Don't Drink the Flavor Aid

Time is Up

2009-07-19T09:06:00.001-05:00

A new post "Time is Up" is up at my new "False Prophet Ronald Weinland" blog location, . It has more info on False Prophet Ronald Weinland's appearance at ideaCity.

Commenting on "Don't Drink the Flavor Aid" is disabled. Please join us at the new location.

Weinland on Governance in Y2K, Part 2

2009-07-14T07:06:00.000-05:00

First off, let me announce a new location for my False Prophet Ronald Weinland blog. It's a Wordpress blog hosted on my own domain. The post about this topic is an easy click over to the new blog. I believe you'll find the trip worthwhile, with quite a bit of newly uncovered documentation (and more) for this story which was first covered on Weinland Watch's blog early last year.

I will keep this Blogspot open as an archive.

Comments on this blog are now disabled. Please join me at the new location.

I look forward to hearing from you on my new blog.

Mockers and Observers

2009-07-11T18:56:00.006-05:00

Today False Prophet Ronald Weinland spoke from Detroit. He paid some long time debts, appointing long time associate Terry Wrozek as a senior elder. Terry got to give the closing prayer, and his early-20s son Parker gave the opening prayer. And maybe some time Terry will be peemitted to give another sermon. The last time Terry preached was October of 2007 during Ron and Laura's Total Resolve Mediterranean Cruise.

His Hawaiian vacation was discussed, the luau that he attended, and the hot weather. Ron repeated the instructions for the Feast of Tabernacles, which will have the same format as last year's. Ron and Laura are traveling "down under" and most people are to listen to the sermons daily purely in their homes or local areas for the first 4 days, and then assemble for the last 3 days of the feast and the Last Great Day.

He stuck his toe back in the water with regard to prophecy. The swine flu may mutate and become more widespread. He was very vague about it -- he can ignore it but at the same time can point to it later on if it does become widespread.

He spent several minutes reminiscing about his epiphany while drinking beer at the Dark Horse Inn in Hays, Kansas back in 1969. He had trouble remembering why he went off on that tangent. I'm having trouble figuring out how he was a college junior that year, given that he was 19 and turned 20 at the end of the school year. Particularly since he was not very studious. Maybe Ron will explain that sometime.

Recently there's been an active debate going on in the comments sections of the last few posts, tedious yet fascinating at the same time. (And not only with the discovery that Blogger paginates the comments once the counts reaches 200 ;) A couple of Weinland's followers, one a PKG member and the other a teen who'd like to join up have been engaged with a number of Weinland's critics and/or mockers, including yours truly. With similar nicknames, it was possible to confuse them which I did initially.

The PKG member took exception to my constant references to the ineffective death curses Weinland has laid against me.

Mike: You have already (kind of) admitted that Ron did not specifically name you in the "death curse" so don't you think it's time to give that one a rest. How many times can you repeat the same things over and over again without someone screaming ENOUGH. Tell us something new!

I have readily admitted that Weinland did not name me specifically when issuing the death curse. Actually, he did not name anyone -- does that mean that it applies to no one? There were no answers to that point. The PKG member then brought up a herring colored red:

Mike: I remember Ron referring to e-mails that people sent him in which horrible things were said and threats were made on his life. If you want to own up to being responsible for writing any of those e-mails then perhaps I can accept that you have received a death curse. Otherwise, I think you should stop using it as a proof that Ron is a false prophet even though it seems to be a favorite "proof" of yours.

In his sermon of June 13, Weinland mentioned receiving multiple death threat emails. I don't recall any other mention of this. Just for the record, I've sent Ron only one email -- it's quoted here on this blog, and there were no death threats included. And in fact, I've done the opposite, having taken steps to persuade someone else to not publish Weinland's address. I don't wish the False Prophet physical harm, but there may be some out there whose feelings are more intense.

Others participating in the debate took offense to the PKG member's last statement, which could be interpreted as implying that I have threatened Weinland physically. The PKG member responded:

Do you purposely misinterpret what I write? It is VERY obvious from what I said to Mike that: 1. I DO NOT think he sent threatening e-mails to Ron 2. It is those who did send them that Ron was referring to and 3. Unless number 1 is an incorrect assumption on my part (and only Mike could correct that) or I will stand by my opinion that Mike has not been cursed and therefore should not use it as proof of Ron being a false prophet.

I pointed to a sermon file for December 20, 2008 during which Ron reimposed the death curse and suggested that the PKG member actually listen to it. The PKG member did not feel that necessary and responded:

Mike: If everyone who mocked or criticized Ron was cursed to death there would be a lot of deaths by now. I would have already buries several family members for that matter. Sorry but you really can't use this "proof" no matter how attached you are to it. It simply doesn't fly.

Let's summarize the PKG member's thinking:

She'd heard Ron criticized or mocked
The offender didn't die
Ron is one of the Witnesses ....
therefore if he'd issued a death curse the offender would be dead
since the offender isn't dead, Ron could not have issued the death curse.
therefore no need to listen again to Ron issue his death curse to see what he said

The teen wannabee member responded:

Everyone, Ron's curse was to the mockers. This includes everyone who mocks Ron. It's simple. If you mock Ron you're on the list. If you don't, you aren't on it. Mike criticises Ron but there's a diference between mocking and criticizing.

I indeed put out a lot of criticism of Weinland, but also do my share of mocking. I pointed out my New Year's Day post which clearly mocks the author of a book of false prophecy. The teen wannabee replied:

Ron said that the mockers would either stop or die speadilly. You haven't mocked that way in a while.

Ron did say something like that when he issued the death curse in April of 2008, when he said that the mockers would either cease or die. By this logic, a two-pack-a-day smoker quits smoking 40 times every day. So I guess there's a lower risk of cancer risk because the smoker quits more often than a non-smoker ;) And maybe because I quit mocking Ron so often I'll live even longer than normal.

Let's look at a few of Weinland's statements during his sermon of December 20, 2008. At about 1 hour and 20 minutes into the sermon file with announcements available for download here, Weinland references his death curse issued on April 19, 2008 against his mockers and says:

Those are the ones who God is going to begin working with early on, the mockers, the scorners, those who hate God. They’re the ones who are going to lose out on what God is offering. ….. I call upon those individuals to have those very problems I mentioned earlier on, to die from within, and not slowly now -- speedily.

Weinland goes on over the next 15 minutes to read Revelation 11:3-5 which states:

³ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
⁴ These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
⁵ And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

At around 1 hour and 28 minutes in the sermon file, Weinland offers his interpretation of "hurt" and repeats himself several times:

Interesting word. [ referring to "hurt"] It’s a word that means to be unjust toward, actively the cause, if you will, to do wrong toward, literally in the Greek meaning morally, socially, or physically. To hurt, injure, to be an offender toward, to be unjust toward, to do any wrong toward.

And later on:

There are definite things here that are going to come back on someone, just like a boomerang. They’re going to learn the hard way in some things, But even more so, because more teeth is going to be added to it.

My interpretation of this is that the death curse applies to his critics as well. That point may be debatable, but the death curse clearly applies to mockers. In addition to my mocking New Year's Day post, I issued a series of mocking posts against Ron in December. And then we have the absolute champion at Weinland mockery, Dill Weed, who is still alive and doing what he does best on his own blog.

Every time I point out how long it's been since Weinland issued the death curse against me and that I'm still alive, I mock him. Which I do again, pointing out that it's now 29 weeks since Weinland cursed me with a speedy death, yet still I mock.

Ronald Weinland on Governance in Y2K

2009-07-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

Way back in time, just after Y2K was not the disaster it was prophesied to be, there was yet another episode of turmoil in Weinland, Inc.

During the WCG break up after Joe Sr's infamous sermon in Atlanta and repeated a week later at the Big Sandy campus, Ronnie resigned in March of 1995 and incorporated the following month as the United Church of God of Toledo, Inc. Back then, the "spirit of Indianapolis" was alive and ex-WCG members were promised that the new organization would be different when it came to governance, and would work with local church boards. Hence UCG-AIA (an international ASSOCIATION). But after a few years, the "spirit of Indianapolis" soon went by the wayside and I suspect there are few if any independent local boards associated with UCGdom.

Back to Ron's story. Weinland joined up with UCG in '95. Then he thundered about financial misappropriations in UCG in an email sent to other UCG elders at the end of 1996 and possibly in a letter as well sent during the first few days of 1997. After campaigning on the issue for several more months, he resigned from UCG in May of 1997, taking most of his Toledo congregation with him. The associated corporation was retitled as "The Church of God, Inc." The local congregation continued on, with church members voting as members of the corporation to hire Weinland as their pastor. But Weinland was expanding his horizon beyond Toledo and the surrounding region accessible in a day trip. One of the members started a small web site for the church. Sermon tapes were sent to those outside the Toledo area who requested them. In January of 1998, he published the first issue of "Newswatch" which was published intermittently over the next several years.

As a result of Ron's outreach program, he managed to attract as his own followers some of the WCG ex-members ("the scattering") from other areas. These followers included Johnny Harrell and others in Georgia, and also more from other areas such as Texas. Tithes continued to be collected by the corporation governed by a local lay board, and is reported to have accumulated to around $300,000 by early 2000. Ron began to feel an ownership of the members outside the Toledo area. He began hinting that the tithes from out-of-town members should be handled separately.

Matters came to a head between Weinland and members of the board at a meeting held on Saturday evening, January 22, 2000, right after Weinland finished a sermon series entitled "Spiritual Idolatry". Weinland wanted to spend some of that tithe money on a 4-color brochure, of printing quality just like the literature his spiritual idol Herbert Armstrong sent out, to attract yet more from "the scattering". The lay board was less convinced and Weinland left the meeting under somewhat less than calm demeanor. There was a continuation meeting the following Tuesday at which the conflict continued.

On January 29, 2000, Weinland delivered a nearly-3-hour sermon entitled "Am I Following Jesus Christ?" which was later distributed on not one but two cassette tapes. He started the sermon by explaining that it would be one of the most important sermon he'd given in years, and that he had to deliver a long message in a single session because of the timing and this would also be one of the hardest sermons he'd ever given. He canceled a trip to Lubbock, Texas to stay in Toledo to address the problem.

Ron claimed that he had almost resigned in response to an email he had received the night before, but was hanging in there (he was not going to Steamboat Springs to make his living building port-a-potties for his brother Steven after all). The crisis could split the congregation, but that was OK. He didn't care about the money and could start all over again, but was taking a principled stand for continuing to do what he was doing.

Ron said that he would send out the tapes from this sermon -- he would not be a hypocrite by hiding his group's problems after criticizing those of other groups.

During the sermon he played with the member's emotions. He talked about the elderly shut-ins "helped" by his tape program. A few minutes later, he sighs and said "You know there's some wrong spirit in here today, brethren. And it's not God's. There's some pride and haughtiness, I wish some individuals could have a camera looking at their face." I wish I had a videotape of Ron's face as he delivered this sermon, claiming that he loved them all, very deeply.

After a 10-minute break to allow time to switch cassette tapes, he again confronted his congregation by asking "am I saying something wrong, reading people's expressions?" He claimed that he was not chewing out the board, and has respect for them.

A year earlier he had sent a letter to board members Gary Klar and Terry Wrozek stating that he was not comfortable with out-of-area tithe funds being under local control. He stated they were sitting on a great deal of money, and wanted to have a glossy booklet to send out. He proposed a second corporation to handle out-of-town funds, because after all those funds exceeded those generated by the local group in the Toledo area.

Ron repented of reusing the bylaws which he copied from someone else, explaining that they were not Godly. He presented new draft bylaws to be voted on by the members a couple of weeks later, on February 12, as a replacement of the existing bylaws. Under the new Godly bylaws, members of the church would no longer be members of the corporation. That burden would be removed from them and only members of the corporation would be "leading elder" Ronald Weinland as the first chairman and a board of elders. Elders chosen by ---- Ronald Weinland. As an aside, the restrictions for the building fund would be changed to allow spending it to rent facilities. No word on the size of the building fund, but this proviso would allow it to be depleted as it would be spent for those ongoing expenses. This would free other funds for other purposes. I can't say if there is any relation, but 5 years later Weinland had his own building fund, purchasing a $381,000 home in northern Kentucky and putting enough money down that if he had a mortgage the holder did not require that he pay property taxes into escrow.

The sermon ended with his then favorite elder Terry Wrozek leading a song. After which Weinland himself gave the closing prayer, not risking someone else providing a different take on the sermon.

In another post, I will be discussing what happened the week following this sermon.

Note: I've allowed the discussion in the comments to the last few posts kind of ramble off-topic -- with a couple of Weinland's followers participating it's been rather informative. While I'll continue to allow some latitude in the comments to those other posts, Sheriff Mike is in town on this thread. Let's keep the comments for this post on topic, which is Weinland's governance methods in general.

Eloquent Rationally-Sounding Lunatic Ronald Weinland

2009-07-04T18:06:00.001-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland is in Hawaii this weekend. Actually, he has been there longer, leaving for Hawaii directly from last weekend's Los Angeles gig. I wonder how much progress he has really made on his feast sermons while on a Hawaiian beach.

After he returns to Cincinnati, there will be a few put out of PKG. Sheriff Ron has been patient. While some have responded to his clarion call to pay their tithes, a few holdouts remain. We can't have any of that -- it costs money for Ron and Laura to travel.

Kirrily has followed her article of last week with an analysis comparing "2008 God's Final Witness" against reality. She's uncovering some items I've missed. Here is her piece:
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I have outlined all the obvious errors/failures in Ron’s book – God’s Final Witness. All quotes have been typed by me directly from the book – I have done my best to type exactly as stated in the book. I would suggest any reader follow what I have stated (page numbers and paragraph numbers included for your ease of reference).

Any error would simply be a typo. Emphasis – sometimes mine, sometimes Ron.

As the book itself does not actually contain the dates for the first timeline, or the second timeline, the book in this regard needs to be either true or false when information relating to timelines is combined with the book itself. After all, the book is written by the very same author who delivers the sermons.

For those of you who wish to go into the book to prove the ‘truths’ – go for it, but remember, the very definition of truth given by Ron (as you will see) and of the Bible itself is that “no lie is of the truth”. As I outline all the FALSITIES of the book (even if there were only one) by that very definition, the book is FALSE.

The first few pages of the book concentrate on massive destructive events – thereby setting the ‘theme’ of concentration of the book.

Page 4, first paragraph: “The proof of the validity of my first book, and now this one, is in the timing and the destruction that follows, exactly as both books describe.” So, it is the TIMING that determines it’s validity.

Ron describes events to eventuate as similar to labour pains of a women – contractions get closer together, and more powerful – “such will be part of the proof of what is written here.”

Page 4, Paragraph 3: “What we have witnessed since those interviews a year ago will only increase in magnitude and frequency until we come to the last and final stage. This final stage is referred to as the great tribulation, which is prophesied to last for a final three and one half years. It will begin with one third of the United States being destroyed – followed by World War III.” (Well, it has begun for the second time according to Ron nearly 7 months ago – no 1/3 of the US destroyed – FAILED).

Page 6, 3rd Paragraph: Ron states that people can not believe things unless there is proof. That is part of the reason God chose to reveal end time events in the manner that He has – who are people to believe with all the different religions out there?

Page 8, 2nd Paragraph: “Only God Himself can prove what is true by bringing to pass exactly what He has said. Only the next few years can prove whether or not these two books are true and of God. If nothing happens, then you can know positively that this is complete fiction.” WELL, NOTHING HAS HAPPENED ON THE SECOND TRIBULATION YET, SAFE TO SAY – we know it's FICTION.

Page 8, 3rd Paragraph: “This is one of the main reasons these books have been written, so that people can begin to respond to the one Great Creator God when they see these things come to pass.” NOTHING COMING TO PASS YET, NEARLY 7 MONTHS INTO SECOND TRIBULATION. FAILED.

Page 9, 2nd Paragraph: “This period of time will BEGIN with one-third of the United States being destroyed.” – NOPE, NO DESTRUCTION – FAILED.

Page 10, Para 5: “This has much to do with why God is once again – one last time – sending His prophets (His two witnesses) into the world in the most powerful way yet.” – FAILED – What power is being shown? To the WORLD (page 11 para 3)? Again, we are nearly 7 months into this.

Page 11, para 3: “These two witnesses will be the most formidable prophets God has ever used in all 6,000 years of human history.” SPEAKS FOR ITSELF – FAILED, HASN’T HAPPENED.

[Note: For example, our "formidable prophets" fled ideaCity when sickened by a stand-up comic who blasphemed God, abandoning an opportunity to call down a plague on the blasphemer. Actually, I think Ron was more sickened by the favorable reception the audience gave the comic, so he should have called down a plague on them as well. Mike]

Page 16, Para 2: “The other witness will be revealed to the world during the time of the great tribulation – WITHIN the final the and one-half years of man’s era.” – FALSE – 2nd witness revealed during false first time line, and alluded to way before that.

Page 21, Para 3 : “When that seal (7th) is opened, you can rest assured, the final tribulation has arrived. God says that time will last for 3 ½ years. Prophecy shows that one third of the United States will be destroyed after this seal is opened.” OK – 7th Seal opened for the second time, we are now awaiting the supposed 2nd Trumpet – still no 1/3 destruction of the US.

Page 21, last para: “These two will know positively when God gives them this power, and from that time they know that exactly three and one-half years remain.” – well, now Ron is saying his “powers” will not be evident (this is the 2nd time he has ‘received’ his powers mind you) until after the 5th trumpet – another point proven FALSE.

Page 23, last para (this one is the most used) : “….the world will be shocked and in horror on the day that the seventh seal is opened.” The WORLD was NOT (nor were PKG members – either on the opening of the seal for the first or second time). FAILED.

Page 24, first para : “God has given to Jesus Christ the timing for the seals to be opened, and Jesus Christ in turn has given the timing to me.” Maybe a case of Chinese Whispers? Jesus heard from God wrong, or Ron heard wrong from Jesus? FALSE – First timeline (as stated Jesus gave to Ron) FAILED. (Remember, the book said events will happen EXACTLY as written in the 2 books.)

Page 24, para 3: “However, God is going to begin removing the skepticism of the world, especially once the seventh seal is opened.” – Not on the first timeline, and not yet on the second timeline – remember, he said the WORLD – another FAIL.

Page 26/27, Lies: “Lying is the outcome of people being right in their own eyes and stubbornly holding to their own viewpoint, regardless of EVIDENCE to the contrary.” OOOOOH, A TRUTH!!

Page 29, 2nd last para: “God states what should be obvious ‘…no lie is of the truth' 1 John 2:21” OOOoooh, another TRUTH!

Page 34, Para 1: “But when it comes to what you believe, can you admit error when it is pointed out to you? Most people cannot, because interference with one’s personal religious believes is more than they can bear.” Yet another TRUTH!

Page 51, After a number of pages outlining the confusion in the 3 major religions, 2nd para: “This book is the truth!” BY RON'S OWN STANDARDS, NO PART OF THE BOOK SHOULD BE WRONG – I’VE PROVED IT DOES CONTAIN ERRORS – NO LIE IS OF THE TRUTH, THIS BOOK IS NOT THE TRUTH, BECAUSE IT CONTAINS VARIOUS LIES/FALSITIES.

Page 51: 3rd Para: “God is about to prove that this book is telling the truth! He will do so with power unleashed beyond any that He has ever used to reveal to man that He is their Creator.” – mmmm. Is God off to a slow start then? Even on the 2nd timeline?

Page 5, Last para: “NOW is the time God has chosen to begin revealing himself fully to this world.” YES, BY GIVING RON A FALSE FIRST TIMELINE, CHANGING THE SECOND ONE FROM THE FIRST (IE. 45-90 DAYS OUT THE WINDOW) AND GETTING OFF TO A VERY SLOW START ON THE SECOND? MMMM. Yes, revealing Himself, and Powerfully so to the World that is for sure – NOT. FAILED.

Page 57, para 3: “God’s 2 end time prophets will exercise great power, both in power displayed on the earth and in power of the revelation of God – more than all other prophets combined.” – First timeline, this most powerful prophet of all time got it wrong. And now nearly 7 months into the second timeline – no power. FAILED.

Page 57, para 4: “As I have stated, I am one of those prophets, and I am also the spokesman of both. That which I am telling you is not of me, it is from the God of Abraham.” SO IT’S NOT OF RON, SO GOD GOT IT WRONG THE FIRST TIME, AND IS NOT SURE WHAT TO DO THE SECOND TIME AROUND. WE’RE ALL WAITING, RON.

Page 58, Para 4: “God will PROVE whom He sends. Just as prophetic events will unfold with increasing power and frequency, so will I increase in power and recognition by others because of the job God has placed before me. It is Gods purpose, and He will do it.” – Again, we are on the 2nd timeline, and nearly 7 months into it. FAILED.

Page 60, Para 1: “The opening of the seventh seal will serve as a warning to the world that the final end time tribulation has come…” – FAILED – 2nd opening of the seventh seal, what warning?

Page 104, last paragraph : “God will humble the Church, and He will humble the world through end time events described in this book. It is by this very means that God will reveal through whom He is now working. Specifically regarding his two end time witnesses, it will be by the power given to them for destruction and plagues, not healing.” – FAILED – Again nearly 7 months into first timeline, no powers (remember, their powers and ministry are meant to go for 1260 days).

Page 104 last paragraph: “Escalating deaths in the leadership of the scattered groups will serve as a witness of who it is through whom God is working. It will not be done through miraculous signs of healing.” (Note: this section is talking of the 5th Thunder of the 6th Seal – we are now meant to be in the 2nd time of duration of the 1st trumpet of the 7th Seal– still no deaths in COG leadership.) FAILED.

Page 107, Paragraph 3: (Note – this is written after the book went to great length to describe Elijah’s petition of God to let the people know he was His servant – and God answered by burning the sacrifice.) “I have also made a petition to the Eternal God of Abraham. My petition is that this first phase of the Fifth Thunder (note: of the 6th Seal) be fulfilled exactly as it is written here.” – FAILED. Twice now we have been in the fifth thunder of the 6th Seal – we are now in the 7th, (for the second time) – petition NOT GRANTED.

Page 110, Para 2: (NOTE: Ron has stated in the past that the thunders will continue on into the great tribulation and increase in intensity – but..) “The Seven Thunders have much to do with how God will reveal his two witnesses. These thunders serve as a PRELUDE to the final tribulation, and the greater manifestation of those 2 witnesses.” – Again, we are in the second tribulation, awaiting 2nd trumpet – no such prelude. FAILED.

Page 111, Para 2: “The answer that I am who I say I am will be given by the events described in both books coming true EXACTLY has I have described. This will be the proof that I am God’s end time witness and spokesman. But before great power is given to me to perform miraculous events similar to those of Moses (but with far greater power), once the seventh seal is opened (note – not delayed until the 5th trumpet of the seventh seal!) and the final three and one half years of worldwide tribulation, God has reserved these seven thunders for me to declare.” FAILED.

Page 111, para 4: “All seven thunders are given as God’s proof that I am his end time prophet.” FAILED – as already stated in his books, thunders are prelude to tribulation. Thunders have not happened (except financial – again, Ron is no different to MANY others out there saying this).

Page 115, last para: “Before the seventh (and final) seal is opened, the Seven Thunders will become so pronounced that the validity of everything written about them in the previous chapter should roar loudly in the ears of anyone who is willing to admit the truth.” (again, Ron’s petition was that the fifth thunder of the 6th seal be fulfilled exactly as written, to prove he is God’s servant – so this thunder at least should have occurred BEFORE the seventh seal was opened – for the second time. For those who argue that I may not be willing to admit the truth, well I did follow Ron for the first 2 timelines – I think that proves I was walling to admit the truth – shame it turned out to be, yes FALSE.)

Page 118, para 1 (speaking of the first trumpet) : “When we are told that a third of all plant life will be destroyed, that is exactly what it means.” FALSE. 2nd blowing of the first trumpet, no such destruction. Remember, we have already covered the fact that events must occur EXACTLY has written in the book for it to be proven Ron is from God.

[Note: "exactly what it means"? Hmm. So why is Weinland spiritualizing the first trumpet away, saying that the vegetation being consumed is green money? Mike]

Page 118, para 1 “It should also be noted, that in the first trumpet there is fire mingled with blood. Blood means there will be much death when this event occurs. Most of it will be the death of animals and birds, but also a large number of people will die – into the tens of thousands.” FAILED – 2nd blowing of the first trumpet – no destruction, no “event”.

I will leave the remaining trumpets alone, as Ron says we are awaiting the blowing of the second, so no point bringing them up – yet.

Page 143, para 1: “Instead, they choose to hold onto their own religious ideas and beliefs, which are false. Therein is much of the problem and much of the reason why man's self rule must come to an end EXACTLY as described in this book.” – SORRY RON, NOT HAPPENING, EVEN THE SECOND TIME AROUND.

I will also leave out all the information Ron says about God, Jesus etc – as I will leave all that to the Theologians.

Lastly, page 244: “By the fall of 2008, the United States will have collapsed as a world power, or it will have begun its collapse and no longer exist as an independent nation WITHIN SIX MONTHS AFTER THAT TIME. There is a marginal, six-month window of time that God has not yet revealed concerning this specific moment of time. This will be revealed some time soon after the distribution of this book begins.” – FALSE. If this mysterious 6 months of time was revealed shortly after the distribution of the book, I am sure that God would have first let Ron know about the ENTIRE error of the first timeline. FAILED, hasn’t happened.

Well, this was a great way to spend a morning!

For those of you who still believe, willingly ignorant, I do actually understand as I was in your shoes for a time. It takes strength to admit that you were never led by God – it hurts. But, that pain is better than the pain to willingly follow someone who is proven to be false.

If a case like this went to Court, the matter would be closed.

Human nature is a beast in itself, we believe things because we WANT to believe them, for vastly different reasons from individual to individual.

I have undertaken this task not for current believers of Ron Weinland, as nothing can be done for them (please believe me on this – it will save you a lot of heartache, turmoil and arguments – you have to let them go and be there for them in 2012, or whenever Ron finally gives up) but for those investigating the validity of what Ron has to say.

He is false – it’s obvious.

What you do with this information is up to you.

The shame of all of it is, is that I personally believe a lot of what Ron has to say. If only he would admit he is in error – it’s arrogance and pride that prevents him.
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In the course of reviewing Kirrily's piece, I found another gem. On page 58, 3rd paragraph:

"Either I am an eloquent, rationally-sounding lunatic or I am sent from God."

Ron is obviously not sent from God. But we have a problem of false choices here. I can go with "lunatic" for sure, but having a bit of trouble with "eloquent" and "rationally-sounding". As far as "eloquent", I've discovered that after removing the embarrassing bits from his sermon describing his experience at ideaCity, most of the edits were removal of "uh"s and overly long pauses. Perhaps I shouldn't criticize, because I wouldn't do any better. But then my job does not require public speaking. As far as "rationally-sounding", perhaps maybe -- at least compared to Yisrayl Hawkins babbling about the "nukular baby".

For any who want to use the two-day fast at the end of January to explain why the Great Tribulation hasn't started, explain the following:

How the divinely inspired book "2008 God's Final Witness" left room for it to be modified.
How exactly the thunders have intensified in the 5 months since the fast to humble people to bring them to repentance. Cite statistics, not anecdotes (such as Michael Jackson's death). Also explain how all 7 thunders have intensified.

And while you're at it, explain my unfulfilled death from the inside, "speedily" yet now 28 weeks since the Formidable Prophet reimposed the death curse against me.

Effects of the Church of God - PKG on a Follower

2009-07-01T06:06:00.007-05:00

Several weeks ago, I hosted a poem written by Kirrily, a former member of Ron Weinland's church who left in October. Now Kirrily has written an article about her experiences.

Here is Kirrily's story:
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When I first heard of Ronald Weinland, my first thought was ‘who is this Pentecostal nutcase calling himself one of the witnesses of Revelation?’ However, I soon discovered that he was from one of the Churches of God. I knew I at least had to listen to what he had to say.

Previous to this, I had been part of Garner Ted Armstrong’s Intercontinental COG – and believed that when the Witnesses did come on the scene, that they would be from ONE of the COG’s (whichever the true one ended up being) – I believed this wholeheartedly.

After reading both of Ron's books, I was entirely convinced that indeed the end was near, and that it would happen as he stated. (Mind you, this is the third time in my 36 years of life I believed ‘the end was nigh’- which displays a certain pattern in my life, don’t you think!)

So, I contacted the Church of God - PKG and eventually was baptized (for the second time in a COG). The picture below was taken on the Gold Coast here in Australia the day I was baptized, on 12 January '08. From left to right are Wayne Matthews, another member, my mother, my husband, myself, Laura, Chris, and Ron.

Being part of PKG was great – enjoying the holy days, preparing for the tribulation (bulk food and supply purchases, storage, water provisions, warm clothes for nuclear winter etc, etc, etc) and being with a few like-minded people.

During the lead up to the first timeline's blowing of the first trumpet on 17 April 2008, I remember feeling physically sick as I believed it would be announced that the USA had been nuked when I turned on the TV. I had even convinced my husband to cut our holiday short so we could be at home when all of this started.

I remember feeling confused and angry on the day of 17/4/08 when nothing happened – what on earth was going on? Why had nothing happened as Ron had said? Was he false?

“No – he CAN’T be” I said to myself.

The remainder of this is from my recollection of events. My memory has never been fantastic (I’m only 36, I know), but I believe this is relatively accurate.

After the 17th of April, Ron then said that the damage of the first trumpet would be a process of destruction over a period of 45-90 days and then the second trumpet would be blown. Every day I was glued to the news, feeling sick to the stomach.

It was sometime after this (I do not remember the timeframe) that Ron admitted (somewhat) that he has ‘misunderstood’ and was ‘shown’ another truth which he would reveal on the Last Great Day of the Feast of '08. [Note: This happened June 21, 2008. Mike (DDTFA)]

Turns out we did not have to wait that long, as long before the Feast of '08 he delivered his 50th Truth being that Christ's return would be on Pentecost 2012. The 50th truth made perfect sense to me, given Ron's explanation of the timing. [Note: Ronnie announced the 50th "truth" and new timeline the following Saturday, June 28, 2008]

At this time my mother left PKG. However, I stayed – believing my mother had not been permitted to ‘see’ this new truth by God.

