New Arabic Bibles = Beginning of the Famine of the Word (According to Armstrongites)

This week there have been several news stories about a couple of Bible translations being produced for use in Muslim dominated countries.

New Bibles: No 'Father and Son' in Trinity

New Arabic and Turkish translations of the Bible from three reputable North American Christian organizations are brewing controversy because they no longer contain the words "Father" and "Son" in the Holy Trinity. In addition, the phrase "Son of God" has been removed. Why? "These terms are offensive to Muslims," say the publishers, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and Frontiers.

Yahoo! News gives three examples that are causing the controversy:

• Stories of the Prophets from Wycliffe and SIL is an Arabic Bible that uses an Arabic equivalent of "Lord" instead of "Father" and "Messiah" instead of "Son."
• Meaning of the Gospel of Christ from Frontiers and SIL is an Arabic translation that removes "Father" in reference to God and replaces it with "Allah." In addition, the word "Son" is either removed or redefined. Matthew 28:19 reads: "Cleanse them by water in the name of Allah, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit" instead of "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
• In a Turkish translation of the Gospel of Matthew, Frontiers and SIL have used the Turkish language equivalents of "guardian" for "Father" and "representative" or "proxy" for "Son."

http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/whatsnew/default.jsp?story=20120130-1307

Christian Today Australia has this to say:

The words "Father," "Son" and "Holy Spirit" are integral to preserving the true meaning of the Gospel and should never be tampered with, some ministries say. But some Bible translation organizations – such as Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), have argued that in certain cultures, keeping the literal translation creates the wrong context and does not portray the relationship between God and Jesus Christ correctly.

Controversy is swirling around the Arabic and Turkish translations of the Bible. The word "Father" is replaced with "Allah" (meaning God in Arabic), while "Son" becomes "Messiah."

One example of this change in the text concerns Matthew 28:19, which instead of "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" becomes "Cleanse them by water in the name of Allah, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit."

The reason for this modification, both Wycliffe and SIL say in similar statements released which address the concern, is so that Muslim readers of the Bible are not confused into thinking that the relationship between God and Jesus is a physical father-and-son one, where God is the biological father of Jesus.

"We, along with all other Wycliffe organizations worldwide, strongly affirm the eternal deity of Jesus Christ and require that it be preserved in all translations. Scripture translations should promote understanding of the term 'Son of God' in all its richness, including His filial relationship with God the Father, while avoiding any possible implication of sexual activity by the Father," The Wycliffe branch in Canada explained in a statement. New Arabic Bible to be translated without terms 'Father' and 'Son', sparks controversy

This of course has gotten many Armstrongites wrapped up in a tizzy.  The pretend Armstrongite Jews on Yahoo, HWA worshipers on Facebook and various splinter cult leaders jumping into the fray.  All that is missing so far is Prophet Thiel adding his two cents to the mix.

To illustrate how ridiculous some of those comments are here is a choice tidbit from a COG Facebook page:

We always knew that there would be a "famine of God's Word" in accordance with the prophecy in Amos 8:11, but that it would be as a result of banning Bibles, but Satan is more subtle than that. Satan has produced polluted versions of the Bible based on twisted and false translations from corrupted texts.

Thank God for the internet and translations such as Fred Coulter's faithful version which preserve God's Word as far as humanly possible, by someone guided by the Holy Spirit, so that we can still "rightly divide" it.

Famine of the word?  Because of two Bible translations that exist out of HUNDREDS  of others?  What planet is this idiot on?  And then to say Fred Coulter has the RIGHT translation?  Fred Coulter???????  The "preacher" that reads bumps on peoples heads in order to diagnose what's wrong with them?  Phrenologist Fred has been attempting to promote this book for several years with gullible church people forking over  big bucks for useless garbage. Talk about a polluted bible version!

It's funny how everything attached to Armstrongism is always "preserving God's word as humanly possible" and yet the entire organization is rapidly dissolving into nothing.  Did God go and lose it all again?  Is God really that weak of a god  that so much of Armstrongism has made him out to be?

I just have a sneaky suspicion that these bibles will have more of an impact in peoples lives in those countries than any Armstrongite splinter cult ever has or will ever have.

Dennis On: Faith Without Anxiety is Dead

Faith Without Anxiety is Dead

To write or not to write?  That is the question.  I find myself in a bit of a quandary over whether to address this topic of post-WCG anxiety.  I strongly suspect it to be a great part of the experience that many have when leaving the comfortable confines of friends, church and the comfort one gets from knowing how all of life will turn out for you.  I could have never imagined the existential anxiety that is generated from the loss of religious belief and faith.  I do now.  

Evidently, I did not invent this.

Lynn Min

"Spirituality can make a significant difference in sufferers of anxiety. There exist numerous studies indicating that religious people are less likely to become anxious than their nonreligious counterparts.

In 1993, researcher Harold Koenig studied the relationship between religious involvement and anxiety in 2,969 individuals. He found that young and middle-aged individuals who attended church at least once a week were significantly less likely to have anxiety-related disorders than those who did not attend church regularly. Devotional activities such as prayer and Bible study were associated with lower incidence of agoraphobia and other forms of anxiety. Regular church attendance was also correlated with lower levels of anxiety.

Anxiety can be viewed holistically. Their beginnings manifestations are not simply psychological, physiological, or social. It is the interaction of all of the above, plus the spiritual.  Consider the following example of the spiritual component of anxiety. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl pointed out the type of anxiety which follows from the belief that one's life has lost its meaning. In other words, if I begin to believe that my life is without purpose, the result can be anxiety. While the resulting anxiety is coined a psychological disorder, the root of it lies in the deep spiritual search for life’s meaning. "

 I am writing this while having yet another round of the anxiety that seems a genuine tendency for me personally as a result of the loss of faith, friends and fellowship along the way.  I could be smarter perhaps and keep it to myself and just get through, but what is the use of a common experience if you don't share it.  I am quite able to blow off the advice I know is out there to "come back to Jesus,"  or "you're problem is...."  I cannot help how I feel nor can I help the conclusions I have drawn, for now, over this entire WCG fiasco.  


