Saturday, May 4, 2019

What Is it that makes Armstrongism SO appealing to those who support it?



It's a valid question.

What is it exactly, that makes Armstrongism SO appealing to those who fully embrace it's completely flawed ideologies? What is it about Armstrongism that has caused people to completely deny reality in their quest for truth and understanding?

Despite the full brunt of historical evidence which is a free and open library for the browsing, Armstrongist supporters wear blindfolds and earplugs in the face of such dramatic affronts to their concepts and mindless imaginations. Despite the full brunt of hardships and assaults on rightful living, and despite the full brunt of even half-ways intelligent rebuttals to some of their most easily dis-proven theological embarrassments, they continue to relish in the madness of constant deceptions and continual delusion. They do not believe it is deception, nor do they believe it is delusion. To them, it's reality - even though clearly, and without any legitimate dispute, it is anything but reality. It is clearly, and unarguably, complete non-sense - made up by one man, with one vision, and one dream, fueled by vanity, ego, conceit, and power.

With that framework clear - what is it, then, that makes Armstrongism SO appealing to those who support it? It is the clear embracing of the concepts and imaginative dreaming of exactly the mindsets of the one who started it all. Namely, vanity, ego, conceit, and power.

Armstrongism is a fairy tale land of make-believe for many who did not, in real life, achieve, attain, or grasp the lifelong dreams of authority they may have wanted in their human lives to that point. For others, it was an avenue to create within that very structure the very embodiment of real power, using ego, and vanity, and conceit to achieve just such.

For others, traditional religion had, for one reason, or another, burnt them severely - whether it was Catholicism, or Protestantism, or any other form of organized religion which had shown itself, to them, as a fully evident fraudulent system - Armstrongism provided bucketfuls of theories as to why Corporate Christianity was as untruthful as they had observed it to be. With stories of abuse and freshly laid paths that all led to evil and paganism from within their horror stories of Corporate Christianity past, they were more than eager to embrace a different, seemingly refreshing concept of what they took to be a new light of truth.

This new light of truth, in fact - was the spark that all of these people began to fully indoctrinate within themselves, regardless of what exactly their specific reason was. Their leader, Herbert Armstrong, or whichever splinter leader they bought into later on down the road - spoke with enough convincing argument and authority that - when juxtaposed against the lies they had bought in the past, simply seemed to make sense and were appealing to minds that rejected what they thought was correct in the first place. Perhaps, in previous experiences, they experienced the abusive Southern Baptist Pastor, or the deviant Catholic Priest. Perhaps, in previous experiences, they remember the commercialism of secular Christmases, or the perceived emptiness they may have felt chasing Easter eggs on Easter morning. Or, perhaps, they simply were not taught the tenets of actual, authentic, Christianity - instead trapped in a televangelist-oriented, money-abusing system bent on money, authority, and power - and fled it, only to be attracted to the exact same system by someone else who told them they, well, were not after their money, and were not, initially, believing the system was about money, authority, and power. In short - they were duped once, then were duped again.

In a majority of so many of these cases was one common characteristic that was embraced. The idea that what was before was wrong - so what is now must be right.

And you have to admit, from the surface - in the worldview that it was in the 20th Century - it seemed right. It certainly did seem right! Technology - the space age - in fact, the nuclear age - made a convincing argument to Herbert's theories. The rapid rise of Armstrongism and growth led a sense of credibility to the argument. It's hard to argue when your emotions are completely overtaxed with 14,000 other people who are believing what you believe, and are of the same mindset! If they are right, and you are right - well then, it must be right, and that's that, right?

And that - right there - was the seed and the trap that made it all appealing. Here's a new and different way of living and thinking that opened up new doors to a whole new world of opportunity. But with all of the available opportunities and traditions were the acceptance of unquestioned and unchecked power from those in charge of the system they were embracing. The kicker that said "I'm in" The belief that down the road, in just a few years - is the absolute assurance that Herbert's ideas were true - including you being a part of a World Rulership where you, yourself, would be one of those in the King's Inner Circle, ruling and governing in - you guessed it - authority, luxury - and power - right back to square one.

