It's Not About Them.

Recently, Banned by HWA posted an article on the Philadelphia Church of God's ridiculous statements about the causes of the wildfires that have plagued California in recent days. In the article written by PCG, the group has said:

In his 2003 article “Is California Under a Curse?”, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry pointed out that California’s problems go much deeper than wildfires. Multiyear droughts, crippling debt and eruption of racial tensions in the early 1990s are just a few of the problems that California has struggled with. Out of all the states in the union, why is this state especially suffering so intensely?

In his article, Mr. Flurry pointed to the unfounded lawsuit that the state launched against the Worldwide Church of God and Pastor General Herbert W. Armstrong in 1979

 It's been a COG constant for everything in their view - worldwide, regional, or local - to revolve around either them, or their history. In this case, they believe that California is under a curse because of something that happened in 1979.

Do I need to point out the Berkeley Fire of 1923, which destroyed 640 structures? This was before the Armstrong movement even got going. What about the Griffith Park fire of 1933, which killed 29 to 59 firefighters? Then there was the Laguna fire in 1970 which killed eight. There was the Rattlesnake fire in 1953.

But, "They're getting worse", they might cry! Why? "Wildfires in California are growing more dangerous as people build in rural burn areas." (Wikipedia.) Population sprawl building into areas which previously were uninhabited is causing the increase in wildfires. But what is the real reason?

Diablo winds, and Santa Ana winds. Which have been occurring in California for as long as it's geography has been what it is today. Click the links for information on to how these hot and dry winds happen, and how they fuel dry timber wildfires.

As far as PCG claims go? Let's be real, as I always tend to say.

This is fear religion. These are fear tactics, by a fear-based cult. This is an attempt to provoke fear and paranoia against "attacking" the "Church of God", or, the "PCG", as they view themselves as the modern day Church of God. It is an attempt to substantiate bad things with going against their religion. It is an attempt to say "This is happening because this has happened". It is an illogical, desperate, lie-filled line of reasoning that has absolutely no bearing on reality, historically, or otherwise.

The 1979 Receivership crisis in the Worldwide Church of God has no more to do with the current wildfire situations in California then the Philadelphia Church of God has anything to do with... well, pretty much anything! Bluntly, it has NOTHING to do with it. Because as it turns out, the State of California was not needed for the implosion of the Worldwide Church of God. They took care of their own implosion all on their own, no intervention required.

To even insinuate that the problem of wildfires in California is a result of the 1979 Receivership is an insult to history, to science, to those families who are affected by the wildfires, to the victims, to property owners, and to all who have been impacted for the thousands of years before 1979's receivership on a small California church ever happened.

Let's look at the facts. This is a church (Worldwide Church of God)  that was abusing the funds and monies of it's congregations. This was a church that had been threatening their members with the Lake of Fire for not giving enough (when they were already giving 20 to 50% of their pachecks to the Church!!). This was a church caught up in immorality, vanity, conceit, infighting, scandal, intrigue, gossip, greed, power struggles, ministerial abuse, member abuse, lust, and covetousness. This was a church that had been for near 40 years been lying about world events for the love of money. This is a church that had been knowingly and intentionally lying to it's members about the return of Christ, about fleeing to Petra, about what would happen to them, in their lifetimes, to their friends, their families - about what would happen if they left the Church, about what would happen to them in the third ressurection. This was a church that used fear and negativity to beat down and shame their members in ministerial madness time after time after time. This was a church that was so worldly there was little difference between one of their top leaders and the likes of Hugh Hefner. This was a church where it's top leader had such an explosive and violent temper staffers trembled in fear when HWA got on the line, and students cowered in fear when approached by HWA. This was a church where HWA's aides constantly had to step in and intervene to save students and members from the wrath of Herbert Armstrong on a constant basis.

And yet, the PCG is saying that the current wildfires is because the State of California attacked such a holy, righteous, God-fearing, obedient, law-abiding church? What kind of world are they living in? What kind of delusions do they behold? How is it they can be so ignorant of the facts and the reality around them?

As a victim of the cult of the Worldwide Church of God, this is outrageous, and this is untrue. This is fear religion. And this is untrue. The Worldwide Church of God was not a shining light in Pasadena, being attacked for it's ever radiant righteousness in Sodom and Gomorrah. The Worldwide Church of God was part of the problem. The wildfires in California are not the result of a curse on California because of the State's pursuit of illegalities in the Church. They are a result of geography, of nature, and of timeless ecological conditions that have been happening for thousands of years - even before Christianity, and probably even during the times of Abraham, Moses, and Job.

This is not about them. This is about the victims, the people, the pain, and the suffering of those who have been severely impacted by these fires. The elderly, the handicapped, the sick, and the hapless who had nowhere to go when the fires came. The properties that were taken by the vicious infernos.

But it's about more than this.

This is about the firefighters, The public servants, the utility workers, the government workers. This is about those who have housed the homeless. Who have helped the hurting. Who have fed the hungry. Who are rebuilding for those who can't rebuild. Who are spending days and weeks helping to clean up. This is about the nurses, the doctors, the care-givers. This is about those who travel thousands of miles on their dime to help the hurting and the victims. This is about the compassionate angels of mercy who give of their time and their effort and their money to assist when needed. This is about Christianity in action. This is about basic human goodness in action. This is about compassion, and kindness, and empathy. This is about mercy. This is about caring. This is about LOVE.

It's not about a little small group in Oklahoma with a history of shunning family members of all ages who wake up to the harmful doctrines of it's leader, and it never has been. No, it's not about them, and it never will be. This is far bigger than any insignificant little church roaring like a lion with the effectiveness of a gnat.

Fear religion has no place in the hearts and minds of good hearted people. I applaud those who, with common sense, are out there, as they are able, helping, guiding, assisting, loving, caring, and comforting - in mercy, and in grace. As for those who write putrid vomit of self-absorbed cockiness and conceit and lies about disasters with no concern about the suffering of the victims?

Nothing I can write or say can express my revulsion. So, I simply pray it up to God,  and say no more about it except one thing. Wake up, sheeple who accept such Godlessness as Godly!!