Which Is Better: Critical Thought or Blind Faith?

LCG Not Guilty of Recreating HWA In Their Own Image?

Wallace Smith (LCG) has  a beef with those in various splinter cults that "recreate" Herbert Armstrong to fit the image they seek to portray even to the point of adding their own words to HWA's comments.  I find it kind of hypocritical for LCG be saying such a thing considering the fact on how they worship and exalt all things related to HWA.  HWA has been recreated to fit the mold of LCG and it's doctrinal viewpoints.

Recreating Herbert W Armstrong in their own image

Click on link above to read entire article 

 

One thing I appreciate about the Living Church of God — and something that I do not find anyplace else I have looked — is an effective dedication to the Bible above all else and to the proper respect for the teachings and work of Herbert W Armstrong.

Yet, our (very appropriate) love and fondness for Mr. Armstrong, a man we rightly believe to have been a modern day apostle, is used by many to turn some away from the truth — and even from what he, himself, taught — in subtle, deceptive ways. They do this by recreating Herbert W Armstrong in their own image.

Many do this these days. Tellingly, they do not agree with each other. I remember driving down Central Expressway once in Dallas (actually, it could have been the 635 loop–it’s been a while!) and almost running off the road when I saw a giant billboard with Mr. Armstrong’s face on it. I actually exited the highway, looped around, and got back on to look at it again. It was an advertisement for some sort of public presentation by one of the many “pretenders to the throne” (“graspers of the mantle”?) out there claiming to stand for what Mr. Armstrong preached and taught and claiming that a man who can no longer speak for himself would completely endorse what the pretender had to say.

This fellow is not alone. Many like to parade an image of Mr. Armstrong and claim his posthumous endorsement. Logically they cannot all be right, given how much they despise and disagree each other, yet logically they can all be wrong. The latter would be the case. (Some reading this may disagree. “Well, welcome to my blog,” he says, with emphasis on the word “my.”)

What they do is recreate Mr. Armstrong in their own image. They tend to take the things he said that they wish to emphasize and highlight those things (often with a great deal of bluster and chest thumping), while they tend to diminish, minimize, or explain away those things he said that clearly disagree with their personal doctrinal obsession or their justification for self-promotion. They do this in a variety of ways.

Another way they deceive those who love Herbert W Armstrong and recreate him in their own image is to “enhance” his own words with their own personal commentary. I’ve seen at least one hilarious version of this taken to a ridiculous extreme, in which an incredibly clear statement made by Mr. Armstrong concerning the fullness of the gospel’s content is twisted by inserting the deceptive teacher’s own words and explanation into Mr. Armstrong’s words so as to make Mr. Armstrong’s original writing incoherent. Even today, more than 25 years after his death, Herbert Armstrong remains one of the clearest writers I have ever read — there’s a reason he called his magazine the Plain Truth! Yet this one deceptive “augmented” quote I have in mind would have us believe the man couldn’t put two sentences together without our needing him to explain why the two sentences are self-contradictory. Unbelievable. (And, frankly, a sign of how desperate and self-deceived some people can be.)

Jehovah's Witnesses Need To Join The One True Church (LCG)

If the Jehovah's Witnesses would only open their eyes they would realize that they need to belong to the Living Church of God.  That is the only logical step one can take when their eyes are opened.

Prophet Theil says:

Ignoring obvious doctrinal differences, such as the Godhead, the two issues that I wish that JWs would consider is their lack of better understanding of Church History, which, I believe if more of them understood better, that would lead some of them to seriously consider the COG, and specifically the Living Church of God.  Also, the JWs prophetic understanding of many matters (including the end time and their misunderstandings about the final King of the North and King of the South) is leaving them vulnerable to end time deception.

But Prophet Theil is not only wanting the JW's to join up with LCG,  he wants UCG, COGaIA, and COGWA to join too:

If you are or were part of UCG/COGaIC/COGWA and are confused about what to do, please pray, fast, and study the Bible about this and the events of the past year, or even past 16-17 years. All should be “zealous” as Jesus said in Revelation 3:19 and not be satisfied with something less than a Philadelphia type of work and Philadelphia form of church governance.
Ask yourself what are the true priorities that the Bible indicates that the church most faithful to the words of Jesus would do and act appropriately.  This Holy Day season may be an excellent time to reflect upon that.

Imagine the joy you life will be filled with once you leave your apostate churches and join up with the one and only True Church remaining on earth today who preachers the Word restored after 1,900 years!!!!!  Imagine the intense honor it will be to worship at the feet of Spanky Meredith!  It's all sunshine and lollipops from here on out folks!

Germany Preparing To Destroy The U.S. - Oh Sorry, They Are Celebrating 21 Years of Unification

Click to see the conquering armies preparing to destroy the United States!

