Is PCG a High Demand Group?

Some have called Flurry's Philadelphia Church of God a high demand group that makes unreasonably severe demands upon members.

Is this true?

Let us observe what is written in Chapter 12, Part 2 of Raising the Ruins by Stephen Flurry, under the heading "For Many People". There he relates how Herbert W. Armstrong gave his inheritance to the church and not to any of his three surviving children. This is portrayed as an egalitarian act worthy of high praise, putting "God's Work" ahead of his own family.

Even on his deathbed, his final wish was for everything he owned to go toward the work so that “many people” might benefit. Mr. Armstrong put God’s Family and God’s work first. And as difficult as that might be to grasp, looking at it humanly, isn’t that what we should expect from a man of God?...PUTTING GOD AND HIS WORK FIRST IS THE BASIC THEME OF THE BIBLE. [How convenient for the organization.] Herbert W. Armstrong put this principle—this law—into action. He gave and gave and gave and gave.

And he took and took and took and took the members' three tithes and more.

HWA's decision to leave his children with nothing is explained away in the following manner:

In his will, he explained that he chose not to leave his descendants anything—not because of any ill will toward them—but because he believed they had “adequate means of their own” and because leaving what he had to the church would ensure that it “be put to more permanent and beneficial use for many people.”

This explanation completely glosses over the fact that HWA was estranged from all three of his surviving children.

1) HWA kicked Beverly Gott out of the church because she wore too much makeup (in his opinion) one day and because of that instituted the infamous makeup ban. This is how Garner Ted Armstrong describes it:

Back in 1956, my father had excommunicated my sister Beverly from the church for refusing to take off her makeup, a newly established taboo. From the early '30's until 1955 or 1956, there was no proscription against makeup. However, because most in the church tended to be hyper-conservative, only comparatively few women used it.

(On this same topic I personally heard Meredith say in a sermon that the makeup ban was introduced because HWA was enraged at how much makeup Beverly Gott wore one day.)

2) It is all too well known what HWA did to his other daughter, Dorothy.

3) HWA disfollowshipped Garner Ted because he felt threatened by him and because Garner Ted threatened to expose what HWA did to his daughter during an angry moment. Being disfellowshipped HWA was estranged from him and was not in any friendly communication with him.

All of this pertinent information is simply glossed over.

This story also serves to give PCG members an impossible ideal to follow.

HWA giving all his money to the organization is held up to be a noble ideal.

Naturally this will inspire imitators who are hoping God will give them a good reward for their sacrifice. Alas there have been imitators such as one George Meston who handed over his entire estate to PCG.

Another man in Canada also handed over practically all his assets to PCG which began a lawsuit which PCG lost.

Another example of a man who intends to follow this example and hand over his inheritance to PCG may be seen here.

PCG has even published a Royal Vision article written by Mark Nash, "Payable upon Death", in the January/February 2004 issue which gives instructions on how PCG members are able to imitate the high ideal set by HWA. And give the Organization even more money than the obligatory three tithes that they have to pay while alive.

Rather then encouraging members to look to their families, or letting them use some money after they die they are encouraged to give it all up to the Organization. This weakens family ties in favor of a demanding loyalty to the collective. This shows a terrible disregard to other family members.

PCG members are encouraged to hand over all their possessions as though the obligatory three tithes and other expected offerings and the Building Fund are somehow not enough for Flurry's PCG.

Such behavior clearly marks the Philadelphia Church of God as a high demand group. Such behavior is dysfunctional and most certainly unbecoming of an Organization that claims to represent God.

The Philadelphia Church of God is a high demand group.

Is LCG a High Demand Group?

Some of the Armstrongite groups are referred to as high demand groups. Is this really the case?

Meredith has released another co-worker letter (April 21). Perhaps this letter will provide insights to this question.

Near the end of this letter the following is written:

As a member or co-worker with Christ, you are part of what God may consider to be “the most important activity on this earth today.” Jesus Christ commanded, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Notice how he emphasizes the "you", he is trying to inflate the vanity of the co-workers and members he is addressing.

The inclusion of a Bible verse serves to further legitimize his authority and is used to convince the believer that the Bible is on Meredith's side.

By saying that preaching Armstrongism is the most important activity in the world he hopes to convince the reader to make the Organization the reader's first priority in life. He drives home this message in the last paragraph. My comments are in brackets. Words in red are my emphasis.

