When you look at the blog at the Church of God - a Worldwide Association, Inc you will find they apparently subscribe to Armstrongism full-speed. Their blog isn't open for any comments.
"Who needs feedback?" seems to be their reasoning.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Positive People - Why Surrounding Yourself With Positive People Will Inspire You
There is no doubt in my mind that surrounding yourself with positive people will impact your results in life. I have wasted so much time trying to change the perspective of negative people without any success that I took a review of my strategy.
Friday, March 25, 2011
The "Restored" Perspective on Criticism
For those interested in seeing the Restored COG perspective on criticism, they can read the november/december article that appeared in Pillar "Are YOU a Critic?". In that article James Turck talks of criticism as though it was by definition something negative - of the devil.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Anyone that has studied a bit about personal development and good business ethics knows that there is a HUGE difference between negative criticism and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.
When criticism is constructive it is possible to get ahead of competitors who might not be as focused on their own work methods. In other words: it's not only a question of working harder to get ahead. Sometimes working smarter works much better.
That is worth remembering when ministers try to garner lots of scriptures into trying to say something false. That is, as you regular readers know, one of the main methods used by ministers of Armstrongism.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Anyone that has studied a bit about personal development and good business ethics knows that there is a HUGE difference between negative criticism and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.
When criticism is constructive it is possible to get ahead of competitors who might not be as focused on their own work methods. In other words: it's not only a question of working harder to get ahead. Sometimes working smarter works much better.
That is worth remembering when ministers try to garner lots of scriptures into trying to say something false. That is, as you regular readers know, one of the main methods used by ministers of Armstrongism.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Positive Beginnings
It is often claimed, by ministers with Armstrongism at the core of their doctrinal expositions, that anti-Armstrongism sites are governed by negative mindsets. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in this article you will learn why this is not so.
When you have left the straight-jacket that Armstrongism IS, you will experience real freedom. God is not condemning people for THINKING for themselves. In fact, the ability to think outside the box was a tradition of the learned. Ask any Jew what the Bible is all about, and he will tell you that the oral law is filled with discussions where various doctrinal positions are freely debated. Noone condemns one another for asking questions. Au contraire, it is actually ENCOURAGED that you DO ask questions.
Thinking you have all the answers IS part of a self-satisfied mindset. Daring to consider even the unthinkable helps us understand what we are reading much better than just digesting things simply because a ministry claims THEY are inspired.
Who is it that CLAIMS inspiration? Is it not the ministers, indeed, who claim that anyone who disagrees is either "confused" or "negative" when in fact focus should have been on actually ANSWERING the subject at hand?
I think you will all agree that thinking for ourselves is the BIGGEST and BEST sign of positive development - especially once you have recovered from a mindset that DIVIDES people as cults always do. The "us" versus "them" mentality is in no way what God intended. He CREATED us. Not for war and disagreements, but for inspiration and mutual helping of one another. This should be the focus of any believer - regardless of whether we always disagree on everything.
When you have left the straight-jacket that Armstrongism IS, you will experience real freedom. God is not condemning people for THINKING for themselves. In fact, the ability to think outside the box was a tradition of the learned. Ask any Jew what the Bible is all about, and he will tell you that the oral law is filled with discussions where various doctrinal positions are freely debated. Noone condemns one another for asking questions. Au contraire, it is actually ENCOURAGED that you DO ask questions.
Thinking you have all the answers IS part of a self-satisfied mindset. Daring to consider even the unthinkable helps us understand what we are reading much better than just digesting things simply because a ministry claims THEY are inspired.
Who is it that CLAIMS inspiration? Is it not the ministers, indeed, who claim that anyone who disagrees is either "confused" or "negative" when in fact focus should have been on actually ANSWERING the subject at hand?
I think you will all agree that thinking for ourselves is the BIGGEST and BEST sign of positive development - especially once you have recovered from a mindset that DIVIDES people as cults always do. The "us" versus "them" mentality is in no way what God intended. He CREATED us. Not for war and disagreements, but for inspiration and mutual helping of one another. This should be the focus of any believer - regardless of whether we always disagree on everything.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Spanky Again Dreams of Petra
Roderick C Meredith, a.k.a. Spanky, is once again running his wild scenario creation about how the Arab world is going into the great "awful" alliance - and how the ultimate outcome is fleeing into the Armstrongite dream utopia of Petra awaiting the return of big papa-idol...