The only thing is?

Herbert's ideas were not true. They were lies. They were built on financial greed and empirical lust. They were built on irrational concepts of racism and superiority. They were built on worldly business models, with the capstone worldly treasures that would make the top rich and powerful in their world, and the poor impoverished and shackled. The promises of a Utopian government in 3 to 5 years were false. The promises of interpretations of prophecies were also just as false. The ideas of the majority of the ministers were - you guessed it - false. In fact, Herbert's empire was just as scandalous, just as abusive, just as divisive, and just as greedy as anything you'd find in what they came from in the first place. The end result was disappointment, disillusionment, and a deep hunger for facts without the emotional and/or spiritual concepts that hurt them so much in the first place. And what was created? Dysfunction, Distrust - and in many cases, agnosticism and atheism. And in most cases? Anxiety, depression, trauma - to name just a few behavioral issues that were born from the cesspool of Armstrong's Atrocities.

Bringing it back around to the original question. What is it then, NOW, that makes Armstrongism SO appealing to those who support it - despite all of the above, or the reasons, and what not?

It can only be one thing. And it's best described summarily in just five words.

It is, what it is.

Their entire lives, full extended families, decades of memories, and a host of other entrenched webs are simply worth more than what it would be to start new. So, even though there are other more appealing options that look available despite the disgust of the deceit they plainly see, not changing anything would be, to them - a greater risk of collapsing their entire life's structure than it would be to leave the structure and build new. In other words - they fear it would all collapse on them before they get out to start new.

Thus, the appeal the remains, honestly - in totality -  is for many - rooted in just ONE word.

Survival.


by SHT

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

I suspect that some people like to be different, they like the novelty of some of the teachings. They also like the leadership style where they are controlled more than in most churches. These are dependent personalities who need a "parent" to tell them what to do, what to believe, etc. They also like the fact that the church had answers for every question, though not usually the correct answers. Some people can't be comfortable with not knowing something. It is not OK if God knows something that they don't know. They are uncomfortable with the tension between two ideas and with the unknown. They are uncomfortable with the many mysteries and unknowns of life.

SL said...

For some it may be about survival, but for others - like myself - it simply is for lack of a better alternative. I whole heartedly believe in the Sabbath and Holy Days because they are explicitly stated in the Bible. I reject British Isrealism, seven thousand year plan, church eras (church errors is how I refer to that belief), and a hierarchical government because these are simply not Biblical and are frequently used as tools of division. But that leaves me “between a rock and a hard place” because if I leave a CoG and go to another church, I’ll still be stuck listening to doctrines that I don’t believe mixed with those that I do. I don’t believe that no Protestant or “worldly” (not my term) Christians will be in the first resurrection. I tell my kids “The Lord knows those who are His”, and I try to judge people based on how Christ like they behave. That being said, I also have to do what I believe is right, so I keep the Sabbath. Often times I do this at home, going for walks in nature, playing games with my family, and discussing God. Then, when we want to fellowship, we attend a cog where extended family goes. That being said, we don’t support any CoG, instead giving our tithes and offerings to institutions that help people in need.

"1-EX- sheeple" said...

As good an explanation as any---but...on the other side is...my mind is made UP, DON'T con-
fuse me with the facts. I absolutely REFUSE to listen! (not me) but someone else still in "love with DP&RCG". perfectly willing to "dance" to the Wadsworth Spinmasters" tunes. That old
saying....how much, how high, how often, how soon etc. TOTALLY SOLDOUT-hook, line,sinker,pole.

Byker Bob said...

I believe that certain people are just susceptible to the perceived need for a radical makeover in their lives at some point. Along comes someone who speaks with authority and projects the notion that he has all the answers and solutions, and the susceptible person becomes drawn to that orator. In the initial stages of seduction the hardest aspects and penalties are soft-pedalled, but are gradually introduced in tandem: here is what God (I know, not really.) wants you to do, and here are the incredible penalties if you do not do them. Trapped by Armstrongian eisegesis and angry rhetoric.

