Understanding the psychology of religious seduction and spiritual abuse.
Author: James
The Worldwide church of God attempted to annihilate peoples personality, individuality, will, and character. The stranded souls that hitched their wagon to this organization unknowingly supported a power-hungry pharisaic and fastuous authoritative cult leader and his son, Garner Ted Armstrong. For all the alarums and excursions, the fact remains that without knowing it, we nurtured these two ungrateful incubi's. For that I can only ask for forgiveness.After my WCG experience, I went to college to educate myself so I would have a greater understanding of the world about me and to understand why I ever fell for HWA's scam religion. This lead me to the conclusion that the appropriate action to take, in my judgment, is to provide people with opportunities to learn, develop, and exercise their potential as human beings, by freeing them from men who exploit and abuse them. This website and others are my vehicle to do just that.
Forward: In Part One I wrote about spiritual communism and the useful idiots that support the idea of a one world government. This theocratic “New World Order” is represented by the “Churches of God” and are to be ruled by a king that descends from the heavens above.
Part Two
Armstrong-ism. A Parasitic Leech.
Mark Armstrong, the grandson of Herbert Armstrong, wrote an article entitled“The Misappropriation of Herbert W. Armstrong’s Name.” In this article he laments the constant misuse of his grandfathers name for the benefit of not so few in the ministry. Mark writes “News came to me this week that is sickening. That is, that one of those claiming to have inherited “the authority of Herbert W. Armstrong” has told his congregation that they should liquidate any holdings and send in their money.”
“How many abuses will be committed in the name of my deceased Grandfather? And how long will some poor abused people remain in a state of deception, or worse, mind control?”
Mark tells it like it is. I have lost count as to how many of the “Churches of God” have proclaimed the authority of Herbert W. Armstrong as if he handed them personally the keys to his “thiefdom.”
(Mark, have your eyes been closed and ears plugged as to the abuses of these self proclaimed apostles and prophets?) These parasites have been using your Granddad’s legacy and family name to impoverish people, and undermining their financial security for decades! They are just following the successful corporate model that Herbert Armstrong implemented.
“While the communist is busy beating his people to death and they are dying of hunger…”
“It was communists who a century ago came up with the idea of Income Tax… it was intended to fleece the rich of their wealth and to level everyone to the ground.” Likewise, the “Churches of God” have been successful in using the resources of the “people” in order to build and support their theocratic New World Order. The tax was a tithe, or two, and in some years, three. The squeezing (extorting) money from the membership kept committed and submissive sheeple in line. Like in a communist society, rebelling meant sure death. Now the Armstrong churches might not shoot you in the head, but they claim the authority of God almighty to have you thrown into the lake of fire! It is this alone that kept you and I in line and submissive to their authority. The end game was about money and power.As one article in particular pointed out on the Painful Truth, the organization existed for itself alone. There was no love, mercy or compassion, only contempt!
Earth-bound.
Within the closed totalitarian society of Armstrong-ism lies the seeds of its own destruction. Unable to grow exponentially and unchecked, the information age has decreased the survivability factor a thousand fold. Potential members who never heard of Herbert Armstrong will find umpteen web-sites and articles that offer information on the man and the organization he administrated. Few web-sites are supportive of his efforts and rightfully so.
The unscathed mind will articulate the deception with a click of the mouse! With incredible ease one can decipher this insane notion that America and Britain are the decedents of some lost tribes of ancient Israel. The belief that modern Israel is the result of a promise made to Abraham, and that prophecy cannot be understood without this knowledge, is the Achilles heel that will bring down the movement. It is just unbelievable how many hoops one has to jump through to come to the conclusion that America and the Brits are heir to the promise made to Abraham. The necessary twisting of the scriptures alone is enough to drive the discerning mind far from the grasping hands of the COG gurus!
The “Churches of God” just stunt their growth with all their nutty ideas. They undercut their ability to grow and prosper, to change and move forward. They bash communism, and at the same time express their love for free market capitalism. If they were capitalist they would allow the free expression of the membership in choosing the next generation of leaders. But that is not how they work. Free expression is the enemy of the totalitarian gurus. It is the deathblow to the organization and the power of the upper-class who rule over the regime. If there is to be change it must come from free-thinking individuals who are committed to the free expression of ideas within the confines of their church. The problem is, just how do you open minds in a heavy handed religious regime without being sacrificed on the alter of dissent?
