David Robinson on HWA's Incest

David Robinson's book, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Wed, is most well known for first relating to the public the fact that HWA committed incest with his younger daughter, Dorothy for about ten years (c. 1933-44). Exit and Support Network has long posted online Chapter 20 of Robinson's book in which he first revealed to the public HWA's most horrific incest. So I will not discuss that chapter here.

However, earlier in the book, there are several places in which he alludes to the incest which he only discusses specifically in the last chapter. In a way the revelation of HWA's incest is the grand climax of Robinson's narrative of horrors.

Here are what he also had to say about the incest earlier in the book.

Stories from HWA's past suggest deep troubles all the way back to his early life. ... His own son reports his dad's autobiographic account is at least 30% false. (Preface, p. 10.)

Robinson also alludes to the incest in discussing how HWA once pledged that he had never committed adultery. HWA said this in a meeting of ministers shortly after appointing Meredith as head of the ministry during the receivership crisis in January 1979. This was done as part of HWA and Rader's decision to oppose the State of California's receivership. HWA also made this declaration as a way to further belittle the deposed Garner Ted Armstrong, now his hated and feared rival.

Herbert Armstrong, in his own firm voice, pledged that he had never committed adultery. And he assured the assembly that if his wife Loma were to be raised from the grave, she would firmly deny any such charge as well. ... This very strong statement, given in a firm voice, was reassuring to those assembled who had very deep-seated reservations about the church leadership. 

Was this a higher duty Herbert Armstrong was performing? Was he lying when he said that? Since then, reports, many reports, have come from members of Herbert Armstrong's own family that show him gravely in error when he so reported to the ministers formally and officially! According to those reports, now widely circulated, he had conducted an adulterous relationship of long standing and of the sort that has traditionally carried the death penalty in many of the American states! (Chapter 4, p. 54.)

(Elsewhere in the book Robinson mentions how Stanley Rader told him that it is acceptable to lie in order to serve a higher duty. Robinson could help but wonder if that is why HWA made that deceptive statement.)

Robinson also alludes to the incest in Chapter 13. While talking with Stanley Rader about many things Rader began criticizing the deposed Garner Ted Armstrong. Robinson responded that he thought HWA bore a lot of responsibility for causing his infidelities to do so much harm to WCG by covering it up.

While talking to Stan I did not know how bad Herbert Armstrong's own sins were, from way back. He really was in no position to clean up anybody's sins unless he first cleaned up his own. (Chapter 13, p. 163.)

Later, it turned out that it was not only HWA's family who reported this was the case. Bruce Renehan interviewed some members of the Church of God (Seventh Day) who reported they were aware of the incest. This most fascinating correspondence is at the Painful Truth web site. 

I'm not exactly sure what constitutes proof to everyone. Before I began to author my book [Daughter of Babylon], my wife and I visited the Church of God, Seventh Day, both in Bakersfield and in Fresno. That is the church that Herbert Armstrong started attending in 1927. I first heard of the incest from some of their members, two of whom--Israel Hager and John Keiss--had known Armstrong in the 20s and 30s. Keiss, who was Armstrong's closest friend in the COG7 had actually discussed the incest with Dorothy Armstrong who confessed to him. Not wanting to believe hearsay from just one group, I placed a call to a friend of mine (Bob Mizell) in Pasadena. Bob was a very close friend to Joe Tkach Senior and, if anyone would know if the stories were true or not, he certainly would. Bob told me openly that both he and Joe Tkach had known about Armstrong's incest with his daughter and then he quickly brought up the David was a man after God's heart" ploy.

Also, recently, Robinson has been yet again vindicated as two of HWA's close family members, his niece, Deborah Armstrong, and his own grandson, Larry Gott, have both confirmed in interviews with Troy Fitzgerald, founder of Secular Safe House, that the incest did take place. (Written comments of these interviews by Head Usher may be seen here and here.)

Contrary to what some like the unordained, self appointed false prophet Bob Thiel would have us believe, this was not a lie. Instead this case of incest is a remarkably well documented relationship, confirmed by many sources, including two of HWA's own niece and grandson. How can Thiel and Co. delude themselves and others that even HWA's own family can be in error on this most serious matter?

More information about HWA's incest may be seen in this previous post.

[Update: March 29, 2014: You can access Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web from Exit and Support Network. Just email them and request it. It is well worth reading.]

Armstrongism Testimonies

Ruth's Testimony in LCG from As Bereans Did. As a former follower of LCG myself I am always very interested to hear anything about that splinter group.

Here is a sample of her remarkable and moving testimony.

