"Yeah....just why do I do that?"

"Yeah....just why do I do that?"

"I appreciate "Banned By HWA", but I must say that some of the articles, especially this one and Diehl's "religion"(not to say I don't enjoy reading some of Diehl's repeated philosophy), get a touch long-winded....

Yes, Dennis writes interesting articles, but he seems to repeat himself over and over again. No matter what the subject is, he goes back to the astrology aspect, or Paul being a fake. "

I agree...

The last Festival sermon I was able to give was before about 8000 in Myrtle Beach in the late 90's.  Those were the days when the ministers were assigned sermon topics to prevent us straying too far afield I suppose.  Somehow I was always able to take the assigned topic and twist it into what I felt i wanted and need to say anyway.  I don't do assigned sermons anymore than I "to be played in all the churches" my local congregations to death with boredom from Pasadena.  

Anyway, the topic of my last Festival sermon was "The Politics of the New Testament" and was basically showing that all the key players in the NT, Peter, James, John and Paul were not all speaking the same thing and had issues with each other expressed in fascinating ways in the text if one knew how to read it and what to look for.  Much if not most of what I repeat here was in that sermon.  My point, and not seeing the dark clouds of church disintegration on the horizon yet, was merely endeavoring to show the church that as today so it was then.  Leaders differ and have been arguing over the meaning of Jesus since before the body cooled.  Paul and the Gentile view he taught won and James and the Jewish Church evaporated into history.  

WCG was a Jewish Christian Church that never knew how to view Paul accurately.  Both concepts are in the texts. 

I got a standing ovation for the sermon and that was a no no back then if you remember.  It was a real high to see such response as I later learned that a few things i said pushed the buttons of those over me and would be used against me to terminate me.  I know now I wanted out but didn't have the guts to walk away. I had to be pushed. I was not going to be a hand waving, Jesus smooching freak for them and they knew it.  My Epistle of Paul teacher who was the main speaker that year was enthralled and took me out to dinner after the sermon to talk more about it.  I have shared most of that sermon save for the Astro-theological origins of the core Jesus story here on this site. 

And while I know I have already said this before, my exit interview, which I did not realize was one until a few weeks later left me a bit stunned when I was told, sitting in Barnes and Noble, "Dennis, we know you know a lot about Jesus, but we don't think you know Jesus."  In my mind that meant, "We know you know enough to make people think and question the status quo but we don't think you are going to be a team player and tell people they need to soak themselves in Jesus."    I grew up soaking in Jesus which is why WCG caught my attention when they seemed to focus not on the squishy Jesus but what he said and taught.  Anyone can see, if they wish, that Jesus and Paul did not have the same message.  

So I ask myself, just why do I repeat myself on these topics?  I agree totally with the opening observation about the repetative nature of my postings.  Why do I do that?  Here is my best answer. 

I crave open and honest discussion with intelligent folk on these topics.  I keep thinking that someone will engage me on these observations about Paul and such but as you know, it is rare.  The "as above, so below" aspect of the story of all godmen and sun gods as the 12 month journey through the signs of the zodiac just captivated me and it just seems true to me.  

There was no one more religiously curious than me as a kid. I got yelled at by ministers for too many questions and pitched out of catechism classes a time or two for 'well why does it say this here and then this over here?"   I haven't changed much. 

I'll keep this short.  I think the implications of what theologians call, "The Problem of Paul," are just short of stunning, as are some of the other larger issues that I have finally taken a good look at and drawn big conclusions about Christian literalism and Evangelical Fundamentalism.  They are more harmful than helpful and they hurt more than help people in the long run. 

I have always studied origins.  It mattered not whether it was human origins or the origin of scripture and religions that really expect great sacrifice from their followers.  I want to know where things REALLY come from and their REAL origins.  It's just how I think.  I don't want to believe what is not true and do not wish to practice that which is not necessary especially if it causes people personal pain thinking they have to do the right thing.  I hate unfairness and I have always defended the underdog. It's just how I am.  I certainly don't and never wanted to tell others what they had to do or be or think or practice if it was not necessary.  When I taught it, I believed it. When I didn't believe it, I stopped teaching it and fell back to the "what the hell do i do now," point of view.  Transitions are messy and it took time for me to realize the implications of my own study in religion while I was teaching religion. 

