Friday, September 11, 2015

New Bobby Fischer Movie Includes His Involvement With The Worldwide Church of God



A new movie about a moment in the life of Bobby Fischer is set to release around the country next Wednesday.  The producers of the film were in contact with The Painful Truth for information about Fischer's time spent being wrapped in Armstrongism. 

The WCG/Ambassador Foundation used Fischer as a publicity tool and took hundreds of thousands of dollars of his money over a ten year time period.  Many attribute his decline into madness to have been initiated by the church and is aberrant teachings.


The Los Angeles Times had an article up today about the movie:
Tobey Maguire moves through chess king Bobby Fischer's checkered life in 'Pawn Sacrifice'
The movie, which opens Wednesday in Los Angeles in limited release, works as a psychological thriller that begins in Fischer's troubled childhood, then shifts to a sports drama with all the tension building toward Fischer's match with Spassky. Schreiber, speaking beautiful Russian, plays against Maguire's wild-eyed intensity with elegance and humanity.
Together, they illustrate how both men were imprisoned by chess; Fischer by his own mind and Spassky by the Soviet regime.

Documentary footage is interspersed with the chess-playing dialogue-free scenes as Zwick aimed to shift between Fischer's private hell and the media circus he lived. The effect is "a fragmented portrait that wasn't dissimilar to what his life might have been," said Zwick.

Fischer joined the apocalyptic cult Worldwide Church of God for a time, then ended up in Pasadena, consumed by paranoia and living under a pseudonym. In 1992, he replayed Spassky in war-torn Yugoslavia. But the match violated U.N. sanctions and the U.S. issued an arrest warrant for Fischer. The chess champ lived the rest of his life in exile, occasionally coming out of seclusion to issue venomous attacks, particularly aimed at Jews.

Self-Appointed Church of God Prophet Warns COG Members They Will Go Through Tribulation If They Watch Football This Fall


It's that time of year again as God's most highly favored, doubly blessed, self-appointed prophet/apostle/chief overseer is back proclaiming his perceived evils of football.  The NFL and collegiate games have all started which is raised the hackles of the self-appointed prophet.

Bob Thiel considers his words so prophetic that he has quotes scripture to warn those that find him foolish:
Later today, the National Football League (NFL) is scheduled to begin its official season for this violent sport. Many do not wish to seriously consider that American football is harmful, despite the facts, and would prefer that I not post about it.

The Bible suggests otherwise:
1 Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1)
Delusional Bob was not appointed by God.  He was not doubly blessed by God to be set apart to be a new splinter group leader.  Gaylyn Bonjour never even entertained the thought of such a thing happening when Theil asked for a blessing before going in to counsel with Meredith.  Thus, there is no concern to be had for anyone who disregards anything Theil says.  Quoting Isaiah as a threat does not mean God is going to back up that threat.

While there is an ongoing debate on the physical repercussions of tackle football, Thiel sets himself up as the FINAL authority on the matter. 

For some reason, he feels that his group is the true Philadelphian era and is filled with Philadelphia Christians.  For those that still believe the "era's" teachings, it is recognized by most that this would be considered the Laodicean era of the church.

He writes:
There is no doubt that American tackle football is dangerous to health. While some in the world consider watching it to be an ‘ethical uncertainty,’ true Philadelphia Christians (as well many who are not) realize that something about this sport is physically harmful and should not be encouraged.
Those who claim that encouraging American tackle football is fine are NOT Philadelphian Christians.  American tackle football causes real damage.  Damage that should not be encouraged.
These are some of the "proof's" Theil has for his nonsense:
Jesus taught not to intentionally hurt others, as it taught:
39… ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:39, NKJV)
The Apostle Paul also wrote:
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it (Ephesians 5:29, NKJV)
Also, notice what John the Baptist taught soldiers:
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. (Luke 3:14, KJV)
Thiel cannot get past the cheerleaders either:

