The Great Reconciliation Between Jew and Gentile in the New Testament

If there is one subject that the COG's have absolutely failed to teach their congregants properly is the great reconciliation that shocked the Church in the New Testament in the book of Acts.

Of course, it was the Church's beliefs on the differences between Jew vs. Gentile and who compromised "Spiritual Jews" or "Spiritual Israelites" that literally muddied the waters when it came to just how huge of a big deal it was back in the days of the beginning of the Christian Church at and shortly after Pentecost.

In the Worldwide Church of God's alternative facts, the story-line was completely different. Jesus came not for the world, but for a select few called "the Church". The "Gentile" line went off the deep end, ignored the "true" Gospel, which, according to Armstrongism, laid dormant and powerless for centuries - save for an infinitesimally small group of observant Christians who kept the Jewish Law throughout six different eras - up to the "Philadelphia" era which, of course, was started, and ended, with Herbert Armstrong.

What this different chronology does is shocking to the standards of orthodox Christianity, the work of the Spirit, the inclusion of the Gentiles, the lessons of Acts, the epistles of Paul, and actually, the entire framework and network of the New Testament. That framework being the freedom in Christ with the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Church that came with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

We pick up the story at Acts 15: (NIV) (emphasis in bold mine) (my inserted comment in brown)

15 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute (AHA! Well, this wasn't expected at all, was it?) and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

Let me interject here what it must have been like at this point. Paul and Barnabas were at "Sharp Dispute". I bet you hands were flying and spit was being spat, and they obviously did not come to a solution or a conclusion - both held their ground. The only thing to do was for them both to be sent up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and the elders to talk about what to do. I can imagine that both were absolutely and completely set in their ways (What else is new?? This was a prospect of huge change, great for Paul, nightmarish for Barnabas!) BUT - they both could not deny the fact that the Gentiles had been converted. And for them, this was a Game-Changer - a Very Big Deal.

³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

Until a section of believers felt that the Gentiles must now become Jews in practice: 

⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, (something tells me that this was a major understatement!!) Peter (NOT Paul, NOT Barnabas, but Peter!!!) got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Shocking words!! Just look at the first four words in the next verse: 

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³ When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon^[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

¹⁶ “‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it,
¹⁷ that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’^[b]—
¹⁸     things known from long ago.^[c]

¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. ²¹ For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

I think it's good to point out here that you can definitely see the difference of opinions that are existing within the different personalities at this point. We have Paul, who is championing Grace and Freedom for the Gentiles. We have Peter, who is adamant that placing the Law of the Gentiles would be too much for them to bear and that salvation is by Grace through Faith.  We have Barnabas, who is championing the Law of Moses and Circumcision for the Gentiles. We also have James, who seems to be thinking that eventually, they'll come around to the law of Moses. Oh no, it's a split decision! It's sometimes difficult to see the human reasoning within scripture, but we have to remember, these were humans - men - just like us - with thought and reason and rationale just like what happens when a group of us get together.  What then was the end result? We read it in verse 22.

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings.

²⁴ We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵ So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul (THIS IS SIGNIFICANT, since both had very divergent opinions!!) — ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. ^{[34] [d] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

That wasn't the end of the disagreements between Paul and Barnabas - two totally different opinions on Law and Grace and Church Administration, the Law of Moses and the Gentiles. Look what happened in verse 36:

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

It doesn't take a lot to see that there were hard feelings between the two who had completely different opinions on the path that they thought the two were supposed to take. Doesn't this all sound familiar? A huge shift had just happened within the Church. The Gentiles were included as believers without the inclusions of circumcision and the observances of the Law of Moses.

It is with this perspective that one must read the Pauline Epistles, as Paul went from church to church writing the congregations trying to explain to those who sided with Barnabas' opinion about Law about why the Law existed, what it was for, what it did, and the new way of faith in Christ and Christ in you in such books as Galatians. It is with this background that one can understand why Paul wrote exactly what he wrote, and went into such lengths and details about such issues - because he was dealing with people who could not accept the decisions of the Jerusalem Council, and that the Gentiles were not subject to the same yoke that they spent their whole lives observing. This did not change the fact that the decision was done and the Gentile Church WAS the Church - even though they did things and observed things differently. 

And here is where Herbert Armstrong could not reconcile that the Gentile Church was as much a part of the Church as the Jewish Christians were, 1900 and some years later. Instead, Herbert Armstrong condemned the Gentile Church as a wayward, backwards, pagan people who did not operate on faith but had become absorbed in apostasy. His mindframe was that the Gentile Church must act as the Jewish Church acted in the first Century - as the earliest Christians had to act. His mindframe was that the Gentile Church had to be subject to the Law of Moses. In short, Herbert Armstrong defied the authority and judgement of the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 and made the unilateral decision that the Gentile Church WAS bound to observe the Law of Moses and even circumcision. Herbert Armstrong was in rebellion to Paul, to Peter, and to the entire Jerusalem Council. Herbert Armstrong sided with Barnabas, and put a yoke on Gentile Christians that was too hard of a yoke to bear and distracted them from grace and faith in Christ. THIS is the reality of what happened, and this is the reality of where Herbert stood in relation to the authority of which the Council's decision was made.