Ron told us to question ourselves, question our own faith – and how terrible it was that we probably were feeling very stupid in front of our loved ones, our family, when the things we had been warning them about did not eventuate. In other words, he turned his own failure back on us. Instead of admitting his error, he had us focus on our own shortcomings.

I must say, I did feel stupid – but not only for the obvious reasons. You see, those of us who believed in God’s ‘Truths’ wanted God to call our families so badly. Our husbands/wives/brothers/mothers/fathers and friends would begin to keep the Sabbath, the Holy Days, etc – then we would know that they too will see the millennium and be with us! How joyous that would have been.

If we warned them, and told them what was going to take place, who Ron was, etc – and those things DID HAPPEN, then God could use that to reveal His truths and they would begin to ‘SEE’ as God desired them to in His time.

When the failure of Ron’s first timeline occurred, I knew that my friends and family would never believe anything I had to say in this regard again. They already hated that I did not keep Christmas and would go away to a stupid Feast every year – to them the failure of Ron was just another confirmation of ALL I believed was false – including other doctrines such as the Sabbath.

As I kept believing Ron, it was very hard on my marriage (second marriage), and my friends could just not understand why I kept believing in someone who said ‘If it does not happen EXACTLY as is stated in my books, I will declare myself a false prophet’ – yet didn’t.

I did as I was told by Ron, and repented from my VERY bad attitude on how I felt with the failure of the first timeline, and continued with PKG.

I no longer watched the news. I no longer searched for items such as earthquake results – as I did not want to ‘ruin’ my faith with evidence that no escalation whatsoever was occurring except for financial ‘thunder’. But being in the financial services industry, what Ron had stated is no news to me as many of my peers believe we are headed for an unprecedented depression globally in the next year or two.

Interestingly, Wayne would often send news items to us via email – an earthquake here, fires there, etc etc. I did not even read them, since to me they were just normal newsworthy events – nothing spectacular. Again, I did not want to ‘ruin’ my faith and admit that no escalation was occurring. It was easier to bury my head in the sand and concentrate on ‘spiritual’ matters.

Coming up now to December '08 – and ‘here we go again’. What would the first trumpet be? What destructive events would take place?

I recall that during the Feast of '08 Laura herself directly said to me that she believed by Jan '09 that things would be ‘really bad’. She told me that she had purchased things on interest free, no payments for 3 years, and that we should do the same – it would never have to be paid back after all. She did say that we should do it only if we could afford to pay for it anyway – but this attitude seemed wrong to me somehow. I ignored my feelings. [Note: This past Saturday, Weinland expressed regret for making purchases that he unexpectedly has to pay for. Mike(DDTFA)]

Well, December came and went, Jan '09 saw a new US president take office, and Ron tossed the second 45-90 day timeline for nuclear explosions out the window.

This was too much. Too much had changed, and Ron seemed to be losing it. Too much was going against what his two books had stated. Just one example: the second witness would not be revealed until the beginning of the 3 ½ year period. Well, she was revealed to the world LONG before the beginning of Ron’s second tribulation. That is just ONE falsity in Ron’s books. I will let the people who can be bothered outline the rest.

Leaving PKG was one of the hardest things in my life I have had to do. I truly loved the people I was with – Wayne and Chris were truly like my spiritual mum and dad, Nathan and Sharna were truly like brothers and sisters. To this day, I love and miss them – and know that in 2012 when Jesus does not return – that they will speak to me again (unless a third timeline comes in).

I have gone through many different emotions since leaving, and I am still. I was not angry – at first, that came later. There are so many things now that I question.

The main thing I find alarming, is my own nature – my own disposition to believing that ‘the end is nigh’. This could be for a number of reasons, and I will not bore you by listing them here.

The battle is with myself – what do I do now? I do still believe the truths that I first learned with Garner Ted – the Sabbath, Holy Days, the false traditional Christianity belief system etc. These truths I learned with GTA and through PKG I will always believe. But do I have the strength to APPLY and OBEY these ‘truths’ with no organisation to follow, to lead me? I do not know, to be honest.

After all, I believed God led me to GTA's group – but they were false. I am not even going to mention the additional times I thought God had 'led' me into a myriad of different pentecostal churches – 'Rapture next 2 years', 'Armageddon very close' etc etc – you get the picture. I then believed that God led me to PKG – but they were false. How would I trust for myself that God was leading me ANYWHERE now? How could I?

I believe that God calls people – and it is only those he calls that can see the ‘truth’ – I thought I was one of them. The only conclusion I can come to, is that God does NOT want me to see, and that I am NOT called. What other explanation is there?

I believed Barry Smith (Pentecostal – when I was one in those days!) that the Rapture would be in 2000. I believed GTA – the end was near. I believed Ron – Jesus would be back in 2011. And I believed Ron again when he said Jesus would be back in 2012.

How could I believe anyone again? Really….. HOW?

I believe Ron is sincere – and if he had admitted he was false the first time, or even the second time – that would have been OK by me – after all, we are all human. But he won’t admit that he is false – therefore to me, he is both dangerous and a joke. He deserves to be mocked, as promises he himself made with words through his own lips were not kept.

As for his followers, I no longer have any sympathy for them. Their pride and desire to be RIGHT alone is what is keeping them there. I myself stayed as long as I did for those reasons – it wasn’t until I left that I admitted it to myself.

The truly sick thing about all this, is Ron’s dealings with his ‘mockers’. You see, Ron teaches that God calls – God is the one who lets people ‘see’. Take Mike from DDTFA for example.

Ron would teach that Mike does not ‘see’ as God has not ‘called’ him. Mike is blind, he does not understand. Ron would teach that someone like Mike would die during the tribulation, and be resurrected after the 1,000 year reign of Christ, and be permitted to live another lifetime to be given a chance to see God’s ways, repent, and live. Mike would then be GIVEN the ‘truths’ so he could choose to obey.

The disciples once asked Jesus ‘why do you talk to them in parables’ and Jesus’ replied in essence ‘so they don’t understand’.

During his murder, Jesus said ‘Forgive them Father, for they do not understand’.

Instead of Ron saying to God of Mike ‘Forgive him Father, he does not know what he does’ – Ron instead curses him to die slowly (then quickly) from the inside. That is plain wrong. I could understand, given what Revelation says about the witnesses ‘powers’ - for example, cursing the people who KNEW THEY WERE THE WITNESSES, AND BELIEVED THEY WERE THE WITNESSES and wanted to cause them harm BECAUSE they were the Witnesses. But not someone who was ‘blind to the truth’ and did not believe they were the witnesses.

After all, Ron said that was the purpose of the 2 books – they were not addressed to believers but rather were to reveal to the WORLD (people like Mike for example) that Ron indeed is a Witness, a Prophet. I won’t speak for Mike, but I believe that if everything had indeed occurred as Ron said they would, that Mike would have believed that Ron was who he said he was!

When you write something, and it does NOT occur, and you say that you will admit it if you are wrong – AND YOU DO NONE OF THIS – you deserve to be mocked – simple. Ron said a great number of things, time and time again, that have NOT eventuated. Yet he still carries on with his ‘thing’.

To people out there who continue to believe – because you ‘see the truth’ – well, good on you – go for it. You deserve no respect, no sympathy – you are fools following a greater fool. Don’t come crying to me in 2012. You yourselves are causing great pain, great anguish – just ask yourselves the damage these ‘witnesses’ are doing. A number of people will now not believe the REAL witnesses when they turn up, because of the damage Ron has done.

God will deal with Ron in His time.

In the meantime, I have learned a great deal about myself during this painful process. I still have a lot more to learn.

Yes – I am angry. Yes, I am lost.

I know Ron is false – by his own lips, I know he is false. Why won’t he quit? I no longer care.

If I can help anyone in the same boat as me, or prevent others from going to where I did – I will. Other than that, I really don’t care anymore about Ron and his delusions, and his deluded followers.

I never listened to another one of Ron's sermon after Jan '09, and I will never listen to another.

As for the ‘truths’ (ie. Sabbath, Holy Days etc) – I will always believe them. As for believing someone else again – well, God would REALLY have to help me. It would take A LOT to go down this path again.

I continue to watch and wait – but more importantly, I am now living my life again.

Mike, thank you for your blog, and thank you for the time you have spent privately letting me vent and work through things. I have never met you, but you have truly acted as a friend who has simply listened, and been a shoulder to cry on. It has meant so much to me.
Thank you.
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Kirrily, you're welcome. I'm glad you've made your escape and that that I was able to help in some small way. And thank you for sharing your story.

Relating to what you said about Laura's financial advice, here's what Ron had to say about his financial dealings in his last sermon. (I wonder this statement survived Jeremy's editing session.)

Our finances generally are at the edge. Our credit card. We may
have one there. But we may be maxed out. Especially for many of us right now because of where we thought we were in a moment in time. And we made some choices there. And all of us have ... There are things I purchased I wish I hadn't purchased now. I thought we had a few months here and we're going to be in this and it's really not going to matter too much. And I would have made some different decisions. But I'm in it now. And some people had situations now where that's put them in a horrible situation. And that's the way it is. But we all learn from it. We can all grow from it Every one of us. And grow in some wisdom there.

I wish more would learn from this. Learn to stop listening to false prophets like Ronald Weinland. Grow in wisdom and test a teacher before blindly accepting what he has to say.

I wonder if Weinland really acted on his prophecies and made purchases expecting that he wouldn't have to pay for them. Or if he's just saying that he did so as to deflect the wrath of his followers who did. Either way, it says something about the man.

Weinland Explains?

2009-06-27T15:46:00.003-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland spoke from Los Angeles today, cooler there than Cinci. He announced a few upcoming trips with Hawaii planned for next week.

Then Weinland took several minutes to explain what happened at ideaCity. The audience during his presentation was generally respectful during his presentation, except for a couple of people who smirked at his British Israelism. He did not reiterate his objections to what Tom Harpur said. It was the 4th following presenter who stunned him. Ron compared it to having a close friend killed next to him and then hearing that person mocked a few days later. Laura equated Ron's experience with one of Paul's.

Ron was still so stunned three days later that he didn't know what he was saying in last Saturday's sermon. He was thankful that he could edit the sermon, but everyone got the gist about the time, times and half-a-time being one seventh.

Some also got the gist about the significance of the presentation being 7 days later from the end of half-a-time, even though it was 6 days later. Let's review what he said, and what he edited out (the part in italics below).

And all of this is significant as God does things in a very orderly manner. It's no coincidence that even seven days later I gave the kind of speech that God had me deliver. God is indeed setting the stage for far greater things to follow.

For me his explanation for what he said last week fell flat. Ron should have explained exactly what he had to edit in order to correct it for those who got that gist-- I could have had a bit of respect for that. As it is, those who found his deleted statements significant are still under that impression, unless they make careful comparisons between the two versions of the sermon. Or unless they read my blog -- and what are the odds of either of these happening?

"Observer", what do you think of his explanation?

Updated: I guess that Ron is rubbing off on me, got a couple of commenters confused due to the similar handles. I'd meant to ask the question of another commenter.

"Weinland Observer", what is your reaction to Ron's explanation?

The Ghost of Rose Mary

2009-06-24T20:36:00.012-05:00

For the last couple of posts, we have been discussing in the comments sections of these posts False Prophet Ronald Weinland's appearance and and disappearance from ideaCity in Toronto. This discussion included the topic of which day, Wednesday or Thursday, was the day of his presentation. I stated that it was on Wednesday, not Thursday as Ron had stated. A couple of Weinland's followers, "Observer" and "Weinland Observer" have participated in these discussions. I am pleased that the discussion while with disagreements has been civil.

I came home from a grueling day at work to read the following comment on my last post from "Observer".

I have listened to last Saturday's sermon 3 times through and parts of it
several more times and I cannot for the life of me figure out how anyone could
think that Ron was making any significance out of the day he spoke at Idea City.
The day of the interview was important, marking the beginning of the second half
time but anything else is simply conjecture at best. This said, I heard Ron
refer to 3 specific times:
1. At 2:25 "the past Tuesday" -referring the day
they flew to Toronto
2. At 58:27 "a little over a week ago Thursday" -
referring to the day of the interview (June 11th)
3. At 60:58 "after the
second session started" - referring to when Ron spoke and since there were two
sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon of each day, the second session
would have happened after the midmorning break on Wednesday. I did not hear Ron say that he spoke on Thursday even though I played the section that you referred
to several times.
I think you are putting too much emphasis on what Weinland
Observer has said and not been careful enough to stick to the facts. In
referring to how God had prepared things perfectly for his talk, Ron was talking
about the fact that the speakers that had gone before him had spoken on topics
that naturally led into what he was going to speak about.
If it will make
Weinland Observer any happier though, I will point out that if the Thursday that
Ron did the interviews was the first day of the second half time, it would be
Wednesday, not Thursday, that would be the 7th day. However, I think that it is
only WO, and no one else, that has claimed that this is significant.

The first thing I did was to question myself. After all, "Observer" had pointed out something I didn't get quite right before. So I listened to the sermon yet again this evening, and yes, I had heard them correctly.

The second thought was that maybe "Observer" doesn't have "ears to hear" in this case. But he's really been pretty straight with me through our exchanges in the past few days, so I moved on to consider another possibility.

I downloaded the sermon yet again. The first thing I noticed was that the newly downloaded version was 2 minutes and 11 seconds shorter than the version I downloaded on Saturday evening, with a length of 1:46:35 instead of 1:48:46. So I wondered what happened to that 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Both sermons started off the same, so he had not had the announcments redacted earlier than he normally did. (Usually that doesn't happen until after the following Saturday.) So I looked for "Thursday"s.

At 7 minutes in the version of the sermon downloaded on Saturday:

On Thursday morning, I probably had one of the most unique experiences of my ministry in God's church.

At 6 minutes and 44 seconds into the version downloaded today, he said everything except what's in italics. That part was edited out.

At about 15 minutes and 10 seconds in the version downloaded Saturday, Ron said:

I gave this talk at ideaCity on Thursday, Thursday morning.
The speech was only about 20 minutes long.

In the version I downloaded today, he said everything except the part in italics. That part had been edited out.

In the version downloaded Saturday, at about 16 minutes and 20 seconds, Ron said:

But I wanted to mention, 7 days earlier, from Thursday, this past Thursday,
7 days earlier before that speech was given that previous Thursday
marked a period of the time that we call, or can call, "Half a Time".

In the version downloaded today, at about 15 minutes and 40 seconds, Ron said the same thing except for the part in italics. That part had been edited out.

Continuing with the same scheme, at 17 minutes into the version downloaded Saturday, 16 minutes into the version downloaded today:

But on that previous Thursday, we had completed the first one-seventh of the end time. One seventh was now behind us. We have 6 more in front of us. Still a lot. But I marvel at what hasn't happened during that period of time, and I marvel at what has happened during that period of time. And all of this is significant as God does things in a very orderly manner. It's no coincidence that even seven days later I gave the kind of speech that God had me deliver. God is indeed setting the stage for far greater things to follow.

All the stuff in italics had been edited out. Ron sure is suddenly allergic to the word "Thursday".

Now I've seen accusations that Ron would edit his sermons to remove embarrassing statements such as these. I didn't believe it before, but I sure do now. It seems that someone besides "Weinland Observer" thought these comments were significant and went to the trouble to edit them out of the sermon.

In my last post, I directly linked the file from the church website. Since Ron has proven himself untrustworthy, I'm providing links to alternate copies available for download. Oh snap, why did I trust him at all? He broke the promises he made in his "If By Pentecost" declaration. He broke the promises he made in all those radio interviews that he would not alter his prophecies if they didn't happen. Oh, well -- fool me twice.

Anyway here are the links to the two versions of the sermon. (Files are around 18 MB long. Right-click and then save-as to your hard drive.)

Downloaded from the church website on Saturday, June 20. (Filename starts "090620AW")
Downloaded from the church website on Wednesday, June 24. (Filename starts "090624RW")

So "Observer" I believe what you said -- you didn't hear him say "Thursday" in the sermon you listened. That was not the same sermon that Ron delivered on Saturday when he said that he spoke on Thursday at ideaCity, 7 days after the end of "Half a Time". I just wonder what else was edited out of the sermon, because the missing words I've mentioned do not account for all of the missing 2 minutes and 11 seconds.

So, what do you think Ron's story will be on Saturday? Or will he just pretend it didn't happen?

In case you're wondering about the title to this post, here's a Wikipedia article on Rose Mary.

Does Anybody Really Know What Day It Is?

2009-06-24T06:06:00.033-05:00

In the comment section of my previous post, there was been some controversy concerning which of the speakers at ideaCity following False Prophet Ronald Weinland's presentation was the one to whom he reacted. A couple of Weinland's followers have been participating in that discussion. A misunderstanding I had was clarified: while Tom Harpur followed Ron immediately and Ron objected to what Harpur had to say, it was the presentation of Rick Miller which truly offended Weinland to the point that he left the conference early to return to the safe company of his deluded followers, giving up his opportunity to proselyte further and "help" yet others.

(Timestamps are according to the initial version of the sermon downloadable this week which includes the announcements.) Update: turns out that the initial version on the church website was not the initial version after all, but had been edited to remove embarrassing parts as explained in the following post. I've updated the link here to point to a copy of the actual initial version.

Ronald Weinland stated in his sermon last Saturday (15 minutes and 10 seconds into the file) that he gave his presentation at ideaCity the Thursday prior, (June 18th). Then at 16 minutes and 20 seconds he made the point that seven days earlier than that was the Thursday which he give interviews (Thursday, June 11) and also was at the end of "Half a Time". With December 14, 2008 being day 1 of the Great Tribulation, Thursday, June 11th was the 180th day or "Half a Time". And Thursday, June 18th was 7 days later or day 187.

I thought that Ron had said the prior Saturday (June 13) that his presentation was to be given on Wednesday. According to the Agenda page on the ideaCity website, the presentation schedule was:

Day 1 - Wednesday June 17th

Session 1 - 8:30am-10:45am
GREAT POWERS
Jacob Abrahamse
Powers of Ten + Marcel Danesi
Mark Showalter
Barth Netterfield
David Ben

Session 2 - 11:35am-1:35pm
SPIRITUALITY, Sponsored by SVOX
Ronald Weinland
Tom Harpur
John
Geiger
Richard MacDonald
Rick Miller

LUNCH BREAK

I wondered about the discrepancy between what Ron said last Saturday was the day of the presentation (Thursday) Vs the Agenda (Wednesday). "Observer" thought it wasn't important. "Weinland Observer" thought there might be prophetic significance in the number 7.

Has anyone considered the fact that based on Weinland's description of the significance of him speaking at Idea City seven days after the first half a time (which is 180 days) that maybe the witnesses wil do something significant every seven days after a half a time with the exception of the seventh half time in which it would occur a little earlier with death and reserection? Don't be surprized if something Weinland-significant happens on Dec. 16, 2009! Also, I wonder whether Ron will have something to say about the guesses i have been posting and say something about the fact that "When the time is right, God gives."

I decided to look for some information to resolve this discrepancy as to which day he gave his presentation. I found it on Twitter. Here are a few tweets that I found from several twitterers:

Magician David Ben "improvisation requires technique"7:18 AM Jun 17th from TwitterBerry
We're at ideaCity. First up -- space exploration! Next up -- religion. Later we'll see Preston Manning and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.7:27 AM Jun 17th from web
ronald weinlnd at #ideacity09 is a nutjob8:44 AM Jun 17th from mobile web
ronald weinland at #ideacity09 is a nutjob. crazy buzzkill.8:50 AM Jun 17th from mobile web
world ends on may 27, 2012. cancel your reservations.9:09 AM Jun 17th from mobile web
ideaCity deep in religious talks. thinking about C8 and the spring series victory. #VORg C8 not so much. http://yfrog.com/2flq0j 9:16 AM Jun 17th from Tweetie
'End-time prophet' Ronald Weinland says nuclear war, billions die, God takes over on May 27, 2012. Ouch.9:16 AM Jun 17th from Tweetie

Pagan Christ expert Tom Harper counters 'God doesn't write books. Fallible human beings do.' Ha. We can live.9:40 AM Jun 17th from Tweetie
Tom Harpur at IdeaCity- "religion is mythology misunderstood".9:44 AM Jun 17th from TwitterBerry
rick miller at #ideacity09 made an awesome jesus!10:31 AM Jun 17th from mobile web

I'm attribute the 2-3 hour discrepancy between the tweet timestamps and the Agenda times as resulting from the fact that I'm not a "twitterer" and Twitter defaulted me to a time zone further west since I wasn't logged in. And possibly the presentations didn't go off at the exact scheduled time. But note the day on the tweets: Ronald Weinland gave his talk on Wednesday, June 17th. It was not delivered on Thursday, June 18th, 7 days after the end of "Half a Time". It was delivered 6 days later. Not the number of God (7), but the number of man(6).

Weinland's multiple statements: "Thursday" (repeated the word "Thursday") and "seven days earlier" and "end of half-a-time" are more than a simple mistatement. I just want to know whether Weinland is really that confused as to what day of the week he gave his presentation. Or if he had some prophetic motive. And I'm willing to consider either possibility, because:

Ron thinks he's one of the Two Witnesses. And that his wife is the other.
Ron didn't keep his word to stop preaching when his prophecies did not materialize, and he broke his promises that he would not revise his prophecies when they failed

So "Weinland Observer", if you want creds from your spiritual idol, make a neat YouTube video in his honor. Or better yet, make a flexible calendar that moves days around so that it can be any prophetic number of days between two events -- Ron would really, really like that. And he really, really has great need of one. Who knows, maybe he would make you the other witness. But as far as your guesses, I think that what he'll say is "Stop entertaining demons."

It's Half a Time

2009-06-21T07:04:00.014-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland spoke from Toronto yesterday. His sermon went off as scheduled at 3:30 Eastern time since he was not held up at the ideaCity luncheon. It turned out that Ron did not break the sabbath by partying at ideaCity after all.

Ron will be thinking about the cold winters of Winnipeg well into the Millennium. Ron was amazed that everyone could assemble this far into the Great Tribulation. COG-PKG membership must be popping in Florida since Ron ordained a second elder for the sunshine state, making sure the new one was all the way across the state on the Atlantic side.

Ron had a hard time fitting in with all the intellectuals at ideaCity. His talk was delivered on Thursday morning instead of Wednesday morning. The audience was mostly in stunned silence during his presentation, but a few let their mirth escape. One of them is indeed fortunate that Ron does not really have Witness powers -- Ron was so offended that he wanted to strike the offender dead on the spot. Nevertheless, Ron compared himself to his spiritual idol, Herbert Armstrong, as being unique among all the other Armstrongists by being able to address such a large group of non-believers.

Ron, let me repair some misconceptions you have.
(1) The handlers at ideaCity were nice and respectful to you because they were being paid to with hold their laughter until out of your presence. Same for the radio interviewers.
(2) Don't confuse intelligence and reasoning with haughtiness and pride. You're not around intelligence and reasoning much these days, are you? Hanging around your followers quite a bit, huh?

A week ago last Thursday was a prophetic day. It was 180 days into the not-so-Great Tribulation, or "half a time", and the earthshaking events for that milestone were a couple of interviews on local radio stations in Toronto.

After Ron's talk, he went backstage for a post-presentation interview. Meanwhile the next speaker had a different opinion and was speaking heresy about the Bible. Looking over the bios, the following presenter was Tom Harpur, author of "The Pagan Christ". Tom's CV is a bit more impressive than Ron's, whose main talent was being able to swallow British Israelism whole on a mention from his father, no further investigation required. Tom Harpur's heresy was too much for Ron to tolerate, so he left ideaCity. Now Ron, Tom sat through your nonsense -- or maybe he was the one who laughed at your mention of BI. How much longer does he have to live?

The morning of my posting is also prophetic. With the publication of this post, yet another of Weinland's prophecies is false, as it's now six months after the fall season of 2008 and yet the US exists as an independent nation despite what is published on the last page of his book. After Ron changed his timeline a year ago, he assured us that nothing had changed in his book "2008 God's Final Witness", not even an iota. And it's also half a year, an actual 365-day year, not an imaginary 360-day year, or 182 and 1/2 days since Ron cursed me to speedily die from the inside.

Update: In which the False Prophet may have rubbed off on me.

As "Observer" has pointed out in the comments, an agenda is available on the ideaCity website hidden away here. It shows Ron speaking first in that session, followed by Tom Harpur, and 4 speakers later is Rick Miller, a standup comedian who includes in his repertoire a comedic routine that Ron would consider blasphemous. I'll have to listen again to Saturday's sermon later on to see if Ron, as "Observer" points out, mentioned the offending speaker as 4 speakers later. And if, as I recall him saying, he spoke on Thursday instead of on Wednesday as is listed on the agenda.

So I may have been presumptuous, though not in the prophetic sense as Ron. Thanks for pointing out my possible error. And if I've made any other errors, such that as we're not an independent nation over 6 months after the end of the 2008 fall season and that we don't have a new president, or that "nukular" weapons were detonated in US port cities last July, or that Rod Meredith, Dave Pack, and Gerald Flurry really did die before the 7th seal opened (either time), please let me know.

Update 2, maybe I wasn't quite so wrong.

I listened to the sermon again, and clarified a few points. The timestamps given correspond to the version of the sermon with the announcements only available until next Saturday after which they'll redact the announcements.

At 15 minutes, he states that he gave the talk on Thursday as I remembered. According to the website agenda, and his announcment the prior Saturday, Ron was scheduled for Wednesday morning. Perhaps they switched the days for an agenda, because his description otherwise matches the time.

Beginning at 1 hour and 1 minutes into the sermon MP3 file, he begins talking about the presentation. Afterward, he had an interview during which someone spoke about Biblical contradictions and the authors of the 4 gospels. This person exhibited great stupidity. This is consistent with Tom Harpur. Ron did take great exception and wanted to speak out. The next two speakers he said were interesting, which seems reasonable given the bios for John Geiger and Richard McDonald. The fourth speaker following is the one he took the greatest exception to and probably was the one who offended Ron the most, and that person according to the agenda was Rick Miller who has a comedic routine, Bigger Than Jesus.

So I wasn't totally wrong. Still wondering if it happened on Wednesday or Thursday. As Gavin Rumney pointed out, Weinland was a warmup act for Tom Harpur. As far as blasphemy, to turn a phrase "that's in the eye of the beholder". Ron has his definition of blasphemy. My definition of a blasphemer is someone who delivers swill and trash on a weekly basis and takes advantage of the gullibility of others to sell his own delusions damaging their finances, family relationships, and psyches.

It's About Time

2009-06-19T23:47:00.002-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland finally put up the post on his blog he promised last Saturday. Here are a few low lights from it:

That destruction is coming, and it will be coming all too soon. It doesn’t need to be rushed!

We can be ever so thankful that the Second Trumpet has not yet sounded and that it may now be withheld even longer.

And the biggy:

For the final sermon on the Last Great Day of the Feast, it is planned that a sermon will be given on the subject of “time, times, and half a time.” God is beginning to give a clearer understanding of what He is doing concerning a “new” significance this expression has for this end-time. Due to the special fast held by God’s Church in January this year, some prophetic events have been shifted within the framework of the fulfillment of “time, times, and half a time.”

My read on this is that Weinland is priming his flock, not quite for timeline #3, but an extensive revision of timeline #2. The tribulation will not be great for quite awhile yet.

Then the Spokesman Witness discussed two interviews he'd had last week with a couple of Toronto radio stations:

Rather than being treated with attitudes that can be challenging, confrontational, disbelieving, irreverent, and at times condescending, there indeed seems to be a shift beginning to take place in which the message (and messenger) are beginning to be treated with greater respect.

Do you think maybe these were promotional events for ideaCity? Would they want to get a presenter all upset before hand? He then goes on to compare himself to his own spiritual idol:

It will be interesting to see what door or doors God opens as a result of this unique speaking invitation in Toronto. I am reminded of the kinds of invitations Mr. Armstrong received that led to even greater opportunities to preach the gospel (as this was his commission).

Then this gem:

Beginning in 2009, the United States placed a new government in motion that no longer has any favor and will no longer receive any help from God.

Just as a reminder the "new government" that he's talking about is one that wasn't supposed to exist at all, as he prophesied that no new president would take office this year. Weinland winds up his post by hammering on the only one of the thunders that seems to be sounding, the economy.

He promises more on the sequence of events in his sermon tomorrow at 3:30 Eastern time (or later). Ronnie, do you also have "new" significance on the timing as to when I'm to die speedily? After all it's almost 26 weeks since you laid the curse on me.

Where's Ronnie?

2009-06-18T18:59:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning was to have been False Prophet Ronald Weinland's 20 minutes of fame as he spoke at ideaCity. Since I have to work for a living and wouldn't have spent $99 for the streaming feed in any case, I don't know how he was received. Ron's promised post has not appeared on his blog. Maybe it will appear in the next two minutes after I publish.

What does the silence mean? Did Ron speak so eloquently and convincingly that he is counseling and baptizing hundreds of the audience members who were sufficiently well heeled to spend $4000 on admission? Or is he barricaded in his hotel room fending off scores of people repenting of having spent their money to hear him? Or is he attending the legendary parties mentioned in this press release? And dare I risk the wrath of the Spokesman Witness by wondering if he'll be partying tomorrow night after sundown (the sabbath)?

We'll just have to wait to see if he shows up at 3:30 PM Eastern time (or maybe later) on Saturday in Toronto to deliver his sermon and his version of events. Maybe Moses Znaimer will be so impressed with Ron that he'll give him free airtime on the religious TV channel he just purchased.

Or maybe the effects of the first 4 trumpets will suddenly come into effect so that we will not have another failed prophecy, the one on the last page of his book that states the United States will not be an independent nation within 6 months after the 2008 Fall season, which expires on Sunday morning.

Or maybe Ron's curse on me to die speedily from the inside will finally materialize and I won't know in any case. So much exciting stuff to happen in the next few days.