Your earnest Bible study, your fervent prayers, your generous support of the Work [paying the three tithes which are never mentioned on TV, or in the recruitment writings or even in the co-worker letters] which the living Christ [allegedly] is using to proclaim His Truth [recruitment] and to teach increasing thousands of people to actually practice His Government [loaded term meaning to submit to the Organization led by Meredith] and so prepare themselves for “kingship” in the coming Government of God [how can one prepare to rule if he or she is simply required to be "submissive" in a dictatorial organization?]—all of this results in you, personally, “laying up treasure” in heaven.

[Here Meredith is trying to give the reader an implanted perception in which the follower feels good for helping the Organization, usually by paying three tithes and required extra offerings. Such a person will often feel that this is a spontaneous feeling. In reality this person feels this way because he or she was told to feel this way, and this person trusts the group leader, Meredith. Such a person does not fully understand that while tithing.]

And it should give you a sense of meaning and purpose for your entire life.

[So if one should ever discover the truth that Armstrongism is a fraud it feels as though your "entire life" is falling apart.]

It [aiding the Organization and following their prescribed rituals] should permeate your thoughts, your hopes and dreams, your speech and every part of your life as you grow, through God’s help, to become more like Jesus Christ in every way. May God help each of you to understand and to become more involved in seeking first the Kingdom of God.

[This is a perfect example of "Doctrine over Person", one of Lifton's Eight Criteria for Thought Reform.]

This exposes Meredith's Living Church of God as a high-demand group that compels members to live under unreasonably excessive demands.

These are evidences that LCG is a high demand group that cause members to give up too much of their individuality in favor of ideals that serve to benefit the leadership and increase loyalty to the Organization, which in this case is a one man dictatorship. Such an Organization needs to be avoided.

LCG is a high demand group.

Swine Flu and COG Prophecy

There is a new swine flu virus spreading that is gaining international attention.

I just cringe to think of how the various Armstrongite false prophets of doom are going to use this. They will point to this say "DISEASE EPIDEMICS!!" with great emphasis.

When the COGs shout and holler that the disease epidemics are coming should we take them seriously? Will those listening in fear at their proclamations be aware of their previous predictions?

Look at HWA and his followers' previous predictions concerning disease epidemics.

"17) April 1956 PT by Hoeh: "Disease epidemics threaten US in 2 years" [, p. 3.]

"120) August 1957 PT: Another old favorite still with us today. Roderick Meredith: "at the conclusion of the drought and floods we are now just beginning to suffer this nation is going to be punished by horrifying DISEASE EPIDEMICS - plagues." When? He approvingly cites a 1956 Plain Truth title: 'Disease Epidemics Threaten USA in Two Years!" Clearly, 1958 was meant. Meredith continued, "In addition to those warnings ...we will soon find that hoof-and-mouth disease will spread COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL!" [The quotes may be seen on page 5.] The only thing that spread out of control, then and the next 40 years, was the disease of his own big mouth."

(Incidentally his article is entitled "America, Wake Up!" which is very similar to Wake Up, America! in the January-February 2000 issue of Tomorrow's World. Another case of recycled words?, or rather recycled title-though slightly altered-in this particular case?)

These prophecies were used to scare people fifty years ago. No such disease epidemics occurred then. Their word failed to come to pass.

Also I wonder if any of them will emphasize that according to HWA's prophetic framework those catastrophic epidemics can only occur after the wars and famines before the Great Tribulation? It is taught that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are symbols of prophetic events that, as far as I understand it, occur in order. So, in COG understanding, the first Horseman is false Christianity (everyone else not linked to HWA) trying to convert the world, the second is war, the third is famine, and the fourth is the disease epidemics. These are to occur in order.

According to COG prophetic framework the great disease epidemics can only reach their fulfillment after the great preliminary wars that occur before the Great Tribulation and the great famines. They cannot come before then. Any disease epidemics occurring before those two events cannot be legitimately used by any COG as a fulfillment of their prophecies. Until the wars and famines come as they been mercilessly preaching at us for more than fifty years no disease epidemic can be legitimately used as a fulfillment of their understanding of prophecy.

So even if this disease did reach apocalyptic proportions (which I do not believe will occur) it still would not fulfill HWA's prophetic framework because it came too early before the supposed preliminary wars and famine. There is no need for us to cling to some prophets who fellow a false prophet.