“The goal of “Communism” is identical to that of British Israel and they emanate from the same source and serve the same masters. Capitalism finances Communism and Russian Communism is state capitalism. Communism promises a perfect society and British Israel promises a paradise on earth. Are they the same?”
“Americans who believe that Christ’s kingdom is of this world are ushering in world government. They have a sickness called Communism of the heart or spiritual Communism. Spiritual Communism is a political religion. It is a religion dedicated to a world government kingdom in which national states vanish under the central authority of the political theocracy.”
Although the Painful Truth does not necessarily endorse the conspiratorial views of the above article, there are a few points I would like to make.
British Israelism.
In mind control, cults teach that you are powerless, and can never achieve enlightened without their group and that torment and destruction awaits you if you leave the group. The power of sin is not death, it is control over your mind. Why do people need a minister to come between them and God? The answer is that the ministry exploits a basic human need. A need for understanding about life after death. A need of purpose. A need for a thousand philosophical answers. Needless to say, tens of thousands have left the Armstrong religion after figuring the scam out.
British Israelism is used as a form of mind control along with other cult doctrines and rituals for the expressed purpose of having the group stand out from mainstream groups. The purpose of this chosen method is to coax the true believer into believing that the cult and the members are special. Words spoken from the pulpit enforce this view onto the true believer. “You are Gods chosen people.” “We are the true church.” “We have the correct doctrines revealed by God.”
Is British Israelism a biblical re-educational process that is leading people away from their national identity and merging them into a world government through religion? The Armstrong sects teach that a Kingdom of God is coming soon, but is it? Or are they just “useful idiots” that are propelling their followers to support unknowingly a one world government?
The term “useful idiot” comes from the cold war era in which the Russian KGB used teachers, preachers, social workers, students, environmentalists and others to unwittingly support a malign cause through their ‘naive’ attempts to be a force for good, furthering the cause of expansive Soviet communism. When the goal is reached, the useful idiots are executed. This is the understanding of control through subversion. If you can get someone to believe a certain way, half the battle is over.
To understand why British Israelism is expounded endlessly, you must first understand those who put forth the heresy.
Part One
The Armstrong Religion.
The Armstrong religion is nothing less than Phariseeism, in that it observes a strict and hypocritical interpretation of the “letter of the law.” The aspect of true piety, the spiritual experience, is subverted through useless doctrines such as British Israelism.
The promised Golden Age in which there is no war or poverty, human misery is alleviated under this Christian world government. Herbert Armstrong at his pseudo bible college, preached that all nations will be destroyed at the time of the “Great Tribulation” so all things can be made new and that perfect peace can begin. That day has yet to arrive after the endless setting of dates.
His followers deny biblical grace by centering their attention and hope on a future religious political system which promises a material, glorified earthly paradise. A paradise which will never materialize anymore than it did when the Pharisees thought Christ was to be a political king ruling the world from Jerusalem.
The promotion of a material earthly kingdom is taught not just by the Armstrong cults but also by some mainstream religions. Without this kingdom we are told, there shall never be peace on earth. But Christ is quoted as saying that his kingdom is not of this world. So I ask you, just what do you mean by the Kingdom of God? Is it the new world order?
The Armstrong religion builds a society within a society. They don’t vote or participate in mainstream society and often quote the bible passage “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17. You see, they claim not to be of this world but are up to their necks in it. All of life is in vain because they are sure that Christ is coming back to set up His world government and to “rule with a rod of iron.”
However, the true believers participation in basic Christian tenets are lacking. We have yet to see the corporate Armstrong churches set up charities that feed the poor, cloth the needy or contribute to the general welfare of society. Once upon a time, people lived their religion. It was a way of life. Families spent their time in service to others regardless of religion or race. They served the more unfortunate ones in society. They contributed a useful purpose that edified the country, promoted good values both at work and at home. They set the example for their children as to what good works are. In the churches of God, few go out of their way to make a difference, the whole movement lacks the motivation and willingness to contribute something positive.
