Another Failed LCG Prophecy

Just recently the governments of the United States and the Philippines have signed an agreement that allows America to place more troops there as part of a ten year agreement.

The United States and the Philippines will sign a 10-year defense agreement Monday, officials said, one of the clearest signs yet of renewed American engagement in the region at a time when tensions between China and its neighbors have been rising. ...

the pact may reassure several Asian countries embroiled in territorial disputes with China, especially in the South China Sea. It also gives the United States greater flexibility to respond to threats and natural disasters in the region. ...

“This is the most significant defense agreement that we have concluded with the Philippines in decades,” said Evan Medeiros, the National Security Council’s senior director for Asian affairs, (Washington Post.)

Oh how different events have gone from what LCG's Rod McNair forecasted when he wrote an article for LCG's recruitment magazine Why America is Losing Valuable Friends and Allies, which is in the September-October 2000 issue of Tomorrow's World. It is all about supposedly deteriorating relations between the Phillippines and the US. This is cited as evidence that God has cursed America for failing to do what LCG teaches.

Fourteen years later their relations are closer than ever.

So we see once again that these Armstrongite ministers do not have some secret knowledge that reveals to them what will happen in the future. They are just as uncertain as anyone else.

God is not with LCG or any of the Armstrongite groups. They speak merely on their own authority and deceptively use God's name in vain to lead people into deception and exploit them by getting three tithes and extra offerings from them.

Gerald Flurry on the Eve of the Iraq War (2003)

Just before the US invaded Iraq in 2003 Gerald Flurry wrote an editorial discussing the immanent invasion. It was entitled Secretary Powell's UN Report: The Big Lesson We Failed to Learn.

For 12 years, Saddam Hussein has made a mockery of the U.S. and the United Nations. After Secretary of State Colin Powell’s report to the UN on February 5, many people still say there is no smoking gun. Those people probably wouldn’t see a smoking gun unless Saddam shot them personally. 

It is now 2014. Who was right? Secretary Powell on that day or those who doubted him?

Most people also refuse to see a connection between Saddam and the al-Qaeda terrorist network. Saddam attacked Iran and Kuwait. He used chemical warfare against Iran and his own people in Iraq. He tried to assassinate former U.S. President George H.W. Bush (reason enough for America to declare war against him). Still people refuse to believe he is connected to al-Qaeda!

Where is our common sense?

The acts that Gerald Flurry cites here does not prove or even indicate that Saddam Hussein was allied with al Qaeda.

Here Gerald Flurry quotes Secretary Powell's report. Alas, it later turned out that Iraq no longer had weapons of mass destruction. Secretary Powell was greatly mistaken here. "That Prophet" Gerald Flurry completely failed to foresee Secretary Powell's mistake.

Iraq is estimated to have between “100 and 500 tons of chemical weapons agent” (ibid.). Here is another statement from Secretary Powell’s report: “[W]hen Iraq finally admitted having these weapons in 1995, the quantities were vast. Less than a teaspoon of dry anthrax … in an envelope shut down the United States Senate in the fall of 2001. This forced several hundred people to undergo emergency medical treatment and killed two postal workers .…

“Iraq declared 8,500 liters of anthrax, but UNSCOM estimates that Saddam Hussein could have produced 25,000 liters. If concentrated into this dry form, this amount would be enough to fill tens upon tens upon tens of thousands of teaspoons. And Saddam Hussein has not verifiably accounted for even one teaspoonful of this deadly material.

“And that is my third point. And it is key. The Iraqis have never accounted for all of the biological weapons they admitted they had and we know they had. They have never accounted for all the organic material used to make them. And they have not accounted for many of the weapons filled with these agents such as there are 400 bombs. This is evidence, not conjecture. This is true. This is all well-documented. …

“The source [of confirmation of Iraq’s mobile biological agent production program] was an eyewitness, an Iraqi chemical engineer who supervised one of these facilities. He actually was present during biological agent production runs. He was also at the site when an accident occurred in 1998. TWELVE TECHNICIANS DIED FROM EXPOSURE TO BIOLOGICAL AGENTS” (emphasis mine throughout). 

Gerald Flurry then expands on this topic.

One teaspoon of anthrax shut down the U.S. Senate! Two postal workers were killed and others were made ill.

These chemical and biological agents depict a reality of horror beyond anything we can even imagine! ...

Imagine. One drop of the deadly VX nerve agent will kill in minutes! One drop! The Iraqis have four tons! And this report is from the son-in-law who was killed when he returned to Iraq—coaxed back by Saddam. At one time this son-in-law was considered to be Saddam’s replacement. He was in a position to know what was being done in Iraq. 

Maybe that was true then, but when US forces conquered Iraq and inspected things for themselves they found nothing. Turned out the UN inspectors were actually quite effective in preventing Saddam Hussein from maintain such an arsenal. This is all nonsense. "That Prophet" Gerald Flurry completely failed to foresee that.

Gerald Flurry then quotes Secretary Powell to assert that al Qaeda was trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction from Iraq.

Gerald Flurry speaks of Saddam Hussein's alleged link with al Qaeda as something that is most obvious, like saying the sky is blue.

Of course it was later revealed that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction so Saddam Hussein could not give them to al Qaeda even if he wanted to do so. "That Prophet" Gerald Flurry completely failed to foresee these facts.

Powell went on to tell the story of an al-Qaeda operative who is now detained. “This senior al-Qaeda terrorist was responsible for one of al-Qaeda’s training camps in Afghanistan. His information comes firsthand from his personal involvement at senior levels of al-Qaeda. He says bin Laden and his top deputy in Afghanistan, deceased al-Qaeda leader Muhammad Atif, did not believe that al-Qaeda labs in Afghanistan were capable enough to manufacture these chemical or biological agents. They needed to go somewhere else. They had to look outside of Afghanistan for help. Where did they go? Where did they look? They went to Iraq. … And UNLESS WE ACT, WE ARE CONFRONTING AN AN EVEN MORE FRIGHTENING FUTURE.”

It defies imagination to think Saddam would not be connected to al-Qaeda! Look at his history.

And let’s not forget, America is the number-one terrorist target. We have already suffered mightily at their hands. 

In fact Saddam Hussein was not connected to al Qaeda. Secretary Powell was wrong.

Gerald Flurry then ends his editorial by alluding to the second coming which Armstrongites have been breathlessly proclaiming will soon occur continuously since the 1930s.

So much bad news. But look what it is directly connected to—the best news this world has ever heard! Those days WILL BE shortened. The sooner we believe it, the better our future will be!

The big lesson we have failed to learn is that man cannot solve the chemical, biological and nuclear warfare problem. Only God can. When we learn this lesson and truly turn to God, we will solve this horrendous nightmare.

Some "Prophet" Gerald Flurry proved to be. He did not foresee that the US government's case against Iraq was largely made up of nonsense and was soon afterwards proved to be completely wrong.

