Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Intelligent Quote of the Day: Celebrating Easter


I realize you and I hold different views on the observance of Easter and Christmas, and while I appreciate and respect why observing either would be repugnant and unthinkable to you, observing the day is no longer problematic to me.


Of course observing ANY day "unto the Lord" is a matter of personal conscience, and so it isn't my objective to persuade you that you are doing something wrong in terms of which days you observe (or do not observe). I believe that the matter of conscience includes more than my own view any particular activity -- part of what we do as brothers and sisters in Christ has to do with how it affects or impacts others, including unbelievers.


I Cor. 10: 23, speaks of that principle in a discussion of the conscience issues relating to eating with unbelievers. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
27If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake -- 29the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? 30If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.


Paul's focus was to facilitate in the saving of souls, and he realized that while these matters were meaningless to him personally (had no power over him because of Christ Jesus), others might stumble over them, even Paul's Jewish brothers who would look upon Paul's worship of Jesus as idolatry. Paul had freedoms based on his conscience (that all things are God's creation, and that he could freely eat or not eat, again, according to the situation presented to him, and each situation would be judged not according to HIS personal conscience but the conscience of the person he was dealing with).
I'd like to say that were I to participate in an Easter sunrise service today (and I believe I have only done this once in my life when I was a child), I would be worshipping Jesus Christ. For me, it is a day of commemoration that I have chosen to participate in for that commemorative purpose. Before I came into contact with Herbert Armstrong's ministry, my mind was not under a cloud of doubt when observing Easter. After Herbert Armstrong introduced that the day of commemoration of Jesus' resurrection was "tainted by idolatry" then my mind doubted that the commemoration was "clean."
It would have seared my conscience to have observed Easter with the Armstrong mindset, which was born of the cog7 mindset. In preferring Paul's advice to Herbert's advice I see that all of the creation is God's -- he said all of his creation was "good." And surely there is no scripture in the holy bible that says Jesus should not be worshipped on a certain day (or to the point here, on Easter Sunday specifically at sunrise). And while I am fully aware of the Ishtar, I am reminded that ALL THINGS (and that includes Ishtar) are under Jesus' feet. Whatever link Easter has with Ishtar is destroyed in the presence of the only man worthy of worship -- Jesus.
Ishtar is nothing to me. For an idol to mean something to me, I have to believe it has power in my life, and Ishtar has none.


---Janey, a participant of Mark Tabladillo's Jesus Love Fellowship message board explaining to her friend, the reasons why she celebrates Easter in her post-WCG life and theology.

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Tuesday, March 27, 2007

If the United Church of God wants to live on in the 2020's, 2030's, 2040's and beyond...


On Gavin Rumney's Ambassador Watch blog, it is come to some kind of informal consensus that the United Church of God will live on while the PCG, RCG, David Hulme's Church of God, and all the other insignificant splinters will finally die (good riddance!). If the United Church of God really wants to be a successful church and have countless opportunities at their finger tips, they need to listen to this:

1) Time to have a deeper meaning of grace. It is not merely God forgiving us in doing a sin, it is a much more complex dynamic. It is not license to sin, rather an active agent of God that cancels sin and is greater than sin. At least the Church of God (Seventh Day) unserstands this. It is time for the United Church of God, like the Christian Reformed Church believe that "the law" is used for "sanctification", not "justification". So if anyone thinks I am preaching antinomianism, really simply does not know what I am talking about.



2) Accept the triune nature of God. Read Robert M. Bowman Jr.'s book Why Should You Believe in The Trinity and James R. White's The Forgotten Trinity. These are two men who are great scholars who spent a heck of a lot of time in their research and committed to the best of their knowledge to biblical truth. To say they are "Satan's scholars" is just plain childishness. If you are bold and if you dare go to open your mind for once go to http://www.amazon.ca/Forgotten-Trinity-James-White/dp/1556617259/ref=sr_1_1/701-2583050-6300326?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174769766&sr=8-1 and http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_ss_b/701-2583050-6300326?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=why+should+you+believe+in+the+trinity . On top that, a possible alternative to the God Family doctrine is "theosis" which the Greek Orthodox Church believes. "Children of God" will not suffice for the members. Read more about theosis at OrthodoxWiki at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogs .






