On a Personal Note

Indulge me a bit in sharing how one can go from being a minister in WCG, or any church for that matter, to an informed skeptic and I suppose now atheist which simply means, to me, one who does not emotionally or intellectually need a Deity to explain the world and my own part in it.   It means I do not feel compelled to live in either the Bronze or Iron Age in my thinking and beliefs.

Years ago I took a personality profile test found it so accurate, down to the kinds of gestures I use and why, that I suggest to Joe Tkach that all ministers and leader types take one. This, from my naive perspective, might just prevent sending the same, ill placed and probably not really called to serve anyone but themselves type ministers from going on and on and hurting one congregation after another. WCG had this very bad habit of transferring it's problem ministers rather than confronting them. They said no to testing. Now I know why. People hate the insecurity that comes from knowing they aren't as special as they think they are. I'd challenge any leader of a WCG split, splinter or sliver to take one.  They won't ever....ever.

Being out of the loop, it took me years to figure this out. It took me years to admit that what I was seeing in WCG was happening as my ENFP personality, which is Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling and Perceptive, also is founded upon the idea that people like me are negotiators, ministers, counselors and even massage therapists,  simply hates conflict. Or as my son said so aptly said once, "dad, you'd take a stabbing lying down." That hurt, not the stabbing, but the fact he was right. It's my loathing of conflict I have found that some, like Dave Pack, leader of the Restored Church of God, and others, who are what I would consider abusive, personality driven and more narcissist than shepherds, actually thrive on. Or as Stanley Rader, personal counsel to Herbert Armstrong once said, "I don't care what you say about me, just spell my name right." True narcissism. And so I dismissed in my mind what my heart was telling me was so and went about the business of pastoring people in concepts I still had faith in, even if I could see that the higher up one went in the business of religion, the more your brains turned to shit and you forgot where you put your spirit.

But even more than that, even more than losing faith in a particular church, I knew I was losing faith in faith. I had seen too much that was real and did not match the great promises of the Bible. For all the conflict over healing and doctor care, make-up, and all that I generally labeled as "majoring in the minors," I never asked anyone to do or not do what I would or would not do myself. My conscience is clean when it comes to being an enforcer of stupid things in years gone by. I found that "ask and you shall not have, do not ask and all things are possible", worked just fine in most cases and the years have proven my gut feelings correct in thinking that "someday, none of these things will be issues."

Back to the original thought. I have always been a seeker and open to new things even as a minister. Actually my internal definition of a minister seemed to contain the "keep looking" clause, but that was rare among my peers who felt they had found once and for all, as I did too, but now don't. I think my working mostly alone, apart from the big cities and multiple ministers in one place, probably saved me from scrutiny. The few times I did work with other ministers it was ongoing drama and egomania. I found it entertaining but stupid as well and it took me years to see it was more widespread than I imagined. So even as a minister in a "One True Church," I could see the Bible itself had problems that my Church and all Churches simply do not want to address.  There are many issues, Biblical and secular churches and pastors don't want to address.

Even as a kid in Sunday School, the stories in the Bible generated many questions about how such things could be in reality. Did Joshua really stop the earth from rotating so the Israelites could kill more Amelakites? Answer: NO. Not only is it bad science, but it's a just plain stupid reason to stop the rotation of the earth! Also, no one else on the planet noticed, which made me suspect.

Did 600,000 men, plus women, children and hangers on really trek around the Sinai in a group for 40 years leaving no signs of it? NO, they did not, at least not that many or for that long. I once read a study on how long it would take those in the back of a group that large to get moving once the front of the group started to move. It was weeks! It's mythology adopted to give a small insignificant people, who now get way too much attention, a history. How many times have we almost found Noah's Ark? Always a great story in the news that just goes away. It never happened, at least not in anyway the Bible describes.

Homo Erectus 1.8 Million Years

Over time, I came to see that evolution of all life, including man, is generally true, details to unfold as time goes on. The defensive arguments of the Creationists are lame. Not to them, because they need to believe it, but to me, because I don't. I'm not afraid not to believe the unbelievable. I'd rather be ahead of my times than behind. The 4.5 billion year old meteorites, the 2.5 billion year old banded iron and the 1.8 million year old early human tools in my room inform me more than the Bible and Genesis.

