Bashar al Assad Must Go

Over the months I have watched the situation in Syria in despair at the humanitarian catastrophe that is being caused because Bashar al Assad refuses to give up power and has decided that he must kill, murder, torture as many people as it takes just to stay in power.

At first the protesters were peaceful but the ceaseless and merciless violence of the Assad regime which literally killed thousands, made it inevitable that some of the protesters would take up arms, an act which only occurred after literally thousands had already been killed, the vast majority of whom were peaceful protesters. As John F. Kennedy wisely observed, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

Bashar al Assad has no one to blame for the rise of the Free Syrian Army except himself.

For 29 years Syria lay under the shadow of the Hama Massacre of 1982, in which thousands of civilians had been murdered. Because of the fear such ghastly atrocities produced the Syrian people lived under the shadow of the Assadite dictatorship.

But beginning in December 2010 Syrian witnessed what happened in Tunisia, when people rose up to protest against the Ben Ali dictatorship, and against all odds Ben Ali was overthrown and forced to flee to Saudi Arabia. Then the Syrian people saw the Egyptian people rise up and overthrow the dictator Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of protests. Similar popular protests occurred in Yemen and Bahrain.

And after all this people starting asking, Why is this not happening in Syria?

Some said, "Oh well...Bashar's young and photogenic. That must be it.""It's because he is anti-American. That must be it."

People thought that popular uprisings like those in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain would not happen in Syria.

But even then their impact was felt. As this report from the International Crisis Group put it:

In what had long been – or forced to become – a depoliticised society, casual discussions suddenly assumed a surprisingly political tone. What the regime used to do and get away with came under intense and critical public scrutiny. Subtle expressions of insubordination surfaced. Previously routine – and unchallenged – forms of harassment and extortion by civil servants met unusual resistance on the part of ordinary citizens, emboldened by what they had seen in Tunisia, Egypt and beyond. More broadly, Syrians – who like to imagine themselves as the Arab vanguard – increasingly were frustrated at being left on the sidelines of history at a time when much of the region was rising up.

Then came the protests in Deraa.

Suddenly the people went out into the street in vast numbers, and soon they discovered that Bashar al Assad has no legitimacy to rule the Syrian people. If he did why is he so determined to crush, destroy, murder, torture anyone who opposes him? Why did he rely on the fear caused by the Hama Massacre? Why did he ban foreign journalists from Syria when they could verify any alleged terrorist attacks that occurred? (Peaceful protesters were from the start demonized by the Assad dictatorship as terrorists. It was only later that some violent acts of terror did occur, a response made practically inevitable due to Assad's massacres.)

For the first time in 29 years the Syrian people broke through the barrier of their fear.

The Assad regime has been spending over a year trying to put the genie back in the bottle, but this is not 1982, this time the whole world sees what they are doing. In a completely ineffectual attempt to hide the murders and torture they are inflicting the Assad regime banned foreign journalists from reporting in Syria. Instead every citizen in Syria became a journalist, as one Syrian memorably put it on TV. Anyone who can record footage and post it on the internet could show the world that the illegitimate Assad dictatorship is destroying the Syrian people.

The most sacred duty of a government is to protect its people.

The Assad dictatorship has been on a wild shooting, torturing, even shelling rampage throughout Syria for over a year. That is not a government. That is a criminal gang.

I have no sympathy for the Bashar al Assad regime. The sooner it is gone the better.

As far as I am concerned justice demands nothing less.

Some people fear that something worse may occur if Assad is overthrown.

As far as I am concerned a murderous gang is utterly intolerable and must be removed before we can even begin to start seriously thinking how Syria can be rebuilt.

There is no hope in the Assad dictatorship.

The tortures, the disappearances, the killings are how the Assad dictatorship has always been "ruling" (I really mean oppressing) the Syrian people. How can an unpopular regime which has brought so much pain and suffering to the Syrian people bring any hope to the Syrian people?