3) Log on to http://www.goodnewsunlimited.org/ . I actually attend this fellowship (though it's not really a church, but that's another story for next time) in Toronto. It is probably high time that the leaders in the UCG study this site too. You can have a grace-based Sabbatarian denomination. Don't let those who are overzealous in their New Covenant Theology argue with you and assert otherwise.



4) Keep it's Hebraic-heritage! Let the UCG celebrate the Sabbath and the Holy Days. There is absolutely no need to change it to please anybody (like evangelicals who ignorant about them)--but here is the deal, don't tell people that they have to give up their jobs and become seasonally or pemanantely unemployed or end up in a poverty cycle if they can't keep it in its entirety. This nonsense that has happened and is happening in the splinters needs to stop!



5) If the UCG choose to be a Sabbatarian evangelical denomination, the next generation of ministers need to go to Andrews University in Michigan. Ditch this Ambassador Bible Center nonsense and get your education from some more detailed meticulous research that has been around a heck of a long time than the WCG and it's splinters combined. Hey, Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi has written two scholary books on the Holy Days (I even have one of them about the fall feasts!). Having Andrews support your theology will bring a long way and a more reputable one. Oh yea, Andrews is just a start, how about Fuller, or even Princeton to add on a full-time minister's study?




5) To officially renounce that the United Church of God is a continuation of a movement started in the historic WCG and boldly declare the United Church of God is a movement soley and entirely on Jesus Christ. UCG's answer to Steve Colbert, Richard Burkard may say, "Isn't that has always been that way for the UCG, Felix???" C'mon, who are you kidding??? It doesn't take an Einstein to conclude that in practice, no. The UCG has been dedicated to the so-called "18 truths" founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, most which were proven in serious doctrinal error. If UCG is serious basing itself totally on Jesus Christ, it is time to be practical, to be bold and remove the wool over people's eyes and the time to do it is NOW!


6) It is time involve ministers and members in the organization. Scrap this insane notion of a division of the clergy and the laity. The UCG should never have hierarchy like the WCG nor a totally congregational governance. A Presbyterian-Congregational model which is a compromise between both extremes is probably the best fit. The UCG member who takes pride in being "intellectually lazy" and takes joy in being spoonfed everything should be considered an annoying dinosaur.


7) Oh yes, some more radical stuff!!! Reconsider your tithing practices. Oh yes, if you guys believe in the triple tithe---it is time to END IT! Of course like a country, a church needs revenue to survive as an organism. Fine! Why don't you consider ONE single tithe with three different uses. You think church revenue will decline? If you guys like conservative ideology, it's time you practice some of their concepts! You believe that tax cuts help? Well, tithe cuts WILL WORK!!! Revenues will go up! Read Restoration Foundation's magazine article on How God Sees Tithing at http://www.restorationfoundation.org/volume_2/2118.htm . OR if you want REALLY, REALLY RADICAL stuff somebody was nice enough to give excerpts from a book on Mark Tabladillo's message board, Jesus Loves Fellowship, from the late Ernest Martin on tithing and I will bring it here:



Ernest L.Martin's website (remember him?) had a booklet out, The Tithing Dilemma.
Extracts from booklet (part one of three):
The bottom line was "It is a sin ('missed the mark') against biblical teaching for preachers, priests, evangelists, rabbis and theologians to receive and spend the tithe God ordained for Israel even if the tithe is used to teach the truth."
"It is equally a sin for the laity to give the tithe..."
The Israelites were strictly ordered by God to pay the tithe (the tenth)...to one group only...the Levites who (among other things) ministered in the Temple (Nu. 18:21)"
The Levites in turn were to give one tenth of that tithe to the priests (Nu. 18:25-28) who did not tithe at all...With no Temple, the major factor for tithing does not exist..."
JEWS DO NOT TITHE TODAY
ELM said he had concerns about tithing 35 years ago. He stated, "I telephoned three rabbis in the Los Angeles area for their explanation. Much to my dismay, all three independently of each other informed me that no religious Jew should tithe today." One rabbi said, "If any member of my synagogue paid tithe in the scriptural manner, he would be disobeying the law of God--he would be sinning against God."
The rabbi explained that though he was the chief rabbi of his synagogue, he was not a Levite...he was descended from the tribe of Judah and was therefore not eligible to recieve tithe.
A HISTORY OF TITHING
The initial illustration is the account of Abraham and Melchizedek. Moses required that the tithe be paid ony on the increase from land and animals. Abraham did not work to produce any of the spoils...spoil does not represent increase. There was no biblical teaching which showed that Abraham was required to give a tenth. For hundred years later Moses legislated what should be done with any spoil (Nu. 31:9, 27-29).
Moses and Tithing
At Mt. Sinai the Old Covenant with the ten commandments and many other laws was given to the Israelites. "Remarkably, there is not one hint of tithing..."


