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
Well, reading labels is actually not a bad idea actually, in the COG or not.
However, surely certain COG cults should definitely have "warning labels" and disclosure statements. Maybe even LEMON LAW money back guarantee clauses if dissatisfied with product upon use.
Wouldn't it have been nice if Herbert W. Armstrong 's Daddy had known about condoms? Then, perhaps instead of discussing Adam, we would be discussing the atom, and Angstromism!
Along with using "Father" multiple times in the prayer, the word "just" seemed to be in every sentence (we just ask; we just pray, we just come before you, etc.).
I have a guess as to why "Father" is repeated so often in public prayers. Deep down both prayer leaders and listeners realize that COG public prayers are not talking to "God" but basically speeches to the congregation.
Because of this, it's necessary to frequently pepper the speech with "Father" or "Christ sitting at your right side" or some such in order to prop up the aura of directing the words to the deity. The content is, of course, directed toward the congregation. What else would be the purpose of standing in front of tens/hundreds/thousands of people and speaking aloud words to a deity who, after all, can supposedly read your thoughts? I suppose it also helps lend gravitas to the ceremony, but as I recall, it was usually a mini-sermon, not something "God" needed to hear. "Father, help us, as we leave here, to follow the admonitions of the minister and to meekly obey the authority you have placed over us, Father..."
As a Pasadena student, it was my wont to routinely decline any assignment to give a public prayer. But once as a senior I was unable to get out of it, and in the student center after some event I was given an impromptu request to step up to the mic and "give the closing prayer".
It felt so ridiculous that I'd have to pretend to talk to a "God" up there when everyone knew it was just a speech. So, promising myself I would never let myself get in this situation again, I "gave" the prayer as if I was in a prayer closet alone. Just me and "God". Just talking. No introduction of "Father, our God, the Creator of ALl things, blah blah blah", and with no Amen at the end. About 3 minutes.
My memory may be a bit exaggerated, but I recall a small amount of havoc among the hundreds of students afterwards. They'd never heard anything like that and it was quite anathema. Just not done, y'know. I got asked, "Michael, what were you doing?" (although someone did say "I've never heard such a sincere prayer in my life.")
No, prayers are meant to be speeches. God is just the backdrop. Hence the need to say "Father" every other sentence.
Meighen wrote: "Along with using "Father" multiple times in the prayer, the word "just" seemed to be in every sentence (we just ask; we just pray, we just come before you, etc.)."
Now that you mention it, yes! That's a hallmark of serious praying, to use "just", perhaps in the attempt to add a flair of humility...?
Some anonymous dude has probably made an honest mistake. But, seriously, nobody has made fun of God's truth. We are only making fun of Armstrongism, a false religious system based on bogus prophecy, shoddy research, and stupid extra-biblical theories.
"...took a $5,000 vacation to Wisconsin Dells every year but couldn't afford to buy a house."
More evidence of how terrible HWA's humanly devised feasts are.
The actual Feast of Tabernacles was a harvest festival. Those who celebrated made tents on their own property and celebrated it there. They would have been too busy doing the harvest to do what the Armstrongite do at that time.
To go far away in the countryside to meet up with those who believe HWA's teachings and go through an eight day indoctrination conference is completely different from how the Jews celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. It was HWA who perverted the Feast of Tabernacles into an eight day Armstrongite indoctrination conference.
Clearly it was used to force his followers to spend their money on ingratiating themselves into the WCG cult thus destroying their own individuality.
HWA's Feast is a man made tradition that HWA devised. It is a perversion of what was written in the Bible. Armstrongites are under no obligation from God to observe HWA's perverted indoctrination conference. It was HWA and his collaborators who imposed this feast on their followers.
Yes, Redfox, the F/T was a harvest festival given specifically for the Israelites, as the local seasons related to Jerusalem. It is ridiculous to try to keep it in Australia or South America during the northern hemisphere's Fall season, or to insist that it is universal for all people for all times.
Armstrongites relate it to Jesus and the millennium based on their belief that Jesus was the God of the Old Testament, and say that it is in force today for modern Israel, which they call the English-speaking white folks around the world. The NT says Christians are the new Israelites, and doesn't even mention Anglo Saxons, but Armstrongites even obfuscate that by teaching that only the followers of HWA are true Christians. These beliefs are based on theories and leaps to conclusion, but apparently nobody ever asks "what if they are wrong?"
Some reason why a person couldn't arrange to purchase a house, or pay a huge chunk of principle, during the Feast? The bible says to buy what ever your heart desires, doesn't it? So, buy a house. Buy a car. What's stopping folks? Was there a rule that you could only buy what was available in a 10 mile radius around the Feast site?
13 comments:
Well, reading labels is actually not a bad idea actually, in the COG or not.
However, surely certain COG cults should definitely have "warning labels" and disclosure statements. Maybe even LEMON LAW money back guarantee clauses if dissatisfied with product upon use.
You might have grown up in the Church of god if...
...when people ask if the reason you don't "like" pork or shellfish is because you're Jewish, and you just say, "It's a long story."