Ok, ok,...I really mean this to be short.  The bottom line is that I don't mean to repeat myself but I know I am looking to engage in discussion on these fascinating topics.  I don't even care if I am not agreed with but it's not enough to just say, "Diehl is an idiot."   Tell me you're view on the problem of this or that.  Actually most don't have a view and have never thought of it as a problem so I do understand.  I realize I am probably expecting something from this site that the site is really not designed for.  

As most of you know, the whole experience introduced me to various forms of depression and personal anxiety on any number of issues, but that seems to have been part of the price of moving on.  I'm doing the best I can for who I am and my nature and temperament.  I know myself very well now more than ever.  Kinda creepy...ha.  

I miss teaching and tackling topics that others only think about.  I have been told all my life by members and ministers,  "Dennis, you say things I am only thinking,"  "You are ahead of your time," and "That was fascinating..."    My debate with Art Mokarrow last year was very stimulating to me and a real opportunity to speak up to my old WCG and COG types. Art invited the fox into the hen house and I had a ball.  My WCG minister buddies in the audience wanted more after the debate and were very much in agreement with me on many points they had always thought personally about.  

My last comment to several was, "Do you agree with a lot of this?...oh yes, And you teach it now?....oh no.  But you still get your paycheck?   .....oh....yeah...."  We parted with that kind of knowing half smile only ministers know the meaning of....

Dennis C. Diehl

DenniscDiehl@aol.com

Finding God In All Natural Disasters

Matthew Paul Turner has a great entry on his blog yesterday about Christians who find God behind hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, etc. Jesus Needs New PR: How To Find God in Natural Disasters!  Check out his blog for the entire post.

Here are the points for any TRUE Christian to use when laying blame:

Now, for those of you who are atheists or Episcopalians and already discounting the whole “God’s wakeup call” theory as hogwash, you might consider the fact that this small earthquake happened during the same week that Hurricane Irene is expected to make landfall and get all Sodom-and-Gomorrahish on you and on the same exact day that Barbra Streisand’s new record released nationwide. Call me crazy, but three natural disasters in one week doesn’t just happen for no reason.

