Resources Regarding the Yugoslav Wars

Since 1999 PCG has chosen to sympathize with Slobodan Milošević and his fellows in an attempt to demonize Germany by exploiting the terrible suffering of the Yugoslav Wars and blaming it all on Germany.

Here are some resources available for those wishing to know more about those terrible times outside of PCG's information bubble.

The Bosnia List by Kenan Trebincevic and Susan Shapiro (2014).

A heartfelt and personal memoir of one Bosnian Muslim as he recounts what happened to his family and home during the war in the days of his youth and how he confronts the legacy of war and hate during a family trip back to the land of his nativity.

Exposes how some of the Serbs PCG likes to idealize indulged in looting the possessions of Bosnian Muslims who were forced to flee their homes in fear of their lives. Needless to say far worse things occurred as well.

War in the Balkans: Comprehensive History of Wars Provoked by Yugoslav Collapse.

A lengthy overview of the events and acts of the Yugoslav Wars. Many aspects and details of these complex struggles are discussed.

This book reveals that Milošević had little interest in keeping Slovenia within Yugoslavia because there were few Serbs there. Sometimes Milošević is viewed as simply a head of state trying to maintain national unity. As his attitude regarding Slovenia exposes this is an oversimplification of the matter.

Another thing revealed in this book is that when Kosovo's autonomy was abolished and was essentially forcibly integrated into Serbia the Kosovar Albanians chose to respond to this act with non-violent activism. In one sense the rise of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in the late 1990s can be seen as the tragic result of what many Kosovar Albanians viewed as an occupation by Serbia and the refusal of the Milošević regime to alleviate their grievances during the early 1990s.

Vukovar: Both Sides Now by Linda Garrett and Sandra Marić.

An oral history of Vukovar, a town which endured the full fury of war in a three month siege that killed about 3000 people. Those who went through this ordeal from each side tell their stories and how they have lived their lives since that cataclysm. Reveals that some persons are still missing from the time of the siege.

The siege occurred before Germany recognized Croatia and Slovenia as independent states in December 1991. PCG's writers rarely acknowledge that armed conflict had begun months earlier. Instead they often allege that it was this diplomatic move which began the Yugoslav Wars. This is a terrible oversimplification of the matter.

The Myth of Ethnic War: Serbia and Croatia in the 1990s by V. P. Gagnon.

Was the Yugoslav Wars really about ethnicity? But how does that account for the many Serbs who refused to fight for Milošević and his minions? Many people did not simply fight for "their" ethnicity and acted in ways contrary to the cause of ethnic nationalism.

Here Gagnon argues that the appeals to ethnic identity by various demagogues was really an attempt by elites to maintain their power and frustrate popular demands for liberal reforms which would have eroded those elites' hold on power and money. An important and bold attempt to look beyond conventional wisdom about these terrible events.

Prime Time Crime: Balkan Media in War and Peace by Kemal Kurspahic.

A remarkable account of how the media within what used to be Yugoslavia was co-opted by political elites to stir up ethnic hatreds from a Bosnian journalist who was there at the time.

Kurspahic reveals that during the Communist era the media was simply a tool of the political leadership. But as the leadership passed from Communist politicians who extolled national unity to politicians who appealed to ethnic division the media establishment merely continued their subservient role as tools of the political leadership. But this now required stirring up ethnic division. This was a change as dramatic as the Tkach changes but in another way things had simply stayed the same. Their bosses had changed but the media's role as the mouthpiece of the political leadership was still the same.

Kurspahic also does important work in detailing some of the journalists who refused to follow the crowd into stirring up war but strove to report the news independent of political patronage.

The Black Book of Bosnia: The Consequences of Appeasement. 

During the course of the war in Bosnia The New Republic determinedly argued that the United States needed to intervene against the genocidal forces of the internationally unrecognized Republika Srpska led by Karadžić and Mladić. Many disturbing details about this most terrible war are revealed in this book including how some Serbs were murdered by "their" side because they refused to collaborate in armed violence against the other ethnicities.

Our Own Path: Selected Wrings from Yugoslav Communism.

After reading so much about how Yugoslavia fell apart I thought I should try to gain some insight into how communist Yugoslavia maintained itself.

First of all this e-book would have been more accurately labelled "Writings about Yugoslav Communism" as some of the selected articles are actually by Trotskyites discussing it. It also contains a pro-Stalin article condemning Tito from some pro-Stalin propaganda outfit.

In one Trumpet Daily program hosted by Stephen Flurry it is simplistically asserted that during World War II the Serbs fought the Nazis and the Croatians collaborated with the Nazis.

The very first article in this e-book exposes that simplistic version of events as false. It is an article by Tito published September 8, 1941, which condemned the work of Serbian collaborators with the Nazis.

The establishment of the miserable puppet government, headed by that repulsive traitor to the Serbian people, that German spy and mercenary, the miserable General Nedic, ...

the German fascist bandits have found yet other bandits and traitors, headed by Nedic, who, under cover of the [collaborationist] Serbian Government, destroy and massacre our people, so that Serb kills Serb, so that the Slavs exterminate themselves.

It is amazing how some people just peddle simple stories that cover up so many things.

The SANU Memorandum (1986)

The literature about the Yugoslav Wars very often cited the publication of what is called the SANU Memoradum in 1986 by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU in Serbian) as one of the first major signs that Yugoslavia would fracture apart. Reading it for myself I saw first hand why this document gained so much attention.

It is a most curious piece of writing. The first half of it sounds very enlightened and liberal. It talks about the many problems within Yugoslavia. There is no hint of dividing people by ethnicity in the first half of this document. It sounds like an enlightened call to solve problems within Yugoslavia.

One enlightening aspect of this part of the article is it asserts that the 1974 Constitution had made Federal institutions practically non-existent and that Yugoslavia was already divided into six Republics (Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro) and two Provinces (Kosovo and Vojvodina). This assertion seems to explain a lot about how things developed during the wars.

Then suddenly halfway through the memorandum Serbian nationalism is thrown into the reader's face. Suddenly it claims that Serbs are oppressed and have always been oppressed. That Serbs are made to hate themselves for being Serb. That this denial of their alledgedly rightful place was imposed on them by the Soviets before 1948. That the Croatians and Slovenes have it all while the Serbs have less than their due. That the Kosovar Albanians are fascists and the heirs of collaborators with the Nazis. They are trying to create the complete Albanianization of Kosovo. That the current humiliation of Serbs in Kosovo is the worst catastrophe the Serb nation has ever faced in history (this was said in 1986, five years before the wars even started).

***

And so we see that there are a lot of things to be said about the Yugoslav Wars. It is sad that PCG's writers, instead of enlightening people about those terrible events, simplistically used them to demonize Germany in order to convince readers that Germany will soon conquer America.

Here are some further posts discussing PCG's superficial support for the Milošević regime.

Here are some other posts regarding the topic of the Yugoslav Wars and how PCG discusses it:

Reading PCG's Booklet, Germany's Conquest of the Balkans (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

PCG Using the Yugoslav Wars to Demonize Germany and the Pope

PCG Advertizing Flurry's Yugoslav Wars Booklet

PCG Exploits Yugoslav Wars to Demonize Germany

PCG's Support for Serbia in the Yugoslav Wars

How PCG's Ron Fraser Viewed the Kosovo War in 1998

PCG Calls Srebrenica Massacre "a Crime of Passion" 

PCG Only Supported Milošević in 1999

PCG's Ron Fraser: The EU Will Divide Macedonia (2001)   

Gerald Flurry: "“Do-gooders” are Some of the Most Dangerous People on This Planet!" 

PCG's Ron Fraser Demonizing Bosnia as a "Terrorist Enclave" (2008)

Serb War Criminals Convicted

Watching PCG's Telecast, Putin Remembers Yugoslavia

Watching PCG's Program, Germany's Conquest of Europe

PCG Misunderstanding the Rise of ISIL

Back in June last year, shortly after Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys made large advances into Iraq, PCG's Kiall Lorenz wrote an article about the murderer Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. It is entitled "The Unnecessary Rise of ISIS" (June 18, 2014).