Then, Stockholm Syndrome kicks in. The victims begin to identify with and to protect those who have psychologically kidnapped and entrapped them. At some time, the Pavlovian compliances to “God’s (not really!) ministers become routine. By this point, the part of the mind normally dedicated to survival and self-preservation has totally atrophied, and unless there is some sort of awakening, the member is hopelessly ensnared, intoxicated on a toxic faith, and no longer acts in his or her best interests, or the best interests of family and friends.

Fortunately, the package appeals to a negligible percentage of humanity. We (or our parents) just happened to be part of that unlucky percentage.

BB

TLA said...

If you believe in keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days, then find a Messianic Jewish church who believes the same (not all do).
They don't have a HQ "uber alles". The contributions stay local except for their charitable support of other institutions - many of them supporting the needy.
They also don't believe they are the only true church.
They have a Jewish interpretation of what Paul was communicating and don't share Dennis's view that Paul was at odds with the other apostles.
I have not discovered yet how they feel about topics like the Exodus (the too large numbers).
So far I have not heard a prophecy sermon - not that they do not believe in prophecy - just that it is not the focus of their weekly messages (sermons).

Tonto said...

How do you explain that there are people who believe in FLAT EARTH, or CHEMTRAILS, or NO MOON LANDING and many other bizarre and far out ideas?

The future is certainly a great unknown, and scary in many ways. Those that are confident and self assured about such, (even though ultimately they are just guessing and blowing hot air) can market and gather followings , marketing their "surety" to the gullible.

It happens all the time in many fields.

SHT said...

SL -

I appreciate your candid and honest response to this, shining a light on a group of COG'ers who reject the core of Armstrongism but embrace a form of OT Liturgy. I would tend to go along with Paul's response - "Whatever is sin to him, then it is sin", and also, "Whatever one eats is fine, because he give thanks to God for the food" kind of a philosophy. If this is what is right to you, then who am I or anyone else to stand in your way! As I have outlined many times here on this blog, the principles of Pauline Theology in New Covenant Understanding is freedom in Christ, and this would definitely be you exercising your freedom in worship. You've used the brain God gave you and rejected the nonsense, and have found a way of understanding that works for you because of your desire to please God. I can't see how our loving God would have any problem with that! I also applaud the fact that you avoid judging others based on their belief system (God knows who are theirs), protestant or otherwise. You seem to have a balance that many should have, in my opinion.

The only thing that I would point out for consideration is simply this: What is it about the explicitly mentioned Sabbath and Holy Days that is different from other explicit commands in the Bible? I mention this because with explicit mentions of the Sabbath and Holy Days are also explicit commands of how these ceremonies should be observances - at least in the Old Testament. If I'm reading you correctly, you've "blended" these OT days into a New Testament form of worship, which, of course, you have the freedom to do. What irks me is Corporate Armstrongism and so-called ministers and self-appointed nincompoops who robs Christians of their brains and freedoms and turns them into mindless zombie slaves of mammon and greed for their own purposes, rigidly chaining them to their own interpretations instead of their exercising of personal freedom of choice and responsibility in Christ. It is those pharisees that I wholly rebuke. You seem to have a pretty good head on your shoulders.

nck said...

Reading from the top down I thought this was a story about the history of the United States. (a murderous, racist greedy nation steeped in visions of being unique and indispensible).

Ok. Or perhaps the true story behind French grandeur of the State.

Ok. Or perhaps the story of the Soviet Union and now the evil Russian leadershipstyle.

Ok. Or perhaps the British or Habsburg empire saga. The Roman Church?

The history of mankind??

Aspiration, (name of the egret fountain in front of auditorium) is just a way for man to think about what one can be.

A way forward!

All the rest is reality, a glimpse behind the curtain of the wizzard of oz.

I cannot see how a church 2 hours drive and a minister 3 hours drive can exert more power over ones life than the local parish priest doing his monthly rounds seeing if the little lady is pregnant again and already while the entire community and family is steeped in that religion too.