Clearly God is not talking to them. We have no need to fear their scare-mongering. Their words fail. There is no need to be scared and render ourselves dependent on them. God is not with them, we must do likewise.

The Packatollah and Disfollowshipping

Dave Pack is one of the more infamous ministers associated with Armstrongism. Norm Edwards provides a devastating portrait of him, saying that he is a ravenous wolf, trigger happy with his authority, unreasonably demanding, leaving behind "hundreds of pages of call logs, letters, e-mails" detailing his many failings. Even as early as 1985 AR32 exposed him as a particularly abusive controller. It was reported that "For a number of years now [even before 1985], no WCG minister's name has appeared more often in letters written to the [Ambassador] Report complaining of ministerial abuse." LCG apologist Bob Thiel also discusses him. He calls himself an Apostle, and has had demanded his flock to give their assets to him. Alas people are still falling for this this notorious man. (See April 21 Letter.)

In the recently released Vita Packatollah Dave Pack talks about the savage act of disfollowshipping in Chapter 26. Let us see what we can learn by observing what he says about this subject (Emphases mine throughout the blog):

The heading for this section is "God’s Math—“Subtract Problems, Add Growth”". We now continue:

Normal math is subtract from the whole and you have less. God’s math is different.

[This is Dave Pack himself speaking:]“I learned early God’s ‘addition by subtraction’ principle: subtract problems from the congregation, and attendance goes up, not down. This vital principle largely defined my ministry over the years. I implemented it in every pastorate, all of which were troubled when we arrived. Eliminate noisy, disruptive tares (not quiet ones, Matt. 13:29) and attendance goes up.

Let me see: You disfollowship someone and then you are blessed for it. You are rewarded for it. Maybe that's why he appears to be so trigger happy with his authority. (I am simply using "trigger happy" as a figure of expression. I am not implying in any way that Dave Pack is somehow misusing any actual firearms.) This is just a COG superstition which makes as much sense as sacrificing a beautiful maiden to an erupting volcano. Well now we know how he can justify unleashing a mass purge if he ever wants to.

....“Most [WCG ministers] would not follow Mr. Armstrong’s simple principle: ‘One rotten apple spoils the whole bushel.’ He practiced what he preached many times in regard to senior leadership in the Church. Which man who led Church Administration did not go on to prove himself to be a ‘rotten apple’?

This gives Dave Pack justification and the authority to get rid of anyone, even those directly under him.

After that he goes into a little spiel saying that no division is allowed.

“I learned early on that division in my congregations could not be tolerated—under any circumstance. Discord is the most destructive thing to God’s Church and simply cannot be permitted to exist. I saw that people can be divided over many things: doctrinal ideas, not following Church traditions, matters of wrong behavior openly permitted in the congregation, criticizing ‘how the money was spent,’ decisions made by Headquarters—and false accusations between brethren.”

This is a call for dictatorship. Also observe that statement concerning finances. This is evidence that RCG members are denied any say in the financial concerns of the organization they pay their tithes to. Dave Pack has complete control over finances and therefore the entire organization.

And then after this spiel on how no division must be allowed he then very confusingly insist that actually he has been quite lenient and rarely disfollowships anyone. The reader needs to be aware that he narrowly defines disfellowshipping here, saying most left of their own accord. He does this so he can make himself look better in this regard. He wants the best of both, portraying himself as tolerating no division and praising himself as being a merciful minister. That latter assertion also serves to keep RCG members fearful that other ministers will be even worse than him.

This section of the Vita Packatollah paints a disturbing portrait of a dictator. These are evidences that Dave Pack is an abusive leader who needs to be avoided like the plague.

A Thought on Fox 25's Report on PCG

One thing that I have not heard anyone say concerning Fox 25's report on PCG is the parallel between Gerald Flurry letting Stephen Flurry, author of Raising the Ruins, get interviewed by Fox 25 and Herbert W. Armstrong letting Stanley Rader get interviewed by Mike Wallace.

Knowing how Gerald Flurry hopelessly imitates HWA I suspect he let Stephen Flurry talk to the media in imitation of HWA's letting Rader talk to the media.

This seems to suggest that Stephen Flurry hold the same position Rader had back in 1979.

This imitation tries to further legitimize Gerald Flurry by imitating the false prophet HWA.

(Alas the news report [Part 1 and Part 2] seems to be no longer online. Does anyone know where to find it? It's priceless!)

(Update: The Reports have been moved. You can see Part 1 and Part 2 here.)

