Articles for the Benefit of Members and Ex-Members of the WCG

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16
Leaving the Bubble

The following is a parody of Worldwide dementia. It was written and placed on the Worldwide Web by "Sandra", Reference: 76355, 1711 from Internet; section Worldwide Church of God, 8th Nov. 1995, 04:19:27, #1229735.

Now a certain man was more bold and dared to ask the leaders how they knew for sure that life outside the Bubble was a deadly thing. At first they ignored him and gave no answer. But, he was persistent and finally they said they considered him to be a troublesome person, wanting attention for himself. They sternly warned him that if he kept up his questioning he could find himself on the outside someday, then he could see for himself the truth of what they said. And of course, they believed for themselves what they taught.

Not to be easily put off, this certain man began to talk with others about his doubt concerning sure death outside the Bubble. Some listened sympathetically, some walked away in disgust and anger, most disagreed with what he thought for they were strong believers in all that their leaders taught. A few went directly to the leaders and reported what they had heard this certain man say. In fact they embellished on his honest questions, hoping to be rid of such a troublemaker.

The leaders agreed among themselves that the time had come for action. On an appointed day everyone was called together and told that due to the persistent and malcontent conduct of this certain man he was going to be shoved out through the doorway. They washed their hands of all responsibility for the result, made sort of an attempt to get the man to repent. When he adamantly refused, they hustled him to the doorway and shoved him out of the Bubble.

There was a great gasp, a few wept, but most just wagged their heads and clicked their tongues. Some stood transfixed and watched to see how he would die outside the Bubble. They watched and they watched. What they witnessed became the source of a lot of trouble for many days to come.

The man's first reaction, thinking he was about to die, was to lay motionless and wait for it to happen. But suddenly he took a deep breath and discovered the air outside was wonderfully fresh and had none of the artificial odour he had smelled for years. He stood and smiled back at those on the inside. He blinked his eyes, scratched his nose and then began moving about. Then he ran back to the doorway through which he had been shoved and tried to open it. It was locked tightly. He began to try to motion to those still watching that it was better out than in. With an urgency he did everything he could think of to induce others to come out too, but they only stood and stared.

At first, no one could understand his gyrations, but quickly some did and ran with haste to tell the leaders about what was transpiring at the doorway. When they arrived they were deeply mystified, but as soon as they witnessed his antics they became alarmed and then very angry. How dare he thwart their teaching and put his doubt into others' minds?

Quickly they organized a work detail to have the walls of the Bubble painted black to a height of ten feet so that no one could see out and watch what the man was doing. Most were pleased to have this upsetting view blocked. But some were very curious to see what was happening to the man. When they thought no one was watching they would mount a ladder and peer above the black barrier. Those who were caught at this were also shoved through the doorway.

Then a most alarming thing began happening, others decided to go through the doorway on their own! Now the situation was out of hand and the existence of life in the Bubble was in grave jeopardy.

Jesus often spoke in parables. While they hid the meaning from those not called to understand, they embellished the meaning to those for whom the parables were meant to convey important spiritual lessons.

Sandra's parable does that too. It is an adept little caricature of the Worldwide Church of God, revealing the foolishness of the WCG mindset.

As a WCG member, you should analyse your psychology to see how it measures up to the ideal which God expresses in His Word.

The WCG Mindset

Take a look at the features of WCG behaviour epitomised by Sandra's parable:

• 1. Fear

This is the chief weapon of Satan used to keep people in the church. (Yes, this kind of fear is a weapon of Satan! Read 1 John 4:18 if you don't believe me.) It is part of the technique of mind control used on WCG members by the hierarchy.

For example, in about 1990 the minister of the Dunstable congregation preached a sermon in which he emphasised that to leave the WCG was to walk away from God's protection. He didn't just insinuate it. He stated it as if it were fact. This fear is tied in with the WCG's exclusivist belief - the 'One True Church' mentality, which it has since come to realise was very wrong. (When I first challenged that concept in 1991, I was laughed to scorn - even ridiculed from the pulpit by the Director of Church Administration! Ridicule was another ploy to control people's minds.)

WCG folks were conditioned to fear leaving the church, to fear the ministry, to fear thinking for themselves, to fear anything which the church did not sanction. These fears are still so ingrained in many WCG minds that literature we provide to help release them from these fears is trashed without being read!

• 2. Submission to Human Leadership

We are admonished quite clearly in scripture that it is God we are to revere, to obey and to follow (Deut 6:1-9; Luke 10:27). Love for God is the essence of pure religion, and when we have it, this love extends towards all people as well.

The WCG, however, has caused people to transfer that loyalty towards God and direct it to men. Surreptitiously, church leaders have stolen the place of God. They have usurped Jesus' offices and appropriated them for themselves.

Jesus' offices are:

• Ruler; King.
• Mediator between God and man.
• Deliverer.
• Teacher.
• Guide.

These offices are to be upheld by true Christians. However, in the WCG, they are not.

• It is not Jesus, but the human leadership which governs the church.
• It is not Jesus, but church ministry who act as mediators between members and God.
• It is not Jesus, but the church hierarchy who act as official WCG guides.
• It is not Jesus, but Joseph Tkach who sets doctrine.
• It is not Jesus, but Joe Tkach and his cronies who take the credit for the WCG [ostensibly] renouncing its cultic past and 'delivering' the people.

Guidance in the early Church (see Acts 15) was through apostles and prophets. It was through these ministry gifts to the Church that it had proper guidance and direction. There are no apostles and prophets in the WCG today. They have been expelled or ignored. This is why the WCG is floundering in a morass of problems and sinking in a swamp of deception.

The final say on any matter should not be Joseph Tkach's. He was appointed by his father, not by God (and nepotism is not sanctioned in the N. T.). The final say should be that of God-ordained apostles and prophets. But most WCG folks are not aware of any apostles or prophets because they don't look outside the walls of their church. A "church" is a humanly contrived organisation. True apostles and prophets do not conform to organisational norms. They take their lead from the Spirit direct.

...insight into the mystery of Christ.... has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets (Eph 3:4,5, NIV).

And Jesus is still working this way in His Church (which is not the WCG!).

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8, NIV).

• 3. Close-Mindedness

It is a great credit to the ingenuity and cunning of a church leader when all his followers will only read and heed his spiritual input. It is no credit to his spirituality, of course, but it is certainly a mark of his human acumen. Herbert Armstrong was such a great man. He was on a par with any of the greatest US presidents or acclaimed world leaders.

In fact, so legendary is Armstrong's greatness in the eyes of PCG members (HWA's image has been tarnished in the WCG by its present leaders because they want to steal the show) that his portrait liberally adorns PCG publications like Stalin and Marx once adorned the vaults of the former Communist USSR. It is rank idolatry, and other off-shoots of the WCG, such as Global and United are not far behind.

The legacy of this Armstrong indoctrination was a close-minded membership who would shut their ears and eyes to considering the spiritual input of others outside. That was strictly taboo. And while it is no longer so frowned upon in the WCG today, the old mindset still prevails in far too many cases. Long standing members retain this philosophy in the back of their minds. As a result, some of them respond with vigour and venom if you were to try to offer them spiritual material which has not been sanctioned by WCG HQ.

This mentality is not confined to the ignorant or young. Not long ago a deacon in the church, who has been a successful businessman - a man you would consider upstanding, with a fine personality - refused to even view a video from me containing uplifting spiritual material! He didn't return it, either. He destroyed it! And so have many! Why?

Sandra put it well. They have yet to see beyond the confines of their little bubble!

Malcolm B Heap, February 98