Loaded Language

The Exit and Support Network has a humorous guide to COG terminology, a great example of how mind control cults use “loaded language” to control how their members communicate with one another. Silenced has built its own version in order to help people understand what in the world the COG is talking about in its internal communications.

The Truth: What all COG cults claim to have to the exclusion of other Christian groups, and even to each other. When the COG starts talking about “the truth,” it becomes a slippery notion.

The Gospel: The words of Herbert Armstrong’s concerning “The World Tomorrow” and “God’s Law” as opposed to the words of Jesus Christ.

Trunk of the Tree: The basic tenants of Armstrongism to be accepted no matter what. Even if there are certain doctrinal disagreements among members, as long as they stick to “the trunk of the tree,” they’re just fine. If they start to depart from these fundamentals, they are singled-out and shunned.

New Revelation: Any new doctrinal “discovery” within the COG that results in a change in belief, usually at the expense of its membership.

The Elijah to Come, The End-time Elijah, God’s Apostle, God’s man, God’s end-time man: To the COG, a reference to Herbert W. Armstrong, which has been applied to Flurry, Weinland, Meredith, and any number of false COG prophets.

Headquarters or Home Office: Usually a two-to-three story building where COG groups call their corporate home. Usually filled with cubicles, ferns, tiny recording studios, and lavish offices for senior leadership.

Building character: The process of becoming more submissive to the COG.

Change your attitude: Change your beliefs, discard your disagreements, and get back in line.

Lukewarm: Used to describe anyone not insanely zealous enough, and therefore not blending-in with the rabid crazy.

The Work, God’s Work, God’s End Time Work: The supposed “mission” of the COG to spread the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong throughout the world. Very little actually gets done, since tithe money and other donations get mostly spent on ministerial salaries instead.

Doing the Work: Paying tithes, attending church-sponsored events with fees, making financial holy day offerings, and other forms of monetary donation for the sake of “spreading the gospel.” When a member talks about “doing the work,” they are usually referencing how much money they’ve given to the cult that month.

Way of Give: Giving all of your money to the COG.

Way of Get: Not giving all of your money to the COG.

The Two Trees: Taught by Herbert W. Armstrong as examples of the ways of “give” and “get.” Clearly Adam and Eve chose the way of not giving money to the COG, which is why humanity suffers.

God’s Way: The will of COG leadership at any given time.

Government of God: COG leadership.

A Government problem: What a COG group suddenly has when a power struggle ensues.

Rebellious: Any member who questions COG authority.

Unconverted: Anyone outside of the cult.

Laodiceans: Any non-COG Christian church, or any COG cult not making enough money to be considered “zealous” enough.

The Windowshade of Understanding Closes: When the brainwashing wears off after leaving the COG.

God’s people, God’s chosen people, People of God, Christians: Submissive members of the COG.

Inner Court: A PCG term meaning those within their cult.

Outer Court:  A PCG term meaning those outside of their cult.

The Church, God’s Church, Small flock, God’s family, Spiritual husband: The COG

The World: Everyone else. To be avoided at all costs.

Fellowship: Only spending time with fellow COG members.

Cursed: What happens to those who dare to leave the COG. Bad luck and God’s curses will fall upon them.

Used of God: Being used by the COG for certain responsibilities, usually without pay, either within the organization or local congregation.

Calling: Stumbling across the COG’s literature and falling for its scam.

Called: Those gullible enough to fall for the COG’s doctrines.

Salvation: The supposed reward of eternal life for those who give enough money to the COG.

Repent: To stop breaking the rules of the COG.

Human nature: Any thinking that questions or challenges the COG’s doctrines.

Get with the program: Conformity.

“You just don’t get it”: What non-members in “the world” suffer from when it comes to COG doctrine, because they are not “called” and therefore can never understand until “God opens their eyes.”

Spiritual widow (or widower): Some poor soul in the COG married to a non-member.

Satan’s lies, Garbage, Rumors: Anything that disagrees with the doctrines of the COG.

Dissidents: Anyone having a spat or disagreement with how things are done in the COG.

Satan is attacking: What happens whenever a current or former member tries to expose the group as a corrupt scam (e.g. Silenced).

Judging: What members are taught to constantly do to one another and the world, but never to COG leadership.

Bad attitude: Questioning COG leadership.

Bitter: Those working to expose the COG after leaving its fold (e.g. Silenced)

Marked: What happens to COG whistleblowers.

The God Family: The supposed transformation of COG members into “spirit beings” at the “end of the age.”

Born Again: The transformation from mortality to eternal life.

Saved: Those who survive the coming Apocalypse and “Great Tribulation.”

The World Tomorrow: The prophecized utopia predicted by Herbert W. Armstrong. Essentially a crazy, oppressive theocracy where those who were COG members in life “rule as kings and priests” under the returned Jesus Christ. Not a world anyone else wants to live in.

Qualify: Giving enough money and being submissive enough to the COG in order to make it into God’s Kindgom.

Reward: A COG member’s specific position in God’s Kingdom in the The World Tomorrow. Usually something lofty like a king, priest, mayor of a golden city, or whatever crazy thing the specific member dreams of becoming at night.

Last hour, Last end, End of the age, End of the end time: The end times, aka NOW.

Place of Safety, Place of final training: Where COG members hide during the Great Tribulation, usually predicted to be Petra, but that is subject to change.

The Sabbath: The seventh day, usually Saturday, as taught by Herbert W. Armstrong.

Annual Sabbaths, High days, Holy Days, Feast days: The seven annual Old Testament agricultural festivals that were transformed into cult fundraising events by Herbert W. Armstrong.

The Feast: Held in a number of cities throughout the world, this is an annual COG celebration where members live in hotels for a week, attend church services every day, give two monetary offerings to the cult, and pay for expensive church-promoted activities with the Second Tithe they have saved throughout the year for that very purpose.

The Last Great Day: The holy day immediately following “The Feast” where another offering is taken before everyone finally goes home. It is supposed to symbolize the “Great White Throne Judgement” where those not faithful enough are punished by the newly-promoted COG members in the Kingdom of God.

The First Resurrection: The reward of COG members who are resurrected to eternal life.

The Second Resurrection: Reserved as a “second chance” after a thousand years for those nasty people in “the world.”

The Third Resurrection: Anyone who fouls up or doesn’t like The World Tomorrow after a thousand years gets brought back to life, only to be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

Hell: The grave. There is no traditional Hell in COG doctrine.