My only choice seems to be does it dominate the rest of my life, or can I find a safe place to file it all away as just another experience meant to teach and take one further on a more genuine life journey?  The impression of being stuck has hurt personal relationships and probably contributed to the loss of friends and contact.  I also can't seem to help that as stuck is stuck and it would probably be obvious when unstuck has become the norm again.  

I find I don't find comfort in teachings I doubt or in history that is not presented as it really was or is.  I am not inspired by those who are so sure the Bible is without errors or contradictions knowing they refuse to even look at what the problems might be.  That behavior, common in the COG perspectives , simply does not work for me.  I know how COG ministers think and I know how little study outside the acceptable box they do.  I also know current COG ministers and frankly, a number of other minister types who freely admit, to me, their skepticism and realizations, but you would not know it when you hear them preach or write.  I have heard the phrase "I know that is true, but I will lose my job," more than once from these men.   There are two of them, the one inside and the one they show, and their church only sees the one they present to them.  They also seem much less inclined toward anxiety living in two worlds instead of picking one.  Something does not have to be true either literally or at all to keep the beast of anxiety at bay.  All it takes in belief that it is so, even it it isn't.

For example, I have always had a problem with prayer.  Oh I know the should's and must's of it all, but it was always difficult for me.  I always had a sneaking suspicion that I was just talking to myself.  I did a lot of it though.  But then I realized how sincere the prayers of the people of faith are when they find themselves in harms way and beg God to save them and they die some horrible death.  I wonder what a Christian in Somalia feels when they get a gasoline filled tire hung around their neck and they know what's coming or have to dig their own grave while soaking in gasoline.  I know they are begging God to help them and there is no help coming...ever.  I have buried a lot of children who inspite of "Their Angels do always watch over them," are quite dead and no Angel showed up in time. Then I think how stupid my asking for a calm spirit or a bit more security in this or that area of life really must sound to a real Deity who neither helped the poor soul in Somalia begging for mercy or saved the child leaving muddy hand prints along the edge of the pool trying to get out.  I just think like that and it does indeed fuel an anxiety that simple faith, justified or not, seems to keep at bay.

I think the world needs its skeptics to keep those who use critical thinking in what they accept into their beliefs honest.  I say critical thinkers because frankly I knew few if any among my ministerial peers.  I read some of the articles they write to inspire their current followers and just shake my head over whether or not they really believe what they say or are just on auto-pilot saying what they are used to saying or are expected to say.  A recent update from LCG showing how pet store pythons left to grow big and eat the animals in the Everglades relates to prophecy is a great example of this silly kind of connections that are almost unbearable to read. I suppose runaway cudzu is also a sign that time is short.

So here I sit and spin out an anxious, which really a somewhat fearful, chemistry.  Perhaps the price of knowledge is anxiety.  I know it is a byproduct. I felt ever so much more safe in the group.  No matter what happened, I had hundreds of friends there to answer the call.  We all had each other. We all believed the same thing,  and whether it was right or wrong did not matter.  Shared errors. if never looked at, are comforting.

Critics will use the fact that those who press ahead and aren't easily sold the ideas of others having anxiety as proof that they are outside of the grace and plan of the Deity.  I don't believe that either.  If we left everything up to the church, we'd still be in the Dark Ages.  Progress is fueled by inquiry and even the anxiety caused by just standing still, or getting stuck perhaps.  If everything is totally comfortable, where is the need or motivation  to learn anything else or examine what the current belief is?  Belief is not the same as truth, but ever so much more comforting.  Is not passivity, compliance and "whatever you say," the dream state for the one man religious show to get his followers in?  I simply cannot do it.  I felt this disturbance often at the Feast when other ministers gave their standard sermons and everything in me was saying,  "and you know this?" or "yeah, yeah, fine...can you speed this up?"  My bad.

So now, during the course of writing this  (I am at school with the occasional student wanting to talk to me), I feel the anxiety lifting.  Writing off loads it for me as does talk with a patient and understanding friend.  I love study and learning the things I was never told either because they weren't known or were but not spoken.  I can only take my journey.  The Universe is beyond huge. In the scheme of things we are just one of billions of galaxies each containing millions of life yielding planets.  Quantum physics and cosmology informs us that reality is not what you think it is and we may just be one grape on a cluster  of many universes in one local vineyard.  Paleontology informs us that evolution is generally true and the mythology of Adam and Eve is merely that.  I kinda knew this all my life but now we know more than at anytime in the history of humans, we are conscious hairless apes with an amazing past.  This does not preclude the existence of a Deity, but perhaps does the cultic one of the OT.  While fundamentalists will argue for the mythologies of the Bible being literally true, they are not.  While the stories have a meaning, it is not related to literal origins of everything from the Grand Canyon, language or conscious humanity.  

So the price of breaking free seems to be a round or two of lonely, bouts of anxiety and a smattering of with  at times for good measure as meaning takes a hit. .  I suspect this is the normal progression in the lives of those that are seeking rather than judging everyone based on what they feel they have found and no longer need to let any new information in to rain on their parade.   That approach, in spite of the anxiety produced in not clinging to fables, myths and hearsay as being literally true or comforting is simply no longer acceptable or an option.  I cannot unring the bell of  skepticism formed by my WCG experience or the facts that I have let in to inform me on theology and religion.  If I could do it again...well I wouldn't have.

