Why Are So Many COG Members Attracted To Such Crazy Men As We Have Leading COG's today?

When Herbert Armstrong was alive, the church had its fill of crazy men rising up with all kinds of lunacy, BUT they never gained much of a following due to Armstrong's threats, his magnetic personality, and his stable of henchmen threatening salvation issues. Self-appointed prophets, Elijah, and others regularly delivered messages to the front desk at the Hall of Administration of the Worldwide Church of God. Each and every one of them ended up being massive failures in their prophecies.

Fast forwards to today and we have a whole stable of crazy men who have actually diverted members into their perverse ministries.  From Gerald Flurry who now imagines himself a King and in possession of the new coronation stone that Jesus will come back to sit on. Dave Pack, who declared "all things in common" in order to shame members into sending him all of their retirement funds, cashing in stocks, selling homes and basically bankrupting themselves in order to obey Dave's commands. Then there is James Malm who has whored himself out to the law in such a sick manner that Jesus is surely shaking his head in heaven in the biggest "WTF" moment he has ever seen. And then...then there is Bob Thiel.  Even God the father is appalled at the sheer arrogance and self importance that drips like putrid honey from his mouth.

As crazy and as mentally ill these men all are, nothing compares to another man who is attracting COG members to his message. That person is Tim Carpenter of "I Saw the Light Ministries."  A lot of his stuff sound just like Armstrongite ideas, until you weed further down into his writings.

Here is some of the things he writes about:

Help for Vampires

Leviticus 17:10-11

10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

To learn the different kinds of real vampires please visit the Vampires Studies website. They are NOT affiliated with us and they are not necessarily meant as a help to vampires but rather as a research and study page for people to learn what real vampires are. I recommend reading it with caution only after prayer and only if you think you may be a vampire. Then return here for help to recover from this satanic affliction. When you click on their link above, it will first come to an internet archive page (because their webpage is no longer active). Click on the word "impatient" and the page will come up quicker!

For help in recovery from vampirism, read our "How to overcome anything" article.

Also, Be sure to take daily supplements of Vitamin D at least 1000-4000 mg per day. Also take Garlic capsules or even better eat real garlic in your pasta dishes. This boosts your immune system to fight any virus that might be related to that kind/type of vampire. Sun exposure is important. Be of Gods Light, not of darkness, avoid all appearance of evil, be transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus. Jesus is the answer for all kinds and all types of vampires. By Christ Blood YOU can be HEALED!!! 

And then there is this:

Who or What Are Aliens?

Aliens and UFO's are a fascination with many people. What are they? The truth is that many of the UFO's are top secret government and military operations.

• BUT there are also real aliens and ufo's.
• BUT they are NOT the type of aliens that many people believe in.
• They are actually half human and half demon.
• Some of them are 100% demon.
• They are NOT something to be fascinated with.
• They are real and they are in scripture.
• There is no reason to focus on them.
• You should not focus on them. You should not be giving them attention!
• Don't feed their desire for attention!
• Don't be fascinated with them, we have much more power then they do!

To learn more about these demonic beings, please go to the following websites which explain in great detail what they are and what the Bible says about them!

And this:

Satanic snow globes 

Gazing Ball, Crystal ball, garden gazing ball, glass orb, witches ball, snow globes

Far from harmless, these glass orbs open a direct line to the other world. Used for divination (fortunetelling, scrying, clairvoyance...)when the heavy crystal balls were too expensive, witches often used glass-ball fishing floats, colored glass balls, or magic mirrors. They do not keep evil away. That is a myth. Pagan objects do not keep evil away. Think about it. These garden balls are also related to the UFO sphere orbs. Remove these crystal or glass balls from your property! Would Jesus have a gazing ball in his house? The Almighty has powerfully confirmed to me that the snow globes are also evil. They are the same as the gazing balls & are open doors for evil spirits.  

Paisley (design or pattern)
The Paisley design or pattern is very common on clothing, purses and do-rags (du-rags, bandanas, skull caps). It is of Iranian origin and has connections to the antichrist religion of Zoroastrism. 

