First of all, I'd like to say
what a great web site. I didn't realize how
many people were screwed up because of
Herbert Armstrong and his
Worldwide
Cult.
My father joined HWA's cult in 1981 and boy what a twisted
religion! I
was never raised by my father, as he and my mother divorced in 1975. My father
remarried and had two children by
his
second wife. Unfortunately for his two kids, they had the misfortune of
growing up in that pathetic religion.
I first learned of this cult when I was 12. I had not seen my father
for a
few months and around January or February of 1981 I saw him and he
handed
me an envelope with about 40 bucks and said that this was my last
Christmas
gift because he had joined God's "true church." Needless to say I thought
that
was weird. Then when he started explaining his religion to me, I though he
was
nuts.
My father and his wife were totally brainwashed into this "religion."
Whenever I went over for a visit for the weekend, I noticed how weird
things
were getting. Right at Friday sunset my father would turn off the TV and
begin his
hours of Bible study and speak of Herbert Armstrong and how he
restored the "truth." On Sunday
mornings he found three different TV stations with The World Tomorrow.
I
remember one station was coming in fuzzy one time and he said it was "Satan
blocking
the transmission." I was stunned and tried not to laugh. The only reason the
station didn't come in was because he couldn't afford cable and he could
not
properly adjust the antenna.
Until Saturday sunset, I would literally sit in his living room for 24
hours
bored out of my mind. He would hand me a Plain Truth magazine and I
would
just stare blankly at the pictures pretending I was reading it. I was
not
allowed to attend services, because he had to have the minister's
permission
to bring me since my mother, according to him and his cult, was a
"heathen"
and because of my upbringing I might be a bad influence on the other
kids.
By the time I was 13 or 14, he finally got the minister's permission to
bring
me to a service. I was kind of excited because now I got to finally
check
out this secret society that I was not allowed to see in the past.
From my
first visit, I knew this was one messed up "church." I can remember how
cold
the members were to me, even the kids my own age would not have anything to
do
with me. Now I realize it was because I was an "unconverted outsider."
Between the ages of about 13 and 15, I attended about a dozen services
with
my father, and many times all I can remember is staring at the clock
on the
wall and wonder why the second hand seemed to be moving by the hour.
All of
these years later I can still remember every detail of that clock, its
color, size, and every nick and scratch that was on it. I got more
enjoyment watching that clock than listening to some boring uninspired
sermon by some idiot who had no clue about what he was preaching.
Services were held in a high school auditorium, so sometimes I would
have to
regain my sanity by pretending I was going to the washroom, just to
wander
the halls and wonder what the "H" am I doing here. I got more joy out
of
watching the high school janitor sweeping the hallway floor than being
in
that auditorium listening to those awful sermons and singing those
crappy
hymns. At least the janitor had a purpose of being there.
I began to question my father and his church's beliefs. I never
believed in
the "place of safety," the doctrines of the
"true church," and other
crap
that they taught. After questioning my dad, I was often told that I was
being "rebellious."
When I was 15, my mother figured what this "church" was all about and got
after my father for taking me to services, and she forbad me from ever
going
again. She told my father if he wanted to see me on Saturdays it would
be
after services. Thanks mom, love you forever!
As for my younger brother and sister, man, did I feel sorry for them.
Unlike
them, I got to go home on Sunday morning and it would be months at a
time
before I would visit again. When I was there, I would often get yelled at by dad or his
wife
because I would pull out toys to play with my brother and sister, or I
would
want to take them to the park on the Sabbath. My sister was born into
the WCG in 1983 and my brother was born in 1978, so at least he got to
have three Christmases before HWA's cult stole that away from him.
When I did occasionally visit, all I can remember is my father and his
wife
forcing the kids to do Bible study for hours on end, and if I stepped
in to
have a little fun with them, I was being "rebellious" and I was teaching
them "bad habits," and I would have to go home. I would often see them crying
because all they wanted to do was be children and play, so that damn "church" also stole their childhood.
It's kind of funny, when I would show up at my father's place. I would
be
there for about an hour and remember why I stopped coming over in the
first
place and I'd ask him to drive me home. That made his wife very happy
and he
was more than glad to get rid of me before I spoiled another Sabbath
for
him. Heaven forbid if I should want to play with the kids or watch TV
after
Friday sunset, or question his authority and the stupidity of Herbert
Armstrong.
What I can remember is that because of that "church" is how messed up my
father and his family was. My dad was always broke because of the
triple
tithing doctrine and going to the Feast every year. His kids never had new
clothing, they were always donated crap that they wore. They rarely
had
decent food on the table and it was always canned food because it was
all
they could afford.
My father's second marriage finally ended in divorce around 1995. My
sister
got pregnant and married a non church member--but that actually
worked out
for her, and she is now very happy and has
a
great husband and a couple of great kids. She even has a degree from a
secular accredited college. My brother on the other hand ended up insane because of the church. I
have
not seen him since 1997 and the last I heard he is still messed up.
Thanks to HWA!
My father and his now ex-wife eventually quit the "church" and they are now happy
people.
My father took all of his Worldwide Herbert W. Armstrong crap and burned
it in the fireplace.
Personally speaking, I believe in Jesus, but only Jesus. I do not
attend any
church, nor do I want to. I've seen first hand what these a**holes can
do to
a person and a family. They are only out to get your money.
If anyone says that they are an "apostle" and that they have the
"truth,"
turn around and run away as fast as you can. If they say that they
have a
"new revelation from God," or God gave them a "vision," run away.
Jesus has
not had any apostles for about 2000 years, they are all now dead. John
was
the last one. Anything God has to say is from the Bible. Nobody has
any new
knowledge, and God does not come to people in dreams. Stay away from
such
people.
Freaks like Herbert Armstrong are nothing more than a fraud. He
claimed to
be the end-time Elijah. That is crap, it was John the Baptist. The
Worldwide
Church of God and all of its offshoots are frauds.
Have you ever noticed that they all quote Herbert Armstrong? If they
were
the church Christ started, wouldn't you think they would teach the
gospel
according to Jesus? But instead it's according to Armstrong.
Living Church of God, the
Philadelphia Church of God,
Restored Church of God, and all of these other
"churches" are dead
churches. There is no truth in them. As for the
Worldwide Church of God and its
offshoots, they are not of
God and their days are numbered and goodbye to them!
By Kyle - Short term child survivor of
WCG
May 21, 2007
Articles
For Those Who Were Emotionally and Spiritually Abused
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