If you are in bondage, then don’t feel badly. It happens to most of us in our lifetimes. Sure, it happens in our workplace, it happens in an abusive relationship, and it happens in our “church” life. And . . . if you feel that you’re in bondage, then take heart. Most of this world is too.
Since I knew the title “Bondage” would get some attention, I made it so, but the real bondage in the human realm has nothing to do with sex, tie-ups, chains, whippings or any other thing that you might see on movies that depict a perverted lifestyle. That’s surely one form of bondage, but it’s not the real bondage. The real bondage is nothing more than mind control. And that includes all of us . . . past and present. All of us – past and present – have suffered bondage.
Most who read this have already exited the Worldwide Church of God+ cult mess. And we are most fortunate. They can’t get into our minds anymore. There’s no willing surrender and quivering bondage coming from us to give them. But what about all the folks who are still in those cults? What about all the folks who, now realizing the demonic nature of the cult that they’re in, would like to leave and start a normal life? Sometimes it isn’t that easy. I know. People have written me, and I wish I could give a simple answer. I can’t. We’ve all been a part of that decision at one time. We all want to leave, but . . . should we? Where do we go? What do we do? The indecision is there and, sometimes, frightening.
To those who have already left the cults, then you know what’s going to be said, so you can relax. To you, who are current members and are secretly reading this – inviting the anger of your cultmaster – please have the courage to read on. Please, these are opinions only. You decide.
FIRST: To eventually leave the cult is probably going to be one of the toughest decisions you’ll ever have to make. The decision is going to be made between the cult’s version of God – and common sense.
SECOND: No one controls your mind except YOU. If you give your mind, thinking, loyalty, and permission to think any other doctrine, then that is idolatry and surrender of your most precious, God given possession . . . the mind.
THIRD: If you don’t have complete freedom to do what you want in your religious world, then your religion is bondage.
FOURTH: Do you “fear” to disobey God? If so, then this is a bondage of man brought on by reference to a law based on fear. It’s call the “Mosaic Law,” and Jesus rejected it. He never changed it, He simply didn’t believe it was applicable.
FIFTH: If your minister has inferred, suggested, or said that your disobeying him or his organization is the same as rebelling against God, then you are certainly in a cult.
SIXTH: If you honestly believe (as Worldwide Church of God+ cults faithfully teach) that the basis for any man ordained to the ministry in their religion, is contained in those verses in I Tim 3, then please read on. Since Herbert W. Armstrong was the origin of all the ordinations that have precipitated, let us therefore reference Herbert W. Armstrong in this instance. Please read these verses if you wish, or remember them if you can. Starting to read down from verse 2 and please apply all this to Herbert W. Armstrong. “Blameless?” . . . No. Check out the AR site. He’s disqualified. “The husband of one wife,” . . . i.e. no adulterer? He’s disqualified. “Vigilant?” . . .Sorry. Too often schnookered. He’s disqualified. “Sober?” . . . Absolutely disqualified. “Of good behaviour?” . . . Incest, etc.? Again, disqualified. “Apt to teach?” . . . Lies? Plagiarism? Disqualified. “Not given to wine?” . . . Who’s kidding who? Disqualified. “No striker?” . . . No temper tantrums? Disqualified. “Not greedy of filthy lucre?” . . . Oh yeah? Once more, disqualified. “Patient?” . . . With everything wanted NOW? Disqualified. “No brawler?” . . .He fought everyone that didn’t agree with him. Disqualified. “Not covetous?” . . . Gimme a break. Disqualified. “One that rules his own house?” . . Dottie? Incest? GTA? Loma? Yuk! Disqualified. “Not a novice with NO pride?” . . . . Are they serious? Disqualified. “A good report from without?” . . . Check out the PT site. Disqualified. ‘Nuff said. Therefore, if anyone bases their belief on the I Tim3 qualifications, then the obvious must appear. “Apostle” Herbert failed every single qualification for any minister, anytime, and anywhere. Herbert W. Armstrong was NOT – and could never have been a minister. Ever. Period. And neither can any of his minions be.
SEVENTH: Does your “minister” still chant the teachings, principles, doctrines, and legislation of “apostle” Herbert W. Armstrong? (Ref: #6 above). Does he praise the dead “apostle?”
EIGHTH: If so, you must ask yourself: “What sort of an Biblical idiot is this man?”
NINTH: Since Herbert W. Armstrong could never have been any sort of minister, then your minister is not any minister either. He was “ordained” by someone, who was ordained by someone, who was ordained by someone, who was ordained by a alleged criminal and a huge phoney. This Worldwide Church of God+ whole organization logically, must be a SCAM, with no one the helm having any spiritual qualifications.
