Armstrongism - The Ultimate Guide

The Last Great Day - Review of Book By Benjamin Grant Mitchell

2012-02-08T19:03:00.003+01:00

The book The Last Great Day was introduced on this blog in my article entitled "The Last Great Day By Benjamin G Mitchell" released on December 14^th 2011.

It took a bit of time to read since many of the memories were indeed flashbacks - not to a childhood in my case, but the part about education really hit home, and furthered other parallel thoughts in that regard. Working for a local deacon salvaging his bad book-keeping cost a big part of my education, and since we were not encouraged to ever handle things in court, the money he cheated me of cost me quite a fortune at a time when I could have been furthering my education.

If that amount had been spent wisely, who knows what could have happened.

But the book isn't interesting in hindsight. It is a good book in order to identify that the many things we each experienced at different levels happened to other people as well, and I would certainly encourage you to get your own copy.

There are so many matters touched upon so each will have his (or her) own specific area of focus. But I can promise you that you will never be bored with this book.

Happy reading. :-)

Mind Control - Very Unsettling

2012-01-21T14:51:00.003+01:00

In reading the book The Last Great Day, I must say it is a very dramatic book. Much of the information has previously been available in the Ambassador Report edited by John Trechak, but reading it in a more personal setting has been very unsettling. It clearly illustrates the type of mind control involved in cults such as that of Armstrongism.

It does annoy me a bit that names were changed, i.e. The Plain Truth was called The Pure Truth (since it was in no way pure, yet with a clarity that to the untrained eye could appear as 'truth'), Ambassador College was called Apostle College, Garner Ted identified as Gideon etc.

I have reached just over the middle of the book, and in the timeline that is around the 1979 era of that cult. A time with great turmoil in the group, and certainly one where there is much confusion among some.

The most thought-provoking thought that comes out of reading this was the recent purchase by chief-imitator Gerald 'Six-Pack' Flurry (leader of Philadelphia Church of God) who boasted of owning copyrights to all materials. Oddly enough, 1975 in Prophecy is not mentioned anymore by the idolators of Armstrongism. Herbie long ago proved he was a false prophet by setting dates (both 1972 and 1975), yet none of the people who idolize this person who in no way could live up to the ministerial requirements set forth in Scripture have given it any thought that Herbie and his minions DESTROYED the beliefs of many by their unscupulous acts of blasphemy in taking God's name in vain by their actions.

Mind control has been rampant in splinter groups, and there is no doubt that Ben's book is excellent reading for those who want a good impression of what took place during the founder's reign of terror. Even though the book does have a few inaccuracies it is still very nice to get the whole history served in about 400 pages - and should be read by anyone interested in the cult of Armstrongism

26 Years Ago Herbert Armstrong Died

2012-01-16T01:35:00.003+01:00

Among "faithfuls" the date January 26^th had quite a bit of significance and importance, namely in the Philadelphia Church of God where church-leader [so-called "Pastor General"] Gerald R Flurry had promised this date would be important when he originally wrote Malachi's Message.

Depending on the moods of loyal Armstrongist members they will pick any news as 'important' signs of the importance of today's date.

So stay tuned to hear what is coming - if you are still a member.

For the rest of us have fun watching how they will get around this... :-)

Philadelphia Trumpet Does It Again

2011-12-19T09:24:00.002+01:00

When you see the January 2012 issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet, the feature story is about Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple who died in October 2011. This man is applauded for his computer genius, focus on his vision - and rightly so.

What is less trustworthy is once again that the current events focus, very similar to The Plain Truth, is biased by the author. The few quotes are intended for people to relax and take in this material as though it was a journalist reporting about Steve Jobs.

Steve was FAR MORE COMPLEX than presented in this article, and you should read his biography rather than reading The Incredible Human Potential which the PCG now define as "our book" after they bought copyrights from WCG.

