We often accuse
the Armstrong movement of "proof texting". What does this mean? Well,
let's take history as an example. Person A is a legitimate history
scholar. He knows precisely what happened in given eras, and there is
noticeable depth to his comprehension. He can share incredible detail.
When history is being discussed, his overview and insights become
invaluable. Person B may or may not have a basic, very general idea,
and knows the names of some individuals, or locations, as well as some
of the events which transpired during a given period. In a discussion,
in support of his side, he knows enough to go back, find a quote which
supports his particular contention, and in many cases, this makes him
appear equally authoritative. However, his knowledge is not as deep,
and because of this, he sometimes misses information which directly
counters or reverses what he has posted as his "proof text". One guy
knows it cold, the other scurries around looking for information to
support his contentions. Who would you trust? How could you ascertain
whether there was an agenda at play, guiding the evidentiary trail?
Most of us realize that there are fewer Person A types than there are
Person B types, yet in a highly polarized environment, it is usually the
Person B types that get the "high fives". (Hooray for our side). The
problem is that both believers and non-believers do this. It is
embedded, learned behavior, a hangover from our Armstrong days.
I've
always said that I am not a good welder. But, I do recognize good
welding when I see it. And, I believe most of us have a certain gift of
discernment. Something deep inside of us tends to either validate, or
reject incoming information. But, we've also got the ability to
"override" those gut feelings, if we have a preference as to the
outcome.
Over the past years, we've all encountered people who
lift various myths, personalities, and other little clues from history
to support the theory that Jesus Christ never existed. Some have
stated that He was either loosely based on some mythological character
who in fact predated Christianity, or on a composite of teachers,
magicians, or alleged do-gooders or miracle workers from the period, or
from word of mouth legendary tradition that would not pass Snopes if we
were discussing a possible contemporary character. However, it should
raise a cautionary red flag that the broad majority of legitimate
historians do not question the historicity of Jesus. There is much
dispute over whether He was who He said He was, but little doubt that He
existed. In fact, there is a documented progression of teachers and
students, one having taught the other, extending from Antenicene Fathers
of the first, second, third and fourth centuries back to the original
disciples and Jesus Himself. The proto-Catholics, and later the
Catholics were incredible record keepers, preserving what they felt was
an oracle, much the same as were the Jews before them. Though they
can't be the entirely secular sources that non-believers would prefer,
the Vatican has amassed and preserved, in addition to the Bible, an
incredible number of period documents. The Antenicene Fathers were very
prolific writers. And, church historians documented the minutes of
council meetings such as Nicea and Laodecea, decisions which were made,
and often the activities of those considered as exemplary or leaders.
There are some "fringe" or radical historians who have advanced theories
involving the non-existence of Jesus, but these are not considered to
be completely credible. They bear more similarity to our modern
holocaust deniers, or those who believe that the astronauts' walk on the
moon was actually faked on some back lot of a movie studio in Burbank,
California.
I recently watched an episode of 7th Street Theater,
in which a young woman had gotten a speeding ticket, but insisted that
she was not going over the speed limit. As she agonized over how to
approach this in her court appearance, with the help and commiseration
of her theater group, a discovery was made. While driving on the
freeway, and keeping pace with the freeway traffic, she noticed that her
speedometer stuck at 51 miles per hour. So, she ended up paying her
fine rather than asserting her innocence in court. As the story
developed, her breaking of the speed limit had been caused by reliance
on wrong information, and the consequence was that she was still legally
accountable. Of course the moral lesson of the episode was that one
must be sure that one's sources are accurate, especially when making
critical decisions!
How could one possibly have been part of WCG
without having been primed to be receptive to conspiracy theories? HWA
actually set the blueprint up for this type of thinking via his Simon
Magus theory, in which the first century Gnostics were accused of having
hijacked the original teachings of Christ, morphing it into what
eventually became the Roman Catholic Church. I think it might behoove
us to look at the concept of conspiracy theories, and what they do. In
many cases, originators of these theories base them loosely on certain
facts, draw conclusions, and then extrapolate wildly, imputing sinister
and very scary intentions to people perceived as being in power or
control. Often, the people advancing these theories utilize them to
leverage conventional wisdom or commonly held opinions, and to alter
peoples' intentions. This can be very effective, as we've all
witnessed, in destroying individuals' confidence in one thing, and
subsequently redirecting that confidence to another. It's usually done
to combat a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, and is not unlike a
magician's sleight of hand. Right now, breaking news has the Securities
and Exchange Commission taking Goldman Sachs to court, allegedly for
conspiring, putting together, and selling packages of worthless
investments, partially causing the recent meltdown in the global
economy. Whether or not they did what is alleged remains to be proven
in a court of law. Some astute observers find the timing of this SEC
suit questionable, in that it seems to be happening just as Congress
considers a new package of regulatory legislation pertaining to banks
and investment firms. Thus, speculation as to leverage has already
begun!We can nearly guarantee that, regardless as to the outcome of the
lawsuit, if this is leverage, it is going to further erode trust. And,
this erosion of trust is bound to influence the public's perceptions,
and the pending legislation. Just seeing how a conspiracy theory works,
I am not encouraged to buy into any of the conspiracy theories which
people concoct in support of the alternative origins of the Bible, or of
Jesus. For one thing, there are far too many of them! Overkill tends
to make me suspicious.
There is what is known as oral law, or
oral tradition. The Jews have this, in the form of their Talmud and
Cabala, and the Catholics have it as well, supposedly the cumulative
effect of the primacy of Peter. The Protestant Reformation was all
about shedding much of the Catholic oral tradition, and getting back to
the Bible as the basic core or source for human actions, rather than the
authority of the church. Coinciding with the Reformation was the
translation, mass printing of, and availability of the Holy Bible to the
masses, so that each individual believer could be responsible for doing
the due diligence required by their faith. In the early stages of
this, people were actually killed for making the Bible accessible,
because it was seen as eroding the power of the church, and even that of
secular Kings and Queens.
There are questions and theories
regarding the authenticity of the Bible. The Old Testament was
available during Jesus' time in the form of the Septuagint, and today we
have the Dead Sea Scrolls, which differ very little from what was
available prior to the discovery of these scrolls. That is probably a
factor as to why there are more questions and theories surrounding the
New Testament than the Old. It becomes difficult to imagine, however,
how we, two thousand years removed from the selection and canonization
process, would be in a better position to make some of the related
decisions today than those who were actually part of that process.
Those compiling Christian documents treated the materials at hand very
reverently. They felt they were preserving an oracle, and did evaluate
them very carefully and even agonized over them! We know this based on
conflicts such as that between Marcion and Irenaeus. Canonization
seems to have been a gradual process, but regardless as to the timing,
those actually involved were closer to the time period of the actual
early Christian events which the books and letters describe than are
those of us living today. They had testimony, materials, and criteria
available to them which have long since been lost to antiquity. So, in
many cases, the absence of evidence which seems to pose great problems
for us today was not a problem for them. For believers, the
authenticity of scripture has an additional basis. We believe it to be
Spirit protected.
Because Christians have oft cited Josephus as
an authority, his account of Jesus is frequently attacked as having been
inserted later, and not conforming to his general writing style. And,
frankly, this may or may not be true. But, the bottom line is that
Josephus is just one of numerous resources. Jesus most certainly does
not rise or fall just based on Josephus. You see, we don't just need
to deal with Jesus, but also with Peter, John, Paul, Pilate, the
Ossuary of James and other archaeological artifacts, Egyptian Christian
traditions, the Antenicene Fathers, the Jewish Talmud and associated
historical records, and even the apocryphal gospels and people attacked
as having been heretics. They all, in their own way, give testimony of
Jesus' existence. If this were all a huge, global conspiracy, can you
imagine all of the people who would need to have been complicit? Even
the detractors! Plainly, there are odds and the laws of probability in
play here, with both believer and non-believer alike placing their
bets. Some derive encouragement from the so-called Dark Ages, and cite
it as support for the idea that there could have been an
all-encompassing black out and control, but the Dark Ages were not
global! Some nations existing today never participated in these Dark
Ages! Mohammed and the entire early Islamic movement were seen as being
on the cutting edge during this era, as compared to the Catholic
nations. It is difficult to imagine this today, but apparently they
were quite advanced (Incidentally, they also believed in Jesus! They
just saw Him as being a prophet)
And, speaking of some of these
other nations, I used to ask, "What about the Chinese people? There are
some areas of China where nobody has even heard of Jesus. Would a
loving god hold them accountable?" This was supposed to be another one
of my escape hatches, but the flaw lies in the fact that it applies to
the Chinese, not to me regarding my own situation or salvation. It is
nice to have brotherly concern for others, but their plight is their
plight, and I am responsible based on my own conditions. Lack of
knowledge amongst Chinese people is not something which I could
logically present to God on judgment day, and expect Him to cut me some
slack!
