"Why does failed prophecy not convince followers of the lack of integrity of the prophet and his/her theology?"

Neo made the following comment about COG prophets and their failed prophecies:

The question is why does failed prophecy not convince followers of the lack of integrity of the prophet and his/her theology? 

He continues with this:

In my case, I believed at that time that the WCG was the true church but its members were sometimes weak. Hence, someone, even someone of importance, could make a mistake in prophecy. I believe others viewed it the same way so Hoeh's error, as large as the failure of 1975, was overlooked - I assume - I never heard anything else about it. The whole thing vaporized leaving the WCG intact - no crisis for anyone I knew.   

This willingly beneficent attitude of those deceived works in favor of all the nouveau prophets who rise up(compare Trump). That is why this blog will never erode the base that supports these guys. We ex-Armstrongists view the words of the nouveau prophets as fixed but their followers view the words as fluid. Sometimes I think they even see prophecy as a kind of entertainment - like watching Ancient Astronauts on the History Channel - everyone knows it is not true but it is kinda fun. These ad hoc prophecies will fail and these nouveau prophets, like the artful dodger, will duck away unscathed to prophesy again. And they know it. That is why they are so bold in their error. It is for the momentary affect on their base, not us critics.  
-- Neotherm

I remember attending combined services in Columbus, Ohio in my youth for some Holy Day.  It was one of those double services days and we were told before we went to lunch that we were required to be back in the room and in our seats by a certain time.  At that time the doors to the auditorium would be locked and no one would be admitted or allowed to leave.  There was news from Headquarters that was vital to the church.

We came back from lunch early to make sure we were safe in the room.  They promptly shut the doors and had deacons stand and guard the doors.  The minister rolled out a large board onto the stage where he proceeded to map out, in detail, the exact date we would be fleeing in 1972.  My mother copiously copied all of it down, took it home and made a chart for the kitchen cabinet, that she put on the inside of the door.  As the days and months went by, she crossed them off.

I was told I was never going to graduate from high school or ever go to college.  They sent me to SEP  Orr in 1971 for one last experience of this "world."

As we all now know, it was an epic failure.  Not one single thing they predicted came true.  Herbert Armstrong was deep into collecting money to build his auditorium in Pasadena.  Jets were needed to fly the apostle around the world for yet one more final witness and push.  And still, nothing happened.  Church members went with their lives because we were told that God had delayed things so that the church could correct itself and a huge final witness could be proclaimed.

Of course this delay was all the member's fault.  We were not ready.  We were not 100% behind the apostle, the work, and many other excuses.

I think Neo's comment above is spot on as to why COG members that follow Pack, Flurry, Weinland, Thiel, and others will sit there, year after year, listening to them tell one whopper of a lie after another, and yet remain loyal.

I would add to that the teaching ingrained in COG members was the duty to remain true to the "one true church" that God had miraculously raised up.  We were taught to never question that belief and that to do so placed ones salvation at risk.  Thus, it is easier to sit there and chuckle at the absurdities of our COG prophets, knowing deep down they are fools, than it is take a bold leap and reject them as scripture commands.  How many times were we told, "God is in control and he will correct them when needed.  It is not up to us to question our leaders, they are only human, after all."

So what response to you have to this?

"Why does failed prophecy not

convince followers of the lack of integrity 

of the prophet and his/her theology? "

Why are signs and wonders wrong for others, yet important for COG Prophets?

Various Church of God prophets and apostles have claimed divine signs and wonders from their gods that they offer up as proof that they are legitimate conduits of their gods wisdom.

From William Miller to Herbert Armstrong and then on to Meredith, Pack, Flurry, Cox, Malm, Weinland, Thiel and many many others, these men all claimed their gods had revealed new truth to them as a warning to the church and the world. Hundreds of thousands of people believed them along the way.  Their gods sent them signs, performed wondrous miracles and all kinds of magical tricks in order to impress the people that these men were legitimate.

All of this men made a habit of mocking Christians outside their groups.  Other Christians are always wrong or are tools of Satan who uses them to deceive the world.  They are always wrong while COG leaders are always right.

Almost-arrested, self-appointed, Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Joshua, Prophet, Apostle, future martyr, Mayan authority, Chief Overseer and the bitter "son" Rod Meredith ended up wishing he had never had, is currently attacking the Eastern Orthodox church because they claim signs and wonders in their church history as do Catholics and some Protestants.

They are all wrong, but Bitter Bob's own signs and wonders are not.  The Church of God and his African members are supposed to believe that his god spoke to him in several dreams that set him apart as the new COG leader who was preserving 1st century Christianity.  Then he trots out a couple people elsewhere in the world that also had dreams about him as proof of his legitimacy.

He also likes to claim the laying on of hands by Gaylyn Bonjour was a direct sign from his god that it was imparting a "double" shovel full of the Holy Spirit into his being.  He and his African ministers are claiming direct spiritual wonders from their god that brought rain and performed other wonders recently.