One of the points that caused Apple to have great success was, in part, the creation of their own web browser - Safari - which allowed very fast web browsing on the internet when you bought a Mac. Long time readers of this blog will remember that the PCG originally defined the internet as "dangerous", something many of us laughed a bit at since they had a website at that time.

So it doesn't really matter for Flurry-supporters what tool they must use as long as they can get in some tithes and offerings for their Armstrongite endeavours. Never mind the double standard because everything is interpreted by what fits the local minister.

Articles, when taken out of context, may appear very positive, but you need to have the full picture to get a grasp of how Armstrongism is presented in this 21^st century...

The Last Great Day by Benjamin Grant Mitchell

2011-12-14T07:10:00.004+01:00

Currently, I am reading the book The Nostradamus Prophecies by Mario Reading, but the next book to be devoured is The Last Great Day by Benjamin Grant Mitchell.

Ben is an author who experienced the cult of Armstrongism firsthand too, and therefore his book is an important part of telling the story about Armstrongism, so I am looking forward to reading this book. It came by airmail a couple of days ago - and it's only because Mario's book on the disappeared Nostradamus prophecies is so exciting that I couldn't quite avoid getting that book read first... :-)

Article Worth Reading About David C Pack

2011-11-18T02:16:00.002+01:00

Regular readers will already know about the blogroll I have running in the left hand side menu, but I surely want to recommend you read the article about David C Pack which can be found right here: http://otagosh.blogspot.com/2011/11/packs-pipedream.html. It is well worth reading, and I fully agree with the author behind Otagosh.

Have a nice weekend everyone. :-)

Fourth Reich Ramblings From Gerald Flurry

2011-10-27T18:10:00.001+02:00

In the November/December 2011 issue of the Flurry magazine (The Philadelphia Trumpet) there are two things that immediately caught the eye.

First, the Personal talking about the rise of Germany. Lo and behold, just because Herbie could guess right for once, it is now made out to be "the big authority". Flurry wants to know how he could know this, and how the Armstrongite movement could be so "right"?

Well, Flurry is asking questions upside down, which is often done to create the right mind control environment, because he should have investigated 1972 in Prophecy before asking such a question.

The fact remains that Scripture is VERY CLEAR about how we should consider false prophets. When predictions flied from pulpits all over the globe announcing 1972 and 1975 noone saw apologies from ministers who were in empire costumes... :-)

Just because Flurry could find two sensationalist journalists who could be quoted to indicate something circular to fit the square holes (when manipulated extensively) doesn't make it truth.

But, of course, for the faithfuls all that is said from Oklahoma must be true when Flurry says it... ;-)

Another important thing to watch is the claim for mental sanity by reading the article in the magazine. Sounds much like practicing without a license... Buyers beware, if mental stability lies in beating kids with paddles, belts etc, I think you know the rest...

Wondering what foolish things will come as the January 2012 issue arrives, because Gerald Flurry will without a doubt have some specific interpretation of Herbie being dead for 26 years on January 16th... Those who follow your BS (pardon my French) sure wallow in some crazy ramblings.

Condolences - Passing Away of Sydney Hull

2011-09-19T21:09:00.003+02:00

Long time church members will probably already have heard this, but I was equally surprised to read on the Living Armstrongism blog of the passing away of Sydney Hull on March 13^th 2011. He had served as Regional Director of South Africa in the Living Church of God run by Roderick C Meredith, a.k.a. Spanky.

Although we strongly disagree with ministers of Armstrongism, it is no doubt a very sad time for his wife, Dot Hull, who lost her husband - and I do send my sincere condolences on her loss.

Harold Camping Now Says October 21st 2011

2011-08-17T23:31:00.002+02:00

Harold Camping remains vigilant with new explanations, and now says October 21^st 2011 IS the final date. When May 21^st came and went, he now invented a new explanation: http://www.familyradio.com/x/whathappened.html...

One will have to wonder what this guy is going to say on October 22^nd 2011.