In fact, Herbert Armstrong was rebellious to anybody who made a decision that was different than he thought. It didn't matter if it was Peter, or Paul, or Herb's own ministers, or Herb's church before he started his own. Herb had no respect for the Church, for the Decisions of the Council, for the Gentiles, and the list goes on and on. The reality is that what was in Herb's mind was a methodology to use religion - specifically taking the position of Barnabas - to attempt to revive the inclusions that had been outlawed by the council upon the Gentiles for his own personal benefit and gain. Such actions were mutinous, disrespectful, and against the very Spirit who inspired the decisions of the council in the first place.

Just because the Gentiles did things differently did not eliminate, and does not eliminate their faith and their belief in Jesus Christ and does not eliminate their prospects for salvation nor their inclusion into the Church of God. This is the hardest pill for the Churches of God to swallow - and it all stems from the great reconciliation and acceptance of the Gentiles by God in the Spirit at the day of Pentecost.

Will the Church of God recognize the decisions of the Church of God made at the Jerusalem Council? Will the Church of God accept the decisions of Peter, Paul, and all the Apostles? Will the Church of God stop trying to imposing yokes and burdens on the Gentiles that are too hard and cumbersome for them? Will Thiel and Malm and others take the decisions of the Jerusalem council and humble themselves and obey their spiritual authorities and stop imposing Jewish Law on Gentile Christians and creating more hardship than they can bear distracting them from CHRIST? 

What Is it that makes Armstrongism SO appealing to those who support it?

It's a valid question.

What is it exactly, that makes Armstrongism SO appealing to those who fully embrace it's completely flawed ideologies? What is it about Armstrongism that has caused people to completely deny reality in their quest for truth and understanding?

Despite the full brunt of historical evidence which is a free and open library for the browsing, Armstrongist supporters wear blindfolds and earplugs in the face of such dramatic affronts to their concepts and mindless imaginations. Despite the full brunt of hardships and assaults on rightful living, and despite the full brunt of even half-ways intelligent rebuttals to some of their most easily dis-proven theological embarrassments, they continue to relish in the madness of constant deceptions and continual delusion. They do not believe it is deception, nor do they believe it is delusion. To them, it's reality - even though clearly, and without any legitimate dispute, it is anything but reality. It is clearly, and unarguably, complete non-sense - made up by one man, with one vision, and one dream, fueled by vanity, ego, conceit, and power.

With that framework clear - what is it, then, that makes Armstrongism SO appealing to those who support it? It is the clear embracing of the concepts and imaginative dreaming of exactly the mindsets of the one who started it all. Namely, vanity, ego, conceit, and power.

Armstrongism is a fairy tale land of make-believe for many who did not, in real life, achieve, attain, or grasp the lifelong dreams of authority they may have wanted in their human lives to that point. For others, it was an avenue to create within that very structure the very embodiment of real power, using ego, and vanity, and conceit to achieve just such.

For others, traditional religion had, for one reason, or another, burnt them severely - whether it was Catholicism, or Protestantism, or any other form of organized religion which had shown itself, to them, as a fully evident fraudulent system - Armstrongism provided bucketfuls of theories as to why Corporate Christianity was as untruthful as they had observed it to be. With stories of abuse and freshly laid paths that all led to evil and paganism from within their horror stories of Corporate Christianity past, they were more than eager to embrace a different, seemingly refreshing concept of what they took to be a new light of truth.

This new light of truth, in fact - was the spark that all of these people began to fully indoctrinate within themselves, regardless of what exactly their specific reason was. Their leader, Herbert Armstrong, or whichever splinter leader they bought into later on down the road - spoke with enough convincing argument and authority that - when juxtaposed against the lies they had bought in the past, simply seemed to make sense and were appealing to minds that rejected what they thought was correct in the first place. Perhaps, in previous experiences, they experienced the abusive Southern Baptist Pastor, or the deviant Catholic Priest. Perhaps, in previous experiences, they remember the commercialism of secular Christmases, or the perceived emptiness they may have felt chasing Easter eggs on Easter morning. Or, perhaps, they simply were not taught the tenets of actual, authentic, Christianity - instead trapped in a televangelist-oriented, money-abusing system bent on money, authority, and power - and fled it, only to be attracted to the exact same system by someone else who told them they, well, were not after their money, and were not, initially, believing the system was about money, authority, and power. In short - they were duped once, then were duped again.

In a majority of so many of these cases was one common characteristic that was embraced. The idea that what was before was wrong - so what is now must be right.

And you have to admit, from the surface - in the worldview that it was in the 20th Century - it seemed right. It certainly did seem right! Technology - the space age - in fact, the nuclear age - made a convincing argument to Herbert's theories. The rapid rise of Armstrongism and growth led a sense of credibility to the argument. It's hard to argue when your emotions are completely overtaxed with 14,000 other people who are believing what you believe, and are of the same mindset! If they are right, and you are right - well then, it must be right, and that's that, right?