The UK is Kind of a Foreign Country

2009-06-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

Could False Prophet Ronald Weinland be getting ready to change to his third timeline? The Spokesman Witness was back in Cincinnati for Saturday's sermon after his European jaunt. He commented that only two in all of the UK are part of the "scattering", which is those who were in WCG before Tkach's apostasy of December 17, 1994. These two are the Milnes (which Ron has previously pronounced like "Milney"). So only two in all of the UK will be converted to spirit beings in three years when Christ returns. And it seems that the UK must be a foreign country because the English they speak is not quite like ours.

This is the last week for the first 4 trumpets to blow in order to fullfill Weinland's prophecy on the last page of his book that the US meets its demise by 8:04 EDT on June 21 (see the countdown clock on the right side of the blog). Ron has ignored that and promises this to be a special week for other reasons. It's the week during which he goes to ideaCity in Toronto. False Prophet Ron is scheduled to speak late Wednesday morning. Ronnie also mentioned a couple of interviews last Thursday -- perhaps these are promotional for the event.

Ron also promises a new post to his blog this week and a special sermon next weekend. Could this be a redux of last year? Last year on June 17, Ron posted "New Truth" on his blog as a setup to his change to the second timeline. Then the following Saturday, June 22, he announced that the first timeline had failed but that people would have to wait to hear the new truth until the Feast of Trumpets on September 30 . However, I published his new "truth" and timeline that same day and the following Saturday, on June 29, he announced the 50th "truth" and the second timeline in order to stave off the loss of his membership.

Ron alluded back to the State of California's receivership of WCG back in 1979. Then he mentioned that members had been contacted recently by "parts of our government". My speculation is that IRS Criminal Investigation has now expanded its criminal investigation of Ronald Weinland that began last year and that was exposed on this blog back in August to include interviews of members. Ron's advice was that they should tell the truth, saying it's a process that they have to go through. That is good advice, as it's against the law to lie to a federal agent. But Ron figures that they don't know anything anyway.

Ron went on to discuss prophetic events. He claims that attitudes are "starting to change out there", but people won't really be humbled until the fifth trumpet comes along. Hmm, I thought the humbling process was supposed to be the result an intensifying of the thunders that were to follow the two-day fast the membership suffered through back at the end of January. Ron added that "the two witnesses" won't "do their job" until the fifth trumpet and then will be doing their job in Germany and other nations in Europe.

Last year I was able to predict Ron's second timeline even before he announced it. Let's see if my prophetic skill are still intact. My speculation is that Weinland feels the feds closing in on him. Also the absence of the Great Tribulation. He has a scheme to hang on to his membership whether he's incarcerated or flees prosecution to Germany. He claimed in December that he was closing his Swiss bank account. But did he close all of his accounts or just a token account? Basically, he needs to come up with a way to spiritualize the trumpets so that he have have them blow whenever it's convenient for him. Also a scheme to Spin It Like It's 1979 should he end up in Federal custody courtesy of IRS CI.

My crystal ball is hazier than it was a year ago. But I think that he's getting ready to fine tune this timeline to give it some more duration. I don't expect the timeline to change before his Last Great Day sermon.

Ronnie stated that he's getting threatening emails, and he's glad that he has the protection of being a Witness. Sorry to burst your bubble, Ron, but you're not in a Witness protection program -- you're just as vulnerable as anyone else. But even though you issued a death curse against me 25 weeks ago, I am against violence as a way to stop your exploitation of others. Were Weinland to be killed, his followers would regroup and continue on. It's up to his followers to clean out their eyes and ears so that they can see and hear what a false prophet he is.

Ronnie. No. No one's going to think that you're the Great False Prophet. The Sixth Thunder will never sound and very few people will have heard of you before Christ doesn't return in 2012.

Spiritual Idolatry

2009-06-10T06:06:00.002-05:00

The following is transcribed from notes taken by a member of The Church of God Inc. during one of Ron Weinland's sermons a few weeks before the split that happened in February of 2000 and Weinland's later changing the dba name to Church of God - PKG. I found some of the statements ironic considering what happened in the weeks and years following. Disclaimer: these may not be exact verbatim quotes, but again were notes taken during the sermon.

You can speak what the truth of God is in doctrine, yet lie about what is true. True doctrine does not make you spiritually true because you can possess the truths of God and still be a false witness.

Too many today are lifting themselves up, kidding themselves that they are doing God's bidding, yet all the while denying the true evidence all around them. To lift ourselves above what is true and falsely esteem an organization, or a ministry, and its efforts while ignoring the truth, is the epitome of Laodicea.

Many brethren are going to be found guilty of working against God's will, not for it. They are not actually doing His work, but they believe they are. Lifting up our own efforts, as being God's, is idolatry. Stubbornly supporting things that are false and lifting up an organizations or a ministry that denies the true evidence is idolatry. Spiritual idolatry was the great sin, and sin separates us from God.

Idolatry is the result of pride. It is mixed with attitudes of haughtiness, complacency, apathy, lying and deceit. It results in blindness to the true will and purpose of God.

We are first and foremost the work of God, His first fruits. Any who deny this and seek to make God or His work something different is deep in idolatry.

Now is the time to flee idolatry! Now is the time to repent of pride. Have some organizations and brethren, who started out by helping others, now turned to spiritual idolatry all over again? Can one remain in such an environment and not become weaker? Or are you waiting for some big doctrinal change before being committed to flee again? Spiritual idolatry comes long before spiritual fornication. If you wait for a doctrinal change in order to justify yourself, you risk not being alert enough (instead of asleep), much less strong enough to resist it. Do you have a higher opinion of yourself?

Weinland used to publish a periodical called "Newswatch". A few months earlier, in the August-September 1999 issue, Weinland wrote:
You might believe that a decision to sever such a fellowship is easy to make. If your were confronted with this same decision on the issue of tithing, perhaps it might be an easy decision for you. But what about other false doctrines that are floating around the Church? What about other difficult choices that have to do with integrity, truthfulness, righteous financial stewardship, spiritual idolatry, or harsh rulership of a minister or an organization?

I couldn't resist bolding the parts I found particularly ironic. Ron changed the doctrine on the origin of Jesus Christ in 2005. Later he solicits funds from his congregation to "help others" by promoting his books of false prophecy. Then when his prophecies fail, he denies the evidence around him and convinces his followers to do the same.

I urge all to flee the spiritual idolatry of False Prophet Ronald Weinland.

Death Cab for Ron

2009-06-07T06:06:00.007-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in the UK today. Wayne and Chris Matthews have extended their vacation from unemployment yet another week. With no job, Wayne has time to function as the evangelist over Europe as well. Recently ordained elder William Milne was elevated to senior elder over the other UK elders Phillip and Benjamin because he has been baptized the longest. Seniority counts.

Ron went on at great length about being ripped off by a cab driver in Berlin but repenting of getting angry.

He also mentioned receiving an email that asked him why he didn't sue his critics. Ron's response is that we're being eaten up inside. But now it seems that it's in God's time. Guess God's time isn't speedily, since it's now 24 weeks since the Insane Liar pronounced his death curse on me.

Ron stated that his critics had a past with WCG or with Ron himself, having been put out for adultery and other sins. Ron, Ron, Ron -- none of the three bloggers actively criticizing you have been members of WCG. None of us have been members of your church either, nor any other Armstrongite splinter for that matter. Exactly who are you talking about? Make it clear or admit to being a liar. Otherwise, it's just a bogus ad hominem attack. Exactly which blogger committed adultery?

To whomever it was who suggested that Ron sue me: if I've said anything that's not true, then please provide the correct information. Unlike Ron, I do wish to be accurate. You may respond in a comment on this blog, or you can email me at the address on the picture of the mailbox in the right-hand column. But understand that you have a tall order if you want to convince me that Ron is not a false prophet. If you respond, then "Just the facts, Ma'am" -- no rhetoric or telling me that I don't have eyes to see or ears to hear or similar nonsense. As Ron would say "Delete, Delete, Delete". My goal is to put out accurate information, but it seems that Ron doesn't care as he never responded to my earlier email to him.

Ron's Church, An Overview

2009-06-03T06:06:00.008-05:00

In late 2006 and early 2007, False Prophet Ronald Weinland gave a 3-parter entitled "God's Church, An Overview". He stated that the sermon series was intended for new members and those who would come after them. Despite that, those sermons are no longer linked on the COG-PKG website. Nevertheless I was able to obtain copies and listen to them. It's somewhat understandable as to why he pulled them.

On Saturday December 23, 2006, Weinland stated:
“To all of you listening, this is the second to the last sabbath in 2006 – we have one more sabbath for this year. Beginning in the month of January, I’m just going to state this, I’ve asked God that the seven thunders begin to sound, distinctly so, OK. There’s been some thundering in the distance, but now it’s going to get a whole lot closer. …. It’s time for things to begin brethren. We have a period of time where things can begin to take place and to follow suit with what’s written in the book."

The following Saturday, December 30th of 2006, Weinland was confused about the thunders he himself defined, mixing up the 4th and 5th thunders, stating:
“some have asked about the death of different ones, they all go to the 4th thunder, …. There are those that want to jump ahead to the 4th thunder, especially when it’s about the churches, it’s like there’s a joy about certain ones dying. There’s no joy God says he doesn’t enjoy the death of human beings"
He then went on to speculate that the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin could be part of a thunder.

On the first Saturday of 2007, January 6, Ron ironically read from the last verses of Revelation (chapter 22) which reads :
¹⁸For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

¹⁹And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Then Weinland talked about sending a copy of his book with a letter marked "Personal" to 3 of the 5 ministers mentioned in his book with plans to do the same for the remaining 2 the following week. For those not familiar with Weinland's prophecies, beginning on the bottom of page 107 of "2008 God's Final Witness" it states:
"The most notable deaths early on, which are yet to come to pass, will be the two remaining television presenters in the Living Church of God. The sound of this thunder will be intensified by the early deaths of the leaders of the Philadelphia Church of God, the Restored Church of God and the Church of the Great God."
and a bit later:
"How much more specific can one be to show that he is either of God, and indeed His prophet, or someone who has clearly stepped over the line to be dealt with by God in a speedy manner. Time will tell! And, you don’t have long to wait!"
Ron, Ron Ron. No one was looking forward with eager joyful anticipation to the deaths of these 5 ministers. They were looking for whether you passed the test you defined for yourself as to whether you are really God's prophet. By the way, all five of these leaders of competing splinters of WCG are still alive more than 2 1/2 year after you published your book. (The accursed five who've outlived their time are: Rod Meredith and Richard Ames of LCG, Gerald Flurry of PCOG, Dave Pack of RCG, and John Ritenbaugh of CGG.)

Toward the end Ron talked about how the book printing and interviews publicizing it were nearly 2 months behind schedule. In reality it was longer than that. On last page of this divinely inspired book it states:
"When this book is published at the end of summer of 2006, (with distribution in full swing in the fall), there will be a maximum time of two years remaining before the world will be plunged into the worst time of all human history."
The book was not published at the end of summer, 2006. It wasn't until almost 2 months into the fall, on November 14, when it was released to the printer and made available for download from Weinland's website the-end.com. Even though it was well after the fall of 2006, that hardly constitutes "distribution in full swing". And even though it's longer than 2 years after the delayed publication, we are not "plunged" into the worst time of all human history -- despite the difficult economic times, it's far from the worst it has ever been.

And Weinland made this ironic statement.
“I’m so tickled that we have a very short work to do. Because they can’t come after us like they did Mr. Armstrong. They don’t even have time to get organized. Because they started lambasting him and the Worldwide Church of God as being a cult. And the government of California gave him a hard time, gave the church a hard time. They were stirred up in spirit, in a wrong spirit. We aren’t going to be around that long, to worry about all that. They don’t have time to even come after us. They’re going to be preoccupied with other things. Thank God. You’re going to come to understand that far more deeply as we go through some of this. You truly will."

Ronnie boy, not only have you had many critics (none of whom are deceased despite your death curses) but the government is coming after you in a more intense fashion than it did HWA. HWA had the luxury of fleeing a California subpoena a short plane ride away to a neighboring state. You, on the other hand, are facing the wrath of the IRS. And I suspect that you closed down your Swiss bank accounts after your attorney told you that you couldn't avoid extradition. Does anyone understand anything "far more deeply"?

Happy Birthday Ronald Weinland

2009-05-31T19:06:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in the Belgium/Netherlands area. Somehow his Cincinnati area elder Ralph Dowd found the resources to make yet another trip to follow Ron. Wayne Matthews and wife Christine from Australia were there as well, despite the fact that he was recently looking for employment.

Yesterday was also Ron's 60th birthday. Ron thinks he won't see his 63rd in his present body as he's scheduled to be resurrected from the streets of Jerusalem at sundown prior to the 27th of May, 2012.

In a moment of irony, he talked about nutcases. Weinland was all upset about being criticized for planning to attend the ideaCity luncheon on the Sabbath of June 20th. I don't think he was referring to one of his blogging critics either. Rather I believe that it was one of his members. He was so upset that he lost his place several times and had to be brought on track by someone in the audience. He mentioned this criticism more than once, and warned that it wasn't wise to criticize God's prophet, not a smart thing to do. Would bring things upon yourself to do that.

Hopefully the member critic reads my blog and will realize that he should not worry. Because here I am blogging away 23 weeks after Weinland issued a death curse against his critics.

My Ronald Weinland Summary Page has a new URL. It had been hosted at googlepages, but Google has decided to shut down that service. Thanks to Jack Said and Ambassador Watch for mentioning the new URL.

Laodicean Spelling Bee

2009-05-29T08:46:00.005-05:00

On her fourth attempt, Kavya Shivashankar won the National Spelling Bee. The winning word was “Laodicean,” defined as "an indifference to religion or politics". With a CoG background, I've heard the word but must admit that I've had trouble with the correct spelling. And I'd never heard it applied to politics.

Congratulations Kavya. It's too bad that you don't realize that you are, ironically, in the Laodicean era and have a 90% probability of dying over the next 3 years. That is unless you recognize that Ronald Weinland is God('s Witness) and repent. Set aside your dream of becoming a neurosurgeon. Because even if you do survive "into the new age", that profession will not be required in God's/Ron's kingdom.

Is Weinland FBARed?

2009-05-27T09:56:00.005-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland made a couple of references last year to his Swiss bank accounts. He mentioned their existence in his Last Great Day sermon back in October. The accounts had been established several years earlier with the funds to be used "for the Two Witnesses" and at that time he expected to soon move to Europe.

Then in December while in the Netherlands, he reversed this, claiming that he was closing these accounts and repatriating the funds to the US because the government suspected terrorism. He stated that he had come to understand the need to do this within the prior few weeks, inferring that it was a spiritual revelation.

Back in 2004 Weinland bragged : “... we put quite a bit of money over in a bank in Switzerland. And right now it’s – you know the Euro is -- as a matter of fact we spent some out of there and -- $30,000 as a matter of fact that we used out of those accounts. And you know what? Because of the value of it today, none of that’s really gone. It’s still there. It’s like we didn’t spend anything. If that makes sense to you.”

It does make sense to me. I took a look at historical exchange rates between the dollar and the euro. For example, if Weinland put $220,000 into his Swiss bank accounts in euros during the Spring of 2003 when a euro cost $1.10, and then withdrew $30,000 at the end of 2003 or early in 2004 at an exchange rate of $1.25 per euro, then the Euros remaining in the accounts would have still been worth $220,000.

It is not illegal to have Swiss bank accounts. However, it is illegal to have a foreign bank account and not follow the reporting requirements. On line 7 of Schedule B for the 1040 tax return, the filer is to indicate whether s/he has an interest in or even just signature authority over foreign financial accounts with a total value exceeding $10,000 at any time during the year. If that's the case, s/he is required to file Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) form TD F 90-22.1 by June 30 of the following year. Unlike an income tax return, there is no provision for a filing extension. Also, there is no exemption of this filing requirement for churches.

From Weinland's statement, the balance in his Swiss bank accounts was worth well in excess of $30,000 in 2004 and therefore he would have been required to file the FBAR form. Since the euro fell against the dollar during the first part of 2004 prior to his statement, the money must have been there during 2003 in order to appreciate. Therefore, he would have needed to file an FBAR form for 2003 also. The penalties for failing to file can be quite severe. The penalties possible include:

a civil penalty of 50% of the account balance, or $100,000 (whichever is greater)
a fine of $250,000 and a 5-year prison sentence

Each year is considered a separate violation. IRS Criminal Investigation is the agency which enforces the filing requirements.

My speculation is that Ron closed the Swiss bank accounts down in December of 2008 so that he wouldn't be exposing himself to a filing violation for 2009. Perhaps after consulting with his attorney after the Feast of Tabernacles, he came to an understanding that he could be extradited from either Germany or Switzerland after all. Or maybe he did file his FBAR form for each and every year that he held the Swiss bank accounts -- what do you think?

The IRS is offering an amnesty program for those who haven't filed an FBAR form as required. It offers reduced penalties and the opportunity to avoid criminal prosecution. In order to take advantage of this offer, one must contact IRS Criminal Investigation prior to September 23 of this year. Sorry, Ronald -- this offer isn't available to you since you're already under investigation.

But the amnesty offer might be available to Laura or Audra, should their names have been on the accounts but they haven't filed the FBAR form. If they are candidates for this amnesty, they should contact an attorney for advice. To avoid a conflict of interest, this should be an attorney from a firm other than either the Horwitz Law Firm which represented Ron last year in his motion to quash the IRS summonses for his financial records or Wood and Lamping where his attorney has moved.

According to the IRS FAQ, for someone who had signature authority over an account for an employer and didn't file the FBAR form but otherwise paid their income taxes, there will be no penalty provided the filing is caught up before September 23. Time is running short.

Weinland Says to Get Off the Pot

2009-05-24T08:56:00.007-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Cincinnati yesterday after several weeks on the road. He's claiming that new people have joined his church including two baptisms yesterday. It's too bad they didn't check out Weinland's history of failed prophecies, contradictions, and broken promises.

Services on June 20 will be delayed at least one hour from the normal time. That's the weekend immediately after his appearance at ideaCity in Toronto. Ron wants to party a bit longer at a luncheon that's being thrown that Saturday as part of the event, so services will have to wait.

Information on Feast sites is to be published to the members. The "Information List", which was a mass mailing list to the members, has been shut down. It has been replaced by smaller lists which the elder "local" to an area is to administer. It seems that there is a password-protected site at which the members are to register to gain access to the feast site information. Access to feast site information is available only to those who have paid for it with tithes and offerings. Unlike last year, members will be allowed to transfer between different feast sites. Although we are 23 weeks into the Great Tribulation, Weinland says that he doesn't know for sure if there will be a feast.

It seems that Weinland's Witness Powers do not include self healing. Wednesday morning he passed out from back pain and required ambulance transport to the emergency room. But he claims that he has come to understand since his August, 2005 heart attack that he can't die yet because he has a job to do as he announced a few months after that. He used his back as a reason for sitting down while delivering the sermon, which seems to be his general habit now, particularly when addressing smaller groups.

Ron must be running low on funds, as he took time to address the fence sitters who listen to him weekly but haven't joined and most importantly aren't paying tithes. To those who question whether he is a Witness, he forcefully exclaimed: "YES I AM", and told them that they should "get off the pot". Actually, he wants them to do the other action from this earthy expression that he left unstated (would that be "holy s#$t?). I would like for them to get off the pot. I hope they do some research on Weinland before they turn over their brains and their money to him.

Weinland turns 60 next Saturday. Will I be able to observe it? Or will I die the speedy death from the inside that Weinland promised me 22 weeks ago?

Weinland on the Appearance of the Two Witnesses

2009-05-20T06:06:00.008-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland has made many predictions. Here's one that he made back in 2004:

…I look ahead. Are we in another cycle? 1260 days? 1290 days? 1335? I don’t know. I have seen 2 very distinct cycles come out in the past. Are we in another one? I don’t know.

I believe we’re getting ready to go into one. I just don’t know what it is. When the time comes, God will show us what it is. But there’s a reason he doesn’t show it at different times. And so we go forward, we believe. And we’re going to do something. We don’t know what it is, we don’t know how great, how strong it will become. When things are going to shift again, when two witnesses come on the scene, we don’t know when that’s going to happen. But when they do, we know how much time we have left. Because they will not be made known, they will not be made manifest, they will not say and do what they’re going to do -- until the very last 3 ½ years. And then we know. There’s no doubt then when things are going to happen.

The following year, on December 17, 2005 while reading from a draft of his book "2008 God's Final Witness", he made an announcement. The final version in the book, only slightly edited from the draft he read in his sermon, is:
It is now with boldness, confidence and great clarity that I give to you what God has given me. I am to announce, through God’s direct revelation, that I am one of those two witnesses. The other witness will be revealed to the world during the time of the great tribulation—within the final three and one-half years of man’s era. During that period of time, we will, together, completely fulfill all that God has given us to witness to this whole earth.

Yet it was only a couple of weeks later that Weinland obliquely revealed in a sermon that Laura would be the Second Witness. It was clear enough to his church that she was the other witness, as he warned them against revealing her. So the two witnesses were made manifest to the Church of God -- PKG. Was December of 2005 the beginning of the final 3 1/2 years? No.

When the book was released to the publishers on November 14, 2006, was that the beginning of the final 3 1/2 years? No. (Not even though the book itself stated that it would be published during the summer of 2006.)

When Laura was officially revealed to the world in the waning hours of April 17, 2008, more than 24 hours after her job supposedly began the evening prior at sundown in Jerusalem, was that the beginning of the final 3 1/2 years? No.

When Laura was officially ordained a prophetess in Jerusalem on Dec 13, 2008, was that (or the following day) the beginning of the final 3/12 years? In case you haven't noticed the pattern here, the answer is "NO".

Poor Ronnie. He's blathered so much he can't remember what he's said, so he can't keep his story straight.

Weinland, the Media, and another Date

2009-05-17T08:26:00.002-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Vancouver, Washington yesterday. He spent about 10 minutes reading the latest post on his blog and discussing his upcoming engagement to speak at ideaCity in June. He followed up with a mention of visiting a website that discussed this in a catty fashion and accused Weinland of self promotion. Obviously written by a bitter person. According to Google, the only person who has posted any commentary on this event is Thielogical Bob. Sometimes I find Bob a bit smug, but never catty. Nor did his post mention anything about self promotion. I wonder what Ronnie is smoking.

Weinland claims this as a sounding of the Sixth Thunder (growing recognition of Weinland as a Witness). I have a feeling that Moses Znaimer is having Ron on as a bit of comic relief from his other 49 speakers. The Sixth Thunder will sound as loudly as it did when Ronnie was on Australian TV back in November. During the Australian program, Weinland was on about 5 minutes of the 27-minute program, and the rest of the time was spent criticizing him. Part of Ron's participation was clips of him walking city streets and through some kind of industrial site. The closest thing to a promotion of his book was a couple of brief clips of the cover of his book, with no information given on how to obtain a copy.

I won't be in attendance at ideaCity. The admission at the door is $4000 plus GST. With 50 speakers, that works out to $80 to hear Weinland. I can listen to him longer for free and even that's too much money.

We haven't heard much prophecy from the False Prophet since he rebegan his job in December. During the sermon he discussed that planning for the Feast of Tabernacles this fall is underway, with the list of sites to be made available once the elders have had a chance to review it for accuracy. He then followed up by stating he didn't know if it would be possible to even have one.

The graphic shown to the right is from a Google search that returned a sponsored link for Weinland's site. Looks like a prophecy with a date to me. The first five trumpets will have to sound very quickly if PKG is to have a feast in the fall and then complete the downfall of the US with the sounding of the Fifth Trumpet. But according to his book, the downfall was to occur no later than June 21, only 34 days from now.

I wonder if the speedy death from the inside with which Weinland cursed me 21 weeks ago will happen before the downfall of America.

A Blast From the Past: Ron Weinland on the Bob Rivers Show

2009-05-13T06:06:00.006-05:00

Back in September of 2004 through January of 2005, False Prophet Ronald Weinland was actively promoting his first book "Prophesied End Time" by appearing on various radio programs. His publicist booked him on the Oct 7, 2004 episode of the Bob Rivers Show in Seattle. A recording of this show is still available for download as an mp3 file (Right-click, then Save As). At the 30 minute point in the file, an excerpt of REM's "It's the End of the World" was played as an intro. Bob mentioned some recent hurricanes and some rumblings of Mt. St. Helens nearby to Seattle, and then the interview began.

Ronald Weinland stated that, unlike all the other quacks and weirdos, he is a Prophet of God and that the US would undergo increases calamities in the following 4 years. Two thirds of the US would die. While the following year saw the great Tsunami of December 2004 (not affecting the US) and Hurricane Katrina (which did affect the US), it was pretty quiet after that.

One ironic statement: when asked about his church, Ron said they didn't bother with buildings since they wouldn't be around very long. Yet it was the following spring when he moved into his newly-built $381,000 mansion into which he rolled a lot of equity he'd built up in houses through the years, including by some accounts on the backs of his Erie WCG congregation. While Ron insists that he paid for the labor of his Erie flock, there is some disagreement with that. But I digress (smack), let's get back to the interview with Bob Rivers.

Ron stated that copies of the book would be sent out free, and claimed that there would be no request for money. However, that was NOT true. A letter was included along with the books with a suggestion that contributions would be accepted, and of course the URL for the church website. However mild, there was a contribution request none the less.

Bob Rivers asked if the revelations of impending doom came from the jawbone of an ass or a (burning) bush. Ron didn't have a good response for that one and didn't answer. Bob's sidekick had a hard time holding in the mirth. They asked if he had a girl friend. Maybe they never heard the saying "There's a lid for every pot." In Ron's case it would be more proper to say "a lid for every crackpot".

After the interview and Ron hung up, Bob stated that he was the biggest crackpot they'd had on the show in 5 years.

This interview is not included in the ones that Ron put up on his website (surprise). I have a feeling that Ron began looking for a new publicist after this interview or at least chewed them a new one. I wonder if Bob Rivers and his sidekick have yet experienced their speedy death from the inside. Unlike myself, still criticizing this false prophet over 20 weeks since Ron reimposed his death curse on me back on December 20. (And shame on me for remaining anonymous.)

A Deal for You, Ronald Weinland

2009-05-09T19:36:00.006-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland spoke from Spokane today. Since the stock market is heading up, he focused on the jobless statistics and prophesied a big fall. Later on he discussed the large numbers of people he's cycled through and discarded, calling it "a sifting".

Ron took time to take a shot at me. He called me a liar who won't give my real name. Someone who knows where he lives but whose name and address he doesn't know. And probably someone who attended god's house side-by-side in counsel blended sweet.

Ron, I have no apology for not "having the guts" to disclose my real name and where I live. I'm not the one of us who declared death curses on the other. Never mind your lame attempt to spiritualize away your curse because it hasn't happened quickly, not even 20 weeks after you re-pronounced it. That's right Ron. You tried to make it as though you only said it once, during your first timeline. But you repronounced it again in December.

While I've published photos of your house, I haven't published your address even though I obviously could have. I don't wish you physical harm despite your multiple death curses against me, but there may be others whose lives you've damaged who are not so generous.

As far as being a liar, you've clearly defined yourself as one by not keeping multiple promises that you would not revise your prophecies. I on the other hand, have tried to be accurate in my blog postings and web site. I've even sent you an email asking you for corrections, but you haven't bothered responding. Delete - delete delete?

As far as having attending WCG together "side-by-side in counsel blended sweet", we may possibly have happened to walk to the big top side-by-side from the camping area in the piney woods at your first feast. But it certainly wasn't "in counsel blended sweet" as that was my last feast and I didn't want to be there at all while you were slurping down HWA's Flavor Aid. I rejected that false prophet, but you've idolized him and surpassed what he was in terms of egregious behavior even though you've impacted a small fraction of the people he has. (Fortunately fewer people, yet still too many).

Ron, as far as my being a bitter scorner delighting in my scorn, I'll tell you what. Keep all the promises you made in aaaall those interviews and in aaaaall those sermons that you would admit to being a false prophet and stop preaching when your prophecies failed. Acknowledge to your followers whom YOU have betrayed that God does not speak to you. Apologize to Kirrily, to Mike Allen, and to others who have and are still following you for misleading them. Make a full accounting to all your followers for your financial dealing and make amends as best you can. While you're at it, do the same with the government for anything you may have held back and make Cesar happy with you. Stop the distribution of your books and make the announcement that you are a false prophet on all your web sites. Do all that, and I'll take down my web sites. After all, there are plenty of other false prophets to torment. Do we have a deal, Ron?

Somehow I have feeling we'll both be still at it on May 28, 2012.

An Ode to Ronald Weinland

2009-05-06T07:06:00.003-05:00

The following poem was written by a recently departed ex-member of COG-PKG and provided to Don't Drink the Flavor Aid:

-------------------------------------
Poem to Ron Weinland

Your words full of wisdom
They made perfect sense
The warmth of your smile
The safety in participation with you

Growth in mind, in spirit
The reality of where we were headed
No fear, just anticipation
Our days were full of tomorrow, not today

Our loved ones feared
But we were not diffused
Tomorrow was what mattered
Most friendships passed away
New ones were forged

Our past was what shaped us
Our present was reforming us
Our future was set
If only we did not give up

To conform, to transform
To allow the change, to see the change
Our lives in the present, only to prepare
Prepare for the Kingdom of God

We were fed, we were clothed
Nakedness in mind and spirit was not experienced
Friendship and warmth in preparedness
We were not alone

We had each other
We were prepared, ever learning
Steadfast, immovable in our belief
We were special, we knew what was to come

Arrogance of mind, of attitude
Pride
We did not see it in ourselves, only others
It was all around us, never in us

Looking down upon others
Calling it something else
Knowing ‘The Call’ wasn’t theirs – yet
Hoping that day would come

Their eyes were shut
Ours were open
Their minds were closed
Ours were enlightened

They could not see
We saw clearly
They were in deception
We were in truth

Attitudes shifted, timelines changed
Things were suddenly unclear
Was this still the truth?
Did we fail to see?