Will be fun to see. This guy hopes to have nine lives, apparently, and makes quite a mockery of religion with his date-setting.

Mind-Control From Leadership

2011-08-08T10:28:00.002+02:00

Mind-control from leadership in offshoots of the WCG apparently goes far beyond the time when you are a member in such a cult. When you look at the article "Who's Behind the Burkas?", you will find indications about virtual fatwas going out from ministers in an attempt to silence criticism.

Pure presumption about what God would do to critics.

It never occurs to such minion ministers that they may be doing the work of Satan - in confusing people - and that it is actually in everyone's best interest to expose this type of work.

Without ever presuming a Godsent in this - I would like to add.

Nothing sickens me as much as people needing alibis for what they do. Stand up for your opinions, and don't start calling it a "mission" of anything!

It is an after-effect of the mind-control in cults that people NEED some kind of acceptance before they have the guts to expose the bad things they experienced - and that should be shared among ALL offshoot information agents.

The reason for being online should be to share information that can help others come out of CONFUSION. Not just to bring them into another confused mindset.

So if those who expose this type of information want to be succesful it's time to work fully together, sharing links with one another so that ANYONE interested in coming out of Armstrongism has a chance to get the information they need.

As a consequence of this, the month of August is a month where I will be adding links to sites that are ACTIVE, and BENEFICIAL in sharing with one another. Let blooming plants get more fertilizer, and let those who don't focus on these people caught up in any of the cults of Armstrongism wither.

We NEED to cooperate to be more effective.

Getting Rid of Armstrongism Mind-Control

2011-08-01T01:01:00.002+02:00

Getting rid of Armstrongism mind-control is a long, and for many slow process. The indoctrination of age-old notes is something you need to get rid of, and teaching an old dog new tricks is difficult. Herbie was right about one thing: it's difficult to unlearn what you have already learned - and this was used very effectively in the repetition for emphasis concept that went through the entire organization, and still does in numerous offshoots today.

Getting rid of Armstrongism is instrumental in allowing you to see what is ACTUALLY written in the Bible. You will find that when you read entire chapters in the proper context that many of the scriptures used to say one thing while within Armstrongism, but a whole new thing once you read what God originally intended to be written.

Have you got rid of old traces of Armstrongism mind-control? Please share your thoughts for others to learn also. Thanks beforehand

Spanky Is At It Again...

2011-07-29T20:21:00.003+02:00

Spanky is at it again, this time in his june member letter to the faithfuls. He now emphasises a couple that were spared from a hurricane. Normal thinking people would call it pure coincidence, remembering Ecclesiastes 9:11 which says the following:

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

The strange part, for those unfamiliar with Armstrongism at its core, is that people were for a long time encouraged to trust in the Lord rather than spend any money on insurances. Naturally, the ministry didn't take quite the same chances - as was documented for many years in the Ambassador Report written by John Trechak.

When people who WERE members were hit by disaster, the Ecclesiastes scripture was used to avoid answering why people were not spared. But if they ever dared ask questions about why it was more important to tithe (to the organization, then the WCG) than to show wise stewardship, they were declared "rebellious"...

So even though it is always good to see people being lucky, it can't be proved to be anything but pure coincidence. Even when Roderick Meredith wants to avoid the historic implications of his wonder story.

Have a nice weekend everyone. :-)

The Various Perspectives on Bible Translations

2011-07-14T00:33:00.002+02:00

When it comes to Bible translations there are various perspectives. Some treat it almost as doctrine that you should use either the King James Version from the 16^th century, or the New King James version published in 1982 by Nelson Publishers. In the WCG there was a translation calling for the Moffatt translation. It was used by founder, Herbert Armstrong, and therefore considered almost anathema to call it just a paraphrase.

Nonetheless, and this will come as a shock to some Armstrongites, the Moffatt translation WAS a paraphrase - just as is the New International Version or the Good News Bible traditionally distributed by bible companies all over the globe.

