Cursed Be Ye Who Feeds His Family On The Sabbath

Our ultraconservative wanna-be Jews in Armstrongism never fail to disappoint....

The WWCG did away with the Sabbath completely. That was satan's first try.

There are more coming. The second try might be an attempt to have the church bring a curse on itself by watering down the Sabbath.

We might find people saying it is fine to work into the Sabbath or on it even if you have a family to feed.

Of course this will bring curses with it and it totally negates having faith in the ability of God to provide for you including a new job , etc. if you need it.

Another response:

Satan is behind the attack on all "Christianity". There is a increasing trend to mock anything Christian. The real target is God's Church.

 And yet another response:

So you might be told that  it is fine to continue working at a job on the Sabbath because of course God is merciful and doesn't want you to starve. It is a completely satanic argument but, it will be used for many issues and it is one to watch out for.

Another reader responds:

Hunger prevention strikes at our mortality and fear of dying. Satan used it on Jesus, commanding him to turn stones into bread! Satan [Jesus] was not fooled, however. He was not about to obey anything Satan said. So it must be with us. Just because God does not strike anyone with lightning at this time, does not mean his does not care or supports our sin

UCG's "Hidden" Gay Feast Site? Hardly.....

Rumors have been floating around the Internet since last year that UCG was having a a "hidden" feast site in Montana.  COGWA and die-hard conservatives in UCG have made all kinds of claims about this site including one that it was for gay UCG members.  The conservatives and COGWAites have a bitter  attitude towards UCG because it tends to be "slightly" gay friendly.  Melvin Rhodes and Dennis Luker have long worked with gays and lesbians in UCG by advocating that they are just as loved by God as everyone else - though in UCG's eyes it be a sin to "act" gay, but not a sin to be gay.

This reminds me of a meeting in Las Vegas several years ago called Fall Autumn Gathering.  It was a meeting place for gays and lesbians traveling to various COG sites.  It was only a three day affair, but allowed people to meet others. Of course this sent various individuals into catatonic fits of rage.  It was fun watching them make complete asses of themselves while they pretended to be the most perfect Christians that ever had graced Armstrongism.

The Montana site though was for those UCG members who lived in the state who were "...under-employed, unemployed, and individuals on fixed incomes to be able to attend the feast . . . whereas otherwise they would not be able to attend due to distance, finances, and health."  UCG Feast, Bigfork Montana

It still fascinated me on how anti-gay so many in Armstrongism are. If many of them had their way, they would be the first to start stoning them according to "old testament" laws. The ironic thing in this is that many of those ready to cast stones are alcoholics, adulterers, thieves, porn addicts, liars and partakers in other salacious activities.

Bitter WCG Executive Sells HWA Treasures

Apparently a WCG executive has sold some treasures of HWA on Ebay recently.  According to Craig White this executive despises HWA. so much so that he wants to get rid of any reminder of him. This included leather bound copies of Herbs books, a model of Herb's jet plane, and a model of the ark of the covenant.

This apparently mind boggling sale has a minuscule group of  COGgers giddy with excitement over these most significant find..  Can anyone say IDOLATRY..................

Craig White writes:

Greetings,

I recently took photographs of HWA’s model aircraft and special bounded books he authored and uploaded them here. These items were procured by a friend. The model plane was sold on EBay by a WCG executive that despised HWA! The entire historical trail that I am developing may be found here.

All I can say is that small minds  can only get excited over something so insignificant as these items!  Don't these people have a real life?

Dennis On: "This is For All The Lonely People..."

This is For All The Lonely People...

I suppose it would be easy to label the downside of breaking free of religious dogma, drama, misinformation and imaginary outcomes as "the Dark Side" of the process, but perhaps it is simply "The Other Side."  

Being out of the group, while liberating, can be one of the most lonely journeys in life you will ever go on.  While there are great gains to be recognized, there are also many losses.  We lose most of our friends who were friends because of the tie that bound us.  To sing, "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds," in a crowd of thousands where we were under the illusion we were all bound together in the same one grand thing, was always emotional for me.  To sing, "God be with you til we meet again," as the last hymn at a festival site before heading back home to the real way it was would leave me teary yet hopeful.  

Just feeling safer knowing so many like minded people all over the world made living in the world easier somehow.  There was order.  Be here, be there, do this, do that set a framework upon which one could build the illusion of safety and harmony.  I can't say I don't miss it. 

I have always found that speaking one's feelings and sharing the stuff that lies deep within, while sometimes risky, most often is far from it.  All my ministerial career (is that the right word?) being ahead of my time, saying what my ministers friends often only thought or sharing thoughts and feelings deeply on a very practical level, were common observations about my "style."   It was not a style.  It was just me.

But what I found over and over again was that I was not alone in these thoughts, questions, observations or realizations.  Everyone was thinking on these things and just not sayin' nuttin'!  Oh sure, you had the oblivious and the suck ups, but most people simply sat on their feelings and doubts, or their hopes and dreams. Everyone down deep feels what we all feel and think we alone have cornered the market on that feeling, disappointment, loss or recognition.  It simply is not so.

 

I want to relate to all of us who just under the surface and for all our bluster, information, realizations and observations are simply lonely in this life.  One does not have to be alone to be lonely.  You truly can be lonely in a crowd.  I imagine many COG members understand this.  They stay because there is no emotional place to go and yet they are lonely to talk or express themselves or even lonely to disagree for once and not feel threatened by the higher ups that seem threatened by not all speaking the same one thing.  Speaking the same one thing is not the same as speaking the same right thing.

So let me begin. I consider this a form of personal therapy and yet know that the vast majority of us all completely understand it for ourselves.  While risky at times, self disclosure and sharing the stuff of life is still better than keeping it inside where eventually what eats you...eats you!

