Seriously, he cannot even read, let alone teach.
[Update: See “Doctor” Thiel Responds]
Bob Thiel wants to pick on anyone and everyone in order to justify his own beliefs and vaunted ego. However, the fact is that he is a liar, he does not care for the truth, or accuracy for that matter, and he constantly compares himself to others.
12 We don’t dare class or compare ourselves with some of the people who advertise themselves. In measuring themselves against each other and comparing themselves with each other, they are simply stupid.
~ 2Co 10:12 (CJB)
Take his “doctor” title. Doctor of what? If I came to you and said I was a doctor and gave medical advice, wouldn’t you assume by my actions I was a doctor of medicine? Likewise, if I went around putting “Dr” on my books, and the books were on religion, would you not assume my doctorate was in theology? And, if those things turned out not to be true, wouldn’t you believe I was a fraud? And, rightly so! [Update: Thiel now claims to have a ThD; see “Doctor” Thiel Responds]
Buried deep within his website is the admission that “I have studied graduate level Early Church History from Fuller Theological Seminary and other schools in and out of the USA, and after a lot of writing, was granted a foreign Th.D. in early Christianity. A doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree was earned from the Union Institute and University (1993) where I studied various biological sciences and research methodologies.”
Not that it matters, which makes it even more curious that he would use such a means to elevate himself. However, his pride in his research is obviously flawed, seeing as he cannot even be bothered to get the name of this website correct. In spite of his being drawn attention to it more than once in the past, he has no interest in telling the truth and does not care if he gets the name right.
Which makes you wonder why anyone would follow such a person who claims to hold the truth dear when they obviously do not. Thiel twists COG current events and the Bible in a similarly deceiptful manner.
For example, he wrote in “Warning: COGWA wrong on Daniel 11:39 and Daniel 9:27“:
COGWA’s contention that Daniel 11:39 was fulfilled thousands of years ago is inconsistent with the view contention that the verses of Daniel 11:35-39 have future fulfillment–which they do.
Again, I have called him out about this utter lie before, but he does not love the truth!
9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
~ 2Th 2:9-10 (ESV)
Those who love not the truth will not be saved! They will be susceptible to Satan’s lies over and over and be deceived by the Beast power when it arises!
What is the truth? Thiel blatantly posts the title on the section of the article he is trying to criticise: “Dual fulfillments“. Seriously, a PhD doesn’t know that “dual” means “two”? Am I really supposed to believe that? How can two fulfilments possibly be “inconsistent” when that is the very definition of “dual”?
What is striking is how bold he is in his lies! He reminds me of the child with chocolate all over his face who denies to his mother that he was in the cookie jar. What are his followers, anyhow, if not stupid, then? If they are not, they should prove it and leave! Do not walk! Do not pass go! Run for the hills!
The abbreviation of Th. D. is short for Doctor of Theology, albeit I’m not sure what a foreign Th. D. is supposed to represent.
It’s obvious Bob Thiel is trying to present his credentials in a positive fashion which he hopes will leave a positive impression to the reader. But “studied graduate level” is not the same as earning a degree at graduate level, also “after a lot of writing” being granted a Th. D. doesn’t exactly tell the reader where it came from. Such a presentation of credentials leaves it open to a readers imagination. It can lead a reader to believe he’s achieved an impressive Th.D. or it can lead a reader to believe it came from an online version of the old saying “Where’d you get that degree, out of a Cracker Jack box?”
Besides nowadays when it comes to teaching ideas about prophecy, there is a tendency to be evasive and vague enough to avoid timelines. They don’t make statements about events that will absolutely occur in the readers lifetime, but maintain a dialogue that leaves an impression that they absolutely know it may happen in a person’s lifetime. A legitimate question is, would a real prophet act like that?
Norbert wrote: “The abbreviation of Th. D. is short for Doctor of Theology…”
Well, sometimes it is. I believe, but do not know for sure, that Dr Ward’s degree is a PhD. I cannot look it up because the school that he got his doctorate from no longer lists theology as one of its offerings? Of course, it had a different name then as well, so perhaps it was dropped along the way.
I think PhDs are as common, if not more so. According to WikiHow: “A doctorate in theology, often referred to as a Ph.D. in theology, is the most advanced degree available in theology.” And, Fuller Theological Seminary, a rather well-known school, offers a PhD in theology as well. Even Princeton Theological Seminary offers a PhD.
So, I’ve run into “PhD” a lot more often than “ThD”. Of course, YMMV.