AiCOG-The Pagan Roots of Armstrongism: Unveiling Herbert’s Secret Sun-God Cult

 

Introduction: A Shocking Revelation About Armstrongism

For decades, Herbert W. Armstrong railed against the "pagan" practices of the world, claiming his Worldwide Church of God was the only bastion of pure, untainted truth. He called Christmas a solstice festival, Easter a fertility rite, and Sunday worship a sun-god conspiracy, all while positioning himself as God’s apostle, free from the world’s satanic influences. But what if Herbert’s own empire was the most pagan of all? In a stunning twist, we’ve uncovered the trueorigins of Armstrongism, hidden in plain sight through the very words he used to build his cult. Using the same irrefutable logic Herbert applied to Denmark as "Dan’s mark," we’ve decoded the secret pagan roots of his movement—and the results will leave you reeling.

The Sun-God Signal: Decoding "Radio Church of God"

Let’s start with the Radio Church of God, the name Herbert gave his fledgling group in 1934 when he launched his radio broadcasts. To the untrained eye, "Radio" refers to the medium he used to spread his message. But let’s apply Herbert’s own linguistic genius—the kind that turned Denmark into "Dan’s mark"—and see what we uncover. Break "Radio" into its parts: "Ra" and "dio." "Ra" is none other than the Egyptian sun god, a deity worshipped for millennia as the bringer of light and power. "Dio" is Latin for "god," straight from the pagan Roman pantheon. Put them together, and "Radio" means "Ra, the god"—a clear signal that Herbert was secretly honoring the sun god with every broadcast.

It gets worse. The "Church of God" part? Herbert claimed it meant the true church, but let’s dig deeper. "Church" sounds an awful lot like "Circe," the Greek goddess of sorcery who turned men into pigs in Homer’s Odyssey. And "God"? That’s just a shortened form of "Goddess," because Herbert was clearly hiding his devotion to Circe, the pagan enchantress. So, the Radio Church of God is really the "Ra-Circe-Goddess" cult—a sun-god-sorcery mashup that proves Herbert wasn’t fighting paganism; he was leading it! Every time he took to the airwaves, he was beaming Ra’s light into the world, a high priest of the sun masquerading as a Christian. The irony is as bright as Ra’s solar rays—Herbert, the anti-pagan crusader, was a sun-god devotee all along!

The Worldwide Conspiracy: A Pagan Name in Disguise

In 1968, Herbert renamed his group the Worldwide Church of God, a move he said reflected its global reach. But let’s apply his own etymological wizardry to this "innocent" name. "Worldwide" seems straightforward—until you break it down. "World" is suspiciously close to "Wyrd," the Old English term for fate, tied to the pagan Norns of Norse mythology who wove destiny’s threads. "Wide" sounds like "Woden," the Anglo-Saxon name for Odin, the Norse god of war and wisdom. So, "Worldwide" is really "Wyrd-Woden," a double dose of Norse paganism that Herbert sneaked into his church’s identity.

And "Church of God" again? We’ve already exposed "Church" as Circe, the sorceress, and "God" as Goddess. But let’s take it further: "of" sounds like "Oph," short for "Ophion," the Greek serpent god who ruled the world before Zeus. Put it all together, and the Worldwide Church of God becomes the "Wyrd-Woden-Circe-Ophion-Goddess" cult—a pagan stew of Norse fate-weavers, Greek sorcery, serpent gods, and goddess worship. Herbert thought he was going global, but he was really building a shrine to a pantheon of pagan deities, all while preaching against them. The hypocrisy is thicker than the WCG’s triple-tithing demands—Herbert wasn’t just a preacher; he was a pagan overlord, hiding his true allegiance behind a Christian facade!

