Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Examining HWA and His Teachings With an Open Mind and Bible





Examining HWA and His Teachings With an Open Mind and Bible
We've had a bit of fun the past few months in this column examining the teachings of those who hold to the old covenant "revelations" of Herbert Armstrong (and sometimes, "revelations" of their own devising). Simply by using the plain common sense God gave us, and also maybe a bit of logical thinking, weíve had no trouble in exposing the leaps in logic that the typical legalist must make in order to justify his much-cherished beliefs. For some of us, however, "simply using plain common sense and logical thinking" hasnít been that simple, especially since our initiation into Armstrongism. In fact, a number of us are still working at getting our common sense, emotional health, and logical thinking skills back to normal. Hopefully, examining the card castles that the legalists have been building has aided in this recovery.
We've gotten more than our share of chuckles from the "pick-a-law here" - "pick-a-law there" cafeteria-style approach that legalists such as Bill Dankenbring use in teaching their gullible followers just which of the old covenant laws they need to be observing this month. Most of us are rather enjoying this seemingly endless adventure of following what these people teach to its illogical, unworkable, neurosis-inducing conclusions.
To us, thankfully, it is now readily apparent that all these teachings were never meant to be applied to any other group than the old covenant Hebrews. This is confirmed time and again in the scriptures, for those who have an ear to hear. But those who have been less fortunate in shaking free of the Armstrong influence (or possibly less willing to be freed of that influence?) are still paying a very dear price to continue on in the delusion of being "God's only true elect." For the practicing of Armstrongism or any other form of legalism by definition brings with it the bearing of a burden and a heavy yoke that God never intended for any true Christian to have to bear.
The more unnecessary weight that these old covenant adherents voluntarily allow to be strapped to their backs, the more burdened down, distracted and short-sighted they appear to become. The deeper they become mired in the task of trying to keep straight the latest "dos and doníts" of being a "saint," the less likely it seems that they will ever be able to summon the mental energy necessary to recognize the absurdity and futility of their situation. They have been participants in a rigged shell game, one in which they must rely on their leaders to reveal beneath which shell "godliness" resides this month.
These old covenant followers have been taught to focus on the myriad trivial requirements of the old covenant physical laws rather than on the weightier matters of the new covenant eternal law of love. They have been subtly tricked into settling for a lukewarm bowl of watery pottage rather than enjoying the sumptuous spiritual feast with the father that they could have been partaking of. They have contented themselves with building their spiritual house from warped and gnarled tree limbs, obtained from a rot-felled tree and built upon a bed of sandstone, when they could have been erecting a truly solid and permanent spiritual edifice, built from oaken timbers upon a sure foundation of granite.
Their feet have somehow slipped into the shoes of the Pharisees, and they are every bit as unaware of their own spiritual plight as were some of the Pharisees. Just as the Pharisees were, they also have been duped into worshipping the shadow, rather than he who casts the shadow. They have been unable to distinguish between the symbol and he whom the symbol stands for. And the pity of all this is that these old covenant adherents are VERY sincere, every bit as sincere as some of the Pharisees and Sadducees were.
These deceived proponents of the old covenant system desire to serve God, but not on his terms. Due to either a general lack of Biblical understanding, or a lack of faith that Christís sacrifice, with nothing else added, is fully able to save them, they have unwittingly turned over all spiritual decision-making to charlatans and misguided teachers. They have blindly placed their confidence and trust in those who teach that the recipe for salvation consists of the proper blend of works and self-sacrifice, seasoned with a generous dash of faith in Christís sacrifice. But leave just one of the ingredients out, they are warned, and there is nosalvation.
They have unwittingly exchanged Christ's freely offered gift of salvation for shackles and a yoke, yet they rejoice at having pulled off a wise trade, indeed. It's little wonder that these people feel that their daily trials and temptations are severe and that they seem to be continually "kicking against the goads." They attribute this to Satan's attempts to strip away their reward. It never occurs to them that following false teachings also produces the very same "fruits of frustration" and the lack of true peace that they are experiencing. They eventually will be forced to come face to face with a spiritual truism: it is not possible for a false gospel to produce truly good and enduring fruit.
My column this month is directed toward these sincere, well-meaning members of the offshoot churches of the Worldwide Church of God, who by chance may have stumbled across this Missing Dimension website, and this article in particular. They are those who are in various stages of learning the above truism. Admittedly, very little learning usually occurs within the deceived mind without Godís mercy and favor. But hopefully, with Godís help, this column will aid in that learning. My following comments have appeared on a website or two over the past few years, but I feel that they bear repeating to this MD audience.
I acknowledge that these old covenant adherents genuinely and sincerely believe that they are holding fast to the "truth once delivered," supposedly most recently through Herbert Armstrong. I well understand how special and unique they feel, for I used to be one of their number for over three decades.
