Garner Ted and Me (Photo)

I just rediscovered this water-stained photo testament of my history as an Armstrongite.

GTA had a good beer buzz going on at this moment.

This picture was taken at the graduation service of Imperial Academy in the summer of 1996. I had completed the church's two-year theological program. It was the last year Imperial Academy conducted classes full time. It was also the second year.

It was roughly three years or so after this photo was taken that I began inquiring about Catholicism.

Mystery of the Racist

The Catholic Church, as its ancient name implies, makes no distinction between ethnicity and the races. Racism is unwelcome in God's house.

On the other hand, it was taught in the house of the late Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God, in which I was reared.

I've been reading the blog Shadows of WCG almost every day since it began a few months ago. Its young, prolific author "J.," an ex-WCG member, offers a daily critique of historical Armstrongism. I don't have the time or interest to delve into all that "J." does, but every morning I still like to see what's on his mind.

HWA's racism
Because of "J.'s" blog, I recently blew the dust off my copy of Mystery of the Ages, which HWA considered his finest work, and which his posthumous devotees revere. The Philadelphia Church of God, true to HWA's review of his own book, advertises the book this way on its home page:

I marked up my copy of the Philadelphia Church of God's reprint of HWA's book, because it's astounding what his followers let him get away with. One absurd theme (out of many) I've seen in this book is racism.

Here are some choice quotes, with all emphases by the original author. Not all of them are blatantly racist on their own, but through them as a whole, in their context, HWA's racism is unveiled at last! (Does the "W" in HWA stand for "whitey"?)

There was rampant and universal interracial marriage -- so exceedingly universal that Noah, only, was unblemished or perfect in his generations -- his ancestry. He was of the original white strain. . . .

It is evident that Adam and Eve were created white. God's chosen nation Israel was white. Jesus was white. . . .

The one man God chose to PRESERVE the human race alive after the Flood was perfect in his generations -- all his ancestry back to Adam was of the one strain, and undoubtedly that happened to be white -- not that white is in any sense superior. . . .

God intended to prevent racial intermarriages. But man has always wanted to violate God's laws, intentions and ways. . . . As mentioned before, God had set the bounds of the races, providing for geographical segregation, in peace and harmony but without discrimination. . . .

God had intended geographical segregation, not integration of the races. . . .

The probability is that these people [the ancient Hebrew nation] were all -- or nearly all -- of the white racial strain, unchanged since creation. . . .

Undoubtedly, one reason [one purpose for choosing Israel] was to preserve the original physical racial strain. . . .

God had chosen a nation of almost perfect original strain in its generations -- its ancestry. Also they had the quality heredity of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). . . .

Here was a people of almost clear racial strain, and the God believing heredity of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. . . .

God started his chosen nation off -- even though brought out of slavery -- with all the natural advantages of a superior heredity. God pulled them out of slavery and gave them a new and fresh start. One might say they had everything God-given going for them. . . .

The nation Israel under Moses was ONE RACE -- very little interracial marriage had marred their racial nationality. . . .

The Promised Land was then called Canaan. Canaanites, racially dark, had settled in the land. . . .

GOD INTENDED TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY SEPARATE from other nations -- both nationally (racially) and religiously. . . .

Jesus Christ was born of the tribe of Judah, and it was necessary that HE be of the original pure racial strain, even as Noah was.

The following quote is in the context of what the eschatological kingdom of God will be like, after the resurrection of the saints who will rule over humans on this earth. In other words, this is what paradise will be like:

It seems evident that the resurrected Noah will head a vast project of the relocation of the races and nations, within the boundaries God has set, for their own best good, happiness and richest blessings. This will be a tremendous operation. It will require great and vast organization, reinforced with power to move whole nations and races. This time, peoples and nations will move where God has planned for them, and no defiance will be tolerated. . . .

HWA just identified himself as the "Elijah to come" (whom John the Baptizer only foreshadowed), in addition to being the plain ol' end-time "apostle," before writing,

Also the indication is that the teaching of spiritual truth -- of the true gospel, the spiritual conversion of the world -- will be directed, worldwide, from this Headquarters Church, under Elijah and the overall direct supervision of Jesus Christ. . . .

Jesus is in trouble if He appoints HWA in the kingdom to be the teacher of truth -- the same guy who wrote that the Israelites were white, "not that white is in any sense superior," and a few pages later wrote that God gave ancient Israel "all the natural advantages of a superior heredity."

Absurdity abounds in Mystery of the Ages, and it's sad that people still promote the book on television and in Wall Street Journal ads. I remember when the current leadership of the Worldwide Church of God (who now rejects HWA's teachings) first pulled the book out of circulation because of certain errors they had intended to edit. HWA's hardcore followers were outraged.

The continued arm hold of Armstrongism
Today, some moderate Armstrongites ("Reformed Armstrongites," as some like to be called) will admit that HWA had some few things wrong here and there -- that some of his teachings could have been explained a little differently, that his arguments could've been tighter, that he didn't have the theological sophistication to explain the "truth" in precise terms -- but they insist his main teachings were correct (Saturday Sabbathkeeping; avoidance of "unclean meat"; soul sleep; Trinitarianism is a satanic doctrine; Christmas and Easter are pagan abominations; Jesus' Second Coming has been imminent since at least 1934, and how much more imminent is it now!; man's destiny is to become Gods -- each person will become a God; etc.).

But even the moderate Armstrongites cannot escape the powerful psychological and spiritual grip of this man, this demonstrably false prophet. They prefer the comfort of being under the cool, dark "Shadows of WCG." They don't want to see the harsh light, because it would hurt too much. It would be too painful to admit that their years of sincere devotion to a belief system was in vain.

I say it was "in vain," but I don't mean to say it's unredeemable. While I let go of HWA's teachings as a fairly young adult, I grew up chin-deep in his church. I am thankful for the lessons and unique perspective that I have as a result. It may not sound like it sometimes when I rant, but I do have compassion for those who cannot leave. They really don't know any better. And sometimes when they almost do, they turn their head -- they turn back like Lot's wife.

They need the prayers of Catholics and all other Christians to find the strength that God has already given them to leave Armstrongism behind and to embrace the truth -- not the "plain truth," but the glorious Truth that is Jesus Christ.

It's clear to us now why the current WCG leadership could not merely edit HWA's book; it had to be abandoned. And its abandonment is no mystery for the ages. It was simply the right thing to do.

A False Prophet Nails Himself

As one with a background in Armstrongism, I was intrigued by this quote from Herbert W. Armstrong, made several decades before his death in 1986. I've read the quote before, but it's more astonishing to hear it in his own voice. This quote is found at approximately 68:30 on the timer (less than 5 minutes into the video):

I want to tell you that all this weather disturbance means a terrible famine is coming on the United States, that is going to ruin us as a nation inside of less than twenty more years. All right, I stuck my neck out right there. You just wait twenty years and see whether I told you the truth. God says, if a man tells you what's going to happen, wait and see. If it doesn't happen, he was not speaking the word of God, he's speaking out of his own mind. You watch and see whether these things happen. You see who's speaking to you, my friends.

I am sure that his strongest modern-day apologists might defend him by disagreeing with him on that point.

I think this lengthy video would interest current Armstrongites, ex-Armstrongites, and those who are curious about the story of the Worldwide Church of God. Don't get me wrong -- I'm not a big fan of the current WCG -- but this is still fascinating.