If you need proof dear true believer, go look at any of the Armstrong church websites. Do any of them have a link to assist those in Japan who have been slammed by earthquakes, then a tsunami and now a near reactor meltdown? If the churches of God are not contributing to society, just what is the purpose of their existence? What is their real motivation for preaching Christ crucified? It makes you wondering about who is really behind that religious info-commercial you may have seen Sunday morning and why they want me to send for that glossy magazine.
The horrifying fruits of Armstrong-ism can be seen in this video.
Former Armstrong student and AC attendee, Lyn Benedetto.
Developed in the 1973 caseMiller v. California. There are three parts:
[1] Whether “the average person, applying contemporary community standards” would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest.
[2] Whether the work depicts/describes, in apatently offensiveway, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable state law.
[3] Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
The work is considered obscene only if all three conditions are satisfied.
Patently offensive.
The phrase first appeared inRoth v. United States, referring to any obscene acts or materials that are considered to be openly, plainly, or clearly visible as offensive to the viewing public.
TheRoth standard outlined what is to be considered obscene and thus not under First Amendment protection.
According to the “Roth Standard” a work is obscene if:
[1] The dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest in sex.
[2] The material is patently offensive because it affronts contemporary community standards relating to the description or representation of sexual matters.
[3] The material is utterly without redeeming social value.
The Roth standard was largely replaced by theMillertestestablished byMiller v. California(1973).
Armstrongism
So what does Armstrongism have to do with pornography? More than you might think! Lets look at the Miller test.
“Whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.”
It is a well known fact that the groups known as the Churches of God have built a cultural tradition that has never contributed a single thing to the advancement of knowledge or understanding in either religion or the sciences. Most reasonable people recognize this. The reality is that the churches have never had anything to offer that was supported by concrete evidence. Baseless, if not wishful claims filled the pages of the Plain Truth, the Good News, Tomorrow’s World, and countless other publications.
To serve as an example, take the October, 1969 edition of Tomorrow’s World where we read:
“There can be no doubt that the present Royal Family of Britain are the direct descendants of the ancient Jewish King, David, and that Queen Elizabeth II sits upon the very Throne of David, and that one day in the near future there will be another crowning – perhaps the last in this age – on this Throne before the Messiah comes and takes over the very Throne which He was born to Occupy – the Throne of His earthly father David.”
The quote above tells us that “There can be no doubt.” Really? British Israelism rests upon a method of interpreting prophecy which reduces the Scripture to the level of a cross-word puzzle. Texts are torn from their context, and misapplied without the slightest regard to their original meaning. How can the churches of God be so willingly ignorant of the most basic tenets of this fallacy and so eloquent in the denunciation of modern scholarship? With this in mind, how can we take any of the churches of God seriously?
—Taken as a whole, the theory of British Israelism lacks seriousliterary, artistic, political or scientificvalue.
See the Miller test, rule #3
The Missing Dimension in Sex
Of all the books ever released by the Worldwide Church of God, this has to be the biggest embarrassment of all. With comments by the author Herbert W. Armstrong, we learn these little tidbits of information: “Many men themselves do not realize it, but the left testicle hangs a little lower in the scrotum than the right.”
And another favorite:“Many girls, participating in “necking” on dates, do not realize at all that the boyfriend is sexually aroused, ready for and desiring coitus, in a matter of five or ten seconds’ time.”
And speaking with the authority of Jesus Christ we read: “Just about every so-called “authority” whose book I have seen, and the medical associations, universally chorus the minor discordant error that masturbation does no harm. I say to you on authority of Jesus Christ and the Word of God that it does do harm – not only physically (even though temporary), but psychologically, emotionally, mentally, and most of all, MORALLY and SPIRITUALLY.”
Leaving little to the imagination, Armstrong injects on to the reader, pictures of the female clitoris, and male penis. He goes into great detail on how to stimulate your sexual partner, and achieve an orgasm. With his infinite wisdom, Herbert instructs us as to what position to take during intercourse, and the evils of masturbation.
What strikes me as I read this book is the dogmatic approach he takes with the subject. Not only does he present himself as one of the “Masters and Johnson” authoritarians on the subject of sex, he is prophet, dating coach, lawgiver, judge, child rearing professional, marriage expert, and biologist!
—The dominant theme of the material taken as a whole, appeals to a prurient interest of the average person. We see in the psyche of Herbert W. Armstrong “A morbid, degrading and unhealthy interest in sex, as distinguished from a mere candid interest in sex.” Knowing the history of Armstrong and some in his cult, I label this book as religious pornography.
