What we were unaware of was the boomer phenomenon: The baby boomers had left home, finished school and were out establishing their lives. There was so much uncertainty. Where would they live? Who would they marry? What career would they pursue? We had nukes pointed at Russia and Russia pointed their nukes at us. It seemed the coming Apocalypse was right around the corner. Combine life's uncertainties with the Cold War and things could be pretty scary. Boomers were having children. Crime, illicit sex, drugs were rampant. Even TV religious icons weren't beyond corruption. During the `70's we experienced free sex, drugs, rock 'n roll, but found it all to be empty. We were seeking direction. We wanted to devote our lives to "changing the world" to make it a better place for our children. Mainstream religion that we had experienced as kids was dead, as far as we were concerned.

Many boomers weren't aware of the aggressive PT Newsstand Program waiting to entice then with a "FREE" magazine display. Others caught the World Tomorrow radio program in the middle of the night. Still others were drawn through the World Tomorrow TV program. We were either drawn by the articles that promised "a strong hand from somewhere" would save us before we destroyed ourselves off the face of the earth, or an authoritarian voice told us to "blow the dust off our Bibles," or a TV program scared us with "End Time" destruction and invited us to escape these things. The boomers responded.

The boomers were well educated, but had little background in theology. Those already trapped during the past decades in the WCG relinquished their education while waiting for "the end" to come. The boomers brought in significant income to "the Work." This did not escape the attention of Headquarters. Higher education, which was looked upon with disdain in the past, was now accepted. Higher education meant higher income, and higher income meant more money for "the Church."

The boomers moved away from home. They were isolated from family and friends. They were looking for instant friendships--how could they resist cult "love bombing?" Seeking direction and black and white answers, boomers were happy to get behind a movement that seemed respectable. "Buy the Truth, but sell it not." "Live the way of Give, not the way of Get." By telling us how to live and promising us special protection for living this way, boomers could finally structure their lives accordingly.

"The Work" continued to grow and we were told that God was really pleased with us. I finally asked an AC graduate what he meant by the Church getting "back on track." "The Church went off track while HWA was preaching the gospel to world leaders," he said. He told me about the Church going "liberal," about the ministerial rebellion in the 70's, and the STP (Systematic Theology Project, which he called "Satan's Theology Plan"). He went on to tell me how Satan used GTA (Garner Ted Armstrong) to lead the Church astray with his liberal ideas, and the women were wearing war paint (makeup) and dressing up like Jezebels. This is what liberalism did, he said. He said that GTA was expelled and took the liberals with him. He explained how HWA returned from his travels and suffered a heart attack and died, but God raised His Apostle back to life to get the Church back on track.  It was the liberals' fault that Jesus didn't return. The bride was blemished. The Church had to be purified. 

As a result of this "cleansing," I was told that God had begun " blessing "the Work" again. The truth was that the decade of the 80's and 90's was the longest bull market in U.S. history and everybody, including "the church," prospered. The influx into WCG of these "new bloods" that were better educated and had higher incomes were what really "blessed" the work. So, putting the church "back on track" had nothing to do with prosperity of the church during the "Golden Years of the Work." I now realize that the whole expunging of "dissidents" was to WCG's advantage. It kept the old members in check with fear, and kept the new members from finding out what the old members knew.

Now "the Work" appears to be in shambles. It seems this "House" was built on the sand of a passing man, instead of on the Rock of Jesus Christ. HWA used to say that "the Gates of Hell (the grave) would not prevail" against "God's Work." With a wrecker ball headed for Pasadena to smash his empire to dust, it seems that HWA has uttered another false prophecy.

By Lindsey
Exit & Support Network™
October 4, 2003

Questioning Herbert W. Armstrong (was he who he said he was?) (many articles)

Stories, Testimonies and Writings by Exiters  

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