ARMSTRONGISM: RELIGION OR RIP-OFF © Copyright 1977 by Marion J. McNair Contents PROLOGUE . ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . xi FOREWORD . xii PREFACE . xiii INTRODUCTION . xvi PART I: ARMSTRONG'S WORLDWIDE EMPIRE Chapter Title Page ONE ARMSTRONG'S MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR EMPIRE . .1 The Armstrong Image – p. 1 TWO ARMSTRONG'S FIRST SECRET: How to get Donors . 9 Frequency of Broadcast Contact – p. 10 Getting the Mailing List – p. 11 Breaking Down Resistance – p. 11 Making Requests for Money – p. 12 THREE ARMSTRONG'S SECOND SECRET: How To Get Money . 27 Co-Worker Letter Bags $4.5 Million – p. 27 Armstrong Psychology – Capturing Donor Confidence – p. 28 Armstrong Suppositions – p. 30 Selected Rules of Propaganda – p. 31 Letter Openers – p. 32 The Closer – p. 37 The Filling – p. 40 FOUR ARMSTRONG'S COMMISSION– And How He Spends 55-Million . 49 i Chapter Title Page Armstrong's Commission is the Big Question – p. 50 Christ's Commission to Armstrong-p. 50 Ezekiel- Elijah- Armstrong Commission – p. 51 Armstrong Defines Commission – p. 55 The Costly “Armstrong Image” – p. 62 Armstrong's Income and Expense Report – p. 65 Questionable Areas – p. 66 Questionable Transfer of Assets – p. 68 Twenty Million Dollar Battle – p. 69 The Million Dollar Home Question – p. 70 Further Jet Aircraft Problem – p. 70 Armstrong's Treasure Trove– Another Money Problem – p. 72 Armstrong's Donation Withdrawal– Another Money Problem – p. 73 Twenty-Four Million Problem – p. 75 FIVE PROFILE – Herbert W. Armstrong . 79 The Religion Profile – p. 80 The Nomadic Family Profile – p. 81 The Follower Profile – p. 81 The Loner Profile – p. 82 The Analyzer Profile – p. 82 The Salesman Profile – p.83 The Traveler – p. 84 Publisher's Representative Profile – p. 86 Three Good Years – p. 88 The Chicago Disaster – p. 88 Stagnation Profile – p. 89 Poverty Profile – p. 91 Preacher Profile – p. 91 ii Chapter Title Page SIX PROFILE-Gamer Ted Armstrong . 93 The Child – p. 93 Ted The Teen-ager – p. 94 Ted as Office Manager – p. 95 Ted as A Ladies' Man – p. 96 Ted as a Student – p. 97 Ted as a Minister – p. 98 Ted as an Executive – p. 98 Ted in Exile – p. 99 Ted's Final Return – p. 101 Ted Reeks [sic] Vengeance – p. 101 SEVEN MEN BEHIND THE ARMSTRONGS: Their Rise and Fall . 105 Albert J. Portune – p. 105 Roderick C. Meredith – p. 106 Herman L. Hoeh – p. 109 Raymond F. McNair – p. 111 Ronald L. Dart – p. 111 Norman A. Smith – p. l12 C. Wayne Cole – p. 113 Leslie L. MceuI1ough – p. 114 Charles F. Hunting – p. 115 Raymond C. Cole – p. 115 Stanley R. Rader – p. 118 End of The Vice Presidents – p. 120 EIGHT ARMSTRONG'S MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY: Radio, TV and Publications . 123 Broadcast Psychology – p. 124 Publication Psychology – The PLAIN TRUTH- p. 126 Publication Psychology – The Good News – p. 127 General Editorial Psychology – p. 128 iii PART II: BUILDING A RELIGIOUS ORDER Chapter Title Page NINE A MINISTRY OF CONFLICT- Armstrong's Early Theological Studies . 131 Immersed By Baptist – Comes up Church of God – p. 132 Armstrong's First Sermon – p. 133 Armstrong Ascends The Pulpit – p. 136 Armstrong Tests Church – p. 136 Armstrong Becomes Evangelist- Takes over – p. 137 Armstrong Laid Off As Minister – p. 142 Armstrong Rehired As Minister – p. 142 Armstrong Brought To Trial – p. 143 Armstrong On Trial Again – p. 144 Armstrong Quits-Takes Members And Mailing List – p. 146 TEN ARMSTRONG'S LAST BATTLE WITH THE CHURCH OF GOD . 149 Armstrong's New Radio Church – p. 149 Armstrong's Worldwide Commission – p. 151 Birth of Plain Truth Magazine – p. 152 Armstrong's Three-Point Program – p. 153 Armstrong Credentialed by Salem Church of God – p. 154 Armstrong: The Fluke Prophet – p. 156 Armstrong Wins Battle- Loses War – p. 157 Armstrong Fired by Duggar – p. 160 ELEVEN ARMSTRONG THE PROPHET: True or False . .163 iv Chapter Title Page The Gathering Prophetic Storm – p. 163 World War II Prophecies – p. 164 Armstrong Finished in Oregon – p. 168 Armstrong Abandons Oregon – p. 174 TWELVE AMBASSADOR COLLEGE – Armstrong's School of The Prophets . 179 Armstrong Officially Organizes – p. 179 School of The Prophets Bears Fruit – p. 183 1960 Prophecies Fail – p. 188 1961 Prophecies Fail – p. 189 1962 Prophecies Fail – p. 189 1963 Prophecies Fail – p. 190 1964 Prophecies Fail – p. 192 1965 Prophecies Fail – p. 192 1966 Prophecies Fail – p. 194 1967 Prophecies Fail – p. 196 1968 Prophecies Fail – p. 199 1969 Prophecies Fail – p. 200 1970 Prophecies Fail – p. 203 1971 Prophecies Fail – p. 204 1972 Prophetic Disaster – p. 207 PART III – DECAY AND DECLINE OF THE ARMSTRONG EMPIRE CHAPTER Title Page THIRTEEN GOVERNMENT FROM THE TOP DOWN – Armstrong Dictatorship. 213 Armstrong's Pyramid Dictatorship in Formation – p. 216 Look To Headquarters – p. 221 v Chapter Title Page One place for Feasts (of the Jews) – p. 221 The Frustration of "Growing" – p. 222 Rule By Fear – p. 224 Armstrong's "Thus Saith The Lord" Rulings – p. 225 Armstrong's Rule By Confusion – p. 228 Ministerial Bulletin Becomes Canon Authority – p. 229 Local Minister Victim of Fear – p. 231 The Persecution Syndrome – p. 234 Ministerial Defections Start – p.235 FOURTEEN ARMSTRONG'S EARLY EMPIRE FRACTURE: The Fear Syndrome . 