See the Miller test, rule #1
Compromising your integrity
One of the most compelling issues we have facing us in these times falls under the heading of Integrity. We are living in a new age of immense abundance in the areas of information, communication and possibilities. This new level of intensity can open many doors to almost anyone who wants to accomplish anything.
But the more we stretch ourselves toward accomplishing what we want in life, the more we are presented with the question of whether or not to break our own rules and make compromises. What we have come to recognize as our own truth comes under the heading of personal Ethics.
We describe ethics as:
Rational thinking.
Personal behavior intended for the highest good or best interests for all of society.
Honorable ways to accomplish goals.
When we compromise our personal ethics, it often happens very subtly, with escalations of commitment and expectations over time. When we find ourselves acting in opposition to our values, this creates an internal experience of being divided. This, in turn, leads to varying degrees of discomfort and psychological conflict. This is known as cognitive dissonance.
Just how far would you compromise your ethics in order to get ahead?
Let us look to pornography for an answer.
The pornographer recruits by exploiting:
Greed, in order to manipulate the moral integrity of the performer.
The excessive sexual desire or addictions of the performer.
Revenge against boyfriend, girlfriend, or *parental authorities.
Moral weakness of the performer.
The want of fame or notoriety.
*Neglect or abuse. Childhood trauma or other underlying influences.
The performers compromise their ethics (if they have any) by acceptance of the offer.
They:
Selling out future opportunities in life.
Souring of relationships they may have with others outside the realm of their work.
Believe they are taking charge of their lives while they degrade and humiliating themselves.
All of us (the performers) who have been part of the Armstrong religion are guilty of ignorance and/or compromising our ethics. Our ethics are what defined us before the church experience and what defines us after. We must retain the ability to be honest with ourselves and admit that we have in the past, shut out of our minds, that inner voice of reason that we had been suppressing. As performers, just what were we thinking when:
We degraded ourselves by embracing Armstrong-ism?
We sold out what could have been a brighter future?
We shunned family and friends outside of our scope of believe?
We thought of ourselves as members of Gods true church at one time, the stark reality was that the ministry used us like ATM machines, abused and exploited us. Upon realizing these facts, we stood before the world as fools, degraded, humiliated, stripped and flogged. Like pornography, the Armstrong religion destroyed our marriages, families, and relationships. We became desensitized towards our fellow man, raging at the world in condemnation. But we were no different than the pornographer or recruit. We sold our integrity down the river when we accepted the twisted premise of the religion and all the baggage it came with.
The pornographers are those who exploited our weakness’s, recruited and maintained us in the religion. Of the participants, the Armstrong religion is an imitation of the master-slave, conqueror-victim paradigm. The masters exploited, the conquerable bowed a knee in submission. —The religious group protected ministers, and members who were child molesters, adulterers, thieves and stalkers. The member who complained is demonized and expelled. The “work” is patently offensive by its representation of being a religion and by who and what it values. “By their fruits you shall know them.” Matt. 7:16 See the Miller test, rule #2
Conclusion
We have compared three types or classes of people here. The politician, the priest, and now the pornographer. What they all have in common is the basic art of deceptive practices. If we are to believe that one is superior to the other, we are still walking in error. People who never learn this lesson will always be a easy mark for the con man. Whether in a thousand dollar suit or in torn robes, the basic underlying factor here is that men desire power over another. It is a basic theme throughout history. The master and slave relationship.
In the slave relationship, one has little recourse to avoid the consequences. Yes, we all have compromisedour integrity at one time or another. The true test of our character is if we allow ourselves or families to continue in error. To shut ones eyes to facts, to stop up the ears and refuse to hear, to not protest injustices, all of this is to accommodate whatever or whoever your master is.
The master knows no bounds. Like the pornographer, he exploits the weakness of the human being, allowing you to degrade and humiliate yourself. Yet you can change this relationship at any time. You can withdraw your permission from this person or group that comes between you and your God. The rock-solid principles of freedom of thought and freedom of speech takes moral integrity and ethics to put into place.
Think of it this way. Armstrong-ism is like walking into a crowded room and telling everyone there that its an open party with unlimited access to alcohol and sex. What could be the outgrowth if the host doesn’t have the ability to manage the crowd?