All of the above was at one time used in constructing my
"wall", a protective structure which I had built following my exit from
Armstrongism. It was designed to keep me from being fooled and hurt
again. Judging from discussions and comments on forums and blogs, I
believe that others have also used some or all of these in their own
walls of non-belief. As one comes in from that deadly and dangerous
"road to Damascus", one's perceptions change. My hope is that there are
some nuggets here that might either provide food for thought, or
perhaps help some other people, those who may also be in the midst of
some important decisions in their lives. Non-belief isn't a bad
intermediate stage. It serves as an excellent neutral buffer, and helps
clear out all of the old baggage. My opinion, though, is that it is
not altogether optimal or satisfying as a final stage.
Musings
on Science and Creation
I was watching a PBS special program recently, part of their Nova
series. I find Nova to be absolutely fascinating because it frequently
deals with the natural historical record of the universe. This
particular episode was on the topic of "blue hole" diving in the
Bahamas. I had never heard of blue hole diving, but soon learned that
it is a type of very dangerous, but potentially highly rewarding cave
diving. Thousands of years ago, sea level was not so high as it is
today in our era. The Bahamian Islands are composed largely of coral,
and natural erosion forces have created a network of spectacular
underwater caves which often have a depth of 250 feet or more. In these
miniaturized ecosystems, there are eons worth of sediment, stalactites,
mixtures of fresh water and salt water (responding to the ground table
and sea level), and assorted chemistries attributable to the life forms
which inhabit such caves. The caves are a natural museum for the
preservation of the skeletal remains of past life which at one time
surrounded the blue hole. Bones and shells which are frequently found
are of nearly museum quality, naturally preserved by the waters, and
virtually undisturbed for nearly their entire existence.
Many ideas raced through my mind as I processed what was unfolding on my TV screen. At one point, geologists were shown slicing
one of the cave's stalactites, using a high speed diamond tipped saw
blade. The cutting revealed many layers, each of which indicated a
season, and the climactic conditions that existed in each season,
extending back even through several ice ages. While there is no natural
iron content in the Bahamas, there were deposits of iron dust in the
layer immediately preceding each ice age. I learned that each ice age
is anticipated by a massive build up of dust from the Sahara Desert
across the ocean, known for its high iron content. Interesting.
Those who watched this show, depending on their particular
beliefs or agenda related to God, might see this and think to
themselves, "Ah, more evidence invalidating the Genesis account of
creation!" But, does it really, or is this yet another example of
seemingly sophisticated but in reality simplistic thinking in which we
humans often indulge? Who told us that the earth is only approximately
6,000 years old? That is written nowhere. It is a guess, based largely
on interpretation. Even if one embraces the so-called "gap theory"
creationism, who told us that each day of the Genesis account is an
actual 24 hour day? Certainly, we're all familiar with the scriptures
which indicate that for God, a day is as a thousand years, but who is to
say that even that is literal, as opposed to a figurative description
to make the relativity of time and space understandable for a generation
of humanity which largely predated modern science? These are all
man-made assumptions, some of which are actually taught as part of the
official doctrines or dogma of different church groups. But, they are
no different from any other extra-biblical teachings which frequently
dog organized religion. It is an attempt to legalistically spell out
all of the specifics, and to provide answers that are often not even
implied. If a Creator wanted us to focus primarily on our own human
lives, wouldn't there be a little mystery behind the ultimate beginning
of mankind, and the ultimate fulfillment, or end?
Time as we know it is relative to a fixed point in the
universe, broadly our own solar system, and specifically our planet.
Our time is not absolute for the entire universe. As an example, as we
examine what might constitute a day, or a year, relative to the rotation
and orbit of the planet Uranus, it's a no brainer that these values
will differ quite widely from what we experience on planet Earth. Since
these values would vary exponentially throughout the cosmos, for an
eternal, omniscient being to communicate with His charges, He would need
to link Himself to their own understanding of these things, although He
Himself is not constrained or confined by such boundaries. He would
have no problem understanding us, but the probability of our own human
miscommunication, or misunderstanding relative to Him and amongst
ourselves would be high. This is especially true of the generations of
people who lived prior to Copernicus, Galileo, and our own Albert
Einstein. The time periods in the creation narrative, at least as seen
from the Creator's perspectives, would be subject to skew as interpreted
by man.
The only terms a writer could use to describe elapsed time to a bunch of pre-Einstein goat herders would be the relative words "day"
and "night". If this written description was indeed inspired by the
aforementioned Creator, He would have known that once mankind developed
sufficiently to understand relativity, the description would still
remain appropriate in its reinterpreted, or expanded form. Whether a
creator used a slow, gradual method of creation (evolution), or a fast,
instant process is largely irrelevant. The creation narrative in
Genesis can lend itself to the "Big Bang", expanding universe, and the
evolutionary process just as well as it can to instantaneous creation,
although to me it makes more sense for an eternal being to take His
time. There would be no need for hurry.
Some might wonder about Adam and Eve, whether they were literal
created beings, or byproducts of a guided evolutionary process. Part
of any creative process involves introducing components into a project
at the time the project is prepared for them. Those who have maintained
aquariums and terrariums have a deep appreciation for this ecological
principle. Anthropologists acknowledge that the human species made an
incredible, observable leap forward in terms of accumulated intelligence
and ability to preserve and share this intelligence dating from
approximately 10,000 years ago. Despite the denials of the 6,000
year/literal 24 hour types of creationists, we know that there are
distinct sets of fossils related to specific stages of mankind's
development. There is adequate room for the introduction of an Adam,
and an Eve into this system. At some point or other in an evolutionary
process, one would expect to find the first beings with modern brains,
both hemispheres communicating under single control, and for these to be
common ancestors for all people with some version of that modern brain
today. A Christian would be quick to point out that the writers of the
New Testament believed in Adam. Both Jesus and Paul seem to have been
convinced that the characters in the Old Testament literally did exist.
Do our geological records invalidate the Bible? As a truth
seeker, I don't know that I'd be comfortable rushing to such a judgment.
Science presents a neutral evidentiary trail, and often seeks to
interpret or explain it. In its purest form, it neither presumes, nor
denies a creator. That is left to the individual. The modern church
has no problem whatsoever in incorporating Galileo's now much confirmed
model of our solar system, and the other astral bodies into belief,
although this must have been a source of residual confusion and debate
during the generations surrounding his lifetime. What of Darwin's more
recent research, and much of our modern science? Is it not possible
that the church today and some prominent Christians are behaving in a
way similar to the that of the church during the time of the
Renaissance? And, would we really respect their integrity if they did
not treat their cherished beliefs in a loving, repspectful way,
cherishing them, and attempting to preserve them? That is exactly what
we'd hope for them to do.
Why
Did God Come Crashing Back into my Life?
I really don't know. Certainly, I recognized the irony, having spent
perhaps seven years on these blogs and forums as a member of the ad hoc
Atheist Sanhedrin, interrogating and challenging the Christians. I hope
that I was a kinder inquisitor than some of the examples whom I've seen
since, but I fear that I probably was not.
At first, in my
vanity, I imagined that perhaps God planned to use me to assist some of
my former WCG brethren whose minds had similarly shut down towards Him
as a result of the false teachings to which we've all been exposed, but
I've since realized that there is nothing I personally can say or do,
either logically or by example that will re-open peoples' minds. Only
God can prove that he exists, and only God can open a human mind.
I
tried to dissect and deconstruct the process by which I was brought
back from my prodigal condition. I remember an Australian lady, who
somehow in the course of a forum discussion got me to open, and read a
few passages from an old Bible which I'd inherited from my Grandmother.
I hadn't cracked the cover of a Bible in over twenty-five years at that
point. I also recall the enthusiasm and determination displayed by a
Christian lady from Texas, in spite of horrible persecution on the
forums, and some severe trials in her life. She was very knowledgeable
and was of great help to me. I remember overhearing a bowling friend in
a supermarket when he didn't know that I was listening in. He was
consoling a friend who was undergoing a cluster of severe problems, and
he suggested to her, "Ask God to walk with you!" Over the coming
months, I thought many times of the beauty and simplicity of that short
statement. Nonoffensive. Unintrusive. But, also, very powerful. I
remember my neighbor Chris asking me to go down to the mall with him to
jumpstart his wife's car. While I was hooking it up, he asked me if
anyone had ever talked to me about "the Lord". It irritated me at the
time that someone would be evangelizing me, but later as I watched how
his family always seemed to have guidance and blessings in the face of
trials, unemployment, and problems their children got into, I became
convinced that something special was going on there.
