The following was posted as a comment on the "What's On Your Mind Today" entry. The response by Douglas sums up perfectly;y what is wrong with Armstrongism and the myriad of Churches of God. Even with WCG's 60 some year presence in Pasadena and all the 'good work's that it did, it was till looked upon by the community as weird. Living in Pasadena, you soon got in the habit when you picked up the Star News and saw an article about the Church you cringed, knowing that there would be some idiotic comment or story about something stupid that the church or a chruchmember had done or said.
Douglas Becker said...
Armstrongists don't seem to understand what fools they look like to the outside world: No one is going to consider them credible with their infighting, silly ideas, failed predictions, blatant heresy, abuse and generally bad behavior.
If the Armstrongists want credibility, they need to set boundaries, abandon their crazy ideas, rethink their positions, stop the narcissism, quit the greed, take responsibility, stop setting a terrible example, quit the abuse and generally get their act together. They seem to think that their behavior is isolated and no one that matters can see their evil doing.
Wrong.
The couple being stalked in the UCG got a restraining order from Superior Court. That Boy in the Box thing hit the newspapers. The Orthodox Jews aren't happy about British Israelism. The Church of God Seventh Day isn't going to consider keeping the Feasts because of the entirely accurate reports of drunkeness and alcoholic behavior at the Feast of Tabernacles. The Seventh Day Church of God calls Armstrongism idolatry. Failed prophecies make the venue look really ridiculous to the general populace. The "church wars" are nothing but entertainment for stable Christian Churches -- and as evidence of the lack of viability the entire Armstrongist community has. The values and behaviors are laughable and panned at every turn. Psychiatrists who have learned of their behavior evaluate the Armstrongists of having multiple mental disorders.
Congratulations on bringing darkness (and dorkness) to the (spiritual) Gentiles. Do you claim to be of God? It sure doesn't look like it to an objective eye.
Congratulations for setting a terrible example to the whole world.
The ACoGs are much like an obstreperous drunken couple arguing at a restaurant, seeming to believe that no one around them sees or hears them because they are so focused on each other in their anger. They should be aware that if they continue and the Manager returns, they may be ejected after paying for the damages they caused.
Zero impact? There has to be at least a few dictators these days fleeing their burning palaces with their Steuben Crystal gifts/bribes from HWA under their arms.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to kick whoever is responsible for mining those poisonous little phrases out of the bible like, "little flock" and "the wisdom of god is foolishness to the world" to justify why almost nobody even know the WCG existed and why their idiotic dogma was "of god".
Herbert hated the RCC in his little Calvinist heart, but, oh, you know he was secretly eating his own liver over their highly successful “business model”. And talk about impact? For good or evil, what other religious organization has had more influence and impact on the world? Yes, Herbert wanted to be Pope, and all his evil minions at Pasadena HQ wanted to be Cardinals and Bishops.
In the bigger picture of things Armstrongism has been an abject failure. 99.99% of the world has no idea who the "greatest apostle to ever walk the face of the earth and who restored God's word after it had been lost for 1,900 years" was nor do they care.
ReplyDeleteSure, Flurry has built a house of idolatry in the middle of Oklahoma dedicated to the man, but still the world does not care.
Flurry may have a concert series like Pasadena did. People have fun in the present moment attending these, but as soon as they leave they talk about the weird beliefs and the even weirder church members in attendance. We saw it happen all the time in Pasadena.
None of the hundreds and hundreds of splinter cults are preaching a message that has any value to anyone in the world. Since they ignore Jesus and prostitute themselves to the law they have nothing of worth.
All that has been left in Armstrong's wake is a legacy death and destruction, broken marriages, ripped apart families, suicides, murders, hundreds of splinter cults, egomaniac despots, narcissistic ministers, and the list can go on and on.
Ancient Greek dramatists discerned a peculiar virtue in being tragic. Armstrong would have done well to realize that they never discerned any virtue in being a drunk.
ReplyDeleteArmstrong talked loudly about the value of living abundantly, but when it came to backing up those words with actions (such as helping a starving family) all he did is shank the members in the back to keep the cash spigots flowing.
As to those who support Armstrong-ism, they are self-centered lapdogs forcing a prospectus into you hands as they post their drive-by opinions here. Their kooky religion is so full of holes that they are like a cheap hooker with a piercing fetish and a heroin habit.
Spiritual blindness is really an ugly thing to behold sometimes. Again, its like listening to the demented giggling prattle of madmen Terry Silva and John Creese at the conclusion of Karate Kid III.
ReplyDelete'Atheist' is just a politically-correct way of saying 'spiritually retarded,' but it IS curable under the blood of the Savior.
For your information, I'm not a 'zero.' Nor my family, nor many, many others that I know of 25 years later. Your 'Trekie-style,' parent's-basement, self-pity club should realize your miniscule scope.
Only those who ALLOW the HWA, Rader and co. to continue hurting them feel spiritually raped, but those who follow(ed) the Spirit, remain(ed) intact spiritually through the abuse, both alleged and real.
Self-control is what you need, real men absorb the shocks of life and keep 'a goin.
The 'Fall of WCG' and their leaders' abuses are a mere 'blip' compared to the real spiritual and physical holocausts which many living today have put behind them and chaulked up as a 'learning experience' along the path of life.
As one your devotees admitted, it is insane to inflame the HWA/WCG experience repeatedly, day after day, as more than just an accepted part of our lives.
[wow - maybe I can qualify for another, 'A READER GETS ANGRY, FRYING-EGGS-ON-MY-FOREHEAD' special article...] Tsk!