What translation should you use today?

Use the one you feel is easiest to read, and use a concordance for deeper studies along with reference works, a Bible dictionary etc. Don't let others decide what you like best. Studying the Word of God should be pleasurable and easy to read - not a question of what level of reader you are.

So start thinking for yourself, and make your own choices. Choosing YOUR preferred translation is the first step in that positive direction. :-)

How to Understand the Original Text of the Bible

2011-06-25T23:01:00.002+02:00

How to Understand the Original Text of the Bible

By Henrik V Blunck

There is no doubt about the fact that a good understanding of the original text of the Bible would be enhanced if you could read the original text. But even in situations where you can't read Hebrew or Greek, you can still get a fair understanding of the original with two very important tools.

An interlinear Bible

A good concordance

What Is an Interlinear Bible?
An interlinear Bible provides the Bible text in many translations brought into one Bible. One such title could be "The Word: The Bible from 26 Translations" which provides a fair indication of how the original should be understood.

You will still need a good concordance to understand areas where different translations disagree in the way the text is laid out, but you get a fair perspective relating to nuances.

Finding a Good Concordance
One of the most widely used concordances is definitely Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. This tool has a unique numbering system that can help you greatly in finding words when you can't read the original signs in either hebrew or greek.

Furthermore, many software tools are also keyed to the Strong numbering system, so you will find that investing in the Strong's concordance will be very useful for your Bible study.

Further Tools for Effective Bible Study
There are numerous free Bible study programs, and you will find that many of these are just as good as paid software tools. In fact, the Online Bible has been around ever since the DOS operating system which existed prior to the Windows we know today.

Many people have offered error corrections and these freeware tools have therefore achieved a level of correctness that is certainly praiseworthy - and thus increased the relevance for your own Bible study, and understanding of the text.

In Conclusion
More than books, you should also rely upon the Bible itself. Scriptures relate to one another, and once you mix in context with commentaries from people you trust you will see the Scriptures in a whole new perspective.

In past generations it was believed that the literal understanding was the best, but most scholars will agree that things change. Just as the internet has changed the way we share information with one another, so the text of the Bible should be adapted to the world of today. Such a topic as tax evasion is covered in the words of "Give unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's", but the act of breaking copyright should be seen in light of stealing. Copyright didn't exist, as such, when the Bible was written, but the principles relating to the topic can always be seen in some way in the context of the commandments from God.

I thank you for reading this article, and hope you were helped by the article. Many find it difficult to believe the Bible, but I hope my article can help you restore faith in God. If you wish, you may follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/henrikblunck

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God Is Not Mocked!

2011-06-24T18:44:00.002+02:00

God is not mocked. False prediction forecaster, Harold Camping, apparently suffered a stroke on June 9^th 2011. Here's the announcement from their website:

Harold Camping, the president and general manager of Family Radio, suffered a mild stroke on the evening of June 9, 2011. Mr. Camping is receiving excellent care, and the doctors treating him are encouraged with the progress that he is making. Mr. Camping's family appreciates everyone's thoughts and prayers. Any additional information will be updated on this site [...]

Interesting indeed, and we should be careful in ever presuming what we think, feel or believe IS inspired. If Harold Camping had followed that principle he wouldn't have declared May 21^st 2011 as the beginning of the end. It wasn't, as everyone outside the group could see...

United Church of God - Hoping for Christ

2011-06-13T20:44:00.003+02:00

The United Church of God has created an article entitled "Seven Prophecies That Must Be Fulfilled Before Jesus Christ's Return".

