The First Henchman Apologizes...Sort Of

After the empty threats, clear misunderstanding of the laws of Minnesota, as well as Federal law, overt bullying, heavy-handed demands, and wading into a place that was clearly none of his business, Norman Pool has sent my brother and I an apology letter....er....sort of.

The letter appears to be an apology, but upon closer examination, it is more of the same.  Norman Pool is continuing to defend the "pastoral" team of Mark and Annah Reid, giving them a complete pass (attempting to pretend that he is not, by indirectly referring to "others in authority that may have hurt you") and coming down hard on Zach and I.

As I predicted to my wife, he hit us with Matthew 18.  I'll comment more on that in my commentary below.

My words will be [like this] and Norman's letter will be the normal text.

Enjoy the read:

*****

Greetings Zach and Joe:

I want to start by first apologizing to both of you.  I came across harshly when I should not have.  I said things that were not my place to do so.  So please forgive me.

[As you will see during the full text of this letter, not once does Norman William Pool admit he was wrong on the law.  In fact, with the words above and the repeated "The ball is in your hands" threat, he leaves the window open for other "What I really meant was..." threats in the future.]

Today God has been showing me His heart for the both of you.  The Fathers heart is grieved for what is going on in your lives and for the things that you are doing.  God loves you so much, and He only wants the best for you.  God was showing me that you have a wounded heart.

[Yes.  No mention of the instigation of the whole "Rogue Pastor Series" in the first place.  The facts are clear.  Mark and Annah Reid are the problem.  NOT Zach and most definitely not me.  It's funny actually.  Throughout this whole letter, he assumes that somehow I have been hurt or touched by this.  He has to assume that, or lump me in on purpose for a very specific reason - because, if he doesn't, Matthew 18 doesn't apply.  Oops....

Also, Norman Pool has just waded into a trap.  He is claiming that God is showing him something.  The problem is, he must be listening to the wrong God.  I don't have a wounded heart.  I don't even know how I would have a wounded heart in this whole mess.  I can't speak for Zach, but from what I know, his reaction to this whole story is one of relief.

Zach realized that he had pretty much wasted the last four years on this group of clowns and he is now making up for lost time.  In my view, he is free and loving every minute of it.  Wounded heart?  Hardly.  Unfortunately, Norman Pool is surrounded by people that claim they get divine messages from God when really they are just drumming up inner feelings that attempt to explain the weird or normal nuances of life.]

Just like when an animal gets wounded and is backed up into a corner, it ends up being aggressive and lashes out.  This is self-preservation.  God was showing me that there have been those in authority, be it in the Church or elsewhere, which have come up short and have wounded you.

[Great analogy, but it still doesn't fit.  In fact, its a slap in the face.  Mark and Annah Reid are the ones that are lashing out like a wounded animal and yet he turns it on Zach (and me?  Ha!).

The slap in the face comes into play when he says "there have been those in authority, be it in the church or elsewhere".  Again, Norman is not specifically calling Mark and Annah Reid to task.  He can't.  He is in bed with them.  In fact, he is trying to play the "others" card. 

Annah was very good at this with Zach.  Somehow, she got wind that Zach had been abused by his mother and from that day forward, abused that piece of information to further solidify Annah's control over him.  I can only assume this, but I am convinced I am correct - Norman is playing the "others" card because he has been prepped by Mark and Annah Reid that he can easily deflect the "abusive authority" problem onto Zach's mother, leaving the two fools smelling like a rose.]

I know personally what this feels like, I have been there.  Just like a wounded animal, we end up lashing out at others because we don’t know any other way to cope with what has been done to us.  So what ends up happening is the victim now becomes the victimizers.  The sin of another is now birthed in our lives.  We end up doing things to others that was done to us, because of self-preservation.  This is not walking in love as scripture tells us to do.

[Yadda yadda.  More of the same.  Except here, Norman tries to insert his own issues in the middle of his accusations - an attempt to soften the blow.  No mention of whose sin is "birthed in our lives" either (NOT Mark and Annah's perhaps?).  Also, he continues with his problematic premise that I am affected by any of this.