How the hell did armstrongite ministers ever get that power over you guys. To me they were virtually non existant as compared to the local religious and political authorities.

As far as Im concerned my religion was as virtual as one could get before the internet age. And as virtuous as one could aspire too reading the bible only. Men never held power over me.

Nck

Anonymous said...

My experience:

1. People heard the "truth", proved it personally themselves and have never really questioned what they learned in the first place.

2. People who wanted to be protected from a firey end (would encompass many styles of religions, they just happen to find COGs)

3. People who like have secret knowledge and it makes them feel special.

4. Weak minded people that just follow along with whomever.

5. People that study the bible very hard, looked around for any sort of church that kept any sort of Gods commandments and found the local COG was as close to the bible as they could find. And simply put up with the other problems.

SL said...

SHT -

Thank you for your kind reply, it truly brightened my morning. I agree with your interpretation of Paul and the food as far as any gray areas are concerned. Based on my own study, Paul wasn’t advocating for eating unclean meats as much as he was saying “don’t worry about whether the meat you buy in the market or are served at someone’s home could have been sacrificed to idols” (although if they knew that it had been he elsewhere exhorted they to avoid it). I don’t believe that I can say “I know God explicitly says to do X, but I’m more comfortable with Y so I’ll just do that instead because God doesn’t care that much.” That’s why I keep the Sabbath. That being said, again, mine is the only relationship with God that I cast a critical eye on. No human being has a perfect understanding, but we are all responsible for what we DO understand.

To answer your other question, *as far as I know - without having the whole Bible memorized or having a perfect understanding* I try to follow all explicit commands to the best of my ability, particularly the ones with direct moral application (“you shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind”). I cannot do everything because so much of the “extra instructions” for Holy Days were centered on Jerusalem/temple. However, I save 2T and go away, and follow the command to rejoice with my family. It isn’t perfect, but I believe that, God knowing my heart, it is the best that I can do at present. I try to follow as much explicit commands as I can if they haven’t been contradicted or changed directly (I.e. nothing about washings/sacrifices/temple worship since Paul teaches a change in that in the book of Hebrews) under the new covenant.

The road from 100% on the armstrongism train to where I am today has been a long, painful experience. However, I do find much joy in knowing that I’m actually evaluating everything in the light of Christ. I feel that more Jesus is really what CoG doctrines need, and it’s also where what they are lacking does the most damage - but that could be said of any ideology.

I always enjoy your writings. Keep it up, and have a wonderful week!

Anonymous said...

HWA in Mystery of the Ages, within the section titled "A Modest Foretaste" wrote: "...The true Church of God was to be set back on the track, restoring the glorious knowledge of the faith once delivered to the saints in the days of the original apostles..."

How did HWA come to believe that the true Church of God was "off the track?" What "track?"
Whether on or off the track, where is God's Church today?

Whether people consider HWA's words to be just another false prophecy or not, well, it is what it is..........and "survival" is still a big concern for many living in this present evil world.

Over 1900 years ago, Jude found it needful to "...to write...and exhort..." fellow Christians then that they "...should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 1:3

And it seems like that still is very good advice for today, but, ...

And time will tell...

John

Anonymous said...

My advice to anyone who still embraces armstrongism is to re-evaluate what you believe by aggressively questioning every one of your beliefs. What harm will it do? If what you believe is the bedrock truth then it will be validated if it is not then you will be liberated from beliefs that keep you from having a normal life. Its a win-win!

Anonymous said...

6.43 AM
So true. The truth doesn't need a bodyguard, but lies and distortions do.
Win-win? It appears that trading guy has had a unacknowledged effect.

Byker Bob said...

I think we’ve all got a hangover from Ol’ Armstrong Oregon mash 100 proof.

The hangover is what fuels each of us in our desire to convince others that we are now on the correct path, newer versions of the “one true”. Why do we do this? Some say simple sharing, or a desire to discuss. I think it goes deeper than that. It is not uncommon for humans to seek validation, even to the extent of force-feeding, to know that what we believe or don’t believe also resonates with others. The approval of others gives us an additional level of security, especially if these others are people whom we respect.