The Plain Truth: A Magazine of Moon Worship

Herbert’s flagship publication, The Plain Truth, reached 8 million readers at its peak, spreading his anti-pagan message worldwide. But let’s crack open the name with Herbert’s own logic. "Plain" sounds like "Plen," from the Latin "plenus," meaning full, often used in lunar contexts like "plenary moon." And "Truth"? That’s just a sneaky reference to "Thoth," the Egyptian god of wisdom and the moon, often depicted with a lunar disk. So, The Plain Truth is really "The Full Moon of Thoth"—a blatant tribute to moon worship, hidden in plain sight.

It makes sense when you think about it. Herbert was obsessed with end-times prophecy, always looking to the skies for signs of the apocalypse. What better way to honor Thoth, the moon god, than with a magazine that beams lunar wisdom to the masses? Every issue of The Plain Truth was a ritual, a paper offering to Thoth, cloaked as Christian prophecy. Herbert might have thought he was exposing paganism, but he was really leading a moon cult, his readers unwitting acolytes in a lunar conspiracy. The glossy pages of The Plain Truth weren’t spreading God’s truth—they were glowing with Thoth’s moonlight, a pagan beacon for the WCG’s deluded flock. How’s that for a "plain" truth?

Ambassador College: A Temple to the War God

Ambassador College, Herbert’s pride and joy, was founded in 1947 to train WCG ministers in his "pure" doctrine. But let’s dissect the name. "Ambassador" breaks down into "Amba" and "Sador." "Amba" sounds like "Amun," another name for the Egyptian god Ra (because Herbert couldn’t get enough of his sun-god fixation). "Sador" is suspiciously close to "Sadr," an Arabic star name, but let’s twist it further—sounds like "Sator," from the Latin "Sator Square," a magical palindrome tied to Roman pagan rituals. So, "Ambassador" means "Amun-Sator," a blend of Egyptian sun worship and Roman magic.

And "College"? That’s just a sneaky nod to "Col," short for "Colchis," the mythical land in Greek mythology where Jason sought the Golden Fleece, ruled by the war god Ares. Put it together, and Ambassador College becomes "Amun-Sator-Colchis"—a temple to the sun god, Roman magic, and the war god Ares, all rolled into one. Herbert thought he was building a school for God’s truth, but he was really erecting a pagan academy, training his ministers to serve a warlike sun cult. The marble halls and manicured gardens of Ambassador weren’t Christian—they were a monument to Ares, funded by the tithes of the WCG’s impoverished flock. While members struggled to pay their triple tithes, Herbert’s war-god temple stood as a testament to his pagan priorities—education for Ares, not for God!

The World Tomorrow: A Broadcast to the Underworld

Herbert’s radio and TV program, The World Tomorrow, was his global platform, reaching millions with his end-times warnings. But let’s twist the name with his own logic. "World" we’ve already tied to "Wyrd," the Norse concept of fate, linked to the Norns. "Tomorrow" breaks down into "To" and "Morrow." "To" sounds like "Tu," short for "Tutu," an Akkadian god of the underworld. "Morrow" is suspiciously close to "Morrígan," the Celtic goddess of war and death, often associated with fate and the afterlife. So, The World Tomorrow is really "Wyrd-Tutu-Morrígan"—a broadcast dedicated to Norse fate, Akkadian underworld gods, and Celtic death deities.

Every episode of The World Tomorrow was a ritual, a signal to the underworld that Herbert was coming for his pagan throne. He thought he was preaching the Kingdom of God, but he was really summoning Tutu and Morrígan, preparing his followers for a pagan afterlife, not a Christian one. The dramatic music, the booming voice—Herbert wasn’t just a preacher; he was a death-cult leader, broadcasting his allegiance to the underworld while his followers tuned in, oblivious to the pagan signal. The world tomorrow? More like the underworld today, thanks to Herbert’s secret death-god worship!