I can think of more suggestions (and if anyone else has more, I would like to hear from you) but I will stop here. The question remains: will the United Church of God look at my proposals? I am under NO illusion that the harsh answer is "DEFINATELY NO!" As a result, the UCG will just be another Armstrongite organization that will be just surviving, not truly succeding in the 2010's, 20's, 30's until it shrivels up and dies sometime this century. It will probably gobble up already dead splinters. On the other hand, UCG's answer to Steve Colbert, Richard Burkard may remark, "If there is an apocalyptic event in this century, the UCG may grow." He may be right but if the UCG still wants to be a pretend "Mr.Rogers" Armstrongite cult, it does not deserve to grow and prosper in anyway. If they become an "Armstrongist Refusenik" denomination, they deserve to make their revolutionary mark in Christendom. If they are some Generation Xers (and even Yers) in the United Church of God, when their time is ready to enter the clergy, I can only pray to God that these guys make the intelligent, wise and noble choice!

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Friday, March 23, 2007

Another Smart Christian



I have always loved Tony Campolo. Never agreed with him on every single issue but I have loved his approach to the gospel and Christianity any day over the religious right's (in which I believe they have become our modern neo-Pharisees). Here is some of his wise words on CBC's George Stroumboulopouls' The Hour at http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1401 .

I met Dr. Campolo at the People's Church a few years back. Like myself, he has high praise for Bill Maher (of HBO's Real Time) calling Bill a "very intelligent person". I can only conclude, great minds think alike.

