LCG: You have a bad attitude!

 

Why has the Church of God, and in this case, the Living Church of God, always used the epitaph of "you have a bad attitude" to shut down members? Rod Meredith and others in Pasadena were notorious for doing that. One would think after all that has transpired and the grievances COG members have talked about during and after the changes that COG leaders would learn to be more compassionate. Apparently, that is not the case in 2021.

 A comment from an LCG member in response to LCG: Keeping Track Of Troublemakers?

As is the case in LCG, their reasons here are to cover what they really do and their internal attitudes not for the public. Just for one instance, I had been travelling for some weeks away from my home congregation, being with family elsewhere and working through the passings of several loved ones far away. When I got back weeks later and showed up at church, it had been already concluded that I had left the church. They were suspicious of me because I hadn't showed up in my home LCG congregation for just two weeks, and so that was that. Did they reach out to me with genuine outgoing concern, or even just to casually find out where I had gotten to? No. they were skeptical of me rather than reaching out to at least offer a safe place to worship and to grieve. Their ranking deaconess who just loves the attention and praise of the ministers got it in her mind that I was out of the church, and so they believed her, and Iwas "on probation" since that time. Try as I might I could not snap them out of it, and I was accused by the ministers, who never even spoke to me directly, of trying to cover up a "bad attitude" on my part. No, no bad attitude, whatever that means. I was actually one of their more loyal and knowledgeable members, and I was travelling and spending time with loved ones. that's all. But of course they were right, the deaconess said so, and God is inspiring and leading his true ministers because he is the head of his church, so logically how could it be otherwise. For those of us who believe (broadly speaking) in the teachings from Mr. Armstrong, it is impossible for me at least to recommend LCG to others as a Jesus-centered church which holds to the truths. Its leadership has contorted it into an insidious corperation with the veneer of some things familiar to us, not as blatant as Dave Pack but in ways actually worse, and in which suck-ups and players like this deaconess damage and even destroy the faith of the lay people. In 1987 at a Feast Of Tabernacles a Mr. Wainwright gave a sermon entitled The God Of The Barbecue, in which he preached against this climbers' mentality just like this deaconess. A few years ago one from our congregation slipped her a copy of that sermon as a nudge. Well, it didn't do any good. It is easy enough to superimpose a veneer of religious duties on one's lifestyle, change their day of worship, stop eating certain meats and so forth. This is all well and good inasmuch as it should be done and as far as it goes. But, I wonder how many people, like these insidious ministers in LCG and the high-strung deaconess have really and truly begun their inner spiritual journey, let alone understanding true conversion. When LCG's stats policy began to be enforced I did challenge the elder on the real reasons for why they were more aggressively and thoroughly taking down notes like this, and he did acknowledge that it was to keep tabs on members.

LCG: Rebellious Church Members Who Are Rebelling Against Church Government And Pursue Their Own Selfish Ambitions

This is what happens when LCG members

rebel against respecting church government...

It's that time of year when leavening products make their way into the trash bin and members examine themselves as to why they refuse to follow church government due to all of their lusting, coveting, and hatred going on. I can't figure out if he is talking about church members or Charlotte HQ employees!

What exactly are "selfish ambitions" that church members are being accused of pursuing? Is it doing something fun in their lives that costs money that LCG thinks should be sent to them? Or, is it taking the kids to the zoo on Saturday instead of subjecting them to another mind-numbing sermon that you have heard 50 times over the years? Is getting a good education or being successful in your work a selfish ambition?

Let's see how "forgiving" LCG leadership is over the next year towards members. So far the track record is not good.

