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
Wearing makeup is vanity, and vanity is the pride that will lead to the Lake of Fire.
Herbert Armstrong was sufficiently vain that on his television program he preferred not to be seen as he was. He preferred to change his appearance with makeup when sitting in front of the camera.
Therefore, by Herbert Armstrong's own confession, he went to the Lake of Fire.
What about men shaving? Why was that allowed? Good point Connie.
Sounds like a double standard here. Women could not "change their face at all". but men were allowed mustaches, sideburns, and eventually, beards.
4:10 made the point about HWA wearing makeup on camera. Somehow, the edict he made to women did not apply to him.
It seems that if HWA's "commands" weren't exactly followed, he would always pull out "The Big Guns" of the threat of eternal extinction with the Lake of Fire.
Talk about being a Big Bully!
Reminds me of when HWA had a tantrum about Rader and said "You all don't like him! But I do!", and proceeded to say something like I dare you to do something about it. Surprised he didn't say something like "You all better LIKE Rader or it's the LAKE OF FIRE!"
Is there any splinter leader, other than Dave Pack, who clings to HWA's makeup rule? Even the truest of the Philadelphians and holder of the remnant mantle, Bob Thiel, says that times have changed...
"Is there any splinter leader, other than Dave Pack, who clings to HWA's makeup rule?"
Good question.
If they changed it, and do not adhere to it, then they publicly deny HWA's authority in the first place. If they deny HWA's authority on the matters he "proclaimed", and deem it as now invalid, then you have no leg to stand on in anything, because you deny HWA had the "truth" on all things.
If they did NOT change it, and they DO adhere to it, because they believe you have to hold on to ALL things, then they invalidate themselves because they left the One True Church, the Worldwide Church of God, in rebellion to HWA's appointment of JWT, and the edicts JWT made under the direct baton-passing authority of HWA.
Reminds me of Herbs claim that Satan used makeup to get the church off the track. It's embarrassingly manipulative. Treat members like children rather than leveling with them as adults. Note how Herb was a master of smear/praise by association. According to him, the exploitative 'give way' is love, and self interest is the heartless, greedy 'get way.' Forget about reason and persuasion, just use dishonest word associations to win people over. The commoners can't be trusted to make the right decisions, so make the decisions for them.
Fast forward to the present. Lesbians who are both out and vocal have created new templates or images, one of which involves the shunning or eschewing of cosmetics. I for one, wonder how the ACOG ladies deal with this. In order to not give the appearance of harlots from Biblical times, an image which has long since passed into antiquity, they conform to a very much current image, one actually recognized by and reacted to by people living, eating, sleeping, and breathing today.
I wonder if this leads anyone in the ACOGs to realize that the Bible occasionally presents and speaks to cultural stereotypes which pass with time, the lesson being not that there should be permanent edicts for all times, but that people’s behavior should be such that the appearance of evil is avoided at any given snapshot in time.
No. Legalists’ minds do not work in that fashion. Nor do those of their leaders.
HWA would ask, why do men want to wear long hair and look like a women, yet he shaved his face smooth, made it look more like a woman's. It was vain and worldly to wear make up, but he had is own expressions of vanity, his own form of make up. He covered his body in fine clothing to look like a success in the eyes of the world. Wasn't his beautiful landscaping a form of "make up" to mask a phony college?
This culture of duplicity was evident in nearly everything we did - and everything we were. But it was not evident until you actually were able to "get into the circuitry" of many of the families and personal lives of those who attended.
There was the "perfect Christian family" presented at church - where at home were many abuses that were covered up. (Yes, I know this is true because my immediate family members experienced this.)
There were the "One way at church", "Other way at work" members.
There were those who could get away with "law-breaking" because of status or caste, and there were those who could not in the same congregation.
This Duplicity was very evident in the Y.O.U. - many appeared to go by the rules at church - but as soon as they were out of the bingo hall of the school, they were into cussing, dressing provocatively, and sex.