Gradually, during conversations with members at Sabbath services, which are clearly outlined as mandatory from that first visit, the teachings not only embedded themselves further and further by group think and peer acceptance, I began to adopt the language, devout loyalty and understanding that we were a secret organization that had knowledge and privilege granted to so very few. Leaving was akin to abandoning God’s call on your life, and falling from grace. Leaving meant you had rejected your only chance at salvation; there remained no longer redemption for me if I did. I invested all I had in the doctrine, fully convinced by their teachings that they had the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  We spoke of fleeing to Petra, and integrated within sermons that reinforced the soon coming doom upon all mankind (except we very elect ), to have ready to go backpacks by our doors, as the call would come any time, without notice. Perhaps even the police would pretend to be arresting us, but actually be escorting us to jets heading to the place of safety.

Also noteworthy are the following.

How Do You Like Them Apples? by Martha at As Bereans Did. Notable for showing how many COG members are badly misinformed about what Protestant churches actually teach and believe.

Oppression and Evil in the Philadelphia Church of God. Exit and Support Network has posted another testimony of life within PCG and how the testifier escaped.

Sharing our stories is very important in order to make the situation within the COGs more clear, and to explain to ourselves our own experiences within the world of Armstrongism.

Serb War Criminals Convicted

During the tragic Yugoslav Wars of 1991-2001 PCG, contrary to most commentators of the time, staunchly defended the Serbs, insisting that those defending the unity of Yugoslavia (predominantly Serbs) were the victims of a plot by Germany to dismember Yugoslavia simply to expand their power as part of the creation of a European Empire that (PCG says) will soon conquer and enslave the white, Israelite people of America and Britain.

Some of PCG's articles insisted that knowledge of atrocities committed by the other sides were being deceptively hidden from the people by a biased, Western media, who had been unwittingly deceived by the Germans.

Who are these people that PCG decided to support with their words and sympathy? Maybe this BBC News article, published February 11, 2014, can give us an idea.

Nine Serbian former paramilitaries have been found guilty of killing more than 100 ethnic Albanian civilians during the Kosovo conflict in the late 1990s.

A war crimes court in Serbia sentenced the ex-members of the so-called Jackals unit to up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors ruled that the men had raped, murdered and robbed victims in four villages in western Kosovo.

The crimes were among the most brutal of the 1998-99 war, in which ethnic Albanians fought against Serbian rule. ...

Crimes committed by the Jackals include the massacre of 41 people in the village of Cuska in 1999.

Serb forces rounded up the residents and, after separating women and children from men, locked the male villagers into houses, where they were shot and set on fire.

"[The nine] committed murders, rapes and robberies in an extremely brutal way, with the main goal to spread fear among Albanian civilians in order to force them to leave their homes and flee to Albania," judge Snezana Nikolic Garotic said in her verdict.

The court in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, handed down jail sentences ranging from two to 20 years. Eleven paramilitaries had been on trial in the case, but two were cleared of all charges. (BBC News.)

I am glad these men have been convicted. Their horrific crimes, murdering over 100 ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, caused much pain and suffering to the victims, help to plunge Yugoslavia into disaster by causing NATO to intervene to stop atrocities such as this (NATO's intervention also soured relations between the West and Russia), and as a direct result of these atrocities Kosovo is now an independent nation, which is ironically exactly what this murderous gang was trying to prevent. Many of the ethnic Serbs in Kosovo to this day reject Kosovo's independence but it must be said that these crimes caused Kosovo to become independent of Yugoslavia.

Will PCG discuss this? Will they mention the fact that most atrocities against civilians were in fact committed by Serb forces? Or will they simply ignore it and leave PCG members in ignorance of this facet of the tragic Yugoslav Wars?

Very likely PCG will do the latter. Considering PCG once published an article by Richard Palmer which disgustingly and absurdly minimized the Sebrenica massacre, in which 8000 Bosnian Muslims were murdered by Serb forces, as "a crime of passion" it is highly doubtful the PCG leadership will let themselves be honest enough to discuss these recent war crimes convictions with their readers.

Why Could Angels Celebrate Christ's Birth, But Not the COGs?

During last year's Christmas season As Bereans Did had a fascinating post regarding HWA's ban on Christmas.

One of the commenters made the following statement.

Since birthdays are sinful, why did the angels celebrate the birth of Christ? Why did they rejoice? Since angels know all of Scripture, won't they have boycotted rejoicing at the birth of Christ at the manger? Shouldn't God have said,"Angels, since Tammuz's birth was celebrated every year, we should not celebrate the birth of My Son." 

Another commenter shared this touching experience with how this person came to understand how HWA had deceived his followers about what Christmas meant.

