Gerald Weston: Speaks Out on Bell Bottoms, Mens Ear Studs and Modesty

Brethren! Nasty, degenerate bell-bottom slacks for men were wrong!  Earring studs on men?  Ghastly days!  Everything is always evil in the Living Church of God's sight.  Of course, it is all sexually oriented, too.

Clothing and Modesty

Dress styles are a perpetual challenge for the people of God. Scripture instructs women to dress modestly, but what is modesty? The Church of God has historically understood that there are cultural differences when it comes to dress, and that styles are in a state of constant change. Those of us who are older remember bell-bottom slacks for men. Some in the Church of God viewed them negatively, while others could not wait to buy a pair. Sadly, there were much more serious stylistic issues at that time. Thankfully, most 1970’s trends in dress were short-lived—for very good reasons.

But the real issue is not a change in style, but whether that change reflects modesty, and what is being promoted by the style. One might argue that the Bible doesn’t explicitly condemn earrings on men in a direct command, but who was it in modern times that promoted this change in male behavior, and should a Christian want to take part in it? You may want to read David Kupelian’s book on The Marketing of Evil, if you do not know.

The problem is that we all have different ideas about what is modest. Why? Why, if we all have the Spirit of God, are there so many differences? The Apostle Paul gives us a clue: “Of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:11–14). 

As usual, church members are considered too stupid to know who to dress properly.  Are church members ever capable of ever doing anything right?

Gerald Weston Likes Watching Degenerate Sinners With Tattoo's In Airports

In his own words:

Look around you. My wife and I like to watch people in airports. Are you as amazed as we are about how many people sport tattoos today? How far we have degenerated in twenty years! “Body art” or “ink” as they like to call it, was mostly the domain of sailors who had a bit too much to drink while in port, and you would almost never see a woman with a tattoo in our Western world. No longer! Why? Humans have a “sheep” instinct, and not everything about sheep is positive. If someone else does it, so must we. Even among some of God’s people, tattooing, unusual body piercing, and faddish clothing sometimes appears.

Getting a tattoo is not the worst sin one can commit, even though God clearly tells us in His word not to do it (Leviticus 19:28). Few people are aware of this verse. The question is whether those of us who know better will follow the world, or whether we will obey God. However, we see more and more disfigurement of the human body among those more recently called into the Church, and a deeply converted person will not judge or condemn someone for past mistakes for which an individual has repented. Frankly, there are far worse sins than this one that is often committed in ignorance, and some sins are easier to hide than others.

Weston rails on about tattoo's yet does nothing about the abusive ministers and HQ employees that treat people like dirt.  Or, what about enforcing the law while rejecting grace? Which one really repulses God more?

Feast of Tabernacles 2017 Sermons..."Don't these people's brains rot after listening to the very same thing for decades?"

Several people on XCG Facebook pages are telling stories of how they have attended Feast sites this year just to make parents and family members happy, or to meet up with friends for a day of fun after services.  Every single one of them has been saying the same thing.  Their comments also illustrate just how provincial the Church of God still is in 2017.

Everyone is stating that they heard the exact same sermons using the same scriptures that they had heard every single year during their time in the church.  Not one of these speakers had an original theme to their sermons.  It is the exact same thing published over and over in every COG magazine and article.  The ministers preached the same canned sermon that they heard from Herbert Armstrong.

It is the same old mantra, "We are being trained to be kings and priests." "We will head to the place of final training as the chosen of God, highly from the entire population of the world."  "The church will soon face persecution for our beliefs...will you be held worthy of God's protection."

One person mentioned how downtrodden the women at the Feast they visited looked.  None of the sermons were geared towards women, other than being "helpmeet's" for their husbands and that they be submissive, quiet in church and good stewards of their households."

One person had this to say:

"Don't these people's brains rot after listening to the very same thing for decades?"

For centuries Christians have lived their faith in ways that make it relevant to the time they live in.  While they look forward to a kingdom to come, they work to make that kingdom present in the lives of those they touch around them.  What better way to witness to those around you, instead of parked for four hours in some dank hotel ballroom listening to yet another incredibly boring sermon.  The things that Jesus taught and said can never be said to be boring.  Can you say that about the typical COG minister today?