Apologizing Is Not Enough
By Ed Sr.Ed,I read your correspondence with my buddy Bob E. concerning the loss of Rodney Lain. You mentioned the Catholic church and its puny apology for the actions of some of its priests.You know, I have to agree -- that apology was pretty pathetic, but at least they did apologize. That's 100% more than we ever got, isn't it! They told us the Catholic church was Satan's church. So -- I guess even Satan's church is morally superior to Joseph fucking Tkach, wouldn't you say?John BREPLY:
John,
I have to disagree. The Worldwide Church of God has done a very mild apology in the past. It was published in the WWN: http://www.w cg.org/lit/AboutUs/media/forgive.htm
My whole point is that Apologizing is not enough. There has to be a demonstration of repentance and there has to be a sincere attempt at making whole that which was damaged. ESPECIALLY FOR A CHURCH PURPORTING TO REPRESENT JESUS. How absolutely disorienting can you get?
I also found this article: http://www. wcg.org/lit/AboutUs/history.htm
"As the Worldwide Church of God criticized traditional Christianity, it also attracted criticism. Many people considered Herbert Armstrong to be the leader of a heretical cult. Today, the leaders of the Worldwide Church of God reject Armstrong's doctrinal errors, but we do not hide our past. Rather, we acknowledge that our errors were deep and serious, but that Christ has rescued us from them."
So, Christ has rescued the church but not the victims of the church. The victims of their organization can just go to hell. Real Christianity at work there.
"Armstrong was eager to obey God, and he saw in Scripture that God commanded his people to keep the seventh day as a Sabbath."
How can they possibly say that with a straight face? I have a letter from Jr. where he tells me that he was widely known as "the bearded Armstrong basher." I guess the bashing has to end when there is money involved.
"We have much to apologize for. We are profoundly sorry that we persecuted Christians and created dissention and disunity in the body of Christ. We seek forgiveness and reconciliation. "
Apologizing is not enough. You can't just apologize and move on. You have to be responsible. You have to clean up your mess. If your dog takes a crap on someone's lawn, do you just apologize and keep walking, telling the owner that Jesus has saved you? Don't you think you have a responsibility to pick up YOUR dog crap?
This "church of Jesus" took their dog crap, smeared it all over us, stuffed it down our throats, killed many people, ruined countless lives, caused many suicides, stole our money, all under threat of eternal death and banishment from the presence of god and then they want to just keep walking away from the bad memories claiming that Jesus gives them a free pass out of any responsibility. I think they ought to clean up THEIR MESS. I think their Jesus would think the same thing. Why am I the only one that is asking: "What would Jesus do?"
"He has bought and paid for this church. It belongs to him, and we have told him that he can have it!"
I'm sorry but the members bought and paid for that church. So Tkach says a fictional character owns the church, but who signs the checks? Who gets the big salaries? Who controls the people?
"Due to our shared experiences, we have things we need to learn as a group, and we will not learn these things as well if we disband. We also hope that our shared experiences also give us something to teach."
How about teaching what Jesus would teach? Does Jesus think that ruining people's lives and then not doing all you can to help make them whole again is the "Christian" way of doing things?
"Of course, the story is not yet over. Jesus is not done with us yet."
In that case they should be very fearful, if they really believed in a god. But these men do not worship the same god as their members; they worship MONEY and POWER. They are not any more afraid of this Jesus character than you or I. They know that this religion business is all just a scam, just like we know it.
"And in 1997, the church was accepted as a member of the National Association of Evangelicals."
Easy for them to accept the church, they were never harmed by it. Just goes to show the utter hypocrisy of this association when they can overlook all the damage that was done by a "church of Jesus" and only look at if they are technically teaching what the Evangelicals believe. They obviously have very low standards, lower than any NON-Christians that I know.
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