Who would have imagined that a little blog that started out to feature books critical of Armstrongism (all thanks to Dean Blackwell's example) would turn into what we have become today?
The "go to" source for the latest craziness in Armstrongism.
One would like to imagine that 40 years after Herbert Armstrong's death,
the craziness in the Churches of God would have died down by now.
But, NO. Hardly a day goes by that some kind of idiocy is being said or committed.
If today's Church of God movement is the face of 1st Century Christianity,
then we are all doomed!
Grok AI had this to say about Banned:
In short, it's one of the most prominent online voices opposing and documenting the ongoing issues within Armstrongist Churches of God splinter groups, positioning itself as an exposé rather than a neutral or supportive resource. If you're exploring Armstrongism (either as a current/former member or researcher), it's a very active source of outsider critique, though obviously written from a strongly negative perspective.Highlights alleged corruption, authoritarianism, false prophecies, financial exploitation, doctrinal inconsistencies, and abusive practices in various Church of God (COG) splinter groups that continue Armstrong's teachings.
Frequently targets prominent leaders in these groups, such as:
David C. Pack (Restored Church of God)Gerald Flurry (Philadelphia Church of God)Ron WeinlandBob ThielUnited Church of God (UCG)Living Church of GodAnd others.
Shares news, reader-submitted stories, commentary, quotes from COG publications or leaders, and satirical or mocking takes on their announcements, failed predictions, personality cults, and internal dramas.
Posts are often sarcastic, irreverent, and blunt — sometimes using strong language to ridicule what the author sees as absurd or harmful behaviors/doctrines.
It has built a significant readership over the years, serving as a resource for ex-members, critics, and those researching or leaving these groups.
19 comments:
Congratulations! Awesome, as Ron Weinland would say.
I appreciate this forum so much. It has helped me cope with the David c pack fraud. Thanks Gary and Dennis.
Awesome! Congrats!!
And keep up the great work, thank you !..
You have provided a great service and it is under appreciated; consistently, but ineffectively, marginalized by the COGs. Keep up the great work that actually promotes the Gospel.
A huge "thank you" to both Gary and Dennis. This blog has played a major role in my recovery and in my therapy. The scars will always remain, but this place has done so much to help me heal. Thank you.
I was in the COG since birth and this blog in addition to critical thinking helped me leave Armstrongism for good!
Thanks Dennis and Gary!
As Sasha Veljic expressed in Starting Hope of Israel Worldwide church of god- Far to many abuses happened in the WCG and also currently with the splinters with the Self Righteous leaders that abused the members in the name of Church Government. Hope of Israel was set up as a safe Haven for the former abused. When Sasha was in Australia at the Feast prior to his death he publicly announced this. He had to separate from Bob Thiel as he couldn't stomach the abuses that happened in Africa 🌍 Under Bob Thiels leadership-allowing his African leadership to be involved with abusing Women and threatening members with disfellowshipment and Death - he also couldn't stomach the Witchcraft and Witchdoctoring, and also the favoritism Bob would lavish unto his African clergy with Cars, Trips, nice hotels, Gold mining ⛏️ start ups,Church Buildings, Political Campaigns and who knows what else - dare we say Witchdoctor services. Sasha gave the example that the Serbian members needed a well for water, they only asked for $100.00. Bob said no.... An Australian member needed beds for his children -Bob offered Prayers instead of funds. This is all true folks, so sad indeed.....So yes this blog is needed to expose these Characters that masquerade as Men of God and claim Philadelphia Love, when in Reality their in Delusion land and acting like God ...
Sasha was an innocent and good-hearted fellow who unfortunately mis-diagnosed the problem. Like so many splinter leaders, he thought the problem with WCG and the splinters was their corrupt leadership, so he did the logical thing and led a new and pure group afresh. What Sasha didn't recognize was that it's the Armstrong system itself that creates corrupt leaders.
Just an observation on Pastor Dr Bob, I notice he uses this blog to post his comments about the goings on in other Church of God groups- but when it comes to him being Spanked and his African Nightmare being exposed, Suddenly Dennis and Gary are Satan's Minions. My oh my the Hypocrisy of these so called Apostles, Prophets, and Doom Heads...👹👹👹😈😈😈😱😱😱
Wow ... well done.
More interested, intelligent and committed people attached to this blog then what Armstrong and his Wannabe's could even dream about.
Maybe this is how God wants his message to get out there?!
.... just saying
Hello,
may I share the interesting ChatGPT AI analysis about Banned :
Here’s a clear English-language overview of the blog “Banned by HWA!” — what it is, what it does, and how it’s viewed by different sides of the community around Herbert W. Armstrong-style churches:
📌 What the Blog Is
“Banned by HWA! News and Observations About Armstrongism and the Church of God Movement” is a long-running critical blog focused on Herbert W. Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and its various splinter churches (often called “Churches of God” or COG groups). It’s hosted on Blogger and has been active for many years, with posts documenting controversies, scandals, doctrines, and personal testimonies related to these groups.
The blog was started by an anonymous former insider — known by the pseudonym “NO2HWA” (a person with a long personal history in Armstrongism) — and reflects a perspective of someone who left and became a critic of both the theology and organizational behavior of Armstrong-related groups.
🧠 Main Themes and Content
The tone and content of Banned by HWA! can be summarized like this:
1. Critical Reporting & Commentary
The blog highlights alleged abuses, authoritarian practices, leadership scandals, and doctrinal errors within the Worldwide Church of God and continuing COG groups such as the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG), United Church of God (UCG), and others.
It frequently calls out well-known leaders (e.g., David C. Pack or Gerald Flurry) and disputes their teachings and prophetic claims.