I believe that the state of the union at Banned and some of our other favorite sites is more like what I call “Naked Eye Syndrome”. In the Who song “Naked Eye”, Pete Townshend, who is a very spiritual person, wrote “You hold the gun, and I hold the wound, and we stand looking in each others’ eyes. Both think we know what’s right, both know we know what’s wrong. We tell ourselves so many many lies. We’re not pawns in any game, not tools of bigger men. There’s only one who can really move us all. It all looks fine to the naked eye, but it don’t really happen that way at all.

In “both know we know what’s wrong”, it’s safe to say that most of us would agree that that is Armstrongism. The one who can move each of us is basically one’s self. We’re responsible for our own attitudes and decisions. If we convince others to do as we do, or believe, we share the responsibility if something bad happens to them as a result. And, that would be “millstone syndrome”

BB

BB

What About The Truth said...

SHT, you have missed the big point that answers your question. I think you were as many others were, children of parents that came into the WCG. The majority of this group could never completely embrace what their parents believed and it was to no fault of their own that they were not exactly like their parents. The big dynamic that you have missed is the calling from God. The same calling that pushed, pulled and in some cases dragged themselves into something they had no real desire to get into and went against their sound reasoning of I have better things to do in life.

This calling or strong urge then led to accepting the reality that the wages that they had earned from sinning was death. This now led to the accepting that a perfect son was sacrificed for us and with the act of baptism and the acknowledgment that now having Christ indwelling in a person, you could not now expose Jesus Christ to sin. So the Sabbath, which the COG calls the test commandment and is of the 1st five commandments that relate to the worship of the Father becomes a desire to be kept because it was made holy and God says He wants that person to convocate with him and like minded people. The same applies to the Holy Days. These acts of keeping the Sabbath or Holy Days are physical acts expressing what Jesus Christ called the greatest commandment - to love the Lord thy God with your whole heart soul and mind. Many of the people that remain in the COGs count it a blessing to have to keep 1 day in seven and 7-14 other days with God and with those begotten of God because they get to start doing now what they hope will be in earnest in the near future - the return of Christ and the eventuality of eternally dwelling with God.

This is the bubble within what you call Armstrongism and is the bubble that has perplexed you personally. You have asked how could God call people into such an error filled organization or how could their be true Christians in the COGs. I don't have a direct answer to those questions but it could be that god wants to show the world that a small group of people in the midst of much error and evil can acknowledge love and worship him when most on the outside say it is impossible.

These called out ones understand when they read Paul who tells them to see their calling or make their calling and election sure. Unfortunately these same people equate their calling to the entity they were called to and can't see right now where the truth has been mangled and trampled.

Although these people are in a bubble it is still permeable to the appalling conduct of their leaders which is most unfortunate. Most of these people are not going to leave until something big happens. Hopefully that big thing is what they are waiting for - God in their very midst.

jim said...

BB I'll have to look that song up. Is Pete the type who would say the "only one who can really move us ALL" is God? The "all" part makes me wonder.

That quote gives a great visual of how those mostly in and those mostly out of the COGs look at each other. Someone totally in the COGs can't see either.

There is a desire for validation and recognition of the wound for most on this website I suspect. The COGs created such strong wrong beliefs; one of which totally denies the spiritual life of those that have left the COGs and really even those that have never attended though the COGs teach they have a future chance.
For those that have left the COGs it is something of a kill or be killed. You have to completely tear down the COGs at least in your own head. They must be fully discredited because if they are not, then there is the COG teaching that you are lost when you leave the COG organization(s). People in the COGs often marvel at the vitriol ex-COGers have toward the COGs. They believe this is because they have been warped by evil forces. But, it shouldn't surprise anyone; it is a zero sum game the COGs play and we who have experienced them know this. You must discredit these organizations that condemn you or I guess you are left with doubts about your spiritual future.
But, the Lord's love will ease out those feelings and you can even begin to view the COGs with sympathy at least on an individual basis; however that does not mean you shouldn't discredit the COGs and point out their many ridiculous errors because they are still hurting people.

nck, I know you are smart enough to realize proximity is not necessary for control. The ministry demanded control and many were brainwashed to believe they had it. Bob League said something like, "If I call a member in the church in the middle of the night and tell him to run around the block, he better be putting his running shoes on." You can look up the exact quote.

