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Email To The Editor
(Page 121)
09/19/2024
Peace to you and your family.
Glad your on the road to recovery. It takes time so don't be full of anxiety where your searching for answers everwhere. Some folks make this mistake and they go off and join another cult or embrace politicians as a replacement savior.
James,PT-Editor
12/23/2022
Dear sir: I just wanted to drop a line and let you know that although you may be "bitter" by all standards, I am grateful for your bitterness in that you have shielded me from folly. I have been searching for "Truth" for over 30 years, and keep getting duped into all the different sects Christianity has to offer. Most recently, I have been enthralled with the PCG and the Trumpet Daily show. After reading your posts regarding the foundation on which they have been built, I can no longer look to them for truth.
I don't understand what is lacking in me, that I am so easily tossed to an fro. I have many times wanted to just throw it all away (many books and bibles have seen the garbage heap), but I think I suffer from FOMO.
Again, thank you for letting some scales fall from my eyes.
Just Human
You do not need any church or guru to lead you astray. Your relationship with God is yours alone. It is no ones business but yours. Live your life by the golden rule and you upend most if not all ACOG groups where prophecy is more important than true Christian living.
The armstrong churches are nothing but profit centers that collect money for the elites of the various groups.They are the poisoned well.
James,
PT-Editor
04/07/2022
Dear sir:
I found your exchange with Trey (below, 1-15-2022) interesting. The fact that he often wrote in ALL CAPS was significant. Anyone who has ever read any Armstrong literature would recognize that style. Screams authority!!
Your rebuttals were very good. The idea that Armstrong never told anyone what to do is absurd. The church operated out of Pasadena and was referred to as, "Headquarters." The very definition of that word carries the sense of authority and a place from where orders are dispatched.
I was a member for about 30 years.
I first became interested in the teachings, then later
decided to join "The Church". I sent in my first donation.
Shortly after a received a letter thanking me, but the
letter went on the explain that I was to be sure to tithe on
my gross income not the net. Over the years I heard members
talk about ministers who would come to their house and
literally go through cupboards looking for things like white
sugar and white bread. Control was to be absolute.
I would like to know how Trey explains the doctrinal changes occurring under Armstrong. I
remember the doctrine of makeup that bounced backed and
forth from total banishment to use in moderation. If WCG was
the only true church then why couldn't Armstrong figure out
what the Bible said about it? Perhaps the most destructive
doctrine was on divorce and remarriage. For decades
ministers told people they had to leave their spouse in
order to obey God and belong to "The Church."
Perfectly loving marriages were dissolved and lives crushed. Then along came Ramona Martin
and lo and behold this long standing doctrine was changed
.So, were we to believe that Armstrong was capable of
getting it wrong? Or were we to believe he would change a
doctrine if it would benefit him?
To be sure, Armstrong never came
to my door to tell me what to do. But the choice was very
clear. Either obey "The Church" and what headquarters said
or miss out on the place of safety, be left to face the
great tribulation, and end up in the lake of fire.
Its ironic is it not? The only truth Armstrong ever taught was when he said, "Don't believe
me, believe your Bible." I wish now I would have.
Bradley
Thank you Bradley for writing the
Painful Truth.
I
believe Trey was a bit confused with his personal
interpretation of armstrongism and what it truly was about.
Herb
built his empire for the creation of his own personal
wealth. Having lived during the great depression and having
experienced several business failures, the man had to do
something to support his family. Well Herb found his niche.
In
creating his monstrosity, religious texts were subject to
manipulation in order to create a organization unlike any
others out there. This framework was built from the pieces
of other organizations to create something that seemed
unique and fresh. He was successful.
For decades the old man was
able to bilk the common man free of his life blood, that
being money, and created a American horror story that
destroyed the lives of thousands, if not tens of thousands
of human beings. A great work created by a petty tyrant.
Of
course the 'work' Herbie created had no value outside of the
money factor and quickly collapsed into nothing after his
death. The main campus with all those old buildings sold off
for pennies on the dollar, destroyed by the bulldozers,
converting the campus into secular housing.
So
everything Herbie accomplished is gone having had no lasting
value. There are many splits from the WCG and they are
divided and dying off year by year. However, damage is still
being done and I find that unacceptable. As it is, some of
the blame falls on those who enable these cult leaders, that
being the membership who just sit there and listen to a
obvious false prophet week after week. The biblical warning
about false prophets goes unheeded. These people deserve
their end.
As to
prophecy, we will see the armstrongist dream of a united EU
fail. The EU has destroyed their bond market with negative
rates. Year after year division increases within the union.
Uncontrolled immigration, high taxes, Covid
authoritarianism, the experimental clot shot, all this will
contribute to the demise of the EU. And this will be not
only in the EU, but the world will experience revolutions in
nearly every country and another world war. Of course this
is my opinion, subject to failure. At least I am honest
about it. Something the cults are incapable of!
