Labeled, "Americas Stonehenge" by Georgia officials in order to draw tourism, instead, drew in the nutty imagination of Christian Nationalists ever quick to connect any and everything to Globalists, the Illuminati or insert what have you, that will inevitably lead to the rise of a Beast just before the return of Jesus. I know because I was one of them, exercising my internet sleuthing abilities-even going as far as visiting the site on my way to the Feast of Tabernacles one year.
Designed and paid for anonymously, the stones were put into place in 1980. Since then, the site has been vandalized many times but never to the point of bombing it successfully until now. At first glance, one could easily see why people would be concerned by the "suggestions" established on the stones to guide a new society, a sort of 10 commandments for a "great reset." After all, how could we possibly maintain the human population under 500 million when we are already 8 billion strong? Why, this could only mean one thing: the Beast of Revelation is planning on murdering over 7 billion people!
It is embarrassing when I think about how long I shut down my ability to reason when it came to my adherence to Armstrongism. It is little comfort that many cult experts assure us that people who get sucked into cults are not stupid. On the contrary, cults specifically set out to lure the wealthy, healthy and educated and often succeed in filling their ranks with the nicest, most successful people in society.
While Armstrong actually lured the "weakest and basest things" throughout the 40's, 50's and 60's by way of radio, appealing largely to uneducated, poor, marginalized and racist whites in the Appalachians, by the time of it's epic prophecy failure of 1975, the cult had reached it's peak. Scandals, followed by Herb's death, and an admission that his doctrines were wrong by a new administration, was the beginning of the end.
Now, attend any COG service and you will find 3rd and 4th generation cult members driving new cars, pursuing college degrees, holding successful careers, bragging on their investments and propping up their ministerial fathers, grandfathers and uncles paychecks all to maintain the pleasant social club they grew up in and adore. They seem oblivious to their own church history and probably sense that it is better that way in order to maintain the fantasy. This is particularly true of COGWA state side and they know it: the whitest, most affluent, AC alumni, country club COG that does everything in their power to stay under the radar and out of the crosshairs of Banned. (COGWA thanks God every night for Dave, Bob, Gerald and his other brother Gerald)
But you will find very very few new members in any of the COGs across the board; proof their stale, outdated concept of "the Work" is an old and forgotten cheap trick unable to withstand the modern tree of knowledge called the internet. If the flailing churches of God were honest, they would admit that their new work has become siding with Evangelical Christian Nationalists. You can see hints of it in all of their publications.
On a positive note, Millenials and Gen Z don't seem interested in checking out of society like their pre-internet, cold war, Boomer parents and grandparents that prayed for the death of billions of humans in their lifetime. Instead, they want a place at the table to change it. Gen X ministers wringing their hands in anticipation of taking the reigns of COG corporations, know the writing is on the wall and they will need to change with the times or look for real jobs.
While it could be a good thing to see the churches of God bridge out of Armstrongism, it is not at all if they choose to jump in bed with QAnon Trump Republicans and the American Jesus. It was bad enough when Armstrongism sat on it's hands and waited for a day that will never come BUT they are now on the precipice of deciding to link arms with religious terrorists hell-bent on enforcing (Modern American) Christianity down the throat of a Democracy that has no roots in Christianity. [Read, "The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Un-American" by Andrew L. Seidel. Also read, "Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted A Faith and Fractured a Nation" by Kristin Kobes Du Mez.]
Armstrong rests on two pillars and is still what upholds the splinters to this day: Annual Holy Days and British Israelism. The annual holy days are the very framework on which the seductive social structure rests upon, keeping the brainwashed locked in to a perpetual annual cycle. British Israelism (Racism) is what easily marries them to the Christian Nationalist movement. Take these pillars away and they no longer have any reason to exist.
That being said, I am personally confident that the young people in the churches of God will largely exit over time, not wanting to be part of any group or church that tells them that their non-white friends are inferior foreign invaders and their lgbtq friends are vile human waste. They are too connected and can see by their own experiences that the us-vs-them of religion in general is a toxic delusion.
It is my hope that all would find their way out of religion and into this grand age of reason depicted on the Georgia Guidestones. But if not, there is a Biblical Jesus socially acceptable to our times; one that focuses on the inherent value of all humans and are deserving of love. A Jesus that focuses people on serving the poor, the needy, the sick, the alien, the outcast.
As for the first suggestion on the Guidestones to maintain a population under 500 million, it must be understood that the stones were put in place for people to rebuild civilization after the United States and the Soviet Union blew everyone up in a nuclear holocaust. Yes, people were really expecting that to be a soon reality in 1979. The Guidestones are not signaling a New World Order to destroy 90% of earth's population. No, actually you will find that New World Order in the book of Revelation where Jesus kills billions of people and establishes a thousand years of peace. Just a side note, killing your enemies does usher in peace. Mao killed millions of Chinese and they have been enjoying peace ever since.
Christian Nationalism is the most dangerous ideology in America. Their willingness to participate in ushering in the book of Revelation was on display on January 6, 2021. I'm speaking to all you children and young adults in the churches of God (including my own children): Please, whatever you do, use the internet to learn the history of the cult you are in and use critical thinking as your guide. Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions: Who was HWA? Was HWA really an apostle? Is the Bible inerrant? Why are there thousands of opposing interpretations? Does the Bible present a coherent, unified narrative or are the writers themselves competing for prospective members? Are Yahweh and Jesus gods? Does God exist? Trust your human reasoning. It's safer than the "holy spirit" running your churches.
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