Comments on Ambassador Watch: Thirty Years On

It's all quite insane, isn't it?

2016-06-09T12:44:57.300+12:00

It's all quite insane, isn't it?

Agreed. A majority of people seem to need religio...

2016-06-09T07:30:02.016+12:00

Agreed. A majority of people seem to need religion so it probably isn't going away anytime soon. And I agree, change is preferable to the status quo.

Evolution - what's wrong with evolution? Do yo...

2016-06-08T11:36:02.745+12:00

Evolution - what's wrong with evolution? Do you think that the traditional manifestation of religion is OK? You may find it more desirable for religion to disappear, but how likely is that? And, if we say that's not very likely, isn't change preferable to the status quo?

It isn't. However, for those so inclined, isn&...

2016-06-08T11:28:28.038+12:00

It isn't. However, for those so inclined, isn't such an emphasis more constructive than squabbling over whose interpretation of Scripture is right?

nck, I'm not sure what you mean. I find your c...

2016-06-08T10:53:41.496+12:00

nck, I'm not sure what you mean. I find your comments to be interesting.

Sounds like religion is trying to reinvent itself ...

2016-06-08T09:08:56.219+12:00

Sounds like religion is trying to reinvent itself in order to survive.

I'm all for an emphasis on improving peoples&#...

2016-06-08T09:08:14.278+12:00

I'm all for an emphasis on improving peoples' behavior/character. But why would religion be needed for such an exercise?

Miller Jones, Just a short question. Do you find ...

2016-06-08T08:37:36.139+12:00

Miller Jones,

Just a short question.
Do you find my way, "strange", "confused", (mildly) "entertaining, "irritating", "distracting", "other"?

nck

Minimalist, everything that endures must evolve wi...

2016-06-08T08:20:55.814+12:00

Minimalist, everything that endures must evolve with changing circumstances (I thought that you accept evolution?) nck, yes, these young Aquarians like deeds - the words don't mean as much to them :)

MJ, To clarify, I meant to say that once upon a t...

2016-06-08T08:08:00.503+12:00

MJ,

To clarify, I meant to say that once upon a time it would have been absurd if large quantities of Christians would even entertain the thought to observe a FOT. Now we see that behavior that was quite limited to Armstrongism accepted among the masses. Even the pope is judaizing. Or "considering a greater awareness of the theology that spawned them" , as you so say.

So I am just observing that individual components of the constellation are finding a way into mainstream.

But hey Armstrongism was partly Buddhist through Hoehism, and of course Islamic, since the first Christians spawned Islam after having fled from Jerusalem to Medina. Even the meaning of the word Islam means submit. So they got that part right. Even the Lord Shiva is mentioned in the bible, albeit a hero. In the late ninety eighties there was that wtm brochure claiming we were all energy. That is so definitely Hindu. I never got over that moment when hwa called god allah during his Mubarak interview. At the time I found it so weird but he was very intuitive (and therefore found wanting by scholars, but not so much by the religious folk he met.) When Joe Tkach at Jerusalem airport explained some of the doctrines to waiting businessman this guy exclaimed, "Ah, I understand, so you are the thinking man religion" probably alluding to the fact that we at least tried to get a feel of the Christian foundations. Sadly we did not research well enough I guess, but still strange to see even the pope exclaim Armstrongisms these days, or get a feel of the religions origins that do seem to have some merit to the Christian religion I should say after examining your posting.

This emphasis on behavior/character? Wasn't that announced in that song "this is the age of Aquarius" in the seventies, transitioning from the age of Pisces (Ichtus)?

nck

Miller Jones: I believe the trend .. is away from ...

2016-06-08T06:52:10.671+12:00

Miller Jones:
I believe the trend .. is away from an emphasis on doctrines .. and towards an emphasis on behavior/character ..

IOW: "We Christians, our philosophy in crisis, must become a moving target, constantly shifting the goalposts."

nck, while I no longer believe observance of the F...