The following is not written in a spirit of meanness or bitterness, but in love and with a deep concern for the welfare of those who have chosen to follow Herbert Armstrongís teachings. As a former devoted and whole-hearted follower of Mr. Armstrong for many years, but one who has in recent years, through much research and study uncovered many unsettling facts, I am driven by the command given us in Ephesians 5:11-13:
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather EXPOSE them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are EXPOSED are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light."
I thoroughly understand your desire to please God and to hold on to those things that appear to be precious truths that a "blinded" world apparently is unable to discern. However, the Bible warns us that from time to time there would arise those who would produce the "unfruitful works of darkness," and that those evil and deceitful works need to be exposed for what they are.
Any time you have a new religious leader popping up on the scene proclaiming new and extra-biblical "facts," that have been "hidden" for centuries, and claiming to be used of God in a way that no other person in the past has been used, that person is a PRIME candidate to have his "fruits" examined. Let's take a closer look at Herbert Armstrong to see if his fruits and teachings can bear up under scrutiny in the light of day. I think it will become apparent that Armstrong was FAR from being the great moral and spiritual leader and bearer of truth that he appeared to be.
Just as it was impossible to forever hide Garner Ted Armstrong's true character (it's been all caught on video at the massage parlor, so that even his most ardent supporters must at times feel like giving themselves a dope-slap), so it has become increasingly hard to deny the facts regarding Herbert Armstrong that are appearing on the internet, etc. These facts can be attested to by hundreds of former WCG ministers and members from the 70ís and 80ís.
Some have written books, others have written heart-rending resignation letters explaining the cover-ups occurring, or made tapes to explain why they were disfellowshipped without being given a chance to reply to charges (such as David Robinson, Jack Kessler, Marion McNair, Charles Hunting, Richard Plache, David Antion, etc.). If it is true, as the Bible states, that a man can be convicted on the testimony of three witnesses, there exists more than enough testimony and witnesses to establish the true character of Mr. Armstrong.
Many higher-level ministers, who are still employed by the WCG and its offshoots, know of these facts. Ask your local pastor about their veracity. If he was one of those in the know, watch him grow very uncomfortable as he tries to give you an answer that wonít be too upsetting! His answer will probably include the standard comparison that King David committed adultery AND murder and was still a man after Godís own heart, and that hopefully Armstrong repented. (But then, David didnít set himself up as a spiritual advisor, nor did he continually repeat his sins after he OPENLY admitted them and repented, did he?) Also, be prepared to be informed that "character doesnít matter Ė itís the MESSAGE," whereas formerly, character was everything!
These truths are getting harder and harder to suppress. The wider availability and use of the internet has given the general public much greater access to research resources, such as Ambassador Report Publications (see www.herbertwarmstrong.com/ar), and to valuable web sites such as David Covington's webpage and the really all inclusive, one-stop-shopping site, "The Painful Truth" (www.herbertwarmstrong.com). And of course, this Missing Dimension website is great for news updates, etc. However, one still has to do careful research to separate fact from fiction, as you cannot assume everything found on all sites is true or even Christian, but much that can be proven is brought to light through these sites and the links they recommend.
The disgusting details of Herbert Armstrong's 10-year incestuous relationship with his daughter Dorothy which occurred even as he received "new truth" from God and was establishing the 1st "true church" in 19 centuries, the misuse of 3rd tithe for jet fuel and the refurbishing of top ministerís homes, his plagiarizing of otherís articles, the firing and disfellowshipping of loyal ministers without even a hearing, etc., are now being laid bare on the internet before the world. It's embarrassing but just maybe we deserved it. We allowed a man to become our authority in place of God. Jesus Christ worked awfully hard and suffered greatly to remove the need for a physical priesthood; the "veil was rent," and so each Christian has direct access to God .
But the HWA approach was to resurrect the priesthood and insert it between God and the Christian. He particularly liked to remind us that we were just so much stinking rotten garbage in Godís sight, unworthy to even draw breath. We dared not rely on our own minds or instincts, as they were inherently evil and not to be trusted. Armstrong convinced us that we couldn't trust other churches, or friends or relatives no one but him as he understood Godís will better than anyone alive. This type of teaching, although great for keeping followers in line, and complaints to a minimum, is deadly to normal, healthy self-esteem. This teaching had the effect, over a period of time, of destabilizing the minds of his followers, and in many, many instances it laid the ground work for problems ranging anywhere from mild anxiety to full-blown psychotic behavior. It can well be summarized in the following descriptive paragraph:
"The membership never feels completely confident in their salvation, but is always left feeling slightly in doubt. They must continually "give more and do more" or risk losing salvation. They feel that God is watching for them to slip up, and is always planning for their next big "test." They believe that God is continually "sifting" them, and looking for weaknesses in their armor. Mentally, they are always in the "gun lap" and find they canít relax. Joy seems elusive. Often, members become quiet, submissive, guilt-ridden, non-thinking, non-creative, depressed, alcoholic, anxious, withdrawn, self-conscious, hopeless, aimless, and have nothing to look forward to in life but the dream outlined by the leaders about the wonderful world tomorrow, which is usually depicted as "just around the corner." They are not enjoying "the peace that passes all understanding" but have become mentally frozen in their religion - rendered unable to function, and yet unable to leave. They are experiencing cultic control or "fear religion " at its best (or worst)."