And that - right there - was the seed and the trap that made it all appealing. Here's a new and different way of living and thinking that opened up new doors to a whole new world of opportunity. But with all of the available opportunities and traditions were the acceptance of unquestioned and unchecked power from those in charge of the system they were embracing. The kicker that said "I'm in" The belief that down the road, in just a few years - is the absolute assurance that Herbert's ideas were true - including you being a part of a World Rulership where you, yourself, would be one of those in the King's Inner Circle, ruling and governing in - you guessed it - authority, luxury - and power - right back to square one.

The only thing is?

Herbert's ideas were not true. They were lies. They were built on financial greed and empirical lust. They were built on irrational concepts of racism and superiority. They were built on worldly business models, with the capstone worldly treasures that would make the top rich and powerful in their world, and the poor impoverished and shackled. The promises of a Utopian government in 3 to 5 years were false. The promises of interpretations of prophecies were also just as false. The ideas of the majority of the ministers were - you guessed it - false. In fact, Herbert's empire was just as scandalous, just as abusive, just as divisive, and just as greedy as anything you'd find in what they came from in the first place. The end result was disappointment, disillusionment, and a deep hunger for facts without the emotional and/or spiritual concepts that hurt them so much in the first place. And what was created? Dysfunction, Distrust - and in many cases, agnosticism and atheism. And in most cases? Anxiety, depression, trauma - to name just a few behavioral issues that were born from the cesspool of Armstrong's Atrocities.

Bringing it back around to the original question. What is it then, NOW, that makes Armstrongism SO appealing to those who support it - despite all of the above, or the reasons, and what not?

It can only be one thing. And it's best described summarily in just five words.

It is, what it is.

Their entire lives, full extended families, decades of memories, and a host of other entrenched webs are simply worth more than what it would be to start new. So, even though there are other more appealing options that look available despite the disgust of the deceit they plainly see, not changing anything would be, to them - a greater risk of collapsing their entire life's structure than it would be to leave the structure and build new. In other words - they fear it would all collapse on them before they get out to start new.

Thus, the appeal the remains, honestly - in totality -  is for many - rooted in just ONE word.

Survival.

Setting Personal Boundaries With Your Minister

The Armstrong Church of God Ministers have consistently, in the name of what they call "God's Government", invaded the personal boundaries of their members in the enforcement of "the Law" within their congregations. Of course, members might think to themselves upon reading this: "What Boundaries?"

Throughout the decades, ministers have been trained, and thus feel compelled as principle, to ask and give counsel to the most private of questions, or the most trivial of questions. What would make most people gravely uncomfortable to discuss is commonly divulged by people within the Churches of God, believing the opinion of the minister is directly from Christ - because they've submitted themselves to "the Authority of the Government of God."

What is a personal boundary, anyway?

"Boundaries are guidelines, rules, or limits that a person creates to identify themselves what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around them and how they will respond when someone steps outside those limits."*

Regardless of what you have been told, or what you have believed - all people - including ministers - are subject to respect and to follow the personal boundaries that YOU have set up for yourself. It is within your basic rights as a human being, and within your own standards and expectations of privacy, to set up boundaries that all must respect. If you say no, NO means NO.

There are many personal boundaries that must be respected by your spiritual advisors. Most of all, what it is that you decide to share if you are asked to divulge personal information. The ministers of the Armstrong Churches of God have had a history of asking questions that they were not qualified, nor trained, to counsel on. Even Ron Dart, a senior minister in the old Worldwide Church of God, admitted exactly that.

The emotional result of inappropriate boundary invasion by a minister (or anyone, for that matter) can be like:

 "getting caught in the midst of a hurricane with no protection. You expose yourself to being greatly affected by others words, thoughts, and actions and end up feeling bruised, wounded and battered"*. 

Yet the fear that a minister can attempt to seduce you to believe through the power of blind deception can make you feel like it's not "that bad" what they are doing, after all, it is "God's Government". The reality is that they are being spiritual and emotional vampires, sucking out any dignity, self-worth, and privacy for their own interpretations and unqualified judgement, leading you down the road of guilt, condemnation, and lack of self-worth.

What then can you do, if you feel within your heart of hearts that a minister has crossed the line of effective spiritual counsel into disrespect of your basic rights and violating your personal boundaries?

1) Pray for God's assistance to help you stand up for righteousness.
2) Assert that such questions are inappropriate and are making you uncomfortable.
3) If the minister is persistent and presses the issue, or threatens retribution, WALK OUT. 

No person - not one - has the right to invade your personal boundaries once you request them to stop. There is no difference from a person refusing to honor the word "NO", whether it is a sexual request or an emotional request or inappropriate question where you have told them to stop. (This goes with physical boundary intrusions too, like when they used to go through your medicine cabinets decades ago!)  If they persist, or threaten retribution, it is a violation. They have crossed the line. You no longer are subject to submit to their authority. (Secret: You never were subject to their "authority".)  They relinquish any such authority the minute they ignore the word, "NO".

Yes, you may be disfellowshipped. You may be marked. And that is okay. You stood up for what is right, and for yourself, and have asserted the respect you deserve as a person.