The pastor
at our church (non-ACOG, non-GCI!) has told us many times that
witnessing to people does not arouse their interest in God. Changed
lives, however, are very effective in this. I had two incorrigible
people in my life whom I loved more than life itself. One was my son,
and the other was a very special lady. I had rescued both of them from
some particularly bad circumstances. I had tried to set a good secular
example of stability and balance for them, and to help them make a few
minor but very positive changes in their lives. It ended up being a
hopeless exercise, and I found myself being very deeply enmeshed in two
codependent relationships. As a matter of fact, I could very easily
have ended up either bankrupt, or in jail. Sadly, although I put much
effort into my relationship with both of them, there was nothing I could
do as a human being to help them. I finally and gut-wrenchingly,
walked away from both of them. Shortly after I did this, God came into
both of their lives. He changed them, whereas I could do nothing. With
my then agnostic mindset, in the beginning stages, I thought, "Well,
that's just great! They're both OK now, but I still lost them. It's
just that I lost them to Jesus!" That turned out not to be altogether
true of my son. We have a better relationship now than we ever did in
his entire life. As for the lady, she ended up happily married to a
Christian gentleman, and just knowing that she's happy and with the
stability that I always wanted for her is enough for me. I had left WCG
in 1975 because I could find no evidence that the Holy Spirit was
working through it. I had by that time witnessed so much blatant fakery
that, religiously or spiritually speaking, I was toast at that point.
But, decades later, as I got to have a front row seat, watching the
Holy Spirit very powerfully transform two formerly incorrigible people, I
immediately knew exactly what was happening. These two made no secret
of the source of their help! It is no accident that the Holy Spirit is
likened to the wind. You do not see him/it, but you can surely see the
work that has been done!
One of my first fears was, what if these
people who seem to have been placed in front of me as an example are
drawn to the Armstrong doctrines? Believe me, I watched very carefully
for all of the signs. But, it never happened, and that became part of
the lesson. In fact, I am more convinced today than ever that HWA was
very superficial in his understanding of the Bible. There is an
incredible understanding, and deep Biblical foundation to classic or
mainstream Christianity, the type that was spawned by the Protestant
Reformation. The core of this is taught by many of the Baptists and
Evangelicals. That is the vehicle through which all of the help became
available to my son and ex-girlfriend. What is true, is that most of us
who entered Armstrongism were not firmly rooted in the Bible, or basic
study and research techniques, making us easy targets for the many
cultic fringe doctrinal approaches, as well as HWA's personal theories.
I
must admit, it was very difficult to pray again after nearly thirty
years. The first prayer was the most difficult. But, soon, it became
very natural and actually a pleasure to which I look forward. As a WCG
member, I had always done this from a sense of duty, and in the ways
that were taught by the church. Perhaps that's why it had always seemed
so dry and mechanical, and caused me to wonder if it was going beyond
the ceiling. Also, some of the changes in my attidudes were pretty
scary. I had always had a kind of a hard edge, an extreme survival
mentality, and was afraid that in becoming kinder and more forgiving, I
was becoming weak. I worried, too, about losing friends, but in reality
have not lost any friends who were real ones to start with. If
anything, I now have more friends, and they are not all Christian.
That's another potential pitfall which concerned me. I didn't want to
become cloistered, and only capable of hanging out with what I used to
call the "Bible Thumpers".
I had just enough of a hangover from
my WCG intoxication experience that I became worried about some sort of
special calling or purpose. The reality is that there are so many more
people, and with greater knowledge, understanding, and articulateness
than I, that I really need not have worried about this at all. I'd
heard of some people from old WCG who immediately came into the
forefront of the mainstream New Covenant churches that they found when
"the new" WCG became not a very attractive alternative. But, that's
just not me. Probably my best value is in quietly doing little things
behind the scenes, and below the radar to help and comfort others.
Still, one must put God first, and if there is some sort of special
calling, one should be willing to do whatever He would have us do for
Him.
About a year into the Christian experience, I came upon a
very interesting book that described a transformation experience that
had many parallels with my own. Stephen Baldwin, the youngest of the
acting Baldwin brothers, was perhaps the brother to whom I related the
most. He played confident tough guy roles on the screen, and created
some characters to whom I could really strongly relate. Through the
influence of one of their maids, his wife had become a Christian, and
spent a number of hours praying for him. I honestly wonder if someone
had been doing the same thing for me, without my knowing. At any rate,
Stephen, or Stevie B as he calls himself, soon found his entire life
changing. He likens his adventure with God to being dropped from an
airplane, every morning, without parachute, from an altitude of about
50,000 feet. He's written a very remarkable and inspiring book, titled
"The Unusual Suspect" If any one is even remotely interested in taking
another look at the Christian walk, I'd highly recommend it!
Just
in case some people are wondering what kind of life I have lead, it is
probably important to also share that when I left WCG in 1975, I pursued
my passions to the full. In my professional life, I was always a hard
worker. I met a lot of people, and sold and repaired quite a bit of
machinery over the decades. This provided opportunities to travel, to
stay in nice accomodations, and to indulge in business related partying.
In my free hours, there are and were a number of hobbies and
activities that I was passionate about. I built and raced (on the
street!) an endless string of hotrods and motorcycles. My wives and
girlfriends, who were amongst the most beautiful women on the face of
the earth, and I rode the motorcycles everywhere! We went to the
mountains, the beaches, the deserts, you name it. Having also been a
lifelong fitness nut, I spent many hours running, bicycling, weight
training, and learning karate. This lead to gigs as a body guard and
bouncer at the race tracks and in the performing arts community, with
opportunities to meet a number of celebrities. There were also
legendary Saturday nights, dancing to live music at the blues bars, and
more arena style rock, country, and blues concerts than I can remember.
I've been to hundreds of professional NHRA drag races, and hundreds of
dirt track sprintcar races. Skiing, parasailing, bungee jumping, deep
sea fishing, rafting and tubing down rivers, hours of body surfing at
the California beaches, hiking and mountain climbing, I and whoever was
with me lead life to the full. As I remember and describe all of this,
it's difficult for even me to believe that one person could have done
all of these things. And, lest anyone feels that I might be
exaggerating for the purpose of dramatizing, I'm not. I've deliberately
held back on the X-rated, and occasional recreational/illegal stuff.
The problem is, that in the end, none of it ever filled a deep void
which I had always felt inside. Ultimately, I was left with a decidedly
Ecclesiastes point of view.
Anyhoo, this is one of the things
which I've been asked to share. I'd been told that people wondered what
made me a believer again. There were no visions, no burning bushes, no
talking asses, and no psychotic breaks or addictive breakdowns. Just
an unlocked mind, and ensuing unexpected transformation, one for which I
am just so grateful every waking hour. It would be naive and
presumptuous of me to believe that my words are going to touch everyones
hearts. I know better. But, if just one person gets a little
encouragement, a gentle assist in life, or perhaps just a temporary
boost for the day, it will have been worthwhile sharing.
The
Sadducees
Humor me for the moment. I fully realize that some of my dear readers
question the historicity of Jesus, the Apostles, or even Moses for that
matter, seeing those individuals as perhaps fictional characters in an
elaborate anthology of novels produced by the ancient Jews and proto-Catholics.
But, even if I have just described your particular viewpoint, the Sadducees
would appear to be a most remarkable, and very curious group! They are
described in the pages of the Gospels, and in other historical
documents, along with other sects of the day, the Pharisees, Essenes,
and Zealots.
Here is a list of the beliefs of the Sadducees, as
enumerated in the Jewish Sects list found in Zondervan'sTNIV Study
Bible:
1) They denied that the oral law (Talmud) was
authoritative and binding.
2) They interpreted the Mosaic law
more literally than did the Pharisees.
3) They were very
exacting in Levitical
purity.
4) They attributed everything to free will.
5)
They argued that there is neither resurrection of the dead, nor a future
life.
6) They rejected a belief in angels and demons.
7)
They rejected the idea of a spiritual world.
8) They
considered only the books of Moses to be canonical Scripture.
What
do you make of this? My own take, assuming that this list is accurate,
would be that the Sadducees appear to be first century Jewish
atheists or agnostics, who simply relied on the code of Moses as the
most advanced, logical, and humane system of government known to them.
