Armstrongism had a lot of idiotic teachings that were not founded upon any scriptural basis but upon late 19th-century/early 20th-century cultural norms and personal opinions, most of which stemmed from Victorian standards ingrained in the culture here.
The internet is filled with countless websites, blogs, Facebook groups, Reddit pages, Instagram, TicTok, and Rumble accounts that sing praises to Herbert Armstrong and the pre-1986 version of the Worldwide Church of God. The church was pure and untainted before January 16, 1986. Then, the very instant Herbert breathed his last breath Satan entered into the church. Satan was never interested in the church before that or actively seeking to destroy it. The second Herbert died, the demonic realm went into overdrive. After all, Satan is the much-discussed all-powerful god of Armstrongism. God the Father and Jesus were too weak to stop him from destroying the church.
Despite all the numerous sites preserving Herb's writings, there is a new one on the block, as if we need another one!
30 comments:
Look not on the outward appearance. Hmmm, I wonder who said that?
Just wear your best. Doesn't have to be a suit and tie. Folks way back when generally had one or two garments to their name. They wore what they had, and I'm pretty sure it would have been cleaned the day before. Standard "dress wear" in 19th century America would have been overalls with a clean white shirt. Then there is Adam and Eve.....(before the fall)
I've got to give them credit for the honesty of their website title, which makes their perspective clear. However, for greater accuracy they could have added two more words:
Only Armstrong, Not Jesus
The Pharisees understood the power of dress. The "righteous look" can mentally blind many folks to the morally challenged state of these churches.
Obviously these idiots weren't around to experience the fruits of the child-beating booklets. Maybe they don't know what church-induced PTSD and a lifetime of fighting paranoia are all about, either. Did any of them lose a loved one due to belief that doctors are sorcerers? Broken families and poverty because of the anal retentive extremes of the divorce and remarriage doctrine. And remember, Garner Ted was on the rampage starting in the 1950s and Herbie knew it!
What a bunch of puerile fools, The church was a cesspool back then too. It was just a lot easier to maintain a facade! John Trechak blew the roof off all the evil and hypocrisy in the mid-1970's with Ambassador Reports.
One COG congregation in Kansas City has a regular attendee who's worn a Travis Kelce jersey to services.
The Pastor did not walk him out the door for it. In fact, that Pastor accepts the fact that he "needs to be in church."
If it's "Only Armstrong" does that mean no God, no Jesus, no Apostle Paul, no Bible, just Armstrong idolisation?
The title of this post doesn't match the ancient context. Even 1984 is another world long gone. It's irrelevant now to blame Herbert Armstrong for everything it takes away personal responsibility and creates a never ending whirling tornado of negativity. Stepping in and out of the tornado at will is going to achieve what exactly?
I'm not sure the website is that slick. Click on "Other Publications" and the browser tab itself is named "Classes | Hindu Temple".
I'm not sure the website is that slick. Click on "Other Publications" and the browser tab itself is named "Classes | Hindu Temple".
Maybe they should rebrand as "Only Armstrong and Hoeh" ?
All I know, is that when I went to Hawaii decades ago for a feast, and found out all they had to do was wear a aloha shirt at service, I was a bit upset. Going back to the mainland having to wear suits in the heat during the summer!!! I mean Hawaii is in America, so what's the problem headquarters?
There is a little church out in Eugene, Oregon who's "pastor" has written in letters to its members, that he cannot use a baptized member for prayer if they do not wear a suit and tie. This "pastor" has done nothing but focus on physical outward appearance on everything from hair length, beard length, how you have your beard and mustache groomed, the types of clothes you have to wear inside and outside of church, hair die, jewelry, nails, types of ties you can wear, etc...that list goes on and on, yet very little if any attention to the spiritual. I feel very sorry, but still pray that they will wake up over there and walk out the door.
Clothing?
The Taliban have it nailed.
Women, Burkas, in black only and segregated from men.
And silent.
Men, long beards only, no trimming. Anything permitted as long as you follow the party line. No hard questions. AK47 optional.Turbans preferred.
Kiss the pastor’s cheeks, or mullahs cheeks, both, Sounds familiar lol.
11.03 am. Blaming Herbert Armstrong is still relevant. As in all dysfunctional abusive family systems, the victims never fully recover. Herb's members have been permanently harmed. And not forgetting, he left behind his mini-me splinters.
Stepping out a church of god splinter group and into another church of god splinter group is also like a tornado. Sorry, but...