Revelation 12:12-17 is growing quite worn by all the speculation. :-D
In his February 15th letter he even prepares his followers by using the following words - obviously, with an offering envelope included for the "big work":
Gone are the days when christians were supposed to be willing to die rather than compromise. Matthew 16:25 clearly says: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
Matthew 16:26 continues: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
But when Spanky, the big Dr. of theology from non-accredited Ambassador College tells you that when he writes, even God is talking... Can you really SEE just how mind-controlling, weird and off-base this man really is?
I hope so, because Spanky really has gone over the bend - and many would say he did so long ago. :-)
Revelation 12:12-17 is growing quite worn by all the speculation. :-D
In his February 15th letter he even prepares his followers by using the following words - obviously, with an offering envelope included for the "big work":
For your sake, for your very survival - I pray that many thousands of you dear co-workers will open your mind to study and prove what God is telling you right now and that some will be willing to act on the Truth of God while you have the opportunity. For the more you sincerely "seek God," the more you pray for and get involved in this very end-time Work which Jesus Christ is now accomplishing, the more you will be able to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-21).
Gone are the days when christians were supposed to be willing to die rather than compromise. Matthew 16:25 clearly says: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
Matthew 16:26 continues: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
But when Spanky, the big Dr. of theology from non-accredited Ambassador College tells you that when he writes, even God is talking... Can you really SEE just how mind-controlling, weird and off-base this man really is?
I hope so, because Spanky really has gone over the bend - and many would say he did so long ago. :-)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
HubPage About Armstrongism
Please feel free to pay my hubpage about Armstrongism a visit. I welcome your feedback on this hubpage sinde I believe it is highly important that a lot of people get this type of information.
Feel free to tweet about this hubpage and commenting so others may be helped by this information.
Feel free to tweet about this hubpage and commenting so others may be helped by this information.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Surviving Armstrongism
Surviving Armstrongism takes time - for some a short time, for others a long time. Needless to say, lots of friendships may be broken when you leave Armstrongism, but you need to count the cost.
The psychological impact of Armstrongism is very big in the sense of people consecrating their entire lives (both timewise and moneywise) to "preaching their gospel" - but always to a limit. In numerous offshoots there is a clear distinction between ministry and lay-members. People are asked, before joining, to "prove all things", using 1. Thess 5:21. What they forget to mention is the rest of that verse.
In other words, discard all that is NOT good.
When people have then joined the "faithful flock" the attitude is "pay & pray" - leaving out the final "and by the way, shut up if and when you disagree."
Disagreement after you have joined the faithful flock is considered rebellion, instead of realizing that there might be something that was overlooked by the all-knowing and inspired ministry.
That is the very reason why some ministers still speak out against the internet. The information available contradicts THEIR claims, and therefore the easiest way to contradict what is being said is to write articles about how evil the internet is. Such has been the exhortation of both Gerald Flurry and David C Pack - one saying it in the Philadelphia Trumpet a few years ago, and the other writing it in one of his booklets.
The difficult way for such a minister would be to ANSWER the claims made. History proves them wrong, and their actions prove themselves wrong, so they need the easy strategy.
In fact, it's Mind Control 101.
Once you have people obeying the way the tail moves, you are losing faithfulness to Scripture because then man begins to follow MINISTRY over SCRIPTURE. That is a very dangerous path.
Dangerous because everyone knows the very ministry that speaks out against the internet have websites with THEIR version to attract even more people through this media...
But the best news ever is that you can truly see through these arguments once you have survived Armstrongism. That is the reason why this blog, and numerous others, will be kept alive with even more information to help those willing to open their eyes and ears. People caught up in Armstrongism NEED this type of information to help them in their process of surviving Armstrongism.
The psychological impact of Armstrongism is very big in the sense of people consecrating their entire lives (both timewise and moneywise) to "preaching their gospel" - but always to a limit. In numerous offshoots there is a clear distinction between ministry and lay-members. People are asked, before joining, to "prove all things", using 1. Thess 5:21. What they forget to mention is the rest of that verse.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
In other words, discard all that is NOT good.
When people have then joined the "faithful flock" the attitude is "pay & pray" - leaving out the final "and by the way, shut up if and when you disagree."
Disagreement after you have joined the faithful flock is considered rebellion, instead of realizing that there might be something that was overlooked by the all-knowing and inspired ministry.
That is the very reason why some ministers still speak out against the internet. The information available contradicts THEIR claims, and therefore the easiest way to contradict what is being said is to write articles about how evil the internet is. Such has been the exhortation of both Gerald Flurry and David C Pack - one saying it in the Philadelphia Trumpet a few years ago, and the other writing it in one of his booklets.
The difficult way for such a minister would be to ANSWER the claims made. History proves them wrong, and their actions prove themselves wrong, so they need the easy strategy.