James,
PT-Editor
01/15/2022I will be someone able to give facts, dates and confirmations. As a child that attended his first feast in 1974, and staying until the church disintegrated in the 90's ...... I CAN and WILL prove all things. Here are YOUR WORDS copied and pasted from your page :
If you want to disprove anything on this website, you will have to tell us which page address it is and quote, verbatim, what paragraph you want to disprove. If it is just your opinion that it is wrong, don't bother. We need proof.
Allow me first and foremost to remind you of the LAW. EVERYONE is innocent until *PROVEN* guilty. EVERYTHING you have on here that is NEGATIVE about HWA is simply *OPINION* - and NOT facts. I can sum it ALL up in just ONE SENTENCE - HWA - NEVER - EVER - told anyone they " HAD " to do anything. Period. Christ and our Creator God did that. It is NOT the job of the defendant to DISPROVE what the sheriff says he did. It is the sheriff's job to PROVE without a reasonable doubt that the criminal broke the law. You - DO - understand that FACT - - - right ? This is the LAW - not MY OPINION..... ** SO ** is God's law ......
Trust me, I was there and I WANTED to prove HWA (and my parents) wrong ...... I was a teen in the 70's and 80's (height of the success - over 130,000 members). HWA ALWAYS said "Don't believe me - believe your bibles" (This is not opinion - I heard it with my own words and you can YouTube his sermons and find him saying that dozens of times). FACT.
Tithing, the holy days, the ten commandments - are NOT MANDATORY and HWA never said they were. He did say (as the bible does as well) - the ONLY way to please God is to "OBEY HIM". Again, don't believe ME - check your bibles. Do you REALLY think that **EVERYONE** stayed in church for 10 years or longer and NEVER lied ? All of the 10 commandments are equal one to another. If you break one, you are guily of all. God calls SINNERS - not perfect people and definitely NOT judges ....
But to anyone that does not believe in God. Ok. THAT IS YOUR *** given right. I am not a judge. People NEED TO QUIT trying to be a "judge" when it comes to the WCG and HWA. Worhip dogs if you wish (some Egyptians did that). IT IS YOUR CHOICE what is your religous belief ....... NOT HWA's ......
To this day, I do
not eat unclean foods - because the BIBLE commands it (not HWA), not to mention
the AMA doctors recommend NOT eating this food as it is bad for your heart.
What a coincidence, huh ? I also abstain from pleasures and work on the
Sabbath Day. THAT is my choice and I do not condemn nor admonish anyone else
who chooses otherwise. It is your life and your body .....
"Our lives begin to end when we become silent about things that matter" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Greetings Trey and thanks for writing the Painful Truth.
You wrote “Allow me first and foremost to remind you of the LAW. EVERYONE is innocent until *PROVEN* guilty. EVERYTHING you have on here that is NEGATIVE about HWA is simply *OPINION* - and NOT facts.“
Well Trey, that is your opinion. We have thousands of pages that refute your opinions using facts. So it Trey vs. thousands of others who experienced armstrongism.
You wrote “HWA ALWAYS said "Don't believe me - believe your bibles“
Yep, he said that but if you went against him or challenged him as to theology you soon found yourself outside looking in. His purpose for saying this stuff was to validate his interpretation of the scriptures. Keep in mind that he never ever had any theological training.
“Tithing, the holy days, the ten commandments - are NOT MANDATORY and HWA never said they were.“
Bullshit.
Herbie wrote “God’s law, including those instructions that concern God’s Holy Days, is in force today.”
https://wwcg-archives.com/the-feast-of-trumpets/
“They are those who have trouble understanding why others miss the plain meaning of the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. All of this — Sabbath keeping, tithing, Holy Day observance — all of these obvious fruits of the Christian life are absolutely necessary to please God (I John 3:22).“
From: Worldwide News – 9th
July 1979, Page
1
NON-TITHING IS STEALING
By Herbert W.
Armstrong
“I am simply heartsick that my son assumed power and authority neither Christ nor I gave him to WATER DOWN GOD’S TRUTH. In that infamous “STP” [Systematic Theology Project], paying tithes, which WE OWE to God, was changed to merely mean a little GIVING – IF we feel like it!”
https://wwcg-archives.com/?s=tithing
You wrote “People NEED TO QUIT trying to be a "judge" when it comes to the WCG and HWA.”
How could you never judge people and, at the same time, make friends and form close relationships? Otherwise, shut your eyes. Is that what you are saying? In the bible judging was not to be done to fellow believers. Well I am no longer a believer in that the bible is the word of God. Way too many contradictions. If you look further you will find the Christ story has repeated over and over throughout mankind history. It is the story of astrology.
https://hwarmstrong.com/video/more/greatest-story/zeitgeist-movie-companion-guide-the-christ-myth-pdf.pdf
https://hwarmstrong.com/video/more/greatest-story/greatest-story.mp4
As to the 10 commandments, do you really want me to go further?