This proves once again that Gerald Flurry does not have some special insight into world events that allows him to foresee events before they happen. He is just like the normal people who pay the three tithes that PCG's ministers like him live off of. He only pretends to be better then them. Morally speaking he is not.

In 2001 PCG Asked "Is America Becoming Isolationist?"

On the eve of 9/11, in the last issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet to be published before 9/11, PCG's Ron Fraser asked "Is America Becoming Isolationist?" in this article in which he speaks of an "apparent new American isolationism."

This proves that PCG has no special insight that allows them to foresee world events. Shortly after this article was written 9/11 occurred and the United States went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The European Union helped the US in Afghanistan. Some EU members like France and Germany strongly opposed the US government's decision to invade Iraq, but some other EU members like the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Poland and Denmark chose to support the US government and even sent troops to serve in Iraq.

This was written in the last issue before 9/11. This only shows, once again, that the PCG leadership do not have any special information foretelling what will happen in the future.

"Only the Trumpet ... Proclaims the Cause for the Problems of This World"

This paragraph is from an article by PCG's Gary Rethford, written in 2001, which discusses the problem of starving children around the world and then boasts that only the Philadelphia Trumpet magazine reveals the cause behind this problem while charities that feed and cloth them are belittled as only treating the symptoms.

There are organizations dedicated to the feeding and saving of children. We do not fault their efforts. They have purpose and determination. But at best, they can only partially treat the effect. Only the Trumpet magazine proclaims the cause for the problems of this world: disobedience to God’s law! There is room for more laborers in this mighty cause.

Just imagine. PCG members are told by their leaders, like Gary Rethford, that only PCG's leadership reveals the cause for world problems like starving children. PCG members are made to believe, in an elitist way, that they and they alone are the only ones who can truly help people in this manner. Believing things like this it is no wonder that so many PCG members fanatically believe that they are duty bound not just to Armstrongism's God but also to all of humanity to remain in PCG. This is despite the PCG's leadership's orders to shun "Laodiceans" and their other draconian requirements.

What non-COG readers will not know is that within PCG "disobedience to God's law" translates in practice as: do whatever PCG ministers tell you to do. Some of the things PCG minsters will order new members to do include shunning WCG members and ex-WCG who have not joined PCG even if they are close family members or friends (PCG leaders like Stephen Flurry are exempt from this rule), pay three tithes and extra offerings, abstain from birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Halloween and St. Valentine's Day. There are many other issues as well but these serve well enough to make manifest the authoritarian character of PCG.

PCG Claiming to Have the Only True Education

The following paragraph comes from an article by PCG's Ryan Malone promoting PCG's youth magazine, True Education, which was written in 2000. Here he belittles other youth magazines in order to promote his own.

It is promoted as being free yet there is no mention of how PCG members are required to pay three tithes and extra offerings.

The PCG is so dedicated to helping the younger generation find its way that it pays for all printing and distribution costs. This quarterly magazine is absolutely FREE to its subscribers, with no obligation. Ordering information is on this magazine’s table of contents. Write for a free one-year subscription (four issues) to the only magazine that can give young people a TRUE education.

Also it needs to be stated that, contrary to the impression Ryan Malone gives here, in fact there are many COG publications that promote the doctrines of Armstrongism that PCG's youth magazine teaches.

We see once again PCG claiming that they have something that no one else in the world has. Making this claim over and over again is one way that PCG's leadership have been able to be so authoritarian towards PCG members and way PCG have degraded into the authoritarian nightmare it has long fallen into.

Is The Philadelphia Trumpet Unique?

As COG insiders know there are literally hundreds of (usually very small) COG groups all descended from HWA's WCG. No doubt it is hard to distinguish oneself from the rest.

Or you can just pretend that you are the only one when in fact there are many others out there, as may be seen in this editorial from Gerald Flurry from the December 1999 issue of the Philadelphia Trumpet.

Some of you have been reading the Trumpet for years. But many of you are new subscribers—our subscription list has more than doubled this year. Our newer readers might find it amazing that the Trumpet is not even ten years old (though we continue the Work started by Herbert W. Armstrong in 1927). We’re still young—in fact, we only published our 100th issue a couple of months ago. But we have benefitted from the advancing technology you will read about in this issue. From the beginning, the Trumpet has been completely computer generated, although our first issue was little more than a photocopy of a word-processing document. So technology has quickly brought this magazine up to a level of quality that would make any newsmagazine proud. But there is more to this magazine than its quality appearance. You have, no doubt, already noticed that.

This magazine is unique. Where do you find another medium even similar to it? There is no other magazine on this planet like it!  

The Philadelphia Trumpet is not unique. Many thousands of WCG members and ex-WCG members know exactly where to go to find another "medium" very "similar to it". There are many other magazines like PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet.

This statement of Gerald Flurry's is very misleading. He says this in the hope of gaining more tithe paying converts.

Does PCG's No Contact Policy Apply to Stephen Flurry?

Way back in 2009 I read Stephen Flurry's book, Raising the Ruins, and extensively documented what I read in that book.

While reading that book I noted that Stephen Flurry stated that he had a "telephone interview" with Aaron Dean as may be seen in this previous post. 

1986: HWA rejects Meredith and chooses Joseph W. Tkach as successor. 'Privately, [HWA] also told several leaders that Rod Meredith should never be in that position [leadership]. (Tkach. Jr., Tansformed by Truth, Chapter 6)'
This assertion is also supported by Aaron Dean (UCG), a close aid to HWA at the time, as recorded by Stephen Flurry (PCG). He states that HWA said to him that Meredith must never become leader of the church, and he also says this is why HWA appointed Tkach lest Meredith should take over (Stephen Flurry, Raising the Ruins, Chapter 3). Some of my thoughts on that book may be seen elsewhere. (By the way, the book says that Dean was saying all this in a 'telephone interview', if I understand correctly. Was this before or after the No Contact rule?) Even if we assume that Tkach, Dean and Flurry are just trying to discredit him, it cannot be denied that HWA did not choose Meredith. AR42 September 1989 also discusses the succession but Mr. Trechak here seems unaware of HWA's fear of Meredith. AR52 June 1993 also states the following: 'In fact, before HWA had even died, Meredith privately made statements to the effect that he, and not Tkach, should be Armstrong's successor.'

In HWA's last days he was greatly helped by Aaron Dean who acted as his secretary. Famously HWA thanked Aaron Dean for assisting him in producing his (very badly mistaken) book, Mystery of the Ages. He is now a UCG minster.

Now it needs to be stated here that PCG members are forbidden to have contact "Laodiceans". PCG Information explains the situation. Because of the severity of the situation I shall quote at length. (Yellow highlighting is mine.)

