Prophet Thiel, the official spokesman for the Living Church of God, has jumped on the Gerald Flurry idolatry band wagon. Today, the Prophet is letting the world know that 120 years ago Herbert W Armstrong as born. However, the Prophet wants to make it very clear that he and the Living Church of God do NOT observe birthdays.
Herbert W. Armstrong was born 120 years ago, on July 31, 1892. And a lot has happened in the world since he was born. From automobiles to the space age, from paper to computers and the internet, from WWI to WWII to terrorism, from societal respect for biblical principles to abortion & homosexual marriage “rights.” There have been changes.
But “he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).
Even though we in the most faithful COGs actually do not celebrate (but do acknowledge) birthdays, nor do we celebrate his..., since many who come to this page know little about him that this would be a good time to tell a few things about him.
Of course the Living Church of God is the ONLY true church that holds fast to the message that HWA created.
We of the Philadelphia remnant of the Church of God believe that God used Herbert W. Armstrong to restore much truth to the true Church of God and to raise up the Philadelphia era of the Church of God. Over the decades that I have been associated with the Church of God, I have repeatedly found both biblical as well as historical proof that the truths that were restored were in fact true. And in fact, the early church did teach them.
Then the Prophet writes:
Furthermore, while Protestants like to point to leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin, the truth is that unlike them, Herbert Armstrong was not involved in getting people killed–the true church does not do that (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare?). The same is true about many Roman Catholic Popes who instituted persecutions in forms such as the Inquisition. Some information on what those non-COG leaders have done to others throughout history may be found in the article Persecutions by Church and State.
Armstrong may not have let his followers go into military service where they might kill someone, but Armstrong killed in other ways. Scores of people have died in Armstrongism because of aberrant teachings on doctors and medicine. Hundreds have died from suicide over the years. Broken marriages, destroyed families, murders, rapes, stalkings, child molestations and financial ruin is the enduring legacy of Armstrong.
Prophet Thiel then adds this absurd comment:
Another difference between Martin Luther, John Calvin, Eastern Orthodox leaders, and Roman Catholic Popes vs. Herbert Armstrong is that HWA actually did teach sola Scriptura. He clearly taught what the Bible taught, yet the other churches have all demonstrated their preference for tradition over what the Bible actually teaches.
How delusional can the official spokesmen of the Living Church of God get? Armstrong and his minions, including Meredith, have added some much worthless fluff to biblical interpretations that it is appalling to claim otherwise. If you cut out all the proof-texting from Armstrongite literature you would have blank books.
Prophet Thiel states:
Furthermore, HWA did more to get the truth of God to the world as a witness than any did since biblical times.
Yes sir! That "strong hand from someplace" was surely a potent message! The world was forever changed because of that message! The hearts of the children were turned back to their fathers. Millennial peace flow to all corners of the earth.
Sure wish Herbie's daddy had known about condoms! But, we don't get a vote in all of that. We can only adjust to the lies and damage ourselves, and attempt to help others to salvage their lives.
ReplyDeleteI hope the people lined up in the cemetary drank lots of liquids this year!
BB
I think I will head up to the cemetery today and put a big old pork chop on his tombstone.
ReplyDelete"He clearly taught what the Bible taught..."
ReplyDeleteWhat an idiot. How anyone, even someone who still leans toward HWA's theology over others, can make such a statement is hard to comprehend.
HWA was anything but clear. As an excuse, his adherents claim that his "trunk of the tree" teachings were accurate, so minor mistakes were excusable. But that's not even true, as everything he claimed had to be viewed through the lens of British-Israelism, which is easily refuted.
What bunk. Better yet...what BALDERDASH!
Just my opinion here, but Thiel would be better off finding a better guru, like perhaps Snoop Dogg, who recently experienced a spiritual awakening while traveling in Jamaica, and now wants to be known as Snoop Lion as he transitions from rap to Reggae.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd like Rastafarian Bob better than Rod's Bob! On second thought though, a Rastafarian ACOG would probably just ruin everything good that was Jamaiccan!
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Herbert W. Armstrong was a drunk, a liar, a plagiarizer, a thief, a child molestor, and a greedy tyrant who twisted and manipulated the scriptures to suit his own narcissistic self-gratification. He set a very bad example for anyone who trusted in him, and, although I'm not his judge, I'm pretty sure that he'll be toast in the judgement.
ReplyDeleteSteve, the child molester part is so beyond the pale that it truly seals the deal.
ReplyDeleteI remember, after intentionally avoiding exposure to "negative" sources for so many years, hearing about the man's charades with his daughter -- from a basically loyal employee. Finding it, at long last, difficult to believe, I personally asked several long-time ministers and employees. They confirmed it without batting an eye. Two other individuals close to me later confirmed they'd heard about it years earlier from two of HWA's grandsons -- and not GTA's kids. Left my head spinning. How could people continue, knowing what they did? The grandsons certainly hadn't; and neither did I, after I knew.
My guess is that most leading ministers in most of the spinoffs know the truth. The hypocrisy of what they perpetuate is indefensible.
And Theil, in all his arrogance and self-congratulating language, celebrates it all. Equally disgusting.