Notice the cautious way in which they answer the question of whether that return draws near:

Will this generation see God's Kingdom established on earth?
We have seen how seven biblically prophesied circumstances could not have come to pass until recent times. In fact, the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 was clearly a major turning point in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, as was the acquisition of the hydrogen bomb by the two superpowers of the 1950s that led to the period of mutually assured destruction.
All has now become possible. This, in turn, makes it much more likely that our generation will live to see Jesus Christ return and establish the Kingdom of God on earth. After all, Jesus Himself said that once these things begin, the generation alive at that time "will by no means pass away till all these things take place" (Matthew:24:34).
It's both sobering and encouraging to think that we appear to be living in the generation that will ultimately witness the most important event in the history of mankind. As Jesus Christ tells His followers in Luke:21:28, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

This is the type of double-speak you will find in Armstrongism and its offshoots. Careful examination of each of the offshoots will show that this is the type of article released for the public to APPEAR balanced, but that date-setting is still a part in individual speculation. They just won't say it aloud. Stay tuned for more on this subject.

Mind Control - Don't Get Caught

2011-06-03T11:35:00.004+02:00

When it comes to mind control my best warning is to shout: "Don't get caught!" Religion is about one of the worst places where lots of charlatans have created religions based upon the weirdest of theological standpoints.

Over a year ago I wrote the article "How to Start Your Own Religion" because I wanted to focus on the important aspect of religion that it should unite people. The article was also supposed to provoke people into remembering that it is possible to create anything. Religious speculators have indeed done that very thing, and for those who couldn't care less about the well-being of others, it is indeed possible to sift in lots of dollars from gullible people...

A sad state of affairs.

Don't get caught up in being controlled by others. Think for yourself, and stay alert whenever someone makes crazy suggestions. That is the best defence against religious charlatans.

Have a nice weekend everyone. :-)

Harold Camping - Redesigned

2011-05-24T21:07:00.005+02:00

Can you spot the difference between these two screenshots:

Cache taken on May 22^nd 2011:

This is how the Family Radio site looks today:

Gone is the counter supposed to end up in the rapture on May 21^st 2011. Gone are the predictions of this being as sure as [fill in the blank]. Gone is prophetic interpretations - very probably trying to ride off the storm since the fake prediction turned Harold Camping into a real fool when compared with the words of the Bible about false predictions...

Next in line for a false prediction label is apparently, Ron Weinland who on February 25^th 2011 wrote the following:

Seven months have now passed since my last posting. It has been a little over two years since the Seventh Seal of Revelation was opened. More incredible yet is the reality that in about 15 months from now, Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth.

This puts his prediction at about May 2012. Just so you know it. ;-)

All kidding aside. False predictions cause people to lose faith in God, and you should never let that happen to you. It should awaken you to error, but not cause you to lose faith in our Creator.

Harold Camping's Failed Predictions

2011-05-21T13:15:00.002+02:00

Harold Camping's Family Radio is losing hope by the minute. They created an ad that is going to be pretty useless after today ends. It is now 1:20 PM in the afternoon, the sun is shining - but apparently we only have 4 hours and 40 minutes left, if one could trust the predictions of Harold Camping.

I thought I would share the video just so you can see this 1 minute farce:

May 21, 2011 from Family Radio on Vimeo.

Harold Camping has a poor track record. Just like his mentor, the late Herbie, who predicted numerous dated including 1975 (in the booklet 1972 in Prophecy), and probably thought the California investigation was also a precursor to the "end of the world", so Harold predicted 1994, now today, and the very end on October 21st 2011.

I think he is spending the day trying to find some way to explain away this very definite prediction to predict some special scenario that fits the biblically corrupted minds of those who still listen to Harold...

Happy search, Harold. :-)

Now Available in Danish Also

2011-05-02T12:43:00.002+02:00

This blog will be available in Danish also. The name of the blog is "Armstrongismen - Den ultimative guide" which will service Danes, Norwegians and Swedes leaving Armstrongism.

If you know anyone in Scandinavia who could benefit from this information, please feel welcome to direct them towards that blog.

I am translating all relevant articles that are still relevant time-wise so they will be released in the month ahead on that blog.

Cults ARE Winning...