I have honestly never been more lonely in my life as I find myself now.  That loneliness has been costly.  It ruins relationships and sometimes makes one look in all the wrong places for a fix, no matter how temporary.  Being lonely is painful.  For me it causes both a conscious and subconscious anxiety.  It gives one too much time to ruminate about bad choices, good choices gone bad and what may or may not happen in the future.  Sometimes  you find yourself sitting alone in the dark with your dog talking to it and saying dumb stuff like, "well, here we are Chewy. Just you and me. Who would have guessed?"

One of the lessons lonely leaves you with is that if you depends on others to make you happy or give you meaning, the Karma Fairy will have to make a visit and straighten you out on that.  I have deeply depended on others to make me feel fulfilled, alive and loved.  The problem is that if we allow others, even jobs and churches to "make us happy," or to fill that void left by loneliness, they have the power to take it away overnight, and they do.  It's why I study the fine art of acceptance and forgiveness now.  These are two things I never had to do when everything was just fine.

While I recognize that "If you understand, then things are as they are.  If you don't understand then things are as they are," is true, it still is a lonely road when what is sucks or appears to at the moment.

Loneliness shows.  It manifests in the inability to get out and fix it because at times we have to be careful what we wish for.  Loneliness has made me moody and distracted from necessary pursuits.  It has also left me very distrustful and at times with the feeling of just killing time  until it's over.  Loneliness gives too much time to the critical voice in the head that loves to rub it in.

Perhaps Church and group think only mask loneliness?  Maybe one can be alone in a crowd.  Yes, of course they can.  I was often lonely as a minister because who do share expanded thinking with in the COG?  That was always a great formula for something bad to happen to you.  I find the same problem here with the school I teach at.  They don't listen and just as I could see with the Church and now again with this school, if they don't they won't be here in a couple years.  Is it so hard to see you can't disturb, disaffect, disillusion and dis-everything everyone and expect anything but a negative outcome?

Anyway, back to lonely.  One of the reasons I am lonely is because, try as I might, I still feel anger at a few specific life situations and people that is taking way too long to dissipate.  I accept responsibility for those I angered and this often leads me to tell myself that I don't deserve to be angry because I have angered others.  You know, Karma Fairy. But that thinking does not help.  In fact, it leaves me in limbo.  In my soul I know that anger serves me in no positive way. It changes nothing and like loneliness , shows too often and poisons the punch.  Intellectualizing about it doesn't release it anymore than sitting home alone cures loneliness, or at least takes the edge off.

Actually, perhaps the whole world is one big lonely planet.  We buy stuff to distract  us, eat ourselves into comfort and play endless video games into the wee hours of the morning to stop thinking about it.  "Gamers" are now an official cause of broken relationships and blood clots in the legs leading to stroke.   Distraction is not a cure for loneliness.  It merely postpones having to come to terms with what really makes one content.  "Happiness" seems like an illusion to me.  It is why, when sitting through the few services I could stomach in the new WCG, and happy singing and happy hand waving was introduced, I felt sick to my stomach.  It did not make me "happy."   Being "happy" about Jesus was just not going to work with who I am, what I know and where I want to be.  I guess lonely is going to go with my kind of temprement.  Actually I was told as about the only prophecy ever given me that was 100% true,

"Dennis, you outgrow your boxes quickly. Most people never look at the box they were born in.  You have two choices.  You can get back in the box you came from and make everyone happy. However, you will be on antidepressants the rest of your life.  Or you can leave the box you are now in, as you actually have.  But YOU WILL GO ALONE."

Truer words were never spoken to me.  Of all thing then...I had a feeling to turn around and look behind me in the grocery store awhile back.  You know, that feeling you get when you feel someone is looking at you.  It was my counselor who I had not seen since the day he told me of my journey.  He looked awful. He looked sad and very very lonely.  He perked up when I related how I had told most of the planet of his observation and that he had done many some good.  It was an odd experience.

Well, between "shut the hell up,"  (spoken by lonely pain bodies I know:), and this having the potential of getting too long, I admit I am very lonely.  While I will never give my brain to group think again, or feel comfy in a church of uneducated Bible readers who know the answer to everything, it's still lonely. The holidays don't seem to help and yet I find it doesn't seem to help many.  Everyone is scattered and we all are caught up in our dramas, hopes, dreams, fears and realities.  Perhaps the way we think or view things is our worst enemy.  I have to admit, I am not much of a one to apply "the Secret," and get the Jaguar of my dreams.   Simple works best for me.

So, this is for all the lonely people, thinking that time has passed them by.  This is for all the people in my past who came to me and sharing their own loneliness whether in a crowd or  at home alone.    I get it now!  I do understand. 

We used to say, "Experience is the best teacher, but the tuition is high."  Perhaps "Experience is the ONLY teacher. Everything else is hearsay."

Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com

Idiots In The Pulpit: Muslim Cleric Bans Cucumbers and Bananas For Women

If we thought  some Christian ministers were idiots, they don't even compare to this Muslim idiot Cleric.



International Business Times has this entry:   

The Internet has been blazing and people are appalled, but apparently the Islamic cleric living in Europe was quite serious. The Islamic cleric said women should not touch or handle or be close to cucumbers or bananas to avoid any "sexual thoughts."

Claiming that the fruits and vegetables "resemble the male penis," the Islamic cleric said bananas, cucumbers and more, including carrots and zucchini could make women "think of sex" and they should be handled by a third party if they are to eat them to avoid arousal.

The Daily Mail has this entry:

The sheikh was asked how to 'control' women when they are out shopping for groceries and if holding these items at the market would be bad for them.

The carrot should also join the forbidden list of foods for women to touch

The cleric answered saying this matter is between them and God.
Answering another question about what to do if women in the family like these foods, the sheikh advised the interviewer to take the food and cut it for them in a hidden place so they cannot see it.

The opinion has stirred a storm of anger among Muslims online, with hundreds mocking the cleric.

Why is it that fundamentalist religions, whether Christian or, Muslim, produce such incredibly stupid people?

Dr. Bob - the Lap Dog?

