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Saturday 18 August 2007

Doh!


The Simpsons Movie is out, and a new cultural high water mark has been reached that far surpasses Dovstoyesky's modest pot-boilers. To celebrate the movie's release, Pastor Generalissimo Joe Tkach, unelected "president-for life" of the WCG, has produced what is obviously a tribute to Homer Simpson. Read the following (source) in a Bart or Homer voice and you'll see what I mean.

* * * *

SPECIAL LEGAL NOTICE to all U.S. and International Pastors, Mission Directors and National Directors

As most of you know, the Worldwide Church of God, USA ("WCG") and Plain Truth Ministries Worldwide ("PTM") became totally separate and distinct legal entities, effective January 1, 2006, in a friendly disassociation approved by, among others, the Board of Directors and the Advisory Council of Elders. Subsequently, on August 4, 2006, the WCG transferred to PTM all its right, title, and interest to the United States Trademark "The Plain Truth" (the "Trademark").

WCG has no rights to the Trademark (subject to an exception that WCG may mention the magazine in reciting the WCG history, but no one should rely upon this exception without first discussing it with the Legal Department).

So as to be clear, in the present case the Trademark is a title – i.e. the words "The Plain Truth." When I refer to "the Trademark," I mean this title or its legal equivalent, the title "Plain Truth."

Since WCG no longer owns the United States Trademark, WCG is directing that all entities under the legal control of WCG (defined below) discontinue all present mentions of the Trademark in any U.S. media and refrain from any future use or mention of the Trademark in the United States. Precisely what this means is explained more below.

Entities under the legal control of the WCG include, for example, but are not limited to, all American churches and any international National Church or any local congregation of a National Church which operates in its country (a) under the registration of the WCG, California Corp. or the WCG D.C. Corp., or (b) where the legal link to the WCG is such that the international National Church or its congregations are subordinate to the WCG in that it must obey the operational directives of the WCG.

The WCG requests, and strongly advises, any entity related ecclesiastically to the WCG, even though it not be legally controlled by WCG (defined below), to also discontinue any present mention of the Trademark in the United States and refrain from future mention. Although the WCG would not incur liability for any infringement by an entity not legally controlled by it, the entity in question may still incur liability for itself if it infringes on the Trademark.

Entities affiliated ecclesiastically but not controlled legally by the WCG would be those that are recognized by the WCG as part of the denomination, but which would not be legally bound under the terms of its own charter, statutes, articles, bylaws, or the laws of its country, to obey directives of the WCG in this matter.

Discontinuation of present use and refraining from future use means to not mention or display the Trademark in any media, including, without limitation, print, radio, television, and the internet which circulates in the United States, or which originates on a web site that is hosted in the United States. This means, for example, that we are directing that no newsletter, magazine, broadcast, and no web pages of WCG or local web pages of any of its American local congregations, and no web pages hosted by the WCG directly or indirectly (even though the web page may be that of a non-controlled affiliate) may mention the Trademark (unless, of course, you have the written permission of Plain Truth Ministries Worldwide, which it may or may not grant). For example, a controlled entity may not in the United States advertise a magazine which carries the Trademark, may not show its picture, and may not link to the Plain Truth Ministries Worldwide website without its written permission.

We are directing that the Trademark not be infringed here in the United States because it is a registered United States Trademark. At least two other international magazines, one from England and one from Malaysia, each use the same words as the Trademark in their title, and, presumably own the words they use as their own trademark in their own country, and perhaps in other places outside their country also (although not in the United States). These entities may continue to use their own trademark in their own areas. They may wish to check with their own legal counsel for further clarification.

Nonetheless, no controlled entity of the WCG may show pictures of, advertise, nor mention the magazine with the American trademark, nor mention or advertise the two other international magazines with the same words of the Trademark, in any media it produces and originates or circulates in the United States. For example, the WCG publication Together may not advertise either of the other two magazines (published in England and Malaysia) which use the same words as the Trademark, even though the other two magazines own their own trademarks in their own countries.

The WCG wishes to stress that this directive is to ensure that the WCG, nor any of its controlled entities, inadvertently infringe upon the Trademark. This directive does not indicate any ill-will between the WCG and PTM. No such ill will exists. The dictates of the United States trademark laws require the foregoing restrictions on use. Now that PTM owns the Trademark, it is a fact that it may lose its rights in the Trademark if it allows others to use the Trademark improperly. If the circumstances were reversed, PTM would be required to issue the same directive, and would do so.

