Guest Article: Van Robison: "Creating God in the Image of Herbert W. Armstrong"

Creating God in the Image of Herbert W. Armstrong

Years ago as a member of the original Worldwide Church of God, and as an employee for twelve years at Ambassador College in Pasadena, I can well remember Herbert W. stating that "I think I have the mind of God."

Human vanity in some human beings is enormous.  Herbert thinking he had the mind of God, naturally was implying that only he had the mind of God.  This was to imply that Herbert and God were on the same level,
same playing field and thought alike.  Whatever Herbert did then, was God doing it, because God and Herbert were pals.  Spending millions of dollars of tithe payers money on college buildings, jet airplanes, homes, mansions (for the ruling elite), traveling around the world and presenting $20,000 pieces of Steuben Crystal to "Royalty", was then an "act" of God, because God thought the "same" as Herbert W. Armstrong.

"I have the mind of God", so then no matter what Herbert W. Armstrong did, it was the mind of God.  The world is overrun with religious groups founded by individuals with very colorful personalities, who see themselves as equal to God, and as representing God on earth to mankind.  What is overwhelming is how the sheeple can be so hoodwinked into following these individuals.  I also am guilty.  I did it in my youth and in my lack of knowing.

I well remember how paranoid we were in the Worldwide Church of God, and any opposition was considered "persecution."  I use to be one of the individuals who walked about the Ambassador College campus in Pasadena during the Sabbath church services with walkie talkie and watched the grounds.  If anyone just innocently walked across the campus, he or she was viewed with suspicion, as if someone is "out to get us."  Since there was more than one of us doing this, we would communicate via walkie talkie and tell each other "keep a look out, there is someone walking across the grounds at such and such a location" as if they were out to "get us." This is typical of the mind and mentality of cults.

Herbert W. Armstrong created God in his own image.  I learned long ago that God IS NOT a member of the Worldwide Church of God, or any of its splinter groups.  And for everyone else, God IS NOT a member of the Southern Baptist organization, the Jehovah Witnesses, the Mormon empire, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Greek Orthodox, the Russian Orthodox, the Mennonite group, the Amish, the Seventh Day Adventist, the "Sacred" Name groups, nor a member of any other man-made religious group on earth.  God IS NOT even an atheist or agnostic.  What Herbert W. Armstrong did in his religious career, is to create God in his own image.  So then, the followers of Herbert W., were following the mind of a man whose personal opinions persuaded a multitude of people that Herbert W. Armstrong had "the mind of God."  And the millions of dollars flowed into his bank account like a river.


Van Robison

Do You Believe?

Our buddies on Yahoo love to talk about weird things.  How about UFO's coming to earth and stealing entire villages!  SPOOKY! (as the COGers say).  No Jesus talk but lots of law keeping and UFO's.

Village In China Disappears On October 13, 2010

Latest October 13 UFO news is coming from China according to yahoo News
China

"Qinling mountain village disappeared overnight on Oct 13, 2010". Now the
army  has blocked the site. According to eyewitness, they had seen the UFO over the village before it was start disappearing.

A devotee responds:  "They don't know what happened to an entire village, other than a UFO was seen over it? That is spooky."

I think I could sell these folk Gerald Waterhouse's tardis that he used to sit in and dream up his stupid revelations since they would believe anything out of the normal.

On second thought, that may be Gerald's outhouse since everything he spoke over the decades was a load of crap.

Obama, The Last Pope and the Yahoo COGers

No one has ever discredited the conservative Armstrongites more than they do themselves with their stupid end times conspiracy theories and false prophecies.  In line with the racist mindset of the far right in the COG here is another tidbit from our buddies on Yahoo.

Things to keep in mind:

A final troubling disclosure at the conclusion of this entry may cast light on why Obama seemed fascinated with such anti-Christian symbolism in the lead-up to his election victory.  A Hadith (tradition) sacred to Shiite Islam from the 17th century contains a prophecy from Ali ibn Abi-Talib, which predicts that just before the return of the Mahdi (the end-times redeemer of Islam), a “tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West.”  This leader will command “the strongest army on earth” and will bear “a clear sign” from the third imam, Hussein.  The prophecy concludes that: “Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us.”

