This man is a bully and needs to be treated as such!

 

For the record, I hate bullies. All kinds. Whether they are school yard, high school, workplace, cyber (internet) and yes, I have a special place for hell for those religious bullies. There are some people who have developed physically into adulthood still have not left their need for control of others by coercion when they were kids.What is even more dangerous, that they found a religious way of doing it. I remember very well being taken to task by Gavin Rumney of Otagosh of clipping Robert Morey on this blog.   Robert Morey is a big fat kind pussycat compared to this “preacher” by the name of Nate Pfeil.  I have been trying to find out who is he is and what exactly is his theology. For some reason wikipedia or anybody elese has not provided any information about this man. At the same time this video clip and several related other clips from Mr.Pfeil have appeared on other blogs and other internet media. What is equally disturbing is that many (probably with a high concentration in the U.S. Bible Belt) think he’s a godsend. I am glad that many on The Free Believers facebook site took courage to play the role of His Majesty’s Loyal Oppositon.

This man will argue that he is not preaching salvation by works. He is only arguing that works is the evidence of salvation. No argument here. The argument begins about which approach is the best. Read the Book of James.The Apostle James is strident, stern and no-nonsense but at same time the Apostle in the genius of ways is co-equally compassionate, concerned, hopeful and importantly show the way forward of resolution. I find only condemnation, condescending crockadile tears of sorrow and no resolution of a way forward in Mr.Pfeil’s video clip—only manipulation.

Make no mistake Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:23 said a scary thing—far more scarier than a Freddy Krugger movie of olympic propotions: “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Mr.Pfeil wants to explain that reality of those he claims who thought of themselves as Christians, finding out they are in hell. I will not argue against the concept of Christians who have merely a “said faith” and those who have an “active faith”. God will sift the sheep and the goats: that’s a biblical fact. What gets me mad is when one wants to tamper the idea of the assurance of salvation, that God has promised, is by no means Khafkaesque (as some would perversely love him to be) and has NOT played games with the sincere believer. The Believer as he lives in this flesh and on this side of heaven, will make mistakes, make bad judgements and  committ sins until he sheds this flesh and is glorified by the Lord in the afterlife. To accuse him worldiness and expecting a form of “sinless perfectionism” is something I will not stand for. I had this rubbish in the historic WCG and believe you me, I will NOT stand for it elsewhere.

This man, in a tantrum like a Christian Ayatollah in an olympic-like competition to make Alice In Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts look rational and logical and to make the Radical Islamic Ayatollah Rullah Khomeni look a humane and compassionate individual, has fatwahs against swearing (but I will definately agree that a believer should revere God and His Savior’s name and to use their names a curse words is just simple and casual disrespect) and even seeing Leo DiCaprio in a love scene which can  have you as a so-called professing Christian burning in hell for trillions of years under an angry God. All in the name of holiness and purity. What about the real sins that ” so called professing” Christians committed, the rape of land and the maltreatment of it’s first inhabitants, the financial exploitation of people in the name of laissez-faire economics (God’s ONE and ONLY way of capitalism, for those who don’t get it I jest), justification of slavery and the beatings, the lynchings and rapings that followed (which continued under Jim Crow), the Southern Baptists being clingy to the KKK (which is a form of paganism), the promotion of segregation of the races,  the closet racism in some churches in the 21st century (whether black or white), the destruction of the environment (with the most silliest,utmost selfish and narcissistic excuse in human history that it doesn’t matter, God will destroy the earth anyway so what’s the use of being good stewards of the earth? Mental nonsense of the highest degree!), justifications of certain wars (not wars of necessity but of choice–bad choice to be more specific) or how about something a bit more local, the lying, the hypocrisy, the gossip, the backbiting and the judging—YES I SAID the judging whereas people seem to have a need to kick God off His Throne and categorize people whether if they are really belong to The Body of Christ just because they may believe in a Hugh Ross type Progressive Creationism/Francis Collins type Theistic Evolution as opposed to their infallible and holy understanding of 6000 year old earth traditional creationism? Or judging a believer who has seen the sickness and abuse in organized religion and does not go to church because he’s had enough of it? What about the materialistic attitudes that have effected fundamentalist and evangelical Christianity? Isn’t this worldiness? Apostle James would agree (see James 2). Isn’t God inflexible just as inflexibly just against the sins I spelled out? Or is he not? To have it both ways is manipulative to say the least. Or is it merely the sexual issues that are more greater of importance and the rest of what I said, “Who gives a crap!” If this is so, it is all about the need for control. Nothing more. Anyone who wants to childish react that I want to promote sexual libertinism has simple with their hyperactive imagination has gotten it all wrong. Also stubborn defence mechanisms like, “Not all Evangelicals are this way” or “These are only a small fraction” or “Becareful of stereotyping” is simply tactics to shut down any debate and to ignore the elephant in the room. Some use these tactics to shut down debate for the “unity of the Church” at all costs is dangerous in the long term. It is time to stand up to a bully, face him, expose him without mercy and call him a bully. Only a bully thrives on the tyranny of niceness so he can control some more. For those who want to be inspired after watching this clip of perverse joy of damnation, I urge you to read the Epistle of James online and discover the pleasurable difference and  joy that the Apostle James took. It’s nearly 2,000 years old and I believe it is still the best approach.