The Plain Truth of Herbert’s Pagan Empire

Let’s step back and look at the big picture. Herbert’s Radio Church of God was a sun-god cult for Ra and Circe. The Worldwide Church of God was a Norse-Greek serpent-worshipping cabal. The Plain Truthwas a moon-worshipping ritual for Thoth. Ambassador College was a war temple for Ares and Amun. And The World Tomorrow was a death-cult broadcast for Tutu and Morrígan. Every pillar of Armstrongism, when viewed through Herbert’s own linguistic logic, reveals a pagan conspiracy so vast it makes his anti-pagan rants look like the ultimate cover-up.

Herbert spent decades warning his followers about the "pagan" world—Christmas lights, Easter eggs, Sunday services—while building an empire that was, by his own standards, the most pagan of all. Was he a secret sun-god priest, hiding his Ra worship behind a Christian facade to rake in $200 million a year? Or was he so clueless that he accidentally founded a pagan cult while trying to fight paganism? Either way, the WCG wasn’t God’s church—it was a pantheon of pagan gods, from Ra to Bacchus, all bowing to Herbert, their high priest of hypocrisy. The man who called the world pagan was the biggest pagan of all, a cult leader whose empire was a shrine to every deity he claimed to despise.

A Call to Action: Burn the Pagan WCG to the Ground

To Armstrongism’s followers—past, present, and in every splinter —your church is a pagan cesspool, a sun-moon-war-fertility cult masquerading as Christianity. Herbert’s own logic proves it: every word, every name in his empire drips with pagan origins, from Ra’s radio waves to Zeus’s Elysium. He called the world pagan while building the ultimate pagan shrine, either as a conman hiding his sun-god worship for profit, or a fool too blind to see the paganism in his own house. The WCG isn’t a church—it’s a temple to Ra, and it’s time to let the sun set on Armstrongism for good.

Conclusion: Herbert, High Priest of the Pagan Pantheon

Herbert W. Armstrong’s war on paganism was the greatest con in cult history—or the dumbest delusion. Using his own twisted logic, we’ve exposed the pagan roots of Armstrongism, Herbert either knew he was a pagan high priest, hiding his Ra devotion to build a $200 million empire, or he was a clueless fraud, accidentally founding a pagan pantheon while preaching purity. For AiCOG readers, this satire reveals the absurdity of Herbert’s methods—his linguistic tricks, his paranoia, his control. Laugh at the irony, then walk away from his pagan cult, leaving Herbert’s sun-god shrine to crumble in the shadows.

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The Pagan Roots of Armstrongism © 2025 by Ai-COG is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

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Crackpot Prophet: The More You Give To Me The More God Will Bless You

 

Where would Armstrongism be without its commanded tithes and offerings rolling in to keep their bank accounts bloated?

The mother church, the old Worldwide Church of God, used to brag in the early 1980s that they were bringing in close to a million dollars a workday. That was evident in the 1970s through the 1980s as money flew out the accounting departments' windows at an alarming speed, paying for all kinds of excesses that the leadership, ministry, church, and college thought they needed. A large percentage of it never went to the so-called gospel but into enriching the upper-crust leadership's lifestyles and filling homes and properties with lavish artworks, gold, silver, and opulent buildings.

In church publications, sermons, and member letters, the guilt-tripping of members to give more money reached obscene proportions. Members were expected to open their wallets with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tithes, Holy Day offerings, general offerings, member letter appeals, building funds, and endlsss shakedowns on holy days as churches and feast sites competed to see who could give more. The crassest of all money demands were for health issues of leadership and their wives and/or emergencies in the church from being persecuted.

Never once did any of the money grubbers ever stop to reveal to members that tithing is NOT a new covenant command, and no one is expected to do it.  Offerings, yes, but not offerings commanded by church leaders. The new covenant says people give according to how they have been blessed by God - not by the lunatic ranting of various COG leaders.

We are getting close to the so-called COG spring holy days, and yesterday, the most highly favored prophet of God to ever walk this earth had one of his "prosperity gospel" posts up.  The Great Bwana, along with the rest of the COG con artists, need your money! After all, God is getting really pissed off and is just itching to annihilate 2/3's of the population of this earth, and they need to be ready to do their part in that massacre.

