Billingsley thinks your salivation is at risk unless you reread HWA's ORIGINAL copy of The Mystery of the Ages. Billinglsey and Flurry both have placed HWA's book on par with the Bible. YOU cannot have one without the other. Salvation only comes by reading both. The bastardized version that Gerald Flurry is pawning off on gullible COG members does not count. Lord Six Pack has edited out references that invalidates his self-appointed status as leader and the rightful heir of HWA.
Billinglsey writes:
As we draw closer to the fulfillment of the end-time prophecies of Jesus Christ, I have great concern for the thousands of members who were once of us; many of whom I have known personally over the 58 years as a member of God’s true Church; and a minister for 53 years.
Over seven years, I have been writing letters in the Journal News Paper (Based in Big Sandy, Texas) trying very hard to get the members who read my writings to re-read the original unedited MYSTERY OF THE AGES, the last book Mr. Armstrong wrote, in the last year of his life, to aid all— “. . . to contend earnestly for the FAITH which was ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED to the saints” (Jude 3-4; II Peter 2:1-3).
Hardly anyone even responds. Sadly, the day will soon come when many will wish they had returned to the fullness of the Faith of Jesus Christ with belief and their whole heart. It is enough to make a person want to cry for them as did Jeremiah for Judah knowing what was going to take place with them, and no one would listen to him (Jeremiah 8:2122; 9:1). Instead they placed him in prison.
Thankfully, COG members have realized that Billingsley is a nut job and are not flocking to him. When a COG minister says "hardly" it means NO ONE is responding.
Am I seeing the screen right? Is this book purple in color?
ReplyDeleteVelvet, when she was known as "Purple Hymnal" used to refer to Dwight Armstrong's book as the purple joykiller. If MotA sports a purple cover, there's no reason why we couldn't apply that phrase to it as well!
You can't get more cultic than to base people's salvation on whether or not they read one of their founders' books! Many theologians with more depth and training, actually believe that if a person were on a desert island, had a couple of pages from the Bible, surrendered to God and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord, and Master, and instituted a personal relationship with God would actually be saved.
To think we were taught to call the leader of a competitive sabbatarian group "Mrs. Eggwhite"!
BB
Alton Billingsley, Alton Billingsley... say, isn't he the man responsible for the death of Richard David Armstrong?
ReplyDeleteYes, he was driving the car in which Ricahard was killed. I knew Alton as I was a student at that time. He must be at least as old as I am. All these guys are getting feeble and gray and I doubt they've done a good job of grooming anyone to take over. The whole thing will disintegrate after they and those who followed them are gone. What might remain will be a mere shadow of what they have even today.
ReplyDeleteWere they all drunk and driving on the wrong side of the road? That's what I heard anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt must feel miserable to know you've wasted your whole life in a dysfunctional system, and yet you still feel compelled to keep parroting the company line that faded into irrelevancy decades ago.
ReplyDeleteOh I love those words of Asst. Deacon and worth memorizing and repeating again and again: "It must feel miserable to know you've wasted your whole life in a dysfunctional system, and yet you still feel compelled to keep parroting the company line that faded into irrelevancy decades ago."
ReplyDeleteAll these HWA legacy remnants have thrown away their logical thinking and common sense. If reading that book is required for salvation, woe are those generations earlier, including the patriarchs like Noah, and the later Bible heroes like David . . . even for Jesus Christ Himself. I am very sorry for them, they were born and lived too early to read HWA's book which happens to be required for salvation. Tsk, tsk, tsk. . . .!
One can be born in this earth and receive salvation without reading that trashy book. If you read it, you will be derailed from salvation. Don't be taken in for a ride by a wolf in sheep's clothing.
ReplyDeleteI always like it when "Mystery of the Ages" is referred to as MOTA.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of my youth, when I was a big Dodger fan and the Dodgers had MANNY MOTA as a player.
MOTA is mentioned in the comedy movie "Airplane". When the emergency replacement pilot starts having a flashback and weird voices going on in his head, all of a sudden you hear the Dodgers public address announcer say "Now batting for Pedro Bourbon , Manny MOTA"
Mystery of the Ages was a compilation book of many various booklets, like "The Incredible Human Potential", "Why were you Born?" and others. It is not remarkably written.
I am solo scriptura in my views. NO BOOK should be elevated to scripture status . It is for this reason we do not consider Ellen G. White or her writings as being from a prophetess, nor scriptural. It is for the same reason that we will reject out of hand, The Book of Mormon, or Dianetics.
HWA books are not scripture! The claim that it was the most important book in 1900 years is bombastic and hypebole.