 

Intelligent Quote of The Day

Freedom of  speech is not freedom [from] criticism. Freedom of religion is not freedom to religiously and emotionally abuse your kids. Tolerance is not staying silent while people hurt other people. People need to be aware of what fundamentalism is all about. The more voices that criticize it rationally; the more people who speak out with the consequences fundamentalism has had on their lives, the more maybe hurt people like my parents will think twice before getting involved in it.

—The Redheaded Skeptic talking about her life long battle with Christian fundamentalism that was very costly in every sense of the word.

PREACH BROTHER, PREACH!!!

Somebody—I mean SOMEBODY—has to tell it the way it is about Pat Robertson’s approach to the Haitian earthquake. It was tough, no-nonsense, loud and clear. Yes, I believe this man goes by the name of The Amazing Atheist, if this offends some people don’t watch the following clip. If those who can see past that and at least find some common ground against religious nuttery at it’s worst by all means watch it! If this is only guy on earth who has the balls to stand up to this nonsense, so be it!

Why I support the blog, Survivor of Armstrongism

“Why do you support such vitrolic blog, Felix? This person is soo bitter, he has so much unforgiveness. The author is too angry. This person needs to let Jesus help him. Christ forgave those who hurted him on the cross, why can’t he be just as forgiving if he’s to receive God’s blessing of eternal life?”

These typically said words of course from, those who are currently in the XCG’s—or believe it or not former XCGers who just want to shut anybody up expressing their feelings about their XCG experience because they still have some kind of emotional attachment to an XCG.  They may deny it—but deep down they do.  Some of them may think they are trying to help but they are actually being condescending and trying to make themselves feel good at someone else’s expense. I have complained to Douglas Becker, a visitor on this blog here that XCG ministers are not the greatest listeners. For the members, I would say that they are “selective” listeners. Trust me, this is no improvement. in fact, I think it is worse than right out non-listening in which “selective-listeners” DELIBERATELY pick and choose what to hear and totally distort the original context of what anybody meant to say, but that is another story. What I have in common with the blog’s editor who’s pseudonym is Armstrong Survivor (he recently gave out his secret identity, go to his blog to find out) in the sense that we both grew up Worldwide. Believe you me, for those who have grown up in the Worldwide Church of God, we got stories and his story in particular will make you either be very angry and/or make you cry. To feel neither emotion, I am just going to say to you that are simply not human and probably very narcissistic. Strong words, but needed to be said. This young man growing up had to deal with many types of phobias and mental illness which the church systematically brought upon him and his parents in the process, were not making matters any better. Dealt with the sexual frustration and repression that the organization also brought upon him (and I have related to that VERY well). Dealt with loneliness, switching from job to job (and the emotional toll) dealt with those who called themselves “New Covenant Christians” and was intelligent enough to see through the clap-happy shallow PR they presented and so on.

