Why is there such a lack of empathy in the Churches of God?

 

The following was on Exit and Support Network from a former LCG young adult. I could go on and on about similar issues in various COG groups, including the old Worldwide Church of God and the complete lack of empathy that they all exhibit/ed. The blog has had endless posts about the disrespect that the COG's have towards their followers going on 15 years and they STILL cannot do what is right.

I was a third generation Christian. My grandparents (on both sides) started attending WCG when my parents were children. My parents met as students at Ambassador College. They started attending United (UCG) shortly after Armstrong passed and the whole Grace Communion International controversy started. As a child, I attended multiple WCG splinter groups. When I was in middle school we started attending Living (LCG). I was disfellowshipped during high school. I have family members who still attend. I am in my twenties now and incredibly happy with my life. 

 

I endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from my family and the cult members. After I stopped attending, I was stalked by “church” [cult] members on social media and in person. I wish I had someone like me to confide in when I was young. 

 

I was very aware of the hypocrisy and hateful gossip spread amongst WCG members from a young age. For a while, i thought it was just my family. One instance of this that really set my views in stone was when there was a skiing accident at one of the youth camps. A young woman passed away in said accident. Due to the well known negativity surrounding her family, there were adults and teens saying they were glad she had died and hoped her family would learn from her death. I had never witnessed such a lack of empathy and remorse from a group of people calling themselves godly.

I started internally questioning why men in leadership roles were also supporting this negativity. Well respected parents with ordained titles who have children the young woman’s age saying her parents DESERVED to experience this loss. And then those same people would turn around and speak about “loving thy neighbor.” 

 

This same instance with different topics happened time and time again. I got sick of it quite quickly when I recognized the pattern. After speaking up about this amongst peers and eventually adults, I was disfellowshipped for spreading “bad gossip” and dishonoring the ordained. I was told to stop, apologize, and repent, but I said no.

"Taking Responsibility for My Own Choices"

Taking Responsibility for My Own Choices

In the course of this blog's existence, I have been sharply critical of the leadership and theology of the Armstrong Churches of God. Now, I still believe that all of those criticism were valid and deserved. Nevertheless, in the discussions that have been generated here and on other blogs in which I have participated, the question of my own culpability in my entrapment in this cult has arisen a number of times.

First, I want to say that I embrace that as a valid question, and one that a person of real integrity is bound to consider and to offer some response. Having accepted the question, I want to acknowledge immediately that I do accept a large share of the responsibility for my involvement in Armstrongism. If that surprises any of my fellow survivors, it might warrant a little introspection on your own part!

The PLAIN TRUTH is that I was intellectually lazy and did NOT do my due diligence! In short, taking a so-called college level Bible Correspondence Course, reading the Bible and a bundle of booklets and articles on various doctrinal issues did NOT constitute a comprehensive, objective, or critical review of the information available to me. I allowed someone to feed me a pre-packaged, highly subjective interpretation of the Bible. Looking back, it is clear that I accepted the inferior research of others simply because it sounded superficially plausible in explaining a very complicated reality. In other words, while I was definitely interested and looking for answers, I was not willing to do the deep dive necessary to arrive at an informed conclusion.

Sure, it is easier for folks now than it was back in the day. We didn't have the internet at our fingertips, and it is a tremendous resource in the right hands for ferreting out truth. Even so, I cannot escape that realization in the back of my mind that tells me I should have known better. I also have to admit to myself that it did feel good to think that I was privy to inside information that wasn't available to everyone. The allure of being in on the big secret exerted a powerful influence on my ego/vanity!

Over time, I also allowed those master manipulators to place me in a mental straitjacket. I stopped thinking for myself. I stopped asking questions, researching, and seeking answers to the big questions. I allowed myself to be convinced that such curiosity would lead me to the Dark Side of the Force - that I would make myself vulnerable to losing the "truth" and salvation which I thought that I had found! Looking back, it is clear that I also ignored a great deal of evidence over the years which contradicted the interpretations that I had accepted so enthusiastically!

Yes, there were plenty of occasions for me to reject Armstrongism over the years, but I continued to dismiss or ignore the warning signs that things were amiss. I knew that racism was wrong, and I majored in the history of the United States and Britain in college. The evidence was right in front of me that Anglo-Israelism was completely absurd - that what I had already learned had completely and thoroughly discredited the heresy. Looking back now, I have to say that my excuses for taking as long as I did to emerge from the delusion of Armstrongism look pretty weak and pathetic in hindsight!

The point of this post? NEVER allow yourself to be satisfied. Continue to look, explore, question, research, and learn. Also, listen to your own conscience and invite the Holy Spirit to help you in your search for answers and understanding. Do NOT go and dig in the earth and bury the "treasure" which you believe has been entrusted to you. Jesus Christ, your Savior and mine, made it very clear that he expected his disciples to increase/multiply what he had entrusted to them!

Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix

Crackpot Prophet Brags About Deceiving "So-Called" Christians Who Invite Him On Their Programs

 

Don't you just love it when various COG leaders and ministers who speak on their various podcasts and video programs claim they proclaim God's word proudly, without reservation, and forcefully?

Do they really? 

Have they ever?

Even Herbert couldn't speak about Jesus or God in public and would instead talk about a "strong hand from someplace," What the flying "f" is that? The Flying Spaghetti Monster?

Almost all COG leaders, to this very day, couch their words so not to draw too much attention to their amazing God. Being martyrs for the truth is not included on their bingo cards.

This brings us today to our most highly favored Elijah/Elisha/Joshua of God, dreamed into being as the foundations of the world were being laid, to come forth in all glory in the perilous end times, to spread the truth of God, delivered through dreams, to a lost and hurting world. Never has a messenger of God been so doubly blessed to be God's own personal mouthpiece.

Hold on!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait a minute! Put those brakes on! Things are not as they are supposed to be!

The Great Bwana turns out to be a wimpy coward just like Herbert. The Great Bwana admits he has to guard his words when speaking to other Christian podcasters and interviewers. So much for forcefully proclaiming his god! The church is sure filled with a lot of impotent wusses anymore. Plus, why is he seeking interviews with so-called/fake insincere Christians as he constantly calls them?

Anyway, after more backslapping, here is what he said in his latest letter to his faithful 100 Caucasians:

Last Thursday, I was on Michael Klassen’s 5 AM Podcast.

Last Friday, I was on with Monica Hansen, The Graceful Warrior podcast. Monica told me that she had been thinking of contacting me before our podcast team contacted her. So, she was glad we were able to do one together.

On Tuesday, I was on Dr. Rosemarie Downer’s All Things Faith Walk podcast. We discussed the first portion of our booklet: Is God’s Existence Logical?

Then, being the duplicitous slug that he is, he mentions how he needs to be tricky with his hosts: 

Let me add that being a guest on Protestant podcast channels is tricky as we do want to get God’s truth to all we can, but also by trying to minimize offense to the podcast hosts. 

After he leaves his host's presence, he then puts up links to his poorly researched and heretical booklets, articles, and videos. 

That said, it is my intent to put up links to many of the podcasts after the hosts upload them. 

 

Being a podcast guest looks like another door that Jesus opened for His Philadelphian remnant (Revelation 3:7-8; cf. Hebrews 13:1, literal)–and we in the CCOG are utilizing this door. We are reaching people that we otherwise would often not be able to reach.

Reaching them through deception and deceit. Typical Armstrongite methods of spreading their so-called gospel.