God Had Something To Say About the Worldwide Church of God.

This is as close to I could come for a description of the "suggested" model of Tithing in the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert Armstrong - and even some of the splinters of that church that continue to exist today. If someone was to have followed the letter of the law precisely - and avoid being labeled a "slacker" or an "unenthusiastic, unconverted" do-nothing of a member - this is what likely faced you each and every day and week and month and year.

The method was nothing short of extortion, in my opinion. You were constantly, weekly, bi-weekly - monthly - and at every sermon - harangued, badgered, bugged, pleaded - and threatened of your very eternal life - to give wholeheartedly and enthusiastically to every demand of the church. But it never started that way.

When most came into "The Work", the most they felt they had to give was one tithe. But it wasn't long that they learned there was much more to the story than what they were initially told. The free magazine was too good to be true.

Soon, you learned that there was a second tithe to attend a convention you had to go to. Yes, you had to foot the bill for a mandatory conference that pictured something that was promised that never came when they said it would. Then, once you were baptized, you had to give ANOTHER 10 percent of your income every three years for funds that supposedly (but did not always) went for a benevolence fund for widows and orphans and the poor.

But that wasn't even all. Every seven holy days every year, you had to give a substantial voluntary offering which also went to headquarters!

But wait! There's more!

You also had to pay for the events and the activities of your local church activity fund. The kids' YOU outfits, meets, balls, square dances - all were on the local church's dime you were expected to help out with. You would spend your time in fundraisers, garage sales, baskets - whatever it took to raise the additional money so you and your church could try to have some kind of a life, since birthdays and festive times were already out of the picture.

But wait! There's more!

When the church was having their huge building fund, you were ALSO threatened with the loss of eternal life if you did not contribute to the building fund for the expansion of their college and to help pay for the loans that would eventually solidify their crown gem, Ambassador College.

And, where did your funds go. What did they accomplish.

The Lord has words for these kind of acts. And they're all in the Old Covenant that Armstrongism claims is in force. 

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and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. Zech 7:10

Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate; For the LORD will plead their case. Proverbs 22:22-23

"For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. Jer 7:5-7

"Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain Isaiah 33:14

May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor.  Psalm 72:4

Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, So as to deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor of My people of their rights, So that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the orphans. Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth?Isaiah 10: 1-3

Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine. Amos 5:11

Woe to those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the power of their hands. They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time. Micah 2: 1-3

Yes, this is exactly what happened with the Worldwide Church of God. 

Every detail. Every scripture. 

Every word. 

Did not they exact heavy rent on the poor? 

Did not they covet fields and seize them? 

And houses? And take them away? 

Did they not purchase poor people's houses for their own gain? 

Diod they not rob the poor of the people their rights? 

Did they not constantly record unjust decisions?

Did they not walk after other Gods to their own ruin? 

Were not the widows their spoil? 

And did not God bring against the Church a calamity from which they could not remove their necks, and in which they could not walk haughtily any longer? 

All they built was taken away, sold, distributed, and collapsed. 

It all happened exactly as God's Word said it would. 

After all, those who live by the Law are judged by the Law. 

Treasure photos courtesy Banned by HWA.