Another fun day in COG paradise!  Apostle Malm has this little tidbit in one of his responses to a reader concerning a possible reconciliation between Living Church of God and COGW:

FYI Bob is Rod’s lap dog and is not well liked by some others high in LCG, he may be in for a big surprise when Rod leaves the picture. Bob has made many enemies for LCG throughout the COG spectrum including many now in COGWA. Bob would have to go; for any LCG reconciliation or cooperation with almost anyone else could take place. 

Further Doug Winnail who is the heir apparant, would never reveal or admit any thoughts along the lines of cooperating with COGWA, which would be a nonstarter [because of Larry Salyer] with Rod and might get him removed as heir apparant.

While heir apparant, Doug Winnail is still opposed by certain others, LCG is not nearly as united as they want to appear. There is still a behind the scenes struggle for power going on.


Rod and a good many in LCG still bear a huge grudge again Larry Salyer and would not want to cooperate with COGWA as long as Larry was around. Larry is supported by Doug Horchak and that would involve the politics in COGWA. Nothing along this line of cooperation could happen until Doug Winnail is in full control of LCG. Then Larry Salyer would have to be sidelined by COGWA, and Bob Thiel by LCG. If not stopped they would certainly be sidelined and muzzled. James

Lil' Joel Writes A Note To COGWA Ministers

Lil' Joel Meeker is the new Chairman of the Ministerial Board of Directors in Church of God Worldwide Association,  a harlot daughter split off of United Church of God.

It was last year, at this very time of the month,  that United was rocked by a major upheaval of men who had been plotting for well over 6 months to form a "new and improved" true church.  Lil' Joel had been hard at work in the French regions he was over to try and sway them all to join up with the upcoming "new and improved" COG.  The French speaking regions basically told him where he could stick the baguette.  Tears and temper tantrums did not sway them.

Now Lil' Joel has a new IMPORTANT job with a new title that makes him, at least in his eyes, out to be a force to be reckoned with.  It brings him new status that will have regular church members moving aside when his presence enters a room.

Anyway, enough fun at Lil' Joel's expense. Back to his letter:

Dear Fellow Ministers,

We have just finished a productive series of meetings between the Ministerial Board of Directors and the administration of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. A full agenda required attention to many questions and a variety of discussions, but the work we accomplished together was positive and encouraging. We experienced a definite spirit of respect and humility, along with a united and deep desire to help move the work of God forward. The board has had in hand since Thanksgiving the proposed strategic plan, budget and the office location study, all of which we had carefully studied in preparation for these meetings.

 
"V" translation: It should be obvious to all of you men present that since we are the ONLY true church in existence now that there can be no cooperation, positive work or Christian encouragement outside the COGWA.  We are filled with such love and respect for each other that it has made us into the most humble men on earth as we now run a church that will keep money flowing into our pockets.

As we began on Monday morning, I gave a brief review of the genesis of our present organizational structure. Not all board members or officers had been involved in the long, careful process of developing and proposing this structure to the ministry of the Church for approval. I reviewed many of the sometimes hard lessons we learned from the past 15 years and more of Church history and how they motivated us to improve the structural relationship between the president and his administration and the MBOD and to add additional safeguards—such as the Doctrine Committee and the Morals and Ethics Assessment Committee—against improper behavior by any involved in our leadership.

"V" translation:  As all of you men know we started forming this church over  eighteen months ago while still in the employ of our mother church - those bottom feeders at United.  Not all of you men present were aware of the underhanded manipulating that we did to start this organization that some of you jumped into after all the hard work had been done.  Even though I have been one of the hardest working and most important men in the COG over the last 15 years, and  as we struggled to maintain our tithe paying flock when we jumped ship from WCG, I want you all to know that I will not repeat the same mistakes of past administrations/churches we belonged to.  Even though I was part of two previous COG incarnations, and worked to actively disfellowship anyone who disagreed with me or the church, I want you to know that I am the most ethical man that has ever occupied this position.  Even though we might have conspired to form COGWA while still on UCG payroll, we were following a higher authority and did not need to worry about the ethical side of the matter.  "god" was speaking to us to form this new organization to preserve the "truth once restored under Mr. Armstrong."

The board has important legal responsibilities, such as selecting our corporate officers, including the president, approving operation managers proposed by the president, and assessing and approving annual plans and budgets. At the same time, the board is not to insert itself into the management of the Church; rather, it is to work in the background, supporting the president with advice when he seeks it, as he provides spiritual leadership under Jesus Christ to our Church organization around the world.

"V" translation:  I want you men to keep this secret and in this room.  While our public face to the dumb sheeple will be that we are here to support our Dear Leader, the truth is that we are here to manipulate and keep in check our Dear Leader so he never strays from our agenda.  He cannot be allowed to be a free thinker and possible let the sheeple know that they are just pawns in our game. So we will work in the background to continue to manipulate and control our Dear Leader so that he fears being fired and losing his income.

I concluded the presentation with observations many of us have made over past months. These included the fact that our future success depends not on documents or corporate structures, but on the extent to which we submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must respect one another as brothers in Christ and continue to nurture the trust between us, which we now strongly feel but which will require continued attention and effort. As board members, we must be honest with one another and the president, giving open and frank judgments as we discuss issues, always with the goal in mind of seeking what is best for the Church. Finally, I reminded us all that we are first and foremost part of the Church of God. Any legal structures and procedures we develop exist only to support our work as a spiritual body, and they must never be allowed to take precedence over the spiritual principles contained in the Word of God.

'V" translation:   As all of you men well know, the future success of this money making empire does not rest on constitutions, numerous documents, the make-believe power structure, or the opinions of the sheeple.  Our success lies squarely in our hands, guided, of course by that non-existent third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.  We must respect each other as ordained leaders in this organization.  As board members we must take care of ourselves first, the Dear Leader second and our salaries third.  The sheeple will continue to be dumb and will do whatever we say.  We must continue to let the sheeple know that we follow the TRUE god who was so weak and impotent that he lost his gospel message over 1,900 years ago.  It has now been found in Dallas and we will proclaim it to all the world, once we get the money.

