The ACOG Identity

 

The ACOG Identity

Long ago, the teachings of Herbert Armstrong were incorporated into the personal identities of certain individuals all over the United States and English-speaking world. I know, because I was one of them! Moreover, I believe that this explains why we continue to see a small group of Armstrong’s followers divided amongst a plethora of splinter groups whose personal identities still reflect their exposure to Armstrong’s teachings.

These folks are immune to the personal testimonies of individuals who suffered mental anguish and personal loss within Armstrong’s now defunct Worldwide Church of God. Likewise, they are immune to the many scholarly and well-researched treatises which have discredited Armstrong’s teachings/theology. Why? I believe it is because Armstrong’s teachings were integrated so deeply into their psyches that they became part of their individual identities.

Although Psychology Today admits that identity is a very complex phenomenon, there are enough generalities to shed some light on what happened to these folks. In their article on identity, we read: “Identity encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that generate one’s sense of self. This amalgamation creates a steady sense of who one is over time, even as new facets are developed and incorporated into their identity.” (Psychology Today: Identity)

Herbert Armstrong claimed to have the answers to the questions which are typical of those in search of an identity – Questions like: Who am I? Does God exist? What does God want from me? What is my purpose? Is there something beyond this present life? Can I be one of God’s people? Armstrong claimed that God had revealed the answers to those questions to him, and that a person’s acceptance of those answers meant that God was calling that individual to him. Now, for someone who is searching for answers, that is pretty heady stuff! Armstrong told these folks that if they obeyed some of the precepts of Torah (like Sabbaths, Holy Days, clean and unclean meats, tithing), that they could be part of God’s one and only “TRUE” Church – one of the obedient of God. Of course, the flip side of that was that EVERYONE ELSE was NOT part of that group!

In other words, the folks who became a part of Armstrong’s group formed friendships/relationships with the other folks who had adopted his answers. Over time, their tithing, rituals, and eating habits became habitual and were internalized as an integral part of their individual identity. Likewise, over the same period, their memories became saturated with festival attendance and the experiences associated with Holy Day observances. Hence, we can see that their personal identity became so associated with the people and experiences of the Armstrong Churches of God that many of them simply could not imagine themselves outside of that tradition! They were so integrated into that system that they became part of it. For many of these folks, Armstrong’s teachings represented who they were – heart, body, and soul!

Indeed, Herbert had even convinced many of them to stop searching for answers – to stifle their intellectual and spiritual development. “You already have the answers,” he reasoned. “Why read or consider what anyone else has said or written about these things?” Moreover, Armstrong repeatedly warned them that they could “LOSE” the “truths” which had been gifted to them, and that doing so would condemn them to the Lake of Fire! Fear, ego, and personal identity kept them committed to Armstrongism; and NOTHING or NO ONE could “steal their crowns from them!”

Thus, as someone who was forced to form a new and independent identity, I understand why some folks continue to be impermeable to any appeal to come out of the cognitive dissonance that is Armstrongism. Unfortunately, for many of these folks, it is simply too much a part of who they are – It is an integral part of their identity as a person! In short, it is very hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but it is NOT impossible! Hence, it is incumbent upon all of us to follow the advice of the Apostle James: “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)

-       Loud Scouting Pilgrim