Banned by HWA recently posted Mark Armstrong's latest political commentary on behalf of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association. Unfortunately, Armstrong's "Weekly Update" has had very little religious or spiritual content for many years now. Mark is the son of the late Garner Ted Armstrong and the grandson of Herbert W Armstrong, founder of the now defunct Worldwide Church of God.
In his August 13th post, Mark wrote about Covid-19 health policy in the United States in the following terms:
"Two governors in particular are in the crosshairs of the media, the CDC and authoritarians everywhere. That would be DeSantis of Florida and Abbott of Texas. Who do they think they are, saying that there will be no mask mandates or “vaccine” passports in their states? They apparently realize that their citizens have had about enough. We’ve been chased around over the last two years, many are willing to do just about anything to make it stop. Take the shot, present papers, whatever. People want their freedom back, and the ticket (we’re told) is to fulfill whatever requirements are demanded.
Both DeSantis and Abbott are standing in the way of the tyranny that is promoted as if for our own good. Not so long ago, we were considered responsible enough to look out for ourselves. But not anymore! No, we have be to told, scolded, prodded and then punished. Our representatives will look out for us. Except they seem to be reeling with newfound power that has turned into a game of Simon Says. Whether it makes sense to you or not, YOU WILL COMPLY if you want to access any number of goods and services. It’s not the mark of the beast, but may be a precursor. The “let no crisis go to waste” crowd has determined that they’ll make life miserable and block participation in commerce unless all requirements are fulfilled. Where it ends, if it does, is anybody’s guess."
In reaction to the post on Banned by HWA, I posted the following comment:
Where to begin? Mark Armstrong represents the dying gasp of a failed religious dynasty. It should not be surprising to anyone that his messaging is more negative, extreme and secular than his father's or grandfather's ever dared to be. In a bizarre and surreal fashion, one is able to trace the grotesque evolution of the messaging through three generations of the men in this family. In a twisted and very dark way, it almost seems like a logical progression from Herbert through Garner Ted to Mark.
It began as a quasi-religious message that placed the white, English-speaking folks of the world as the focus of the Bible and God's plans. Over the years, it developed into a message about the decline/deterioration/corruption of those nations. And, in more recent years, Mark has clearly identified political liberalism and the influx of nonwhite immigrants into those nations as the chief causes of that decline (a nod to his grandfather's similar fixation on the "evil" of liberalism within the Church). In short, the message has always been conservative (after a fashion), xenophobic and authoritarian. Mark's messaging is just the logical and ugly conclusion of what his grandfather began so many years ago now.
In more recent years, it should also be noted that this Armstrong phenomenon has evolved on a kind of parallel track with the development of Trumpism in the United States. It is NO coincidence that Mark Armstrong's messaging has steadily supported Trump and his agenda over the last five years. Hence, it should also come as no surprise to us that Mark would support the work of Trump's political successors (DeSantis, Abbott and Paul).
Likewise, it is not surprising that he parrots their messaging about authoritarianism - which itself is full of hypocrisy, irony and gaslighting. It is simply too rich to have these men talking about the authoritarianism of "liberal" health officials when they are the ones who have denied local school boards and businesses any say in developing their own policies relative to masking and vaccination. They seem oblivious to the authoritarian implications of this centralization of power in the hands of an executive (the governors of Florida and Texas), and the imposition of the executive's will on the other institutions within those states and the mass of their citizenry. They all (Mark included) scream about infringements on THEIR rights while trampling all over the rights of anyone who disagrees with their views about Covid-19 policy.
As for Jesus, it is no wonder that he is never mentioned - His teachings are the antithesis of almost everything these folks stand for! Jesus Christ was all about serving and caring for others - about denying the self and putting others before the self. Jesus Christ taught compassion, mercy and forgiveness and demanded that his followers LOVE each other, but that's just syrupy nonsense to these folks (another vestige of Herbert's thinking). Yes, unfortunately, there is a straight (or would crooked be more appropriate?) line between Herbert and his grandson's messaging!
No comments:
Post a Comment