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Saturday, March 17, 2007

Wise words from KMS: The pathetic state of existence of the XCG's


I spent some time today wandering around some of the various COG websites. Most of the sites I visited were part of UCG, but there were several others. I won't bore you with the alphabet soup, and after all, isn't all the same formula no matter which group it is?
You need a descriptive word that implies a church with a reach around the world. You need the term Church of God. You need a fearless leader. Fearless Leader must follow in Harmstrongs footsteps, slavishly. (Indeed, we now see splinters from splinters because the initial Fearless Leader does not really follow the truth as once delivered by Harmstrong enough).
You need a ministry composed of Ambassador College graduates. There needs to be a work that includes a magazine and a radio or TV program. Internet broadcasting is a possible alternative. You meet largely in rented halls, have youth programs, singles programs, prayer lists, deacons, elders, or just plain "hosts" to play tapes for the 8 people that comprise the church in a local burg.
In short, over the last 12 years nothing has changed. The names may be slightly different, but only to avoid copyright lawsuits. Where has the growth been since all these splinters erupted to do the work that Harmstrong started?
I ran across a site for UCG singles. A more dismal and discouraging place would be hard to find. Articles on enduring - one written by a woman that was single for 50 years, now married to an older man and has a hypenated last name. I'll bet she had to get permission for that hyphen. (I'll also bet that Sue Blumel-Berg has a bit of satisfaction from being an elders wife and dealing with people that looked down their long noses at her while she was single).
A couple of articles on how life can be hell by dating and marrying outside the church. Recommended reading lists for singles that start with "King James Bible". Singles activities that include the ubiquitous Singles Bible Study. If people should get to know each other they need to be engaged in some sort of activity. Movies and bible studies are useless towards that end. Articles on how to get a mate by works (self improvement, bible study, prayer, patience, etc.) Any of you married people here really believe that your spouse married you because of your works? Is not love that leads people to marry truly grace as best as the flesh can live it?
And BTW, the idea that these COG's exist to "do the work" is a lie. The doing of "the work" is nothing more than a smokescreen for the existence of each little splinter. If the "work" was so important, why don't these scruffy little COGs unite so that they can pool all their resources and really do a work? Selfish David Hulme set the tone when he bolted - it was more important to do things his way than to stay "united". Meredth sank Global and started Living when other ministers actually used the bylaws to bag him. More important for Rod to be in charge than to be one group.
Now ministers are leaving Rod because he doesn't have a strong enough strain of Harmstrongism - or maybe they see that THEY are not the annointed successor to Lord Merrydeth and see Living coming apart in the near future.
Then there's Flurry in Oklahoma with his collection of Armstrong lucky charms.
The push to distinguish oneself has reached absurdity. Flurry is "that prophet". Weinland is one of the two witnesses. We have pastors general by the bucketful, along with some presiding evangelists - yet everyone of these fearless leaders is afraid to break the Harmstrong mold. Elisha didn't introduce himself as the best follower of Elijah, he let the works and miracles he did speak for themselves. Yet these would be Elisha's have no credibility or authority except they claim it as a direct baton in the hand from old Herb himself.
Even WCG after a promising start has calcified itself into a Harmstrong church with Protestant doctrines. We're evangelical, they claim, we live by grace, they claim - yet how the church is run is none of your business. (Thank you for not asking). Flagship publication Plain Truth magazine outsourced to Greg Albrecht and pretty much irrelevant today. What evangelical work is WCG doing? Lots of seminars, lots of "retreats" - but where is the outward directed evengelism? I couldn't find anything like that.
I believe that I've seen more real growth in people here on JLF than in any of the COG's - due primarily to being open about learning and living the truth than being hidebound to some idea of hierarchy or authority of some fearless leader. Jesus said that the Comforter would lead us into all truth - but that requires that we live by faith, not by sight, nor by men.
What a shabby, grubby little bunch of self serving, self preserving organizations the COG's have become. They've morphed into little groups that preserve the status quo so that they and their members can be comforted every saturday that they are continuing on with some great work. Patrick O'Brian wrote several books on life aboard English naval vessels. Several times he mentions that the sailors looked forward to something because they were used to it, and they liked what they were used to.
It's a fitting description of these miserable little COGs.
---KMS comments on the sorry state of Armstrongist splinters from Mark Tabladillo's Jesus Loves Fellowship message board

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Wise Words from FYI Again

Quote:
I find myself wondering if we will soon see big numbers of people either leaving the ACOGs or going independent.

Many of these groups are in the process of imploding. LCG in particular is vulnerable because it's an absolute monarchy with Rod Meredith in complete control just as HWA was. He is old and in poor health and when he dies or becomes incapacitated the whole thing is going to shatter. It may happen sooner. With LCG in the process of squandering big bucks on a doomed "Living University" - while at the same time they're losing members hand over foot to fundamentalist groups like RCG and PCG - they are headed for a train wreck.I put UCG's proposed move in a similar category. They aren't losing members the way LCG is - in fact some LCG members are moving to UCG. But they're still looking at a big expense. This move is risky for them, and there's little (if any) benefit to it. At least LCG's move to Charlotte, NC a few years ago made sense financially - it was a much cheaper area to operate from than San Diego.Then we have our favorite 21st Century Apostle, Dave Pack planning to build a shiny new HQ - only 1 year after completion of the "upfit" (as he called it when requesting "special offerings" to pay for it) of their existing (and *very* nice) HQ facilities. He's already squeezed his tiny flock dry and now he's going to do it again. I feel really bad for my friends in that gulag. It reminds me of tiny, impoverished nations who get saddled with some nutjob dictator who squanders what little resources they have to build grand monuments to himself.I see a major crisis ahead for most of the ACOG's. And as you say, many will either leave them altogether or go independent.Once the calls for "Special Offerings" start coming in, people will remember HWA and his golden albatross "House for God" - and they will bail out, leaving these unconscionable ba$tards stewing in their own juices. I'd say Dave Pack better get on the stick training those Two Nitwitses before the jig is up.
FYI Again gives his two cents on the future of the Church of God splinters regarding the United Church of God's proposed headquarter move from Cinncinati, Ohio to Dallas, Texas on the WCG Alumni message board

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Monday, March 12, 2007

Oh, I couldn't resist...

