Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
An easy read, but more of a PR piece than a factual account., August 28, 2007
"Transformed by Truth", written by current WCG pastor general Joseph Tkach (Junior), claims on its cover to be "the inside story" regarding the WCG's transformation from "heresy" to "orthodox". And to some degree, it is - the author was present or privy to many of the key events he describes. However, the book is somewhat convoluted from the get-go - in attempting to describe the "transformation" in a manner that makes sense to both former and current WCG members, plus outside readers, Tkach's explanations and rationales presented through the book tend to be shallow and somewhat flimsy from time to time. Since a large part of the book deals with the actions of his own father, the work does tend to read like a simplistic hagiography at points instead of an "inside story". Becuase of these factors, it is not a heavily-researched work and its usefulness is diminished as a result - those looking for objective information on the WCG may be disappointed with its "touchy-feely", emotional style. On the other hand, it does bring out some good information on its topic from time to time and does do a fairly good job providing an introspective viewpoint of that period in the Worldwide Church of God's leadership. It is most useful when read in comparison to another work on the topic instead of alone, as its author's apparent wish to smooth-over some of the less positive events in question tend towards misleading at times.
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14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Transformed By Trash!, October 19, 2006
This book is pure trash.
Don't waste your time reading it, because it is a demonic lie. I was there and witnessed this unsuccessful attempt to destroy God's true religion by this demon called: Joseph Tkach Jr.!
God's true religion does continue to live on to this very day, and will to the very end.
Purchase and read: "Raising the Ruins", by Mr. Stephen Flurry, and learn the real truth about how it all happened.
You need to know where it is today.
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14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Great Falling Away, May 23, 2005
A more appropriate title for this book would have been: "Transformed Away From The Truth...The Liberalization of the Worldwide Church of God; The Remarkable Story Of A Church's Journey From the Religion OF Jesus to a Religion ABOUT Jesus".
Love him or hate him...the lectures, broadcasts, published books and magazine articles of Herbert W. Armstrong brought many thousands of people all over the world to the knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ as personal saviour...many of whom had never even considered attending a church before!
This was no pop culture 'plastic Jesus', but the Christ of the Bible...whose actual teachings would still be much in disfavor in today's supposedly 'enlightened' Evangelical world.
Yet, the author of this book vainly tries to insist that the Worldwide Church of God under the direction of Armstrong was more hung up on the 'Law of Moses' and the 7th Day Sabbath, rather than the "grace" of Jesus...and thus relegated Him (Jesus) to background status behind God the Father, and Bible Prophecy.
In 1976 the WCG published perhaps the best book written to date about the life, person and teachings of Jesus Christ, "The Real Jesus" by Garner Ted Armstrong who, at the time was a high ranking Minister in the denomination.
This, along with all the other Christocentric books and articles published by Armstrong over the decades since 1927, are all strangely ignored...as if Armstrong himself, never gave Christ as much as a passing thought!
Joseph Tkach Jr. goes on to largely bear 'false witness,' as it were, against the Church; its teachings; its mission; and its founder and late Pastor General H.W. Armstrong. He takes Armstrong to task over having the audacity to actually think that God would use him, to start a new era in the chronology of Church history....yet he himself mulls over the same thing, in his own role in the destruction of the denomination, which ironically he sees as a new beginning 'under grace'...whatever that means, since he's gone on to disfellowship entire congregations in various parts of the country...for continuing on in the traditional faith and worship practices, and for refusing to adopt his new 'tupperware party' style of pop-worship service.
About the most interesting thing in the book, were the charts tracing all the breakaway conferences, or 'splinter groups' as he calls them...however, the biggest irony is that the largest breakaway group, "United Church of God" now has more members than the WCG under the Tkach regime!
Another shortcoming of the book is the total lack of comment on, or concern for the victims of the Church's meltdown; the divided families; the fired long-time Ministers and other employees, and the total disruption of the Colleges. Perhaps the Church's new leaders need to write and sell books to make an income; since over 100,000 members picked up and left the organization since Tkach and Feazell took over the reins. Make no mistake about it...he (Tkach) has his fans, who view him as a 'liberator', while his detractors suspiciously view him as the possible end-time 'Man of Sin sitting in the seat of Moses', mentioned in Revelation!
Christ did say "Ye will know them by their fruits..." Thus far the fruits of Tkach's leadership have resulted in a bitter harvest.
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