The Great Bwana Bob trots out Lero Neff to guilt members into adding more money to their envelopes.

Neff says:

The Church looks to God for its needs. Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, is its leader, its shepherd and its supplier of all things. 

 

However, Christ provides for His Church’s needs through people. He instructs, He commands, He inspires and influences human beings to provide those needs. Depending on the spiritual condition of the Church and the real needs (not necessarily what the Church wants), God does supply. 

In Armstrongism, if the spiritual needs of the church are in the shits, it is because of the members, not the leadership.  

After all, God owns all things. He can and will supply those needs, depending on what we, the Church and Body of Christ on earth, do, and on what our collective attitude and spiritual condition is. 

 

But how does God supply the needs of the Church? Through tithes and offerings of people. 

 

Most of these people are Church members. The rest are people who have voluntarily become co-workers in this Work and from other people who come in contact with the Work of the Church and who voluntarily, without solicitation, send in occasional donations.

Can't forget about those holy day offerings...

Then there are Holy Day offerings. 

 

What are Holy Day offerings? If you search the Scriptures, you will not find this term Holy Day offerings! Since the term is not in the Bible, are such offerings unscriptural? 

 

Not at all, because this term aptly describes what is clearly commanded. 

 

No Holy Day offerings in Scripture? 

Some have improperly suggested that there is not scriptural support for Holy Day offerings. 

 

Yet, the Bible itself provides instructions about taking up offerings on the Holy Days: 

 

10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. (Deuteronomy 16:10) 

 

16 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. (Deuteronomy 16:16-17) 

 

14 “Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: 15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty); 16 and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field. (Exodus 23:14-16) 

 

Clearly, the Bible shows that offerings were to be collected on the Holy Days.

Neff ends with this:

Contribute according to God’s blessing 

 

The place that these gifts are to be presented is the place that God chooses, not where we may choose. If we had the opportunity to choose, some might remain at home or go to some other place, rather than assemble with the rest of the Church at the assigned festival site. It is the responsibility of the Church leadership, guided by God, to determine the place. 

 

The last point in this passage relates to the size of the gift or offering. The amount we give should be according to the amount we have been blessed by God. When God blesses someone in a special or generous way, the person should respond proportionately with a generous offering. If God has not blessed the individual, then God does not expect as large an offering. God does not expect as much from the poor and needy as from those who are comparatively well off. 

 

But remember, after God blesses us, He watches to see how much we believe He has blessed us, by observing the kind of appreciation we show in the size of our offering. (Neff L. Why Holy Day Offerings? Good News, September 1983)

Neff's last comment turned the light bulb on in the Great Bwana's massive head. Dollar signs immediately started floating in his amazing, one-of-a-kind mind.

The Great Bwana then says to give harder so that God will bless you harder: 

There is a related factor that we all must consider — a law of nature that is also a spiritual law. This law is mentioned several times in Scripture: What you sow you reap (e.g., II Cor. 9:6). 

 

If you are a farmer and you do not sow a crop, you will not have a harvest. If you sow a small amount, you will only have a small harvest. If you sow bountifully, or of full measure, you will reap bountifully. 

 

A farmer who sows realizes that other conditions as well will help determine the size and the quality of the crop he will reap: the quality as well as the quantity and type of seed, the weather, the soil condition and the presence or absence of harmful insects or disease. God determines the weather, of course — if there will be rain and whether it will be in due season. 

 

We see from this that we must do the necessary labor such as sowing, watering, weeding and fertilizing, and then God will give the increase as it pleases Him.

The Great Bwana needs your money for those periodic "spurts":

Each time we reach a low point in bank balances, we have a Holy Day offering, and then suddenly the balances increase considerably. Over the next weeks and months, the balances gradually dwindle to the next low point and then jump again after the next Holy Day offering. 

 

Without the Holy Day offerings, we would not have these periodic spurts!