Compensation Task Force and MEAC. On Wednesday morning the board discussed the establishment of a Compensation Task Force, composed of businesspeople not employed by the Church, that would be charged with studying and recommending appropriate compensation ranges for our employees. To avoid any conflict of interest, it is common practice in nonprofit organizations to request from nonemployees the research and advice on which to base such policies. After the discussion, the board approved the establishment of the task force and named five people and two employee advisors to it. We have asked that their report and recommendations be presented to the board by the spring holy days.

On this I have to hand it to COGWA.  Bringing in outsiders to decide on how much leaders and ministers will get paid is something that Worldwide never did.  Church members were never allowed to be part of any decision in Pasadena.  Can you imagine Church members approving the $150,000.00 salaries that many HQ brass were bringing in in WCG?  I doubt it!  It will be interesting to see how this plays out and if COGWA has the decency to publish those figures for the entire church to see.  Will Lil' Joel allow his salary to be published?  Since he is a man of high ethical stature I am sure he will be the first to put in print what COGWA is paying him, how much paid time off he gets, the value of his health care, his housing allowance and other ministerial perks.  Oh wait, he is on the ethics committee and we already know how ethical COGWA brass are.

Mr. Franks then chaired a discussion of candidates for the Morals and Ethics Assessment Committee (the MEAC). This committee is established to insure that unethical or immoral conduct by any elder will be addressed appropriately and without partiality. It is also empowered to hear appeals in cases of removal from the ministry or removal from the MEAC or Doctrine Committee. It also hears appeals on interpretations of the Bylaws or the Constitution in the event that the board’s interpretation of either of these documents is contested by the president or by an individual board member. It is important to have men of excellent reputation and sound judgment on this body. We were encouraged to see that there were more than enough candidates among our ministry who fit the criteria.

Upon recommendation by the president and after discussion, the board appointed Mike Blackwell, Larry Neff, Mike Hanisko, Les McCullough and Paul Suckling to the MEAC.

"V" translation:  "Do as we say, not as we do/have done."  Paul?   Les?   Mike?  Ethical?

Overview discussion. The final item on the agenda was a discussion of the current spiritual condition of our Church brethren around the world and a discussion of lessons learned from our recent past. Though the board discussed these things at its last meeting in August, we now have three new members who were not present at that time. So it was a chance for them to share their perspectives and for us to update our understanding of the present state of the Church following the Feast of Tabernacles.

"V" translation:  Damn it! I guess we have to talk about the sheeple.  Now that we have taken care of ourselves I guess we have to do something for the sheeple  to keep them compliant.  Despite the fact we have yanked them from several COG's over the years I guess we need to do SOMETHING for them.

We take this very seriously. It is our strong desire to see that our brethren around the world receive the best spiritual care and support that we can collectively provide. The Bible often speaks of God’s love and concern for each and every one of His people. We want to do our best with His help to make sure that our efforts, as a Church, reflect that love and attention toward all our brethren.

"V" translation:  Let's make sure we say "love" a lot.  Lets also publish a bunch of booklets and articles to keep them happy.  The more booklets they see in print the more they will think we are doing a work.  But don't get to "lovey' with them.  Preach strong sermons occasionally to let them know that they are not measuring up to God's high standards and that God is displeased with them and is delaying Jesus' coming.  Do little things like interfering in their marriages, job situations and child rearing.  And above all, do those tithe checks!

COGWA: What's Wrong With the Picture?

Take a look at the following leadership of the Church of God a Worldwide Association.  What's wrong with the picture?

Board of Directors is:   David Baker, Arnold Hampton, Joel Meeker Chairman, Richard Pinelli, Larry Salyer, Richard Thompson and Leon Walker.
A random drawing was held to determine BMOD member lengths of service, the results:  
David Baker – four years.
Arnold Hampton – eight years.
Joel Meeker – four years.
Richard Pinelli – eight years.
Larry Salyer – eight years.
Richard Thompson – eight years.
Leon Walker – four years  

PRESIDENT:  Jim Franks 
Media – Clyde Kilough
One Accord online paper:  Larry Salyer
Ministerial Services – Doug Horchak
Doctrine Committee:   John Foster, Bruce Gore, Don Henson, David Johnson, Ralph Levy
Morals and Ethics Assessment Committee:   Mike Blackwell, Larry Neff, Mike Hanisko
Les McCullough and Paul Suckling.

It's the same old tired men who manipulated, connived and stabbed backs along the way to get where they are today.  No new leadership blood is present.  It is all men who trained under HWA and who plan on following HWA's misguided path.  They are stuck in pre-1986 mode and have no intention of ever moving into the 21st century. 


COGWA also announced that they are moving their corporate HQ to Dallas Texas.  They are going to have to find their own property because UCG has refused to sell the vacant Denton property to any church that splits off from them. COGWA was very interested in the Denton property and out of spite UCG is refusing got sell to them.

Samuel Martin On Paying To Support Church Leaders Preaching and Publishing

Samuel Martin posted a comment on an entry further down in Spare Not The Rod: Beat Them Into Submission?

His blog entry is Should we preach? publish?, or proclaim the Gospel - Yes? No? Maybe?

I like the following quotes from him:

Here is a well intentioned Christian brother living thousands of miles away from the region where the Bible was written, using a 400 year old Bible version attempting to bring information which in some cases is over 3,000 years old into our modern day.

 --------

There is of course nothing wrong with preaching, publishing or proclaiming the Gospel. On the contrary. What is wrong, however, is misusing the Holy Scriptures to attempt to prove that a particular Church or religious leader must engage in preaching and publishing and that Church members should pay to see that these things take place. Preaching and publishing ministries are fine and excellent things in and of themselves, but one should not use these passages as justification for demanding that Church members pay the bills for these ministerial elements based upon a wrong understanding of Scripture.