Some are worried that if the Syrian opposition gains power religious minorities such as Alawites and Christians will be thrown under the bus and will be oppressed by fundamentalist Muslims.

Again there is no hope in the Assad dictatorship.

It has always ruled by fear and terror. The dictatorship has been desperately trying to make religious minorities fear change and simply put up with the dictatorship as most of Syria had been doing since 1982 and before Deraa. I regard it as wrong to ask people to submit to such a cruel and degrading regime for fear of something worse, to protect criminals and child killers like Assad. The Syrian people deserve far more than what the Assad criminal gang can give them. The regime must go.

Modern Day Martyr

Read this story about "Mark" a husband and father of two and a Christian missionary who was murdered for it. The report is kept very vague.

Though we did not work directly with Mark (a colleague sent by an African partner mission), across the Arab World our African colleagues are among our strongest discipleship partners. We thank God for their cultural understanding and contribution to ministry.

Mark was part of a team of two families serving in a Muslim region. Late in August, the team received death threats. The families were evacuated, but Mark stayed for one last meeting with believers before joining them.

Saturday night after the meeting while at home preparing his dinner, Mark was shot. He was discovered the next morning in his home, but he had lost too much blood to survive. At his passing, Mark leaves a young wife and two infant twin daughters.

ASSIST News Wins Passion for the Persecuted Award from Open Doors

I have heard that ASSIST News has been awarded Passion for the Persecuted award from Open Doors.

ASSIST News Service Receives Top Media Award from Open Doors USA

I would like to say congratulations to the staff of ASSIST News for having their work documenting the persecution of Christians.

Thoughts On William B. Hinson's Broadway to Armageddon

I'm sorry I have not been posting much. I am well and hope you are as too.

Regarding the last post containing Roderick C. Meredith's family destroying letter I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to Exit and Support Network for directing me to the 1977 book Broadway to Armageddon by William B. Hinson which contains the letter.

In the book comments from the author and placed within the letter. I have chosen not to include them. Also the letter contains many italic words. Most of them I chose to ignore. Some emphases have been retained however.

I found Mr. Hinson's book very difficult reading as it most vividly describes the monstrous abyss of tyrannical Armstrongism and how it quite literally destroys people.

The author himself tragically lost his own son to Herbert W. Armstrong's anti-medicine superstition. (An idea Herbert W. Armstrong stole from the 1921-1952 Jehovah's Witnesses.)

The book is to a large extent a collection of letters, personal testimonies, and recollections made by WCG ministers and members crying out for reform within HWA's WCG, pointing out the many terrible shortcomings within WCG (largely due the authoritarian manner in which HWA lorded over it) and how they were cast out of the vicious cult as HWA and his cronies proceeded to destroy any attempt at reform to secure their power over the eternally abused flock.

It provides an important account from the those who strived to correct injustices within WCG before the mass defections of 1974. It certainly is well worth reading.

RCM's Manual on How to Destroy Families

From William Hinson, Broadway to Armageddon, Chapter 9, pp. 150-6.

WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
World Headquarters
Pasadena, California
Herbert W. Armstrong
President and Pastor
Office of
Roderick C. Meredith Second Vice-President

July 18, 1969

Special instructions: SAVE!

Dear Fellow Ministers:

This is a special letter of instruction regarding the handling of divorce and marriage cases. I hope all of you will read it very carefully and follow these instructions in handling these cases/

Appeal to them to be open-minded and candid about any pertinent information or intimate details of their past marriages. Let them know that you have gone into intimate details of dozens of cases and that you are not going to to be shocked at all. They should not hold back anything about any pertinent romantic or sex relationships before marriage. Tell them--if these factorsa apply--that you are God's minister and are married, have children and know about sex. Also, that you are bound as God's minister not to divulge any of it to anyone, and that, in fact, you forget most details anyway as you go through more and more cases....