I was one of those who REALLY believed in Armstrongism and did everything I could to do the right things. So.... I recall once I was at a Local Elder's house and when they showed me their son's room, there was a large poster of a nearly naked girl (the only thing covered was the difference of pigmentation of the upper and the bits of the lower) posing provocatively on the wall in front of the son's bed. I didn't dare say anything. But you should have seen the bells ringing in my head about that! Could a "normal" YOU teen have gotten away with that? Even more-so, I was shocked they didn't care that I noticed!!!! AND, I wasn't used to seeing this, I was like 19, and my first exposure was at a Local Elder's house?!?!!?! You have any idea how awkward that is???? Come on, men, you know what I'm talking about!
Yes, the culture of duplicity was one of the most toxic features of Armstrongism, and still is.
It has always been the older, middle aged and unmarried men who complain about the young women wearing make up. Never a young man's complaint. As Garner Ted remarked; the make up rule has been changed that many times I got whiplash.
It's the ministers who are the most duplicitous with their biblically condemned lording it over members. Perhaps the philosopher Eric Hoffer put it best when he wrote,
"The corruption inherent in absolute power derives from the fact that such power is never free from the tendency to turn man into a thing, and press him back into the matrix of nature from which he has risen. For the impulse of power is to turn every variable into a constant, and give to commands the inexorableness and relentlessness of laws of nature. Hence absolute power corrupts even when exercised for humane purposes. The benevolent despot who sees himself as a shepherd of the people still demands from others the submissiveness of sheep. The taint inherent in absolute power is not its inhumanity but its anti-humanity."
Has anyone read The Trumpets "Are we in the end time" article by joel Hilliker. It seems to imply that in the transfiguration, it was the end time Elijah, Herb, who was present with Moses. Ha ha, ha.
Some random thoughts, in no particular order, on the topic of MAKEUP:
One theory that I heard is that makeup is supposed to look “natural,” but that most women do not know how to use it properly, and so they end up painting themselves up to look like clowns and prostitutes.
If a girl is pretty, she certainly does not need any makeup.
If a girl is ugly, makeup often makes her look even worse. Some women look like such pathetic messes for all their makeup efforts. It really is sad.
HWA was right about some women wanting to pluck out their eyebrows and then paint them back on again higher up.
The sellers of cosmetics would like to brainwash all women, young and old, into thinking that they need to paint their faces every day before they go out anywhere.
The poor bunny rabbits that cosmetics get tested on would prefer not to have to try them.
Hoss on August 7, 2018 at 5:37 PM said...“Is there any splinter leader, other than Dave Pack, who clings to HWA's makeup rule? Even the truest of the Philadelphians and holder of the remnant mantle, Bob Thiel, says that times have changed...”
Allen Dexter on August 7, 2018 at 6:53 PM said...“Yes, Hoss, there is. Billingsley's group adheres to it.”
Church of God Faithful Flock
Alton B. (Don) Billingsley
The Philadelphia Remnant magazine for July/Aug/Sept 2018
In the latest edition of this online magazine, an article called The Third Temple by Billingsley seems to suggest that the American President Donald J. Trump (a famous builder of great skyscrapers, golf courses, and wonderful walls of defence) might help to rebuild the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Of course, if anyone can get this job done--on time and under budget--The Donald can.
P.S. Furthermore, when That FALSE Prophet Gerald Flurry bad-mouths the president and calls him “Jeroboam” while the president is working so tirelessly, virtually day and night, with his vastly superior intelligence, to Make America Great Again (MAGA), this surely increases the likelihood that God will use The Donald to do great things.
Yeah, 5:10, he's going to do great things by destroying the USA just as surely as HWA destroyed everything he ever touch, including multiple people's lives. We're headed for a depression the likes of which we can't begin to imagine.
4.36 PM The tranfiguration would not have involved the real Moses or Elijah/Herb. Christ did call it a vision. But these churches frequently claim that specific individuals today are mentioned in the old testament. This is part of their world view that God is made in their image, micro, if not nano/pico controlling the world. Freedom doesn't exist in their eyes.
HWA made perfect sense in the Los Angeles Area or Lebanon.
Not so much in Sweden or Switzerland.
