Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Bobby Fischer: Chess Grand Master, WCG Celebrity, And His Journey Across The Tiber

 Armstrongism has had a few high-profile members over the years and two of its most known members were Dan Truhitte of The Sound of Music who played Rolf and chess Grand Master, Bobby Fischer. both of these men were exploited by the church due to their celebrity status. Garner Ted Armstrong used Truhitte in the America Listen's Campaign and the church exploited Bobby Fischer for his money and his fame.

There was an article released the other day on the Church Militant website about Bobby Fischer. It is really well written and covers a lot about Fischer I had never heard before particularly Fischer's end-of-life journey.

The article starts off with this:

"It appears that the greatest avatar of chess mastery that the world has ever known (and that, perhaps, it will ever know), the man with an intelligence quotient that dwarfed Albert Einstein's, the indigent Brooklyn-prodigy-turned-unlikely-Cold-War-hero, former world chess champion Robert James Fischer "crossed the Tiber" and converted to Catholicism in the final days of his life.

The story of Bobby Fischer's remarkable rise, enigmatic disappearance and tragic fall is one that has, for decades, captivated chess fans and chess muggles alike. It's an epic that continues to vex the world because of its sheer inimitability: There's simply nothing like the Fischer story anywhere to be found in the annals of sporting history. And now, it looks as if the legend of Fischer, once widely supposed to have resolved in bitter ignominy, ended on a note of utmost felicity — with his dying in the bosom of God's one true Church.

Perhaps the primary reason that so many sympathize with Fischer's story (aside from their admiration for his unparalleled genius on the chessboard and his lasting contributions to the theory of the game) is that, despite the disadvantageous circumstances that he was born into, he seemed to be — even during the periods of his life in which he proved to be loudly and painfully misguided (and there were many) — a sincere seeker of truth and a stickler for principle."

After a well researched and description of his life as the son of a poor Jewish mother where he got his first chess set at the age of 6, to the point he entered into the Worldwide Church of God, we get to this:

After living an arduous and austere life in an "almost monastic pursuit of the world championship" (to quote Fischer biographer Frank Brady), Bobby wanted to pursue his religious studies — he was a member of a fundamentalist church, the Worldwide Church of God, which he had given $60,000 of his world championship purse — and to meet a girl and fall in love (Frank Brady, Endgame: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall — From America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness (New York: Crown Publishing, 2011), 205)."

And then this: 

While he began his chess sabbatical with the high-minded ideals of growing in faith and seeking vocation, such noble intentions were soon derailed by the harsh realities of life in a post-edenic world. Bobby had long proudly carried the banner of the Worldwide Church of God, observing its tenets, bankrolling its coffers, even speaking frequently of the impending "Rapture" per its queer doctrines. But his faith in his church was irreparably damaged when "prophecies" about a 1972 second coming of Christ made by the church's founder, Herbert W. Armstrong, proved to be false. Fischer, realizing that he had been hoodwinked, delivered a searing invective:

The real proof for me were those prophecies ... that show to me that [Armstrong] is an outright huckster. ... I thought, "This doesn't seem right. I gave all my money. Everybody has been telling me this [about apocalyptic events that were to unfold in 1972] for years. And now, he's half-denying he ever said it, even when I remember him saying it a hundred times." … If you talk about fulfillment of prophecy, he is a fulfillment of Elmer Gantry. If Elmer Gantry was the Elijah, Armstrong's the Christ of religious hucksters. There is no way he could truly be God's prophet. Either God is a masochist and likes to be made a fool of, or else Herbert Armstrong is a false prophet. 
 
So Fischer, disenchanted with the version of Christianity he long supposed to be true, began groping for meaning elsewhere, eventually straying into irreligion altogether. Nature, it is said, abhors a vacuum.