Eliminating Spiritual Leaven: The Scriptures clearly indicate that leaven is to be removed from our homes and not to be eaten during the Days of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15). However, we need to remember, this is a physical exercise to help us understand the importance of identifying and eliminating spiritual leaven that tends to creep into our lives from this world. Spiritual leaven includes breaking the commandments of God by lusting, coveting, and hating as well as compromising or rebelling against God’s laws and instructions and His government. Spiritual leaven also includes the works of the flesh that Paul mentions in Galatians 5:19–21— adultery, fornication, outbursts of wrath, sowing seeds of contention and division, promoting personal doctrinal heresies, pursuing selfish ambitions, etc. As we take the Passover and go through the Days of Unleavened Bread, let’s ask God to show us any spiritual leaven that we need to eliminate from our lives. Let’s also be forgiving of others and be thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us so we can be forgiven. 

 

Have a profitable Sabbath, 

Douglas S. Winnail

LCG: Keeping track of the trouble makers?

 

Apparently, the boys in Charlotte are not doing too well with maintaining their membership data or this is a slick way to keep track of your members to see who is causing trouble.

Church Survey—Repeat Announcement
Earlier this year, all Church pastors were sent membership listings of their congregations for conducting the periodic Church Survey. This Church Survey is needed from time to time to keep our files up to date. For example, the survey is vital to make sure all members receive their Church literature in the mail. We also need this information for Festival registration, to begin this year on May 2. Thank you to all members for helping your pastor collect your updated contact information!

CGI: “Why must your son be so disrespectful of you and your religion?”

An Open Letter To My Father’s Tormenters

Every time I post something about Armstrongism, the Church of God International, or Bill Watson my poor father is subjected to numerous incredulous phone calls and/or e-mails from his “friends” in the Church. “How can your son disparage Bill or the Church in this manner?” they demand. “Why must your son be so disrespectful of you and your religion?”

For the record, I stopped sharing most of my posts and other writings with my father long ago, because I know how vehemently he disagrees with me regarding most religious and political topics. In other words, I discerned long ago that there wasn’t any value in underscoring my profound differences with a man I love and respect – why rub his nose in it? Moreover, I am very much aware of the fact that my father is devoted to his church and best friend, Bill Watson (and I have no desire to disparage, disrupt or disrespect any of that). Finally, as his son, I have been very cognizant of the fact that my father is suffering from debilitating health issues and have no interest in placing any additional burdens or stresses on him on account of that fact.

However, feeling this way, I have often asked myself: “Why would my father’s Church friends insist on bringing these things to his attention?” “Are they trying to rub his nose in this stuff?” “Are they trying to hurt him or my relationship with him?” “Do they think that he actually agrees with my positions on these issues (despite the large body of sermons and writings which clearly suggest that he doesn’t)?” In short, what could possibly motivate folks to bring these things to my father’s attention and cause him such distress/upset/misery?

The only answer that makes any sense to me is that they are somehow hoping to use my father to bring pressure to bear upon me to stop criticizing the teachings of CGI and Bill Watson. In fact, I can think of no other logic that would motivate an otherwise decent person to resort to such cruel and discordant means to achieve some end – the belief that they were defending/protecting their faith and minister(s).

To be clear, however, it is deceitful and manipulative to use an innocent person in this fashion to exert pressure on the one whom they perceive to be the guilty party. In other words, if anyone has a problem with anything that I write, they should directly confront me with their issues – NOT my father! And, for the record, I will NEVER be dissuaded/deterred from expressing opinions about teachings which I consider to be erroneous or harmful to others by such despicable methods! If anyone has a beef with me (or anything I’ve written), bring it to me (I’ve been an independent adult now for many years). As Scripture plainly teaches, the father shall NOT be held responsible for the deeds of the son, and the son shall NOT be held responsible for the deeds of the father (see Ezekiel 18:20). In other words, leave my father alone!

Miller Jones

Dingy Wade Cox Believes Moon Is A Hollow Structure?

 

Just when you think the Church of God cannot get any crazier, along comes Wade Cox...the second Great White Bwana to Africa, leader of tens of millions of converts in Africa and a few white people in the U.S. Old Wade regularly posts all kinds of conspiracy crapola on his site alongside his COG/Muslim silliness.

Here is the link to the video on his Facebook Page....  Christian Churches of God