 The question is, will you allow yourself to remain in an abusive relationship of disrespect and violation of your personal space and rights - or will you assert your personal basic rights, and be free from the abusers who disrespect your personal space and privacy.

The era of inappropriate questioning and counsel in the Armstrong Churches of God by unqualified and untrained ministers must end. It must start with you. 



*Quotes adapted from the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center from PositivelyPositive.com, outofthefog.net, Where You End and I Begin by Anne Katherine

State of The Church #6

And So, It Has Been Said, One Splinter Won't Allow Non-Laced Shoes in Church.

Ephesians 3, Armstrongism Revised Version

For the Sake of Making a Point, I present to you what is NOT the Word of God, the fully edited Armstrongism Revised Version (written by me, it doesn't exist!) of Ephesians 3, to illustrate the point of how much the Church changed even one chapter of one book of the New Testament, to support their belief system.

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles establishing the Church —

² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace Law that was given to me for you, ³ that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ magnification of the Law, ⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶ This mystery is that through the gospel Obedience of the Law and the Sabbath and Holy Days the Gentiles are heirs together with British Isrealites are Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together The only true heirs in the promise in Christ Jesus.
⁷ I became a servant of this gospel the Magnification of the Law by the gift of God’s grace obedience to the Law given me through the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles Church the boundless riches of Christ, need for obedience to the Government of God and His Law, ⁹ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery the Government of God, the Kingdom, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things, and will still be hidden to virtually the whole world. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, Herbert Armstrong and his church ¹¹ according to his eternal purpose that he  will accomplished  accomplish in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Master Plan of redemption.¹² In him and through faith in him By obedience to the Law and our submission to the Government of God as members of the Church we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³ I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ you may may dwell in your hearts qualify  through faith obedience to the Law. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love the Law, ¹⁸ may have power under God's Government, together with all the Lord’s holy people members of the Church, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, important it is that you qualify and are obedient, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge obedience to God's Government —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, how much we support Herbert Armstrong, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus the Work throughout all generations this end time, for ever and ever! Until World War III! Amen.

Who Are You?

Are you you, or are you something that you never wanted to be? Who are you, anyway?

When you first wake up in the morning, half awake and groggily rising from your nightly slumber, you may find yourself half awake, off balance and heading for the bathroom. As you flip on the light, while yawning, you may catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror.

And you quickly wake up - WHO is that staring back at you? Your hair looks like it's been through a tornado or the latest punk rock phase, whatever is worse. Your eyes may seem puffy, pillow marks on the side of your face. Five o' clock shadow if you're a guy. It's a picture of you that you would only share with your closest of relatives.

Nevertheless, it is who you are. But is it who you are?

I know that may seem like a redundant question, highly without logic and seemingly without ration. But in the common experience of our past - the Worldwide Church of God - who you believed you are may never be who you really were, or are, or will be. Because they wanted you to conform to what they wanted you to be. And many still have not discovered exactly who they are.

There was a set and established mold of expectation in the Churches of God as to who you were expected to be. Indeed, there was a specific, well-thought out, highly integrated standard that you were expected to either already have met, or were expected to conform to. This standard engulfed everything in your life - from appearance, to characteristics, to communication, to finances, to your marriage, your children, and everything in, around, and in between. They called this expectation of appearance "Godliness". And they called the process of molding yourself to this expectation "Character-building". Once you became the person they expected you to become, in every way conforming to their expectations (a combination of Law-keeping and Standard-Bearing), you were fully integrated and accepted as to one who is "bearing the fruits" as a "Deeply Converted" member of the Churches of God.

Yet the reality is often different from the illusion. The illusion of who you are. The reality of who you are was often what you were when no one was watching. Or when you were at work. Or school. Or with your spouse. The reality may be a shadow of what you had hoped to be, hidden, and dormant for so many years, unable to grow and to cultivate and to be nurtured and fed. The reality may honestly never have been known, because the reality of what you wanted to be - you were told was wrong, or incorrect, or unacceptable.

Take for instance profession. Many in the church were discouraged from being what they knew they could be or do. People with skills for medicine were discouraged, for example. Perhaps one had the gift of law enforcement in public service - police, fire, ems. Perhaps the job they were good at doing, they could not do, because they were convinced that doing so would violate the Law. The list could go on, and on, and on.

Take for instance those who did not meet the mold because they were not good at what they were told to be good at. Like the student at Ambassador who was not sports-oriented, or the Y.O.U. member who couldn't throw the ball in the hoop. Or the high-voiced male who was constantly told was effeminate or unmanly. Or the woman who was dreadfully unhappy with the role chosen for her as a homemaker, cook, and sewing expert. They were forced to mold and condition themselves to expectations because that was considered the right way to be and behave. But was it who they were?

Is it who they are?

When I confronted a minister about some aspects of my time in the Worldwide Church of God, this preaching elder admitted outright that the attitudes displayed by the minister were the way they were because they were expected to conform certain people and types to expectation. People were not allowed to be who they were. The level of control was beyond the maximum. Your expectation was to be a drone. A robotic programmed, wholly obedient, assimilated member of The Family. Where any deviance of the expectation was met with condemnation and judgement. Your personality and your talents may have been stomped on, defecated on, pissed on, and finally, puked on if you did not change and conform, or "repent" of who you were to become what they wanted you to be.