I was a second generationer, in for about 30+ years, out for at least 10. Well, this year, driving around town, I always have my XM radio on, and they always have a classical station that plays only Christmas music. One evening I felt thunderstruck with the realization that almost ALL of these beautiful hymns/songs have one clear message: Hope, love and unbounding joy that we DO have a Savior and He came here for us! After almost 50 years I got it! I got the message of the carols! Ever since, I freely sing all the ones I know the lyrics to, and listen intently to the words of those I don't. Such beautiful music!

Oh how deceived we were by HWA and his imitators about so many things, including Christmas.

The real purpose HWA banned Christmas was to isolate his followers from society and avoid family and friends who are celebrating Christmas in order to render the members more susceptible to his influence. He wants his followers to be offended when their families and friends do not buy what HWA says and continue to act in a way that HWA taught them is vile. So HWA's followers run away in their hearts to cling to HWA and his followers and away from their family and friends.

HWA's Christmas ban was also to stop WCG members from spending money because of Christmas. He even whines in his booklet banning Christmas, The Plain Truth about Christmas, that income for Radio/WCG went down for about two months after Christmas. He did not want "his" church members spending money on themselves. (Note: I have decided to strip away the cult jargon and add in what HWA really meant in this quotation.)

I can say by years of experience, as I believe most pastors and ministers can say, that when the month of December rolls around, nearly all professing Christians [Although this term is usually used for non-WCG Christians he seems to really mean WCG members and co-workers here.] forget to give gifts to Christ and His cause [WCG] almost altogether! December often is the most difficult month to keep Christ's work [WCG] from dying! People are too busy trading gifts back and forth among themselves to think of Him and His Work [WCG], it seems. Then, in January and even into February it seems they have to catch up from what they spent for Christmas, so they seldom get back to normal in supporting Christ and His Work [WCG] before March! ...

This year, instead of gift trading, why not put that money into God's Work [WCG]?

What a cruel and heartless cost saving measure this was. No human knows how much pain and turmoil this cursed booklet has caused all over the world among family and friends.

There is no legitimate reason for a Christian to refuse to celebrate Christmas or to condemn those who do as unwitting pawns of Satan.

David Robinson's Book: A Denunciation of Rader's Power

David Robinson's book is most well known for first bringing to public attention the fact that HWA had committed incest for ten years with his daughter Dorothy Armstrong. But there are many other things David Robinson had to say.

Similar to John Tuit's book, The Truth Shall Set You Free, Robinson's account is greatly concerned with the extraordinary power held by Stanley Rader at the time. He greatly feared that Rader was plotting to seize control of WCG using his particularly close relationship with HWA. His book is greatly colored with this fear. After reading Tuit and Robinson I am firmly persuaded that Rader was indeed seeking to seize control of WCG. This was also the opinion of the writers of the Ambassador Report.

After reading these works it is easy to see that Rader had an absolutely devastating effect upon WCG. Many of the most detailed and damaging critiques of Armstrongism (Ambassador Report, Tuit and Robinson) were written, in part, as attempts to prevent Rader from seizing power over WCG.

Although Rader must bear a major share of responsibility for the turmoil within WCG ultimately HWA must bear the main responsibility for the troubles within the 1970s. The ultimate problem was HWA making himself the absolute ruler of WCG. There was no outside accountability. There was no one to whom he had to be make himself accountable for. This allowed HWA to abuse his power.

Among many abuses HWA committed was to allow Rader, a man who was not a minister (until 1979) and did not have any link to WCG members. Rader did not have the support of a majority of ministers or members but he expertly used his connections with HWA to assume power as the second most powerful man within WCG and heir apparent.

Eventually, in 1981, Rader was deposed by HWA. No doubt the heroic acts of resistance against Rader's power grab, as detailed in the Ambassador Report, and John Tuit and David Robinson's books helped cause Rader to be removed. In one sense Rader's disposal could be viewed as a popular revolution by WCG ex-members, members and ministers that forced HWA to remove Rader. It is an added layer of tragedy that HWA never thanked the people who did so much to liberate him from Rader's influence.

Now I wish to state that I have heard that apparently David Robinson may have held some anti-Semitic views. Gavin Rumney reported about this.

Anti-Semitism has always existed in a precarious balance with philo-Semitism in the Armstrong sects. John Trechak [editor of the Ambassador Report] reportedly pleaded with David Robinson to remove openly anti-Jewish passages from his book, Herbert Armstrong’s Tangled Web. Robinson eventually agreed. Robinson saw Stanley Rader as the “Jewish threat” to the church, a view that Garner Ted Armstrong may have exploited. Whether Rader was the Rasputin figure he was made out to be is beside the point: whatever issues surrounded him, they had everything to do with personal ethics and nothing to do with his Jewish heritage. (Source.)