The terrorist group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has risen rapidly to power, which could have been prevented easily had America not released him from prison. 

Really? What about all the other issues that fueled ISIL/ISIS's rise to power? Just keeping one man imprisoned would not have solved the many issues that led to the rise of ISIL.

For instance many of the Iraqi Sunnis were very suspicious and weary of the Iraqi government of Nouri al Maliki. They viewed his government as only working for Shiites and refusing to protect and look after the Sunnis within Iraq. ISIL cynically took advantage of these widespread problems in order to gain power for themselves.

Also many of those working for ISIL are former Baathists who previously worked for the Saddam Hussein regime. They would still be out and about even if Abu Bakr al Baghdadi had stayed imprisoned.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is just one man. He has no supernatural powers. He and ISIL would not get anywhere if so many within Iraq and Syria were not disillusioned and fearful of their governments as they are now. If there was no power vacuum there ISIL would be nothing.

ISIL is not strong of itself. It is just that the others on the ground are weak. The Iraqi government had failed to gain the trust of the Iraqi Sunnis and the Assad regime had thrown away its popular support within Syria by engaging in a campaign of violence against the Syrian people. ISIL took advantage of these situations for their own benefit.

U.S. forces captured and imprisoned Baghdadi in 2005. Baghdadi was detained in Camp Bucca under the command of Col. Kenneth King. During his four years in prison, Baghdadi received militant training from fellow al Qaeda detainees. In 2009, the United States deemed him a minor threat to its interests and released him. Colonel King said Baghdadi “was a bad dude, but he wasn’t the worst of the worst.”

So how was anyone supposed to know that he would be the one man who would be given leadership of the continuation of Al Qaeda in Iraq? There were many others involved in that outfit.

A year later, Baghdadi took over the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq after its leaders were killed by U.S. and Iraqi troops. The militant group was collapsing at that time, but was revived by the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011. Baghdadi rebuilt the group over the next three years with campaigns in Syria and Iraq. 

In other words just keeping one man imprisoned would not have prevented the current rise of ISIL. Of course it is impossible to know what would have happened if another man had taken power within what used to be Al Qaeda in Iraq but any other man could have taken advantage of the turmoil in Syria in a similar way.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is just one man. Others within ISIL could have also followed the same tactics to get the same result.

The rapid rise of ISIS under Baghdadi’s leadership raises another question: If a low profile fighter like Baghdadi could accomplish such widespread destruction, what will the five senior Taliban leaders released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Bowe Bergdahl do? 

The problem is not just one man. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could never have gotten anywhere were it not for the widespread dissatisfaction of Iraqi Sunnis with the Baghdad government or for the fact that since 2003 many persons had created and funded the blood stained institutions that he would later have at his disposal.

Also during the early days of the turmoil within Syria the Assad regime released many Islamists from prison so that the Assad regime could vilify the opposition as Al Qaeda like terrorists. Unfortunately this later become a self fulfilling prophecy. This also helped lead to the rise of ISIL.

America’s leaders are not worried, though. “These five guys are not a threat to the United States,” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with NBC News. Baghdadi’s example shows that such an assessment is dangerously naive. To see how childish America’s Middle East foreign policy has become [Lorenz then advertizes a program by PCG.]

How superficial. 

When it comes to politics PCG's leaders are far to the right. So they tend to be very opposed to the Obama Administration and exploits the problems involving the American government to claim World War III will soon occur.

So the article condemns America's policy as "childish". How respectful.

Comments

There are comments. Let's take a look. Comments are presented as they are written.

This is a big mess for America and has ‘bitten‘ the US so hard … I guess that’s what you get for trusting in your enemies and not in God…

PCG's leaders often accuse the leaders of the United States of trusting in their enemies and not in God. This person is repeating PCG's nonsensical denounciations.

We always knew since 9-11 that Iraq would fall to Iran. We just didn’t realize our president would hand it over to them, and actually support the take over. We could have never forseen this happen this way. It still just blows my mind. Wow.

But ISIL hates Iran. ISIL's recent rise if anything was a set back for Iran. And this person does not seem to see that is what has happened. Instead this person simply trusts that PCG is right and assumes that PCG's fearful proclamations that Iran will grow more powerful will soon come true. Of course PCG are false prophets and their words have no power except for people who happens to believe them.

Here's one comment from South Africa.

Shocking, shocking, shocking how gutsless and backboneless the USA has become. They free their arch enemies just to face them on the battleground and in the process thousands of others are loosing their lives as a direct result of this. Thank you USA for being spineless and so tuned into humanitarian shananigans. I said this before and I`ll say it again : thank you also very much for allowing my country, SA, to fall into the hands of terrorists and communists wearing Western suits and ties. The U-S-of-A has really messed up globally on a scale that I think is worse than the world wars.

Apartheid was never going to allow equality to all the peoples of South Africa. It is good that Apartheid is now abolished. Although there are many problems within South Africa at present just enforcing white supremacy upon the majority population for the benefit of a small minority was never going to solve the pressing problems South Africa currently faces.

One US detainee released and look at this mess. Imagine when the 5 from Gitmo get free! They got a hero’s welcome in Qutar and imagine when they go missing and find there way back to fight. Seems every single day now we are descending more and more into the mire.

The problem is not one man. There are many issues that fueled ISIL's recent rise to power.

Truly disappointing and tragic, but not surprising to readers of Trumpet. Com. One huge component is our leadership vacuum, but the greatest source of prophecy is found in the Holy Bible. Thus, the King of the South gains more power! It is almost as if they are following the Books of Daniel and Revelation.

So ISIL, which hates Iran, makes advances within Iraq. So the Iraqi government finds it necessary to get help from others including Iran. And this commenter thinks this means Iran ("the King of the South") is gaining more power. Nonsense. If anything Iran's power weakens if ISIL grows stronger. This shows just how blinded by dogma some within PCG are.

What we are seeing before our very eyes is the coming together of the Psalm 83 alliance and the taking over of Iraq by the King of the south. This exactly what Mr Flurry has been prophesying now for more than 2 decades.

This person is wrong. Gerald Flurry only began teaching his doctrine of the Psalm 83 alliance starting in 2011. Before then the Psalm 83 alliance and Iran (the king of the South) seems to  have been viewed as essentially the same. But Flurry changed this doctrine in 2011 and made those two things separate.

Here's my favorite comment from here.

These events are not by accident. Obama is one of them. His goal is and always has been is to destroy the U.S.A., there is no doubt in my mind. The sheeple of the U.S. will be rudely awakened when New York is nuked.

So does this mean Obama is plotting to nuke New York? This person definitely thinks Obama is trying to "destroy the U.S.A." Is this the sort of people PCG is trying to attract?

That is madness. That is bizarre and weird. 

PCG Ignorantly Says ISIL Started in Syria

So PCG claims to be the only group of people in all the world that knows what's really going on in the world.

Really? Take a look at the following quote from a recent article of theirs written by Callum Wood.

The Islamic State has held northern Iraq for too long. Controlling the oil fields has brought major wealth. The money and victories in the face of U.S. and Iraqi efforts help maintain a steady flow of recruits. While Islamic State origins are in Syria, their lifeblood comes from Iraq. Before coming to Iraq, the group was just another rebel faction. If Iran wants it to be that way again, then the terrorists must be driven out of Iraq. (Callum Wood, Palmyra: A Milestone in the [so-called] Islamic State War, May 27, 2015.)

What ignorant nonsense!

The so-called "Islamic State" (who fight for Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, not for Islam) did not start in Syria. It started in Iraq. It is the continuation of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Their first leader was Abu Musab al Zarqawi. He was killed in an airstrike on June 7, 2006.

Their second leader was Abu Omar al Baghdadi. He was killed on April 18, 2010.

Their third leader is the blood stained usurper Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. Killing him would be too kind. He should be hauled before a court of law and be made to answer for what he did.

Al Qaeda in Iraq renamed themselves as the "Islamic State in Iraq" in order "mainstream" themselves among related Iraqi Sunni insurgent groups. That occurred long before turmoil erupted in Syria in 2011.

