[Below
Ive
posted
a copy of the hottest chapter in David Robinsons book the one the reader is
actually looking forward to (or dreading) reaching when he begins reading the
book! I do have a copy of the book, but Im not about to sit down and type it
all up for this website! Ive posted this info about HWAs
extreme lack of character, not to dwell on a mans sins, but to help the reader
see that HWA was not the man he pretended to be; but was a fake who touted a
fake form of Christianity. Whistler]
Herbert Armstrongs Tangled Web
By David Robinson
How serious is the sin of incest, such as when a father uses
his authority to force himself on his own daughter, his own flesh? All
generations of the human family have viewed this conduct as an unnatural act. The apostle Paul referred
to a somewhat similar relationship in the Corinthian church: ". . . such
fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have
his father's wife" (I Cor. 5:1). Incest was
disgusting beyond measure to Paul, who was led to record his revulsion for
posterity in the inspired Bible.
Even during this time of "sexual
freedom" the American nation was recently shocked to witness a television
program, "The Phil Donahue Show," on which victims of incest
discussed their emotional suffering that resulted from such parental abuse. The
psychological penalty for such sin continues for generations.
Sometimes perpetrators of such crimes
try to justify themselves by citing the case of
(1)
(2)
(3)
Not that there is ever any justification for such acts, but
the sin of Lot, bad as it was, is not to be compared with that of a married man
who, on a continuing basis, engages in sex with his own daughter!
Many American states legislated
the death penalty in such cases in the earlier years of this country. I knew
personally of such a case in
Incest is a terrible and unnatural
crime, an extreme perversity. That is why I was shocked beyond measure to hear
that Herbert Armstrong was, himself, guilty of this
vile sin. I learned of this in the summer of 1979 from members of his own family. The story, sordid beyond imagination, was
told in awful detail.
One family source was Garner Ted
Armstrong. Last summer, as HWA attacked his own son in such savage fury, his
son was in the depths of despair. His emotional mix included anger and deep
hurt. In such a state he told family secrets that otherwise would have been
locked within him forever. He said he had learned in 1971 of his father's incredible
conduct during the '30s and 40s. The story came directly to him in lurid
detail, but he kept it sealed in his own consciousness for all those years.
But, in the spring of 1978 while in his father's house for the last time, his
father had threatened to "destroy him." Ted, in response, replied,
"Dad, I will destroy you. I know
about you and ---." (He was speaking of the younger of his two sisters.)
His father had been on a high-handed
autocratic binge. But at that comment he sat down quietly-and responded,
"Well, Ted, there have been times when I have been very far away from God." (Admittedly, this was a
strange turn of events in the relationship of the two whom HWA had likened to
God the Father and Jesus Christ)
Ted
has told many people that there was a look in his father's eyes he had never
seen before. Ted knew his father was now determined to totally destroy any
credibility he might have. It was either him or his son. Self-preservation now
demanded such action. It was a matter of give or get, and HWA meant to get!
None who have objectively heard the incest story in its awful detail doubt it.
This is a vital chapter left out of HWA's
autobiography. This sin occurred over a long span of years, a decade after his
ordination to the ministry, according to his own family members. No wonder he
was not receptive to David Antion's
"qualifications for the ministry" paper back in 1974
Many
of us have wondered why HWA was so forceful in covering up Ted's sins for so
many years, Ted then seemed to be an extension of
himself in his own mind and was not even a separate entity. It was like
covering for himself. But when finally he knew he must cut his son off, he had
to go all the way. It was either destroy or be destroyed. And there were still
some things he wanted to "get" out of life even if he were nearly
ninety.
Such
matters should not normally be mentioned, but this is by no means a normal
case: The welfare of thousands is at stake; and thousands who look to HWA,
idolizing him as if he were God himself, must come to understand how dangerous
such a view is. Thousands around the world have been hurt by blindly following
this man. Now people must be given enough information to make an intelligent
decision on whether this is the man who is going to lead them to safety during
the "crisis at the close," or whether he is just going to continue
taking their money and calling them "dumb sheep."
Some
may feel I should just cover up this whole sordid affair and forget it, But I find that impossible to do, because the welfare of too
many people hinges on the truth about his personality. Paul wrote to Christians
of his day: "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead
expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret"
(Eph.S:II-12, RSV). Earlier in the same chapter, Paul
had written: "But immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not
even be named among you, as is fitting among saints" (Eph. 5:3, RSV)
"But," some say, "you
shouldn't judge God's apostle." The Bible says otherwise! Jesus Christ
himself commended the Ephesian church for
trying and testing those who claimed to be apostles. Notice Jesus' words:
"Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and has found them liars" (Rev. 2:2).