  

Does this Islamic prophecy identify Obama as the “promised warrior” who comes to help the savior of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?  Amir Taheri asked this very question for Forbes Magazine in October, 2008, pointing out how “Obama’s first and second names—Barack Hussein—mean ‘the blessing of Hussein’ in Arabic and Persian” while his “family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means ‘he is with us,’ the magic formula in Majlisi’s tradition.”

From a book by Tom Horn, "Apollyon Rising"

In another book, he suggests the Last Pope is "already here" and finds evidence that the last pope will not take the name of Peter (altho called "Peter the Roman") but will call himself Pius. He is supposed to be an "authoritarian" like the last Pius... but did not give away which cardinal he thinks it could be.

Voices In Her Head

Our conservative COGer buddies on Yahoo are always entertaining.  They had this little bit tonight about that magical god that stops nasty little kids from splashing water on the godly COGers:

Some Church of God people were spending a weekend at the Beach, After Sunset Saturday night with a near full Moon, they decide to walk to the beach, passing a wooden skate ring, a 14 year old girl goes running around in it. Hearing a loud BANG, we all turn our torches on. This girl was crouched with her knees bent; we see this big hole behind her, with 6” x 4” wooden joists crisscrossing it. With her being only inches away from death or major harm. We all said. “You were lucky you never jumped into this dark bit.”

She replied. “I thought it was a puddle of water and I did a big jump to splash you all, then I heard this load voice in my brain, “Do not jump in the black bit.” So I lifted up my legs and just managed to land heavily on the bit with the moon shining on it.”

The next day with the sun up we had another look. We all agreed that this should have been, more the likely death.

We were very thankful for this protection. 

UCG First COG to Admit There Are Rampant Mental Health Problems With Its Members?

UCG is the first COG I have seen to openly admit that there are serious mental health issues with it's members.  I think that is a good thing to admit that its members are just like the rest of the society instead of being a  "special called out group" who is immune to life issues.  You will never see Davie Pack or Gerald Flurry's cults ever admit such a thing.  "True COG members can never have mental health issues because they are True followers of God."

Mental health issues have been a tremendous problem in Armstrongism over the decades and it was always swept under the carpet.  If the Church had met those issues head on we would not have the rampant alcoholism problem plaguing ALL of the COG's today.  We would not have the rapists, stalkers, child molesters, murders and suicides that have plagued the Church.

When a person grows up in a sect that isolates it's self from society, imposes strict rules and regulations, demands high use of members time, prohibits everything under the sun it starts to mess with peoples minds.  You hear the same familiar strain over the decades.  "If only I can graduate from High School," followed by "If only I could graduate from college," then "If only I could get married before the end times," "If only I I could have kids before we have to flee," "If only we could have our first home a few years before we have to sell it for the final push."  The list could go on and on.

There is even more anxiety if you are a rebel rouser and make waves.  Your eternal salvation is at risk if the Church kicks you out and disfellowships you. Being marked and shunned was equivalent to a death.

We are placing more focus on educational issues such as addictions, anxieties, self-injury, depression, abuse and other relevant maladies that afflict many in our congregations.
We would like to form a team of “experts” who might be able to write or bring presentations to educate others on the seriousness of abnormal behavior. With that knowledge our brethren will be able to get the affected person the necessary help and encouragement needed to overcome one’s difficulties.
If you have special skills or have experience in focused education issues, please send me an e-mail explaining your credentials. Once I have that information, we will form a team who will be able to write and/or present relevant information for the edification of the brethren.

Much remains to be seen how this "new" focus of UCG will accomplish. As it attempts to break all ties from the past will they eventually dump Armstrongism?

With UCG's income down it has decided to put the brakes on the proposed new facility in Cincinnati. That is unless the Council of Elders decide to be idiots and build it anyway.  That is how so much of Armstrongism operates anymore.

