Fourth Reich Ramblings From Gerald Flurry

In the November/December 2011 issue of the Flurry magazine (The Philadelphia Trumpet) there are two things that immediately caught the eye.

First, the Personal talking about the rise of Germany. Lo and behold, just because Herbie could guess right for once, it is now made out to be "the big authority". Flurry wants to know how he could know this, and how the Armstrongite movement could be so "right"?

Well, Flurry is asking questions upside down, which is often done to create the right mind control environment, because he should have investigated 1972 in Prophecy before asking such a question.

The fact remains that Scripture is VERY CLEAR about how we should consider false prophets. When predictions flied from pulpits all over the globe announcing 1972 and 1975 noone saw apologies from ministers who were in empire costumes... :-)

Just because Flurry could find two sensationalist journalists who could be quoted to indicate something circular to fit the square holes (when manipulated extensively) doesn't make it truth.

But, of course, for the faithfuls all that is said from Oklahoma must be true when Flurry says it... ;-)

Another important thing to watch is the claim for mental sanity by reading the article in the magazine. Sounds much like practicing without a license... Buyers beware, if mental stability lies in beating kids with paddles, belts etc, I think you know the rest...

Wondering what foolish things will come as the January 2012 issue arrives, because Gerald Flurry will without a doubt have some specific interpretation of Herbie being dead for 26 years on January 16th... Those who follow your BS (pardon my French) sure wallow in some crazy ramblings.

Condolences - Passing Away of Sydney Hull

Long time church members will probably already have heard this, but I was equally surprised to read on the Living Armstrongism blog of the passing away of Sydney Hull on March 13^th 2011. He had served as Regional Director of South Africa in the Living Church of God run by Roderick C Meredith, a.k.a. Spanky.

Although we strongly disagree with ministers of Armstrongism, it is no doubt a very sad time for his wife, Dot Hull, who lost her husband - and I do send my sincere condolences on her loss.

Harold Camping Now Says October 21st 2011

Harold Camping remains vigilant with new explanations, and now says October 21^st 2011 IS the final date. When May 21^st came and went, he now invented a new explanation: http://www.familyradio.com/x/whathappened.html...

One will have to wonder what this guy is going to say on October 22^nd 2011.

Will be fun to see. This guy hopes to have nine lives, apparently, and makes quite a mockery of religion with his date-setting.

Mind-Control From Leadership

Mind-control from leadership in offshoots of the WCG apparently goes far beyond the time when you are a member in such a cult. When you look at the article "Who's Behind the Burkas?", you will find indications about virtual fatwas going out from ministers in an attempt to silence criticism.

Pure presumption about what God would do to critics.

It never occurs to such minion ministers that they may be doing the work of Satan - in confusing people - and that it is actually in everyone's best interest to expose this type of work.

Without ever presuming a Godsent in this - I would like to add.

Nothing sickens me as much as people needing alibis for what they do. Stand up for your opinions, and don't start calling it a "mission" of anything!

It is an after-effect of the mind-control in cults that people NEED some kind of acceptance before they have the guts to expose the bad things they experienced - and that should be shared among ALL offshoot information agents.

The reason for being online should be to share information that can help others come out of CONFUSION. Not just to bring them into another confused mindset.

So if those who expose this type of information want to be succesful it's time to work fully together, sharing links with one another so that ANYONE interested in coming out of Armstrongism has a chance to get the information they need.

As a consequence of this, the month of August is a month where I will be adding links to sites that are ACTIVE, and BENEFICIAL in sharing with one another. Let blooming plants get more fertilizer, and let those who don't focus on these people caught up in any of the cults of Armstrongism wither.

We NEED to cooperate to be more effective.

Getting Rid of Armstrongism Mind-Control

Getting rid of Armstrongism mind-control is a long, and for many slow process. The indoctrination of age-old notes is something you need to get rid of, and teaching an old dog new tricks is difficult. Herbie was right about one thing: it's difficult to unlearn what you have already learned - and this was used very effectively in the repetition for emphasis concept that went through the entire organization, and still does in numerous offshoots today.

Getting rid of Armstrongism is instrumental in allowing you to see what is ACTUALLY written in the Bible. You will find that when you read entire chapters in the proper context that many of the scriptures used to say one thing while within Armstrongism, but a whole new thing once you read what God originally intended to be written.

Have you got rid of old traces of Armstrongism mind-control? Please share your thoughts for others to learn also. Thanks beforehand

Spanky Is At It Again...

