Why Do So Many Living Church Of God Members Cover Up The Spiritual Abuse That LCG Commits Daily?

The Naked Pastor

I have received various emails from apparent LCG members decrying the piece about Rod McNair disfellowshipping a person because they did not quit a job in a nursing home swiftly, because according to McNair, demons inhabit the elderly residents.  They deny McNair would ever say such a thing because he is a "man of God."

Various other readers here know for a fact that Rod McNair DID say these despicable things and disfellowshipped the person involved. 

I was having trouble believing this story. So I did a little digging.
And to my horror it is true!
How can this happen?
How can someone be so unchristian?
My mind is boggled by this!

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I know this person. They were in a good position at this nursing home for years. I went to this facility to visit 3 different church members who were each there for a short time after being in the hospital for different things. One of them was a minister.

Each time I left the nursing home I remember thinking that you would have to be a saint to work there. I can't imagine helping people like that with everything from getting food in their mouths to going to the toilet (or worse, cleaning a diaper).

I have heard this rumor going through LCG ever since the Winter Weekend but I haven't talked to the person because we have been told not to. It makes me feel sad that something like this could happen and I don't understand it.

Serving those who are rarely served (the elderly) seems honorable.

It seems like it would have been easy enough for Mr. McNair to prove that this person had quit their job simply by calling the nursing home and asking if so-and-so still worked there.

Even still, I can't imagine asking them to quit in the 1st place :(

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There are so many troubling things about this story. I heard it months ago and sort of knew that it would eventually end up being made public. Despite what anon 6:00 says, LCG members are troubled by the story.

It's troubling that they think nursing homes are demon-filled. It's troubling that the ministry think they have the authority to ask someone to quit a job helping people (including church people). It's troubling that this member was accused of "lying about quitting" because they worked a 2 week notice. It's troubling that this person was subsequently disfellowshipped for the so-called lie. Especially since anyone who knows the person knows that they really did quit the job when they said they quit their job which would have been pretty easy to prove in the first place. The whole situation is sad.

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Then we had a reader respond that there was a reason why the person had to leave their job, did what they were told and then disfellowshipped because they were too slow in quitting.  It is this same mindset that has led to numerous suicides in the Church of God, of parents killing their children because they refused medical treatment, for marriages ripped apart by idiotic minister decisions, families separated and lives destroyed.  This is why so many LCG members sit there and watch these sick bastards rip lives apart and do nothing:

"Are LCG members outraged?"

No. They aren't. They believe that LCG is the Church of God under the direction of Jesus Christ led by Christ's chosen leader, Rod Meredith.

We believe that God is in charge of the Church and that it is not for us to understand why God's ministry do these kind of things. It is our job to trust and obey them. In doing this it shows that we are able to be lead and therefore we will be established as pillars in God's Kingdom.

If we question the ministry but say we believe they are being lead by Christ, then we are in essence questioning Christ.

If this person was told to flee to the place of safety, would they wait 2 weeks to do it? Maybe this was a test to see if they really trusted LCG ministry, and they failed. They should have had the faith to not worry about their reputation in the field, or money or anything else. If you follow without questioning you show your loyalty. LCG ministry has an extra measure of God's Spirit and is better able to discern these things. Most LCG members acknowledge this. To quote Mr. Meredith, "those who don't know where the door is".

  

 

This is cultic mind control at its finest.  No matter how much these people turn a blind eye to that, that's what it is. The fact that ANYONE in the Church of God allows these spiritual THUGS to tell them to do such things is appalling.  Its time that members stood up to these sick bastards and tell them how far to stick it!

Bill Watson of the Church of God International, Keeping the Flame of Armstrongism Alive

Bill Watson of the CGI, Keeping the Flame of Armstrongism Alive

By

Lonnie C. Hendrix/Miller Jones

Although the Church of God International has enjoyed a reputation among the splinter groups descended from Herbert Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God as a relatively moderate and enlightened group, a closer look at the teachings of Pastor Bill Watson and those who support him suggest that such a reputation is unwarranted. The fact is that Mr. Watson is a vocal and enthusiastic proponent of some of the doctrines which are now considered by many former members of the WCOG to be among the most obnoxious legacies of that church. While the Church of God International can technically claim that it has not endorsed many of these teachings (they are not a part of their official statement of beliefs), they nevertheless continue to feature Mr. Watson’s sermons and writings prominently on their website.