We repented, we were wrong of course
We stood firm
We did not give up
We wanted, had to have, total resolve

Time went by
We adjusted our attitude
Looking forever inward
Knowing we must not doubt
Life went on

One day it hit
One day was all it took
To look into the eyes of others
The feeling of superiority suddenly recognized, obviously unfounded
It was shocking to see what we had become

Questions needed to be asked
Questions were not answered
We were told we could not longer see
That God was no longer with us

Friendships forged through separation from the world
Ended, were broken
No longer part of the truth, we were told
Suddenly, we were alone

We had the truth, we would not let go
It was only our leader
It was only our belief
He was not who he said he was

Looking for a teacher
Looking for food, finding none
The mess that was WCG
So many daughters, so who is really the whore?

The 10 is what we have now
The basic, the unchanging, Gods Law
The truth is what we seek
The truth is still not found

Time passed
Healing was slow
Time to recover
Time to awaken

The pain, the agony
True humbling took place
Brought to nought
The foundation was all that remained

A counterfeit is barely recognized from the true
First you must know what is true
Who is true
By what they say coming to pass, not failing
Twice

Acknowledging we believed a lie
Believed a witness, a prophet
Consumed with his own truth
A truth he believed was given, he was never giving up

A witness, a prophet
Believing his own self
Believing what was ‘given’
Until the end

We wish him no harm, no foul
Only wishing, hoping that no others are hurt
The hurt we carry with us,
The hurt we can hardly bear

What we saw in him as humility, became arrogance
What we saw as steadfast, became delusion
What we saw as the truth, was actually his own truth
What we saw as belonging, was actually being lost

Cursing who he believes as being the blind
To death
The mockers, the deceived
From his point of view, are not they too – potential Children of God under PKG?
Yet – they are cursed to die

True humility
Is admitting when you are wrong
Those of us who left, were humbled, we admitted our error
Those who remain, ignore their pride
Its harder to leave, than to stay
It’s harder to admit you are wrong, than stay in deception

We were taught pride is our ultimate enemy
We thought pride was far from us
Pride in fact, was what we lived, what we were, what we became
Leaving brought us true humility
True knowledge of Pride

Admission of being wrong
Not easy, not safe
Pride is what prevents
Acknowledgment of being wrong.

Pride is Ronald Weinland
We see you
We still love you
Just stop – let the people go

You are not the truth
You do not have the truth
You are wrong
You are false

The pain you have caused was not intentional
The agony you yourself bear is great
Just acknowledge you’re wrong
Don’t let your pride win.

Pride is what you are
Pride is what you became
Pride is you’re here and now
It will not be allowed to be your future

The End is nigh
That, we still believe
But yours must be closer

We forgive you
But this lie can not continue

Kirrily
May 6, 2009
-------------------------------------

Thank you for sharing this, Kirrily. You are quite generous in spirit -- more generous than I or others would be in this situation. If only one particular person would heed your plea to reexamine what's going. I believe that you've communicated to me some the essence of your journey so far through this cult, although I won't totally understand it. Even though you're no longer a member, you may have a distance left to travel, but I hope the path gets easier as you go further along.

In keeping with Kirrily's generous spirit, there is a moratorium on mocking Ron in the comments section for this post. (Other posts remain open for that.) I believe that there is plenty to discuss about the effects of Weinland's cult on its members, and that's what this thread is for.

Sheriff Ron Rides with his Posse

2009-05-02T20:46:00.001-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Denver today. He delivered the sad news that Vicki Snowdeal died from her cancer, despite his visit there last Sunday. Vicki will have a funeral on Tuesday, unlike some others who chose not to have one. The Spokesman Witness will be officiating, so he can tell all her relatives that Vicki will be resurrected on May 26, 2012. But they won't see her because they'll die a horrible death unless they repent and follow Ron. I hope none of them follow the suggestion to make a memorial donation to the Church of God - PKG.

Those nasty people in Cincinnati interrupted the flow of the sermon by calling Laura to complain of varying volume. Probably was really Shawn Christal's fault. When he prayed for the Internet connections for a sermon a year ago, the entire feed went down. In any case, I had no problems so the effect of his opening prayer today must have been redirected.

It seems that a number of the converts gathered last year by the Google Ad campaign have been robbing Ron by not paying their tithes. He's been looking at year-end and quarterly reports and mourns the loss of expected funds from certain people. Names have been taken and rear ends are about to be kicked, either by Ron or one of his elders.

Fellow blogger Dill Weed has moved to a new URL, so if you've bookmarked his site be sure to update it.

IRS Criminal Investigation of Ronald Weinland -- No Question

2009-04-29T06:06:00.012-05:00

The story of the IRS criminal investigation of False Prophet Ronald Weinland was broken on this blog on August 1 of last year. The news was picked up by a number of other bloggers, including Bob Thiel whose CoGwriter blog is the most highly trafficked COG-related blog. Bob is an apologist for Rod Meredith and the Living CoG and has a Doctorate in alternative medicine. Bob made a few careless statements in his piece that deserve correction.

In my August post, I stated: "Ronald Weinland is being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Internal Revenue Service. They are looking into his taxes beginning with tax year 2004 and including all of the years since. An investigation by the IRS CID should not be confused with a more common taxpayer audit."

After reading my post, Bob stated in his responding post: "Of course, just being audited by the IRS, including the criminal portion may or may not be significant as (from what I read in other sources) the IRS is deciding to use their criminal arm more and more even when it is uncalled for–especially for Americans who tend to go overseas somewhat frequently–which Ronald Weinland does (and that of itself is not criminal nor should it be discouraged)."

Let's review: I stated that a criminal investigation should not be confused with a more common taxpayer audit. Bob then promptly confused a criminal investigation with a more common taxpayer audit. The IRS does not conduct audits of a taxpayer at the same time as a criminal investigation. Per IRS policy, with a ongoing criminal investigation there is no ongoing IRS audit of Ronald Weinland. (IRM 1.2.13.1.11(7)) In my August 1 post I quoted statistics: "In 2007 the IRS Criminal Investigation Division started only 4211 investigations". With only 4211 investigations the IRS simply can't go after everyone who travels internationally, even those who travel many times each year as Weinland does.

Personally, I think that Ron's travels (3 trips to Europe, 2 trips to Australia, and 2 trips to Jerusalem with a side trip to Egypt in 2008) while technically not illegal should be discouraged, as they're financed on the backs of his tithe-and-offering slaves.

Bob finished his post with the following "But even if he has no real problem with the I.R.S. (and presuming he will be cleared, he would not) ...." As a criminal target Weinland enjoys a presumption of innocence should he go to trial, but he does not enjoy a presumption of being cleared. Personally, I'm not going to presume that Weinland will be cleared. First of all, one of the statistics I quoted in my article (which Bob could have read if he'd so chosen) was that 2155 were convicted as compared to 4211 investigations started. Based on those statistics, Weinland has over a 50% chance of being convicted. Second, the IRS does not investigate to clear someone. IRS CI will stop an investigation if they feel they can't develop enough evidence to obtain a criminal conviction -- and the IRS has a substantial burden of proof in a criminal trial. But the IRS will not publish even the fact that they've terminated an investigation unless the subject of the investigation requests and authorizes it in writing. While there's slightly less than an even chance that Weinland will not be convicted, there's only a very, very slim chance that Ronnie will be "cleared".

I get the feeling that Bob thinks that someone who served as one of Herbie's "Misters" could not possibly be a criminal (despite being a false prophet). Bob put a question mark on the title of his post (IRS Criminal Investigation of Ronald Weinland?) implying he was skeptical that there was a criminal investigation at all, despite access to court documents clearing proving that there was one. A few months later when it was suggested that another Armstrongite False Prophet (Gerald Flurry) was being investigated by the FBI, Bob took great exception. This even though Weinland and Flurry compete with Bob's own favorite false prophet, Rod Meredith. And even though Ron has called for Rod's death.

I've asked Doctor Bob on more than one occasion to provide his sources that the "IRS criminal arm" (IRS CI division) targets international travelers for criminal investigations so I could read them for myself. So far they hasn't been produced -- just vague references to some newsletter he might have read. I rather doubt that any such evidence exists, at least not from any reputable source. I expect that Doctor Bob's thielogical positions are as equally well researched as his position on IRS criminal investigations.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that international travelers are more likely to be targeted for criminal investigations. But that does not prove a cause-effect relationship, that is it does not prove that the IRS targeted them because they travel internationally. International travelers would tend to have more income, meaning they'd have more income tax to evade, meaning they would be of greater interest to the IRS. While not everyone who has a Swiss bank account is a tax cheat, tax cheats are more likely to have Swiss bank accounts to which they'd travel to hide their assets. The IRS is not going to target someone simply for traveling overseas. They're not going to waste their limited resources unless they feel they have a good chance of being able to meet their burden of proof in a criminal trial. As a reminder, the mere existence of the criminal tax investigation does not in and of itself prove that Weinland has broken the law.

There are a lot of misconceptions about what IRS criminal investigations are, not just on the part of Doctor Bob. I have done some actual research on the topic (not just reading some random newsletter) and plan a post in the future to share what I've learned. I imagine that Doctor Bob will have a response to my post as well. That is unless Weinland's long-delayed curse of quick death from the inside stops me and/or Doctor Bob who has also made himself subject to the death curse with his own criticisms of this false prophet.

Sheriff Ron Coming Next Month

2009-04-26T10:26:00.004-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Springfield Massachusetts yesterday. His elders Mitch Williams and John Giannotta were on hand to deliver the prayers. His elder J Noble Snowdeal didn't make it this time as his wife Vicki is battling cancer. Hopefully she will recover from that and then recover from following Ron.

It's interesting that Snowdeal was promoted to elder, given his recent involvement in worldly politics as an elector for Ralph Nader. Nader???!!! I guess Joseph never got the message that God is a Republican, but even so Godly people don't vote.

Weinland took note of the story that's circulated the pro- and anti-CoG blogosphere about WCG's name change to GCI. He was approving of the change and thought getting God out of their name was long overdue. Of course during Armstrong's reign it was not the same unitarian God that Weinland worships anyway. Seems that Satan can broadcast into people's minds and cause them to commit the unpardonable sin. Time to break out the tin-foil hats.

I was surprised to hear about the second passover, observed 30 days after the regular passover. This is a second chance for those who missed the regular passover. I asked if this was a new doctrine and was told that WCG observed it but didn't make a big thing about it. Possibly mentioned in a brief statement when I was required to attend, but I was zoned out exercising my defense mechanisms in ignoring all the other nonsense.

Ron didn't pound on the 4th thunder this week. I was surprised that he didn't take the swine flu outbreak as a chance to pound on the 5th thunder.

He's invented a new word: "remaint" as in "food and remaint". This came while he was reading from Deuteronomy 10:18 which reads: "He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment." A little dyslexia with the vowels there, Ron.

Because of their need to vacate the hall for another group, his time was limited. He ended the sermon a few minutes early so that he could make an announcement. It seems that someone is committing adultery, and Ron knows who it is. If it doesn't end in a month, Sheriff Ron will show up and disfellowship the offenders, who as a result will not survive the Great Tribulation.

I would tell them not to worry. After all, it's over 4 months now since Ron cursed me to die quickly from the inside, and obviously that didn't happen.

Enough!!

2009-04-23T19:36:00.000-05:00

The discussion in the comment sections for the last couple of posts has degenerated . This is largely due to one Weinland follower who has posted a number of insults. When asked to back up his claims for the divinity of Ron's revelations, he responds with yet another insult. It's taking on the tone of a squabble in the back seat of a a car with a 6-year-old. "Did Not!" "Did Too!"

I don't believe that most of Weinland's followers are like that. In any case this one follower is giving the other followers a bad name. Particularly since he posts as "Anonymous" making it difficult for a visitor to this blog to understand that all of these negative posts are coming from just one individual.

I've taken a largely hands-off policy towards comments, but I see that I need to change that a bit and tighten up my comment policy. Two rules:

(1) No ad-hominem attacks against me or other commenters. The insults don't personally bother me after considering the source, but it effects the tone here. Mocking and/or criticizing the False Witness, the False Witnessess, or their mouthpieces is an exception to this, but a few facts should accompany the mocking and criticism.

(2) No anonymous commenting. While the form may allow it, I will clean up after. And if I liked your comment I will hate it when I delete it. You're not required to register although that is encouraged. Choose the Name/URL option and fill in a nickname that you'll consistently use when posting here. URL is absolutely not required.

If you're a Weinland follower there's no objection to you posting here. But provide a more substantive argument than of the sort "I believe Ron because of the 50 truths". Without preaching, substantiate that. And if someone has another argument, respond to the argument rather than insulting the other person. And if you have objections to my content, don't call it "slander and lies". (And look up the definition of the word "slander".) If you think something I've said is wrong, provide some facts rather than simply saying that I lie and distort. I actually have corrected an error in the past from a comment.

Who Can Say?

2009-04-21T19:56:00.001-05:00

A comment was left by a follower of Ronald Weinland in reply to my last post:

Who in this world knows what is exactly the real truth of God? No one in this world understands who God really is, but everyone assumes the worst of RW because no one wants to admit to themselves, WHAT IF RW IS SAYING THE TRUTH? WHAT IF HE TRULY IS GOD'S FINAL WITNESS? Who out of everyone can say for a fact that RW is a false prophet? Because he claims to be God's witness doesn't mean he's not human and is without making a few humanly errors. Not one human being is perfect and that includes God's witness.

I'd like to address a few points here:

"Who in this world knows what is exactly the real truth of God?" That is a question which troubles many and which allows them to be deceived and exploited by those who claim to have the answer, such as a false prophet who claims to speak for God. And each of them has a different answer.

"Because he claims to be God's witness doesn't mean he's not human and is without making a few humanly errors. Not one human being is perfect and that includes God's witness." Let me state that Weinland's faults do not make him a false prophet. The IRS criminal investigation does not make him a false prophet. Even if he is convicted of tax fraud and sent to jail would not make him a false prophet. (The fact that he could be put in prison would show that he is not an End-Time witness capable of defending himself against those who would do him harm). Ron's $381,000 home on the golf course does not make him a false prophet. His hypocrisy in urging his follows to show Total Resolve after sailing off on a luxury Mediterranean cruise does not make him a false prophet. These do not define him as a false prophet, although they define him otherwise.

Where in the Bible is there a prophet whose prophecies failed to materialize, but whose revised prophecies did? The closest example in the Bible is that of Jonah. When his prophecies failed, but only when the people of Nineveh repented, Jonah did not come up with a new prophecy. Rather, he went off and sulked. And Jonah was a reluctant prophet in the first place, not the false reluctance of Ron Weinland who quickly became accustomed to his role as "a prophet of the God of Abraham".

Has the US heeded the words of Ron Weinland and repented? What about the thunders that were supposed to come and humble us? Even now, nearly 3 months after you fasted for two days straight and prayed for death?

"Who out of everyone can say for a fact that RW is a false prophet?" Let me answer that, quoting someone whose authority on the matter you should respect, who answered the following questions:

“Well, what if Ron Weinland and what he says doesn’t come to pass in April? What if these things don’t happen in 2008?"

The authority's answer: "There’s really a simple answer -- he’s a false prophet." And who is this authority? None other than Ronald Weinland himself, in his sermon "Stay the Course", December 29, 2007. Listen for yourself at 1 hour and 2 minutes into the MP3 file on the church website. (download link).

Right after that, Weinland continued on saying:
I get tons of email every day from people saying ‘We’ll, I guess in 2009 you’re going to be saying this or saying that, or trying to explain to people..” No, I’m done. Just to be real candid with you, so people know and people understand, ……, again that’s the only answer. There is only one answer. …. The world is not like that. You know people who are doing what is not right and they claim certain things or say certain things about what is given to them, and it doesn’t come to pass -- then they have to madly change everything and do something else. Or say ‘God showed me this, and I just didn’t understand this, or God has revealed this to me now, and blah blah blah blah. ’ Because when it comes down to it, it’s about the paycheck. It’s about what are they going to do from here on out.

So in addition to Weinland's other faults we can add "Liar" -- even the prophecies which he can control do not come true. Let's not ignore the fact that I'm replying to you, even now 122 days after Weinland laid a curse on me to die speedily from the inside.

Fear Ron

2009-04-19T11:06:00.004-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Erie yesterday. Ron was assigned there as a minister by WCG in the 1987 to 1994 timeframe. He commented that few from that area are in his church. He sometimes talks about the trials he experienced there, and was even transferred from his normal Feast site in '92 or '93 to Hawaii because of them. Could there be some substance to the allegations of his financial dealings while in Erie?

Weinland indicated he likely would accept an invitation to speak for 20 minutes at a forum of a now not-so-eclectic group of speakers. He thinks that he will get something more out of this. But I imagine that he thought the same when he was interviewed by Australian TV in January of 2008. In that program, he was portrayed as a deluded idiot and the closest thing to a promotion of his book was a passing mention of its title without any details on how to get a copy.

Planning is underway for an organized half Feast of Tabernacles, this despite not knowing the timing of the 2nd trumpet. Despite that uncertainty, there will be fewer locations this year which will require people to travel further. For example, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Louisville are to meet at the same feast site near Bowling Green where they did in 2007.

Ron threw out a few gems during this sermon. Turns out that "golly" and "gee-whiz" are worse than the F-bomb. He seemed to create a doctrine of inheritance, implying that COG-PKG members were there because of a faithful ancestor. He's promoting yet another YouTube video that someone has put up. Herbie's flip-flopping on the make-up doctrine was all about Government and whether people would respond to it, turning left and turning right. He also said the thunders are in the Bible, and that he did not invent them. Hmm -- even the one that's of your own choosing, the deaths of competing GOGlet ministers? Is Rod Meredith mentioned in the Bible? I imagine that "Doctor Bob" Thiel would be interested in that.

A number of COG-PKG members are losing jobs and having a difficult time of it. It's too bad that they didn't hang on to their assets instead of giving their money to the false prophet, as the dollar is still worth more than toilet paper. That money is needed by them (and Wayne Matthews who's looking for a job) since great favor won't be given by the beast power until after the 5th trumpet is blown. And since the Insane Liar doesn't know when the 2nd trumpet will blow, it could be quite some time -- long after the June 21st deadline given on the last page of his book for the demise of the United States as an independent nation.

The mockers played a role in his sermon. The numerous web sites critical of the false prophet were likened to "the ten" who contradicted Joshua and Caleb, who ended up being the only ones to see the promised land. Maybe Ron and Laura are analogous to Joshua and Caleb in addition to being the Two End-Time Witnesses.

The main point of Ron's sermon was directed at the thousands of people who listen in to his sermons on the Internet but are not members. He can't understand why they reject what God has placed before them, the chance to live into a new age. It blows his mind that they would not buy with their tithes what God is selling. His current set up sheep must have given up all their fleece and he needs a fresh set of yet unshorn.

Friday was the first anniversary of the first time Ron and Laura began their jobs. Yesterday is the 28th anniversary of Weinland's ordination and the beginning of his reign of terror over the deluded. And today is the anniversary of the first time that Ron pronounced a death curse on me. And it's also 17 weeks and one day since the second time that he pronounced a death curse on me, to die speedily.

Don't Drink the Flavor Aid -- One Year Later

2009-04-14T22:48:00.001-05:00

It was one year ago yesterday that I started "Don't Drink the Flavor Aid". I had been following the buzz about a false prophet on Ironwolf's multi-part series on his blog. I joined Robert's live chat during Weinland's sermon on March 29th of last year and heard his "If By Pentecost" declaration. At the time I doubted that he would follow through with his promise and on Pentecost, June 8, was not disappointed.

After my introduction post, the next post I wrote was to debunk his Second Thunder, earthquakes, with actual data. I followed up with posts that debunked his Fifth Thunder and that mocked Ron, making me eligible for a slow death from the inside according the curse that Weinland declared on April 19th.

Early in May, I was sobered by Weinland's statements that people had given him tens of thousands of dollars so that he could spend hundred's of thousands of dollars on his ridiculous Internet advertising. I stated that it was time for Ron to give it up. He paid no attention.

On June 8th, Weinland defined himself as an Insane Liar by giving the sermon that day. But only two weeks later, on June 21, he announced the failure of his first timeline and that he would have a new 50th truth to announce at the Feast of Trumpets on Sept 30. He gave enough clues that I was able to figure out his 50th truth and new timeline before the sun set on his partial revelation and announced what it was with a blog post. This quickly circulated the Internet. Weinland decided that he needed to adjust the timeline for the revelation of his timeline. The following Saturday he said that "some out there" had figured it out, because after all it wasn't rocket science, and went ahead and announced his new "truth". Ron, it wasn't "some" who figured it out, it was me. But he didn't reveal the 50th "truth" earlier than Trumpets because of my spoiler -- rather he quickly figured out he would lose his flock if he didn't pull the wool back over their eyes.

In July, I published photos of the front and rear of Weinland's $381,000 mansion. Ron's home apparently entered into the email exchange that exiting member Mike Allen had with Weinland in January. Ron made a comment about "the stupid thing of the house that's out there on the Internet. $381,000. Whoop-de-doo." and stated he could have been criticized for spending less and could also have spent more. My purpose in publishing the photos was not to show where he lived (I did not publish his address) but rather how he lived. I don't think his extravagant lifestyle matters to most of his followers, but to one it has and to a few others it might.

In August, I broke the story of the IRS criminal investigation of Ronald Weinland. This story was picked up by other bloggers including Ambassador Watch and also by "Doctor Bob" Thiel who got it quite wrong in his blog post on the subject despite the facts I laid out in my blog post. This revelation was proven worthwhile as Weinland described someone using it as a reason to escape his grasp.

After that, web traffic slowed until the end of September with the restart of Weinland's second timeline on September 30th, the Feast of Trumpets. This was also the start of the timelines for other false prophets but with some variations from Ron's. In September I was also able to obtain a picture of both the Spokesman Witness and the Silent Witness which has since been displayed in the right-hand column of this blog.

October was taken up with the Feast of Tabernacles which included Weinland's admission to having a Swiss bank account as he globe trotted down-under.

In November, the Seventh Seal was reopened on the 14th just before the elders conference at the Murfreesboro (Nashville) Embassy Suites.

In December the False Prophet restarted his job on the 14th as the Spokesman Witness, ordaining Laura as a Prophetess and placing her just below him over the remainder of the church. The following Saturday, the 20th, he reimposed the death curse on me and other mockers to die from the inside, except this time speedily. The following Saturday, the 27th, he responded to my pointing out that "2008 God's Final Witness" stated that the US would not be an independent nation within 6 months of December 21. Weinland's response for the benefit of the deluded was that the book had changed because the timeline changed, even though back in July he had stated that nothing in the book had changed in spite of the timeline change.

January saw the inauguration of Barack Obama and the failure of another of Weinland's prophecies. The short post pointing this out received the most comments of any on this blog.

In February I was able to post the exchange between Weinland and now ex-member Mike Allen. He and another member, who were both mentioned by Weinland in sermons, left when they saw his backpedaling and the failures of his prophecies.

In March, Weinland started to take a break from prophecies. I did a bit of digging and found out a bit about how Weinland demonstrated his Total Resolve.

This past year has been an eye-opening experience for me. I've gotten more of an insight into the mind of a cult member. I've interacted with current followers, former followers, near followers, and some associated with Ron before he pushed himself as a prophet. To those I've helped in any way, that's why I do this. For those who let me know, thank you, and I hope for each one of you there are several who did not contact me But any of you whom I helped in any way took the critical first important step on your own -- you started questioning. To you and to those who are still following Ron (not God), I say "Question. Question always"

Thinking Differently

2009-04-11T12:01:00.003-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland is taking a break from delivering false prophecies during this season of foot-washing and eating matzo bread to let his evangelists deliver the DoUB sermons. Johnny Harrell is to deliver the sermon on the last DoUB next week.

Evangelist Wayne Matthews delivered the first and second sermons. Matthews was formerly in the United Church of God. However, I do not believe he was a UCG minister and was perhaps at most a deacon. His first sermon for COG-PKG was delivered in July of 2007 and the following winter Ron ordained him as evangelist.

Wayne threw his pitcher down by quitting his job over a year ago, prior to the beginning of the first failed timeline, to work on content for the church website and to help manage all the recruits attracted by Ron's Google ad campaign. Matthews mentioned being described as brainwashed during his exit interview. But it seems that Ron is not paying him for his efforts and resolve. Wayne has asked his former employer for a reference because he has to get another job due to the late start of the Great Tribulation.

At about 51 minutes into the MP3 file for the April 9th sermon on the church website, he spoke about the change in thinking required to think differently.

I wanted to refer to something that has meaning to me personally, and I’ve had to reflect on it. So -- once we had declared a particular timeline earlier in 2008. And then in late June, God in his mercy revealed to us the true timeline of the return of Jesus Christ. That had an impact on me as well. Because we, individually, had to accept error in our thinking. We had preconceived ideas, of which we still have in many other topics we’re not aware of yet. But that was one thing that we had to go through.

Now I did come to see in time that I also, like everybody else, had to challenge my own thinking. How could this be? What was I really thinking? As God revealed the truth to me through the 50th truth, I came to understand that the problem was me, that I had preconceived ideas ,and that I did not like being wrong. It was a painful experience to go through. It went through a process and I saw it reasonably quickly what was wrong. But it took time to continue to mature -- and that’s still a lifelong process.

I then started to see that unless God in his mercy had revealed to me and to the church the 50th truth, there was a strong possibility that in my pride that I may not have been around. Because God had to keep me in the truth and provide his spirit to keep me in the truth. And at that very point of time, it was difficult thinking to accept it and believe what God was giving to the church. In other words: if we had in any way doubted the 50th truth, we just were simply declaring to God that we didn’t believe him -- we did not believe that this was his true church. Which is a shameful thing. Which is simply pride within us. It was our own pride, we don’t like admitting that we were wrong and that God is right.

Well as time went on, I began to realize that: yes, it is true that a lot of the church may not have continued. Those that were called, may not have continued if God in his Mercy had not shown us the 50th truth.

Well to me it is no different than now when we entered the tribulation. If we hadn’t have gone through the experience of the revelation of the 50th truth, and to have gone through those experiences, those thought processes -- how could we have ever have handled the process we are in now in relation to the tribulation? Because of preconceived ideas of the Great Tribulation, and what we had conceived in our minds. We are in tribulation. And if we hadn’t have gone through the 50th truth, I would be thinking myself. Well I was very thankful, I’m thankful that I’ve went through the experience of the revelation of the 50th truth. And all of the inward thinking, the battles and the challenges that I had faced. So that now that I’ve entered this time of Great Tribulation, with a maturity, with an understanding. And it is a wonderful blessing that I acknowledge that I was wrong.

This is an example of the self delusion necessary to continue following an Insane Lying False Prophet. For another example, refer to "When Prophecy Fails".

In today's sermon on lying, he makes some ironic statements:

Lying is the outcome of people being right in their own eyes, and then stubbornly holding to their own viewpoint, regardless of the evidence to the contrary. ... when you get into a state of lying, one lie leads to having to tell another. [about 2 1/2 minutes into the MP3 file]

.. If they reject that Ron and Laura Weinland are the two end-time witnesses, the prophets of God. If they reject these things, YOU are living a lie, and rejecting the truth, thereby rejecting God, by rejecting the truth. .... you will surely die during the next 3 years. [speaking to the members of other Armstrongite splinters about 1 hour and 16 minutes in the MP3 file]

I think that, should Weinland's IRS problem result in an extended vacation in Club Fed, Wayne could hold COG-PKG together using the direction relayed to him by Prophetess Laura from her visits to the Spokesman Witness at his vacation resort. He's demonstrated his ability to speak, and also his willingness to distort his thinking and "think differently". But Ron, if this happens, then this time you probably should pay him a salary.

Making You Happier

2009-04-05T20:36:00.006-05:00

The following is a copy of an email I've sent to Ron Weinland:
Ron:

In your sermon yesterday, you referred yet again to a blog posting that gives North Carolina as the place where you grew up and 1950 as your year of birth. We both know that information to be incorrect. You went on to say:
"I would be happier if they got just a few things right once in awhile. They can‘t even get the most basic things right. Where I was born. Where I grew up. They put me in a different part of the United States. At least get that right. Get something right. They don‘t get any of it right. They don‘t care. "

Personally, I care about accuracy. The blog you reference is not my blog. Don't lump me in with "they". "They" is plural, and it's the one other blog that has the incorrect information.

I have a biographical timeline on you presented on a web page that's usually in the first page of Google search results for your name. I cared enough to make an effort to obtain and put up accurate information. For example, when I was looking for your date of ordination it was suggested to me that it had to be upon your graduation from AC. I did not accept that. Later on I found out that your ordination was almost 6 years after graduation. As far as your birth place, it's been reported to me that you were born in Colorado. Since I have no independent verification of that, I haven't published it. Could you confirm Colorado as your birth place? With multiple sources, I do have your birth date as May 30, 1949. So I did get something right, which should make you happy. You did not contradict the $381,000 price I gave for your home. Hey, I got something else right -- you should be ecstatic by now. (By the way, you can tell Laura to relax. I'm not hanging out in your neighborhood watching your house.)

Please look over the biographical information I've published and and provide the correct information if any of it is inaccurate. Perhaps you could supply a few more details, such as the dates you were promoted to preaching elder and then to pastor. And the dates WCG transferred you to Cincinnati and then to Erie. I have you down as growing up in western Kansas near Colby -- would it be more accurate to say Russell Springs? Do you have an exact date in 1997 when you were made a prophet?

I'd also like to confirm that, while you're doing business as the Church of God - PKG and actually filed papers to incorporate under that name, in reality your church's legal identity is the Church of God Inc, EIN 341799827.

I rather suspect that, while you won't admit it, you're really tickled to have web sites critical of you -- that gives you status just like your spiritual idol Herbert who also has web sites critical of him. I also suspect that despite what you said in your sermon, you'd really be happier if I have incorrect information. Then you could focus on the incorrect details rather than the really important issues. Issues such as the demonstrated failure of your prophecies. (If you want to talk about the 4th thunder, then you also need to talk about the other six thunders, starting with the first phase of the 5th thunder, all of which were to be sounding loudly by now, and even more so since the 2-day fast.)

