Why is it that all of these splinter groups all claim to follow the truth delivered by Herbert Armstrong and yet in their public persona's they scramble as fast as they can to distance themselves from the the man and his teachings.
Talk about hypocrisy!
The UCG follows and believes in many of the basic doctrinal principles shared by other Christian churches such as the inspiration of the scriptures, Christ's bodily resurrection, and the three ordinances of baptism,[4] and agrees with Protestant theology regarding the tenets of sola scriptura and that Justification is a gift given freely by God. Like many Christian churches, it also believes in the resurrection of the dead, Millennialism, baptism by immersion, Gap creationism, and is strongly Adventist, believing that the return of Christ is imminent, interpreting current events in the light of Bible prophecy.[4] However, its teachings differ from mainstream Catholic and Protestant theology in a number of key areas:
- Belief in Restorationism. Like many churches in the Restorationist movement, UCG believes that a number of today's mainstream Christian teachings resulted from doctrinal corruption under the influence of Greco-Roman philosophy, Gnosticism, Anti-Semitism, and mistranslation which occurred early in the history of the church. Much of UCG doctrine that is distinct from mainstream Christianity is the outgrowth of an effort to separate these influences and traditions from what is believed to be the beliefs and practices of Jesus Christ and the original Apostolic church.[5][6][7] UCG holds that the Roman Catholic church and most Protestant denominations today have mistakenly syncretized various pagan doctrines and practices. For example, UCG teaches that the ancient pagan origins of traditional Christian celebrations (especially Christmas, Halloween, Easter, and Valentine's Day) render them inappropriate for true Christians.[8][9][10][11][12][13]
- Nontrinitarian belief, i.e., that the Holy Spirit is the spirit/power of God and of Christ Jesus rather than a separate person in the Godhead. God 'the Father' and Jesus Christ are viewed as two distinct beings in the 'God family,' united in purpose only.[14]
- Belief that Christians are begotten as children in the Family of God and will at their resurrection become "spirit-born divine beings who are part of Elohim, the universe-ruling family of God."[15]
- Belief that the core of Jesus Christ's message was the coming of a literal earthly Kingdom and that people who are 'saved' will not go to heaven, but will live and rule eternally with Jesus Christ on earth after his second coming, and will subsequently share rulership over the entire universe as part of the 'God Family'. UCG also asserts that the final destination of the unrepentant wicked is not everlasting torture, but annihilation or permanent destruction.[16]
- Belief that people of Western European descent, primarily the original British colonies and the United States, are direct physical descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of the northern kingdom of ancient Israel, whereas the historical Jews (and modern-day Israel) are descendants of the ancient southern kingdom of Judah. This belief is not used to assert racial or ethnic superiority, but solely to interpret End Time prophecies which are believed to be directed at the United States and Europe.[17]
- Belief that the basic Old Testament law is not "done away with" and is carried over into the "New Covenant" such that certain commandments apply to Christians today, including the Ten Commandments and teachings such as clean and unclean meats, literal observance of Holy Day festivals such as eating unleavened bread during the 'Days of Unleavened Bread', and living in 'temporary habitations' during the 'Feast of Tabernacles'. These beliefs exclude civil and sacrificial temple laws,[18] but includes the literal observance of the seventh-day Sabbath (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) and the Holy Days of the Old Testament Hebrew calendar,[19] dietary restrictions,[20] and the condemnation of practicing any and all sexual sin as identified by God in the Holy Scriptures.[21]
- Belief that people who do not know or understand the truth of the Bible during their lifetimes will be given time to learn these teachings after the "Second Resurrection" to a new physical life. After living again in the Millennial world under God's Kingdom, those who continue to reject God's Holy Spirit and way of life will be annihilated after the "Third Resurrection" along with unrepentant former believers who had turned away from God. They are destroyed in the third resurrection (the "resurrection of fire") in the Lake of Fire, along with Satan and his demons.[22]
- Belief in biblical tithing, a donation of 10 percent of a member's income to the church to fund the organization's gospel mission.[23] Members are also taught to set aside a Second tithe, an additional 10 percent for their own personal use in observing the church's annual religious festivals, particularly the Feast of Tabernacles.[24]
- Alcohol consumption in moderation is permitted but the UCG does teach against the misuse of alcohol. [25]
Go look through the history of changes to see where Herbert Armstrong was removed. There's some interesting stuff happening on this page. Including vandalism.
ReplyDeleteSomebody did quite the job on this! Still, no major growth, if that was in fact the goal. Not even SDA or COG-7 pace level.
ReplyDeleteBB
First paragraph contradicts your article title:
ReplyDelete"UCG holds doctrines and beliefs consistent with those taught by Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God.[3]"
UCG has always been consistent in distancing itself from Herbert Armstrong. The cult baggage associated with him is too much for them. They want to be warmly embraced by the local community and the Lions Club member's they court as they pretend to be just another Christian organization.
