Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God
Religion and politics are, in my opinion, two sides of the same coin, which is mind control of the masses. Anything which will keep the masses under control, not rebelling, always obedient, paying taxes (or tithes), and marching off to fight the next useless war is a good thing.
“Be quiet! Write this down.
How often have you heard this, or something like it? We hear or come across commands, instructions, directions and orders everyday. What is it that makes us obey (or disobey) them?
When Jesus said: “I will build my church . . . ” He obviously had no concept of the far reaching (and even psychotic) implications those words would have in the future world of business, corruption, greed, and domination of human lives. His was a simple ministry. Nothing complex. The word “church” (ekklesia in Greek) only referred to his disciples, or those He called out to service. No one listening at the time could even imagine the corporate and business behemoths that His saying eventually spawned. He did, however, give enough warnings to the people of His day to prepare them that the “tares” would invade their lives . . . all in the name of GOD.
I remember lots of people wondering if they had committed the unpardonable sin. The very idea of a sin that couldn’t be forgiven was pretty scary, and the church was always pretty vague on just what that sin was. I think the best explanation I heard was that it had something to do with cursing the Holy Spirit; they said that if you were worried about committing it, then you hadn’t committed it.
Herbert Armstrong had a profound impact upon people in the Twentieth Century. He affected millions with his vision. He was personally known throughout the world by prominent leaders such as Indira Gandhi, Eisaku Sato, Anwar el-Sadat, Mrs. Golda Meir, Ferdinand Marcos, and Haile Selassie. He founded a Church which broadcast on Radio and later Television, founded The Plain Truth Magazine, established Ambassador College, and promulgated a unique doctrine of prophesies and the afterlife.
Alcohol, as determined by most experts, is considered a drug. Within moderate consumption, it’s enjoyable, palatable, and relaxing. But to the person with the wrong type of inherited DNA, it can be poison. Alcoholism has now been classified an addictive illness, and the individual it’s no more to blame for their sickness than anyone who has diabetes, MS, or Alzheimer’s. The more the alcoholic drinks, the medical experts tell us (even though the patient is initially ignorant of the outcome), then the more the mitochondria that’s attached to the DNA becomes distorted, and the more the craving becomes.
Continue reading “Alcoholism And The Worldwide Church Of God”