It has been noted on numerous occasions here and elsewhere that both current and former Armstrongites are very likely to be supporters of Donald Trump. And, as you can imagine, a number of factors have been identified as being wholly or in part responsible for this phenomenon. For example, it has been pointed out that the disposition of Armstrong and his followers was largely conservative and nationalistic – making them more susceptible to accepting Trump’s messaging and policies. In a similar vein, others have pointed out the disdain of both men for more traditional and mainstream narratives, and how that anti-elitism proved to be a powerful draw for many within the general populace. In short, if we take the time to think about it, we can all immediately see a number of similarities between the approaches/attitudes of the two men that would appeal to those of a certain mindset.
There is, however, another observation about the supporters of both men that was recently underscored for me by an ongoing discussion within my own family regarding Armstrongism and Trumpism. It was one of those aha moments where the light goes on, and you suddenly realize that a profound truth has been staring you right in the face for a long time. I’m talking about the propensity of the followers of both men to reject any and all criticism of their hero and stick with them through “thick and thin.” Moreover, it is THIS devotion/loyalty of their followers in the face of overwhelming evidence of their error(s) which has most mystified and perturbed those of us who have opposed them and their agendas! We ask, “Why can’t they see this?” We pull out all of the sources which destroy their narratives, and they don’t even blink!
Why? Why are these folks impervious to any criticisms of their heroes or their agendas? For me, the answer to those questions was that aha moment I’ve already mentioned.
The evil genius of Herbert Armstrong and Donald Trump is found in their deliberate and relentless campaigns to thoroughly discredit all other sources, so that their followers view them as the ONLY legitimate source of TRUTH! Herbert Armstrong prefaced almost every one of his teachings with a tirade against mainstream Christianity, scientists, philosophers, theologians, historians, and higher education. He talked at great length about the ignorance of these people of God’s ways, and the “real” knowledge available in the pages of the Bible (as interpreted by him). Likewise, Donald Trump’s continuous assault on liberals, the mainstream media, courts and judges, doctors and public health officials, diplomats, climate scientists, and intellectuals of all stripes was masterfully designed to make him the go to guy for information. In both cases (Armstrong and Trump), it was drummed into the heads of their followers that consulting any other sources was disloyal and/or dangerous. In other words, they made it heretical to even entertain any views which contradicted their own!
For many of Armstrong’s followers, God used him to reveal THE TRUTH to their minds. Hence, they reasoned, that God wouldn’t have used a morally compromised man; and, therefore, the accusations against him must be false. However, even some of the folks who acknowledge Herbert Armstrong’s personal moral failures will still say things like: “Yes, but the doctrines/teachings were correct” OR “Yes, but he taught the truth.” In other words, for many of these folks, Armstrong so completely destroyed the credibility of any other sources that they will still cling to his theology, even if you can finally get them to see how flawed the man himself turned out to be!
In similar fashion, even if you can get a Trump supporter to admit the horrendous personal flaws of the man himself, you cannot shake their devotion to what he “stands for.” For them, he may be brash and cruel, but “he speaks the truth!” Even so, the vast majority of his supporters (whether they be Armstrongites, former Armstrongites, or Evangelical Christians) see absolutely nothing wrong with his character/behavior! Indeed, as with Herbert Armstrong before him, if the fearless leader does something that is antithetical to the teachings of Scripture, they just modify the meaning of the scriptures in question! Moreover, the authoritarian tendencies inherent to the modus operandi of both men provides yet another insight into the mindset of the folks who continue to support them and/or their agendas. In other words, these folks are looking for someone to follow – someone to tell them what’s what.
And, if someone has figured it all out for you, there is no need to look any further. Indeed, you’ll only confuse yourself and darken your understanding if you do! Is this starting to sound like circular reasoning? Yes, Armstrong and Trump were experts at putting their followers into mental straitjackets that required minimum maintenance from them! These evil geniuses realized that, if they did their job well enough on the front end, their followers would forever police the doors to their own minds!
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