Sunday, September 1, 2013

Dennis notes: Smuggly Lives!

Umm...Doc, Where have you been?

A Day Late and A Dollar Short: Newness - EDGE Magazine Online

Dr. Thiel wants us to notice what he said last week about Dave Pack's delusions.
August 2013 is now history.  The massive reunification that that David Pack, leader of the improperly named Restored Church of God (RCG) claimed should have happened did not.
This is no surprise.  Notice what I posted a just over a week ago at the News of Those Once Affiliated with GCG page"


"I have absolute confidence that David Pack is wrong about a lot of this and there is no possible way that any significant amount of Philadelphian remnant Christians will go to him and become part of his church by August 30, etc. I will be correct."

and this little piece of barfage...
"Either David Pack is right about that effectively all of God’s people will come to him on August 30, 2013 or I am right that they will not. Just because David Pack is not God’s apostle, does not mean that someone such as I do not have a prophetic role from God. Those in RCG, and elsewhere, need to consider how they should act and what they should do (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God). “Take heed, all you people!” (2 Chronicles 18:27).
Of course, I was right."

Arrogant Baby - i dont always drink milk but when i do i prefer
Hi...My name is Smuggly
Aside from the good folk at Banned HWA saying this for the past SIX MONTHS, Bob's use of "Notice of what I posted" and "I will be correct" is just the mini me version Dave Pack's personality and approach to "knowing."  Robert goes out of his way to say one way or the other that his readers need to either realize or admit that "HE" noticed this , that or the other reality before they did.  I suppose this is what Non-Prophets with a double portion of precisely nothing expect of themselves.

But no matter.  Bob Thiel has the very same self absorbed  tendencies as Dave Pack and like most, has no awareness of it.  He mistakes his own ego centric views for some sort of spiritual insight which it is not.  This trait among the "creame of the crud" for lack of a better concept theologically which I actually hate but it fits here, is unprofessional and misguided.  COG members get so used to it, they don't realize genuinely trained ministers and theologians would not survive five minutes with these attitudes about themselves infiltrating and infesting every comment about every topic they can come up with Biblically.  Episcopal Priests have their scriptures for the day and 12 minutes to stick to the topic, which they do very well.  I sense there are plenty of things they leave out, but they don't promote themselves, no not for a second.... 

I just returned from a second Episcopal service. Very formal and very predictable and I can't say it helps me with my own theological conflicts, but one thing is very clear.


Michigan Stained Glass Census

 It actually confirms them as I gaze upon the stained glass of a literal lamb on a cross which in my mind is the symbol of the end of the Age of Aries 2000 years ago when the SUN , in the constellation of Aries the Ram/Lamb moved out of the Easter Spring position at the crossing of the ecliptic and the celestial equator to be replaced by the two fish of Pisces, which is the Christian symbol of the last 2000 years.  Jesus the Lamb of God wasn't kidding when he is said to have said, "Behold I am with you always, even unto the end of the AGE,"  which was the Age of  Aries. .   Ok, Dennis...drop it! :)


Saint James Church: Eucharist Adoration


  But also, it  is obvious the Priests are not fools. They don't promote themselves or their own views of themselves or obscure passages and pet ideas.  They are educated and know more than they probably can actually say to a congregation about how things really are in theological studies.  My sense of the average congregant, who are very high end successful and a positive influence on the community is not all that Biblically literate. It does not seem to be a need. They don't harp on being the True Church and making snarky comments about "splinters and slivers."   The Priest certainly does not make a complete ass out himself by finding himself spoken of in the Bible as either "that Prophet", "A double portioned Prophet", or "Joshua the High Priest."  Pull any of that and you lose.


Slap my head - Newest images - page 1 | Meme Generator

In the COG and many fundamentalist churches, ignorance is almost proof of calling and being the true church.  I hear it all the time here on the radio.  Preachers making fun of going to college or some "fancy seminary" when all you need is the "Word of God!"  (Audience snickering..)  In Greenville, and up until the mid 70's, the Mill owners gave huge donations to local churches for Pastors to discourage kids from going to college.  They were needed in the mills and the clergy pointed them that way...Bastards.  I can't tell you how many radio sermons around here begin with, "Now I ain't the smartest pea in the pod," or "I don't got no fancy education but...."   Ignorance and mere Bible reading is a badge of honor around here and all the credentials you need to be God's man of faith and power..  Half the ministers who I ask just what their theological credentials are tell me, "I quit drankin'"   Really?  Great.......


I have to say that I personally cringe at my own "theological education" at Ambassador, which I swear to you know who, I thought was a real seminary when I turned down going to Roberts Wesleyan Seminary in Rochester, to go there.  Now naive.  I know I was educated in Bible reading.  That's all Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland and now Mini Non-Prophet Bob Thiel are educated in.  It's mostly what Baptists fundamentalists are educated in and certainly what Bob Jonesers down the street get.  It's why I got rid of the TV 12 years ago and upgraded myself so, even without credentials, I could live with myself when I spoke of things theological and get the background, history and even the problems with scripture half way understood and recognized so as not to mislead anyone or to be really able to give an answer of whatever is still left in me.