In July of 2014, Mr. Watson produced an eight-part Bible study series entitled “Biblical Origins of the United States and British Commonwealth.” In the series, Mr. Watson discusses a number of themes that will be familiar to most of the folks from the former culture. He talks at some length about the European Union and the potential impact of the Euro on the world and the United States in particular. He also suggests that things like the legalization of abortions and same-sex marriage are responsible for many of the problems that the United States has experienced over the last few decades.

Likewise, although he vociferously denies that his teaching is based on race, Mr. Watson underscores elements of the doctrine of British Israelism that could easily be followed in Mr. Armstrong’s writings on the subject. Things like:  God’s promises to Abraham, the separation of the scepter and birthright promises, the division of the Israelites into two distinct kingdoms, the Assyrian conquest and removal of the Kingdom of Israel. Finally, he leads his students to the inescapable conclusion that the peoples of Britain and the United States must be the physical descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh based on the many blessings which they have received from God.

In that same series, Mr. Watson goes on to identify those who are really walking with Christ as having a right understanding of sexual preference, marriage, the proper day for worship and the observance of the correct holidays/holy days. In other words, Mr. Watson is a proponent of a very narrow and doctrinally based definition of what it means to be a Christian.

Much has been made about Presiding Evangelist Roderick Meredith’s (Living Church of God) obsession with the subject of homosexuality, but he has noting on Bill Watson! He states very emphatically that “Sodomites will not inherit the kingdom of God.” In his three-part Armor of God Web Chat series “Politics and the Bible,” Mr. Watson decries “the silence coming from the podium” about issues like same-sex marriage. He says repeatedly that “all it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to sit down and do nothing.” Hence, Mr. Watson sees it as his personal mission to condemn homosexuals.

In the same series, he tells us that the concept of the separation of church and state is a fallacy that has been foisted on American society by atheists and secular humanists. Mr. Watson clearly delineates his belief that the Church should play the role of the guardian of our culture’s morality. He (along with my father, Pastor Wayne Hendrix) underscored the situation whereby the Mayor of Houston attempted to regulate what her city’s pastors preached on the subject of homosexuality (which this writer does not endorse or condone). It was stated in Part One of the series that it was obvious that she had an agenda “by virtue of the fact that she is a lesbian.” In other words, sexual orientation equals political agenda.

More recently, Mr. Watson has commented on the Presbyterian Church’s decision to begin performing same-sex marriages (featured on the CGI’s homepage).  He sees this as a “major event” in the history of corporate Christianity’s stance on the issue. For Mr. Watson, the genie has left the bottle! He decries the Presbyterian Church’s decision to base their ministerial qualifications on faith and character instead of sexual orientation. “When has homosexual behavior ever been a sign of character?” he asks. Mr. Watson longs for the good old days when homosexual behavior was considered abnormal and unacceptable. He informs us that the term “gay” used to indicate that one was happy. Mr. Watson concludes that homosexual behavior “is not the kind of behavior you want to have if you want to please God.” 

It is ironic to me that the principal scripture which Mr. Watson has used for justifying his disdain for homosexuals and their behavior is Luke 6:22. For those of us on the other side of this issue, this scripture provides comfort and hope:  “What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.” NLT On the other hand, if there are any Armstrongites out there who are still hankering for that old time religion, you may want to give Mr. Watson and the CGI a try!

Personally, I know that Mr. Watson has been a good friend to my father (Pastor Wayne Hendrix), and a devoted servant of the Church of God International. In offering this piece, it is not my intention to attack or disparage his character. Rather, my intention was to clearly delineate what he is teaching and underscore his agenda to such a degree that the CGI’s continued support for his preaching and writings will clearly demonstrate their endorsement of those ideas. In other words, those of you who are considering the CGI as a possible religious home should be aware that their actions have incorporated things into their statement of beliefs that do not appear in the pdf which they offer to the public.