1) Think Biblical: In order to fully grasp how God might show up in the details of this week’s disasters, you must first embrace biblical thinking. How do we Christians do this? By imagining that we’re Moses or Elijah or heck, even Jesus. Since Moses found God in a burning bush and Elijah called to God to bring fire down from Heaven, and Jesus calmed raging stormy seas with the flip of his hand, it should come as no surprise how easy it is for us to visualize God using a cold front or the jet stream to maneuver his ways into our ways. This probably also explain why you’re born-again aunt always updates her Facebook status to “Watching the power of God” during thunderstorms. Once you’re in character, consider the fact that you now believe that God created the heavens and the earth, and thus, it only makes sense that he would occasionally use the heavens and the earth to encourage us to do good things or perhaps Republican things once in a while.
2) Think Spiritual: While many Christians claim to see God in all of life’s nooks and crannies—you know, they claim to smell him in a rose or taste him while eating a plum. I suggest you start smaller by looking for God in the really big events, ie, after Irene blows through, walk around and look for oddly placed crosses. If a cross from a local church ends up destroying your rhododendron plant, that could be a sign. Or if you find a couple of 2X4s in the shape of a cross atop a pile of rubble, that’s definitely sign. God loves using 2X4s. You might consider taking a picture of that and send it into your local news station. And who knows? Maybe Irene will bless you with a backyard etching of the face of Jesus or Mary or a face loosely based on the face of Jesus or Mary. We never know how God will speak to us, so we tend to keep an open mind.
3) Look for God’s Message: Since we read hundreds of accounts in the Bible of people believing that God spoke or acted or showcased his talent via nature’s more uglier moments, anytime God sends or allows or doesn’t stop natural disasters from showing up at our doorsteps, we expect a message! In most cases, there’s always some sort of message attached, literal or otherwise. It’s like getting a bouquet of flowers or an envelope dusted with anthrax, it doesn’t just happen. There’s almost always a fully spiritual explanation. So look for God’s message. I think experiencing an earthquake is like getting a text message from God when my phone is on vibrate. But it’s important to remember that the earthquake isn’t the actual message, it’s just a signal to let us know that you’ve received a new message. It’s essential that we check our messages. Have you checked Tuesday’s message from God?
4) Share the Message: God’s messages are meant to be shared! So, once you discover what God’s trying to say to you through Tuesday’s earthquake or this weekend’s hurricane, make sure you tell people about it. Now, depending on whose theological persuasion you listen to, God’s message might need to be interpreted (which is “Christian” for deciphered) because sometimes God’s messages come to us more heavily coded than the Book of Ezekiel. Still, a message exists. So find it. Decipher it. And then Tweet it!
5) Believe in God’s Mercy: Now listen, it’s absolutely imperative that you believe that God is merciful, no matter what the devastation or how FEMA responds. God. Is. Merciful! (Repeat that two times.) With that in mind, if you don’t figure out the message the first time, know that God won’t leave you uninformed. God always keeps attaching the message again and again to whatever natural disaster happens to slip through his hands and onto your part of the world. So don’t worry! Keep your mind focused on God’s mercy. A pastor I knew in college always said: God’s mercies are new every morning and occasionally they get measured on the Richter Scale. He was a Calvinist.
6) Self reflect: No natural disaster is complete without self reflection. It’s never easy for me to believe that I might be partially to blame for God sending natural disasters. It might be an easier stretch for you to believe that. But whether difficult or easy, it’s a necessary evil. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask: Are you the Jonah of this week’s story? Are YOU the reason God is pissed off and sending everybody from Atlanta to Detroit a text message? Only you can answer that question, of course. But as you’re clearing your deck of loose items or shopping for toilet paper and bottled water at Wal-mart, it’s something you might spend time thinking about. Perhaps if you are this weekend’s “Jonah,” you could confess or move to another state and possibly spare your friends and neighbors the wrath of Irene.

"Chiseling Into Perfection": Bill Gothard, ALERT Academy and the WCG

In the year 2000, the Worldwide Church of God finally sold the Big Sandy campus to Hobby Lobby for 8.5 million dollars.  Hobby Lobby is a craft's company owned by  David Green with over 450 stores in 39 states.  HL does not use bar codes on it's products and hand prices items (a fear that it is the mark of the beast?) Green later transferred ownership to Bill Gothard for ALERT Academy's use.

The Journal (COG) had this to say about the transaction:

BIG SANDY, Texas--The owner of the property that for 33 years was the campus of Ambassador College (which became a university in 1994) wants to sell the metal swan sculpture that graces the area in front of the administration building.

Ron Fuhrman of Big Sandy, director of Air-Land Emergency Response Team (ALERT), which has owned the grounds since Dec. 31, 2001, said ALERT would like to sell the sculpture and other items and wonders if anyone among the Churches of God would be interested in buying it.
. . .
The Worldwide Church of God sold the property in 2000 to the Green Family Trust, owner of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., of Oklahoma City, for an undisclosed sum.

Green in turn leased it to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a nonprofit educational and service ministry based in Oak Brook, Ill., headed by Bill Gothard. The Big Sandy acquisition joined about 50 other IBLP schools in several states.

The ownership formally transferred Dec. 31, 2001, from Green to the IBLP, of which ALERT is a department.

Mr. Fuhrman said ALERT and the campus will soon become a "stand-alone" operation of the IBLP.

IBLP (Institute in Basic Life Principles) was started by Bill Gothard.  Gothard is from a Baptist background with deep ties into Dominionist theology. He is also an advocate for large families, home schooling, staying away from medicine, and for making women stay home from outside work. The Dugger Family with their 18 kids is an example of this. Men are the rulers of the household and it causes trouble when women work out in the world and are under authority of other men.  Christian Identity is also promoted.  He was famous for describing children as being "diamonds in the rough" that God was chiseling to perfection by the blows of flawed and sometimes abusive parents.


