To Be Fore-Warned Is
To Be Fore-Armed

By Alex

 From their own little corners of this big, wide, wonderful world, the Worldwide Cult of God and its dysfunctional off-shoot family of pipsqueak church cults, like the mouse that roared, continue to blare and declare their own particular versions of "God's Truth", fashioned after the pervert's peculiar agenda.

 They still vigorously shake the money tree whose foliage is bare, (Herbie beat them to it), and whose sap is down. Not despairing, they are continuously pursuing more saps to scam by their religious dogmas and their particular interpretations of biblical scriptures, promising a Utopian Eden to those who are "called" by "God's Truth."

 Now, the UCG is resorting to the same old tactics. Through Scott Ashley, they are offering a Bible Study Course. I have acquired a copy of the Lesson #1 booklet from a private source to confirm my suspicion. Yep. Armstrongism, from the layout to the contents. A warmed over version of the old Worldwide Church of God Bible course. In slick form, the entire front cover is a photo display of an open Bible with the large letter heading; Why the Bible is the Word of God.

 Here is a smattering of the contents:

 "The Bible reveals great truths that, when comprehended, can transform your life in ways you've never imagined." (Yea, Scott, Herbie's version of those "great truths" sure as hell transformed mine for the worse).

 "We live in an age of constant crisis! The Middle East threatens to explode at almost any time.--U.S.S.R.'s nuclear weapons still exist---terrorists groups threaten the stability of many nations--blah, blah, blah, population out of control, pollution and other problems threaten to strangle the whole earth, blah, blah, blah--." (But, TA DAH! Here comes the white knight galloping on the white horse to the rescue! The Good ole UCG!) Read on-

 "It is in just such a threatened, confused and crisis charged age that a centuries-old organism--the Church--is called upon to do its work. Deeply sensitive to its duties and responsibilities in spreading and teaching the true gospel message (Matthew 24:14:28:18-20), the United Church of God, an International Association, offers this Bible-study course--filling an important need in today's troubled world.----(Here's the clincher):

 For many millions, God's Word is unexplored and uncharted territory. ----It contains the good news of the coming Kingdom of God--showing how God will solve the many problems of a world edging ever closer to catastrophe." Question, Scott. Will He do it the same piss poor way He did it in your Bible?

 Scott Ashley goes on citing hoary scriptures, and the poor deluded suckers are finally hooked. The question and answer segment convinces them, that man, this church sure must be God's True Church!

 I liken these cults to chemical factories that move into environmentally clean neighborhoods. They hire the people, ruin their health, pollute their atmosphere, dump their waste, then move on to other locations. Leaving a ravaged ecology and shattered lives in their wakes. In like manner, the cults adopt the same methods in luring more to join their churches using Herbie's old formula. They "bait and switch" the gullible, hook them, rook them, scramble their brains, drain their finances and their will to live, ruin their health, ruin their families, and leave human degradation in their wake. So there's much in common between these two evils.

 As one who was hooked by that pervert's crock of crap, I couldn't stay mute. I had to cry out, even as a voice of one. "DON'T DO IT!" Don't expose yourself to that virus! For the ones who are unaware and unfamiliar with the tragedies suffered by those of us who vent our emotions, anger, bitter disappointments, and frustrations at being duped, scammed, swindled, conned, mind-controlled, and having our lives altered by an evil travesty that had the gall and gumption to call itself THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD and spew upon an unsuspecting public its version of "God's Real Truth" as tinkertoyed together by a pernicious pervert, read and pay heed to the many voices of experiences on the Painful Truth!

 It has made many of us sadder but wiser. It has directed me into alternate studies. Now that I have the freedom of thought that God granted each of us, I am reading different aspects and viewpoints of the Bible and religion in general. Books strictly forbidden by the Worldwide Church of God and frowned upon by Christianity in general. Books that make a mockery of the Bible and religion.

 To the unsuspecting, I suggest the following:

 Read more about the Bible rather than what's in it. Learn about how it was put together, and of its many, many errancies and contradictions. Study the background and origin of various religions. A good source to start out with are the books suggested on this web site. Also, C. Dennis McKinsey's "Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancies" has over 500 pages of biblical errors and contradictions that makes one wonder why in the world anyone would believe " The Bible is The Word of God" as the cults & Christianity claim?

 The idea that these piddly churches were still spreading that virus and scaring hell out of people, prompted me to send Ashley a four page document by e-mail (ScottAshley@world net.) The essence of my message contained some of my material posted on the Painful Truth. I accused him of rehashing the old Armstrong Bible Study Course and casting his net in un-fished waters. I asked him a series of direct questions pertaining to biblical errancies to which he responded by playing the artful dodger. I accused him of it, and told him the God I believed in wasn't the sadistic, baby killing, torturing, nation-slaughtering one depicted in the Bible study course his church was offering. Under the title "Why the Bible is the Word of God." I must have struck a nerve, as he blocked any further e-mail from me.

 Just by coincidence, in C. Dennis McKinsey's book, "The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancies" on page 53 is a chapter titled: "The Bible is God's Word?--Twenty four questions asked about the Bible." I intended to hit Ashley with a few of these before he blocked me. McKinsey's book makes mincemeat out of those smug so-called "authorities" of Theological Studies. I won't quote all the questions, but a few that I thought some of the P.T. viewers may want to send to Scott Ashley, since he turned me off. Below are some quotes and questions from McKinsey's book that I would dearly love Scott Ashley, all the COG's, and any Christian church to respond to:

 From page 53--"The first question addresses a dilemma that is truly one of the classics. In any debate with Christians this is one of those poignant queries that should be brought into the fray as soon as possible. It's a humdinger. During radio and television appearances I have never encountered a biblicist with a good explanation. One can easily understand why: there is none. Briefly stated, the problem is this: If you must accept Jesus as your savior in order to be saved, and that's the essence of John 14:6, which says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the father but by me," what do you do about the billions of beings who died as fetuses and infants, mental deficients, and people who lived in the New World before missionaries arrived? One should not lose sight of the fact that it says "no man." It doesn't say "some men," "most men," or "a few men." It says no man cometh to the father but by me." There are no exceptions, and that includes infants and fetuses. For them to accept Jesus would be impossible: so they are condemned to hell because of conditions over which they had no control. Deut. 32:4 says God is just. Where's the justice here?"