Can you imagine Flurry, Pack, or Meredith all the sudden stop requiring church members to send in money to support their "ministries?"  

Being A UCG Minister Is Exhausting Work!!!!!!

I had to laugh at the comment in Melvin Rhodes letter to UCG minsters discussing the ministerial conference.

It is such a life draining experience and such hard work that UCG ministers will be exhausted from all that burdensome work.

My question is when have ANY of these men ever actually done a full day of hard labor?  How many have actually worked a full day in their lives?  They usually have everyone around them doing their dirty work, moving them, mowing their lawns, taking care of their houses, etc.

If you have pictures of any of them actually performing real work I would love to post them.

Thursday we met mostly in executive session to approve ordinations and to   approve a new hire for Media and Communications Services.

By Thursday at 3 p.m. we were all exhausted and ready to return home. We   are already looking forward to our next meetings at the end of February, 2012.

UCG To Start Begging Members To Fund New Buildings

After losing close to 50% of their ministry and well over a third of their members, UCG thinks it needs to build more buildings in Cincinnati.  Pretty soon the UCG will start a new building campaign for funding and chruch members will start lining up to donate.  Well, at least some of them blindly will.  Others are disgusted by the proposition of more HQ space being built.

As we strive toward our goals, the administration requested the Council consider   plans to expand the home office. This is primarily being driven by our need   to have expanded areas for our Media and Communications Services department   to more effectively and powerfully preach the gospel of God’s Kingdom. The  department is currently over capacity.

There are many needs, including a larger and more effective television studio   and a bigger meeting hall (which could double up as a permanent Feast site,   allowing 500 people to meet). There is also a need to provide additional space   for our young adults and ministerial education programs. Initial plans would   enhance this area, as well as our media department.

Some Council members expressed caution on taking on a loan at a time of economic   uncertainty. So after a great deal of discussion, a decision was made to go   ahead and hire an architect to draw up plans to give us a more accurate estimate   of costs. After seeing more concrete costs, and if the project is approved   by the Council in February, the money for it will be included in the 2012-2013   budget for approval by the General Conference of Elders in May. This will   also give us time to raise the funds in order to move forward in a measured   way. We would appreciate input from you and from our members, and are open   to a collaborative approach as we move forward. More information will be forthcoming.   We estimate that the final cost will be about two million dollars.

Maybe it is time for the members to give UCG brass a wake up call and call  halt to this program.  Why dump all of this money for new facilities when there is no need other than to pump up the egos of HQ brass so they can look more important!.

Is It Right To Give Estates To the COG?

I have always thought it rather disgusting that the COG has always begged for estate donations.  The COG is already taking over 40% of your income and they want more and more.  The sad part is that many families have been written out of wills in order to give everything to the chruch.

This happened in WCG numerous times and multiple lawsuits were waged by family members who had been left out.  WCG always fought those lawsuits vigorously doing everything in their power to discredit the people filling suit against them.  Multiple families have been left destitute while WCG got all the money.  Millions of wasted dollars went to pay the attorney's fighting these suits leaving the church with little from the original amount, yet the attorneys lived high on the hog all the time.

I was surprised to read on Apostle Malm's blog to day about people donating estates to COG's.  I was impressed that he said DON'T DO IT!  Malm says it is a sin to leave everything to the church while leaving nothing to your heirs.

Aaron Dean, operation manager for Financial Services, reported that our finances   are better than expected. In trying to take care of all the needs of the church,   including ensuring that all our congregations around the world are taken care   of with a resident or visiting minister and with people cared for, we have   often had to step out in faith. Our “faith line” was bolstered in the first   six months of the current fiscal year by two estate donations. God is looking   after us and taking care of our needs—congregations, ministry, people cared   for—the mission of the church is being funded. The Council deeply appreciates   the prayers and continued financial support of the brethren.

  Malm says:

I would warn the brethren that willing our estates to any church without leaving anything for our heirs is a terrible SIN in God’s eyes .1 Ti 5:8   But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. Even if our heirs are not converted, we are to provide for them to the best of our ability, thus setting a Godly example that will remain with them for all eternity.  Even if they dispise us, WE have a command from Christ to return good for evil at all times.

We are to NEVER leave our estate to anyone but our natural heirs unless we have no natural heirs.  If we are very wealthy we can of course leave a small amount to the church.  The defrauding of natural heirs amounts to the ROBBING of widows and orhans and is one of the terrible sins of these COG Groups.  I know that this is done out of a misguided love for the corporate church organization, which makes this fall into the condemnation of Christ as per Mat 15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Does UCG HQ Have Money To Burn?

UCG HQ has a letter out to the ministry of the Church.  They are preparing for their upcoming conference where it will be one big happy back slapping fun fest.  "Everything is is glorious in the church and we are one big happy family on the verge of bringing in thousands of new members.

After suffering a horrendous exodus of members to Church of God a Worldwide Association and a dramatic drop in income UCG is proposing building  new recording studios and other facilities:

Amongst other things, we will be discussing plans for the expansion of the home office to enable the building of a new recording and production studio to increase our broadcasting effectiveness. Also, attention will be given to the annual international reports submitted from every region of the world. These will be particularly interesting this year as we hear of the progress that has been made in different areas following the challenges we faced a year ago.

UCG still has no major impact in the world and is has not drawn in a measurable number of non-COG related members.  UCG, like most of the other COG is made up of church hopping COG members who look for a current COG that fits their fancy as they jump from church to church trying to find a home.

UCG like it's mother church the WCG has always been adept at using numbers to their advantage.  WCG always boasted about how many read the Plain Truth - over 8,000,000 at one item.  But ask them how many of that eight million actually became members and you could probably count them on two hand.  The PT and WCG's myriads of booklets never brought in huge numbers of "new" members.