In fact, it's Mind Control 101.
Once you have people obeying the way the tail moves, you are losing faithfulness to Scripture because then man begins to follow MINISTRY over SCRIPTURE. That is a very dangerous path.
Dangerous because everyone knows the very ministry that speaks out against the internet have websites with THEIR version to attract even more people through this media...
But the best news ever is that you can truly see through these arguments once you have survived Armstrongism. That is the reason why this blog, and numerous others, will be kept alive with even more information to help those willing to open their eyes and ears. People caught up in Armstrongism NEED this type of information to help them in their process of surviving Armstrongism.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
David C Pack - Few Followers Indeed
It is somewhat ironic to watch David C Pack on Twitter. This minister believes himself to be a godsend to mankind, yet only 73 people are willing to read his tweets. People who have read this blog regularly will no doubt have checked up on his attitude towards the internet.
He deeply hates freedom of speech - especially when anyone dares challenge his veteran opinions. It is highly offensive, according to "Should Accusers Be Answered", that anyone would question him. He really feels inspired to a level that anything which contradicts him must be rebellion towards God.
When heading a group he claims is growing, the numbers speak clearly about how inflated his ego must be. I warmly recommend checking up on him before you ever get involved with his group, the Restored Church of God.
He deeply hates freedom of speech - especially when anyone dares challenge his veteran opinions. It is highly offensive, according to "Should Accusers Be Answered", that anyone would question him. He really feels inspired to a level that anything which contradicts him must be rebellion towards God.
When heading a group he claims is growing, the numbers speak clearly about how inflated his ego must be. I warmly recommend checking up on him before you ever get involved with his group, the Restored Church of God.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Prophecy Speculations - 101
When Ronald D Kelly gave the sermon "Fun With Prophecy" it caused quite a stir in WCG circles. Even in splinters this sermon was mentioned, and in many ways the irony of its withdrawal is even more hard-hitting for thus still caught up in the mind-control of Armstrongism. The founder, Herbert W Armstrong, died EXACTLY a quarter of a century ago - and his writings are srill considered with the same reverence as we see among Seventh Day Adventists towards Ellen G White.
When Ron focused on airports named Dillon, 19 year time cycles, the number 666 (which should have been 616) and many other theoretic coincidences, he hit one important nail of Armstrongism spot on. It was indeed all pure speculation based in part, as any fallacy must to ensure it is at least a small bit credible, on some well-known elements of scripture. The dangerous part of Armstrongism is the cultic element of isolating people in a "us vs them" mindset, coupled with the idea that whatever others write is just a deceived viewpoint supposed to somehow trick people away from "revealed truth"
Once that type of reasoning is accepted you can convince people of anything - as we have seen ever since the Radio Church of God was established.
The even more dangerous part is when you still see people so taken in about the doctrines of Armstrongism that they will abandon all reasonable thought processes just to be in the group of "wise faithfuls"
It has been some turbulent events taking place through the years, but I am sure we will see as many strange events taking place during the next decades as new speculations come about wuth each their own cobspiracy twist about how evil so and so us. What a strange mindset indeed...
When Ron focused on airports named Dillon, 19 year time cycles, the number 666 (which should have been 616) and many other theoretic coincidences, he hit one important nail of Armstrongism spot on. It was indeed all pure speculation based in part, as any fallacy must to ensure it is at least a small bit credible, on some well-known elements of scripture. The dangerous part of Armstrongism is the cultic element of isolating people in a "us vs them" mindset, coupled with the idea that whatever others write is just a deceived viewpoint supposed to somehow trick people away from "revealed truth"
Once that type of reasoning is accepted you can convince people of anything - as we have seen ever since the Radio Church of God was established.
The even more dangerous part is when you still see people so taken in about the doctrines of Armstrongism that they will abandon all reasonable thought processes just to be in the group of "wise faithfuls"
It has been some turbulent events taking place through the years, but I am sure we will see as many strange events taking place during the next decades as new speculations come about wuth each their own cobspiracy twist about how evil so and so us. What a strange mindset indeed...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Yet Another "End-Time" Expert
The year 2011 has hardly begun, but already Harold Camping, a former minisrer in the WCG, has announced the end to arrive on May 21st 2011. He has determined this after careful Bible study...
May will come, and so will June.
You can read about it here: http://bit.ly/dN1Ott.
It is important to understand the Bible in its right context, and that element in Bible study has been sorely missing in the world of Armstrongism.
May will come, and so will June.
You can read about it here: http://bit.ly/dN1Ott.
It is important to understand the Bible in its right context, and that element in Bible study has been sorely missing in the world of Armstrongism.
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