES, Now ELIJAH—130 Proofs!," 2015.)
10) Dave is not "Elijah" merely in a figurative or symbolic sense, but he is LITERALLY no longer himself: he is now literally channeling
the long-dead Old Testament prophet, Elijah! Everything that happened
to that Elijah will happen to Dave. He has only stopped short of saying
he's a prophet too.
"Elijah was a prophet. So let's ask, and this
should be obvious, I'm not bragging...Who has learned and taught more
about all of prophecy than any man ever?...In so many ways I have
Elijah's own personality...I believe I will receive extraordinary power
brethren, I'll just say that now...and in many ways I already have...How
did Elijah escape? He was taken up by angels in fiery chariots
including fiery horses...we're in a position to see the parallel: So
will I be...Elijah went on to live years in secret in an undisclosed
location. So will I." ("First a MOSES, Now ELIJAH—130 Proofs!," 2015.)
Aside
from the unbelievable fairy-tale nature of his hyperbolic propaganda
which stands so starkly at odds with his utter insignificance, the other
problem Dave is facing is the unsustainability of it all. Dave's ego is
blowing up like
Violet Beauregarde turning into a blueberry. His currency is experiencing
runaway inflation. By embarking on this path of continually increasing self-aggrandizement, he's made everything dependent upon
momentum.
At what point does he lose enough momentum that his bubble bursts, and
the whole charade comes crashing down? He's already in danger, having
lost momentum last year due to his twice-failed prophetic utterances
backed up with dozens of meaningless reasons which proved to count for
*nothing*.
So my question is, what's the next step for Dave in
order to try to keep up his momentum? What's left? How will he manage to
outdo himself in his next fundraising campaign? Next year will he
declare himself to be both the one and only apostle AND a prophet, or
perhaps one of the two witnesses, like Ron Weinland? Or will his next
move be another false step, costing him members, revenue, and momentum?
Along with Dave and his ego, RCG is becoming increasingly eccentric and
fragile. How long will he be able to keep it together?
