Monday, May 25, 2015

Going to Petra: ExCOG Member Radio Program Top Rated by TED Blog



Hats off to Glynn Washington who hosts a radio program called  Snap Judgement on NPR.  He shares many fascinating stories about life in general but has also shared stories about what it was like for him to grow up African American in Armstrongism.

TED Blog recommends:

Snap Judgment
“It’s a 56-minute whirlwind that always seems to go by too fast,” says Ellyn Guttman, of our TED Books team, about this hard-to-describe NPR podcast hosted by Glynn Washington. “It’s similar to This American Life but edgier,” adds Kim Nederveen Pieterse of our Partnerships workgroup. “It questions race, identity and ‘the system’ through personal storytelling and music.”

Previous articles on this blog have mentioned Glynn's programs:

Loosing My Religion

The Reunion

Apocalypse

Son of Ham

Going to Petra

Sunday, May 24, 2015

While the Ministry in LCG, UCG, PCG and RCG Stay in First Class Hotels, the Little People are Left to Fend for Themselves



Exit and Support has an interesting letter up from a former COG member detailing what it was like being part of the Church of God.  This is NOT an isolated case.  Another life potentially ruined...but now free.



I was eventually baptized with Church of God the Eternal; however they had no services in my state, so I was baptized at their "Feast of Tabernacles." The minister told me that I could not work during the Sabbath. I followed that and it put me living hand to mouth for 2 years. He said God would open the doors for a job if I was living in His truth. COG the Eternal also said that if I were in God's good graces, I would not be so poor, and that God would provide if I was doing His will.

I have also been involved with RCG, PCG and UCG. I have been hooked on these "Armstrong groups" for years and now am trying to free myself. I have also been to Feasts of Tabernacles with them. The big shots and wealthier members stay in large, expensive mountain homes and go boating; go to dinners, socializing, etc., while us "poor" members who struggle to tithe are staying in small no name motel rooms and being left out of all the activities, left to entertain ourselves. This has all damaged me emotionally. I have never known how to have a true relationship, I've always felt distant from other people, and like I'm not good enough. It has been a life long struggle so far, and I am now 50. Running across your website may be setting me free. Thank you. --Impacted survivor.
The entire letter is here:  May 11
 

Saturday, May 23, 2015

COG Prophet Claims: The U.S. Debt has been caused by abortions and that bad weather is because of Homosexuals




God's most well informed and greatest Church of God leader ever is back talking about sex again today.  After quoting a long letter from Norm Edwards, the doubly blessed prophet Bob Thiel makes this claim:

I would also add that I believe abortion is a factor in USA debt and the increased acceptance of pornography and the homosexual agenda is a factor in difficult weather.  This is consistent with many biblical prophecies

Using this logic we will soon see the country of Ireland sink into the ocean because the heavily Catholic country voted in gay marriage on Friday.

Bob League and Rod McNair's Love Letter To "Wayward" LCG Members

 
Click to enlarge this great letter of Christian "Love"

I received the above "love" letter that Bob League and Rod McNair send out to all those people who need Jesus Christ's love the most during challenging times.  Both League and McNair make me proud to be a Christian considering how much love drips from their hearts.  They are just like Jesus Christ!

Commentary below was with the letter:

Note how the work "mark" is always in all caps as if to really drive home the point and how it's for the "protection of our members" (translation "to keep your unhappiness with our tyranny and doctrinal changes from spreading to others").

It's also somewhat amusing that the marked are not "allowed on church premises" as if they would want to be in the first place.

Then there's the line about contacting a minister if you want to counsel, which we all know didn't turn out too well for the Scarboough's based on the hand written letter from Mr. League essentially saying, "we know you want to counsel, but we don't want to talk to you, so please proceed to take a long walk off a short pier".

It's also of note that it says "based on biblical instruction". There is no such biblical instruction. "Mark" means to "take note of", not to shun and cast off to Satan like LCG interprets it. Taking note is not a tool to be used to rule with and to cast fear into the hearts of others who might disagree or have the nerve to think for themselves.

Christ sat with sinners. Ate with sinners. Admonished people to let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Preached that those that are well have no need of a doctor. Preached to forgive 7 times 70. Preached about love, mercy and forgiveness over and over again. But Meredith prefers to crush any and all who even annoy him in the slightest.

Such a Godly man. No wonder he is third in all the universe!