The sad thing about this religion is that subsequent to its reform toward a mainstream Christian religion, a pretty good number of their members broke off to form a more traditionalist conservative cult-like sect again. Some people just don't want to be free.
The Magazine "The Plain Truth." Remember It?
by AvocadoJake 19 Replies latest watchtower bible
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WTWizard
This rag was almost as bad as the Washtowel rags, but not quite as strictly enforced. I can remember articles that parents would use against their children, including actual blacklists of songs. I remember "Better Love Next Time" on one of their blacklists (in the Plain Lie rag, not the washtowel rag). I can only imagine that they could somehow twist the meaning of this title into something racy and raunchy, when it actually means something closer to not having the strings attached and/or more fulfilling (which some fringe Christian groups seem to be against).
I never trust the fringe Christian groups these days. I think Alex Jones is much closer to reality, though admittedly not perfect, than any of those religious groups. (Also, Peter Schiff.) Yes, the world is getting worse these days--but I trust journalists that risk their lives and get called dorks and lunatics to expose the truth before I will trust a church group to document what is going on and what I need to do about it.
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AvocadoJake
WTwiz, it's hard to know who to trust, I have listened to Alex Jones and he is not afraid to speak his mind. He was lambasting his governer about a month ago, after waffling on his T.S.A. stance. I wonder how many "Plain Truth." magazines as a percentage went unread? It can't be as much as the Watchtower and Awake, I know (from talking to many dubs.) most don't read their magazines from cover to cover. When asked "Where did you learn that from?" my reply "In the Watchtower!" and they would reply "I wish I had more time, I could keep up with the Chariot." I asked "Do you still watch TV?" reply "Oh yes, I need my time to unwind, relax." this was Elder X, who did not have time to study what he belived, but was willing to hand these mags out in Field Service. I belive that is a hipocrite, what do you think?
good night all! peace and love and joy to all!
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MrMonroe
Growing up in New Zealand, my brother and I used to listen to "The World Tomorrow", broadcast as 30-minute shows on one of the Auckland radio stations at night in the mid to late 1970s. It was either Herbert W. Armstrong or his son Garner Ted Armstrong, who did the talks, pointing to the fulfilment of Bible prophecy. They offered copies of The Plain Truth to anyone who wrote and asked for it, so we did, and we used to then send away for glossy books that dealt with subjects such as famine and pollution, showing how these things were a sign that the end was nigh.
They then set off for a series of tours of New Zealand, hiring halls to give talks. We were very convinced, though we didn't take it any further .... it's quite likely it laid the groundwork for my acceptance of the JW's message when they turned up on my door some years later. I remember being told years ago that Herbert had left the JWs decades earlier and formed his own religion with variants of the JW message, and it's true there were similarities, though it seems the WCG seemed to have its own leadership dramas at some point.
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BluesBrother
I remember this very well.. Armstrong used to speak on radio. I guess it was in the days of "Pirate Radio Stations" like Radio Caroline and Radio London before the BBC lost its monopoly in the UK.
The Plain Truth mag was common to see around - glossy compared to the W/towers of the time. I knew of several who had an interest in religion awaked for the first time by the radio talks and then listened when J W's called at their door.
I had not known what became of the movement
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Wasanelder Once
Plain or Peanut, truth is truth.
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blondie
The WCG actually split into several parts, one is the original and still follows the precepts they started out with. One part has gone back to "conventional" teachings and were the ones that apologized.
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thetrueone
One can not help connecting the Worldwide Church of God with Herbert Armstrong at the helm and the WTS./JWS.
Both started in the US, both used literature to cultivate a following, both used the End Times bible prophecies as a head lining doctrine
to attract attention from the general public. I really wonder if HA took and read some Watchtower magazines from a JW caller and started
to think how to create his own religion. Hey if the WTS. can do this and even get people to distribute their literature door to door this must be
something of worth.
Unfortunately over time just like the JWS , his expressed truths were also mis-informative lies, construed to proliferate the
circulation of literature published by himself and his own religious organization.
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poppers
I wonder if Harold is angry at God now?
Based on what, his own misunderstanding of the Bible? If anything, he should be angry at himself for misleading so many people with his own ignorance.
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steve2
Just goes to show how people who "need" to find the "truth" sure do find it. Trouble is, the "truth' they find is different from the "truth" every one else finds. A vain quest.