Commercial Break: “I imagine hell like this: Italian punctuality, German humour and English wine.” ― Peter Ustinov

 

“The whole image is that eternal suffering awaits anyone who questions God's infinite love. That's the message we're brought up with, isn't it? Believe or die! Thank you, forgiving Lord, for all those options.”
― Bill Hicks

“I would prefer an intelligent hell to a stupid paradise.”
― Blaise Pascal

“When I was little, I bragged about my firefighting father: my father would go to heaven, because if he went to Hell, he would put out all the fires”
― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

When Family Members Are Part Of A Cult

 

PCG: "Do you fellows look upon the woman you want to marry as a sister?" And Other Convoluted Beliefs For Singles

 

The Philadelphia Church of God has an article up by Joel Hilliker about being single in the church.

Here are some of the convoluted beliefs of the PCG:

• What is your big goal in life? Like it or not, for true Christians, the answer is family. 

• We are destined to be born into the God Family as Gods! Our entire lives today are meant to prepare us for that future—to teach us to become more and more like God! 

• Righteous character is God’s greatest, most magnificent creation—His masterpiece! And He is working on that masterpiece within you. However, this requires your acquiescence, your full cooperation, your total submission. That is what makes it so challenging for Him. 

• Your part in allowing God to create His character is your greatest, noblest challenge! 

• Physical human families are the first thing God uses. Physical family is one of His most powerful tools for destroying human nature and helping us grow in godly character. 

• The Church family is a fantastic way to crush your human nature and get you ready for the God Family! Those in the Church are people with whom God wants you regularly practicing His love!

• Confront the shallow notion that “single” is opposite of “family.” God is preparing you for eternal family life—and He wants to use your experience as a single in His Church to help in that process!  

• Your spiritual family provides you unique opportunities to confront your carnality and to build righteous thinking and godly character.

• The women in the Church—the women you date—are sisters first! “First of all, she’s a sister—a member of the Family of God! The Family of God comes first! 

• Mr. Flurry continues, “Do you fellows look upon the woman you want to marry as a sister? Is she really like a sister to you, spiritually? Or do you just skip over that part?” 

• Dating is a service—an act of giving to the family. It is a way of providing companionship to brothers and sisters in Christ. When you serve in this way, you are drawing those you date closer into the spiritual family and enriching their experience within God’s Church. And on top of that, you are also taking a hammer to your own selfishness! You are becoming more like God! ‘Single’ Is Not the Opposite of ‘Family’

As with all things in Armstrongism, the goal is to look inward to the closed system instead of outward to the world, bringing the kingdom into a reality one person at a time.