The article then goes on to describe his descent into atheism (due to his association and exploitation by the WCG) and then into his publicized anti-semitism. It then describes him meeting up with a man who once again sparks his interest in God. The article ends with this:

However, in his final days, Fischer played one last gambit, a curious move that seems to suggest that — maybe, just maybe — he found his way back home to the Barque of Peter: Fischer requested, according to officials from the Catholic Church of Iceland, that he be "buried as a Catholic." On Monday, Jan. 21, 2008, under the unrelenting blackness of the northern winter sky, Bobby Fischer's broken body was lowered into the frozen earth, in a funeral attended by five people. In accord with his last wishes, a French Catholic priest, Fr. Jakob Rolland, presided over the humble ceremony, commending Fischer's soul to its Maker and, hopefully, to the eternal light of the beatific vision. 
 
While we may never definitively know if Fischer officially became Catholic, he, at the very least, fit the bill for a baptism of desire. While God binds Himself to His sacraments, He is not bound by the sacraments, and He can confer salvation — by means understood by the Divine Mind alone — on those who, by no fault of their own, die without formal incorporation into the Church. The illustrious St. Thomas Aquinas himself tells us that "when a man wishes to be baptized but by some ill chance he is forestalled by death before receiving baptism," he "can obtain salvation without being actually baptized, on account of his desire." 
 
If I were a betting man (and I am), I'd wager that Fischer found his way, at long last, into the one true Church. And, if that's the case, the patroness of chess, St. Teresa of Avila, better watch out: There's a pretty daunting new act in town.

The article is fascinating in the covering of the life of Bobby Fischer that I have not seen in other articles about the man. The article can be found here:

THE REDEMPTION OF CHESS LEGEND BOBBY FISCHER

 

31 comments:

  1. I remember as a kid my dad bragging about Fischer being a Worldwide member and then he was gone. He nailed HWA as possibly the biggest fraud and FALSE PROPHET of the 20th century. Not only was he a false prophet, but was a destroyer of people's faith and their lives, starting with that of his own children. Anyone with any ounce of the ability to tell the truth will admit most of GTA's issues were the result of his having endured HWA as his father. Jack Kessler was correct in saying that HWA was one of the most selfish men to have ever existed. HWA apologists such as Flurry & others will never admit this, it seems their whole basis for existence is dependent on HWA.

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    1. Exactly. HWA lived in a mansion while preaching the ruinous 1975 as fact, even though he knew it was speculation. I've come to the conclusion that his constant pounding of "outgoing concern" is him trying to extort from others what he knew he didn't deserve.

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    2. Memories of FHWA(Fat Herbert double you Armstrong)and his Sonny Boy Garter Tird Armstrong

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  2. It is also my understanding that Fischer also became extremely anti Semitic in his later years.

    Time after time, kids who are thrust into a professional , high profile career at an early age, oftentimes have very dysfunctional lives. Whether it be sport, movies/television, or in this case , Chess.

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    1. Better tell that to your pal who idolizes such a lifestyle Tonto.

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    2. And eats a lot of Ben &Jerry's ice creem

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  3. Thanks for bringing our attention to this excellent article.

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  4. You will find a story on Bobby's years at AC in the Ambassador Report.

    In the mid-70s a story about Bobby and the WCG appeared in a local newspaper and the WCG pastor thought he should embellish the tale. He thought the Fischer incident was one of the biggest misadventures of the WCG. The pastor mentioned "getting girls" for Bobby, and made a point he liked ladies who wore "big sweaters".

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  5. I'll believe this until proven/shown otherwise: HWA with a vehement countenance and spouting what appears to be the truth but is not, shall arise. His power shall be mighty but not by his own power, and he shall corrupt to an extraordinary degree, and prosper (!!), and do his thing, and shall corrupt numerous people of the saints (in a church). Through his policy he shall cause deceit to prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart (by calling himself God's apostle) and during a time of peace shall corrupt many......taken from Dan 8:12, 23-25.

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  6. "outgoing concern"

    That's what brings them in and keeps them in, fear.
    What the COGs need are celebrity-status people interested in their splinter. And with WCG notables, we mustn't forget Bob Kuhn, who has no problem in omitting his sidestep into the WCG from his accomplishments.
    With our own Bob, [Thiel] he continues to push out fear-based articles with little or no "Gospel". Somehow I don't think he'd care for a celebrity to be interested in his group.