I have had my DNA taken back 100,000 years to Africa (I'm Dutch) and tracing the personal journey my cells, blood and spit have taken to get "me" to America. Fascinating how my saliva proves that in the distant past, "I" traveled through Yemen, Iran, Iraq, the Russian Steppes and left into Europe as Cro-Magnon, routing the Neanderthal who were already there, but lacked the imagination I had to rid the place of them in 18,000 years or so. I love that explanation and journey far more than I do those of the Bible, because it is true.

When I was a pastor and WCG was changing over from Holydays to Holidays, every doubt about the Biblical story of Jesus birth circumstances and the actual narratives came out. I felt that if they could flip over to something so theologically lame as Christmas, I could finally examine my doubts about the whole story. Needless to say, the birth narratives, over which the Church said I studied too much, are not coherent, do not agree, are two different stories, are not known by Mark, John or Paul and find their origins in pagan mythology. All Paul knew of the physical Jesus, who he never met or quoted, was that he was "born of a woman of the tribe of Judah." Nothing special there. Long story.

From there, I discovered that the story of the dying Sons of God in history, such as Osiris, Mithras and Jesus, were retelling of the larger story of the journey the real SUN of God takes around the 12 constellations of the Zodiac every year. It is no coincidence that the SON of God and the SUN are crucified in the Spring on and around the Spring Equinox or that Jesus was the Lamb of God as was the SUN in Aries, the Lamb when it was "crucified". For Jesus to be "with you until the end of the age," means more the age of Aries which ended 2000 years ago with Jesus death and not the end of the world as fundamentalist Christians insist. 

It explained all those 12 tribes, 12 sons, 12 disciples, 12 Apostles etc, that surrounded the "SON" on his one year ministry, according to Matthew, Mark and Luke, but three years according to John. It's no coincidence that in Revelation, God is surrounded by 24 elders, which are the hours in the day. To me this makes perfect sense and the fact that Matthew's Gospel accounts of Jesus ministry through the twelve months of his short ministry, exactly match the story of the SUN through the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Stories in the Bible that make no sense literally on earth, (like the Magi seeing Jesus star in the East and following it West to his house) often make perfect sense when you understand them as astro-theology. The story of the dying Son/Sun of God takes place every year over our heads. Light is the great revealer, but light also hides. You won't hear that story in church! Nuther long story. I suppose years ago I did wonder why in Malachi, the "Messiah" or Jesus as Christians said it pointed to, was said to be "the Sun that arose with healing in his wings." If you know of the Egyptian sun symbol with wings, you'll see how old a concept that was.

So while I find the story of the Bible in the heavens, as below...so above etc, I don't fear the literalism of the Bible anymore, nor would I teach it. This is, in part, why I feel strongly about those that are manipulated by ignorant and pushy pastor types, into supporting something literally that is not literally to be supported. Ideas have consequences and we see that every day with religion gone amuck. Spirituality, as I have always noted, comes from within and doesn't need your money nor for you to show up Wednesday evenings, Saturday or Sunday.

Now to some, the reason I can go on this journey of discovery and enlightenment, while painful at times, is because I was never converted to the truth of past affiliations. I think I was. I was a true believer for a long time. But when I saw how quickly those in "high" places could change and demand change, everything I ever doubted bubbled up and here I am. 

I have both a deep resentment for those that have hurt so many and a gratefulness that I was able to get out and not have the drama of all that followed. The local church I last pastored was already using me as a punching bag in place of those they really resented enough. Remember, I don't like conflict, much less being the imagined target and cause of their anger. I learned to tell people I was never one of them, but one of "you" working for "them." I grew up Presbyterian and well outside a lifelong WCG mentality. I did manage to remind Joe Tkach that he was reinventing the wheel and that what he found so so new in Jesus, was so so old a story to the vast majority of those who came to WCG in the first place. For that I was told later that "HQ thinks you know a lot about Jesus, Dennis...but they don't think you KNOW Jesus." Uh oh.... :) Actually I think I know about Jesus more than they can possibly imagine... at least the Jesus of the Bible. It seems real contemporaries of Jesus know little or nothing of a Jesus who was known everywhere according to the Bible.

And so I have lost faith in just having faith. I like the facts more than I like faith. I understand faith and I agree that sometimes there is nothing to have but faith until facts come forward. But I do not substitute faith for facts. Eventually faith falls to facts.  