Statues, dolls, nik naks, figurines of people, angels, Jesus or animals, including stuffed animals

These are Graven images. The Bible warns us to not make any graven image of anything alive, whether it be on the land or in the air or in water. An graven image is a 3D shape of any thing that if it was alive, it would move. It doesn't matter whether it is made out of plastic, wood, metal, gold, silver, glass, cloth, cotton or whatever. 

 There is much, much more here: Common Household Pagan Symbols / Housecleaning

People like this make some people feel special because they have supposedly received god given information that will set the apart from the deceived people around them. What is really happening is they are following liars and frauds that deliberately keep them away from the one the should be following.

A Seat for Every Butt

Not being Flow Chart Design literate,  may I suggest a similar flow chart to help people negotiate the Splits, Splinters and Slivers?  I would suggest it continue from "You Should Be Jewish" or in the case of leaving the COGs completely and not happy with Grace Community International,  you begin with "You Should Just be a Boring Generic Christian Then" and go on to find a stable Christian denomination that suits fits one's needs.. 

Should one end up "Atheist" perhaps an additional couple of boxes to indicate a preference for  being thrown in the Lake of fire alive or dead or "Eternal Punishment" vs "Eternal Punishing"?

OR...

“And above all, you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and panelling…the question should never be: ‘Do I like that kind of service?’ but ‘Are these doctrines true: Is holiness there? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to move to this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike for this particular door-keeper?”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity 

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."   Susan B. Anthony 

          But as best as we can and everyone already believes they do...

“Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing”

Thomas Huxley

This Day In History...The Sit In

This screenshot is from an article in the PostBulletin, Minnesota.

Photos: Today in History: Jan. 24

I spent a couple of days parked in the Hall of Ad with others as "tools" of the administration as it sought to fight the Receiver from entering the building.  Outside where Police and Sheriffs, with even more staged down at the Rose Bowl area in preparation for a massive strike.  Many of the Pasadena Police called in sick that day or refused to have anything to do with what was anticipated to happen.

One would have thought the WCG would have learned a lesson during that time, but no.  The corruption and massive amounts of money being spent on things that had nothing to to with the gospel continued on unabated.  Those same corrupt people ar enow parked in UCG, COGWA, PCG, RCG and elsewhere, still spending money.

Leaving the COG and the Personal Trauma It Can Cause

Leaving the Fold

Religious Trauma Syndrome

by Marlene Winell

Religious Trauma Syndrome is the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination. They may be going through the shattering of a personally meaningful faith and/or breaking away from a controlling community and lifestyle. RTS is a function of both the chronic abuses of harmful religion and the impact of severing one’s connection with one’s faith. It can be compared to a combination of PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). This is a summary followed by a series of three articles which were published in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Today.

Religious Trauma Syndrome has a very recognizable set of symptoms, a definitive set of causes, and a debilitating cycle of abuse. There are ways to stop the abuse and recover.

Symptoms of Religious Trauma Syndrome:

• Cognitive: Confusion, poor critical thinking ability, negative beliefs about self-ability & self-worth, black & white thinking, perfectionism, difficulty with decision-making

• Emotional: Depression, anxiety, anger, grief, loneliness, difficulty with pleasure, loss of meaning

• Social: Loss of social network, family rupture, social awkwardness, sexual difficulty, behind schedule on developmental tasks

• Cultural: Unfamiliarity with secular world; “fish out of water” feelings, difficulty belonging, information gaps (e.g. evolution, modern art, music)

Causes of Religious Trauma Syndrome:

Authoritarianism coupled with toxic theology which is received and reinforced at church, school, and home results in:

• Suppression of normal child development – cognitive, social, emotional, moral stages are arrested

• Damage to normal thinking and feeling abilities -information is limited and controlled; dysfunctional beliefs taught; independent thinking condemned; feelings condemned

• External locus of control – knowledge is revealed, not discovered; hierarchy of authority enforced; self not a reliable or good source

• Physical and sexual abuse – patriarchal power; unhealthy sexual views; punishment used as for discipline

Cycle of Abuse

The doctrines of original sin and eternal damnation cause the most psychological distress by creating the ultimate double bind. You are guilty and responsible, and face eternal punishment. Yet you have no ability to do anything about it. (These are teachings of fundamentalist Christianity; however other authoritarian religions have equally toxic doctrines.)

