SPLC's Guide of Anti-Muslim Extremists

The Southern Poverty Law Center has released a report detailing some of the anti-Muslim ideologues who has done so much to make Islamophobia fashionable among certain sectors of the right.

Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists.

The field guide includes Steven Emerson, Brigitte Gabriel, Frank Gaffney, Pamela Geller, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, David Horowitz, Ryan Mauro, Daniel Pipes, Walid Shoebat and Robert Spencer.

Here is part of the report's introduction:

Ever since the Al Qaeda massacre of Sept. 11, 2001, American Muslims have been under attack. They have been vilified as murderers, accused of conspiring to take over the United States and impose Shariah religious law, described as enemies of women, and subjected to hundreds of violent hate crime attacks. A major party presidential nominee has even suggested that America ban Muslim immigrants. 

Fueling this hatred has been the propaganda, the vast majority of it completely baseless, produced and popularized by a network of anti-Muslim extremists and their enablers. These men and women have shamelessly exploited terrorist attacks and the Syrian refugee crisis, among other things, to demonize the entire Islamic faith. 

Sadly, a shocking number of these extremists are seen regularly on television news programs and quoted in the pages of our leading newspapers. There, they routinely espouse a wide range of utter falsehoods, all designed to make Muslims appear as bloodthirsty terrorists or people intent on undermining American constitutional freedoms. More often than not, these claims go uncontested. .... 

To give an example: One of the extremists profiled in this guide has said that 480 million to 640 million Muslims “support the notion that it’s okay to bomb the World Trade Center”; another claimed that 180 million to 300 million Muslims “are willing to strap a bomb on their bodies … and blow us all up.” In fact, terrorism expert Peter Bergen polled other extremism experts in 2014 and concluded that the real number of Muslims in terrorist groups was between 85,000 and 106,000. That means that fewer than one in every 15,000 Muslims is part of such a group.

Alas, the COGs have been influenced by persons such as this.

UN Report: State of Israel Denies Palestinians' Right to Development

From The Independent: "Israel breaching Palestinians’ right to development amid ‘epic’ unemployment and poverty, UN report says," October 29, 2016.

Israel is denying Palestinians’ rights to development, causing rising poverty and “despair” as tensions increase, a UN report has found. 

Michael Lynk, the special rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), said Gaza has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the world and the situation is worsening as the economy stagnates. 

“The Palestinian economy is without parallel in the modern world,” he added, delivering his report to the UN General Assembly in New York.  

“Israel’s occupation is denying Palestine’s right to development and severely hampering its ability to attain even the minimum targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Poverty is rising. Unemployment is rising to epic levels. Food insecurity is becoming more acute. The Palestinian economy is becoming more stifled and less viable under the occupation. 

“Israel’s deliberate fragmentation of the OPT and lack of development has negatively impacted human rights.” 

PCG Writes of "Sissy Ratings for Sisi"

Page 4 of the October 28, 2016 issue of PCG's Trumpet Weekly containing the following sexist pun.

Sissy ratings for Sisi: A poll published on October 23 revealed that the approval rating for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi dropped 14 percent over the course of two months. The poll was conducted by the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research. Sisi’s approval rating fell from 82 percent in August to 68 percent this month. According to the poll, price increases have angered many Egyptians. The country’s inflation rate of 14 percent is at a seven-year high. One civil servant told Reuters that prices were rising daily. He said, “This situation will push people to do bad things.” There are rumors that Egyptians will protest over these economic conditions on November 11.

So a poll suggests President Sisi has less support and some writer in Edmond chose to refer to these lower polling figures as being somehow "sissy". What must the women in PCG think having themselves being equated with lower poll figures like that?

PCG Finally Writes About Trump's 2005 Recording

While introducing the October 28, 2016 broadcast of Stephen Flurry's Trumpet Daily PCG's leaders finally alluded in written form to the recent scandals concerning Donald Trump after the 2005 recording came to public attention.

They seem to think that Trump boasting about sexual assault and numerous women coming out to publicly state that he behaved inappropriately towards them is just a distraction concocted by major media outlets.