During the time period from about 1990 through 1993 when the Philadelphia Church of God was growing, contact with Church members outside the PCG was encouraged. From about 1994 to 1997 little was said about contact with non-PCG Church members, but it gradually became generally discouraged. In 1998 Gerald Flurry stated, "You could legitimately say that over 95 percent of God's people today have been disfellowshipped!" (PN [Philadelphia News] May/June 1998 pg. 4 left col. p5)

And then in July of 2000 came a taped sermon, not by Gerald Flurry, but by another headquarters minister obviously at his direction [M. Nash, presumably Mark Nash], which explicitly defined a Laodicean as any current or former WCG member who was not a member of the Philadelphia Church of God. The sermon stated that all such individuals had "disfellowshipped themselves by their own actions," and were to be treated as such -- members who had been disfellowshipped and marked (since this was done publicly). ...

Gerald Flurry's mis-application of the disfellowshipping doctrine was printed in the July/Aug. 2004 Royal Vision, pg. 3, and made even more strict in the PGR 2005-12-10, pg. 1-2 (no doubt due to loss of members through contact with their families).

Gerald Flurry's mass disfellowshipping of the "Gerald-Flurry-defined Laodiceans" is biblically baseless. ...

While it is obvious that many in the WCG have turned away from the doctrines taught by HWA, they were by no means trying to cause division within the PCG.  They were not even in the PCG, and posed no threat whatsoever to PCG members who had already been exposed to, and rejected, their teachings.  

There were also many WCG members who still held to the doctrines taught by HWA, and were not trying to cause division within the PCG.  These certainly did not meet the criteria for being disfellowshipped / marked, as their only "crime" was not following Gerald Flurry—some because they didn't accept his claims, and others because they never heard of him or didn't read his literature.

And then there are the many groups that have left the WCG for the very reason of keeping the biblical doctrines taught by HWA.  How can Gerald Flurry say they are causing division contrary to the doctrines we have learned?  He says it is because they have rejected the government of God, but in fact what they have rejected is nothing more than Gerald Flurry's attempt to establish his own government.

There is clearly one reason and one reason only for Gerald Flurry's mass disfellowshipping – he fears exposure, the very type of exposure you are reading now in this document.  Gerald Flurry wishes to keep his followers isolated and under his control (please read the section on Mind Control).

This astoundingly draconian policy has been enforced, tearing apart numerous families and friends from each other.

Here is one example of Gerald Flurry's no contact policy being enforced, as may be seen in this letter written to Gerald Flurry. This was written in 2006.

My mother [a member of PCG, aged 88] was recently informed that she is not to communicate with either my sister or myself, presumably on the grounds that we are now under the influence of Satan and she is in danger of being influenced to leave your "church" by our persuasion, born of the devil. ... 

Let me here then move on to inform, assure you, or perhaps to attempt to persuade you, that the main purpose of my letter here is to inform you of my love for my mother.

At age 88, in her twilight years, the only concern of her four children is that she lives happily, for whatever time is left for her. She has been so happy in your organization that she has even moved 200 kilometres to be able to attend services and even struggled to the Feast of Tabernacles this year.

I understand that you believe and teach that my leaving the WCG is a result of me "waxing cold," becoming Laodicean, or "lukewarm" and that my actions are an influence of Satan the Devil. There is no doubt in my mind that any influence of Satan, is with this preposterous ruling you are enforcing, to force a very old and faithful lady into her remaining few years, with misery as her comfort instead of her church.

The idea that this may somehow have an influence on me to rejoin you instead of having your lack of Godliness confirm the reasons I left, only indicates your lack of wisdom and your inability to demonstrate discernment, by the Spirit of the Eternal and with the Mind of God.

I realise you believe your group to be the only true church and that you have all knowledge, all truth and know all things. Your big problem is, without the love of God you are a "tinkling cymbal" 1 Cor.13 (In case you've forgotten).

A fear that your members might be influenced by ex members, other churches or contrary writings, surely demonstrates a lack of confidence in the convictions of your members and the strength of your arguments. 

Why not let their belief be tested by fire, fiery debates and their faith--as my mother's has. Are your members so weak and easily influenced? Are your arguments so flawed? ...

Christ asked the disciple to take care of his mother as he was about to be sacrificed. I wonder what he will say to you, attempting to deny me of doing the same for my mother?

This attitude of hatred towards "Laodiceans" may also be seen in this letter to The Journal, written in 2001. 

[A writer in a previous issue] mentioned that the ministers of the PCG made no effort to offer condolences or even contact those in the family who weren't members of the church.

I know why they didn't. The ministers believe they are the only members in the inner court of God's spiritual temple. To them it is practically a sin to do something as simple as offer a condolence to a nonmember, especially if that person is a member of another Church of God. To them such people are nothing but nasty Laodiceans who are to be treated as though they have been marked.

I know this because an Edmond minister said this several years ago in a sermon. He said brethren in any of the other offshoot churches should be regarded as marked and disfellowshipped.

The longer I am out of the PCG, the more I see how hypocritical and arrogant it is, specifically the ministry, which rules by fear and intimidation. Yet most of the lay members are honest, decent and faithful. I hope they wake up in time to see how misled they are.

(This letter was also mentioned in the self ordained false prophet Bob Thiel's article regarding PCG.)

On December 3, 2005, Gerald Flurry made another sermon "clarifying" the no contact policy which was reported in The Journal.

Indeed, Mr. Flurry, along with several other modern-day Church of God leaders, seems to see Laodiceans as worse than abject heathens. PCG members are permitted to have friendly contact with supposed heathens--those who have never been Sabbath-keeping Christians, including members of Sunday-observant churches--but not with their fellow Church of God members whom the PCG judges to be Laodiceans.

"I want to clarify the Philadelphia Church of God's policy on contact with disfellowshipped family members," Mr. Flurry told the brethren in Edmond Dec. 3. "This issue has not been clear among all our ministers and members. We need to become more unified on it."...

"In the past," he [Gerald Flurry] said "some members" have operated under the mistaken notion that "relationships" with family members are permitted "as long as religion is not discussed." But "that is not what God says."

The Bible "makes it clear that there should be a complete cut-off" of contact with any family member, no matter how closely related, with only two exceptions. [Namely non-PCG spouse or unbaptized children. - Redfox.] ...

Although they may associate with their children as long as they were never converted, "if your children have been baptized and left [the PCG], that relationship should be severed. We must obey God's command." [These are Gerald Flurry's words.]

So we see this is a most serious matter.

Does this no contact rule apply to PCG's leaders?

Apparently not to Stephen Flurry.

I have just learned that PCG has released the notes for Stephen Flurry's book, Raising the Ruins, and it notes when Stephen Flurry interviewed Aaron Dean by telephone. Here is the relevant footnote.

Personal interview with Aaron Dean, November 22, 2005. (Footnotes, 5, 7, 14 and 28 for Chapter 3. Footnotes 1 and 23 for Chapter 4. Footnote 1 for Chapter 5.)

