Pam Dewey on Propehcy Prognosticators

Pam Dewey has another entry into her series on "Are You Prepared for…the Unthinkable? Part 21: Back to the Future"

With her background in the Church of God she has first hand knowledge of the endless stream of men who trumpeted out one silly prophecy after another.  The same thing they were shouting 60 years ago are the same topics today.  This is not unique to the Church of God.  It is a problem with most conservative, fundamentalist groups.

Yet for the past almost 50 years, religious commentators have endlessly taken whatever the current crisis was … the Viet Nam war, American race riots in the ‘60s, the rise of Chinese power in the world … and insisted that it was cause for “more anxiety than ever in our history.” And reason to believe that the Return of Christ was imminent.

Yes, there are indeed many things that can go wrong in the coming years … and likely will. Maybe we will face conditions in the US as difficult as those of the Dust Bowl years and the depths of the Depression. Maybe we will be embroiled in military actions as horrifying as those faced by our military in Europe and the South Pacific in WW2. But when I look in the faces of the people shopping in the local Walmart right now, I do not see terror or uncontrolled anxiety.  I don’t see them particularly fearful as they cart out to their car the box with the big screen hi-def TV, and fill their carts with goodies for the next tail-gate party.

Are they just ignorant and don’t know they should be daily living their lives filled with anxiety and fear about the possibilities of future calamities? Perhaps. But I am fully aware of all of those possibilities, and I’m not filled with anxiety and fear. I am continuing to live as productive a life as I can, and appreciating the blessings of each day. Would I be better off if I were spending more of my time reading anxious, panicky, speculative prophecy newsletters?

I am convinced the answer to that is NO.

But won’t I miss getting biblical advice on how I can “escape” the bad times coming? Don’t I need the wisdom of prophetic speculators on how to “prepare for the doom-filled future”?

I am convinced that the answer to those questions is NO also.

Typical “preparation” advice from such folks includes one, some, or all of these concepts:

1. Be continually “watching world events”—preferably through the filter of the writings and recordings of the prognosticator
2. Continually take in speculation from conservative commentators on what’s going on “behind the scenes” in government and the world of finance
3. Study the prophetic passages of the Bible with the guidance of the prognosticator’s recordings and writings so you can pinpoint the Time as closely as possible
4. If you don’t believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, purchase survival supplies … sometimes, from the over-priced offerings of the prognosticators themselves
5. For the more militant … purchase guns and ammo to hold off the hordes until Jesus gets here
6. For the less militant, just “pray, study, and fast” to “get close to God.”

Now mind you, I don’t have anything against some of those suggestions as being generally applicable to one’s life. For instance, I’m not ignorant about national and world news. But after almost 50 years of having people tell me that every hiccup in news headlines is “fulfilling Bible prophecy,” I’ve become very skeptical that the purpose of staying up with the news has a whole lot more value than just being “culturally aware” so that I can intelligently discuss things with others.

As for those ranting commentators who insist that I need to know the latest hidden activities of the Global Elite or whoever … it isn’t clear to me why I need to spend much time with this. If there really is a shadowy Global Elite running things, I can’t vote them out of office—since they weren’t voted into office. I don’t have super-powers, so I can’t infiltrate their secret meetings in Belgium or wherever and thwart their plans. I don’t have enough money to hire hit-men to assassinate all of them to keep them from carrying out their plans. So it seems to me like my best bet is to just … get on with my life.

Richard Ames Continues The Fear Mongering

You would think that after watching 60+ years of failed prophecy go by while he has been part of the Church of God that Richard Ames would give end time prophecy predictions a rest.

With the hundreds of documented failed prophesies that Herbert Armstrong, Dean Blackwell, Herman Hoeh, Gerald Waterhouse, Rod Meredith, Gerald Flurry, and others have uttered over the years, you would think they would all stop making fools of themselves.

Fear mongering is the only way that the present Church of God leaders can keep a few faithful in their grasp.  The fear of the unknown is a powerful thing for cults to latch on to.

Ames has written a little screed for the the latest Living Church of God Commentary with the fear mongering title: Armageddon Postponed? Fifty Years After the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The only time Ames mentions Jesus is mentioned is when Jesus Christ comes back at the battle of Armageddon. One sentence in the entire screed is all that Jesus got.  Fear, death and destruction are in almost every single paragraph.

Fifty years ago, our world came very close to Armageddon, hardly more than a decade after General Douglas MacArthur had characterized the state of the world in his farewell address to the U.S. Congress: “Military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be the way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blocks out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, our Armageddon will be at our door” (April 19, 1951).

Since MacArthur’s speech, has the world devised “some greater and more equitable system”? No! Will Armageddon soon “be at our door”? Your Bible reveals a great prophetic climactic battle, popularly referred to as “Armageddon,” described in Revelation 16:14, when “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” will gather for “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”   This present age will end with a climactic battle between the forces of good and evil, and the returning Jesus Christ—the coming King of kings—will win that battle (Revelation 19:1-21)!

Sadly, Ames gives more credence to the "doomsday clock" baloney than he does to resting in faith in Jesus Christ.

Even those who do not take the Bible seriously admit the danger of nuclear catastrophe. On January 10, 2012, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the minute hand of their symbolic doomsday clock one minute closer to midnight.  They announced, “[F]ailure to act on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty by leaders in the United States, China, Iran, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel, and North Korea and on a treaty to cut off production of nuclear weapons material continues to leave the world at risk from continued development of nuclear weapons. The world still has approximately 19,500 nuclear weapons, enough power to destroy the earth’s inhabitants several times over.”

The Bulletin announced: “It is five minutes to midnight.”  The scientists concluded their announcement with this sobering warning: “The Clock is ticking.”

Sadly, the Church of God WANTS that clock to be ticking.  Without that fear mongering tool they would have to talk about Jesus Christ more often and we all know that is NOT a good thing to do.  Jesus is too syrupy and effeminate for them. Butch Christ is more manly and makes for a better kick-ass savior at the end of the world.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Guarded During Hurricane

As most of us are ready for Sandy to make landfall, just remember 'The Old Guard' is out there today, still guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  

This is what dedication to service is all about and their mission which they uphold with such honor.

Naval Air Facility, Washington DC Facebook posting

Can you imagine any Church of God leader or diehard follower ever doing such a thing?  

All they can do is shout doom and death to the British Israelite Nations with glee.