It seems that time is of the essence for your response to allow me to update the biographical timeline. Fifteen weeks have already elapsed since you cursed me with a speedy death from the inside, so how much more time could I have to make updates? That is unless you really don't care whether I have the correct information.

Your caring critic,
Mike
Don't Drink the Flavor Aid

Lifton on Cults

2009-04-03T19:32:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Aggie on I Survived Armstrong for finding this video of Robert Lifton giving a lecture. Lifton wrote "Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism" in which he outlines Eight Criteria for Thought Reform.

I'm putting this up so those who are interested in False Prophet Ronald Weinland but don't read ISA have the opportunity to view this.

I've only had a chance to listen to a few minutes, and right now am headed out for the evening. (Despite Weinland's claims, I do indeed have a life.) So far Lifton is talking about Apocalyptic Violence in which cultists precipitate violence to bring about the end. I don't see Weinland as pursuing that path, but some of the characteristics Lifton mentioned do apply to the cult of Weinland and his followers.

Please give the video a watch and leave a comment with your thoughts.

Later: I've had a chance to watch the video. A couple of take-away quotes:
A guru tends to think he has discovered an ultimate human truth and must convey it to the world. A guru can be both convinced of his truth and also a con man at the same time. One doesn't eliminate the other. (About 18:25 into the video)

During the Q&A session he was asked how this could be:
The individual mind can contain opposites. That's what's so confusing. .... They can coexist in the same mind. And perhaps particularly in gurus because their claim to absolute virtue is so strong it can sustain in them very powerful patterns that I call charisma and at the same time their megalomania and paranoia can be bound up with all those destructive and murderous elements. They can coexist even though they're opposite in tendency. (About 55:15 into the video.)

Aggie asks if Weinland is drinking his own Flavor-Aid or just handing it out. According to Lifton, it could be both.

Pitchers and Taxes

2009-04-01T06:06:00.007-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland's conducted a campaign in the fall and winter of 2007 to persuade his followers to throw down their pitchers by giving him their life savings. In his "What Has Changed? part 2" sermon of Nov 3, 2007, he convinced them that they didn't have to worry about taxes on their 401k distributions if they waited until January with this statement from the sermon:
Someone asked me this last week here, “If I withdraw a certain amount right now, I’m going to be penalized, by taxes and so forth.” But see when January or February [2008] come around you’re not going to be penalized. (snorts) The following year [2009] you don’t have to worry about it too much, do you?

That would be the case if what he'd stated on the last page of his book "2008 God's Final Witness" had actually come true:
By the fall of 2008, the United States will have collapsed as a world power, or it will have begun its collapse and no longer exist as an independent nation within six months after that time.

Or if his prophesies on radio interviews and sermons that the US would be so far down the tubes that we would not inaugurate a new president in January. But in December of 2008 Ron said that everything was delayed by at least 8 months. Guess what? While Ron has changed his timeline, the IRS has not and it is going to be collecting 2008 taxes after all, with filing due in a couple of weeks on April 15.

So to the COG-PKG members who threw down their pitchers, I advise you to consider well before deciding not to file your 2008 taxes. Failing to file is a criminal violation and you could end up with the enjoyment of being a target of a criminal investigation just like your favorite false prophet.

If you don't have the money to pay what you owe, you'll have to pay interest until you do. Not having the funds to settle up should not be a consideration for deciding not to file. It's better to file and avoid penalties and possible criminal charges on top of the interest. I would point out that any extraordinary contribution you've made should be considered a pre-payment of your first tithe. So you could take 10% of your income and apply it to your tax bill without sinning. After all, didn't Jesus say to render to Caesar that which is Caesar's? Even Ron has taught that.

Also, see this AP article on what to do if you owe more than you can pay right now.

If you don't have your financial records together well enough to fill out your 1040 and associated forms, you can get an automatic 6-month filing extension with Form 4868 if submitted prior to April 15. I imagine that Ron's lawyers have advised him to request a filing extension -- if not they're opening themselves up for malpractice.

The Great Pumpkin Passes Over

2009-03-28T20:56:00.002-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland spoke from Richmond VA, continuing his series on Passover. It was pretty boring, and Ron promises to continue this next week. The Passover service is to be delivered live at 8:15 EDT, Tues April 7.

On Monday Citizen X, after an over-abundance of caution, finally declared Ronald Weinland to be a false prophet. Several of the COG-PKG members who have posted comments there promptly declared that they were leaving the forum. The debate has become much more reasonable in the last few days, with Mal explaining in detail how Weinland has demonstrated himself to be false.

Nevertheless, some remaining there are not convinced. Nonnie stated that an anti-Wienland site accused Citizen X of "posting all the time under another name" probably in reference to comments I have made on this blog. I believe that Citizen X posted on the Ironwolf forum using the name "John G" but hasn't posted there since last May. While I have pointed that out, I haven't said that he was "posting all the time under another name". Nonnie was paranoid, thinking that Citizen X set them up. Personally I think that Citizen X has been sincere and has not played such games.

And one of the commenters there sees a parallel between Ron and Linus. Take a look and see if you agree. (Citizen X wasn't amused, and deleted the comment.)

This weekend is also the anniversary of Weinland's "If By Pentecost...." declaration in which Weinland promised to quit if his prophesies did not come true and by which he defined himself as an Insane Liar. It's also 8 weeks since the COG-PKG fasted for two days and prayed for destruction and death via an increase in the 7 thunders. So far none of them have materialized, and even the 4th thunder has lowered a bit with the stock market showing continued gains during the last 3 weeks. And now 14 weeks since the Spokesman Witness cursed me to die speedily from the inside.

Weinland's Wrath

2009-03-25T06:06:00.002-05:00

In response to my last post which described Weinland's rebuttal of accusations of using free labor from church members to build up his real estate equity, commenter Tom offered his personal experience with Weinland in Erie, PA:

It's interesting to note that Weinland defended the position that there was no wrong doing when he had various church members working and building his home in Erie. He simply made the claim that everyone was well paid. Ron did make the allegation that many ministers did hold work parties and milked the membership, but he took the higher road and would not think of behaving in such a manner and taking advantage of the expertise of the membership.

However, he failed to defend that he was untruthful with the membership about his departure and that he would be selling his newly built Erie home and moving to Toledo. I was a member in the Erie church and Weinland did have work parties and would ask for volunteers to come on Sundays while his house was being built. There were many who volunteered their time cutting timber in order to clear the lot for his home. My father helped with the clearing of the lot and was paid nothing. My father wouldn't have accepted any money, but there was not even an offer.

Weinland wanted volunteers and asked people during church services for their time and participation. Many members would not accept money for their labor considering that Weinland was their pastor. If the people would have known that Weinland was leaving the Erie area, their probably would not have been the urgency to help with the construction efforts of Weinland's home.

I have only one question, why would you sell your current home and build a much larger home, if you knew that you were being transferred?

Equity! Equity, and more Equity. Weinland has even boasted in various sermons that God has blessed him with the tremendous amount of equity that he has received from selling various homes over the years.

In my opinion it has always been about the money.

Ron Weinland even sold a church minivan with high mileage to a family in the Franklin church for $10,000. Remember Ron, it was a blue Dodge Caravan.

Ron do you remember the time in Franklin when you were very angry with the members who were talking during service and not listening.

Do you remember the location?

You rented a hall in Franklin called the Knights of Columbus for the weekly Sabbath.

Remember that you were so angry that you lost your temper and stormed out the entrance nearest the podium and slammed the door. Afterward you re-entered at the rear and returned to the podium to finish your sermon. Weinland, you can call us liars, but there were 300 people there that day that saw you angry and storming out of the service.

Ex-member Deb had nothing to add about building houses, but did offer her observations of Weinland's temperment:

'Tis not surprising to read of Ronald Weinland's habit of angry outbursts in the past- for me, that was the first Red Flag that he wasn't God's Final Witness, as he said/wrote.

I recall the one time I was at a PKG Sabbath service where he was present. He was having some technical difficulties getting the up-link. He was sweating profusely and fuming - you could see the 'smoke coming out of his ears'. I thought at the time, that the thing to do would have been to ask everyone to pray for God's intervention - thus becoming more calmed & centred. He got so overheated the windows at the front of the room had to be opened - this was in mid-winter and the weather outside was below zero.

Then there were all those sermons when he starts ranting and raving.

I have no doubt that RW is in this gig for the fortune & fame. A while back, I had wondered why Ronald made such a big deal of 'promoting' Laura over the elders. I am thinking it's cuz he's either added her to the PKG payroll or he gave her a hefty raise.

My speculation is that Laura was promoted over the rest of the church as a backup plan should he end up with an extended vacation in Club Fed courtesy of IRS CI. He could give her instructions during prison visits on how to handle the church to keep it together for his eventual release.

With respect to Weinland's temper, he seems to be able to rein it in during sermons when he knows he's being recorded. Several times cell phones have gone off during his sermons and he has just laughed it off. During his Feb 16, 2008 sermon he was interrupted twice. A babbling and then fussy child went on with increasing volume for about 5 minutes before Ron calmly asked that the child be taken out. About 20 minutes later, a woman interrupted him to ask a question. Ron calmly stated that there were to be no interuptions during services, and then went on to offer an answer to her question.

Tom's allegations about the free labor to build Ron's house in Erie are unsubstantiated, but then so is Ron's rebuttal that he paid everyone. When deciding which unsubstantiated statement is more credible, I remember this statement:

If by Pentecost.... I'm just going to to make this real clear to everyone. If by Pentecost it is not powerfully and abundantly clear that there has been a great deal of destruction that will clearly encompass a third of all plant life in the US, and at least the clear results of this mingled with blood, the death of very much animal life and the beginning of large numbers in human life, then I will stop preaching. Just so that all the critics and everyone out there will understand. I am true to my word in these things. OK? And for all the critics: If by the end of July and most likely around Pentecost, if nothing has clearly caused great destruction and death.... I will make it very clear that I was a false prophet. I will do exactly what I said I would do on all of those interviews that I have held. To do less, (snorts) well, would be quite insane.

This statement was made by Insane Lying False Prophet Ronald Weinland on March 29, 2008. When Pentecost (June 8) arrived, he continued preaching. And by the end of July, he had not acknowledged being a false prophet. Rather, by the end of June he had rolled out his 50th "truth" and his second timeline.

On top of that, there's also Ron's Total Resolve Cruise to consider. And Ron's Total Resolve Refinancing of his $381,000 mansion. Considering all this, I've decided whether or not to believe Ron over Tom, and I think you can guess whom I find more credible.

Ron Googles Himself

2009-03-21T21:20:00.009-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Orlando, Florida today. Ron blamed the difficulties with the Internet connection last week on his webmaster son. Jeremy was doing some maintenance on the church website at a critical time when the live sermon was getting started. Jeremy lives in Germany, so his sabbath was over when it's 2:30 on Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati.

I noticed that the sermon from two weeks ago (March 7) is still not posted. So I wonder whether that means strike two for Jeremy or that Jeremy has already been fired. And maybe strike three is the web site is not set up to allow Ron to be able to post a recording of today's sermon on the church website.

In reality, the "live" sermon audio is streamed from a different server, not directly from the church website. The church website only links to the streaming audio server, which was up and running at 2:30 PM EDT last Saturday. The church website problems had nothing to do with that.

Weinland cautioned his members against contacting others who left comments on the YouTube video he plugged a couple of weeks ago. According to Ron, some of his members encouraged others to get baptized.

The sermon topic was how to observe the upcoming Passover for all the new members Weinland claims to have. It might be interesting for all the different areas who meet regularly to compare notes and see if any have experienced a tripling in attendance as Weinland has claimed.

Ron did take an aside during the sermon to mention that he Googled himself. Apparently he ended up on the "Who Was Ronald Weinland?" blog post put up over a year ago by another blogger. He took great exception to that post giving the wrong birth year (our False Prophet was born in 1949, not 1950). He also claimed it stated that he was born and raised in North Carolina. Actually it doesn't say that he was born there, just that he was converted to Armstrongism while there. In reality, Ron grew up in western Kansas, attending college in Hays.

Weinland spent even more time rebutting the allegation (which is clearly characterized as an allegation) that he had his house in Erie built partially using free labor from church members. Ron claims that everyone was paid. I don't know whether or not the allegation is true, but I'm not accepting Weinland's claim that it's false. Just as I didn't accept his Total Resolve claim that he was refinancing his house. As far as I'm concerned, the verdict on his financial dealings with his Erie congregation is still open and the statement on the other blog remains an unresolved allegation.

I'll take this opportunity to plug my Ronald Weinland summary web page. On that site, I also have a biographical timeline for Weinland. While I can't guarantee it to be error free, I have tried to get reliable sources for what I put there. For example, it has been reported to me that Weinland was born in Colorado but since I couldn't confirm it independently I haven't published that information. Can anyone point to information confirming where he was born?

Ron, you claim that "they can't get things right". While I can't speak for others, I've done my best to be accurate, using WCG publications and your own statements. But if you have documentation showing that I'm incorrect then please provide it so I can be accurate. I'd also like to fill in a few more dates -- for example, exactly when was it that you were ordained as a prophet of God?

As far as your feeling validated because you have web sites critical of you as does your idol Herbie -- well, I'm ready to live with that to make information available to those who are willing to question your apocalyptic nonsense. Still doing that even though it's now 13 weeks since you cursed me to die from the inside, speedily.

Ron's Total Resolve, Part 2

2009-03-18T06:06:00.010-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland started his sermon of October 27, 2007 by asking what had changed since the Last Great Day sermon on October 4.

As discussed in my previous post Ron's Total Resolve, one thing that changed was that his bank account was several thousand dollars lighter from having taken Laura on a luxury 12-day Mediterranean cruise.

But his question was directed to his members, asking what they had changed in their lives to show Total Resolve for Ron's prophecies. He stated that they couldn't continue as before, that they had to change since time was short with the sealing of the 144,000 to happen in February, 2008 followed by the start of the Great Tribulation in April. No longer could one continue planning as under Armstrong for the end-time being perpetually 5 to 10 years in the future.

Ron claimed that he had been "running down the hill" since the Feast. This is a reference to the story of Gideon and his army of 300 who defeated Midianites, making noise by breaking their pitchers and blowing trumpets. However in Judges Chapter 7 there is no mention of Gideon's army running down a hill. Instead, they stealthily advanced to the edge of the camp and then simultaneously started making noise to simulate a large attack on the Midianites, throwing them into confusion.

Weinland stated that efforts to promote his prophecies would intensify in January of 2008, with members to show their commitment by beginning to proselyte their friends and family. The discussion soon switched to money. Since there was to be no organized Feast of Tabernacles in 2008, members were to send in 3/4 of their Second Tithe to finance his media campaign.

Ron started selling the idea that members should donate heavily, particularly those who were to be "sealed" as part of "the 144,000". In a discussion of whether or not to pay off your house, he said that it wouldn't matter if your house was paid off because your house could be taken from you regardless. He mentioned that he had a good deal of equity in his $381,000 mansion, and that he was trying to get a second mortgage to withdraw the equity for financing the promotion of his books. However he was having difficulty getting a loan because he was charging $35,000 to $40,000 each month on his credit cards -- that the church paid them off monthly did not impress the loan underwriter.

Ron mentioned that he was considering refinancing his mansion in order to get the equity. The following week (Nov. 3, 2007) he repeated his intent to refinance his house to get the equity. He mentioned this again in his sermon of Jan 5, 2008.

Tear a few more pages off the calendar, and in October of 2008, according to the web site for the county where he lives, Ron and Laura paid the annual property tax bill of $3715.13 on his $381,000 mansion directly to the county. Note that I said that Ron and Laura paid the property tax. Not a mortgage company. Ron and Laura paid it directly to the county. Daughter Audra did not pay the property tax on her house directly -- it was paid by her mortgage company according to the same web site. When I had a mortgage, I paid into an escrow account held by the mortgage company which then paid the taxes.

I did some research on mortgage escrow accounts. If your loan balance is less than 80% of your property value, then some mortgage companies will allow you to pay your property tax and property insurance premiums yourself, but may require paying an extra fee for the privilege. Otherwise, they require that you pay into an escrow account monthly. It does not seem to me that Ron would be allowed to avoid paying into escrow if he had refinanced all the equity in his house to spend on Google advertising.

Previously, I was rather skeptical of Ron's claims to be extracting the equity in his house to donate to his own church. This discovery pretty much confirms it for me that he did no such thing. Meanwhile, I wonder how many retirees showed Total Resolve following Ron's "example" by refinancing their house to give the proceeds to the church.

Money for luxury cruises. Money for equity. So much for Ron's Total Resolve.

Ninetieth Day Take Two

2009-03-15T08:46:00.002-05:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland's sermon from Georgia was a few minutes late getting started due to technical problems. Guess they need to pray harder before setting up their equipment.

The sermon continued with a third of a series taking a break from prophecy and rerunning of his origin of Jesus doctrine that he introduced during the Feast of Tabernacles in 2005. I won't waste any more electrons here describing it.

Yesterday was a milestone date. It was the 90th day into the second 3 & 1/2 year Great Tribulation. During radio shows leading up to first aborted 3 & 1/2 year Great Tribulation that began last April 17, Weinland prophesied "nukular" explosions in US port cities within "45 to 90 days" or by last July 16.

Weinland's evangelist from Australia, Wayne Matthews (who threw down his pitcher by quitting his job a year ago), worked up a revised description of the timeline last summer after Ron reset the timeline. Here is a copy of what he circulated within PKG last summer:

1260 Days = Sunday 14th December 2008
The 3 ½ years of great tribulation starts at the blowing of the 1st Trumpet.
The 2 witnesses are set by God towards all the earth.
Satan and the false prophet begin the process towards the unity of Europe (5th trumpet) under the sway of the Pope - Catholic Church and for the final battle on the day of Christs return (7th trumpet)
2008 was “God’s Final Witness” to man
1st Trumpet: Hail, fire, blood, burning of the grass and one third of trees. The 1st trumpet announces what will happen over the 1st 4 blasts.
The blowing of the 2nd Trumpet will happen between 45 to 90 Days
45 Days = Wednesday 28th January 2009 - 90 Days = Saturday 14th March 2009
2nd Trumpet: One third of sea becomes blood. Nuclear attacks in port cities/USA
3rd Trumpet: One third of fresh water made bitter. Nuclear attacks inland
4th Trumpet: One third of the light darkened. Nuclear winter.
5th Trumpet: First woe – War inspired by Satan – 10 nations of Europe take USA.
6th Trumpet: 2nd Woe – Third of mankind killed by war (Russia and China unite)

23rd May 2012
Wednesday morning, the two witnesses are killed in the streets of Jerusalem 3 ½ days before the return of Jesus Christ (Jerusalem time)

27th May 2012 Sunday Pentecost
7th Trumpet is blown at sunset on the Sabbath of 26th May 2012
The return of Christ and the resurrection of 144,000 - First fruits
It is the time of the 3rd Woe - The Day of the Lord
The 7 last plagues will be poured out on Europe and the united Russia and China.
1st Plague: Sores
2nd Plague: Sea turned to blood
3rd Plague: Fresh water made bitter
4th Plague: Scorching by sun
5th Plague: Darkness and pain
6th Plague: Euphrates dried up
7th Plague: Greatest earthquake ever and hail
The beast and false prophet are destroyed physically
Jesus Christ stands on the Mount of Olives.
Finally the 6000 years of man’s self rule under the sway of Satan comes to an end and Satan and the evil angels are locked away for 1000 years.

If there were any nuclear weapons detonated in US port cities yesterday, the major news organizations are taking quite some time writing their stories.

Weinland learned some lessons from the failure of his first timeline and backed off from detailed prophecies including interim deadlines. In a later version of the timeline description that Wayne circulated in the fall, the 45 to 90 day deadline was removed.

Another of Weinland's vague deadlines relates to Yours Truly. It's now 12 weeks since the Insane Liar cursed me to die speedily from the inside.

Weinland Says We're "In", Part 2

2009-03-11T06:06:00.001-05:00

Since Weinland's curse against me did not take effect even though it's now the 12th week since he imposed it on me, I'm able to post the remainder of ex-PKG- member Mike Allen's response to Weinland's blog posting of last Friday. As in Part 1 of this post, Mike's response follows excerpts from Weinland's post.

----------------------- From Mike Allen -----------------------------------

The petitions that went up before God were not for the purpose that the destructive power be lessened (as this cannot be changed), but that the period of time of the actual physical suffering from it will be lessened, and that through this very process more people will potentially be able to be saved.

AGAIN, Ron is thinking so haughtily! Ron wants to think he and his followers are so powerful before God that they can change the decision He made at creation! They are so favorable before God that they can make Him decide to change even though God says about Himself, “I am the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow”.

it also includes an offer of saving many more who were part of the scattering in the Church after the apostasy in 1994 (who otherwise would not have been given such opportunity and blessing).

The haughtiness takes another step! Ron says here that he has the ability to convince God to go ahead and accept those who He wouldn’t normally accept into His Kingdom. Can a thinking person truly believe that a man has control over God’s decisions as to who He will or will not accept into His Kingdom?

Foolishly there are those who are quick to find fault by saying we are wrong or that I am a false prophet since physical destruction did not come at a time I had previously stated. It is easy to see, that without the understanding of “why” some matters of timing have changed, that some would doubt or ridicule what is true. Yet the time for the final 3 1/2 years has not changed at all. We are in it! We are in the countdown before the actual day Jesus Christ returns to this earth as King of kings. There are those who unwittingly and ignorantly seem to wish that destruction was already occurring and that great suffering was already here. But that will come soon enough!

To be honest, I know of no one who was quick to find fault with you Ron. You were not called a false prophet openly and on any kind of recognizable scale until your prophesies did not come true. Well, by God’s own definition of what makes a false prophet, you are a false prophet. If you have a problem with that then take it up with God, not me. He is the one setting the standards here, not I. As to the understanding of why timing has changed, we all have that understanding. I refer you back to my previous statement - God is setting the standards here, not I. God says that if a man prophesies in His name and that does not come to be in the time he says it will be then those were not God’s words. This is why you changed your timing - because it simply was wrong and not from God. The rest this statement of Ron’s deserves no comment.

It’s the economy, stupid!

The quote, “It’s the economy, stupid!” has been repeated much in recent years. When the economy is down, it does get the attention of people. This is the very tool God is now using at the beginning of this 3 1/2 year period that will help begin to humble people and prepare many more for greater humbling once the Second Trumpet has blown.

I have listened to the news religiously since hearing of Ron’s predictions so I could see if these things are happening or not. I have yet to hear or get word of anyone anywhere using the term, “It’s the economy, stupid!” Yes the economy is bad. Yes banks and other institutions are seemingly falling left and right. However, when you listen only to the bad side you come out thinking like Ron Weinland. The fact is that the economy and unemployment is nowhere near what it was during the Great Depression. In fact, I believe now that our unemployment may be (I am going by last figure and being generous on the low side) about 8-9%. Yes that seems bad but during the Great Depression the unemployment rate reached 20%. Remember the scripture I posted earlier?

Matthew 24: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

This first phase of destruction is one that hurts people financially and affects every facet of personal life, from food, clothing, housing, transportation, livelihood, etc. It is all encompassing in the daily lives of millions. The collapsing financial system of this world is only the beginning of a humbling process for mankind. This is why there are Seven Thunders that will continue to sound and increase in power and frequency. This is why there are Seven Trumpets to be blown. It takes much to humble the nature of mankind!

This is the first phase of destruction, Ron? How is this? Shouldn’t the first phase be the first and second trumpet? Should you not state these as the first phase? That is what you said in your book which you claim to be God’s inspired word - I’m just wondering. See, according to your God-inspired book, this would actually be the fourth phase. So, I ask, which is it? Should the silent witness correct you on your facts again?

We are witnessing the collapse of the United States, followed by the complete collapse of all governments of mankind. It has already begun. Nothing can change the course of what is happening. The merchants of the earth are beginning to mourn for what they see collapsing before them.

Nothing can change the course of what is happening except that which changed the fact that there was a new President when you said there would not be one. Yes the merchants are mourning at what is collapsing around them - of course they are! They are losing lots of money. This was predicted to happen in 2008, by the way, before you started prophesy hopping.

----------------- End of Mike Allen's analysis --------------------------------

Mike, thanks for sharing your thoughts with my blog. "It's the economy, stupid." was a statement James Carville used when conducting Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign for the presidency. I remember it from then, and I imagine it may have been recalled a few times during last fall's election season. Of course Ron will hammer on the economy, to divert attention from all the other six thunders that are silent. The economy, bad as it is, has nothing to do with Weinland's failed prophecies.

Ron, let's talk about the non-existing increase in all the other thunders since your followers endangered their health several weeks ago in your ridiculous 2-day fast. Let's talk about your ever-sliding and vague prophecies for the second trumpet, and the lack of evidence of the first.

God Gives a Bit More Time. Or Not

2009-03-09T05:26:00.004-05:00

In this weekend’s sermon, False Prophet Ronald Weinland continued with his series on the origin of Christ. He took time to address the issue of the mention of “great tribulation” in Matthew 24:21. His explanation is that Matthew 24 refers to the period after Tkach’s apostasy of December 1994 and the breakup of WCG, and not the 3 & 1/2 year not-so-great tribulation we're in right now.

On Friday Weinland was a guest on Cincinnati radio station WLW’s Mike McConnell show (3/6/09 hour 2). During his introduction, McConnell stated that according to Ron we’re in the final 3 ½ years and it has nothing to do with the economy or politics. This statement was soon shown to be false -- with the economy being the only one of Weinland’s many predictions that could be twisted to be true, he spend a good deal of time discussing it.

McConnell referred to Weinland‘s promise in prior interviews to acknowledge being a false prophet and quit preaching. Ron’s response was that God gave us more time. According to Weinland, God didn’t “bump dates” but rather provided further revelation. Ron stated that he can’t admit to being a false prophet. Everything is going to plan.

Weinland said that the economy has already collapsed. Mike pointed out that you can still buy gas to put in your car and go to the mall. Ron responded that it’s a “prophetic collapse”, whatever that is. Hmm. How does a prophetic collapse differs from an actual collapse? Must be the kind that only Ron and his followers can see.

McConnell asked how God's revelations came to Ron. Ron tried to evade the question saying it wasn’t pertinent. Then he said the revelations came from God’s spirit directly into the mind. When asked how we can distinguish his revelations from the different revelations of others who make the same claim, here is his answer: “I guess we’ll have to wait and see if what they say comes to pass, won’t we? That’s the proof of a prophet, whether it comes to pass or not.” There we have it, indicted by his own words as a false prophet.

Ron credited the 2-day fast with delaying the onset of the Great Tribulation to give people more time to repent.

McConnell asked if Ron would come back on at a later time to discuss the economy. “You can call me anytime you want, and I’ll tell you exactly what’s going on in the world at that point”. Ron will listen to CNN that morning and then put his spin on current events, but no stake-in-the-ground prophecies will be provided. Ron learned his lesson during the first failed timeline.

The second trumpet was discussed. Ron said the 45 to 90 day period was out the window, and several times said that it could be “up to a year” later before “nukular“ weapons are exploded in US port cities. At the end of the interview, McConnell asked what was the next event to look for, and Ron said it would be "nukular" weapons going off. McConnell offered up “Within a year” which seemed to offend Ron: “I’m not going to give you a time frame.” McConnell reminded him of his prior statements, and Ron temporized that “ God might give you as much as a year, he might give you a little bit more. It depends on your response.” Mike stated that he was going to do nothing. Ron: “when they happen, they happen. Maybe you‘ll listen then.”

A theological discussion degenerated into a discussion as to whether or not God is a hairsplitter. Ron took this occasion to put down Catholicism.

McConnell asked “What if they’re living God’s way and they’re miserable?” Ron: “Well, that’s their choice.”

At one point during a heated exchange, Weinland let slip his primary doctrine: “Let me finish the statement. Everyone wants to pin me to the wall, without listening to what God has to say.” Ron, while your deluded followers think your words are God's word, no one else does.

At the end of the interview, McConnell gave out Ron’s URL over the air: “endtime2008.com” which redirects to “the-end.com”. Mike asked Ron if he’d given any thought to updating that to “09”, which went over Ron’s head as he didn’t answer.

In his sermon, Weinland claimed to have another revelation as a result of this interview. It seems that now 10% of all 3 of the thirds of both “the scattering” of WCG, and also that of “modern day Israel” will be saved from the Great Tribulation. He stated this in a confusing manner, and then followed up that people might not accept it. Then he repeated a point that God knows people’s minds and how they’ll react. But if they don’t react the right way the 2nd trumpet could be much sooner than a year. His statements are very confusing and contradictory. To get the full impact you’ll have to download the sermon and listen yourself. It’s about the last 10 minutes of the sermon.

Weinland posted a link to a YouTube video in which someone spliced Ron's blather about UFOs over some stock footage of war games. Weinland suggested that the members go there to rate up the video. A number of them have joined YouTube just to do that. There's a peer rating war going on in the comment area with a former prospective member who saw the light leaving comments which are promptly down-rated while the PKG members rate each other's comments up.

It's now 78 days since Weinland cursed me to die from the inside speedily. And only 6 more days of the 90-day period for the second trumpet (second time around). Citizen X has a blog post holding Weinland to this, we'll see whether or not he really will declare him to be a false prophet or give him another pass as he did when the first timeline failed.

Weinland Says We're "In"

2009-03-07T08:56:00.001-06:00

It had been several months since False Prophet Ronald Weinland posted anything on his blog website. But early Friday morning he put something up.

Recently exited COG-PKG member Mike Allen has taken time to provide his analysis. So I'm turning the remainder of the post over to Mike. He quotes Weinland and then responds.

------------------------------- From Mike Allen ---------------------------------

The petitions that went up before God were not for the purpose that the destructive power be lessened (as this cannot be changed), but that the period of time of the actual physical suffering from it will be lessened, and that through this very process more people will potentially be able to be saved (who can indeed live on into the millennial period that is rapidly approaching). This not only includes the possibility of many more people of different nations being saved, but it also includes an offer of saving many more who were part of the scattering in the Church after the apostasy in 1994 (who otherwise would not have been given such opportunity and blessing).