You must conform to a mental test of “believing” in an external, unseen source for salvation, and maintain this state of belief until death. You cannot ever stop sinning altogether, so you must continue to confess and be forgiven, hoping that you have met the criteria despite complete lack of feedback about whether you will actually make it to heaven.

Salvation is not a free gift after all.

For the sincere believer, this results in an unending cycle of shame and relief.

Stopping the Cycle

You can stop the cycle of abuse, but leaving the faith is a “mixed blessing.” Letting go of the need to conform is a huge relief. There is a sense of freedom, excitement about information and new experiences, new-found self-respect, integrity, and the sense of an emerging identity.

There are huge challenges as well. The psychological damage does not go away overnight. In fact, because the phobia indoctrination in young childhood is so powerful, the fear of hell can last a lifetime despite rational analysis. Likewise the damage to self-esteem and basic self-trust can be crippling. This is why there are so many thousands of walking wounded – people who have left fundamentalist religion and are living with Religious Trauma Syndrome.

Mistaken Identity

Religious Trauma Syndrome mimics the symptoms of many other disorders –

post-traumatic stress disorder
clinical depression
anxiety disorders
bipolar disorder
obsessive compulsive disorder
borderline personality disorder
eating disorders
social disorders
marital and sexual dysfunctions
suicide
drug and alcohol abuse
extreme antisocial behavior, including homicide

There are many extreme cases, including child abuse of all kinds, suicide, rape, and murder. Not as extreme but also tragic are all the people who are struggling to make sense of life after losing their whole basis of reality. None of the previously named diagnoses quite tells the story, and many who try to get help from the mental health profession cannot find a therapist who understands.

What’s the problem?

We have in our society an assumption that religion is for the most part benign or good for you. Therapists, like others, expect that if you stop believing, you just quit going to church, putting it in the same category as not believing in Santa Claus. Some people also consider religious beliefs childish, so you just grow out of them, simple as that. Therapists often don’t understand fundamentalism, and they even recommend spiritual practices as part of therapy. In general, people who have not survived an authoritarian fundamentalist indoctrination do not realize what a complete mind-rape it really is.

In the United States, we also treasure our bill of rights, our freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion. This makes it extremely difficult to address a debilitating disorder like RTS without threatening the majority of Americans. Raising questions about toxic beliefs and abusive practices in religion seems to be violating a taboo. No one wants to be pointing fingers for fear of tampering with our precious freedoms.

But this is the problem. Sanitizing religion makes it all the more insidious when it is toxic. For example, small children are biologically dependent on their adult caretakers; built into their survival mechanisms is a need to trust authority just to stay alive. Religious teachings take hold easily in their underdeveloped brains while the adults conveniently keep control. This continues generation after generation, as the religious meme complex reproduces itself, and masses of believers learn to value self-loathing and fear apocalypse.

There is hope

Awareness is growing about the dangers of religious indoctrination. There are more and more websites to support the growing number of people leaving harmful religion. Slowly, services are growing to help people with RTS heal and grow, including Journey Free. We are discovering the means by which people can understand what they have been through and take steps to become healthy, happy human beings.

--------

What it means to leave

Breaking out of a restrictive, mind-controlling religion is understandably a liberating experience. People report huge relief and some excitement about their new possibilities. Certain problems are over, such as trying to twist one’s thinking to believe irrational religious doctrines, handling enormous cognitive dissonance in order to get by in the ‘real world’ as well, and conforming to repressive codes of behavior. Finally leaving a restrictive religion can be a major personal accomplishment after trying to make it work and going through many cycles of guilt and confusion. 

