"The Mystery of Bobby Fischer" Is No Mystery

Full Length Presentation by Sharon Cunningham

Part 1 of 12

Some individuals questioned when I stated, “The same thing that happened to Bobby Fischer, happened to me.” Of course they would not understand. Bobby Fischer had a mother who loved him, supported him. He was raised by a single parent who was Agnostic. Myself? I had both parents, firmly rooted in strict fundamentalist Christian backgrounds who were not supportive but had my goals carved out for me, that being to marry and be a stay at home mother. Typical 1960 and 1970 nonsense that doesn't work in the real world.
Bobby Fischer testified to the Ambassador Report of reading Herbert Armstrong's “The Radio Church of God” publications for a year or two. Probably somewhere around 1959, then later, around 1962, joined the Radio Church of God cult by deciding to become an active contributing co-worker, by tithing 10 percent of his income, which would include all the special donations and additional tithes.
To understand the similarities, one must understand the doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God.
The Worldwide Church of God was a doomsday cult with a regular diet of sermons and publications, reinforcing the belief that the Jews alone kept the Old Covenant, and were the Chosen People.

Part 2 of 12

Above all Jesus did not do away with the Old Testament in the Bible. On the contrary, he came to enforce Old Testament law. For this reason Catholicism and Protestant Christianity was denounced as on par with the Spawn of Satan. The cross, an ancient and universal symbol of Christianity was denounced as idolatry, citing the second of the Ten Commandments.
The Worldwide Church of God was "Christian" in name only, but with regards to Forgiveness... Grace? These concepts figured nowhere in the church's doctrines.
In my young mind, my perception was one of a God created in the image of Armstrong and my parents, a God of wrath, intemperate that the slightest thing might set the deity off into a godless wrath to destroy even a child. The cult was also a magnet for individuals like my parents who took great pleasure in ridiculing their own children as “wicked,” “rebellious,” “unworthy,” “worthless” which fit perfectly into the religion I had the misfortune of being brought into.
Herbert Armstrong's doctrines kept the concept of faith, compassion and forgiveness at bay. Any hope of escape from the torment during the “Last Days” was always one tithe more, out of reach and fed a diet of Holocaust horrors as penalty for stepping out of line.

Part 3 of 12

How the book of Revelations predicted a second coming of a Nazi Germany and Fascist Europe, presumably with the Pope in Rome Italy at its helm, otherwise known as “The Antichrist” who would arise and invade America and Britain, persecuting those of us who kept the Saturday Sabbath! We would be forced to keep Sunday, and convert to protestant Christianity or Catholicism or face the horrors of the second Holocaust.
Citing Revelation 12, how the serpent pursued the woman, that is, “The Church.” Including those who keep the Old Testament law, such as the Jews. This second time, the devil would not be satisfied with the Jews alone, because the devil “knows his time is short.” Not everyone would be found worthy by God for divine protection, only those adhering firmly to Herbert Armstrong's doctrines, as his one true apostle chanced escaping the tribulation in the last days.
That is why Bobby Fischer eventually reports to have given all his prize winnings from the 1972 tournament with Boris Spassky, to the Herbert Armstrong cult. Bobby put his financial and legal management into the hands of Stanley Rader, the managing lawyer of the cult headquartered in Pasadena, California.
Some have claimed the cult taught “antisemitic” doctrines.

Part 4 of 12

There were no antisemitic doctrines. I was taught the Jews who kept Old Testament law were “The Chosen” of God. Their trials and tribulations and persecution was Gospel writ. I knew the doctrines of the church when my frightened brother taught himself German, and studied the Holocaust feverishly to prepare for the last days. His obsession with the Holocaust and Germany was brought on of course, by Herbert Armstrong's perversion of scripture, instilling a form of spirituality based in fear, creating an atmosphere of intimidation and constant panic for survival. Hopelessness.
For instance, when I was around 8 years old, one evening my father became enraged at my brother's questions and comments regarding the Holocaust, and in a rage, took out a pocket knife, pressing the blade against my brother's foot threatening to cut off a toe. “Here's what the Germans did to the Jews!”
Anyone who genuinely believes the atmosphere I grew up in was anything less than dysfunctional at best, needs their own head checked.
We were taught “Jew worship.” The Jewish experience was held up to members and coworkers alike as the example of what one may face when obeying the commandments of God, perhaps even perishing as the price to pay.