Make up fashion in the 1970's in Los Angeles church were ghastly. Last time I made a surprise visit to an sep camp the girls all acquired better tastes in make up than their grandparents.
That's because it IS a double standard. And for the record the most vain men I have EVER encountered in my life by far has been in the ACOGs. I wasn't around when Armstrong was still alive. If I would have I probably wouldn't have wasted a single second on his cult and it's double standards and pure hypocrisy. It seems that it was much more obvious when he was around because everything was on a much larger scale.
No it is not a double standard. The adornment of external color is different from the grooming of hair growth. It would have been a double standard if men were not allowed to have "brazilian waxing."
There is only one intent in the universe. That is the relentless, merciless quest of the dna to pass on into eternity. It will go to any lenght, from developing brains that will take the dna into the universe to enhance the female species with attractive color or devise a narrative of go hence and multiply. For sure mens brains shut down when introduced to such splendorous color only to be shocked the next morning when they are expected to stay, which would provide for better survival chances for any collateral damage that might occur.
The DNA is ruthless but picky at times to enhance its glory in its quest for eternity.
Wearing makeup is vanity, and vanity is the pride that will lead to the Lake of Fire.
ReplyDeleteHerbert Armstrong was sufficiently vain that on his television program he preferred not to be seen as he was. He preferred to change his appearance with makeup when sitting in front of the camera.
Therefore, by Herbert Armstrong's own confession, he went to the Lake of Fire.
Men shaving every day is "changing the face God gave and designed" is it not? HWAs statement beyond being bombastic is simplistic and childish.
ReplyDeleteWhat about men shaving? Why was that allowed? Good point Connie.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a double standard here. Women could not "change their face at all". but men were allowed mustaches, sideburns, and eventually, beards.
4:10 made the point about HWA wearing makeup on camera. Somehow, the edict he made to women did not apply to him.
It seems that if HWA's "commands" weren't exactly followed, he would always pull out "The Big Guns" of the threat of eternal extinction with the Lake of Fire.
Talk about being a Big Bully!
Reminds me of when HWA had a tantrum about Rader and said "You all don't like him! But I do!", and proceeded to say something like I dare you to do something about it. Surprised he didn't say something like "You all better LIKE Rader or it's the LAKE OF FIRE!"
Is there any splinter leader, other than Dave Pack, who clings to HWA's makeup rule? Even the truest of the Philadelphians and holder of the remnant mantle, Bob Thiel, says that times have changed...
ReplyDeleteYes, Hoss, there is. Billingsley's group adheres to it.
ReplyDelete"Is there any splinter leader, other than Dave Pack, who clings to HWA's makeup rule?"
ReplyDeleteGood question.
If they changed it, and do not adhere to it, then they publicly deny HWA's authority in the first place. If they deny HWA's authority on the matters he "proclaimed", and deem it as now invalid, then you have no leg to stand on in anything, because you deny HWA had the "truth" on all things.
If they did NOT change it, and they DO adhere to it, because they believe you have to hold on to ALL things, then they invalidate themselves because they left the One True Church, the Worldwide Church of God, in rebellion to HWA's appointment of JWT, and the edicts JWT made under the direct baton-passing authority of HWA.
The makeup decision was all made up to start with!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Herbs claim that Satan used makeup to get the church off the track. It's embarrassingly manipulative. Treat members like children rather than leveling with them as adults.
ReplyDeleteNote how Herb was a master of smear/praise by association. According to him, the exploitative 'give way' is love, and self interest is the heartless, greedy 'get way.' Forget about reason and persuasion, just use dishonest word associations to win people over. The commoners can't be trusted to make the right decisions, so make the decisions for them.
Fast forward to the present. Lesbians who are both out and vocal have created new templates or images, one of which involves the shunning or eschewing of cosmetics. I for one, wonder how the ACOG ladies deal with this. In order to not give the appearance of harlots from Biblical times, an image which has long since passed into antiquity, they conform to a very much current image, one actually recognized by and reacted to by people living, eating, sleeping, and breathing today.