It’s amazing that Armstrongite ministers preached of how anger is a sin. That one should be angry at a minimum and always strive to be happy. Doesn’t work that way. Life is NOT a one big Disneyworld and all must deal with a variety of emotions that are confronted with in everyday situations. Forget that silly semantical phrase “righteous indignation”. It is the same thing: anger. In Worldwide, all emotions were supressed and if any lowly member stood up for him or herself got a real good kicking between the legs. Yes, there are problems with uncontrollable anger in which somebody lashes out at somebody who is not deserving of that anger, let’s say an innocent bystander. That is wrong and is picking on somebody who can’t fight back.  In a positive sense, anger can be empowering—that we are going to decide a different course of direction, a firm unshakable resolution to make  and we are going to fight vigourously against any injustice and cruelty that was inflicted on ourselves and others. But XCG leadership HATED that! They preferred it’s members to be weak, docile and easily kicked around. They preferred members to be very dependent (and even co-dependent) and dis-empowered.

An authoritarian personality and (or) a bully likes “nice” people. Thus they inflict a tyranny. Which is called “The Tyranny of Niceness”. There is a book by that exact name by Evelyn Sommers. I  would highly recommend that you purchase it at amazon.com .  I hope to write a book review about it here. Nice people don’t make waves, they prefer security over liberty but in fact, they are repressed with contradictory feelings and emotions that they were trained NOT to do.

Armstrong Survivor is not “nice”. He is authentic. He is original. The language may offend some (but I say some people need to get pass that and see the message behind it, remember my talk about Tony Campolo?), his emotions and feelings are raw but at least he is honest. He is not going to sweeten things up. Like Buckley’s medicine, it tastes awful but it works.

I will in no way, like some other people trapped in their self-righteousness determine the spiritually destiny of Armstrong Survivor. This is strictly and uniquely the jurisdiction of God. Yeah, of course he’s angry at God (well duh! I get very angry at God myself too! Wasn’t King David angry and please do not condescend to me and say, “Felix, that was the Old Testament!”. I ask a lot of theologically incorrect “whys”) and of course he’s questioning the existence of God.  Actually we both hate the
“g”od of Armstrong, IMHO he is sure nothing like the merciful God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Armstrong Survivor is just simply on a course himself to ask many questions “why”—because he never had the opportunity to ask why before. His post WCG life,like mine is and adventure with all it’s ups and downs—event things turning sidedways but the adventure is worth it because it is to recapture one’s sanity

Those who are worried that he has influenced other blogs (this one no exception) to be a bit more edgier, I say, “Tough!”  Probably Gavin, Aggie,Seeker of Truth, Stan, James Pate, (maybe the cheeful J too),myself and others have been tired of being “nice” to everybody. That is simply not possible. I will try to treat everyone with respect and courtesy and always will –I guess the same goes for my brothers in sisters in the cause  but those who just want to be difficult for the sheer joy of it whether they are XCG or a non XCG, your free ride is over. I have been the Dick Cheney pre-9/11 in general and for those who want to play games I will be Dick Cheney POST 9/11. Go ahead trolls, laugh it off, may your arrogant laughter bite you both in the ass and the balls—excruciatingly! Like Billy Joel said,” I hate bullies.” Also I will follow his advice once in awhile, “Take no shit from anybody.” Again, those who take offence: grow up. Thank you Armstrong Survivor—you have become an emerging leader against the tyranny of niceness, you are taking away the shame and stigma of expressing one’s feelings, now matter how blunt and direct they are. You have said that the purpose of your blog was for therepeutic healing and I am hoping it has been doing that in the process. May your blog be around for sometime to come to help those young people like us who are trapped in all the XCG’s.  To paraphrase Senator Barack Obama, “Their time has come!”

For those who haven’t looked, Survivor of Armstrongism is under my links but I will give you it here.