Part 5 of 12

Those who suggest the Worldwide Church of God taught Antisemitic doctrines, are clearly speaking from an utter lack of knowledge.
The confusion seems to spawn from what is called, “British Israelism” or “Identity” religions. The hypothesis of British Israelism began with Reverend John Wilson in 1870 who asserted that Anglo-Saxons were the supposed lost ten tribes of Israel. Edward Hine brought the false hypothesis to the United States, publishing “Identification of the British Nation with Lost Israel.” Though mostly unsuccessful, some, such as Herbert W. Armstrong learned of it, adapting it to their own peculiar religious doctrines. Decades later, groups such as the overtly racist hate group, Aryan Nations would incorporate Edward Hine's hypothesis as core doctrine for their own peculiar spin on scripture. However, it's unrelated. Even the scholars at Christian Research Institute acknowledge, quote, “Today, with few exceptions, the Worldwide Church of God being one, most adherents of Anglo-Israelism are in the Identity movement.” Note the Christian Research Institute differentiates between overtly violent racist groups, and the religion of Herbert W. Armstrong. People of ALL races were welcomed in the Worldwide Church of God.

Part 6 of 12

Regina Fischer, the mother of Bobby Fischer, was notoriously pro-left, pro equality, anti-war… a peace activist and civil rights advocate. Bobby Fischer expressed some of the same values, until he began to familiarize himself with the doctrines of Herbert Armstrong around 1959. A shift in his demeanor could be witnessed by things he said and did, thereafter. Notably his views on women. Like me, it was taught that God's design for women was to be a wife, a mother and homemaker. Such views were common for the period and many, scowled at feminist ideologies. However, surprisingly, during an interview with Dick Cavett in 1972 on the eve of Fischer's world title match with Boris Spassky, Mr. Fischer commended female chess players, paying great compliment to the Russian lady champion, Nona Gaprindashvili.
It was during 1972 when the Worldwide Church of God, formerly Radio Church of God (since television had became the new medium for evangelists). The Great Tribulation was to take shape, in 1972, and just prior to the world devolving into chaos and destruction, God would call those who obeyed the apostle, Herbert Armstrong and ensure their escape to the place of safety. Bobby Fischer contributed thousands of dollars ensuring his escape.

Part 7 of 12

In 1972, there was no escape to the place of safety. No exodus. Not even a Jim Jones or Heaven's Gate cult-styled mass panic. No lives apparently were taken, however, many cult members began to question their long-held indoctrination of Armstrong's ability to interpret scripture. It was a slow process after years of indoctrination. It's difficult to question authority after years of having it instilled to rather, question your own mind. To cast doubts on self, rather than the church who has helped themselves to your generosity and bank account.
Between 1972 and 1979 there was a slow unraveling for Bobby Fischer. He began to doubt the rise of a Fascist Europe and invasion of the United States and Britain, and began to search out alternative publications, not sanctioned by the Worldwide Church of God. Alternative sources, especially those printed by the Nazis, since after all, Herbert Armstrong emphatically prophesied it were they who would emerge. Out of fear, and unsettling doubts, I too did the same thing to discover, “What are the Nazis planning? When will they invade? Is the book of Revelation really fulfilling how Mr. Armstrong says it will?” How better to discover those answers than to go straight to the actual source.