Many Americans have been too distracted by this circus of an election season to notice some alarming trends happening around the world. Major media have blown petty issues about both candidates into huge stories, and most people are lapping it up. In a recent piece for USA Today Glenn Reynolds noted that most of the big issues facing America are being ignored during this election season. He writes, “In a healthier society, our election would turn on these issues. But we do not live in such a society.” On today’s Trumpet Daily Radio Show, we discuss America’s future as it continues to ignore these major problems. (Source.)

What must the women in PCG think seeing these important issues concerning Trump being viewed by PCG's leaders as just a petty issue?

Stephen Flurry did talk about the 2005 recording in his October 10, 2016 broadcast of The Trumpet Daily (1:45 onwards) in which he described the recording as "obscene" but PCG conspicuously failed, as far as I know, to write anything about Trump's 2005 recording until October 28. Only those who bothered to listen to their broadcasts would hear such discussion of the 2005 recording.

PCG Scare Mongering Against Leftists and Muslims

PCG's resident McCarthyite, Andrew Müller  has written an article scare mongering that the left have allied themselves with scary Muslims. (Andrew Müller, The LGBT-Islamist Alliance, October 27, 2016.)

Let's take a look at what he has to say.

Contradictions in the alliance between radical leftists and Islamic fundamentalists only make sense when you realize both ideologies have the same short-term goal.

And so "radical leftists and Islamic fundamentalists" are portrayed as working together. This is a common theme in right wing Islamophobia is to scare monger about supposed connections and sympathies between Muslims and leftists. That same theme is stated in this article.

When the average leftist sees homosexuals in the news, he doesn’t view them as individuals living an immoral lifestyle; he views them as an oppressed special interest group needing protection from intolerant Christians.

Referring to homosexuals as a "special interest group" tends to incite resentment towards them and accuses them of being somehow privileged.

When he sees Islamists in the news, he views them in much the same way. They’re not individuals under the influence of a toxic ideology, but an oppressed minority fighting against Judeo-Christian imperialism.

Which "Islamists" are Müller talking about?

When this leftist reads how Omar Mateen pledged his alliance to the Islamic State before gunning down 49 people in a homosexual nightclub, he agrees with the New York Times assessment that Mateen’s Islamist ideology had no bearing on the situation. Instead, he places the blame on America’s Judeo-Christian ideas about sexual morality.

Actually the murderer pledged allegiance to several groups some of which are adversaries of each other.

Müller mentions problems in Afghanistan and Mauritania in order to accuse leftists of being sympathetic towards Islamic fundamentalists.

Despite the fact that 87 percent of women in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have been domestically abused, left-wing sources like the Huffington Post argue that “Islam has a culture and history of women empowerment,” while patriarchy and gender bias are “rampant in Christian culture.” Despite the fact that 800,000 black Africans currently live in chattel slavery to Arab masters in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, sources like AlterNet claim the “future of life on the planet” is really being jeopardized by the “white supremacist ideology” of Christian politicians, like Sen. Ted Cruz (who is Hispanic) and Dr. Ben Carson (who is black).

Müller insists that radical leftists and Islamic fundamentalists have a common sinister goal in mind.

Such contradictions in the rainbow alliance between radical leftists and Islamic fundamentalists only make sense when you realize both ideologies have the same short-term goal: end Judeo-Christian culture.

Müller cites George Galloway as evidence of this sinister Muslim-Progressive alliance.

Former British Labour Party M.P. George Galloway elaborated in 2005 on the need for a Muslim-progressive alliance capable of curbing Anglo-American influence....

Muslims and progressives work together not because they share ideals, but because they share enemies.

Now he is no longer talking about "radical leftists and Islamic fundamentalists" but instead talks of "Muslims and progressives" which suggests that he views them all negatively. He forgot the dog whistle.

Galloway revealed the leftist’s worldview that political Islam and international socialism are not threats; the threat is Anglo-American domination.

Never mind the American progressives out there. Once again leftists and Muslims are portrayed as constituting a common threat to PCG's members.