 Even a good Buddhist will say that sometimes there is nothing left in life to do but have a good laugh. A good laugh and "faith" sometimes are the same thing. When I had my kids immunized in 1974 when it was not fashionable theologically in WCG, I did so because facts over rode my faith factors. When Herbert Armstrong said in a Bible study that dinosaurs probably couldn't reproduce because they were created by Satan who couldn't either, I went with the cover of National Geographic  I saw on his coffee table in his office that displayed dino eggs. That happened a lot over the years when I listened to one minister or another on various topics they really knew little about. Mixing religion with science is lame.

 I"m still an extrovert, intuitive, feeling and perceptive. I still do "counseling" and I still hate conflict and confrontation. I don't, however, believer I will take a stabbing lying down again.  

Transitions are messy and in looking back, mine certainly was.  As Frank sang, "Mistakes I've made a few. But then again, please don't make me mention them..." or something like that .  Older, wiser and more settled is the end result.  Moving to Oregon was the best thing I have ever done and only the second place I choose to move to in my live rather than have the church tell me to do it.  If I can see Mt. Hood or Mt St Helens on the way home from work which I will do til I drop, it's all good. 

 I suggest you find out what you are and you'll understand your life in much more detail. Humans are hardwired the moment the sperm hits the egg...the rest is conditioning, programming, tribal expectations, fear, guilt and shame that keeps one in line with the group, religion or organization.

I also simply want people to think before they get hurt by those god-haunted types who run on emotion and the need to control. 

Sometimes we have to loose our minds to come to our senses. You can loose a lot of other things along the way when you do that, but being more authentic is well worth it. It's what ENFP's treasure almost above all other things.

Thanks for listening.....

UPDATED: GCI Purchases New HQ Building in Charlotte, North Carolina

See story here:  New Home Office purchased

Grace Communion International has purchased a building in Charlotte, North Carolina for their new HQ building.   Located close to the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, it will allow easy access for ministers to fly in an out for conferences.

GCI purchased a building in Glendora , CA after selling the Pasadena campus and moved their HQ to 2011 E Financial Way.

The new facility in Charlotte offers them 27,000 sq. ft. of office space as well as a place to store the historical archives of the Radio/Worldwide Church of God/Ambassador College.

Loopnet had this:

Property Shark states that the current value of the property which includes the building and 45 acres of land to be worth around 2.3 million, though the source that sent this info says they paid close to $3,000,000.

More details here:  Property Shark

This is sure to be really irksome to the Loving Living Church of God that has its HQ in Charlotte also. Perhaps they can have a joint picnic soon. Both churches now have a membership size of around 7,000 or less, each

When one steps back and looks at all of this, it is actually a sad sight to behold    From a premier campus that was a showcase to the world, to HQ's in industrial parks, it is a sad conclusion to the COG empire. From 100,000+ members to hundreds and hundreds of splinter groups with 5,000-7,000 or less, it is a sad legacy to behold.  Some groups are more legalistic than Herbert Armstrong ever imagined, and other groups are freed from the shackles of legalism, yet in spite of all of this, the church continues to fracture and dissolve.  Eyes are now upon LCG to have issues once Rod Meredith dies and others are looking at another major split to happen in UCG as it inches closer and closer to abandoning the law and embracing grace.  While I have to see that one to believe it, many say it is in the works.  

Now we wait to see if Gerald Weston will take over a Welcome Basket when GCI officially moves in.  It is only a short trip up the road for a friendly visit to reminisce over old times!

By merely hearing my voice and being faithful to me, you too can escape!

Superfantabulous Dave has the power to save you!

We just had a family of five come with us from Sardis. It’s an interesting discussion—the promise God makes to Sardis. If people from the Sardis—a family of five this week…We’re still booming just like we were in November, by the way. No slow down, not at all…And I mean a family—wonderful—a husband, wife, three children; Church of God Seventh Day in a foreign country, came with us. You know what? If they stay faithful…This might be one of the first sermons they hear. I think they started this week…then they escape.

Warning to LCG, PCG, UCG, COGWA: Take heed! Your Friends Will Be Butchered Like Hogs

Why is it that so many of the COG leadership have to wallow in fear-mongering? Where would the church be without famine, disease, pestilence, war and death?  Where would Rod Meredith be without his jack-booted Germans hanging COG members on meat hooks as they are confined in concentration camps, or so starved from famine they eat their own children?

