Hidden away in the members-only section of cogl.org is this bizarre announcement:
February 16, 2007
Press Release: LCG to open University in Fall of 2007
Charlotte, NC-The Living Church of God today announced the founding of Living University. Presiding Evangelist, Dr. Roderick Meredith envisions the University as "a means of preparing men and women for Christian leadership, service and ministry." He sees "the university functioning as an important resource to help meet the growing human resource needs of the Church as its operations expand worldwide."
Dr. Michael P. Germano, holding earned doctorates from the University of Southern California and the University of La Verne, has been named as President and Chief Executive Officer of the University. Germano served as Academic Vice President at Ambassador College in Pasadena, CA, and as Academic Dean at Ambassador University in Big Sandy, TX. Most recently Germano served as Vice President of Academic Services at
Haywood Community College in Clyde, NC.
Living University, with administrative offices located in the Living Church of God headquarters building in Charlotte, NC, plans to begin with "all the world as its campus" by offering online distance learning courses for its undergraduate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. According to Germano, "online courses enable students to
take biblically-based courses without having to relocate to Charlotte. This allows the university to serve students around the globe as they study in their own countries."
Doc Germano (pictured) has been, according to a news board posting, a member of LCG for about two months. Could he have had a Damascus Road experience? He's previously come out against the BI doctrine, arguing that the DNA trail debunks the idea. The hardline, Pack-leaning, Bryce-inclined brethren may have a problem.More importantly, why devalue the concept of higher education by launching what must surely be regarded by legitimate institutions as an unaccredited degree mill? To give UCG credit, at least they don't pretend their Ambassador Bible Center is anything other than a training school. If the word "university" means anything, a desk for Mike at cult HQ it aint!
Addendum: The text of an article on BI and DNA that appeared on Dr Germano's bibarch.com website (no longer online) has been posted on the AW Extra board.
61 comments:
Germano should be a breath of fresh air for LCG. Here's an excerpt from his article The Sinaitic Covenant and the Law of Moses: Irrelevant? Or, Do They Still Matter?
"In apostolic Christianity, Christians of Jewish or Gentile origin were free, as they remain today, to adhere to the Ten Utterances and observe various Mosaic Covenant traditions such as observing the Sabbath, celebrating the annual Sabbaths and associated festivals, abstaining from unclean meats, paying tithes, and circumcision, but they were not bound to do so."
(SOURCE: http://web.archive.org/web/20050302190114/bibarch.com/Articles/Article-The+Siniatic+Covenant.htm )
Germano's site appears to be offline at the moment, but you can explore the archived version:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050401233851/bibarch.com/
Will be interesting to see how Dr. G comes to un-understand something if he really is affiliating in some way with LCG.
Doesn't LCG stand for "Leftovers Cold & Gone"?
Gavin was this announcement soooooooo important it had to be put up twice???
LU? Perfect.
The church of gods is already like a bunch of Greek Fraternities, replete with their own version of hazing during pledge hell week.
Now we will have Lamda Chi Gamma, which is preferable to Blurry Flurry's Pi Iota Gamma or PIG for short, speaking of a drunken frat guy.
The biggest of the Greek Frat house brothers is Upsilon Chi Gamma, which continues to lose membership to the rest of the Greek system....
Isn't it funny, how accurate our sources seem to be right here on the AW blog? Seems like just a few weeks ago, someone introduced this piece of news into one of the threads. Just as quickly, someone else, claiming to be knowledgeable, shot it down.
Bottom line is that, with all due respect to Dr. Germano's credentials, the incestuous relationship within the ACOG community continues. It would have been a far better omen had RCM chosen an outsider to head up his new correspondence school. As it is, what did he get? One of the more liberal examples of an Armstrongite alumnus? Guess time will tell, but I'd have to guess that Rod knew exactly what he was doing here.
BB
Oh brother, what next?Will it never end?
the incestuous relationship within the ACOG community continues
Which confirms that the XCGs are at the shallow end of the gene pool. It's no wonder that the DNA refutes BI... BI... BI? In this context, doesn't that mean, Bible Institute?
