Bob Thiel has a reputation for constantly correcting people on many topics. He criticizes American Football, refusing to even watch it. He condemns artistic portrayals of Europa for showing women in immodest dresses. At times he can be very inappropriate about condemning what he disapproves of. The most infamous incident occurred shortly after the tragic massacre of LCG members in Brookfield, Wisconsin in 2005. He criticized some of the locals for making crosses in memory of the fallen. The cross is condemned as a pagan symbol in Armstrongism and is not used by them. Even Meredith felt compelled to distance himself from Thiel's poorly judged words.
He has been like this for a very long time. To show this point here is another incident that I cannot recall being mentioned elsewhere.
I remember when Al Qaeda's 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred Bob Thiel mentioned that Garner Ted Armstrong was in the air at the time when all planes in US airspace had to land. He was attending a reunion with fellow veterans of the Korean War. I cannot remember if he was heading there or returning home.
Bob Thiel made sure to mention that serving in the military is forbidden within Armstrongism. HWA taught against serving in the military. From what I recall he did not mention that Garner Ted Armstrong served in the military before he decided to work for HWA's group.
Serving in armed combat is no doubt a most profound experience. It is very hard for those who fought in combat to explain such things to those who never served in combat. So naturally many veterans wished to associate with fellow veterans who intuitively understand what many civilians are unable to. No doubt Garner Ted Armstrong was motivated by such perfectly natural motives in wishing to attend that Korean War veterans' reunion. No doubt he wanted to see how his follow soldiers were now and meet up with them again.
What is wrong with that? Why did Thiel feel compelled to mention HWA's prohibition on military service in this context?
Unfortunately I am under the impression that these entries are now gone and inaccessible, though not through Thiel's fault.
X-Mas Exasperations
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I have a rant for you today! ♫It's my blog and I can cry if I want to...♪
For years, I have been writing posts that try to get to the historical
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16 minutes ago
I admired Garner Ted greatly. Like any other human, he was a mixture of positive traits and flaws. Because of the irrational feeling of worship some have for HWA, GTA is an easy target. Reality is, he was as much a victim of his father as were any of us.
ReplyDeleteBob Thiel would never have criticized GTA to his face back in the day. From a distance, and separated by death, apparently he feels quite justified in doing so today. At the risk of being course, I'm going to wonder out loud what Thiel might have done had he discovered incest in his own family. He really needs to walk a mile in the shoes of others before being so critical.
BB
It is certainly easier to admire Garner Ted Armstrong than his father. He would have done so well in just about anything else. If only he didn't join the ministry of his father's religion. He would have had a much more productive, satisfying and less scandalous life if he had done anything else. Maybe he would have chased after other women but at least he would not have harmed his followers if he was not a minister.
ReplyDeleteI would just like to clarify that Bob Thiel made this comment just after 9/11 so Garner Ted Armstorng was alive at the time. Did he care one little bit that Thiel reported on him? I very much doubt he did.
Alas I think Thiel's website only goes back to 2005. He has been blogging since the Global COG days but anything before 2005 is inaccessible.