Ambassador, God the Most High, canceling JOURNAL subscription and ads. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ, turn you over to Satan for destruction, you and your newspaper, for violating the right of integrity concerning my creative works, my news ad. To you, your family and friends: No trespassing.
Ambassador Vincent Ogorek
Elk Grove, Ill.
Oh, dear. Bad news for Dixon Cartwright.
Dixon explains what happened:
Mr. Ogorek’s reference to THE JOURNAL’s alleged violation of his “right of integrity concerning my creative works” is an apparent allusion to a disagreement Mr. Ogorek and JOURNAL publisher Dixon Cartwright had about the Old English typeface. Mr. Ogorek specified Old English as a way to emphasize words and phrases in his ads (the last of which appeared on page 7 of issue No. 169). Mr. Cartwright refused to set words, including names of deity, in all-capital letters if they were in the Old English font.
Mr. Cartwright, who considers himself to be a typographer after operating a typesetting business for many years, said Old English set in all-capital letters is an “abomination” and that no self-respecting typographer would inflict such a “monstrosity” on readers. Doing so is “probably a violation of the Third Commandment” if it involves names for God, Mr. Cartwright quipped.
Mr. Ogorek said Mr. Cartwright’s refusal to set Old English in all caps was “over the top” and a few weeks later turned Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright and their newspaper over to Satan.
Mr. Cartwright and his wife, Linda, have been de-facto disfellowshipped several times over the years. The first notable excommunication occurred in 1995 in letters from Big Sandy WCG pastor Don Mears.
Mr. Mears, in separate letters to Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, explained that he had “heard” that Mr. Cartwright no longer wished to fellowship with the WCG and that Mrs. Cartwright had actually stopped attending.
A writer of a letter to THE JOURNAL several years ago pronounced a curse on Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, asking God to inflict boils on their faces “the size of hen’s eggs.” Mr. Cartwright says he doesn’t remember the specific reason for the curse, only that the letter writer seemed upset.
Well, you know what Proverbs 26:2 says, the curse causeless shall not come. So we have to believe, based on Scripture, Dixon Cartwright deserves it. Who knows?
Here’s what Olde English looks like:
Imagine that in all caps. Further imagine an entire article of Olde English in CAPS! Still, Mr. Ogorek has a point. The Journal is pretty messed up.
We’ve pretty much disproved the religion of Herbert Armstrong and you can find the evidence in The Foundation of Sand. British Israelism is total rubbish and Herbert Armstrong used it as a basis to become a spectacular false prophet. There’s no latitude for discussion and no one can argue with the science. The whole religion is just plain stupid.
Of course, there are other sources that expose Herbert Armstrong Crackpotology:
In part I, Religion: The Anglo-Israelites, you can find this text:
But the Anglo-Israelite seeds had been planted. One of the earliest American Anglo-Israelite treatises was Two Sticks, or the Lost Tries of Israel Discovered, by an anonymous minister in the Church of the Brethren. But it was J.H. Allen’s Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright, published in 1902, that introduced bible students, among them Herbert W. Armstrong, who would later spread the doctrine through his Worldwide Church of God. Not until the 1920s would Anglo-Israelism capture a large audience in the U.S.
Anyone who professes British Israelism is a kook. You can get more of this information at the British Israelism website from the online book, The Spectacular Failure of British Israelism. The Journal is quite the promoter of British Israelism and the kooks who profess it. Notice the article on page 3, European democracy lost! by Brian Harris. Notice what this crackpot says on page 4:
Punishment exacted
Germany has fulfilled its dubious task of exacting punishment on all 12 modern-day descendant nations of ancient Israel, now located in the United States and Britain and the nations of Western and Northwestern Europe.
Today Germany again dominates Europe economically and politically and has already developed the Arian rocket, launching several tons of payload into orbit from its base in South America.
With a huge budget the Germans have created the European Space Project, building rockets that can easily be deployed against America and Britain as were the Vengeance 1 and 2 rockets used on London during World War II.
England ceasing to exist
It is shocking how Germany is literally being forced into the leadership position in Europe, and the German dream of world domination is being stimulated once more.
National characteristics are an interesting study. Knowing German origins, Churchill said: “Germany has displayed a belligerent nature in the last 2,000 years. They do not change.”
The German people will change when they are eventually given God’s Spirit of peace, but for now they will do His bidding as He disciplines America and Britain, returning our nations to the love of His laws by national destruction and captivity.