Later they decided to exploit the turbulent situation in Syria for their own benefit and invaded territory held by Free Syrians thus parasitically enjoying the fruits of the Free Syrians' many sacrifices. They set up themselves within Syria. They headquartered themselves in Raqqa after seizing it not from Assad but from anti-Assad Syrians. Then Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys built up their resources until they able to storm into Sunni Iraq in 2014.

Al Qaeda central (Zawahiri and Co.) had already licensed Jabhat al Nusra ("Support Front") to be their armed group within Syria. So Al Qaeda central ordered Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys to go back to Iraq and leave Jabhat al Nusra to build themselves up in Syria. Abu Bakr al Baghdadi chose to ignore that murderer Zawahiri. So they are now split from each other.

And after PCG have been "watching" the Middle East for so long it seems clear they have not bothered to notice these things. It is clear they are confused about these things.

There are comments for this article. Here's one of them.

It’s ironic that Islamic State is a “daughter” of Irans state ideology - much like the historic wars between the Catholic church and its protestant off shoots.

Iran is Shiite. Al Qaeda is Sunni. So most accounts trace Al Qaeda's origins as having pretty much nothing to do with Iran. Al Qaeda did not come from Iran. ISIL did not come from Iran. Most accounts tend to trace Al Qaeda to an Egyptian man named Sayyib Qutb.

It is sad that people are misinformed about such things. And clearly PCG is not helping.

PCG's Chickenhawk Dreams

Following the recent and tragic fall of Ramadi to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys PCG's Callum Wood wrote an article in which he tried to exploit this event to fear monger not about ISIL, as one might intuitively expect, but about Iran.

The U.S. has also taken an interest in the city [Ramadi]. It has been pounding the [so-called] Islamic State with airstrikes in an attempt to weaken the terrorists before the Shiite assault. But airstrikes gain very little for America. USA Today quoted Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren stating “We will retake Ramadi.” The reality is that the U.S. won’t be retaking anything. Iran will retake Ramadi. It will do so with the aid of U.S. airstrikes and Iraqi Army support. The U.S. may supply the air firepower, but to control a city takes boots on the ground. That is why it will be Iran’s gain, not Iraq or America’s.

Whether the city falls tomorrow or next week, the truth is that Iran will come out on top. This scenario has played out in numerous battles already. Meanwhile, Iraq is powerless to stop it. The 30 miles to Baghdad that stretches out to Ramadi remain heavily fortified by Shiites. Baghdad cannot afford to lose Iran’s help. Neither can America. The war-weary superpower doesn’t want to reengage. But to defeat the Islamic State takes troops—troops that the U.S. is unwilling to commit. So the more troops and militias Iran supplies, the less the U.S. has to involve itself. (Callum Wood, Iran to Capitalize on Fall of Ramadi, May 21, 2015.)

What hypocritical prattle. As though Wood understands anything about military campaigns.

Wood seems to be advocating the United States to send US troops into Iraq. What many of his readers will not know is that Wood's organization, the Philadelphia Church of God, a small and insignificant group composed of only about 5000 members, forbids their followers from joining the military. This was seen in a previous post.

The battles of those of us in the Church of God are not of this physical world (John 18:36). Should conscription be required in our own countries, it should be confidently refused, and we should be able to unashamedly state the biblical reasons why... (Christopher Eames, The Young Soldiers of Israel, January 6, 2015.)

It is not good that Wood should subtly call for US troops on the ground while he will never join any military because he follows PCG's ban on military service. He seems to be willing to put others in dangers that neither he not any member of PCG is not willing to endure themselves. He should ask himself if it is right to call for people to do things he would not do himself.

PCG's Dehumanization of Israeli Jews

PCG portrays the tragic and painful Israeli-Palestinian conflict in an extremely simplistic manner. One side is good. The other side is bad. Whatever events happen to occur are reinterpreted to fit into PCG's predetermined dogma.

While it is quite apparent that PCG constantly vilifies and demonizes the Palestinians what is not quite so apparent is that this simplistic stance regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict also dehumanizes the Israeli Jews.

Israeli Jews are human beings. They are just as beautiful, talented and flawed as any other human being. This is true for the Palestinians as well.

But PCG does not portray Israeli Jews as human beings. PCG simplistically portrays Israeli Jews as a simple caricature. They are the "good guys". They are portrayed in the same way as characters from a movie instead of being human beings. This, in and of itself, dehumanizes Israeli Jews.

Many Jews know about this and do not approve. Although the following quote does not discuss PCG specifically but these words are just as applicable to them as well.

They don't love real Jewish people. They love us as characters in their story, in their play, and that's not who we are, and we never auditioned for that part... (Gershom Gorenburg as cited in Lee Marsden, For God's Sake, Chapter 6, p. 190.)

Israeli Jews are just as beautiful, remarkable, awe inspiring and flawed as any other human being.

Also PCG's simplistic portrayal of Israeli Jews might fuel actual anti-Semitic hatred. What's going to happen when PCG members meet Jews, whether Israeli or otherwise, and are disappointed to see that they are human beings like themselves, that they somehow failed a PCG member's overly idealized expectation which the Jews never asked for anyway.

Can the PCG member handle this disappointment? Or will he or she let this disappointment fester and grow into hatred?

Quite awhile ago I came upon this news story.

The State leader [Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang] added that Viet Nam would support dialogue and peaceful settlement of conflicts, including the Israel-Palestine issue, in line with international law.

[Israeli President Shimon] Peres expressed his admiration for President Ho Chi Minh and the achievements made by the Vietnamese people in the fight for national independence, as well as for the country's reconstruction and development.

The Israeli President said he wished the country every success with achieving its socio-economic development goals, and to build a rich and strong country. ("Viet Nam, Israel to boost all-round co-operation", Viet Nam News, 2013.)

Now of course it is good that there is peace and good relations between Israel and Vietnam. But PCG members, unless they go outside the PCG information bubble, are never going to read of stories like this. Will they be disappointed? Will their disappointment cause them to overcompensate their previous idealization and hate Jews?

The way PCG has dehumanized Israeli Jews into some simple caricature is not good. This is true even if the caricature is supposedly positive. Israeli Jews are human beings like any other. Israeli Jews are just as beautiful, remarkable, awe inspiring, complicated and flawed as any other human being.

Does PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet Alone See the Truth?

As seen in a previous post one of PCG's leaders, Andrew Hessong, wrote a letter that was published in the July 2015 issue of PCG's recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. He writes for PCG as may be seen here and here. Here is his letter.

All of this makes my blood boil! [He is writing about an article by Brad MacDonald condemning negotiations by the Obama Administration with Iran]... . This administration leaves our citizens scratching their heads and our allies in total bewilderment. It’s absolute confusion and nobody can see through it but the Trumpet. The world has been set alight in the last half-dozen years [2009-2015] and what lies ahead looks VERY ugly. 

Is this true? What does Hessong mean?

So the article Hessong mentions condemns the Obama Administration's negotiations with Iran. Apparently "nobody can see through it but the Trumpet." Really?

According to Lee Marsden in his 2008 book, For God's Sake: The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy, the main organization that rallies support for the State of Israel among Sunday keeping, (supposedly Mark of the Beast bearing) evangelical Christians is a organization named Christians United for Israel. (Marsden does not even mention PCG in his book because it is so insignificant.)

While PCG's magazine's circulation is in decline with less than 300,000 issues of The Philadelphia Trumpet in circulation Christians United for Israel have about 2,000,000 subscribers.

I wonder what Christians United for Israel have to say about those negotiations?

The following is from an open letter Christians United for Israel have produced to encourage people to oppose the current terms of the negotiations.

Make a Better Deal or Walk Away

Dear President Obama and Secretary Kerry,

I am deeply disturbed by reports about the so-called framework agreement reached with Iran in Switzerland last week. President Obama's statement that Iran will obtain a nuclear weapons capability at the end of the deal's term has only strengthened my concerns.

Your deal will send hundreds of billions of dollars flowing into Iran's coffers. As you surely know, Iran will use these funds to provide even more missiles and money to Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists. And Iran will share this wealth with Syria's Assad, the Shiite militias in Iraq, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. You should have no doubt whatsoever that your deal will spill Israeli and Arab blood. What exactly are you getting in return?