I am just the messenger.  The vessel to expose the lies and abuse of Mark and Annah Reid.  More of that later.

Additionally, this is a typical ploy of defenders of abusers.  They attack the abused and pretend to hold the only and exact definition of what "love" really means.  It is ironic that the victim is always the one that is expected to do the loving while the abusers get a pass.]

For instance scripture says, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”   Matt. 18:15-17 KJV

[And there you have it.  Zach and I have been hit with Matthew 18.  Its so predictable from these people (defenders of abusers, as well as the abusers themselves) , I should just start every piece of correspondence with naughty peeps by saying "...and Matthew 18 won't work on me."

There are several problems here.

First, I have received numerous emails and letters from victims of Mark and Annah Reid.  They all have the same theme.  They get into the church and do much.  Then, they see a small or large problem.  After praying or not, they decide to contact Mark and Annah Reid to either meet with them or pray about it together.  Before they have a chance to meet, or even after the first meeting, they are excommunicated and then their name is smeared through the mud.  This isn't a one-time occurrence.  This is a practiced and perfected craft by these two clowns and their ilk, Norman included.

Second, I was not affected by these people.  Mark and Annah Reid have (thankfully) done nothing to me.  Thus, Matthew 18 does not apply to anything I have done nor will be doing in the future.  It must be said, then, that I will not take kindly to Mark and Annah Reid attempting to drag me into this in order to force their view of Matthew 18 onto me.  It won't work as they will see by continuing to read below (which I know they are).

Third, the Bible is a poor rule book for all of life's little nuances.  To act like it has all the answers only causes a person to go insane when problems that aren't specifically addressed crop up. 

For example, what color car is a Christian supposed to buy?  Ok, that is a bit idiotic but that leads me into the true question.

What does Matthew intend for us to do when the leaders of the church have a history of refusing any correction?  After all, they lead the bloody thing.  They don't allow even the first step of "correction" to materialize.  One iota of dissension and voila!  The person accusing them is summarily dismissed.  Thus, to pretend that Mark and Annah can be the intended subject of Matthew 18 is only to remove the ability for Zach to do anything whatsoever about the issue, if he was hamstrung to only allow him to use what Norman calls "God's protocol."

I'm pretty sure Matthew's interpretation of Jesus' words had nothing to do with a brick and mortar church anyway.  The "church" was the full body that believed in Christ.  If you follow the passage through to the end, with all the history of abuse Mark and Annah Reid have, most importantly, the history of rejection of correction, they should be the ones being cast to the swine, called heathens, and turned their back on.

Finally, what is supposed to happen if the intended subject of Norman Pool's Matthew 18 Bible bashing does not see the Bible as the rulebook he does?  Or, that they don't believe the Bible was the inspired word of God, as I do not?  What then?  Is the "best encapsulation of Christ and the ideas set forth" then a protocol to follow, or maybe just a guideline of good thoughts from those that believe in God?  I would argue the latter.]

God has His protocol in how we are to do things.  This reminds me of an old testament scriptures about recompense.

And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.  Ex. 21:23-25 KJV

And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.  Lev. 24:19-20 KJV

[Why is Norman so caught up in quoting the KJV specifically?  Do other translations not give the heavy-handed nuances that he desires to set forth?  I don't know the answer to that question.  But, it would be fun to find out.

Also, this is another typical ploy by defenders of abusers.  Tell the victim to walk away because, after all, God will dish out the karma.  Essentially, this is exactly what Zach did.  Though, Norman and his friends can argue that Zach didn't do it according to THEIR rules.  After all, they hold the true and exact interpretation of all Scripture.

This is very dangerous.  What if Norman Pool was aware of physical abuse or worse by these "pastors".  Would he then be quoting 1 Corinthians 6:1 - 8 (thanks, Eric) at us? 