History tells us that this sect had its genesis during the time of the Hasmonean
kings (166-63 BC), and ceased to exist shortly following the destruction
of the temple in 70 AD.
Normally, one would tend to think of
Judaism as being YHWH-based.
Yet, here we have a sect with numbers and noteworthiness sufficient to
merit mention in the New Testament, fully embracing the laws and
rituals for which YHWH is credited in the works of Moses, yet
apparently totally disassociating these laws from any type of spiritual
implications. While that might seem mind-boggling, we would appear to
be living in a modern parallel of this in the USA today, which is now
well advanced into the post-Christian era. Many non-believers today
have a great love for the system of justice and the founding documents
which were created by a group of predominantly Christian and Deist
forefathers, based on a combination of logic and principles found in the
pages of the Holy Bible. Truly the Ecclesiast was accurate in his observation
that there is nothing new under the sun!
Despite their
non-belief in the spiritual world, or in the resurrection of the dead,
the Sadducees
would not have qualified for any more humane treatment from the
occupying Romans than would their believer brethren. The Romans
considered all peoples who did not believe in the Roman gods, or the
godhood of their emperor, to be atheists. Would it be any different
today, in the USA, if suddenly we were conquered by Muslim jihadists?
No. Our modern day agnostics and atheists who refused to worship Allah,
even though their decision would be based totally on logic, would be
executed right along with Christians who refused to worship Allah
because he or it is a false god.
Some people, upon reading their
Bibles, seem to have a black and white concept of the Jews and
Israelites of Jesus' time as being an homogeneous
group, with unified beliefs. Not only is this clearly not the case,
but it presents an overly simplistic picture of the civilization of
ancient Jerusalem and the covenant lands of Israel. Consider the sizable
population of Samaritans, the mongrel spawn resulting from the Assyrian
and Babylonian occupation, in addition to the Jewish sects. Later,
Peter and Paul had even more complex challenges in their ministries to
the Roman Empire nations surrounding Israel. There was a sizable
Jewish diaspora in these nations, as well as a very diverse Gentile
population. Throw in a couple of tax collectors, factor in the balance
of power between Jewish leaders and the Roman occupation, and you have a
pluralistic society rivaling our own modern civilizations.
It
seems obvious that in the time just preceding Jesus, and the times
shortly thereafter, that the challenges in building and maintaining
relationships were just as great, and just as complex as what we
experience in our own era. Though perhaps ignored by most of us in the
past, although they were a part of the Septuagint (the "Bible" of
Jesus and His disciples), the books of the Maccabees are quite
fascinating as historical documents. In these books are described some
very troubled times during which apostate Jews actually assumed the
roles of persecutors of their former brethren, often even worse than the
gentile peoples who held areas of Israel captive. In our modern
vernacular, we'd say that these apostates "ratted out" their neighbors,
turning them over to the captors for punishment and torture. Though
shocking, this is yet another variant of man's inhumanity to fellow man,
and has not been as uncommon throughout history as one would hope.
Knowing this propensity of human nature, and reading the narratives in
the Maccabees might serve to help all of us as former guinea pigs of
the Armstrong experiment in dealing with certain challenges today. The
lesson lies in seeking not to make the same mistakes, and in seeking not
to cause or incur the pain which accompanies these mistakes. And, I
believe that it is important to include current splinter group members
under our umbrella of humanity. I'm sure that many of us still have
relatives who are part of these groups, and one of the things which
could possibly help influence some of their major decisions in the
future would be the love which we feel for them, and can show them.
Since
the Apostle Paul was such a pivotal character of the New Testament, the
one who presented a well-developed theology, and basic practical
applications for the teachings of Jesus Christ, he is somewhat of a
lightning rod, a controversial person about whom virtually everyone has
some sort of opinion. He is not a person that it would be easy to be
neutral about. What is noteworthy from his ministry would be the
principles we find him fighting for, in other words, his passions. We
find him preaching amazing tolerance amongst the various factions of
Jewish and Gentile Christians. In ministering to his Gentile churches,
he had to deal with a number of gut wrenching situations, not the least
of which were the expulsion from Rome and eventual repatriation of the
Jews, including Jewish Christians. He also had to deal with Judaizers from
Jerusalem who insisted that Christians first became Jews before they
could become followers of Jesus Christ. These carpetbaggers made
numerous attempts to co-opt Paul's ministry. Somehow, he had to manage
these situations not only while enjoying personal freedom, but also from
a Roman jail cell, sometimes all but deserted by his students and
personal friends. His harshest words were reserved for those causing
dissension and contempt amongst the brethren, disrupting relationships,
causing elitism, and violating the Golden Rule which encapsulates the
New Covenant.
These provide some timeless examples of human
behavioral patterns, both good and bad. It so happens that they are
described in the versions of scripture native to and used by several
different cultures. I'll leave it up to the individual reader, rather
than actually quoting chapter and verse, whether or not to delve more
deeply into the books of the Maccabees, or the epistles of Paul. I
fully realize that in some cases, and for many reasons, people who were
once Armstrongites
actually require years or even decades of recovery before they have the
stomach to revisit scripture. Whether we find lessons like the above
in scripture, or whether we find them in the works of Shakespeare,
Freud, Aristotle, Gandhi, or Dr. Martin Luther King, the best and most
timeless precepts for human behavior would seem to be rooted in love and
tolerance. Knowing that an unusual group, a seemingly anomalous group,
such as the Sadducees
could exist somewhat harmoniously in the mainstream of first century
Judaism, no less during a period of Roman captivity, certainly we who
are dealing with the aftermath of Armstrongism can peacefully coexist in the
face of diversity of opinion.
1975
I had originally planned to post a previously written entry here today,
but since the topic of 1975 spawned some interest in some of the
comments yesterday, here are some of my thoughts and recollections of
what conditions were like in Pasadena during that era. It was indeed a
pivotal time period for many reasons. Let me preface my remarks by
noting that I personally did not leave WCG because of cruelty. I left
because it became obvious to me that WCG was a bogus church, did not in
any way have the witness of God behind it, and had been propped up and
supported by intellectual dishonesty (end justifies the means) in many
ways. I think that by the end of this article, we'll plainly see that
following the events of 1975, the church took on a decidedly harsher
undertone.
Looking back on the latter portions of my childhood
and teenage years, I'd have to say that we did not have cruel,
authoritarian, snoopy ministers, at least not in our area of the
country. If you like Allen Dexter, you probably would have liked most
of the people who preceeded him, those with whom he worked on a daily
basis, and those who immediately followed him. Frankly, I have never
seen any of these gentlemens' names on the lists of abusers here on the
PT website, or any of the other ex-WCG sites over the past ten years.
Let me list a few of them for you. There was Wayne Cole, Carlton Smith,
Guy Englebart, Raymond Cole, Walter Sharp, Reg Platt, and Ivan Sell.
While I don't pretend to know everything that went on in our district, I
only knew of about 6 to 10 disfellowshipments over about a decade.
Some of those were due to out of control alcoholism, and a couple more
were due to schizophrenia, which of course was labelled as demon
possession. When these people were marked, the minister generally
expressed that he hoped they would repent so that they could be welcomed
back. It was not as if they were seen as suddenly being enemies of God
and country.
From my list above, Wayne Cole eventually got the
axe during the receivership era, because he favored cooperating with the
state authorities. His brother Raymond started one of the early
splinters immediately after HWA modified some of the original church
doctrines. Raymond passed away a few years ago. At last report, there
had been a Walter Sharp sighting in Pasadena at the former AC campus, as
he and his wife were touring the USA on their Harley Davidson. I have
not heard any recent news concerning the other gentlemen on my list.
For
those of you who came along sometime after 1975, let me just say that
during that era it literally appeared that World War III was breaking
out at headquarters. On a day to day basis, we did not know which way
events were going to turn. For the previous ten years, some in the
field ministry had had grave misgivings about the interpretations of
certain scriptures and the ways in which this influenced the church's
doctrinal approach and in many cases negatively impacted individuals in
their congregations. HWA had been approached, had agreed to review the
concerns, but had postponed and procrastinated until there was an
increasingly open revolt. If memory serves me correctly, the main
issues concerned divorce and remarriage, the church's teaching regarding
medical care, and some of the details related to tithing. Dr. Ernest
Martin, who was one of the primary researchers, and one of the few
actual legitimate Biblical and historical scholars apparently became so
frustrated with the endless delays that he began openly sharing some of
his research. Others in different areas of the world were also doing
this on a local basis. As if to add gasoline to this fire, the full
depth of GTA's addictive sexual activities became known, churchwide. At
one point, he had actually been reinstated to his position within the
church and college, only to relapse into what was by this time a
pathology.