   From page 61--"God created Adam, so Adam must have been perfect. How then could Adam have sinned? Regardless of how much free will he had, if he chose to sin he was not perfect."

   From page 62--"How can Num. 23:19 which says God does not repent be reconciled with Ex. 32:14 which clearly says he does?"

   From page 63--"How can 2 Kings 8:26 say Ahaziah began to rule at age twenty-two when 2 Chron. 22:2 says he began to rule at forty-two?

   same page--"How can Ex. 33:20 which says no man can see God's face and live, be squared with Gen. 32:30, which says a man saw God's face and his life was preserved?"

   From page 65--"Did Moses really write the Pentateuch, as fundamentalists claim, or was it penned by others? In light of the fact that the burial of Moses is related in Deut. 34:5-6, one would hardly expect Moses to be the author. How many people have provided a written account of the events surrounding their own funerals?"

   On page 11, McKinsey quotes from William Arndt's book Bible Difficulties taken from page 99--"The Bible itself teaches that it is without error in every respect. When Jesus says in John 10:35 that the scriptures cannot be broken, he is ascribing perfection to our sacred book, not merely to just part of it."

   Finally, a quote that will enrage Christians and cults alike. On page 49 McKinsey says--"The nineteenth question focuses on the duplicity of Christianity's savior and exposes the deception that is inherent to his character. In Luke 12:14 Jesus took a stance not unlike that of many brave politicians by saying, "Be not afraid of them that can kill the body." In other words, display character and fortitude by having the courage and stamina to stand up for your convictions in the face of adversity. Few would deny that this is a noble tenet. Unfortunately Jesus couldn't muster enough strength on several occasions to do anything other than flee to the hinterlands. One need only read several verses to see that he not only didn't have the courage of his convictions, but on several occasions he hid, sneaked, escaped, fled, slinked around, and otherwise operated as a bowl of jelly." (Note; see John 7:1--John 8:59--John 10:39 --Matt. 12:14-16--John 11:53-54--Matt. 10:23--Mark 1:45--John 6:15)

 McKinsey states that these scriptures clearly show that Jesus often felt it was better to be a live coward than a dead hero.

 I submit this document to encourage others not to be swayed or cowed by these know-it-all pompous preachers who, through a book filled with screwy scriptures, wield the power of God over their heads. Have the courage of YOUR convictions, and the confidence to confront them with questions such as the ones presented here. Don't be intimidated by their status or sense of superiority. Keep in mind the fact that Money, with a capital M, and not God, is their ulterior motive. Face them on equal terms, with the assumption that they are blowhards who can be brought down to size with your true biblical knowledge. You will be surprised at some of their wacky responses. In responding to Scott Ashley, I quoted Ingersoll, Mann, Stanton, Jefferson, etc. He ridiculed me for quoting dead people. He was too stupid to realize that he was doing the same thing with people who died centuries before the ones I quoted were born.

 Francis Schmidt is remembered here in Ohio as one of the best football coaches Ohio State ever had. Anyone who follows football, knows of the intense rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State. Although the competition is fierce in the Big Ten, each team was more focused on the last game of the season, that pitted the two rivals together. Under coach Schmidt, Ohio State won most of the time. In 1934 Michigan played host to Ohio State at Ann Arbor for the last game. The Wolverines had two advantages: they were playing on their home turf and I believe they were favored to win.

 Just prior to the kick-off on Saturday, Schmidt had a pre-game team conference. He felt a measure of uncertainty & depression among the team mates. He mentioned the traditional rivalry, and the many times they had beaten the wolverines. He imbued them with the confidence and assurance that the Buckeyes were just as good if not better than the Wolverines. Schmidt was noted for his short fuse and salty language. He began to sense the old team spirit arousing. Finally, he exploded: "Let's get the lead out! What the hell makes them any better than us? They put their pants on one leg at time like we do. Now let's go out there and kick their asses!" (And they did! Final Score: Ohio State--34 Michigan--0)

 So that is the point I'm trying to get across. Don't be awed or scared by these preying preachers who purvey pure prophetic poppycock for their livelihoods. Shekels, not souls, are their main intent. Get them out of the God-business, and they are totally lost. If they were forced into a hard-earned living, they would perish. Unless McDonald's or Burger King took pity on them.

 So what the hell makes them any better than us? They're loaded with false religious talent yet they still put their pants on the same way we do. But when we begin to develop our own talents with true knowledge, reason, logic and common sense and apply them to questionable scriptures with which we can confidentially confront these conniving clergies, then we can intellectually kick THEIR collective asses.

God builds his temple in the heart on the ruins of churches and religions----Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Worship," The Conduct of Life 1860

 

 

If you have anything you would like to
submit to this site, or any comments,
email me at:
CLICK HERE FOR EMAIL ADDRESS.


Back to "Painful Truth" menu

 

Copyright The content of this site, including but not limited to the text and images herein and their arrangement, are copyright © 1997-2002 by The Painful Truth. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate, copy or redistribute in any form without prior written consent. Disclaimer