COG News: Emphasizing News of Interest to those Once in the Worldwide Church
of God
"For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be
recognized among you" (I Corinthians 11:19).
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02/28/06 a.m. This morning, I noticed that SCG's website contains this information regarding its history:
As the leadership of the WCG continued the apostasy, it reached the point where many ministers and members began to leave that organization and formed their own churches...
Several of these groups, along with a couple of the larger ones, claim they hold fast to all the doctrines given to the Church through Mr. Armstrong. With a little time and research, one can easily prove this not to be true.
Sadly, this also includes SCG who still relies on the Tkach list of the 18 restored truths.
Two articles of interest may be:
Its Not Stedfast and The 18 Truths: The Tkach and the HWA List.
02/27/06 p.m. The March issue of WCG Today is now out. In it, Thomas C. Hanson Sr. wrote:
PASADENA—After 25 and a half years, my employment with the WCG will come to an end in a couple of months, and I wanted to take this time to say good-bye.
I will pass on my duties to Mike Morrison, who will become WCG Today editor beginning with the April issue. I wish Mike well in his endeavors...
Unlike many others in the WCG who wear many hats, my job responsibilities have remained virtually the same over my WCG career, though in addition to editing, I write, take photos and now serve as the art director after the departure of Ron Grove, with whom I worked for most of those 25 years.
I actually started work on The Worldwide News at age 20 in 1975 as a photographer, when I was an Ambassador student in Big Sandy. All told, out of my 51 years of life, I have given 27 of those years to this publication. I write this on my final “deadline Friday.”
In the coming months we plan to load our van and head to the Southeast from California, seeking good schools for Tom Jr., and our daughter, Elizabeth, who never ceases to impress me with her love for Christ and others.
WCG's Matt Morgan announced:
The WCG welcomed more than 1,000 new believers who gave their lives to Jesus and were baptized in 2005. Twenty-two new congregations were planted in 2005, including 10 in Africa, seven in the United States, four in the Philippines and one in the United Kingdom...
In 2005, under the new financial model, funding for the operation of denominational headquarters was budgeted to come primarily from apportionment income from WCG congregations ($3.5 million), other general donations ($1.675 million), investments ($521,000) and estate donations ($350,000).
All major income categories met or exceeded expectations by year-end. Apportionment income was about even with budget expectations, general donations exceeded budget by about $200,000, and estate donations topped budget expectations by $900,000.
The expense side of the operations budget has been a major challenge. Costs associated with the delay in moving to the new headquarters facility dramatically increased expenses in the second half of 2005. Permit and construction delays made it necessary to pay rent, utilities, salaries and other expenses that were not contemplated in the 2005 budget. In addition, health care costs put pressure on the expense side of the equation.
These and other expenses made it necessary to use some reserves to complete 2005. Please pray for wisdom for church board members who are wrestling with difficult budget adjustments that must be made in 2006.
There was also this announcement:
ARVADA, Colorado—Arvada celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday Jan. 16 with an event sponsored by the Arvada Peace and Justice Commission.
Living Grace Christian Fellowship, the WCG congregation in Arvada, offered its help for the event. Curtis May, director of the Office of Reconciliation Ministries, was one of the main speakers.
Of course, the true Church of God does not celebrate birthdays. More information can be found in the article Did the Early Church Celebrate Birthdays?
LCG's Kinnear Penman provided this report concerning New Zealand:
Responses from Prime Television’s Sunday morning broadcast have started the year well. Throughout January we received an average of 119 weekly responses. Each week an average of 76 of these were first-time callers. That is a pleasing rate of 63% of callers being new responders. 2,677 items of mail were posted. Weekly services continue for folk in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch. Members meet in Tauranga once a month. I have also started a monthly meeting in Otaki to allow Wellington prospective members to meet with the steady, long-time members from Palmerston North. This seems a welcome opportunity. I made eight in-home visits to prospective members of which two were first-time visits. Two other members were visited in their homes. I am presently counselling three people and five further people have requested baptism but counselling has not commenced because of distance and pressure of work.