Thank you for listening...

Dennis C
DenniscDiehl@aol.com

LCG Sees Propehcy At Work In Everglades

Leave it a COG to find prophecy fulfilled from Pet shop rejects

02/05/2012 a.m. Here is the latest Living Church of God World Ahead Weekly Update from Rod McNair. It mentions changes in Europe, TW in French magazine, Passover, Church survey, Living Youth programs, Feast registration, upcoming new Feast website, world news items, and comments about face-to-face time.

Here is one of the world news items:

Too Many Hungry Pythons. Burmese pythons were introduced into the Florida Everglades in the 1980s. They escaped from captivity and pet owners also dump them when they become too large to keep. The pythons are prolific and can grow to more than 15 feet long (5 meters) and weigh 150 pounds (75 kg). A new Davidson College study reveals rapidly declining populations of indigenous Everglade mammals (e.g., raccoons, deer, opossum, and others), by more than 90% since the late 1990s. Researchers believe the skyrocketing python population is to blame. New research demonstrates that salt water, once thought to be a barrier that confines snakes to the swamp, is really no barrier. Some experts believe the pythons could expand their habitat throughout much of the Southeastern U.S. (FloridaToday.com, January 31, 2012). The Everglades directly border Miami resident ial neighborhoods. What could happen when pythons run out of native species to eat? The Bible identifies some sobering events that will occur at the end of the age. The Apostle John wrote of the fourth seal, the “pale horse,” that will result in the death of one quarter of the earth’s population, by the sword (war), hunger, and the beasts of the earth (Revelation 6:7-8). Jeremiah’s prophecy adds more detail, highlighting how birds and beasts of the earth will “devour and destroy” (Jeremiah 15:2-4). Florida’s pythons could be one tool that God eventually uses to bring these prophecies to pass. For more information, review our booklet: Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!

Dennis

Dennis On: "The Joy-Filled Kingdom of Men"

The Joy-Filled Kingdom of Men

I'm not so sure I'd enjoy being ruled by the fundamentalist or theologically challenged Christians I know. They just know that they, the true true saints, will rule the world under Jesus Christ. This makes me nervous and I'm not so sure it will be source of my never ending joy realized when Jesus returns to rule us all with a "rod of iron." 


Somehow the use of seminars, luncheons and field trips never seems to dawn on Jesus or God as a way to better teach us poor ignorant slobs. I respond much better to genuine information and question asking. I'm just not sensing much that questions will be tolerated but rather we'd all be given a loose leaf binder with all the questions already answered..end of discussion. 


It is my hope the Rod of Iron thing is made up by the men who love to rule with such things. In becoming as little children, you'd think rods of iron would be prohibited as an acceptable way to solve problems and teach truth. I know, there is a way that SEEMS right to me but ends badly, God's ways are not my ways.  God does not see things as mere men do.  And of course, the wisdom of man is foolishness with God, but I just thought I'd mention it.  Actually the Proverbs tell us the Rod of Correction will be good for kids and a good beating won't kill them, so there ya go!  


I'm not holding out a lot of hope for the Clergy I know.  They don't get along very well among themselves. The screamers among them seem to compete for the recognition and preeminence and the rules they believe they will enforce upon all mankind within their reach are down right depressing and frightening. Worse yet, they don't seem to be able to agree on which rules are rules, which are suggestions and which are done away with. I do know they tend to want to be in charge and not just work for the Lord in lower positions.  Everyone wants to be a King or Priest it seems. All Priests and no Indians or something like that...


In their perfect Theo-world there will be no dancin' or card playin'. No hair longer than that of the 1950's and no dresses shorter than ankle high. They will be made mostly of boring colors and put you in mind of your grandma. Clothing will be boring because that proves your sincerity and humbleness of spirit. A uniform of some sort would be even better according to some.  All children will wear Y.O.U. clothing I guess.  All fundraising will be accomplished selling Ten Commandment Plaques.  And those tattoos are going to have to come off!  Tattoo Eradicator would be a great profession to go into in this Kingdom.  Tons of business. 

 

You'll be forced, because it's the rule, to go to Bible studies on Wednesday nights and church EVERY Sunday, or Saturday depending.  You'll agree that Jesus really was born on Christmas and really died on Easter for all the appropriate reasons. You will be baptised by immersion or sprinkled depending. You're repentance will be heartfelt and genuine and you will become perfect like God is, or else of course. In fact you'll agree with what you are told to agree with even if you don't. If you don't, you will keep that very very quiet. However a local pastor says that God knows our thoughts, so that will be a challenge. I just know he's gonna tell!


As far as entertainment is concerned, you will love Andy Griffith and hate American Idol.  Movies will be strictly monitored and you will learn to love "The Sound of Music"and "Oklahoma" as you never thought you could, or else. Stores will close on the appointed days and times and only sell the appropriate Christian things. I imagine only Christians will be allowed to even own or run a store. Oh yeah, the non-believers will be dead.

Concerning science, well, hold on to your hats. Evolution, which is literally true, will be banned and creationism and the Fall of Man because of woman in the Garden of Eden, which is not literally true, will replace it. Your vacations will be to the Creation Museum in Arkansas or Kentucky. Science will be ever so much more easily understood. Phrases like "Quantum physics tells us," or "human consciousness studies inform us that," will be replaced by "God says." In fact, every finding of archaeology, paleontology, astronomy and every other "onomy"and "tologies" will be replaced with "God says." A degree in science won't take long at all and the answers will become so much easier to come up with on the test. All the science you need to know you will find in the Bible....mostly the Old Testament.  


