HWA Lied to Us About Grace (and Hated Amazing Grace)

Ambassador Report 52 (June 1993) contains this information about HWA: he hated the famous hymn, Amazing Grace.

The same issue of the [Plain Truth, January, 1993] gave us an article by Terry D. Warren entitled "God's Amazing Grace." It was about John Newton (1725-1807), the slave trader who went on to become a Christian minister and the composer of the popular hymn "Amazing Grace." The article by Mr. Warren is excellent. And certainly, to most of us, the Newton hymn is a classic, beautiful of both sound and sentiment. Yet, the article's author neglected to mention a very interesting point. "Amazing Grace" was one hymn that was never sung in the WCG during the days of HWA because HWA absolutely hated that hymn. With its emphasis on grace and a melody that HWA apparently found too sentimental, he simply would not allow it to be sung in his church. Now, under Tkach things are different.

Maybe HWA was scared that his followers would learn that he was misinforming them about how Protestant Christians understand grace?

HWA lied to us about grace.

HWA told us that grace meant license to sin.

I dare anyone who believes that grace means license to sin to prove that Protestants actually believe this. Read what they say.

They do not!

I did some research and learned that Protestant Christians do not believe that at all. I did this after I renounced Armstrongism.

Why did HWA think any of that could be a license to sin? 

Did he cite any Protestant author who said grace is a license to sin?

Did he?

Do Protestants sin freely, or do they try to live in a way that, in their view, tries to honor God and humanity?

HWA was lying when he told us grace was license to sin. He was simply "loading the term," a common tactic of brainwashing.

This tells me that it is quite likely HWA never properly understood how the Protestants understood grace. He never formally studied the Christian religion so it is not surprising that he misunderstood even something like this.

(Or maybe he did understand this and chose to lie about it simply to isolate followers from any church that talks of grace.)

HWA's condemnation of classic Protestant Christian hymns were simply another method to isolate WCG members so they would feel no feelings of togetherness with mainstream Protestants. He wanted WCG members to believe that they were the only "true Christians." It was easier to do this by isolating them even from other Christians' music.