I want to stress that our policy here is slightly more restrictive than the law requires, and that the WCG is not, by adopting this strict policy, agreeing to abide by a stricter standard than the law requires, nor is it waiving any rights of any kind it may have in the matter. Although it is possible that, under some very special circumstances, a mention of the Trademark may be allowable because such mention fits within a legally recognizable permitted fair or informational use with or without a disclaimer, or because such a mention is historic, such mentions would be rare and to avoid inadvertent infringements our internal policy is that no mentions of any kind may be made without advance permission from the Legal Department.

Finally, we understand that this issue is complex and the requirements of the law sometimes appear counterintuitive and contrary even to the Trademark owner's own interests. Therefore, we invite anyone who needs clarification of any kind to contact the Legal Department by email at Legal.office@wcg.org. We prefer the questions be in writing so that we may clearly understand the situation and reply in writing as well.

* * * *

So could this have something to do with the bizarre anti-church gospel being preached by Joe's former best-buddy and Plain Truth "owner-operator" Greg ("religion is bad") Albrecht? Is Joe embarrassed over Greg? Is Greg embarrassed over Joe? Do they still exchange Xmas cards? Is Joe still on the PTM board? Does anyone with living brain cells find this directive convincing? Is Greg still a minister of WCG, or even a member? If he isn't, how come he gets away with calling himself "pastor"? Will either Greg or Joe have a hernia if AW links to PTM?

And most importantly, is there a donut in the house?

29 comments:

Lussenheide said...

Talk about alot of legalistic HOOEY. Is it still Ralph Helge pumping out this stuff?

What makes this so very hilarious (hypocritical??), is when you go to the Albrecht PTM.ORG website, that one of the first links you see on the left for an article link is entitled...

"FIRST AID FOR LEGALISTS"

ROFLOL!

Lussenheide

Anonymous said...

The question not asked: What's the point? Probably implicit in the posting.

Just what is the point of the Plain Truth Magazine; what is the point of the Worldwide Church of God; and, since the Plain Truth seems to be owned and operated by the Worldwide Church of God without it being intuitively obvious, what's the point of any relationship between the two at all? And where is a WCG magazine? And what in the heck is Ambassador College of Christian Ministry?

There are other questions, like for instance, is their new booklet, "The Plain Truth About Healing" by Joseph W. Tkach and Bernard W. Schnippert a violation of a U.S. trademark?

From off the PTM.org site under FAQs:

Q. Is Plain Truth Ministries (PTM) financed by or affiliated with a church or denomination?

A. No. We partner with and provide resources to other ministries and well as small groups and individual congregations. But we are not dependent on any other ministry or church. We are a member of the Evangelical Press Association and National Religious Broadcasters.


Next Question: Is that really true?

PTM isn't a real religion is it? It's just a hobby, right?

And the latest article in the Plain Truth: Global Warming or Hot Air? Quoting Al Gore extensively.

Quote: "My parents taught me that I
should always leave a place cleaner than I found it."

Does this include the Worldwide Church of God and the Plain Truth Ministries -- two religious garbage dumps? Just leave your garbage there and leave, please.

Anonymous said...

It's really difficult to even care about all of this stuff any more, huh?

Talk about getting caught up in legalism! This is as bad as the doctrines once were.

BB

Anonymous said...

Yes, Byker Bob, no one really cares.

It should be noted in the latest "Servant's News", Norman Edwards had this to say about Tkach:

"...When His father, Joseph Tkach, Sr. became the leader of the WCG, Joe, Jr. was not even attending the WCG regularly and had never even been a "church pastor". His father brought him to the Pasadena Headquarters and placed him in charge of the ministry worldwide. As the international ministers
refused to accept him, he was then placed in charge of only the USA ministry. It appears to me that he received his position primarily
because he was his father's son."

No merit, no talent, no spiritual depth, just well connected.

Anonymous said...

It looks like Junior is very envious of Greg's bigger income as reported recently in The Journal.

Anonymous said...

If one follows the tawdry history of the Tkaches, it becomes a wonder that people would praise them for bringing "freedom" to the WCG.

It wasn't just the Tkaches, of course. Gerald Waterhouse lied as he spread his manure about how Senior was a manager at the Jet factory and people protested his being suspended because of keeping the Sabbath. Pure fiction. Pure fantasy. People praise Dr. Hoeh as being so wonderful, but he contributed to this nonsense too by compromising himself in order to keep his salary and other perks. He'd agree with the administration publicly but tell a different story privately.

The whole thing from beginning to end is a con job.

Anonymous said...