I told you! Can't get enough of Bill Maher. I am glad he takes viciously on more religious stupidity and those who would fanatically take us back to the Dark Ages in a second. He chides whom I call a "religious rightie" who wants to ban a vaccine that can help cut (and even prevent) the risk of cervical cancer because that would encourage promiscuity (only in this person's angry narrow minded hyperactive imagination). Bill go get 'em!!!


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Bill Maher believes Mormonism is bad for you!

I can NEVER get enough of Bill Maher! I just seen on him on Larry King tonight but I thought having one hour of this man is not enough! Here is his take on Mormonism on his show Real Time on HBO (I live in Canada and I can ONLY see it through Youtube.com). Straight and to the point, always true to his style!


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Sunday, March 11, 2007

Armstrongists are not of the hook, neither are the religious right!



While Gavin Rumney, Gary Scott and to some extent myself keep watch on the fanaticism and cultism of the Armstrongite Churches of God, here is a blog that keeps watch on the excesses and fanaticism of the religious right. Read and enjoy at http://www.evangelicalright.com/ .

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Good article on theonomic religions

Shalom Tai, author of Religions of Theonomy, I ask, "Where are you!!!" It has been over five years your article appeared on the internet, now it has disappeared. Thank goodness you do allow the article to be copied, provided that all contents are still in tact. I will copy this article on this blog and it remains forever!!! May I remind ALL, that not ALL the contents of this article totally represents the views of Post WCG Life and Theology!
RELIGIONS OF THEONOMY
As much as I dislike Christianity, with its condemning the majority of human beings to eternal torture after death because of thinking "incorrectly", and its pompous, prideful feeling of righteousness because of trusting in faith and not in works, nevertheless, given a choice between Christianity on the one hand or Judaism or Islam on the other, I would choose Christianity any day. The Christian religion talks of men as flock of sheep, sinners needing salvation, and other condescending terms, but at least it does not treat men completely like little children, that is, Christianity does not tell people the proper way of urinating, for instance. Judaism and Islam do; they are theonomic religions, with a fixed set of rules for the believers in every aspect of their lives, from shoelace to king's throne. Whereas Christianity theonomy is seen as a deviation from the mainstream, in Judaism and Islam the "divine" code of law forms the core of the religion. Ex-Christians regard their past lives a being "Robots for Jesus", but this is nothing in comparison to the real robotism to which one is driven in Judaism and Islam.
Totalitarian Regulation
I, during the two years of being a fundamentalist Orthodox Jew, kept meticulously the laws of the Halakha (הלכה , the Jewish code of law). The regulation of the life of the believer by Jewish and and Islamic law is total, all encompassing. Here are a few activities ordered for every Orthodox Jew upon waking up in the morning:
  • Upon waking up, the first thought of the pious Jew must be: shiviti HaShem lenegdi tamid, meaning "I have framed the Lord [as] facing me always". He must acknowledge that God is always watching him, and he must behave accordingly. He must not behave in an indecent manner, for the King of Kings of Kings is watching what he does; as he would not behave indecently before a king of flesh and blood, so much more will he be wary before the Sovereign of the World.
  • Sleep is one sixtieth of death; in sleep, the soul goes heavenward to give account of the deeds of the past day before God, and if God wishes then he may keep the soul there. It is by God's mercy that the soul has returned to the body after sleep, thus enabling the person to wake up. The Jew who has just woken up must first say, before doing anything else: Modeh ani l'fanekha, Melekh hai v'kayam, sh'hehezarta bi nishmati b'hemla, rabba emunatekha, meaning "I thank before thee, living and existing King, that thou hast returned my soul into me in mercy; thy faithfulness is plentiful'.
  • He must then wash his hands: he will take vessel for washing hands, fill it with water, hold by the left hand and pour water on the right hand , then pass the vessel to the right hand pour water on the left hand, and repeat it two more times, so that each hand gets three pourings of water alternately. Then and only then is the spirit of impurity which had accumulated during sleep banished.