Part 8 of 12

However, neither of us were prepared to navigate through such deep levels of Nazi exaggerations, fraud and deception. This turn of events in Bobby Fischer's life is described succinctly, by the New York Times from an article dated January 19, 2008. They state, Mr. Fischer “tithed to the Worldwide Church of God, a fringe church he had become involved with beginning in the early 1960s.” And around 1972, “For a time, Mr. Fischer lived in Pasadena, California, the church’s home base, where he was said to spend his time replaying chess games and reading Nazi literature. There were reports that he was destitute, though the state of his finances was never clear.”
Anyone who genuinely believes Bobby Fischer picked up such literature from the Herbert Armstrong cult, are, in my opinion, laughable. You can not purchase copies of Mein Kampf or books written by Ben Klassen of the Creativity Movement's “Church of the Creator” from the Worldwide Church of God. In a letter to Pal Benko, dated 1979, Bobby Fischer mentions reading these racist publications, finding bits and pieces of common ground in regard to political sentiments, but expressed his contempt with the quote unquote, extreme racist. That's because Bobby Fischer never was racist.

Part 9 of 12

I obtained literature and publications through the mail, the likes of which Bobby Fischer was reportedly studying. At this period in history there was no internet available to fact-check the extraordinary claims of Nazi. I tracked down one address which lead to another source, and then another, resulting in a pot luck of publications to discover what I could about the Nazis and their plans. What I received from abroad was a mixture of views and ideologies. Some organizations were racist while others were not. Some publications exclusively criticized the brutality of circumcision, a few publications focused on the usurping of Palestinian sovereignty, but mixed within my mail were publications I know today as espousing the superstitious “Judeo Bolshevik Conspiracy” myth. This dangerous, seductive ideology has been around for at least a century to target Jews, playing on even older stereotypes of adherents of the Jewish faith. However, no better or worse than Protestants and Catholics reciprocally castigating the other as they carried on with the infamy of the Thirty Years War which occurred between 1618 and 1648, culminating in a death toll of around 8 million Europeans. The Pope was portrayed as antichrist.

Part 10 of 12

Meanwhile, Luther and Tyndall were portrayed by their detractors as part of the multiheaded beast from the book of Revelations. The Mediaeval hangover of religious squabblings is a major contributing factor to the Judeo Bolshevik Conspiracy which Adolf Hitler revised to suit for his own political agenda, whipping post World War One Germany into a frenzy. The Germans really were no different than any other nationality. When people are unemployed, hungry, destitute, they're eager to hear a voice telling them what they want to hear. “Your superiority entitles you to better” and, “Your problems in life are to blame on this group. Or, that group!” Never the fault of the people with the power to bring about positive social change. The quote unquote Jews were blamed for the usurping of the Russian people in 1917 by the Bolshevik party, which were to later become officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR, Soviet Union for short. Cold War hostilities played into menacing publications by Nazi, claiming the Atheist Karl Marx was somehow an adherent to Judaism? Every leading figure in the Bolshevik party by use of mental gymnastics, are identified as quote unquote Jews.

Part 11 of 12

Of course, all the innocent Jews of faith who tragically lost their life in the Soviet Union's atheistic persecutions of Jews, such as those Jews who were discovered in the mass graves of Katyn are conveniently erased from the Nazi histories. This selective omission is critical in brainwashing the minds of readers to convert them into anti-Jewish parrots, for lack of a better word. Religion and politics equals certain death as George Carlin once so eloquently put it.
After years of exposure to these deceptive publications, Bobby Fischer was lured back out into the public in 1992 for his rematch with Boris Spassky. The rest is history. His hostility toward so-called quote unquote Jews, was cemented. Having myself, once, been indoctrinated by the brain poison of the Judeo Bolshevik Conspiracy myth, I understand from where Bobby Fischer was coming from, although I do not sympathize with the beliefs, I do empathize with the man and the tragic circumstances that led him down that dark winding road froth with lies and dishonesty. One example of this brainwash indoctrination was that Bobby Fischer reportedly called Bill Clinton, a “secret Jew”. Bill and Hillary Clinton make no secret nor apology for their Christian Zionist beliefs. [Christian Zionists outnumber Jewish Zionists, 30 to 1!]