No one has said it yet: Just what sort of education is this Living University supposed to impart?
The Armstrongist ministers completely lack the inherited talent of Structural Visualization, which means, they have no idea of how the Universe really works. They would be totally incompetent as mechanics, engineers, physicists, surgeons or almost any technical field. They only know stuff that is really "soft" and have no place in the workplace where there are critical requirements for technological skills and precision. In fact, based on their record, in such positions of responsibilities, depending upon the criticality of mission critical work, it is entirely possible that they would be responsible for deaths through their gross incompetence -- not that they aren't actually literally responsible for a bunch of deaths already, mind you.
I no more accept spiritual advice from an Armstrongist Minister than I would have them work on my auto. Either scenario is too dangerous to contemplate.
And by providing a University which has credibility in the tiny minds of Church Corporate Controllers, there is preparation afoot for the next generation of mindless drone boobs being unleashed on an unsuspecting naive world of those who need real help instead of inheriting the incompetent unqualified.
At least Germano, with real-world university administration experience, might be able bring an interesting worldview to LCG. Germano had his own entrepreneurial streak while at AC, quietly securing a law degree when those things were essentially banned. While many ex-WCGers often tend to live in the past (pre- or post-Tkach), Germano built his own network outside of AC/WCG. Online academic degrees -- with the capacity to be fully accredited -- are a major wave of the future (see the University of Phoenix's astonishing market success -- likely the first of many such global enterprises).
With regard to BB's comment about an "incestuous relationship" among COGs, I don't see that as much different from a university with tenured professors playing white-hot academic politics. Even the so-called "peer review" process is often subverted to personal agendas, and there's a reason why academic deans typically work under a finite contract. COGers, regardless of their degree of nutcasedom, don't have an exclusive lock on history concerning abuse or weirdness, sexual, financial or cognitive. What concerns me today is when COGers like Pack -- whose so-called "in-depth conversations" with HWA largely dealt with the Los Angeles Lakers and only occured because Pack's wife had the number of HWA's private line at his house (because she once worked there and Pack called when he knew HWA was eating lunch there) -- display abberations that many might conclude are a serious manifestation of mental illness. When I read rubbish where someone claims to be restoring the "truth revealed through Herbert Armstrong," I have to ask "which truth?" The "true" spirit of HWA when he rebelled against benevolent church authorities within COG7? The "true" HWA who articulately demanded a representative form of church government back in the 1930s? The "true" HWA who observed a Monday Pentecost?
Merdith's move with Germano may herald something very interesting.
Merdith's move with Germano may herald something very interesting.
And hopefully disastrous for Roderick Meredith. If truly successful, one or the other may not last long in the LCG venue, but time will tell. This seems to be like enhancing an eight track mechanism with the latest in integrated circuits.
Hey,
Is not this guy the same one who heralded Joe Tkach as the best thing since white bread? If so this is really interesting as Spanky and his gang should check better into character references.
rod 2
Gavin,
What a cool picture that cat with the philosophical fedora is!
And in that vein, I wonder if you have any view to whether or not our 18 year old cat would have an opportunity for the LCG University degree in... yes, I have to say it... esCATology?
Cheers,
Douglas
PS: If it is any help, our cat loves to keep the Sabbath! He does no work on it!
(Comment on duplicate post)
I searched for said Germano/Living University press release on the LCG member site and on the LCG public site and couldn't locate it anywhere. How about a URL?
Anonymous wrote:
I searched for said Germano/Living University press release on the LCG member site...
Don't ask me why, but it's in the "MyLCG" area which requires an account and password.
http://cogl.org/mylcg.shtml
The Bob Thiel COG News Express reports the same thing today:
http://cogwriter.com/lnews.htm
Predictably, he has known about it for some time.
lj
All:
The first Germano/Living online college course is up and loaded!
A must see...simply copy and post this link into your browser to view!...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRH0AKBZt6o
Looks up to date, modern and relevant by COG standards. I think if future courses are as engaging, I will be enrolling!