Dixon Cartwright allowed this nonsense without comment. Outside of the fact that Britain is not a lost tribe of Israel, Germany is not Assyria, there’s another prominent problem with this rubbish article. Hasn’t anyone told Dixon Cartwright that the current British Royalty is from Germany? A quick check at Wikipedia should have sufficed. Dixon Cartwright isn’t much of a journalist — he’s a purveyor of nonsensical idiocy.
Scripture is insistent that Satan is a liar and deceiver. Some how Mr. Ogorek turning over The Journal to Satan seems rather redundant, since the Devil seems to have taken over a long time ago.
The Journal is a window into an insane asylum.
The Journal is in essence an underground “free press” for the ACOGs. Think hippie! (Oops! Make that “Republican Hippie!)
Most of the splinter groups will not allow intergroup fellowship at their sabbath services or feast sites. They do not permit the reading of one another’s magazines and literature, or auditing one another’s broadcasts. The shunning doctrine is fairly comprehensive in its application, and the “L” word is frequently invoked. Yet, here is a newspaper which provides ostensibly forbidden or suppressed information on former brethren and competing splinters. One would guess that it is popular amongst both members and ministry.
It would seem to be an attempt to provide unity of sorts even defying the intentions of those who fancy themselves as splinter leaders. The staff appears to be walking a fine line, because it is known that there are a handful of “sacred cow” topics or doctrines, and if the official editorial policy of the Journal ever appeared to counter or undermine those, the majority of the readers would reject the paper as reading material. Advertisers appear to attempt to introduce “new truths”, but these are quite predictably either natural extrapolations of Armstrongism and its many theories, or they represent hard-line tightening of the doctrines. There is also a pervasive reverence for Herbert W. Armstrong. No matter what font or type style one might request, unflattering nicknames like Ol’ Hog Jowls, or Incest Face would probably get an article, letter, or advertisement rejected, and its author permanently banned.
For still another class of reader, the Journal chronicles the train wreck which one cannot avoid watching. It is an opportunity for some people who never really reached prominence in the old WCG to say, “Hey! Look at me!” It also brings back prominent people one would rather forget, and history which one wishes had never happened. But, how can one chance missing out on the collapse and mercurial splintering of the toxic empire which touched all of our lives? The Journal provides a front row seat, a one source pool of information not similarly collected by or available through any other resource.
It’s the little paper which should not exist, but somehow does. BTW, isn’t this Ogourek dude the guy who got national press by jumping or falling from a second story window to avoid being arrested by the police? I seem to remember a newspaper article from several years back.
BB
The Journal should have in its banner:
“The Official Sanctioned Report for the Criminally Insane church of God”.
I don’t know whether I understand this correctly or not. But, Dixon seems to be inferring on another site that he is above it all, above the silliness of Armstrongism which he reports on. He also seems not to realize that some of us use terms like “false prophet” to demonstrate to Armstrongites that even if their beliefs regarding the rituals are correct, Biblical standards invalidate the authority of their so-called leaders, because the prophecies which are the basis of their belief system cannot and are not being fulfilled. False prophecy was used to leverage financial resources. Strange world, this Armstrongism! The concept of the false prophet should be a gateway to leaving Armstrongism, as should be the disproof of British Israelism.
Bb
Yes, the aspects of Armstrongism that I judge to be silly I try to be above it all, as you put it. You can say false prophet all you like, I don’t care. But I don’t think terms like that are appropriate for a journalist to use (except in quoting other people) because those are terms for Bible scholars and farmer theologians and church members. I don’t think Herbert Armstrong was a prophet, therefore I don’t think he could have been a true or false prophet. Just as I tried to remove myself from the Bible fray when I wrote my canon articles (because one cannot prove or disprove the validity of the Bible in the usual conservative-Christian sense by arguing from within the Bible), I think it’s advisable for a newspaper not to report from inside the Bible. Interesting you guys are always talking about British Israelism. I am not a British Israelist, but I don’t think BI is any weirder than certain important doctrines of mainstream Christianity.
Dixon needs to declare that armstrongism is insanity, then shut down his news paper and allow the inevitable inward collapse to take place. It is the right thing to do.
Thank you PTE for that eminently sage advice. Let’s see. How could I reciprocate? PT Editor needs to shut down his blog to cease agitating unstable HWA-obsessed people like Douglas Becker. Why? Because allowing Dougy the chance to cool off is obviously the right thing to do.
By the way, what’s your name, PT Editor? While we’re at it, what’s Byker Bob’s name? How come you guys don’t use your names? To his credit, Douglas does. I guess I should say I assume he does.