Definitions of Plagiarism and HWA

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about plagiarism. If we apply these standards to HWA what shall be the conclusion? The following come from the introduction. Among other things it shows that it is a serious offense. (All emphases are mine.)

Plagiarism, as defined in the 1995 Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary, is the "use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work."...Within academia, plagiarism by students, professors, or researchers is considered academic dishonesty or academic fraud and offenders are subject to academic censure, up to and including EXPULSION. In journalism, plagiarism is considered a breach of journalistic ethics, and reporters caught plagiarizing typically face disciplinary measures ranging from suspension to TERMINATION.

It is well known that the booklet Has Time Been Lost? was actually a plagiarism of a COG7 booklet of the same name dating back at least to 1925. It appears that the COG7 booklet was in the public domain at the time HWA wrote his book. Observe what Wikipedia also has to say on that sort of matter.

Plagiarism is not copyright infringement. While both terms may apply to a particular act, they are different transgressions. Copyright infringement is a violation of the rights of a copyright holder, when material protected by copyright is used without consent. On the other hand, plagiarism is concerned with the unearned increment to the plagiarizing author's reputation that is achieved through false claims of authorship.

So HWA using the non-copyrighted COG7 booklet is also an act of plagiarism.

How can anyone believe otherwise?

As seen previously those who continue to deny the truth respond by narrowly defining "plagiarism" as "copying". (I am indebted to Mr. William Hofmann for inspiring the highlighted phrase in his review of Mystery of the Ages) It is only on such unrealistic terms that they are able to deny HWA's obvious plagiarism.

That is not good enough.

HWA is a plagiarizer.

More Thoughts on Why They Don't Want to be in Heaven

I have had more thoughts on this topic. As related in the last post in one Tomorrow's World program Meredith cited all these Biblical personages and insisted that they did not go to Heaven, then he brought up Lucifer and shouted, "Now there's someone who wanted to go to Heaven!" thus implying that the believers' expectation of going to Heaven is not just inaccurate but completely evil and Satanic.

That thought of Meredith's is not true. This thought does not even work within the teachings of HWA. What Meredith said that Satan wanted to go to heaven and thus implying that only Satan would want to go to Heaven is not true and actually has many problems, even if we assume HWA's belief system to be accurate.

The COGs teaches that the saved will be centered on the earth, not in Heaven. However they also teach that when we become immortal God beings we shall be able to transport ourselves wherever we wish instantaneously. Observe how LCG Evangelist Richard Ames describe the abilities of those who will have been deified. "Imagine being able to travel about the universe instantaneously! One galaxy will be as close to you as another. God, as the Creator of the heavens, wants to share all of His creation with you." ("Will We Conquer Space?", Tomorrow's World, November-December 2000, p. 12. Emphasis mine.) If God is to share all of creation with us, why not Heaven as well?

And also the "Presiding Evangelist" Meredith himself also wrote in Your Ultimate Destiny, under the heading "Inheriting a Universe", the following:

Then we will have glorified spirit bodies that will not be subject to physical laws, as we know them now. We will be able to hurtle throughout the universe far faster than the speed of light, for we will be full members of the Creator Family—the Family of God—able to move at the speed of thought! (Page 18. Emphasis mine.)

So with all these abilities surely it will be possible to go to Heaven to meet God the Father up there. We shall not be trying to overthrow God, unlike Lucifer, but simply wishing to spend time with our beloved heavenly Father. Yes, according to LCG and the rest, the saved will be very busy on earth, but we will be immortal God beings that never tire. Surely we will be able to go up into Heaven with such abilities as Meredith and Ames described despite all the busy activities we will have rebuilding the earth.

So the idea that we can't go to Heaven is ridiculous. Even if we shall be busy on the earth, according to LCG's teachings, there is no reason why we cannot go to our Heavenly Father still up there.

So Meredith's thought that because Lucifer wanted to go to Heaven that this makes the desire to go to Heaven evil is shown to be a false analogy. Lucifer wanted to overthrow God. We simply wish to be with our Heavenly Father. There is no comparison to be made between the believer and Lucifer.

