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converted him--the most hostile embittered father-dishonoring letter
I could imagine--except under Satan's inspiration. His letter was
full of dire THREATS.
In all these unhappy irate encounters the past six weeks, NOT
ONCE has any vestige of the Spirit of God been evident--only ANGRY
wrathful contentions FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL DESIRES.
Yesterday I sent to him the official letter, heartbreaking
as it was to me, disfellowshipping him from the WORLDWIDE CHURCH
OF GOD!
That means, brethren, that on pain of being themselves
disfellowshipped and PUT OUT of God's Church, you are all, according
to CHRIST'S COMMAND, restrained from contact with, or conversation
with, Garner Ted Armstrong--no longer a member of this Church!
I would have given my right arm rather than having to do this.
But I have been TOO LONG tolerant, forgiving and covering up with
LOVE toward an ungrateful, hostile, threatening son. I have let
the CHURCH OF GOD suffer in order to protect my son's name and
knowledge of his wrongdoings. BECAUSE I have--in fact we all, at
or near the top of the administration of the Work--have done our
best to SHIELD HIM, and in some manner neglected the CHURCH and
all the flock in so doing.
Many times behind my back, my son in meetings called of those
at Headquarters, so top ministers told me only yesterday, made many
overt or even sarcastic remarks tending to discredit his father.
My son spread the rumor that my mind had gone senile. He is
guilty of what he accuses--his mind has become filled with HATE,
ANTAGONISM--and has become UNSTABLE.
This is NOT "my empire" nor my son's--it is the Church and
the WORK OF THE LIVING GOD!
All of us at Headquarters are now standing ONE HUNDRED PERCENT
TOGETHER! For the first time in some ten years THERE IS HARMONY--
COMPLETE UNITY AND TRUST at Headquarters.
I know some of you will say in great sorrow "let's PRAY for
Garner Ted that he will come back." Brethren, I have been DOING
JUST THAT EVER SINCE 1971. He professed to come back, but it
proved a subterfuge.
GOD SAYS: "For it is IMPOSSIBLE for those who were once
enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers
of the Holy Spirit, IF they shall fall away to renew them again unto
repentance." GOD would gladly grant repentance and receive him back--
I would and so would we all, but his entire attitude the past weeks
and months has certainly indicated the impossibility of leading him
again to repentance.
God gave Moses his brother Aaron to help him while Moses was
gone on a mission to be with God on Mt. Sinai. Aaron and the people
said, "...as for this Moses...we wot not what has become of him."