Dixon wrote:
‘By the way, what’s your name, PT Editor? While we’re at it, what’s Byker Bob’s name? How come you guys don’t use your names? To his credit, Douglas does. I guess I should say I assume he does.’
My name was out there in the beginning. It is not now. Why? One name comes to mind. Terry Ratzmann. A product of the churches of god.
Do I want to be a hero and risk the life of my family? Does Bob? None of us do. How could we live with ourselves if a family member got whacked by a Armstrong adherent?
In the beginning webmasters had no problem posting their names to their sites and blogs. Well realizing that there can be a price to be paid at the hands of the mentally unstable, we all agreed by our actions that the best course of action was what the web allowed, that being privacy accounts through ICANN.
I tell you what Dixon, go out on a street corner in any major American city and start telling the minorities that God had not chosen them for his purpose. Explain B.I to them. See what that will get ya!
Dixon Cartwright.
And there it is: Yet another attempt to give Herbert Armstrong a shred of viability. Herbert Armstrong founded his entire religion on prophecy — he got people to join up because they thought he had ‘truth’.
Let’s see now. How to remain above the fray? Oh, let’s pretend Herbert Armstrong brought religious spiritual truth. OK, then. His predictions have to be ignored. We can’t engage in investigating how his eschatology lines up with the Bible. There. He’s a great spiritual leader.
Here’s a concept for those attempting to lie and employ delusions to ‘stay above the fray’: Let’s look at the fruit. And the best way to look at that fruit today is to read The Journal — a window into an insane asylum. I suppose that if Herbert Armstrong wasn’t a false prophet, David Pack isn’t either. And neither is Roderick Meredith. How about Gerald Flurry? And while we are at it, could Gerald Flurry be an heretic, declaring himself to be Christ in the flesh as ‘that prophet’? Does anyone want to say that Ronald Weinland is a good guy and not a false prophet?
This sort of thing is described so well in “Moral Mazes” by Robert Jackall in the chapter on the Magic Lantern. Yes, spread the propaganda to justify the failings of a cult. It’s all right to call Armstrongism a cult isn’t it? Make it all go away by claiming that it’s irrelevant.
Meanwhile, people are getting conned and the cultmeisters are lying to you and taking your money. It’s about power, ego and money. Just so everyone knows, Robert Dick is retiring and so are some of the others who were there for the founding of United. Dennis Luker made it so very clear from the beginning of the UCG that he was so very concerned about salary and retirement.
And The Journal is also all about excuses — finding excuses for the continued existence of a rotten failed religion of physical rituals having little to nothing to do with learning about God.
But that’s just fine.
Dixon Cartwright can now find some way to rescue the Bible, seeing as how so many of the books have been forged.
And don’t be surprised by the tactics: It’s not relevant — we have to be ‘above it all’.
Dixon Cartwright has declared war on sanity and we need some background here. The reference from Byker Bob is over at Otagosh under Armstrong Updates, referring to The Journal. Dixon Cartwright made this statement:
I’m planning to post some new blog entries to cover this, since a comment won’t really cover the issue, but for those interested in what Dixon Cartwright has just done and is doing, it is useful to read Pseudoscience and Extraordinary Claims of the Paranormal: A Critical Thinker’s Toolkit by Jonathan C. Smith. Specifically, Dixon Cartwright is using the tool of “Weasel Words” as described by the book to kill discussion by saying that he’s ‘above it all’. That way, false prophecy and heresy are a ‘religious and conservative-theological way of thinking’ that he just tries not to do any more. It makes facts, truth and science all irrelevant and validates all sorts of crazy opinions.
To which I say, there’s something seriously wrong with that man. We have objective evidence, but he says he’s ‘above it all’, thus making any further discussion impossible. It’s an effective strategy that’s not going to work with us, and we need to put his feet to the fire on this.
The Journal is based on the premise that the truth, data, facts, science are all irrelevant and the only thing that’s really important is that people can express their opinions. That’s fine, as long we all are tuned into the fact that the people expressing their opinions are kooks and we should disregard them.
You know.
The same way we should disregard false prophets and heretics.
I’d say, “What was he thinking?” but I know better than to fall into that trap since he’s being totally irrational.
