Are UCG Members Being Encouraged To Particpate in a Witchcraft Ritual? UPDATED

Beware the next time you are in a UCG church service and you are asked to hold hands with the person next to you in prayer.  It seems that Denny Luker has been over taken by the spirit of witchcraft and is encouraging the membership to join him in bringing forth demons........

Did you know by clasping the hand with another in prayer that you will be participating in witchcraft! I have never heard that one in all the years I was part of Armstrongism!  Little did I know that UCG is being invaded by pentecostal witchcraft!  The Apostle Malm seems to think that you are indirectly participating in a seance to bring forth demons!

HOLDING HANDS IN PRAYER is a Pentecostal custom coming from witchcraft which is very popular with Denny Luker and is creeping into the UCG.  The pagan concept behind this tradition is to demonstrate UNITY by holding hands together.  This is believed to multiply the power of the prayer by indicating to the deity that many are fully united in making the request.  Seances to contact demons are always accompanied by hand holding.  This also creates an emotional bond between the participants.  Hand holding is a definite emotional bonding between people; instead of a personal contact with Almighty God.

The holding of hands during prayer degrades a spiritual matter of contact with God, into an emotional experience.  Prayer is degraded into an emotional experience; indeed much such prayer is not to seek God, but to impress those present by voluminous flowery and impressive language.  Such prayer may impress some people but it does NOT impress God.

It is certainly not wrong to touch others, to cry on someone’s shoulder if the need is there, or to hold hands; however to do so as a means to try and influence people or God in prayer, is most definitely wrong and has its roots in witchcraft [Satanism].

It's no wonder people in the world look at Armstrongism with such derision and non-interest!  Who in their right mind would follow such idiots?

UPDATE:

The Apostle has had several of his acolytes write in with questions.  The appalling thing is that people actually value The Apostles' opinion on this matter!

How dare men hold the hand of a man or a married woman in prayer!  Does this imply you will turn gay or be committing adultery?  The idea that any person needed to ask such a question shows how simple minded Armstrongism has become!

Do you mean brethren holding hands with each other during opening and closing prayers at UCG Sabbath and Holy Day services ?? If so this is complete madness and would cause all manner of problems and it’s so weird.
Would a married man have to hold the hand of another man ??? Or another married womans hand ??
What will they think of next …. the mind boggles…….
It might eventually come to that, but right now it is more a matter of a few more pentecostal type elders who ask for this in smaller meetings and also tend to want to include this type of thing in counselling sessions etc. james

Concerning the issue of holding hands.
As a family, we have always held hands as we give thanks over a meal as well as when we ask God to watch over us as we travel. Since our children are small this helps them to focus their attention on what we are doing. It does foster a sense of being together as we do this. As a family we do a many things together to foster unity – especially to teach our children the Faith (Bible studies, singing hymns, etc).
Other than that some “pagans” hold hands in their practices … is there a reference in scripture condemning the practice? I wouldn’t want a family tradition to replace Scriptural commands or examples. I am sure there are many things that non-believers do when they come together that we might unknowingly imitate in our practices and worship. Is the fact that they also do them make them inherently wrong?
We have been for the last year looking at a great many things we do in the practice of our Faith. Some areas are stall wanting – some areas have been strengthened. Above all, we must do all we do in Faith to our Father within the bounds of His commands. Is this a matter a practicing sin or a matter of personal conscience?
We are commanded not to learn the ways of the heathen to do them. We are not to use paganisms in our worship or religious practrice. We are not to worship our God as the pagans worship theirs. We are to keep all Gods commandments and are not to add or take away from them. We are to worship God ONLY as HE directs. Our children are learning what we teach them and if we teach them the ways of the pagans it will need to be overcome later in life. We are to dilligently teach our children to serve the Eternal as he commands and not by our own methods and the imaginations of our own hearts. It is not necessary to point every single possible false way in scripture; for we would run out of years in which to read the list of errors that men contrive. There are millions of counterfeits and the only need is to teach the real thing, then the false will be recognized as anything that deviates from the real thing. We are to cleave to God’s commandments and to worship him as he commands, not as we devise for ourselves. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is death. James

Life With Gerald Flurry

The following are quotes from the "Philadelphia Trumpet", the mouthpiece of Flurryism

1. As a Philadelphia church member you must realize   that you need to be led by the ministry. Christ has not allowed for independent Christians doing their own work. All of us must come under authority!

2. The Laodiceans don't have revelations from God while God has given abundant revelations to the Philadelphia Church of God.

3. From the time God raised up the PCGin the Laodicean era, we have fully supported God's end time Elijah. All of the Laodicean churches reject Mr. Armstrong.

