Theresa
Hi everyone, My name is Theresa.
My life can’t seem to escape Armstrong’s evil hands! I was born into the church in 1971. My mom is a 2nd generation WWCGer who was raised in Texas. She was abused by her parents (church leaders knew and did nothing) and when her parents divorced, she leaned on the church for parenting while her father continued to abuse her sexually until she moved out at the age of 19. My father joined WWCG as a young man. His dad had died when he was a baby, and he had a very cold childhood. He was lost and searching for direction until he discovered WT Radio programs and soon went into AC. 3 years later, he was kicked out of AC for dating a girl outside the church. So, he traveled from California to Texas and met my mother at church. Okay, so at this point in my story, 2 lost and “emotionally orphaned” young adults meet and marry in a church that is all too willing to “parent” them. This couple had 3 kids and later moved to Colorado. We children were raised in poverty due to the lack of ambition the church perpetuated with teachings of Petra. I too was raised as an outsider due to the strange teachings, holy days, etc. The worst thing about this is how my parents are in their 60’s with no savings, retirement, etc. I am sickened when I think that they can fly away and burn any possible retirement savings at the feast. I am sickened at how UCG has them thinking that they are in a better church now (than WCG). How many jobs has my Dad quit because of the Sabbath/Holy Days? He thinks he is a martyr for truth when in fact he is steps away from homelessness. I am the only college graduate in my family. I starved and survived in spite of this church upbringing. I am now the only one of my 3 siblings who owns a home and is not on government assistance. I am struggling with how to have a relationship with parents who, due to having extremely low self esteem, act in many ways more like children than parents. However, I am raising 3 kids already! I don’t want to parent my parents! They are always losing/quitting jobs and living off of credit cards. No matter what the situation, they still hop on a plane every fall and travel abroad for 10-14 days (no wonder their employers are pissed!). Thanks for reading this and giving me a way to vent tonight. This stuff is heavy to carry. I love my parents, but I am wearing thin with patience for this shit.
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August 4th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Hi! I am very concerned about my father’s new “obsession” with the Living Church of God. He is going to be 70 years old this month and he is very educated and somewhat religious and a very successful business man. He has been reading the “Tomorrows World” magazine and now “Tithe’s quite a bit of money to “THe Church” and has Reservations to The Feast of the Tabernacles this Fall. He and my mom have been married for 32 years and she supports him as a loving wife and will be attending The Feast, but she is not as convinced as he. This past Christmas he did not alllow her to put up a Christmas Tree nor would come over to my house on Easter Sunday to watch his grandkinds Hunt Eggs. He does not act crazy or anything but I feel this sudden new belief is misleading him somehow. This is why I’m searching for someone that my know what this Church is Truly about. Please Help! Thank You!
August 7th, 2007 at 2:29 am
Andrea,
What your father is going through is the same thing people have gone through since forever when they find a religion they “click” with and decide to convert. The main thing sects like the LCG (and the old WCG) have going for them is their prophesy-based alarmism— most people are taken in by their strident warnings about the world being in the “last days” before a calamitous “tribulation” and the return of Jesus. I think the best antidote to this is to point out the history of the WCG and many other religions that have taken this approach over the last decades (and centuries for that matter), and failed again and again to deliver the end-time apocalypse that they have promised their members in exchange for their hard-earned money, not to mention the alienation from their family.
You can use Wikipedia to find out more on Armstrongism, failed prophecies, and the LCG.
August 8th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Hi. I can relate. We have a similar situation in our family. Fortunately my parent’s left the church but I remember we went without food at times but we always had money for the feast!
August 13th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Hi Andrea: You should be concerned. My dad, who from 1976 to now, has been in some form, a member of the WWCOG, won’t budge to help a member of his family, but gave over $20,000 of his inheritance (which had been tithed on by his father who was a WWCOG member) to the new sect of WWCOG to which he belongs. I have not gone to “the church” since 1987, and cannot go to any church, because I actually fear organized religion. What father gives to “the church” before helping his own family, especially when they are caring for his son’s child, in addition to their own children? Surely not the Father, who loves all? Anyway, just my two cents. If he’s totally committed, he’ll say that I’m the devil, putting evil thoughts in your head. Alarmism . . . hmmmm! This alarmist attitude also kept food off the table in order to give to “the church.”
March 16th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Actually, Tonya he is required to tithe to his church. He is not required to support life-styles he does not agree with. Your HUSBAND who you aligned yourself with is the one responsible for food on the table………..
March 17th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
It was not my adult table that he kept food off of, it was my childhood table. And, just a question, what grandfather doesn’t agree with helping out his own daughter who is supporting his grandson (who is not her son)? Tithe if you think it should be done, but like the heavenly father, who loves us all, be an example, and help your children! My husband is not responsible for my brother’s child!