2011-05-01T02:24:00.004+02:00

In the quest for information about cults, there is very sadly an aspect that is working to the advantage of cults. Cults have no conscience so getting people to pay the increased expenses is disguised as tithes. Tithes that are paid by faithful people who just follow what they believe is a Scriptural command.

What is much less recognized is the fact that information about these cults takes time AND energy, research AND enthusiasm. In recent years numerous anti-cult groups have closed shop. People were willing to spend thousands of dollars in their cult experience, but couldn't be bothered with supporting an information agency that inspired their exit. They couldn't even imagine even just saying thanks to the people who gave them the information noone else provided.

Some people need to be remembered in that regard. John Trechak fought for many years, trying to get every single Ambassador Report published. If the internet had been a daily element back when he started his publication, you can be certain he would never have set any copyright rules. Just as I never forbid anyone in republishing my articles - provided you tell people where you got the information. A full reprint IS allowed as long as you provide a link to the original source.

Noone should ever let their egos hinder the free promulgation of information, and the cultic behavior should never be continued by freedom seekers who are motivated to share their knowledge about Armstrongism.

Therefore, feel free to share, and help MORE people come out of the darkness of Armstrongism and into the light of the Bible. Your help may inspire someone who otherwise ends up having mental scars that could take years to recover from. Helping involves sharing, and paying due credit to whom credit is due by linking to each other.

Running a Blog Without Comments

2011-04-16T21:08:00.003+02:00

When you look at the blog at the Church of God - a Worldwide Association, Inc you will find they apparently subscribe to Armstrongism full-speed. Their blog isn't open for any comments.

"Who needs feedback?" seems to be their reasoning.

In their latest article on the blog, entitled "With All These Taxes, Why Is the U.S. Getting Deeper in Debt?" the answer is obvious: the US is requiring too little taxes from their people.

How Americans can be "burdened" by needing "to work more than three months just to pay the federal, state and local taxes for the year" is somewhat of a paradox when Danes have a 40% tax on income - effectively around 30% when you calculate amounts that are tax exempt. But also a VAT of 25%...

The answer to political questions is often unpopular, and the US has a lot to learn about the mental attitude of workers. Too much hassle causes companies to outsource to cheaper nations with less labor union involvement. That is both good and evil, but it's a challenge for all employees, regardless of one's political opinions.

Such nuances are not welcome on the COGWA blog, because that would hinder their Armstrongite preaching of shut up, pay and pray being the "way of the faithful" in full trust that whatever the minister says is best.

People caught up in Armstrongism truly need the freedom of democracy and thinking for themselves instead of relying on biased rephrasing of antiquated "living beyond your means" attempt at clouding the FACT that the economic crisis was one factor, helping the world at a place in history where dangerous threats are coming from new geographical "epi-centres" etc. All those nuances can't just be put into "plain truth" because they are complicated, and the solution isn't just relying upon getting down on your knees sending good karma towards the skies...

Our personal morality is what we control. National deficits are what national politicians control, and as long as special interest groups have their say in everyday policies, nothing is going to change.

If you want to know more about politics, I recommend you read my article entitled "Politics - Why Politicians Disagree Too Much on Too Many Things" published on EzineArticles.

Positive People - Why Surrounding Yourself With Positive People Will Inspire You

2011-04-01T01:01:00.000+02:00

Positive People - Why Surrounding Yourself With Positive People Will Inspire You

By Henrik V Blunck

There is no doubt in my mind that surrounding yourself with positive people will impact your results in life. I have wasted so much time trying to change the perspective of negative people without any success that I took a review of my strategy.

The renewal showed me three important rules happy people usually live by:

They appreciate what they have

They appreciate potential

They always look ahead instead of living in the past

Let's go through these points so you can also get the full potential from living by these rules. These were essential identifying signs in who is worth your attention when you want to build up mutually beneficial relationships, and when you want to identify what works - and what does not work.

