I'm not sure how quoting an opinion piece from someone who used to be in Worldwide and is now in UCG is relevant to my statement. The article you linked to clearly says:
"At New York City’s Family Christian Club July 31, 2004, the speakers were assigned to speak on a forgotten hero. The author chose Herbert W. Armstrong, who was born on that day, and who died 20 years ago this month."
My statement was:
“I don’t think you understand that the Worldwide Church of God and United Church of God are different churches and different organizations. Herbert Armstrong was dead for almost a decade before UCG started. They are different legally, in their government structure and philosophically."
You quote someone who wrote and spoke about Herbert Armstrong. You will find a lot of people in UCG have opinions about Herbert Armstrong or the WorldWide Church of God. Big deal. You didn't refute or can't refute my initial statement so it still stands.
The UCG does in fact teach that its members are bound to them, calling them “Christian obligations” and the “Christian way of life,” that no true Christian “neglects” without risk. The quote I provided even called them “commanded,” not optional, or simply you choosing to follow Jewish dietary laws and feast days because you can.
Again you discounted my statement to basically make up your own statement about what I believe. As far as I know there's only one other person in my head besides me and that's Jesus Christ. :-)
There is a distinction between obedience springing from love as opposed to being forced to believe something from intimidation and fear. I believe the Lord does "command" his followers to follow his way of life and his way to happiness....the bible is his instruction book for us. That's only weird if one isn't used to looking at the bible to live a Godly life.
This is true, as seen in the links above.
Let me remind you, and the readers, that this was the exchange:
GPH: "IOW, if you are not baptized and have hands laid on you by the UCG, you are not in “God’s Family.”"
Me: “This is 100% completely not true and not what UCG teaches nor is this what the vast majority of members of UCG believe in my experience.”
Your statement is still 100% NOT true. It's false. UCG does not teach or suggest what you say. Even IF they did, which they don't, it's not what I believe.
What you did was to string together somethings and then make an assertion. Assertions are not truth.
“You quote someone who wrote and spoke about Herbert Armstrong. You will find a lot of people in UCG have opinions about Herbert Armstrong or the WorldWide Church of God.”
Not sure what you’re trying to do here, but your website clearly teaches his doctrines, relies heavily on him for their “opinions,” and even uses the same phraseology with similar examples. There is no question that the UCG is an offshoot group from Armstrong. Compare:
“The Hebrew word translated “God” is Elohim—a noun or name, plural in form, but normally singular in grammatical usage. It is the same sort of word as family, church, group—one family consisting of two or more members—one church composed of many members—one group of several persons.
It is referring to precisely the same Persons, making up or composing the one God, as we found in John 1:1—the Word and God—and each of those TWO Persons is GOD. IN OTHER WORDS, GOD IS NOW A FAMILY” (Herbert Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, Ch.1)
“Elohim is a noun that is plural in form but normally singular in usage—that is, paired with singular verbs—when designating the true God. For a comparable modern expression, consider the term United States. This proper noun is plural in form but singular in usage. It is used with singular verbs.... We should note that since Elohim is the name of the God family, each family member can be called by this name.”
http://www.ucg.org/booklet/who-god/who-was-jesus/plurality-god/
“Again you discounted my statement to basically make up your own statement about what I believe...I believe the Lord does “command” his followers to follow his way of life and his way to happiness...”
IOW, the only thing you disagreed with was the presentation. You still believe that you are commanded to observe Jewish feast days and dietary laws, amongst other things, and, presumably, you agree with the UCG on why. You’re presenting their articles in an ‘Ecumenical’ thread, after all.
“That’s only weird if one isn’t used to looking at the bible to live a Godly life.”
Not eating Bacon does not make you holy.
“Your statement is still 100% NOT true. It’s false. UCG does not teach or suggest what you say. Even IF they did, which they don’t, it’s not what I believe.What you did was to string together somethings and then make an assertion. Assertions are not truth.”
This statement, of itself, is merely an assertion.