As HWA, Stanley Rader, and others wrestled to regain
control, an alarming percentage of the field ministry left, for reasons
of conscience. This mass exodus caused a radical change in the
corporate culture of WCG. The fallout from this affected lay members
and employees as well. One morning, I showed up for my shift at AC
Press, and was ushered into a rather somber meeting. Forms were passed
out, and we were told that in order for our employment to continue, we
had to sign oaths of loyalty to HWA. Long term deacons, using some of
the college's vans and camera equipment, parked surreptitiously in the
vicinity of meetings conducted by Dr. Martin, Al Carrozzo, Richard
Plache, and others. In this undercover sting, the deacons photographed
any WCG members whom they observed entering the meeting halls. The
dormitories at Ambassador College were also electronically bugged. The
accounting department, in a joint project with the MIS department, was
instructed to review the payroll and tithing records of employees in
various departments, an early detection of possible mixed loyalties.
There were also frantic member letters, exemplifying HWA's most
embarrassing overuse of punctuation and variations in type size, telling
of Satan pulling out all stops in his war against what he called
"God's Church".
There had been persistent rumors for months
amongst employees, staff, and local members in Pasadena concerning
secret overseas bank accounts, expensive art collections secreted in the
basement storage areas of some headquarters buildings, and extravagant
overseas junkets involving HWA, Stanley Rader, Osamu Gotoh, and others,
some of it allegedly funded by misappropriation of third tithe funds. A
cadre of members and former members contracted with a prominent
Southern California attorney in an effort to force financial
accountability. The courts felt that there was sufficient merit to
their allegations to institute receivership proceedings, but over a
period of months the church managed to totally obfuscate the effort, and
ultimately had enough lobbying power with the state legislature to get a
special law passed that essentially quashed the receivership and
investigation. While church officials later credited themselves as
having helped preserve the civil liberties of churches throughout the
USA, and protecting the Constitutional separation of church and state,
the end result was that there never was any sort of financial
accountability. As if this were not enough, in the background of all of
this, a number of prominent ministers' kids were both indulging in and
selling various kinds of dope at Imperial Schools and Ambassador
College.
It is difficult, in retrospect, to imagine how WCG
could possibly have survived this perfect storm. They were on the
front pages of many newspapers, and the lead story on TV news, day after
day after day. This fact did not lend itself to the recruitment of new
members!
I was not around much after 1975. Having discussed
this with those who were, and having read extensively on the subject, I
believe that policies and procedures were gradually put into place to
prevent even the remotest possibility of a similar revolt ever again.
You'd have to guess that the field ministry, after that point, was
instructed to be very suspicious of members, and to take a hard line
with possible dissenters to the official doctrinal stances, and even to
closely monitor the tithing patterns of members. Eventually it was a
total lock, the final ones being applied during the "back on track" era.
As we look back on all of this today, it is plain to see that all of
the additional suffering, confusion, and general misery were for nought.
Gamaliel, in the end, was proven right, in living color right before
our eyes!
To learn more about the Worldwide Church
of God during the mid 1970s, check out Ambassador Reports, archived
conveniently right here at The Painful Truth Website.
Could
an Armstrong-style Movement Begin and Prosper Today?
One Friday night a number of years ago, I had put my son to bed, was
working on an icy 16 oz can of Budweiser, and reading an Easyriders
Magazine. Spider, as usual, had written an excellent editorial, and in
this particular one had opined that if an inventor had just obtained the
first patent for a motorcycle today, it was very doubtful that his
invention would ever come into production, knowing the government,
insurance industry, and the general public's preoccupation with safety.
The motorcycle had been grandfathered in from a much more naive, and
vastly less sophisticated era in societal evolution, and that and only
that was why we still have them to enjoy today.
The fact is, we
could probably examine any number of practices, commodities, pieces of
machinery, or ideas which we have today, but which were more specific
to, and appropriate for times long gone. These relics from the
zeitgeist past still exist, but not in the massive numbers in which they
once did. Take the oil light, for example. It was totally appropriate
for its day, and makes for a nice conversation piece, decorative touch,
or auxiliary emergency equipment yet today, but who could be bothered
with the sheer messiness, odors, and perhaps hazardous nature of the oil
lamp in our modern age? The incandescent light bulb is self-contained,
turns off and on at the flick of a switch, is easily regulated for
intensity, and is readily available at the local store. Much better!
I
am one of the baby boomers, a demographic whose disposable income every
manufacturer, every marketer, and every investment counsellor, health
care organization, and virtually anyone else who wished to exploit
Keynsian economics at its zenith actively solicited. Although I spent
the latter half of my youth in WCG, even at that time, I could not
fathom how a thinking adult could possibly be so radically indoctrinated
into what seemed to be an intoxication based on religious
obsessive-compulsiveness (think Philadelphian as opposed to Laodecean).
Clearly, the marketing approach of Herbert W. Armstrong was designed
for my parents and their contemporaries! These people knew what the
Great Depression, Hitler, and World War II were all about, and were just
learning about the awful potential of the nuclear bomb. Television
might have been a new phenomenon, but radio had been somewhat ubiquitous
for several decades. And, of course, we all know the history. Here
was a polished, authoritarian voice, seemingly in control of the air
waves, warning of a horrible apocalypse which would soon befall all of
those who did not repent of their sins, and become part of a small elite
group which would be spared from what was soon to occur. Obviously,
this technique was both believable, and successful. The booklet "1975
in Prophecy" was freely given, but had it been sold, it most likely
would have become a best seller!
Using the same techniques, could
a similar group be started, and could it enjoy the phenomenal growth
(30% per year) that the WCG once did? I believe that the prospects for
such an event would be slim to none. The very concept has been
marginalized by a number of external factors, to say nothing of the
destructive powers wrought by internal factors specific to that
particular group.
Whether or not you personally define
Armstrongism (including variants and splinter groups) as a cult, there
is today a much greater public awareness of cults and the damage which
they do. This was largely unexplored during the 1920s through perhaps
the first half of the 1970s. The hip generation explored virtually
everything, leading to a much higher level of sophistication. So, call
it cynicism, or perhaps hyper awareness, but the public's current
immunity to cults would tend to limit the growth potential of any
non-mainstream religious organization, and even make people cautious
about the mainstream! Bottom line is, whatever the non-mainstream
beliefs happen to be, nobody in their right mind wants to wake up one
morning in some compound (or place of "safety"!) owned by the next Jim
Jones, or David Koresh. Think this can't happen to an ACOGger?
Koresh's movement was actually another offshoot from Adventism!
Let's
also examine the topic of fear motivation. This is something which has
really come into its own. The World Tomorrow broadcast, and Plain
Truth Magazine blatantly and shamelessly created and exploited fear!
Today, politicians, environmentalists, conspiracy theorists, and other
callers to action have discovered the amplifying qualities of a good
dose of fear. How many existential threats do we have today, in
addition to the bomb? I believe at last count, the number fell
somewhere between ten and twenty. HWA, of course, exploited the bomb,
the Germans, and the end times. Later on, GTA introduced environmental
concerns into his broadcasts and articles, a passion which he apparently
shared with the hippies. Taken in today's context, because of the fear
over avian flu, global warming, golden algae, terrorism, horrific
disease epidemics, the reversal of the earth's magnetic polarity, fear
based preaching is not going to produce the effect it once did. It is a
turnoff. Mainstream Christianity recognizes this, and emphasizes God's
love and protection, as opposed to deliberately fomenting fear. Subtle
difference, but very effective. Perfect love casts out fear.
Meanwhile, the Armstrong movement has figuratively shot itself in the
foot, destroying its own credibility by continuously setting or
approximating dates for the start of the tribulation, or return of Jesus
Christ, in spite of Jesus' own words on this topic. It would be
downright comical if their actions were not so detrimental to their
members' lives, and the lives of the members' innocent children. Yet,
time and again, we've witnessed the splinter groups attempting to fan
the flames, co-opt the existential threats, and use every tornado,
tsunami, or earthquake to cause prospectives to bow to their agenda.
Not
everyone who entered Armstrongism was attracted because of the scare
tactics. There were a number of people who were attracted because "he
teaches from the Bible." I really can't vouch for what mainstream
Catholics and Protestants were doing back in our pre-WCG days, because
my parents dropped us off at Sunday School while they attended church.
But, if TBN, Christian radio, Internet sites, Barnes and Noble, and
Berean Bookstore are a small indicator, it would appear that mainstream
Christians of today are doing a much more effective job of documenting
their teachings with scripture. The basic problem shared by most
Armstrong followers was always that the bulk of them were relative Bible
illiterates before HWA began influencing them. Most obtained their
entire methodology, logic, and interpretive skills directly from HWA!