Kinnear Penman is currently in Papua New Guinea visiting members and prospective members there.
A reader forwarded me this information from one of PCG's official sites:
"To avoid causing confusion between itself and Imperial College London, college officials changed the school’s name in December 2005 to Herbert W. Armstrong College".
The complete article is at http://www.pfconcerts.org/docs/whatsnew.asp
On other matters, I have been out of town for a few days (my son Michael posted the updates while I was gone), and just noticed xCg's latest complaints about some of my historical information. It remains my opinion that only those not interested in the truth will listen to Jared's slant on history. Here is part of his latest:
Here’s one of Thiel’s somewhat less important mistakes. One of the idiosyncrasies of Thiel’s discussion is that he, like Herbert Armstrong before him, has bestowed an hononary doctorate on Arius of Alexandria, whom he anachronistically calls “Dr. Arius.” Arius was a schismatic Meletian priest and doktor, “teacher,” in the Church at Alexandria, but using the title “Dr.” is misleading, because no one in Arius’ day acquired advanced degrees from a university (since the Catholic Church was not to invent the unversity for many more centuries), nor do historical records back then dub him “Dr. Arius.” But Thiel is following Armstrong, who picked up this anachronism from Dugger and Dodd’s inaccurately titled History of the True Religion. Interestingly enough, Arius’ opponent, St. Athanasius, was also a “doctor,” but you don’t find Armstrongists referring to him as “Dr. Athanasius.”
Of course, he apparently does not even understand that his own church called people in the fourth century doctor. But apparently he has decided that is improper for any in the COGs. For example, here is what The Catholic Encyclopedia states about an antisemite they like:
St. John Chrysostom (Chrysostomos, "golden-mouthed" so called on account of his eloquence).
Doctor of the Church, born at Antioch, c. 347; died at Commana in Pontus, 14 September, 407.
The above proves that Jared's latest rant is clearly in error.
P.S. to Jared Olar. Yes, I could go through your rants line by line, but really there is no point. You have decided to reject that truths of God that you once embraced, and I believe this affects your research (and yes, while you say that type of thing about me, my comments are actually historically correct). Constantine, for example, was a pagan Emperor, even though you prefer to think of him as a catechumen (prospective member)--he even dressed himself up as a "gold angel" for the Council of Nicea that he convened--apparently that is acceptable for prospective Catholics.
02/26/06 a.m. Almost a decade ago, a Protestant minister named Joe Wright was asked to give an opening prayer before the Kansas legislature. He was criticized highly for it. I ran across it again and thought it may be of interest to the readers of this page. He began with:
"Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance. We know your word says, Woe to those who call evil good,' but that's exactly what we've done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
"We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word and called it moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle."
Even at that first reading in Topeka, legislators were stirring, gasping, stalking out of the chamber. "He didn't miss anyone," state Rep. Jim Long told the Kansas City Star. "He made everyone mad." Exactly right. the pastor says.
"I'm a preacher at an evangelical church," says Wright. "What else would they expect from me? I don't know if they were just looking for platitudes or a 'To whom it may concern' kind of prayer. But there are absolutes, and God has called me to preach the truth. Naturally, any time you preach absolutes, you're going to offend some people."
The prayer continues:
"We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare."
In Colorado last week, when state Rep. Mark Paschall read Wright's prayer to his colleagues, liberal Democrats called the text "racist" and "divisive," and some conservative Republicans joined the walkout. Republican Rep. Marcy Morrison called the prayer "offensive. We give a letter to all ministers reminding them before they give prayers in the House chamber that this is an ecumenical group." she said last week. "For Paschall to do this flies in the face of tradition."
This, and the rest of the article, can be found at http://home.sprynet.com/~pabco/w_prayer.htm
I believe the article is at the site of a Church of God, an International Community supporter.