UCG and LCG Seek To Whore Themselves Out To The World By Accrediting Their College/University

Its interesting to see both United Church of God and Living Church of God seeking to legitimize their "college/university" in the eyes of the world.  I remember back in the 70-90's when Ambassador College sought long and hard to be accredited.  The first time the accreditation process went down the rabbit hole when Herbert Armstrong went into a screaming fit over it.  He felt that the college was giving up too much of its uniqueness and would have to conform to the standards set by the "pagan world and its educational system."  Then a while later they were seeking accreditation again.  Then it was off again, then it was back on and this time the accreditation committee saw the blatant hypocrisy in the process on the side of Ambassador College/University.

The Worldwide Church of God faced problems in obtaining accreditation for its ‘Ambassador College’, under the direction of Michael Germano, who was unable to carry out all the changes necessary for accreditation, as he was not given full authority to do so. On refusing its second application in 1970, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges commented that, “The basis of ‘truth’ for Ambassador and its faculty is whether or not facts, information, or ideas agree with their Biblical interpretation ... Science has ‘advanced’ by constant self-criticism. Such a direction does not seem to be open for Ambassador faculty, however. This borders on academic dishonesty.”

After that epic failure and the rapid collapse of the Worldwide Church of God into numerous splinter personalty cults, accreditation went out the window for good.

Several years later though the three largest splinter personality cults established their own "colleges"  Usually nothing more than a couple rooms and a few library books on the second floor of one of the church HQ buildings.  Now with flippant arrogance on their side two of these groups are seeking to have their "college/university" accredited.

United Church of God is seeking to have their "college" accredited so that international students can attend.  Why they would want to is a mystery when there are other more highly evolved theological institution in the world than UCG's.

Viktor Kubik announced to the General Conference of Elders that the church is considering accreditation for Ambassador Bible College. “Ambassador Bible College will be further developed as a place of biblical learning and training in service and leadership. We’re looking into it being accredited for international students to be able to more easily come and learn as well.”

Living Church of God is also seeking to have their "university" accredited.  Michael Germano is heading up this process.  After ruling over two previous failed attempts with Ambassador College/University it will be interesting to see if he pulls the rabbit out of the hat this time.  This is also the same guy who spoke out debunking British Israelism and now pretends to believe in it.  Meeting Rod Meredith realigned him to the truth. or so it seems.

The Living Church of God’s Living University, under the presidency of Dr. Germano, has gained limited accreditation, so it offers resources that “Living University does not necessarily endorse ... nor vouches for their accuracy.”  Church of God News

I will be interesting to see how these accrediting committee's enforce broader teaching and scholarship than UCG/LCG are used to.  It will be fun to see how they treat evolution instead of trumpeting out idiotic booklets from WCG's glory days as proof it never happened.

Intellectual stimulation is not something that the Church of God is known for.  Thinking outside the box and reading books outside the COG norm are frowned upon. 

Herbert Armstrong had this to say about worldly colleges and education which LCG and UCG are trying to get as close to as possible.

I'm telling you what the world is like. AND CHRIST CAME TO CALL US OUT OF THIS WORLD AND TO BE SEPARATE — NOT TO GO ON INTO IT FURTHER. 

   Why is it that not only have we found that those students that come here that have had a university education are handicapped? And they are! And they're not humble like they should be. And that we find that those who graduate from here, never having gone to another university, if then they are encouraged to go and get additional degrees, right away they become so very self-important. And they look down on us and they look down that way on Ambassador College — it is of nothing. 