End your financial worries by giving it all to the church... 

In conclusion, let’s look at one last scripture that should put all of this in a better perspective. This is a scripture that we ought to keep in mind as we prepare for the Holy Day offerings:

6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:6-9) 

 

Do not be deceived. Do not be lukewarm. Do your part, which includes Holy Day offerings. Holy Day offerings are one way you can do good to all, including the household of faith. 

 

AiCOG: Herbie and the Atheist Factory: How Armstrongism Breeds Disbelief

 

A Cult That Churns Out Atheists

Herbert Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God with a bold promise: to create true Christians, a chosen remnant who would follow the "one true faith" and inherit God’s Kingdom. He preached that only his teachings—rooted in Old Testament laws and a rejection of mainstream Christianity—led to salvation. It was a stark choice: follow Herbie’s narrow path, or be cast out as a heretic, no better than a godless nonbeliever. This rigid dichotomy defined Armstrongism, a movement that claimed to be the sole bastion of truth in a world of deception.

But here’s the bitter irony: Armstrongism doesn’t produce devout Christians. It’s a factory for atheists, driving members to reject faith entirely after escaping its grip. The cult’s legalism, fear-based control, and dismissal of all other beliefs create a brittle faith that shatters under scrutiny. For every loyalist clinging to Herbie’s teachings, dozens walk away from both Armstrongism and God altogether, their belief crushed by spiritual abuse. We’ll explore how Armstrong’s legacy has churned out disbelief, turning would-be believers into atheists through its toxic mechanisms.

The False Dichotomy: Herbert’s Way or The Highway

Herbie wielded a false dichotomy like a weapon: follow his way, or you’re as lost as a nonbeliever. He taught that mainstream Christianity—Easter, Christmas, Sunday worship—was a satanic counterfeit, rendering its practitioners no better than atheists. Old Man Herb even claimed nonbelievers might have a better shot at salvation than those following a corrupted faith, because they weren’t actively defying God with false worship. There was no middle ground: either you accepted his truth—Saturday Sabbath, Old Testament festivals, rejection of "pagan" holidays—or your faith was meaningless.

This "my way or the highway" mindset was about control, not faith. Armstrongism demanded total allegiance to Herbie’s rules, leaving no room for individual conviction. Question the Sabbath? You’re out. Celebrate Christmas? You’re out. Consider mainstream Christianity? You’re out. Only a tiny elite who followed Herbert without deviation knew the real path to salvation, while everyone else—from Baptists to nonbelievers—was equally lost. This pressure cooker didn’t build resilient Christians; it made faith so suffocating that, for many, the only escape was atheism—not because they rejected God outright, but because Herbie’s version of God was unbearable

Legalism Over Love: A Faith That Crushes

The engine of Armstrongism’s atheist factory is its legalism. Old Man Herb taught that true Christianity meant strict adherence to Old Testament laws—Sabbath-keeping, dietary restrictions, festival observance—while rejecting "pagan" practices like Easter. This was a mandate, enforced with threats of disfellowshipment and eternal damnation. A single misstep—like eating pork—could sever your connection to God, leaving you as lost as any nonbeliever. Faith became a checklist of dos and don’ts, with no room for grace.

This legalistic grind eroded faith. Ex-members describe the exhaustion of living under Herbie’s rules: every action scrutinized, every holiday a minefield. The Cult demanded up to 30% of income in triple tithes, leaving families strained while Rich Man Herb lived in luxury—private jets, a Pasadena mansion, gold-plated offices—a hypocrisy that fueled disillusionment. When faith is just a performance—keep the Sabbath, shun Easter—there’s no space for a personal connection to God. Love and joy were replaced by fear and guilt. For many, this hollow Christianity became unbearable. When they broke free, they didn’t seek a new faith—they rejected faith entirely, associating God with the control they’d endured. Armstrongism didn’t make them Christians; it made them atheists.