I'm not saying we should not aim for a goal of Godliness. But Godliness does not eliminate YOU.

Godliness does not eliminate your talents. Your skills. Your personality. Your humor. Your abilities. And Godliness does not eliminate your freedom. Your freedom of choice, your freedom to live, and your freedom to grow and develop who you are, and to take the best path in your life to the glory of God.

I know of some people who simply do not believe that they have free will. That God has to tell them every decision, and command every path, and instruct every highway. How can one grow with this mindset? How can one possibly understand the gift God has given to us if they believe that they are simply programmed drones with no abilities beyond "Yes, Sir"? Does not God intend for us to life an abundant and fulfilled life - one of service and Godliness - but also one of truth, fully using every talent and ability to the fullest of one's potential?

What we were not told in the Worldwide Church of God is our true identity. As Christians, our identity is in Christ, and is in Christ alone. Being in Christ does not rob us of who we are, or what we can do. Being in Christ means doing all things and all decisions in an attitude of love and respect to God and man, in faith, trust in confidence of God's providence in our lives - believing in the power of the Word of God in our everyday life - which is a way of life beyond physical standards. It is spiritual purity, the clearest of living waters.

Our identity in Christ is defined by our Fruits in Christ - the exhibition and the practice - in whatever skills we have - of righteousness in Christ. Of love, of peace, of joy. Of kindness and gentleness. Of meekness. Of self control. These fruits do not rob us of our abilities and our talents. They compliment and embody our abilities and our talents. In fact, they are quenched and stifled in drones and autocratic robots. Our identity - and who we are - is in Christ.

What we DO is up to us. As individuals. As people with choice, and freedom. As people with talents, and gifts, and paths to take that for so many of us have been trampled on and covered up by so many hirelings of the Churches of God, whose only goal is to conform us to their version of law and expectations. They are the self-appointed Thiels, and the Malms, and the Hard-core leaders of the Churches of God - they are the do's and dont's of Armstrongism that hold you down and out, and poor, and weak, and miserable.  They are the ones that have kept you from discovering who you are.

When you discover WHO you are in Christ, you are released from bondage, and free to live in the service of Christ - by His fruits - to everyone. You are free. Free to serve, free to grow, free to use your skills and assets and virtues in ways that your talents are best suited for unencumbered by the demands of the oppressors, guided by the Law of Love, respect, and the Spirit of Christ in all you say and do in accordance with the will of the Father.

For the Christian - this is life.

As Jesus said in scripture:

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (Biblehub)

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit .

Galatians 5:1 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

13-24 (Biblehub)

13You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ^a ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ^b 15If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever ^c you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Herbert Armstrong: A Classic Case of Narcisistic Personality Disorder

Herbert W. Armstrong was a Narcissist.

This has been discussed on many COG-related blogs and websites over the past twenty years. This site shall be no exception.

The Churches of God have enabled and fueled Narcissists for the entirety of their70+ years of existence, claiming and deceiving the grandiose delusions that they and they alone were the only ones God was calling and working with out of the billions of people on the Earth today. Not many were as thoroughly narcissistic, though, as the businessman, Herbert Armstrong - who displayed, without any doubt and with thorough verification and confirmation - every aspect of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

From Wikipedia: 

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder with a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.^[2][3] Those affected often spend a lot of time thinking about achieving power or success, or on their appearance.^[3] They often take advantage of the people around them.^[3] The behavior typically begins by early adulthood, and occurs across a variety of social situations.^[3]

The DSM-5 indicates that persons with NPD usually display some or all of the following symptoms, typically without the commensurate qualities or accomplishments:^[6][9]

HWA Walking Through A Massive Parade Front and Center

 

1. Grandiosity with expectations of superior treatment from other people
2. Fixated on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness, etc.
3. Self-perception of being unique, superior, and associated with high-status people and institutions
4. Needing continual admiration from others
5. Sense of entitlement to special treatment and to obedience from others

There were constant Pastor General Report mailings to ministers absolutely filled with ministers heaping on the praises and lavish endorsements of HWA, each fueling and enabling the narcissistic behavior of HWA on every level, causing him to believe his grandiose fantasies as reality. HWA had the self-perception of being not only unique, but the only "apostle" on the face of the Earth at that period of time. He considered himself fully superior to all other ministers and members of the Church, and to all humanity who was not being "called by God" at the time. And, Herbert constantly, from age 16 onward, enjoyed and was motivated to spend time and be like high-status "important" people as well as institutions. His expectations of superior treatment ranged from constant complaining about the size of his office to the "quality" he constantly expected and demanded from others and for himself. He also felt needy for special treatment - and he absolutely and unquestionably demanded obedience from all people under his "authority" as Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God. 

Another proof of NPD was exploitation.

1. Exploitative of others to achieve personal gain
2. Unwilling to empathize with the feelings, wishes, and needs of other people.

