My Encounter with the Key of David

My very first encounter with Armstrongism was not with Meredith's LCG but with Flurry's PCG. I remember many years ago seeing a program called The Key of David. I took a look at it, but because it was not what I expected I just switched the channel and never thought of it again. I am somewhat uncertain whether this actually was The Key of David because if my memory serves correctly there were two men sitting in front of the camera. But I feel certain that the name was the same so I think it was that program. Maybe my memory of what I saw is a bit confused.

Later I saw a letter written to a secular publication about TV programs. I saw this letter praising The Key of David program for making more sense than any other religious program. I think that was around 1997-8. Oh, if only that writer knew just how bad PCG actually is! If only the publishers knew what PCG is really like! Fortunately I did not rise to the bait, and just ignored it.

Later in 2000 I became ensnared in Meredith's LCG. Eventually, around 2001, I discovered LCG apologist Bob Thiel's website which in many ways introduced me to the world of Armstrongism. While reading his article on PCG (which has since been updated and tries to convince the reader to support LCG) I was quite amazed to discover that The Key of David was produced by a church related to LCG. I was unaware of the connection till this moment. I then remembered my previous encounters.

The Key of David was broadcasted in my area. So naturally, out of curiosity, I started watching it around August 2001. Shortly afterward came September 11. Because of that I decided it would be the best time to subscribe to their magazine to see what they had to say. So I read some of their materials. I also ordered some of their booklets, and for some reason whenever I ordered one booklet they often sent me other booklets that I did not order. I wonder if this has happened to anyone else? I know it happened to Jules Dervaes, the unintending inspirer of Malachi's Message, as may be seen in this September 26, 1990 letter. Was Flurry desperately trying to get Dervaes on his side so he would not expose the true source of Malachi's Message? I do not know the with certainty what happened. Also it seems that PCG often sent unsolicited writings in their early days.

There were a few distinctive characteristics that I noted: they said that Satan had been cast down to earth now. HWA and LCG taught that this was in the future. Flurry also put great emphasis that we are to 'prophesy again'. This teaching is absent from other Armstrongites.

Now when I read Bob Theil's article on PCG I was quite amazed by one statement he made. He said that PCG teach that a book they make, Malachi's Message, is the Little Book of Revelation 10. When I read that I honestly could not believe it. I actually suspected that Bob Theil might have been lying to me. I decided to see if this was true. I saw that they offered a booklet entitled The Little Book. That booklet may now be read online but such was not the case at this time. So I ordered for a copy of it.

When I read it I was amazed to discover that, yes, indeed, PCG does teach that Malachi's Message is the Little Book. It was this more than anything else that made me decide not to pay attention to them any more. So I canceled my subscription.

But then they sent me another issue of their recruitment magazine. I did not think anything of it at first. It was only after I renounced Armstrongism that I now wonder if they were trying to lure me back in. But I do not know the truth of the matter.

Because I had read PCG Information I knew Malachi's message was just a rip off of Jules Dervaes' Letter to Laodicea and that HWA applied the 'Prophecy Again' label to himself in 1976 to his meetings of world leaders after 1972, as PCG Information and Bob Theil also stated. This is a clear divergance with what HWA taught. I knew this was a bad outfit (they even blasphemously call Gerald Flurry 'That Prophet'!) so I decided to keep the magazine, that way it could not be used to lure someone else into their false church. They did not send me anything else.

And so ended my brief encounter with PCG. Shortly afterward I watched a sermon by Meredith entitled 'The Elijah Question'. The last third of that sermon was a rebuttal to Flurry's doctrine that Malachi's Message is the Little Book. He said, if memory serves correctly, that 'Prophesy Again' applies only to John writing the rest of the book of Revelation. This sounded much more sensible than the other interpretations. This further convinced me that I had made the right decision in disassociating myself with PCG. Oh, if only I decided to do the same thing with Meredith's LCG.

PCG is an extremely destructive mind control cult, as is plainly shown at Exit and Support Network. PCG teaches utter nonsense (some of which is plagiarized) as PCG Information shows clearly.

The destructive nature of PCG has been clear to observers since at least early 1994. In AR54 February 1994 John Trechak exposed Flurry, showing how Flurry's 'own published writings reveal him very clearly to be a cult leader of the first magnitude.'

He also stated the following, 'While Meredith's B&D church may chastise with spiritual whips, Flurry's group likes to chastise with spiritual scorpions. Flurry's outfit is for those into spiritual S&M - real pain. If you want to be spiritually brutalized, the PCG may be the church for you.'

What really infuriates me about PCG is their enforcement on the ban on medicine (a doctrine which seems to have come from the Jehovah's Witnesses which banned vaccines from 1921 to 1952) and Flurry's savage order to PCG members to cut off all contact with 'Laodiceans' even if they are close family members. This ghastly fact may be seen here and here and within the letters of those impacted by PCG.

No wonder so many PCG members have recently gotten out of it despite the many obstacles in their way. At least we can take some heart in that it appears membership is falling, as may be seen here and in two January 23, 2009 letters to ESN. May the Lord free them one day.

(Update: More on PCG membership figures may be read here.)