What makes one an Armstrongite by Koey Koala
This was excerpted by Mark Tabladillo's Jesus Loves Fellowship based on a poll that I started which asked , "What makes one an Armstrongite" back in 2004.
---Editor, Post WCG Life and Theology
I think Armstrongism could be summarized by listing the 10 major areas of theology and his particular twisted views on each of them:
1. Theology of Armstrongism - God a "family" not limited to Father and Son (orthodoxy teaches one God; Father, Son & Holy Spirit)
2. Christology of Armstrongism - Jesus "qualified" to become ruler (orthodoxy teaches he was already God made flesh and so did not need to qualify)
3. Pneumatology of Armstrongism - Holy Spirit is a "force" not God (orthodoxy teaches God is Spirit, God is Holy, God is Holy Spirit)
4. Angelology of Armstrongism - close to orthodox
5. Anthropology of Armstrongism - saved humans to become God (orthodoxy teaches saved humans are to live in eternity with God)
6. Hamartiology of Armstrongism - sin refers to small narrow selection from the OT laws (orthodoxy teaches sin is missing the mark, lawlessness)
7. Soteriology of Armstrongism - salvation by OT works and offered to most in a 100 year period (orthodox churches detail our election, calling, regeneration, conversion, union with Christ, justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance and glorification in far greater depth than Armstrongism even considered)
8. Bibliology of Armstrongism - Bible a coded book unlocked only by Sabbath-keeping and British Israelism (orthodoxy teaches the Bible is understood by illumination of the Holy Spirit & British Israelism is a fairy tale)
9. Ecclesiology of Armstrongism - the Church at large is not of God, because they do not keep the OT Sabbath. Herbert claimed he was the only apostle for 1800 years and dictated a monarchial church government (orthodoxy teaches that the Church consists of all who have the Holy Spirit in them, not a fleshly observance of a physical day)
10. Eschatology of Armstrongism - post-tribulation, premillennial, literal 1000 years, Jesus returning in various years from 1940's to 1970's, well er "in our lifetime," key to prophecy is the fable of Anglo-Israelism (orthodoxy varies on this point, tho most believe the 1000 years is symbolic because apocryphal literature is a symbolic not a literal genre)
---Editor, Post WCG Life and Theology
I think Armstrongism could be summarized by listing the 10 major areas of theology and his particular twisted views on each of them:
1. Theology of Armstrongism - God a "family" not limited to Father and Son (orthodoxy teaches one God; Father, Son & Holy Spirit)
2. Christology of Armstrongism - Jesus "qualified" to become ruler (orthodoxy teaches he was already God made flesh and so did not need to qualify)
3. Pneumatology of Armstrongism - Holy Spirit is a "force" not God (orthodoxy teaches God is Spirit, God is Holy, God is Holy Spirit)
4. Angelology of Armstrongism - close to orthodox
5. Anthropology of Armstrongism - saved humans to become God (orthodoxy teaches saved humans are to live in eternity with God)
6. Hamartiology of Armstrongism - sin refers to small narrow selection from the OT laws (orthodoxy teaches sin is missing the mark, lawlessness)
7. Soteriology of Armstrongism - salvation by OT works and offered to most in a 100 year period (orthodox churches detail our election, calling, regeneration, conversion, union with Christ, justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance and glorification in far greater depth than Armstrongism even considered)
8. Bibliology of Armstrongism - Bible a coded book unlocked only by Sabbath-keeping and British Israelism (orthodoxy teaches the Bible is understood by illumination of the Holy Spirit & British Israelism is a fairy tale)
9. Ecclesiology of Armstrongism - the Church at large is not of God, because they do not keep the OT Sabbath. Herbert claimed he was the only apostle for 1800 years and dictated a monarchial church government (orthodoxy teaches that the Church consists of all who have the Holy Spirit in them, not a fleshly observance of a physical day)
10. Eschatology of Armstrongism - post-tribulation, premillennial, literal 1000 years, Jesus returning in various years from 1940's to 1970's, well er "in our lifetime," key to prophecy is the fable of Anglo-Israelism (orthodoxy varies on this point, tho most believe the 1000 years is symbolic because apocryphal literature is a symbolic not a literal genre)
Labels: Armstrongism, Armstrongite doctrines vs.Christian doctrines, Koey Koala
11. A religion based on a high school dropout con man.
Posted by
Douglas Becker |
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
I've never felt comfortable with litmus test doctrines. They are so easily abused that I find myself questioning the motives of those who seek after them. What purpose is served by breaking down a belief system - ANY belief system - into a series of "ologies" in the first place?
There are COG groups who teach and practice many of the things on Koey's list who do NOT practice Armstrong's abusive government and who do NOT put Armstrong or any other man on a pedestal to be worshiped like a statue of Baal. I would not consider them Armstrongites, but based on Koey's list, they are. I find that very disturbing.
Such COG groups catch it from both sides. Devout Anti-Armstrongists condemn them as Armstrongites, and the Armstrong purist groups such as Gerald Flurry's PCG or David Pack's RCG consider them lukewarm Laodiceans at best, apostates at worst.
I don't attend any COG's at present, but I may yet at some point in the future. I don't consider a doctrine to be tainted just because Armstrong taught it. Truth does not cease being true just because the devil uses it as part of a lie.
I'd be very wary of broad brush definitions of who is and who is not an "Armstrongite".
Posted by
FYI Again |
Wednesday, August 08, 2007