There are ten basic questions you should ask and write up for review by your District Superintendent in regard to the previous marriages. Go through each question in detail, and be sure your write-up is thorough. Get specific answers, not general ones. Use the first names of the people involved throughout the write-up to avoid confusion, and be sure to go through each case chronologically. Keep in mind that the ministry is not a detective agency. It is the responsibility of the people to get the facts, not the ministry. We can only base our decision on the facts that they present. The basic questions to ask are as follows:

1. Has either party been married before? How many times? If so, go through each marriage in chronological order covering the following points to finally determine their present status. Remember to ask about any "common-law" situations or "arrangements" while the man was overseas in the service, etc.

2. When did the original couple become acquainted? (Approximate date and their ages.) Ask the family background, religion, etc., of their parents.

3. How long and what type of courtship did they have? Did they have formal dates? Was petting involved? Fornication?

4. Did they discuss home, family, children?

5. What were the ages when both parties married? Were their ages legal?

6. Did the parents grant permission for the marriage? If not, did they try to annul it? Did they follow through on annulment or acquiesce?

7. What kind of marriage was it? (Justice of the Peace or church?) What were the circumstances of the wedding--elopement, shotgun wedding, church, etc.

8. What were the attitudes of each party involved before and at the marriage? Did they really intend to be husband and wife? If not, why did they marry? Ask and pull it out of them. This is a key factor. You may need to keep going back asking about their intentions in marriage over and over throughout the entire discussion. Ask about it in different ways, but get this point thoroughly established if possible!

9. What fruits of point #4 above were evident? Did they buy furniture and dishes, rent an apartment, set up housekeeping, or live with their parents, etc.? Did he properly support her or at least try to be a husband in this regard? Did they make a home and perform the duties of a husband and wife? Did he provide for the home? Did she cook, sew and keep house? Did they have normal sex relations?

10. Was there previous fornication with anyone else or fraud of any kind involved?

We must judge the spirit of fraud as well--lesbian or homosexual, absolute alcoholic, dope addict, demonism, etc. These are matters affecting the character and being of the individual. The question is "Did God bind the marriage, or is either party the victim of a fraud?" Once the fraud is discovered, they must separate or else God will then bind the marriage if they continue to live together with the knowledge of the fraud. If the couple has lived together for a number of years and fraud is discovered later, and if the man then puts her away for that reason, the marriage is not binding. If he forgives her or "tolerates" the fraud and continues to live with her, God then binds the marriage.

Tell the people that what they told us is the basis of our decision. If they have not told us the truth, then they are sternly accountable to God Himself as were Ananias and Sapphira!

When all the facts bearing upon the case have been written up, do NOT inform the individuals of your decision based upon those facts unless the former marriage was clearly binding and you are SURE the case is cut and dried. In this instance, they may make their decision to separate sexually (though you should not "tell" or command them to do anything!) But do not advise one or the other to move out until the decision has been confirmed by your District Superintendent. In cases where the former marriage does not appear binding, or where there is some doubt in you[r] mind as to whether or not it was binding, do not give them the decision until it has the final approval of your District Superintendent. Give them the benefit of the doubt until the decision is final.

So that everyone will now have a complete, thorough and uniform approach to divorce and remarriage cases, I will give you vital guidelines that all of you should now be following. We here on the Headquarters' "team" have spent dozens of hours working out and reviewing these guidelines. So SAVE this special letter and use it regularly in handling D& R cases!

First of all, before you tell people they are bound to a previous mate according to God's Word, you had better be sure that they are. You can be sure, of course, only after the whole case has been written up in detail and submitted, first of all, to your District Superintendent for approval of the decision. The minister in charge should be handling these cases and making the decisions, not Local Elders.

Do NOT tell the people before the decision is made that you think their present marriage is "probably" valid or "probably" not valid in God's sight! Just tell them that you cannot advise them on their situation until you have the full details about the previous marriages and also check with your District Superintendent. Giving people false hopes can make an eventual separation even more difficult than it would be normally, or make the individuals involved bitter against God's Church and you personally if the case doesn't come out the way you indicated that it would.

