Mark Armstrong on Criticism of Trump and "the Worldwide Queer Priest Situation"

Mark Armstrong, leader of the Intercontinental Church of God, son of Garner Ted Armstrong, grandson of HWA, has released another weekly update (September 7, 2018.) Let us see what he has to say this time.

In this weekly update Mark Armstrong denounces criticism of his preferred president and delights in hoping that Pope Francis may be compelled to resign over instances of clerical abuse.

First he speaks up in defense of his preferred president.

Greetings from Tyler, 

In the case of the “Senior Administration Official” who saw fit to write an unsourced editorial for the New York Times.  Not only was the writer hidden away, so were all the members of the “resist” movement he (the NYT called the writer “he”) claims are working tirelessly inside the Trump administration to “protect” Americans from the most lunatic, unhinged directives of the president they despise.

Then he discusses Bob Woodward's new book, Fear: Trump in the White House.

Odd that no one who we know for sure works in close proximity to President Trump in the White House will vouch for any of the outlandish claims in the article.  It's also interesting that it was published alongside the release of Bob Woodward's book.  But the book does name names to go with the quotes.  He's got first-hand quotes attributed to General Kelly, General Mattis, the President's lawyers and others saying that Trump is like a big baby when he doesn't get his way; he's crazy; he's going to end up in an orange jump suit; and on and on.

There is no need to take their concerns seriously, Mark Armstrong assures his audience. It is all merely an echo chamber to slur Mark Armstrong's preferred president. If they all say the same thing it must be false.

The claims are nearly identical to those made in the Wolff book, those “reported” on CNN, MSNBC and mainstream outlets too numerous to mention.  They're the same “talking points” that have been trotted out daily for longer than we care to remember.  It's a lot like what they've done with the fake dossier and subsequent investigations.  They corroborate their own nonsense, and then claim it's further “proof” of what they've heard and known all along.

Mark Armstrong dismisses the the concerns raised about the administration of his preferred president by suggesting that these rumors spread by officials with a proverbial ax to grind.

It is pretty unusual to have men of the stature of those quoted come out and say it's not true, none of it, but that's just what has happened.  Maybe the author had sources, but apparently they had an ax to grind.  Maybe you've noticed how many in high positions have been willing to take enormous personal risks to rid the White House of one Donald Trump.  The number of officials willing to break rules, regulations and for that matter the law, is nearly endless.  They're like kamikaze pilots who expect to survive and win the war.

Mark Armstrong assures his audience that scare mongering about an alleged "deep state" cabal is true.

After two years of denying that there is any such thing as the Deep State, somebody (in the NYT editorial) is telling us that it not only exists, but that we should be comforted in the knowledge.  We should feel secure in the knowledge that there are “adults in the room,” and that many are working hard behind the scenes to counter the Trump agenda.  There's even the claim that papers have been pilfered from the resolute desk before the president could sign them, thus preventing actions intended to proceed.  And they (members of the Deep State) are proud, so proud to be able to serve their country in such a way.

Mark Armstrong ends this discussion by stating his hope that whoever wrote the New York Times op-ed will be exposed and face negative consequences.

Needless to say, there is now a furious hunt for the identity of the author and others he mentions as part of the cabal.  Rand Paul made news when he said lie-detector tests for all these employees would be justified.  The President himself questioned whether their actions were tantamount to “treason.”  Maybe not in the strictest definition, but sedition, maybe.  May they all be identified and subjected to the same kind of “justice” they've visited on the president's allies.  Hopefully the President will declassify the warrants and papers that will expose their sedition and we won't have to wait forever for resolution.

Mark Armstrong then discusses ongoing issues regarding clergy abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. Shamefully he implies that the problem of clergy abuse is because they are, he implies, gay once again reinforcing the vilification of LGBT peoples which is so common among the Armstrongite COGs. Some of the more inflammatory portions of his bitter tirade are highlighted.

The pope may be in a heap of trouble.  When offered the opportunity to respond to accusations from within the Catholic hierarchy, that he was personally informed of the hideous activities of certain high-ranking priests he did nothing.  In the case most visible, he allowed the offender to represent the Vatican in high profile missions and international negotiations.  When asked about it, the pope said he would “not say one word about this.”  And with good reason.  It appears that there is, and has been for decades, an epidemic of child molestation and rape of the homosexual variety. 

He continues with these words.

We haven't seen much in the way of follow-up to the police raids upon priestly residences within the Vatican, where men of the holy robes were engaged in “drug-fueled, gay” orgiastic behavior.  Presumably the “church's” superior power and wealth have been brought to bear to squelch further mention of the reports in the Italian media.  It's beginning to look as though the whole procession of ridiculous hats and frocks, hands held in a steeple and mournful facial expressions, are a bunch of screaming queens when they're not shuffling around in slow motion.

For some reason Mark Armstrong insists on calling Pope Francis a "twerp" once again. Shamefully Mark Armstrong calls the clergy abuse crisis within the Roman Catholic Church as "the worldwide queer priest situation" once again vilifying LGBT communities as is so often done within the Armstrongite COGs.

 Now there's another one that we might never have heard of were it not for all the crush of unresolved scandal and the pope's trip to Latvia.  It's too evil, too filthy for description in these pages.  It involves an elderly priest having a mentally deficient young man, the “victim of human traffickers” delivered to him.  It's beyond ugly, and will hopefully result in criminal charges and convictions.  But the pope?  He's in this up to his goofy hat.  Maybe not the Latvian situation, but the worldwide queer priest situation.  Might this twerp be driven from his velvet perch? 

He ends his tirade by condemning Pope Francis as being "pro-gay, pro-global warming, pro-immigrant, pro-socialism and anti-Western civilization" and strangely refers to the Vatican City as a "powerful nation state".

Who knows.  Usually, there are angry apologists who go on TV and threaten and warn any outlet of severe consequences for any “defamation” of the powerful nation state or its “holy” leaders.  Lately however, they're nowhere to be seen.  Maybe it's different this time.  The metastasizing scandal could be so huge that the pope will be forced to resign just to change the subject.  In that case there would be three living popes at the same time, an historical oddity to say the least.  We know this pope's posture.  We probably know more about his social posture than anything to do with his religious beliefs.  He's pro-gay, pro-global warming, pro-immigrant, pro-socialism and anti-Western civilization.  Trouble is he was chosen by Collage of Cardinals at the Vatican, and it was no accident.  Given the opportunity to choose a successor the pious so and sos might do even worse. 

When Mark Armstrong talks of "angry apologists who go on TV and threaten and warn any outlet of severe consequences for any “defamation” of the powerful nation state or its “holy” leaders" it sounds almost like he is describing how he himself talks of anyone who happens to criticize his preferred president.

He ends his weekly update announcing who will gave the sermon on Saturday and mentioning the upcoming Feast of Trumpet to be observed this Monday. Mark Armstrong's grandfather, HWA, appropriated the beautiful and ancient Jewish festival that is named the Feast of Trumpets and turned it into a festival to promote his teaching that (his heretical, non-trinitarian version of) Christ would soon return.

Dr. Ricks is in town for our annual board meetings along with others, and will deliver the main message at tomorrow's Sabbath service.  As you know, this Monday is the Feast of Trumpets, remembering Israel's ancient plight and picturing the return of Jesus Christ to earth. Have a wonderful Sabbath and Holy Day.

Mark 

And so Mark Armstrong's missive ends.

HWA was but a false prophet. Predictions based on his false prophecies are bound to fail.