So you have to question UCG's current vision of wasting millions of dollars more in members tithe money for another production studio.  Of course there will a few who will willingly deprive themselves in order to send in money to finance this new adventure.

UCG dumped millions of dollars in tithe money for a useless piece of land in Texas that is still sitting empty to this day.  There must still be some delusional men sitting at UCG HQ who think the glory days for UCG is yet to come.

Rod Meredith

and major sinless too.......

Growing Up In Armstrongism

Benjamin Grant Mitchell discuss life growing up in Armstrongism:

Another COG Rag In The Works

Those fine folks at COGWA are getting ready to start a new rag geared towards members. It's called One Accord.  Now that all the planning and scheming while in UCG employment is over and they have formed their new organization, they continue to move forward taking more and more UCG members into their fold.

I hardly think One Accord speaks well of COGWA or any of the other COG splinter cults.  They are not of one accord.  There are still divisive elements within COGWA, UCG and all the other COGlets.  The scheming, manipulating, and back stabbing will continue on till they all die a merciless death.

I can't imagine what Salyer would have to contribute to this new paper.  Though he is an expert on destroying churches and stealing members.

Launching church newspaper! One of the greatest ties that bind a family together is knowing what is happening in the lives of each member of the household. To that end, we are pleased to announce a new publication for the members of our spiritual family, the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.

Beginning in early January, we will begin producing a monthly online newspaper covering the events and news of brethren and congregations around the world. Based on the example of the early Church described in several places in the book of Acts, we have chosen One Accord as the title of this publication. A church newspaper does not create the spiritual quality of “one accord,” of course, but it certainly plays a role in unifying the body when we are aware and informed of our brethren around the world.

One Accord will feature the latest updates of events in the Church, reports from international areas, congregational news, editorials, feature columns and personal announcements such as engagements, marriages, births, anniversaries and obituaries. We will also have annual editions focusing on Feast and camp reports, honoring graduates, etc.

As ones who previously worked together on church newspaper production, Larry Salyer and Elizabeth Glasgow are going to serve as editor and managing editor, respectively. Much of the content will be dependent on what is provided from the members and congregations around the world, so we are asking each pastor to designate a reporter for each of his congregations. Since the first edition will be coming in the next few weeks, please begin sending your photographs, articles and reports as soon as possible. Each pastor has the contact information.

For the foreseeable future, One Accord will be an online publication only. It will be in the standard 8½-by-11 format, however, so it can be easily printed for those who do not have Internet access.

We look forward to the inaugural issue being in your hands shortly!

Lying For God: What Adventists Knew And When They Knew It!

As much as the various harlot daughters of Armstrongism deny it, the Church of God is an off shoot of Adventism that was tied into the false prophecies of William Miller.  The COG and Adventism are both harlot daughters of Millers utterings.

The 227 page book is here:  Lying For God: What Adventists Knew and When They Knew It

Some excerpts:


Every Saturday, a goodly number of SDA pastors preach sermons about things they know could not possibly be true. Every Monday through Friday SDA University professors of history and religion teach things they know are nothing more than fairy tales. They understand that they would be fired if they acknowledge what they know. For example, no Adventist Hebrew scholar would dare to teach his students what Genesis 2, Exodus 16, and Exodus 20 have to say about the origins and proper application of the Sabbath concept.



Sabbatarianism develops when a proof-texting approach to Bible study is utilized that ignores the major themes, concepts, and principles of the Bible. Its greatest single cause is an unfortunate ignorance of the nature of God's Law and the way New Testament writers, and especially St. Paul, thought and wrote about the LAW. For this reason your authors have spent a lot of time researching and presenting a biblical view of the Law as it would have been understood by St. Paul. Additionally we demonstrate that a few SDA theologians have betrayed their awareness of these principles by mentioning them in their own work.

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You are about to embark on a theological adventure that is stranger than fiction. Like the J.R.R. Tolkien epic series, The Lord of the Rings, explores the self-destructive nature of evil, Lying for God examines the nearly unfathomable mystery of how a long string of men and women who appeared to be honorable in nearly every other way could stultify their consciences and place the good of the institution of Adventism above truth itself– deceiving themselves and others into believing that the end (preserving the Church) justified the means (deception). Whether reading our book leads you to renounce Sabbatarianism or not, you will at least be led ask yourself why “truth” has to be shored up by a vast web of tightly woven lies.

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The last place on Earth you would go to look for the TRUTH about the Sabbath is the Seventh-day Adventist Church itself. Since its leaders and workers depend on the Church for their income, they are only interested in preserving the belief model that helps them to continue to receive their denominational salaries. Going to the Church would be like going to the manufacturers of artificial tanning equipment or the owners of tanning salons to get the truth about the dangers of artificial tanning.

Forgiving Your Abusers?

 From Peresphone Magazine

Apostle Malm has a couple to things on his blog today that are of interest.  The first is about the salaries of HWA, Rader and Ray Wright (one of Armstrongisms' biggest crooks.  Despite getting caught embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars he was brought back into the church to be over money twice.) and then learning to forgive your abusers and let "god" take care of them.

Fiduciary responsibility in the HWA WCG

For those unaware, while HWA was writing and begging for sacrifice in 1978,  he wasted tens of millions on the AICF and receiving a salary of over $300,000 per year, the exclusive use of two church owned palatial homes, complete with church paid household staffs, a personal home in Tucson bought and furnished with an interest free loan from the church,  an unlimited expense account and the exclusive use of a church owned and chauffeured Rolls Royce.

Stan Rader was salaried at $200,000 per year with an unlimited expense account and regularly speculated in real estate, using interest free loans of church funds; his home was bought with an interest free loan from the church, and he placed all church business through his own companies at high rates. including AICF business; raking of many millions per year for himself.

GTA  had a  Base Salary of  $150,00/yr,  an  unlimited expense account and $750,000/year for use of the private Falcon jet, as well as the use of private church owned hunting and fishing cabins bought by the church for his personal use and the interest free mortgage loan to purchase his home and furnishings.