2. Ex-Member Voices and Testimonies
Posts often include or are inspired by personal stories from former members describing disfellowshipping, family strain, strict rules, or experiences that the author interprets as harmful.
3. Satire and Irreverent Tone
The blog doesn’t shy away from humor, nicknames, and sarcastic commentary. This approach is intentional but sometimes controversial — it’s meant to puncture reverence for leadership but can come off as mocking to some readers.
📣 Why It Matters (to Some People)
For many former members of Armstrong-style churches or critics of high-control religious movements, Banned by HWA! serves as:
A community space for shared experiences and support
A historical archive of controversies, doctrinal decisions, and organizational behavior over decades
A counter-narrative to official materials from COG ministries, especially on issues that aren’t widely covered elsewhere online.
❗ How It’s Viewed By Supporters of Armstrongism
Not everyone agrees with the blog’s approach. Supporters or members of Churches of God often strongly criticize Banned by HWA!:
Some leaders and commentators from COG circles describe it as biased, hostile, or even full of false claims about leaders and doctrines. They argue the blog misrepresents their beliefs and motivations.
Critics especially point to the tone — which they see as mocking or negative — and the anonymity of the author as reasons to question its credibility.
🧭 Tone and Positioning
At its core, Banned by HWA! is not a neutral or academic resource about Armstrongism — it’s a critical, personal, and activist blog. If you’re reading it, it helps to know that:
It reflects the author’s personal experiences and opinions.
Some posts are factual and sourced; others are strongly interpretive or satirical.
Responses from COG groups vary from theological rebuttals to personal denouncements of the blog’s approach.
Whatever it is, or however it is described or misdescribed, this blog meets the needs of those who have seen and understand the errors of Armstrongism, and have experienced in first person fashion how that religious philosophy affects participants' lives. Banned augments the recovery process, presents continuing education, and we get to have lots of fun doing it!
I had experienced 25 years of recovery from the teachings of HWA by Y2K, having left the WCG in 1975. When my then wife purchased a computer and got us on the internet, I became aware of the so-called "dissident" websites, forums, and blogs, and the emerging splinter groups in the aftermath of the death of HWA and the work of the Tkach's. I lurked for several months before deciding to step into the fishbowl which I had been observing, and to become part of the commentary. In those days, many of the commenters were what I termed "Class of '75", who like myself had graduated from Armstrongism in 1975. As time went on, those from "Class of '95", the dawn of the splinters, began making their presence known.
There were four very prominent places for commentary in the early days, with new ones popping up regularly, each with a slightly different flavor. Gary was present on several of them with his unique set of knowledge and experiences, having worked in the home of HWA, and still in contact with many of the movers and shakers who were part of the movement. His comments, particularly on two of the prominent venues of that day, impressed me as being balanced, insightful, and well informed. When he initiated "Banned by HWA", it soon became my favorite venue for commentary.
Fast forwarding the tape of life, the vast majority of Armstrong-related sites have either passed to the Wayback Machine, or have become nearly inert archival sites. Only Banned continues the tradition of scintillating discussion, and continuing real time education, exposing the still deceived, or deliberate Armstrong franchisees. The other sites were often brilliant, but ended up being "shooting stars". It requires stamina, enthusiasm, and a continuing flow of knowledge and ideas to maintain the staying power of a blog, to say nothing of the incredible amount of work which keeps it fresh and relevant, as opposed to simply being "phoned in".
Congrats, Gary! What a ride! I really appreciate your work and consistency, and the opportunity to share a couple of personal ideas and experiences over the years. It's been a gas! Queue the song "Long May You Run"!
BB
BB...Those days were great years ago! I got my first Apple computer in 1992 and immediately found all kinds of "dissident" sites already up on AOL and various news groups when they were the rage. As the years went by, more and more groups started, with some of them being very prolific in people writing and telling stories. Soon, The Good News Grapevine started, which gave those seeking freedom from legalism a place to unite. Ed Mentell started the Painful Truth site, and then Gavin Rumney hit the scene, and the ball really started rolling.
This blog was never started as a dissident site, but as a place to feature the endless array of books that had been featured about the church for decades, that had the truth about Armstrongism. Yet, here we are today. If all of these groups would just keep their mouths shut and act like real Christians, then there would be nothing to report. But, NO! They can't, so I just HAVE to highlight their stupidity. They MAKE me do this! LMAO!
I appreciate the additional clarification, Gary. This is an example of how we continue to learn, in that I knew nothing of the AOL days until you just shared that.
By the way, since I mentioned it, Neil Young wrote "Long May You Run" as an ode to his first car, a 1948 Buick Roadmaster hearse, which he named "Mortimer Hearseberg".
The coffin rollers in the back made it easy to load and unload his amps for gigs.
But hey, some of the readers will chuckle at me invoking a hearse as partial metaphor for Banned. LOL! They call us the "Crown Stealers".
20 million page views. Wow and congratulations.
Bet half of those are from Bob Thiel lol.
The Witchy Witchdoctors are mad Bobs not giving them more monies , as CCOG income is down
You only started this blog in 2011 once the UCG/COGWA split happened. You then did a full u turn, and revealed your true character. Proving yourself every accusation said about you to be shockingly true.
You desire to destroy the churches of God and spent near ten years furious at COGWA existence.
You can run as many blogs as you want. The COG will survive you. And some like me have discerned who you all really are. Shameful. You lot never left.
Hypothetically speaking, what would be wrong with wanting to destroy a damnable cult that ruins its members' lives? Also, so far as I know, the COGaWa is fairly benign. I personally make no distinctions between it and the others. It's just another toxic Armstrong cult, better off gone.
Post a Comment