Life in "Wicked Doomsday Cult"

Hat tip to both Gavin and Felix for continuing to bring Benjamin Grant Mitchell's story to light.  He recently was featured on the Australian version of "Inside Edition."  Check out the video about growing up in the the Worldwide Church of God, where it is rightly referred to as a "Wicked Doomsday Cult."

The video is here:  "Neighbours" star's dark secret

Mitchell tells of his siblings death and his grandmother who both died because of the church teachings. His father was a WCG minister until he ended  up in Pasadena and got to witness first hand the corruption.  Disfellowshipment loomed and they were exiled and shunned.

Some of the die-hard Armstrongites who saw the show are none too pleased and drop the proverbial COG mantra: "Just get over it."

The creepy thing for me watching that clip was listening to Herbert bellow from the stage and from his radio/tv broadcasts in his bombastic know-it-all "authoritative" voice.  I could feel my stomach muscles start to tighten at that sound! I guess that stems from too many years of having to sit there and listen to him bellow and vomit his crap all over us year in and year out.

Benjamin's blog and book information is here: The Last Great Day

Lying : A Cooperative Act

Think of the Church of God as you hear this.  While it is not directed towards the liars in religion, it very well could be.  The Church of God has been founded upon lies.  From Herbert Armstrong's dealings with the COG7th Day, in his writings in his autobiography and into his literal readings of scriptures. From Rod Meredith, Weinland's and Pack's absurd prophecies to the lying drunkard in Edmond Oklahoma.  Lying has always been part of our culture in the COG's and still is to this day.

Dennis On: The Lurkers Church of God--The Fall (Out) of Our Discontent

The Lurkers Church of God--The Fall (Out) of Our Discontent

110 different countries have visited this site (Since September 15) 

Total unique visitors: 7,127

New Unique Visitors

Yesterday: 166

30 day average: 202

Record: 336 on October 8, 2011

Flag Counter Views

Yesterday: 370

30 day average: 482

 Record: 838 on October 8, 2011

There is evidently no comparison between the number of good folk who take the time to comment or invest in the thought processes necessary to comment on the various postings with regards to the WCG experience and all the abiding fall out, and those that quietly lurk.

As far as I can tell, there may be a total of 20 or so regular responders to any or all of the topics presented here, which despite the discomfort level some provoke, are here to help those sincerely wanting to break the ties and live in a bigger box than the one provided by the splinters and slivers in the COG remnants.  As you can see, many hundred more just "lurk."

I understand lurking.  We want to believe something is true and yet we have a niggly feeling in our souls that all might not be as presented. We dismiss the feeling and yet sometimes we just have to keep up with the other points of view that sometimes seem more right.  Perhaps they must make us think. 

I understand very well how "loyalty" can keep you from being more honest or speaking up in one's church.  I also understand sitting in an audience that I am supposed to have everything in common with, listening to everything from announcements to sermonettes and sermons and quietly telling myself, "this is such bullshit, but maybe next week will be something that inspires me."   I've listened to the big plans of the bigger church for preaching their gospel and thought, "that won't work," or "Jeez, if Jesus is about to return soon, what's with building a college with a spiffy multimillions dollar price, coming out of my pocket not theirs?  Is that not holding two opposing views in one sentence?"

How many times were you assured that when people see our new headquarters, they will come to the truth because they will see how God himself plants trees and flowers, plays sports, dresses and honors the guru!  I bet not one person ever came into any church because of the quality of the cover.  Unfortunately they do come because of the seeming truth of the contents, if they don't ever do any further homework on the matter.

So why do people "Lurk"?  These are just my opinions, but judging from the numbers, I would bet every COG minister, Prophet, Priest, Apostle and Witness stops in from time to time.  It's just too hard not to.  I imagine a good number of FOT goers are reading this right now :)

IMHO COGers lurk because:

They are not quite sure they are getting the whole story at Church

They have the same doubts and fears about trusting just one guy to tell them how it all is.

As a teen in the "Church my parents go to,"  I 'd like to know if there is something I am needing to consider before i give my life resources to such ideas.

As a minister, I ignored the problems I saw in the Armstrong's, the Tkaches and whoever to my harm and I won't ignore this guy and the unease he sometimes causes me.

I am a true believer and hate this blog and sometimes just can't help but let them know how wrong they are.

I find it difficult to let go of the experience without at least learning what went wrong and why I allowed myself to live in such a small theological world.  (This is ME)

I'm mad as hell and I'm not takin' it any more!

I find comfort in knowing others think as I do as I reflect on this whole experience

I want to know what's being said but I don't want to know what's being said, but i do want to know what's being said, but I will act like I don't know what's being said because what's being said is disturbing to my status quo.

