graphic courtesy of SHT
So there you have it. This is your duty as a Church of God member.
You are expected to answer questions from others, but you were never allowed to ask the really hard questions. The "answers" you were expected to give were already thought out and told to you in sermons and booklets. God forbid if you ever had an original thought of your own.
And...pay that money! As a member, you were expected to pay your tithes and offerings while those above you in the ministry did not have to pay tithes since they were "spiritual Levites." And don't forget that Herbert Armstrong set the standard for you and tithed on his "income." However, his income was 10 times what yours was, had a home mortgage free that was fully furnished with the finest art, gold and silver imaginable. While you struggled to feed your family and cloth your children, HWA had the church pay for and maintain the homes for himself of his daughters for many years, with no money out of his pocket.
But what if somebody asks questions like the ones you (COg splinters and gurus) won't let us ask? Do we tell them what you (COg splinters and gurus) tell us about asking questions that shouldn't be asked? Do we ignore their questions like you (COg splinters and gurus) do? Do we delete their questions like you (COg splinters and gurus) do?
ReplyDeleteSit down, shut up, pay and pray.
No.
And...we were expected to OBEY WITHOUT QUESTION!
ReplyDeleteYou know, while we were paying tithes, offerings, sending in to the "building fund", while HWA was living the life of a multi-millionaire on that money, our children had to wear hand-me-downsfrom church members, play with used toys, and eat what we could afford (lots of turkey hot dogs and macaroni and cheese). We could not afford extra curricular activities to send our kids to, or even take them to local events. The only thing they had to look frward to was the F.O.T. where we could spend the money for that purpose. But even then there were rules to follow, like not buying clothes or fixing the car, and we were to make sure to send in a tenth of that, as well as what was left over (I mean, you can only eat so much). Oh how duped we were. How brainwashed we were.
ReplyDeleteI’m not part of an ACOG, but what’s so controversial about this? Any church which teaches tithing would probably offer these same guidelines. Now, if this were the only official description of the meaning and benefits of membership, it could have a connotation of slavery, or indicate a lack of spiritual depth. But it’s not. It’s just one of many simple statements, removed from context.
ReplyDeleteAttack Armstrongism, yes. But it’s so easy to be reasonable and fair about it. They’ve left us with so much real stuff that there’s no need to get stupid about it.
Yes, it is very easy to tithe when you earned in 1981 over $421,000 (adjusted for inflation would be over 1.2 million today. I think HWA claimed that he was the largest single contributor to the work. But, he certainly didn't give until it hurt, like he expected us to do.
ReplyDeleteMoney is always the name of the game in all of the ACOG cults. The only God they desire is the Almighty Dollar.
ReplyDeleteProperty Taxes have now emerged as an identical experience to the Herbaic Nightmare:
ReplyDeleteStates with high property taxes - there are many - are easily costing homeowners a tithe of gross income!
Of course state/county/city officials also pay this homeowner tithe, but, using Herbie's trick, inoculate themselves by giving themselves ridiculous high salaries!
Imagine if you are an Acog-Slave who also happens to live in a rip-off high property tax state like New Jersey?!?
Pray, pay, obey and stay!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 12:09
ReplyDeleteI can sure tell you were never a part of any ACOG by your comment. Yeah, armstrong is dead now, but his "legacy" still lives on through the splinters, ruining countless more lives.
while HWA was living the life of a multi-millionaire
ReplyDeleteIn Ambassador Report there's mention of HWA shopping unperturbed at Harrod's at the same time an urgent financial appeal letter went out. In a co-worker letter, HWA made an urgent appeal and said he would lead the way by contributing $100 he and Loma had "saved up". Then of course there was his request that members borrow money from the bank under false pretenses and send it in...
Pray, Pay, Stay , Obey and Dont be GAY!
ReplyDeletePray, Pay, Stay , Obey and Dont be GAY Unless, Of Course, You're Dr. Hoeh!
ReplyDeleteAdd to the mix...I knew of a # of 'sheeples" that even took out 2nd mortgages on their
ReplyDeletehomes even when they couldn't pay off the 1st one & sent that $$ to Pasadena. And there were
employees at the campus that had to live in a camper because they couldn't afford regular
housing. Sad to say but that same old GREEDY practice is still being followed...esp by D.
Pack & his abominable You PAY (him)COMMON or you have NO salvation doctrine. All this BS ...
wonder how God can just let it go on & on. All these lies spoken in His Name...which is to my
thinking is blaspheming it. The OT penalty was pretty emphatic re: that. Kinda prompts one to
wonder about all of this in the 1st -place??? Hmmmmmm.......:-I
Well, EX-Sheeple, don’t you know that nck is going to come on here and point out that statistically there are many more people homeless and living in their cars and campers outside of Armstrongism? And that people in the world have a higher rate of credit card debt?
Delete11:22
DeleteThank you I can/could stay away if I would garner more acolytes like you.
In reality I had family working for the church. After a while they just applied for a job that sustained the family better, others did not and are not living "the high life" so I dig ex sheeple.
Statistically I guess wcg contained more "over zealous new converts" than established churches. More likely to overlook the multiple admonishments and warnings to not give too much or fail in other responsibilities toward family.
Taking 2nd mortgages for "consumptive purposes" is just plaim stupid. Are there any co worker letters that support exactly that, regardless of the stupidity of the act. I mean that "godly finance booklet was quite explicit and old fashioned on debts. The worst split off in armstrongism preaches often against (credit card) debt. Even if I consider it a deadly cult, its quite sound om finance. All know a safety lies in steady income flow instead of leaps and gaps.
I've also commented that Pack ranks among the three most dangerous split offs since his "common" preaching.
I refrained from commenting since I find it very sad if people gave beyond their means and what was even deemed apropriate in wcg literature.
I dislike a culture that does not save for retirement or looks after its poor through social security and medicare as the majority of the civilised world aspired too from the fifties until this junction in time.
Nck