Clearly Stephen Flurry had contact with Aaron Dean after the PCG imposed its no contact policy.

This is five years after Nash's sermon declaring all WCG members or ex-WCG members not in PCG ("Laodiceans") are to be regarded as disfellowshipped and marked. PCG members are ordered to have no contact with these persons.

But Stephen Flurry is allowed to talk, presumably at length, with one of these "Laodiceans", Aaron Dean. He seems to have experienced no punishment at all for violating PCG's no contact policy. 

So it seems clear there are is a severe double standard here. PCG lay members are expected to shun family and friends, even their own children if necessary, in order to stay in good standing with PCG. But Stephen Flurry is allowed to have a long telephone interview with a "Laodicean" like Aaron Dean. 

It is clear that the only purpose of the no contact policy is to control PCG members so that they continue paying three tithes and extra offerings to the bank accounts of PCG minsters. The PCG ministers expect PCG lay members to sacrifice all these things but the PCG ministers indulge in contacting "Laodiceans" all they please.

The only purpose of the no contact policy is to control people. There is no good intention behind this on the part of PCG's leaders. The leaders of PCG are just trying to control people. That is the only conclusion I can reach after seeing this conduct from PCG's leaders.

Bob Thiel's Kenyan Collaborator Arrested for Shooting at Police

Like many among the ex-COG blogosphere I suspected the self ordained false prophet Bob Thiel's attempt to expand into Africa was largely an illusion and it seemed fairly likely he was getting scammed by his supposed African followers. But I certainly did not expect things to fall apart for him like this.

Banned by HWA has reported that Bob Thiel's representative in Kenya, George Obunga Otieno, has been arrested and sentenced to life in prison after attempting to shoot at police officers who were trying to arrest him on fraud related charges.

Bob Thiel's attempt to gain glory and tithe paying converts in Kenya seemed to have reached a severe and humiliating block.

David Robinson on the Lochner Tapes

During the chaotic days of the HWA-Rader era rumors emerged that HWA's personal masseuse Floyd Lochner had surreptitiously taped HWA speaking in a way that, if it went public, would completely discredit him. John Tuit describes what he knows in Chapter 21 of The Truth Shall Set You Free. Tuit eventually confronted Lochner about these tapes. It is a most intriguing read. I alluded to this in a previous post.

It is impossible to confirm anything but it needs to be said here that John Tuit suspected that Lochner was aligned with Rader and Rader used the tapes to blackmail HWA into doing Rader's bidding.

Naturally while reading David Robinson's book, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web, I was most intrigued to see what he had to say about it.

David Robinson did not hear the tapes himself but he talked with some who did.

He mentions the Lochner tapes in Chapter 6.

Those who have heard portions of the tape say they not only verify my own saddening experience but reveal HWA to be both extremely debaucherous and a total and calculating religious hypocrite. Perhaps in the near future copies of the tape will be made public. I certainly hope so. (Chapter 6, p. 86.)

Later Robinson states that Garner Ted Armstrong said that HWA was paying to keep the Lochner tapes secret. Garner Ted Armstrong thought they should just be made public and then they deal with the consequences whatever they may be. (Chapter 8, p. 92.)

Later David Robinson mentioned the Lochner tapes to Raymond McNair and he admitted it was a problem but was very reluctant to talk about it. (Chapter 17, p. 223.)

Reading John Tuit's book I could not help but wonder if HWA had mentioned his incest in the Lochner tapes. (Keith Hunt, a COG preacher who hosts John Tuit's book on his website, suspected this was the case and stated this opinion in comments he embedded with Tuit's book.) But after reading Robinson's account I cannot help but suspect that he did not mention the incest in the Lochner tapes based on how the persons behaved according to David Robinson's descriptions.

(Of course until the Lochner tapes go public it is impossible to confirm anything one way or the other aside from testimony from those who heard them.)

It is a most intriguing tale of the HWA-Rader era. Eventually HWA deposed Rader in 1981 and luckily for HWA the tapes were never released. As others, including the Painful Truth have stated, I hope this situation changes.

Overview of the May-June 2014 Philadelphia Trumpet

PCG has released the May-June, 2014 issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let us see what they have to say.

Gerald Flurry's preface uses a speech by President Putin in order to bring up the Yugoslav Wars in order to accuse Germany of engineering Yugoslavia's destruction. He does this to demonize Germany in order to make the idea that Europe will soon conquer America more plausible.

Robert Morley writes about the recent spying revelations concerning the National Security Agency.

Jeremiah Jacques has a little article insisting that PCG's dogmas concerning cosmology and the origin of the Universe are not challenged by the recent discovery of waves that seem to support the theory of inflation.

Dennis Leap has an article condemning the occult. Personally I am no fan of such things but PCG simply uses this fear in order to keep PCG members isolated from society and thus dependent upon remaining in PCG's good will.

Gerald Flurry has an article which exploits the recent crisis over the Ukraine by claiming it is a sign that the Great Tribulation is just about to occur. Armstrongites have been saying this since the 1930s and their dire predictions have always failed.

Richard Palmer has a little side article insisting that some Eastern European nations must be a part of the European Beast Power.

(By the way Richard Palmer is the one who tried to minimize the Srebrenica massacre as a "crime of passion".)

Brad MacDonald has an article insisting that the European Beast Power is supposed to be very strong and very weak at the same time. He does this in order to make PCG members ignore the current weakness of the European Union in order to make a European Beast Power seem more plausible. He also speculates that Karl-Theodor zu Guttenburg will fulfill some prophetic role in the near future.

The Trumpet believes that Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg could be the Daniel 8 man. (p. 15.)

Gerald Flurry, using HWA's teaching of the sixth trumpet, has another article insisting that China and India supports Russia's annexation of the Crimea. He insists this is a forerunner of the Kings of the East that, in Armstrongite prophecy, is said to attack the European Beast Power in the final stages of World War III.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article recounting Pope John Paul II's role in helping to end the Iron Curtain in order to emphasize the Papacy's supposed role in the European Beast Power.

Gerald Flurry has another article insisting that President Putin is spoken of in Ezekiel 38 and 39 and that they predict his doom at the hand of God several years after Christ's return.

Vladimir Putin is a sign, literally a SIGN that Jesus Christ is about to return! (p. 21. Capitalized in original.)

Gerald Flurry has yet another article insisting that it is important to watch events in Lebanon. He insists that current leaders will forge an alliance (the Psalm 83 nations) to destroy America, Britain and (the State of) Israel. As has been documented previously Gerald Flurry has changed this doctrine to say the nations of Psalm 83 are separate and distinct from the King of the South.