ReplyDeleteThat is the best snow-job I have seen! Embarrassed much?
ReplyDeleteIf you have ever been to UCG or COGWA you would know that both are just social clubs. You would know it by the services and the members.
ReplyDeleteIs there no mention of the historical Sabbatarian movement? No mention of Sabbath keepers in Rhode Island?
ReplyDeleteSolar Scripture? They may state they believe in it, but is it practiced?
I've sat through UCG services where the book of knowledge was quoted from extensively and physically held aloft.
The UCG has no future. They try to have it both ways. They try to look mainstream which turns off many hardline Armstrongites but they still hold on to the weird set of beliefs of HWA which are not going to attract many mainstream Christians.
ReplyDelete11:17
ReplyDeleteThat is to say, Social Clubs with a very high annual fee!
Anon 2:27 AM wondered...
ReplyDeleteSolar Scripture?
No, that's Dennis Diehl's gig.
Page should have on there... Although they do try to distance themselves from HWA and the WCG, and have removed his picture from their home office, they still insist on singing Dwight Armstrong hymns, corporate suit dress for church, and the absence of of any sense of modern music or worship at their services.
ReplyDeleteUCG needs to jettison all of the Armstrongite culture influences , but most importantly, embrace a Biblical model of congregationalism, with local accountability to elected board members, who can hire and fire the minister, and with local monetary control.
ReplyDeleteFrom its start in 1995, the UCG wanted to take WCG members and some of HWA's teachings and run with them as if they were its own, without mentioning HWA's name. The UCG's embarrassment of HWA, which the UCG had learned from the apostate Tkaches, enabled false prophets like Gerald Flurry and his PCG cult to monopolize the use of HWA's name and photograph to attract WCG members after the Tkaches' Great Apostasy of January 1995.
COGWA split off from UCG in 2010 and is supposedly slightly more conservative than UCG, but it can be difficult to see the difference. UCG is currently led by the former Tkach goon Victor Kubic. COGWA is currently led by Jim Franks.
Both UCG and COGWA have their Winter Family X-mass Weekend stuff, and people from both groups like to sit around watching movies. Members of UCG and COGWA are basically worldly people with a few retained official beliefs from the past that they supposedly believe yet. Both UCG and COGWA want people to believe just enough to attend church meetings and listen to the “ministers,” and to financially support them, but not enough to get too serious about anything else.
Right on last comment. Such and cogwa have one foot in church organization and one foot in the world. Can't have it both ways
ReplyDeleteTonto's comments at 9:21 describe a hellish environment. Is that the desired future of UCG Tonto ?
ReplyDeleteSinging Hymns no one knows with special music of drums, electric guitars and modern Christian singing?
Everyone wearing whatever they rolled out of bed in.
Self governing congregations, in reality would end up like war zones that are run like the wild west. Local monetry control, oh the joys that would bring.
There was a time when that Wikipedia page included the COGWA split, and even the sacking of Melvin Rhodes. But UCG leaders decided to go in and "clean things up."
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if UCG is truly sola scriptura, how can it embrace the US/UK Manassah/Ephraim teaching so much? And not physically build booths during the Feast of Tabernacles?
How about "UCG holds doctrines and beliefs consistent with those taught by GG Rupert and the JH Allen"?
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked- not a peep about Jelly in the UCG Wiki page!
ReplyDeleteTonto, March 27, 2019 at 9:21 AM, wrote:
ReplyDelete"... UCG needs to jettison all of the Armstrongite culture influences , but most importantly, embrace a Biblical model of congregationalism, with local accountability to elected board members, who can hire and fire the minister, and with local monetary control..."
Tonto, immediately after the UCGAIA was formed at the Indianapolis Conference may 1995, all left that conference with the intent to accomplish most of what you wrote there, but very shortly in a matter of months went backwards from that intent and proceeded to establish "WCG" all over again. The leaders liked that mammon, their paychecks, and thought they could become as financially successful as the former WCG; however, it appears, and time tells:
1. God never gave "United" a leader, so they, having left their ministerial credentials behind in Pasadena, picked up their "bat and ball," just decided their "God" needed their help...and started voting in their own leaders...in, out, in, out...we have the history.
2. I agree with Jesus' words here:
Matthew 15:13-14 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
3. United and coqwa, like so many xcogs, are like blind fish just floundering around and going virtually nowhere, but
4. Time will tell...
John
Tonto, I was with you until you said:
ReplyDelete"who can hire and fire the minister"
The problem is that the bible doesn't teach a one man pastorate in a local congregation.
The bible teaches a plurality of older men selected to keep the peace not to lord it over. Also, nowhere in the bible does it say that these older men are the sole recipients of the gift of teaching, or that one who is gifted with teaching is also gifted with knowledge. This is why the local "members" are to work together in their gifts because no one person has "God on their side" exclusively.
Gotta give Dylan credit there.I
Kevin McMillen