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  7. The best one was when Bobby was throwin-down on Herb/wcg-nazis in A.R. interview.
    He has a way words.

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  8. Tkach went out of his way to deny that Bobby Fischer ever was a MEMBER of WCG.
    Of course he did contribute and I conversed with a couple of "youngsters" from Imperial who did play chess with him often at home!

    nck

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  9. A high intelligence level doesn't protect against emotional deception. I can attest to that fact because I scored high enough that Dean Jack Elliott wouldn't tell me my score. I was a deluded fool for two long decades and it took several decades more to get to the rational atheist understanding I have today. I look back and find it hard to believe how dumb I really was way back then.

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    1. Allen
      How do explain to yourself the existence of the laws of physics and chemistry? Why are the 35 universal constants just right for the existence of life. If you change the atomic weight of a neutron even slightly, there can be no suns and no light.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous 1:29 PM
    I totally agree. Humans now have the ability to prove Romans 1 challenge to look at God's creation and experience the amazing design that's all around us. Real science, with out doubt proves there is a designer. The problem people have is projecting the flaws of humans on to their Creator(s), and with the history of man made crazy religions, its easy to understand why most have doubt about their real God. If you want real faith you need to first prove God's existence. And as never before, we have the tools and available information to do it.

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  11. To 7:32 AM

    Wow, so HWA lived in a mansion, so what???

    I lived in a mansion for 2 years.
    I went to classes in a mansion for 4 years.
    My wife and I were married in a mansion.
    I learned to swim in a mansion’s swimming pool.
    I went to the student lounge often in a mansion.
    I visited in mansions occupied by college faculty. Did anyone ever ask if the occupants living in them paid any rent?
    All during 4 years I ate my meals in a mansion.
    And more, as did all AC students.
    Those mansions were all owned by AC or the church, and were bought at a big discount compared to worth. Those mansions were not owned by the ones who got to live in them. So, yes, So What? Jealously is strong enough to warp other emotions.

    All made up grumping over pure biased atheistic thinking. Sad.

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    1. One of these days, you'll say something actually useful, but I'm not holding my breath.

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    2. 9.57 AM
      You've talked past my point. Herb lived in luxury while many members lives were seriously harmed by his 1975 teaching. Some made foolish economic/educational/medical decisions because of this false teaching. Others members gave all their wealth to the church. Some singles stopped looking for a mate. Yet you only harp on a technicality.

      You trivialize mansions by ignoring that ownership is primarily consumption. Which is why HWA had most things legally in the churches name while his snout was in these goodies.

      Btw, thousands left the church after the 1975 fiasco for good reason.
      Any person who respects or talks up HWA must be morally challenged.

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  12. To 1:38

    Your kindness is overwhelming, thanks.

    Oh, by the way how did that negate my statement?

    It didn’t.

    Again, thanks again for proving the Bible is true.

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    1. Don't have to negate anything. That pointless diatribe was negated immediately after you typed it.

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  13. To 1:38
    And everyone else.

    You asked for it.

    Atheists attack the Worldwide Church of God (along with others)

    “… and another from Australia titled The Bible Contradicts Itself by John Bowden. The latter was assembled by the author to attack one particular church (Herbert Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God) which is now about defunct.” P. V, Jon G. Murray, The Bible Handbook, c. 1983, 1986, American Atheist Press

    “Prominent in these fields of activity is an organization styling itself “The Radio Church of God.” Which in addition to distributing printed matter, literally by the ton, brodcasts nightly from some 300 radio stations, covering every continent — except Antarctica!
    The founder and chief propagandist of this church is one Herbert W. Armstrong, who lets it be known that he has ‘more knowledge and understanding of the Bible than anyone (else)on earth.” [this evidently really irritated the atheists. Look at how many ended up on campus to help destroy the WCG.] p. 309, John Bowden, c.1968

    There’s more. Right before my wife and I left Pasadena in 1967/8 there was an influx of new members and students who were not the normal type who came before, and strange things began to occur on campus that was very disturbing to us at the time. Then chaos hit. Thankfully we were gone before that part. There was a deliberate plan to bring down the church and it worked. Divide and conquer. Look at the results around you.