I'm glad you never felt this way toward the ministry and I'm glad I didn't quite reach that level. But, that was a common approach the WCG teaching demanded in the hierarchy.

Mickey said...

My mother was drawn in by a few things. Her sociopathic father called HWA a smart man. Because of the extreme dysfunction in her family, she felt she "needed" the the rigorous rules. (She said she felt she was out of control. She was actually reacting to childhood trauma) And finally when a beloved family member died due to an overdose, the wwcg held out the hope of the second resurrection. My mother was seeking comfort for her pain and ended up perpetuating the trauma. She thought she had found her answers but couldn't see the damage inflicted on herself and to her family.

It took me several years before I could get past my own pain and anger to where I could see her as the young vulnerable woman she was. She was very intelligent but only educated to the level of a rural high school.

She had several siblings. Three, including her went for fringe religions (JWs, LDS, HWA), others had multiple marriages, and others ended up alcoholics. Sociopathic dad really did a number on them all.

So, yeah, one aspect of appeal is being in desperate need of answers and reassurance when someone seems to have what you need, you grab without asking too many questions.

Byker Bob said...

Jim, Pete was a follower of Meher Baba, an east Indian mystic, during the peak creative period of the Who. Baba’s influences show up throughout the Who’s entire catalogue, including the opera Tommy, and Baba O’Reilly. So, it’s possible that Pete was referring to Baba as being the only one who could move us all. That song, Naked Eye, sounds as if it is starting out as a drug song, but quickly segues into the teachings of Meher Baba, who was very much against the use of drugs. The saying I quoted seemed to have an expansive universal meaning, however, so I borrowed it and applied meanings which came from my own life experiences. It’s amazing how good art often has a certain universality about it and resonates with a wide variety of people.

I totally agree with your assessment of the ACOGs and the ways in which they view former members and the anger stage through which many ex-members pass, and also the healing that is possible through Jesus Christ. I really can’t say that I actually hated any of the ministers or members, and I certainly would not want to see any of them condemned to hell or the lake of fire. 20 years associated with the WCG had its good moments and its bad. Having left in 1975, at this point in time I can honestly say that most of the negative things I’ve experienced in life I brought on myself as part of the learning process. There were many good times and good people from the WCG days.

BB

nck said...

jim

thanks for your thoughtful comment.

If Bob League had made that comment in the congregations I attended, I can imagine, even now years after the date, the roar of laughter that would have caused. As a matter of fact our speakers better make sure they made many jokes during services (culminating at Feast services). For instance at the Feast (1977?) we had "Animal Farm" shown as one of the actvities. I can still here my uncles roaring laughter who at the time was one of the respected employees of the Church.

I guess it made quite a difference if your ministers were "wet behind the ears ac enthusiastic know it all graduates" or former experienced wariors who might have fought the german army when young, or had served their time in crumbling empires experiencing terrible atrocities in person, people experienced in business or red neck power hungry racists from the Mid West.

To acknowledge your point.
When the Tkach changes came and our main Pastor announced that people should not discuss "what car to buy, when to buy it or what fabrics of clothes, personal finances" etc etc with a minister anymore (except if that person perhaps had previous experience in finance consultancy and even then......)and remain on spiritual topics for visits.........

I do remember thinking...............(Is that what people discussed with their minister????????)

I do remember "group pressure though." In the early seventies "owning a personal grain mill for making your own bread" was the latest fad in our area. But I can't remember if that pressure came from the ministry or was a "group thing".

As I said. I come from a culture where the local parish priest would investigate if the little lady was pregnant yet!! Children got polio in my neck of the woods because of their protestantism, prompting my mother to vaccinate with ministerial "liberty" perhaps not approval but the decision was left with my mother without blame.

