Monday, August 1, 2011
The Sundown Kid: How Sabbatarianism Destroyed a Career and Life
The case of Danny Thomas was more clear-cut, but no less somber. A highly touted prospect in the Brewers’ system, Thomas also had emotional concerns and required psychiatric care. After the 1976 season, he decided to join a religious group known as the Worldwide Church of God. According to the group’s religious beliefs, it was not appropriate to work from sundown on Friday to sundown on Sunday. As a result, when Thomas reported to spring training in 1977, he informed the Brewers that he would have to miss a number of weekend games. Thomas became known as “The Sundown Kid.”
Thomas had enormous power and hit well in two stints with the Brewers, but several disciplinary infractions and his refusal to play on weekends curtailed his career. He seemed to have legitimate mental health problems. Ultimately, the Brewers felt he was too much trouble and demoted him to Double-A; when he refused the assignment, the Brewers gave him his release. In 1979, he attempted a comeback, playing minor league ball for the Miami Amigos in the ill-fated Inter-American League, which folded in the middle of its first season.
The following June, his playing days over, Thomas was arrested on charges of rape and sodomy, a situation made even more complicated because he happened to be married with two young children. On June 12, as he sat in jail awaiting trial, Thomas cut strips from his jeans, tied them to his jail cell, and hanged himself. Like Wilson, Thomas was only 29 years old. To make matters worse, Thomas’ family was so poor that it could not afford to pay for a funeral.Observations from Cooperstown
Wikipedia had this to say about Thomas and Sabbath keeping:
The "Sundown Kid"
After his strong performance in 1976, Thomas required psychiatric care in the off-season.[2] He joined the Worldwide Church of God and began practicing strict Sabbath observance. When he arrived for spring training in 1977, he informed the Brewers that he would not play on Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.[5] "The Sundown Kid", as he came to be called, missed a night game on Saturday, April 23, 1977, when he was slated to be in the lineup as cleanup hitter and left fielder, after having been excused from pre-sundown batting practice earlier in the day.[6][7] Thomas said he heard on the radio that he was scheduled to play in the game and apologized to Brewers manager Alex Grammas.[6]
He told People magazine, "If I'm good at baseball, it's only because God gave me the talent. I'll give it all I've got, but I won't play on the Sabbath".[8] Thomas was also outspoken in criticizing pitchers who hit batters, saying, "I think they ought to make a rule that if a guy gets hit and is able to get up, they should tie the pitcher's hands behind his back and let the hitter smack him in the face."[9]
And then you have to ask where was the Church at this time? Did it stand beside Thomas? Or did it just take and take his money, leaving the family high and dry? Check this out:
Thomas and his wife, Judy, had two children. The family lived near Spokane, where he had difficulty finding steady employment after baseball.[12] Thomas died at age 29 on June 12, 1980, after he was arrested in Mobile, Alabama, by hanging himself in his jail cell.[12][13] His family was so impoverished by then that they were unable to afford funeral expenses or even remain in Alabama for his potter's field burial.[12]
In later years, sports writers such as Furman Bisher have recalled Thomas's once-promising baseball career and eventual suicide, as in Bisher's 1986 column, "When great talents fail", and Howie Stalwick's 2003 article, "Remembering the Tragedy of Danny Thomas".[13][14] Sports columnist John Blanchette of the Spokane Spokesman-Review described him that same year as a "troubled soul", saying, "no one was more haunted than Danny Thomas".[5]
Saturday, July 30, 2011
LCG/Meredith: God Caused the Norway Killing Spree
The sickness continues to spew from Rod Meredith and the Living Church of God, particularly in regards to the killing spree in Norway.
Did you know that Spanky says that GOD caused the deranged madman to blow up the offices and kill the kids on the island!? This is the reason LCG gives for saying God did this:
The sad fact is that despite the trauma and sadness, the Bible has long predicted events like this would occur in the Israelite nations when they reject God and His way, “if you do not obey Me… and if you despise my statutes… I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you…” (Leviticus 26:14-16).
Besides the British Israel crap he still holds on to, Spanky cannot get his mind out of the Old Testament and the vengeful, blood thirsty god that he is always excited to find there. For some reason, blood lust is a favorite topic of Spanky and LCG. Their eyes seem to glaze over in orgasmic delight at the thought of death and destruction that they WANT to happen to people around them. It makes them special that they are different, called out, chosen, blah, blah, blah.......