As human beings, we have many tools to deal with bad people.  The ways to do this would fill many books and have been hammered out through the annals of history.  The writers of the current canon we call "The Holy Bible" actually disagreed on the manner in which we are to take people to task. Some say don't.  Others say do.  Some say you're naughty to do so and should just let them walk all over you.  Others say to do it with gusto and even call names.  Even stories of Paul and Jesus Christ show violent outbursts of words and actions.  Then, we see the story of Stephen, as depicted by Luke in Acts, where he suffered death without much more than a word.

My take on all that is to say, we as individual human beings can decide what works best, making sure we are acting in love.  Heck, even write a book.  A thousand years from now, your version may be canonized.]

In the new testament (sic) there is a teaching about sowing and reaping.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.  Gal 6:7-10 KJV

[Tell that to Mark and Annah Reid.]


These scripture (sic) from Galatians are saying the same thing that the old testament scripture is talking about.  If someone has done wrong to you and they haven’t repented and asked for forgiveness, there is coming a day that they are going to reap that very thing in their own life.  If (sic) do somebody wrong, even if we can so call justify it in our own mind, there is coming a day that we are going to reap the very thing that we had sown.  This is God’s law and there is no getting around it.

[No this isn't God's law.  This is what you claim to be God's law, Norman Pool.  And you use it only for those you want to shut up.  Why have I not received correspondence from Mark and Annah Reid, apologizing for everything they have done?  Why are the victims of Mark and Annah Reid's false "ministry" still waiting for some sort of "making things right."  It's quite obvious.  The Scripture you say is the immutable law of God does not apply to them.  Only their false view of Scripture that states that everything an authority does is righteous.

If you want to speak about God's law, in the sense that there is no getting around it, what about stoning children when they are rebellious?  Nay, when they even give their parents the "evil eye" as in Deuteronomy.  What about all the sacrificial laws that are not for the forgiveness of sins but merely ceremonial and required by God for sweet aromas?  Why, why, why?  I could list hundreds of what you consider to be God's immutable laws that you yourself are not following to the letter.  Don't tell me what God's law is.  I know what the Bible says and I don't consider that to be God's law, among other arguments that I don't care to discuss here.]

We also must follow what is written in Mark 11-25-26 which say (sic),

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.  KJV

[So, if this is the case and you expect Zach to forgive (remember, I have nothing to forgive because I was not wronged (thankfully, again) by Mark and Annah Reid), then why did you demand all the crap you demanded in the first email you sent?  While misstating the laws of the State of Minnesota and the United States, you declared that we had done something illegal and needed to rectify it or you would do something odd like talk to the FBI and the Attorney General.  Why did you, instead, not preach a sermon at Mark and Annah Reid and tell THEM to forgive?  Why?  Yes...don't answer.  The questions are rhetorical.]

If we have something against another that was done against us, we are to come to the place where we are to forgive them even if they never come to us and ask us to forgive them.  While Jesus was on the cross, he cried out, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34a KJV 

He asked the Father to forgive those who have wronged him and crucified him.  We are to do the same for those who have wronged us.


[Um.  Serious proof texting, buddy.  Jesus was dealing with the sins of mankind and Zach is dealing with bull**** pushed against him.  Hardly comparable.  Also, Jesus didn't say that.  Luke SAYS Jesus said that.  Keep that in mind whenever you are quoting the Bible at me.]


So with what I have shared, you must ask yourself, have you followed God’s protocol when you were wronged?  Did you go and point out the wrong to them alone?   If yes, did they repent?  If not, did you bring one or two more with you to confront them for the wrong done to you?  If yes, did they repent?  If not, than you are to bring it before the church.  Did you do this?  If yes, did they repent?  If not, than they are to be considered as a heathen.   Next, did you ask God to forgive them for the wrong that you received?  If not, are you going to do this?


[I won't write down the long laugh I just had.  This is very funny.  If Norman Pool had actually read my Acts 1 - 10, which he did but is choosing to ignore the obvious, he will note that Mark and Annah Reid actually CONTROL THE CHURCH in question.  The sort of exact methods he is declaring as "God's protocol" does not apply here.  It can't.  Mark and Annah Reid don't allow anyone to go to second base, let alone leg out a single.  With that in mind, of course Zach has not done so. 