Another Reason Why Armstrongism Is Dying

   

From a rightwing COG Yahoo group:

It is apparent that some of you are being involved with other forums and that is your business, but to bring to this forum what some dissident minister has to say in regards to a charge that Mr. Armstrong made some mistakes in dealing with God`s Church and that particular minister feeling that he must correct the mistakes of God`s Apostle, will not be tolerated! Christ would never use some dissident minister to correct any possible mistakes of His Apostle, that would make no sense and does not! Any mistakes that Christ`s Apostle could have made, Christ would have seen to it that He would use His own Apostle to  make any needed corrections!

Is This Ultimately What Is Wrong With Armstrongism and Christianity?

You can substitute "Armstrongism" for "Christianity" and get the same meaning.  

It seems both are afraid of thinking outside the box.

When Christianity feels it depends on the most shallow, unreflective view of the world,

when it feels that no argument is too silly to use

so long as it helps prop up its "biblical" (?) world-view,

it is the enemy of the truth.

Women Are Ritually Unclean After Childbirth?

The Apostle Malm is so concerned about keeping all the laws in the Old Testament that he made his wife stay home after childbirth because she was unclean and impure.  While I am sure the bonding experience was tremendous, the reason behind it was not. I wonder if they actually sacrificed doves or pigeons in their backyard to cleanse her impurities?

An acolyte writes in a question to the Apostle:

Just curious if you believe and follow these commands as well (fyi….of course I am totally against abortion from the moment of conception and not trying to be argumentative; I just wondered your opinion.)
Leviticus 12: 1-8 “A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding. These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. She is to bring two doves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.” Leviticus 12: 1-8

The Apostle responds:

I have three sons and a daughter beginning in 1979. Yes, we did practice and keep those commands. My wife and child did not go out in public or to services during that time frame, they stayed at home and bonded and rested together. These commandments are very relevant for the health of the mother and child; they prevent exposure to disease until the mother and child are strong enough to resist. A strong and healthy as possible mother is very important to quality child rearing. If you refuse child immunizations, breast feed, avoid commercial baby food [which we have gone without for about 6,000 years] and follow these commandments; you will give your child a big boost in life. Yes, these commandments are to be obeyed; the sacrificial aspect being through prayer and the sacrifice of Christ. And yes, I did abstain during those days. James

Philadelphia Church of God and it's Brotherly Love.....NOT!

In January I posted a blurb about the Flurry cult, the Philadelphia Church of God.  It was in reference to a letter that was on the Painful Truth from a man who described how one of his relatives was kicked out of her home and abandoned because of the Philadelphia Church of God's asinine rules. Post is here: Flurry Cult Members Abandoning Children

A reader who is a former member of PCG was not too happy and made the following comment:

Anonymous said...

It sickens me to see such complete and utter falsehoods spread about the PCG. Nobody is forbidden to associate with family or anyone else outside of the church. They are merely discouraged from associating those who are hostile toward the church--those who are going to bring people down and relentlessly go on rampages against God and the church. By definition, it is not even remotely a cult. I strongly encourage you to get your facts straight and know what you're talking about before spreading venomous lies like the ones you have here. What right do you think you have to be manipulative, conniving and deceitful? It's extraordinary how people like you twist things around. This is coming from someone who used to be a member of the church, so I do know what I'm talking about.

Another former PCG member also responded, but to Anon's comments above:

Anonymous said...

"What right do you think you have to be manipulative, conniving and deceitful? It's extraordinary how people like you twist things around. This is coming from someone who used to be a member of the church, so I do know what I'm talking about." -Anonymous

 First of all mr./mrs. anonymous, where is all the "manipulation, conniving and deceitfulness" in this article? I too used to be in the pcg for 15 years, and i have seen this happen countless times. I, myself was kicked out at 16 for going to a dance on a friday night. And also, the pcg is strongly against "laodecians" (anyone who has been in the wcg or pcg and left or was kicked out). In my case, it was my grandparents. If a church tells you you cannot see, speak, or even go to a family reunion that your grandparents are attending, what do you call that? I call it a cult. I wish i had found real truth and freedom a long time ago. And by the way, you say "used to be a member" right? well i hope you didnt plan on coming back, cause they almost never actually let you; especially if you're "marked" (a completely unbiblical teaching where you are NEVER aloud to come back to the pcg) Well that's a lot of facts to argue. Of course an armstrongist will almost always answer with something ignorant and completely avoid questions, or most time ignore the real problem altogether. -Jacob Wood

REAL Apostles Do Not BBQ on Saturdays!

Apostle Malm has laid down the law for all 

current and future Apostles!

Any man who declares that it is good to have a barbecue, or to cook and purchase food, drink and services on Sabbath: does so in defiance of the word of Almighty God.  He sets a hypocritical example and is NOT zealous for the commandments of God, nor is he filled with love for God and man, for he defies God and encourages men to sin by his example!

It is lawful to obey God on the Sabbath and to do what God commands on the Sabbath.  That includes those things necessary to convoke together.  It is NOT lawful to do what God has forbidden on the Sabbath; that includes cooking,  purchasing food, drink and services and engaging in extensive travel.
The man who is not filled with zeal for the Sabbath is NOT an apostle of God!