Ron is saying here now the opposite of what he originally taught by saying that God will now save more people than what He himself stated in His word, the Bible.

The prophetic destruction manifested in 9/11 was followed by a temporary shut down of Wall Street and the plunging of the Dow. It truly takes a lot to humble people, for how soon we all forget. People were shocked and horrified by those events that shook the economic world. Before 9/11 the Dow had been fluctuating between the 10,000 and 11,000 level.

Though there is no argument that the economy is in trouble, Ron is using here the same wording for what happened for what he calls the sixth seal as he did for the seventh seal where nothing happened! He said that the world will be shocked and horrified on the day that the seventh seal is opened - nothing happened on that day and no one was shocked or horrified! Now he is saying that people were shocked and horrified when the sixth seal was opened. The world was indeed shocked and horrified on 9/11 but it doesn't mean that it was the opening of the sixth seal. Perhaps it was only the first seal - or perhaps it was just a horrible occurence!

Much of the world of traditional Christianity, and even God’s Church, have long believed that this final time would begin with great destructive events that would immediately lead to the death of tens of thousands of people and then continue to escalate throughout the final 3 1/2 years. This period of time has often been referred to as “the great tribulation,” although the Bible makes no such statement regarding this final 3 1/2 years.

Ron, people believe that the Great Tribulation will immediately lead to the death of many people for two reasons. One is that the Bible says specifically what will happen at the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8. Therefore their thinking is well founded! Moreover, this period of time HAS been referred to as “the great tribulation” and the bible DOES make a statement about this 3.5 years. It just doesn’t say 3.5 years and “great tribulation” in the same scripture. However, if you want to play a semantics game with God’s Word - it’s your funeral, not mine! Here is what Jesus said about the 3.5 years coming at the end of this age.

Matthew 24:20-22 (King James Version)
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Notice how Jesus said that this time will be like NO OTHER TIME IN THE WORLD’S HISTORY?

In regards to the days being shortened in verse 22, even Ron has said in previous sermons this means that it will not be allowed to continue past the point of total destruction. He now makes it sound as if this means that God is cutting shorter the 1,260 days of tribulation into a more suitable number for the sake of those who fasted on January 31st and February 1st.

The reality is that the Seventh Seal of Revelation was opened on November 14, 2008, and then 30 days later the First Trumpet sounded. This trumpet is prophetic in nature, yet it will also prove to be very physical in its complete fulfillment. It is prophetic in that it reveals the kind of literal, physical destructiveness that will follow in the fulfillment of the six trumpets that are yet to sound.

Ron, you have already gone against your own word on this two fold. The first time was when you failed to keep your promise of going back on the radio shows to admit being a false prophet when your timeline didn’t work out. The second time was when you changed your prophesy - you first said that all that is said in Revelation 8 regarding the third of the trees and all the green grass means just what it says though it only meant in the area of attack. Now you say it is some foolish spiritual meaning which no one can make sense of unless they have it from God. Ron, we already have it from God! It is called the Bible!

We now find ourselves three months into that final 3 1/2 year period of time, but thank God that these massive powers of end-time destruction have not yet been unleashed. The kind of suffering that will finally come to pass is horrific beyond comprehension. God is being merciful by temporarily holding back the day when the Second Trumpet sounds and massive physical destruction begins. As always, it needs to be understood that God is not bringing that destruction upon mankind, but mankind is bringing it upon himself (it will be caused by man). God is now holding back that time of massive physical destruction by not allowing man to start this process for a few more months.

Now this one baffles me a little - even coming from Ron. Ron says, “Thank God that these massive powers of end-time destruction have not yet been unleashed”. While I do thank God that these things have not been unleashed, the fact that they are not unleashed proves we are not where Ron says we are! God already stipulated at the printing of the Bible (most likely at the founding of the world) what things would happen at EXACTLY what time. So are you telling me, Ron, that God is a whimsical God who can willy-nilly change things set for thousands of years just because a couple hundred people go without food? HOGWASH!!!

This is all the result of God’s will and His purpose that is being worked out for this world, and although God has granted to offer mercy to more people in this end-time by bringing more to humility, the choice of repentance is still in the hands of those whom God humbles and grants mercy.

See, this goes right along with my previous statement. God did establish just how many He would pull through this Tribulation time at least from the writing of the Bible. If one believes this is true, how could the same thinking person believe that God is going to suddenly change the amount of people who he will allow to survive? Also, how can anyone know what God has granted mercy for until after the fact? If anyone can, it certainly would not be a man who’s prophesies have been wrong 100% of the time!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I expect to post more of Mike Allen's response later. That is unless Ron's curse on me finally takes effect and I die from the inside speedily.

Weinland on the Radio

2009-03-06T18:26:00.001-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was back on Cincinnati radio station 700 WLW today. I've had a chance to listen to Mike McConnell interview him for the fourth time. But I do not have time this evening to comment further on it. Despite what the Insane Liar claims, I do have a life.

The interview is available on the radio station's website. Go to this web page and then download the MP3 file for 3/6/09 Hour 2.

Weinland also put up a post last night on his blog website. Pretty much more of the same.

Ron's Total Resolve

2009-03-02T17:16:00.003-06:00

In his Oct 4, 2007 Last Great Day sermon entitled "Total Resolve", False Prophet Ronald Weinland exhorted his members to show Total Resolve. He demanded that the members send in their second tithe to finance his book promotion since there wouldn't be an organized Feast of Tabernacles in 2008 as a consequence of the Great Tribulation. (Ron said the same thing about the 2009 FoT during the organized 2008 FoT, but planning is underway for yet another Feast this fall.)

Near the end of the "Total Resolve" sermon, he exhorted his followers:
Brethren, please, please, please understand that now we’re to pour everything we can into what we’re doing. And that’s between now [Oct, 2007] and January [2008]. Think about your life. Think about what you’re doing.

A week later, on October 11, 2007, he posted the following on his blog:

This new post is being made over my new satellite system with Inmarsat. After the Feast of Tabernacles was concluded on Oct. 4, the following Sunday my wife and I flew to Istanbul, Turkey, where we boarded a cruise ship to begin our cruise that we announced during the Feast.

Yesterday we were in Izmir, Turkey, that is the location of ancient Smyrna, which the apostle John wrote about in Revelation in the message to the seven churches (church eras). We took a tour that took us about an hour drive north of Ismir to the old city of Pergamum (another of the seven churches). The ruins of these ancient cities is quite profound when you consider they had no modern equipment to build the kinds of structures, that are even a marvel to modern day engineers and builders. Both John and Paul had been in these places and it was rather a strange feeling to walk in some of the same areas (now in ruins) that were so majestic in their day.

Today we are in port at Athens, Greece, and we will have the opportunity to visit the ancient city of Corinth.

On Oct 20, 2007 he posted an update on his trip, letting his followers know that he hadn't fallen overboard:

Today we are spending the Sabbath in Barcelona, Spain. We will be staying here until Monday morning when we will fly back to the U.S. The internet service on the ship was at a snails pace so I was not able to do much on the internet as I had hoped to make some postings to this site while we were traveling. The last I was able to make a post was in Athens since I was using my new satellite system, but after Athens I couldn’t us it any longer. I was on the wrong side of the ship from that time on since our side only faced to the north and the satellites were in the south. So much for technology, but obviously if I was on land there would not have been a problem.

This cruise was likely the 12-day Classic Mediterranean Cruise on NCL's Norwegian Jewel. The Norwegian Cruise Line still offers this cruise itinerary on a different vessel which includes the following ports of call: Istanbul; Ephesus (Izmir); Athens (Piraeus); Dubrovnik; Venice; Naples; Rome (Civitavecchia); Barcelona. The 2009 price of the cruise depends on the cabin type with prices ranging up from $1149 per person for an ocean view cabin with a porthole. But a porthole probably would not have allowed Ron to play with his satellite phone. A room with a balcony more conducive to satellite phoning is $1619 per person and a suite is $1799 per person. A check of airfare from Cincinnati to Istanbul shows the 2009 price to be about $800 per person. These are 2009 prices but I expect that the 2007 prices would have been similar. This vacation for both Ron and Laura together with two nights in a hotel room in Barcelona probably cost over $5000 after adding in other incidentals such as transfers to the cruise ship, drinks, taxis, tours($59 per person for Pergamon), and other miscellaneous expenses. But let's say that he managed to get discounts and the vacation was only $4000.

Ron gave an explanation for the purpose of this cruise:
With the heavy schedule of traveling during the summer and then the daily pace at the Feast of Tabernacles, Laura and I were both very drained afterward. Each year the Feast season has been this way with the kind of schedule we have, and that is the reason we try to take a couple of weeks off after the Feast. This year was by far the most draining so this trip is proving to be very rejuvenating to us.

Let's review. Ron and Laura needed to spend thousands of dollars to recover from the stresses of traveling by traveling yet more. They couldn't have possibly have rejuvenated from these stresses by hanging out in their $381,000 mansion on a country club golf course for a couple of weeks. Makes total sense -- as do all things about Weinland. Total Sense about Ron's Total Resolve. It's Totally Amazing that COG-PKG members agree with the sense of entitlement that Ron feels -- after all he and Laura are the two witnesses.

Just as it's totally amazing that it's now the 11th week since Ron cursed me to speedily die from the inside, but I'm still here pointing out his contradictions.

Weinland Says I'm Sealed

2009-02-28T20:36:00.001-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Lubbock, TX this weekend. Ron has laid off the prophecy for a bit, spending a good deal of the sermon attacking Rod Meredith for his article on the origin of Christ which differs from Weinland's own pet doctrines on the subject. If you want a sermon summary, I imagine that Bob Thiel will have one in a few days. But Bob will have to listen to the sermon for himself to get the tedious details.

The one interesting bit is that I'm sealed. Or at least my fate is, since I've listened to his "truth" for so long and still don't buy it. Guess I'll be taking the swan dive into the Lake of Fire right behind Aggie.

Gavin Rumney has a post comparing Ron to the fading Cheshire Cat of Alice in Wonderland because Ron's Alexa rankings have slipped a bit recently. As you can see from the graph, traffic to the-end.com did take a drop at the beginning of February. My guess is that Ron fine tuned the bids on sponsored links for various keywords and/or reduced the budget. He needs to save some money for his exit strategy in case his prophecies fail too miserably or the IRS develops a case. While reduced, the traffic volume is still significantly higher than it was this summer before he resumed Google advertising.

Gavin, I'm afraid it's a bit too soon to count Ron out. He's still traveling and still collecting tithes from too many people who are still with him. And probably will still be with him at the 2012 Feast of Trumpets when Christ still has not returned.

And I'm not counted out either, 10 full weeks after Ron cursed me to die speedily from the inside.

Weinland's Flexible Book

2009-02-25T06:16:00.002-06:00

On June 28 after his first timeline failed, False Prophet Ronald Weinland rolled out his 50th "truth" and the second timeline which was approximately an 8-month delay from the first timeline. The following Saturday, July 5, Weinland addressed some questions he'd received:
Why did you change all the timelines? Why did you change everything that was in the book?
Weinland's response:
"It hasn’t been rewritten. It’s the same book. Nothing has changed in the content of the two books. Period. Every once in awhile we’ve had maybe a little bit edited, a word maybe that is misspelled, or something of that nature. But that’s been rare. Especially in the second book, thankfully.”

On December 21, I posted my Winter Solstice post concerning the last page of "2008 God's Final Witness" which reads:
By the fall of 2008, the United States will have collapsed as a world power, or it will have begun its collapse and no longer exist as an independent nation within six months after that time.

From his July 5 statement and what's written on the last page of the book, it was clear that he was maintaining his prophecy that the US would be "down the tubes" by June 21 of this year which is 6 months after the end of Fall of 2008.

In his December 27 sermon, Weinland stated that he'd had a couple of questions the prior week about the issue raised in my blog post about the last page of his book. (Some of his members read my blog.) He phrased the question as:
“You mean everything is postponed by 8 months? "
And in his response, he said:
If it is, so be it. ….. Things did change. And it did affect some things and why they were written in the book.
And a few minutes later on.
“Everything has been affected by the change of 8 months….. That changed everything.”

These statements are within the first few minutes of the sermons on those dates.

To review, in July nothing in the book had changed. But in December it had changed by 8 months. So, what will his explanation be after allowing for another 8 months and his prophecies are still failed? Will we have a 51st Truth and another timeline? I look for it to happen.

One thing I not looking for is my speedy death from the inside. Sixty-six days and it still hasn't happened.

Three More Weeks

2009-02-22T11:08:00.000-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland spoke from Bowling Green, KY yesterday. The first part of the sermon was plagued with interference, perhaps from Ron's cell phone. The Silent Witness had to speak up so the situation could be corrected. Usually it's someone else's cell phone that causes interruptions.

Weinland again read his long list of travel destinations through Pentecost.

Acknowledging that the HWA article he started reading last weekend was in the Feb 1972 "Tomorrow's World" and not the "Good News", Ron continued on reading about Hoeh's 19-year time cycle theory. I'm still looking for him to weave 19-year time cyles into an explanation for the failures of his prophecies.

Weinland talked about HWA's constant message that the end was 5 to 10 years away, how as a result people were reluctant to have children, and every time buying a car thinking it would be the last one. Weinland thinks that's good, I strongly disagree.

Repeating his "where eagles (vultures) gather" theme, he mentioned the many stirred up people picking on his tiny church. Ron, there aren't enough "stirred up" people picking on you but there are far too many people in your tiny church on whom you are picking. By the way, who are all these many people who are picking on you?

The last part of his sermon was spent reading selected news articles on the economy. Ron gives credit to the two-day fast and members prayers and petitions for bringing the stock market down this week. It's all about the dollar.

"Three More Weeks" is the title of this post and also that of a sermon Weinland gave March 29 in which he promised to stop preaching and acknowledge he was a false prophet if his prophesies didn't materialize by the end of July. Three weeks from yesterday is March 14, which is 90 days after December 14 when Ron and Laura rebegan their jobs as the Two Witnesses in the second timeline. In his first timeline, Weinland prophesied that nuclear explosions would happen within 45 to 90 days after the first time they began as the Two Witnesses back in April, or by July 16th.

In some circles within COG-PKG it was expected that the Second Trumpet (nuclear explosions) would occur within 45 to 90 days in the second timeline. From the pulpit, Ron has moved expectations out beyond that. I guess we'll see, in three more weeks.

And now over 9 weeks since Weinland re-pronounced his death curse on me.

Weinland's Missing 3 and 1/2 Days

2009-02-18T06:16:00.008-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland stated that he restarted his job as the Spokesman of the Two End-Time Witnesses of Revelation 11 on December 14, which is 1260 days before Pentecost of 2012 when Christ is to return. As I mentioned last week, supposedly Ron and Laura definitely knew when they became Witnesses, both times.

According to Ron, he and his wife the Silent Witness will be killed 3 1/2 days before Christ's return, but their dead bodies lying in the streets of Jerusalem will continue the testimony, which means that their jobs did not begin 1263 1/2 days before Christ's return, but rather 1260 days before Christ's return. For the sake of this discussion we'll accept that it's possible to testify after your death by having your body on public display.

Let's see what his book "2008 God's Final Witness" has to say about this. On page 22 is the following:

So this verse clearly shows that these two anointed ones of God have a specific time to do the primary thrust of their work. They know the exact day that Jesus Christ will return because they know their final work will last exactly 1,260 days. It is exactly at this point that they will be killed:

And when they [the two witnesses] shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit [Satan through his influence on men] shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified [in Jerusalem]. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three and one-half days [via television], and their dead bodies shall not be allowed to be put in graves. (Revelation 11:7-9)

These two prophets of God will complete the work that God has given them to do, then they will be killed in the streets of Jerusalem.

Let's review. According to Weinland, he testifies for 1256 1/2 days while alive and 3 1/2 days while dead. But according to both his book and the Bible, he testifies 1260 days while alive, finishes his testimony, and after that is dead for 3 1/2 days. Whether or it it's possible to testify while dead is not at all at issue.

So Ron, which one is correct? And while you're at it, define "speedily". It's now the 9th week since you laid your curse on me that I was to die speedily from the inside.

If These Are the Golden Years, Where's the Gold?

2009-02-15T07:06:00.002-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Detroit yesterday. During the announcement portion of the services, he read off a long list of travel destinations most of which are posted on his web site. Weinland has listed domestic travel plans all the way into May. For Pentecost (May 31) he plans to go to the Netherlands or Belgium and the following weekend to the UK. So much for the Great Tribulation. He also stated that the Feast of Tabernacles would be observed in the same format as last year. So much for Weinland's emphatic statement in Oct 21st's Last Great Day sermon that there would not be a gathering for the Feast of Tabernacles this year, not even half of one.

Weinland read a "personal" from Herbert Armstrong written at the point of the failure of his prophecy for the beginning of the Great Tribulation in 1972. Ron, you need to get your facts straight. This was not in the Feb. 1972 issue of the "Good News". In fact there is no such issue, but there is a "Jan/Feb 1972" issue which does not have anything by Armstrong in it. The HWA personal he read was published in the Feb. 1972 issue of "Tomorrow's World" which only had two more issues after that. That makes sense, because you can't have the Millennium without the Great Tribulation first.

Armstrong claimed that he did not prophesy. While HWA, unlike Weinland, did not claim to be a "prophet of the God of Abraham", he did claim to be an apostle of God and he did prophesy. He disclaimed that the date in his booklet "1975 in Prophecy" was a firm date, saying that it was playing against media predictions of the time for a technical utopia. Let's get a bit further into "1975 in Prophecy" and read this excerpt (1956 Edition, page 10):

HWA might have thrown a weasel word or two in there. But these were overshadowed by the emphatic statements along with the end-time theme promoted in other literature such as his coworker letters.

In part of HWA's personal he discussed how he had been willing to admit error, and this is the mark of a true church. Weinland spent some time emphasizing this. Since Weinland has "admitted to errors" so many times he is truer than true.

I think this is preparing the PKG members to admit the errors of the 2nd timeline and accept the third. Two weeks after the "Great Fast" to humble the church so they could beseech God to intensify the thunders, Ron states that if there's no big thunder for a full year, "so what".

He stopped reading when the issue of 19-year time cycles came up. Supposedly the 1972 Great Tribulation was related to the end of two 19-year time cycles after HWA started his operation in 1934. I would point out that next January will be two 19-year time cycles since the start of the 1972 Great Tribulation. Perhaps Ron will somehow weave this into his next timeline.

The title of this post comes from a question from Ron he intended to be rhetorical. But it deserves an answer. The answer for too many older PKG members formerly in WCG (the "scattering") is that Ron got the gold. And possibly still has it -- I am highly skeptical of his claims that he's "drained the funds" including his Swiss bank account and "put it all into the Googling system". Weinland has demonstrated that he is not a man of his word. He did not hold true to the word he gave in his "If By Pentecost" declaration to stop preaching and acknowledge that he was a false prophet. He did not hold true to the promises he made in radio interviews that he wouldn't come up with new explanations when his prophecies failed. Yet here we are into his second timeline, and 8 weeks since he reissued his death curse against me. No, I'm inclined to believe that he still has significant funds tucked away in anticipation of the need for a personal exit.

It Was a Night Like Any Other Night

2009-02-11T04:16:00.005-06:00

Ron Weinland's book "2008 God's Final Witness" has some interesting material which I recently noticed. On page 21, Weinland states:

In addition, at the very end-time, God will give His two witnesses great power to accomplish the work He has for them to do. These two (and others who know them) know exactly the day when Jesus Christ will return. These two will know positively when God gives them this power, and from that time they know that exactly three and one-half years remain.

So back on April 17th during his first timeline, or actually on sunset of the day before, did Ron and Laura "know positively" that they acquired witness powers as they "began their jobs" as the two witnesses?

Ron sure acted like they had, because in the sermon delivered the following Saturday, April 19, he pontificated:
My first exercise in use of power, that God has granted me in Revelation 11, is to you -- you mockers. To you who mock and ridicule God and his prophets. Truly. It begins with you, first and foremost. You will be the first to experience some of the things that begin to take place. You don’t have to wait long. For those who mock from this day forward, by what you say against God’s people, by what you say against the truths of God, by what you say against God's prophets, you will suffer from sickness that will eat you from the inside out. And you will die. Your death will not be quick.”

Weinland was interviewed a couple of weeks later (May 2, 2008) on a radio station about this transition and he (RW) gave this interesting response when queried by the interviewer Mike McConnell (MM).

MM: So uh the night before I mean when the trumpet was about to sound on April the seventeenth did you get a good night’s sleep? The night of the sixteenth into the seventeenth? Or were you too full of anticipation?

RW: [long pause] It was like any other night.

MM: Any other night. OK. Well Ron, we’re gonna talk again, I’d say somewhere around the middle of July how about that?

RW: That sounds great. (This however was his last radio interview with anyone. He reneged on this promise and similar promises to other radio hosts to return and discuss how well his prophecies had been fulfilled.)

Did Weinland delude himself into thinking he'd acquired great witness powers? After all, the biblical day actually begins at sunset on the day before the Roman calendar date. Or as he said in the interview did he realize that nothing had happened and was continuing the charade?

When he repeated this acquisition of witness powers on sunset of the evening prior to December 14, did he feel any different than he did at sunset on April 16th? Will he feel any different when he goes through it a third time, possibly later in this year?

And will his witness powers have more efficacy during his third timeline? Doesn't seem that he has them this time, after all it's the eighth week since he reissued his death curse against me.

(Thanks to Weinland Watch for the quotes from Ron's sermon and interview, and also the title of this post. I thought it was worth recycling with the added quote from Weinland's book. Both for the benefit of those who've started following the Insane Liar recently, and those who might've forgotten this earlier interview.)

Who Are You Going to Believe, Me or Your Lying Eyes?

2009-02-08T10:07:00.009-06:00

Note: Dennis Diehl has written a humorous post that captures the essence of Weinland's foolishness.

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Bloomington IL this weekend. He read a letter from his Australian evangelist Wayne Matthews which proof-texted the 3rd thunder describing the drought in Australia. While the fires there are certainly significant to those affected and should not be minimized, they should not be elevated to an event of biblical proportion. Wayne took time to mention that "no one died" as a result of the fast in Australia, which is certainly good news. I hope that's also true for the PKG members in the US, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, and anywhere else that there are ensnared followers of this false prophet. Ron went on to read selected news articles with unemployment statistics to support his 4th thunder. There's still no mention of dead ministers relative to his 5th thunder nor any mention of the other 2 phases of his 5th thunder. And nothing on the other thunders which Weinland presumptuously defined.

Reference was made again to Mike A (Washtay) who was described as a 3-year member (now disfellowshipped) who camouflaged his true feelings. I didn't get the impression from Washtay's emails that Washtay is part of the "scattering" (ex-WCG). Perhaps he was recruited by reading Weinland's first book "Prophesied End Time". Three years ago is about the time Ron claimed to be an End-Time Witness (Dec 17, 2005) and also put out his origin of Christ doctrine at the 2005 Feast of Tabernacles. At another point in his sermon Ron mentioned being blamed for a member's family problems, etc. I didn't see anything of that sort mentioned in the emails Washtay shared. So perhaps there's et another exiting member besides Washtay. And there maybe yet another exiting member given Ron's mention of his $381,000 home which was not referred to by Washtay. In fact, Washtay seemed willing to take on blame for whatever failings he had without transferring them to Ron. The problem for Ron was that Washtay wasn't willing to take on the blame for Ron's failings as well. I invite Mike (Washtay) to share to the extent he is comfortable his experiences as a COG-PKG member in comments here on this blog.

Weinland's theme and sermon title related to his commission, of which he has none. Reference was made to a January 1972 "Good News" writeup by Herbert Armstrong on his commission (which he also did not have). I looked at the Jan/Feb 1972 "Good News" and didn't see any article or personal by HWA inside it. Perhaps Ron can clarify, maybe it was a simple misstatement. Co-worker letter maybe? For those uninitiated in things-Armstrong, the "Good News" was a magazine sent out by HWA's WCG only to WCG members.

Ron finally dared to read Deuteronomy 18:20-22 but claimed that it didn't really apply in his case. Let's review Deuteronomy 18:

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

So Ron would have you believe what he prophesied is true yet ignore when he prophesied that it would become true. Let's review for example what he said in his Dec 15, 2007 interview with Daniel Ott on "The Edge" radio program. At the beginning of the program, Daniel asks Ron if he is a "direct and ordered prophet of God". Weinland answers in the affirmative: "that is true". So everything Ron says during the entire interview is speaking in the name of God. Toward the end of the interview, Ron makes his statement that the USA would be "so far down the tubes" by last month that we wouldn't be able to inaugurate a president. Sorry Ron. The "thing" you prophesied includes not only the "what", but also the "when". During the interview, Ron promised to return to explain the failures of his prophecies, but that didn't happen. Daniel had something to say about that. Seems that Ron refused a reinterview back in July and Daniel Ott properly characterized him as a fraud. Not only is Ron a false prophet, but he doesn't keep his word. No wonder that the IRS is investigating him.

Ron went on to blather in his sermon that everything he stated in his radio interview was correct other than that the timing was changed by 8 months with the 50th truth. Somehow the "6-month marginal window for events" mentioned on the last page of "2008 God's Final Witness" morphed into "6 to 9 months" before settling on the approximately 8 month difference between his first and second timeline.

For his first timeline, Ron predicted "nukular" explosions 45 to 90 days after he "began his job" as a Witness at the 1260 day point (April 17, 2008) or by mid-July. In this his second timeline, he "rebegan his job" on December 14. Forty-five days after that was Jan. 28, and 90 days after that is this coming March 14. Also in his "Three More Weeks" sermon on March 29, he issued his "If by Pentecost" declaration in which he promised to stop preaching if evidence of the First Trumpet (destruction of vegetation and animals) was not clearly evident by Pentecost, which was less than 45 days later. So far we see no widespread destruction of plants and animals, but Ron would have you believe that our economic woes fulfills this since printed money happens to be green. The US currency does happen to be green -- is that the case in all the scattered nations of modern day Israel? (UK, Australia, Canada, and others.) It's been awhile since I traveled internationally, but as I recall foreign currency is a rainbow of colors.

Despite the obvious failures, Weinland maintains that he still a prophet of God. For a follower, it all hinges on whether you believe that Ron Weinland truly speaks for God. What evidence of that has he offered? Only his failed prophecies. The test that he defined for himself in his book, the deaths of 5 specific ministers, has not materialized. Not even in part, even though the first minister Ron predicted to die (Rod Meredith) is about 80 years old and has suffered a stroke.

Regarding Ron's attempt to disconnect himself from the "when" of his failed prophecies, where's the time limit? Otherwise, everything he's said will probably come true in the future, though probably not at the same time. Cataclysmic comets have struck the earth in the past, and may again in the future -- thousands or millions of years in the future. Ron, let's draw a definite line in the sand. Oh, scratch that -- you already have.

And then we have Ron's death curse against his critics and mockers who were to speedily die from the inside. His death curse obviously, clearly, includes yours truly. This is the 50th day since he reissued his fatwah, and despite that you see this post. So much for speedily. Those who still believe him are those who believed him initially and "threw down their pitchers" by handing over their life savings to him and breaking family ties with those who didn't follow them into Ron's PKG money pit to finance his prophetic delusions and his country club home. Also still believing him are those who were attracted by his Google ad campaign and are of an apocalyptic mindset.

I hope that Ron's followers will soon open their eyes to clearly see reality and depart from this false prophet before yet more damage is done. And that they will also ignore Weinland's mind-gaming characterization of anyone who dares to think for himself as a sinner. However, I expect that they will follow him into the 51st "truth" whatever that turns out to be and will also follow him into his 3rd timeline.

Weinland Vs Washtay: The Knockout

2009-02-06T23:46:00.001-06:00

This post is a continuation of Washtay's story from the last post . I may have the order of these emails a bit out of sequence. Washtay, please let me know if this is the case.

Washtay responds to Ron's suspension notice. As before, emails are in italics along with [my comments]

Mr. Weinland,

As I said to you a couple of times, I have been doing considerable thinking and praying over this matter. This has been spiritual torment for me since I felt that all I had believed in just fell to my feet and I was left to sort out the shards of broken me.

I know that not all of what I believe is from you, THANK GOD. My wife asked me about the Sabbath. This, in her mind, is the main staple of my faith (and it is but she doesn't realize the importance of it or the equal importance of the Holy Days or clean and unclean meats) and so she asked me if I would still not work on Friday nights and Saturdays. Obviously she is eager for me to be able to make more money again. Nonetheless, right away I told her that the Sabbath and the Holy Days and clean and unclean meats are something I WILL NOT give up. I will hold to that as a truth from God and allow Him to guide me as He will. I told her that I did not get that truth from you but from God. I am thankful for those truths and will always owe all I have in life (and life itself) to my awesome Creator. You asked me if my calling was from God and to the true church (not in so many words) or not.

To answer this is not as simple as one may expect. Yes, I do believe that it was God who called me. Yes, I believe that He answered those many, many prayers I had when I asked him where to go, how to worship Him. I do not just believe, I know He did. The difficult part of the answer lies in not whether or not He called me but why and to whom? Upon reading a scripture in 1 Kings I began to think it may be possible in God's ultimate plan to test someone who comes to Him with pleas to determine whether or not that said person will follow Him (their God) or a person (a mere man).
1 Kings 22:19-23 depicts a point in time where God actually used a false prophet to do His work. He not only USED a false prophet but He allowed them to be MADE into false prophets by lying spirits(undoubtedly this was Lucifer).