I agree with this opinion. Any praise I may have for Robinson's book is not intended to promote negative views towards Jews.

Despite this unfortunate flaw Robinson's book is essential reading for anyone wishing to properly understand HWA's character and what really happened within WCG in the turbulent 1970s.

You can access Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web from Exit and Support Network. Just email them and request it.

HWA and the Ancient Didache on Prophets and the Poor

Recently I read the Didache, a very old Christian text. Quite possibly one of the oldest pieces of Christian writings outside the New Testament. I wanted to see what it had to say about Christianity and how it compared to what HWA and his various imitators taught.

One fascinating detail about the Didache is how it discusses Prophets. It was HWA's teaching that outside the New Testament there were no Prophets because we now have the Bible. New Testament Prophets had no administrative power. Their purpose was to directly reveal the will of God to believers.This was necessary because there was no New Testament at the time. This was discussed in a previous post (Bolding mine.).

This teaching which That Prophet Gerald Flurry has sought to suppress was the teaching of the alleged end time Apostle and end time Elijah HWA from at least the August 1953, Good News, as may be seen in Herman Hoeh's article 'Government in our Church', pp. 3-4, 7-8.

Even though evangelists were next in authority under the apostles, next in spiritual order and above the evangelists are listed the prophets (I Cor. 12:28). Often in the Bible, prophet means preacher or poet. But in the New Testament history there are several instances mentioned in which prophets-both men and women-were used to foretell by special and personal revelation from God (Acts 11: 27-30; 21: 9-10). They spoke and exhorted the brethren and, if men, sometimes preached, although not usually evangelistic for the purpose of raising up churches.

Those who evangelized had authority over local churches, whereas the prophets had no government office or authority. Even in the Old Testament, where both men and women were used as prophets, none of the prophets had government authority unless they were also judges. In the New Testament, the only prophets with government authority were also apostles, evangelists, or elders (Acts 15:32; I Tim. 4:14).' (p.4).

Also in Mystery of the Ages, Chapter 6, HWA further confirmed this teaching.

No prophets are mentioned as having either administrative, executive or preaching functions in the New Testament Church.

(This statement has since been removed from the book by the present copyright holder, PCG, because it contradicts their dogma that their leader, Gerald Flurry, is "That Prophet" allegedly prophesied in Scripture)

So how does the Didache discuss New Testament Prophets? (Chapters 11 and 13.)

But concerning the apostles and prophets, according to the decree of the Gospel, thus do. Let every apostle that comes to you be received as the Lord. But he shall not remain except one day; but if there be need, also the next; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet. And when the apostle goes away, let him take nothing but bread until he lodges; but if he ask money, he is a false prophet. And every prophet that speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven. But not every one that speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he hold the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known. And every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit eats not from it, except indeed he be a false prophet; and every prophet who teaches the truth, if he do not what he teaches, is a false prophet. And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged among you, for with God he has his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets. But whoever says in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, you shall not listen to him; but if he says to you to give for others' sake who are in need, let no one judge him. ...

But every true prophet that wills to abide among you is worthy of his support. So also a true teacher is himself worthy, as the workman, of his support. Every first-fruit, therefore, of the products of wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and of sheep, you shall take and give to the prophets, for they are your high priests. But if you have not a prophet, give it to the poor. If you make a batch of dough, take the first-fruit and give according to the commandment. So also when you open a jar of wine or of oil, take the first-fruit and give it to the prophets; and of money (silver) and clothing and every possession, take the first-fruit, as it may seem good to you, and give according to the commandment.

The Didache taught that Prophets were to be housed by Christians but they were to only remain no more than three days. Christians were taught not to listen to any Prophet who "says in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, you shall not listen to him". How very different from HWA these New Testament Prophets were.

Christians were taught to support Prophets with the first fruits "of the products of wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and of sheep," but if there are no Prophets around they are to be given to the poor. Notice the Didache does not talk about giving money to Prophets.

Already the Didache has shown more concern for the poor than HWA did, who told WCG members not to give to charities supporting refugees in the Biafran War of 1967-70 in Nigeria but instead to send that money to WCG. HWA had indoctrinated many WCG members to believe the Great Tribulation would begin in 1972.