02/25/06 a.m. Jan Aaron Young often runs long, detailed ads in The Journal. Here is his latest:
A man for 1st degree Mason must swear to have his tongue torn out and be cut from ear to ear if he reveals secrets. For 2nd, “ ‘your breast torn open and your heart plucked out.’ . . . Masons talk about friendship, morality and brotherly love and then swear that sort of grisly oath!” More degrees are more gruesome and more secrets given. Most of US founding fathers were Masons. Henry Coil wrote Coil’s Masonic Encyclopedia, accepted as their authoritative source. “Coil says that ‘if Freemasonry is not a religion, nothing would have to be added to make it such, and that the religious service at the funeral of a Mason is evidence enough that Freemasonry is a religion.’ Manly Hall says ‘When the Mason . . . has learned the mystery of his Craft, the seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands.’ (The
Lost Keys of Freemasonry p. 48).”
I am not quite sure that I would characterize the Masons as a religion (the one I know the best denies this). But they do have a lot of religious appearing practices.
Speaking of practices, sometimes I wonder how "Christians" can participate in practices such as Valentine's Day, etc. But it seems to me that many prefer Tradition to the Bible.
02/24/06 p.m. Here is a pdf link to the front and back pages of the latest issue of The Journal:
www.thejournal.org/issues/issue106/jf013106.pdf
It mentions PCG's anti-fellowship policy, Ron Dart's writings, Servants News, and more.
Do you know about Dr. Arius and Semi-Arianism?
Dr. Arius
Dr. Arius was a teacher from Alexandria who held to the belief that God the Father was supreme in authority to Jesus, and that the Holy Spirit was not the third member of the Godhead. However, he did hold at least one belief that binitarians did not hold--he believed that Jesus had a beginning, while binitarians do not accept that.
Regarding Arius, here is what The Catholic Encyclopedia records:
He described the Son as a second, or inferior God, standing midway between the First Cause and creatures; as Himself made out of nothing, yet as making all things else; as existing before the worlds of the ages; and as arrayed in all divine perfections except the one which was their stay and foundation. God alone was without beginning, unoriginate; the Son was originated, and once had not existed. For all that has origin must begin to be (Barry W. Transcribed by Anthony A. Killeen. Arianism. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I. Copyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).
And while true Christians will understand that Christ is God and accepts the Son being under the authority of God the Father, we do not accept that He had a beginning (see Hebrews 7:3).
Perhaps, I should add what Herbert W. Armstrong wrote about Arius:
...another controversy was raging, between a Dr. Arius, of Alexandria, a Christian leader who died A.D. 336, and other bishops, over calling God a Trinity. Dr. Arius stoutly opposed the Trinity doctrine, but introduced errors of his own (Armstrong HW. Mystery of the Ages. Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, 1985, p. 54).
Herbert Armstrong is essentially stating that Dr. Arius' understanding was imperfect--and that would be at least on the point of Jesus at one time not existing.
Many people know that there was a great debate at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. Although he did not wish to go to this meeting, Emperor Constantine summoned and forced Dr. Arius to attend the pagan Emperor's council.
According to historical accounts, the attendees at this council were split into three factions:
1) Arians - Supporters of the position of Dr. Arius, about 10% of the attendees.
2) In-Between - Those who held a position between the Arians and Trinitarians, about 75% of the attendees. Eusebius was the main spokesperson for them.
3) Trinitarians - Those who supported the views of Athanasius, about 15% of the attendees.
Anyway, although Eusebius led the biggest group, after an impassioned speech by Athanasius, Emperor Constantine arose. And since he was the Emperor (plus he was dressed as a golden "angel"), his standing was noticed by the bulk of the attendees who correctly interpreted the Emperor as now supporting Athanasius. And because of Athanasius' speech and the Emperor's approval, the bulk of the attendees decided to come up with a statement that the Arians could not support.
This solved the Emperor's concern about unity of his version of Christianity, and pretty much drove the Arians out.
Semi-Arians
The true Church of God opposed the efforts of the Roman Catholic Church at this time to become strictly trinitarian and, shortly after the Council of Nicea, most had to go into exile. Historical records at the time show that some version of binitarianism was a belief held by many professing Christians then (including many not actually in the Church of God). Some who are unitarians believe they have conflicting evidence, but part of the problem is that while it is true that Dr. Arius held a version of the unitarian position (which differs dramatically from certain current traditional unitarians), it is also true that the binitarians were considered to be 'semi-Arians' (even though there were different definitions of semi-Arians as well).