DeleteI wonder if this leads anyone in the ACOGs to realize that the Bible occasionally presents and speaks to cultural stereotypes which pass with time, the lesson being not that there should be permanent edicts for all times, but that people’s behavior should be such that the appearance of evil is avoided at any given snapshot in time.
No. Legalists’ minds do not work in that fashion. Nor do those of their leaders.
HWA would ask, why do men want to wear long hair and look like a women, yet he shaved his face smooth, made it look more like a woman's. It was vain and worldly to wear make up, but he had is own expressions of vanity, his own form of make up. He covered his body in fine clothing to look like a success in the eyes of the world. Wasn't his beautiful landscaping a form of "make up" to mask a phony college?
ReplyDeleteI for one, wonder how the ACOG ladies deal with this.
ReplyDeleteAs they have from the beginning of RCG/WCG, they live double lives.
Herbie went dancing with Dorothy on Friday evening, then preached Sabbath observance the next morning.
Women throughout the church put their makeup on AFTER leaving the house, so husbands and children wouldn't see what they were doing.
That's one of the most toxic features of Armstrongism. It has fostered a culture of duplicity, from the top down.
Not to mention the hilariously entitled men wanting to berate women over "standards".
DeleteThis culture of duplicity was evident in nearly everything we did - and everything we were. But it was not evident until you actually were able to "get into the circuitry" of many of the families and personal lives of those who attended.
ReplyDeleteThere was the "perfect Christian family" presented at church - where at home were many abuses that were covered up. (Yes, I know this is true because my immediate family members experienced this.)
There were the "One way at church", "Other way at work" members.
There were those who could get away with "law-breaking" because of status or caste, and there were those who could not in the same congregation.
This Duplicity was very evident in the Y.O.U. - many appeared to go by the rules at church - but as soon as they were out of the bingo hall of the school, they were into cussing, dressing provocatively, and sex.
I was one of those who REALLY believed in Armstrongism and did everything I could to do the right things. So.... I recall once I was at a Local Elder's house and when they showed me their son's room, there was a large poster of a nearly naked girl (the only thing covered was the difference of pigmentation of the upper and the bits of the lower) posing provocatively on the wall in front of the son's bed. I didn't dare say anything. But you should have seen the bells ringing in my head about that! Could a "normal" YOU teen have gotten away with that? Even more-so, I was shocked they didn't care that I noticed!!!! AND, I wasn't used to seeing this, I was like 19, and my first exposure was at a Local Elder's house?!?!!?! You have any idea how awkward that is???? Come on, men, you know what I'm talking about!
Yes, the culture of duplicity was one of the most toxic features of Armstrongism, and still is.
It has always been the older, middle aged and unmarried men who complain about the young women wearing make up. Never a young man's complaint.
ReplyDeleteAs Garner Ted remarked; the make up rule has been changed that many times I got whiplash.
It's the ministers who are the most duplicitous with their biblically condemned lording it over members. Perhaps the philosopher Eric Hoffer put it best when he wrote,
ReplyDelete"The corruption inherent in absolute power derives from the fact that such power is never free from the tendency to turn man into a thing, and press him back into the matrix of nature from which he has risen. For the impulse of power is to turn every variable into a constant, and give to commands the inexorableness and relentlessness of laws of nature. Hence absolute power corrupts even when exercised for humane purposes. The benevolent despot who sees himself as a shepherd of the people still demands from others the submissiveness of sheep. The taint inherent in absolute power is not its inhumanity but its anti-humanity."
Has anyone read The Trumpets "Are we in the end time" article by joel Hilliker. It seems to imply that in the transfiguration, it was the end time Elijah, Herb, who was present with Moses. Ha ha, ha.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSome random thoughts, in no particular order, on the topic of MAKEUP:
One theory that I heard is that makeup is supposed to look “natural,” but that most women do not know how to use it properly, and so they end up painting themselves up to look like clowns and prostitutes.
If a girl is pretty, she certainly does not need any makeup.
If a girl is ugly, makeup often makes her look even worse. Some women look like such pathetic messes for all their makeup efforts. It really is sad.
HWA was right about some women wanting to pluck out their eyebrows and then paint them back on again higher up.
