UCG has taken to using Amazon to promote it's various booklets in Kindle form. Of course this has led to lots of UCG members jumping on and slobbering on how magnificent the booklets are. A former UCG member has written several comments about these booklets and how she grew up in the cult and know the booklets to be wrong. This of course has irritated the loyal UCG members.
In referring to this woman's past in the UCG, a UCG acolyte had this to say:
In reply to an earlier post on Mar 14, 2012 11:51:20 AM PDTMark says:
@Oh, it's her.'s
Your earlier post: "I actually grew up in this church, so I would say I know it extremely well, Mark."
Another post: "Only later did I research the group itself and discover its sordid past."
There is no sordid past, just disgruntled ex-members who write fiction.
No sordid past? Is this guy really serious? I guess we are still living in the land of rainbows and lollipops. It's like a bad LSD trip.
14 comments:
Interesting. Part of WCG training was to deny and repress all of the things which seemed to scream bloody murder that something was horribly wrong, and then to pray for a better attitude. That's part of the reason why so many who have left the group become enthralled with the "novel" concept of objective thinking!
I'm of the opinion that one's beliefs, if true, should fit like a glove, and should work. Armstrongism never, ever, did. It is both broken, and sordid. The fact that it did not work has caused angst not only amongst those who have left, but also amongst those who have remained stalwart. What do you do when a system which claims to have all the answers does not indeed have all the answers?
This is the sort of situation in which insiders simply cannot see certain things, because their minds have employed a complex network of devices to deal with it all and to maintain whatever sanity is possible. It's a sad state, and one cannot truly be enlightened until one leaves, and rests from the programming.
BB
As an Armstrongite Sabbatarian, one must -- must -- believe in British Israelism hook, line, and sinker. Without it, there is no basis for the theology. HWA called it "the key." It was the central plank that he claimed proved that he was called especially to head "God's" church. If one doesn't believe in British Israelism, one doesn't believe Herbert Armstrong's basis for Sabbath and holy day observance. The whole system crumbles as a result.
"Does UCG Have A Sordid Past or is it Happyland?"
Yes, the UCG certainly does have a sordid past. But let us try to forget about the past, and think about the present time, as well as beyond today.
Here goes: The UCG has a sordid present time too.
And beyond today: The UCG has a sordid future, including the Great Tribulation which it will have to go through as a result of its sordid past.
Die-hard Armstrongites are mostly turned off by the touchy feely direction that the UCG seems to be going. Also they continue to observe the Sabbath and holy days. Not many mainstream christians are going to be attracted to UCG because of those strange beliefs. This is a reciepe for the continued decline of the UCG.
There are subtle differences between the various splinter groups that came from the WCG.
For example, the PCG is full of satanic EVIL, while the UCG is full of godless EVIL.
Both groups are full of wicked people, and ministers who support evil behavior.
The problem with the UCG is not its "touchy-feely direction" but rather the simple fact that unrepentant, unconverted predators go there to prey on others. This is why the UCG will not grow. Normal people won't be interested in paying so-called ministers for the privilege of being abused by the freaks and weirdos who hang out at the UCG.
The problem is that there is no sign of the Holy Spirit in the UCG. All one finds there is people with lying spirits. There is a serious difference between the two, to put it mildly.
I wholeheartedly agree with you BB.
I feel like the reason why church never worked in any functional sense is that it is basically a kindergarten where every week they rehash the same lesson plan: play nice, keep your hands to yourself, and don't steal your neighbor's crayons. This sort of simplistic way of dealing with things doesn't help anyone except children, but that's the level of sophistication clergymen of all ilks are stuck at. Meanwhile, yeah, they're also basically promising rainbows and lollipops to an adult audience!
Then there's the nonfunctional sense: the superstition that God is going magically make you into a better person when you're not looking. I'm ashamed to admit that I waited around for a couple of decades for God to solve the problems I had no clue how to solve. Everyone kept promising me that He would, so I kept waiting. What finally woke me up is someone else who gave me a clue that there was a way for me to solve some of my life's problems for myself. That's what totally destroyed the superstition of church for me. Then it became really obvious that not only was God never going to help me, but that the answers I needed did not exist at church, nor were they even found in the bible at all. That's when the whole edifice of my Christian faith just collapsed.
The real problem is that all Armstrongists have been taught by an ignorant eighth grader at the beginning edge of adolescence.
UCG seems to be leaning on Amazon to get negative comments and reviews struck from its booklets. Just earlier this week there had been many more one-star-rated negative comments from former members. Now most of the booklets either have five stars or zero ratings.
Having never offered anything on Amazon before, it's tough to determine how much power UCG has over moderating the discussion, but it's odd all of the comment deletions have swung the church's way.
Cult censorship on parade.
"The UCG has a sordid future, including the Great Tribulation which it will have to go through as a result of its sordid past."
"For example, the PCG is full of satanic EVIL, while the UCG is full of godless EVIL...The problem is that there is no sign of the Holy Spirit in the UCG. All one finds there is people with lying spirits."
Silly Armstrongists. Fairy tales are for kids.
@ Assistant Deacon: not only that, but the whole prophetic scheme must be abandoned, since that's what British Israelism was supposed to be "the key" to. If "modern-day Israel" is a fairy tale, then all the prophecies purported to be referring to such a nation are obsolete. By the way, Armstrongists aren't the only morons who fall for this nonsense. Lost Tribes myths and their associated prophetic hypotheses abound among the superstitious set.
UCG is putting their booklets up on Amazon, which means they are also putting them up for critical review by nonmembers.
How quickly they forget that anyone they can't control is "controlled by Satan." You know, like us, for example.
UCG has instructed its members to go to Amazon and give good reviews, telling everyone how these booklets will take them to Happyland where they can play with unicorns and eat Skittles all day.
But this could do them more harm than good because people are already thrashing the booklets and exposing UCG as a "toxic cult."
It's really easy to tell the difference between comments left by members (5 stars) from those left by nonmembers (1 star).
Armstrongism has a history of lifting single sentences from the gospels and turning them into paradigms, kind of like they did for "Let the dead bury the dead", to use an example with which we are all abundantly familiar.
Trust me, they have sentences which they can lift and apply to the rejection of their booklets at Amazon, and to make themselves feel very Christlike! Gamaliel's Theorem simply never would occur to them.
BB
Unfortunately, there's not a zero-star option.
Switching gears...
Note to Byker Bob-
I realize you're into the personal evangelism now, but I'll mention that for many people, when they hear "Trust me..." at the beginning of a sentence, they have the good sense to be less likely to trust what the person has to say.
Norm
The problem is that there is no sign of the Holy Spirit in the UCG. All one finds there is people with lying spirits. There is a serious difference between the two, to put it mildly.
My own experience with some members of the UCG demonstrates this totally! Having suffered from the lies of those close to me in the past it is one character flaw that I detest and cannot tolerate. Yet, these people who I thought were open and honest were in reality lying, secretive and manipulative, including the pastor as well! They'd say one thing and then turn around and do another, which has made me question everything they stand for.
Lying people is a major problem not only in United but many Chugch of God groups. The bible says Satan is the Father of all lies. A distinct spirit if lying and a spirit of jealousy has plagued the entire church of god movement.
Christians are supposed to grow in grace and stature of Jesus Christ and to actively take on the fruits of Gods Holy spirit. But being secretive and very sly is far more interesting to many. For peole who believe in God don't let these peole put you off praying, worshipping following God. Do good to all men and pray without ceasing.
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