Alert Academy describes it's self as :

The Air Land Emergency Resource Team (ALERT) is a unique training and service organization for young men who desire to achieve maturity and fruitfulness in service as Christian men. The training young men receive at ALERT equips them with the discipline, character, and skills necessary to meet the needs of people in crisis. These ALERT Responders will then be deployed to disaster-stricken areas such as those affected by hurricanes, tornados, floods, and mud slides.

Many label the course as a paramilitary boot camp.  The instructors walk around in military style clothing  with military style badges and medals.

 They are groujped in "Unit's" and receive deployment orders when being sent out during natural disasters or other emergencies (hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, floods, etc.).  Training includes some of the following:

Training Elements

Basic Training is structured around the eight callings of II Peter 1:5–7. Each week, one calling will be emphasized in devotions and other activities.

Recruits are challenged to establish the disciplines of personal devotions, Scripture memory, and Bible study while applying Biblical principles to life situations. ALERT proves to them that if they can have a daily time with God in the most extreme circumstances, then they can maintain this discipline throughout the rest of their lives and hopefully gain a vision for God’s kingdom.

Scriptural application is further refined in the pursuit of Godly character. The men gain emotional maturity as they wrestle with homesickness, youthful fears, and controlling emotional reactions. Their comfort limits and fear boundaries will be regularly tested to widen their horizons and to help them develop a healthy level of self-assurance. Specific fears addressed include being under authority, facing the unknown, homesickness, extended hiking, camping in the wilderness, and heights.

Learning how to respond to stressful situations increases a man’s faith in God, as well as his confidence in his own abilities. Basic Training is carefully balanced to control the tribulation necessary to stabilize fear, resignation, discouragement, anger, resentment, and other negative emotions. As men overcome increasingly difficult challenges, they are able to see God’s hand at work in their lives, and they grow in faith, discipline, motivation, and focus, all while combining training with a spiritual emphasis.

Character Training

ALERT provides a quality alternative to young men considering military service, as it imports the best features of the U.S. military. As such, ALERT should not be confused with church camp or recreational outdoor programs.

Training in Godly character is organized into clusters, the chief cluster encompassing the area of compliance. The principle of authority is taught with a view to differentiating between obedience, submission, honor, and loyalty.

Within the context of compliance training, recruits master the elements of basic obedience (rote compliance motivated by consequences) and balance that with responsible boldness in learning appeal techniques. Moving on to the second level, submission is learned in light of phileo (brotherly love) and mutual trust. The third and highest level of compliance, honor, is imbued with the agape (God’s love) understanding that we die to self as we strive for the success of a God-appointed authority.

The Basic Training environment is very effective in revealing resistant attitudes and rebellion in young men. Responsiveness is ALERT’s byword, and as an ALERT Responder, a good employee, or a faithful son, the recruit must demonstrate the qualities of dependability, diligence, and thoroughness. Meaningful projects allow men to develop these qualities along with punctuality and accountability, to achieve a mature level of responsiveness.

Similar qualities are clustered around persistence (endurance, determination, patience), confidence (boldness, initiative, decisiveness), and readiness (vigilance and attentiveness).

Physical Training
“PT” is an integral part of Basic Training. Although “…bodily exercise profiteth

Additionally, physical fitness training provides a convenient classroom in which to learn self-control and mastery over one’s physical body. Although ALERT deems physical training a lower priority than spiritual and character development, it may be an area of struggle for those not in the habit of physical training.

Skill Training
Skill training is threaded throughout Basic Training as a foundation for subsequent areas of training. Many of these training opportunities have an element of adventure and provide incentive to complete ALERT Basic Training. Among these are camping skills, survival skills, and outdoor skills.

The realm of search-and-rescue requires Responders who are competent in all varieties of outdoor terrain and who will not be liabilities to themselves or to the mission. Living off the land, group sheltering, and outdoor living have been proven elements to teach our men to thrive in austerity while delivering valuable services. Such conditions are useful in preparing men for foreign missions or the coming perilous times.