Clergy will replace politicians and giving to the State will be regulated by Old Testament laws on tithing and many other such things you won't believe how happy they will make you. It will be to one's advantage to become a Priest of the Most High if you ever expect to accumulate any real material wealth. The Ten Commandments will be suspended long enough to steal the unbelievers blind, rape their wives, enslave their children and kill those who can't see the light as it is revealed to them. If you should find yourself in any kind of conflict over why you have to be so compliant and believe the unbelievable, this is why Jesus has his very own rod of iron. He will convince you that you need to adjust your attitude and you will do so nicely and with sincerity. After you learn anatomy by seeing eyes and tongues dissolve in the appropriately "God is Love" wrath, , you'll feel more inclined to obey and be happy.


Now we can all hope the above nightmare scenario in the hands of Christian Fundamentalists will never come to pass. However, we have ample Old Testament predictions that Jewish fundamentalism will prevail in a very similar way. The above mentioned pastors will be forced to give up Sunday for Sabbath, Easter for Passover and Christmas for the Feast of Tabernacles.   Christian Pastors , falsely so called, will be really surprised! Most will claim they are merely farmers once they see what's in for the false prophets and ministers of Satan among them. 


Let's take a quick look at how happy we will be when the Messiah comes from the Jewish Christian perspective, and how deep our joy must be, or else.

Zechariah 14:
(1-2) Jerusalem under siege from the nations.
Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
See, I told ya the Ten Commandments would be suspended for the greater good!  But not to worry.  It's a YHVH trap and those who were gathered against Jerusalem because they were gathered there by God will be sorry they showed up....
(12-15) Enemies are forever plagued.
And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand; Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and the mule, on the camel and the donkey, and on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be.

See, I told ya you could still have lots of good stuff if you were the chosen ones and you'd learn anatomy in new and interesting ways! A man's life may not consist of the abundance of things he possesses, but that sorry belief will be put to rest in this huge booty raid.  I'm not sure there are going to be all that many horses, mules, camels and donkeys if this really is a time in the future but what do I know.  It could happen.

(16-19) All the nations come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

See, I told ya have to give up the pagan Christian holidays and absolutely fall in love with the Jewish Holy Days, or else.  You see, being forced to be happy and obey is the way. Force makes you sincere or else. You will love church or else.  You know..kinda like those poor North Koreans that had to show sincere grief over the loss of Kim Bong Bill or risk a the need for some re-education summer camp.  At the Feast, when you asked, "How did you come into the truth?" you can say,  "It wasn't raining so I thought, "what the hell, I may as well go to the Feast and act interested."  

(20-21) The common is made holy.
In that day "Holiness to the Lord" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.

See, I told ya Church was going to be a lot different and you better not be one of the not so special ones!  Again, it appears horses will make a major comeback as a mode of transportation.  


Doesn't being under enforced, for your own good, religious rule sound inspiring? For those who have traveled through the WCG/UCG/PCG/PKG/LCG/GCG/RCG/LSD/DDT/MSG/STP Wild World of God Church experience, what human leader, now God as God is God, would you like to be under?  And you can't prefer to just be yourself and even born right the first time.  You must pick one!  You must feel evil, wicked, worthless, poor, blind, naked and a general loser with no hope unless you love being associated with this one and only way to be.  Rather insane isn't it....


 I sincerely hope this is not what "and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free," really means. Freedom under religious rule and control is truly frightening and depressing.  


Remember...

" Those who can make you believe absurdities

can make you commit atrocities."
 Voltaire ...

Dennis C
DenniscDiehl@aol.com

New Dave Pack Mobile Clinic For Defecting Ministers

Van Robison On "Censorship in the Worldwide Church of God"

Censorship in the Worldwide Church of God

As a former member of the Worldwide Church of God, during the lifetime of Herbert W. Armstrong, I can well remember that reading the literature or material of anyone outside of the "true church of God", was forbidden or discouraged.  Herbert W. Armstrong would say "don't believe me, believe your Bible", but then the cult would tell its members not to listen to anyone other than their own church leaders.  What motive would any religious leader or group have to censor alternative opinions, books, reading material or vocal lectures, unless there was FEAR that they might lose members to alternative possibilities?  Living in a cult cocoon stifles the ability of anyone to learn that there is a vast world outside of the cocoon.

Many religious leaders, religious organizations and political groups hate FREEDOM of thought.  Cult religious groups insist that they and they alone are the bearers of "truth."  Even human governments live in perpetual FEAR of losing their power and control over the common people.  Propaganda, disinformation and distortion, suppression, silence and twisting of facts and truth are common in the world in which we live.  The Worldwide Church of God, was NOT the "Church of God", but was the brainchild of Herbert W. Armstrong.  Herbert was a master deceiver.  Herbert was a wolf in sheep's clothing.  The religious and even the political world have always from the beginning of human existence, been potential deceivers.

How many members of Worldwide Church of God splinter groups, cower in fear that they might be found out, but who secretly read websites such as "Banned by HWA?"  If any such reader is reading on these types of websites, let me encourage you that the world is vastly bigger and greater than any splinter group of the Worldwide Church of God can imagine.  It is only when a human being steps outside of their comfort zone, that they come face to face with the FACT that there are possibilities about God, the Bible, life on earth and existence that are light-years beyond the confines of cult mentality.  There are dimensions of thinking that will
leave a human being speechless, when anyone with a little courage "risks" learning beyond the censorship of the confines of self-appointed "ministers" of Worldwide Church of God splinter groups.

