COG Chief Pharisee Claims It Is Possible to Be Sinless

Where would the Church of God be without all of the lying false teachers it currently has?  It would be boring indeed!  Crazy prophets have always inhabited the church over the last 8 decades, but over the last few years, the craziness has reached new levels of idiocy.

James Malm, the self-appointed prophet and guru of the Shining Light crapfest of legalistic mumbo-jumbo puts forth loads of nonsense that would send anyone to an early grave if they tried to attain his high level of legalism.

In his ongoing effort to bastardize the law and make it into something it is not, he claims that current members of the church can remain sinless after baptism.

The sacrifice of Christ is only APPLIED to the REPENTANT; to those who STOP sinning! and it is sincere repentance to stop sinning and the application of the atonement of Christ for our PAST sins; which justifies and purifies us.

After that, we are to go forward; avoiding sin and living by every Word of God. But keeping the commandments does not justify anyone from PAST sins. It is sacrifice of Christ which justifies us and makes us right with God and atones for past sins.

But apparently not for future sins.

The Firm Bond: The Book That May Have Triggered George Geis' Termination from the Church

Today, while researching some historical anecdotes on the Church and College, I came across a bit of interesting information from the Los Angeles times, dated January 12, 1985. 

It seems that a book, entitled "The Firm Bond", which was written by Robert Kuhn and Goerge Geis, may have triggered Geis being called into Headquarters and asked for his resignation. Granted, this was an allegation purported by Garner Ted Armstrong: 

Soon after the book, published in October, appeared in Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena--where it is enjoying brisk sales--Geis was called in by Worldwide authorities and asked to submit his resignation. Apparently, according to Ted Armstrong, "people (church leaders) thought they saw themselves in the book." The Worldwide Church of God is not mentioned in the book, nor does it reveal the connection of either Geis or co-author Robert Kuhn, a former top Worldwide official who has also been disfellowshipped, with the church or college.

The book in question was thought by GTA to be a problem with the Church, probably because of it's content:

A section of the book (Praeger, $21.95) deals with personal meaning and entrepreneurial drives within an unaccommodating structure. "How does one deal with such people and pressures?" the authors ask.

“The easy answer--get rid of them!--deprives the company of innovative potential. On the other hand, strategies that allow for the expression of such needs promote mutual benefit for employee and organization.”

"The resignation was his (Geis') choice; the book was something he chose to write," said La Ravia, the Worldwide Church press secretary, who would not explain the reasons for the dismissal.

One of the reviewers of the book was from Harvard Business School - C. Roland Christenson. He writes:

This is a book not simply to be read, but to be savored. It poses for the reflective practioner the question of relationship between religion and economic creativity and productivity. It gives practical suggestions to any leader on the achievement of that critical motivational force--the linkage between personal inner needs and corporate mission.--C. Roland Christensen, Harvard Business School

One of the reasons why a business may possibly terminate an employee is if they, without authorization, released or revealed confidential intellectual property to the public. If this book revealed some of the internal corporate strategies used within the Church - it could well explain a possible reason why Gies was terminated from the Church. In a response to questions by the TImes concerning his termination, Ellis LaRavia said, "He chose to write the book."; seemingly confirming that the book did have something to do with it. 

Or, it could have just been because he was collaborating with a disfellowshipped individual outside of the Church - the co-author, Robert Kuhn, something that he, as a minister of the Church, would have been looked on as an act of rebellion, since disfellowshipped members were to be shunned and avoided.  

This book is available at Amazon for 12.95. As of this writing, 37 New and Used copies are available.

submitted by SHT

Rob Steel: A Story For Young People!

Banned By HWA, in honor of 6,000,000 views, is proud and honored to release, for the first time in it's history, a Story For Young People! Enjoy! It's about a man named Rob Steel. Any semblance to any person, real or fictional, might be entirely coincidental. Or it might not. 

(Read slowly for young people!) 

And now, our story.

- - - 

Once upon a time, there was a man.

His name was Rob Steel.

Rob Steel really wanted to be somebody important.

So Rob hung out with the most important people he could find.

People who wore suits. And talked loud. 

Rob liked to learn a lot. So Rob went and learned.

He really wanted recognition!

So Rob went and got himself.... a Degree.

(Say Degree). Good job! I knew you could.

Well, Rob REALLY admired a man a lot.

His name was Bob Feredith.

Rob gave Bob lots of money. Bob liked that a lot.

(Say money). Good job! I knew you could.

Well, Bob did not want Rob to go anwhere else!

So Bob told Rob he really knew a lot.

And maybe, just maybe, Rob had a very, very special job!

Rob believed him so much! And Rob tried all he could

to get as close to Bob as Rob could.

They would go eat together. They would talk together.

And Bob even asked Rob for advice.

Bob could not afford not to have Rob.

Rob really began to think highly of himself.

He was getting proud. 

But Rob was getting impatient.

Rob wanted to be somebody. But Rob felt ignored.

He never became what he wanted to be.

Rob waited months. And years.

And finally, Rob was tired of waiting.

Bob told Rob he loved Rob.

But Rob was not the right person.

Now Rob got his feelings hurt really bad.

Rob really thought he was going to be somebody.

But now, he knew that was never going to happen.

At least not with Bob.

So Rob decided to be what Bob was.

But Rob really wasn't Bob.

As much as Rob tried to be Bob.

Rob was no Bob.

Rob was good with things that help people.

Rob liked to do things to keep them in health.

It was good what Rob was doing.

But Rob had a lot of pride. And he felt hurt.

So he bit off more than he could chew.

What is the moral of the story?

Be yourself, and do good and help people.

It's ok to try new things. But before you try new things.

Be sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

And be sure you know what you are doing.

Because when you try something and you don't understand it

You could hurt others, and yourself.

And worst of all, 

you could believe in something that just isn't true.

submitted by SHT