With that knowledge, Norman William Pool can walk into their office and smugly declare that Zach is a horrible Christian and they have nothing to worry about.

Also, I received no wrong from them.  I have no forgiveness to receive nor forgiveness to ask.  And am I going to do this?  HELL NO!  I find no pleasure in walking into a hornets nest.  And indeed, that is what Mark and Annah Reid's "church" is.]


So to conclude this, God loves the both of you so much and His heart is hurting seeing what has been happening.


[You know this?  How do you know this?  You got the first "wounded heart" declaration wrong.  You misquoted all these verses at me, trying to portray that I have been wronged somehow and need to follow some sort of magical formula so that all will be well.  You assumed that I believe in the Bible as you believe in the Bible (God's Holy Word, inerrant, and completely inspired, not riddled with mistakes and inaccuracies, containing no ideas of men or the best possible explanation of events they witnessed or heard of).

You got all that wrong and then you claim to know what God is feeling about us?  Just because you claim that doesn't make it so.  In fact, I will emphatically declare that it ISN'T so.  If I were to gander a guess, and God was still in the business of striking down people he disagreed with, Mark and Annah Reid would be long gone.   They are in the business of themselves while lying through their teeth that they are in God's business.  They are wolves in sheep's clothing.  There is nothing pure about them, except the pure stench of the desire to be in control of other people and be noticed for THEIR place in the "church" business of controlling souls.]


You have to make a choice of either following God or doing your own thing.  If we say that we are following after God, than God alone has the ultimate plan for your life. 


[You mean...following Mark and Annah Reid.  I feel a verse coming on.]


What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.  1 Cor. 6:19-20  KJV


[Yep.  And inapplicable, as well.  Is anyone even listening anymore?]


You are not your own, you have been bought.  God owns your life.  He owns my life.  He is God.  He has the final word.  Enough said,  You have a choice to make.  The ball is in your hand.


[Blah blah blah.  Oh wait!  There he goes again with the "ball is in your hand" and the "you have a choice to make" baloney sausage!  What ball?  What will happen if I don't do what you say I'm supposed to do Norman William Pool?  Seriously, are you going to eat your own words and then expect God to dish out my karma?  That's the sermon you gave me?

Or, does that mean that you'll try something else to get me to take down the Rogue "pastoral" Team series? 

Looks like Norman Pool is hell bent on harassment.  Much more of that and I WILL have to take more legal action than I already have.]

Shalom (Peace) to the both of you and your family.

Norman Pool

[Huh?]

*****

So there you have it.  A non-apology wrapped up in an apology.  Suffice it to say that I expected nothing less.  The lack of admitting Norman was wrong on the law, more thinly veiled threats ("ball is in your hands"), proof-texting Scripture, including Matthew 18, more ardent defense of Mark and Annah Reid, pretentious head jiggles toward nebulous "authority" figures without naming the real clowns at fault, etc.



In short, Norman William Pool hit the nail on the head.  He is still a shill of Mark and Annah Reid.



Norman, tell your leaders that THEY are the ones that need to talk to those that are wronged.  You have no business in this discussion.  If Mark and Annah Reid feel they have done nothing wrong, then let them defend themselves. Although, in the court of public opinion, I can't find a single soul that would agree with them in that regard.  Frankly, I am convinced they care more about saving their reputation and allowing themselves to continue in their verbal and spiritual abuse that their desire is to squash all criticism.

Sadly, I conclude by saying I never expect to hear any news of Mark and Annah Reid corresponding with those they have hurt.  I fully expect them to delegate more shills to try to cover up their evil.  And yes, this saddens me.



But mostly, I want to let my readers know:  I am writing this series to expose the evils of the "authority doctrine" in the church.  How it can ruin lives.  And Mark and Annah Reid stepped up to the plate as a premium example.