Introductions in map and compass skills support later training in search-and-rescue, diving, and aviation. Elementary ropework, practiced in river crossings and rappelling in Basic Training, leads to high-angle rescue. First Aid essentials covered in Basic Training eventually yield to instruction in emergency medicine in Advanced Training. Problem-solving exercises give a practical forum for team-building and leadership practice, and by the time Basic Training is completed, the young men have been knit together into a cohesive team that depends first on God’s strength. They are then ready to confront new challenges in ALERT Advanced Training.

 Response Training

Initial response training foundational to disaster response will begin in Basic Training. Classes in Evangelism and Search-and-Rescue will equip Responders to deploy immediately upon promotion, if required. Many times international travel is required, and a valid passport is necessary prior to the start of Emergency Response Training (ERT). These skills provide confidence in ministering to
people in need and equip the Responders in their goal of service to others. This initial response training will also provide the building blocks for further training during Emergency Response Training.

Discipleship
Discipleship is what the Christian life is all about. But how do we know when we are true disciples? And how do we know when we have trained someone else to be a disciple? The answer is found in the Great Commission: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). So what were all the commands of Jesus? A survey of the Gospels will produce about forty-nine general commands that every believer should follow. This, then, is the curriculum for carrying out the Great Commission and being a disciple. We will attempt to cover 8–9 foundational qualities needed in the life of an ALERT Responder.

At first glance all of this may seem "ok", particularly to those trained in Armstrongism.  However, ALERT is labeled in many cult recovery circles as a legalistic cult.

I find it interesting that the Worldwide Church of God sold both of it's properties to other 'sects" that are looked upon by many as "aberrant."

Harvest Rock Church, who bought the Auditorium, in Pasadena, is a charismatic personality cult centered around a charismatic religious leader who has legions of volunteers catereing to his every need.  They regularly hold conferences where internationally known men like Benny Hinn, leaders from Toronto Blessing, Brownsville Blessing show up and hold week long conferences on "fruits of the spirit." This includes speaking in tongues, being over come by the "spirit" so as to bark like dogs, have hysterical fits of laughter, pogoing in place for long periods of time, being slain in the spirit where they lay on the floor of the Auditorium in 'frozen" states for hours on end and much much more.

ALERT is considered a cult because of it's legalistic tendencies, paramilitary training,  and other attributes.  While I hesitate to give them publicity, the Daily Kos has an interesting background on ALERT. and the WCG.  Although I do wonder where they find a link of WCG to "Oneness Pentecostalism."  I assume they tied the name Church of God to the other Church of God branch that is into pentecostal/charismatic hysteria.

What spurred all of this on tonight was an email from a person who sent this link to a web site that is filled  with testimonies of people who have suffered under Gothard's principles.  Recovering Grace: A Gothard Generation Shines Light on the Teachings if IBLP and ATI

Their goal is:

Recovering Grace is an online organization devoted to helping people whose lives have been impacted by the teachings of Bill Gothard, the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), and the Advanced Training Institute (ATI). Recovering Grace provides a unique perspective in that it was founded and is operated entirely by adults who were raised as children in Bill Gothard’s Advanced Training Institute. We all have attended Bill Gothard’s seminars, and most of us served within the IBLP organization in some form or fashion. Among the members of our team are pastors, lawyer, teachers, accountants, businessmen, and stay-at-home moms. We have all taken different journeys, but we all have one thing in common: We survived ATI.

Some of us had pretty great parents who, by the mercy of God, were able to bring balance to Bill Gothard’s legalism. To this group, survival means that they graduated high school and moved on. However, many of those involved with our site survived physical and/or sexual abuse that causes nightmares and trauma even today. Some survived spiritual abuse at home or training centers that has left them with years of untangling who God is, whether faith is worth having, and whether church and religion are anything more than a cosmic joke. Others have survived emotional abuse, being told that they weren’t good enough, weren’t pretty enough, didn’t look right, or whatever. To these people, survival means a lot more. It means there is a lot of hurt, guilt, and pain that is dealt with every day.