   University of Southern California, that's very big, that's way up here, UCLA that's way up here, Stanford they're way up there, Harvard, oh, that's bigger yet, Oxford and Cambridge. Ambassador College, oh, that little 'ole thing over there, they believe in Jesus Christ. Well you know if they believe in something like that, that's not scientific. Even God isn't scientific. You know science refers only to those things that are physical and material and Christ is not physical or material neither is God. So what do they think of God? They have nothing but disrespect and contempt for God and for Jesus Christ. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TAUGHT AND THEY COME TO HAVE THAT ATTITUDE. I'M TALKING OUT; I'M SPEAKING OUT HERE TODAY. THAT'S THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN THIS WORLD. 

Real Accreditation

   There's one college that has real accreditation in this world and that is Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. And if Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas goes on to be a four year college it'll have that same accreditation. 

   Well, Jesus started the church by starting with twelve people. How's He going to start the Kingdom of God, that great family of God, that ultimately is going to consist of billions of people? He is going to start that through the church. He is going to start that through the church. 

   So here we are near the end of Satan's world that started back in the days of Adam, and they started a certain educational system. They started certain kinds of government. The first record that we have so far as I know is that of Nimrod after the flood. And we had, first city states, government of a certain city, and the wars from one city between one city and another. And finally we got into certain nations. And we had the nations of Egypt and Babylonia and of Greece and so on. And then a man named Nebuchadnezzar got a lot of those nations together in the first world empire and government came to be empirical. That was succeeded, it was called the Chaldean Empire or Babylon after its capital city. It was succeeded by the Persian Empire and that by the Greco-Macedonian Empire — split up into four divisions after Alexander died prematurely in a drunken debauch. 

   And then came the great Roman Empire, it fell in 476 AD and in 554, the Pope at Rome brought Justinian from Constantinople on over to Rome to start the Holy Roman Empire as they called it. That was a sort of resurrection, a rejuvenation of the old Roman Empire. In the meantime there had been the Vandals and the Ostrogoths and the Heruli and they sort of disappeared. We don't know what ever happened to them. The Bible says they were plucked up by the roots and a plant plucked up by the roots is gone. You can't find any record of it any longer and that's the way it was, and that came from Constantinople. 

   Now I had an experience just on this last trip, just about two weeks ago. In Jerusalem the patriarch, he's younger than I am, but he's the patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church, the Greek Catholic Church. And he came to my suite in the hotel to see me. I thought he might come and I was prepared and I had a gift of Steuben to give to him, but he came with a gift for me. And he presented me, I didn't think; I might have brought it with me and I could show you here today. I think maybe we will show it; I don't know whether to show it or whether to throw it away. Well now, I don't mean any disrespect, I want you to understand what I mean. What he gave me he regarded as something of very great honor. It was a medal that had first been given by, oh what they call him, the great Constantine wasn't it? From Constantinople way back in those days about the fourth or fifth century and it is a fairly large gold cross and it comes with, well I believe it's a ribbon, that will hang around the neck and you can wear it. Course I'm not going to wear it, because it's a pagan symbol that's what I meant, but he doesn't look on it as pagan. And he looks on it as something very great and God does look on the heart. As far as he knows he isn't looking on it as anything wrong now you understand, I don't mean any disrespect and we should respect certain offices even though they are wrong. I tell you I respect the office of Satan, believe it or not, I respect it because I fear it. There is power there. 

   But so few of those have ever been given. From the first one they have a record of every one ever given. Way back since about the fourth or fifth century or something like that. I think it was Constantine the great who gave the first one. That will go back to the fourth century, 321 AD — 321. And that's the time of the Nicene Council, and the one I have is the, let me see, the one hundred and twenty-first wasn't it, or was it the one thirty-first one that has ever been given in all these years. Well I think that probably we shall put it in our collection of souvenirs and things that have been given, and of perhaps of decorations that have been give me and things of that sort. But anyway, I just thought I would mention it. It was looked upon as a very great honor and I'm sure he meant it that way, so I don't mean any disrespect. I think you understand that. 

Armstrong's take on "wordily" education is one of appalling ignorance and outright idiocy.  Even so, apparently UCG and LCG prefer to whore themselves out to the "world" they claim to not be a part of.

There is one thing that the Church of God has always been good at  - never "doing" what they "preach".  Hypocrisy is the name of the game.