UCG: Twisting the Trunk of the Tree

May 072012

The Shining Light Blog and Banned by HWA! both present the Apostle James Malm’s conniption about two sermons given at UCG’s Home Office this past Sabbath by Bill Eddington and Roy Holladay. To Malm and other fundamentalist COG zealots, these messages were reminiscent of those given by Joseph Tkach as he built up to the sweeping doctrinal changes that shattered WCG’s megacult to bits.

But for those who remember the infamous Christmas Eve Sermon and other Tkach messages, what Eddington and Holladay said on Saturday pales in comparison, and these messages seem to be fairly benign. As usual, Malm is … More

Tiny COG Sects Preaching Violence

Mar 172012

A recent trend cropping up among some of the tinier COG splinters is a message of impending violence. Obviously, Armstrongism has always been about the coming Apocalypse and the Great Tribulation, but for the most part, Armstrongites are supposed to quietly wait the storm out in Petra or some other far-flung “Place of Safety” until Christ’s return.

But for some COG preachers crying in the digital wilderness though, they’re looking for a more interactive, bloodier experience. COG culture can be a pressure cooker for fear and anger that has lead to some horribly violent acts from unstable members. Provoking some … More

COG News Roundup #11

Mar 072012

It’s been awhile since we’ve posted a roundup of the crazy world of the COG. This week, it’s mostly the “Indy” pastors spouting unbelievable nonsense and insane irony as the shell of the mother cult fades to nothing.

Weinland Gets a New Date

Ronald Weinland asked for 75 more days to prepare for his trial, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. This would have set the trial date until after Memorial Day, when his May 27 prophecy is proved false. In fact, Weinland appears to have got the date moved to June 4.

Meanwhile, Weinland continues to get around the confiscation … More

COG News Roundup #10

Feb 132012

Time for another wonderful summary of the biggest news out of wide, weird world of the COG. This week it’s new headquarters for COGWA, Masonic conspiracy theories, RCG rants and rampant racism. It never gets more boring than it has to be.

COGWA’s Rolling In It

The new COGWA cult is thriving financially with its $1.3 million in reserves and new headquarters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The 5,590 square foot space at “The Office Campus at Allen” and was chose exclusively by the cult’s elite, free of any member input on how their tithe money is spent on their … More

COG News Roundup #6

Jan 032012

As we’ve mentioned before, 2012 should be a big year for apocalyptic conspiracy theorists and end time prophets, the COG being no exception. While only a handful of COG groups have official prophetic expectations for 2012, many laymembers have come to their own conclusions that this year is the beginning of the end of the beginning of the end.

We’re currently working on some big investigative posts, some Cultspotting entries and multimedia projects. We’ll try to keep as up to date as possible, but some things might slip through the cracks in coming weeks as our workload increases.

Anyway, here’s … More

The Strange Case of the Apostle Malm

Aug 032011

In the wake of Harold Camping’s failed May 21 rapture prophecy that caught the world’s attention and drew fits of hysterical laughter, the COG has produced a new batch of apocalyptic doomsayers who have dubbed themselves prophets and apostles, each aiming to attention-whore and defraud people of their money.

The first is actually a woman, a rare thing within the COG seeing as how women are supposed to be submissive to men under Armstrongism, and are not even allowed to speak in church.  Yet, the Prophet Val is here to break those rules. She has written an e-book, The … More