Christians United for Israel also thinks these negotiations are terrible just like PCG. But unlike PCG they are actually trying to do something about it instead of just moaning about it.

So Andrew Hessong is wrong. Many other people also oppose these negotiations with Iran. What he said about the Trumpet being the only one to "see through" to the truth is wrong.

Possibly what Andrew Hessong really means is that PCG claims to be the one true church. But one reading Hessong's letter would not know that and most likely assume he was talking about The Philadelphia Trumpet's condemnation of negotiations with Iran. But many in fact condemn these negotiations.

Introducing PCG's Trumpet Hour Broadcast

PCG has released a new radio program on their radio station, KPCG.fm. It is entitled the Trumpet Hour.

It is hosted by Joel Hilliker. It also features Robert Morley, Jeremiah Jacques, Richard Palmer and Brent Nagtegaal.

Let's see what they have to say.

Cites an article of theirs written by an Australian PCG writer about events in the Middle East.

Fear mongers that just about twelve nations in the Middle East is plotting to get nuclear weapons. It is stated that those nations say it is for peaceful purposes but this is ignored and not taken seriously.

Moans about people paying so much attention to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys and moans that they should scare themselves over Iran instead.

Mentions some Al Qaeda like terrorist getting arrested in Italy.

Fear mongers about Japan being allowed to sell arms to China in an arms trade exposition.

Fear mongers about Kyrgyzstan joining some alliance with Russia to say that Russia is seeking to become like the Soviet Union somehow.

Moans about the people of Okinawa complaining about the US military base. You would never know this listening to this program but the people of Okinawa have long complained and protested about the US military base. I remember reading about that back in 2008. This is not news. This has been a tense issue in Okinawa for years. But this is portrayed as part of Japan shedding its postwar pacifism. Nonsense. This is part of PCG's demonization of Japan. 

Quotes right wing sources. Politico is cited twice. Charles Krauthammer is cited once. Although PCG's leaders sometimes insinuate that they are above the fray PCG's leaders are very much right wing when it comes to politics. And citing those sources only further proves that. PCG's leaders are stuck in a right wing information bubble.

Gerald Flurry identifies Putin as being a figure specifically identified in Scripture. (32-33 minutes.)

Robert Morley moaning that the United States could now have fallen into a recession. (36 minutes.)

Oh what a different tune this is. Take a look at this previous post to see some of the things Morley has said about the US economy.

The structural problems in the U.S. economy and America’s massive debt load mean that the dollar is doomed too. ...

But it won’t end there. The whole nation—head to toe—is sickened with debt. Federal, state, municipal, corporate, personal debt; America is maxed out. Trillions upon trillions. That debt is coming due! ...

The nation’s finances have been pushed beyond the point of recovery. ...

Chapter two of America’s great economic crisis is about to unfold. The moral of the story is that the economy is not set to recover—at least not in any meaningful, lasting way. That is what the statistics say. More importantly, that is what God’s Word says. ...

Over the past week crude oil surged to a new 17-month highs—$86 per barrel. Better get used to it, sky-high oil prices may soon be here to stay. ...

The end of the recession is almost here. Next comes the depression. (See this previous post for the sources of these quotes from Robert Morley.)

Now Morley is saying that the US has fallen into a recession again. They can't see the future. PCG's leaders are false prophets. But what can one expect from a man who had no professional training in economics?

And on with the show.

Saying that the EU is trying to insert itself in the Middle East peace process. Insinuates that EU is plotting to push forward the creation of a Palestinian state very quickly. Never mind this has been the stated goal of the international community since 1993. (40 minutes.)

Hilliker condemns attempt to let homosexuals join the Boy Scouts from within the leadership of the Boy Scouts. (46 minutes.)

So it's more of the same dogmas from PCG. But this time we can now listen to Hilliker, Morley, Jacques, Palmer and Nagtegaal instead of just reading their words. It's just more of the same fear mongering false prophesies though.

PCG Thinks Israeli Jews Are White

In PCG's worldview Israeli Jews are white.

One reason why PCG supports the State of Israel is for the same reason they banned interracial marriage: to advance white supremacy.

Oh, what folly British Israelism creates. 

British Israelism is not true. Silenced.co has shown how British Israelism is built on a foundation of sand. In fact DNA evidence refutes British Israelism.

But PCG continues to promote British Israelism which says white Americans are descended from the biblical Israelites. PCG's members are predominantly white Americans. (Or more precisely those Americans defined as white.) So they view themselves as white and they think they are the brothers and sisters of the Jewish people so PCG thinks the Jews are white like themselves. And this is one reason why PCG supports the State of Israel. In PCG's eyes the State of Israel is white. Therefore supporting it is, for PCG, a way to advance white supremacy.

(I am well aware that there are non-whites within PCG. But PCG's teachings, particularly its interpretation of British Israelism, predominantly cater towards white Americans.)

It is very important to note that what I say here most emphatically does not apply to everyone who supports the State of Israel. Most of them, Jew and Gentile, do not believe in the false idea of British Israelism anyway. This explanation does not explain why some others support the State of Israel. I am only describing PCG's behavior. This explanation is not meant to explain the behavior of others. Not even that of the other COG groups who tend to support the State of Israel as well. I only use this argument in regards to PCG.

Traditionally white supremacy was most insistent that Jews are not white. To cite but one example the Ku Klux Klan banned Jews (and Catholics) from membership. In another example in 1915 one Jewish man, Leo Frank, was lynched by a mob in Marietta, Georgia, who monstrously killed him in order to enforce white supremacy against American Jews. And most infamously the Nazi regime tried to exterminate the Jews. Those who continue to perpetuate white supremacy (Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazis, etc.,) also viciously vilify and demonize Jews to this very day.

But racial categories are arbitrary defined by the racist. No one is born racist. One must learn to be racist and act accordingly. One must learn to view other human beings as being of less value than oneself or of one's own group. And these racist views can change over time if people simply choose to view things differently. Alas, racism can be very diverse.

PCG's British Israelism says that Jews are the long lost brothers and sisters of the British and the Americans. When PCG (and other COG groups) talk about Americans and British being the brothers and sisters of the Jews they mean white Americans and white British. Those who are "not white", such as African Americans and Palestinians, are excluded. So, contrary to old style white supremacy, the predominantly American PCG view the Jews as brothers and sisters, in other words as "white" like themselves.

What Worth is a Palestinian's Life for PCG?

Observe how Joel Hilliker condemned attempts by the international community to help rebuild Gaza following the severe bombardment it endured from the State of Israel in December 2008 - January 2009 which killed about 1400 people.

Why, then, is it [the United States] offering $300 million to reconstruct the Gaza Strip? And another $600 million to help the Palestinian Authority pay its bills? ... what will the money achieve? It won’t promote peace. In fact, history shows a sickening correlation: More aid to Palestinians results in more Palestinian terrorism.

At the donors’ conference where the U.S. pledged this gaudy sum, Hillary Clinton said Hamas won’t touch a cent of it. That is impossible. How can you drop $300 million into Gaza—that’s $2.2 million on each of its scant 139 square miles—without benefiting the entity that governs it? Even the $600 million: Past aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA)—including weapons—ended up in Hamas’s hands when the Iranian-sponsored terrorist group mutinied and seized Gaza. A repeat in the West Bank is realistic.

If we could follow those $900 million as they make their way from America’s printing presses into Palestinian pockets, we would likely find them, in a best-case scenario, padding PA bank accounts. At worst, those dollars will reach terrorists and fund Israeli deaths. That will provoke retaliation from the new Israeli government, which will mean Palestinian deaths. And Hamas perversely views Palestinian deaths not as tragedies, but as victories in the propaganda war against Israel.

That is ultimately what those 900 million borrowed greenbacks will likely purchase. (Joel Hilliker, "Gifts for the Mullahs", March 1, 2009.)

