Prophet Thiel has a post up today quoting HWA's writings on radiant health. Thiel did not give a reason for his post today but given the rampant health issues in the Living Church of God it might by a cry for members to wake up.
Quoting Herbert Armstrong as a pillar of radiant health is pretty hypocritical consider the enormous amount of medicine he was on in his latter years. The day HWA died an entire suitcase of medicine was taken to the amphitheater on campus to be burned so that people would not see what he was taking.
Cancer is rampant in the LCG and in Armstrongism, especially in the people associated with the leadership positions.
But never fear! HWA has the answer to a radiant healthy life! Rub yourself down with a towel!
Circulation can be induced without over-exertion or danger. I have never forgotten a lecture I heard as a young man in the days of the Chautauqua. The lecturer had been physical trainer to President Howard Taft. Immediately following the close of the Taft administration, this physical trainer managed to secure a list of all—or nearly all—of the centenarians in the United States. He personally visited every one. He asked to what they attributed their long life. One never used tobacco, and gave that as the reason. But another used tobacco all his life and still lived past a hundred years. One “tee-totaled”—but another drank beer and brandy all his life. And so it went. When he had interviewed them all, he analyzed his notes and was surprised to learn that ONLY ONE THING was common to them all. Yet not one gave it credit for his long life. Every one had taken a vigorous daily rub-down. Some with a bath towel, following a daily bath. Some with a brush But in one way or another, each had stimulated blood circulation even to the extremities of toes and fingers by daily rubbing or massaging.
Many ask how I (now in my nineties) keep up the energy, vigor and drive. I’m sure there is more than one reason—but I do not “jog” or go in for fads. I WALK—the best exercise for one of my age. But ever since I heard that lecture, perhaps 60 or more years ago, I have taken a daily RUB-DOWN. Method? A generous-size bath towel, following a daily shower. I try to get enough sleep. I watch elimination (very important). I try to be careful about my diet. And I have a tremendous INCENTIVE—a driving PURPOSE in life, because I have learned what is life’s PURPOSE. That spurs to action! I have a mission to accomplish that is more important than my life. There’s not much time left—and it MUST and WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED! Besides all this I draw on a greater and higher Power. I think that gives the answer.
Yes, we've already heard much about the type of rubdowns HWA indulged in daily! If only someone could find the long lost flog log, Theil could add that hidden dimension to his booklet!
ReplyDeleteBB
Rub-a-Dub-Dub!
ReplyDeleteOne of the few things I agree with Herbert Armstrong on is that's good to dry off after a shower with a towel.
HWA seems to have as much of the Holy Spirit as the people on Jesus's mainstream Christian TV stations do!
I hope I'm not "slapping Jesus in the face" if I take issue with just HOW vigorously I should use my towel, though.
Norm
President Taft had a trainer?
ReplyDeleteStolen money, that.
I think he would've had plenty more rub ups a day than rub downs courtesy of the young tramps that he surrounded himself with who thought they were actually doing God service to literally stroke his ego as "Mr Apostle"! It's a wonder his cult never evolved into something like Moses David's the "Children of God" or the "Family" considering how huge the role of sex seemed to play in his and his son's lives!
ReplyDeleteRubdowns" is a euphemism for gay sex and or masturbation. This advice may have been in his flog log, I don't know. It depends on what sex club issued him the book
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for HWA, but daily stimulation of the skin was common (at least somewhat common) 19th century advice. I recall that one of the senators in JFK's Profiles in Courage is quoted as advocating a daily rubdown with a horsehair brush.
ReplyDeleteSo HWA wrote against two-mile runs -- but didn't Ambassador College in Pasadena hold an annual on-campus 5k or 10k run before it closed?
ReplyDeleteMaybe if the distance was in metric, it was OK?!?!