Perhaps it was circumstance that our minister was a former doctor. One who had abandoned his trade for sorting mail at ambassador college, but was forced by circumstance caused by the orthodox protestants to acknowledge my mothers call for vaccination.

I might have exagerated calling wcg a "breath of fresh air" amidst orthodox christianity in the fifties and sixties, but depending from your angle or where you came from or a speck of luck with ministers with experience in real life, some pretty good answers to some who needed that were given.

But as Mickey said, I have also claimed that the common denominator of most members would have been a "disturbed relationship" with a father figure and hwa filling the gap. But hey that is just me psychobabbling after meeting thousands of members in person.

nck

nck said...

Hey BB

And now for something completely different.

The seventh in line to the Kingdom of God on earth is a black man as of 5 minutes ago.

Congratulations.
7 More to go and no need anymore for the "Windsors are Germans" anyway argument...

Cheers old chap!

nck

Anonymous said...

My father was drawn into the wwcg because he found support for his power-hungry, lust-hungry pedophilia fetish. He found others just like him. He died having never been convicted for his crimes.

nck said...

8:31

I told Michaelangelo to cover up the cherubini.

Interesting your faher found a whole club of likeminds.

What degenerate, statistical above average pedophile, neck of the woods do you hail from?

Austria, Belgium, the Apalachians?

Nck

jim said...

Good song, BB. So far we see through a glass dimly; when I'm capable of it, it will be glorious to see through the naked eye.

nck, undoubtedly there was a great variety of ministers. You were fortunate to have been in a congregation that did not allow the minister to have a controlling role.

nck said...

Hi Jim.

My postings are not so much intended to show "how lucky I have been."

In contrast to those who like to see the acog's disappear by quoting only "the worst", I recognize that many choose or decide to reside there and offer some kind of acog model that does not allow for, "overextension" of capabilities or authority.

The resider him/herself has at least an 85 percent role in that proces. Perhaps even 100 percent, but that would negate some real victimization stories.

Although I cringe at stories about ministers inspecting kitchens. Those are pre 1950's protestant or catholic practices when the local parish priest was the only educated person in town.

Nck

Anonymous said...

I think Many in Cogdom might be guilty of what is called organizational idolatry. I believe I was guilty of it when I strongly believed My church was the only true Church. I just couldn't see myself leaving LCG no matter what happened, I only awoke after I challenged the true Church theology and found it to be nothing more than clever mind control.

jim said...

Hi Nck,

I think you were entirely different from most in the WCG and maybe that is too strongly altering your perspective. What would you expect the coercion to look like? That which I have referred to occurred in the 80s and early 90s. It was in the late 80s that it was announced that a teen girl died at the Feast from a ruptured appendix for lack of medical care. Bob League's quote was from the 90s. The 80s were filled with educated people in my area not going to the doctor.

There's no doubt that if people were thinking right they could have prevented some of this victimization; but many weren't due to the teaching and the practice of the ministry. Plenty of people would have been capable of throwing a minister out of their home or simply telling an unexpected/uninvited minister that he may not enter their home. But, that didn't happen. Unexpected visits happened at my parent's home several times when my dad was at work. It was more a disruption for me than any victimization, but what message is that giving? The minister is boss even in a man's home. That the member doesn't deserve respect?

The minister even stated that he would drop in unannounced to see what your life at home was like, mid 1980s pulpit stuff, and this in an area where there were strongly educated and experienced members. The thought being, "The minister is the boss and shepherd and has a right to know what's going on at any time in your life." As a young teen this seemed normal to me which says a lot. I liked the minister well enough too, but the practice and implication was wrong.

Have things changed since then, yes, in some of the organizations like UCG. But, they still hearken back to the golden age of Armstrong. Which indicates to a degree how the ministry would like to act and be treated but know they can't pull off as well today.

The Lord has given us a new covenant where He lives in us where the law of faith makes us righteous. The COGs don't fully get this. Until they do, they harm people.

nck said...

Wow jim, incredible. Thanks for sharing.

No, I was not completely different.