...you feel odd taking a vacation during the summer.
...when you give out candy on Halloween you wonder what it's like to get candy on Halloween
...you're at a public lecture and halfway through you have the urge to get up and visit the restroom even though you don't need to go
...you're acutely aware when and where bread crumbs fall even if you're never going to have to go hunting for them
...you're still not sure if it's weird to wash someone else's feet
...you're still not sure if it's weird to wash someone else's feet with cold water and no soap
How can you make fun of God's truth?
Wouldn't it have been nice if Herbert W. Armstrong 's Daddy had known about condoms? Then, perhaps instead of discussing Adam, we would be discussing the atom, and Angstromism!
BB
Along with using "Father" multiple times in the prayer, the word "just" seemed to be in every sentence (we just ask; we just pray, we just come before you, etc.).
Meighen
Q: "How can you make fun of God's truth ..."
... when there ain't no such thing?
A: You can't!
I have a guess as to why "Father" is repeated so often in public prayers.
Deep down both prayer leaders and listeners realize that COG public prayers are not talking to "God" but basically speeches to the congregation.
Because of this, it's necessary to frequently pepper the speech with "Father" or "Christ sitting at your right side" or some such in order to prop up the aura of directing the words to the deity.
The content is, of course, directed toward the congregation.
What else would be the purpose of standing in front of tens/hundreds/thousands of people and speaking aloud words to a deity who, after all, can supposedly read your thoughts?
I suppose it also helps lend gravitas to the ceremony, but as I recall, it was usually a mini-sermon, not something "God" needed to hear.
"Father, help us, as we leave here, to follow the admonitions of the minister and to meekly obey the authority you have placed over us, Father..."
As a Pasadena student, it was my wont to routinely decline any assignment to give a public prayer. But once as a senior I was unable to get out of it, and in the student center after some event I was given an impromptu request to step up to the mic and "give the closing prayer".
It felt so ridiculous that I'd have to pretend to talk to a "God" up there when everyone knew it was just a speech. So, promising myself I would never let myself get in this situation again, I "gave" the prayer as if I was in a prayer closet alone. Just me and "God". Just talking. No introduction of "Father, our God, the Creator of ALl things, blah blah blah", and with no Amen at the end. About 3 minutes.
My memory may be a bit exaggerated, but I recall a small amount of havoc among the hundreds of students afterwards. They'd never heard anything like that and it was quite anathema. Just not done, y'know.
I got asked, "Michael, what were you doing?" (although someone did say "I've never heard such a sincere prayer in my life.")
No, prayers are meant to be speeches. God is just the backdrop. Hence the need to say "Father" every other sentence.
Cheers,
Meighen wrote:
"Along with using "Father" multiple times in the prayer, the word "just" seemed to be in every sentence (we just ask; we just pray, we just come before you, etc.)."
Now that you mention it, yes! That's a hallmark of serious praying, to use "just", perhaps in the attempt to add a flair of humility...?
Some anonymous dude has probably made an honest mistake. But, seriously, nobody has made fun of God's truth. We are only making fun of Armstrongism, a false religious system based on bogus prophecy, shoddy research, and stupid extra-biblical theories.
BB.
"...took a $5,000 vacation to Wisconsin Dells every year but couldn't afford to buy a house."
More evidence of how terrible HWA's humanly devised feasts are.
The actual Feast of Tabernacles was a harvest festival. Those who celebrated made tents on their own property and celebrated it there. They would have been too busy doing the harvest to do what the Armstrongite do at that time.
To go far away in the countryside to meet up with those who believe HWA's teachings and go through an eight day indoctrination conference is completely different from how the Jews celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. It was HWA who perverted the Feast of Tabernacles into an eight day Armstrongite indoctrination conference.
Clearly it was used to force his followers to spend their money on ingratiating themselves into the WCG cult thus destroying their own individuality.
HWA's Feast is a man made tradition that HWA devised. It is a perversion of what was written in the Bible. Armstrongites are under no obligation from God to observe HWA's perverted indoctrination conference. It was HWA and his collaborators who imposed this feast on their followers.
Yes, Redfox, the F/T was a harvest festival given specifically for the Israelites, as the local seasons related to Jerusalem. It is ridiculous to try to keep it in Australia or South America during the northern hemisphere's Fall season, or to insist that it is universal for all people for all times.
Armstrongites relate it to Jesus and the millennium based on their belief that Jesus was the God of the Old Testament, and say that it is in force today for modern Israel, which they call the English-speaking white folks around the world. The NT says Christians are the new Israelites, and doesn't even mention Anglo Saxons, but Armstrongites even obfuscate that by teaching that only the followers of HWA are true Christians. These beliefs are based on theories and leaps to conclusion, but apparently nobody ever asks "what if they are wrong?"
BB
What!! That isn't gods truth!
Some reason why a person couldn't arrange to purchase a house, or pay a huge chunk of principle, during the Feast? The bible says to buy what ever your heart desires, doesn't it? So, buy a house. Buy a car. What's stopping folks? Was there a rule that you could only buy what was available in a 10 mile radius around the Feast site?
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