John Morgan is a member of the Kiwi diaspora living in the Big, Dry Country, west of Eden. He is also a former member of the Worldwide Church of God.
He’s the latest to put his story in book form, but unlike some others he doesn't appear to have a sectarian axe to grind. From what is available on his website, it seems he’s put together a valuable resource.
Here’s a brief excerpt from the preface:
“I believe that to be successful in completely moving on ... it is important to understand more about Herbert Armstrong – answering critical questions like: what was his background, and where was he coming from? It is important to understand the actual reality of the organisation WCG members were a part of. ...
“In Flying Free I have addressed these issues. This book contains never previously published research on Herbert Armstrong’s Holiness Quaker upbringing. It includes extensive research on the WCG’s comparison to a cult, and the characteristics that actually define a cult. There are also many pages devoted to scanned material from original WCG literature – the content of material read from an external perspective, is assimilated and interpreted completely differently to the identical documents read from within the organisation. Reviewing this material can give new insight into the journey taken by WCG members and ex-members.
“Further to this, Flying Free also contains an open-minded assessment of the origins of the Bible, the authority of the Bible, and an appraisal of organised Christianity’s influence on the individual Christian.
“Flying Free documents the impact of the Armstrong teachings on individual lives, but then goes on to show a priceless freedom – found in life beyond fundamentalism.
“Flying Free should serve as a warning to those contemplating entering a fundamentalist church.”
The book is available on CD for a nominal cost, and the contents page indicates that there’s much there that will be helpful for members and ex-members alike. Further downstream there may be a review available on Otagosh. John's web address is www.flyingfree.zoomshare.com. His email address is shining.bright@optusnet.com.au
8 comments:
"life beyond fundamentalism"
I like that expression. WCG was a bit more extreme, but not much different from a thousand other misguided sects.
If John Morgan reads this, I have a question, if he cares to comment. Where do you stand today on the role of the bible?
This is something I address in some detail in "Flying Free". It includes a lot of research on the canonisation of both testaments, and debate on the historical accuracy of parts of the Bible.
In short, I see the message of Jesus as being the most relevant and practical aspect of the Bible, that can benefit us today.
I see that message too as being very simple and focused -- I believe it is to love one another.
"There are also many pages devoted to scanned material from original WCG literature – the content of material read from an external perspective, is assimilated and interpreted completely differently to the identical documents read from within the organisation."
What in the world does this mean? Is this an example of how the rest of it is written?
-- Neo
Kind of like beauty being in the eye of the beholder maybe ...
“I have learned that there is often significance in numbers, especially in God’s dealing with mankind. Seven is God’s number of perfection and completeness. Many things occur in cycles of sevens. God’s direct intervention in my life in bringing me down toward real repentance and surrender to Him, began at age 28 – four 7s. This was a long and painful process lasting 28 years. I had enjoyed 28 fat years since birth, serving the idol of vanity aspiring to become important in business success. Now God was to lay on me an equal four 7s of lean years, humbling years – before He prospered the Work He thrust me into. In these 28 lean years of virtual poverty, there was, first, seven years – until age 35 – five sevens, when I was finally converted. There were to follow exactly seven preparatory years of intensive Bible study and evangelistic experience before God opened the door of radio and the printing press for the very start of this present worldwide Work – at age 42, or six sevens. There were exactly seven more years – poverty-stricken years of humility being weaned completely from worldly economic ambitions – for the Work to develop, purely as a small local Work in the Pacific Northwest. And then, in 1941, at age 49, the door was opened for the Work to launch out on a national scale – although I did not actually walk through that door until the following year. After seven more years – December 27th 1948 – the lease-option contract on the original property that comprised the Ambassador College campus was converted into a purchase, and we came financially ‘over the hump’ of what had appeared certain failure, and the future of the expanding Work became assured.”
From: The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, 1967 edition, pages 235 to 236:
When I read these comments about 30 years ago, from within the WCG, I didn’t have any questions about them.
I read them today, from outside of the WCG, and I have a serious question – I ask myself: “What planet was I on?”
"There are also many pages devoted to scanned material from original WCG literature – the content of material read from an external perspective, is assimilated and interpreted completely differently to the identical documents read from within the organisation."
This is not an issue of artistic license but of the English language and its accurate usage. Either this passage means something or it is gibberish. What does it mean?
-- Neo
I thought John explained it well with his number 7 example. People inside the old WCG read the lit without any kind of critical view. On the outside they see it in a different light, as with John's example. Like John I think back and to when I believed a whole lot of cr#p like Thiel still does and say, man what was I thinking!
"Either this passage means something or it is gibberish. What does it mean?"
Okay, his choice of words was not the most felicitous, not the easiest to comprehend -- but what he means is that he takes a look at old WCG literature and notes how much sense it made to him at the time, and then takes a look at the same literature from the perspective of an outsiders, a non-Armstrongist, noting how the things that seemed to make so much sense were actually some pretty stupid, silly, embarrassingly irrational stuff.
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