Those are just the opening activities of the day, of every day. After a few weeks of waking up every day, they become ingrained, mechanical, as do the prayers, which are prayed three times a day out of a book of prayer. There is also emphasis on sexual purity, meaning not only the avoidance of sexual licence, but even the natural and inescapable urge of the male to masturbate. A few examples:

  • The pious male Jew must never spill a drop of semen in vain. Ejaculation of semen is to be done only into a female Jew for purposes of reproduction, and only when she is twelve days after her menstruation period (five days of bleeding plus seven "days of cleanliness" for safety).
  • When he urinates, the male Jew must never hold his member in his hand, for that may lead to a state of hardening.
  • The male Jew must sleep on his side, never on his back or torso, so that he may not reach a state of hardening.
  • If he walks in the open and sees a male animal copulating with a female animal, he must turn his eyes away immediately, so as not to be tempted to do so the same in his own beastly desires.

Obviously such repression of natural sexual desire makes the male human animals very irritable and violent. Such is also the case in the Islamic world, where the females are covered from head to foot to avoid temptation (but the religious leaders, as in all religions, view porno films in secret). However, those are petty matters, although the pious may think they are destroying the world if they neglect them; more serious are the social laws:

  • A Jew who publicly desecrates the Sabbath is to be stoned to death.
  • A Jew must not marry a non-Jew
  • A Kohen (priest)must not marry a divorced woman.
  • A bastard cannot marry a Jew until the passage of ten generations from his or her line.

Such laws divide the Jewish society between secular (non-observant) and religious Jews. The two groups in Israel are almost as two nations, who do not each by each other or marry between each other. And of course there are the political laws, of appointing kings and going to war, which in the days of the Diaspora were officially neutralized by saying they were inapplicable because there is no kingdom, but today, with the great Messianic anticipation, some religious Jews feel compelled to put them in practice,

Judaism, like its overgrown derivative Islam, is inimical of the separation of religion and politics. When onlookers speak about "Jews politicizing the Sabbath" or "Muslims politicizing the Hajj", they imply that there had been a Sabbath or Hajj free of politics and then the religionists manipulated them political purposes. Not so; there has never been a separation of religion and politics in either Judaism or Islam, for those two religions do not believe in a two separate realms for God and for Caesar. The believe is to sanctify the name of God in every facet of his life, and to say that the religion is only for the synagogue or mosque and not for the throne or battlefield is to make light of it,it is like saying to God, "push off from our ordinary life". In Judaism and Islam the physical world is not a fallen, hated creation to be shunned' but it must be used according to the will of God, other wise one leads a life of idolatry. For Orthodox Jews, using computers to learn about ancient Chinese art is a waste of time for the which the waster will account before God, whereas using computers to scan Torah scrolls against scribal error is the true purpose for having such inventions in the world. In Islam too the pious Muslim should beware never to bring his own desires in preference to the will of Allah, for that is shirk, ascribing partners to Allah. Truly Judaism and Islam are the religions of Gott uber alles --nothing is worthwhile unless it is for the service of God.

Great Danger of Theononmy

From this short survey, one can see the great danger which the theonomic religions pose to the free world. Separation between religion and politics cannot be achieved with such all-encompassing ways of life. Secularism in Islam has been the target of constant opposition by clerics who call it it "ruling by other than what Allah has revealed", that is, by man-made laws instead of Allah's laws. the trouble with pious Jews and Muslims (and to a lesser extent with pious Christians as well) is that they take their religions too seriously, they see them as relevant real-world solutions and merely lifestyles for making people feel better. They fail to perceive that the laws of the Bible and Qur'an are just as man-made as the secular, democratic laws. Even in Turkey, where secularism has been officially decreed,the persistence of personal theonomy, such as praying the mosque five times a day, keep the flame of political aggression alive. the Islamic states of the Middle East blame secularism for their troubles, they see it as Western conspiracy. Muslim clerics say Allah has forsaken the Muslims for deserting the true faith, and only by returning to absolute religious observance will all the problems of the Islamic world be solved. This is nonsense, of course. First, Iran did in 1979 a massive return to religious rule and observance, yet things got only worse there; second, supernaturalist, divinely-ordained explanations, which link between the causes far removed from effects, are all false, irrelevant to the totally materialistic cosmos in which we are sustained. Even the clerics know that the starving cannot be saved from death by reading the Qur'an, but only eating.