Life on earth DOES NOT revolve around Herbert W. Armstrong, anymore than it does any splinter group of the WWCG, or its self-appointed mediators who think they stand between God and their members.  Censorship of views and perspectives that differ with "accepted" views is a tool of tyranny.  I wonder if Herbert W. could come back from the grave, if he would admit that he was an abysmal failure as a "teacher" of what real truth is concerning God/Jesus Christ?  Just think people, every single leader of every splinter group of the WWCG will eventually kiss the grave and return to dirt.  If dead men could talk, I wonder if they would change their tune about their activities while they had their being?

Censorship is common in human life among the religious rulers, as much as it is common in the world of politics and other matters in human life.  Anyone who differs with the status quo is naturally and automatically
demonized by those who do not want alternative views expressed.  The primary tool used by those who censor, is to demonize, terrorize, ridicule, assassinate the character of opposition, cause fear, cause guilt, make people think that truth is evil, and belittle opposing views.

History is rife with examples of those who were burned at the stake, tortured and put to death for no other reason than that their expression of their own thoughts about issues engendered animosity from the "elite"
rulers who hated opposition.  We all know that Jesus Christ was the greatest Whistleblower the world has ever known, and He exposed the religious frauds for what they were and are---WOLVES!  BEWARE!!!


Van Robison

Prophet Thiel: Would Jesus Watch The Super Bowl?

I find it interesting that Living Church of God's biggest false prophet  is speaking out yet again on how demonic and evil the Super Bowl and American football are.  Yet, in LCG's homes across the country there will be tv sets turned on to watch the game.  Beer will be consumned, hot wings munched on and junk food galore.  LCG members will be cheering for their favorite teams.  But not so in the Thiel household.  They'll be sitting around watching Bambi and polishing their halo's.

False Prophet Thiel writes these silly tidbits:

Since most people in the USA have, at one time or another, made some hint of professing following Jesus, a relevant question may be:

Would Jesus watch the Superbowl?

 I could not reconcile loving my neighbor as myself and cherishing my flesh and not doing violence to any man by watching others do it in a football game.

 The Superbowl will do harm to participants in it.

The New Testament also warns Christians against being violent or approving of those that are (Romans 1:28-32), while history records that early Christians would not watch violent sports.

In the 20th century, the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Football (American football) is a violent body-contact sport. It is often played with an attitude of hostility and is dangerous and is fraught with physical injury…Soccer does not embody the same evils. (Plain Truth, July-August 1984)

Since it is more important for Thiel and Armstrongism to follow HWA than it is Jesus, I guess they must be giving approval for the murders, rapes, stalkings and abuse that went on in Armstrongism over  the decades.  Football is evil but these things rampant in Armstrongism are not. You never see the False Prophet Thiel speaking out against these evils happening right now in LCG or COG.

I conclude with more comments from the false prophet, so incredibly stupid they don't deserve a comment:

Would Jesus watch the Superbowl?
Perhaps, some might say.  And some may ridicule and/or dismiss what I have written.
Yet if Jesus did watch the Superbowl, would He watch it and hope that one team would tackle and crash into members of the other team?  Or might He watch it, if He did, so He could make social commentary against the violence and/or distorted priorities of the land?
This is something that Christians, and others, should think about.

Another Restored Church of God "minister" Has His "Eyes Anointed" But By What?

This latest Restored Church of God "minister" to admit that he the "anointing" of his eyes is Gene Zhorne.  He writes:

We eventually found The Restored Church of God’s website and the book “Anoint Your Eyes” on the “Why the Worldwide Church of God Apostasy and Splinter” webpage. One word: wow! We learned how obeying Christ’s command would give us clear vision to see the miserable state into which we had drifted—and allow us to recapture the portions of the Truth we had lost over the years.

 As we read more of the book “Anoint Your Eyes,” we came to the sobering reality that we too were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”—just as Christ said all of His people would become in the final era of His Church. This was a terrible shame on us before our Creator. Yet, our spirits were forged during this time of deep personal reflection. 

Zhorne goes on to write about the subjects that are important to Packism:

To grasp all that it contained, we had to read the book a second time. One pass was simply not enough. We then went on to read The Government of God – Understanding Office and Duties, The True Church – One Organization, or Many?, Surviving Perilous Times, There Came a Falling Away, among many other books offered in the Splinter Explanation Packet (SEP). 

For a group that claims to be Christian take a notice of the important topics that occupy this list. Nowhere do you see these sick little men ever talking about Jesus, the message he brought, the example he set, and the grace he delivered.  You can spend quit a long time on RCG's web site before you ever see them talk about Jesus.  There are hundreds of pages on law and commandments and other useless nonsense, but scant information about Jesus.  Jesus came to lighten the burden and set the captives free.  Pack and his sick cult are all about taking people hostage and imposing hundreds of rules and regulations.

Zhorne then makes in incredible claim that he is too blind to see how this perfectly describes Packism.

The Book of Numbers, Chapter 13 and 14, brings out an interesting parallel in the commandment that God gave to Moses. He was to select a man from each tribe to spy out the land of Canaan—the “Land of Promise.” They were to be “strong and of good courage,” and to bring back the fruit of the land, as well as a good report. Yet after searching the land for 40 days, only two men, Joshua and Caleb, out of the 12 who were sent, gave an accurate and positive report—that there was a land flowing with milk and honey. The rest were afraid of the land’s inhabitants. They lacked faith in God to fight their way into the land of promise. Because a different spirit was present in Joshua and Caleb, only they made it.

Pack and other deviant men in Armstrongism had a chance to search the "promised land" of God's unconditional grace and redemption for the milk and honey it gives to believers.  Instead these deviate men come back with law, government, rules, more law, and every kind of imaginable bondage they can weigh people down with till they are so burdened they give up hope and submit to their deviancy.

When will those that claim to follow Jesus start trusting in Jesus and turn their back on the dishonest, fearful and fear-producing deviancy of Packism and is small cabal of sick ministers?

