Monday, May 29, 2017

Memorial Day and Church of God Hypocrisy

It Is Memorial Day and a Doubly Cursed COG Leader Equates Fighting in War with Football


Today is Memorial Day in the United States.  It is a day set aside to remember those who have died for our freedom.

The Church of God has always pretended to be a pacifist church that encouraged its members to not join the military. Members were encouraged to be Conscientious Objectors.  Being a Contentious Objector usually meant serving in some non-profit civil community capacity for a couple of years.  While the church encouraged members to do this, they end up treating those members attending the Ambassador Colleges like dirt. See: Failed Experiment

Ironically, despite being a pretend pacifist church, the church was very militaristic. How many remember sitting through a sermon by evangelists and some ministers listening to their military exploits. The church also would go into great detail using war as their weapon of fear when discussing the end times.  The church would have no leg to stand on without war being part of their fearful scenarios.  Plus, look at the title that church leaders used for decades, Pastor GENERAL.  Church generals were leading an army of the faithful into the kingdom or to their deaths in Petra, if we really want to be truthful.  We sang, Onward Christian Soldiers, with gusto and fervor.  Some COG cult leaders taught their members that they would take up swards to kill apostates and help usher int he Kingdom.  Others taught their members that they would be used by Jesus to slaughter all reprobates and evil doers in the millennium.  Rod Meredith salivated over church members ruling with "rods of iron."

Today, Almost-arrested, Elisha, Elijah, Amos, Andy, Joshua, Habakkuk, doubly-blessed cursed, self-appointed Mayan authority, closet Catholic, prophet/martyr, second witless witness, Chief Overseer and bitter "son" of now deceased Rod Meredith, has a post up titled, US Memorial Day and War.

In Bitter Elisha Thiel's screed today he says this:
Today, many in the USA observe ‘Memorial Day.’ It was originally known as ‘Decoration Day.’ It started after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day was extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.
A reader sent me a link to the following article about it:
It is proper to pay respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. Memorial Day should also be a time of reflection on when it is moral for the United States to wage war and, if allowed, how this country should conduct war.
War is awful. In these days of shallow, sanitized news coverage, the real horror of war rarely confronts us with the terrible death it levies against fellow humans, soldiers and civilians alike, and the maiming injuries, physical and psychological, it leaves behind in its wake…
Over the centuries, religious leaders and moral philosophers have clarified moral principles for commencing a “just war.” Choices about war and peace involve not only military and political options, but also moral questions
...from the beginning of the New Testament church, true Christians (and even most of the heretical apostates) would not participate in carnal warfare.
He then goes on to quote various Christian theologians to support his idea that war is not good. It is funny to watch Habakkuk Thiel use writing by Christians to support this views, and then a day later calls Christians outside his personality cult "so-called Christians" who are not worthy of being believed or read, because real truth only resides in the "continuing" Church of God channeled through his miraculous brain.

But then Elijah Thiel jumps off the deep end into his putrid swamp of "football is evil."  Apparently in the deluded false prophet's eye, those that box and play football are equal in sinning as those fighting in a war.
Even today, many Christians realize that watching brutal events intent on causing physical harm, such as real boxing and American football, is inappropriate.
His "proof" is:

Now, here is something from Theophilus of Antioch (who apparently was part of the Church of God) perhaps written about 180 A.D.:
Consider, therefore, whether those who teach such things can possibly live indifferently, and be commingled in unlawful intercourse, or, most impious of all, eat human flesh, especially when we are forbidden so much as to witness shows of gladiators, lest we become partakers and abettors of murdersBut neither may we see the other spectacles, lest our eyes and ears be defiled, participating in the utterances there sung. Theophilus of Antioch. To Autolycus, Book III, Chapter XV. Translated by Marcus Dods, A.M. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 2. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition) 
So, true Christians did not believe that they were to fight nor even watch the violent sports that were popular in the second century.
He then goes on to quote Catholic theologians and even Christianity Today magazine to bolster his understanding.  One day, he claims Christianity Today is produced by "so-called" Christan's and the next they are valid for use by him.  Amos Thiel is a hypocrite every time he does this.