(Incidentally Gerald Flurry teach that the King of the South is to be Iran, even though it is east of Jerusalem, not south. In the Bible geography is based on the Holy Land. So when it talks of the east or the south it means south of the Holy Land, east of the Holy Land, etc. It never ceases to amaze me that Gerald Flurry was this ignorant of geography and how the Biblical authors would write of it.)

Stephen Flurry has a little article encouraging PCG members to lead lives of service for others. What non-COG readers do not know is that this is to prepare potential converts to have to pay three tithes and extra offerings to the leaders of PCG. (I am surprised he writes so little in this issue.)

Brad MacDonald has a little article insisting that problems are caused by human nature and therefore it is impossible to solve the great crises today because of human nature. We must wait for Christ to return to solve these problems.    

So we see yet another magazine produced in order to persuade PCG members that they need to pay three tithes and extra offerings to them in order to gain protection from a fabricated threat of an invasion by a European Beast Power in the future. Through this issues PCG continues to try to sustain the bubble of power that its leadership have cocooned themselves in.

LCG's Prophecy Comes Alive Column, A Cesspool of False Alarmism

LCG's recruitment magazine, Tomorrow's World, contains a column entitled Prophecy Comes Alive, written by Douglas Winnail.

Here are the titles of this column since it first started in the March-April, 2001, issue of Tomorrow's World. 

Notice how they simply preach the same alarmist, fear inducing false prophesies regardless of what actually happens in the real world. They show no humbleness considering the many times they made inaccurate predictions, not least HWA's false prophecy that Christ would return in 1975.

2001

Jerusalem's Sobering Future!
Are We Living in the Last Days?
Decline of the West-Why?
The Return of Epidemic Diseases
Significant Religious Trends

2002

The Euro: Prelude to a Superstate?
Eco-Crisis: The Real Significance
Europe-Building a Beast
Moral Decline Ahead
Warnings Ignored!
The Trap of Ecumenism

2003

A Beauty and the Beast
Sodom Rises Again!
The True Gospel Restored!
Betrayed - For a Reason!
Europe and the Vatican Agenda
Peace on Earth?

2004

Where are the "Lost" Tribes of Israel?
Disease Epidemics: The Forth Horseman
Famine Ahead: The Third Horseman
Violence and War: The Second Horseman
Children will Rule!
The Mysterious First Horseman!

2005

Times of the Gentiles
Lovers become Rivals
God's People will Forget God!
Tribulation Ahead!
Globalization of Greed!
A Different Gospel?

2006

Disaster Upon Disaster!
Coming: A Famine of the Word!
The Return of Germany
American Gates in Peril!
The Petrine Deception
Spiritual Blindness Prophecized!

2007

The Beast Begins to Stir!
God, Religion and the European Union
Scoffers in the Last Days
Droughts and Famines Increasing
They Stumble Together!
Blind Leaders of the Blind

2008

Your Allies will Forsake You!
Jerusalem's Amazing Future!
Times of the Gentiles
National Blindness Prophesied!
Sudden Calamities Ahead!
Finding the "Lost" Tribes of Israel

2009

The Final Crusade!
A World Deceived!
Signs of Disaster Down Under?
A Famine of the Word?
Promoting Evil, Condemning Good!
End-Time Religious Deception!

2010

Returns, Rebellions and Rome
Debt, Disobedience and the Demise of Nations
Religion's Misguided Shepherds!
The Criminalization of Christianity!
The Daughter of Babylon?
Oceans in Trouble!

2011

Forgotten Lessons
Germany's Quiet Comeback!
The True Gospel Proclaimed!
Forgetfulness, Disobedience and Sudden Demise!
The New "Normal"?
Coming: A "United States of Europe"!

2012

Twilight of the Gods
The End of the Age!
The Demise of the West
The Great Rebellion Against God
When Nations Despise God
When Leaders Go Astray!

2013

Famines and Shortages Ahead!
Ominous Trends in Israelite Nations
[None in May-June issue.]
A World of Greed!
An Empire Rising Again?
[None in November-December]

2014

[None in January-February issue.]
Last Days Prophesied! 

The leaders of LCG, such as Douglas Winnail, show no humbleness considering the many times they and their predecessors made inaccurate predictions, not least HWA's false prophecy that Christ would return in 1975.

Whether events are good or bad Winnail and Co. will simply teach the same fear inducing false prophesies in order to maintain their power over LCG members.

Kindly Woman Transformed Into "Very Bitter And Angry Woman" in PCG

Exit and Support Network has published another heart rending letter. (See April 14 letter.)

I have a friend whose wife is in PCG. She divorced him on the advice of Samuel Seebran [See: February 5, 2014 letter: "Samuel Seebran Continues His Reign of Terror" for more about Seebran]. Even though they have joint custody, his wife physically and verbally abuses their young son. She instills fear in him telling him that his [other family members] are not in the "church" and that Satan got to them; that they won't go to a place of safety and that they lost out on salvation and are damned. She has become a very bitter and angry woman when before I knew her as a soft spoken, kind and caring person. I was shocked and amazed when I heard this. When my friend was in the WCG, he heard of these situations but it was quickly and quietly swept under the rug but now he is experiencing it first hand. When I was a member, I heard of similar things in the PCG youth camps (PYC) but brushed it off as "teen rebellion and lack of respect for authority" as the camp officials were very strict and disciplined. I have heard of correcting and disciplining one's child by spanking but this has turned into child abuse. His wife refers to Seebran as "a minister from God" (isn't this a form of idol worship?) and told him that God is not pleased with him because he abandoned the "church." In a recent Sabbath sermon Seebran stated that Satan has possessed my friend. --Former PCG member

PCG in Trinidad and Tobago appears to have been in a particularly turbulent state since around late 2012. It appears to have undergone a mass defection since then, from what little can be gathered about this.

It is most tragic that families and friendships are torn apart in this manner.

Alas, such destructive behavior is all too common among the COGs, with peoples lives torn apart for the benefit of the powerful.

Restricted, Senoirs Only FOTs?

Silenced has released a post, Elder Abuse in the COG?, revealing that some COGs appear to be placing elderly members to restricted FOT where they are required to stay and pay for their own accommodation. Silenced mentions that this practice leaves senior members open to abusive exploitation.

PCG Exploits Yugosalv Wars to Demonize Germany

If PCG's superficially pro-Serbian stance regarding the Yugoslav Wars can be summed up in one paragraph, it is this one from Stephen Flurry, written in 1999.

As pointed out in “The Unseen Danger in Kosovo” (page 6), Germany stood against the whole world in 1991 by recognizing Croatia. That, not Slobodan Milosevic, is the reason civil war has erupted in Yugoslavia. That point cannot be overemphasized. (Stephen Flurry, NATO: Why Bomb Serbia, The Philadelphia Trumpet, May 1999.)

