| WCG leaders hold the view that HWA was a man of God who was very sincere. But their
leaders hold the view that HWA was a man of God who was very sincere.1
They may say he was "wrong," but they soon forget what they taught before the
"change" about others who were not in the WCG who were also sincere. They used
to say about these people: "They might be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong,
and are headed for the lake of fire." They say that they are not carrying any past baggage with them, but they are. The one piece of luggage that bothers me the most is their belief that one can receive salvation after death ["second resurrection" teaching]. They believe that if a man has never heard the gospel, he will get a chance to when he is in the White Throne Judgment. They say, God would not be a just God if He allowed anyone to go to hell [lake of fire] that never heard. They apparently dismiss what Romans 1:19-21, says that there will be no excuse for anyone to say that they never knew. The argument that, God would not be a just God if.... (do they really want God's justice?) is an argument as old as time. It started way back in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. That was one of Satan's tricks. This doctrine is one that they carried with them that Herbert Armstrong taught. These are doctrines that show they are like other religious cults:
I have sent a number of letters to their
leadership about these doctrinal errors and they never responded in any way.
I sent a list of twenty questions pertaining to when salvation is received and
others pertaining to the above questions. Thank you for posting the story I wrote on your web page. As you know, I am very aware of the destruction of lives that the WCG is responsible for. What really bothers me about this bunch is that they completely deny and deny that this all began with their leader Herbert W. Armstrong. John Miller Jr. (Former WCG member)
Update: Worldwide Church of God changed their name to Grace Communion International in 2009 Other
articles by John Miller: WCG and Their Evolutionary Views (sent to HQ) Footnotes by ESN: 1 Has WCG whitewashed Herbert W. Armstrong? 2 This is documented on several
places on the site. Also see our critical review of Transformed
by Christ. Tkach Jr. has also referred to the WCG as being a "denomination."
("WCG considers denominational
name change" by Joseph Tkach, WCG Today, October 2005. UPDATE: Teachings & Beliefs In WCG's (often ambivalent and confusing) online booklets and articles, they have stated the following: (NOTE: To understand why the following beliefs and teachings are considered unbiblical read some of the books we list which are helpful in refuting Herbert Armstrong's doctrinal errors and those listed under Biblical Studies.) The state of the spirit after death: After saying that "Christians hold various viewpoints on the nature of the intermediate state based on their interpretation of relevant biblical passages," they say "some passages suggest a conscious intermediate state, and others an unconscious state." Then they go on to say that they believe both views should be respected. In other words, they do not take a stand on what happens to the spirit after death. (Statement of Beliefs, "The Intermediate State" 2001) "In this age, we all die, just like Lazarus did, and Jesus will have to 'wake us up.'" ("Lazarus, come out!" by Joseph Tkach Jr., 2005) Hell: They say that the Bible doesn't make it "absolutely clear" whether the separation and alienation from God in hell means annihilation or conscious spiritual alienation from God." (Statement of Beliefs, "Hell" 2001) "The parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) has often been considered a description of hell, but it should not be taken literally. Jesus was simply using imagery from the folklore of his day, just as he used Isaiah's imagery without intending a literal description." "The Book of Revelation uses these Old Testament phrases to indicate God's punishment on his enemies, but they do not have to be interpreted literally." "He [God] would rather put people out of their misery than see them suffer eternally." "Is it moral to resurrect sinners just to cause them more pain and then another death?" "The condemned will not be in the presence of God, but will suffer eternal destruction, that is, the destruction of the age to come (which is not yet describable for us mortals in the present age--it might be annihilation, or it might be something else." "We believe the details of life after the judgment are not clear in the Bible." (Mike Feazell, Q & A's on Eschatology, Eternal Security, Millennialism, Hell, & Salvation For All) They say "Scripture is vague on the details of what happens to the righteous at death; the church therefore feels it is not necessary to have an official position on this subject." ("What is 'Heaven?'" 