“To this day, I do not eat unclean foods - because the BIBLE commands it (not HWA), not to mention the AMA doctors recommend NOT eating this food as it is bad for your heart.”
Got a link to that?
If you want to keep those laws be my guest. Consider red meat from a bull. Science declares its bad for you yet is among the clean foods listed in the bible. Why Trey, why is this? Or the declaration that we are to learn from the animals that homosexuality is wrong. Well science has showed us that is in nearly every species in the world. Apes, and even penguins have been observed doing such.
See what I mean? You can’t believe everything written in a book nor can you believe everything Herbert Armstrong said.
So go do what your going to do. Live your life as you see fit. Herbert Armstrong and his Worldwide Church of God are dead and gone. What does that tell you?
James,
PT-Editor
03/28/2021
I hesitate to say I'm a survivor of Armstrongisum I didn't survive that well But I am definitely a victim. I had an Idealic childhood Until I was Around 6. Then one day a bunch of strange women showed up And my 4 siblings and I were whisked away. That was the last time I saw my father for over 10 years. My mother had been listening to some asshole on the radio from the radio Church Of God.my mother and the power of RCG Made sure he had no Influence in my life. the physical mental and emotional horrors that were Inflicted on my siblings and I Can only be described as torture. My mom was eventually allowed to remarry and we moved to Armstrongs mecca Pasadena California. My mother's new husband was also a zealot And the most verbally abusive person I've ever met in my life. I eventually ended up at Imperial high school it's last year. This was an eye opening experience this is where I learned my status in Armstrong's chess game.I wasn't even a front row Pawn Hell I wasn't even back row cannon fodder.I Escaped the way many others did through drugs alcohol heavy metal music and rebellion.into a world I didn't understand For all intents and purposes illiterate Socially inept With no tools to navigate the life ahead Deeply depressed And with a deep set anger bordering on rage and often crossing the border. My experiences With Armstrong affected every relationship I've had in my life In a Extremely negative way destroyed my relationship with a number of my Siblings And Sentencing my children to deal with an extremely depressed and angry man.I'm not an atheist I'm an agnostic I'm not religious I'm not spiritual And if you tell me your a Christian I back into a corner and protect my wallet And my asshole. I've had a hard time reconciling my mother's choices You have to be either stupid or evil or both to buy into the bullshit my mother did. I prefer to think my mother is just astonishingly stupid not evil. But the assholes she was listening to were pure evil. Thankfully I've done far less damage to my fellow bypedal travelers in 63 years of life then Armstrong ,Meredith, Mcnair,ect.did in one Saturday sermon.Feel free to contact me if you're interested.
Greeting's,
Well I am happy that you found the way out of this cults deceptive and evil teachings.
While your former brethren die by a thousand cuts following their false prophet(s) (by disregarding the warnings of Jesus Christ) you have managed to muster up true courage and stepped out of the darkness of armstrongism and into the light. Congratulations!
From the words of Rudolph Rummel (1994) “Death by Government” we read “Regimes are in realty people with the power to command a whole society. It is these people that have committed the kilo- and megamurders of our century, and we must not hide their identity under the abstraction of the ‘state,’ ‘regime,’ ‘government,’ or ‘communist.’”
We concur with this political statement but we also realize that this statement not only can, but does in its self apply to religion. Armstrongism at its core is full of death over the many decades of its existence. There have been individuals that killed their wives or fellow members, lawyers, children, etc. over some trivial concern. Why the armstrongites even have their very own mass murderer! Terry Ratzmann of the Living church of God. You may recall that Terry killed 7 or 8 of his fellow church goers in a sudden rage. Many of us believe it was the sermons of gloom and doom. Others believe that he was extremely lonely not being able to find a wife in the confines of his small cult. Regardless, such is the legacy of Herbert W. Armstrong, false prophet, liar, cheat and disciple of Satan.
To understand the environment you were in, Read "The True Believer" by Eric Hoffman. It fits the current political environment here in the USA and better yet, it will give you a great deal of understanding about 'fanatics'. You and I were fanatics at one time.Your reaction to what you had to grow up with is indeed understandable. Armstrongism is, and continues to be a extremely negative environment to grow up in for the children. For the adults it is a different story. They choose to be involved. For these people to confess their error is a rare occurrence, at least until Armstrongism becomes intolerable as it did for me. There is a certain percentage of people who can be honest with themselves and admit they have been conned, and worst yet, admit they wasted their lives in the pursuit of some fictional kingdom of God. It is indeed a rarity to see people be honest with themselves. I suggest you strive to gather together your strengths in life and overcome the eternal negativity within so that you can at least enjoy the remainder of your life and appreciate it. Life is sooo much better after you leave a cult. I can't tell you how to do it. You can seek counsel if you wish, but peace must come from within. What worked for myself might not necessarily work for you. Seek it out. If you do, you will find what you are looking for.
Best to you on your journey thru life,
James, PT-Editor
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