Gerald Weston: Cracks Down on LCG Members Celebrating Birthdays

Gerald Weston cracks down on birthday parties for LCG members.  God forbid if LCG members have a few minutes of joy!

One subject that never seems to go away is that of birthdays. Some in the Church want nothing to do with them, while others engage in festive parties. It is evident from the scriptures that people knew how many years they lived. We know how long Methuselah lived, as well as Abraham, Jacob, and the kings of Israel and Judah. Obviously they were keeping track. However, not once do we read of a birthday party for any of God’s servants. The only places where birthdays appear in the Bible are in relation to heathen rulers. Pharaoh’s birthday celebration resulted in the death of his chief baker (Genesis 40:20–22). Herod’s birthday celebration resulted in the death of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:6–12; Mark 6:21–28). Although birthday parties today seldom end in death or dismemberment (we would hope!), these unflattering examples are the only indisputable birthday celebrations recorded in the Bible.

The Encyclopedia Britannica records the following: “As late as 245 Origen … repudiates as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Christ ‘as if he were a king Pharaoh’” (11th ed., article “Christmas”). While Origen was certainly not a true Christian, his comment reveals the attitude of the early Church toward celebrating Christ’s birthday and gives us a clue as to how original Christianity felt about birthdays in general.

Yet, some members begin celebrating the birthdays of their children from their first year onward. No child at that age has any idea what is going on, but by the time she is 16 she understands that it is “her day” and she expects a party and presents. Is this a lesson we want to teach? Are we able to understand the difference between marking or recognizing the day of one’s birth and celebrating it in a party atmosphere? Are we able to make wise judgments, based on the word of God? Do we follow the customs of this world, as sheep going to the slaughter? Or can we savor the things of God?

Is Weston going to stop Lil'Jimmy and the rest of the Meredith kids from celebrating birthdays?  They've done it for years.  LCG members have been doing birthdays for decades

Gerald Weston: LCG Women Should Wear Pants Suits Like Condoleezza Rice

Proper dress for LCG women

Not ok for LCG women, even if it is a pantsuit!

Oh, the wisdom of Rod Meredith and Gerald Weston!  Where, oh where, would we be without them?  Apparently, women in LCG are too stupid to know what kinds of pantsuits are ok for church, how to dress modestly, and not to wear clothing that emphasizes their cleavage.

Clothes considered stylish by this world are often lacking in modesty. They are often overly revealing of the female body: very short shorts, skirts that are overly tight and short, low-cut dresses that emphasize cleavage, and so on. Double entendre slogans on sweatshirts and T-shirts, also, are suggestive and inappropriate. When a woman is constantly trying to stretch her skirt to cover more of her thighs when sitting down, maybe this should tell her something.

Part of the problem with dress is the ever-changing culture. Some things considered immodest in past generations are considered very old-fashioned today. There is also the issue of occasion. A tennis skirt may be modest on the court, but not for an algebra class. Swimsuits would not be appropriate for Sabbath services.

Then there is the question that comes up from time to time regarding whether women can wear pants for Sabbath services. Dr. Roderick C. Meredith made it clear a number of years ago that a nice pantsuit may be appropriate. This may especially be true for individuals who have leg problems or who live in very cold climates. But, here is the problem: All that some heard when he explained this was that “pants are okay,” but that is not what he said. He spoke of nice pantsuits and gave the example of Condoleezza Rice (former Secretary of State under President George Bush) who often wore pantsuits in the conduct of government business. He was not talking about sweat pants, jeans, or casual pants.

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?