 

  Exploit means to derive full use and benefit from a source. 

An example of Herbert's exploitation of his members of his church was to drain out and squeeze every ounce of income he could from them - without care or without concern about their personal struggles, instead shifting the responsibility to God to take care of them because they were obedient to HWA - or as he called it "The Government of God".

He would demand First Tithe, Second Tithe, Third Tithe, Regular Holy Day offerings, Building Fund Offerings, Local Church Activity Fundraisers, Additional Contributions and Donations as required from the members - and plead, beg, threaten and gravel for increased Co-Worker contributions pleading every possible crisis and emergency that could possibly exist to increase his funds large enough to complete his Master Plan. This fulfilled the very definition of exploitation.

• Intensely envious of others, and the belief that others are equally envious of them

Herbert would continually watched other evangelists/"competition" and compared himself to them (Oral Roberts, Billy Graham), often criticizing their methodologies of their crusades and large-scale evangelistic events. He fit both categories of the above statement perfectly - envious of them, and believing they were envious of his accomplishments. His boasting over ratings - beating Oral Roberts - was extreme, as can be noted in sermons he would give in the 1950s. 

• Pompous and arrogant demeanor

Herbert often referred to himself as The Apostle, The Head under Jesus Christ, and many other titles and descriptions.He would also refer to himself in the third person - or sign his name to third person attributions written by others.

People with NPD tend to exaggerate their skills, accomplishments, and their level of intimacy with people they consider high-status.

From the very early years, he would often brag of his associations with the famous and the fortunate - such as Hubbard, oil executives - using his job in the Trade Journal meeting with Chief Executive Officers to boost and boast his accomplishments with millionaires and successful people - taking notes of how they did what they did as he went on.

When their own ego is wounded by a real or perceived criticism, their anger can be disproportionate to the situation.

To the extent that people are pathologically narcissistic, they can be controlling, blaming, self-absorbed, intolerant of others' views, unaware of others' needs and the effects of their behavior on others, and insist that others see them as they wish to be seen.

Since the fragile ego of individuals with NPD is hypersensitive to perceived criticism or defeat, they are prone to feelings of shame, humiliation, and worthlessness over minor or even imagined incidents.

They usually mask these feelings from others with feigned humility or by isolating themselves socially, or they may react with outbursts of rage, defiance, or by seeking revenge.

According to Leonard Groopman and Arnold Cooper, the following have been identified by various researchers as possible factors that promote the development of NPD:^[20]

• An oversensitive temperament (personality traits) at birth.

• Excessive admiration that is never balanced with realistic feedback.

• Excessive praise for good behaviors or excessive criticism for bad behaviors in childhood.

• Overindulgence and overvaluation by parents, other family members, or peers.

• Being praised for perceived exceptional looks or abilities by adults.

• Severe emotional abuse in childhood.

• Unpredictable or unreliable caregiving from parents.

• Learning manipulative behaviors from parents or peers.

• Valued by parents as a means to regulate their own self-esteem.

Herbert Armstrong fits the category of what has been defined as an "Unprincipled Narcissist."

Unprincipled narcissist Including antisocial features.

Deficient conscience; unscrupulous, amoral, disloyal, fraudulent, deceptive, arrogant, exploitive; a con artist and charlatan; dominating, contemptuous, vindictive.

It is my critical, unofficial, unscientific, and wholly unprofessional statement and belief, based on many years of personal experience within Armstrongism, observation, analysis, co-worker letters, articles in all sorts of Media, including Pastor General Reports, The Plain Truth, The Good News, Videos, Attributions, reports from those who knew him, the Autobiographies, that Herbert Armstrong was in all ways a Pathological Unprincipled Narcissist, suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, to the harm and detriment, financial, spiritual, emotional, and mental, of his victims both in his Worldwide Church of God and around the world via media, including radio and television. 
It is also my opinion that many of those who have developed their own organizational splinters using Armstrong's methodologies also display narcissistic tendencies, exacerbated by Armstrong's narcissistic personality disorder, business, and dogma.    Finally, it is my opinion that those who are a part of the organizations of Armstrongism are prone to develop Narcissistic Personality Disorder, based on the teachings and doctrines of the groups that promote the agendas of Armstrongism.     





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 Photos from Behind The Work Videos, AC Press
Some text above is from Wikipedia. This text has been altered to include observations by the author of this post. Refer to the Wikipedia Post for all Wikipedia exact references. 

 

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. 

*****

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.

 

 

The Unwritten Tenets of Armstrongism

Tithing, Hubris, Inward Behavior, Expression of Appearance, Loyalty.


These are what I believe are the Five Unwritten Tenets of Armstrongism that define it's movement more than anything else. Let's break them down one by one.

1. Tithing.

No doctrine was more tightly monitored and enforced than the three tiered tithing system.

Where else does 10% of your income go directly to one place - national headquarters. Where else does the other 10% have to be saved so you could attend their annual convention. And where else on the third year of your baptism does the additional 10% supposedly go to a benevolence fund?  And on top of that, your offerings, your building fund offerings, local church activity funds, money for district meets and other activities - after government taxes and religious taxes (your tithes), you were lucky to have half your income met. That is, if you followed the letter of the Armstrongism law. Many were rebels. But if you had half a mind of wanting any type of ordination, your paycheck lived for the Church, and only the Church. They were first, and you trusted God for the rest.