Spanky is at it again, this time in his june member letter to the faithfuls. He now emphasises a couple that were spared from a hurricane. Normal thinking people would call it pure coincidence, remembering Ecclesiastes 9:11 which says the following:

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

The strange part, for those unfamiliar with Armstrongism at its core, is that people were for a long time encouraged to trust in the Lord rather than spend any money on insurances. Naturally, the ministry didn't take quite the same chances - as was documented for many years in the Ambassador Report written by John Trechak.

When people who WERE members were hit by disaster, the Ecclesiastes scripture was used to avoid answering why people were not spared. But if they ever dared ask questions about why it was more important to tithe (to the organization, then the WCG) than to show wise stewardship, they were declared "rebellious"...

So even though it is always good to see people being lucky, it can't be proved to be anything but pure coincidence. Even when Roderick Meredith wants to avoid the historic implications of his wonder story.

Have a nice weekend everyone. :-)

The Various Perspectives on Bible Translations

When it comes to Bible translations there are various perspectives. Some treat it almost as doctrine that you should use either the King James Version from the 16^th century, or the New King James version published in 1982 by Nelson Publishers. In the WCG there was a translation calling for the Moffatt translation. It was used by founder, Herbert Armstrong, and therefore considered almost anathema to call it just a paraphrase.

Nonetheless, and this will come as a shock to some Armstrongites, the Moffatt translation WAS a paraphrase - just as is the New International Version or the Good News Bible traditionally distributed by bible companies all over the globe.

What translation should you use today?

Use the one you feel is easiest to read, and use a concordance for deeper studies along with reference works, a Bible dictionary etc. Don't let others decide what you like best. Studying the Word of God should be pleasurable and easy to read - not a question of what level of reader you are.

So start thinking for yourself, and make your own choices. Choosing YOUR preferred translation is the first step in that positive direction. :-)

God Is Not Mocked!

God is not mocked. False prediction forecaster, Harold Camping, apparently suffered a stroke on June 9^th 2011. Here's the announcement from their website:

Harold Camping, the president and general manager of Family Radio, suffered a mild stroke on the evening of June 9, 2011. Mr. Camping is receiving excellent care, and the doctors treating him are encouraged with the progress that he is making. Mr. Camping's family appreciates everyone's thoughts and prayers. Any additional information will be updated on this site [...]

Interesting indeed, and we should be careful in ever presuming what we think, feel or believe IS inspired. If Harold Camping had followed that principle he wouldn't have declared May 21^st 2011 as the beginning of the end. It wasn't, as everyone outside the group could see...

United Church of God - Hoping for Christ

The United Church of God has created an article entitled "Seven Prophecies That Must Be Fulfilled Before Jesus Christ's Return".

Notice the cautious way in which they answer the question of whether that return draws near:

Will this generation see God's Kingdom established on earth?
We have seen how seven biblically prophesied circumstances could not have come to pass until recent times. In fact, the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 was clearly a major turning point in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, as was the acquisition of the hydrogen bomb by the two superpowers of the 1950s that led to the period of mutually assured destruction.
All has now become possible. This, in turn, makes it much more likely that our generation will live to see Jesus Christ return and establish the Kingdom of God on earth. After all, Jesus Himself said that once these things begin, the generation alive at that time "will by no means pass away till all these things take place" (Matthew:24:34).
It's both sobering and encouraging to think that we appear to be living in the generation that will ultimately witness the most important event in the history of mankind. As Jesus Christ tells His followers in Luke:21:28, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

This is the type of double-speak you will find in Armstrongism and its offshoots. Careful examination of each of the offshoots will show that this is the type of article released for the public to APPEAR balanced, but that date-setting is still a part in individual speculation. They just won't say it aloud. Stay tuned for more on this subject.

Mind Control - Don't Get Caught

When it comes to mind control my best warning is to shout: "Don't get caught!" Religion is about one of the worst places where lots of charlatans have created religions based upon the weirdest of theological standpoints.

Over a year ago I wrote the article "How to Start Your Own Religion" because I wanted to focus on the important aspect of religion that it should unite people. The article was also supposed to provoke people into remembering that it is possible to create anything. Religious speculators have indeed done that very thing, and for those who couldn't care less about the well-being of others, it is indeed possible to sift in lots of dollars from gullible people...

A sad state of affairs.

Don't get caught up in being controlled by others. Think for yourself, and stay alert whenever someone makes crazy suggestions. That is the best defence against religious charlatans.

Have a nice weekend everyone. :-)