Who's Gaslighting Who?

CGI's Jeff Flanick (of Bill Watson's Medina, Ohio congregation) delivered a broadside against the Olympic games in Paris this past Sabbath. He joined the chorus of voices expressing disgust with the opening ceremonies of the 2024 games and claimed that it was the epitome of what CGI has been preaching against for years. According to Mr. Flanick, the ceremony underscored the pagan origins of the games and glorified those unsavory LGBTQ folks! You see, for Jeff and his peeps, those WOKE folks at the IOC are trying to gaslight an innocent and unsuspecting humanity.

Like his mentor, Pastor Bill Watson, Jeff is appalled at the fact that these leftist folks have the audacity to characterize Donald Trump and J.D. Vance as weird! Men dressed like women and competing as women - that's supposed to be normal and acceptable? Heaven forbid! is Mr. Flanick's response. He went on to suggest that the opening ceremony had desecrated Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting known as "The Last Supper." Although he went on to admit that this work of art may be inaccurate in its depiction of that event, he proceeded to suggest that an artistic interpretation of that work in the opening ceremony was probably sacrilegious - an intentional affront to Christians everywhere!

Indeed, he went on to compare the whole thing to what traditional Christians have been doing for years. According to Mr. Flanick, the vast majority of these people are among "those who think they are Christians" (implying, of course, that they are no such thing). He went on to say that these folks disregard scriptures which refute their errors. Flanick then proceeded to cite several examples of the clear evidence which these people fail to confront - like Matthew 5:18, which he insists proves that Christians should be keeping the commandments of Torah. He also quoted that favorite passage of Armstrongists to nail down his thesis: Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." In other words, if he gave it to the Israelites, he must have intended for Christians to have it to!

In similar fashion, Mr. Flanick attacked those traditional so-called Christians for their use of the cross as a symbol of their religion. He went on to liken it to someone deciding to revere the gun which had murdered their loved one! Do you suppose that Mr. Flanick is disregarding all of those New Testament references to the cross of Christ? OR Let's be generous, maybe he just forgot about those?

He went on to remind his audience that those traditional Christians also embraced those nasty pagan holidays like Christmas and Easter! Flanick pointed out that revelry and alcoholic beverages are associated with those celebrations, but he doesn't want you to look to close at how CGI folks celebrate their Feast of Tabernacles! He even proceeded to point out that true Christians are supposed to come out of Babylon and be separate, and he saw absolutely no irony in making clear that God really meant those nasty, leftwing globalists!

It occurred to me as I listened to Mr. Flanick's presentation, "I wonder if he's ever seen the classic movie which gave rise to the term "gaslighting"? Ingrid Berman's husband (Charles Boyer) embarked on a plan to make her think she was going crazy. "Paula, Paula, Paula, you are tired, you are weary..." In keeping with the custom of CGI ministers and speakers, Mr. Flanick was divorced and remarried; but those LGBTQ folks are insane - trying to make us all think that they can actually love each other and be faithful to one person! Yes, I'm wondering "Who's gaslighting who?"