Zhorne claims that listening to lies of those that speak out against Packism are destroying your chance for the land of promise.  I can state with absolute confidence that following the lies of these deviant men will destroy any spirituality that might be trying to break forth.

Just as God, in Deuteronomy 22:9, tells us not to mingle seed, neither should we mingle truth with error. The end result with seed is a greatly inferior, tainted product, and the same can be said of the beliefs held by human beings. Error, like leaven, eventually spreads throughout its host (Gal. 5:9). But unlike leaven in bread, the end result for one with God’s Spirit is that He eventually loses it, and with it eternal life.

I agree with Zhorne's comment above.  No one that claims to follow Jesus should  be mingling with the errors and filth that is Packism  It is an inferior, tainted product that is destructive to the core.

How sobering.

Yes, it is indeed sobering that 2,000 some people can prostitute their lives to one of Armstrongisms' most degenerate splinter cults.   Even Flurry and Cox, as mind numbingly stupid as they are, pale in comparison to these morons.

Apostle Malm on Fallen Angels, Sacrifices and Losing Jesus

Apparently God really screwed up when he created the angelic hosts because I guess he was too dumb to see that Lucifer was going to eventually rebel causing God to cast him to earth.  Because of that screw up, God then created mortal human beings that would die in order that they could not eternally be in rebellion.  Humans were created in order to suffer for their sinfulness and then die instead of destroying the worlds in eternal fist fights throughout the cosmos.

GOD DOES NOT WANT ANOTHER SUCH CONFLICT. Therefore, God has made men of flesh, so that they could learn the wages and consequences of sin; without destroying the universe!  And so that men, made of flesh would not have the power of angels or spirits; the power to destroy.  Man and his destructive abilities have been limited to the earth, until man learns the ways to peace.

According to Malm, Satan had destroyed the earth to the point it looked like the moon and other planets which are desolate places.  Then God had to step in and recreate the earth with his remaining angels in order to create a planet livable for humans. 

Armstrongism has long believed that the cosmic battle between God and Lucifer had thoroughly decimated the earth and left it lifeless.  That's why all the dinosaurs and cave men had died.  They were the original creation done by Lucifer and his angels. The creatures and plants they created were imperfect because sin was already starting to enter into Lucifer and his gang of angels. Thus the reason they had to be all wiped out and recreated with perfect Caucasians once Lucifer turned into The Big Bad Boy Satan.  There is even a small group of wacky Armstrongites that believe that Satan and Jesus are brothers.  That is another story left for another time.

So why is the Apostle on this kick today?  The Apostle wants to beat into you foolish idiots that  the law is  REQUIRED as are Sacrifices!

Read the silliness he writes:

God’s law reveals the way to peace, harmony and prosperity.  Breaking the principles revealed by that law; leads to decay, destruction, violence and death.  Man MUST learn that lesson. He MUST learn through the bitter crucible of experience the TRUTH of what God is trying to teach us. (Translation: You stupid idiot humans were created to suffer and be miserable.  You must suffer for your mistakes so that God can beat you into submission.)

To teach us these things: God have given us the way to peace; his law.  He is now allowing us to experience the other side, so that in future we can make an intelligent, informed decision concerning our future behaviour. The Sacrificial System is the third part of the lesson. (Translation: To teach you the way of peace God made one big huge dumbass mistake by having Jesus accomplish what he did. Screw that!  The law is your foundation and is the ONLY thing you must be following.)

The purpose of the sacrificial System is to demonstrate; over and over again, that sin brings death. That to avoid death; WE MUST STOP SINNING: WE MUST FOLLOW THE PRINCIPLES THAT LEAD TO LIFE [GOD’S LAW].  God does not have to kill you for breaking his law.  The very act of doing what leads to death will do that.  God’s law, leads to life; breaking that law results in death.  We MUST LEARN THAT LESSON.

 The Apostle then goes on to write:

Is the Sacrificial System done away?
If that is true, there is no more sacrifice for sin!  This system IS NOT DONE AWAY!  Every single aspect of this system is a direct allegory to an aspect of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

When we repent and ask that the sacrifice of Christ be applied to us and that our sins be atoned for, we are offering: a sin offering, a trespass offering, a burnt offering, a peace offering, a drink offering, a meal offering, and a freewill offering.

This little man just does not get it at all. He still feels the need to beat Jesus to death every Passover in some high school  gym or Masonic Lodge.  Break those matzo's so you can hear Jesus bones breaking and his flesh tearing.  The trouble is, according to scripture no bones were broken despite Armstrongisms' stupid process of putting a microphone next to the matzo tray so the amplified sound of breaking can make you as a church member feel like worthless piles of shit.  It is still necessary to kill the guy year after year so your slate is wiped clean once a year.  The problem that feel good sensation only happens momentarily after the COG Passover service.  As soon as you get in the car and get pissed off at a driver that cuts in front of you, you have already started to rack up sins that will be held against you for the next year.  Each month that goes by that list keeps getting bigger and bigger till you are a groveling worthless pile of human garbage as you walk into a COG Passover service again.  The "once and for all" understanding is totally missing from the Apostle's mindset.

We have a Special reminder of this annually at the Passover.  But, it is true that Christ fulfills the role of our sacrifice and High Priest EVERY TIME, we repent of sin and ask for the application of his sacrifice.

To repent means: To STOP SINNING, however we may occasionally slip in our learning process, and all humanity does not repent at once, therefore the Law of sacrifice needs to be in place throughout history to be available for ALL humanity!

You also need to beware on how you do that sacrifice each year.  Almost all of you are grievous sinners when it comes to the matzos you are buying.  How many of you buy the unclean WHITE matzo's?  You are sinners for doing so!  Why do you mock and humiliate Jesus with white matzo's?