I used to be able to say whatever I wanted as a minister or member and never got called out on it but NOW I have to see what's being said about me.

I didn't know there were so many interesting other ways to see the Bible, its origins or politics and I like this place.

I don't feel so cut off from my experience even though I have lost all church friends and feel depressed when don't stay in touch

I'd like to say something or comment, but it might get back to my church.

If I do say something its not going to be anonymous, but if I do otherwise, it might get back to my church.

Lurking is my hobby

Lurking is safer than speaking up

I'm afraid of my minister, friends, Jesus, God or even Satan finding out I lurk.

I don't know why I lurk. It's a bad habit but I just can't stop doing it.

Lurking rocks!  I lurk at church, work and at Wal-mart, so why not here?

I love lurking to see what the jerks, fools, buttheads and reprobates are saying now!

I feel more true and holy lurking with those that will be fuel for the Lake of Fire

Well I think we get the point.  On top of that we might ask why do most who speak up do so without letting others know who they really are?  See above I guess.  Some like to snipe but never want it known where the shot came from.  Others have to have the last word I'm sure.  It's all very interesting.

I think lurking is also a sign of the struggle most have with being authentically themselves, no matter the belief or experience, and belonging to an organization where they all have to speak the same thing, which of course, has never truly happened nor is possible in reality in the history of church.  It's an illusion and of course no one ever would believe that members 'all THINK the same thing."  Sooner or later one is confronted with "I'm sitting down on the outside Mr. Minister, but I am standing up on the inside."

So, for all who lurk...

Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet - thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing - consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust.

Lance Secretan

That inner voice has both gentleness and clarity. So to get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something.

Meredith Monk

The accusation that we've lost our soul resonates with a very modern concern about authenticity.

Patricia Hewitt

We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity.

Barbara de Angelis

I've always told people who are at crossroads or have to make a choice or decision about something of consequence to ask, "How does this serve me?"  I realize in the WCG/COG experience, and perhaps even as one reads the Bible, "Me" never counts and we are all to love other's better than ourselves.  I always wondered if that is true...what are the others who are loved supposed to do!

It always pays to ask "How does this serve me?"   If the answer is helpful to your growth and understanding then good on ya!   If it helps move you along the path a little further or give you the courage to be yourself and finding that just fine and ok, then good on ya!   I suppose even if it makes you feel superior to the fools who comment on this blog,  good on you for now I suppose. 

The Karma Fairy also has a habit of lurking...  :)

Can I get an "Amen"?

Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com

The Story of Bruce and the Worldwide Church of God/Armstrongism

Douglas has a poignant post on DNA Refutes British Israelism about a former WCG member who experienced first hand the "brotherly love" of the ministry and members after years of dedicated service.  It is appalling and utterly disgusting what the church and the members did to this guy. You can read the entire article here:  Cult Life: Bruce

Bruce felt the world was screwed up, and coupled with his being highly religious, he went on a quest to both find a religion and to satisfy his desire to prove the world at large wrong. He tried some rather fringe cultic types of Christian congregational churches with political leanings, but it wasn't until he listened to the World Tomorrow on Radio that he connected with his new religious reality.

Ambassador College, the Radio Church of God, The Plain Truth and Herbert Armstrong had an answer for everything in a neat package, and in 1962, he took the plunge. He had significant savings he had stored up over the years -- enough that he could afford to do what he wanted for several years without having to work because he was industrious, prudent with his money and frugal.

This was perfect for this particular British Israelism Cult: A man with money they could rip off.
Bruce impressed the college entrance personnel and started at Ambassador College in 1962. A year later, Garner Ted Armstrong told him that Bruce should seek to serve the work elsewhere: His technical interests were getting in the way of his path to becoming the smarmy picture perfect plastic minister material they were looking for.

Bruce left and worked "out in the world". He settled into a church area in the Pacific Northwest and found a job making plenty of money from repairing cameras -- a result of just one of his technical hobbies of photography, building telescopes from scratch for astronomy, rock collecting and polishing, building electronics including high end amplifiers and phonographs replete with speakers. Everything he did was quality.

Bruce was generous, and besides "loaning" tens of thousands of dollars to the Radio Church of God at another crisis brought on by the profligate spending of the cult leader, he also gave people stuff. He gave them jewelry he had made, polished rocks (some with more than sentimental value), loaned people high fidelity collections -- he gave freely and generously. He also loaned over 6,000 quality 35mm slides he had taken over the years to Ambassador College and many of them were used for the front cover of The Plain Truth and The Good News.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, Bruce was temporarily unemployed. Though he was a bachelor, he had a nice apartment with several bedrooms. A family in the cult had a husband and father who was also out of work and needed a place for a family of five to stay, so Bruce, not wanting to......

 read the rest of the article at the link above.