Can someone preach truth for many years
and fail in his own spiritual life? Of
course! Lucifer did, Solomon did, and so have many others down through the
years. That is why Christ asked, "And why call ye
me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Christ
also said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke
In Matthew 7:21-23, we read this
warning from Jesus himself:
"Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
thy name? and in 'thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And
then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity."
In the 59th chapter of Isaiah, that
prophet warns of those who conceive mischief, lie, and bring forth iniquity.
Their feet run to do evil. The way of
peace they know not. They make themselves crooked paths, and they weave spiders' webs. But Isaiah promises
in the name of God that those webs shall not be a covering for their sins in
the end!
Herbert Armstrong has become tangled in his own web of
lies. And the time has come for him to be revealed for what he really is. May
God help his followers to see.
~/~/~/~
Another bizarre 'tale'
which Worldwiders find impossible, it seems, to come
to terms with, is that their church's founder, Herbert W Armstrong, was a sex
pervert who seduced his own daughter. This incestuous relationship persisted
for up to ten years, according to reliable sources.
David Robinson, a former
WCG minister (he left when he realised how sordid HWA's personal history was) revealed these facts in his
book Herbert Armstrong's Tangled
Web. Although the church tried to stop publication through the
courts, they were not successful. The book revealed incontrovertible truth
which Armstrong did not contest because it was true.
He never repented of his
misdeeds. He merely covered up the facts, in order to save face in the eyes of
his church members. More about this is contained in The Corrupt Leaders of the Worldwide Church of God
(available for a small donation from Midnight Ministries,
The story of Herbert
Armstrong's illicit sexual conduct in the 1930's, how he pleaded with son
Garner Ted decades later not to 'spill the beans', and the names of authentic
witnesses to the saga, were all published in Ambassador
Report (PO Box 60068, Pasadena, CA 91116, USA.) The story is not
gossip. It is not slander. It is true, and it is only repeated here to make
readers aware that HWA was not a man of God but a deceiver. "You will know
them by their fruits" (Matt
Some will immediately
reject the facts about HWA because they learned truth of God through this man's
work. That may be true, but many are used by God for this purpose who will not
be in the
As difficult as it is for
anyone steeped in WCG psychology to come to accept the sordid facts, it is
essential if you want complete spiritual release and to come to know Jesus
Christ fully.
Evidence of Armstrong's
sexual impropriety again emerged years later during court proceedings
concerning the divorce settlement between HWA and his second wife Ramona (who
was young enough to be his grand-daughter which ought to tell you something
about HWA!). Relevant newspaper excerpts are reproduced below. The sections in
italics indicate that the incest allegations were not rumour,
but fact well-known to those closest to HWA. They were hush-hushed so the
church members would not hear about them.
Attorneys reported
Thursday that a tentative agreement had collapsed in the divorce case of
Herbert W. Armstrong, pastor general of the Worldwide Church of God, and the
Judge ordered that a trial begin.
Armstrong and his
estranged wife, Ramona, signed the tentative agreement on a divorce settlement
April 26 after a two-year legal wrangle.
"I was under the
impression that a settlement had been reached until early this morning,"
Allan Browne, Armstrong's attorney, told Judge William Sherrill, of Puma County
Superior Court.
Browne said he and
lawyers for Mrs. Armstrong had discussed their drafts of the agreement Tuesday.
He said he sent a final version, subject to a "few minor details" to
Lawrence Deckler, an attorney for Mrs. Armstrong, and
to Armstrong in
"We do not have the
agreement signed by Mr. Deckler at this point,"
Browne said.
Deckler
told Sherrill the tentative agreement reached two weeks ago provided that Mrs.
Armstrong would have to be satisfied as to disposition of pending criminal
charges accusing her of theft, trafficking in stolen property and perjury. [A
counterclaim is often brought against the other party to shift blame from the
guilty.]
Mrs. Armstrong was
indicted by a Superior Court grand jury in the disappearance of church owned
gold flatware. Trial in the criminal case is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Deckler
said Judge Richard Hannah, presiding over the criminal case, has indicated
"no plea agreement will be accepted by him at this time" on the
charges against Mrs. Armstrong.
Browne told Sherrill the
church had agreed to waive its complaint about the disappearance of the
church-owned flatware [because a smoke-screen], but that Deputy County Attorney
Kenneth Peasley would not agree to drop the charges.
Browne said the
prosecutor had taken the position that the divorce action would "not in
any way control the outcome of the criminal action."
Both Browne and Deckler told Sherrill that agreement had been reached on
the particulars of the marriage dissolution, including division of property.
The judge
who would have had to approve any settlement, rejected a request by Browne to
postpone the immediate start of the trial.