Don't go into the case unless you have the time to go into it thoroughly. Begin by asking them whether they have counseled with anyone else--a Catholic priest, etc., or one of our ministers--in regard to the validity of their marriage. Then ask if they have read our booklet on Divorce and Remarriage. If they havn't, you may advise them to write for it and postpone further discussion until they have read and studied the booklet. If they have read the booklet, ask them if they agree with the Bible teaching on divorce and remarriage. Find out if they are willing to go along with the decision reached and separate, if necessary, in order to obey God. If they won't, then there is no need to pursue the case further.

Explain that we don't tell people to separate, but if they come to us wanting to become a member of God's Church, we merely tell them what God requires of them before He will put them in His Church. It is just a matter of whether they are willing to obey God, and if they are, God will put them in His Church.

If one of the mates is not interested in the Church, just explain to him or her that just as any club has its own membership rules, God has set down certain requirements that must be met before a person can become a member of the Church of God. It is our responsibility as His ministers to explain these requirements, but what the individual does about it is his own private and personal business.

Try every means to induce the unconverted mate to talk freely and give the necessary information about any previous marriages. If the converted or interested wife does see fit to separate or threatens to separate sexually until a decision is reached, this is often a powerful means to induce the man to co-operate and be willing to sit down and discuss the case.

If an antagonistic mate simply will not divulge information on previous marriages, try to find out the basic details from the converted mate--or other relatives or friends--and you may be able to be sure from that. We cannot assume that the present marriage is not bound without adequate facts. It is up to them. If the unconverted mate is not willing to discuss it, what the other does is up to the individual. We will tell neither what to do--though if the weight of the evidence indicates, the converted mate probably should separate until the decision is made.

If they are willing to abide by the decision reached and if they want a decision made based on God's Word, let them know that this is a very serious issue and may be a turning point in their lives which could affect their eternal salvation. Warn them that they may be tempted to twist the facts, gloss over certain facts and even lie about certain aspects of their previous marriages. Remind them of what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 in explaining God's attitude toward those who lie to His ministers. Ask them if they have already made up their minds about whether their past marriages were binding. If they have, there is no point in pursuing the matter further.

Do NOT send the information you have written up directly to Headquarters! Send the information--along with the decision you reached if you were able to reach one--to your District Superintendent, and be sure to keep a copy for your local files. He will then either approve or disagree with the decision. Or on those which you were not able to decide, he will, if possible, make the decision and forward the case write-up and the decision to Headquarters for our records. The District Superintendent need NOT keep a giant file on all case write-ups--just those for the churches he personally pastors.

We will make the decisions only on those that the District Superintendents refer to us to decide. In these cases, we will then send both the local minister and the District Superintendent a copy of our decision.

If the final decision was that they are not bound to their present mate, tell them verbally, in person, that according to CHRIST'S TEACHINGS THEY ARE NOT BOUND AND THAT NOW THEY NEED TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO IF THEY WISH TO OBEY God. But once a case like this has been fully gone into and decided, the people must NOT be allowed to attend if they insist on living in adultery!

Do not, under ANY circumstance, put the decision in writing! It could be used against us in court, as occurred in one case that all of you are familiar with.

When one of the mates is not being called, emphasize again that we are not telling them separate, but that we are only telling them what God's Word says, and be especially discreet when the mate is antagonistic. If a woman decides to separate against the wishes of her unconverted "husband," we cannot help her to make the separation in any way. After she has made the decision to obey God and has separated, we will then help her in any way we can--again, using discretion, of course.

If they both agree to the separation, we should offer help and advice in carrying out their decision. They should separate geographically--at least a state away in most instances, and in every case should be in different Church areas.