    And all along you thought it was just “old Herbie” and his son. Sorry, it goes much deeper than that.

    “May you live in interesting times.”

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    1. So, these strawmen you continually rant about, is their grasp of continuity as poor as yours, or do you just run in circles babbling to your imaginary friends?

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    2. 3.29 PM
      When I started attending services in the late 1970s, my minister complained from the pulpit about new members being inferior to previous waves. This seems like normal operating procedure and parallels drill sergeants treatment of new recruits.

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  14. 3:47

    Your non-proof biased attempt at negating anything only negates your uninformed bias. Well done. Oh, how did you earn the position of posting for everyone else who thrive on rumor, heresay, and blatant lies?

    Don’t forget, there’s more.

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  15. Why would anyone need to "negate' what was automatically negated when you authored it? There's a guy over on Ninth Street in his underwear right now who smokes crystallized wasp spray and insists the KGB is watching him. Obviously he's impaired, so people don't typically argue with his commentary. Sounds like you've been the center of a similar phenomenon for too long.

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  16. Anonymous July 27 at 1:29 PM asked Allen Dexter:

    "How do explain to yourself the existence of the laws of physics and chemistry? Why are the 35 universal constants just right for the existence of life. If you change the atomic weight of a neutron even slightly, there can be no suns and no light."

    Using the same logic as yours, that's not even the most amazing thing. How can the temperature laws be tuned so that, when a Fahrenheit thermometer is thrust into boiling water, it reads 212 degrees, yet a Celcius thermometer paradoxically reads exactly one hundred degrees? Got to be supernatural, no?

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    1. Prof
      I don't get your point. Two different temperature scales. So what?

      Delete
  17. I don’t understand how a person who uses logic, science, reason, common sense, etc., as all atheists and others claim to have, cannot ever see the big picture. Thus, they always have to have every single little detail explained to them in excessive wording. Having a brilliant mind doesn’t seem to help them. Ok, details we shall have.

    Anonymous said...
    9.57 AM

    You've talked past my point.

    [No, I talked right at your point to show how unimportant and trivial and off base it was.You totally missed the point that there were real other more serious reasons.]

    Herb lived in luxury while many members lives were seriously harmed by his 1975 teaching.

    [His teaching and housing is used as an excuse for not taking self responsibility. Was it a problem. Of course, but is not the major problem the atheists and grumps keep overlooking.]

    Some made foolish economic/educational/medical decisions because of this false teaching. Others members gave all their wealth to the church. Some singles stopped looking for a mate. Yet you only harp on a technicality.

    [of course, those things happened, but not to everyone in the church. Some took responsibility and checked to see if these things were true. They found and heeded the warnings that started coming, that it was not time.

    As to a technicality, wow, you actually picked up on something. You just admitted I had something. Thanks. Why didn’t you pursue it, and ask about the things that were happening at college that you guys never see?]

    You trivialize mansions by ignoring that ownership is primarily consumption. Which is why HWA had most things legally in the churches name while his snout was in these goodies.

    [Absolutely not. I did not trivialize mansions. I trivialized your use of mansions as an excuse to attack Herbert Armstrong. He was the least of the problems which you keep ignoring. Just as you ignore why those mansions were owned by the church and not Armstrong or the ministry. But, you like to make it look that way.]

    Btw, thousands left the church after the 1975 fiasco for good
    reason.

    [Wow, and you think I didn’t know that? You seem to forget, as I have explained, my wife and I left in 1978. But we didn’t use fake excuses.]

    Any person who respects or talks up HWA must be morally challenged.