Headquarters constantly checked up on members who did not tithe with their state of the art computer systems. This, in combination with the lies and destructive tactics that extorted money for their building programs, was what led to the Ambassador Auditorium and the sprawling campus properties and real estate developments of the Church - and the "highest paid ministers in the world", according to Armstrong. 

2. Hubris.

Pride.

Pride of being specially called people. Ministerial pride of prestige. Pride in the belief of kingly inheritance. Pride of being spiritual "Israel". Pride of having the most beautiful college campus in the world. Pride of having the magnificent gold and mammon Auditorium. Pride of hosting the most worldly celebrities and meeting the most worldly heads of state (Armstrong, that is). Pride of being the only ones in the whole world who were properly keeping the Law (don't get me started on that one.) Pride of biblical knowledge (without spiritual application and context). Pride of attending the largest worldwide convention on the face of the Earth. Pride of being the "One True Church". Pride of being God's elect. Pride of being "protected". Pride of "becoming God as God is God". Pride, pride, pride. Of course, if you didn't tithe, then your pride's busted, because you were a slacker headed for the Lake of Fire, so said Armstrong. 

3. Inward Behavior. 

Set Apart and called out from the World God was never trying to save. Friends that were only in the Church, ignorant of the evil of friendships and relationships, family or otherwise, outside of the church. Where anything resembling ancient paganism was the manifestation of evil (except for the things that headquarters deemed OK.) Where birthdays were equated with evil and satanism. Where members hid in the bathroom with their lights off on Halloween instead of letting their lights shine. Where congregations met secretly and silently in bingo halls and gymnasiums. Where the public knowing of their church was shunned for many years. Where The Church was just an "extension program" of Ambassador College. Inward behavior, a defining measurement of nearly all cults, was predominant of Armstrongism and still is. Inward behavior is a major unwritten tenet of Armstrongism. 

4. Expression of Appearance.

Appearance was, and is, paramount within Armstrongism. How you dressed, how you behaved, how you represented Herbert Armstrong was paramount. How clean your house was for ministers when they visited. How manicured and perfect the grounds of the Headquarters were. How cultured you were, how masculine of how feminine you were. This all played into the culture as one of the five unwritten tenets of armstrongism. 

5. Loyalty

Last, but certainly not least, Loyalty. How loyal were you to the Church? How loyal were you as a minister to Headquarters? How loyal were you to Herbert Armstrong's teachings? Were you loyal even if things seemed to appear wrong? Or were not working out as to how you thought? Or to how they thought? Would you remain loyal regardless of how things appear - and have the faith to remain, and be loyal, even if things seemed wrong - believing they would work out in the end? Because in the Church, if you weren't loyal, you would end up in the Lake of Fire. Loyalty to the Church was a chain of bondage that would not let you out and gripped tighter if you tried to escape.

The only way out of the bondage of the Tenets of Armstrongism was for Someone else to turn the key and release you. Yes, Bondage to T.H.I.E.L - Tithing, Hubris, Inward Behavior, Expression of Appearance, and Loyalty - the five Unwritten Tenets of Armstrongism - can only be released by the freedom available in Christ.

And what is the opposite of T.H.I.E.L?

J.O.Y. 

Jesus First, Others Second, Yourself Last. For J.O.Y. is diametrically opposite to T.H.I.E.L.

Something to always remember. 

Why I Don't Attend A Church. (I'm Bracing For The Judgers!)

I do not attend or am a member of an organized Christian Church.

But this does not mean that I am not a Christian.

I am fully aware that many organized Christians (Those that go to and are members of an established Church, Armstrongist, Protestant, or otherwise) would flatly disagree with me. There are many who still believe that Church attendance is mandatory for a Christian. They will quote scriptures (as one did to me recently) like "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together". They will think or say that I have a spirit of rebellion or am not submissive. Well, they have the right to their opinion.

Everyone actually has the right to their opinion. It's part of what makes our society work the way it does. Thoughts matter. And it's something that I have learned to respect - the process of opinion, which is developed and bred because of the complexities of an individual's life experience. Opinion makes the world what it is, no matter what side of the fence you are on religiously, socially, politically, or otherwise. But.

Yes, there's a but. (There always seems to be, doesn't there?) When it comes to religion, things can quickly change. Especially in corporate religion. Because in corporate religion, your opinion suddenly is not just an opinion worthy of a form of respect. Your opinion is either black or white. Totally true, or totally false. Godly, or satanic. And that opinion is judged not on its merit or worthiness as a person - but how much in line it is with the pastor's interpretation of how in line that opinion is with God's word.

Notice how carefully I worded that. Because in organized Christianity - regardless of the type of organized Christianity it is - each church conforms to the personality of it's pastor - the chosen leader of the Church - and each church conforms to the doctrinal interpretation of the pastor - the chosen leader of the Church. Most church members are programmed (I used the "P' word) to accept - based on the pastor's educational background, preaching, and personal counseling - without reservation and wholly and undoubtedly the pastor's word as absolutely authoritative and binding as instruction from God.