Appreciating What You Have
Happy people appreciate the gifts they have received. Whether talent for helping others, or a talent for instruction, writing or speaking, they will always be focused on helping others. Their entire perspective is centered around building up rather than tearing down.

When you see people who don't appreciate their talents, you need to get the focused correctly again. You can't work with them until they are ready to build on a solid foundation. People who can't identify their foundation will be building on quicksand, and can never really get motivated to stick with the assignment at hand.

Appreciating Potential In Yourself and People Around You
Rather than being envious, you should be glad when you are around people who grow even faster than yourself. It just proves your methods work. Learning curves are different for all people, and growth comes in periodic steps. Sometimes we stand still, yet suddenly a border is passed, and then growth speeds up for some time. When you see that development people are in a mode of operation when you can bring in more change and instruction. When growth slows down people need restructuring, and perhaps even a changed focus to help keep them ready for more growth in the future.

Looking Ahead Rather Than Living In the Past
You should never focus on failure. Errors happen, and you fail from time to time, but you have to be ready to step up again, and move ahead rather than losing everything just because you were torn down by a bit of bad luck. Occasional mishaps happen to all of us. The difference is in what you learn from your mistakes, and that will determine how you live your life today and in a future oriented mode.

In Conclusion
Growth inspires everyone for even more growth. When you surround yourself with good karma, you have a far better chance at being inspired and motivated by your surroundings. Seize the day, and stay motivated for even more growth. That is the only way that works - and it will keep all negative karma away from your projects.

I thank you for reading this article. Being positive can also inspire in marriages, and if you know anyone that hasn't realized this, you may want to check out the e-book Preventing a Divorce which is available from http://www.blunck.dk/recommends/prevent_divorce/.

If you wish to know more about my blogs please check out http://sites.google.com/site/blunckmeister/

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The "Restored" Perspective on Criticism

2011-03-25T01:28:00.003+01:00

For those interested in seeing the Restored COG perspective on criticism, they can read the november/december article that appeared in Pillar "Are YOU a Critic?". In that article James Turck talks of criticism as though it was by definition something negative - of the devil.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Anyone that has studied a bit about personal development and good business ethics knows that there is a HUGE difference between negative criticism and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

When criticism is constructive it is possible to get ahead of competitors who might not be as focused on their own work methods. In other words: it's not only a question of working harder to get ahead. Sometimes working smarter works much better.

That is worth remembering when ministers try to garner lots of scriptures into trying to say something false. That is, as you regular readers know, one of the main methods used by ministers of Armstrongism.

Positive Beginnings

2011-03-20T00:56:00.002+01:00

It is often claimed, by ministers with Armstrongism at the core of their doctrinal expositions, that anti-Armstrongism sites are governed by negative mindsets. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in this article you will learn why this is not so.

When you have left the straight-jacket that Armstrongism IS, you will experience real freedom. God is not condemning people for THINKING for themselves. In fact, the ability to think outside the box was a tradition of the learned. Ask any Jew what the Bible is all about, and he will tell you that the oral law is filled with discussions where various doctrinal positions are freely debated. Noone condemns one another for asking questions. Au contraire, it is actually ENCOURAGED that you DO ask questions.

Thinking you have all the answers IS part of a self-satisfied mindset. Daring to consider even the unthinkable helps us understand what we are reading much better than just digesting things simply because a ministry claims THEY are inspired.

Who is it that CLAIMS inspiration? Is it not the ministers, indeed, who claim that anyone who disagrees is either "confused" or "negative" when in fact focus should have been on actually ANSWERING the subject at hand?

I think you will all agree that thinking for ourselves is the BIGGEST and BEST sign of positive development - especially once you have recovered from a mindset that DIVIDES people as cults always do. The "us" versus "them" mentality is in no way what God intended. He CREATED us. Not for war and disagreements, but for inspiration and mutual helping of one another. This should be the focus of any believer - regardless of whether we always disagree on everything.