Imagine there is a man who lives far away, and some time ago an evil criminal visited him and tried to murder him. Thankfully nothing happened and the man is safe. Later I want go to visit the man because he is a very good friend of mine. But he lives far away so it takes a long time to make the proper arrangements. Then this other man who seems to be a minister and righteous whom I trust meets me. He passionately shouts that it is wrong and evil for me to go visit him, because no other good people we mutually knew ever visited him, and the one who did visit him tried to kill him. Therefore I cannot go. I certainly have no hostility with my friend at all, yet I have been most emphatically told I cannot go.

Does the minister's reasoning make sense?

That is precisely how (un)reasonable Meredith's statement is.

It is nothing more than a false analogy.

Imagine telling a believer that his or her desire to be with God is evil, Satanic even. It is obscene to falsely tell a believer such things. By saying this fundamental yearning is evil and Satanic makes him or her doubt him or herself. If one should be doubtful and even fearful that he or she may be harboring an evil Satanic desire this will cause the well-meaning believer to trust in what Meredith says and thus they become dependent on him.

This is statement of Meredith's is carefully designed to make believers uncertain, fearful and dependent on himself.

That is obscene behavior.

There is no need for anyone to make him or herself dependent on Meredith or any other COG leader, or any man. God is greater than them. God is our Father. It is the most natural and beautiful thing for one to yearn to be with Him. It is not evil and there is certainly nothing Satanic about this desire. There is no need to be ashamed of wishing to be with God.

Why They Don't Want to be in Heaven

I remember reading once on J's old Shadows of WCG blog a post which related that once, during the Changes in WCG, some were discussing the new beliefs that were coming in. Among those beliefs was the belief of going to heaven. J told us that one Armstrongite spoke with contempt about such people, saying with disdain, "They think they're going to heaven." J said he was shocked to hear someone be so dismissive of such people. J said, in effect, what's wrong with simply wanting to be close to God? To want to be with Him?

When I read that blog I immediately thought of why that person would be so contemptuous.

I watched one Tomorrow's World broadcast and Meredith was talking about not going to Heaven and was trying to discredit that idea, as is typical of this religion. He cited the typical 'proof texts', supposedly proving no one, such as David, goes to Heaven and then, as a contrast, he cited Isaiah 14 about Lucifer.

Now HWA taught that Lucifer was placed on the earth before Adam came to be and he then rose up to Heaven in revolt trying to overthrow the Lord. Meredith cited verse 13: "For you [Lucifer] have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven'." Then he shouted, "Now there's someone who wanted to go to Heaven!" That is actually quite a shocking statement, and I think he knew how divisive it would be to viewers, so he proceeded to try and make it sink into his hapless viewers' heads.

Quietly, as though he really wanted you to think about it for your own good, he said, "Think about that. Meditate on that." He wanted us, his unsuspecting viewers, to convince ourselves of this "truth" that only the Devil wanted to go to heaven. He knew some would be horrified and jerk back away from him, but he wanted us, those who would listen, to internalize this thought in our heads. He knows once he convinces you of this idea your options will be very limited, thus forcing you to join the small fold of Armstrongism.

Is this really so?

One scripture often cited for this belief is John 3:13. But as Kelly Marshall shows in a critical review of Chapter Six of Mystery of the Ages Jesus was referring to a bodily ascension. He was not talking about spiritual ascension. No one had been bodily resurrected and Jesus was the first. He was referring to that sort of ascension.

It is also pointed out there that confusingly HWA also taught that Humankind has a "spirit essence" (or whatever) that imparts intellect to the individual and that this "spirit essence" ascends to Heaven! So, according to HWA, no one goes to Heaven but everyone's spirit essences do.

So something human does ascend to heaven after all.

Why should going to heaven be demonized as something only the Devil wanted to do when our "spirit essences" are all going to Heaven anyway?

That makes no sense.

In Armstrongism everything that is disapproved is compared to the Devil. When HWA got annoyed at COG7 for defrocking him he called church government the Image of the Beast and said it comes from Babylon in his 1939 article, and then he wholeheartedly embraced this Babylonian system. (The details of how that happened may be seen in this In Transition article by John Robinson.) This thought Meredith tries to implant into you is just standard Armstrongite demonization. Whenever an Armstrongite minister disapproves of something he just says, "Satan did it!" "It's the work of the Devil!" and some such nonsense. And then if they change their minds they just forget all about it, like HWA in his flip-flops over church government and makeup. We have nothing to fear from the words of these false prophets. (Deuteronomy 18:22.)

Update: More on this topic may be read here.

How Dare You, HWA!