The colonial period of the West may be partly to blame for the distressing situation in the Islamic world toady; but even if it were totally to blame, it is past. The Islamic world still speaks as if Western imperialism is in full activity. But it is not a plausible explanation now, because Islamic states are sovereign. Let it be said, in due time, illi faat maat ("that which is past is dead', or "let bygones be bygones", spoken in Arabic), and concentrate on what is troubling the Islamic world in our present time. Thenonomy has almost everything to do with it, I think. the notion that observance of Allah's law has anything to do with the real world, the idea that Allah is in control of the whole creation, is causing people to trust in fairy-tale solutions instead of curing woes on a cold, calculated materialistic basis. In other words, it is time to kill Allah. I discuss in my next article.

Editor's note, isn't some of this is all too familiar in Armstrongism??? I will say here with a theonomic religion like Armstrongism, isn't it is time to kill it's angry, demanding, psychopathic, vindictive and hateful god (and yes, god with a small "g" because I have nothing but contempt for that kind of a god)???

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Sunday, March 04, 2007

..and also tithing pays off for Toronto-based Pentecostals









Read 'em and weep, courtesy of today's edition of the Toronto Star newspaper at http://www.thestar.com/News/article/187986 . Now I know why ex-XCGers can get a little emotional on the issue about tithing one's personal income. Without financial accountability, you just do NOT know where money for the church is properly (if ever) diverted.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Struggle against cults continues...



Even in Hamilton, Ontario as the Dominion Christian Centre cult rears its ugly, evil and spiritually abusive head. Read all about it and watch CTV's W5 at http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061027/wfive_pied_piper_061027/20061117?hub=WFive&pr=showAll . We at Post WCG Life and Theology stand by the ex-members of this mad cult and support their cause against the fanatical leader of DCC, Peter Rigo.

Wise words from an Armstrongist Refusnik (FYI Again)!!!