Together, we have decided it is time to speak out. Others have done so before in books, magazine articles, and websites. Still, they couldn’t speak from the perspective we can. They wrote about Bill Gothard’s ministry from the outside. We write about it from the inside. They observed our legalism and tried to warn our families. We lived in legalism and wish we’d listened sooner.

It's quit obvious that these people are just like those of us who were trapped in Armstrognism were.  They/we see a need to speak out, to expose, and to let the world know what is going on.  Lives have been scarred, damaged and sometimes destroyed.  Accountability is the name of the game now.

For more information:

Child abuse and abuse of women:  "Christian" Child Abuse

An irreverent guide to Gill Gothard: A Beginners Guide to Bill Gothard

A Guide to Bill Gothard

The Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard: Benevolent Ministry or Bondage Making?

Stop Spiritual Abuse

Prophet Thiel: "King of the North/The Beast" Now Living In Connecticut With Family

Can Armstrongism get any sillier?  Why does Spanky Meredith put up with this kind of stupidity and the bad light it casts on his cult?  The lengths Prophet Bob goes to to find some connection with Armstrongite prophecy is appalling!

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg

COGwriter
Baron Karl zu Guttenberg is moving into a neighborhood with celebrities and may be fulfilling a prophecy (note the following was in German and I had it machine translated:

These are the new neighbors of the Guttenberg

Panorama 25/08/2011

GREENWICH…Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (39) now happy as a sabbatical year. A certain amount of time like he and his wife Stephanie (34) out of Germany. The U.S. is the target. The “Colorful” revealed now that the nice little house for the family – the two daughters come up with – will focus on: the state of Connecticut on the east coast…Now he has this caliber as neighbors: Star singer Diana Ross, the film divas Glenn Close and Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson, Hollywood giant.  http://www.az-web.de/news/hochschule-detail-az/1791378?_link=&skip=&_g=Guttenberg-haelt-die-Laudatio-beim-AKV.html

The above is interesting as there is an old Eastern Orthodox prophecy about the Great Monarch (who seems to be the same person as the final King of the North in Bible prophecy) that states:

Anonymou Paraphrasis (10th century): The one true King, who is inhabiting a humid place to avoid the heat; whom men have expulsed from his own dwelling and gave a place to live in the islands; who is engaged in navigation and fishing every week; (this King): will be revealed when the time of the power of the Ishmaelites comes to an end. (Tzima Otto, p. 30)

The coastal portion of Connecticut, where he now owns a house near other celebrities, has been described as a humid subtropical climate.  Whether the Baron goes to islands, navigates, or fishes much, will be seen.  As regular readers of this page are aware, I have had my eye on one-time German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg since late 2009 as one who could possibly fulfill the role of the final King of the North.

I have expected that he would likely go abroad for some time, and reported that as well as the fact that I thought he may leave political office (before he did leave it) based upon the prophecies like the following (three translations shown):

21 And there shall stand up in his place one despised, and the kingly honour shall not be given him: and he shall come privately, and shall obtain the kingdom by fraud. (Daniel 11:21, Douay-Rheims)
21 “‘His place will be taken by a reject, a man spurned and passed over for advancement. He’ll surprise everyone, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and will seize the kingdom. (Daniel 11:21 from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
21 And in his place shall stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries. (Daniel 11:21, ASV)

There is an interesting Eastern Orthodox prophecy that may apply to him which is in my article, Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?, that I do not recall posting on this news page before:

Blessed Hieronymus Agathaghelos (1279): The suffering that lasted three years is providing you with serenity and the end of the sufferings that are already behind you. The one who despised your head will make plans leading to his own downfall, but his subsequent repentance will avail him nothing…Ruler…nobody will laugh at your expense and no one will cause you any shame (Tzima Otto, p. 130, 132).