Herbert Armstrong was able to establish authority over us by showing us "new truths," one being that we were still under the Old Covenant, the New Covenant would not be established until our marriage to the Lamb. Never mind that Hebrews 8:13 tells us: "In that He says, A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete. Now what is obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." (which it did when the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.)
Years later, we were instructed that even if the Old Covenant had been made obsolete, it would have no affect on the Ten Commandments, as these laws have existed from the time of Adam, and therefore were NOT PART of the Old Covenant. Too bad we didnít take the time to do a little research or we might have stumbled across Exodus 34:28, which tells us, "So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the TABLETS the words of the COVENANT, the TEN COMMANDMENTS." And we might have even read Deuteronomy 4:13, which tells us: "And He declared unto you HIS COVENANT, which he commanded you to perform, even TEN COMMANDMENTS; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone."
And chapter 5:3 further verifies that "the Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us." If we had done a little outside reading, we might have realized that following the Ten Commandments strictly doesn't bring righteousness for one can follow them to the letter and be "blameless," even if we HATE our neighbor. Therefore, obviously, there is a higher law of God.
We were led to believe that Armstrong had more of Godís Holy Spirit than anyone on earth and understood prophecy as no one else did. To quote Roderick C. Meredith in "The Inside Story of The World Tomorrow Broadcast," (p. 17): "This is the ONLY Work on earth that really understands . . . the specific meaning of present-day world events, and the EXACT TIME SCHEDULE OF PROPHECY!" This, in spite of over 40 failed prophecies since 1934, including the 1972 disaster ( HWA said it was not his fault - God had to give us more time, as we didnít "sacrifice" enough to get the work done)!
We were told that "getting the work done" is our calling was to pray, pay, and obey so that Godís "true church" could get out to all nations the gospel of the coming tribulation and Christís imminent return. However, nowhere does the Bible say this is our "work." Christ himself states in John 6:29, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
Armstrong loved to quote Matthew 24:14 in support of our commission, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." He told us this was the reason we were called to back him up in the spreading of this gospel. Somehow he never got around to explaining why an angel had the same commission. Rev 14:6 tells us "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue and people, " Thus the above prophecy is fulfilled by an angel, with no mention of us humans being absolutely necessary for its fulfillment. (See Matthew 28 for our commission.)
We believed he was an "apostle", not realizing that to qualify, one must have been taught directly by Christ. We would have done well to consider the words of Rev. 2:2: "I know . . how you can not bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who SAY THEY ARE APOSTLES AND ARE NOT, and have found them liars.."
And nowhere does the Bible tell us that the gospel is the proclaiming of the coming tribulation and the imminent return of Christ. The heart of the gospel is not built on prophecy, no matter how attention-grabbing that prophecy might be, but deals directly with Christ and the "good news" of the salvation his death has assured us upon repentance and faith. Our being prepared for Christís return and entering his kingdom all hinges upon what we do in the here and now.
Speculating on when Christ will return, what the tribulation holds in store, or what our final reward will be like may be interesting, but it is not the gospel and can actually detract from the joy and peace brought by the gospel if it becomes a source of worry and fear. Herbert Armstrong, hopefully unknowingly, taught us "another gospel," which the Bible warns against time and again. A study of all the uses of the word "gospel" in the Bible will verify the subject of the true gospel. (See especially I Corinthians 1:17-18 and 15:1-20)
God holds us accountable for whom we follow and what we believe. He has given us the ability to think, examine, research, study and read opposing views before coming to a final decision (this was frowned upon by HWA as allowing Satan into our minds). God has instructed us to "trust no man" but to prove ALL things as the Bereans did . . . to be careful no one deceives us. We overly trusted one man and only studied his chosen scriptures and believed his interpretations. We built upon sand, and now it is starting to wash away. (Could this explain why there have been well over 100 church split-offs since 1970? When the foundation is faulty, nothing with any real stability can be built upon it!) Why is it that we can see everyone elseís deception but our own? I guess thatís the very DEFINITION of deception!
My prayer is that those of you who are still clinging to Armstrongism will take the time to examine these issues (this may involve doing some further intensive research Ė with an open and prayerful mind), for your own sake and that of your family. After all, the scriptures do admonish us that "he who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him" (Prov 18:13). Maybe, just maybe we've been mired in folly and deception long enough!
Till next time, here's whistlin' at ya! ;o)
Whistler 
This was on Gavin Rumney's original blog, The Missing Dimension in 2003.