However, the challenges of leaving are daunting. For most people, the religious environment was a one-stop-shop for meeting all their major needs – social support, a coherent worldview, meaning and direction in life, structured activities, and emotional/spiritual satisfaction. Leaving the fold means multiple losses, including the loss of friends and family support at a crucial time of personal transition. Consequently, it is a very lonely ‘stressful life event’ – more so than others described on Axis IV in the DSM. For some people, depending on their personality and the details of their religious past, it may be possible to simply stop participating in religious services and activities and move on with life. But for many, leaving their religion means debilitating anxiety, depression, grief, and anger. 

Usually people begin with intellectually letting go of their religious beliefs and then struggle with the emotional aspects. The cognitive part is difficult enough and often requires a period of study and struggle before giving up one’s familiar and perhaps cherished worldview. But the emotional letting go is much more difficult since the beliefs are bound with deep-seated needs and fears, and usually inculcated at a young age. 

Problems with self-worth and fear of terrible punishment continue. Virtually all controlling religions teach fear about the evil in ‘the world’ and the danger of being alone without the group. Ordinary setbacks can cause panic attacks, especially when one feels like a small child in a very foreign world. Coming out of a sheltered, repressed environment can result in a lack of coping skills and personal maturity. The phobia indoctrination makes it difficult to avoid the stabbing thought, even many years after leaving, that one has made a terrible mistake, thinking ‘what if they’re right?’

It is truly amazing the pain I went through due to what was inputted into my mind… All I know is it took such a toll on me that I did not care if I died and went to hell to escape the hell I was in and the immense fear it put into my life.

Depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, etc... you name it. It sucks. Probably from years of guilt being a Christian and a sinner, and thinking people I love are in hell.

Making the break is for many the most disruptive, difficult upheaval they have ever gone through in life. To understand this fully, one must appreciate the totality of a religious worldview that defines and controls reality in the way that fundamentalist groups do. Everything about the world - past, present, and future – is explained, the meaning of life is laid out, morality is already decided, and individuals must find their place in the cosmic scheme in order to be worthwhile. The promises for conformity and obedience are great and the threats for disobedience are dire, both for the present life and the hereafter. Controlling religions tend to limit information about the world and alternative views so members easily conclude that their religious worldview is the only one possible. Anything outside of their world is considered dangerous and evil at worst and terribly misguided at best. So leaving this sheltered environment is bursting a bubble. Everything a person has believed to be true is shattered. 

My foundation has truly dropped out from under me. Despite being told I am courageous, tenacious, and this is rugged work, I consistently find wave after wave of grief that overwhelms me. I can hardly believe how upended it has made my life.

My whole sense of purpose, value, and meaning was wrapped tightly around my Christian faith...I kept my doubts buried and crucified, and I tried hard not to think about the troubling things of faith...A year ago, I abandoned evangelicalism...the pain I feel is deep and raw. 

The impact can create problems with day-to-day functioning. 

The amount of inner turmoil during this time was overwhelming. It affected my daily life and many days I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was depressed and anxious at the same time. Being in college was difficult. I could hardly focus on class.

I am utterly confused and at the moment my whole life is ruined as I don't know what to think. I've been off work a month with anxiety. 

I have - for about three years - been dependent on drinking alcohol every night for a very long time.

GCI Institutes New Leadership Model

As Grace Communion International seeks to define itself in being more grace-based, they have come up with a new model of leadership.  Instead of the old pyramid power structure, they are looking at REAL Teams, a model based upon the trinitarian understanding of the Godhead.

New Church Structure

Dear GCI family,

Greg and Susan Williams

Hopefully you have taken the opportunity to see the video series where I spoke about REAL Teams. If not, you can check it out here on our Resources site. It is our goal to be more creative in the ministry tools we are producing, and we are designing these tools for ease of understanding as well as application.

A clear understanding of REAL Teams sets the precedence for what we are hoping to accomplish with the new organizational structure we have in GCI for every circle of leadership.

In short, REAL Teams reflect the perichoretic union of Father, Son, and Spirit; the holy, mutually interdependent, completely harmonious relationship shared by the three members of the Trinity. This same kind of love, intimacy and inclusion was displayed by Jesus in the way he interacted with the original disciples.