The list could go on and on about the various signs and "proofs" he trots out to prove his legitimacy.  The same goes for Pack, Flurry, Weinland, Malm and others.  Their gods speak directly to them telling them many hidden things that the dumb sheep have never been able to see in scriptures.  COG members are supposed to swallow their utterances without questioning.

Not one single thing these men have uttered is of spiritual importance to any Christian.  Jesus is not coming to sit on Flurry's prayer rock.  Jesus is not coming to Wadsworth to walk with Pack as they plan his third coming. Weinland and his loony wife are not going to be killed in the streets of Jerusalem and then rise again 3 days later. Malm's pharisaical whoredom to the law proves that he prefers the "ministry of death" to that of faith. And all of his prophetic predictions and prophecies are a steaming pile of crap.

None of these men are men of integrity and spiritual goodness. All these men do is prove that the Church of God is horribly screwed up.

It's hard being a prophet. I am weary of it all.

Ever since Ron Weinland was convicted of tax fraud and sent to prison for the biblical period of 3 1/2 years, his personality cult has never recovered.  Add to that the growing number of members who have abandoned him over the years since his 2008 prophecy failed in epic proportions.  Ever since then every single one of his prophecies that he boldly declared has failed.  Because of that and to gain face in the eyes of his deluded members, he turned all of these prophecies from "physical" actions that were to come about into "spiritual" fulfillment that are being currently fulfilled supernaturally.

In spite of that, he continues to loose hundreds and hundreds of members.  It has become so frequent that Weinland has become weary of having to write disfellowshipment letters week after week.  Pretty soon Weinland thinks he might have 100 members left.

With his membership dwindling and his probation soon to be up, Weinland may head off to Europe so he can claim to be in the center of things when he and his dingy wife turn into the two witless witnesses. Germany is the home of his daughter who many ex-members believe helped Ron launder his money and whom they believe has cooked the books for Ron's cult for years.

A significant number of revealing quotes in the latest sermon

> who get to a point where they’re not in awe any longer. I hurt for them, in one respect, but this is something that has gone on for so long. This process continues on.

> This process continues on. Since the Feast I am dumbfounded how much God continues to bring to the surface,

> This Church is being cleansed and the longer we go on, the more that takes place,

> We have a short time and yet God’s going to have His Church cleaned up. That ought to sober everyone to the core of their being. Will there be a hundred left before this is over? 200? 300? I don’t know.

> It’s just like different ones who continue to go by the wayside. Every year people go by the wayside.

> I’ll be candid with you; it’s just kind of wearing on me. It’s wearying. It’s wearing. It’s hard.

> It’s hard to continue to watch people go by the wayside. It’s hard to send people letters and telling them they’re suspended or disfellowshipped.

> This isn’t over with yet. People, some people aren’t taking this seriously yet.

> It’s wearying. It tears me up, and I hate it. I hate it. Almost every week it just keeps happening since the Feast of Tabernacles.

> Because I know it’s still happening. I know what’s still going on. God’s giving me a big dose of it today to see it clearly. Since the Feast, so many. From: Ron's commision recycled

Do You Have Post Feast Depression? UCG Has The Cure

UCG Admits No One Wants To Climb Their "Ladder of Involvement"

United Church of God envisions itself as the paragon of truth that no one else gets quite as right as they do.  They believe this in spite of the fact their own brand of "new and improved" Church of Godism has never become the shining light for all of the Church of God to look to for Christian virtue.

From its embrace of embezzling bank managers, coddling ministers who got off sexually harassing women in the church, to encouraging members to lie under oath about a minister who was a stalker.  UCG's pure Christianity was so pure that it imploded several times since its inception, first with David Hulme splintering off and then with 174 ministers jumping ship along with thousands of brethren to form Church of God a Worldwide Association. Then the entire church watched as its chairman had to resign over "unchristian behavior".

Is it any wonder they struggle to appeal to the public as a place people would want to experience God?  Especially when it seems like UCG sees its journey for its members as progressive steps up a ladder. Who would even want to get on the ladder in the first place?

What "pearls of great price" does UCG possess that ANYONE would actually want to have?

UCG's ladder of progression has rungs that are broken or entirely missing as it worships the law over that inconvenient dude they are ashamed to publicly talk about.

I conducted a session that resulted in a lot of discussion, entitled: “First Contact Counseling.” The title suggests that our ministry may be given “leads” of people who take an interest in our proclamation message. The reality, however, is that we no longer have a line of people coming to us. We have to find them. We have to become “fishers of men.”

How can we reach out in the world where we live with the spiritual treasure and pearls of great price that we have acquired? We know that God calls people, but what role do we have in engaging them? We spoke of the “ladder of involvement” that all of us have climbed from first contact with the truth to committed membership through baptism. Is the ascent unimpeded from someone’s first exposure to God’s way all of the way up to engagement in the congregational environment? Do we provide the rungs needed to climb this ladder? Are the rungs solid, or are some broken? If the path is not clear, a person’s growth can stop.