Lussenheide
If you think about it for a moment, what this all means is that Dr. Michael P. Germano has become the new Dr. C. Paul Meredith of this generation. Many will remember Rod's uncle as being the force behind the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course. He, too, had a legitimate (non-Ambassador) degree, although it was in veterinary medicine.
I certainly don't think Jerry Falwell's Liberty University will be losing students to Rod. However, most of the LCG members will probably participate. This will be used as another standard to distinguish between Philadelphians and Laodeceans.
Gammer
Michael P. Germano:
Haywood Community College Vice President for Academic Services Clyde, NC; Instructor in Anthropology (2000)
B.S. (1959), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; B.A. (1961), Ambassador University; M.A. (2000), Texas A&M University, College Station; M.S. (1966), Ed.D. (1968), University of Southern California; J.D. (1980), University of La Verne.
Germano's an attorney licensed in California who is the V.P. academic liason to keep Hayward Community College accredited with the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges. He taught archeology at Haywood.
Is Spanky going to be taking advantage of Dr. Germano, or is it going to be the other way around?
HCC Receives 1.69 Million Dollar Grant from U.S. Department of Labor
U. S. Department of Labor announced that Haywood Community College is the recipient of a Community-Based Job Training Grant. The total amount is for $1,696,974. Dr. Mike Germano, Vice President of Academic Services, led the way in writing the grant with help from Doug Staiger and his natural resources staff. Dr. Greg Rutherford also contributed by soliciting support from community partnering agencies. Out of 388 applications only 70 community colleges in 40 states received awards. HCC is the only one in North Carolina.
The targeted industry in the proposal is the NC forest industry, including forestry, forest products manufacturing, and wilderness-related tourism and recreation.
More recent pic:
http://www.haywood.edu/
index.php?opt=200
&pkey=431
This will be used as another standard to distinguish between Philadelphians and Laodeceans.
Let me guess: The Laodoceans are the ones taking the prepackaged hard line courses at LU; the Philadelphians are the ones whose wineskins are still supple enough to grow in grace and knowledge.
No?
Posted on newsgroup livingcog@yahoogroups.com:
From the May 9, 1995 Worldwide News. This was during the formation of UCG. The WN published a number of letters from various WCG ministers. The title of these letters on page 3 is "Comments praise new covenant teaching."
The following is the letter Michael Germano wrote in to the WN:
The encouraging comments from our ministry all across the nation have been inspiring to my wife, Brenda, and me. It seems that each person had his or her own personal struggle in coming to understand what God is leading us collectively to know and do as his children.
Learning is painful; there is nothing easy about it. I used to believe, and preach, that the most difficult aspect of life was child rearing. I have now changed my mind. It is being a Christian.
Thanks to Mr. Tkach's leadership and relationship with God, we have been led by the Spirit of God to come to a deeper, richer, fuller understanding of what it is to be a Christian. The understanding appears to be wholly of the Spirit. When the veil is removed, all comes into place. Spiritual renewal is being worked out in a powerful and wonderful way throughout the Church.
At Ambassador University we have some on the faculty (both lay members and ministers) who have not been able to see or accept the
New Covenant understanding. The majority of the faculty, however, have and are deeply thrilled and excited about the new understanding. Some faculty and students have decided that they will work in active opposition. This is sad, but each person has come to his or her decision.
All of our children and their mates remain loyal to God's Church and work as it is administered by Mr. Tkach. I believe that by the early summer the Ambassador University community will all be of one mind once again, and we can go forward with the wonderful work that lies ahead. It is going to be a very large and exciting work, and I hope we can all grasp the vision and significance of it.
Our prayers and thoughts are with all our brothers and sisters in Christ—the ministry and the brethren. Please pray for Ambassador University. We love all of you and we know you love us.
Michael and Brenda Germano
Ambassador University
(Worldwide News, May 9, 1995, page 3)
Perhaps no has told Rod Meredith that Dr. Germano has been invited on board :)
I knew Michael and always found him to be a very calm, pleasant and intellectually curious and self actualized person. He understood the proverb that the open minded ministry understood..."ask and you shall not have. Do not ask and all things are possible."
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Guess this goes for old ministers too.
