A Moment in History - Christian Evangelist Took On Herbert Armstrong In Three Open Letters

For those who have not read these open letters, you may want to do a little bit of historical reading as a Christian Evangelist takes on Herbert Armstrong in the form of three open letters. 

Maurice McArdle Johnson (November 28, 1893 – December 12, 1979) was a Christian Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher, predominantly in the Southern California area who, early in his career, went through a process of separating from organized religion. He was instrumental in establishing Christian assemblies across the United States which are mostly still in existence." (Wikipedia, deleted archive) 

Photo from Maurice Johnson Archives

"MR. ARMSTRONG: After I began announcing this "Open Letter," is it true that you began making recordings of some of my radio messages in the hope that you could get material for a "slander" suit against me?

YOU accuse me of slander? You who have slandered every Christian preacher and Bible teacher who ever lived; you, who slanders the Lord from heaven; you, who slanders the gospel of the grace of God; you, who slanders the holy 10 commandment law of God by your miserable pretense of keeping it; you, who slanders the TEMPLE OF GOD yet to be restored in Jerusalem by having your silly little "Feast of Tabernacles" and "Feast of Passover" over in Gladewater, Texas, in that puny little shed [unfinished tabernacle]; YOU are hoping to sue me at Ceaser's court for slander? Maybe the report is ill-founded!

God willing, before I shall have completed these "Open Letters" to you I will have given clear, unforced proof of my accusations concerning your slandering the Christ of the Bible and your blasphemous caricature of "the church of God," called by you "The Radio Church of God."

From: Three Open Letters To Herbert W Armstrong

Guest contributor: SHT

1959: Don't Plant Cucumbers Next to Watermelons, They'll become Perverted! Peas and Beans in Corn is Fine!

Gotta watch out for the perverted, defiled crops! The horror! 

So much emphasis on the physical while the spiritual was completely ignored....... 

Did you know that one of Satan's biggest deceptions against humanity was cross-breeding watermelons and cucumbers?  

In its never-ending need to control church members lives, Herbert Armstrong also laid down rules on how to raise watermelons.  

In the early years of the church a large percentages of the members had their own gardens and grew their own food. These people were not idiots and knew how to grow produce. That made no difference though to the well-kept boys in Pasadena who rarely dirtied their hands or had callouses from hard work.  It was so easy to read some books and then tell the members what to do.

Ultimately though, this went far deeper than watermelons. 

In thinly veiled race-based comments, church embers were told not to breed hybrids, whether in family life or in their gardens.  

Only quality people keep their produce pure...hint, hint.

 graphic courtesy of SHT

The COG Chicago Congregation, went so far as to find out where segregation would be when Christ returns

 The COG, Chicago Congregation, went so far as to find out where segregation would be when Christ returns, apparently....

These were done by the Chicago Worldwide Church of God in 1965.  

You will notice as the illustrations advance from tribal draped Blacks in the first picture to the Asians in kimono's in the second looking like they are wandering, to the emergence of chosen ones, always illustrated as whites, all going steadily forward in their Sabbath wear, to the first-class white people in their long gowns and tuxedo's heading off to the marriage supper with the Lamb in the last picture. 

To see the charts more clearly check it out here.

ht: SHT for the charts