Joe Moeller
Cody, WY
Random thoughts brought on by Joe's comments about MOTA...I saw Manny Mota go 7 for 8 in a doubleheader against the Braves at Dodger Stadium. Plus, he was twice thrown out at second base in those games while trying to stretch a single into a double. Going to watch the Dodgers play was one "normal" thing I did that helped keep me sane when I was a student and then an employee in Pasadena. Also, I spent almost every night during the summer of 1968 sitting on the roof of Manor Del Mar drinking beer with a friend and listening to Vince Scully call the Dodgers games. Probably the best use of time I ever made at AC Pasadena, other than dating my future wife.
ReplyDeleteI saw a copy of Herb's MOTA in a used book store here in Austin several years ago. I remember picking it up, reading a couple of pages and then putting it back as a wave of revulsion spread over me.
Glenn Parker
But Glenn...it was THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK SINCE THE BIBLE, didn't you know that?
ReplyDeleteNow you're just gonna have to burn. Sorry, dude. At least it'll be over quickly.
Mr. B. as a member and minister of the COG for over 50 years, please show us in the Bible where we are required to read any other book besides the Bible.
ReplyDeleteThis is all in hindsight, of course, but it is odd to imagine how often in points of doctrine to be referred to some other book. Should be a warning flag right there, no?
ReplyDelete"...please show us in the Bible where we are required to read any other book besides the Bible."
ReplyDeleteEasy. In Jude 1:3, where it says, and I quote, "I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to Herbert W Armstrong."
See? Look it up for yourself in any bible. Herbie is mentioned by name, right there, by god himself since ancient times as his one and only go-to-guy. At least, you would think that's what Jude 1:3 said by how these guys go on and on and on about a sick, twisted, dead con artist.
Im amazed at Glenn Parker's memory of Manny MOTA!
ReplyDeleteSome 44 years later he came remarkably close to the the facts about MOTA and his incredible double header performance on July 9th, 1969. The newspaper story can be found here...
http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/Geneva%20NY%20Daily%20Times/Geneva%20NY%20Daily%20Times%201969%20Jul-Aug%201969%20Grayscale/Geneva%20NY%20Daily%20Times%201969%20Jul-Aug%201969%20Grayscale%20-%200153.pdf
(Copy link and paste in browser)
MOTA actually went 8 for 9, and indeed was out twice for attempting to stretch hits an extra base, although one was for trying to stretch a double into a triple.
The article reports that MOTA was actually injured that day, but played anyway, and was being interviewed with ice wraps all over his body after the game.
For anyone interested here are the two box scores from that day...
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196907082.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196907081.shtml
I loved that 1969 Dodgers team, listened to almost every game, and was the first baseball season that I was "really into it" as an 11 year old.
Something really special about your heroes when you are young. You grow up and then realize that they are just "dudes" like everyone else and not anything all that special. I found the same with my "religious heroes" as well, and see HWA and GTA and the rest of the bunch as just men, flawed sinners and more everyday common than I ever thought as a new convert at age 18.
If we are normal, we all grow up. The "rose colored glasses" come off. Good or Bad, I sort of miss my own personal innocence and naivete . Never again do you get to experience your first kiss, first time driving a car, first job, first child, first time making love. I have grown more callous and skeptical with time. Not that many things make my heart race with unbridled excitement.
However, I do find a pleasure in small things that I missed out on during my youth that occupied myself with other peoples lives , like baseball players. I find a new small joy on seeing lizards at the ranch, chickens doing their thing, a red tail hawk up on the telephone pole, and I still greatly enjoy seeing a shooting star.
Im still moved by the "Good Book" to live better and for inspiration. With a peace, and simpler mind, and a simpler pace in life, I once in awhile can hear the "small still voice" within.
And that is a great joy!
Your Friend,
Joe Moeller
Cody, WY
Who knew that use of an acronym could evoke memories of one of the great baseball players?
ReplyDeleteI was always into motorsports, so my memories involve NHRA drag racing events, the Indy 500, and NASCAR. The names of some of my heroes were Sush Matsubara, Don Garlits, Eddie Sachs, Mario Andretti, Fireball Roberts, Richard Petty, and others. Back in Manny Mota's era, on Saturday nights you'd find me at places like Irwindale Raceway, Orange County International Raceway, the Pomona fairgrounds, Riverside Raceway, and Ontario Motor Speedway. I worked security for a while at Ontario thinking that I'd get greater access to the sport, but found being a spectator with a pit pass to be preferable.
BB
"It must feel miserable to know you've wasted your whole life in a dysfunctional system"
ReplyDeleteWhich is why they can't face the reality that it was all an error.
"It must feel miserable to know you've wasted your whole life in a dysfunctional system, and yet you still feel compelled to keep parroting the company line that faded into irrelevancy decades ago."
ReplyDeleteTo many cult members it feels mighty good to not admit or even consider the notion that they've wasted time, been wrong, or damaged their families.
In fact, whether reading message boards by ex-COG members, ex-Scientology members, ex-Mary Kay sellers, or some other harmful cult, you'll see people who pop up trying to peddle the idea that "they're so freeee" in sticking to the original or some offshoot of the cult that the message board is about.