Age has a way of playing 'tricks'
on the memory.
and so it goes.........
In his insightful article, "The Sinaitic Covenant and the Law of Moses: Irrelevant? Or, Do They Still Matter?" -- once available on his former BibArch website, Mike Germano hit the nail on the head:
"So, the mother church apostles James, Peter, and John, held as did Paul that the Mosaic Code did not apply to Christians of Gentile descent including its ceremonial demands concerning food and circumcision (Galatians 2:9-10; Acts 15:1, 15:5). Early Judeo-Christianity, seeing itself as 'a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God' (I Peter 2:9), rejected not only the Oral Torah and all Jewish halakhic customs but denied that the Church of God, as the new Israel of God, was subject in any way whatsoever to the Law of Moses. The apostles taught that:
- The first covenant, the Sinaitic one, ended in order to establish the second, the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:7, 8:8, 8:23; 9:10, 9:15; 10:9);
- Written Torah is no longer binding as a legal code (Galatians 3:23-25; 4:24-31) but the Hebrew Scriptures, inspired by God, are profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16);
- Oral Torah, the halakhic traditions and interpretations of the Pharisees (Matthew 15:6-9; Mark 7:5-9; Titus 1:14), and the teachings of the Essenes (Colossians 2:20-23) have no spiritual authority as they are the ideas, fables and rites of men (Mark 7:8-9, Colossians 2:8);
- The Law of Moses, the law given to Israel at Sinai including the Ten Utterances, was given to Israel by God on the basis of the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:11) but when the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, came as High Priest forever he superseded the Levitical priesthood, and with it, the law based upon it (Hebrews 7:12).
- With Jesus of Nazareth God established a new priesthood, according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:11), and the law based upon this new priesthood is the Law of Christ (I John 2:3; 3:21-24; 4:13-21).
- At the death of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, all of the children of Israel by fleshly descent, except for a remnant called to be part of the qehal'el (Church of God), the new Israel of God, became spiritual Gentiles (Romans 11:5-9, 11:17-20); and
- Any continuing relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, requires faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth and not reliance on the onetime Sinaitic Covenant mediated through Moses (Galatians 2:16; 3:11)."
And he concludes with: "In apostolic Christianity, Christians of Jewish or Gentile origin were free, as they remain today, to adhere to the Ten Utterances and observe various Mosaic Covenant traditions such as observing the Sabbath, celebrating the annual Sabbaths and associated festivals, abstaining from unclean meats, paying tithes, and circumcision, but they were not bound to do so. Observing these customs, however, does not make anyone more righteous, sanctified, or pleasing in God's sight than Sunday observing, pork-eating, Christmas observing, 7-days-a-week working Christians -- just a little bit different."
Mike never struck me as a man who abandons what he has carefully researched. It will be interesting to see how he now meshes with the Living set of beliefs, especially after reviewing the BibArch statement of beliefs, still viewable at http://web.archive.org/web/20050404215734/bibarch.com/Perspectives/doctrinal_statement.htm
Well, here goes all the xcogers getting worked into a lather over news that shouldn't mean much to them, but gives them something to ridicule over...Hey, heres a bit of news that might be more interesting to you all, "BRITTANY SPEARS SHAVES HER HEAD"!
Hey Steve,
Why don't you teach Brit how to walk backwards?
Be sure not to do this and chew gum at the same time!
I think this is just further proof that Rod really has lost his mind.
There were any number of COGgers, during the early '90s, who at first embraced "New Covenant" theology, but then for some reaon or other, either felt it had gone too far, or their old programming simply took over, and such folks returned to Armstrongist theology.
It took several years for all the dust to clear, with the current divisions and distinctions coming into play. There were even some ministers who waffled back and forth, ultimately landing in, and being re-credentialed by, one of the Armstrongist-observant groups.
That said, the only way one can really determine a high profile individual's beliefs is by listening to what he has to say right now, and today, not by reading archives. The Germano archives, quoted by the anonymous blogger above, would seem to suggest that RCM is about to take his LCG in a Tkachian New Covenant direction. I seriously doubt that this is the case. But, given the history of this movement, nearly anything is possible. Tohu and bohu come to mind.