Paul and the other Apostles, as well as Jesus himself, have a very strong admonition toward anyone who may teach a different Christ than that which was already given for them by Jesus. They say anyone doing so shall be accursed. Obviously they would be speaking of a false prophet as well if one claims to be a prophet and teaches a different Christ than they did. You began teaching a different Christ than what Paul or the other apostles (or Jesus) spoke of in the Bible by saying that Jesus had a beginning through Mary and no beginning before that. You were able to explain it away by saying that God is giving new truth. I ask you - How would God give new truth about His Son when He directed His Apostles and His Son Himself to say that anyone teaching a different Christ is not true!!!??? Does this mean then that Paul was a false teacher? Or does it mean that Jesus could be a false teacher? Or is God Himself incorrect in His own thinking? Or does this mean as it is stated by Jesus and the Apostles that ANYONE who teaches differently than what is already taught in the Bible (specifically about Jesus since God gave and kept His truths about His Son fully in tact) is wrong? This question is rhetorical, by the way.

I was so troubled by all of this and after long deliberation I realized I had little reason to be searching for an answer as I had the answer all along. I was just scared to admit that I also had been so wrong by believing you for all of this time. I know that God says if a prophesy does not come true in the time it is said to be (when spoken in God's name) the prophet is not a prophet of God and did speak presumptuously. You contradicted God Himself when you said in your sermon that you did not speak presumptuously and need not repent. Mr. Weinland, with what else is said in those scriptures, I would not want your fate! May God have mercy on your soul!

Obviously, from what is said in this letter, I MUST remove myself from YOUR organization as it is not God's. It is God and His teachings I must seek. Please make no generic comments about how much pity you feel for those who go out and think they will find truth in the world after they had the truth, on my behalf. Spare it because the truth is what I already have with what I now practice - it just cannot be with you or any of the scattered churches as far as I know - or with traditional Christianity - or Judaism - or Islam - or any belief in this world. It is with God. It will be with God until He (if He does) directs me elsewhere. I will no longer search for religion from this point. I will merely pray and ask for guidance and help and lay my burdens upon my Creator.

Goodbye,

[Washtay]

After further consideration, Washtay wrote:

Mr. Weinland,

I am at a more even keel at this point since I have rid myself of that initial anger I had when I wrote you last. I do absolutely apologize for how I wrote the last two times. I know it was uncalled for and immature.

In response to your letter here (which played a part in making me angry to begin with) I do actually get that you did give some answers in your sermons. I have always been the one to help the others in my area to remember what details as far as dates, facts, etc. were in certain sermons since I was the young one who could remember. I am not saying that in a haughty way - it is just how it is. I knew quite well which of the questions I asked had already been answered in sermons but like a good lawyer; when presenting an argument you never ask a question you do not already know the answer to.

On that topic, you never did answer this question: How can a prophet (let alone one of the two witnesses of God) give a prophesy and go on to [promise to] admit to being a false prophet if said things do not pan out at a very specific date and then go back on that word?

I do not expect to get an answer to this question after the reply I gave before. I just wanted to make it clear that you indeed had not actually answered the questions I had but continued to patronize me and revert to that age-old comment of understanding my spirit - as if I was possessed. That type of patronizing only fuels fires[,] just for your future knowledge. Counseling people is not your strong point so I hope you take that to heart as it is intended in a very constructive way.

[Washtay]

Weinland was not impressed. He responded:

Hello [Washtay],

As per your last few e-mails, you are wrong again! If you do not understand that everything has changed due to the difference in eight months that God has revealed in the 50th Truth, then I cannot give this to you, as this understanding must come from God. You are critical, judgmental, and very far from God spiritually. You seem to have a high estimation of your spiritual insight and knowledge, but your past e-mails have made it clear that you very far from the trunk of the tree. [ So much wrong here. God did not reveal the "50th Truth", it's a total fabrication of Ron. Yes, in Ron's eyes you are far from God (Ron) spiritually. Ron is the one who overestimates his spiritual position.]

Again, you are a disfellowshipped member and you have no part with us at this time (unless you come to complete repentance). If you do repent, you can contact us via e-mail, but from this point forward we are cutting off all communication with you unless and until you do repent. [Got to cut Washtay off before he opens someone else's eyes.]

Sincerely,
Ronald Weinland

In last Saturday's sermon, Ron mentioned someone "stirred up" in an email conversation. According to him, he knew the spirit behind the letter. And the response to Ron's first letter was a "little bit worse", but the third letter was "totally off the wall". Ron has low standards for "totally off the wall", I guess any criticism qualifies. In the sermon, he repeated the blame game, that it's sin in your life that will separate you from Ron.

Mr. Weinland,

I got the message in the announcements portion of the sermon yesterday. I understand that it is always considered a bad thing for the congregation to question things when they are not perceived as correct. I also do not like it when my children question the authority my wife and I have in our household and I admonish them to follow first and then the answer most often will be presented to them. Often, simply doing the task told to do will provide the answer of, why do I need to do this? It is so often that people are impatient for answers to things for which they simply need to wait, listen, and allow time for the reason to be presented.

With this said, I would totally understand you’re upset if this is what I had done. However, it is not. I had never questioned anything previously and never would question what I am told to do/follow by God. I do not presume to know what God knows or to know better than He. I was not questioning His truths. I was actually going by His own word in the Bible where He gives an outline as to how we know whether a prophecy comes from Him or it doesn't.

The timeline change I was not okay with at first but I did not want to question that which God had established, therefore, I continued on with what we believe. Then when the seventh seal was "opened" (November 14th) and what you wrote in the book was not what was reality in the world, I wondered silently. When the elections took place I twitched nervously and hoped for something to take place which would prevent the day of the inauguration. When the inauguration took place, I truly had(have) a problem.

Of course, you know what scriptures I am referring to in this. They are in Deuteronomy and in Matthew. I think it is not right for you to talk about removing me from fellowship just because I state a place in the Bible that shows there are discrepancies with that which you have stated. I think, instead, you could address those issues as they are issues of great importance. I believed that God could (possibly/maybe, again I can never know with certainty what is in God's mind except for that which He states in His word) allow you to have the wrong timing as a way of cleansing the fellowship of those who are in with false intentions. From what God states in His word, I cannot make myself convinced that He would allow you to state on national/international radio right after announcing yourself to be a prophet that there would be no new president take office in 2009 because the country would be "down the tubes by that time" if it was not going to come to be. That would be God setting His own prophet up for a fall. According to His own word, He does not allow that. In fact, never before have any of the prophets of God had that happen in Bible record.

I feel that a person must bring to the table any issues they have problems with when their problems are scripturally based and not based on their own thinking. My problem here is scripturally based - it is according to God's word. To try and remove me from fellowship when I bring this type of issue up would be a public declaration on your part that you know there are problems with your own words.

As I stated to you previously, I am in a time of prayer and am working on allowing God's answers in my mind rather than my own thinking.

Sincerely,
[Washtay]

Washtay has a follow-on message to those still in COG-PKG.

To all those who heard Ron's sermon on 1-31-09. Do you realize how he did not mention my name or even say that this person he is speaking of is, in fact, disfellowshipped? This is because he knows I have a power over him and can prove his falsehood!!! He knows this and is a little fearful. I want this message to get out as much as possible before the next Sabbath service so that out of all that hear him, some will have heard the truth about him and shrug him off!!!

Washtay has revealed himself as "Mike A" in a comment to the previous post in this series. That should identify him to COG-PKG members in his local area. Mike, thanks for sharing your story. I hope your message will get through to others still trapped by the false prophet's lies. But in reading through your emails here, your journey did not happen overnight. Hopefully more will have their eyes opened so that they can see past Ron's deception but it will take awhile. As for yourself, continue to question. Question everything.

Round 2, Weinland Vs Washtay

2009-02-05T19:38:00.002-06:00

The exchange between Washtay and Weinland continues from my last post. Again, quotes are in italics with [my comments].

Washtay replies to Weinland's tap dance given in my last post:

Mr. Weinland,

What you said is true as far as me not having been open at all times. I was open as much as I needed to be, however. I have and am dealing with issues in my life and in my personality that are not desirable in the least. My human nature is a horrible thing and I do not like it. It is ever present and I am always trying to shun it from myself.

However, that is not the topic that I brought to you. I feel that you sidestepped the question I asked you. I asked you how you would deal with the interviewers demanding an answer to the fact that we have a president when you said we would not? Would you change the subject? Would you avoid the subject? Or would you justify it in some manner?

Furthermore, how would you approach the question (if raised by anyone) that page 115 in the 2008 book states that before the opening of the seventh seal, the seven thunders (indicating all of them) will become so pronounced that the validity of everything written about them should roar loudly to anyone willing to listen? I do realize that this is limited to those who can hear/see by God's Spirit. What I do not understand is that since the seventh seal is opened and you mentioned just a short time back that we are only now about to enter into the 5th trumpet, how is it that the seven thunders are roaring loudly? Not all of them have even started; though the seventh seal has opened.

[I think Washtay meant "5th Thunder" instead of "5th Trumpet". With all the various "Sevens", it can be confusing and I've heard Ron misstate a "Seven" as well.

Washtay would be pointing out that the 5th Thunder has not even begun to sound, even though the 7th Seal has opened, which contradicts Weinland's book which says that all 7 Thunders would be sounding loudly before the 7th Seal opened. And not one at a time in sequence as Weinland has explained.]

You are right in saying that I have great conflict. You were incorrect in saying that only I can resolve this. One thing I appreciate is the analogy of being before the Nile. I am now, like never before, standing before the Nile with no way but across and only God can get me through this conflict. I hope to come out of this conflict stronger and with a good report of God's work in me.

Sincerely,
[Washtay]

Good for you, Washtay. Not buying the same old blather.

Weinland responds:

Hello [Washtay],

You don't seem to get what I am telling you and I am not surprised. You are going to great lengths to justify yourself and that is not necessary. [Wait a minute!!! Washtay's not the one going to great lengths to justify himself -- you are. He's just asking an uncomfortable question.] You are fully wrong when you think that my correction to you has anything to do with being upset at you for questioning anything. Questions are fine, but I have already answered this in the past, as I told you. If you are not able to "hear" then I cannot help you. [Ron can't "help" those who can no longer swallow his lame excuses for his failures.]

As I have already said, I have already given answers in the sermons and announcements in the past. If you do not understand what is being said and you don't "get it" then it is because of that which is spiritual in your life (the lack of it). You need to look inward and repent of what ever sins you have been holding onto and not fully addressing in your life. This is keeping you from grasping what others so clearly see, but you do not. [Weinland repeats his "blame the member" tactic.]

That which happens in cases like yours is that you begin to interpret God's word on your own and believe you are right in what you are saying, yet you are fully wrong. I can not give this to you by any kind of statements that I haven't made already. [Shame on you Washtay. Only Weinland is qualified to interpret God's word.]

Because of my time being such as it is this week (and last) I simply do not have the time at the moment to spend more time with you on this matter, and I cannot give this to you spiritually anyway, it is between you and God. It is not between you and me. If you cannot receive what is stated in sermons and announcements (which has to do with God leading and teaching us and YOU) then I cannot give to you what God has already given to the Church. If you want to rely upon your own interpretations, that is your choice. If you want to be a student before God and take these things to Him, with repentance in your life for what you are doing, then perhaps you will come to clearly "SEE" what others see. [Washtay, are you going to quit thinking for yourself or not?]

Simply put for now, because of your continuation in all this I am asking you to remove yourself from the fellowship for now and keep this upcoming Sabbath on your own. [Time to protect the remaining sheep.] After the fast, I will contact you by phone and discuss all this with you. You can send me your phone number and the best times to reach you, if indeed you do want to be in fellowship with the Church, as you are not to return until I have counseled you on the matter. [Washtay is not disfellowshipped at this point, just suspended temporarily.]

Sincerely,
Ronald Weinland

The exchange concludes in the following post.

Weinland Tends the Flock

2009-02-04T17:56:00.005-06:00

Recent commenter "Washtay" has shared with me the interaction he's had with False Prophet Ronald Weinland. Initially, he asked Ron what he would say to a radio interviewer asking about the failure of his prophecy regarding no inauguration of a president last month. Here is Ron's response to Washtay [with my comments/edits].

Hello [Washtay],

Indeed I can appreciate your frustration, but I cannot help you with the confusion you are experiencing. [Of course you can't help, Ron -- you're the cause of the confusion.] It is a spiritual matter. [Yes Ron, we know. Everything's "spiritual".] These things have been addressed in sermons. The 50th Truth did change the timing of everything and God allowed it to be so. [50th Truth? Hah! You made it up based on counts between different dates in desperation when your first timeline failed.] Everything that was stated in interviews was based on lack of that truth. [No, your statements were based on your fantasies.] If you cannot accept that then there is nothing I can do to help you. It is frustrating to some degree, but new truth is always exciting as well, and it also reveals errors in past understanding. [Got that backwards, Ron. First we had the error revealed, then the "truth" was rolled out.] When God reveals new truth to us, it always opens up more doors of greater understanding and excitement for His plan and purpose that is being worked out. [ "His" plan? No, your plan which you make up as you go along. What's your current plan "B"?]

Not knowing the 50th Truth and all that it changed in no way affects my job as a prophet or takes away from that job in any manner. [I agree with that. Can't take away or affect something that doesn't exist. Ron, you were never commissioned as a prophet, except by yourself.] It is a matter of God's own choosing as to when He reveals truth and what he allows us to believe and even live incorrectly (ie Pentecost being observed for decades on a Monday rather than Sunday).[No, not God's choosing. A man's. First it was HWA, now it's REW.]

I cannot give to you what only God can give because your inability to "see" and understand what I have given in sermons over the past several months is a spiritual matter and can only be revealed and seen spiritually. [Inability to see? Yes, in the sense that if you clean your glasses you won't be seeing dirt instead of your surroundings.] If these things you mention trouble you and you believe that I am not God's true prophet, then you really have no other choice before God (if you are going to be true to Him for what you believe) but to remove yourself from fellowship. [Actually, I agree (mostly).] How can you listen to a false prophet teach you each Sabbath and still be true to God? [Good question.] You ask me how I can justify comments made in the past, especially on national radio. Candidly, I am not justify[ing] anything I have stated incorrectly, but I have delivered to all the truth in the matter and explained fully "why" these changes have occurred. [For sure you haven't justified anything to a radio host -- you simply haven't returned as you promised them. What you have delivered is a fresh crock of garbage to replace the garbage that had rotted and started to stink (worse).]

You mentioned how you came to know the truth. Was it from and was it through God's true Church and His true ministry or wasn't it? Only you can answer that for yourself. [It's my observation that the best lies rest on a solid foundation of truth.] Indeed I do feel for those who are having battles, but that also is part of God's design in our lives as true character and true humility do not come without such fiery trials that test us. [Now don't be blaming this conflict on God. It's all on you, Ron.]

It has always, and I repeat, ALWAYS been my experience as a minister that if individuals are not able to "hear" God then it is the result of some sin in their life that is not being fully repented of and of course that becomes hypocrisy, deeper pride, and living in a way that is against God's spirit and against Christ. I know and you know that you have not been open with me concerning some of this sin that is in your life. Perhaps rather than focusing on me and your ideas that I am "justifying" myself, maybe you should instead be looking inward. [So here we have it. One of Weinland's favorite techniques -- blame the member. Since we're all human and have failings, then any questioning of Ron is the result of some "sin" that the member has. Washtay, wise choice if you haven't been open with this exploiter.]

You do have great conflict that you and only you can resolve. It is a spiritual matter and only you can work this out between you and God. [Yes, Washtay does have a conflict. But it's not between him and God. It's between him and the delusions that you've force-fed him.]

Most sincerely [ Sincerely, huh?],

Ronald Weinland

Somewhat a contrast between Armstrongism and Catholicism. If you confess your sins to a priest, he has you say a few "Hail Mary's" and you're absolved until you commit a fresh batch of sins. An Armstrongite minister offers no forgiveness. Instead your sins are used as a weapon against you, even if you haven't confessed them in detail. And should you be foolish enough to confess them in detail, you're bound to hear more about it. A priest is prohibited from sharing your confession, an Armstrongite will use it against you.

Members are blamed when they fail to "see" Ron's fantasies as "truth". And as a commenter on another post pointed out, they've been set up to be blamed when the "thunders" don't materialize. If only they'd prayed harder.

I have more material from this exchange, but I think this is plenty to chew on right now.

Pray For Death

2009-02-01T11:36:00.004-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland delivered yesterday's sermon from Cincinnati. This is the weekend of the two-day fast he called earlier in the month. Weinland acknowledged that such a fast is unprecedented in CoG history, both in recent memory and probably for all 7 eras. While one-day fasts (no food or water) have been common in WCG and the various splinters, both on the annual Day of Atonement and other occasions called by a Herblet, a two-day fast (no food or water) is breaking new ground. Despite Weinland's cautions that certain people with health problems were not to attempt it, I fear that some may suffer permanently. Hopefully they will recognize when distress sets in and end their fast by drinking some water.

From comments made by Weinland and from comments by others on this blog and another forum, it appears that there is at least some small movement by members away from Weinland. One who followed Weinland into the second timeline and was willing to accept an 8-month delay for prophecies in "2008 God's Final Witness" drew the line at Weinland's attempt to move out expectations for the Great Tribulation to 2 years. It seems that some are kept in the church by the fear of losing contact with friends and family members.

When discussing his email exchange with a departing member, Weinland sequed into a discussion of people who criticized Herbert Armstrong for his extravagances, such as silver ice buckets. His response: "Armstrong talked quality". Weinland continued on to mention "the stupid thing of the house that's out there on the Internet. $381,000. Whoop-de-doo". This is in reference to other posts on this blog exposing Ron's lifestyle which is decidedly above average. Ron went on to claim that he might be criticized for living somewhere less expensive, and he could have had a more expensive home, and that while everything you have is God's, he only wants 10%. However Ron wants even more, in the past demanding 3/4 of the members' second tithe and whatever nest eggs they have. I don't doubt that he could have afforded an even more expensive home.

Weinland went on to explain the purpose of the fast. He read the following from pages 85-86 of "2008 God's Final Witness".

God wanted the Seven Thunders to remain sealed until this very time as well.

God did all this as part of a process through which He would reveal who one of His end-time witnesses was, the one through whom He would fully reveal all that John had written in the Book of Revelation concerning this end-time. God gave specific end time prophecies to John in a vision. John was to write about what he saw, but most of what he wrote was to remain sealed. God predetermined to reveal the meaning and timing of these major prophetic events through His end-time prophet.

God has a twofold purpose for doing this. First, God is going to make a clear distinction, in His scattered Church, between who His true minister is, through whom He is working, and all other ministers with whom He is not working. This will serve as one final witness to the Church before the devastation of the great tribulation strikes the whole world at the opening of the Seventh Seal.

Ron had a convoluted explanation as to why the last sentence doesn't mean what it says. He did not read the next paragraph or the one after that which reads:
The timing for the Seven Thunders is during the period of the Sixth Seal.

Nor did he read the chapter title which reads:
The Seven Thunders of the 6th Seal

Ron then proceeded for the umpteenth time to summarize the Seven Thunders. The members are to pray for them to get stronger so more will be humbled. They are to pray that the thunders become more intense so that more will be humbled and brought to repentance so that they can be saved when the Great Tribulation finally, finally gets here. Pray for the deaths of Rod Meredith and the other 4 specific ministers so that Ron's prophecy will appear to have been fulfilled. Perhaps even more than a tithe of all the thirds, not just a tithe of one of the thirds, can be saved.

Perhaps some will pray for my death. After all, it's now over 6 weeks since Weinland cursed me to die speedily from the inside. You'd think if it was going to take this long, it would have happened on the 40th day, since 40 is the number of judgment. But we're past that hurdle. Oh well, we've still got the 40-weeks hurdle to get past yet -- but so much for "speedily".

A Big Bruhaha

2009-01-31T12:16:00.002-06:00

For some reason the topic of Herbert Armstrong's alleged incestuous relationship with his daughter Dorothy has occupied the CoG blogosphere in the past few days. I had an exchange on the topic with RJ. The topic was also debated in this recent post on Ambassador Watch. Gavin has a new post this morning that compiles the different sources of this allegation.

Those who idolize Herbert Armstrong such as RJ insist that it didn't happen. Living CoG apologist Bob Thiel quickly responded this morning with his "Not Guilty" post.

If I were on a criminal jury for a trial of HWA on incest charges, I'd have to find Armstrong "not guilty" based on what's been presented. That wouldn't mean that I thought he was innocent, just that I didn't feel that it has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt to the standards required for a criminal conviction.

But I'm not on a criminal jury. We're not deciding whether or not to criminally convict him. So I can evaluate what has been presented and decide for myself whether or not I believe it. I think it quite plausible that HWA did what he was accused of. In fact I think it more likely that he did it than that he didn't.

Since we don't have conclusive evidence, those who idolize HWA are free to disbelieve it. I rather suspect they'd still disbelieve it even if there were a videotape of HWA doing the nasty with his daughter.

I have to agree with Byker Bob, who posts on various CoG blogs and forums, that it was unfortunate in a way that the incest allegation came to light. It turns the conversation toward the possible abuse by HWA of one child and away from his abuse of thousands of other children who grew up in Armstrongism. And adults as well. As he humorously posted elsewhere:
"Overheard at Weiner Dude's house this past weekend: "Laura, come out of the bathtub, baby. You're not going to believe this! The heat is off! All the bloggers have resurrected the old HWA incest stories and are preoccupied with that instead of us!""

Ronald Weinland has taken Herbie's membership abuse and gone further. While he doesn't have the number of members (his membership number is more on the order of a tithe of a tithe of a third of what WCG was at its peak) he has demanded more from each of those who do follow him. He has transferred his prophetic delusions to them and demanded their life savings. While a good deal of it is used to finance promoting his prophetic fantasies, there seems to be plenty left over to finance a lifestyle exceeding that of the average person including a nice $381,00 home and travels abroad such as his recent tour of the pyramids of Egypt.

Weinland is further abusing his followers, demanding a two-day fast. While he has limited this to members in good health, it's still abusive. I hope there are no health repercussions or deaths. Hopefully he will modify this at least to the extent of having them drink water, as he did during the one-day fast he called earlier in the month.

RJ Drinks the Flavor Aid

2009-01-28T07:16:00.002-06:00

I had another exchange with Weinland follower "RJ" in the comments section of an earlier post. At the end, RJ left a long screed, and I thought it worthy of its own post for the reply. I had made an unkind comment about Herbert Armstrong. After an initial exchange, he responded as shown below in italics along with my responses.

You irritate me when you bash Armstrong or Weinland with your fallacious accusations, and ridiculous innuendos [like the name of this site].

Please tell me what are all the accusations I made that are demonstrably false. We've already discussed the Armstrong incest issue. As far as the title of my blog being a ridiculous innuendo, I don't think you get it. I never said that I thought Weinland's followers would drink poisoned grape Flavor Aid as in the Jonestown Massacre -- actually I've said the opposite. But to use Ronnie's vernacular, they (and you) are drinking spiritual Flavor Aid -- Weinland's Flavor Aid. (I'm providing another hint due to the density factor: think "Kool Aid")

Yes; Ron Weinland was wrong in his interviews, but there are many examples of other servants of God being wrong. One example; Moses- when the Israelites badly needed water, Moses became filled with self-importance and he was goimg to give the Israelites water by stricking the rock with arod. But Moses was punished for taking the glory of providing water, instead of giving God the credit.

Weinland has been wrong in his sermons also. And as you said, Moses was wrong. And what was his punishment? He was not allowed to enter the promised land with the Israelites. Now wouldn't that be a fitting punishment for Ron, not being able to enter his "promised land", since he also was wrong? Actually, that will be a fitting punishment, and more so if it were in addition to the biblical punishment of Revelation 22:18-19 which is highly appropriate in Ron's case.

Perhaps Ron Weinland was filled with self-importance when he gave those interviews, and needed to be more humble.

No perhaps about it. He claimed the Two Witnesses would be humble. So how is it that he was not humble? (The answer is obvious, if you'll think about it a bit.)

And Ronnie claims that he was pushed by the interviewers to be specific. A reasoned listen to the interviews and past sermons shows that not to be the case.

Even though Moses was wrong, he still was the leader of physical Israel then, and even though Ron Weinland was wrong, he is still the leader of spiritual Israel now. I mostly believe this because I beleive in the 50 thruths as posted on the COG-PKG website.

Why do you believe Weinland is and ever was the leader of "spiritual Israel"? And why do you believe the 50 "truths"? That really, really puzzles me. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and Weinland has diddly squat. He has failed the tests he defined for himself as a prophet. And the 50th "truth" -- where did that come from besides his fevered imagination? Any scriptures to back it up? So what if it happens to be 1290 days between two certain dates, and 40 weeks between another pair of dates? So what!!!

Now and especially since dec 14, Ron Weinland and the Cog-pkg are greatly humbling themselves and turning to God in humility and prayer.

Are they now? Perhaps the members, but Ron is as arrogant as ever. I hope none of the members die or suffer permanently from the two-day fast this coming weekend.

No,I don't think you are going to die because you repeated a lie about Armstrong, but I thought that the quote from Frank Lamply And it will come to pass that they will love the lie more than the truth; even unto death" applied to you because you are so set in your ways, against Armstrong or Weinland that you won't change no matter what, until after you die.

Again, we don't know that it's a lie. If it were a lie, Armstrong should have defended himself while alive, both in in divorce proceeding and when accused by a newspaper.

Yes, I'll change after I die because I'll be decaying, but for sure won't be believing what Herbie and Ronnie say.

My prayer for you is that you will repent, if not in this life, then after you are resurrected. That is Ron Weinlands desire for you too. Your my fellow human being and I wish the best for you.

Repent of what? Criticizing a false prophet? Don't think so. And if my "repentance" is going to happen, it can only happen before I "die speedily". As far as Weinland desiring my repentance, the only thing he's said that he desires for me is to die speedily. Though I suspect he wouldn't mind a bit if I became brain damaged, started following him, and turned over all my savings to him to subsidize his prophetic delusions and Swiss retirement account. (Note that I'm skeptical about his claims that he has repatriated those funds.)

As for when you're going to die, eventually you will. Since time is relative, the adjectives, slow speedily or whenever will work, but not the adjective "never".

How could dying slow "work"? That would be a violation of Ron's curse. As far as my dying eventually, that's absolutely true. As it is for you and all of those who think they are part of "the 144,000". Ron and Laura Weinland will also die, but not on the streets of Jerusalem 3 1/2 days before Christ's return (whether that's September of 2011, May of 2012, or the next date that Weinland announces).

By the way, I am not a member of COG-PKG nor was I a member of WWCG. These are just some of my thoughts, if I was a member of COG-PKG, I wouldn't make comments in your blog.

Thank you for clarifying your membership status. I think there may be a piece of you that refuses to let go of all sanity and follow Ron totally. I hope that piece will pull you back from the brink of the pit of Weinland's delusions.

I know you won't agree with me, you will probably ridicule what I wrote. Perhaps you will agree with this. The god of this world satan has done a masterful job of deceiving the world and causing massive confusion and pain.

Obviously, I don't agree with you. And yet, Satan has used Herbie and now Ronnie to deceive their followers and inflict confusion and pain. You probably will take this as ridicule, and yes in part it is. But it really is my hope that you'll wake up and recognize how Armstrong and Weinland have deceived you.

PS Smoking, drinking to much and reading your blog are bad habits. I don't smoke or drink, but I need to stop reading your blog!

PSS Since you get satisfaction with people commenting and reading your blog, I'm not going to comment anymore and I'm going to wean myself of reading it too.

I agree with you that smoking and excessive drinking are bad habits. But I hope you'll continue reading my blog, for your own benefit and not for mine. Whether you do or don't read my blog, I hope you'll start examining Weinland's audacious claims in the cold light of logic and reality.

Be Patient With God

2009-01-25T08:46:00.001-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was on the road again yesterday, this time in the Phoenix area. As usual, Laura accompanied him. But so did his daughter Audra and son-in-law Chris. Additionally his elder Ralph Dowd from the Cincinnati area was there. Perhaps Weinland didn't want to give his own closing prayer again. With elder Don Edwards covering the opening prayer, Dowd was there to handle the closing. Probably Don got chewed out later because he failed to ask God to bless the Internet connection and there was a connection loss for several minutes during the middle of the sermon. I wonder if the travel expenses of all these extra people was paid for with the tithes and offerings of the False Profit's followers.

Next weekend is the not one, but two-day fast. Weinland cautioned his followers to be cautious about how they end the fast. Growing up in Armstrong's WCG, I was expected to fast on the Day of Atonement and other special occasions such as when HWA's wife Loma was dying because Herbie wouldn't take her to the doctor to get a simple bowel obstruction taken care of. Maybe if it had been a two-day fast she would still be alive despite this neglect. I never had to go a second day without food and water. A second day without water could be medically dangerous in my inexpert opinion, I hope none die or suffer permanent effects. But his caution on how to break the fast should be considered. I understand that some Nazi prison camp survivors died because their rescuers gave them too much food too quickly. After a period of fasting your stomach shrinks and delirium sets in. Dehydration should be taken care of first, drinking water or at most taking in a broth. Avoid temperatures and activities that make you sweat. Consider at least drinking water on the second day.

It will be interesting to see what message the Insane Liar comes up with next Saturday for his members to ponder on Sunday during their delirium from dehydration and lack of nutrition.

Ron mourned the recent loss of a new member in Australia. Congratulations to that Aussie for breaking free of this predatory false prophet. I hope he didn't give Weinland his life savings before he did.

Weinland's sermon topic continued from last week with the book of Esther. His main point seemed to be that Esther was "given great favor" as will Weinland's followers when the Germans take over the US during the 5th trumpet. Ron kept getting the actors in Esther's story mixed up, with the Silent Witness keeping him straight. God influenced King Xerxes to spare the Jews and it had nothing to do with Esther being a hot babe.

"W", a PKG ex-member who left back in April when he saw Ronnie backing off on prophecies, has broken radio silence to post the latest rumor on the Ironwolf forum and elsewhere on this blog. Back in the Spring "W" broke a rumor for a Plan B to be used just-in-case on the off chance that Ronnie's first timeline failed. Ron was to have a series of sermons explaining his failures, repent, and stop preaching, turning the COG-PKG over to Johnny Harrell and Wayne Matthews. But we all know how it really played out, with Weinland instead bringing out his 50th truth and his second timeline back in June. The latest rumor is that Weinland is using the fast to setup for a change to yet a third timeline later this year.