So, he is supposed to be somewhat unpopular for three years according to the above prophecy and one or more critics pay for scandalizing him.  Whether the Baron’s period of being first being shamed combined with his self-imposed exile will last three years (and if one of his early critics will suffer somehow) is be something to watch for.  But interestingly, back in March 2011, it was reported:

According to political scientist Gerd Langguth from the University of Bonn, Guttenberg will not likely stay out of the public eye for long. He told the Wednesday edition of the Thüringer Allgemeine newspaper that he sees a comeback in about three years…Langguth said Guttenberg’s “honorable statements” on Tuesday had made such a return feasible. (http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20110302-33437.html)

Whether he is the one or not, I believe that the Baron’s scandal and exile appear to be consistent with certain non-biblical prophecies about a leader commonly referred to as the Great Monarch and possibly biblical prophecies concerning the Beast, the final King of the North.

Here is another Eastern Orthodox prophecy about a the coming Great Monarch:

Monk Leontios (no later than 912): Go hurry to the West of the Seven-Hilled City; you will find there a man who is dear to Me; he is given to prayer, he has dark hair, honey-colored {sun-tanned skin}, he is gentle and noble-minded; he is cognizant of the things of the future; and on his right foot he has a sizable callosity (Tzima Otto, pp. 84,203–p. 203 says sun-tanned was a proper translation for “honey-colored”).

Being a Baron, one who suspect that Karl zu Guttenberg would be “noble-minded” (and he does have dark hair).  The photographs I have seen of him show him somewhat tanned and not nearly as white-skinned as some others in Germany.  If he is to become  “the Great Monarch”, he may well be exiling himself partially to fit various somewhat specific Eastern Orthodox prophecies.

Despite being out of political office, some have again hinted that Karl Guttenberg may be what the European Union needs.  Notice the following recent news item:

Of course, Europe isn’t exciting. Most people find disgraced former German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg infinitely more interesting than Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council. Thoughts of Europe call up images of eurocrats in Brussels, endless late-night meetings and the famous “butter mountains” created by the Common Agricultural Policy. There is little enthusiasm for the European project.  (How to Get Europeans to Care about Europe.  Spiegel Online, August 19, 2011.  http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,781303,00.html)

So, the disgraced Baron is exciting and this is what Europe needs according to some there.  The time may come when Baron Guttenberg may, indeed, again rise up.

If Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg eventually establishes a new religious order within Catholicism (cf. Daniel 11:38), promotes European unity, promotes ecumenism, promotes peace in the Middle East (even if he simply makes a statement endorsing it when he is in another land, including possibly while in the USA, cf. Daniel 9:26-27), and/or otherwise rises up in European politics, he could be very interesting to watch. If he is the one, his coming stay in the USA will give him better insight into the USA and probably contacts that he may exploit later, perhaps as a subterfuge for an attack on the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39).  If he also ends up on very good terms with Cardinal Koch (see Kurt Koch Made a Cardinal: Might He Become the Antichrist?) and/or other Catholic leaders, this may also be an indicator–and could be a strong indicator.

On the other hand, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg could simply be a normal politician, with ups and downs like many others. We will see.

Much is happening in the world, and a leader known as the final King of the North (or Beast) in Bible prophecy, will ultimately become the leader of Europe. And according to the Bible, he will have military abilities (Revelation 13:1-4) and apparently be popular and charismatic (cf. Daniel 7:20,11:21-24,31; Revelation 13:3-5).

Karl Guttenberg fulfills these requirements.

We all should watch (cf. Mark 13:37).

"America is in deep doodoo"

The vengeful god that Armstrongism worships is getting ready to spank the East Coast with a hurricane.  We have all heard the stupid comments coming from preachers in the COG about natural disasters.

Here is what a hardliner HWA lover posted today:

The earthquake in Virginia was the same day as Hurricane Katrina hit on the Hebrew calendar.

Now a very bad hurricane is heading up the coast.

I believe we are being given very graphic warnings and America is in deep doodoo.

Apparently the sinful US did not learn it's lesson in New Orleans, so now will be spanked on the East coast. Of course COGers are excited about this.  They think it further validates their beliefs.  They WANT disasters and tragedies to happen.  They want to see non-believers answer for their unbelief.  It really ticks off Armstrongites who try and keep every bit of the law they can and still suffer while the pagans are thriving and living prosperous lives.  Bitter angry people need a bitter angry god to act out their vengeance!