Part 12 of 12

As Joe Biden unapologetically stated “You don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.” The word Zionist was seldom if ever, used in publications I encountered 1970s through 1990s era. Such selective ommission, I believe, intentional, to mislead thousands of people into false belief Judaism and Zionism are synonymous. Such mindless persecution also gives further validation the Israel lobby desperately seeks. Joe Biden, a Catholic, says as much in an interview quoted in 2024, “Zionist is about… Israel.” “Now, you'll be able to make a lot of that because different people don't know what a Zionist is”. I agree. Bobby Fischer read Nazi publications which failed to factually inform. The majority of Jews live around the world identifying only by their faith and many nationalities and benefit nothing from the existence of Israel.
However, those who do benefit from the existence of Israel are primarily of European strain, employed as executives in big oil and weapons industries.
As long as they are allowed to continue convincing people like Bobby Fischer that Judaism and Christian Zionism are synonymous, the status quo of hate movements spawned from such publications will continue, unchecked.

Mom Was a Psychopath

It's so difficult talking about the traumatic experiences that gobbled up and consumed 95% of my childhood, everything from child abuse to child predators. During that time, I was completely alone with no support network but surrounded by gaslighting.

Finally, I've found a medium I feel comfortable with, that makes it easier for me to divulge the thoughts I've kept hidden for decades.

Hi. My mother was a psychopath. She died a couple years ago, so now I feel a little safer to finally open up and share my experiences growing up in the shadow of a Narcissist Psychopath. It was difficult and painful. I survived but not without personal, deeply inflicted trauma that I find myself struggling with daily, even in my fifties. I was not allowed to criticize, or even question, the cruelty of physical, mental and spiritual isolation, which enabled her to carry out abusive neglect and manipulative coercion for decades. That includes manipulating those within her network of influence who were useful to condemn any open criticism of what was taking place behind closed doors. Narcissist Psychopaths are skilled in manipulation, a puppet master of sorts. Right is called wrong, wrong is praised as right when it benefits the matriarch who perceives herself as the all important center of everything. To casual acquaintances on the outside of the matriarch's circle, she presented herself as a Godly Christian who could do no wrong. Always presenting a pleasant demeanor and self control. However, in private, some of we, her children who could not blind ourselves to the symptoms of evil... but we dare not call them by their true name.

I ask you this. How is a child supposed to concentrate on something as simple as school work, when they are being taught any day, the Biblical book of Revelations will fulfil? Their church has a policy of never baptising children. Baptised adults alone are guaranteed the divine protection of God during he time of the great tribulation. Baptized adults will be whisked away to a place of safety, leaving behind the unbaptized, sinners and the unworthy to fend for themselves. That was my childhood, a pervasive fear that when I would arrive home from school, my parents, even my siblings, gone. I would be abandoned. Neglect was commonplace, so in the mind of a 7th Grade student, parents must know best. How is a child supposed to know they are being neglected and doing such things to a child is wrong? That's it too. Who is teaching the child the difference between right and wrong?
Where's the moral compass?
What will I eat? How will I clothe myself? Will I know how to survive in the woods?
Such questions plagued my young mind. My mother nor father never gave a second thought to how the cult's doctrines were affecting their children, because it was after all, only about themselves.

Children were to be seen. Never heard. Our little soul and salvation were totally unimportant.
A child's only purpose for existence was strict, unquestioning obedience to their parents. Parents are, after all, symbolic of the God Hierarchy. Our father symbolizes God and our mother, symbolizing Jesus himself who stands at the right hand of God. Nothing more. Nothing less. All that benefits the matriarch is the be-all and end-all purpose for spiritual faith.