HWA: The ONLY Reason You Were Born

Words of wisdom from the great one...

Herbert Armstrong
Bricket Wood Sermon
May, 1974

From "Get Back on Track"

"And YOU’LL FIND OUT THAT THOSE THAT GO OUT FROM THIS CHURCH, SOONER OR LATER, COME TO THE ONE THING: They’ll say “I DON’T WANT ANY GOVERNMENT OVER ME!” And WHAT GOD DOES WANT IS HIS GOVERNMENT OVER US! THAT’S THE ONLY REASON WE’VE BEEN BORN, BRETHREN!(I CAN’T PUT ENOUGH EMPHASIS IN THAT.)

IF YOU HATE THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD, YOU ARE ON SATAN’S SIDE. GET OVER ON TO SATAN’S SIDE, IF THAT’S WHERE YOU STAND. BUT IF YOU ARE ON GOD’S SIDE, GET OVER HERE ON GOD’S SIDE; AND STAY THERE!"

This is why so many of the Churches of God place more emphasis on "government" than they do Jesus. Being able to control every aspect of peoples is more valuable than leading people into grace.  Plus, it keeps them obedient to despotic leaders like Flurry, Weinland, and Pack. Sadly, some COG members think they need to be controlled and told what to do.  It is much easier and safer for them as they do not have to make theological decisions.



quote courtesy of SHT, comments mine

Questions For the" Born-In the church": What's Your Story?

In the days of old, generations ago, many of us in the Worldwide Church of God were victims of a culture of conformity. A culture that refused to accept that differences and diversity, not just of personality, but of opinion. The expectation was of assimilation into the precise expectation defined specifically by Herbert Armstrong as to exactly what defined not only a Christian, but a human. Not only a father, but a king. Not only a leader, but a ruler. The definitions were intrinsic, the calculations exact. You were a Worldwide-er. And if you did not fit the mold, you certainly got told. And for those who did not assimilate, in no time you were shown the gate. 

Growing up in the Church, however - was a slightly different story. There was no gate. What there was, was a two-punch indoctrination - first, from your parents, and then, when you understood, from the Church in general. Once you entered into school, the contradictory information began to infiltrate your mind. Then, the counter-information to fight the contradictory information came forth from your father, mother, pastor, and church leaders. You were told that what the counter-informers said was wrong and from the dark side, even though it made sense. You were told that what the church and parents said was right, even though it was obviously - except for some elements - wrong. 

Yes, you knew the basics were common sense and made sense. The ten commandments - sure, those made sense. Respect and honor - yeah, that made sense. It was everything else that didn't make sense. 

We have to stop eating leavening for seven days. But yet, this seems to be leavened - doesn't it? 

We have to stop eating and drinking for twenty-four hours. What bad thing will happen if we do? 

We must avoid working from Sunset to Sunset on the Sabbath. But yet, we're all working, aren't we? 

We can't eat pork because it's an unclean food. Yet, my friends eat pork, and they're healthier than I am. What gives? 

We are commanded to go to tithe three tithes - yet we're dirt poor and impoverished, and can't live, while our ministers live high on the hog and the big guys out west live in luxury. Why don't they see this as a problem? 

And this isn't even scratching the surface on the questions of a young person in the Church. There were many more questions and not enough answers. The expectation of the young person in the Church was to simply answer any question with "Maybe I don't understand now, but someday I will." Or, "Perhaps I don't get it because I'm not baptized yet". Or, and I heard this from other youth lots of times... "This isn't for me, but I have no choice, but once I'm old enough, I'm out." 

There was a sizable portion of Church Kids - the Y.O.U., if you will - who never really bought into the game. They had no choice to attend or not to attend - they were going, and that was that and case closed. So they went. They attended sabbath services that were absolutely inappropriate for them. They went to the feast, they skipped school sports and activities - but internally, they felt angry and deprived - and in some cases, even robbed. Certainly, misunderstood, rejected, and a fish out of water from everyone else. The questions, such as those examples above - were never sufficiently answered. And what this caused was, for many, a mass rebellion of the youth and a slammed door shut on the church that they grew up with. But for these young people, the damage was done. 

The Church had attempted to do damage control with such programs as S.E.P., Y.O.U., Church sports programs, talent shows, youth trips, outings, Bible bowls, district weekends and the like - but did these really do the trick in retaining the youth of the Church? The answer is a resounding no for the majority. How many of the youth in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, out of the nearly 100,000 that were in the Church in and around that time - remain in Armstrongism now? Why didn't they stay?

Here's the question that I am posing specifically for those who grew up in the Worldwide Church of God, who were raised in the Church from birth, and are no longer: 1) In Armstrongism, 2) A Church-goer, or 3) Religious. Why did you leave? 

What was your rationale? What was the breaking point? and finally, where are you now? Do you have anything additional to add? What's YOUR story? Please use the comments to answer, I'm looking forward to your answers.

submitted by SHT

Jon Brisby Says There Is An Enduring Legacy of Herbert and Loma Armstrong

Several Church of God, The Eternal members have sent me notes about Jon Brisby's new book on the Armstrongs.  They are none too happy that he is making money off HWA and Loma's name.  Others claim he has turned into a tyrannical church leader like most of the other splinter group leaders.  Others claim he is more "grace" oriented, which is unusual in Armstrongism since so many despise grace and claim it is a license to "sin."

He has now written a book about Herbert and Loma Armstrong.  Check it out here:

A Peculiar Treasure: The Enduring Legacy of Herbert & Loma Armstrong

(From the back cover)

To many, Herbert W. Armstrong was a familiar and distinctive voice on nightly radio, but little more besides. To others he was the preeminent symbol of loathsome cults that threatened beloved Christian traditions. To yet others he was the catalyst for dramatic life change—changes that affected them in ways which, for better or for worse, could never be erased.

Many of those who were affected by his work in some way since the early 1930s are ashamed that they ever responded to his message at all. Others still hold loosely to some version of what they first learned through him. But some few continue in determined personal sacrifice to hold fast to that which they believe was not the work of any man at all, but of a purposeful Creator God.

Was he a powerfully inspired messenger of God in the twentieth century, or was he, perhaps, merely an opportunistic businessman making a living off of religion? Is there anything of value still left of that Work today? If so, what might it be?

(From the inside flap)

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people" (Exodus 19:5).

A woman's personal conviction to begin keeping the seventh-day Sabbath in 1926 would challenge her husband to begin an intensive study to prove her wrong. That study would spawn a new religious movement under Herbert W. Armstrong. A fledgling group would form in 1934, and an audacious media operation would make the Radio Church of God (later named the Worldwide Church of God) grow by 30% per year over the next 35 years. 

Proclaiming a unique understanding of the Bible, traditional Christian orthodoxy would be challenged, making that church most peculiar indeed. 

Internal and external forces would alter Herbert Armstrong's view of his own mission, and especially after Loma's death, doctrinal and administrative turmoil would stagger the church for the rest of his life. After his death in 1986, the empire would implode, and successors would dismantle everything that the Armstrongs had built.  

Was it all just a fantastic, fraudulent escapade—conceived by a lucky and opportunistic salesman—or might it have been a divine Work—God's own peculiar treasure? If it did begin with God's inspiration, why and how did it all go so wrong? Is there anything left of it today that has any redeeming value? These are the questions that will be answered, with evidence to suggest that there is yet an enduring legacy of Herbert and Loma Armstrong.