That is why so many long term members experience such incredible
immunity to the works of vastly more educated scholars.
Imagine,
prior to the advent of the Internet, how difficult it would have been to
check into such things as the so-called lost century of the early
Christian church. This is the time period during which a minor
character of the New Testament, Simon Magus, a gnostic, had according to
Armstrong hijacked the original Christian church and morphed it into
Catholicism. Even if a typical working person had been willing to spend
countless hours in the public library, how would he have known how to
refute this theory? Would he have known to investigate the works of
Irenaeus, or even known what an "Antenicene Father" was? Would he have
taken the time to read the real history that existed, or simply take
HWA's word that there was a lost century? For most of us, when HWA, or
his top researchers such as Herman Hoeh lifted a quote from an
historical doctrine, ignoring its original context, and creating yet
another spurious proof text, we would never have even known what the
original work was, let alone where to find it. Footnotes were rarely
used to authenticate their contentions. Today, in many cases, all a
prospective member need do is to Google "British Israelism" (a common
example), and these cults are all finished before they ever get a
foothold to begin their dastardly influence.
One of the very
wonderful aspects to today's charities and church groups is that they
have discovered accountability. There are standards for such things as
the loading costs which tend to detract from accomplishing the stated
mission of the organizations. The salaries of administrators, one of
these loading costs, are held to public scrutiny. It all ends up
being good business, and facilitating due diligence, but unfortunately
this accountability has been instituted because of past abuses, the
reporting of them, and the public's normal and healthy skepticism. This
skepticism has been fueled by horror stories regarding expensive art
collections, palaces and mansions, sex for hire, thousand dollar dog
houses, tithes gambled away in Las Vegas, alleged overseas accounts, and
just about every type of fiduciary irresponsibility or mismanagement
possible. This accountability, or the lack thereof, factors in very
heavily as a potential member considers single sourcing his or her
spiritual guidance to one church corporate.
The leaders of
Armstrongism, past present and future would probably all give God the
credit for the past successes within that movement. Yet, for some
reason, none of them seem to be able to completely duplicate that
success. Some of the more charismatic ones have attracted significant
numbers of the old school, long term members. But, unless you have been
prompted as to where to look, the work that these groups are doing is
largely invisible. And, they are not growing, at least not on the same
level experienced in HWA's heyday. It is not as it once was back in the
1960s when there was tremendous street buzz, and heavy name recognition
for both HWA and GTA. Truly, this is a movement which would do well to
heed the observations of Gamaliel! Herbert's denials to the contrary,
the original WCG was largely based on his personal modifications of
Adventism, which as we know today had sprung from the Seventh Day
Baptist churches. HWA took a very radical approach, often adapting
fringe doctrines from the reject bin of historic Christianity. Most
extreme or radical schools of thought cannot be sustained or
perpetuated. They die out. Their primary role, when all is said and
done, becomes one of either stimulating or influencing the mainstream.
Objective
and Subjective
How many times have we read or heard people attempt to analyze our
thought processes and life's philosophies by using the terms objective
thinking and subjective thinking? I submit that we
humans utilize a blend of both. Our lives consist basically of the
events or occurrences of each day, our appetites, and how we feel and
react. Drama happens inside of our heads, tailored and personalized to
each of us as individuals. It is, in fact, an integral part of what
makes each of us unique and human. And, no way has ever been found to
rid oneself of something so completely innate.
Nobody I've ever
"met" is a 100% "objective" thinker, except possibly original Star
Trek's Spock character, portrayed by the excellent actor, Leonard Nimoy.
But, Spock is a fictional, hypothetical character, not a real person.
What became painfully and often humorously obvious throughout the run
of this TV series was that while Spock's contributions were often
valuable, the fact that he was purely a creature of logic became a
detriment. There's an axiom, originally taught to me by one of my
managers about twenty years ago during one of my career opportunities:
"Any strength, practiced to an extreme, becomes a weakness."
Seemingly,
we humans must accept the fact that we are occasionally going to be
able to detach our personal involvement and emotions from our thinking
processes and to indulge in objective thinking, but since we are deeply
invested in our own experiences, reactions, and governing beliefs, in
most cases our normal patterns will involve subjective, or personalized
thinking. This is one of the reasons why we sometimes seek the opinions
of, or counsel of professionals, valued friends, or relatives who do
not share our emotional investment in a particular situation. As with
our Mr. Spock, their detachment is often beneficial in assisting us
through some of life's difficult patches.
To eliminate the
subjective is to divest oneself of one of the basic components of
humanity. To suggest excision of it as part of our healing process is
an indicator as to the graveness of our wounds. That would be
considered to be an extreme measure. It would be preferable to
concentrate on healing rather than excision, rehabilitating the damaged
elements so that one can remain a functional human being with the full
range of healthy emotions.
As victims of the Armstrong problem,
not only was our concept of God misinformed and distorted, but also our
basic sense of humanity, family, and community. Cause and effect. It
has long been my contention that as a person reads a book, the parts
which become memorable are largely a function of his or her own
personality. When this is done with a book about God, the process
becomes anthropomorphic. Herbert W. Armstrong, consciously or
unconsciously, lifted from context and overly dramatized the elements of
the Bible with which he personally identified, and which served his
purposes. He taught us about a God whose primary way of expressing love
was extreme punishment for the slightest hint of disobedience to His
laws. This was a way of thinking that was not lost as it filtered down
into the parenting skills of church members. HWA's distortions did not
provide us with a full and accurate picture, and remain a source of the
problems many of us have had with God throughout our lives. They were
more of an intoxicant than an aid to mental or spiritual health. So, it
is hardly surprising that in order to deal with this, some of our
fellow travelers have explored and embraced the importance of objective
thinking. I know a little bit about this, because it is a technique
which I've explored myself. But, it's all too easy to take extreme
measures in an effort to invalidate, eliminate, or compartmentalize
activities and channels which have been used to hurt or damage us.
Defensive measures often leave visible scar tissue, a remnant which
serves as testimony to past injury. Others can sense this scar tissue,
although they will not usually know the nature of the wound which
produced it. Optimal healing involves regaining as complete
functionality as possible, with minimal scarring. Hopefully with a dash
of education seasoning the process.
For some reason, while I've
been sharing this, the words to the Linda Ronstadt song (later covered
by the Eagles) "Desperado" have been going through my head. (If you are
unfamiliar with this song, Google it for the lyrics). In some way,
they might illustrate the need and importance for healing which all of
us share. I think it might even be a good soundtrack for this article.
Probably
most people would agree that if there is a God, much of the way in
which He could work with each of us as individuals would be through
normal, healthy emotions, and a positive outlook towards spirituality.
It would by very nature be a mental, highly subjective process, and
produces passionate commitment. People of faith honestly believe that
God is working in their lives, and many of us find evidence of this on a
daily basis. Even while I was an atheist or agnostic, I was constantly
amazed at the resilience and sense of well being and purpose of
Christian people. This is awesome, and encouraging to watch sometimes,
although there are some occasional cliff hangers! But, is what we seem
to be seeing real? Isn't it subjective, and in the mind,
possibly even imaginary? Some say that we would be better off in
detaching ourselves from such subjective thinking, and focusing solely
on objective thinking. They say that in so doing, we will become
enlightened. But, is this true, or does it constitute yet another set
of filters or blinders? How we treat it would seem to be a choice. The
fact that some choose one course, while others choose the polar
opposite proves this. Apparently, it's an area of our lives in which we
can exercise some degree of control. And it would be a shame to make
such a decision based on the hurt caused by false teachers.
We
humans have five senses, recognized as being limited to specific areas
of various spectra. And, if we're fortunate, we get to utilize these
senses over a period of roughly 70 years. Science has helped us in
building devices to help us perceive some of the events which are
occurring outside of our human range, and over greater periods of time
than a normal human lifespan. That seems to have expanded our
capabilities and understanding, but we are still extremely limited in
our perceptions. Seemingly, we are faced with two general paths to
greater awareness. One is to look more deeply within. The other is to
look to an external source, one more knowledgeable than our own species.
One limits us to the here and now. The other would seem to expand
infinitely. Each of us must decide which one has greater potential and
reliability. Your mileage may vary.