The grain is always the complete kernel of grain, stone ground fine; which in its perfection and purity is an appropriate symbol of the Bread of Life!

That is why it is so wrong and even sinful to use a white flour matzoth, devoid of nutritional value, purity and wholesomeness; as a symbol of Christ at Passover.  It is just an improper and false empty symbol devoid of anything Christlike in its make up.

 A DRINK OFFERING of wine is poured out, picturing shed blood, showing Christ giving His life in service to God; but still no thought of sin.  This set of Offerings shows the perfection of Jesus Christ being Offered; TO BE ACCEPTED FOR US Lev 23:11.  There is ABSOLUTELY; NO HINT OF SIN.

 The bread and wine of Passover were NOT new symbols by any means.  They were basic symbols of the sacrificial system all along.  Christ did not add new symbols at all, he merely brought to our attention the meaning of those symbols already codified in the law.

The Apostle is positively sure that the beginning of the end will be happening within the next year or so.  Then once his chosen frozen have received their final training in Petra we will be given worlds to rule over with rods of iron where we will be beating people into submission as they  are forced to come and offer sacrifices for their sins.

NOTE:  A new physical Temple will be built at Jerusalem during the millennial Kingdom;and this sacrificial system will be re started, Ezek 40-48.
These things will be school lessons to reveal the fullness of the service of the Father and Christ for their people!
At that time the meaning and spirit behind the various sacrifices will be explained to the people.  That will be OUR job!

Did you know that Jesus has been busy in heaven for the last 2,000 some years offering daily sacrifices on the altar of God in order to redeem all of you worthless sinners! The Apostle wants you to know that Jesus is starting to get pissed!  I mean come on!  For 2,000 years Jesus has been having to do daily sacrifices  for all of you idiot sinners out there. Jesus is ready to spit all of you out!

Jesus Christ will STOP interceding for his people as a group and spue them OUT of his body!
That is the stopping of the Daily Intersessional Offering of the Daily Sacrifice; applying of the Sacrifice of Christ and his intercession for us with the Father, because of all of our abominations.
I have worked so hard to warn of these sins which are coming between the COG and the Eternal, for they will result in our REJECTION by CHRIST and the Father!
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

 The Apostle also closes with this absurd belief: Jesus is lost to us.  I guess that's kind of like the gospel being "lost" for 1,900 years till Herb came along. Now we have been told we have lost Jesus.  How STUPID can Armstrongism get?

This world is full of abominations, and we are to be the salt of this earth,  making it worth preserving by our God.  We have LOST our savour to our God! 

Guest Article: Van Robison: "Creating God in the Image of Herbert W. Armstrong"

Creating God in the Image of Herbert W. Armstrong

Years ago as a member of the original Worldwide Church of God, and as an employee for twelve years at Ambassador College in Pasadena, I can well remember Herbert W. stating that "I think I have the mind of God."

Human vanity in some human beings is enormous.  Herbert thinking he had the mind of God, naturally was implying that only he had the mind of God.  This was to imply that Herbert and God were on the same level,
same playing field and thought alike.  Whatever Herbert did then, was God doing it, because God and Herbert were pals.  Spending millions of dollars of tithe payers money on college buildings, jet airplanes, homes, mansions (for the ruling elite), traveling around the world and presenting $20,000 pieces of Steuben Crystal to "Royalty", was then an "act" of God, because God thought the "same" as Herbert W. Armstrong.

"I have the mind of God", so then no matter what Herbert W. Armstrong did, it was the mind of God.  The world is overrun with religious groups founded by individuals with very colorful personalities, who see themselves as equal to God, and as representing God on earth to mankind.  What is overwhelming is how the sheeple can be so hoodwinked into following these individuals.  I also am guilty.  I did it in my youth and in my lack of knowing.

I well remember how paranoid we were in the Worldwide Church of God, and any opposition was considered "persecution."  I use to be one of the individuals who walked about the Ambassador College campus in Pasadena during the Sabbath church services with walkie talkie and watched the grounds.  If anyone just innocently walked across the campus, he or she was viewed with suspicion, as if someone is "out to get us."  Since there was more than one of us doing this, we would communicate via walkie talkie and tell each other "keep a look out, there is someone walking across the grounds at such and such a location" as if they were out to "get us." This is typical of the mind and mentality of cults.

Herbert W. Armstrong created God in his own image.  I learned long ago that God IS NOT a member of the Worldwide Church of God, or any of its splinter groups.  And for everyone else, God IS NOT a member of the Southern Baptist organization, the Jehovah Witnesses, the Mormon empire, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Greek Orthodox, the Russian Orthodox, the Mennonite group, the Amish, the Seventh Day Adventist, the "Sacred" Name groups, nor a member of any other man-made religious group on earth.  God IS NOT even an atheist or agnostic.  What Herbert W. Armstrong did in his religious career, is to create God in his own image.  So then, the followers of Herbert W., were following the mind of a man whose personal opinions persuaded a multitude of people that Herbert W. Armstrong had "the mind of God."  And the millions of dollars flowed into his bank account like a river.


Van Robison

Do You Believe?

Our buddies on Yahoo love to talk about weird things.  How about UFO's coming to earth and stealing entire villages!  SPOOKY! (as the COGers say).  No Jesus talk but lots of law keeping and UFO's.

Village In China Disappears On October 13, 2010

Latest October 13 UFO news is coming from China according to yahoo News
China

"Qinling mountain village disappeared overnight on Oct 13, 2010". Now the
army  has blocked the site. According to eyewitness, they had seen the UFO over the village before it was start disappearing.

A devotee responds:  "They don't know what happened to an entire village, other than a UFO was seen over it? That is spooky."