The sellers of cosmetics would like to brainwash all women, young and old, into thinking that they need to paint their faces every day before they go out anywhere.
The poor bunny rabbits that cosmetics get tested on would prefer not to have to try them.
Anon 4:28 obviously not seen what prostitutes really look like in 2018. The MGM hollywood 1950's version of a prostitute. Out of date on many points.
DeleteAnon 4:28 obviously not seen what prostitutes really look like in 2018. The MGM hollywood 1950's version of a prostitute. Out of date on many points.
Delete12:25 -
ReplyDeleteSo. If you are correct, than they are saying Herbert was a being that existed 2000 years ago? And incarnated as Herbert Elijah?
Wow. Aint that a bunch of patookey
ReplyDeleteHoss on August 7, 2018 at 5:37 PM said...“Is there any splinter leader, other than Dave Pack, who clings to HWA's makeup rule? Even the truest of the Philadelphians and holder of the remnant mantle, Bob Thiel, says that times have changed...”
Allen Dexter on August 7, 2018 at 6:53 PM said...“Yes, Hoss, there is. Billingsley's group adheres to it.”
Church of God Faithful Flock
Alton B. (Don) Billingsley
The Philadelphia Remnant magazine for July/Aug/Sept 2018
In the latest edition of this online magazine, an article called The Third Temple by Billingsley seems to suggest that the American President Donald J. Trump (a famous builder of great skyscrapers, golf courses, and wonderful walls of defence) might help to rebuild the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Of course, if anyone can get this job done--on time and under budget--The Donald can.
P.S. Furthermore, when That FALSE Prophet Gerald Flurry bad-mouths the president and calls him “Jeroboam” while the president is working so tirelessly, virtually day and night, with his vastly superior intelligence, to Make America Great Again (MAGA), this surely increases the likelihood that God will use The Donald to do great things.
Yeah, 5:10, he's going to do great things by destroying the USA just as surely as HWA destroyed everything he ever touch, including multiple people's lives. We're headed for a depression the likes of which we can't begin to imagine.
ReplyDelete4.36 PM
ReplyDeleteThe tranfiguration would not have involved the real Moses or Elijah/Herb. Christ did call it a vision. But these churches frequently claim that specific individuals today are mentioned in the old testament. This is part of their world view that God is made in their image, micro, if not nano/pico controlling the world.
Freedom doesn't exist in their eyes.
HWA made perfect sense in the Los Angeles Area or Lebanon.
ReplyDeleteNot so much in Sweden or Switzerland.
Make up fashion in the 1970's in Los Angeles church were ghastly.
Last time I made a surprise visit to an sep camp the girls all acquired better tastes in make up than their grandparents.
nck
Anon 712 wrote: If they changed it, [makeup doctrine] and do not adhere to it, then they publicly deny HWA's authority in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThis is the whole problem with the cafeteria style approach to doctrine and dogma... HWA did it, and splinters follow his practice...
"Sounds like a double standard here"
ReplyDeleteThat's because it IS a double standard. And for the record the most vain men I have EVER encountered in my life by far has been in the ACOGs. I wasn't around when Armstrong was still alive. If I would have I probably wouldn't have wasted a single second on his cult and it's double standards and pure hypocrisy. It seems that it was much more obvious when he was around because everything was on a much larger scale.
10:36
ReplyDeleteNo it is not a double standard. The adornment of external color is different from the grooming of hair growth. It would have been a double standard if men were not allowed to have "brazilian waxing."
nck
NCK vanity is vanity. Adorning or grooming for appearances sake are both meant with the same intent, to look more attractive to others.
ReplyDelete8:51
ReplyDeleteThere is only one intent in the universe. That is the relentless, merciless quest of the dna to pass on into eternity. It will go to any lenght, from developing brains that will take the dna into the universe to enhance the female species with attractive color or devise a narrative of go hence and multiply. For sure mens brains shut down when introduced to such splendorous color only to be shocked the next morning when they are expected to stay, which would provide for better survival chances for any collateral damage that might occur.
The DNA is ruthless but picky at times to enhance its glory in its quest for eternity.
Nck