TENTH: What are you doing to yourself?
This is a painful time, and many of us know. And many of us would like to help. You can write us privately and share your concerns. We will NOT influence you in any other way than to tell the “plain truth.” Again, please check out the site.
I know this is a time where many are confused, concerned, and tearful about the teachings to which they have given their life to, but – hey folks, we’re all in the same tub here. And we all want to help. We understand. We’ve been bleeding too. You ask the questions. We’ll answer with the truth as we know it. YOU make the decision to talk to us. Anyone who threatens you in any way to do otherwise is obviously NOT in the spirit of love. Please! What does God have to hide? Prove ALL things.
By reading the above (#6), you can see that Herbert W. Armstrong would have disqualified himself from ever being any sort of minister back in 1933. And none of his deceived and/or malignant offspring (myself included) has ever been a minister, because it’s impossible to be any sort of minister (for serving people) while we’re still serving the organization and monetary purposes of a cult Please check out NON MINISTERS.
Please, lemme say something about Bondage and ancient Israel. This applies to the current Worldwide Church of God+ cults. This nation Israel, supposedly under God, was told not to follow the way of the heathen or the pagans. Then they said, God supposedly allowed them to sacrifice “like the nations around us.” This has to be the most ridiculous derivative of any theological madness that’s ever transversed the globe. God says: “Don’t do it,” and then He allows it. Christmas, Easter, and etc. are in the same insane ilk.
If we were to use the principle of OCKHAM’S RAZOR, then the only way we could avoid being “pagan” (according to the Mosaic Law) is to either: Leave the planet, or camp on a beach, or live in a tree on a mountain top. Paganism, as some wish to call it, is all around us. We live like the heathen. We live in a heathen environment. We drive cars like the heathen. We work in pagan cities and for heathen businesses just like the heathen. We have homes in suburbia like the heathen. We have weights and measures like the heathen. We have names, dates, times, and seasons like the heathen. We have a zillion pagan practices, ideals, and thinking. But, according to Worldwide Church of God+, sure – that’s Ok. We can live like that all year long and live like the heathen. BUT, we MUST take Christmas, and Easter off. Does that make sense? Or is that bondage?
Back to Ockham’s Razor. If any organization says something is wrong, then the logic is because it’s NOT profitable to that organization. If any cult wishes to exclude Christmas and Easter from our shopping lists, then – wouldn’t that be more profitable to “The Work?” ‘Nuff said.
Back again to Ockham’s Razor. Would any of us stay in an organization who tells us what to do, based on a book that has been redacted and twisted by the Catholic Church for their own demented purposes? Could any of us find credibility in any so-called minister who was never ordained to any “ministry” and who has NO qualifications to stand in any pulpit and teach anyone, ANYTHING? Can anyone find truth in teachings that were claimed to have been divinely revealed, but which – in fact – were taken, plagiarized, and hodge-podged from other previous sources? There’s nothing new in any of the Worldwide Church of God+ cults – the original or the extensions. The “ministers” are simply hirelings and are not ordained to anything. As such, what qualifications do they have to run other people’s lives? Are they not holding people in bondage?
Wouldn’t we all rather have the freedom to look and examine everything ourselves, and therefore decide for ourselves? Let’s get rid of the bondage. If we have the control, then NO man has those demands over us, and we’re no longer in that ugly bondage of fear, self-loathing, and indebtedness. Certainly, this is a different approach for many, but if we honestly wish to be free, then that personal decision must be made, and “the truth shall set you free.” And so, we move ahead.
Threats are made by man. I understand, I’ve had them, both on the phone and in the ministerial papers. Anyone who bucks the “system” is in jeopardy by the “system.” But – take heart – there are 40,000 of us who have left the Worldwide Church of God+ cults, and we still live, and we are FREE. Those threats didn’t work. We still walk free from the cults with our heads held high. Sure, it took a time – with me at least – but it happened, and multiple thousands now stand free and laugh at those cultmasters.
Business never likes either competition or challenge. Those of us who have broken from the cults have done both, and business (which is the fundamental purpose of “religion”) is angry. They will be angry, as with the hirelings who have their dishonest survival at stake, and at YOUR expense. If cults survive, they will be at your personal demise. If they can keep you in bondage, then you LOSE.
Herbert W. Armstrong often said he had the “Plain Truth” to give, but – as we’ve seen – it was all a lie. The real decision of truth must be made by the individual, and we support you in that decision, with no criticism. It’s everyone’s decision. But, please . . . prove ALL things. Trust NO man.