The Fly in the Ointment: When disfellowshipped members don't stay silent

When a person leaves or is pushed out of one of the Armstrong Churches of God, those who remain expect them to tuck their tails between their legs and never have the audacity to speak or show their faces again. Unfortunately for them, many of us have not gone quietly into the night.

After all, leaving or disfellowshipping is supposed to remove the offending person from the church and cut them off from sowing any more mischief or discord within that body. The leadership of the church expects to be able to both characterize the person who has left and project the agenda and message of the church without hindrance going forward.

Imagine their consternation when someone whom they believe they have eliminated decides to challenge them. It must be infuriating for them to be confronted by someone whom they have labeled as being wrong. “NO, I’m not wrong – YOU are wrong!” That’s simply not supposed to happen. They are supposed to be able to control the narrative.

The thing that infuriates these folks more than any other is that one or more of these rejects would have the audacity to stand up against God’s anointed ones! It infuriates them, and they see Satan as being behind any and all such efforts. It is simply incomprehensible to them that one of their minions would regain their independence and stand on their own two feet again – to begin thinking for themselves once again.

Worse yet, they no longer have the means to control the access which these disgruntled folks have to the folks who have stayed behind – the internet has made that virtually impossible. It has to be frustrating to realize that there is absolutely no way to regulate what folks do in the privacy of their own homes. And with blogs, tweets, Facebook and e-mail everyone has a means now – a forum to reach the public. Yeah, the genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no stuffing him back down inside there!

Of course, from the perspective of those who have escaped these cults, the freedom to help others and make them aware of the hurts and harms that these cults have inflicted on so many is very appealing. We no longer have to suffer in silence and slink away into oblivion. We have a voice, and the cult’s leadership no longer has the ability to stifle, dismiss or suppress it!

Lonnie Hendrix

LCG Wallace Smith: If Your Husband Tells You to Lie It Is Ok Because You Are Following Government

 

The gist of Smith's argument as I understood it when I listened to it was that Sarah was right to go along with Abram's lie to Pharaoh about their relationship because God's will in the home is for the wife to be submissive to her husband and that if she doesn't support him even if he is wrong, it won't work well because she is not submitting to how God designed His government to work in the home. In The case of Sarah it was argued that God worked it out anyway, and that it is up to God to make the husband realize it if he is wrong. He then launched into the argument for binding and loosing, and equated Weston and the LCG "Council of Elders" with the "Council of Elders" that met in the book of Acts, implying that the LCG council is the one God is working through in the twenty first century.  

I have numerous issues with this approach. First of all Smith is cherry picking examples that he thinks fit his argument and ignoring others. As I mentioned in the other comment I made, Abigail did not go along with Nabal and did exactly what Smith says a wife should not do. In fact she went out without his knowledge and took provisions to David and his men, while Nabal got drunk and partied at home. She didn't inform him of what she had done until the next morning. As a result Abigail and her household were spared from being slaughtered in David's wrath, Nabal fell over dead within ten days, and Abigail then became one of David's wives. So my question is, was Abigail correct in this instance to circumvent her husband's wishes, or should she have just meekly submitted to him even when the servants came and warned her that there was going to be trouble as a result of Nabal's arrogance and foolishness? 

Another issue is the idea that LCG's leadership and council are equivalent to the "council" who met in Acts, and they have a right to bind and loose decisions on how to apply God's law for the rest of the church. If the "church" consists of the entire assembly of believers, and these believers are scattered among numerous groups with different councils and different shepherds, what makes Smith think the decisions of his council carry the same gravity as the group of people who met in Acts? The Apostle Paul didn't even give the meeting in Acts as much weight as Smith gives his council. A reading of Galatians 2:1-10 demonstrates this point. I could also add that reading the rest of the chapter would demonstrate that Paul did not view Cephas or Peter as some pope figure who was above criticism or reproach with the power to bind and loose, even if he was wrong. Galatians 2:11-14 demonstrate this point. 

If we cherry pick scriptures that only fit the scenario we want to promote, this is not gleaning the whole truth of God's word, and can be misleading, because we have left out part of the story. It also isn't honest, which goes to Smith's argument about Sarah. Is it okay to go along with a lie if your husband tells you to, and if so, will God always work things out in your favor, or will you suffer the consequences along with your husband? The story of Ananias and Sapphira might be instructive here. Acts 5:1-11 

Concerned Sister

Dave Pack: I am so desperate for your money that you can donate you BBQ grill and I'll get the cash...after all, everything you own is mine

From the money whores at Restored Church of God. Never has the church seen a more money-obsessed COG than with Dave Pack.

Your Offerings and Donations Are Making a Difference!

The Restored Church of God is reaching millions of people every year with the gospel of the kingdom of God. This Work is made possible by the voluntary, freely given tithes and offerings of the members of the Church and by offerings and donations of co-workers and donors around the world. This Work could not be accomplished without your support.

Over the years, we have been asked if automobiles, boats, stocks, even homes could be donated. The Church has not been in a position to accept such non-cash or “in-kind” gifts before, but that is no longer the case. In a giant step forward for the Work of God, The Restored Church of God can now facilitate all types of non-cash donations through the services of iDonate.com, which provides more options to give to the Work of God.

For an idea of what iDonate can do, here are some examples of non-cash gifts accepted by the service for other non-profits:

• Grain: A farmer decided to donate a portion of his business inventory, which was grain ($306,000).
• Designer Handbag: A girl used her Louis Vuitton handbag once, but decided to donate it ($950).
• 2005 Honda Shadow: After losing her husband, a widow donated his motorcycle for which she had no use ($4,166).
• Chaparral Ski Boat: Another woman wanted to sell her ski boat, but dreaded the selling process and instead donated it ($14,000).
• Lynx 54” Portable Grill: One man donated his gently used grill when it came time to sell his home ($4,500).

Donating Non-Cash Items Is Simple!

To make non-cash donations go to the Member Services section of rcg.org and click the iDonate tab under “Member Options.” (Our co-workers can contact The Restored Church of God Headquarters by phone at 330-334-2266.) You will see icons under “Ways to Give.” Then click on the icon that best matches the donation you would like to make.

You will be prompted to enter some general information about your item(s) and iDonate takes it from there.*

If your item is accepted (not all are), you will receive further instructions by email.

Upon completion of the sale, proceeds are transferred to the Church and you will receive a receipt. (Note: Due to the nature of IRS guidelines regarding charitable contributions, you may or may not receive an actual dollar amount on your receipt.)

Your cash or non-cash donation can have a powerful impact on a world searching for answers. We thank you for your support.

*The Restored Church of God is not involved during any part of the non-cash donation process. The iDonate company performs a service for the Church—turning non-cash donations into funds, which allows the Church to continue preaching the gospel to the world. If you have any questions about how to donate your non-cash items to The Restored Church of God, contact the Fundraising Department at 330-334-2266.