In John 15:13-16 Jesus told his disciples that they weren’t mere followers or workers, they were his friends. Friends with whom he shared the insights he received from the Father. Friends with whom he shared life-on-life experiences and in-depth dialogue (Luke 24:13-45). Friends that he shared teachings with, which were not disclosed to others (Matthew 13:36-52). Friends to whom he gave high challenges, always with high support seasoned with grace (John 13:1-17). Friends who received tender acts of love from Jesus (John 13:1-17). Friends who were present to share the deepest and most painful experiences of Jesus (Matthew 26:38). This type of friendship expresses the very nature of the Triune God in which we are privileged to commune.

The following chart is the best way to present the new GCI organizational structure. It is not 100% uniform as each region and country has its own set of nuances, but the alignment is close, and it provides me a meaningful way to communicate and serve our pastors and churches around the globe. The biggest upside for me is when I visit one of the six areas around the world, I will meet with 3-4 leaders at one time and it reduces my travel and hopefully amplifies my effectiveness.

Note: GCI has National Boards in most of the countries included above. These are governing boards that provide oversight for their administrative leaders and body of churches. The appointment of national or regional leaders is done in concert with the GCI President with final approval from the GCI Denominational Board.

It is my desire to develop good chemistry with each of the six teams that we call “Communities of Practice,” and to whole-heartedly support each of the Superintendents. I am dedicated to listening, dialoguing, collaborating and planning with each group and as we bathe our times together in prayer. We expect the Lord of the Harvest to guide and bless.

This is a brave new undertaking and several of the leaders are new to the mix, so please join me in your prayerful support of each name on the chart. Even as I more fully step into the shoes of the GCI presidency, several others are stepping into bigger shoes as well, and I truly believe Jesus has raised up the right leaders for such a time as this.

I will work closely with the media team to keep you abreast of what is happening around the world of GCI. “We are GCI” and we are in this together!

Greg Williams

False Prophet Lectures Us On 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, 7G, and 10G Cell Phone Technology And How Satan Will Use It To Attack True Christians

The self-appointed Chief Overseer and self-appointed end time prophet is getting all in a lather over the new 5G technology that the cell phone industry is rolling out as if this has to do with the end times.

Doubly blessed, Elijah, Joshua, Amos, Bob Thiel is reacting to the ludicrous story out of Russia from a Russian Orthodox Patriarch who claimed Satan will be using 5G technology. In the equally deluded day-dreaming false prophet's mind, he believes that Satan is currently attacking him and his work on the Internet, Facebook, Youtube and other avenues of persecution.

What is 5G? Does it have prophetic ramifications? What is 1g, 2G,3G, and 4G? What about 6G, 7G, and 10G? Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill tied some of these technologies to the Antichrist–could there be any truth to that? Could some of these new technologies assist in the fulfillment of prophecies related to Revelation 13, buying and selling, and 666? Are there health risks associated with 5G? What have some suggested? Will these technologies only provide benefits or might the Beast and Antichrist use them for harm? 

This deluded liar has no idea what persecution is and has never suffered any.  As he sits in his warm home in Arroyo Grande, living the good life while peddling holistic quackery pills, and travels around the world, he has no concept of what persecution is.  Other than spout traditional Church of God malarkey on perceived persecution or fantastical future predictions, he has no idea what real Christians face on a daily basis.

As Christians are killed in Pakistan, Nigeria, Syria, and Iraq, God's holy-dreamer dreams fantastical tales of doom and gloom while living a life of privilege in California.  As Chinese Christians have their churches torn down, Bibles destroyed, are thrown into prison, with many being forced into communist education camps, the lying false prophet lives a life of unpersecuted privilege.

The government has ordered an independent review into the persecution of Christians across the globe after 250 Christians on average were killed every month because of their faith last year.

Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, announced the review today, saying it would make recommendations on the practical steps the government can take to better support persecuted Christians.

In what the government described as a dramatic rise in violence, 215 million Christians worldwide faced persecution because of their faith last year. Christianwomen and children are particularly vulnerable to persecution, and are often subjected to sexual violence as a result of their beliefs.

