Thursday, August 8, 2013

James Malm On Prostitutes and Sabbath Eating


James Malm, the Church of God's chief peddler in legalistic mumbo-jumbo of useless, outdated laws and regulations, has been working over time the last couple of years bellowing at COG members who dare to eat in restaurants on Saturdays.

To Malm, eating in restaurants and new moons are the  two tests that God has placed upon the Church of God.


The Sabbath and the Calendar are primary TEST issues; testing whether the COG leaders, elders and brethren  are humble enough to turn from their own false traditions, and embrace the increase in knowledge that Jesus Christ has promised us for the very end time, Dan 12.
One of Malm's acolytes sent him the following letter which Malm takes as vindication for his recent tirades:


You are correct in declaring there are many within the COG questioning the traditions of men. I am now in the process of studying the Calendar issue and there are others in our congregation doing so as well. We are striving to prove all things according God’s word just as Paul instructed. No longer can we trust any man to guide us without fail.

Is it Hypocritical to Eat in a Restaurant on the Sabbath? 


First ask yourself:

1. Is laboring on the Sabbath to receive payment a sin?   Yes
2. Is laboring specifically in a restaurant on the Sabbath to receive payment a sin?   Yes
3. Would you ever personally labor in a restaurant on the Sabbath to receive payment?   No
4. When you eat in a restaurant, do you not physically hand over payment to the server for the direct labor they expended on your party, including the food provided to you?   Yes
5. Do you not adjust this payment (specifically tip) according to the level/quality/amount of labor in which they provided?   Yes

So then:

1. If laboring on the Sabbath is a sin
2. Laboring specifically in a restaurant on the Sabbath is a sin
3. As a converted Christian you would NEVER work in a restaurant on the Sabbath because that would be a sin
4. Direct payment IS exchanged specifically for the level, amount, and quality of labor (including goods provided)

Then:

Would it not be hypocritical to hand over payment to a server specifically for labor on the Sabbath? Labor that you yourself would NEVER do? 

“Yeah but eating in a restaurant is a good chance to let our light shine!”

Imagine: You call your server over to your table, you look them in the eye and say, “I would never ever do you what you just did for me and my party because God declares that a sin;  but I very much appreciate you doing it for me and my family, so that my wife did not have to labor, and so our day could be more relaxing, and enjoyable. Go get me another cup of coffee, some rolls for my kids, and I will tell you more!”

What kind of light are we shining?

“Yeah but, we are not FORCING them to labor on the Sabbath. They would be doing it whether or not we go into the restaurant!”

Did you know that eating in a restaurant on Saturday is similar to visiting a prostitute on Saturday?  In both cases you are making someone work.


Another scenario to consider:

1. Is having any form of sex out of wedlock sin?  Yes
2. Is being a prostitute a sin?  Yes
3. Is it a sin to engage in the services of a prostitute?  Yes
4. Wouldn’t a prostitute just end up committing sexual immorality whether or not I engage in her services?  Yes

Then in that case… why not visit a prostitute? She would be committing sin anyway. It’s not like we are not coercing her to do so?

“Wait! That is not the same thing at all! Everyone knows prostitution is a sin. No converted Christian would ever argue prostitution isn’t a sin. Nor that visiting a prostitute, partaking in their activity of employment, and directly exchanging payment for the act performed would be sin. Not the same thing at all.”

Let’s look at the two scenarios side by side:

Restaurant / Prostitute

1. Is it a sin to work on the Sabbath?  Yes      B Is it a sin to commit sexual immorality?  Yes
2. Is it a sin to work in a restaurant on the Sabbath? Yes     B Is it a sin to work as a prostitute?  Yes
3. Would I personally ever work in a restaurant on the Sabbath?  No. Why? Because it is a sin.    B Would I personally ever work as a prostitute? No. Why? Because it is a sin.
4. Won’t the server be working on the Sabbath  (committing sin) whether or not I visit the restaurant?  Yes    B Won’t the prostitute commit sexual immorality whether or not I visit the prostitute?  Yes
The scenarios aren’t really so different, are they?

We would never visit a prostitute, despite the fact we know they would commit sin whether or not we visit them.  This because we know a sin is a sin, and circumstances do not change that fact. 
 Then apostle Malm jumps in with this:


Admin:  This is a good example but the issue is largerl since the excuse “they will do it anyway” would justify participating in almost ANY sin.  We are to set an example of godliness, not to follow the crowd!  That is what letting our light shine really means!
 Then his acolyte continues with this:
Then shouldn’t the same be true for directly paying someone for the labor provided on the Sabbath? Something we ourselves would never do, because we know laboring on the Sabbath is a sin!  Even though we understand they would sin, whether or not we partake of their services, that does not make it acceptable for us to partake in their sin (as with the prostitute).



I think it is rather obvious that Malm and crew will NOT be eating at Hooters during the Feast on holy days and sabbath's.....

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

So then, if I was going to be eating in a restaurant on the sabbath anyway, it's not any worse if I was to go to a prostitute instead? So on the next holy day in between the double services, instead of going to a restaurant with everyone else, I'm going to book an hour with my favorite escort. I never did this before because I thought it was much worse, but now I see it's exactly the same. If you're going to be sinning anyway, why waste it on a sandwich? You might as well get your money's worth! Besides, I'll catch 45 minutes of shut-eye on the cool down, and be wide awake to drink in of god's spirit all afternoon, while everyone else with their bellies fat with artery-clogging caloric intake will be dozing off to sleep during church. Win-win!

Anonymous said...

LOL this guy is hell-arious!
Didn't Judah visit prostitutes and inadvertently have sex with his daughter-in-law? Didn't Samson have casual sex outside of marriage? We're all human and we all make mistakes. But, this guy and his ilk LOVE to judge others as if they and they alone will be the standard by which everyone else will be measured.

Redfox712 said...

It is disgusting that this guy compares eating at a restaurant to visiting a prostitute. That shows, to me, this man has lost all sense of proportions in how to assess and judge events and situations.

If any one is interested: LCG lets members visit restaurants on the Sabbath. I watched one sermon where their cult leader discussed this at great length because bizarre, legalistic questions such as this cause so much turmoil and tension within the COGs.

Anonymous said...

well that shows how little understanding the leadership of LCG has......

I was attened the Feast at Jekyll Isand one year (UCG), and was amazed at the foot race across the street to the restaurant between services...yes, some were actually running.....the restaurant wasn't nearly large enough to handle the whole crowd, so I guess if you wanted to get in you had to be among the first ones there....lol