BB
Mr. Anonymous,
Hmmm, walking backwards? Your last name wouldn't happen to be Tkach, would it? Oh I almost forgot: "Walk and chew gum", now that's some original material!
You have to admit -- a school named "Living University" sure beats the alternative. A dead one.
I think sometimes we embrace something out of habit for whatever the group we are in is doing until we figure out what we personally are doing. Transitions are not always so clear and neat. Not the most authentic of behaviors, but I am sure Michael can stand up for himself. I doubt he lives in a bubble not recalling his statements if all this really another planned change for him. A duplistic Michael Germano would be a far cry from the one I knew.
What one believed or thought or did or felt in the past are now just thought forms that are not real in the present. It's only memories between our ears.
Frankly, the matter of belief is all very confusing. I know what I don't believe but am unwilling to invest in new organizational views. My personal beliefs don't work well with organizations now anyway. You know...six times burned twelve times smart..or something like that. Earth school is hard! But plan on finishing. :)
I think this is just further proof that Rod really has lost his mind.
Roderick Meredith had a mind? Really?
And here we actually knew that Rod the seed Pod from outer space let Herbert Armstrong do all his thinking for him.
This latest about MG becoming chief poobah to the Living Dead University of Maniacs lends credence to the idea that the church of gods are actually the product of extraterrestrial aliens messing with our minds to manipulate us for a takeover, a la the X-Files. More and more the ET thing is beginning to be the only thing that makes any sense.
Watch the tabloids.
No wait. All we need to watch is "Tomorrow's World" and the other xcg yellow sheet journalism [laughingly so-called].
Talk about new wine in old wine skins -- which putting MG in charge of LU would certainly be. Of course, some have not considered the "Gun for Hire" aspect of church of gods prostitution... anyone will preach anything for a buck -- and some prominence -- something that Michael Germano simply doesn't need, so the question really is, why would he bother with a stupid crazy man who's off his nut? Takeover and transformation, perhaps?
Watch the skies.
The truth is out there.
Way, way out there.
Doug...Limit of one Red Bull a day!
http://www.triumphpro.com/time_line_of_my_life___very__newesrt.htm
Back in the Saddle
From 1967-68 until the year 1974, I served in many capacities in the Work, as we called it. I continued taking classes at Ambassador College on a graduate level, and received a “Master of Arts in Theological Journalism.” I kept taking classes until I qualified for a “Doctorate.” But as the church was seeking accreditation for the college at the time, the new administrator of the college, Michael Germano, didn’t want to give me a doctorate, since I wasn’t working as a professor in the college, so he asked me if I would settle and forego the doctorate if the Work would pick up my tab for all the classes I had taken. I agreed. I didn’t want to upset the applecart for accreditation. He told me what I already knew, that the college wasn’t really qualified to issue doctorates although some, like Herman Hoeh and Roderick Meredith, had received them in earlier years."
Dankenbring says Germano didn't think Meredith's doctorate was legitimate. To his credit, at least Germano didn't grant one to Dankenbring.
Doug...Limit of one Red Bull a day!
Except for the Passover, I haven't touched a drop of alcohol since the pre Luker Challenge in 1981 and am glad these days, I haven't because of various medical conditions including diabetes.
Dennis, never confuse acting crazy with being crazy. It will reduce the fun you can have.
Dankenbring says Germano didn't think Meredith's doctorate was legitimate. To his credit, at least Germano didn't grant one to Dankenbring.
AC should have upgraded everyone's degree to a doctorate just before it closed. It was empowered by the state to render such meaningless certificates. At least you could have used them in a pinch for toilet paper.
More interesting is the perspective that some have found that there are those who issue a certificate of Apostleship. It should be a worthy goal of all of us to go and get one so that the field is populated with thousands of legitimate [ha! ha!] apostles. This would have the benefit of reducing false prophets like Meredith to being just another mere apostle, thus diluting claims of authority.