This Easter Sunday I had quite an experience at the church service which I wish to share with you. To me it exposed the utter horror of Armstrongism, how utterly wrong it is, and the true nature of the alleged Apostle and Elijah Herbert W. Armstrong.

Way back when I first read Mystery of the Ages back in 2001 I read there, in Chapter 7, under the heading 'Christ to Rule All Nations' the following. (Pay particular attention to the Bolded paragraph):

Have you not read what the angel proclaimed to Mary, the mother of Jesus, prior to his birth? Jesus told Pilate he was born to become a KING. The angel of God said to Mary:

"...thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the THRONE of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be NO END" (Luke 1:31-33).

Why do the churches of this world never mention any of these scriptures? Millions have attended churches all their lives and never heard any of these scriptures about Christ becoming a king or about the coming kingdom of God.

These scriptures tell you PLAINLY that GOD is supreme RULER. They tell you in plainest language that Jesus was born to be a KING...

So HWA has quite plainly told me that the "world's" Christians do not know that Jesus Christ is a King.

Now on Easter Sunday I went to a Sunday-keeping church. This church has absolutely no relation to Armstrongism or Adventism.

And there I was stunned when the minister talked about Jesus Christ being a King. He talked about Jesus Christ returning in glory as King of Kings and Lords of Lords in the Second Coming. I instantly recalled that very passage.

I was overcome by emotion at the sheer audacity of this lie. I very nearly cried at the thought of how brazenly, how shamelessly HWA lied to us!!! But I didn't want to make a scene so I was somehow able to restrain myself. When I got home I did cry, for about a minute or two.

[Update: For more on this see, The Video that Brought me to Tears.]

I was amazed that these people did understand that Jesus is a King. HWA told us otherwise.

The lie written here has been covered here, under the heading: 'Lies against Biblical Christianity Concerning Luke 1:31-33'. It is nothing but the boldest lie you can imagine.

HWA the Liar said: 'Millions have attended churches all their lives and never heard any of these scriptures about Christ becoming a king'. I just went to a "worldly" church and they said the same thing! This is just a lie. An astoundingly bold lie!

What a liar is this Herbert W. Armstrong!

How evil it is he tried to place himself between the believer and God. Such a man who claims such privilege is just a liar, I am afraid to say.

A common liar was Herbert W. Armstrong.

In his broadcasts he would start off by saying, 'Greetings Friends!' That is just another lie. WNo true friend would try to be a hindrance in the believer's relations with God. No true friend would hand such a complete lie to people who are looking for truth.

I am absolutely astounded that a man like HWA could lie like that. Only a man absolutely twisted by the Devil could lie in such a blasphemous and horrid fashion!

While walking back from church I asked myself, 'Is he really a man?' I see little evidence of that. I see very little human in this so-called man. He is a lying demon in human form.

I am reminded of this tragic post, "I Wish I Could Have Met Jesus", about a JW wishing to meet Jesus but 'knowing' she never will.

I remember a JW telling me her biggest dream in the New Order is to talk to the 'impaled' wrongdoer whom Jesus had promised would be in the Paradise. The biggest reason for this desire is to "ask the forgiven criminal what Jesus looked like and what He sounded like."

What a tragedy! Jesus can be discovered now! We do not need some incestuous, self-proclaimed Apostle and Elijah to get to Jesus! Or some totalitarian Politburo in Brooklyn claiming to be God's sole channel of communication! OR ANY MAN!!

May the Lord free them! Like these precious souls.

(Update: J discusses this blog and further expands on this topic here.)

HWA: Member of COG7

This Journal interview with former COG7 president Robert Coulter offers fascinating evidence that HWA actually was a member of COG7 near the end of the article.

Also another motivation, not mentioned in the article, which caused HWA to assert this was that by denying his previous membership with COG7 he could deny that any minister who left were simply imitating him.

After all since he was a minister in COG7 and refused to follow church authority and left that means there is absolutely nothing to prevent any other minister doing the same thing and say, "I'm only following HWA's example" and convincing the flock in this matter.

By denying his membership he was able to further attack their legitimacy, as may be seen in HWA's May 2, 1974 Member Letter. HWA could say, "They are not imitating me at all." (Both "quotes" are my paraphrases.)

Of course, as The Journal article shows, this is nonsense. He was one of the "Seventy". How can one not be a member when given such a post? Is that really just "co-operation" and not membership, as he would have us believe? HWA simply wanted to deny as much debt to them as he could get away with.