Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Ingrained Negativity in the Churches of God




A comment on UCG: Even though ship is sinking we love spending money


The basic problem with the way Armstrongism works on the human mind is that it conditions people to consider all possible outcomes to variable situations, and then to focus in on the worst or most negative scenario as being the probable outcome. Under such thought patterns, even the blessings for living a Christian lifestyle can’t be enjoyed in this lifetime as an example to others, you have to wait for the next life to enjoy them. Also, don’t even expect loving encouragement if you go in to counsel with your minister, expect a serious ration of crap, instead. And especially expect the worst if you need to interface with someone from “the world”! 
When they are writing articles for their recruitment magazines, this negativity is just so ingrained, that they can’t suppress it! That is what flows outward as the takeaway. Who in their right mind would want such negativity in their homes, and in their minds? The people who don’t renew are most likely the positive thinkers who realize that mankind is capable of high level problem solving. 
One of the aspects which makes churches grow today is a positive message, a message that people can influence the surrounding community or culture towards good. The example of Lot is cited, in which God promised to spare the majority for the sake of a small number of righteous, or where Israel and Judah had punishment postponed multiple times when God saw even encouraging signs of partial obedience. You just don’t walk into an ACOG sabbath service and hear a message about winning the community for Jesus Christ. Instead, the messages are about how minorities are going to start race wars for no reason, or how the homosexuals are going to convert everyone to their “lifestyle”, and then outraged and morally superior Germans are going to need to come over here and mop everything up for God. Droughts, floods, new diseases, and demon activity. They have all manner of toys or tools to use on the unsuspecting. People just do not respond positively to such negative coercion. Nobody wants to live in circumstances of entrapment. That is not what makes the human spirit thrive!
BB 

7 comments:

Sane Con said...

Word! Byker Bob speaks the most intelligent things.

Anonymous said...

we in this country do not experience the kind of realities that people in other countries do, so we tend to a more optomistic people; once things begin to change more permanently for the worse, then we will begin to realize what most of the nations already know: that the world is a cold dark uncaring place with little value for life and liberty...

Anonymous said...

This might be an accurate description or analysis of the content of cog marketing recruiting tools. Especially the current cog's stuck in 1950's cold war marketing.

As a description of armstrongism however this piece is just a load of total crap.

-I know of no religion that requires (even poor persons) to spend 10% of their income on feast expenses for themselves. (in percentage it is the same amount)
-I know of no religion that says that not many people have been given their first chance of salvation yet, so that perhaps even Hitler or Mao might be in the resurection if taught properly during their first chance.
-The Sep camps were all about "abundant living" NOW
-The birds attached to the obelisk in front of the temple were named Aspiration.
-Millions were spend on the best of human imagination.

And I can go on and on with thousands of additions.

It's not that I do not agree with tearing apart armstrongism.
However this piece does not reflect what attracted your and your and your parents in the first place and some 400- 500.000 people over the course of its lifetime . It really was the most positive message people had heard in a hundred years.

The purpose of this posting is that I do not believe people stop smoking (because of the terrible pictures on the packages, or are prevented from using drugs by talking about all the bad effects, without the acknowledgement of the great feeling a shot of heroine gives.

Actually in this piece you are found guilty of using the same bad and outmoded "fear" marketing technique you accuse the cog's of while accurately analysing that this type of communication does not resonate to the modern reader.

nck

Anonymous said...

nck,

You wrote, "As a description of armstrongism however this piece is just a load of total crap."

The joke is sadly on you.

I've read some strange writings of yours before, but you seem to have reverted to even 'harder to decipher' prose in this latest rant of yours.

IOW, I don't know what the fuck you are talking about.

Perhaps, after some time passes, you'll be able to re-submit your ideas in a more intelligible fashion.

Love,
Ms Huggs

Byker Bob said...

Right on, Ms. Huggs. It's as if he feels a compulsion to counter, even when he has nothing of any sense to say. Sadly, I'm beginning to suspect drugs, although the poor dude doesn't seem to even know the difference between a female hero and a popular opiate.

BB

Anonymous said...

Dear Ms Huggs,

Thank you for you comments and we sincerely apologize for not following up sooner.
Unfortunately we are confronted with a sudden unexpected increase in complaints.
Our correspondence department in support of Mr Nck has prepared the following statement.

Most of nck comments are founded on the best and most up to date knowledge to be found in this planets educational institutions and experience gained in a lifetime making "a sustainable living." However to present this information here unfiltered would be "throwing pearls to swine." (Quoting both mr Nck and Matthew.)

For the odd 2 or less persons who have expressed further interest in an interpretation of mr nck musings we would like to refer them to two sources.

First the gigantic computer in Mountain View California.
Since all mr Nick writings are founded on truth and keywords a questioner could consider typing in the keywords. For instance "red heiffer - arkansas", "obelisk auditorium pasadena", "retention numbers for unpaid subscriptions" or any other subject you might be interested in through mr nck writings.

Second one could of course ask a question. Like the person on the Ronald Dart thread did. This however will proof to be the more difficult path. Since asking one simple real and honest question would require one to come down from ones pedestal of acquired beliefs and securities. We encourage you to look at how that turned out for the questioner.

You have been brave enough to openly declare to have not understood one single iota of mr nck latest entry. It is a brave thing to admit.

We therefore submit free for the asking two articles on "the negative God", to support further research into the topic at hand, if that would please you.

www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature16980.html

https://aeon.co/essays/why-god-knows-more-about-misbehaviour-than-anything-else

We sincerely hope our answer has cleared up at least some of you misgivings and set you on a path of further inquiry into the subjects in discussion that may or not may not be applicable in your life.

Be sure to contact our office if any questions remain,

Sincerely,

PCDepartment nck





Anonymous said...

The bible uses the word love 590 times, but uses the word sin about half that. These churches are overly negative. There are endless articles and sermons on the speckes in peoples eyes (the logs are not mentioned since that would include the ministers), but no mention of positives like kindness, diplomacy, self improvement, educating one self, growing as a person. This approach is lower working class trait.