Not all COG's are alike.There's no question that the cult oriented COG's - the HWA era WCG, Gerald Flurry's PCG and David Pack's RCG being the more obvious examples - have (and continue to) cause psychological damage to most if not all of those who support them. It's just a matter of degree - some are more damaged than others. These certainly can and should be held accountable for the inevitable results of their abusive, controlling policies.But not all COG's are like this. Some have largely ejected the cult mentality. Some are in the process of doing so. They all continue to have problems of one sort or another as the legacies of Armstrong's personality cult, abusive government, and speculative prophetic interpretations continue to work their poison.Many of the WCG spin off groups are changing, just as the WCG itself is changing - although not necessarily in the same ways. Case in point: it might surprise you to hear that many stalwart, long time members of groups like UCG and LCG are increasingly accusing those organizations of liberalizing and watering down doctrine. These groups are divided and in turmoil. Older, Armstrongist oriented members are departing in droves to join with the more "fundamentalist" groups like RCG and PCG.And you know what? These older members are right. They *are* "liberalizing" and "watering down" doctrine. They deny it of course - as the Tkach's did. And they continue to maintain strict control, which is a danger in itself even if their motives truly are benign.Then there are the non-Armstrong COG's. What are these? Simply, they are the ones that never were tainted by Armstrong's peculiar brand of COGism. Primarily Church of God Seventh Day (COG7) and its many derivatives. These are the COG's where Armstrong learned basic COG doctrine, which he added to and abused to further his own ambitions and greed. To be sure, some of these groups *have* created a cult mentality - it's a common problem in small Churches of any sort whenever you have naturally controlling and/or ambitious men seeking a following. But for the most part these groups have stayed free of the kind of cultism that Armstrong fostered.People are going to believe what they are going to believe. Armstrong's teachings, his policies, his personality cult, and his prophetic interpretations had a powerful and lasting effect on a lot of people. Armstrong also taught basic COG doctrine which he learned from COG7 - some of which he taught accurately (ie biblically) and effectively.Why do you suppose so many believed Armstrong? Because they *REALLY DID* see in their bibles that much of what he was saying was true. He was very convincing. Of course the best way to teach lies is to liberally mix them with truth.How many of Armstrong's doctrines do you still cling to? Everyone's different of course, but I think even the most die hard anti Armstrongists probably still - whether they are willing to admit it or not - cling to at least some of the doctrines they learned through him and his Church.Of course, those who are firmly committed to Armstrongism have several choices available to them. At present, I'd estimate that David Pack's "Restored" Church of God (RCG) is the closest in terms of pure, undiluted, full strength Armstrongism. Like Armstrong, David Pack claims to be an Apostle. He also lays claim to several "titles" that Armstrong himself once claimed to hold - "Messenger to Israel" and "Watchman" to a specific "era" of "the Church". RCG is a popular destination for the dedicated Armstrongites, and continues to spread the same poison.But there are plenty of alternatives for those who are less than fully committed to Armstrongism, but who still believe many of the doctrines they once learned. These doctrines are not evil simply because Armstrong taught them. For those who believe them, there are Churches were they can be relatively free of the mind controlling cult mentality and abuse. Such people can find others of like mind, with whom they may have profitable fellowship - which some people need very badly.The worst thing someone like this can do is to remain alone with no one to talk to for a long period of time. I think a lot of people make this mistake and it's terribly unhealthy - they'd be better off back in the cult than stewing in their own confusion and uncertainty. That I think is the primary mistake that this man made. He clearly still maintained some - perhaps most - of his former belief system. Yet outside his own family he had nobody to share his faith with. That can be a mighty lonely place to be. I know. I've been there.Of course the reverse can also be true. If someone is staying in a Church they no longer trust or believe in simply because they have friends there, that too is a mistake and is unhealthy. If you can't have some confidence in a Church, it's time to hit the road Jack and don't go back. I know this too. Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt, ain't going back.Broadly speaking, I define Armstrongism as:1) the personality cult (HWA = Elijah, God's Apostle, etc),2) the abusive, controlling "Government of God", and3) the teaching of highly speculative prophetic interpretation as gospel truth.I make a distinction between Armstrongism and basic COG doctrine - most of which pre-dated Armstrong and which he himself learned from COG7. He of course tried to cover that up by calling it "Dead Sardis" and painting a falsified picture of it in his autobiography, but the fact remains that the core of his doctrine was not unique to him. He learned it from an existing group. That group still exists. And it never had anything to do with Armstrongism, in spite of the many similarities in teaching (doctrine) that can still be found.Armstrongism itself is dying. It's being kept on life support by a small handful of nutburgers, but there's no question that its core constituency is aging and rapidly dying off. There are very few *new* converts.Everyone's journey is different - and God works differently with different people. As Stingerski often says, your mileage may vary. To those who give up most if not all vestiges of COG doctrine, they have plenty of choices - many have become atheists, many have returned to more mainstream denominations and all points in between. There are plenty of potential destinations.But for those (like me) who still believe *some* of the COG doctrines - and there are a lot of us - there are COG groups which can serve the purpose of providing comfort and fellowship. And some of them don't require you to be a "regular" member - you can visit when you feel a need to.I am not currently a "regular" of *ANY* particular COG group. I have been in this state for quite some time now and I'm perfectly happy to be so. I have friends in a number of different groups - as well as a good many friends who are not and never have been part of any COG. When I feel a need for some COG style fellowship, I'm glad I have that alternative available.Admittedly the COG's are difficult waters to navigate. There are narrows and icebergs, storms and pirates aplenty to watch out for. But for those who need them, I'm glad that some are still around. Perhaps if this man who murdered his family had had someone with similar beliefs to talk to, he wouldn't have done what he did.
---FYI Again in WCG Alumni message board making a bold declaration that there is an emerging difference between Armstrongism and the Churches of God that is becoming a reality and needs to be paid serious attention to!

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Thursday, March 01, 2007

Intelligent quote of the day from Gavin


...[T]here are some fine people in various parts of COGdom working hard to make their faith positive and relevant...I have a lot of time for Pam Dewey and some of the more balanced independents...[H]owever, that these folk are still a minority. Independent thinkers are quite rare, and people who have bothered to get off their chuffs and acquire some real knowledge about the Bible and Christian history (as opposed to cheap fundamentalist apologetics) are almost non-existent among us. Like it or not there are a lot of spiritual Nazis out there, raking in the tithes and feeding off the flock. They - not people who comment on this blog - make it difficult for the genuine, non-abusive strands of the Church of God.
Ambassador Watch bloggist Gavin Rumney giving his intelligent two cents (as usual) about the influence of the independent Churches of God. I call them "Armstrongist Refusniks" (it's actually a label they should wear with extreme pride). I hope to write an article about them in Gary Scott's XCG in the near future.

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