Mr Hunt said he hoped to use the review, which will be led by Philip Mounstephen, the bishop of Truro, to consider some “tough questions” and shape Britain’s foreign policy response to ensure the level of UK support reflects the scale of suffering.  UK government vows to do more to protect Christians from persecution worldwide after 'dramatic rise in violence'

If Bob Thiel really wants to put his shallow faith into action then let us see him start a massive campaign in India, Pakistan, China and Nigeria.  Let him boldly proclaim his god, without consequence.

Don't count on it happening though.  It is much easier to sit in his warm home and say idiotic things as he spreads one false prophecy after another as he claims mounting persecution.

Dave Pack: Let's Make Lots of Money!

"Will a man rob God?"  

How many times have we heard this crap used as a weapon in order to enrich the lives of various COG leaders? It is a weapon because in almost every single instance the salvation of the sheeple are at risk if they do not head the call and put extra money in the envelope every time they turn it in.

Members have ruined their lives and of their families in order to heed these perverse demands.  Every single one of these men in charge of the various COG's have lived lives of privilege and luxury over the decades.  Rare has been the man in charge of a COG who has ever done extended heavy duty manual labor.  God forbid if they ever had to work so hard they had callouses on their hands!

What is holding up the false teachers of the COG?

Who is willing to take the first step?

Are the Churches of God Saucer Cults?

"God is giving us more time!"

When Prophecy Fails

 http://isitso.org/guide/fails.html

From the time that Jesus Christ returned to heaven after His resurrection, there have been people yearning so badly for his return to earth that they have poured over the prophecies of the Bible to try to "discern the times" in which they lived. Every generation of Christians has hoped they were living in the time when the clouds would be rolled back as a scroll and the Lord would descend to put an end to Man's miserable rule over Man.

And in many of those generations, Bible students have been convinced that they have been able to determine, through the prophetic hints in the Bible, that Jesus was, indeed, coming soon, in the lifetime of most living in their own generation. Not content with just the general hope, many have also worked out elaborate mathematical schemes whereby they could pinpoint not just the generation, but the decade, the year, the month, perhaps even the day that their "blessed hope" would be fulfilled.

This phenomenon has increased greatly in the past two centuries, and even more in the past two decades. Teacher after teacher, group after group has arisen to publish magazines, books, pamphlets, study guides and more to convince others of the certainty of their predictions of chronological details of "the Return." Thousands of lectures and sermons have been given and thousands of TV and radio programs have been recorded all with the primary aim of persuading the public to get on the bandwagon of the latest prediction of the year of the start of the Great Tribulation, or the "rapture," or even the Advent of the Lord Himself.

The pace of this speculation grew even more frantic in some religious circles as the year 2000 approached. Even those who didn't normally focus on dates seemed to be mesmerized by the number of zeros after the 2! Surely, thought many, the Lord will tarry no longer than the end of the millenium. Thus dogmatic pronouncements on specific dates were plastered on websites, trumpeted on radio talk shows, circulated in newsletters. Many ministries have arisen with the primary goal of bringing together in fellowship under one teacher or group those who were convinced of the prophetic scenario of that teacher or group. Each of these may have also taught elements of the Gospel and truths from the scriptures, but in many settings these almost seemed to be an afterthought. The biggest publicity, the most printed material, the most "bandwidth" on radio and on the Internet was devoted to endless feeding of the desires of followers for more and more details about the prophetic scenario.

To date, ALL of these many, many, many prophetic pronouncements of the past 2000 years have failed.

"When prophecy fails," what happens to all those faithful supporters whose generous tithes and offerings made the programs and publications and personal appearances to promote the prophecies possible? Common sense would suggest that they would abandon the ministries which had misled them. Common sense would indicate they would accept the reality of the failure and get on with their life, adjusting their priorities to give more attention to Bible basics and daily Christian living.

Common sense would be incorrect.

There is a famous book from the 1950s that is a classic in Social Psychology courses called When Prophecy Fails. The researchers preparing the book stumbled on a "flying saucer cult," which was predicting "the End," just then forming. In studying apocalyptic groups of the past which set dates for the Return of Christ or the End of the World, the researchers had come to some theories about what happens to members of such groups "when prophecy fails." They outline those in the beginning of the book, and then embark on a case study of the new cult to see if their theories applied. They did, perfectly.