Ray Wright   Basic salary    $122,728

These are very high salaries for 1978.  Compare them to other professionals in industry at that time:

•Engineers – $20,000 to $58,000
•Attorneys – $25,000 to $75,000

If it were only the salaries it might look reasonable, it is the additional perks that add up; as Rader has said: “It is not what you own, it is what you control” that is important.

Now Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry  are trying hard to follow in HWA’s foot steps.  Burdening the flock with burdens that they would not life a finger to bear themselves.

Don't forget UCG and LCG who still con members out of money to support their lifestyles and fund useless "colleges."

Then the Apostle goes on to write:

Many COG leaders are infamous for their lack of concern and love for others, it is very important that we DO NOT follow this  example and exhibit a lack of concern for others including such leaders.

Some people may have let some bitterness enter them because of the abuse of others.

Let us leave abuses in our Father’s capable hands; he knows how to correct the situation and bring ALL his children to repentance. We have the right to just walk away from abuse, but any retribution is up to the Father, for “Vengeance is MINE sayeth the Eternal”.  Remember that we were ourselves sinners and God is still working with us; he is also still working with those who have offended us and those that WE have offended.

So when a person is abused they are just to walk away as if nothing ever happened?  What about the rapists, murderers, stalkers, and child molesters that had free reign in the church?  So when a woman is raped by a minister or member she is to walk away and not report it because Armstrongism's"god" will take care of it?

What about the murderers that have killed numerous members over the years?  Even though one shot himself to avoid prosecution the  others were arrested and went to jail.  Were the relatives of those that were shot supposed to just sit around on they behinds while Armstrongism's "god" fixed it?

Sadly this is what happened to most of the child abuse cases in the church.  They were swept under the rug as if nothing happened, causing the children to suffered even more mental anguish.

What about the wives that are beaten by their husbands and when they go to ministers for help they are told to return home and be a submissive wife?

Every abuse by any minister or member that harms another needs to be reported to the authorities and action be taken against them.  They need to be in prison.  This includes any ministers that sits there and tells a woman to go home to be beaten and raped by her husband.  Those ministers need to be prosecuted as accessories to a crime.

The Apostle continues with:

When we are prepared to die for those who have offended us, then we are approaching the love of God that he is working to produce in us.

Bitterness is “hatred” and has no place in the heart of any in the faith.

A person has the right to be bitter and angry when they are abused by church leaders. A person has every right to hate the actions of these deviate morons.  Far too many of these men need to be in jail right now!

Dennis Says: "Of All The Things I Lost to Religion...I Miss My Mind the Most"

Of All The Things I Lost to Religion...I Miss My Mind the Most

Reclaiming Your Power

We have all done it. We are all guilty of it. We have all turned against ourselves by allowing it.

One of the problems one faces in belonging to and being a member of an organized Christian Church is that, either consciously, or subconsciously , one places themselves under the authority of others. We say we do it willingly. We believe that there are special people groups and leaders under whose supervision we need to be. It is others who tell you how to think, what to do, how to act and what to believe based on some criteria that they got from those "over" them, or those who came "before" them. For some, this works. For many, it is a formula for physical, psychological and emotional disaster.

In the case of Christians, the Bible is used to proof text any particular perspective one wants to promote. Whether we can admit it or not, within the Bible are enough speeches, personalities and dramas, which if manipulated properly and with enough conviction and showmanship, are justifications for just about every human endeavor in the name of God, Jesus and the Church. Many have the near crippling inability to conduct their lives without knowing what God, Jesus or the Bible would have them do, according to others.

In a church setting it is presented in some form of from God to Jesus to the Church to the minister to the elders to the deacons to the laity.....to the women...to the children who get to lord it over their pets. I am reminded of the parent who watched in horror as their child filled a backyard hole with water and nearly drown the family cat with the ceremonial words "in the name of the Father, the Son... and in the hole you go." Funny, but not for the cat!

This fear based chain is kept in place with appeals to biblical authority, fear of consequences for disbelief or misbehavior based on select criteria. It is reinforced with guilt (I did a bad thing) for failure to meet the standards set and paid for with an appropriate amount of shame (I am a bad person). The control factors are kept fresh every week with sermons or studies and every day with admonitions to study to show oneself approved or "pray about it." The "it" can be your attitude which is not in sync with the system and your success with "it" is compliance and a good attitude. If you forget the criteria for success you can now go to a Church website and replay the sermons of those that control your mind and do your thinking for you. Throw in the idea that a human can have the unreachable goal of becoming perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect, which whether meaning real perfection or maturity, and you have formula for major guilt and shame and the control stays in place. I have never met any human being who is remotely mature or perfect like a god, and neither have you. Well ok, a few Buddhists. :)

In addition, others tell us that we are to grow in Grace (actually a nice concept few grow in) and Knowledge (a good thing but one which, in reality, the organization prays to God you don't grow in), and one can never get out of the box without grievous consequences. Usually what growing in grace and knowledge really means is growing in adherence and compliance graciously and knowing that what you are being told to think is the truth and you need look no further. Personal looking and personal conclusions based on that looking, is bad for the individual and best left up to others who are more in tune with the conclusions that need to be drawn for your own good.

When we come to realize how manipulated we have been on the topic of religion, we usually get angry at others for doing this to us and get depressed, which is the anger we are directing at ourselves "for being so stupid" that we will not express properly. I believe the reason depression is so prevalent for those who come out of a bad religious experience is that we are so programmed not to express our anger, doubts and simple "hell no, I don't believe that," that it has no other place to go but inward and provoke the depression. "Be angry and sin not" often means keep it to yourself and don't show it, unless of course you are higher up the authority chain.