Prophet Thiel is all giddy with excitement today because Germany is celebrating 21 years of being a unified nation.  Unification is the first step in Germany's future role as the captor of the Untied States.  Prophet Thiel also sees this as the first step in the progression towards concentration camps, U.S. citizens being taken captive and sent to Europe to be slaves of the Europeans particularly in Germany.

All of this was of course predicted by Herb and crew decades ago, so we are seeing prophecy in action.  But since the WCG rejected the lunacy of Herb and crew there obviously has to be other 'true churches" out there carrying on that prophecy warning.  There is one doing that, and it is the ONLY true church out there.  It's good old Spanky Meredith and crew.  Isn't Armstrongism grand!  Such a wonderful legacy being left to future generations!  NOT!

Some in Germany celebrated its reunification today:

Germany celebrates the 21st anniversary of its reunification

Washington Post - ‎3 October 2011

By AP, BERLIN — Germany is celebrating the anniversary of its reunification 21 years ago after four decades of Cold War division. Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff are attending the main ceremony marking Monday’s anniversary in in Bonn, the former German capital.

The new capital is once again Berlin.
For decades we in the Church of God believed that Germany would reunite.  Notice one such statement, from decades ago:

Russia may give East Germany back to the Germans and will be forced to relinquish her control over Hungary, Czechoslovakia and parts of Austria…

There were various articles in the Plain Truth magazine in the 1960s (see, for example, the May 1962 edition) where we taught that both East and West Germany would reunite.
Because we in the Church of God taught that, and bolder statements later on the inevitability of reunification of the two Germanys based upon biblical prophecy, I recall in the early 1980s that TV Guide (which at the time had the largest circulation of any periodical in the USA) accused Herbert Armstrong of “bordering on lunacy.”
We in the Living Church of God have long taught that Germany (Assyria in end time prophecy) would be the driving force in the end-time European Beast power as well as having a future role in God’s kingdom. It is interesting that secular sources are more and more starting to indicate that we have long been correct about that.
We believe that over time, Germany will get more and more powerful.  And that is why we taught about reunification of Germany before it was a popular concept.

Abomination of Desolation Will Be Set Up September 17-18, 2012

The Apostle Malm is on his 2012 start of the tribulation kick again:

I had recently said that I thought 2012 may well be the year that the tribulation begins.  The reason is world trends, the situation in the COGs and the fact that only during a few years are there 45 days between the sixth day of Unleavends and the day before Pentecost.  As you know, I teach a resurrection on the sixth day of Unleavends to complete the 1,290 days of Dan 12; to be followed by another 45 days to complete the 1,335 days of Dan 12 on the day before Pentecost. With the scripture being fulfilled that at the end of the days all flesh shall be blessed.
 
It is an interesting fact that 2012-2016  fits the bill for fulfilling the 1,290 and the 1,335 days of Daniel 12.
Counting from and including: Tuesday, September 18, 2012
To, and including: Saturday, May 14, 2016; is 1,335 days.

This means that IF 2012 were to be the start of this count; the abomination would be set up around 17-18  Sep 2012.

The Apostle wants to make clear to you that he does not set dates!  Repeat, he does not set dates!

Let me say that I am NOT claiming this as definitely the year; that will not be known for sure UNTIL THE ABOMINATION IS SET UP.  After he is set up in Rome the tribulation will begin 75 days later.  2012 however, is a very distinct possibility; and if the abomination is actually set up in sep 2012, it will not only be the start of counting the days; it will be direct proof of the teaching regarding the sixth day of Unleavends and Pentecost.

Crap, does this mean I will miss the Olympics?  It's such a downer when the world comes to an end around you.,

PCG: Thinking About "The Work" Will Cure Your Discouragement

Steven Flurry has an article up in the Philadelphia Trumpet titled, You Can Conquer Discouragement!  So what could be the cause of all that discouragement and disappointment?  Could the headline of the next article be a cause of discouragement?  Can they really be this stupid?

• Commentary:  You Can Conquer Discouragement!
  God gives us the means.
• Commentary: DoYou Realize How Soon the World Could End?
  Events are moving far faster than most people grasp.
   
  So what is Little Stevie trying to get across?  It all revolves around money.  When you are depressed think about the "work."  That will solve all your problems!  Send your money in, it will make you happy to know you support the work.

  
  

  When you face discouragement, don’t let your mind dwell on the Jezebel obstacle in front of you. Get your mind on God and His work.

  The key to overcoming discouragement is to get our minds off ourselves and onto the power and might of God. Turn to God in humility, with prayer and fasting. Then get back to work. Concentrate on serving God and doing God’s work

  The cause of all that discouragement is this:
  
  

  Perhaps you’ve mulled some of those prophecies for years. Do you realize just how soon they could be full-blown reality?