And it needs to be pointed out that PCG's leaders do not care a fig about any of the peoples of Yugoslavia. Why have they not used their Philadelphia Foundation to help any one in the former Yugoslavia, Serb or otherwise? Why did they spend $24 million building Armstrong Auditorium when they could have used that to serve the poor in former Yugoslavia, or any one else?

He means Slobodan Milošević, by the way.

PCG Feast Sites Revealed (Exit and Support Network)

Exit and Support Network has published a letter listing where PCG will be having their Feast sites this year.

April 10, 2014

Edmond, OK (headquarters)
Columbus, OH
Indian Wells, CA
Nashua, NH
Stone Mountain, GA
Osoyoos, BC, Canada
St. George's, Grenada
Enfield, Ireland
Hunter Valley (NSW), Australia
Clark, Philippines
Tshipise, South Africa (105 km to the west of the Kruger National Park and 54 km South of the Zimbabwe border)

The new site in the USA is Stone Mountain, GA. The new site in South Africa is Tshipise. PCG FOT sites have been going down. In 2012 they had 13 sites; in 2013 they had 11 sites; in 2014 they have 11 sites. 

The gradual decline of Feast sites is not a good sign for PCG.

It seems many PCG members are waking up and have perceived that they do not need the PCG ministers' approval to live a happy and productive life.

Many PCG members are seeing past what their leaders are telling them and see there is no need to let them rule over their lives.

Many PCG members now see their enemy is not some non-existent European Empire, but the men who lead them.

Many PCG members have chosen to liberate themselves in order to love and serve their family and friends without restriction.

They are leaving PCG.

Thoughts on Easter

Soon it will be Easter. Currently the COGs are now celebrating their version of Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Over the years many have one way or another renounced a COG organization, but some may still believe that Easter is idolatrous and/or hold residual loathing of Easter. 

I wish to state here that:

The leaders of the COGs forbade us from celebrating Easter in order to isolate us from non-WCG family and friends.

That is the true reason Easter was forbidden. When we saw our family and friends celebrating Easter (whether religiously or in a more secular manner) we reminded ourselves that they were deceived and we knew the truth.

When it became clear that we and our non-WCG family and friends could not act together because of "the truth" (HWA forbidding Easter) we had to choose between our non-WCG family and friends or WCG or its various COG splinter groups.

Alas, many of us chose WCG or one of the COG splinter groups.

There is no need to fear if the God taught by HWA and his imitators will be angry at you for celebrating Easter. HWA's Easter ban was simply a tool to isolate us from our non-WCG family and friends.

It is also useful to mention that a lot of what HWA and his imitators taught regarding Easter is largely in error.

Take a look at this blog post from Martha at As Bereans Did. She makes many insightful points. Did Easter come from the resurrection of Tammuz (allegedly Nimrod)

Wait, didn't the holiday name come from the Babylonian fertility goddess Ishtar? Probably not. COGs connect Ishtar to Easter through her consort, Tammuz, who died and rose from the dead each year in Babylonian mythology. Several Easter traditions supposedly come from this vegetation god - Lent is really the weeping for Tammuz mentioned in Ezekiel 8:14 and sunrise services marked his resurrection.

The problem is, mythology places Tammuz' resurrection long after the Passover - during the summer month both the Hebrew and Babylonian calendar call "Tammuz."

She has much more to say relevant to anyone who thinks that Easter is forbidden. 

 

As Bereans Did helpfully has some text regarding Easter in its sidebar.

Here are some articles that we hope will challenge and inform you:
Three Days and Three Nights
Wednesday Crucificion? Not Likely
Easter FAQ
Easter History part I
Easter History part II
Must Christians Observe the Old Covenant Passover?
Were Gentiles in Corinth Observing the Old Covenant Passover?
The Babylon Connection
The Two Sabbaths of Matthew 28

Regardless of whether one is celebrating (Armstrongite) Passover or Easter I hope everyone will enjoy a good and happy days in the following weekend.

Tell the Lithuanian Ambassador to the USA the Truth About PCG

PCG's TheTrumpet.com has released an article, written by Jeremiah Jacques, which contains comments from an interview with the Lithuanian Ambassador to the US and Mexico, Žygimantas Pavilionis. The interview was conducted by telephone on April 8.

It is very likely that Ambassador Žygimantas Pavilionis has no idea that TheTrumpet.com is run by a remarkably harmful and destructive group that has shown over and over again a horrifying disregard for the well being of its members and has often exploited its members in harmful ways, such as ordering PCG members to three tithes and extra offerings, ordering PCG members not to have contact with "Laodiceans" or ex-members, or discouraging PCG members from going to doctors or taking medicine and other such destructive behavior.

Therefore I encourage everyone who knows the true nature of PCG to respectfully write to the Lithuanian embassy and explain the true nature of PCG and TheTrumpet.com.

(If it is necessary I encourage any such writers to protect their identity from disclosure by others if this is an issue.)

Here is the contact page of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States of America and the United Mexican States.

You can contact them by email at these addresses: 

amb.us@urm.lt 

info@usa.mfa.lt

PCG's leaders know very few people are aware of what it truly is and they rely on this anonymity to operate without suspicion. Let us reveal the truth about PCG and TheTrumpet.com to the Lithuanian Embassy.

Armstrongites Still in Denial About HWA and 1975

Banned by HWA has a great post showing one Armstrongite still in denial about the false prophecy of 1975. This Armstrongite misleadingly claims that HWA did not set 1975 as the date for Christ's return. He then cites HWA's booklet, 1975 in Prophecy, to claim that science and industry set the date for 1975, not HWA.

It is a strange fact that HWA never bothered to explain the false reasoning behind why he chose 1975 as the date for Christ's return in that booklet. One must look to other sources to see more clearly that HWA did teach that Christ would return in 1975. One such source is Herman Hoeh's (very inaccurate) booklet, A True History of the True Church.

Here Herman Hoeh claims that the original Apostolic church had two 19 year time cycles (AD 31-69) to preach its message before being suppressed as a result of the Romans' violent suppression of the Jewish revolt. He claimed that the Radio Church of God had also been given two 19 year time cycles (1934-72) to preach it message. Then in 1972 the Great Tribulation would force the Radio Church of God into hiding and Christ would return three and a half years later in 1975.

A DOOR Opens

The time had come for the gospel TO GO AROUND THE WORLD!

Having tested and proven that Mr. Armstrong would remain faithful and subject to His government, God opened before him and a few faithful brethren the marvelous DOOR of radio and the printing press to carry forth the gospel. From a minute beginning in Oregon, in 1934, the work of God spread to cover much of North America in 19 years. In 1953 it leaped to Europe and the world!

This is very significant.

God gave the Apostolic Church JUST TWO nineteen-year cycles to carry the gospel to the Old World. He opened a DOOR to the apostle Paul AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND NINETEEN-YEAR CYCLE by which the gospel went to Europe (Acts 16:9; 11 Cor. 2:12-13).