Minister types seem to be in a perpetual state of anger of one form or another. Many of my clients tell me how tired they are of the minister being angry all the time in sermons and letting everyone have it. I say he is faking it and doing it because he is expected to by himself, his church and his concept of God. If ministers really spoke that way in public or in the workplace, they would be fired or at best labeled as wacko. I've sat through lots of biblically salted harangues. I once heard a curse put on someone publicly from the pulpit with a lot of anger. But that is the privilege of rank. Anger in organizations can only be expressed downward. Upward anger results in lynching of the laity.

One additional fact we need to keep in mind is that the the Bible itself is the source of every organizational and mission blueprint no matter how people use it to advance their perspectives. Most men and organizations aren't out to deliberately deceive others. They too are the victims of the system before them and keep it going with their own fears, shame, guilt and hope for reward and peace. Peace is really what the soul craves but we go looking for it by repeating such tried and proven unworkable perspectives.

We usually stop the blame game and pity party with the people who advance the ideas and not the source. Few blame the Bible itself as the source of more human misery, war, prejudice, racism, chaos, family division, sexual repression, male abuses, female victimization and the evils of exclucivism than Christians are capable of admitting. Most would never take the time to study the dark side of Christianity and it's rotten fruit.

When confronted with the stark facts of how the Bible has been used to control, shame, frighten and organize individuals, whether by early church father types, governments, churches or ministers, it is all to easy to say, "well they are not REAL Christians." Well, yes they were and yes they are, just ask them. They do these things because they are using the book as their guide. They appeal to the examples of God, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Paul and Jesus, usually in that order. They are "living by the book" as they would say and the fruit is rotten, as we could say. They are doing what God would have them to do. Bible Atrocities They think that there is one continuum of truth that can never change, be clarified, reworked, or even dismissed and negated as ignorant. There is nothing new to know and keeping blinders in place is the same as being faithful. If God can say "I change not" and Jesus can be "the same yesterday, today and forever," that works for them and better work for us too, context not withstanding.

Where do we go wrong when we allow others ideas of how things are to control us? It's kinda like so many who take long trips to meet family holiday obligations. You don't want to go. It's expensive. It's tiring and we have other things we need to do. The kids want to play with their friends and we want to just do nothing with the time we have off. It's not that we don't love or appreciate, though sometimes we don't and the attitude we get home in is not the one we went with, but it is just too much effort. On top of that, we go because it is too much costly not to go. The tribe will be mad. Feelings will be hurt. Uncle Louie will be disappointed that John's wife wasn't there to leer at. And grandma won't have the chance to drive you nuts yelling at your kids to be quiet and stop having fun. Dad won't talk as usual and your sister will have that look that makes us all so pleased she came. But we did it... we gave away our power of choice and we did what we were expected to do for the benefit of others to to keep the illusion alive. Where do we go wrong?

We go wrong by giving up our own personal power. We go wrong by negating our own doubts. We go wrong by keeping that niggly question deeply stored in the back of our brains, never to be asked. We go wrong by saying we agree outwardly when we hate the idea or concept inwardly. We go wrong by letting things go and ideas we think are stupid pass. We go wrong by allowing some ancient text, idea or opinion pass as the only way to be. We go wrong by letting other humans with legitimate "authority" or only imagined to intimidate the reality and common sense out of us. We go wrong by letting others use the Bible to makes points that the Bible shouldn't make in this day and age. We go wrong by finding meaning in a scripture that the scripture never meant for us to take. ....take a breath....ok... We go wrong by letting doing what our heart is not in and repress where our heart is. We go wrong belonging to something outwardly that hurts us inwardly. We go wrong saying yes to sermons we should say no to. We go wrong by letting advice become a command. We go wrong by letting another human being think that whatever they come up with to do or say is fine with us.

In short, we give up our power of discernment and choice. I know that some get very angry when phrases like "take responsibility for your choice" is said. We don't like to hear that. I have hated it because it is costly and embarrassing. We come up with a dozen reasons we could not and that we HAD to give up our power. Realizing we did give our power to others is very very painful! "You weren't there" is usually a good lead in to why one had to comply. "I'd get disfellowshipped" or "I'd be demoted." "God would be mad at me." "I might end up in the Lake of Fire." "The Bible says..." We all understand how that worked. I participated in it. I preached it. I enforced it. I wish I had not. I am glad it was not personally for me as bad as it could have been had I not been willing many times to quietly ignore what I did not agree with and encourage others to do the same.

We wanted to do the right thing as perceived by others so we gave them our power. We even gave the Bible God our power by counting on everything from healing and good health to financial prosperity through generous giving. There were PLENTY of texts in the Bible to motivate us to do the right thing and believe it. Don't blame men for twisting the Bible out of context. That happens enough. IN context, the Bible can promote plenty of grief. It makes promises it doesn't keep and that is painful to admit. We still think that somehow we must still be at fault and that the Bible, or the Church or God, as defined by the Bible, can't be the misleading factor here. It has to be our fault.

Well it is not. Whatever power I gave, I gave by choice. I can only speak for myself. Fault is not the issue here. It just is. People give up their power every day. Wives give up their power to say "enough," to abusive husbands. Men give up their power to employers who abuse their time and capitalize on their fear. Members give up their power to Churches and Hierarchies that really don't care much what you do as long as you are there when needed to give the appearance of credibility and the physical support needed to keep it going. And on and on.

Every day, and in may ways, both in general living and, in this context, in religious affiliations, we have the power to keep or relinquish our power. Anger, depression and the inability to move along in life are directly related to the skill of holding onto our power when we simply don't agree or believe what the tribe, the government, the boss, the church or the minister say. Yes goes with no just like oceans go with sand. Every time I say yes when I mean no, every time I agree when I don't and every time I am sitting down on the outside while standing up on the inside, I am giving away my power. Sometimes it may be temporarily discrete to do this. But as a life habit and practice...No. For the times we did, forgive yourself and don't be the monkey on your own back. 


Giving up our power doesn't serve us in the long run and will impede our progress in life in the search for peace and truth. If we weren't looking for that in the first place, we probably would not have had this experience and I would probably not be writing anything about it.

Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com