  Are you ready? “[T]ake heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares,” Christ warned. “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35). Woe to those caught in that snare! And though Christ said it would entrap the vast majority, He gave this warning so you could be among the few who escape it (verse 36).

   

PCG: The Ten Commandments Will Cure Your Depression

The latest issue of the Philadelphia Church of God's rag, The Philadelphia Trumpet has an article about conquering depression, Defeat Depression - Master Your Mind.  This is appalling coming from one of the most morally bankrupt COG's out there!  More people have suffered, been abused and died because of this cult than any other COG - including LCG which had a shooting.

Families have been destroyed, marriages broken up, parents abandoning their children, grandparents refusing to see their grand-kids.  People have died because of their medical stance.  People are mentally and spiritually raped by this despotic cult, and, they have the gall to talk about depression!?

There is so much to mock in this article but too many to list here. Here are a few highlights.

The article starts out with

Twisted and distorted thinking is the major cause of suffering for people flattened by depression. Those who have experienced a major depressive episode feel locked onto a painfully negative mental and emotional tilt-o-whirl—a cruel carnival ride stuck on go!

Hellllllo!  Gerald Flurry needs to take a look at his own twisted and distorted preaching to see what it has done to members!

Mental health experts recognize that depression sufferers often resort to suicide “to achieve a peace of mindlessness.” Most seriously depressed people struggle to find the words to describe their mental torture. It is just as difficult for the non-depressed to relate to descriptions of it.

What about the PCG, LCG, WCG, UCG members who have killed themselves because of the mental torture that Armstrongism has put them through?  Never being good enough for God's love, never quite getting it right, always being beat down but disgusting sermons.  The list could go on and on!

So what causes mental health issues?  Here is PCG's example:

In order to conquer anxiety, depression, fear and worry, you must come to know how the human brain, empowered by the human spirit, works. You must learn how to properly operate your mind. In addition, you must come to face the truth about your human nature.

 i.e. - you are horrible sinful disgusting filth that is an abomination in God's sight.  Unless you repent there is no hope for you.

Then to support their stance they immediately get into Herb and his amazing knowledge:

Herbert W. Armstrong, the great theologian of the 20th century, understood special knowledge about the human mind. 

Greatest theologian??????? In who's eyes? The world?  The world did not know he was a theologian because Herb admitted himself that he could not go around the world talking about "god."  It was embarrassing to him.  Herb was NOT a theologian.  He had absolutely NO training in theology.  Was ignorant about bible study.  He also was no authority on the human brain!  He got the information he had from Robert Kuhn


So what is the ultimate cause of depression:

You must admit this next fact: Modern Christianity does not provide such education! In fact, most ministers and other Christian leaders teach that God’s law has been done away. People are not taught to practice the only way of life that produces true happiness—the way outlined by the Ten Commandments.

 All of you mentally ill people are rebellions sinners for not keeping the law!  Therefore Satan has been allowed to infiltrate and use your mind.

To truly solve our mental and emotional problems, which are all spiritual in nature, we must have the spiritual knowledge that can only come from God through His Holy Spirit. Yet the Bible states emphatically that God will only give the Holy Spirit to those willing to obey Him (Acts 5:32). Realize also that the Holy Spirit, actively living in a human mind, is sound mindedness (2 Timothy 1:7). A sound-minded person is in control of his thinking, emotions and moods.

 Your mental illness is from being a degenerate law breaker!

Here are some tough questions you must ask yourself. Is God’s Holy Spirit residing in me? How do I know for sure that I am obeying God? The answer to both of those questions is found in the practice of the Ten Commandments. If you are not actively keeping all of God’s Ten Commandments, you can be certain that the Holy Spirit is not actively leading, instructing and helping you. If you are depressed—meaning you have lost control of your thinking, emotions and moods—then look at your life. Where are you disobeying God? Study His Ten Commandments to find the answer. 

Hallelujah!  The Ten Commandments are the cure for depression!  What disgusting bullshit!  When you do not have the holy spirit in you you have a "carnal" mind and therefore are Satan's plaything.

 The carnal mind refuses to yield to and obey God in all things. The natural human mind is heavily influenced by Satan the devil (Ephesians 2:2-3). Satan’s top goal is to control your mind. 

So when Gerald Flurry was arrested parked along side the road while in a drunken stupor with beer cans piled on the ground outside his car door and in his lap, was he in a state of carnal mindedness?  Was Satan controlling his mind?

The PCG is the last COG than needs to be lecturing the world about depression considering you are a major cause of depression in the COG's.