This theory has since been applied to other modern cults, and found to be accurate. Below is an excerpt from a website which uses it to evaluate what happened in the Jehovah's Witnesses group when their date of 1975 for the beginning of the visible Kingdom on earth (and many earlier dates they set for the same event) came and passed with no fulfillment. This is introductory material which explains the basis of the theory. (Italics and bolding have been added in a few places to call attention to words or indicate a title.) 

Leon Festinger's Theory 

https://www.amazon.com/When-Prophecy-Fails-Leon-Festinger/dp/1578988527/ref=asc_df_1578988527/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid={creative}&hvpos={adposition}&hvnetw=o&hvrand={random}&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl={devicemodel}&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583932699407356&psc=1

In studying this phenomena, credit must be given to Leon Festinger for his cognitive dissonance theory, as developed in his book When Prophecy Fails, originally published in 1956 and co-authored by Festinger, Henry W. Riecken and Stanley Schachter. The authors comprised a research team who conducted a study of a small cult-following of a Mrs. Marian Keech, a housewife who claimed to receive messages from aliens via automatic writing. The message of the aliens was one of a coming world cataclysm, but with the hope of surviving for the elect who listened to them through Keech and selected other mediums. What Festinger and his associates demonstrated in the end was that the failure of prophecy often has the opposite effect of what the average person might expect; the cult following often gets stronger and the members even more convinced of the truth of their actions and beliefs! This unique paradox is the focus of attention in this article, and will be later applied specifically to the Jehovah's Witness movement.

Festinger observes:

"A man with a conviction is a hard man to change. Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point. "We have all experienced the futility of trying to change a strong conviction, especially if the convinced person has some investment in his belief. We are familiar with the variety of ingenious defenses with which people protect their convictions, managing to keep them unscathed through the most devastating attacks. "But man's resourcefulness goes beyond simply protecting a belief. Suppose an individual believes something with his whole heart; suppose further that he has a commitment to this belief, that he has taken irrevocable actions because of it; finally, suppose that he is presented with evidence, unequivocal and undeniable evidence, that his belief is wrong: what will happen? The individual will frequently emerge, not only unshaken, but even more convinced of the truth of his beliefs than ever before. Indeed, he may even show a new fervor about convincing and converting other people to his view. "

When Prophecy Fails focuses on the failure of prophecies to come true, termed disconfirmation by Festinger, and the accompanied renewal of energy and faith in their source of divine guidance. His theory presupposes the cult having certain identifying features, such as: (a) belief held with deep conviction along with respective actions taken, (b) the belief or prediction must be specific enough to be disconfirmed (i.e., it didn't happen), (c) the believer is a member of a group of like-minded believers who support one another and even proselytize. All of these characteristics were present in the saucer cult.

Of particular interest in Festinger's book is how the followers of Mrs. Keech reacted to each disconfirmation (failed date). Little attempt was made to deny the failure. The strength to continue in the movement was derived, not largely from the rationalizations , but from the very energy of the group itself and its dedication to the cause. This explains why proselytizing wasso successful later in reinforcing the group's sagging belief system. Festinger relates:

"But whatever explanation is made it is still by itself not sufficient. The dissonance is too important and though they may try to hide it, even from themselves, the believers still know that the prediction was false and all their preparations were in vain. The dissonance cannot be eliminated completely by denying or rationalizing the disconfirmation. But there is a way in which the remaining dissonance can be reduced. If more and more people can be persuaded that the system of belief is correct, then clearly it must, after all, be correct. Consider the extreme case: if everyone in the whole world believed something there would be no question at all as to the validity of this belief. It is for this reason that we observe the increase in proselytizing following disconfirmation. If the proselytizing proves successful, then by gathering more adherents and effectively surrounding himself with supporters, the believer reduces dissonance to the point where he can live with it."