I cannot do that.

And it is not because I am rebellious. It is not because I am obstinate. And it is not because I am unduly critical or have a "bad" spirit or what have you. It is because I have been burned and scarred by pastors and leaders - in both Armstrongism and in mainstream Christianity - who have spoken as if they had God's anointing, blessing, and favor - but have turned out to be charlatans, untruthful, prideful, self-absorbed, or worse. And this is not a biased opinion - it's what formed the opinion in the first place. In short - I cannot trust them.

Coming directly from a sordid history of the cult of Armstrongism, you learn something about religious corporations. First and foremost, what they are. They are a business - rooted and established in the business and corporate philosophies of the world, where the world dictates the church in many ways most don't even know about - especially in the realm of finance and business operations. In many cases, a church will want to judge biblically - but insurance reasons may mandate a non-biblical judgement. (This happened in a mainstream church a long time ago, where reimbursement of money won over a Christian decision in a legal case against a book keeper.) Money always wins in a business - religion or otherwise.

I also cannot stomach the absolute hypocrisy that infests mainstream churches - where appearance (like in Armstrongism) is paramount above all. It is truly sad to say - but you can never, ever judge a person's behavior for how they appear to be at Church. Many times, the minute they step out of that church and back into "the mission field" or "the real world", they can stop the facade and go back to being who they really are. No, this isn't everybody - there are genuine people - I acknowledge that. There were genuine people in Armstrongism. It's true, however, that whenever you get a good group of people together, you're going to get every personality type possible - including the frauds and the suckups, the hypocrites,  the cold, the loving, the merciful, the businessperson, the shy - but to figure out who's genuine or not? That's a whole new ballgame. And sadly - many times, they only go to church to "do their duty" as a Christian for 1 to 2 hours a week - if you're a mainstream religion or a part of a fringe cult.

But those are just the side reasons that come with the main reason I cannot attend church.

The main reason I cannot attend church - as was alluded to earlier - is because I do not trust those who assume the position of Pastor in a church. Yes, this is something that is a direct result of my personal experiences with pastors. It is a direct result of how I have come to view spiritual "authorities". And I would by lying if I admitted otherwise. No, I do not trust those who assume a pastoral position. I have witnessed too many of them obsessed with the love of mammon, the idolatry of material wealth, the lust and love of power and authority, and the provably false interpretation of the doctrine of tithing in the New Testament that most carry over from the Old to literally guilt (I've seen this over and over again) members or lie to members (using Old Covenant Scriptures) that they're cursed if they don't tithe to their church (an absolute contradiction of the words of Christ).

Those who read this might be quick to judge my words as haughty, arrogant, prideful, wrong, obstinate, or many other choice words. And that is exactly why I cannot go to a mainstream church.

Because if I walked in there, and tried to explain to someone exactly how I felt and the experiences that I went through to come to those conclusions - many would immediately come to exactly those conclusions. I would be branded unteachable - and maybe even a "danger" spiritually, to the flock - for stating to certain people what I feel. The pastor may see me as challenging his "authority" or trying to "harm" the flock spiritually, because I am not blending in with the sheep. Am I surmising? Yes. Is it possible that this is not the way it would be every time? Of course. Is it a risk I am willing to take? No.

But this does not mean that I am not a Christian. My relationship is between Jesus Christ, and myself. Jesus understands my unique situation as one who was raised in an abusive, manipulative, lying cult. Jesus sent His Holy Spirit - the counselor - for just such reasons. Because my trust - my hope, and my life - lies only in Jesus Christ, the Son of God - who knows me for me - and does not answer to a Church Board - but is One with the Father. Who deals with me personally, one on one - Brother to brother. Who gives me only what I can handle, day by day. My belief in Jesus Christ and all He accomplished on the Cross is secure. It's what makes me continue day to day, despite everything I have been through and go through in life. Because Jesus is the way, and the truth and the life.

Does this mean that this may not someday change? No, it doesn't. There may be a time that God may direct me someplace, sometime, and if He does, He will tell me, and I will know it, and I will answer and respond as He directs. As for now, though, that time has not come yet.

The time, right now, is recovery, from the abuse and the brainwashing that I went through in life and in the cult of Armstrongism - and this blog is the outlet on which I do just that (as well as any other jabberings or talk, no matter how ridiculous or crazy the babblings might be).

I don't claim, nor will I ever claim that these writings as "inspired", or "pastoral", or "authoritative",  or "total truth", or "My way is the right way", even when I give opinions on scriptures or the Bible or religion. In my view, Only Jesus is truth. The only claim I will have in my writings is this:

It will always be honest. No matter how "right" or "wrong" or "religious" it is - it'll be honest. And to be honest, that's all anyone can really expect from an author. Honesty. And sincerity.

And truthfully - that's really all you really could ever ask from anyone. Especially pastors, churches, Christians, and people going about their every day lives. And if I ever find a church like that - I'd probably go in there and at least give it a try.