When someone is first being
lured to the Philadelphia Church of God, they
are baited by the myth of the Feast. They are told that it is better than Christmas (which you are told is "pagan.") They
are told that their children will love it and have a wonderful family
time. They will have all the money they need without going into debt. They will travel to a wonderful
vacation spot with a lot to do and will experience the
"Millennium" ahead of time. As a Feast celebrator of thirty years, I can tell you that the truth is
much different.
If you have children, they will be persecuted by the
school system. They will probably be penalized by their grades being
lowered. They will certainly be loaded down with twice as much work as their classmates
will be doing, and it must be turned in when they get back. They will have to
spend all the time in services doing schoolwork.
You are told you will have one tenth of your income to spend (the second
tithe). However, you must also use some of that money during the year at the other Holy
Days. There will be motel bills to be paid and many expensive meals bought before you ever get to the Feast. You must send in a full tenth
of your second tithe to pay "expenses." By the time you make
your reservations, which are supposed to be at the best motel you can afford,
you may find that your available money is much lower than you expected. Eating out is so expensive that many people wind up eating from coolers
they keep in their rooms. Still, you are expected to eat out as much as
possible.
You will be expected to volunteer for some service to be done either during services, or before and afterward. If you do not volunteer, you
may be assigned a job to do. Depending on your assignment, you may be forced to come early and stay late which will greatly cut down on the
available time to go do anything else. Your available time will also be taken up by multiple scheduled events that you are expected to attend.
You will find that you have very little time left over to go to any of
the "wonderful activities" that the area has to offer.
You
will also be told you must pray at least thirty minutes a day and do Bible study as well
as study all the notes which you are required to take during services. I
doubt that many members actually do this.
You are told you may eat anything you want, but warned not to overdo it or you will get sick. In
2003 the headquarters site (Edmond, Oklahoma) was hit by a horrible flu epidemic, but the
other sites were not told of it. There was no warning not to shake hands
or to wash frequently. Hundreds of people at Edmond were sick the entire
week. They had to stay in their rooms with no medical help.
In the meantime, bills are piling up back home with no income to pay
them. If you hoped to bring home some money to pay bills, you will probably be disappointed. Most people take their vacations during the
Feast, so there will be money left at home. When you come home, you feel that you did not have enough time to enjoy yourself. There will be no
money or time left for a real family vacation. You will probably experience what is known as "post-Feast let down." However,
you will be told that this must be the "Best Feast Ever!" To achieve this,
you probably wind up at the mall before you come home buying whatever expensive trinkets you can still afford so that you will have something
to show for all the wasted money. Meanwhile, home repairs or necessary
expenses may go begging for years so you can keep your second tithe
faithfully.
Do not expect your children to "like the Feast better than Christmas." Between the persecution at school and the lack of time, plus the overload
of schoolwork, they may greatly resent the whole thing. Do not count on this being your family vacation. It is not.
If you have any problems, you may be sent home by the ministry with no hope of returning. If you have car problems, or sickness, you will
basically be on your own. If you run out of money, you will be in trouble with the ministry. They will be sure that you cheated on your
second tithe.
All this adds up to a huge amount of stress and pressure for the people that attend. There are some who wind up skipping services to have a good
time, but they run the risk of being sent home. Everyone is expected to be at services unless they are ill.
In other words, your time is not your own at the Feast. You are there at
the minister's whim. You must perform all tasks assigned to you. You
must put the Feast ahead of your family.
The Feast of Tabernacles is just another method of control that is being
used on the members. Those who do not measure up will be weeded out. Don't allow yourself to be
deceived. Take a real vacation with your family
instead. You will save a lot of money, and those house expenses won't be
put off for year after year. You can get much closer to God on your own than by taking copious notes of two-hour, boring sermons by untrained,
pompous overlords who basically just want to be worshipped themselves.
By Janet (former member of PCG)
April 22, 2004
Comment:
The Scriptures show that the command to "dwell in booths" applied only to
the native born in Israel (Israelites): "Ye shall dwell in booths seven
days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:" (Lev. 23:42)
Yet HWA tried to make members think this verse meant they were to leave
their homes
and live in motels, hotels, tents, etc. for 8 days.
| "How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, wherein ye desire
again to be in bondage? Ye observe days and months, and times, and years"
(Galatians 4:9,10). |
Related articles:
The Big Build-up of the Holy Days
When
We Attended the Feast (what did they do to our minds?)
But
I Had Such a Wonderful Time at the Feast of Tabernacles!
Letter from a child survivor who still longs for a "get-away similar to the old FOT"
(includes
lengthy reply)
Why I'm Glad I
Don't Have to "Keep the Feast"
How Mystical Manipulation is Used in
Armstrong Groups (shows how the Feast of Tabernacles is used to control
members in the Armstrong groups)
Let
Go of Days, Take Hold of Christ
(is it necessary to observe holy days and rituals
in order to gain eternal life?)
Is it necessary to keep the O.T. Holy Days? (Q&A)
Articles
on Understanding Mind Control and Exploitive Groups
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