The
"B" Word
The bitterness label is perhaps one of the most irksome and cliched
things that practicing Armstrongites can hurl at us. When someone plays
the "B" card (actually quite an identifying shibboleth!), it is a
device intended to leverage or invalidate us, and to cast doubt upon our
opinions and statements. Once employed, it momentarily stops
meaningful discourse while the accused suddenly find themselves
confronting the topic of bitterness before being able to continue the
original discussion. I believe that most people hurling this label know
exactly what they are doing, too. They are pressing one of the buttons
which their programming has taught them to press. Unfortunately, after
about fifty years, it has become so unoriginal that one almost expects
it to be accompanied by parrot squawking! "Wwaaakkk! Root of
Bitterness! Wwaaakkk!" Yet, so deeply embedded is this in the minds of
the cultically programmed that it is something we are unlikely to be
able to correct. Best course might be to take it for what it is, and
simply ignore it, depriving the utterers of its impact. We should
realize that perhaps using it is the only way that the programmed can
process our posts, mentally deflecting themselves from some of the very
valid issues which we raise from time to time.
In considering
bitterness, these folks fail to be able to identify, isolate, and
recognize a basic cause and effect relationship. Obviously, there can
be, and frequently are spiritual problems, but good theology does not
automatically escalate activities from physical to spiritual unless
there is a valid reason to do so. And, granted, there can be spiritual
undertones to many physical problems. In this case, church practices
recognizable as being bad, combined with a sense of having been "ripped
off" have caused a very proper and appropriate negative reaction amongst
many of us here. Unfortunately, the very ones who would spiritualize
our "problem" for us also happen to believe that there is no remedy,
save for us to return as members in good standing to the organization
which largely caused the problem.
When one is exposed to a
person, organization, or situation that has served as a long-term "net
taker", as opposed to a "net giver", it is not unusual for there to be
some residual sensitivity about the things of which one feels robbed,
deprived, or having lost. Many Christians believe in sacrificing
everything for their Creator, and for their Savior. The specific set of
problems we see today has been caused by the fact that to some people
it has become obvious that the Armstrong movement never did have the
witness of God behind it. So, any sacrifice was largely useless.
Lacking the witness of God, WCG was unable to deliver what was promised
as inducement for the sacrifices, either on a personal level for
members, or in terms of world events. And it was most certainly
anything but a nurturing church! Some, although I can't imagine how
they are able to continue to do this, apparently still feel that God is
involved in their church or splinter. The bottom line would seem to be
that in most cases, these churches have been their own worst enemies.
And, now they want to blame the victims. Had a little bit of
intelligence, or humanity been part of their equation, much of the
suffering and alleged bitterness need never have happened. They are the
jetsam and flotsam left in the wake of all false teachers.
In
analyzing some of the practices which later resulted in bitterness, it
becomes obvious that the roots lie in uncaring, exploitative treatment
of members. This is no mystery, curse, or temptation from Satan. There
is a very physical, simple, direct cause and effect relationship in
play here. People have been treated inconsistently with Jesus' Sermon
on the Mount, inconsistently with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. A
church institution, to insert, assert, and preserve its own authority
and to meet its own objectives, has chronically devalued humans and
human relationships, the same humans and relationships that Jesus placed
a premium upon. They made them readily expendable. A church taught
about the loving shepherd who is unwilling to lose any of his sheep, yet
failed to "go and do likewise". Obviously, there do exist some
incorrigible people, horribly addictive personalities, sociopaths, and
others who for one reason or another need to be taken care of. These,
the few but highly visible, do require a highly structured environment,
perhaps emphasizing legalism and authority. But, is it reasonable to
expect that every member of an organization supposedly devoted to
mentoring, and to providing spiritual guidance would be treated as some
of these "at risk" people whom I've catalogued? Most humans learn very
successfully how to exercise control over the personal details
surrounding their lives. Most, also, know to seek advice when
situations become overwhelming. The most advanced Christian groups know
of this, and factor it into their curriculum, teaching and practicing
"good stewardship", not only with financial resources entrusted to them,
but also in terms of developing their human resources. Paul speaks of
the "great freedoms" of being a Christian.
There was a time in
my life when I was involved in assisting some very troubled people close
to me. This was gut wrenching for a time, but I actually emerged with
a fresh perspective towards humanity, caring people, and spirituality.
During that time, you might have seen me visiting someone in jail, or
at a halfway house, or traipsing the streets looking for them. Those
activities were for me a regular fact of life. I became aware of some
of the programs which are commonly used to help such people back into a
more mainstream, responsible, and productive lifestyle. Because of many
of the negative events in my own life, things for which the ACOG
perpetrators claimed authority from Jesus Christ, I have to admit that I
saw belief in perhaps some of the same ways those recovering from
addictions see the drugs and alcohol which were involved with their
lifestyle problems. In a sense, I identified with some of the people
whom I sought to help, because, like them, I recognized that my
experiences had been damaging. So, imagine the paradox I faced! I saw
people actively being counselled to seek their Higher Power, and I was
very skeptical. For me, in my somewhat unique position, seeking the
Higher Power seemed to be the moral equivalent of relapsing back into a
drug which had ruined several decades of my life. Yet, of course, some
of these people who were being exposed to God and Jesus, for the first
time in their lives, were experiencing results. If you spoke to them
you would learn that Jesus was seen as the one who could heal, could put
back that which had been lost, or taken away, a just setter of
standards, a giver of blessings, and a source of justice in a world
cursed with injustice. Whether any of us can make the incredible mental
leap to acknowledge this, it was an observable fact that the beliefs of
these people either facilitated or enhanced their healing processes.
Granted that humans can alter behavior based on secular logic and
experience, but adding moral imperatives provided by a Higher Power
increases the possibility of a changed life exponentially. Organizers
of 12 Step programs retain that as part of their program because it
works!
What a surprising trip, considering the places where I'd
already been, courtesy of the WCG! One aspect to this which ended up
irritating me was the way in which these new Christian people would
answer my questions and challenges with almost pre-scripted cliches.
I'd challenge them, asking what I thought were deep questions, honestly
wanting to know tangible benefits of a Christian life, as compared to my
own of non-belief, and get all too familiar cliches. Now, years after
the fact, in spite of some of the "novice" answers I had frequently
received, I finally got the answers to many of my questions from people
who had delved beyond the initial learning stages, and beyond the
superficial. And, there was more education. As a non-believer, I had
always thought that one could find all of what I then called the
"non-imaginary" benefits of Christianity through other sources. What
I've learned since, is that so many of these good things and benefits
are concentrated within a church community, with the key being whether
you can find one with which your are comfortable. The majority of the
people who say that you can find some of these benefits in an assortment
of other places, while I sincerely believe they are telling the truth,
simply don't go to the trouble. They do without. In a way, it becomes
like being homeless. Without the very salving nourishment of the soul,
many of the things which gnaw at us don't go away. Yet, just like some
of the diseases and illnesses ignored because of WCG medical doctrines,
these conditions are treatable! We don't need to be living with them.
So,
how do we treat or get rid of bitterness? I've never read some of the
atheist textbooks, so have no clue as to what their teaching on this
very relevant topic might be. Don't know what an Ayn Rand objectivist
would do. But, I believe I've learned a very effective method from
Christians. Fortunately, it is one of those universal principles which
we all can share in, regardless of belief or not. You forgive the
people whom you hold responsible for causing the bitterness, and it
frees you up to go on with your life. By the way, it won't make a
scintilla of difference to these people whether we forgive them, or not.
In fact, we don't even need to tell them. You can be sure they would
handle your forgiveness in the same arrogant way in which they handle
everything else! But, the act of forgiveness provides immediate and
tremendous release, something only we can do for ourselves and obtain
noticeable results.
The
Future
One of the first things people seem to want to ask Christians about is
what they believe may happen in the near future. Frankly, I'm not sure
we know any more than does anyone else. It's not quite so important to
fully understand in advance what God is going to do as it is to realize
after the fact that He is always faithful in the fulfillment of His
prophecies. But, prophecy was such a hot button issue for those of us
who were exposed to the Armstrong problem, because "the end" was used
first as a marketing hook to get us or our parents involved, and later
as a fearsome cat of nine tails on members once they were inside, always
whipping them into shape. Most of us, today, are tired of hearing
about it in any form, because of the ways in which it was used to
manipulate and exploit us. Oddly, I don't recall the spectre of the
end times being raised by mainstream Christianity until the so-called
"Jesus movement" of the 1970s. Yet, who hasn't heard of the "Left
Behind" series these days? It would appear that "the end" has
permanently entered the popular lexicon, and not only from Christian
sources.
