This was not addressed to me, but to the Site owner, but I felt a response was warranted generally. Here's my personal response to a very direct comment with a very direct and pointed answer.
I feel sorry for this site owner, wasting his life blaming God for men being men,
I feel sad for the commentator. This commentator - who seems to have the personality of, if not actually a minister - is accusing the site owner of Banned for "wasting his life". I assure you, the blog owner is an extremely busy, fulfilled, and active individual. Yet, the stronger accuser here is "blaming God for men being men". No one on this blog blames God for men being men. The days of "men being men" is over. There is no excuse for men acting in abusive, carnal, self-willed, greedy, vain, and arrogant attitudes and positions of self-proclaimed and wicked power and authority over the weak and the trusting.
blaming Mr. HWA for what men have done to his legacy.
The only man who is responsible for the legacy of Herbert Armstrong is Herbert Armstrong. Herbert Armstrong left a very thorough, very detailed paper trail of his actions and attitudes that had spanned greater than 50 years. What was discovered in this paper trail has been confirmed and authenticated by close relatives, co-workers, members, and hundreds of people who worked with him - including the very blog owner himself, who actually worked in his house, saw his book collection, and saw all of herb's treasures. Through the years, the words of Herbert Armstrong have been weighed in the balance of truth, and have come out as falsehoods, distortions, and outright lies to the detriment of those who believed his words. The only man who made the legacy of HWA what it is, is HWA.
No one forced anyone against their will to do anything.
This is an absolute lie. Using fear as a tactic of power is force, even if it is not explicitly direct. Threatening someone's eternal life for failure to conform to a command or edict, or policy or directive, is indirect force by threat. It is telling a person that this will happen if you do not do this, or this will happen if you do this, claiming authority of either a physical or a spiritual entity. Using this tactic to achieve a goal - whether it's financial, whether it's moral, whether it's spiritual, whatever it is - is emotional and spiritual abuse. One may not attribute it to direct, physical force, but it is indirect, emotional abuse - and abuse is abuse, whether it is mental, emotional, or physical. The failure to take responsibility for abuse of power through spiritual extortion and threats is as directly harmful as if someone had physically committed assault and battery on a person. Every person who has directed a person to do something under supposed divine authority that has negatively impacted an individual through fear, intimidation, and deception of power has indirectly forced them to do whatever it is that they wished - and that is abuse, it is wrong, and it is evil. To say, again, that no one forced anyone against there will to do anything? An absolute lie of wickedness.
Are you also blaming your Mum and Dad for having you? Nobody forced them to have you did they. Is your lack of Faith, understanding, discernment and lack of conversion and godless works due to non reverence and lack of godly fear now make you and expert on your so-called Armstrongism. Who hurt you so much that you ruin your life in this way; was it not you, yourself, for your choices that you had made that you now blame others for and have become an accuser of God because of your total ignorance of the things of God and human nature.
Non-reverence? Lack of godly fear? Lack of conversion? Because he is not submissive to abusive ministers? To liars? To greedy and power-hungry individuals? Total ignorance of the things of God? Do you know what you are saying? Have you taken the time or the responsibility to get to know this person you so arrogantly judge? Have you communicated with this person to know their innermost thoughts? Have you taken the time to understand this person inside and out? Have you traveled to see this person? to spend time with this person? To dine and to understand? To build a relationship with one you judge so arrogantly and pretentiously? You are so quick and forceful to judge! But is your only contact with this person keyboard to keyboard? Have you ever shook his hand? Been in the same living room? Enjoyed a one-on-one meaningful conversation? Do you know all of the experiences that this person has gone through in the decades of Armstrongism? Have you seen what he has seen? Have you heard what he has heard? Tell me, if you know! Do you know his personality? Have you even had one true period of counsel with this individual that entitles you to make a professional opinion? Surely you have the discernment to understand! What actual relationship do you have with this person whom you judge so haughtily to make such blasting judgements? Surely you have volumes upon volumes of information about every detail of his life! You care so very deeply that you have taken the time to know, to understand, to get to the very core of his mind! I am awed by how much time you have invested into this individual! Tell me how much you really know about this person, that you have been given the authority to judge. If you come up empty on any of these questions, then your words are haughty, empty and meaningless.