14 comments:

  1. This article kicked all the COG's ass. I am going to study my bible

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  2. The ten commandments aren't just mechanical as this article implies. They also include attitudes, and emotions such as hate.

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  3. "These old covenant followers have been taught to focus on the myriad trivial requirements of the old covenant physical laws rather than on the weightier matters of the new covenant eternal law of love."


    From one ditch to the other:


    Eze 33:30 - Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.

    Eze 33:31 - And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

    Eze 33:32 - And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

    Eze 33:33 - And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.


    From the Armstrong legalistic ditch to the protestant licentious ditch.

    Amazing how so many are eager to go from one extreme to the other!

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  4. Armstrongism is hard to define. Of the more than a dozen major splits, and perhaps 100 smaller splinters of 5 to 25 members, not one of them can honestly say that they are just like the WCG under HWA.

    Take Bob Thiel, who claims to be a prophet. Even HWA did not acknowledge such an office.

    Or Pack, with is common, or Flurry with his "social distancing" disfellowshipment policy.

    So HWA picked and chose amongst old covenant laws, or gave them twists, but the successor goops all have done the same thing in picking and choosing from the HWA universe as well!

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  5. Deut 30:11 "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach..."
    1 John 5:3 "Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome."

    Which command was too difficult? Or was it the Armstrongist authoritarian requirements?

    Matt 23:4 "They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."

    Just asking...

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  6. Excellent write up. My hope is for many still within the COG "movement " will see this.

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    1. I wouldn't get any hopes up. It's seventeen years old.

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  7. It is an excellent article and generous of spirit while still pointing out the WCG/HWA wrongs and inconsistencies. It truly saddens me that it would not make a dent in most practicing Armstrongism.

    Anon 5:15 We have been trained to think commands or commandments are the Law. But, Christ speaks of a new commandment and gives many commands and charges.

    John does not say the Law. Which commandments would an apostle of Christ be referring to? Those Christ gave. The Law and the Sinai covenant (Gal. 4) takes a beating in the New Testament. The covenant of the Jerusalem Above contains the commands we are under. This does not slide into licentiousness.