Herbert Armstrong set that narrative decades ago as a tool of control over the membership. It worked so well that millions of dollars poured in every time he wrote a member letter claiming intense punishment stopped come.

Dave Pack has been working over time doing this as he talks about his god slaughtering three COG leaders and about a young man arising in the church to become the man of sin who would then slaughter all the COG members in the various splinter groups that have jumped ship to join with Dave.  Right now Almost-arrested Thiel is the youngest splinter group leader out there.  Will he become the man of sin and slaughter COG members?

Here is why Dave says what he does in order to "wake up" COG members so that they can escape  Thiel's wrath:

That’s why, brethren, I tell you before God…You need to understand me when I say this. You want to DO what Christ said to escape. If there are people, who are among us, who don’t believe these plain verses, then God be with them, because they’re going into the fire, and maybe we’ll see them later when they gain some wisdom, fear of God, and faith that when Christ said something, He meant it. Nobody has to preach these things. Let me just stop for a moment. Close your Bible. Set your notes aside. I just want to say something.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since I discovered this. I take no pleasure or joy of any kind in having to announce these horrible, horrible things. I could wish somebody else did. I look into the camera so I can talk to all of you people around the world…They told me which camera to look in, because I wanted to do this. Actually, I have a place in my notes. I don’t want to forget to say what I couldn’t have forgotten. The most horrific trial in the history of the world—an unrestrained devil, with unlimited power, is coming for God’s people…He comes and sits in God’s Church and attacks them—and God put him here, as surely as He unleashed the devil against Job.

I hate to have to say this. I hate to have to tell some of you, your friends are going to be butchered like hogs, but they’ll come back up soon…very soon. That’s the good news. And we haven’t talked about exactly how they fit into the resurrection of the dead and it’s very exciting. I would like to comfort you with those words. But they will not come up in the reckoning; but they do come up into a special status.

This video will be available, so I’ll just tell those in the splinters…I’ll name them. If you’re in the Living Church of God, PCG, UCG, COGwa, and others—take heed. You’re being warned. Brethren of God, now you know why Paul DIDN’T STOP for three years—with tears, warned everyone day and night. You got a better picture of why? Be warned. This man you seek…Maybe you think I’m wrong or it’s a joke, or you don’t fear God or look at the Bible. If you’re in those groups or the little groups—he is coming for your throat! And unless you escape, he’s going to get there and he’s going to rip your carotid out as he tries to catch your jugular on the way out! That’s the way it’s going to be. If that makes me a cult leader, so be it. I believe God…I believe God. 

Even though the thousands of COG members who join up with Dave will almost immediately be slaughtered, then will arise again to work with Dave and his crew as they usher in the First Dominion where his "jesus" returns for the first 1,000 years, and then comes again for a second 1,000 years in the millennium that Herbert talked about.
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I am such an amazing hard working man that I have no need to associate with the unwashed masses outside of my compound

Can you imagine being ensconced in your cult compound for several months and never venturing outside it because you are such a superfantabulous man who works every single day for the "work?"

This is what Super Dave is claiming:

Now recall…Now we’re going to look at something. We’re just going to look at some more serious things. Just what exactly is it you’re going to escape? And why do you want to run every time you go back and read Habakkuk 2? No trotting, no walking, no strolling, certainly no sleeping. I mean, you run! And it’s why I try…I don’t go to bed much before midnight every night. I don’t like to do anything but my job. You know, since I moved on campus, now three months and three days ago…I turned 68 this last Wednesday…I’ve been off campus four times in a little over three months. Once was to go to the Feast. So I pretty much stay here. But I have a wonderful existence here.

You know what? If you had a chance to live in a Kingdom like environment, would you go “off campus?” No! So this is my life. It’s what I do. But I understand it’s easier for me. I’m older, my kids are grown up, I’ve got grandkids. I’ve lived certain things in life. I don’t need more. I’m trying to run every day, and I know that if I do, I’m setting an example for others, and I hope I’m setting such for all of you. And I hope some of you will want to set examples for others, as well. But I just would tell you, as we go into what I’m going to cover, it’s horrible! It’s not anything that I saw. But I want you to understand why there is a reference to blood and violence. 

I am certain he does have a wonderful existence there.  His minions wait upon him hand and foot as they step to the side of the hallway as he passes.  He lives in a church-owned home, maintained by church employees, and makes his subservient wife venture outside into the cruel world of the Giant Eagle to do the shopping.  He does not even have to leave the gated driveway of his compound as he walks across the campus to his office suite.  Life is soooooo tough being God's most important man in human history.