I think I could sell these folk Gerald Waterhouse's tardis that he used to sit in and dream up his stupid revelations since they would believe anything out of the normal.

On second thought, that may be Gerald's outhouse since everything he spoke over the decades was a load of crap.

Obama, The Last Pope and the Yahoo COGers

No one has ever discredited the conservative Armstrongites more than they do themselves with their stupid end times conspiracy theories and false prophecies.  In line with the racist mindset of the far right in the COG here is another tidbit from our buddies on Yahoo.

Things to keep in mind:

A final troubling disclosure at the conclusion of this entry may cast light on why Obama seemed fascinated with such anti-Christian symbolism in the lead-up to his election victory.  A Hadith (tradition) sacred to Shiite Islam from the 17th century contains a prophecy from Ali ibn Abi-Talib, which predicts that just before the return of the Mahdi (the end-times redeemer of Islam), a “tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West.”  This leader will command “the strongest army on earth” and will bear “a clear sign” from the third imam, Hussein.  The prophecy concludes that: “Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us.”

  

Does this Islamic prophecy identify Obama as the “promised warrior” who comes to help the savior of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?  Amir Taheri asked this very question for Forbes Magazine in October, 2008, pointing out how “Obama’s first and second names—Barack Hussein—mean ‘the blessing of Hussein’ in Arabic and Persian” while his “family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means ‘he is with us,’ the magic formula in Majlisi’s tradition.”

From a book by Tom Horn, "Apollyon Rising"

In another book, he suggests the Last Pope is "already here" and finds evidence that the last pope will not take the name of Peter (altho called "Peter the Roman") but will call himself Pius. He is supposed to be an "authoritarian" like the last Pius... but did not give away which cardinal he thinks it could be.

Voices In Her Head

Our conservative COGer buddies on Yahoo are always entertaining.  They had this little bit tonight about that magical god that stops nasty little kids from splashing water on the godly COGers:

Some Church of God people were spending a weekend at the Beach, After Sunset Saturday night with a near full Moon, they decide to walk to the beach, passing a wooden skate ring, a 14 year old girl goes running around in it. Hearing a loud BANG, we all turn our torches on. This girl was crouched with her knees bent; we see this big hole behind her, with 6” x 4” wooden joists crisscrossing it. With her being only inches away from death or major harm. We all said. “You were lucky you never jumped into this dark bit.”

She replied. “I thought it was a puddle of water and I did a big jump to splash you all, then I heard this load voice in my brain, “Do not jump in the black bit.” So I lifted up my legs and just managed to land heavily on the bit with the moon shining on it.”

The next day with the sun up we had another look. We all agreed that this should have been, more the likely death.

We were very thankful for this protection. 

UCG First COG to Admit There Are Rampant Mental Health Problems With Its Members?

UCG is the first COG I have seen to openly admit that there are serious mental health issues with it's members.  I think that is a good thing to admit that its members are just like the rest of the society instead of being a  "special called out group" who is immune to life issues.  You will never see Davie Pack or Gerald Flurry's cults ever admit such a thing.  "True COG members can never have mental health issues because they are True followers of God."

Mental health issues have been a tremendous problem in Armstrongism over the decades and it was always swept under the carpet.  If the Church had met those issues head on we would not have the rampant alcoholism problem plaguing ALL of the COG's today.  We would not have the rapists, stalkers, child molesters, murders and suicides that have plagued the Church.

When a person grows up in a sect that isolates it's self from society, imposes strict rules and regulations, demands high use of members time, prohibits everything under the sun it starts to mess with peoples minds.  You hear the same familiar strain over the decades.  "If only I can graduate from High School," followed by "If only I could graduate from college," then "If only I could get married before the end times," "If only I I could have kids before we have to flee," "If only we could have our first home a few years before we have to sell it for the final push."  The list could go on and on.

There is even more anxiety if you are a rebel rouser and make waves.  Your eternal salvation is at risk if the Church kicks you out and disfellowships you. Being marked and shunned was equivalent to a death.

We are placing more focus on educational issues such as addictions, anxieties, self-injury, depression, abuse and other relevant maladies that afflict many in our congregations.
We would like to form a team of “experts” who might be able to write or bring presentations to educate others on the seriousness of abnormal behavior. With that knowledge our brethren will be able to get the affected person the necessary help and encouragement needed to overcome one’s difficulties.
If you have special skills or have experience in focused education issues, please send me an e-mail explaining your credentials. Once I have that information, we will form a team who will be able to write and/or present relevant information for the edification of the brethren.

Much remains to be seen how this "new" focus of UCG will accomplish. As it attempts to break all ties from the past will they eventually dump Armstrongism?

With UCG's income down it has decided to put the brakes on the proposed new facility in Cincinnati. That is unless the Council of Elders decide to be idiots and build it anyway.  That is how so much of Armstrongism operates anymore.

We have received many responses to our building proposal survey. Most responses have been positive, to step out on faith, but with concerns about financing so much of it. The members responding mention they are glad to be included in this decision. We are family and this exercise has helped to increase unity.  Although the determination will be up to the Council of Elders, with the needs of our church areas and members, I don’t see at the present time how we as an administration would suggest adding this expansion into the upcoming budget. That being said, I believe we should have a contingency that would allow us to move forward with building it IF our Texas property sells or enough money is raised during the year to make it viable. We want what is best for the church, as God shows us, and at the moment we do not plan to put these building expansion plans into the May budget. We will not cut our service to God’s people to force an agenda.

Armstrongism and UCG has always had a convoluted way of manipulating numbers to make things look different than they really are:

We anticipate positive income comparisons each month for the rest of the year, even though our year-to-date income will remain negative.