239 Armstrong Suspends Evangelist – p. 240 Armstrong's Kangaroo Court – p. 241 Armstrong Attempts Character Assassination – p. 244 The Real Objective – p. 245 Armstrong's Ministry Rejected – p. 245 Judging Motives and Attitudes – p. 246 FIFTEEN EARLY DOCTRINAL DIFFICULTIES . 249 Wresting the Scriptures – p. 249 Ruber-Stamp Doctrinal Review Board – p. 251 Ramrod Research Tactics – p. 252 Divorce Research-A Fiasco – p. 253 The Dilemma of Change – p. 254 Division Inevitable – p. 255 vi Chapter Title Page SIXTEEN ARMSTRONG'S POLITICAL STRUCTURE EXPLODES . 257 Political Structure Formation – p. 257 The Credibility Gap – p. 258 Big Image-Poor Administration – p. 260 Ted's Problem Surfaces – p. 262 SEVENTEEN DOCTRINE – Battleground of Division . 267 Martin Resigns – p. 267 Council Requests Ted's Removal – p. 268 Shreveport Church Secedes – p. 272 Dissident Ministers Organize – p. 273 Landslide Secession Starts – p. 274 Armstrong Counterattacks – p. 275 Government Qualifications Closed – p. 277 Armstrong Attempts Justification-p. 278 Resignations Continue – p. 183 EIGHTEEN ARMSTRONGISM: Where Next? . 287 Future of Splinter Groups? – p. 290 Decline of Armstrongism? – p. 191 Collapse of The Armstrong Empire? – p. 291 The Flimflam Evangelist – Spirit of Elmer Gantry – p. 293 Imminency of Christ's Return- Beware! – p.293 Self-styled Prophet – Beware! – p. 295 The Whole Truth Syndrome – p. 296 Future of The Armstrong Empire? – p. 296 vii EPILOGUE ........................................................299 REFERENCE NOTES .......................................303 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..............................................315 INDEX .............................................................. 325 ABBREVIATIONS ............................................341 viii Prologue Prepublication requests for this volume have gone into the hundreds–not huge orders for merchandising purposes but many, many personal requests from around the world. Each correspondent has his own personal traumatic story to share – some very graphic. And each personal testimony is further indication that this bizarre historical document is vital to the well-being of mankind. One correspondent in the Mountain States of the U.S. related how he was induced to sell his possessions, giving the proceeds to the Armstrongs in preparation for their prophesied calamity in 1972. The total "take" from this man – over $l-Million dollars. Another family in the New England area expressed thankfulness that they escaped Armstrongism with sanity and good health after having lost their home and $200,000. A family from the South was not so fortunate. A member of their family, a former student of Ambassador College, suffered a nervous breakdown over the confused state of affairs in the Armstrong church–different standards for different people. It has taken several years to recover and bring stability back to this family. Another Ambassador College student was brought to such a state of depression after sitting through a college class lecture that he walked a short distance to "suicide bridge" and ended it all by plummeting to the rocks below–the same location where many bankrupt millionaires plunged to their death after the stock market crash in the depression year of 1929. Thousands of normal family units have been broken up by the Armstrong's regime. Many, many people have suffered physical ailments and died rather than seek aid from those in the medical profession. But, perhaps most pathetic of all is the little known case of the poor, the fatherless and the widow who have been deprived or have deprived themselves of, adequate food, clothing and shelter to give to an organization which freely ix ix admits that it's commission is not the same as that which Christ gave to His apostles and His church. Those deprived ones bleed themselves white to give to an organization whose leader declares the heathen will not recognize any difference between their heathen religion and the message which he delivers to them in their heathen land. The author has observed the degree of bondage to which many souls have fallen and has hammered out this thesis in an effort to replace the spirit of fear and tyranny with that of true Christian Liberty. It is the author's prayer that the spirit of this document will ring the Golden Bells of Heaven so loudly that thousands and millions throughout the world for generations to come will atune their spirit to those Heavenly Chimes and shun the tyranny of men. May this effort serve as the spiritual counterpart for the effort of the author's ancestor Andrew McNair – official ringer of the Liberty Bell – that great bell of freedom for the original Thirteen U.S. Colonies. And may this document, prepared in this Bicentennial year of the U.S., ring out the spirit of religious bondage and tyranny and ring in the Heavenly Freedom of a new and better life in Christ.