Church of God leaders live in their own little cocoons, separated from teh reality of society and out of touch with reality.

UPDATED: Improperly Named COG Hiding Behind Holistic Pill Peddling Sign

This is the world headquarters of the improperly named 

"continuing" Church of "god"

Why is it that so many of the COG's out there have to hide their churches from the world?  They claim they are God's chosen mouthpiece and are the possessors of endless end time knowledge that God somehow was too stupid to reveal to Herbert Armstrong or any of the men he apostatized from.

Just like Herbert Armstrong, they are too embarrassed to say who they are and what they do.

The above is the "HQ" of Almost-arrested  Elisha, Elijah, Amos, Joshua, doubly-blessed but not ordained, dream weaver, naturopath, homoeopath, second witless witness, prophet, future martyr, Chief Overseer and bitter disappointing "son" to Rod Meredith, Bob Thiel.  Instead of boldly proclaiming his church to the world, he hides behind his Doctor's Research where he dabbles in herbology, dispenses naturopathic, homoeopathic, and nutritional information,  i.e., pills, pills, and more pills.

The COG has been rife with men peddling herbs and homoeopathic pills for decades.  The so-called "Dr's" the church and college had on campus in Pasadena were chiropractors that peddled pills and herbs.  Several others were members in Pasadena and made a fortune living off gullible church members who bought these pills over the decades. Being forbidden to uses real doctors, church members flocked to these men for advice. Who needs to see a doctor when cayenne pepper will cure most anything!

It is probably a good thing that Almost-arrested Bob hides behind his sign, otherwise, Satan and his demons would be able to find him.  After all, demons seem to have more power in the Church of God than that inconvenient dude they claim to follow does.

The only good thing about Bob's HQ is that so far he has not attempted to build a mini-me auditorium or Hall of Ad.

From an LCG member:

Bob Thiel is not licensed to practice in California, which many LCG members had always assumed.  The papers he claims to have written have also not held up to "peer review" standards.   Bob Thiel is a quack in every aspect of his life.  Fake doctor, fake theologian, and a fake COG leader.  He is a liar that every COG members should be wary of.

The Dangers in The Ring Mastered Church

Before the age of television and radio, a charismatic minister, one who by the power of his own personality, ego and even his mental quirkiness or illnesses, tended to influence a relatively few people overall. Since these inventions, times have changed of course. Now we can be bombarded with the ideas, opinions, inspirations, knowings and outright stupidity of the sincerely misguided. The problem is that they reach millions and are supported by people who buy into their ideas, but never meet the man, attend his church or know what might be going on behind the scenes of the organization he has created. 

Such men build Mega-Churches in their local communities and the sheer size of the congregation seems to be proof enough that the pastor must be right, must be really speaking for God and must be doing God's for sure, real, end time (again and still) work on earth. Surely something this big and with these many resources, which are mainly the tithes given to the man, who then decides just how to spend it with littler over site, has to be right and true.

For better or worse, the religious texts often give men more than they need to create a powerful, but false, and misguided belief system that then replicates itself and brings great ego pumping to the man who weaves the tale his way. They look into the Bible, both Old and New Testament, and what do they see? THEMSELVES! They see that, sure enough, just what Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel are alleged to have said, is what I, am saying as well. 

These misguided and often dangerous pastor types, and the danger is to one's finances and freedom of thought, often anoint themselves with various titles such as Evangelist, Apostle, Prophet, Watchman (watch out for this one as it's not what they watch that is so dangerous, but how they interpret what they watch to the faithful), and worse sometimes. Elections might be fine in government, but not for church. It does seem that the more bold a man or organization is, the grander the titles and the more authoritarian with YOU designated as a mere follower, it becomes... and the more dangerous to your real spiritual self it is.

Lets briefly remind ourselves of the traits a personality plagued with narcissism can bring to the Christian table.