Besides being odd, the following is not legal, legalese or for that matter understandable: "The WCG requests, and strongly advises, any entity related ecclesiastically to the WCG, even though it not be legally controlled by WCG (defined below), to also discontinue any present mention of the Trademark in the United States and refrain from future mention. Although the WCG would not incur liability for any infringement by an entity not legally controlled by it, the entity in question may still incur liability for itself if it infringes on the Trademark."

I think all of this shows that, despite its downsizing to Glendora, there are still many at WCG Headquarters with way too much time on the hands.

I am considerably dumber for having read this.

Mark Lax

Anonymous said...

I believe the stories about JT Sr. routing the entire Japanese army at Guadalcanal and jumping ship to go to town only to have the ship torpedoed and "I alone survived" may be a slight exaggeration as well.

Why do humans create these stories for themselves..oh wait, amazing adults were always amazingly faithful, honest, brave and noble children. I mean Lincoln walked 16 miles to return 9 cents he was overpaid, George Washington just "could not tell a lie," and Yassar Arafat was born in Jerusalem (near Cairo evidently).

It's why Mr Pack is just sure he created the PT newstand program and was trained by HWA personally, unbeknownst to HWA or anyone else....It's a mystery, wrapped in swiss cheese....

Corky said...

So who would want to crank out a magazine called "the plain truth"? It seems to me "the truth" was not at all "plain" and definitely totally unknown to the former publishers of said magazine.

Taking that into consideration, who would want the ridicule that would befall anyone else that would copy that title?

What about "The Herald of Truth"? Oh yeah, someone already did that one . . . What about "The Truth for Dummies"? Now THAT would fit.

Anon LCG said...

Lussenheide, you mention Ralph Helge? I heard he started going to LCG in LA, gave one sermonette and was never seen in LCG again. He now attends UCG in LA.

Anon LCG said...

Lussenheide, you mention Ralph Helge? I heard he started going to LCG in LA, gave one sermonette and was never seen in LCG again. He now attends UCG in LA.

Anonymous said...

There's a human tendency, native amongst religious people, to somehow want to feel connected to power, and to be "bigger than human". It's some pretty heady stuff. One wants to feel as if one is on a special mission, and then imagines all manner of things. Some, while in this state, actually tell us that God is talking to them.

The human mind is a wonderful thing, in fact, I've often said that my mind is my favorite toy. Unfortunately, the mind often "f"s with itself.

BB

Anonymous said...

Even Paul called it "the present truth," probably knowing it would need to be adjusted depending on need in the future...

Stan said...

Plenty of Plain Truths available in Malasia!

Have you read Tkachjr's July 2007 Plain Truth cover article, "We Are Living In The Last Days"?

Plenty of ink and space for Neil Earle and Feazell too in the July 2007 issue of the Plain Truth.

The Plain Truth inside page even says "For Non-Muslims Only". Isn't the plain truth message supposed to be going to everybody? Check it out!

July 2007 Plain Truth

Evidently Tkachjr thinks The Plain Truth trademark is XXX Skull and Crossbones inside the U.S., so he gave it away for nothing as a gift to Albrecht's PTM.

Anonymous said...

"The human mind is a wonderful thing, in fact, I've often said that my mind is my favorite toy. Unfortunately, the mind often "f"s with itself."

BB

Don't trust the mind, It's the trickster. It does "f" with itself big time. It says yes and no at the same time. It argues with itself and can hold many contradictory ideas about lots of things at the same time. It spins and turns around on itself and can launch attacks against itself for ideas it has held within itself that it doesn't agree with.

The mind tells you to obey the guru and then laughs at itself for doing it. It makes you sit and agree with things you don't agree with. It keeps you sitting down when you want to stand up. It tells you stand up and wave your hands and then asks you if you know how stupid you look! It leads you down the path and then scoffs at you for thinking there was a path. It tells you to comply and then makes fun of you when you do. It is the Coyote!

Spinning is what the mind does while the brain is trying to come up with something useful to do.

The mind can be a terrible thing...waste it...

Now the consciousness awareness within us and that which observes the whole show is deeeeferent! :)

Even more fun. It took the Greeks to get come up with a head instead of heart centered emotions. The Bible seems to find brain stuff in the liver, kidneys, bowels and heart..literally.

Does the Bible or the witless Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz mention the brain more frequently? If your answer was the scarecrow, you are right.

The Bible mentions a number of key human organs, such as the heart, blood, bowels, liver, and kidneys, but never mentions the most important organ of all, the brain.

This is not unusual, of course, unless you happen to view the Bible as an inspired scientific textbook, in which case it would appear to be missing a bit of vital information.