In the end, the members of the flying saucer cult did not give up their faith in the Guardians from outer space with their promises of a new world. Despite numerous prophecies and the resultant disappointment accentuated by many personal sacrifices, the group remained strong

Prophecy Addiction: Former WCG/UCG Members Claim They Have True Timelines Of Prophecy For Us

It has been a long time since we have featured Steve Collins here on this blog.  He is a former Worldwide Church of God and later United Church of God member who is wrapped up in British Israelism and prophecy timelines, as only an Armstrongite can do.  Like any Armstrongite addicted to prophecy, he has been an abject failure in his predictions.

Collins is also the idol of many COG members who feel the need to get wrapped up in conspiracy theories and outright lies of prophecy addicted COG ministers and members.  This addiction leads members into making their own prediction.  These prophecy addicts do not like having their pet prophecies made fun of.

A reader here was none too impressed with this blog and the opinions of others and made this comment before sending us over to read the prophecy gobbledygook of Collins:

Lee ClarkI appreciate objective journalism, but you guys are just plain slanted and evil, so go to your reward.

I'm setting dates: And if you don't like it, maybe you just shouldn't be in the game ...

https://www.apocalypseanonymous.com/2018/12/leviticus-26-end-of-america-2001-2036.html 

If you did not get your fill of the seven-year time cycles of Herbert Armstrong and other COG false prophets you will get your fill of it Clark's timeline.  Its all about land sabbaths, jubilees and other old covenant expectations.  You will see scant writing about Jesus, other than the dude is really pissed due to all of the delays he has been held back with by his angry Father.

A regular COG snooze fest.

Inculcating HWA

Inculcate.  Don't you just hate that word after spending a lifetime in the Chruch of God?  It was a weapon used by church leaders to force members into believing every single thing they said as if it came directly from Jesus Christ himself.

We were expected to take every single word uttered by and written down by Herbert Armstrong as if it was directly channelled by God through him.  Various COG's today have placed his writings and words on the exact same level as scripture.  None is more aggressive in this than the Philadelphia Church of God, as long as it does not interfere with Gerald Flurry's new revelations.

This idolatry is found very active in the PCG's "college" where they now have a class on the life and teachings of Herbert W Armstrong. Instead of discovering the life of Jesus, its all about Herbert.

PCG: "How much time do you spend thinking about all those wonderful children that you’re going to have with Jesus Christ, your Husband?"

By now in 2019, we should never be surprised at the lunacy coming out of the Philadelphia Church of God, all thanks to the visions Gerald Flurry receives from his god.

Desiring Spiritual Children

Now, consider this inspiring parallel. It is natural for us to desire physical children. In fact, some women have such a strong maternal desire that they have children even when afflicted by grotesque health problems. Still they have children, because that desire is so strong within them. 

What about having spiritual children? We don’t naturally desire spiritual children. That is an unnatural desire. How much time do you spend thinking about all those wonderful children that you’re going to have with Jesus Christ, your Husband? How much do you yearn for sons and daughters in the Family of God? Do you desire with all your passions to have children in the Family of God? We must build that yearning for a spiritual family. 

That is so unnatural that it takes the Spirit of God to truly yearn for that; yet that is the purpose Christ’s Bride will fulfill!

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The Bride of Christ must build a natural yearning, a natural desire, to have spiritual children! That desire, however, must come from God. Remember, spiritually we are the woman; we must be building this spiritual yearning within us, where we feel we must have spiritual children. The real family is the God Family! That’s the family God wants us to really get passionate about.

The physical family is here only to help us get into the spiritual family.

This God Family vision really stretches your mind. It is unnatural for us, but it is the way Christ, our Husband, thinks! We must think that way too if we are to marry Him! (Philippians 2:5). 

Imagine what Christ would say if we married Him and then told Him that we didn’t really want children. Of course, this is hypothetical; we would not even be Christ’s wife if we thought that way. If we don’t want children, then we are in the wrong spiritual family! And we won’t be the Bride of Christ.

Christ is determining now if you want to have a lot of children; and by a lot, He means all of humanity. Multiple billions of people will be given the opportunity to be a part of the God Family before this is over.