Moderate leftists may express this sentiment in less inflammatory terms, but the idea that a countercultural alliance is necessary to “fundamentally transform” the culture underpinning Western civilization is widespread.

Maybe Müller should get into politics and try to get American Muslims to vote for him. That would discourage American Muslims from working with leftists. Unfortunately within certain sectors of the American right it has become all too fashionable to scare monger against Muslims. So no wonder politically active American Muslims would tend to lean to the left because a critical mass of the right has rejected them and view them in a hostile way.

But all that seems to be beyond Müller's awareness. Instead this failure of the American right to reach out and gain the support of American Muslims is ignored and portrayed as some sort of sinister conspiracy.

Müller then brings up Iran to scare monger against leftists and Muslims working together to attain common political goals.

The last time a Muslim-progressive alliance “fundamentally transformed” a government was during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Many left-wing political organizations, such as the Mojahedin-e-Khalq, supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s revolution against Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Once the common enemy was eliminated, however, Khomeini condemned his former allies as unbelievers. It has been estimated that between 15,000 and 30,000 socialists, Communists and other secularists were killed in Khomeini’s betrayal of the Iranian left.

PCG's leadership has been constantly demonizing Iran. In 1994 PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, proclaimed Iran to be the "King of the South." The possibility of peace between the United States and Iran would discredit Flurry's proclamation so since the nuclear deal was made last year PCG's leadership has constantly denounced Iran.

Furthermore no mention is made that the Mojahedin-e-Khalq used to be listed as a terrorist organization by the US State Department from 1997 till 2012. It is also not mentioned that members of this organization launched armed attacks against Americans in Iran during the Shah's rule.

As underreported as this fact is, it’s obvious radical Islamists would do such a thing to secularists—once the greater enemy is gone.

This sounds very similar to how some people ridiculed various radicals in the 1960s as being sympathetic towards Communists and stating that if the Communists ever took over such counter-culture people as the Hippies would be suppressed by the Communists. It is the same story here.

It has become common to hear pundits from the left speak of the U.S. Constitution as an impractical, antiquated document unworthy of the 21st century. A large number of Islamists would agree with this sentiment. Nearly 20 percent of U.S. Muslim respondents in a survey done by the Center for Security Policy said the use of violence was justified to make sharia the law of the land.

The Center for Security Policy has often been listed as being part of what some have called the Islamophobia Network. It was started by Frank Gaffney, a man who has made various claims of alleged Muslim infiltration of American conservative organizations.

Gaffney even asserts that radical Islam has infiltrated the conservative movement. He insists Islamists have infiltrated the American Conservative Union, which hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, because of their associations with anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist and Suhail Khan, a former political appointee in the George W. Bush administration. (Source.)

Müller then ends the article with these words.

The Islamist version of Anglo-America’s future undoubtedly looks different from the radical left version. In the short term, however, both ideologies want to destroy the current system. As the ancient proverbs says, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”—for now.

There are many different kinds of Muslims including American Muslims. Some are left wing. Some are right wing. Some are poor. Some are rich. Some view religion as a moral thing and are not interested in trying to create some sort of theocracy. Some are rather secular. Müller is incorrect to crudely stereotype Muslims as though they were all the same.

Some wonder how can PCG's leaders get their followers to remain so loyal to them? Partly it is because they are told to be scared of the left and Muslims.

It is unfortunate that PCG's leaders seem intent on making their followers so fearful and afraid of leftists and Muslims.

PCG's Eternal "Get Real" Challenge

Back in April 2004 PCG's Joel Hilliker wrote an article entitled "God's Get Real Challenge," encouraging PCG members to be honest with themselves and with (PCG's) God.

In God’s Church [PCG] we have the truth that can cut through all deception. But how much do we use it?

PCG claims to be the only true church on the Earth. PCG claims to be "God's Church" alone while all other churches are false and not aligned with (PCG's) God.

The Word of God is a weapon. It is like a two-edged sword. The truth it contains can cut. It boldly condemns. It shocks and stings. God sees reality—and when the occasion is right, He minces no words. He calls people vipers and hypocrites.