At any rate, wake up Dr. Thiel.  See if you can go an entire day without writing about how YOU understood this or that or YOU pointed something out before others saw it in your own mind.  Are we supposed to say "wow....he saw that coming.  He must be a prophet."?   If you don't, you're just another Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry or Ron Weinland in a not very convincing disguise seeking whom you may devour, which we already suspect even if you don't.

...and get a booster seat to at least be even with the book shelf when you major in minors giving sermons. 


Around Town | A Woman and Her Boys

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Will the Members of the Restored Church of God Hold David C Pack Accountable For His Lie?



It is now after 6:00 p.m. Wadsworth time.  All Restored Church of God services are over, even here on the West Coast.  No splinter group ministers died today.  Tens of thousands of COG members did not jump ship to join up with Dave.  Not a thing happened.

David C Pack is now ready to go down in Church of God history as a certified liar and false prophet in the vein of William Miller, Herbert Armstrong, Gerald Flurry and Ron Weinland.  1844, 1845, 1971, 1975, 2008, 2012, and 2013, all dates to live in COG infamy for lies uttered by theological depraved idiots.

The sad part is that Dave's cult members will stick by his side when he comes up with a new excuse.  They did that for William Miller, so much so that his followers became even more fervent in their end time prophecies.  They did it to Herbert Armstrong when he lied in 1971 and 1975.  They stood by Ron Weinland when his prophecies failed and they stood by Gerald Flurry when he lied about Petra two years ago. It only took a prison sentence for Ron to start losing members and ministers, while members have stuck by the side of the other leaders.

What will Dave Pack's members do?  Will any of them have the wherewithal to leave his cult now?  They know for a fact he lied to them.  He has stolen their money to build monuments to himself.  Will Dale Schurter grow a pair of balls and take personal responsibility and walk away publicly holding Dave accountable for his lie?

On Sunday morning, September 1, Dave is going to go about his business as if nothing happened.  He will of course have had his god talking to him over the last day or so telling him to not to respond to his critics.  His god will remind him that the average COG member is a sucker and will soon forget Dave ever uttered his false predictions.  People will quickly forget and send in more money when Dave asks.  They do this because in the back of their mind  Armstrongism has installed a tape that runs 24/7/365.  That tape says, "But, what IF he was right, but the timing is off.  I am under the government of God and must remain loyal or I will lose my salvation." 

That "what IF" is a big deal breaker for many.  They will see it as a test to see if they are loyal to the government of God.  Dave, ever the manipulator that he is, will take full advantage of that thinking.  With threats of being disloyal to the "government of God," to disloyalty to Dave himself, is the yoke that he will hang over his members.

Disloyalty is a heavy burden in Armstrongism.  The problem is, 9 times out of 10 it is disloyalty on the part of the ministers, evangelists, prophets, and leaders that is the issue.  Their disloyalty to the membership is appalling.  They use and abuse the members while never taking responsibility for anything.  Heck, when you have leaders like Dave Pack and Rod Meredith who claim that they have never committed a major sin, what is a bottom feeding member supposed to do? How do you question that...



Dennis Muses: In a multitude of actual counsel there could have been safety.....

2013 Making It Mean What It Never Meant Award

Awarded for the Most Ridiculous Theological Misreading and Misuse of Scripture for 2013


the golden turd photo: Golden Turd Golden-Turd-Award.jpg

Presented to David C Pack of the Restored Church of God for successfully making the obscure Minor Prophet Haggai mean what it never meant, could mean or ever will mean.


 This evening marks the official end of these ridiculous speculations and analogies gone crazy and the dawn of a new day in the history of the Churches of God.  Truly, truly Sabbath, August 31, 2013 was-is-will be  a Sabbath like no other. 

It was on this day enlightenment came to a few more "I'm stuck in this seat and can't get up," brethren giving what they have not got in exchange for a  church that returns precious little to them but embarrassment, humiliation, fairy tales disguised as sermons, theological nonsense and large bills yet another small fundamentalist religious school and fabulous "Headquarters." 

I am pleased to present this award on behalf of thousands who have watched this theo-drama unfold over the past few months and hung in there to see it through.


The Bobs - Best of Online Activism


Let those with ears to hear and eyes to see just go ahead and use them at this time to free themselves once and for all from the religion pretending to be spirituality and human imagination and reasonings masking as Biblical insights and truth.


We wish Deacon David C Pack  no ill will but that he would repent and fill in his 35 question Ex-Apostle Rehire Forms as soon as possible.  It may take a few seconds to get an answer, so please be patient.

Shame

Lessons of the Year


Proverbs 11:14


Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of (Genuine) counselors there is safety.


1 Corinthians 13


New International Version (NIV)
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, (which Restored Church did not have, could not fathom and moveth not) but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

(One might substitute "ministry" for the world "love" in the above)


Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


 While disturbing at times, it's been an enjoyable adventure in seeing just how far aberrant theology can go.