A minister in our territory would never visit without appointment. Only once a year in our case. Always with his wife if the visit was at a sole women. Otherwise always 2 persons.

What you describe would be totally unacceptable on several continents. Except perhaps in Satans own US South or Mid West USA.

Anyone from Hawai likes to chime in with a comment or Canada, Australia??

Again this reeks of bible belt america. They are the ones that are completely different, not me.

Most of the thousands I knew chose wcg for the freedom it offered compared to traditional protestant communities, like the south african. And it posed considerable trouble to distance one from the "original strain communities" and join wcg.

I guess most of the splinters still hearken to their satanic practices since all of their HQ's are in the bible belts served by madmen.

Not in the Renaissance beauty of Pasadena with its West Coast architecture signalling freedom of mind, aspiration and "the end of rainbow......The West, expansion...."

Not that was present. But that is what the planners and architects grasped from hwa when working the master plan. As hwa expressed many many times that surroundings could change man or influence him for the better.

Not in Southern Usa I guess. Bunch of former baptist racist bible thumpers taking their habits into wcg.

Nck

Byker Bob said...

Actually, nck, since the days of the multiracial Queen Charlotte, the royal family has already been part black. Perhaps this is why Queen Elizabeth II is so open minded and has embraced Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The queen also shares in African heritage.

I just love how galling this must be to racists around the world, and to learn that this is not the first instance of multi-ethnicity in the royal family! What a beautiful day! HWA must be turning over in his urine-soaked grave!

nck said...

BB

I thought you would say, since the "days of Moses", or that Egyptian lady marrying Ephraim.
Anyway. I guess the only person in the world elligible to lead Manassah as President of the United States OR Epraim as King of Britain (7th in line) would be a black man of 1/2 a day old. I booked my fortune with the bookies on the name "Nimrod". Won't be hearing from me anymore when that name is announced, then I will be residing in Tahiti on my private island.

nck

jim said...

Always interesting to "hear" your takes and humor Nck and BB. These were ministers drawn from all over the country that were taught within the enlightened architecture of Pasadena. These things were taught there and encouraged later in ministerial refresher courses (I presume) in the 1980s in order to clean up the church. This uninvited minister was from the West and since we kids were there it wasn't a gross lack of propriety. Ministers moved around a lot so congregations often had people from outside their region of the country. I knew people from all over that described similar and at that time in our lives we were not condemning it, though sometimes finding humor in the extremes. Again, a lesson in itself.

I believe our corporate teachings were more racist than the beliefs of the congregants. One thing I noticed in the Bible Belt congregations was that there were actually mixed congregations that mixed together. Most other churches in and out of the WCG in the U.S. and elsewhere were much more homogeneous. While some teachings were racist, that is one area where I don't come down too hard on the WCG as actions speak louder than words and it seemed we had a greater mixing of races within the WCG than most other churches.

Byker Bob said...

You can’t really hit a geographical area with a regional stigma or stereotype like that, nck, and still remain accurate and fair.

Quite a number of Northerners over the years have attempted to share racist jokes with Southerners, assuming from all the stereotypes that the Southerner would just really get into them, and then were shocked upon receiving a very negative reaction and harsh reprimand. Southerners from the Bible belt are not responsible for what was written in the child beating booklet, or the British Israel-based racial superiority complexes of the classic WCG era. Herbie fomented those sorts of things all by himself.

BB

nck said...

Crap BB!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5766273/

BI, I agree. That is Ivy League stuff rom the North New England and England originally moving to Oregon the All White SUPER racist State in 1910 (Re Pam Dewey) !

nck

Byker Bob said...

I believe we’ve got our own reporter on the scene in Portland, nck.

Dennis, what have you observed regarding racism in 2019 Oregon? How do societal attitudes compare to those of South Carolina?

BB

nck said...

BB

I am aware of the great scene in Seattle. And the giant leap Oregon made since its ALL WHITE legislation in 1920.

I thought you liked Pam Dewey's reporting on historical factoids?

The only current anomalies Dennis could possibly detect today would be the "PCG Early Church tour".

Nck