Just what exactly is so safe about The Place of Safety? Of all the motivators to remaining in your seats, The Place of Safety is always the place one will not make it to unless they abide in church, depending on which one of course. Even growing up as Presbyterian we sang "Abide in ME!" meaning Jesus but that theme seems to escape those who foolishly incorporate The Place of Safety mantra and myth into their teachings.
Why on earth anyone would believe that moving to a waste howling wilderness within striking range of...oh everyone in the Middle East, is a safe place to await the Don't Count On It Second Coming of Jesus? Gerald Waterhouse touted the POS as "A Place of Final Training" but that was before distance learning became are safer option. Even as a pastor, and I hated this fairytale that always lurked in the recesses of Churchthink , "oh hid me in the grave until thy wrath is past" always seemed easier to swallow and endure. I liked the "In a moment . In the twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed" far more and as more practical than this POS nightmare. I never had any intention to uttering the words "Herbert Armstrong has announced it is time to flee..." ever. It was always a repulsive and dangerous teaching my mind and thought it would die with HWA.
SIQ and YE SHALL FIND
Taught as the only way in, the Siq gave the perfect impression of how safe it would be.
Still safe....single file please
Well, ok. Maybe it was just an impression .
Once you got in...oh...Hmmm. I thought it had a cover or something over it.
Looks like easy pickings for modern weapons of warfare and I'm not seeing why this place is so safe yet. Can we stay in America and go to Zion National Park or Bryce Canyon?
The moment you "flee" you become what the world knows as refugees and you will live like them...waiting...waiting...waiting....
We know the Exodus stories, and they are just stories but you won't really get water from a rock. You'll wait for it like all refugees do
It may get messy so you'll be hearing much about Captains of 50's and 100's . They'll probably have yellow plastic grocery bag armbands.
Get over your clothes won't need washing or your shoes wear out
If your lucky. "You said you'd bring the tents!"
You'll end up saying "I wish we had died back in North Carolina, Ohio or Oklahoma!
I understand all the apologetics for just how safe and how good Petra will be all taken from the Israelite's sojourn in the Wilderness. Shoes that don't wear out, clothes that last for generations, food from heaven and firewood from...from...somewhere. Be very careful you don't complain about anything . When the Israelites said "we thirst" which seems a natural thing in a waste howling wilderness with no water marching by day to who knows where, Moses had a fit beat a rock and ended up being told he was not going to make it into the Promised Land for his attitude. Now if the leader mucks up and gets barred from the "It was a conditional promise land", what chance do you have? Remember if you take the analogy too far, no one who originally left Egypt made it.
(The Exodus never really happened as reported)
All one picture is worth a thousand words aside, the teaching of The Place of Safety is a dangerous belief that can go very very wrong quickly. Your Apostles and Prophets are making scripture mean what it never meant and certainly never means for YOU TODAY.
If you are bound and determined to find a place of safety and final training waiting out the last three and half years before Jesus comes back for sure because Ron Weinland, Dave Pack, Bob Thiel or Gerald Flurry have it all figured out....
May I suggest:
The Columbia River Gorge between Washington State and Oregon? It is just outside Portland and you can tour all the HWA hotspots of Church history such as The Hinson Baptist Church where HWA was baptized or even go to the Portland Public Library and sit in the very rooms where it all started. At least you'll have something to do.