Instead of hoping that those who had just endured the terrible and deadly bombardment will receive help to live normal lives Hilliker decides to moan and complain that this aid which is desperately needed by many in the Gaza Strip will fund Hamas. Hilliker chooses to ignore the humanitarian crisis and severe suffering of those who live in the Gaza Strip to instead cite Hamas in order to condemn attempts to alleviate the people of Gaza's suffering.

One reason why Hilliker is so careless about the plight of the people of Gaza is because he views them as "not white" and the Israeli Jews as "white" like themselves.

So it would appear that for PCG a Palestinian life is not worth that much.

What Worth is a Turk's Life for PCG?

PCG's British Israelism also provides an insight into how PCG can ignore and gloss over the violent death of nine Turkish men by Israeli personnel on the dreadful night of May 31, 2010 on the Mavi Marmara. One of them was an American citizen.

On the night of May 31, 2010, Israeli personnel boarded a flotilla that was trying to peacefully break the blockade surrounding Gaza. The Israeli personnel messed up and opened fire killing nine men. The victims were Turkish men. Eight of them were husbands. They were fathers of twenty-seven children. (I suspect more.)  And the ninth was a 19 year old American citizen. A tenth man went into a coma and died four years later. How did PCG respond to this mass loss of life?

Observe below how Stephen Flurry chose to offer no sympathy to the nine men who violently died on the Mavi Marmara. In order to make it easier to believe PCG's simplistic view regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that one side is good and the other is bad he chooses to vilify those on the Mavi Marmara as "terrorists" even though they had no guns on board and he insinuates that the victims wanted to die in this way. (Seems very inefficient to join a fleet of unarmed ships trying to send in supplies to Gaza to do that.)

The terrorists who sponsored the Gaza-bound “humanitarian” mission in early June got exactly what they were aiming for: a lethal retaliation from Israel’s navy, followed by a tidal wave of international outrage against Israel. It doesn’t matter that 50 passengers on board the Mavi Marmara were linked to terror groups, or that the “peace activists” attacked Israeli commandos with metal rods, broken bottles, knives and stun grenades, or that three of the Turks killed by Israeli commandos actually wanted to die as martyrs [What about the other seven victims? - Redfox712.], or that investigators discovered bulletproof vests, night vision goggles and gas masks on board the ship, while finding nothing that constituted real humanitarian aid. (Stephen Flurry, "Israel The Outcast," June 4, 2010.)

Observe how Joel Hilliker described the terrible affair. Again there is no attempt to express any remorse or sympathy for those who had violently died.

In this way, the flotilla incident was a slam-dunk.

The folks who organized it knew what they were doing. The Turkish group that staged the “humanitarian” mission to Gaza had ties to terrorist networks. It invited dozens of terrorists with ties to Iran, Hamas and al Qaeda to participate. It specifically sought to bust a naval blockade solely intended to limit Hamas’s ability to turn the Gaza Strip into a military bunker. It forced a confrontation, banking on the ability to turn it into a public relations disaster for the Jews.

Before the convoy set sail, Israeli leaders pleaded with Turkish officials to stop it; they offered to allow the supplies to be delivered through an Israeli checkpoint. But Erdoğan’s government let it go anyway. Thus, Israel had no choice but to intervene directly. And those on the boat made sure it turned violent.

Now, Turkey is milking the event for all it’s worth. It accused Israel of state-sponsored terrorism. It compared the psychological impact of the incident on Turks to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Americans. Turkish President Abdullah Gül called the Israeli raid a crime against humanity and said Israeli-Turkish relations will never be the same. Erdoğan labeled it a massacre. Turkish armed forces announced several cutbacks in cooperation with Israeli forces. The government also offered to supply Turkish naval protection for the next “aid” convoy to Gaza; “This would be, in effect, an act of war,” wrote Mark Steyn, “—more to the point, an act of war by a NATO member against the State of Israel.”(Joel Hilliker, A Good Excuse to End a Bad Relationship, June 9, 2010.)

Stephen Flurry and Joel Hilliker respond in this way because the victims were Turks and therefore, according to PCG's worldview, "not white". But they choose to sympathize with the State of Israel because, in their view, the Israeli Jews are "white".

One reason why Stephen Flurry and Joel Hilliker are so careless about the plight of the nine men who died that night is because they view them as "not white" and the Israeli Jews as "white" like themselves.

So it would appear that for PCG a Turkish life, even of an American citizen of Turkish heritage, is not worth any expression of mourning.

How Palestinians are Viewed by PCG

It is one thing to condemn acts of violence. There is nothing wrong with condemning acts of violence. But the dehumanizing way PCG describes Palestinian people goes beyond that. Palestinians are simplistically portrayed as terrorists and filled with hate. As will be seen later even the Palestinian children are demonized by PCG as being filled with Jew hatred.

One reason why PCG views Palestinians in this way is because of PCG's British Israelism. It defines Israeli Jews as "white" and Palestinians as "not white".

In one bizarre article one of PCG's writers condemns the exhumation of Yasser Arafat's body to determine if he was poisoned as an act of terror against the State of Israel committed for sinister purposes.

The desire for answers may be understandable among Arafat’s family and supporters, but one has to question the timing and motivation of the investigation. Are authorities really trying to discover if he was assassinated, or is this just a stunt designed to stir up hatred toward Israel? ...

Is this investigation really about providing closure, or is it just a step in a larger plan to take Israel before the International Criminal Court for Arafat’s death?

The Palestinian Authority is following in the steps of its former leader and attacking Israel politically on the international scene. With this stunt, it is sullying Israel’s reputation by selling the narrative to the international community via the mainstream media that Israel—in this case, by supposedly assassinating Yasser Arafat, the Nobel-winning Palestinian leader—is actively and unfairly working to destroy the interests of the Palestinian people. ...

The exhuming of Yasser Arafat is a stark reminder: Even from the grave, the former Palestinian leader is still bringing terror upon Israel.  (Tyrel Schlote, Arafat, Still Terrorizing Israel, December 3, 2012.)

To insinuate that a legal investigation is an act of terror makes words like terrorism practically meaningless.

In the quote below Palestinian children are vilified as being raised up on the hatred of Jews.

[Here President Obama says that the Palestinians need their own state in a speech he gave while visiting Jerusalem.] “The Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, their right to justice, must also be recognized.” Applause. “And put yourself in their shoes. Look at the world through their eyes. It is not fair that a Palestinian child cannot grow up in a state of their own.” Applause. “Living their entire lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the movements not just of those young people, but their parents, their grandparents, every single day. It’s not just when settler violence against Palestinians goes unpunished.” Applause. “It’s not right to prevent Palestinians from farming their lands or restricting a student’s ability to move around the West Bank (applause begins) or displace Palestinian families from their homes.” Applause. “Neither occupation nor expulsion is the answer.” Cheering applause. “Just as Israelis built a state in their homeland, Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their homeland.” Applause.

These words characterize the Palestinians as yearning for peace through negotiations with Israel, if only Israel would cooperate. Apparently this view is shared by these Jewish academics.

They woefully ignore several pressing realities: that the Palestinian children of which the president speaks are being raised on virulent Jew hatred; that Arab leaders who support negotiations with Israel lose public support; that Arab leaders, whatever they may say to the international press, consistently speak to their own people in terms of war with the Jews; that when Israel ended its “occupation” of Gaza, that territory became a terrorist haven; that Israel’s “controlling” security measures are necessary to protect citizens from unprovoked terrorist attacks. The crowd’s applause signifies stubborn adherence to beliefs long proven false. (Joel Hilliker, "Obama in Israel", March 23, 2013.)

Even the Palestinian children are condemned and politicized by PCG.

In the quote below Joel Hilliker denounces "the entire Palestinian Authority" as "a terrorist entity."

For one, by every measure the peace process that the pope is advocating has been a disaster for the Jewish state. Each time Israel has entered into negotiations and made agreements with the Palestinians, it has resulted in a loss of land and a subsequent increase in violence and terrorism.

Abbas made a fine show of making friends with Peres. However, just this month, Abbas forged a unity Palestinian government with Hamas, an active terrorist organization, and widely recognized as such. Hamas has repeatedly reiterated its charter goal to eliminate Israel. It routinely fires rockets into the Jewish state from its territory in the Gaza Strip. It completely objects to any and all negotiations with Jews.