The Catholics wanted to get the semi-Arians back and that is part of why they convened the Council of Constantinople in May of 381 (First Council of Constantinople. Catholic Encyclopedia). Yet, the Council of Constantinople so offended the semi-Arians that they walked out.
Here is how one author defined those who were semi-arian:
Semi Arianism...They rejected the Arian view that Christ was created and had a different nature from God (anomoios dissimilar), but neither did they accept the Nicene Creed which stated that Christ was "of one substance (homoousios) with the Father." Semi Arians taught that Christ was similar ( homoios) to the Father, or of like substance (homoiousios), but still subordinate" (Pfandl, Gerhard. THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY AMONG ADVENTISTS. Biblical Research Institute Silver Spring, MD June 1999, http://www.macgregorministries.org/seventh_day_adventists/trinity.html, 7/12/04).
This is consistent with Jesus' statements about Himself and that He was subordinate to the Father (John 14:28; Luke 4:43) as well as Paul's statements (I Corinthians 15:27-28).
The Catholic Encyclopedia defines Semi-Arians this way, "A name frequently given to the conservative majority in the East in the fourth century...showing that the very name of father implies a son of like substance". Thus it is clear that many held the binitarian view at that time (including no doubt, many who were not true Christians).
Although Catholic writers have had many definitions of "Semi-Arians" (most of which disagree with the Church of God position), one that somewhat defines the binitarian view taken in this article would possibly be this one from Epiphanius in the mid-4th Century,
Semi-Arians...hold the truly orthodox view of the Son, that he was forever with the Father...but has been begotten without beginning and not in time...But all of these blapheme the Holy Spirit, and do not count him in the Godhead with the Father and the Son (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 1,1 and 1,3. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp.471-472).
The above description is somewhat consistent with those held by the COGs. We believe Jesus was alway God and forever with the Father, but once begotten, became the Son. By not considering that the Holy Spirit is a separate Being, some form of binitarians were called the Pneumatomachi as a subset of Semi-Arians. The Catholic historian Epiphanius described them as
A sort of monstrous, half-formed people of two natures" (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 1,1 and 1,3. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, p.471).
Hence, binitarians have long been subject to criticism by those who accepted the Nicene and later Councils.
This, and much more, information is included in the article Binitarian View: Two Beings from Before the Beginning.
Speaking of the "Councils", this is a major area where the COGs differ from the Eastern Orthodox. Whereas the Eastern Orthodox refer to themselves as the "Church of the Seven Councils", those of us in the COGs historically have had to flee for our lives because of those Councils (and in current times, faced a variety of discriminatal practices in society because of them).
02/23/06 a.m. Yesterday, Zenit.org (a pro-Vatican news source) reported the following:
The Latin liturgy celebrates today the feast of the Chair of Peter. It is a very ancient tradition, witnessed in Rome since the end of the fourth century, which renders thanksgiving to God for the mission entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his successors.
"Cathedra" literally means the established seat of the bishop, located in the mother church of a diocese, which for this reason is called "cathedral," and it is the symbol of the authority of the bishop and, in particular, of his "magisterium," that is, of the evangelical teaching that he, insofar as a successor of the apostles, is called to guard and transmit to the Christian community.
Two points. The first is that this was not celebrated until the fourth century--this is because Rome took a while to decide how come it should have been in charge. The second is that Roman scholars understand that there were no bishops of Rome before the second century and Peter was not in Rome long enough to have been its bishop--this is all documented (from Roman Catholic approved sources), in the article, What Does Rome Actually Teach About Early Church History?
CGI's website lists that it is on 3 television stations (two are nationwide, one for the US and the other for Canada), plus one radio station.
I would report more about them, but they seem not to report very much. Some information on them is included in the article Teachings of the Church of God, International.
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Volume 9, issue 30 COGwriter B. Thiel (c) 2006