"Feels grandiose and self-important (e.g., exaggerates accomplishments, talents, skills, contacts, and personality traits to the point of lying, demands to be recognised as superior without commensurate achievements);

Is obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence, unequalled brilliance (the cerebral narcissist), bodily beauty or sexual performance (the somatic narcissist), or ideal, everlasting, all-conquering love or passion;

Firmly convinced that he or she is unique and, being special, can only be understood by, should only be treated by, or associate with, other special or unique, or high-status people (or institutions); 

Requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation - or, failing that, wishes to be feared and to be notorious (Narcissistic Supply);

Feels entitled. Demands automatic and full compliance with his or her unreasonable expectations for special and favorable priority treatment;

Is "interpersonally exploitative", i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends;
Devoid of empathy. Is unable or unwilling to identify with, acknowledge, or accept the feelings, needs, preferences, priorities, and choices of others;

Constantly envious of others and seeks to hurt or destroy the objects of his or her frustration. Suffers from persecutory (paranoid) delusions as he or she believes that they feel the same about him or her and are likely to act similarly;

Behaves arrogantly and haughtily. Feels superior, omnipotent, omniscient, invincible, immune, "above the law", and omnipresent (magical thinking). Rages when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted by people he or she considers inferior to him or her and unworthy. " (Malignant Self Love) 

(If one cannot see these traits in certain Church of God Ring Masters they are blind and in denial as it manifests itself every week in every sermon and in every way everywhere.)

Ministers and CEO's with these traits, can rise to very high positions in the world of Religion, Government and Business, on the backs and at the expense of those who would not be inclined to think this way. They may be genetically predisposed to this way of being, but the world has paid a big price for allowing such people to include us in their exploits. Since they rarely if ever seek professional help and to suggest they do can get you everything from fired, disfellowshipped or killed, others don't insist they do to their peril. 

My experience is a Pastor with emotional or mental health issues often scoffs at and demonizes those that would go to professional mental health care counselors. They view it as "being weak" and prayer, Bible Study and fasting are the tools one SHOULD use to address such things.

. I often wonder if mental health counselor types in Mega-Churches don't recognize the problems in Mr. Charisma, but override it because a quirky or dangerous mental disorder can look so spiritual in a church context.It looks like a zealous kind of obedience to God when in fact it is an personality disorder able to hide in a church setting. The same actions of Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel in your school teacher, mayor or boss would not result in someone saying they are inspired by God.

So what are the problems with a one man Ring Master Church of God minster?

1. The minister, used to being believed in every area that captures his imagination and chooses to comment on is an impediment to good science.  Desperate to sound authoritative and glib in their presentation to the choir, they perpetuate ignorance for those content to let others do their thinking for them.  

Dave Pack's series where he ventured into dangerous territory for his actual understanding of good science which contradicts is pathetic science is a good example of this.  

2. The minister or Christian Zealot that goes unchallenged because he IS the Minister or Zealot, is a threat to a good education. They often bolster their own pronouncements by making fun of a formal education. They mock Plato, Socrates and others who are symbols to them of "human reasoning" as if there is reasoning is more than human. Dave Pack dismissed Einstein because he had "wild hair."  Brilliant Dave...  I realize they give the impression that God pours his mind, on a regular basis, into  themselves, but this is an illusion and delusion. 

"When you take into account what the so-called "educated" people don't know that's essential to know, and compare it with the vain "education" they do have, it becomes clear that they are quite dumb."
-- Robert T. Lee, Anti education Christian Leader.

These types tend to use the words "so-called" and put parenthesis around the words "education" a lot. They will soak their congregants in the biblical verses that mock human wisdom and ultimately, when cornered, come back with "well, the wisdom of man is foolishness with God," and "God's thoughts, (which usually mean his thoughts at the moment you are questioning,) are higher than yours!" End of discussion.

3. Many charismatic and one man churches are a threat to your good health. They often stress that ill health is a function of the devil in your life or mind, when it really might be the fact that one believes that sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine are the four food groups and spends a lot of money proving it. Anointing an obese person for bad knees is like painting a car with flat tires. It still won't move.

These spokesman for God emphacise that having hands laid on you is more important than a good check up or good treatment of maladies contracted in the course of living on the earth as a human or old age. Some teach that it's either God OR Doctors, but can't be both. Some mix it up but give false reasons in sermons for human illness and often cause a person to postpone getting genuine help and finding a solution to the problem. When these ministers contract an illness themselves, they tend to re-read the scriptures and hear the voice of God telling them that it's now OK to seek professional help and a good Doctor for themselves, and thus have to reveal this a new truth to the congregation who'd catch on if he didn't. When they need it, they tend to change over to "God has given us medical knowledge as a gift and we should recognize it...now and for me at least."