2001) Annihilation: "Eternal suffering and immortality are two traditional doctrines that usually go together, but one is not necessary for the other." "It is possible for an immortal soul to be annihilated in hell and for all consciousness to cease." "Is it possible that he [Jesus] used the same word with different meanings -- a life that does not cease, and a punishment that ceases? "("Why Did Jesus Teach About Hell?" by Michael Morrison) Another day of salvation (or being saved after death): In explaining Heb. 9:27-28 they say that it "says nothing about what that judgment might include, nor anything about whether God will allow people to trust in him after they die." They do not state clearly whether there is no chance after death if one has not accepted Christ in this life. To the contrary they say "there is no need to worry that our departed loved ones, nor any of the rest of the masses of humans who have died, are consigned to the eternal flames simply because no missionary reached them with the gospel message before they died" and that since most of humanity died without ever hearing the gospel, "we must take into consideration the possibility that their decision of faith, or decision of non-faith, may well be one that takes place in the realm of death." ("No Other Name" by J. Michael Feazell, 2000) "Peter does not say that they must believe in him before they die." "We believe those who haven't previously been called will be able to believe then, when confronted with the glorified Christ..." (Mike Feazell, Q & A's on Eschatology, Eternal Security, Millennialism, Hell, & Salvation For All) In another booklet they ask and answer the question, "what about people who die without hearing about Jesus?" "Do they have any hope? Yes--precisely because the Christian gospel is the gospel of grace. People are saved by God's grace, not by pronouncing the name 'Jesus'" ... "Therefore we can believe that one way or another he urges every person who ever lived, or who ever will live, to trust in him for salvation—whether before they die, at the point of death, or even after they are dead. If some people in the last judgment turn to Christ in faith when they at last learn what he has done for them, then he will certainly not turn them away." ("Is Jesus the Only Way" by Joseph Tkach, 2002) [Christ] "makes gracious and just provision for all, even for those who at death appear not to have believed the gospel." (Statement of Beliefs, "Eternal Judgment" 2001) "We believe that those who die in this life without knowing the gospel will be presented with the gospel when they come face to face with the risen Lord at their resurrection." (Q & A's on Eschatology, Eternal Security, Millennialism, Hell, & Salvation For All) Eternal security: Regarding eternal security, WCG believes that those who will be saved are "all whose faith remains in Jesus Christ." (Statement of Beliefs, "Eternal Security" 2001) This is similar to HWA words, "To be 'saved'--to inherit eternal life in God's Kingdom--you must still be traveling THAT WAY at the end of your life!" (What Do You Mean..."The Unpardonable Sin"? p. 34) WCG says that certain verses in the Scriptures are "tempered by some warnings that appear to say Christians can lose their salvation through persistent unbelief." ("What About "Eternal Security"?" 2000, WCG) "Christians can lose the eternal life they already have." (July 12, 1994 Worldwide News, "How do we overcome?" by Ralph G. Orr, p. 7) Heaven: Regarding heaven WCG says "Scripture is vague on the details of what happens to the righteous at death; the church therefore feels it is not necessary to have an official position on this subject." ("What is 'Heaven?'" 2001) They also seem to believe that heaven is a state of mind as they say, "To be in heaven is to remain in Christ in the presence of God." (Statement of Beliefs, "Heaven" 2001). Since individual members are allowed to hold "different doctrinal viewpoints" in the WCG, there are still members (and ministers) who believe Herbert Armstrong's doctrines. Also see: Has WCG whitewashed Herbert W. Armstrong? NOTE: The above list does not include how WCG has endorsed now New Age teachers and philosophies (see link at bottom of this page). Although doctrine was covered in this article, read the OIU Newsletters to understand how doctrine has been used by WCG as a distraction and massive propaganda tool. Updated April 9, 2010
Letter to Worldwide Church of God, Philippines (On Apostasy--A Radical Proposal) (Reveals the disturbing direction WCG is headed doctrinally; includes New Age authors WCG has endorsed. This Oct. 2006 letter was later forwarded to over 300 WCG ministers, including those at Headquarters. Includes May 2007 email reply from author Brian Flynn to a WCG Philippine deacon (Cc to ESN), concerning how we must be discerning concerning false teachings coming into the church.) Questioning Herbert W. Armstrong (was he who he said he was?) (many articles) |