Saturday 6 June 2015

Journal - 173rd Issue

The latest issue of The Journal: News of the Churches of God has just been released. On the front page - who'd have thunked it - news of a Sabbatarian Biker group, XII Legions.
The bikers are “looking for other bikers who have an interest in motorcycles, riding and the Word of God, including God’s holy Sabbath day,” Mr. Paparella said...
The founders are longtime Church of God members, with past and current fellowships with the former Worldwide Church of God, United Church of God, Church of God (Seventh Day), Beth Israel Messianic Congregation and Church of God Flemington (an affiliate of Church of God Ministries International), as well as several private-residence-based church groups.
Just when you thought there was nothing new under the sun.

(Byker Bob, are you out there?) 

10 comments:

  1. The highlight of The Journal came in an ad on page 14:

    "Send all hate mail to...".

    Lawrence didn't say anything that most people could disagree with, but it's refreshing to have such an invitation.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is fascinating to contemplate that such a repressive type of theology would embrace a polar opposite expression of personal freedom, but if this is a recruitment effort on the part of the Journal, I believe I'll pass. It's interesting to envision the Feast of Tabernacles, though, as an annual run, not unlike Sturgis, or the Laughlin River Run. Can we imagine 5,000 bikers descending on Jekyll Island, Ga, or St. Petersburg Beach, Fla.? All that Second Tithe would fund some pretty awesome scoots!

    BB

    ReplyDelete
  3. Recruitment effort on the part of The Journal? Are you serious, B.Bob? The Journal doesn't recruit anybody. --Dixon Cartwright

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, it was tongue in cheek, Dixon, although it is great that you gave an unorthodox club like this some exposure. Back when I was an ACOG member, I found motorcycles to be an important link to sanity. They are kind of a high speed reset button with loud pipes. Surely sabbatarians can enjoy them just as much as Sunday keepers or non-believers.

      BB

      Delete
  4. "The Journal doesn't recruit anybody."

    Perhaps.

    If you were to discount the ads.

    And most of the articles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With such a range of competing brands of COG out there recruitment by The Journal is functionally impossible, and that's without giving credit to Dixon for pursuing an even-handed editorial policy. Ads are ads, so nobody should be naive about their function. Guest writers invariably have an axe to grind, but they clearly don't all sing from the same hymn book. I'm critical of a lot of The Journal's content. I don't think anyone, including Bob Thiel, could feel otherwise. I imagine Dixon personally disagrees with a lot of the material himself. The fact that that can happen, that this publication doesn't pander to any particular party line, demonstrates to me at least that "recruitment" isn't a fair criticism. We'd all be less informed and connected if it wasn't there.

      Delete
    2. Granted that Dixon Cartwright may not be recruiting personally, but we aren't talking about the editor, we are talking about The Journal.

      I suspect it's true that the ads don't get much response, but we have no way of knowing that. Armstrongism is populated by crazy nuts not well in touch with reality and you never know when something might strike the fancy of someone who has just been disaffected by their current sect in the cult.

      It's been a trade off to use ads to support The Journal. If those behind it really want a measure of credibility, the ads should disappear. That, however, may be the death knell of the publication.

      Furthermore, with this 'even-handed editorial policy' some effort should be taken to make note of articles which have obvious easily proven error in them. If that isn't done, it's little more than a blog which allows anyone to say anything without moderation.

      As you have pointed out before, The Journal is mostly irrelevant to the world due to its focus. Even when it says something significant, such as the interview with the man who was a teen whose friend was shot in 2005 by Terry Ratzman. For the most part, people read it and go on while it has little impact on the lives of those people -- it's instantly forgettable except in rare cases. As such, it seems like such a wasted effort when it is openly admitted that in so many ways it has little impact, pulling people in many different directions with a minimal net effect in any particular direction.

      It's 'news' of an antiquated failed religious system which, I suspect, only has historical or amusement value at best, describing a distorted social group of little relevance except for the negative impact on those touched by it.

      Delete
    3. To the chronically unpleasant Doug "Black Ops" Becker: You're always calling people crazy. Gets repetitious and tiresome after only a few years. I think it's about time you called me criminally insane again, isn't it? Would you happen to know how many times you've called me that thus far? Aw, don't bother. I'm not really keeping score. So I should do this and I should do that, Doug? I'll be sure to consider your advice in our next editorial meeting at The Journal. --Dixon Cartwright

      Delete
    4. I, for one, very much appreciate The Journal. Although I've long since realized the COGs are nothing but scams, I appreciate the news updates about my former associates. And I appreciate the fair, even-handed editorial approach. Reading some of those articles, or letters to the editor, surely the editor must sometimes think "you can't be serious, can you?" But they ARE serious, and The Journal treats them with respect.

      Delete
  5. Douglas had the first word, Dixon the penultimate. This thread is now closed.

    ReplyDelete