    [What nonsense. Any person who disrespects or talks down HWA with false and weak reasons to excuse their own lacks is morally challenged.]
    ——————————————
    Now, we could continue with discussions on what were the some dozens of real reasons the Worldwide collapsed, and the things still going on today.
    “May you continue to live in interesting times.”

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    1. 2.28 PM
      You keep blaming the victims and whitewashing Herb.

      "..and heeded the warnings that started coming that it (ie, 1975) was not true."

      1975 has often been debated on this blog, but I don't recall anyone claiming that there were warnings about it not being true. With a tyrannical, controlling ministry, how could there have been warnings? From whom? Thousands left because they were seriously harmed by this lie. I doubt that they were warned about it being false. You leaving in 1978 implies that you were taken in as well.
      No one likes white washers.

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  18. July 29 at 11:08 PM says:

    "Prof
    I don't get your point. Two different temperature scales. So what?"

    Yeah, I didn't do that comment very well, did I? I was trying to imply that both scales were the main goal of the Creator's plan from the beginning, and that he designed temperature so that it would fulfill the plan, instead of the obvious case that the scales were devised afterwards. I was poking fun (well, trying to unsuccessfully) at the idea that everything in the universe was planned for the purpose of accommodating life, whereas it could just as well be the other way roundz: the universe has certain properties, and if life develops within it, it must necessarily fit, whether the result is intentional or not.

    If you'd like a similar bit of snark--one that succeeds--try this from Douglas Adams, *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*:

    "This is rather as if you imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in — an interesting hole I find myself in — fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!'"

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  19. Anonymous said...
    2.28 PM
    You keep blaming the victims and whitewashing Herb.
    [Thank you once again for misrepresenting what I write. This kind of response is an attempt to put down the opposition. It won’t and doesn’t work.]

    "..and heeded the warnings that started coming that it (ie, 1975) was not true."

    1975 has often been debated on this blog,

    [Yes, I know, and most of it is inaccurate and posted by those with a big axe to grind, or who weren’t around at the time, or in the right place.]

    but I don't recall anyone claiming that there were warnings about it not being true.

    [Of course you don’t recall, which implies you weren’t there when these things began to come to light and began to be questioned. And, began to filter out.]

    With a tyrannical, controlling ministry, how could there have been warnings? From whom?

    [Well, first off your description as a tyrannical ministry is absurd, and a typical biased hype to make one sound authoritative. There were too many over enthusiastic young ministers and some older ministers. They were also too over protective of the members.
    From whom? Let’s see, from sermons, personal discussions, class subjects with Herbert Armstrong, Garner Ted, Rod Meredith, David Jon Hill, Herman Hoeh, and sermonettes from others.]

    Thousands left because they were seriously harmed by this lie.

    [You are kidding, right. Your spin on things is a lot of today’s misunderstandings. That teaching was not a lie, those at the college believed it, and acted according to their belief. But, it turned out as they looked deeper, it turned out to be wrong. So, it was changed. You have to understand, my friend, these folks were just like you, they were NOT prophets, false or real.Just like you and me, we study and teach what we discover until proven otherwise.Then we change.]

    I doubt that they were warned about it being false. You leaving in 1978 implies that you were taken in as well.
    No one likes white washers.

    [Your DOUBT is not proof of anything. It is just your opinion. The warnings were done. The main reason for the great “exodus” of 1975 was deeper than a miscalled 1975 understanding.
    Our leaving in 1978 implies nothing of the sort. Learn to speak with facts, not bias, opinion, or personal preference.]

    Stop looking at the propaganda here and elsewhere and start looking at those who came in and started corrupting the church from the inside with a deliberate plan to destroy. And stop propagating the nonsense that was created to cover up the inside destruction from outsiders who crept in. Too many today have let themselves be totally overcome by what I’ve labeled OETV. That is Over Educated TUNNEL VISION.
    OETV is what causes the constant false criticism. There is more to this whole thing than the atheists want to see, and the grumps. They are blinded by their OETV.

    Life is good, Eternal Life is better, it just keeps hanging around.]
    August 1, 2021 at 12:57 AM

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