Herbert Armstrong loved to decry the religious confusion in the world at large and within traditional Christianity in particular. He wrote in A Voice Cries Out Amid Religious Confusion:
“Why the Babylon of religious confusion in the world? Why so many differing religions? More than 250 denominations in Christianity, besides Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Shintoism, Taoism, agnosticism, atheism and evolution. How could the world have become so mixed up? Out of this spiritual wilderness, a voice cries out in clarity and power, decrying this world confusion, with the reassuring TRUTH of the world's only and SURE HOPE!”
If Herbert Armstrong was that voice, then why has the organization which he founded splintered into so many diverse groups? The old Worldwide Church of God doesn’t even exist as an organization anymore – it became Grace Communion International (a largely mainstream Protestant Church that has shunned many of Armstrong’s teachings). In addition to that body, there is a United Church of God, Restored Church of God, Living Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God, Continuing Church of God, Church of God – a Worldwide Association, Church of God International, Church of God an International Community, Church of God the Eternal, Church of the Eternal God, and a host of smaller groups. Interestingly, most of them claim to be the ONE, TRUE church and characterize each other as apostates. ALL of them have different doctrinal beliefs, methods of governance and/or styles of worship.
Armstrongism as the antidote to religious confusion? I’m just not seeing it. What do you think?
-Miller Jones