Note:

My bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord (Jer. 31:20).

Be ye straitened [restrained] in your own bowels (2 Cor. 6:12).
I long after you in the bowels [affection] of Christ (Philip. 1:8).

(T)he bowels of the saints are refreshed.... (R)efresh my bowels in the Lord (Philemon 7:20).

(S)hutteth up his bowels of compassion (1 John 3:17).

Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins [Latin, renes, which means kidneys, a literal translation of the Hebrew] (Ps. 73:21).

My reins [kidneys] also instruct me in the night seasons (Ps. 16:7).
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the heart and reins [kidneys] (Ps. 7:9).

Yea, my reins [kidneys] shall rejoice when my lips speak right things (Prov. 23:16).

I am He [God] which searcheth the reins [kidneys] and hearts (Rev. 2:23).

Or consider the twin biblical notions that "the life is in the blood" and "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins" (Lev. 17:11-14 ; Heb. 9:22).

Because of such ideas, the ancient Hebrews sacrificed in a bloody fashion many thousands of animals, and Christians came to view Jesus' "blood" sacrifice as necessary for the forgiveness of sins and the drinking of Jesus' "blood" (in symbolic and/or mystical fashion) as partaking of his "life."

This is in obvious contrast to scientific consensus, which agrees that human "life" is not primarily "in the blood" but in the brain and nervous system.

(Source: Does the Bible Speak of the Brain?")

DD :)

Anonymous said...

PS from DD

however, what this has to do with the Plain Truth I haven't a clue..ha.

Anonymous said...

Why do they all have magazines about hackneyed/rehashed world news just because HWA did it in the 1960s. Magazines are much less relevant - if relevant at all - these days . So it's amazinf seeing them all killing themselves grinding out all this boring fishwrap. The REAL TRUTH has a staff of 30 - almost 5% of their membership !

Anonymous said...

"This is in obvious contrast to scientific consensus, which agrees that human "life" is not primarily "in the blood" but in the brain and nervous system."

DD


And just how does the oxygen get to your brain?

Anonymous said...

It sounds to me like this is a concerted effort to blot out the name "The Plain Truth" from history. Kill it legally.

Sophisticated societal legal types think in these terms. They think both tactically and strategically. Very nice guys...

IMO these two legal entities are in collusion to do that.

They are giving pastor Allprick the legal rights to the name; in time pastor Allprick's ministry dies and the name "The Plain Truth" legally dies.

There are probably other prestigious players, who are unnamed, working behind the scenes with Pastor Joe and Pastor Allprick.

Even after all these years there is still a gnawing hatred for the old WCG and its flagship publication "The Plain Truth".

Many want it dead, never to rise again.

Corky said...

"The Bible mentions a number of key human organs, such as the heart, blood, bowels, liver, and kidneys, but never mentions the most important organ of all, the brain."

That's because they didn't know what the brain was for. They thought that thoughts came from the heart - literally.

"as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he".

Anonymous said...

"And just how does the oxygen get to your brain? "

Bible talk is about the emotions, the seat of the "soul". Not talking about the whole physiological system. Of course it's all connected. But when someone is dead, we say they are brain dead, not blood dead or liver, kidney or heart dead.

We're talking about the intellectual faculties being in the head where the Bible seems to locate them in the organs where you "feel" the results of brain chemistry sent out to the body. We have "gut" reactions and feel things in the "gut" literally, but that is not where they originate. That is where they manifest due to the neuropeptids launched intot he blook by the brain and the cells they attach to to give us emotions.

Example: Roman philosopher Lucretius wrote in a similar Aristotelian vein, "The dominant force in the whole body is that guiding principle which we term mind or intellect. This is firmly lodged in the midregion of the breast. Here is the place where fear and alarm pulsate. Here is felt the caressing touch of joy. Here, then, is the seat of the intellect and mind" (On the Nature of Things, Book III, circa 55 B.C.).

The life is in the blood as a delivery system of course. When this was noted however, they were not speaking of "because it has the oxygen in it for the brain."

I'm referring to the seat of intellect being in the head as we all know now as oppposed to organs that support the survival of the brain, which is the last to die that gets us pronounced dead.

However, a post religion brain transplant may not be a bad idea!

The author of this article is a personal friend and you can read it here for the context of the observation.

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=28426681&postID=4654313522282360384

DD

Anonymous said...

Egyptians embalmers preserved the organs for the afterlife journey, but removed the brain and threw it away, reflecting the ancient idea as well that the intellect and "soul" were elsewhere than in the brain. The brain was also thought to be a cooling mechanism at one time.