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  8. I think the people in COGWA in some ways will have the toughest time recognizing that their organization is based on wrong principles. In perhaps a majority of instances, those in COGWA are young or youngish professionals where many went to AC or have parents who did or are ministers. The WCG provided many in cogwa with a college degree and those fun college years and friends. Friends you then go to Feasts with and spend more time with.
    This experience was not the case for most in WCG, but for the more rewarded and higher status cogwa member perspective their special experience is what they know. I doubt it occurs to them to consider those hundreds of thousands that walked through WCG doors and were not rewarded with a basically free fun college experience, and for many the ultimate status reward as a minister within the COGs and all the benefits that go with that. What do you say, it is their life. they were mostly born into it and it is what they know. And they were the privileged.
    All COGWA needs to say is discern, don't forget, the church, the truth, and take some warning verses out of context that are in fact referring to gnosticism and you have a sermon that stirs remembrance of all the teachings that are no longer given from the pulpit. It is much easier for the ministry this way as they know if they truly dig into scripture the listeners may truly read the scriptures for what they say and recognize the teaching is faulty. Better to stir the memory of the belief that they know to be true (afterall as 18 or 20 year olds they believe they proved it for themselves, of course under the direction of ministers/instructors and approved articles).
    My prayer is that despite the skewed beliefs they as sincere people are in fact Believers in the Atoning sacrifice that gives grace to the believer.

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  9. It's good that this is out there, though 1:03. The Whistler was verbose, but well informed and fairly effective. I never figured out who he was.

    Bottom line, though, is that most of the people who are still committed to some form of Armstrongism are much like the Jehovah's Witnesses in that they have their group eisegesis memorized, believe that they have arrived at truth, and are impervious to further or deeper education. Like JWs, they will argue even the smallest point forever. It was true back in the day, and it is one of the factors that still keeps members in tow.

    BB

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  10. Earl said, "The WCG provided many in cogwa with a college degree and those fun college years and friends. Friends you then go to Feasts with and spend more time with.
    This experience was not the case for most in WCG, but for the more rewarded and higher status cogwa member perspective their special experience is what they know. I doubt it occurs to them to consider those hundreds of thousands that walked through WCG doors and were not rewarded with a basically free fun college experience, and for many the ultimate status reward as a minister within the COGs and all the benefits that go with that."

    MY COMMENT - BINGO! Nail meet hammer!

    As I have disclosed in the past, I am an Ambassador College reject. Although I felt horrible about it when I was young, today I wear Ambassador College Register William Steger's rejection letter to me like a badge of honor. I thank God for it as I never would have gotten to where I am now in life today as an AC graduate. Instead, I received degrees from the University of Maryland and Drake University. Being rejected from AC at the time along with the failure of the 1972/1975 in prophecy opened the door for me to leave the Worldwide Church of God.

    As an outsider looking in, COGWA seems to be an AC alumni clique. Some of its leaders have origins in my local Washington, D.C. WCG congregation. Britt Taylor was a ministerial assistant and later local elder of the Hagerstown, Md. WCG congregation. I remember him and his first wife. Clyde Kilough's wife Dee (Debbie Finlay) was a friend of mine in Washington, D.C. WCG. She and some of her family members went on to attend AC and can probably be found in COGWA. Somewhere I have an old photo of Debbie and I in front of the world's largest tent taken in 1969 Jekyll Island Feast of Tabernacles.

    Earl's point is right on the money (a pun).

    Richard

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  11. Why assume Whistler was male and not female.

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  12. Anon, April 19, 2020 at 5:19 PM, cited: "...Deut 30:11 "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach..."
    1 John 5:3 "Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome..."

    And then asked: "...Which command was too difficult? Or was it the Armstrongist authoritarian requirements?......Just asking..."
    ******
    So far, only one human being has succeeded to perfectly keep those commandments, so why can't any others do the same?

    "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" Col 2:14

    They are against us. They are contrary to us. How do we know? Everyone keeps dying! It causes us all to die, but it was appointed once for each of us to die.

    Those commandments for any, without God's Spirit guiding and directing one, will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to perfectly keep them.

    Time will tell.

    John

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