Coworker letter  2/27/70

"THE APPEAL [to help refugees] WAS TO TREAT THE EFFECT, NOT THE CAUSE!… THIS WORK OF GOD is DOING SOMETHING BIG AND IMPORTANT TO STOP THE CAUSE—to PREVENT MORE BIAFRANS from starving… you are having A PART  in spreading Christ’s Gospel… Right HERE is the MOST IMPORTANT WORK ON EARTH TODAY… GIVE generously as you are able.. The way to DO SOMETHING about the starving and dying in Biafra, India, Egypt, and other such areas suffering evils, is to DEAL WITH THE CAUSE, not the effect—to HELP IN THIS GREAT WORK OF THE LIVING CHRIST!" (From Pam Dewey's website.)

There was also the time HWA criticized an ad appealing for donations to feed the hungry in poor third world countries as "an emotional appeal for money" as he did in his December 16, 1984 co-worker letter. 

It is Sunday morning. I was especially impressed by two TV programs this morning. One showed a television evangelist in a camp of emaciated, starving and dying children and adults in Ethiopia. The evangelist and a doctor were working over dying people. Victims were dying almost by the minute. Many were without any clothing. The doctor was telling of the need for blankets to spread over the starving people. It was a sickening, revolting scene, almost turning the viewers' stomachs inside out. The purpose was an emotional appeal for donations. ...

The program first mentioned above sought to deal with the effect. Just physically feeding the illiterate, poor and hungry does not eliminate the wretched condition, but rather perpetuates it. As Jesus said, the poor you always have with you. And always will if we do not correct the CAUSE of the evil.

So we can see that even though the Didache has only a little to say it still leaves a better example to follow than HWA.

HWA and the Ancient Didache on the Nature of God

Recently I read the Didache, a very old Christian text. Quite possibly one of the oldest pieces of Christian writings outside the New Testament. I wanted to see what it had to say about Christianity and how it compared to what HWA and his various imitators taught.

HWA taught that God is a family presently composed of the Father and the Son. He also asserted that this was the teaching of the original apostolic church.

If this is true then why does the Didache, in Chapter 7, echoes Matthew by saying new Christians are to be baptized "into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" as may be seen here.

And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 

Can HWA really be so sure that the apostolic church taught the God Family doctrine?

It also needs to be said here that there was no dark century as HWA taught. I strongly encourage you to read the previous link if you think there was such a dark age.

Just Read Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web

I have just finished reading David Robinson's book, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web.

If you have not read this book yet, do yourself a favor and read it. You can access it from Exit and Support Network.

Email them and request it. That is what I did. There are also other books available from them in this manner.

There will be more about this book will later appear on this blog.

Bob Thiel and Garner Ted Armstrong on 9/11

Bob Thiel has a reputation for constantly correcting people on many topics. He criticizes American Football, refusing to even watch it. He condemns artistic portrayals of Europa for showing women in immodest dresses. At times he can be very inappropriate about condemning what he disapproves of. The most infamous incident occurred shortly after the tragic massacre of LCG members in Brookfield, Wisconsin in 2005. He criticized some of the locals for making crosses in memory of the fallen. The cross is condemned as a pagan symbol in Armstrongism and is not used by them. Even Meredith felt compelled to distance himself from Thiel's poorly judged words.

He has been like this for a very long time. To show this point here is another incident that I cannot recall being mentioned elsewhere.

I remember when Al Qaeda's 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred Bob Thiel mentioned that Garner Ted Armstrong was in the air at the time when all planes in US airspace had to land. He was attending a reunion with fellow veterans of the Korean War. I cannot remember if he was heading there or returning home.

Bob Thiel made sure to mention that serving in the military is forbidden within Armstrongism. HWA taught against serving in the military. From what I recall he did not mention that Garner Ted Armstrong served in the military before he decided to work for HWA's group.

Serving in armed combat is no doubt a most profound experience. It is very hard for those who fought in combat to explain such things to those who never served in combat. So naturally many veterans wished to associate with fellow veterans who intuitively understand what many civilians are unable to. No doubt Garner Ted Armstrong was motivated by such perfectly natural motives in wishing to attend that Korean War veterans' reunion. No doubt he wanted to see how his follow soldiers were now and meet up with them again.

What is wrong with that? Why did Thiel feel compelled to mention HWA's prohibition on military service in this context?

Unfortunately I am under the impression that these entries are now gone and inaccessible, though not through Thiel's fault.

Leroy Neff Passes Away

The sad announcement has been making its way through the COG blogs. Leroy Neff, a long time minister within the religious movement founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, who worked with WCG, then UCG and lastly COGWA, has passed away, January 28.

My condolences to his mourning family and friends.

I often encountered his name while reading about COG history. Happily I can say there seemed to be little controversy surrounding him.