Armstrongism is on the nutty fringes of the outer limits of human belief, some how made to seem perfectly reasonable until some objective analysis is done by societal standards and scientific observation. How is it that if you don’t agree with the daft rubbish that some how it’s your fault and you just don’t understand?
The Cult of Herbert Armstrong Mafia isn’t the only daft religion and the new series, Dig on the USA Network brings to light what happens when extreme religion goes to great lengths to insure the establishment of their view of the world:
The really scary thing is that the creators of the series did a lot of research and found that there is a basis for what they present: They may have dramatized, but there are groups out there plotting and scheming to do the things portrayed in the show, to bring about the apocalypse, Armageddon or something (we’ll know more as the series unfolds). Look at Dig – inside the Episode: Episode 1:
About midway, they bring to light the story of the red heifer. As they say, if you Google the “red heifer” you will see there are people who believe that this could happen. Do you have questions? You will be rewarded. Of course, you will end up with ever more questions. Be warned: These groups aren’t just messin’ around. They’re serious. This is life and death stuff to them. Dig deeper — to coin a phrase, trust no one.
The red heifer is being raised in Norway. The Rabbis inspect the newly birthed heifer to see if there are any stray hairs that are black, which would absolutely ruin the sacrifice — but thankfully, this particularly young cutie is perfect for sacrifice, and so we are off and running. Apparently, the red heifer sacrifice is really, really, really important to Jewish prophecy for some reason. It doesn’t make sense to me, but it sure does to them.
It turns out that there is a connection to Armstrongism. The USA Network TV series is about people of extreme faith and the lengths they will go to when they believe God is on their side. Of course, He isn’t, so you can be certain this will all end in tears. Nevertheless, one of the features of the series is the Jews seeking out the Perfect Red Heifer™ for some sort of funky sacrifice signifying the… well.. it’s not clear, but it’s truly important to somebody to bring about the end of days, the coming of the Messiah or something.
I know The Perfect Red Heifer™ well. In the WCG, I knew a Jewish lady and her husband who certainly was in the center of things — at least in her own mind. She was a prophecy buff, and the main reason she joined up with Armstrongism was the prophecy of the end times. Of course, you know that couldn’t have lasted, particularly with the advent of the Tkach era, so she and her husband hied off to the Messianic Jews in hopes to find more of what she wanted. I was in her home one Sabbath post-WCG and she nattered on and on about The Perfect Red Heifer™ rather obsessively. I told her about the Herbert Armstrong incest and she accepted it, saying that it did not surprise her.
Well, here it is over a decade later and I’m pretty sure she’s still looking for that Perfect Red Heifer™. She was certain over 10 years ago that the Jews already had one picked for sacrifice on the altar to bring the Messiah or some such. I’d say that the best use of the Perfect Red Heifer™ is stew meat by this time if the poor thing is still alive.
It’s just plain nuts.
And the Cult of Herbert Armstongism Mafia sects aren’t much different than this kooky Jewish lady looking for the coming of the Perfect Red Heifer™.
Holy cow!
It never ceases to amaze how extreme Armstrongists can be: Strongly held daft cult ideas which just has to be!
This is just one such example.
Kudos to USA Network.
Although… here’s hoping it doesn’t give anyone any ideas….
The sad part is, the bible like the koran gives people ideas in order to usher in the end times. People like Denis Michael Rohan.
From Wiki we read:
Rohan, a Christian, stated that he considered himself “the Lord’s emissary” and that he tried to destroy the al-Aqsa Mosque acting upon divine instructions to enable the Jews of Israel to rebuild the Temple on the Temple Mount in accordance with the Book of Zechariah, thereby hastening the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Rohan was a subscriber of The Plain Truth magazine published by the Worldwide Church of God’s (WCG) founder Herbert W. Armstrong and stated that he had begun his attempt after reading an editorial by Armstrong in the June 1967 edition.[3] The Daily Telegraph newspaper in London pictured Rohan on its front page with a copy of The Plain Truth magazine sticking out from his outside jacket pocket.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Michael_Rohan
The Plain Truth, June 1967
http://tinyurl.com/m4d4fyr
Well, There are all kinds of activists. For more on the red heifer, and other ridiculous elements of Armstrongism, dig way back into the Painful Truth archives for some original fiction!
http://www.hwarmstrong.com/kidnapped.htm
Enjoy!
BB
Well do I remember the Six-Day War. HWA was so lucky that he could crow about his “Bricket Wood Prophecy” and ignore his dogmatic “proof” through his “iron clad contract” with Jordan for a slot on Radio Jerusalem. And now a new temple could be built by 1972. That is, until Denis Rohan decided to help speed things along…
It’s been one of my contentions that Armstrongist theology has no understanding of the Levites, Aaronic Priesthood, the Tabernacle and Temple. The Temple (and the Red Heifer) were just more things to mark off on the prophetic checklist.
Dave Pack and Bob Thiel (even quoting part of HWA’s June 1967 PT editorial) say HWA never said a physical temple was necessary. Time is short! Too short to wait for the building of a new Temple. So it isn’t necessary.
Of course, not understanding the Temple, Levites, etc, is necessary to twist scripture. For one thing, to prove that the mythical true church now carries out the duties of the Levites. I remember a sermon stating not only did “God’s ministers” replace the Levites, that they actually physically descended from the Levites – a new twist on BI. And as for carrying out Levitical duties – well, they received tithes. The other stuff wasn’t necessary.
And as always, the bottom line is the bottom line…
Sorry to comment on my own comment…
COGWriter just posted another clanger regarding the Temple and his own thoughts on Mt Zion.
So is COGWriter a PT follower? The only thing that comes to mind is… bazinga!
Hoss, of course he is. In fact, it is my suspicion that most of the cultmeisters of the Cult of Herbert Armstrong Mafia probe the various anti Armstrongist websites and blogs — their curiosity overwhelms them.
I had a blog which panned CoGWriter and actually got a posting from Robert Theil whining about why I was doing it. I figured at that point I had won and shut down the blog. Maybe I was too hasty. He went back to insulting the CoG7D after a period of time.
I also noticed that I would post something on one of the various blogs and the next thing I knew, Dennis Luker was quoting what I said.
They act as though they ignore us, but their curiosity gets the better of them, even though they just pass it off as though it never happened.
Thanks Douglas for confirming my suspicions.
But even if you posted the most convincing argument on a doctrine, nothing can be changed in the COGs as they must stay on HWA’s foundation of sand.