"I think that the
only way that this case is going to be settled is if we go to trial,"
Sherrill said.
Sherrill agreed to a
request by Browne to exclude
evidence concerning "alleged explicit sexual activity or conduct."
Terms of the tentative
settlement were not disclosed. Court documents showed that Mrs. Armstrong, who
now lives in
She contended that a
premarital agreement stipulated she would become Armstrong's beneficiary
regardless of his death or anything else, including divorce. His lawyers denied
there was any such agreement.
The Armstrongs
married
Armstrong said the couple
had no children, and said differences between them had led to their marriage's
"irretrievable breakdown."
In the later news release
below, further admissions in court reveal the truth behind the sexual
allegations concerning HWA (underlined).
A judge, Friday,
dissolved the 7 year old marriage of Herbert W. Armstrong, the 91 year old
pastor general of the Worldwide Church of God, and his one-time secretary.
Judge William N. Sherrill
approved the settlement in the 2 year divorce battle after a 5 minute hearing
during which Armstrong testified that he had read the settlement agreement and
did not feel it was unfair.
Terms of the settlement
were not disclosed, but Armstrong's attorney, Allen Browne, said they
"were not unfair to the parties involved."
The Tucson Citizen
reported Armstrong's estranged wife, Ramona, would receive $300,000, including
$150,000, for attorney's fees. She would also receive two cars, personal
belongings and the couple's
On Tuesday, another
judge, Richard Hannah, is to hear a motion to drop criminal charges against
Mrs. Armstrong. [Those charges were brought to try and blacken her, to detract
from HWA's bad conduct.]
Browne had told Sherrill
earlier, that Deputy County Attorney Kenneth Peasley
agreed to dismiss the criminal action on condition that Browne provide an affidavit stating that "a trial would be
stressful to Mr. Armstrong and might be injurious to his health." [HWA
didn't want a trial because a lot of smut would have emerged about HIM, which
would have seriously damaged his credibility and affected his organisation.]
The affidavit also would
include that restitution has been made for gold flatware, the disappearance of
which prompted perjury, theft and trafficking in stolen property charges
against Mrs. Armstrong, 45, Browne said. [As HWA's
partner she would be entitled to share his possessions.]
During pre-trial
proceedings in the divorce case, Thursday, Sherrill agreed to limit
testimony on Armstrong's sexual conduct but to allow evidence on the
finances of the
In the divorce
proceedings, Armstrong's lawyers had sought to limit evidence of a sexual
nature but his wife's attorneys said it was crucial since the church leader
alleged Mrs. Armstrong had breached an agreement of love and fidelity.
[That is the reason Armstrong settled quickly. He didn't want this information
about his sordid sexual history emerging before the ears of his church
members!]
Louis Deckler,
Mrs. Armstrong's lawyer, said the testimony would explain an
"understanding" the couple reached about Armstrong's "prior
incestuous conduct with his daughter for many years."
Citing
Armstrong's worldwide travel in a $17 million private jet and other examples of
a "luxurious lifestyle." Deckler
contended the other side was trying to exclude evidence showing "the vast
wealth that Mr. Armstrong personally controls to his own benefit."
_______________________
What was this
"agreement" Herbert reached with his second wife Ramona about his
former sexual misconduct? It is blatantly stated that it was to do with his
"prior incestuous conduct with his daughter for many years."
This is not fiction, but
fact!
Did Armstrong have to
bribe Ramona to keep quiet about that? Was that why he agreed to give her
everything? She maintained that they had made an agreement that she would
"become Armstrong's beneficiary regardless of his death or anything else,
including divorce."
HWA was happy to settle
quickly, and to keep the whole embarrassing incident as quiet as possible.
Why did they want divorce
so soon after being married? Armstrong alleged it was because his wife refused
to accompany him on his world trips, or didn't support him. If that was true, why did she no longer
support him? Was his sexual misconduct damaging their marriage?
He alleged that Ramona
had been sexually unfaithful to him. But could the truth have been the reverse?
He didn't want the truth to emerge, so whatever the truth (and it is not to say
that his wife was without her faults) Herbert Armstrong certainly had something
serious to hide!
He must have breathed a
huge sigh of relief when it was all over.
~/~/~/~/~
Dear Mr. Renehan,
Would you please send me The Two Ways Of Herbert W.
Armstrong. Also is there anyway I can get proof on the incest?
Did he actually confess it during his divorce from Ramona I believe it but
it would be easier to prove it with documented proof.
Such as a signed confession statement or something.
If a person could prove it to others you might take away their god.
Sincerely
I'm not exactly sure what constitutes proof to everyone. Before I began to
author my book, my wife and I visited the
http://www.cybergate.com/~birone/arindex.html
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