Could "W" be right this time? Possibly, but I think it will be awhile before being implemented. Weinland set up his second timeline to be more durable, by not sabotaging it with specific prophecies such as the 45-90 day "nukular" thing that he did to the first timeline. I think there will be a third timeline, but probably not for at least 6 months. At a minimum I expect his second timeline to last longer than two months into the 1260-day period as did the first timeline. But whether the third timeline is rolled out this year or the next, most of his followers will believe whatever lame excuse Weinland comes up with and continue to follow him. Perhaps Weinland puts out test ideas to see how they'll be accepted as he continually schemes to move past his prophetic failures, and "W" has only heard a couple of them.

Maybe Weinland's third timeline curse on me for my speedy death will have more efficacy than did those of the first two timelines. It's now 5 weeks since he cursed me and yet here I am still blogging about False Prophet Ronald Weinland.

Weinland Fails Again, We're an Obamanation Now

2009-01-20T11:08:00.001-06:00

I just checked a couple of news websites and they say that Barack Obama took the oath of office as our 44th president.

Back in December of 2007, False Prophet Ronald Weinland participated in a radio interview, and immediately claimed to be a prophet of God. Later in the interview when asked who would be the next president, he stated that "if we have the ability to elect someone, they will not take office…our country will be down the tubes by then". In the last few months he has backed off on that claiming that wasn't a prophecy. Hmm. When someone claims to be a prophet of God and then makes a prediction, sure sounds like a prophecy to me.

I didn't vote for Obama. But just like John Wayne I'll say that "he's my president and I hope he does a good job." While I have high hopes, I also have low expectations. And this has nothing to do with anything that Weinland says or what's in the book of Revelation.

It was one month ago today that Weinland cursed me to die speedily from the inside. And Thielogical Bob as well. Yet we're both alive and blogging away.

Weinland's Flexible God Re-explained

2009-01-17T18:16:00.006-06:00

During False Prophet Ronald Weinland 's Last Great Day sermon less than three months ago, on October 21, he stated with great emphasis: "There will not be a Feast of Tabernacles held next year, not even half of one. Please hear that one." That was at about 1 hour and 35 minutes into the sermon file which is church website tucked away in the "Holy Days" subfolder on the Audio page.

During today's sermon, Weinland read from an update to the FAQ page topic about second tithe on his church website, which includes: "Beginning in February of 2009, all members have been asked to stop sending in any portion of their 2nd tithe in order to keep it for the observance of any of God's annual holy days that some or most may yet have the ability to observe. Since the revelation of the 50th Truth, the fulfillment of all things has moved forward by eight months. God has not revealed the specific timing or exact location for the actual fulfillment of the destruction that will result from the blowing of the Second, Third and Fourth Trumpets. How future events affect the ability to observe holy days is not now known, so we will seek to be as wisely prepared as we can be for any eventuality." I predict that there will be an organized assembly for the Feast of Tabernacles for PKG members this fall, after all.

Weinland repeated his guidelines for participating in his 2-day fast at the end of the month. It seems that he's concerned that someone may suffer medically and bring attention on the church. He added that children and young teens are not to participate at all, even for one day.

He also spent a good deal of the sermon re-explaining his point from last week's sermon about more than 10% of a third being saved, that the flexible God could increase that to 10% of each third, or 10% of a whole. Seems that some did not understand that. Well, I guess I've been listening to Ronnie too long because I understood that and put it down on last week's post. A few PKG members read my website, the rest should also read it.

It's now 4 full weeks since Weinland cursed me and yet I'm still not dead. This week I got an inquiry from Bob Thiel who blogs "Church of God News" asking if the curse was specific to me. I told him that no, it applied to him also.

It's now less than 64 hours until the inauguration of Barack Obama and the next failed Weinland Prophecy.

Weinland Sells Fear

2009-01-14T06:16:00.007-06:00

Alexa compiles statistics on website traffic. Here is their estimate of the traffic history for Weinland's "the-end.com" website which he uses to promote his books.
Beginning in October of 2007, Weinland increased the budget for Google Adwords but then cut the budget in June, 2008 when he announced the failure of his first timeline. But shortly after the beginning of his second timeline on Sept 30, he again increased his ad budget.

The way that Google ads work is that when certain search terms or "keywords" are typed into the search engine, a sponsored link is presented and if someone clicks on the link their browser is referred to the advertiser's web site and Google bills the advertiser. I found a web site that tracks key words and here are the top 5 referring keywords to "the-end.com" since Weinland increased his Google ad budget.

Note that the top keyword is 2012. Small wonder, since Weinland is paying a high enough rate-per-click that the sponsored link is at the top of the ordinary hits from the search engine, as shown below. If he had bid a lower amount the sponsored link would have appeared to the right of the normal search results.

What is the significance of "2012"? A visit to the Wikipedia article on 2012 reveals a number of apocalyptic predictions not arising from anything biblical. For example, the Mayan calendar ends in December of 2012. Of the top 5 keywords that direct traffic to "the-end.com", the only one that's biblical is "antichrist". The other 4 of the top 5 keywords represent over 20% of the referred web traffic.

Weinland is falling behind in maintaining his shifting prophecies. In last Saturday's sermon he implied that the Fifth Trumpet which brings about America's downfall could be delayed by two years, yet his sponsored link states that it will happen this year.

Weinland is not trying to warn the world. His ad campaign is designed to target those with an apocalyptic mindset as described on Foresight of Hindsight. Weinland is marketing fear to those most likely to buy it.

It's now 25 days since the Spokesman Witness placed his death curse on me, yet still I haven't died speedily from the inside. It's also now only 6 days until the inauguration of the next president and the next Weinland failed prophecy.

Weinland's Flexible God

2009-01-11T10:16:00.002-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland was in Los Angeles yesterday. He made note of a 5.0 earthquake that happened during his visit as being "little" and "small" and only shaking the light fixture. [A point of reference for those evaluating Weinland's Second Thunder.] He spent several minutes discussing the 2-day fast he has called for the 31st. People with health problem and children are not to fast on the second day. It wouldn't do for someone to die during the fast because the Spokesman Witness already has one legal problem (the IRS investigation) and it would be difficult to do his job with a law suit on top of that.

Weinland still hasn't explained why he is changing his instructions for handling of the second tithe. The FAQ Topics on the COG-PKG website are to be edited. They currently state:
Due to the times we live in, there will not be an organized Feast of Tabernacles in 2009. A person should send in 75% of their 2nd tithe with their 1st tithes to the church and hold back 25%.
The same announcement was made in 2007 regarding the 2008 Feast of Tabernacles, but yet his members assembled in October. I have a feeling that history will repeat.

Weinland went back through some of the same material as last week adding a few points. The Sixth Trumpet when the beast power battles the Asiatic hordes at Megiddo may be only a week before Christ's return. With "nukular" weapons the battle can be brief. A period of a year and a month and a day has to be fit somehow into the 3 1/2 year Great Tribulation. He rhetorically asked how long it could be until the Fifth Trumpet blows: A year? Two years? Last week it was 18 months, so the delay is getting progressively longer.

I wonder if he'll edit his "the-end.com" website which now says:
Some of these prophecies concern the demise of the United States over the coming year, which will be followed by man's final world war. This last war will be the result of clashing religions and the governments they sway. Billions will die! This time will far exceed even the very worst times in all human history. A few days ago it said "next six months" instead of "coming year". Jeremy's going to be kept busy updating the website.

Now it seems not that the 2500-3000 scattered members from WCG will not be brought to repentance and into COG-PKG until the Fifth Trumpet blows. Despite this delay in added members, Weinland added yet another elder to his church government, a Tom Burnside of San Jose.

Weinland learned from the failures in his first timeline and has set up the second timeline to be more durable. He did not sabotage it by participating in any radio interviews where he could be badgered into specific prophecies for certain dates for certain events. (Nor would he be brought to task by the radio hosts for breaking his repeated promises to stop preaching and return to the radio shows to acknowledge that he's a false prophet.)

Now he says that some of God's prophecies are flexible, such as it being possible to save a tithe of each third, and not just a tithe of only one of the thirds. The members are to pray for that, and that the thunders be spaced out to allow more people the opportunity to come to repentance. Look for yet more of God's prophecies to be flexible.

It's now only 9 days until the failure of yet another prophecy when the inauguration happens a week from Tuesday. And it's now 3 weeks since Witness Weinland cursed me to speedily die from the inside.

Other Weinland Blogs

2009-01-08T06:16:00.003-06:00

Back in January of last year, Weinland Watch started up and was well trafficked. Aggie has decided to move on to other things and has stopped posting to it. However the blog is still up and is a valuable resource for Weinland history during the first few months of 2008 as well as earlier history from comments left there. I wish Aggie well on the next endeavor.

In the last few months a couple of other bloggers have picked up the slack left by other bloggers who've tired of Weinland's antics. Jack Said by Jack and The Prophet Who Failed by Dill Weed have a somewhat humorous take on Weinland. Just for the information of COG-PKG members and wannabees who make assumptions about the background of Weinland's critics, Jack does not have any past association with either Armstrongism or Weinland. Dill Weed does not have a past association either, but is interested in End Times. Despite this area of interest, he recognizes Ron as a False Prophet.

Another blog of interest Escaping Armstrongism. As you might surmise from the blog title, the author xHWA has a former association with Armstrongism. He left after reading sites such as the Painful Truth (which also hosts the Ambassador Report) and the Exit and Support Network. While the focus of his blog is Armstrongism in general, xHWA has occasionally mentioned his interaction with the False Prophet (before COG-PKG).

Escaping Armstrongism has a couple of recent posts which focus on Weinland and the topic of government and how Weinland changed his tune. About 10 years ago, Weinland paid lip service to the idea of "servant leadership", and also wrote some things which were pretty ironic considering that God had supposedly already made him a prophet in 1997. xHWA has some interesting quotes from Weinland's "News Watch" published intermittently from 1998 to 2002. Here's an additional quote to add to the collection.

IN THE CHURCH???
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15, NKJ). These are God's words! He is talking
about the church! What has our history taught us? How many in the ministry have
already led away Christ's sheep? Is this process over? Are we to close our eyes and
simply believe God has now made all hearts right?
Ronald Weinland, "News Watch", May 1998

Recently, Weinland's position on church government is that good church members are to follow church government (Ron) even if it (he) is wrong. He often gives the example of Herbert W Armstrong's (HWA) change of Pentecost observance from Monday to Sunday. It seems that if someone had observed Pentecost on Sunday prior to HWA changing it from Monday they would have been sinning. And now he's assumed the same mantle as HWA. Weinland was an ordained minister under HWA, but I suspect that if you had asked him about Weinland the response would have been "Ron who???"

It's now 18 days since the Spokesman Witness exercised his renewed powers to pronounce a death curse on me. I still have not died speedily from the inside.

Things to Happen Fast

2009-01-04T06:16:00.006-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland spoke today in Cincinnati. But for the next three weekends he will be out of town, to Los Angeles, then Columbia MO, and finally Phoenix.

Starting in February, his followers are no longer required to turn in second tithe but are permitted to keep it for themselves. That does not mean that this money is out of Weinland's grasp -- he could just demand that it be sent in at any time. Maybe even be sent in to a different location, like Germany.

The False Prophet mentioned the possibility that it could be a year and a half before the Second Trumpet blows (but the Thunders would have to get very powerful). He speedily said "We backed off on some time here ....". He asked if their pride would be injured, if they would be embarrassed to those whom they've warned of the Great Tribulation. He said they should be petitioning for a delay.

Let's review this. Last June the False Prophet said he was changing the timeline but his book was still correct. The book says that the first five trumpets will deal their effect on the US by June 21, less than 6 months from now. Then last week Weinland says that the book has to change because the timeline changed. Now he says it could be up to 18 months for just the first two trumpets to sound. Hmmm. Let's see now. The second timeline was delayed by just under 8 months. The original under 6 months from the book plus under 8 months for the delay is under 14 months, but that's for 5 trumpets, compared to his new story of 18 months for only two trumpets. Now I don't have a math degree by Weinland. But I'm sure that he'll explain his new arithmetic throughout the coming sermons.

Today was a fast which had been announced last Saturday. Latitude was given as when exactly to take it. The Insane Liar claimed that he had already finished his fast and apologized for drinking water in front of them. But this was only a practice fast as the real fast is to be on the 31st of this month, AND the first day of February. That's right -- a 2-day fast, but only for able-bodied adults.

The point of the fast seems to become humble so they can ask for even more than a tithe of a third to be saved. Saved in duality, both spiritual and physical. Somewhat timely to the comment from "rj" who said that the fifth thunder prophecy failed so that the prophecy of the "tithe of the third" would not. Now members are to pray that a tithe of all, not just a tithe of one-third, be saved. The physical aspect is that 10% of the US survive the Great Tribulation, not just 3.33%. The spiritual aspect would be that 10% (not just 3.33%) of all those baptized into WCG as of Joseph Tkach's apostasy of Dec 17, 1994 be converted into COG-PKG.

Perhaps if the COG-PKG members fast often enough and long enough each time and petition God humbly enough, then even more than 10% of all can be spared the Great Tribulation. Conceivably even 100% -- think about it. Wouldn't that be a great blessing?

Now 14 days since the Spokesman Witness cursed me to die speedily from the inside. Yet I'm still here mocking away.

A Follower of Ron Reponds

2009-01-02T15:56:00.001-06:00

I just received an interesting comment in reply to my last post, and thought it deserved more prominent coverage.

Commenter "rj" who may be a COG-PKG member and in any case is a follower of False Prophet Ronald Weinland wrote:
"I believe Ron and Laura Weinland are the two end-time witnesses and the tribulation has begun on dec 14. I think most people expected it to begin with a big bang, I most deffenently did not. If something huge happened on dec 14 and if all of those ministers [Meredith, Ames Rittenbach, Pack, and Flurry] would have all died by now, a lot more then 10% of a third of the scattered church would of reconized the Weinlands were the witnesses and the remnant would be a lot larger, but this way most have written him off as a false prophet. Also most believe that Jesus Christ will return on Trumpets, so I think something big will happen in the spring of 2009 or in 2010 so it will appear the tribulation will end on trumpets This is a blessing because it shortens the severeness of the 3&1/2 year tribulation. Also the fact that this site exists as well as others is an encouragement to me, because in order for scripture to be fulfilled there has to be mockers and scoffers, and who better for satan to use then highly intellegent, disgrunted ex-members"

This is a cut-and-paste of the entire comment, so I have not introduced any grammatical errors or taken out any paragraph breaks. I find it difficult to pick out sentences without paragraph breaks, so I'm repeating the comment again, point by point, as I respond.

"I believe Ron and Laura Weinland are the two end-time witnesses and the tribulation has begun on dec 14."

It would be very interesting to understand why you believe this. Do you have anything more than the "proof" you offered later in your comment? Why do you believe that Ron and Laura are the two witnesses? Where's the proof? Where is the evidence of the First Trumpet since Dec. 14?

"I think most people expected it to begin with a big bang, I most deffenently did not."

I disagree with that statement. I definitely didn't expect a big bang, either. Nor did "most people". Most people expected nothing to happen. Which is what happened. Or didn't happen, depending on how you want to say it.

"If something huge happened on dec 14 and if all of those ministers [ Meredith, Ames Rittenbach, Pack, and Flurry]would have all died by now, a lot more then 10% of a third of the scattered church would of reconized the Weinlands were the witnesses and the remnant would be a lot larger, but this way most have written him off as a false prophet."

(Actually it's "Rittenbaugh", not "Rittenbach", and there should be a comma after "Ames" since that's the last name of one of the ministers and not Rittenbaugh's first name.)

That's very interesting. You've admitted that the prophecy about the ministers failed, and the reason it failed was so that another wouldn't fail.

As a matter of explanation, the "remnant" to which "rj" refers is those who would have joined Weinland's one and only true church who were formerly members of WCG when the "Son of Perdition" Joseph Tkach committed the "abomination of desolation" against the rebuilt temple (WCG) when the First Seal opened. AKA Tkach's infamous Dec 17, 1994 sermon in Atlanta. With the WCG membership in the ballpark of 100,000 at that time, a tithe of 1/3 of those would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 3300 people. Weinland has mentioned the 300 often in his references to Gideon's army and the breaking of the pitchers. Communications from ex-members of COG-PKG have put the membership at the 2007 Feast of Tabernacles at the 300-450 range of which 300 could be ex-WCG. He's also mentioned in sermons "another 2700 out there". Apparently, the numbers aren't exact just like the numbers of the COG-PKG members actually sealed on September 30.

[Note: in his sermon the following day, Weinland speculated that the total could be a tithe of all, not just one-third. Perhaps not an important prophecy, except to "rj".]

In his book the False Prophet described the prophesied deaths of the five specific ministers "rj" listed as proof that he was a prophet, said they would happen "early" after the publication of his book in 2006, said they were part of the thunders that would sound loudly before the 7th seal opened and the Great Tribulation began.

"Also most believe that Jesus Christ will return on Trumpets, so I think something big will happen in the spring of 2009 or in 2010 so it will appear the tribulation will end on trumpets"

I don't know whether or not most believe that Christ returns on a Feast of Trumpets, but I find it interesting that you think God will deliberately deceive people.

Do you believe that "2008 God's Final Witness" is a divinely inspired revelation from God? If so, how can you believe that it will be as late as 2010 before something big happens? According to the book, the Fifth Trumpet has to sound before June 21 because the Fifth Trumpet is when the US is no longer an independent nation and the USA is to no longer be an independent nation by that date. In June, Weinland's story was that the book was true but he presumptuously put his own interpretation on it to come up with his first timeline. So now the story is changing again and the book is false? Either the book is true or it isn't -- so which is it?

"Also the fact that this site exists as well as others is an encouragement to me, because in order for scripture to be fulfilled there has to be mockers and scoffers, and who better for satan to use then highly intellegent, disgrunted ex-members"

Considering the source, I'm not totally sure whether to be flattered or not by being called "highly intelligent" so I'll just say "Thank you .... maybe." As far as being a "disgruntled ex-member" a read of my profile which can be accessed on the side of this blog would have shown that to be incorrect in my case. I am not nor have I ever been a member of COG-PKG, WCG, or any of the "splinters". A read of other blogs actively mocking this False Prophet show this to be the case for others. Others may be ex-WCG, but so far at least there are no ex-COG-PKG members blogging against Weinland.

Nor am I fulfilling scripture. I am not mocking a true prophet of God. Speaking of my being a mocker, I have a question: "How long is 'speedily'?" Weinland said I was going to die speedily from the inside, so what's the longest I can expect to live? It's been 13 days so far -- doesn't seem particularly speedy.

So "rj", what will it take and how long will it take for you to recognize that Weinland has deceived you? Will you still be following Ron during the 2012 Feast of Tabernacles when Christ still hasn't returned? Indications are that you only have ears to hear what Weinland said in his latest sermon, and you'll never even attempt to draw a line in the ever-shifting sands of his prophecies.

2009 God's False Witness

2009-01-01T01:16:00.009-06:00

With 2008 and the beginnings of not one but two Great Tribulations behind us, here are my predictions for 2009.

On January 20, Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States of America, ignoring Weinland's prophecy that no one would take office.

The pope will wave his arms over the crowd on Easter, but otherwise will not do anything to organize 10 European nations to take over the US.

Somewhere in the world sometime during the year will be a major weather event, an earthquake, or even a swarm of earthquakes and Ronnie will point to that as more thundering. A couple of celebrities will die and that will be evidence of the Fifth Thunder. And should one of the Five Notable Scattered Ministers die, well then look out. The global economic situation will get worse before it gets better. Ronnie will keep hammering away at the Fourth Thunder until it does.

And it will get a whole lot worse for Weinland's followers who listened to him and broke their pitchers to finance a Google Ad campaign on keywords such as "Nostradamus". Some may share something else with Ronnie when they're persecuted by the IRS as the result of believing Weinland's prediction that the IRS would not be able to collect 2008 taxes and then performing taxable events without setting aside funds to pay their taxes on April 15.

The Insane Liar will manage to hang onto most of his followers who will give him at least a year for the Second Trumpet to Sound as they forget that Weinland's book was supposed to be divinely inspired. The only thing that would prevent that would be Weinland taken out of the picture, such as being arrested by the IRS CID and convicted for violations of the tax code. If that happens, I doubt that Laura, Johnny, and Wayne could hold it together.

As far as the 7 trumpets, no need to worry about them anymore as I heard them go off this evening -- at least 7 of them anyway. Here's a picture of them and a message.
And it's now 11 days since the Spokesman Witness placed a death curse on me (for the second time). Nothing yet.

Four and Counting, Ten and Counting

2008-12-30T12:36:00.002-06:00

During his short sermon last Saturday, False Prophet Ronald Weinland did a drive-by through the Seven Thunders. Speaking about the Fifth Thunder, he said:
“I’ll just say what’s happened here has been minimal. Even these in part have happened in an orderly fashion. One, two, three, four, five, six, and seven. Where are we right now? Four. But all of them have had some thunderings. And the only ones that can hear any of that – it’s us, God’s people."

I'm mystified as to how the fifth thunder has sounded since he published his book two years ago. None of the five "notable ministers" have died. "People" magazine is not commenting on the unusually large number of notables who are dying. There's not a disease pandemic.

His book certainly didn't say that the only four of the Thunders would sound before the Great Tribulation. On page 96 of his book he wrote:
All Seven Thunders will increase in power and recognition over the next two years (from the date of the first printing of this book) and on into the final three and one-half years of great tribulation.
And on page 111:
All Seven Thunders are given as God’s proof that I am His end-time prophet.
And on page 115
During the Sixth Seal, all Seven Thunders will be getting progressively louder.

A comment was left on a previous post pointing out something I had missed. On page 107:
To make it absolutely clear, my petition covers more in regard to the scattered ministers. The most notable among them will be those who die toward the beginning. However, every minister who was scattered, who fails to repent early on and return to God (with me, as God’s minister, teaching them) will die during the final three and one-half years of great tribulation.

Before the Great Tribulation rebegan on December 14, none of the "notable" ministers, the five he specifically mentioned, had died. But one of the other scattered ministers had already died. Raymond McNair died on October 11 at the age of 78. McNair was formerly an evangelist in Worldwide and when he died he was in charge of his own Armstrongite splinter, the Church of God 21st Century. So Weinland prophesied that McNair would die during the Great Tribulation, but he died before it began.

A minor point among all of Weinland's other failures and contradictions. "2008 God's Final Witness" was supposedly inspired by God -- why didn't he inspire Larry to fix the language to read something along the lines of " ... will die before the end of the final three and one-half years of tribulation"? Is God the Author of Confusion?

And it's now ten days since False Witness Ronald Weinland placed his curse on me, that I would speedily die. I'm obviously still here. Ron, please clarify. When you say I'll die speedily, does that mean that I'll die soon? Or does it mean that when I die (whenever that is), that it will be a quick death. If it's soon, please be more specific. And if you mean a quick death, then thank you. When it comes my time, I don't want to suffer long.

Weinland Changes an Iota

2008-12-27T16:56:00.002-06:00

False Prophet Ronald Weinland lamely responded to my post of last Sunday in his sermon today. He started by reading the following paragraph from the last page in his book "2008 God's Final Witness":
When this book is published at the end of summer of 2006, (with distribution in full swing in the fall), there will be a maximum time of two years remaining before the world will be plunged into the worst time of all human history.

Weinland admitted that the book was late -- it wasn't actually published until December of 2006 and at that time as a PDF for download on his the-end.com website. The book failed prophetically before the printing press even rolled. Then the Insane Liar said that we have already been plunged into the worse time of all human history because our economic situation will be the worse. Ron has twisted the meaning of the word "plunged". A synonym for "plunged" is "immersed", and the economic situation in which we are immersed is not worse than the Great Depression, even 3 months later than the prophetic deadline. And the Great Depression, bad as it was, was not as bad for the world as was World War II. Whether or not the situation worsens, and it might do do, the prophecy failed because we are not and in September were not plunged into the worse time of human history -- the most that could be said is that we've dipped our toe.

He continued to the next paragraph from his divinely inspired book:
By the fall of 2008, the United States will have collapsed as a world power, or it will have begun its collapse and no longer exist as an independent nation within six months after that time.

Ron said the US has begun its collapse, economically. He mentioned the Eight-Month difference between his two timelines, and continued to blather about the economy for several minutes. He said he didn't know if that time would hold, or if there would be a delay of Eight Months due to the change of timelines, and said it was written based on his assumption that Jesus would return on Trumpets. Continuing on in the book:

There is a marginal, six-month window of time that God has not yet revealed concerning this specific moment of time.

Then Weinland claimed that he's said many times there could be a six to nine-month period (Wow!!!). Must have been some time back when he said this many times, because what I recall him saying recently is that it could be up to a year before the second trumpet blows. And no telling how long it takes for the third through fifth trumpet to finish us off as an independent nation.

Finally from the book: This will be revealed some time soon after the distribution of this book begins.

Ronald stated that two years can be regarded as "soon" given 6000 years of human history. OK, I see now. If I live to be 110 and then my heart gives out, that can be regarded as dying speedily from the inside as a result of your Witness curse against me. Gotcha, Ron.

Oh, but wait. Ron is still not revealing anything. Reading from a prepared statement, he said that the 8-month timeline difference changed everything. Ron did make the following statement with which I fully agree: "I don't know." That's true, Ron doesn't know. But send him all your money anyway.

In his sermon of June 28th with two names: "50th Truth"/"Trumpets 2008", the False Prophet stated (starting at 4 minutes into the file currently archived on the COG-PKG website):
"It's important to understand, that everything that I've written in the two books will come to pass. All the prophecies are true and will come to pass exactly as they are written. ...... So all that God has revealed in these matters concerning the end time is true and hasn't changed one iota, as far as what is true concerning the prophecies." When he changed to the new timeline, he said that the book is 100% true but he assumed the wrong date. Now that the new timeline is in jeopardy, he's starting to change the book saying he assumed the wrong date.

In any case, "speedily" is longer than 7 days because that's how long it's been since the Insane Witness issued his death curse.

Please Read "2008 God's Final Witness"

2008-12-24T23:21:00.004-06:00

No, I haven't started drinking the Weinland Flavor Aid. This recommendation is for any of Ronnie's followers. When he stands up and delivers a sermon, see if what he says is in agreement with what is said in his book, which he claims is divinely inspired and is still correct even though he was presumptuous in setting up his first timeline and has since moved to timeline #2. Read Ron's book "2008 God's Final Witness" and see if it agrees with what he's currently saying.

And when he says that I've said something, read what I actually said. In last Saturday's sermon he said: "Some have read through some of the things in the book and have asked questions about 'Well, before the Seventh Seal was opened up and before the first trumpet all these thunders were supposed to have been accomplished.' No!!! That was never stated in those terms. It was a matter, even in the book, that it's a matter that those thunders are going to continue on." (Sermon file of Dec 20, at about 46 minutes.)

I'm going to assume that "Some" is yours truly because he used the term "Some" when he acknowledged on June 28 that I had figured out and published his second timeline and 50th "truth" a week before he announced it to his church. "Some" has written a series of posts on this blog about ReFail Ron's silent thunders. But "Some" didn't say that the thunders were supposed to be finished when the Seventh Seal was opened. I read what he said on page 96: "All Seven Thunders will increase in power and recognition over the next two years (from the date of the first printing of this book) and on into the final three and one-half years of great tribulation."

My criticism has been that the thunders have not been increasing in magnitude since he published his book. For example I showed that the economic impact of weather disasters has actually diminished since Weinland wrote the book. And one of the thunders hasn't sounded at all.

The first phase of the Fifth Thunder hasn't sounded at all. "Some"'s interpretation of Weinland's prophecy regarding the deaths of CoG ministry was that all five of the specific ministers he mentioned would be dead before the Seventh Seal opened and that the rest of the rank-and-file CoG ministry would die during the Great Tribulation. There's no point in quibbling about whether it meant that all five would die before the Seventh Seal or just part of the five specifically named ministers. Since not a single one of them has died, the the Fifth Thunder hasn't sounded at all, much much less sounding loudly when the Seventh Seal supposedly reopened on November 14.

When Ronnie stands up and blathers on during a sermon, check what he says against the book. If you have eyes to see, let them read. When he says that it could be up to a year before the Second Trumpet sounds, and he also says that it's the Second, Third, and Fourth Trumpets which bring the US down and that we're taken over during the Fifth Trumpet, how does that jive with his statement on the very last page of his divinely inspired book that the US will not be an independent nation within six months after the fall of 2008? (Listen to last Saturday's sermon at about 51 minutes and also 1 hour and 2 minutes. Also listen to the Nov. 1 sermon at 1 hour and 23 minutes. NOTE: these times are for the file versions which include the announcements -- if your file does not include announcements the file location may be earlier.) It's clear to me that the first five trumpets have to sound before next June 21 if "2008 God's Final Witness" is divinely inspired.

Ron, before you come up with your usual lame explanation for your contradictions that your followers will swallow whole, please answer this: Is "dying speedily" faster or slower than "dying early on" or "not long". I'm referring to the section in your book on pages 107-108:
"The most notable deaths early on, which are yet to come to pass, will be the two remaining television presenters in the Living Church of God. The sound of this thunder will be intensified by the early deaths of the leaders of the Philadelphia Church of God, the Restored Church of God and the Church of the Great God."
followed on page 108 by"
"How much more specific can one be to show that he is either of God, and indeed His prophet, or someone who has clearly stepped over the line to be dealt with by God in a speedy manner. Time will tell! And, you don’t have long to wait!"

The reason I ask is that if "speedily" is slower than "early on", I've got at least two years to live. You published your book two years ago, in December of 2006, and not one of these ministers have died. How much longer is "early on"?

I guess since it's been more than 100 hours since you issued your death curse against me, we'll not express "speedily" in seconds, minutes, or hours so it's expressed in units of at least days. So again Ron, is my "speedy death" going to be sooner or later than an "early death"?