Here is further reason for the shootings:
Norway is a nominally Christian nation, however a 2005 barometer poll revealed that only 32% of Norwegians even believe there is a God (http://ec.europa.eu/publicopinion/archives) and only 12% attend church each month. In 2009, 54% of all births in Norway were “out of wedlock” situations (www.familylifeculturewatch.com). Norway has also legalized same-sex marriages. It is a nation that needs to repent of its ways and truly turn to God. Jesus said that tragedies like this would occur and get worse before He returns to bring peace to this earth (Matthew 24:8)—may God speed that day!Armstrongism, as does most of legalistic Christianity, always equate bad things with the fact that the person or peoples have done something wrong to cause God's wrath to be dished out upon them. Armstrongite preachers are especially good at this as it lays the blame on everyone else but themselves. "Because we are God's CHOSEN, these kinds of things do not happen to us." It's YOUR fault that God has cursed you. It's YOUR sins that caused the hurricane to destroy New Orleans and the south coast. Its the YOUR gays that you allow to live in your societies that cause earthquakes. It's YOUR horny Norwegians that give birth without marriage and marrying gays - which is really ironic that the gays in committed long term relationships chose to get married while the rest of the population is jumping from bed to bed but Spanky ignores that part. It's YOUR fault Japan that YOUR ancestor worship is what cased the Japan earthquake and tidal wave.
With that kind of logic you would think Spanky would have realized that HE was the cause of the shooter that came into LCG Sabbath services and went on a killing spree. But that was quickly covered up by LCG. It was a mentally disturbed person that killed God's elect, not endless, hopeless, and discouraging sermons by Spanky and crew that pushed the shooter over the edge.
So where is Spanky and the rest of the Church of Gods in this matter? Are they offering help and prayers of the Norwegians? Not on your life! It is not LCG's problem. They are not of this world and cannot get bogged down in worldly matters. God is going to fix it all later on. So in the meantime, Catholics and other Christians are offering support.
Who is making a bigger impact to the Norwegians? The COG or the deceived, sun worshiping, idolatrous, sabbath breaking Christians? What about atheists, agnostics and non-Christians who see needs and reach out with healing hands hands? It makes no difference to LCG/Meredith who are giddy with delight at the prospect of rampaging Germans, Chinese, Muslims, concentration camps and meat-hooks raining down upon the British Israelite nations? God is coming to take care of it all.
As a post script:
So wheres does Chiropractor Bob Thiel weigh in on all of this?
Is he offering a helping hand? Words of encouragement? Financial help to the distraught families?
Nope. Dream on! It's conspiracy theories all the way.
Chiro Bob sees an angry God pissed off at Norway and the potential rise of the Antichrist! He is scared that the Catholic Church's' emissary that it sent to Norway to assist people in need is going to meet with a certain Cardinal that is potentially the Antichrist. The stupid conspiracies that occupy Armstrongites minds continue to amaze me!
While his intentions to visit Norway are probably fine, I have had concerns about Cardinal Koch (Ecumenism: Cardinal Koch and the Eastern Orthodox and Kurt Koch Made a Cardinal: Might He Become the Antichrist?) including before he became a cardinal (Swiss Bishop Appointed as Ecumenical Head: Antichrist Role?). If he ever gets close to Karl zu Guttenberg (see Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?), my concerns will likely intensify.
The Buffoons Are Still Trying To Be In Control
The "new and improved" Church of God a Worldwide Association is nothing more than a name change for UCG. The old guard of UCG has jumped ship where they continue their legalistic self righteous "look at me, I'm in charge!" government over the little ones.
Here is the list of upcoming nominees to COGWA'S new power structure. Of these "men" seven will be chosen to serve on the Board of COGWA. No new blood, just the same old power hungry men trained under HWA to be enforcers of blind obedience.
This includes the following UCG henchmen who worked behind the scenes while still employed by UCG to form their new splinter cult (repeating the same pattern they did when they planned UCG while still employed by WCG.)
These men are the power hungry potentates that still want to rule over members lives with as much legalistic bullshit that they can lay on the people. Got to keep that standard of living up in order to keep that fancy home and car. Since these men were ethically and morally bankrupt while part of UCG will they have a change of heart and stop their corrupt ways? I certainly will NOT hold my breath on that one! Their track record proves otherwise.
Jim B. Franks - MAJOR ethics issues
Clyde L. Kilough - MAJOR ethics issues
Richard Conerly Thompson - Not impressed with the guy after seeing him perform in his Ohio churches years ago. BAD!
Leon Walker - MAJOR ethics issuesRichard Robert Pinelli - Major ethics issues
David L. Register - Major ethics issues
Leslie L. McCullough - Les has to be up there in years now. Can he survive another Board?
Larry R. Salyer - how long will it be before Salyer jumps ship to form another church? How many has he been in since being kicked out of WCG? 3? 4? 5? Somehow in each of them he weasels his way up to the top.
Joel Christopher Meeker - poor Joel, that mustache still does not make you a man! Isn't it about time you write another "Open Letter" complaining about how you are constantly getting picked on and over looked as the little guy?
Lyle Eugene Welty - we got to see first hand how you ruined peoples lives when you were in Dayton years ago. You continued that in WCG in your other church areas and then on into United. The COGWA members need to toss you out the door as fast as possible!
I don't know much about these guys. I am just surprised that Horcheck is still buying into the garbage!
David Lawrence Baker
Arnold Jerome Hampton
Michael James Hanisko
Douglas Robert Horchak
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