Abbas, by uniting his Fatah political party with the intractably violent Hamas, has exposed his true colors for all to see—and essentially turned the entire Palestinian Authority into a terrorist entity. (Joel Hilliker, What to Make of the Pope’s Prayers for the Peace of Jerusalem, June 12, 2014.)

One reason why PCG describe the Palestinians in this way is because they view them as "not white" and the Israeli Jews as "white" like themselves. 

So it is clear that PCG view Palestinians in a very bad light. It would seem that Palestinians are not worth much for PCG.

What Worth is an Israeli Jew for PCG?

PCG thinks Israeli Jews are "white" because of their teaching of British Israelism (which happens to be complete nonsense).

It is not the fault of the Israeli Jews that PCG happens to think this way. British Israelism is a delusion that PCG have adopted by themselves.

I suspect many Israeli Jews would be offended to be labeled "white" in this way.

And in the same way as PCG exclude African Americans from being "Israelite" or "white" so does PCG exclude Palestinians from being Israelite or "white".

PCG condemns the violence of (some) Palestinians not because it is violent but because it is against "white" Israeli Jews. And PCG views Israeli Jews as white because of their false British Israelism dogma.

Observe this PCG article describing a mass murder of five people that occurred in the Holy Land. Note how differently PCG describes their deaths compared with the deaths of the Palestinians in Gaza and with the deaths of the Turkish men on the Mavi Marmara.

This past Sunday [in 2011], a Jerusalem cemetery was filled with thousands of Jewish mourners. ...
It was the funeral of five members of the Fogel family who were brutally knifed to death last Friday night in their West Bank home.
Three members of the family remain: 12-year-old Tamar and her two little brothers, ages 6 and 2. In his address, Lau spoke to Tamar directly: “In one cruel hour, you have become a little mother. You are now the mother of little Roi and Yishai, and you are only 12 years old.”
This tragedy has received scant attention amid coverage of the devastating earthquake in Japan and other earthshaking news. But it uniquely highlights the savagery of the Middle East conflict and the insurmountable odds stacked against the Jewish state. (Joel Hilliker, 'This Circle of Horror and River of Tears', March 16, 2011.)

(Note how Hilliker belittles the coverage of the severe earthquake in Japan in 2011. PCG has a long history of vilifying and demonizing Japan. This may be seen in the previous post: PCG's Demonization of Japan.)

The real reason PCG condemns this mass murder is not because five beautiful and irreplaceable people were murdered, but that "whites" were murdered by "non-whites". PCG thinks Israeli Jews are "white" because of their inaccurate claim that (white) Americans and the (white) British are common descendants of Jacob.

Would PCG ever describe the death of a Palestinian in a similar way?

So it seems clear that for PCG the life of an Israeli Jew is worth expression of mourning. Why won't PCG treat the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and the deaths of Turkish men on the Mavi Marmara in the same way?

One reason why PCG describe these violent deaths so differently from the Palestinians of Gaza and the Turkish men on the Mavi Marmara is because PCG view the Israeli Jews as "white" like themselves. PCG's British Israelism causes them to play favorites in this way.  

Here is another example of PCG's describing the violent murder of two young Israeli Jews. Note how differently PCG describes their deaths compared with the deaths of the Palestinians in Gaza and with the deaths of the Turkish men on the Mavi Marmara.

Some murders are much more revealing than others.

Two young Jewish boys were killed on May 9 in the town of Tekoa, Israel, located about 12 miles south of Jerusalem. The boys were playing in a cave. Later they were found with their hands tied, stabbed and bludgeoned to death with stones. The killers had smeared their blood all over the cave.

The boys were ages 13 and 14. The 13-year-old and his family had migrated to Israel from America. His relatives live in the U.S. So we are intertwined with Israel in several ways.

The rage in Israel continues to escalate. Both sides have committed violence.  ...

The two boys were savagely murdered in Tekoa. (Gerald Flurry, Murders in Tekoa, June 2001.)

As unfathomably monstrous and awful as this act of mass murder is it needs to be stated that PCG condemns these murders because "white" Israeli Jews happened to be the victims of those deemed "not white". This is contrary to PCG's version of white supremacy.

No doubt the vast majority of Israeli Jews will be embarrassed and disgusted that people with such bigoted views who hold to a form of an idea that has caused so much suffering and pain to Jews for so many years. PCG have modified white supremacy to favor Israeli Jews. PCG thinks Israeli Jews are white like themselves. But it is still the same loathsome and racist idea of white supremacy.

So it seems that PCG supports the State of Israel for the same reason they banned interracial marriage: to advance white supremacy. 

Now it is very important to note that what I say here does not apply to everyone who supports the State of Israel. This explanation does not explain why some others support the State of Israel. Most supporters of the State of Israel do not believe the nonsense of British Israelism so they do not believe Israeli Jews are "white" in the way PCG does. I am only describing PCG's behavior. This explanation is not meant to explain the behavior of others. Not even of the other COGs who tend to be sympathetic to the State of Israel as well. I only use this argument in regards to PCG.

PCG's Condemnation of Israeli Calls for Peace

But even though PCG views Israeli Jews as white they are still selective in giving favor to them. Any Israeli Jew who wishes for peace with the Palestinians are condemned as betraying the "white" Israeli Jews.

This is because these "white" Israeli Jews are viewed by PCG's leaders as working with "non-white" Palestinians and are therefore condemned. These Israeli Jews are condemned because their goal is opposed to PCG's version of white supremacy. To treat non-white Palestinians as equal with "white" Israeli Jews is contrary to PCG's version of white supremacy and is therefore condemned by PCG.

Here is one example of such condemnation of Israeli peaceniks from a 2001 article.

Israel is on the back foot. The EU, papacy, liberal socialist media and certain quisling Israelis are all stacked against them. The Palestinians have world opinion heavily on their side. (Surrounded by Armies, Philadelphia Trumpet, August 2001.)

Here is another example concerning a 2012 article by Stephen Flurry.

December 15 [2012]. ... "Peres: 'We Have To Forget The Past'" by Stephen Flurry. Here Stephen Flurry moans that "many" Israeli Jews are not as hateful of compromise and negotiations with the Palestinians as he is.

Wow. That’s dangerous, nation-destroying thinking. It was almost 2,000 years ago that Jerusalem was besieged by Gentile armies—and finally destroyed. But that couldn’t happen again today, could it? ... there is ... a widening divide among Israelis: one side wants to hold on to its history while the other side wants to let it go.

Many Israelis are turning their back on their heritage. ...

Israel’s enemies have always believed the Jews don’t belong in the Promised Land. By denying their past, many Jews are essentially saying the same thing. (Trumpet Weekly, December 15 [2012], p. 4.)

PCG's writers often boast of supporting the State of Israel but in fact their support is quite selective. PCG's writers appear to hold contempt for Israeli Jews who would prefer peace with the Palestinians rather then war.

These Israeli Jews are condemned because treating non-white Palestinians as equals with white Israeli Jews is against PCG's version of white supremacy and is therefore condemned by PCG.

The protests against police brutality in throughout the United States are condemned because this is against PCG's version of white supremacy.

The current democratically elected ANC government in South Africa is condemned because it is against PCG's version of white supremacy for non-white South Africans to rule their own country. The fact that "non-whites" happen to be the majority of the population of South Africa seems to be of no concern to them.

PCG Supports the State of Israel Because of British Israelism

Sadly it seems to be the case that PCG supports the State of Israel for racist reasons. PCG's support for the State of Israel is done in order to promote PCG's version of white supremacy. PCG does this because they happen to think Israeli Jews are "white" like themselves.

Now it is very important to emphasize that I am only talking about PCG. No doubt many people who support the State of Israel hate white supremacy and have been victims of racism. No doubt they would be very embarrassed to share company with a group that supports the State of Israel for racist reasons. This explanation is not meant explain the behavior of anyone else except PCG. Not even the other COGs. I am only talking about PCG.

