by wednesday 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I have found their web site and am reading some of their material. they sound and awful lot like JWS. I sent an email and they have responded very nicely. I have been looking over their study articles and honestly it really sounds a lot like jws.
anyone know anything about them or have any experience with them?
one last shot, anyone ever had any experience with these people?
Could you post the website?
sure
http://www.thercg.org/bic.html
this is their series of 30 study articles. It is very similar to what jws teach. I know there are some details that are different, but sure sounds similar.
Looks like the bastard child of Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God. Its basically The Plain Truth people without the copyrighted material. They cant touch it. Thats what the site says.
More hocus pocus in the religious circus of life.
How do you like your Truth? Plain or Peanut?
W.Once
We are having difficulty locating the web site. As far as I can see, there is no church registered as "Reformed Church of God" anywhere on the web
I rather suspect that they are an offshoot of the Armstrong original which was called "The Worldwide Church Of God" When He died a great deal of controversy swerled around his beliefs and the way he was viewed by the members. Rumors even began to circulate about certain sexual improprieties between him and a daughter.
He had for instance dictated that no divorce and remarriage was permissable in his group, yet he indulged his son's misconduct for a while, and evetually himself remarried.
When he died his own church became mainstream, dropping some of his more extreme beliefs, such as British-Israelism, maintaing all the Jewish feasts such as Passover, Day of Atonement, etc and including many of his racist views as well.
Several offshoots then developed each appending the expression "Church of God" to their name. To the best of my knowledge these were:
Global Church of God
Philadelphia Church of God
Living Church of God
Church Of God, Reformed Tradition
etc
If the group you are referring to is one of these then they will believe a variation of Armstrong tradition: 1 The British Race is the "Spiritual Israel" of the NT 2 Soul Sleep 3 The destiny of the believer is to become God.[similar though not the same as Mormon belief] 4 Sabbath keeping 5 Jewish diettary laws to be kept 6Herbert W Armstrong was the final messenger of God 7 The "Born Again" experience occurs only at the resurrection 8 "God" is a family presently consisting of The Father and Christ, but soon will constitute all the believers in Armstronism 9 The British Monarchy is directly descended fro the Jewish line of David 10 The OT god is referred to as JHVH, and is identified with Jesus Christ in His Pre-incarnate exixtence 11 The 10 Lost Tribes Of Israel were regathered by God to form the various nations of Europe. 12 Ephraim/ Manasseh for instance are Britian/America 13 Before Adam was created, the earth was the home of a race of angelic beings, who eventually rebelled against God, and because they were expelled, Man inherited the earth as a dwelling [This is explained as part of a "Gap Theory" in Gen 1:1] 14 Christmas and Easter are "pagan" in origin, we need to observe the Jewish Passover, Day of Atonement, The Feast Of Pentecost etc 15 Physical healing is a spiritual, not medical process
The different groups have played around with these teachings, dropping some, modifying others. Some have adopted the Trinity, some not. Some have dropped Br Israelism, and some have even acquired certain Charasmatic traits.
Cheers
The Church of God by Armstrong was almost identical the the JWs. When he died his successor Joseph Tkach realised that the doctrines were wrong and did a complete overhaul. The result was a melt down of the Church, about 85% left and numerous sects started up. The Reformed Church of God is one of the sects.
It is definitely worth reading “*Forgive Us Our Trespasses* on www.wcg.org
Robert identified that almost everything unique to the Church of God (and JWs) like no trinity, no Christmas, emphasis on works etc is wrong and asks the members for forgiveness in having misled them for so wrong.
The history is very similar to what Rutherford did to Russell's church.
wow moggy you can really cut through the "crap", you too wasanelder once.. Thank you jw facts for the timely info .. There was just somethig erie and similar about the "30 articles of faith." They do not believe in the trinity, hellfire, people will live here on the earth, not in heaven, I think they do believe in a "bride" type class. I was feeling the need to reach out and look for something and they seemed so "familar" and now i know why. I emailed them to ask them to please tell me how they differ from jehovah's witness. Awaiting that email. I remember Armstrong very well, down here in the bible belt, years ago they often got him mixed up with jws. as a matter of fact, my father/uncle used to say armstrong was an apostate.. I have seen my father read "the plain truth". very interesting. I am feeling vulnurable and what do i run on to, some weird sect of the COG r/t the Plain truth. I want to find somethig to believe in again but it is not them. . -at least I don't think so. weds
I think the cog as it is now--not the breakoff sects--is actually commendable. They impress me with real humility, and I think they would understand your feelings as an ex-JW (feeling vulnerable). They face hard questions honestly and kindly and don't make themselves like the GB to anyone in their church.
I don't know if they are an "online" church at all, but you might check into 'em.
(Hope you're feeling okay these days, wednesday. )
bebu
thank you bebu, and after the way I was so politically hostile to you over at Slippys' . I do not know what it is about politics that brings out the nasty side of people. I have wanted to apologize to you for that, and since I have a chance, I will. I don't normally go for for the jugular with people, (it is just not my thing) but I have had a difficult time with this whole middle eastren conflict and the impact more and more it is having on all our lives. And believe it or not, I have altered some of my political opinions. I have changed/grown some. I see that as good b/c if a person cannot grow and change, well that is really the defintion of crazy.
About the COG, I am a lot leary of them. But surely there must be some decent people somewhere that don't have an agenda. I am so missing a spiritual life. But i will never go back to jws, I just know too much. I guess it was that feeling of familarity about their teachings that caught me. I wish there was just a small quiet church that opened it doors to people who just wanted to be near God and pray. Why does everything have to be so complicated? And as much as I hate to admit it, I miss the comfort from a few of the elders that were actually shepherds.
Also I am feeling very sad b/c someone I care very deeply about is almost certainly going to die. For reasons I can't explain, I can't be there, and will have to wait for someone to call me, if they do. So I guess i'm searching for comfort from the scriptures or from any source. This person is a good person, a kind person, a giver, not a taker. My life has been greatly enriched by knowing them. One can only hope to meet someone like this. Someone so full of life, and happiness and not burdened down by all the silly stupid things I fill up my time worrrying about.. This person loves life, and has enjoyed all the time they have had here. They were ill, but never thought for minute they might die.
thank you brigid.
weds