@Anonymous September 8, 2024 at 5:25:13 AM PDT
So is there wiggle room when you say "wear your best?" Can it be just my "pretty good"? If I have 4 suits and a tuxedo, with the tux being the best of them all, do I have to wear the tuxedo every Sabbath? Or is there wiggle room and I can wear one of the almost-but-not-quite best suits? If I have 10 neckties, with 8 of them purchased from thrift stores and two Italian silk neckties acquired brand new at the Feast last year, do I need to try to wear only those two new ones the rest of the year, since they are by far the best of the bunch?
To the original website article: When we come into the presence of God it says we have to wear our best, so does that mean we have to wear the same every day when we pray to God in his presence at our homes, or is that different?
If Moses had to remove his shoes in the the presence of God, should we do the same?
Why doesn't the below scripture have any correction directed toward the poor people who come to services with dirty clothes but only for those who come to services in their best? Is it not common for the spirit of this passage to be violated regularly in the COGs, and in fact by the article from Harmstrong?
James 2:1-4 My brothers, do not let your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be tainted by favoritism. Suppose a man wearing gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in. If you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Please take this seat," but you say to the poor man, "Stand over there" or "Sit on the floor at my feet," then you will have made false distinctions among yourselves and will have judged from evil motives, will you not?
Can I wear my sackcloth and ashes to Armstrongite sabbath services?
It is right there for the eye to see, yet these men still try to make it look like they are whited sepulchres on the outside. So many dead mans bones on the inside.
Yes, but you have to stand over ther
Not if your walking humbly with Jesus Christ.
Ha! I have actually had to literally sit on the floor as I wasn't permitted a chair inside a church circle seating arrangement. Roughly went on about 18 months or so.
Whistling on the way to work, and in the fields, smiles, and suits, and short hair and - of course - the Pullman carriage, such was the apostles measure of things being good in the good old days. .
And it’s downright sickening seeing the fawning adulation Only Armstrong - as if that sets things right with God
Far from the truth and a sorry thing to behold.
"Best" doesn't mean "dressiest" or "fanciest". Simply wear your cleanest, least threadbare clothing. In some places wearing a tux would be seen as being a showoff. God is fully aware of your circumstances. Not everyone can afford dry cleaning every week. Some have difficulty affording the laundromat. Let your dress reflect your heart.
If I could afford $5000 suits but lived in an area where the best the people could do was Dickies and flour sack dresses I would dress accordingly. Church is not a fashion show.
Dear Anonymous Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 6:02:00 AM PDT
Thanks for adding the additional, yet necessary, complications. Because "how you dress for Church could keep you out of the Kingdom," according to the Worldwide News, I would say it's worth sussing out. Since you mention, "in some places," are your comments based solely on cultural norms, or on absolute Bible passages and principles? I'm okay with the former, which is how I make clothing decisions every day, and we can end the conversation here. But if the latter, please explain further, including how you have such clear insight into the mind of God as it concerns clothing, as I may have to answer to the Creator of the Universe for what I wear, seeing that He would be very concerned about it, and my eternal disposition may be impacted by my wardrobe choices.What if I wear my tuxedo, honestly not trying to showoff, but I am mistakenly seen as being a showoff by wearing it? If God knows I'm trying to honor him with my formal wear, can I tell the other congregants to pound stones?
I'm sorry to belabor the topic, but do I need to seek counsel from the elders with a specific question I have regarding a pair of $150 Linen blue jeans I own, as to their appropriateness to the mind of God, or can you give a quick answer on that? Note there is not a bare thread on these blue jeans and they are really clean, not at all fancy or dressy, but definitely some of my best pants. If these jeans should not be worn to Church, what is the reason? Is it because doing so would incur the wrath of the Creator of the Universe, or because it would be less socially acceptable in the presence of fellow attendees? FYI, for cultural context, I live in middle-class US Midwest suburbia, where women frequently wear pants to Church, please advise accordingly.
probably best not to attend any of these Armstrong churches given the background of false preaching (and I don't only mean prophecies here I refer also to many doctrines) and false assertions only they are the one true church. The record of harm over many decades is evidence enough.
Outside of 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3-4 , I don't think how we dress at Sabbath services is stressed that much in the bible. I wonder is shirt/tie dress going to matter, during the Great Tribulation, Heavenly Signs, Day of the Lord end of the world timeframe like during the place of safety.
Clothes were not even part of the original creation until Adam and Eve sinned. Seems like garments are an artificial construct God implimented for mankind. Most of us use them to fit in with those in our own social strata, to avoid being marginalized.
I.E., if you do not wear a suit and tie, you're not one of us
You could say that clothing is our scarlet letter.
Perfect conditions for humans existed only in the Garden. Adam and Eve would not have lasted long in the outside world naked. Heat, cold, thorns, thistles, biting insects, and whatever else was out there would have brought about their demise rather quickly.
God sacrificed some animals and made clothing for them. He is merciful even when we are sinners.
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