One sent forth, indeed. Some Yahoos should only be sent forth after the mental institution has certified them stable enough to be released back into society to the extent that they are no longer a danger to themselves or others.
"Dennis, never confuse acting crazy with being crazy. It will reduce the fun you can have."
Exactly, if I went by that, they would have hauled me off long ago!
Red Bull is caffeine not alcohol..!
ed Bull is caffeine not alcohol..!
I admit it -- I was wrong -- and not a first, either. But then, since I never drink Red Bull either....
The advantage of caffeine for men, as I understand it, is that if you consume enough of it, it will stimulate hair growth! 'Course, it may create other difficulties, as has already been pointed out. And maybe the cultmeisters have consumed entirely too much Red Bull. Or maybe just Bull. They are certainly generating quite a lot of it. To our benefit though, it makes our discussions much more fertile.
Hoeh's and Meredith's thesis's for their Doctorate's were for "Compendium of World History Part 2" and "Plain Truth about the Protestant Reformation" , if memory serves me correctly. Now if anyone reads them, you can see why they could just use those Diplomas for T.P.
Rod 2
Now if anyone reads them, you can see why they could just use those Diplomas for T.P.
I can see that I am wrong again. These men don't need Diplomas for T.P. They can use their theses. There's quite a lot more and it would last much longer, although, it is clear, they should have used the thesis before they submitted it for their doctorate, particularly "Compendium of World History Part 2" and "Plain Truth about the Protestant Reformation". Read the first. Skipped the second.
In 1985 I had the opportunity to read a number of thesis right there in the AC library. The most interesting to me was the thesis of Dennis Luker for his Master's concerning Church Administration. It was an amazing work and certainly gave insight into personalities and inner workings of the ministry in the field. For reasons I won't go into here at this time, I find the memories of it strong and vivid. Dr. C. Paul Meredith's "Satan's Great Deception", not so much.
Becker I think you are on to something with.........
"....the idea that the church of gods are actually the product of extraterrestrial aliens messing with our minds to manipulate us for a takeover, a la the X-Files........
Watch the skies.
The truth is out there.
Way, way out there."
Many of the ministers I knew talked a lot about Star Trek and Star Wars.
Maybe they were homesick??
I read Luker's thesis and many of the others in the college library. I used to go up on my vacations and read all of the secular COG writings that the library had. I actually have read every publication every published historically by the Radio/WCG including every booklet, PT, member letter etc.
I did this so as to really understand the evolution of thought and doctrine of the WCG.
Luker's thesis about pastoral administration was peppered liberally throughout with warnings about encountering individuals that had demons or demonic influence. This was often listed as the number one warning to ministers in the field.
Years later, when I personally asked Luker about this, he acted somewhat embarrassed about these sections , and said "I was a lot younger then and I have learned things".
lusssenheide
Years later, when I personally asked Luker about this, he acted somewhat embarrassed about these sections , and said "I was a lot younger then and I have learned things".
Yes, that the demons are real and that they take over ministers? Especially easily influenced, the ones who write theses?
Dennis Luker's advice for preparing for the Sabbath by making certain the fleet auto was washed and looking spiffy is interesting, particularly since he has inherited a Regional Pastorship where doing so is irrelevant because of all the rain.
The part about liking Star Wars is easily expainable: Many of the ministers suffer from terrible bouts of depression and positive fantasies help alleviate the symptoms temporarily, much like Saul being relieved with music. It should be pointed out that this is at best a temporary solution to a deeper problem which requires the intervention of mental health professionals, we think: It could be demons. To the credit of some of the ministers, a few actually have had mental health professionals who are church members help them, which may explain the frequent travels to such places as Oregon and Alaska. One should consider carefully if one really wants to engage such men as spiritual advisers.
Way, way, way out there.