So now, just before the second coming of Jesus Christ, God has given His Church -- THIS CHURCH -- JUST TWO nineteen-year cycles in which to carry the gospel to the world!

The first cycle PASSED. Then God suddenly opened the door for the second cycle in January 1953, and the gospel is now going to all the world!

All this and more is further elaborated and explained in my previous post, Why 1975? Or if you want a quick explanation there is also Why 1975? Abridged.

So we see that this Armstrongite is completely wrong and in error on this matter. What else are they wrong about?

Gerald Flurry Dares to (Hypocritically) Preach About Self Righteousness

Banned by HWA has a great post at the moment detailing how, despite the numerous things he has done, Gerald Flurry still preaches at his PCG followers about the flaw of self righteousness.

Considering how PCG members are impoverished by paying three tithes and extra offerings, are indoctrinated to fear doctors and medicine to their ill health (and sometimes death), that they are told by Gerald Flurry that a book derived from Jules Dervaes' writings is a book spoken of in Revelation 10 and was delivered to him by angels, and many other matters Gerald Flurry of course is the last person who has the right to speak about such things.

David Robinson on Raymond McNair, Rader's Collaborator

David Robinson shares his impressions of Raymond McNair in his book, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web. He was especially concerned with the fact that he chose to collaborate with Stanley Rader during the receivership crisis in 1979.

At one point David Robinson talked with Stanley Rader about Raymond McNair and expressed concern that he was in the new "loyalty committee" but, in Robinson's opinion, he seemed to lack the personal character to be a judge of other people. Robinson reported that Raymond McNair was nicknamed "Buffie" because HWA had once called him a buffoon.

I discussed with Stan how lacking in perception Raymond McNair is and how it troubled me he was connected with the new "loyalty committee." I thought a judge must be perceptive, as well as having good judgement. I didn't think Raymond had those qualities. He was widely known in the field as "Buffie," because it was widely known or rumored that Herbert Armstrong himself referred to Raymond as a "buffoon." Stan said not to worry as he would not be judging me. (Chapter 13, p. 162.)   

Chapter 17 is devoted to describing Robinson's impressions of Raymond McNair. He appeared to be a man who deeply yearned for glory, but knew he could only do this by attaching himself to HWA's cause. He also tended to be quite compassionate and without malice while he was alone. But if he was part of a group he could then become nasty.

Robinson heard from Raymond McNair himself that in 1976 HWA sought McNair out to meet him in order to encourage him to remarry after he divorced his first wife. 

Robinson also revealed that McNair was perfectly capable of misrepresenting events to WCG members for personal gain. For instance he boasted that he was instrumental in the creation of the Systematic Theology Project.

Raymond came back from the conference [in 1978] exuberant. He mounted his pulpit waving the new Systematic Theology Project triumphantly. He reminded his listeners of his time spent on the Doctrinal Committee and how it was now paying off. He had contributed handsomely to this new project. Now the beliefs of the church were codified, and had been a major contributor! (Chapter 17, p. 214.)

But as the winds changed HWA denounced the Systematic Theology Project and claimed it was part of an attempt by Garner Ted Armstrong to overthrow him, liberalize WCG doctrine and he insisted that it was done without his knowledge. Raymond McNair chose to collaborate with HWA's charade to be in his good graces. He insisted that HWA was unaware of the Systematic Theology Project but in fact McNair knew better.

The fact that Raymond upheld HWA's direct, forceful, and often repeated denial of any knowledge of the Systematic Theology Project was a strong signal to his peers that Raymond would misrepresent on command from HWA. There were too many reports that Raymond possessed positive knowledge to the contrary. (Chapter 17, p. 215.)   

Robinson explained elsewhere that HWA was always able to stop any change in practice or doctrine if he simply wanted to. The claim HWA made that senior WCG ministers were covertly kept away from him by Garner Ted Armstrong seems to be simply untrue.

On pages 218-9 Robinson reports that he and his wife confronted Raymond McNair on why he incorrectly proclaimed in sermons that Garner Ted Armstrong had silenced him (and Meredith) and prevented him from contacting HWA when he knew that it was HWA who had demoted him at that time. McNair admitted that it was HWA, not Garner Ted Armstrong, who was behind his demotion. He had no good explanation for misrepresenting the situation.

When the State of California began to investigate the financial practices of WCG's leadership prompting the receivership HWA at first desired to cooperate with the investigation. However Rader went into action and reversed this initial policy and got HWA to vehemently oppose the receivership and to falsely claim it threatened freedom of religion.

It is Robinson's contention that as part of securing his power over WCG during the receivership crisis Rader planned to bring the ministry under his control. To do this he used Meredith and Raymond McNair. It appears he offered them great power if they worked with him. Robinson was deeply disappointed with these men for choosing to align themselves with Rader during this crisis.

It shall always accrue to Raymond's shame that he lent himself to this devilish plot to overthrow the ministry itself. (Chapter 17, p. 220.)

Robinson reports that Raymond McNair was "like a madman" when he lashed out during the infamous meeting in which those who wished to cooperate with the receivers (including his own brother, Burk McNair) were viciously cast out of Ambassador Auditorium.

For Raymond McNair to stand that Friday morning and bar his own brother from the auditorium meeting, for him to attempt to keep all ministers out, including all of the area coordinators who were there in town, is remarkable. ... Many eyewitnesses report Raymond as appearing and acting like a madman. He was prepared to cut, to destroy, to lie, to hurt, and to violate his pledge given at the time of his baptism - he was prepared to do anything! ... he more than ready, even eager, to destroy his own brother - even his blood brother - and he was proud of that. He was doing it in the name of God! (Chapter 17, pp. 220-1.)

Robinson believed that Raymond McNair was greatly distressed by leading protest marches against the receivership and hated contradicting traditional WCG teaching prohibiting participating in protests. Robinson seemed to believe that to contradict what he had so long taught must have caused him "sleepless nights." Nevertheless he chose to collaborate with Rader and HWA. (Chapter 17, p. 221.)

Later in January 1979 Raymond McNair spoke at a conference. According to Robinson he spoke in a manner which only gained ridicule from the WCG ministers attending. Everyone was embarassed at his crude attempts to flatter HWA and to proclaim his supposed greatness simply to gain favor from HWA. Even HWA was embarrassed at McNair's unseemly performance and had to stop him speaking.

A number remarked afterwards how he was destroyed forever in the ministry. (Chapter 17, p. 221) 

But as Robinson accurately foresaw earlier Rader put Raymond McNair in his place soon afterwards. Meredith and McNair were no match for Rader and miserably failed to overcome Rader's power play. (Later in 1981 Rader was deposed by other men and shunted out of power within WCG.)

Robinson concludes his disappointed portrait of the man with these words.

And those who had thought of him as physically courageous and doctrinally strong  have been disappointed on both counts. (Chapter 17, p. 225.)

