It's a day late and a dollar short, but yesterday, July 31, 2025, marked what would have been Herbert W. Armstrong's 133rd birthday. Little did he know the chaos that would follow, as unscrupulous individuals tried to imitate him, leading to the formation of numerous splinter groups. No one could have foreseen the rise of such incredible buffoons and great liars as we see today in figures like Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Bob Thiel, Alton Billingsley, and Ron Weinland.
4 comments:
HWA did mention in a June 1985 Worldwide News article...
"For some years now, there have been some, like vultures, waiting for me to die. They would like to come back and take over the leadership of the
Church in my stead."
Hmmm - prophecy fulfilled?!
Happy birthday Herbie….
Now just imagine if Gerry were President of the USA.
This day would be a national holiday.
And another image would be engraved onto Mount Rushmore………his image.
No not Gerry’s you silly people, but Herbie's lol.
Mine you I’m sure Gerry wouldn’t say no to an effigy of himself on said mountain. Move over Herb.
I suspect even if he had an inkling of things to come he would not care - he enjoyed the fancy suits and plane and fancy everything else. Looking back one wonders what he even achieved
I believe HWA did have some lasting influences, although they might not be the ones for which he hoped.
First, he was unique, in that his background in advertising or marketing is what made him successful as a pioneer televangelist. Also, he influenced mainstresm evangelists by demonstrating the effectiveness of teaching tithing in building an empire with millions of dollars flowing in each year. I had never heard of tithing in my church experiences or through any friendships prior to my family's involvement in Armstrongism. Now, it is a common practice.
Thirdly, his emphasis on a soon coming apocalypse resonated with a handful of other Christian evangelists who were part of the emerging Jesus movement which began in the 1970s. By the 1980s, even President Reagan was stating that he was amongst those who believed we were living in the end times.
I believe HWA also exerted influence in popularizing natural foods, proper exercise, and the avoidance of medications. This is an example of one of the very few possibly "net good" aspects of his life and teachings. Of course, he took the antimedical thing to extreme, and people died as a result.
He was also a voice for extreme conservatism, and influenced the modern conservative movement with his intolerance, and authoritarianism.
But, I still wish I had been an early condom salesman, and had known old Horace back in the 1800s!
BB
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