He ends his screed with this:
So, as many remember the soldiers who died in warfare today, Christians can look forward to the time that there will be no more war nor pain of war.

While this is a valid and true comment that humanity would like to see happen, COG leaders need war to make their cultish utterances valid and keep their members quivering in fear.

Plus, you can bet delicate Thiel would welcome with open arms any military that would intervene in Arroyo Grande if there was a terrorist attack.  Everyone else is expected to protect his family and personal freedoms, but he will not.   Other people may freely die while he, the best doubly-blessed prophet in world history, gets to dream dreams and say stupid shit.




LCG: Stop mocking pre-engagement counseling command!



A reader here has taken great exception to a previous post, LCG to start enforcing pre-engagement "counseling"

Several LCG members have commented to me about how appalling they think this invasion into their lives is.  It is all about control.  Members are still too stupid to make good decisions on their own.

The Bible tells us that good counsel is critical for making good decisions (Proverbs 1:511:1412:15). Marriage is one of the most important decisions of one’s life (second only to baptism). The ministry must never become a “blessing factory,” just putting the Church’s stamp of approval on a marriage, no matter what. Rather, the ministry is here to help couples seeking marriage discern God’s will as they consider making a covenant with each other, before God. 
While the Church has historically suggested premarital counseling for all couples considering marriage, it makes much more sense to seek pre-engagement counseling. The intended purpose of counseling has always been to help couples themselves better determine if they are “right for each other” in God’s sight and to increase their opportunity for success in a potential marriage.  
Regrettably, in all too many cases, once a couple is engaged, the couple’s focus is no longer on evaluating their relationship and whether or not they are right for each other. When their main concern is planning the wedding, they are far less evaluative of their relationship. Counseling can be simply an afterthought. 
Pre-engagement counseling makes far more sense. The couple may be dating seriously but they have not yet publicly committed to marriage in an engagement and they are much more open to honestly evaluating themselves as potential marriage partners. This, in turn, gives much more opportunity for God to guide their decision-making. To better serve our membership in these critical decisions, the Church requests that all couples considering marriage seek pre-engagement counseling from the ministry before any formal engagement.

God is NOT guiding their decision making, it is the minister, plain and simple.  It is his opinion and has nothing to do with God.  Just look at the horrendous mess Rod Meredith made in the church with his "divorce and remarriage" policies he instituted in the 1960/70's.  Could there have been anything viler?  Given that sickening track record, why would ANYONE even think about using an LCG minister for pre-engagement counselling?




He writes:

Derek Arrington said...
HEY! Are any of you awake. No mot physically but Spiritually, LOOK at the world for a moment. How is marriage coming along? I use to study in the field of crime scene techniques. This world if you haven't noticed is pretty SICK. Relationships of all types are falling apart even the God forbidden relationships ( If you don't know, please blow the Dust off your bibles and Read it). Is it really Wrong to try something different? It makes total sense to first find out if one is compatible. I guess you all think marriage counseling while married is stupid also. Getting back to my previous statement, this world and its views are Sick. Many people get married Only to seek something in return. It happens quite often on a daily basis. How many Murders are committed on the honeymoon or within 3 years of the marriage or relationship? I guess they sadly didn't do a good background or knew of a Pre- Counseling ( which may have caught things that raised Flags). The heart is very wicked and you have no idea whatsoever ( its thinking) Yea! Really, If you're not working on a 20,30,40,50 and above marriage then you probably should keep silent ( if that's possible of course). And if you're not married but in a serious longtime relationship for many months or years, then I'm less you are practicing Gods law ( No Fornication) neither of you truly have respect for each other ( Actions Speaks Louder) and you both SIN. Now I ask again, would it hurt to at least find out if a couple is compatible? If not, look at the world and pick which relationship you want. Good luck eventhough I don't believe in it.