Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
We had wonderful times and lots of fun along the way. We had some bummers. Our story was and is a hoot and we may as well have a good laugh and hug over it all. You are great dads to those beautiful children.
We still have to realize that had my Grandparents and your great grandparents not unbooked, in April of 1912, to stay for a June wedding in Holland, from Titanic, I suspect the story would have been different.
Today is the day Stephen Flurry, Jeremy Weinland, David Meredith and his brothers, Randy Pack and all the other sons of Church of God leaders thank their fathers for allowing them to lead comfortable lives at the expense of the widows, single mothers and others who become victims of their fathers' con games.
In my view, even as WCG minister, I always wanted my kids to make their own decisions on work and religion. I told them that there was NO expectation to be, think or go where I had. Everyone deserves the right to choose their own path. I have never regretted that view
So, if there is a god...is that the approach he is going to take?
The New Testament tells the story of a Father God who is willing to let his son suffer and die in order to save mankind.
The ACOGs repeatedly play out the story of a Father Pastor General who is willing to let his church members suffer and die in order to save his son(s).
Were your great-grandparents going first class or steerage? If first class, then it all makes sense why you went into the Ministry- a closet aristocrat!
Today is the day where all dads look back at their own dads and try to remember what their dads did wrong, and then promise never to do it to their kids. It is amazing how many people repeat the mistakes of the past. Of course, I am finding that such behavior tends to be ingrained, and it isn't always easy to do a better job than your own parents did.
Pretty sure down deep in the ship...ha. I found the ship they did come over on and it was terrible ship. Can't imagine it. They were registered at ellis Island with $50 and never went back to Holland.
I have googled "Elburg" where they are from. Amazing place. A city with a moat. But it was just before WW1 and don't really know why they left except for the adventure of it all.
I'd like to live in one of those old European cities, a small one. You know, cobblestone streets, a nice little apartment in an old stone house, with a bakery around the corner for my morning espresso with the paper.
Instead, I have a Home Depot, and Starbucks and Krispy Kreme in a strip mall. The price one pays for living in a free country, I guess.
My dad raised me in a religion founded by a man who raped his daughter, defrauded widows of their savings, and wrote in his autobiography of the pleasure he found in slowly drowning small defenseless rats.
My dad laughed at me when as a young child I recoiled in horror at the grotesque picture of a mangled and decaying soldier's body prominently displayed in a Y.E.S. lesson.
My dad beat me and instilled a fear of authority in me so deep that even today I have a hard time working for anyone except myself, always wondering when I'm going to be punished for something or for failing to meet some ridiculously high expectation.
My dad burned into me a shame of sex, and a shame of sexual intimacy, that sabotaged my relationships with women for most of my life.
Dennis said: "...I always wanted my kids to make their own decisions on work and religion. I told them that there was NO expectation to be, think or go where I had. Everyone deserves the right to choose their own path. I have never regretted that view"
Good for you Dennis, I'm of the same mindset and would raise my own children the same way too. But, I learned the hard way! My parents forbade me from joining the WCG when I was a teenager, and being the "obedient"--more likely naive and stupid!--son that I was I respected them enough to the point I resigned myself holding onto the idea and pretty much putting everything else on hold for almost two decades! I finally drummed up enough courage to assert myself and check a splintering group out and it was then, through tangible experience, that I learned of the inconsistencies, contradictions and errors in the life and worldview of Herbert W. Armstrong. What a washout, huh!? I feel I've done much the same in my friendships and choice of career too by suppressing my true self to appease others or by following the wishes of my parents (yet again!) Perhaps my distant or "broken" relationship with my own dad has played a significant part in the trajectory of my experiences since he's never been a "father" in the true sense of the word--at least not like in the movies and television shows I grew up on as a youth! e.g. There was an incident back when I was about 7, I think, and I did some foolish things with a friend. But, my dad never scolded me or disciplined me in any way, shape or form! I remember him driving me home after having learned by the parents what we had gotten up to and simply sighing in disappointment. This along with other incidents in my life made me realize that he had given up a long time ago! So my mom had to play the role of both mother and father to both me and my sisters! Through it all I've had to come to a point in my life where I've had to choose to forgive, to learn and to move on. I've had to stop blaming him for not being perfect 'cause, hell, is anyone?! I've had to realize he's just a man and, for better or worse, I have to love the man that he is.
John you sound familiar. I am not sure where I internalized the "others come first" thing but it must be part of the hard wiring of the ENFP temperament. Lucky me. I have fuzzy boundries when it comes to emotions of others. I tend to take on the stress of others as if it was my own for some reason. Or at least that seems so. The most difficult question, and one I still can't seem to answer is "What does Dennis want?" I have a program in my head that says, "It doesn't matter what you want." I have never been able to answer the question.
It is a no brainer to me that I went into ministry. If it had not been the one , it would have been the other. My heart is with paleontology but a bit late for that now. Richard Dawkins is my avatar I think!
The whole Ron Weinland thing has gotten to me a bit. I can't imagine having such a thing happen but then again, would not do anything like he has to deserve it. His mind fascinates me as long as it does not affect me. I feel for those who now are stuck asking themselves now what. It's a hard change even if one should have noticed the lunacy of it earlier. I have a nagging feel that the worst is yet to come for Ron but who knows. Maybe just projecting my own fears and of course, he does not think like I do nor I like him, thank God.
Bottom line is that we all have our story and learn to grow through it all for some reason
Happy Father's Day to the Diehl boys!
ReplyDeleteWe had wonderful times and lots of fun along the way. We had some bummers. Our story was and is a hoot and we may as well have a good laugh and hug over it all. You are great dads to those beautiful children.