Here's Germano's resume, online:
http://www.ourfamilyties.net/History/MPG-RES.pdf
Here's some personal biographical color from his family site:
http://www.ourfamilyties.net/Genealogy/Germano/Germano-Michael-P.htm
http://www.ourfamilyties.net/Genealogy/Germano/Germano-Michael&Brenda.htm
Here's a newspaper article from 2000, on his site, in which he says he belongs to an "Evangelical" church:
http://www.ourfamilyties.net/Documents/Articles/NEWS-MPG-TEC.htm
Since Dr. Germano was born in 1937, though my math skills aren't that great, it would suggest that he is nearly 70 years old. That being the case, one would assume that he would be retiring from Haywood Community College and would be free to follow his own interests, if he has not done so already.
To pursue a "career" at LCG for setting up a University is a curious one at his age -- rivaling the age of Roderick Meredith himself. It might make sense as a hobby, and something to do, but it makes no logical sense otherwise, in the absence of any other information relevant to such a life decision.
By the way, the pictures of the Young Mickey mention the GOP, as in "'VOTE STRAIGHT GOP,' SAYS MICKEY". The only other requirement is that he be a dog owner.
http://philadelphiaremnant.com/
http://philadelphiaremnant.com/
As Charlie Brown says in Peanuts, "Good Grief!". Yet another offering from the crazy church of gods! This time from Don Billingsley, the man who drove the death vehicle for Richard David Armstrong. Unfortunately, he has not asked the question, "Do we really need yet another nutty sect of a crazy religion -- especially one founded by me?". He offers the "Philadelphia Remnant Magazine" of which he says, "This New Magazine is intended to be a combined version of both the original Plain Truth and Good News Magazines as we formerly knew them."
Based on his having combined the worst of the old Good News Magazine and the Plain Truth for no overtly good reason, and given the fact that United actually produces the Good News Magazine which you can't actually tell from the version of 25 years ago, I hereby dub Billingsley unnecessary venture into the Church Corporate publishing venue as "The Philadelphian Redundant Magazine".
This is utterly stupid.
But wait, there's more: "Beginning this past Passover season through a series of miracles, Jesus Christ paved the way for all of the recorded works of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong to be RESTORED to our mother website www.cog-ff.com." More wasted effort. It isn't so much a miracle as just blind happenstance accompanied by supreme effort and lots of money. There are undoubtedly many different interpretation of the "-ff" part of the website, many of which are not acceptable to communicate in this blog, even if it is considered "an adult" website, although "False Faith" springs to mind. Note that there is a booklet, "Who or What is the Prophetic Beast" by Herbert Armstrong, which could all sort of be combined into: "Who or What is the Prophetic Beast: Herbert Armstrong" given his penchant for delivering less than viable pulpit prophecies. Maybe the best consideration is, "What will you be doing in the next life?": Whatever it is, it won't be this. "True Womanhood -- Is it a lost cause?" written by a man, no less. Better title: "True Sanity -- Is it a Lost Cause?". The answer is, of course, dependent upon whether you are sucked in by the folie a deux of the church of gods. Give it awhile. The DSM IV assures us that we will recover. But not if you go back to the cause of the psychosis.
I'd say, "get a life", but what with it being so late in the game of Billingsley's fading twilight years, I'd conclude that it is a useless endeavor to suggest it: It won't be long now -- he'll be dead and his little mini mart work will close with the windows boarded up and graffiti on the sides.
Will Rod's university get the brush-off from orthodox academia?
And will he be swept under the carpet?
jorgheinz
Oops, sorry, wrong again, this time about folie à deux:
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3352.htm
Apparently, the idea that it will subside by separation from the primary inducer of the psychosis is not correct:
"Separation by itself is insufficient. Effective treatment of the secondary requires neuroleptics and separation from the primary." Specifically:
"The new standard of treatment for shared psychotic disorders includes the use of 3 agents. The atypical newer neuroleptics are the accepted mode of treatment for the spectrum of these disorders. Newer-generation anticonvulsants are also highly effective. Olanzapine/fluoxetine (Symbyax), aripiprazole (Abilify), and quetiapine (Seroquel) are extremely effective in these cases."
Technically, the induced psychosis of the nutty beliefs of the church of gods can be considered folie à plusieurs -- the madness of many or, as in the case of the continuing belief that failed prophecies such as 1975 in Prophecy will come to pass when it is clear that they won't, mass hysteria.