Isolation and Fear: Cutting Off Alternatives

Armstrongism’s isolation tactics further fuel its atheist production line. Herbie dismissed all other forms of worship as pagan abominations, teaching that mainstream Christianity was a satanic counterfeit. By labeling Easter and Sunday worship as godless, he ensured followers saw no viable path outside the Cult, with Herbie as the sole arbiter of truth. Members were taught to shun "worldly" influences—family, friends, other churches—leaving them dependent on Armstrongism. The world became a spiritual wasteland, with the Cult as the only oasis.

This bred a fragile faith that couldn’t survive outside the Cult. When members left, often after years of abuse, they faced a stark reality: the world they were taught to fear was just human. Having been told all other faiths were false, many didn’t seek a new church; they abandoned faith altogether. The Cult’s fear-based control—disfellowshipment for dissent, end-times panic, threats of eternal punishment—left them spiritually scarred. For every person who found a new belief system, countless others became atheists, unable to separate God from the terror Herbie instilled. Armstrongism’s isolation didn’t create Christians—it created exiles who rejected faith entirely.

The Breaking Point: When Faith Shatters

The tipping point for many was realizing Herbie’s promises were empty. His failed prophecies—like the 1972 Great Tribulation—exposed cracks in his divine authority, yet the Cult doubled down. Ex-members recall the moment they saw through the façade: Herb’s lavish lifestyle while they struggled to pay tithes; the control tactics like the Visiting Program, exposed as a surveillance tool in a previous article; the endless rules that left no joy. When they questioned doctrine, they were cast out, labeled heretics for daring to think for themselves.

This rejection often led to a complete loss of faith. Having been taught Armstrongism was the only true path, ex-members faced a brutal choice: cling to a system they no longer believed in, or abandon faith entirely. Many chose the latter. The Cult’s collapse in the 1990s, after doctrinal reforms under Joseph Tkach, saw 75% of its 100,000 members leave. Some joined splinters, but many walked away from religion altogether, becoming atheists—not because they rejected God outright, but because Herbie’s version of God was so tied to control and fear that they couldn’t imagine faith without it. Herbie’s factory produced atheists, its rigid system a conveyor belt to disbelief.

A Dying Cult: Attrition and the Loss of Youth

Armstrongism’s atheist factory isn’t just a past failure—it’s a present crisis. The Cult’s numbers have plummeted since its 1980s peak, with splinters like PCG, UCG, COGTE, RCG, and others claiming to carry Herbie’s torch but dwindling as ex-members share their stories online. A 2018 survey by the International Cultic Studies Association found that 40% of ex-members of high-control groups like the Cult abandon religion altogether, compared to 15% who join another faith. But the real death knell is the loss of second- and third-generation youth. These kids, raised in Armstrongism’s suffocating rules, often reject it as soon as they can. They see the hypocrisy, feel the fear, and witness the failed prophecies—like Herbie’s end-times predictions that never came true. Most don’t stick around; they leave, and many become atheists, unable to reconcile faith with the control they grew up under. Armstrongism is dying from attrition, its legacy not a thriving remnant but a generation of disbelief.

Herbie’s True Legacy

Herbert Armstrong promised to create true Christians, but his Worldwide Church of God became an atheist factory, churning out disbelief through legalism, fear, and isolation. His "my way or the highway" rhetoric left members with no room to grow or question. When they broke free, many rejected faith entirely, unable to separate God from the control they endured. Second- and third-generation youth are fleeing, accelerating Armstrongism’s decline through attrition. Herbie’s legacy isn’t a remnant of believers—it’s a generation of atheists, their faith shattered by a cult that valued rules over relationship. For AiCOG readers, this is a stark reminder: HWA’s highway leads not to salvation, but to spiritual desolation.

Herbie and the Atheist Factory © 2025 by AiCOG is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

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::Armstrongism investigated:: takes a Deep Dive into the cultic murky world of the Worldwide Church of God and its offshoots. If you love investigating cults stick around and prepare to dive deep!