Politicians have jumped on this bandwagon, and although
they are not quoting Bible verses, they are quoting statistics related
to the accelerated rate of melting of the glaciers around the world, the
accumulation of CO2 and destruction of the ozone layer, the radical
changes occurring in the oceans, the destruction of the world's rain
forests, and the near extinction of numerous species of animals. While
these are all problems which may respond to scientifically oriented
solutions, it is unlikely that man would be able to effectively remedy
other problems, such as the anticipated reversal of the earth's magnetic
polarity.
The news media also seems to want to weigh in on all
of this, selling newspapers and boosting ratings as they go by fanning
the flames of avian flu, "mad cow" disease, Ebola, the golden algae
threat, the resistance to antibiotics of strains of diseases once
thought eradicated, the growth of the atomic club, and other issues.
Clearly, we have a growing number of existential threats, and everybody
seems to want to audition for the role of Chicken Little.
Some or
all of these problems or challenges will end up needing to be dealt
with, while others will simply fade into insignificance, dying a quiet
and natural death, becoming non-issues. In the intervening time, we can
expect people to utilize these issues to mold opinion to their own
agendas, whether such agendas be scientific, religious, political, or
humanitarian.
I am not the type of Christian who claims to have
all the answers, or to use information to manipulate people. I did not
appreciate being kept on edge about many of these things, in a perpetual
state of limbo by WCG, because this kept me from enjoying the peace,
tranquility, and many blessings that Christian living is supposed to
bring to us on a daily basis in the here and now. Of course, it could
be argued very persuasively that we never were Christians, as WCG
members, but it is not until we begin to experience some of the good and
wholesome things which were obviously missing from WCG culture that we
can fully appreciate their value. I don't believe that God intended for
us to be continuously whipped into a state of anxiety over what we see
around us. I believe that He wants us to trust Him and not focus on
"the wind" (remember Peter's attempt to walk on water?). Conversely to
WCG teaching, I also believe that God wants us to get involved in
helping ALL people (not just members), and helping to minimize whatever
societal problems we can. Christians, right in there, at ground zero,
helping others, and helping them by example to make sense of it all!
Isn't that what "let your light shine" is all about?
There are
some general theories floating about, some of which may or may not have
a bearing on our future. Though the ACOGs have largely missed this
one, because they believe that the Roman Catholic Church is the "Great
Whore" of Babylon, one could almost conceptualize a revival of the Roman
Empire nations, doing the many things they say it will do, if another
"Great Whore", (Islam) were to take root and become the dominating
political force there. Jihad co-opting all of the might of Europe would
not be a pretty sight. I never could see the Catholics attacking us,
but I can most definitely see radical Muslims doing so.
There is
also the theory concerning the prophetic sprouting of the tender branch,
supposedly representing the rebirth of the nation of Israel. Now, the
presence of Israel is actually required for the end time prophecies in
Revelation to take place. If in fact this theoretic interpretation has
validity, it would be easy to draw the conclusion that the time period
is linked to the "baby Boomer" generation, since Israel was reborn as a
nation in 1948. So, for all of the younger people here, the baby
boomers should nearly all be gone in about twenty years, placing a bit
of a timeline on this theory. You'll know a bit more by then........or
not.
The Christian community in which I participate is aware of
possible end time scenarios, but is not hung up on them. We're more
concerned with our daily Adventure with Father God, and the blessings
and education we are experiencing. Building a "kingdom" skill set. In
the past several years, I've participated in several high profile events
where the focus has been prayer for a spiritual awakening, a healing
and revival in our nation, and around the world, returning our nation to
the largely Christian principles and practices on which it was founded.
We believe that the current economic crisis has caused many people to
turn to God, and frankly, considering the volatility of past decades,
that in and of itself is counter intuitive. It is amazing that we are
not experiencing massive civil unrest in response to the hardships
people are experiencing. But, in fact, many of our core crime
statistics are actually trending downwards.
We may be in the end
times, or we may not. So, to me, the only way to live life is to do it
in as ethical and loving way as possible. Frankly, that's good advice
in any case. Be on the side of good, part of the solution rather than
part of the problem. Think of each act in terms of its implications for
those around us, be they individuals, animals, or other nations, or our
planet. I don't believe that we have any stupid people on these
blogs and forums. Opinionated, yes. Stupid, no. Back when I was a
non-believer, in a discussion about the end, I said something which I
feel still makes good sense, and bears repeating: If the events
outlined in the book of Revelation suddenly begin unfolding in an
unmistakable or undeniable way, exactly as they are written, I believe
that all of us, be we believer or nonbeliever, will at that point know
exactly what is happening, and what to do.
The
Game
I'm going to expose a certain
stereotype for the purpose of discussion. It's a prominent and
identifiable one, but what I'm about to share does not apply universally
to everyone, so bear with me. I've noticed that this game has been
played wherever our former religious experiences have been discussed.
It starts with:
"Hi, I'm an atheist, and I'm just so intelligent!
Let me acquaint you with the only logical method of determining valid
information, and the only rational and acceptable way of interpreting
it, and then you'll become an atheist, too, unless of course you are
just plain stupid!"
Why don't more believers take this bait, and
cross over? The fact is, people make benefit assessments in their
lives, related to purchases, friendships, relationships, career choice,
and even their faith. For some, faith provides benefits which
non-belief simply cannot replace. In fact, it often acts as an all
purpose solution, or a one-stop shopping center for a wide collection of
needs and desirables, especially if one is raising a family. How can
an evangelizing atheist replace these tangibles and intangibles with
something of greater or equal value? He can't. All he has to offer is a
vacuum. Nothingness. It's like a eunuch going to a dance club to try
to pick up women.
Back when I built and rode Triumphs, there
were always Harley guys who acted as if they were bigger and badder, had
bigger dicks, and were more authentic bikers, just because they rode
HD. One of the lessons from life's school of hard knocks is that, no
matter our talents, there is generally someone else who has greater
talent. Name the criteria. If you start a contest, sometimes you're
going to win and sometimes you're going to lose. What you have is what
you have, and successful people learn to use what they have effectively.
There will always be someone with a higher IQ, more wealth, bigger
muscles, hotter cars or bikes, more lovers, better fighting skills, or
more persuasive and magnetic personality. What is true is that often
people will become jealous and resent formidably strong or obviously
superior types. Idolization and imitation are not universal reactions
by any means.
The WCG was a seeker group. The ministry was
dedicated to attracting people who either had not thought much about
belief, or were looking for solutions to some of life's more vexing
problems. The church would seek and pick up whatever stragglers they
could find, usually by pretending to provide special information which
nobody else had, and to use this information to intellectually back
prospectives into a corner, leaving them no other logical course but to
join up. No matter that the vast majority of the people who heard the
message simply tuned it out as being ridiculous. Many ex-members still
have retained this methodology, and since it worked at one time on them,
they use it in attempting to spread their new ideas, often with
missionary zeal.
I'll concede the fact that many non-believers
are indeed happier and better adjusted than those like ourselves who
have had or are having a bad religious experience. However, for the
most part, Christians have some pretty awesome coping skills, and quite a
sense of community. Generally, they help one another, and humanity at
large, sharing many of their talents and resources. And, yes you can
find these qualities and sense of community elsewhere, if you know where
to look. It's just that they seem to be concentrated in the Christian
community. In terms of intelligence, interests, and abilities,
believers mirror society at large, making it easy for anyone to find and
form friendships. Friendship is also a very powerful motivating factor
in keeping people attached to any collective group. It's one of the
major adjustment problems many of the people who left WCG have cited in
their lives.
Benefit assessment is the reason why happy believers
do not succumb to the charms and persuasive powers of the "Elvis of
Atheism" types. Just in case anyone happened to be wondering.
A word from the author: To me, one of the universal cravings of humanity is for unconditional
love. And, it really doesn't matter if someone is down and out, has
been abused, or has made great sacrifices in their lifestyle to rise to
the top of their profession. We all feel that this universal love (is 1
Cor. 13 the love chapter?) would vastly improve our sense of human
well-being, and general quality of our lives.
Non-belief didn't
work for me. It left me totally flat, and empty. I'm a hard-headed
person, and it took 30 years for me to realize it, probably because I'd
arrived at non-belief as a reaction to an organization which painted a
picture of God, not as the author of unconditional love, but as a harsh
judge, spying on us and anxious to punish. This organization had also,
in advance, destroyed my confidence or trust in any of the Christian
churches which had the true understanding of love and grace.
Unfortunately, this sent me into a state of spiritual homelessness, and
twice as many lost years as I'd initially spent in Armstrongism!
If you have anything you would like to submit to this site, or any comments,
email me at: CLICK HERE FOR EMAIL ADDRESS.