4. Charismatic and One Man Shows aren't accountable for their use of your generous tithes and offerings. As such, they are a grave threat to your finances. Such members often tell themselves after they send the money, "I just obey God and tithe, and what he does it it is none of my business. I trust God and his Church." That gives Mr. Charisma a free hand which is why we see Tel-Evangelists and Religious CEO's sporting hot cars, expensive watches and amazingly expensive homes in exclusive neighborhoods. Even the original scripture, "blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven," was changed to "blessed are the poor, IN SPIRIT, ...." to give some very wealthy and materialistic ministers and churches some wiggle room throughout history. Somehow these men embarrass and anger us, but nothing is ever said or done that changes them and the giving goes on, along with the lifestyle abuses and offenses to common sense. Sheeple love Shenanigans I guess.

5. The One Man Show can define the world to the members as it serves him. He can spew out why the world is this or that way and just what exactly God is doing and thinking. He can motivate the masses with the imminent (again) return of Jesus. Everything is watched with baited breath and is just around the corner. The world can't go on for more than 3 or 5 or 10 or 15 more years, so give, give, give, give. Of course the numbers of years "just ahead" never change and often match the number of years the minister wants the show to go on for him, but no one notices or cares. Granted, it's a dangerous and discouraging world, but frankly it is the Christian, Jewish and Islamic religions that want their form of peace on earth to come that are pushing us towards the edge. As I have said before, they might bring nothing but a sanitation problem for their false efforts and beliefs about what God might be thinking.

6. The One Man Show can leave you high and dry when they DIE! Uh oh...now what? These men often act as if they simply can't die "before all be fulfilled," and rarely make provision for a change in leadership, if that is what the group wants. Why would you have to make provision for new leadership when you are the End Time Apostle or both of the Two Witnesses of Revelation? I once asked a group that was just smitten with the talent and "knowledge so called" (sorry couldn't resist) of their pastor in his Mega-Church. I asked if they had a plan B. I asked what they would do if he failed to live up to his own press or died and they simply insisted that would never happen. Uh huh...It's the people who work for such jerk that end up paying the price in having given their lives to a false vision and were lied to about the outcome. Of course, life is choices and we make our choices don't we? If your grand poopa minister does not have a way to be replaced, you need to make a way, for your own good and spiritual safety. If he refuses to entertain the idea, he's an idiot and you need to vote with your feet. (See Narcissism above.)

7. A One Man Show presupposes that you must see life, religion, God, the Bible, the world, your family, your thoughts, your finances and every other aspect of your personal freedom to be who you are, through his eyes. You really don't have a life. You have HIS life. You aren't a player in your own life. You are a player in HIS life. You can't see the world and receive knowledge as see fit. You have to receive knowledge and receive it from HIM and as HE sees it. In short, you have given up your mind and all you now are is an agreerer. You just agree with your ministers views, opinions and perspectives on who and what God is and when Jesus simply must come back for all of the big US, not them. If he says dinosaurs are less than 6000 years old and fossils are deceptions as is any book outside of the Bible, you just say, "yes sir." If you are really hooked by the one many show, you become a virus for him and spread it to others. If he says one man is God's political leader, but the other is Satan's, you just say "well ok," and vote as the minister says you should, for GOD. It's all bullshit, but many love bullshit and smear it on themselves every week in church as a Holy Excrement, I mean Sacrament.
(Hey, that was pretty good!)

8. And finally, the one man show is dangerous because men are men and women are women and when they fall from grace, they tend to take everyone with them in one way or another. People are people and get into all sorts of wants, needs, desires, lusts and experiences. Religion and the need to be good, godly, perfect, righteous and sinless, well at least not "big" ones, forces people wear masks.

No man is above being normal, but the demands of religious obedience is abnormal in a real world. The congregation can "sin" until the cows come home and often, but they expect the pastor to be their sacrifice for sin by his living an unreasonable life full of unreasonable expectations and unresolved personal needs. The reason so many ministers "fall from grace," is because few can meet the expectations of religion and the few that think they can, can't but won't admit it. Many are pushed from grace by ego.

Don't be overly impressed by the religious who know everything and demand you pay, obey, pray and stay just because they say so. Question religious authority and those that demand your righteousness at the expense of your sanity. The person demanding your devotion or obedience is just a human being as well with all the foibles that go along with that.