Floods, droughts, famine, forest fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, tsunamis, collapse of the economy, disease epidemics and even maybe a meteor strike or two — will all be the result of the United States going gay with marriages — at least according to the Cult of Herbert Armstrong Mafia ultraconservative Bible thumping hypocrites claiming that because the United States is a lost tribe of Israel not keeping God’s Laws of the Old Testament is going to be punished for disobedience and just plain perversion. The latest ruling of the Supreme Court of the Land now makes homosexual marriages legal in all 50 states. People are lining up to get their marriage licenses. Divorce lawyers are lining up for new opportunities. And the Armstrongists are lining up to make hay while the sun shines making that giant double rainbow in the sky.
Let us be clear here: This article is not about being for or against same sex marriage — it is against the illogical, irrational, chaotic hypocrisy of the Armstrongist leaders.
So since the Armstrongist leaders claim that the Bible is the Word of God and the Foundation of all knowledge, let us first point out that no one will find the words “United States of America” or “British Commonwealth” in the Bible. We’ve debunked British Israelism once and for all and all of you out there claiming that DNA just changes arbitrarily from one haplogroup to another, let’s be clear: If that were to be, then no court could ever use DNA as evidence and while we’re about it, lets eliminate fingerprints as evidence as well. The point is that the United States is absolutely not a tribe of Israel, lost or not, and using British Israelism as the Key to Prophecy has produced some pretty terrible failed prophecies and false prophets, some of whom insult Christ by claiming the false prophecies are given “in Jesus’ name”. If we are to believe the New Testament, the Armstrongists are preaching a false gospel as well of The Corporation of God™ instead of a message of redemption through Jesus. In other words, the Armstrongists have nothing but contempt for a good and gracious Father God, dispensing of Him in favor of a harsh condemning God who is implacable, ready to mete out doom, destruction, devastation at every turn, even if you don’t know you’ve done anything wrong. In this, the Armstrongists do not want to retain God in their knowledge.
Here is what Romans 1:20-28 says:
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
If you believe in the Bible, then the Armstrongists are preaching a false Christ and insulting God by making Him in the image of a modern high-powered corporate CEO. It is an insult. They are liars, and here is what Scripture says about these liars in Revelation 22:15:
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
This is no joke, for Deuteronomy 18:20 says:
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
Just to be clear, Jesus said in Luke 12:47:
And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
So here is the picture: If Roderick Meredith, a false prophet of over 60 years, David Pack, the false prophet who prophesied death of other Armstrongist leaders and everyone flocking to him, six-pack false prophet Gerald Flurry and insane lying false prophet convicted felon Ronald Weinland do not repent, they will be beaten with whips until they are half dead and then finished off with excruciating fourth degree burns in the lake of fire — and death may not come quickly, they could be out there terrified, naked and afraid for days in terrible pain. So says your Bible!
They do not want to retain God in their knowledge and instead lust for power, prestige, money. But instead of repenting of their evil and admitting the errors of their ways, they condemn those who would seek same sex marriage. Roderick Meredith claims he’s never committed any major sin since he was baptized. How about being a false prophet? David Pack claims he’s never committed any major sin since he was baptized. How about his being a false prophet?
So Robert Thiel can declare that punishment is coming on the United States because of gay marriage? What opinion does he have of Herbert Armstrong committing incest with his own daughter for 10 years at the beginning of his ministry? Should the Armstrongist churches of God be punished for accepting him as their leader? And if there is to be justice and equity, what about Garner Ted Armstrong committing date rape with (by his own estimate) 200 women in 10 years, many of whom were coeds and went on to be minister’s wives? Shouldn’t any one of those in the administration have stood up against Herbert Armstrong and made it stick? Or at least, even if they couldn’t make changes, simply quit in protest and rely on faith to support them? Ministers advising members to drop off their disabled children in shopping malls because someone will take care of them? Really? That’s not just immoral and unethical, it’s illegal. And not a single word from any of them concerning marking one of their own, even if he has been exposed on Dr. Phil multiple times for violation of child labor laws and other offenses. Not one word?
We have those of power and influence in the Churches of God who are immoral, unethical and occasionally illegal. It would just seem that they should put their own houses in order before they take on Gay Marriage. You know, like the rampant alcoholism among them and their members. In some cases, adultery — lots of it — at the highest level. These are supposed to be spiritual leaders. I would not knowingly choose a man who committed adultery on his wife while she was dying of cancer to be my spiritual leader.
So you Armstrongist leaders out there seem to think this is all a big joke and Scripture doesn’t really apply to you. That would make you de facto atheists. You don’t believe in the Bible and the punishments of the evil such as you, you just use it as a tool to leverage yourselves into positions of power, influence and money. If we’re not mistaken, that is more the despicable spirit of Satan than it is any sort of Holy Spirit. This should certainly be an incentive for you to repent and set a good example for a change. Perhaps you can be saved.
But maybe you’re right. Maybe the Bible is useless with many forged books and myths. In that case you don’t have to worry: You will not be beaten with many stripes and you will not be thrown into the Lake of Fire. No you’ll just die. And that will be the end of you.
We can hardly wait… either way.
Bravo! Excellent article. Will the COG’s take the warning?
I doubt it. It is after all, all about the money.
James, you bring up a good point, worthy of more in-depth examination.