Only in very rare circumstances--perhaps when one or both are senile and when one or the other is crippled or severely disabled--might a brother-sister relationship be approved. In no case, however, should you hold out this hope until this arrangement has been approved by Headquarters! We have found that brother-sister relationships just do not work--even though they might, and I say might, be able to remain sexually separate. They are still living in a husband-wife relationship in their minds. Only in very unusual and extreme circumstances would this arrangement be approved. We have learned some hard lessons on this through the years!

We have enclosed a list of the ten questions with this letter on a separate piece of paper so that you can carry it with you on D & R counselings. This will help you include all the important information in writing up the cases. You can just write the number of each question and take notes on each answer in order to write it up in complete, thorough form later. You should then go over the completed write-up with the individuals involved to get last-minute clarifications and to verify that the information is accurate since the decision may hinge on certain vital facts, and their accuracy is very important.

Take time to do a thorough job on these, fellows, and be sure your write-ups are easily legible (preferably typed) and in order according to the ten points we are giving you. We all know how these decisions affect people's lives, so let's all prayerfully do our best as God's representatives.

Your brother in Christ,
Roderick C. Meredith

P.S. We will only send you a couple of sample copies of different types of cases because of the importance of writing these up correctly.

P.P.S. Remember! From now on send your D & A write-ups ONLY to your District Superintendent. He will confirm or reject your decision, decide those in question, and he will forward the case write-ups to us. Also, he will ask Headquarters to decide those crucial cases even he is not sure of--hopefully, very few!

So study, keep and USE this letter as a basic "manual" on handling D & R cases from now on!

Gaddafi's Fall

I have heard that Gaddafi, the man who ruthlessly lorded over the people of Libya since gaining power in a military coup in 1969, is dead.

I would have preferred for him to be brought before a trial, but that did not happen in this war situation.

I am truly amazed and awed at how the courage and bravery of the Libyan people were able to overthrow that tyrant, even though that murderer killed so many people in a futile attempt to protect his power.

That murderer brought this catastrophe upon himself. He did this by refusing to show any mercy to the protesters, by being so astoundingly contemptuous of human life, by oppressing the Libyan people for so long. He decided that he had every right to murder as many people as possible just to protect his privileges and power, and that is why the Libyan people were forced to take up arms and overthrow him.

I hope that the Libyan people will be able to create a peaceful Libya and wish them luck in their quest to create a new Libya.

Occupy Wall Street

Let me state here that I truly hope this protest spreads and grows. It is wrong that those responsible for the global financial crisis of 2008 to escape prosecution. It is wrong that the middle class and the poor are expected to make do without to suffer for the failing of the world market. Failings caused by elites, not ordinary people who inevitably suffer during rounds of austerity. the big banks who bought toxic mortgages, which were fostered onto people who were viciously tricked into entering mortgages that they could not pay off, just as many of us were tricked into joining Armstrongism without knowing what we were getting into.

I wish the protesters well in their quest for justice. If you can help I encourage you to do so. Spread the word.

Sydney Hull Has Passed Away

Recently I looking at the stats of the blog and discovered that someone had arrived at this blog after typing in a search phrase saying that Sydney Hull had died. Intrigued I looked through issues of Living Church News and discovered on page 31 of the July-August 2011 Living Church News that he has indeed passed away.

Mr. Sydney Hull died March 13, just a few days short of 81 years. Mr. Hull was baptized in 1964 and ordained an elder in 1974. He served as an evangelist and as the LCG Regional Director in South Africa for a number of years. Mr. Hull is survived by his wife, Mrs. Dot Hull.

I am saddened to hear to hear of this. I wish to express here my sympathy to all those who mourn his passing.

[Update: I have just seen that his death was reported by LCG apologist Bob Thiel as soon as it happened. Somehow this information escaped me. I was probably too busy watching the events in Libya and Syria to notice it. I have been taking a long break from watching the saga of the COGs.]

Ten Years After 9/11

It has been ten years since since 9/11. For anyone interested I related my personal experience of 9/11 elsewhere.