We have received many responses to our building proposal survey. Most responses have been positive, to step out on faith, but with concerns about financing so much of it. The members responding mention they are glad to be included in this decision. We are family and this exercise has helped to increase unity.  Although the determination will be up to the Council of Elders, with the needs of our church areas and members, I don’t see at the present time how we as an administration would suggest adding this expansion into the upcoming budget. That being said, I believe we should have a contingency that would allow us to move forward with building it IF our Texas property sells or enough money is raised during the year to make it viable. We want what is best for the church, as God shows us, and at the moment we do not plan to put these building expansion plans into the May budget. We will not cut our service to God’s people to force an agenda.

Armstrongism and UCG has always had a convoluted way of manipulating numbers to make things look different than they really are:

We anticipate positive income comparisons each month for the rest of the year, even though our year-to-date income will remain negative.

Guest Writer: Van Robison: "The Collapse of Armstrongism"

The Collapse of Armstrongism

Strong arm Herbert was a master deceiver.  Throughout history there have been many charismatic personalities that have masqueraded as the source of "light" and "truth."  The world has never lacked for sheep like human beings who have demonstrated an inability to think or reason for themselves.  The world is overrun with human beings snared by a religious fish hook.  It is not that God Almighty has come down and presented Himself to anyone on earth, at least in our current day and age, but you would think that these "spiritual" gurus who stand in pulpits are personal pals with God, in a form that no one else is.  It is pure nonsense, but the gullible overwhelm the world.  If it were not for the gullible and the naive, there would be no religious organizations or institutions.

Every religious organization is headed by some man or woman who thinks of themselves in terms of "Godhood", but who in reality are only human as are all other human beings on earth.  They are NOT God, and not even close.  That so many would give their lives, time, energies and money to such false religious leaders is astonishing.  Herbert W. Armstrong was NOT God.  He was NOT even an "apostle" of Jesus Christ.  He was a self-appointed, self-deceived human being with an enormous ego.  Words that come from the mouths of persuasive public speakers is often magnetic and attracts the listener.  In the world of religion and the world of politics, there is not really much difference.  The goal is persuasion!  If the speaker can persuade you to follow them, then you have been hooked.

The greatest defense against being deceived by anyone is to QUESTION.  Question everything and assume nothing is true just because someone in a pulpit says it is true.  Fear, is a tool of those who want to control
the minds and thinking of their naive followers.  What gave Herbert W. Armstrong the "right" to know "truth" as an exclusion from others, unless they learned it from him?  This is such a common type of situation in the world of religion that it is ludicrous (totally ridiculous).  Who can enter the mind and thinking of Herbert W. Armstrong and understand what made him tick?  How did he arrive at all his pretended and supposed religious convictions? No matter, he was off the deep end, as are many others, such as those in Scientology, Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses and countless others, including the splinter groups of the Worldwide Church of God.

The many people involved in the Worldwide Church of God splinter groups have no concept of Jesus Christ and that He came to SET THE CAPTIVES FREE (from all man-made religious bondage).  Life itself is NOT about keeping the Saturday Sabbath, "Feasts" of the "Old" Testament, or legalistic religious ideas, but about LOVE towards others, which is also by its expression love towards God.  The simplicity in Jesus Christ is that He taught LOVE, COMPASSION, MERCY, EMPATHY and HUMILITY and NOT rituals, like keeping the Saturday Sabbath.  The Sabbath has not one iota of anything to do with righteousness.  The Sabbath will NOT garner favor to anyone because they observe it.  In reality no one keeps the Sabbath, because it is NOT possible, based upon the conditions of what one reads in the Old Testament ( and I suggest the website of Robert K. Sanders an ex-Seventh Day Adventist who penned "Renouncing the Sabbath after 47 years as of 2002" and although directed toward Seventh Day Adventists, it applies to anyone who thinks they keep the Sabbath (THEY DON'T), see www.truthorfables.com/Renouncing_the_Sabbath.htm.

Under the weight of TRUTH, Armstrongism collapses into the dust and dirt of the earth, as do all other false religious beliefs the world over.  Those who follow leaders of the Worldwide Church of God splinter groups need to get a real life.  Wake up people!  These self-appointed religious nuts are NOT God.  Neither was Herbert or Garner Ted.  Can't you think for yourselves???


Van Robison