From the violence on the field, to the under-clothed cheerleaders, to some of the half-time antics, there is a lot wrong with American football.
Thiel also feels that the "gospel" prohibits football.  I can assure you that no writer of scripture ever entertained the thought of American football when writing out those verses.
Additionally, twice the New Testament refers to the good news message as “the gospel of peace”:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15)
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (Ephesians 6:14-15)
Is not taking a stand against encouraging sports violence consistent with the gospel of peace and love? Or should ministers tell people that violent sports like American tackle football are not “inherently evil” as at least one minister has done?
Then like any good Armstrongite has to do, Theil has to bring Herbert into the picture:
Unlike stories of violence in books or movies, American football involves actual violence and often physical injury–including brain damaging ones that are often not obvious for years.
The Bible forbids harming others or encouraging sin. Early professors of Christ would not watch violent games as they felt that watching was encouraging and participating in sin. Herbert W. Armstrong categorized American football as evil.
For someone who supposedly characterized football as "evil." Herbert watched football as well as basketball on Friday nights and Saturdays.

Thiel continues:
I do not watch American football. I consider that it is evil (also, no Christian can really defend how professional football cheerleading females are often publicly dressed and displayed). Others want to falsely act like there is nothing wrong with watching it.
Thiel's final warning is that you WILL go through the tribulation of you watch football this coming season.

 Be warned!  Your salvation is at stake!
Those Laodicean Christians who are fans of American tackle football are NOT Philadelphians and will be subject to violence themselves as they will have to go through the Great Tribulation if they do not repent (Revelation 3:14-22).

You can read his pile of malarkey here: NFL 2015: Should Christians Watch?

The Modern Fundamentalist's Song





The Modern Fundamentalist's Song

Modern Fundamentalist:
   I am the very model of a Christian fundamentalist
   And by a strange coincidence a solid occidentalist.
   I cherry-pick the Bible for the verses close or distantly
   Amenable to straight white males, however inconsistently,
   Unless those verses might apply a little inconveniently
   In which case I interpret them a good deal more than leniently.
   We want to do just what we please however strange or horrible
   And still regard ourselves as wholly moral and adorable.

Congregation:
   We want to do just what we please however strange or horrible
   And still regard ourselves as wholly moral and adorable.
   And still regard ourselves as wholly moral and adorable.

MF:
   I call myself a Christian but it's really Paulist cultery
   Since Christ himself has said that my divorces were adultery.
   But I from man to man enjoy convexness and concavity
   And call whatever others do immoral and depravity.

Cong:
   But we from man to man enjoy convexness and concavity
   And call whatever others do immoral and depravity.

MF:
   I do not want to hear about the quantum or molecular
   Or how the Founding Fathers made our institutions secular
   I say the nation's Christian under Biblical authorities
   Rejecting what the Constitution says about majorities.
   The workings of the government may worry and perplex you all
   I say we're equal under God -- unless you're homosexual --
   Or black or brown or female or some kind of evolutionist
   For all attempts at reasoning are really persecutionist.

Cong:
   Or black or brown or female or some kind of evolutionist
    For all attempts at reasoning are really persecutionist.

MF:
   My freedom of religion trumps your Constitutionality
   Because the Constitution says it does with firm legality.
   I claim my rights from God or man, whichever's more commodious
   For what I want to do however evil, vile, or odious.

Cong:
   I claim my rights from God or man, whichever's more commodious
   For what I want to do however evil, vile, or odious.

MF:
   When I can issue licenses or not because I feel like it
   The public's just my piggy and the public can just squeal like it.
   I'll happily apply whichever law is most agreeable
   To what I want to do since what I want is unforseeable:
   The conscience of the person must control the way they view their job
   And not demands that public servants ought to serve and do their job.
   The Constitution's man-made law and God is not endorsing it;
   The SCOTUS made their law, and now good luck to them enforcing it.

Cong:
   The Constitution's man-made law and God is not endorsing it;
   The SCOTUS made their law, and now good luck to them enforcing it.

MF:
   There's nothing in my creed that advocates for love officially
   Except some quotes that God and Jesus handed down judicially --
   I don't see why I must obey the acts of which God sent a list
   And yet I am the model of a Christian fundamentalist.

Cong:
   We don't see why we must obey the acts of which God sent a list
   And yet we are the models of a Christian fundamentalist.



                                                        -- Marcus Bales