Back in Spokesman’s Club, the Minister could spot every little flaw. What puzzled and annoyed most of us was that he let a select few get away with it.
A few weeks ago, following in the footsteps of HWA, Apostle Pack and his Council of Agreers (thanks to whoever thought of that one!) unanimously picked a momentous date that passed uneventfully. Now his apology appears, and he draws upon HWA’s explanation of why January 7 1972 didn’t result they way some people mistakenly assumed it would. Trying to be a dead ringer for his mentor, he also copies his blunders and excuses.
And of course Dr Bob jumps in with his expected Told you so! Ron Weinland is another COGlet leader who Bob would roast over incorrectly timed events. And there are others. No one can pull a prediction past the watchful eye of the Prophet of Arroyo Grande.
Except HWA. He is offered every excuse an apologist could imagine.
The way HWA got away with false prophecies is like the Spokesman’s Club member who the Minister didn’t humiliate for messing up big-time.
Perhaps by Bob’s rules, All false prophets are equal, but some are more equal than others can get away with it.
HWA: “Follow me as I follow Christ!”; “Don’t believe me; believe the Bible!”; “If you ever find me being untrue to the Word of God, then reject me as God’s Apostle!”; But…wait for it…: “Truth comes into the Church only through apostles!”; and…drumroll…: “God backs me even when I’m wrong!” The bottome line? “Prove all things” really means “You sheep are too dumb to understand any of this on your own, so just take my word for it…oh, and make checks payable to…”
So true! And HWA covered himself to get around his apparent contradiction.
I remember back about 1979 when a church member invoked the “prove all things” clause. It just so happened I recalled a WN article in which the Apostle exempted himself from any “proving”.
The “challenge” was only to the world to prove everything. After we “proved” the WCG was the “True” church, that HWA was the end-time Apostle, etc, we don’t need to “prove” any more. Once we were inside, the rules change! Trying to “prove” something was to doubt! And that was rebellion!
In his early days with CG7. HWA was so perplexed over the “True” church not accepting his “correction” to their doctrine, and adopting his teachings. How many years did it take for the WCG to change Pentecost and Divorce and Remarriage?