It is exceptionally bad news that the induced psychosis won't go away on its own merely by leaving the source of the delusions, which, if you think about it, certainly explains about blogs on the topic. It is not clear just what additional medical treatments are really needed in this case, but certainly whatever they may be, won't be particularly convenient for purpose of recovery.
University
means an institution of higher learning with teaching and research facilities consisting of at least one graduate school and professional schools that award master’s degrees and doctoral degrees as well as an undergraduate division that awards bachelor’s degrees.
LCG 's online 'university'
seems much ado about nothing.
and so it goes...........
"And will he be swept under the carpet?"
On would have to actually be visible on the floor to be swept under the carpet... I suspect the need to draw or keep more young people is a motive for this online need to "teach" the why's and wherefores of the Bible to others. Charlotte must have a thousand small church related "Bible Schools" based on this concept.
I make a complete sweep around the Bob Jones campus on my morning walk I feel like I'm on the AC grounds. Perfectly polite kids doing all the right things and listening to their teachers tell them how it all is. Of course, it is a set up for a mid life crisis of faith and perspective. AC was never as strict or compliance demanding as Bob Jones still is. But is is very familiar in the feel of it all.
When I left AC, just as these kids leave BJ, I knew where everything was in the Bible, who said what, who was who and how to find anything. I was a great Bible reader. That's what AC was all about and BJ is about. If you can read it, you can know it. Sorry to say, that is far from the truth,but that's what onine and on campus Bible schools do best. They teach you what's in the book. The rest, as you grow up, you learn is a crap shoot of meanings, counter meanings, arguments, apologetics, personalities and church politics.
WCG was not unique in what it did and the personalities that did it. It goes on at thousands of churhes every day and scores of Bible schools. That is a very oft told tale in fundamentalist, evangelical, prophecy and God haunted literalism of Bible readers gone amuck.
I found it all best summed up when I asked a BJU kid about what they taught about human origins and the findings of science. Of course it was all the Geneisis story literally true and a 6-10,ooo year old earth depending. I brought up a few examples of archaeological finds etc and the final answer was, "I just believe what they tell me." Whew...but not uncommon until they grow down the road, if they ever do. Those that don't become Republicans.
Nothing new under the sun again I suppose.
The BJU kid who said, I just believe what they tell me."
That pretty much sums up everyone I have encountered in WCG, LCG and UCG.
Steve K
It's all about power, prestige and privilege.
We all need to know our place: As doormats for those who have achieved prominence -- we are all serfs destined to be on the bottom rungs, providing the resources for the royals.
It's all about power, prestige and privilege.
We all need to know our place: As doormats for those who have achieved prominence -- we are all serfs destined to be on the bottom rungs, providing the resources for the royals.
The only prominence achieved was being big ducks in a teeny-tiny pond.
Legends in their own mind.
and so it goes......quack, quack
Gavin, that must be one smart kitty!
We are cat lovers, and thanks to modern medicine our 18 year old kitty is doing pretty well.
I have yet to ask her what she thinks about Herbert's teachings or the Bible in general, but she has taught us alot, here.
For all I know, YHVH sent her to us. And BTW, if she's then considered a minister, she came before that gal in the WCG.
Aw, heck, not that there should be any kind of competition going on.
Love,
Mel & Brianna
Yeah, I wondered how Gavin got his cat to tolerate a cap! My cat would shake the dratted thing off immediately, and look indignantly at me for attempting to get him to pose for a picture in the first place. At least that's what he did with one of my bandannas!
Now, a dog, the officially approved pet for Armstrongites, would probably comply without a whimper, and even lick your hand while you were positioning him.
BB
Well HWA college has the Young Ambassadors, so that leaves LU with
Big Beak for the feast film
Might be a copyright problem because Big Beak wears "Ronald McDonald" socks....
I found that actually Brigham Young University is the home of the original(?) Young Ambassadors, another LDS influence on HWA.
Now that L. McCulluough and C. Kilouh were seen looking at land in Dallas to buy for a new headquarters and college for the United Church, their members in Texas will likely be excited to have the United HQ in their state.
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