Church of God / Herbert Armstrong

[OneDayNearer]

When I first got saved, somehow I got on the mailing list for Herbert Armstrong's "Plain Truth" magazine. That magazine creeped me out even as a baby Christian. I now know it was God leading me away from it and am so thankful He did. :nod

[zooboo]

Other info Once a cult, always a cult, it seems. This is the group founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, who blended elements of Arianism, Seventh-day sabbatarianism, Anglo-Israelism, Galatian-style legalism, Pyramidology, and various other quirks and heresies into a deadly mix of false doctrines. Armstrong also falsely prophesied some end-times events, including the "rapture" of the church (he predicted the group would be miraculously taken to Petra in Jordan in 1972). After Armstrong's death in 1986, the group abandoned his anti-trinitarianism, disclaimed his rigid Saturday-Sabbatarianism, and made several other significant and much-publicized concessions to historic Christian orthodoxy.
But are they really orthodox? They teach a doctrine of post-mortem salvation; a muddled view of justification; and a confusing version of "the gospel of the kingdom" that still contains strong elements of Armstrongism. Doctrinal confusion seems rife within the group, and their teachings have been constantly in flux since Armstrong's death. Their halting movement toward evangelical "orthodoxy" still looks as if it may de-rail before they actually shed all their founder's false teachings.
WCG's published "Statement of Beliefs" does include an appendix with the Nicene Creed, the Disciples' Creed, and the definition of Chalcedon. But there is no explicit affirmation of these historic formulae—and the introduction to them warns that "creeds can become formal, complex, abstract, and sometimes equated with Scripture." Furthermore, the modern doctrinal statement offered by the WCG fudges on issues like soul sleep and eternal punishment. ("Does the punishing of the wicked last forever? The Bible can be interpreted in different ways on that." The Bible can be interpreted "many ways" on just about everything. It has only one true meaning, however—and therefore only one right interpretation.) And when the WCG deals with vital doctrines like justification by faith, those articles of faith are abbreviated and framed in unnecessarily ambiguous language. (For example, Scripture is affirmed as inspired and "foundational to the church"—but not expressly said to be the sole and sufficient rule of faith.)
The WCG today is certainly not as solidly in the mainstream of the evangelical movement as some of the recent giddy reports (cheered on by the WCG's own tireless PR department) have tried to make out. It appears uncertain at this point whether they intend to be truly orthodox, or merely stake out a permanent position on the fringe, doing what they have always done: borrowing popular errors from other groups and trying to amalgamate them into a mongrel system that is uniquely their own.
In any case, as much as we would have liked to see them in a different category, Scripture and conscience compel us to say frankly that the theology of this group is still really bad. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/bookmark/realbad.htm Go in the section of the Worldwide Church of God...

and other info here http://www.biblebb.com/files/tonyqa/tc02-116.htm

[zooboo]

When I left the WCG women could not be ordained a "pastor"...she could teach other women and children, or instruct as per her talents. This was AFTER the change occurred in 1995 and when I left in 2000 it was still the same.

They always believed in the 7 day creation period where God rested on the 7th day. Where did you get that they don't believe in a 6 day creation? I see a so-called quote, but where is it from?

Here you are www.wcg.org/lit/booklets/science/genesis_1.htm and again http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/OT/sixday.htm

Have a nice day

Yvan