It is good that David Robinson, with what must have been a heavy heart, reveal the measure of a man who chose to collaborate with Rader during that most serious crisis for WCG and was played a fool by Rader.

Bob Thiel Glorifies HWA's Controversal Visits to World Leaders

In Bob Thiel's latest booklet he chooses to glorify HWA's visits to world leaders in order to make HWA appear to be a great man.

Herbert Armstrong also met personally with world leaders in Europe, North America, Africa, India, China, Japan, Philippines, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and elsewhere to give a witness of the gospel to the world (cf. Matthew 24:14). (Page 85-6.)

In fact at the time it was revealed that HWA said very little concerning the doctrines of Armstrongism when he met with these world leaders. In fact, HWA was embarrassed that he was the leader of a church and he established the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation in order to obscure his role as a church leader. Here is what HWA said.

One thing has been a serious handicap, and caused me and my touring team no little embarrassment. We have had to say that we represent either Ambassador College or Worldwide Church of God. I am regarded as an Ambassador for WORLD PEACE. But if I represent a CHURCH, immediately that shouts to them RELIGION.

Also HWA did not preach the (Armstrongite) gospel to these world leaders, as was seen ina previous post.

Actually, as John Tuit argued in Chapter 3 of The Truth Shall Set You Free, HWA never dared to preach the gospel to them [Israeli officials he visited] lest he offend his Israeli hosts. What is so great about a little playground [in Jerusalem which WCG through its foundation sponsored]? Many people do stuff like that all the time. Why is tithe money going to them and not to WCG members? How is the gospel being preached to the people in Jerusalem through this playground? Notice how the plaque cited above does not even mention WCG, Tuit lamented. The people of Jerusalem using this playground would have no idea that it was a [COG] church which funded it.

HWA's visits to world leaders was a major reason why there was so much heroic resistance against HWA's authoritarian rule within WCG in the 1970s as many WCG members could not understand why WCG's tithes were being spent on courting world leaders instead of using that money to serve WCG members and spreading the teachings of Armstrongism to the rest of the world.

Bob Thiel Covers Up Abuses Within HWA's WCG

In Bob Thiel's latest booklet which claims that his small following are the only true Christians in the entire world he discusses the history of HWA's WCG while skipping over all the many issues that WCG members that caused so much trouble within WCG due to its authoritarian one man rule.

Those in his church were sometimes branded as members of a cult, and various Catholics and Protestants interfered with his ability to get the gospel out in various media. (Page 86.)

It is noteworthy that Bob Thiel never discusses why HWA's WCG was regarded as a cult by these persons. Theil never mentions the numerous false prophesies HWA and his collaborators made, particularly the claim that the Great Tribulation would begin in 1972 culminating with the return of Christ in 1975.

Theil never discusses the problems HWA's triple tithing system imposed on his followers and the various other abuses that occurred under HWA's one man rule over WCG (deaths due to HWA's medicine ban, divorce and remarriage, the fact that most of HWA's doctrines were simply taken from other sources, the fact that British Israelism is untrue, etc, etc.). This is the closest he gets to mentioning these serious issues.

Well, at least he called it "his [HWA's] church". I know Thiel will vehemently insist otherwise but for once Thiel tells the unadulterated truth, WCG was HWA's church, not the church of God as Armstrongites had been indoctrinated into believing by HWA and his collaborators. 

Bob Thiel Covers Up HWA's Teaching About Prophets

Recently Bob Thiel has released a booklet claiming that his personal following are the only true Christians in the entire world.

It is intriguing to note how Bob Thiel criticizes LCG for changing a particular doctrine regarding the future falling away and yet never acknowledges that he himself has changed church doctrine regarding the nature of New Testament Prophets. From 1953 onwards it was the teaching of HWA's WCG that Prophets under the New Testament dispensation served only to reveal the word of God by personal revelation because the Bible was not then complete (but now that it is complete Prophets of that sort are now no longer necessary). These Prophets had no administrative power according to WCG.

HWA stated that this was the case in his last book, Mystery of the Ages.

The prophets set in the foundation of the Church are those of the Old Testament, whose writings were used to form a considerable part of New Testament and gospel teaching and functioning. No prophets are mentioned as having either administrative, executive or preaching functions in the New Testament Church. (HWA, Mystery of the Ages, Chapter 6.)

(Please note, PCG has deceptively removed the highlighted section saying prophets have no administrative power in their copies of this book, because that statement contradicts their assertion that their leader is "That Prophet".)

This was the teaching of HWA's WCG from 1953 onwards. This is shown in Herman Hoeh's article, "Government in Our Church," Good News, August 1953.

Even though evangelists were next in authority under the apostles, next in spiritual order and above the evangelists are listed the prophets (I Cor. 12:28). Often in the Bible, prophet means preacher or poet. But in the New Testament history there are several instances mentioned in which prophets-both men and women-were used to foretell by special and personal revelation from God (Acts 11: 27-30; 21: 9-10). They spoke and exhorted the brethren and, if men, sometimes preached, although not usually evangelistic for the purpose of raising up churches.

Those who evangelized had authority over local churches, whereas the prophets had no government office or authority. Even in the Old Testament, where both men and women were used as prophets, none of the prophets had government authority unless they were also judges. In the New Testament, the only prophets with government authority were also apostles, evangelists, or elders (Acts 15:32; I Tim. 4:14).' (p.4).

But Bob Thiel has completely ignored this issue in this latest booklet of his. A person reading this book would have no idea that Bob Thiel has covered up this severe problem contradicting his claim to prophethood. His understanding of a prophet is completely different from that of HWA and what HWA's WCG taught from 1953 onwards until HWA's death without interruption.

Bob Thiel: "Highly Likely That [North Korea] Has Been Reached"

Banned by HWA has been discussing (here, here and here) Bob Thiel's booklet insisting that his one man following is the only continuation of true Christianity. Every other form, even that of LCG (which he followed until late 2012), is utterly damnable.

He wants your tithes.

His latest booklet is the typical Armstrongite nonsensical mixture of badly presented early church history, discredited nonsense about seven church eras, etc., all carefully designed to "prove" that only Bob Thiel's extremely small personal following are the true Christians. 

Taking a look at his booklet I could not help but notice him boasting that he has even reached North Korea with his message.

Contacts from nearly every nation on earth have been verified as viewing CCOGs websites (ccog.org, ccog.asia, ccog.in, ccog.eu, cdlidd.es, etc.) and/or cogwriter.com with the one exception of North Korea (note: because people in places like North Korea sometimes use proxy addresses, it is highly likely that nation has been reached as well). (Page 97, PDF page 99.)

Does his megalomania know no bounds? I could not help but note the false optimism in which he presents this thought. This false optimism is suffused throughout his pathetic attempt to create yet another COG splinter group.