Hey Byker Bob,
ReplyDeleteI saw some Jamaican Messianic Jews on You Tube chanting from the Torah. Now that's Religion, reggae hebrew.
You know I still cannot fathom it, why these people perpetuate their delusion. When I talk to my dad, its so funny. Every time I trap him in something, he pulls Fred Coulter out of his hat and says"well Fred doesn't believe that, or say that". And the old standard of "don't let men come between you and God". Well I don't anymore. I go where I am comfortable.
On another note, Living Church of God had a bible lecture in NE PA this weekend, by Jonathan McNair. Benefit of the doubt, I bear this guy no ill will and sure he gave an informative talk. But something my dad said that Jonathan said struck me. J. McNair said the Pope is a false prohpet. I haven't hear the pope prophesy anything lately. Even previous popular pope John Paul II didn't predict/prophesy anything. How can you be a false prophet if you are only making comments on current conditions. If you want to say they are a fale preacher then that is more accurate. On the other hand, how many predictions did the COGs make that didn't come true??? Tried to tell my dad that but he said that HWA predicted that Germany would rise again and that Russia would collapse. Does anyone out there have some evidence that HWA got that from another source ?
Once again, why does religion have to be so complicated? Can't we just love and worship God, be civil to fellow humans and not get so wound up in the minutia?
What you were seeing were RasTafarians. They are waaay out there man. Even further out there than Armstrongites. They believe that Haile Selasse was the messiah, Ethiopia is the promised land, and the black race are the Jews and that the Jews are imposters who have been opressing them by identity theft for the past 3,500 years. And if you believe that, then you're setup for some pretty amazing racial tension. Also, I have a bridge you might be interested in purchasing at a steep discount.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, in King James English, a prophet is someone who speaks for a god, any god. That can mean either in terms of preaching/teaching/warning, or it can mean telling what god is going to bring to pass in the future. In the bible, these often are both being done in tandem, but they can also be done separately. So a false prophet can be false either because of teaching false doctrine or because someone said something was going to happen in the future and it did not happen. For example, James Malm wants you to think that he speaks for the Jewish god, but he doesn't. Even without fortelling the future (which he also does) he is already a false prophet by being a teacher of false doctrine.
If you can figure out a way to make life in general simple, then maybe you can also figure out a way to make religion/spirituality/relationships etc. not complicated. More power to you, and be sure to let us all know if you succeed.
Allegations don't equal proof. Now if the daughter testified or wrote a book then I might believe it.
ReplyDeleteD USUAL ALLEGATIONS
Yeah, Anon, you must be right. After all, it was in HWA's family's best interest to spread vile, untrue rumors about their father and grandfather. Really enhanced the family's standing and credibility, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteAllegations don't equal proof. Now if the daughter testified or wrote a book then I might believe it.
MY COMMENT: Yeah, like she's going to write a book about what her father did to her. Get real! I think families kinda keep those things a SECRET...even to the grave, where she's at now. Notice...she, nor anyone else, including Herbie, ever denied it. If someone accused you of incest, or accused your father of incest, and you knew it wasn't true, what would YOU do?
Well, Steve, and then there is McKenzie Phillips. She wrote a book and went on TV.
ReplyDeleteI attended WCG for about two decades, and went to Embarrassing College for two years, and never heard the incest allegations. When I first found out about it upon my entry to the wonderful world of the internet, my first reaction was "Oh, No! I wish this hadn't come out!"
Why? Well, I knew that it was simply too outrageous for those of a typical Armstrongite mindset to even consider, no matter how strong the testimony (grandkids, Tangled Web, the divorce court proceedings involving Ramona). Though most of us consider this to be mighty powerful stuff, it becomes a lightening rod, deflecting from doctrinal discussions which disprove Armstrongism, science discussions which disprove British Israelism, historical discussions based on primary sources which blow away the "true" history of the "true" church, and research which properly credits the originators of so many of HWA's wacked out theories which he falsely labeled as restored truths. In fact, if I were attempting to assist an Armstrongite, the last thing I'd bring up would be incest. They think it's so outrageous that someone must be demon-possessed to believe it of "God's Apostle", and any possible meaningful discussion is automatically thwarted.
And, I believe the incest allegations just as surely as I believe Ron Weinland wilfully evaded paying his income taxes, Gerald Flurry was arrested for drunk driving, and Wade Cox turned on his own squad and fired upon them.
BB
Steve Kisack said: "If someone accused you of incest, or accused your father of incest, and you knew it wasn't true, what would YOU do?"
ReplyDeleteExactly Steve! Having looked at Herbert's reaction to the "allegations" running around attempting to silence those who exposed the incident and the simple fact that no one, not even in his family--especially Dorothy!--gave an official statement denying the sexual abuse was proof enough for me to question EVERYTHING he stood for!
Know what my favorite aspect to HWA's grave is? He's buried not in a little chunk of Israel as he probably would have fantasized for himself, but rather in a cemetery in the middle of a predominantly African American community. I think maybe God is trying to tell him that perhaps he should have loved and respected all of His children equally.
ReplyDeleteBB