Yes. You aren’t allowed to judge Herbert Armstrong, or the authenticity of his apostleship based on whether what he preached (in Jesus’ name) in fact happened. Normally, timely fulfillment might be taken to mean that he had the witness of God behind him, indicating that a logical individual should accept the rest of what he said as being truth, accept his authority over one’s life, and enthusiastically support the spread of his message with all of one’s resources. Validation from God was not given in 1972-75, as called for in the message. Backpedaling, denial, and claims of not fully understanding the math were given instead, and continue to be given in the present, but you are not supposed to allow that to invalidate the rest of his teachings. “Philadelphians”, a component of the false prophecy mode or understanding, apparently are to believe in their hearts that “he was right”.
What could you possibly say when you have a religious movement whose growth and financial resources were based on scare over “inside” gnosticism regarding prophecy, only to have the prophecy fail and then declared not to be prophecy after the failure, yet somehow, the movement doesn’t dissolve in favor of searching for more accurate answers, and the charlatan gets to remain revered as an apostle rather than being acknowledged as a fool? If that isn’t a form of insanity, I don’t know what is. It certainly isn’t a workable form of faith!
BB
Byker Bob, I would also point out that Cartwright’s statement is an ad hominem attack:
“Interesting that you still are tuned in to the concept of false prophet. That strikes me as a religious and conservative-theological way of thinking that I try not to do anymore.”
It also paints him as an annoying self-righteous jerk.
In the larger picture, he’s saying that nothing matters: Not Scripture, not logic, not facts, not history, not science. It isn’t even magic, since magic requires excruciatingly accurate attention to detail if you want to achieve the desired results — one ingredient off in your potion, one word off in your incantation, the wrong person practicing it — and you can end up with pretty Grimm results.
No, what he’s an apologist for a paranormal society which has no anchor in the objective universe. Society is of the key importance and maintaining is the end object, often requiring the ethic that the end justifies the means and so employing lies, fantasies, deceptions, excuses, diversions, misdirection are all fair game.
As for staying above the fray, he’s declared war and I suspect there will be consequences… if only I can live a little longer.
I guess the key question is does Dixon have a currently active affiliation with any branch of Armstrongism? The answer to that question would certainly add perspective, as you can’t be a practicing Armstrongite and be above the types of issues which we are discussing here. You would be undeniably immersed in them, without even having the capability to compartmentalize.
BB
I consider myself to be a member of the COG Big Sandy, the Christian Church of God (Amarillo, Texas), the Virtual Church (Ken Westby) and the United Church of God.
Dixon wrote:’I consider myself to be a member of the COG Big Sandy, the Christian Church of God (Amarillo, Texas), the Virtual Church (Ken Westby) and the United Church of God.’
Are those not ‘armstrongist’ churches? What do they teach as the key to prophecy?
It is my understanding that Dixon Cartwright is a staunch member of The Church of God Big Sandy, pastored by Dave Havir. The Church of God, BS is sort of one off and you’d have to watch the live streaming video of Sabbath Services to see what I mean.
Some of you may remember that what happened was that David Havir was a minister of the United Church of God an International Association (UC Gaia) a while back and the UCG wanted to move Mr. Havir. The people in the Big Sandy congregation were displeased and the next thing you know, “Much Ado about Nothing” became “As You Like It”.
We can’t know for sure, but Dixon Cartwright’s perspectives are colored by the love / hate relationship with United.
Anyway, last I knew, he was still an Armstrongist, which would explain a lot.
The facts strongly suggest that in the world of Dixon Cartwright (which may actually reside in an alternative universe), the most important thing and maybe the only thing is the society of people and their connections and relationships. It’s fairly clear he views the ACoGs as a sort of ‘family’.
If the ACoGs are a ‘family’, it’s a lot like the Mafia and it’s a family that can dump you in just a few minutes so you are OUT and not able to have any contact with your other family members.
And there’s something profoundly wrong with that, even if you realize that the whole thing is a daft cult.
I guess I should feel flattered you guys talk about me so much. I do not consider myself an Armstrongist. I do wonder about you guys, though. You’re quite obsessed with HWA. I do agree with one of Dougy’s assessments of me that I believe the important things center on people, that is individuals, and relationships.
Good information. The only thing I found on the net that suggested connection was an article by Dixon on Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, still available at the UCG website.
We have had encounters with members of the BSCOG (for once, an appropriate acronym!) on other forums. It seems they follow one of the examples from the modern Jewish synagogue, in that dissent and free-thinking are not punishable offenses, in fact they are tolerated and encouraged. One of their members had totally bought into the “one God” concept, making Jesus a created being, not a pre-existing member of the deity. This member wrecked an otherwise perfectly good forum by dominating it with his one god stuff, and correcting anyone who made the mistake of even innocently posting ideas which ran counter.
