“This leads us to two conclusions regarding HWA’s ordination.
1) Even if we grant the assumption that the “Sardis” church was God’s church, then we must grant that HWA has no authority apart from that church, and hence no authority, since that ordination was revoked in 1938.
2) Even if we grant that HWA were an apostle, HWA would still have no authority to introduce any legislative changes that differed from the teachings of the post-Acts 10 church, apart from a direct revelation from Christ.”
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Hijacking a position of authority
We will re-release this series in flipping book format shortly.
…if you wish to strive for peace of soul and pleasure, then believe; if you wish to be a devotee of truth, then inquire….
Something we never did as members. We just accepted a lie because it was more palatable.
The Orlin we see here is an Orlin in transition. He appears to have made his decision, but is going back in an attempt to help someone for whom he is concerned and has great love. Obviously, he still has all of the church doctrines fresh in his mind, as well as the typical behavioral patterns of the WCG. They are recent memories. He personally has put so much to rest, and is ready for the next era of his life, during which he would make profound contributions from a more expansive stage.
None of this was foreseeable from the perspective of a dormmate. Orlin had been a dedicated, exemplary, serious-minded member of the Ambassador College student body. He was neither devious, nor mean-spirited. In fact, I recall being astounded at the time that he could produce such a letter. Quite a number of what I had called “the good little boys and girls” were leaving in the mid-1970s. This was atypical. I don’t believe that the administration of WCG/AC had ever anticipated that some of their hand-picked stalwart proteges would be leaving, providing such articulate explanations for their actions on the way out. It took several years for the organization to figure out what to do, and how to orchestrate a recovery. I believe the receivership galvanized their efforts in this direction.
Armstrongism should have failed in 1975. I’ve never been able to understand how the movement continued, and even reached a new plateau over the next ten years.
The effectiveness of the programming or brainwashing explains why so many existing members remained, but that the church was still able to attract new members after the Great Disappointment of 1975 is nothing short of mind-boggling.
BB
“Armstrongism should have failed in 1975. I’ve never been able to understand how the movement continued, and even reached a new plateau over the next ten years.”
Wait, and you will see a new plateau that will boggle your mind. More mass murder, suicides, and perhaps a flight to Jordan where they will not be wanted. These people are nuts IMHO.
Yes, James, bad plateau! Sadly, many of them if they were not nuts before baptism into Armstrongism, they were driven nuts by the years of brainwashing as members. Many, if given the opportunity, will relish and drink the Kool Aid, believing that they are keeping the faith once delivered. It’s difficult to know what to say to such individuals.
Orlin’s example is right there, available to help such ones regain their abilities to think. Sadly, it goes right over their heads. It’s like the old flood joke about the two boats and the helicopter.
BB
After I finished reading Orlin’s letter, the Jeff Booth article in the Journal in some ways seemed like a sequel. The final thoughts in the letter brought up the old question of the validity of HWA’s ministry, considering he only had a revoked CG7 certificate. But then, HWA’s remarks to Jeff appear that HWA believed he not only learned nothing from CG7, and their credentials meant nothing, he had always been God’s emissary.
Unbelievable. I knew WCG and the splinters sat on a shaky foundation, but now it seems the foundation was actually sky hooks.
Goes to show you that Herbie was indeed a narcissist seeking a source from the beginning. It is this source that bought him his hearts desire. Money, power and notoriety. Oh, I forgot one, a little girl for his sexual pleasure.