It is very sad what happened to those and that their loved ones have lost them.

I feel sad that the US government, in response to 9/11, has eroded personal civil liberties in ways that are wrong. I feel particularly strongly on this issue after learning of the useless and vicious 'enhanced pat downs' that were instituted by the TSA in airports last November to coerce passengers into entering controversial full body scanners.

So often I hear people say we live in a changed world after 9/11. That is true, but this fact should be used as justification to surrender liberties to the state, letting them poke and prod in our lives in ways that would have been unjustifiable before 9/11. We also should not forget that Al Qaeda has been severely crippled, not least after the wicked mastermind himself, Osama bin Laden, was killed by US soldiers. We must not let the fear of Al Qaeda permit our government to erode our liberties.

I would like to share here the following books I have read concerning 9/11.

God @ Ground Zero by Ray Giunta and Lynda Rutledge Stephenson.

One chaplin's personal account of his experiences in Ground Zero. This book really helped me learn to be more sympathetic with those who endure traumatic experiences. An unforgettable account of those who responded to this catastrophic emergency containing moving stories of peoples caught up in this most terrible crime. It provides a glimpse into the lives of those who respond to disasters.

The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright.

An astounding and superb account of the history of Al Qaeda up to December 2001, with emphasis upon the lives of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Essential reading for any one wanting an account of how those two men came to lead that most infamous terrorist group.

I found this book unexpectedly comforting. This was the book that made me realize clearly that Al Qaeda is actually a bizarre, small, Islamic based cult and that the vast majority of Muslims are very different from Al Qaeda. To imagine that the majority of Muslims are like Al Qaeda is like imagining every American is like the Ku Klux Klan.

Old WCG Was a Doomsday Cult, Bob Theil

Bob Theil made an article: Australian Wrong: Old Worldwide Church of God Was Not a Doomsday Cult. In response to the release of a semi-autobiographical novel written by an Australian ex-WCG member, Bob Theil insists that old WCG was not a doomsday cult.

There are a lot of misunderstandings about the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG).
But it was not a “doomsday cult.”

Those of us who were part of the old WCG and in the current Living Church of God (LCG) are not like the Jim Jones’ followers–we do not plan on drinking poisoned flavor-aid to end our lives.

This statement is very deceptive. What the old WCG under HWA did do was forbid followers from using medicine or going to doctors causing tragic and needless deaths. Herbert W. Armstrong appears to have gained this anti-medicine superstition from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in which members were also forbidden from using vaccines from 1921 till 1952. Here Bob Theil shamefully ignores this most dreadful and atrocious behavior HWA forced upon his followers and banishes it down the memory hole.

Let us now continue:

Although some are expected to die in persecutions, LCG church members mainly hope to live until the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom, and hope to proclaim the truths of the Bible to the world as a witness until the end (Matthew 24:14)....

As far as preaching prophecies in the Bible that show that the Anglo-descended nations will be chastised if they do not repent, yes the old WCG and current LCG taught that .... But urging repentance is not a sign of being a doomsday cult. It is a sign of trying to follow what Jesus said to do.

Bob Theil is wrong. Old WCG was a doomsday cult. HWA and his cronies constantly abused the Bible and viciously used false prophetic interpretations to sow fear of being caught within the Great Tribulation to force followers to follow the dictatorial rule of the so called ministers.

HWA taught that Jesus Christ would return in 1936, then after World War II, then in 1975, then he declared in Mystery of the Ages that He would return by 2005. (PCG removed that embarrassing false prophecy in their version, so you will not see it there.)

Those were not just speculations, as was deceptively taught after these failures, but preached as definite facts. They failed. These false prophecies prove that HWA was never a man used by God.

But these facts are simply ignored by HWA's followers, such as Bob Theil, pretending these things did not happen and deluding themselves that HWA was a man sent from God when he most certainly was not.