In a sense, The Journal is somewhat similar to COGwriter. That was another attempt at “family” unity, with the chief difference being that, Bob Thiel always corrected everyone, and coveted the position of “Prophet”. Dixon, to his credit, seems a bit more even-handed, although relativity in Armstrongism still means that people are Armstrongites and they all play for the wrong team.
BB
Byker Bob, it appears to me that Dixon Cartwright must practice Self-Deception because he has to. Because of who he is, he must take the stances he does to maintain his status in the social order. In order to do that, he must compromise his integrity to remain a part of the group.
He appears to be locked in to the Armstrongism paranormal society and cannot escape. The values he holds dear seem to be a need for a particular form of social contact without which he would quickly deteriorate — he’s trapped by his own obsession of his particular place in his limited society.
As long as anyone is trapped within their social order, it is an inescapable addiction which provides them with their addictive ‘fix’. To admit the truth and leave would mean terrible withdrawal symptoms. We’ve seen this quite a bit lately: People who may think of leaving their cult sect but can’t bring themselves to do it because it is too painful to leave the people you think you value behind.
The tragedy is that such people don’t realize that their society doesn’t need them and will dispose of them instantly when they don’t conform to their social order.
Of course, some of the sects are much more flexible than others, but there are boundaries: They are, after all, cults.
I can’t get past the ads! If you really hoped to accomplish some good, are those the types of people you would want to have visible in your publication? You have reminiscences of past history from the glory days seeming to extol the best in Armstrongism in the front pages, and then some portals to God only knows what amongst the paid advertisers in the back section. It makes one ask questions about intrinsic value and personal reponsibility. It’s like a magazine promoting naturopathic health accepting ads for tobacco products, or a publication devoted to sober living accepting ads for a medical marijuana dispensary. At what point does conscience come into play?
BB
I look at the ads as showing a cross-section of the COGs that you won’t find elsewhere. But you already knew that. You guys come across as supremely self-righteous. I would say something like isn’t it time you finally got over your obsession with Herbert Armstrong but the last time I said something like that on an anti-forum I was repeatedly pelted with the F-word. So I’m certainly not going to do that again.
Dixon wrote:
‘the last time I said something like that on an anti-forum I was repeatedly pelted with the F-word. So I’m certainly not going to do that again.’
That kind of crap I do not allow. I allow both friend and antagonist to post their opinions.
The Journal is not like a magazine that promotes naturopathic health accepting ads for tobacco products. It’s like (it’s not just like; it is) a newspaper, which typically accepts ads from all kinds of advertisers. A typical newspaper does not have a *theme* to its advertising section and policies. You may be confusing me with a COG propaganda piece, which definitely will have a theme and an approach quite different from a newspaper that attempts to operate as part of a free press.
I noticed in the Dixon Cartwright meltdown responding shrilly making his personal attacks, he never said The Journal isn’t cursed, tacitly admitting that it is.
Also, he seems to indicate that he doesn’t really believe in the Bible — it’s an odd position for someone who claims to publish news of the Churches of God (except, of course, the Church of God Seventh Day most of the time [there is an occasional article, say once every year or two] and no words about the Seventh Day Church of God: We’re still looking for an interview with Paul Woods).
Dixon Cartwright has stated here in the comments that he does NOT believe in British Israelism.
What would be the right thing to do is for him to tell people in The Journal his opinion and why he does not believe in it. He should also have David Havir, his pastor at the Church of God Big Sandy write a few articles as well, outlining why British Israelism is a non viable teaching.
Dixon wrote:
Herbert Armstrong was not a prophet.
https://youtu.be/AORrIlQGATM?t=565
James, that is quite the video!
For those who say Herbert Armstrong was not a false prophet, there is his booklet, 1975 in Prophecy. He wrote it. It was about prophecy. Put the two together.
And it is one of THE most embarrassing embarrassments ever! Look at how positive he was! He was just sure these things were going to happen! He challenged people by telling them that they would see these things come to pass! He was right! He had to be right! How could he be wrong!
Now it may be that no one in Armstrongism will be convinced to leave the cult because Herbert Armstrong is proved to be a false prophet.
But you can be sure that anyone who is not a part of the Armstrongist Churches of God and starts investigating joining up will certainly think twice before becoming involved with any of the groups.
It is also the case for those not in Armstrongism who are not a part of it, but have family and friends in the cult, that this is a valuable resource for them to understand just what those in the cult are about and what they go through.