We can't blame anyone for seeing it this way. When I get anxious or fearful, I don't hold my head. I feel it below the sternum and above the navel. But when I get confused, I don't grab my liver either. I put my hands on my brain.

This is all Biker Bob's fault! :)

Anonymous said...

Well, how come no Simpsons comments after 22 replies?

DOH! Yep, it's all BB's fault!
I love a handy scapegoat, but I don't want him to bleed. Well, maybe just a bit as he wrenches his Harley and skins his knuckles. That's good blood.

But, I digress. I've learned that my brain is a cooling mechanism, and it explains why I needed a bag of ice on my head after I left WCG: to boost the cooling for recovery purposes.

I saw the Simpsons Movie recently and enjoyed it. The scene where they were walking into church and talking amongst themselves(while they thought no one in the church could hear them) is priceless. Here's an article from 8 years ago, entitled, The Gospel According to Homer :
www.snpp.com/other/articles/gospelhomer.html

~Mel

Aaron said...

"Many want it dead, never to rise again."

Don't fret yourself, Anony, it is. It's just taking a while.

What seems to me to receive little "airtime" these days (both in WCG and among those who have run screaming from it) is the demographic death dive that is Armstrongism. There may still be "over 400" WCG congregations in the US, for instance, but many of them consist of an unpaid, gray-headed pastor who used to be a deacon, and fifteen or twenty members with long affiliations.

UCG, LCG and their ilk are dreaming if they think they're doing much better.

As a new-WCG member, I couldn't help noticing a sad little demographic anecdote in every WN (or whatever they're calling it these days): obits beat birth announcements by a factor of two to one, every month.

So don't worry too much about who owns The Trademark. Hardly anyone is reading the rag anyway.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Egyptians embalmers preserved the organs for the afterlife journey, but removed the brain and threw it away
<<<<<<<<<<<<

What a waste! Brains cooked with eggs is the most delightful breakfast one could have!

Kscribe!

Anonymous said...

"So don't worry too much about who owns The Trademark. Hardly anyone is reading the rag anyway."

So are the Republicans "dead"? Is that political movement gone for good?

Institutions have an amazing way of recovering over time.

You just need the right circumstances and under the right leadership The Plain Truth could once again have a world wide circulation and threaten the current Evangelical revival.

        AMERICAN KABUKI said...

So does this mean we have to use a little TM logo anytime Plain Truth&trade is mentioned?

How can the name "Plain Truth&trade" be trademarked when HWA plagiarized the name straight out of Ben Franklin's Autobiography?

Isn't that a bit like trademarking the Declaration of Independence&trade?

Maybe I should take out that trademark on Tom Sawyer&trade and Huckleberry Finn&trade after all?

Anonymous said...

How about "Painful Tooth"?

That's closer to the real feel of it I think...

Aaron said...

Huh?

"So are the Republicans 'dead'? Is that political movement gone for good?

"Institutions have an amazing way of recovering over time.

"You just need the right circumstances and under the right leadership The Plain Truth could once again have a world wide circulation and threaten the current Evangelical revival."

It takes the kind of myopia that only a deep-dipped COGer can bring, to think this way, Anony.

At its very zenith, PTTM (Plain Truth, TM) had a claimed "circulation" of what, 9 million, with an actual subscriber base (even with obligatory mailings to 'coworkers') of a much smaller number. WCG publishing was notorious, among evangelicals at least, but was hardly as influential as nostalgic alumni often think. And then to compare Armstrongism to one of the two major political parties in America, as you have done, requires breathtaking hubris. Sorta like comparing Bill Gates' net worth to the national debt, because both numbers have at least nine zeroes.

And I don't know what "evangelical revival" you have in mind, friend, but self-described evangelicals (in the USA, the nation I'm most familiar with) number over 100 million. That such a large and multi-faceted movement (think subcultures - Latino, Black, white; traditions - pentecostal, charismatic, Baptist, Adventist, Reformed, Wesleyan, Anglican, ad infinitum) would all be overcome by the perfidious weirdness of some sort of revived Armstrongism is pretty unlikely. Fringe groups will always be around, of course, peeling off a few converts, but dwarfing the mainstream is something that just hasn't been observed in the history of the church.

And I, for one, am profoundly thankful. In God's providence, HWA had his moment and stole some sheep. Other false teachers will come and go, but the sort of religious moonbattiness that we all fell for just hasn't been allowed to swallow Christ's church whole.