Studies have shown that people faced with short term satisfaction vs very long term threats will generally choose the short term. Example: Most smokers know and understand that smoking will kill them, but… they don’t see it as applying to themselves, only to others, and besides — maybe it won’t happen to me and I can beat the odds. Or if I don’t beat the odds, it won’t be so bad. A lot of smokers have lived on into their 90s. They think, “I might be — no I probably WILL be one of them,” as they reach for their lighter. Of course, they also believe that ecigs will be better for them and may switch, only to be blinded and disabled by the ruddy thing blowing up in their face.
Anyway, it does appear that it’s the same with the false prophets of the Cult of Herbert Armstrong Mafia: They can do as they please and get away with it. It’s a long way off. The feeling of power terrorizing your followers boosts the endorphins to such a level that it provides satisfaction to override any minor discomfort they may experience about a very long and far away theoretical future.
But wait!
They threaten their members with the same thing: The Lake of Fire. And it also doesn’t work in exactly the same way for the same reasons.
However!
Whether they do this consciously or not, the scoundrel cultmeisters use a different tactic: The Great Tribulation. It’s much more immediate. And they reinforce the threat by pointing to news headlines that make it seem that it is just around the corner! If you don’t comply with our mindless nonsense, you will suffer torture in the Great Tribulation (not that you aren’t suffering similar torture in your own congregation). The threat seems more real.
And the best part!
This Gay Marriage thing is both a carrot and a stick for the Proles: There’s the promise of the place of safety and the threat of the Great Tribulation, because, brethren, we know, WE KNOW, what prophecy says and the United States is going to fall soon and the end is right around the corner!!!!!
Dopamine rules their lives! Emotion trumps logic every time!
And find a way to harness it and you’ll make a mint.
I love to watch the ACOGs wrestle with their own hypocrisy, and I also feel compassion for gay people. But, I’m just not sure that this change to one of the basic fabrics of society as we have known it is necessarily a good thing. I don’t believe it is right to label homosexuality as a mental illness or to administer electroshock therapy for it (as was the general trend in the 1950s, but I’m also not completely comfortable in treating it as if it is just another form of normalcy. We’ll see in the near future if this functions as some sort of gateway, opening the floodgates to other taboos.
Short of some sort of revolution, or severe military defeat, there really is no way of reversing this. It’s pretty much a permanent fixture at this point in time.
BB
The war isn’t over yet. The State of Texas is having a meltdown over this, the Republicans want to be able to remove supreme court justices (thus invalidating the Constitution) and meanwhile the Democrats revel in their success because with all the uproar about this issue, Obamacare remains perfectly safe and energies will be directed away from the Affordable Health Plan. The fallout will continue for who knows how long, with some States waiting for the lower courts to catch up to the Supreme Court.
It also is an administrative nightmare. Clerks have to make sure they don’t use the wrong forms for application for the wedding licenses or the whole marriage is invalidated. The chaos continues with the IRS and Social Security, although most of the problems are being worked through.
It’s pandemonium out there with unbelievable inconsistencies where guys can be legally married over the weekend only to lose their jobs on Monday (not unlike the legalized pot situation).
My observation is that this particular administration seems to have been the most divisive of all in American history — and it seems that it is deliberately so.
My curiosity is piqued to discover exactly what the end game is of the suspicious point of view behind all this with the nets and snares of hidden agendas.
No matter the substance of the issues, resolving it in this particular way is such a very bad idea.
Sometimes I think that if it weren’t for anarchy, we’d have no government at all.
Can’t we all just get along?
The answer is, obviously, no. And the Armstrongist churches of God already have given us more than a taste of that.
‘My curiosity is piqued to discover exactly what the end game is of the suspicious point of view behind all this with the nets and snares of hidden agendas.’
The answer: Divide, conquer, destroy, reorganize. Obama is a commie, plain and simple. How do I know? I was one also in my 20’s.
When the man was running in 2007 I sat down to listen to what he said. He said little with many words but was consistent in his Marxist speak to let me know who he was. Most Americans have not a clue what a Marxist is but they are starting to wake up to the fact that this guy is shitting in their lunch box.
One thing that labels COGs as “Made in USA” is that nothing matters until it happens here. Britain and other Commonwealth countries, along with other “BI” nations, have not experienced the catastrophic punishment when same-sex marriage was legalized, years before the US. Similarly, some had female heads of government without the dire consequences that face us if Hillary becomes CiC.
And in my limited perusal of COG reaction to the issue, I haven’t seen the underlying legal reasons in the push for recognition of same-sex marriage.
There is also the cry of “censorship”, as it will become illegal to bash gays on the air, as it is in Canada. That has led at least one COG leader to fear that the “famine of the word” is upon us!
Hoss, there can’t be a famine of the word among Armstrongists because they never taught it in the first place.
July 4. A week after the COG barrage began over the Supreme Court decision, on how following the Constitution of a secular, democratic, republic form of government put together by Enlightenment Deists, who for expediency in the Colonial days may have been nominal Anglicans, means the government has abandoned God, the Bible, (COG interpretation of) bible prophecy… And to think that the UK, with a Head of State who is the head of the state religion made the same decision years earlier.
And there was another challenge that the Ten Commandments monument in front of a government office must be removed. Has anyone ever argued that the White House Easter Egg Hunt and the official Christmas Tree are unconstitutional?