Trafficking in Man-Made Religion
There have always been those who take advantage of others for their personal ego, for the love of power and the love of free $money. For whatever reason, many human beings have willingly submitted their lives and their pocketbooks to those who falsely assume authority unto themselves.
Man-made religion is as old as human beings from the beginning of human history. The assumption that religious gurus have some magical power is as old as dirt and it is always based upon fear. Superstition has played a major role in human behavior for ages.
Is belief in "Holy" books really a superstitious belief? We may all poke fun at and ridicule the superstitions of human beings who think rocks have spirits or that mountains have spirits, or that it is a curse of the spirits if it does not rain or a thousand other superstitious beliefs, but few see what they consider "sacred" as superstitious. It is easy to look upon the superstitions of certain human cultures in this world as childish and juvenile, all the while thinking that what we believe is "mature" and "sensible."
Is it really sensible to submit your life to some human priest or pastor, as if they commune with God on a daily basis? If in fact the gift of the Holy Spirit is for all individuals, then is it not sensible that every human being on earth has the potential of a direct relationship with God, without the interference of self-appointed religious rulers? No pastor of any church on earth communes with God Almighty directly and in fact everything he or she preachers is simply personal opinion and nothing more. Pastors have no authority, no special calling and no particular knowledge about God, that makes them over, above, and in authority over another human beings.
You may read in some verses in the New Testament that God gives authority to certain individuals and that they are to be "obeyed", but that is simply intentional deception by those who penned such words. Did God really "inspire" some men to pen or write what is called "the Bible?" If He did, then He is of all people a very confusing author who contradicts Himself in countless ways.
Is belief in "Holy" books really a superstitious belief? We may all poke fun at and ridicule the superstitions of human beings who think rocks have spirits or that mountains have spirits, or that it is a curse of the spirits if it does not rain or a thousand other superstitious beliefs, but few see what they consider "sacred" as superstitious. It is easy to look upon the superstitions of certain human cultures in this world as childish and juvenile, all the while thinking that what we believe is "mature" and "sensible."
Is it really sensible to submit your life to some human priest or pastor, as if they commune with God on a daily basis? If in fact the gift of the Holy Spirit is for all individuals, then is it not sensible that every human being on earth has the potential of a direct relationship with God, without the interference of self-appointed religious rulers? No pastor of any church on earth communes with God Almighty directly and in fact everything he or she preachers is simply personal opinion and nothing more. Pastors have no authority, no special calling and no particular knowledge about God, that makes them over, above, and in authority over another human beings.
You may read in some verses in the New Testament that God gives authority to certain individuals and that they are to be "obeyed", but that is simply intentional deception by those who penned such words. Did God really "inspire" some men to pen or write what is called "the Bible?" If He did, then He is of all people a very confusing author who contradicts Himself in countless ways.
Believing strongly in what one thinks is "truth", may be very sincere, but sincerity is no gauge or qualification of truth. Anyone can believe deeply that their convictions are right, all the while not discerning that they may be very wrong.
Members of all Worldwide Church of God splinter groups are programmed by superstition that they are to follow and obey their church rulers, pastors or elders. That is nothing more than religious superstition and has no basis in the truth of who God Almighty is. Herbert W. Armstrong was and is no more, yet many still bow and worship at his grave as if he was a spokesman for God. HWA was a spokesman for no one other than himself. And all WCG splinter group heads who think HWA was God in the flesh are either complete con-artists or so naive and so gullible that they are juvenile in their mentality.
HWA no more spoke for Jesus Christ than the fake "apostle" Paul did, or for that matter any or all of the countless thousands of other church groups who make the pretense of representing Jesus Christ.
Members of all Worldwide Church of God splinter groups are programmed by superstition that they are to follow and obey their church rulers, pastors or elders. That is nothing more than religious superstition and has no basis in the truth of who God Almighty is. Herbert W. Armstrong was and is no more, yet many still bow and worship at his grave as if he was a spokesman for God. HWA was a spokesman for no one other than himself. And all WCG splinter group heads who think HWA was God in the flesh are either complete con-artists or so naive and so gullible that they are juvenile in their mentality.
HWA no more spoke for Jesus Christ than the fake "apostle" Paul did, or for that matter any or all of the countless thousands of other church groups who make the pretense of representing Jesus Christ.
If it were possible and all human beings on earth suddenly and permanently stopped supporting all pastors and all churches and all 501C3 "not for profit" religious organizations, the world would change dramatically and immediately for the better.
Van Robison
Van Robison