Who told you, you were naked! Take note oh wise one, if you had lived in the NT era and all the Apostles had died and Christ had not yet returned, you would have done the same as you do now, for such is your character trait; accusatory, self righteous, carnal, bitter and obviously an ignoramus of the things of God,
Can you defend the accusations? Have you any evidence that exists to counter any of the detailed claims on this blog concerning the individuals involved in the Armstrong movement? What is your defense? Where is your rebuttal? Can you refute any of the stories that have been affirmed and written? Can you take any of the things that have been detailed here and smoke them out of existence by truth and evidence? If you can, show us! Give us your rebuttal! We're open, and listening! You call the site owner self-righteous. Really? Do you know about the word "righteousness" and what it means? Do you understand the difference between the works of righteousness and the works of wickedness? Anyone can claim to know the difference. Where is the evidence of the righteousness of Armstrongism without resorting to physical bias - like wealth and infrastructure and worldliness? Show us! Carnal? What's carnal? Is not greed, the love of money and the love of materialism carnal? Is not lust of mammon carnal? Is not theft of finances for physical gain carnal? Is not rage, temper, and malice carnal? How can one claim carnality when the very system is carnal to the core? Who are you to judge someone's emotional mindsets when the only contact you have had with a person is via keyboard? Who are you to label someone an ignoramus of the things of God if you don't even know a person? Surely you think so highly of yourself! Surely you are full of such stupendous, earth-shaking knowledge! Surely you know all things about him! Of course, you are basing all of this on how obedient or disobedient to the law as you define it! How very short-sighted and arrogant.
having never been truly called of God, but a plant, fifth columnist, a sleeper agent of Satan having waited for the right time to be released to do your destructive work on the the True Church of God; not the cogs but the truly called out ones in whom dwells the Holy Spirit that are scattered in the winds of whom are only known by God Himself.
Who are you to judge if he has ever been truly called of God? Are you not familiar with the works of Jesus and what He accomplished on the Cross? Have you not read the scriptures at all? Or are you ignorant and looking at them through the bias of Armstrongism's distorted and false attempt at biblical interpretation? Who are you to judge the columns of banned as filth? Do you have evidence to discredit? Do you have evidence that the claims made at this site are incorrect? Have you ever taken the time to submit anything that proves any of the stories here are incorrect? Can you - or will you - refute what you claim as filth to be filth? Or are you in denial of what is obviously the truth? You claim the owner is an agent of Satan, doing destructive work on the True Church of God. Okay, the floor is yours. Show us your evidence. Give us the claims that what he is saying is incorrect. Prove that he is lying. Prove that his words are false. If you wish to come out with these claims, then pour out the evidence on the table. But be prepared, because the evidence will be read, and will be countered by every fact and proof available. Then, if you refuse to look and to listen, and see, it is not us at the site that has the problem.
You demand perfection from everyone else except yourself, as you regard yourself the saviour of the dubbed, taking delight in those who you believe you liberated from bondage, and being energised by those who agree with you in tearing apart Mr. Armstrong and attacking fallible men.
Your defend Herbert Armstrong. You say Herbert Armstrong is being "torn apart". Defend, then, the over 200 incorrect speculations and prophesies. Defend the rage. Defend the temper. Defend the no doctor doctrines that have harmed or caused death to many within the Church. Defend the financial improprieties. Defend the extravagance. Defend the scandals -every one of them. Defend the double-standards. Defend the theological ignorance. Defend against the stories of the victims, the hurt, the impoverished, and how all of these people were wrong. Defend the underground abuse within the Church enabled by Armstrong and the senior ministry. You say he is attacking "fallible men". Are you saying the ministry is shielded of "fallibility" for crimes? for abuse? for financial misconduct? Are you using "fallibility" as an excuse?
Yes, I know individuals like you, and I know you, above all men to be pitied. I know also you will not post this comment, as others like you have not posted them, for you are all cowards. So, I dare you to post this comment if you are truly sincere. For I myself boast of my calling under Mr. HWA, through whom God dragged me out of the mire and has since been full of blessings in every way, with all goodness lacking nothing physically and spiritually as my family and I walk in the WAY of Christ, full of Faith, Hope, trust, patience and Love of God and all His ways and for His purpose and plan for the salvation of all humanity, starting with the first fruits, which you will obviously not be partaker of it.
Well, he posted the comment. I'm responding to the comment, as a frequent contributor here, and one who has also spent decades in Armstrongism first hand. Instead of boasting of your calling under HWA, where is your boasting of Christ and Him Crucified? Why not follow the example of Paul? Why not then boast only of Christ? And since you claim to walk in the way of Christ, and are proudly full of faith, hope, trust, patience, and God's love, why then do you so suddenly condemn one man as an "obvious non-partaker" of Salvation? Do you not understand the depth of the grace and the love of God? Why are you boasting of yourself while condemning another? Are you so much better than he, or any who are not of your church? You boast of your blessings in every way, lacking nothing - but you are quick to judge, quick to condemn, full of pride and self-assurance.
You say you are rich, and wealthy, and have need of nothing. May I remind you of Revelation 3:
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
When I was a teenager, I spent all my babysitting money on vintage clothes, Manic Panic, and clove cigarettes. I thought I was so cool, but I was nowhere near as cool as the Ontario teen who took her health into her own hands and went and got herself vaccinated against the wishes of her anti-vaxxer parents.