2016-06-08T06:32:51.167+12:00

nck, while I no longer believe observance of the Feasts is obligatory for Christians, I don't think that Christians who study or attempt to observe them are crazy or wasting their time. In fact, generally speaking, I think most Christians would benefit from a greater awareness/understanding of the theology that spawned them. Acceptance or rejection of any belief/teaching should be based on an objective evaluation of the evidence available. When I speak of Armstrongism, I'm talking about a constellation of teachings that were linked together by Herbert Armstrong and portrayed as Divine truth. It is possible to isolate individual components of that constellation and find some merit or truth in them, but I don't believe that is objectively possible within the context of Armstrong theology. And I'm most assuredly not saying that there aren't significant problems with the theology of other groups. I believe the trend among the great unwashed is away from an emphasis on doctrines (underscoring petty differences over things that no one can be sure of) and towards an emphasis on behavior/character (and I think that's a positive development)!

It's not that I see you, me or us as absurd. I...

2016-06-08T01:39:33.136+12:00

It's not that I see you, me or us as absurd.
I'm just saying that by focussing on a tree one might just be missing the entire forrest.
Of course I understand we have a history with one particular branch of a tree of a forrest.

nck

The more I read postings like these the more I wou...

2016-06-08T01:01:46.349+12:00

The more I read postings like these the more I would like to see a list (perhaps I should read the STP again) of what actually constitutes "Armstrongism.

Just two random examples:

-Some years ago million of Americans were watching movies and buying books on a sudden rapture. How does that crazyness differ from "Armstrongism."

-I see the mention of grumpy old white farts as a market. Isn't that the constituency of a certain person with a likely chance of becoming president of the usa?

-A (once) crazy doctrine like keeping the FOT for Christians is being practiced by hundreds of thousands of Americans nowadays. Thousands flocking into Jerusalem in the Fall.

-On the "crazy channel" major evangelists are talking about the Beast and other prophecies like hwa was speaking to kindergarten.

It seems a certain combination of doctrines are about to disappear as a combination. But I do not see the demise of lunacy soon. Actually it seems there is a vast increase in lunacy these days.

I have always judged the "nazi" watchers in the seventies/eighties/nineties as absurd. Since ever, I have believed that if any "nazi" movement was ever to arise again it would look completely different than the former. Not disguised. Just totally different. First the movie "Starship Troopers" was marked as trash, one of the worst movies ever, worse than a parody. Only in later years people looked in the mirror and recognized the transformation society had experienced and now some critics are even judging that movie as some sort of art.

nck

It's 2016. The availability of information dis...

2016-06-07T23:06:48.221+12:00

It's 2016. The availability of information discrediting/disproving Armstrongism is astounding. Even a person with minimal intellectual curiosity is not very likely to be snared by any of these groups. Moreover, the importance of doctrine has diminished throughout Christianity. People just don't get as excited about theological arguments as they used to. In 2016 America, most of the folks attending a funeral are looking for comfort and closure, not a treatise on what happens when a person dies. Hence, any group or individual minister who views a funeral as a golden opportunity to evangelize/proselytize is almost certain to be disappointed.
The future does not look good for Armstrongism. God's Church may never see the gates of hell, but Armstrongism is already at the bottom of the grave! We're all just waiting for someone to throw in the dirt.

In business or in battle, once a 30 percent declin...

2016-06-07T22:27:10.302+12:00

In business or in battle, once a 30 percent decline in numbers hits, only in the most rare of situations, does a comeback to the original level ever happen.

New post discussing PCG's booklet about dating...

2016-06-07T19:21:27.560+12:00

New post discussing PCG's booklet about dating practices for singles within PCG.

http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/reading-pcgs-booklet-single-minded-for.html

Yep. Pretty much a nostalgia act at this point. ...

2016-06-07T18:18:09.466+12:00

Yep. Pretty much a nostalgia act at this point. Can anyone seriously imagine people aged 60-85 doing three and a half years of hard camping in a place like Petra?

BB

It is sickening that it appears that PCG's top...

2016-06-07T17:47:33.048+12:00

It is sickening that it appears that PCG's top echelon are contemplating throwing away so much money on such an extravagant acquisition.

It is good to note that, indeed, Meredith bears more than a small share in leading the COGs to be in the current state that it is.

"Here be dragons." This is so true about the small COG groups operating out there.