It is also important to state that Israeli Jews cannot be blamed for PCG's actions. It is not the fault of Israeli Jews that some persons in Britain deluded themselves into thinking that the British were descendants of Jacob. It is not their fault that these British persons propagated the false idea of British Israelism in the United States and gained a following. It is not their fault that one Herbert Armstrong adopted this idea from J. H. Allen's book, Joseph's Birthright and Judah's Scepter, and propagated the inaccurate idea. It is not their fault that PCG inherited British Israelism from Herbert Armstrong and has used it in this way. British Israelism is a delusion that PCG fooled themselves into thinking.

How dare PCG use a modified version of white supremacy, an idea that has caused so much pain and suffering to Jews, to justify supporting the State of Israel.

How dare PCG use the false idea of British Israelism to justify supporting the State of Israel.

It is disgusting and abhorrent that PCG supports the State of Israel in order to promote their version of white supremacy. PCG thinks Israeli Jews are "white".

No doubt most Israeli Jews would be disgusted that persons like this support them. If they knew that PCG supported them for such a disgusting reason I have no doubt they would angrily denounce PCG.

If PCG wish to support the State of Israel they should do so for good reasons, not because of British Israelism.

This is wrong. No good can come from this. 

Overview of the July 2015 Issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet

The latest issue of PCG's recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet (July 2015), is now out. Let us see what PCG's leaders say this time in order to get more tithe money from PCG members and co-workers.

This issue has a circulation of 297,242. This is practically the same as the last issue (297,255). For the second time since the December 2010 issue The Philadelphia Trumpet has had a circulation lower than 300,000. This is part of a continuing decline since the December 2012 issue (341,259). Clearly all the money PCG's members and co-workers are sending to PCG has been failing to increase circulation for The Philadelphia Trumpet for over two years now. Where is that money going? Is it being spent effectively?

Let us see what PCG's leaders have to say.

Gerald Flurry has a personal article fear mongering that ethnic minorities are about to go on a rampage against white Americans. PCG has a shameful history of fear mongering that African Americans will any minute now go on a riot against white Americans. PCG have indulged in this shameful race baiting since at least 1992.

Accompanying Flurry's race baiting article is a little side article about a wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa.

Robert Morley has an article fear mongering that the US currency is doomed. He cites Larry Summers who helped engineer the abolishing the Steagal-Glass Act in 1999, an act widely judged to have opened the door to the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-8 by making it possible for more banks to engage in risky behavior. Why Morley would cite a man like him as an authority is baffling.

Morley says the US economy is about to be destroyed a lot. But somehow it never happens. Somehow the leaders of PCG never find it necessary to flee the country. Somehow they do not bother to tell their readers that once you account for inflation the US Federal Debt was actually higher in the 1940s because of World War II. There are many problems that are of concern but the US government going bankrupt is not one of them.

But what can one expect from a man who had no professional training in economics?

Phillip Nice has an article about the earthquake in Nepal. That earthquake is not a sign that PCG's dire prophecies will soon be fulfilled. PCG have made many false predictions thus proving that they cannot see into the future. Remember what they said about Egypt?

Jeremiah Jacques has an article about a man planting a forest. It is insinuated that things like this will occur once PCG's Christ returns.

Richard Palmer has an article fear mongering that America has lost control of Latin America. He ignores how those Latin American states are independent countries. Did he not know that?

Joel Hilliker has an article praising the health benefits of sleep.

The Infographic moans about how the nuclear family is not quite so common nowadays. PCG has a long history of vilifying homosexuals in order to distract PCG members from the problems within PCG.

Gerald Flurry also has an article comparing his doctrines regarding angels and demons as being just like Star Wars. It serves as advertising for Gerald Flurry's booklet, The Real Star Wars.

Dennis Leap has an article talking about Winston Churchill discussing Moses. PCG has a long history of idealizing Winston Churchill even though PCG's leaders forbid their followers from joining the military.

Joel Hilliker also has an article saying children need to do what their parents tell them.

Stephen Flurry has a little article praising Winston Churchill's determination to make paintings.

There are letters. Strangely enough one of them is written by one Andrew Hessong. He writes for PCG as may be seen here and here. Is PCG's recruitment magazine really so desperate for fawning letters they need to write letters to themselves?

Here is (PCG's) Andrew Hessong's letter.

All of this makes my blood boil! [He is writing about an article condemning negotiations by the Obama Administration with Iran]... . This administration leaves our citizens scratching their heads and our allies in total bewilderment. It’s absolute confusion and nobody can see through it but the Trumpet. The world has been set alight in the last half-dozen years [2009-2015] and what lies ahead looks VERY ugly.

And so "nobody can see through it but the Trumpet". This is nonsense. You would not know it reading this letter but there is a thriving opposition against President Obama. It is delusional to insinuate that only PCG "see through it" when many others also share PCG's opinion of the negotiations. And practically all of them have nothing to do with PCG.

He says "The world has been set alight in the last half-dozen years" but then why is it that Armstrongites have been fear mongering that America will soon be conquered any minute now since the 1930s?

And so this post comes to an end.

The COGs are Unknown and Insignificant to the World

Back in 2008 Lee Marsden wrote a book entitled For God's Sake: The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy. It is a critique of some religious right wing groups in the United States.

Guess who is never mentioned in this book. Herbert Armstrong. Roderick C. Meredith. Gerald Flurry. And everyone else associated with Armstrongism. The COGs are never mentioned in this book. Not even once.

This is because HWA completely failed to tell the world that he was God's man. And his little imitators have been completely helpless in getting attention from the rest of the world.

Constantly the ministers of the COGs tell themselves and their followers that they have a connection with God that no one else in the world has. They say nothing is more important then being in the true church.  Here are just a few examples from PCG. (Links are to previous posts.)

When Lamentations was published in Judah, they had reached the point of no return. Israel has just about reached that point now. It will soon be too late to repent, if it’s not already. The ONLY HOPE for Israel is our message. May God help them to heed before it’s too late. (Gerald Flurry, Lamentations and the End-Time Laodiceans, 1993, p. 12.)

Our Father is the Head of that wonderful, majestic God family. Our number-one passion must be to declare Him and His family! (Gerald Flurry, The Key of David, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2011, Chapter 6, p. 65.)

We can’t get bogged down in this present world. We must cling to the vision of God’s future world! ... God wants us to set our affection on those things that are above—not on the things of this world. God wants us to be passionately into the Work of His PCG. God wants your mind—you individually—to make His Work your greatest delight. Then your future will be magnificent!

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).

This is the reward that we never, ever want to forget! (Gerald Flurry, Colossians: First Century Parallels, Chapter 3, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2010, 2013, p. 28.)

But despite the many sacrifices PCG members make after reading words like these they can't even get themselves mentioned in a book like this.

PCG's Sympathy for the Rich and Opposition Against AG Lynch

Back in 2014 PCG's Joel Hilliker wrote an article in which he condemned "cursing the rich business leaders" seemingly having no sympathy for the vast suffering inflicted upon the American people caused by acts some of these "rich business leaders" from 2007 onwards.

Cursing the leaders, speaking ill of the government, even cursing the rich business leaders—these are hallmarks of American democracy. Any mistake the president or other public official makes, the press attacks with piranha-like ferocity. The lead-up to elections are particularly brutal, as people on all sides smear candidates and candidates smear one another.

Is democracy really more godly than a monarchy? (Joel Hilliker, The Office, December 8, 2014.)

Maybe some of those "rich business leaders" were being cursed for a good reason.

Just now several big banks have been fined billions of dollars for fixing foreign exchange of currencies.

Here are some remarks by Attorney General Lynch about this sordid affair.

Incidentally PCG opposed Loretta Lynch's nomination as Attorney General. They absurdly fear mongered that her confirmation would fuel the protests against police brutality carefully ignoring how the actions of some police officers have provoked these events.

An African-American heritage is not the only thing outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder shares with the Obama administration’s nominated replacement. When President Barack Obama nominated Loretta Lynch on November 8 as the next attorney general, he selected Holder’s ideological double. Both Holder and Lynch espouse the same radical racial prejudices that now stoke the flames of race riots in the United States.

