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WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
PASADENA, CALlFORNlA 91123
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
President and Pastor
November 28, l978
Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:
THINK of it! NEVER BEFORE in modern history such a ghastly
unthinkable tragedy as the MASS SUICIDE of more than 900 people!
In a ritualistic "religious" ceremony, parents administering a mixed
drink of fruit juice and cyanide, then watching their little ones
writhe in piercing painful convulsions, their breathing shut off,
and calmly taking the fatal dose themselves!
NEVER BEFORE! And never before governments of nations being
overthrown about one a month, weapons of MASS DESTRUCTION available
in several nations that can ERASE HUMAN LIFE FROM THE EARTH! NEVER
BEFORE many other calamities and tragedies and evils that beset
humanity.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? The world has no answer! HOW could a
single MAN lead off followers in that MAN'S concept of religion, and
induce so many people--against the first law of human nature--against
the Word of God which says "no man ever yet hated his own flesh,"
destroy themselves.
I am going to answer that in the next issue of The PLAIN TRUTH!
But one phase of the answer I can give you here. These people,
many with fairly good education, were influenced against their former
beliefs by A MAN, who possessed charisma, exceptional personality,
claiming to preach the Gospel, into false belief and, like sheep going
to the slaughter, leading them into self-slaughter!
Is there a lesson in this for the people of God's Church? Some
few--so far as I know, well under 1/2 of 1%, have allowed themselves
to become bitter, hostile to God's Church, and have either followed,
or indicated they may follow, other malcontents out of the Church of
God, to follow a man! And candidly, some such members, HOOKED on
bitterness and resentment had better leave--because God's people will
be relieved of a hostile, disagreeing attitude--and be free to
fellowship and praise and worship God in harmony, and love, and
peace. But I would hate to be the man such malcontents follow!
JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE, and IN HIS CHURCH. As the MAN, Jim Jones,
led more than 900 followers into the FIRST DEATH, might not some we
have looked on as brethren, follow a MAN, and pay the far greater and
more calamitous price--the SECOND DEATH? I should like to prevent that.
This man was on a program of watering down GOD'S TRUTH while I
was on the other side of the earth (and without my knowledge).