We still have to realize that had my Grandparents and your great grandparents not unbooked, in April of 1912, to stay for a June wedding in Holland, from Titanic, I suspect the story would have been different.
Dad :)
Today is the day Stephen Flurry, Jeremy Weinland, David Meredith and his brothers, Randy Pack and all the other sons of Church of God leaders thank their fathers for allowing them to lead comfortable lives at the expense of the widows, single mothers and others who become victims of their fathers' con games.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing Joe Tkach Sr. appoint Joe Tkach jr. head of something special and thinking, "what the hell, Have they learned nothing?"
ReplyDeleteIn my view, even as WCG minister, I always wanted my kids to make their own decisions on work and religion. I told them that there was NO expectation to be, think or go where I had. Everyone deserves the right to choose their own path. I have never regretted that view
ReplyDeleteSo, if there is a god...is that the approach he is going to take?
ReplyDeleteSo, if there is a god...is that the approach he is going to take?
ReplyDeleteThe New Testament tells the story of a Father God who is willing to let his son suffer and die in order to save mankind.
The ACOGs repeatedly play out the story of a Father Pastor General who is willing to let his church members suffer and die in order to save his son(s).
Really Dennis? Now that is pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteWere your great-grandparents going first class or steerage? If first class, then it all makes sense why you went into the Ministry- a closet aristocrat!
Today is the day where all dads look back at their own dads and try to remember what their dads did wrong, and then promise never to do it to their kids. It is amazing how many people repeat the mistakes of the past. Of course, I am finding that such behavior tends to be ingrained, and it isn't always easy to do a better job than your own parents did.
Paul R.
Pretty sure down deep in the ship...ha. I found the ship they did come over on and it was terrible ship. Can't imagine it. They were registered at ellis Island with $50 and never went back to Holland.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to imagine wanting to leave Holland for NYC, but things were incredibly different back then.
ReplyDeleteI have googled "Elburg" where they are from. Amazing place. A city with a moat. But it was just before WW1 and don't really know why they left except for the adventure of it all.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to live in one of those old European cities, a small one. You know, cobblestone streets, a nice little apartment in an old stone house, with a bakery around the corner for my morning espresso with the paper.
ReplyDeleteInstead, I have a Home Depot, and Starbucks and Krispy Kreme in a strip mall. The price one pays for living in a free country, I guess.
Paul R
My dad raised me in a religion founded by a man who raped his daughter, defrauded widows of their savings, and wrote in his autobiography of the pleasure he found in slowly drowning small defenseless rats.
ReplyDeleteMy dad laughed at me when as a young child I recoiled in horror at the grotesque picture of a mangled and decaying soldier's body prominently displayed in a Y.E.S. lesson.
My dad beat me and instilled a fear of authority in me so deep that even today I have a hard time working for anyone except myself, always wondering when I'm going to be punished for something or for failing to meet some ridiculously high expectation.
My dad burned into me a shame of sex, and a shame of sexual intimacy, that sabotaged my relationships with women for most of my life.
My dad warped me in so many ways.
Happy father's day.
Dennis said: "...I always wanted my kids to make their own decisions on work and religion. I told them that there was NO expectation to be, think or go where I had. Everyone deserves the right to choose their own path. I have never regretted that view"
ReplyDeleteGood for you Dennis, I'm of the same mindset and would raise my own children the same way too. But, I learned the hard way! My parents forbade me from joining the WCG when I was a teenager, and being the "obedient"--more likely naive and stupid!--son that I was I respected them enough to the point I resigned myself holding onto the idea and pretty much putting everything else on hold for almost two decades! I finally drummed up enough courage to assert myself and check a splintering group out and it was then, through tangible experience, that I learned of the inconsistencies, contradictions and errors in the life and worldview of Herbert W. Armstrong. What a washout, huh!? I feel I've done much the same in my friendships and choice of career too by suppressing my true self to appease others or by following the wishes of my parents (yet again!) Perhaps my distant or "broken" relationship with my own dad has played a significant part in the trajectory of my experiences since he's never been a "father" in the true sense of the word--at least not like in the movies and television shows I grew up on as a youth! e.g. There was an incident back when I was about 7, I think, and I did some foolish things with a friend. But, my dad never scolded me or disciplined me in any way, shape or form! I remember him driving me home after having learned by the parents what we had gotten up to and simply sighing in disappointment. This along with other incidents in my life made me realize that he had given up a long time ago! So my mom had to play the role of both mother and father to both me and my sisters! Through it all I've had to come to a point in my life where I've had to choose to forgive, to learn and to move on. I've had to stop blaming him for not being perfect 'cause, hell, is anyone?! I've had to realize he's just a man and, for better or worse, I have to love the man that he is.
John you sound familiar. I am not sure where I internalized the "others come first" thing but it must be part of the hard wiring of the ENFP temperament. Lucky me. I have fuzzy boundries when it comes to emotions of others. I tend to take on the stress of others as if it was my own for some reason. Or at least that seems so. The most difficult question, and one I still can't seem to answer is "What does Dennis want?" I have a program in my head that says, "It doesn't matter what you want." I have never been able to answer the question.
ReplyDeleteIt is a no brainer to me that I went into ministry. If it had not been the one , it would have been the other. My heart is with paleontology but a bit late for that now. Richard Dawkins is my avatar I think!
The whole Ron Weinland thing has gotten to me a bit. I can't imagine having such a thing happen but then again, would not do anything like he has to deserve it. His mind fascinates me as long as it does not affect me. I feel for those who now are stuck asking themselves now what. It's a hard change even if one should have noticed the lunacy of it earlier. I have a nagging feel that the worst is yet to come for Ron but who knows. Maybe just projecting my own fears and of course, he does not think like I do nor I like him, thank God.
Bottom line is that we all have our story and learn to grow through it all for some reason