Lynch is currently the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. President Obama noted that she “might be the only lawyer in America who battles mobsters, and drug lords and terrorists, and still has a reputation for being a charming people person.” Over the 15 years she has worked in the Justice Department, Lynch has earned a “non-partisan,” “independent” reputation—prosecuting high-profile Republicans and Democrats alike, U.S. corporations, Asian gangs and al Qaeda operatives. ...

Her probable confirmation, unfortunately, will mean more Fergusons, more racial prejudice, more race riots—not less. Wittingly or unwittingly, the racial ideology Holder and Lynch share does not help America’s race problems. In some cases, it legitimizes them. (Anthony Chibarirwe, Ferguson Is Only the Beginning if Loretta Lynch Replaces Eric Holder, December 4, 2014.)

What claptrap. As though people would go on the streets just because she became Attorney General.

Overview of the May-June 2015 Issue of Tomorrow's World

(Warning: The cover of this issue, showing some innocent victims about to be executed, may be disturbing to some people.)

The latest issue of LCG's recruitment magazine, Tomorrow's World, is now out. Let us see what LCG's leaders have to say to try and convince people to join LCG.

This issue on its cover contains the grisly photo of people about to be executed by a violent jihadist group in Libya. I am highly disgusted that LCG's "leaders" chose to stick a photo of those dreadful murders on the cover of their magazine. So often LCG's "leaders" moan and condemn violent movies and tell people they don't need to watch those violent movies. The violence in movies is imaginary. The image shown on this issues cover is real. This is very hypocritical for them to use this image on the cover of their recruitment magazine. 

This issue reports to have a circulation of 497,000. This is an slight increase from the March-April issue (487,000), the January-February issue (492,000), the November-December 2014 issue (472,000), the September-October 2014 issue (458,000) and the July-August 2014 issue (457,000).

A circulation of 497,000 is a lot more than PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet's current circulation of 297,242 for its July 2015 issue. Back in 2011 in an article which was discussed in a previous post Stephen Flurry belittled LCG for having an income of "about $13.5 million" in 2009 while in 2010 PCG enjoyed an annual income of "$20.6 million". But today it seems that LCG's recruitment magazine has a far higher circulation even though PCG has more money. What on Earth is PCG doing wrong?

Roderick C. Meredith has a personal article boasting that his "world" (meaning belief in Armstrongism) will supplant mainstream society and became the mainstream culture itself once Christ returns.

Roderick C. Meredith also has an article that simplistically describes Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's lackeys as being motivated by religion ignoring the many other issues that fueled its rise (Sunni Iraqis' fear of Shiite militias and the Baghdad government, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's lackeys' ability to fund themselves and pay their lackeys, access to illicit oil, exploiting the situation in Syria, widespread desperation for employment, etc.) and talks about "the power of religion" and how it can be used for good or ill. He also fear mongers about Europe rising up to power.

Stuart Wachowitz has a little article praising the utility of marshes.

Richard Ames has an article describing how empires rise and fall. All this is to introduce the reader to Armstrongism's teaching that Europe will soon conquer America but that Christ will soon return after that. 

Adam West has a little article describing the Battle of Waterloo's role in the rise of the British Empire.

Wallace Smith has an article talking about advanced computers.

The Q and A assures the reader that Christians (meaning LCG members) are allowed alcohol.

Douglas Winnail has a little article fear mongering that wars are about to get a lot worse. Douglas Winnail does that a lot.

Roger Meyer has a little article telling people to be positive. Maybe if LCG members didn't tithe so much maybe they would be more able to be positive about life.

Jonathan McNair has a little article telling LCG youth that learning the intricacies of Armstrongism is great fun. Unfortunately for everyone concerned Armstrongism is largely built on nonsense.

Richard Franz has a little article fear mongering that cheap oil may bring trouble.

There are letters as well. Here is one of them.

I have been following this ministry for a year now, and I thank God for your free literature. I have been in a “false” religion, thinking I was doing what the Father of Abraham wanted me to do.

Then do not join LCG or any other group associated with Armstrongism. Armstrongism is largely based on nonsense. They do not know the future. The Americans are not the descendants of Israel which an idea (British Israelism) which has been proven untrue. This doctrine is inherited from British Israelism. Silenced.co has shown how British Israelism is built on a foundation of sand. In fact DNA evidence refutes British Israelism.

These false doctrines, holidays and man-made rituals made me unaware of the Bible’s true message!

They did not. Rather this person was simply unaware of Armstrongism until he or she had the misfortune of listening to LCG seriously. But LCG likes to teach that anything contrary to their practice was maliciously created by Satan the Devil for the sole purpose of keeping him or her out of LCG. That is nonsense.

It is only after I began to read your literature that I began to “open” my eyes.

His or her eyes were not opened. Rather LCG's words just seem persuasive but that does not make them true. In all likelihood this person has no idea of the painful and sordid history of Armstrongism or that the leader of LCG, Roderick C. Meredith, personally destroyed many marriages as part of HWA's "divorce and remarriage" policy.

I continue to pray for God’s Truth. Your invaluable article entitled: “Will God Bless You and Your Finances?” was truly an eye-opener! Bless you all!

LCG's "leaders" get their money by ordering their followers to pay them three tithes. None of this "free literature" is actually free. Because they anticipate that at least enough readers will take it seriously that they will begin to financially contribute on a regular basis and eventually pay the three tithes. LCG uses tithing in order to get your money. I hope this person does not give it to them.

And so this issue comes to an end. Once again LCG's "leaders" has created yet another issue designed to convince people to sent the three tithes to LCG. This is how LCG's 1% get their money.

PCG Writer Intimidated by "SOUR" Women on Magazine Covers

Get a load of this from a 2008 article entitled "Fathers: Teach Your Daughter About True Beauty". Not everything in here is wrong but take a look at this.

How often do you remind your daughter that the most beautiful thing about her is her SMILE? My daughter is only 3 years old, but as a music professional, I’ve dealt with MANY young female performers who are afraid to smile—along with a number of other insecurities. I know society has deceived them, and it stirs me as a parent to do everything I can to combat those influences. 

And how does he combat such influences? We shall see very soon. We now continue. Immediately afterwards he says:

What does society tell our girls about smiling? How many “beautiful” women grace magazine covers with SOUR looks on their faces? Our rock stars, rappers and dancers have to look angry. It’s meant to be seductive or sexy, but as a man and father, I’m troubled by it. Not only is it intimidating, it’s not nearly as pretty.

Give me a break! I can't believe this. The writer of this article is intimidated by women on magazine covers who, in his mind, look "SOUR".

He says "it is intimidating". Which means he is intimidated by them. He is intimidated by photos of women on magazine covers. Not real women mind you. He is intimidated by the photos of women on magazine covers.

And he thinks the women on these magazine covers look "SOUR". I can't believe he thinks they look "SOUR". That thought has never occurred to me in my entire life. I am astonished that is what he thinks when he sees these magazine covers.

I cannot help but wonder if his mind has been warped by the narrow way Armstrongism defines women's role in family life.

But there's more. Immediately afterwards he says:

Teach your daughter that she exudes beauty when she has a positive attitude and expression on her face. My young ["3 years old"] daughter must be taught that when she is in a foul mood, she is acting “ugly.” I don’t care what the self-esteem gurus say; our daughters need to know when they aren’t pretty. I know that using that terminology is going to register more of a reaction. When she is happy and smiling, I make it a point to tell her how beautiful she is when she acts that way.

So he calls a three year old girl "ugly" when she "is in a foul mood".

And he does this because "I know that using that terminology is going to register more of a reaction."


I cannot believe that he thinks that is a good idea. 

Hasn't he ever heard of anorexia or bulimia? I would not wish such terrible things on anyone. That may seem like an extreme thought but I will not hide that that is what I immediately thought about hearing that he calls a three year old girl "ugly" in order to get "more of a reaction" from her.

Well, now we know what the writer thinks when he sees magazine covers with women of a certain look on them and that he calls his three year old daughter "ugly" in order to get "more of a reaction" from her. And that PCG members read this thinking they are getting great advice.

I cannot believe any good could possibly come out of this.