PCG's leaders have use the Bible like a weapon. The members of the other COG groups are slurring as "Laodiceans" and PCG members have been instructed to have no contact with the members of the other COG groups.

Before conversion, we lived in the cold darkness of deception. But our conversion is a process of God taking us by the hand and, step-by-step, leading us out of that darkness and into the glorious light of His truth. That’s not always comfortable—it can hurt! But what a blessing! Not to have to languish in that gloom, but to walk in the open sunlight. To know why we are here and how to live! The more we embrace this knowledge, the more we understand the meaning of Christ’s saying: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

Joel Hilliker was born in a family that was in WCG. He joined his parents' religion.

He compares PCG with Dr. Phil's Get Real challenge.

On the popular talk show Oprah a couple years back, one of the regular guests, Dr. Phil McGraw, presented what he called the “Get Real Challenge.” In it, essentially Dr. Phil tried to get people to stop sleepwalking through life and start being honest with themselves. He forced them to ask themselves some tough questions: What do you want to accomplish with your life? Where are you failing? What are you going to do about those failures? The Get Real Challenge was a highly unorthodox program that took radical steps to force people to confront deception—especially self -deception. 

In God’s Church, we are going through the Get Real Challenge every day! The challenge we face, however, is not a game dreamed up by a pop psychologist.

He encourages PCG members to look beyond (alleged) self-deception.

Do you have the courage to confront the deception in your life? Give serious thought to this question as you prepare for Passover this year. Consider using this article as a little workbook on eliminating deception. 

Let’s look at these three areas: first, being honest with yourself; second, with God; and third, with each other. For each of them, we will consider some ways we can succumb to deception, some benefits of conquering that deception with honesty, and some strategies for how to be honest.

He tells people not to be discouraged.

Selling ourselves short—not realizing our own potential. Mr. Flurry has often said that our greatest challenge is to remember who we are! Satan feeds lies to us all the time, trying to get us to doubt ourselves. God doesn’t need me, we can think. He would rather turn His back on me. Our minds can feed on insecurity and doubt—it can grow and multiply within us. 

This deception is dangerous! The fact is, you can only live with that kind of doubt for so long before you begin to settle—I guess I’ll only ever be this good. We can get complacent about our shortcomings, or comfortable with mediocrity. I don’t see what I have to contribute. I just don’t understand world events and prophecy—the Trumpet is over my head. I’m just not a people person. I’ll never be good at spiritual conversation. I’ll never overcome this problem.

And where do PCG members get these ideas? So often PCG's leaders say the world is so wicked and terrible it deserves to have a frightful catastrophe befall it. They are told to shun ex-members and the members of the other COG groups who are slurred as "Laodicenas." No wonder some PCG members seem to think (PCG's) God would would rather turn away from him or her.

He then relates Achan getting punished for taking spoils from Jericho contrary to God's command. This is used to tell PCG members that they are to tell PCG ministers the truth.

In that story, God worked through Joshua to expose the sin. He can work through his ministry to do the same today. There have been members who have tried to justify themselves when confronted by the ministry with some sin or fault. Some have out-and-out lied to the ministry!

He complains about gossip and says it is bad. He insists that the PCG ministry has the right to give counsel and correction to PCG lay members. He instructs PCG lay members to view a PCG minister's correction as the love of (PCG's) God.

Talking one way in front of them, another way behind their back. We can all slip into this at times. But realize: Being two-faced and gossipy is an obvious form of dishonesty—it is deceit. If you are speaking negatively about someone, be honest with yourself about it. Why are you doing this? Are you talking about the person just to denigrate him or her? Or do you have a legitimate grievance that would actually be better to bring up to the person’s face? 

Not giving tactful, constructive criticism when it is required. Consider this point carefully. If someone you care about is doing something that is hurting them, and they can’t see it, or refuse to see it, someone needs to intervene.\ 

God actually gives the ministry for this purpose—to help us become perfect (Ephesians 4:11-13)—certainly through messages, but also through counsel and by stepping in where necessary to point things out. This is a tremendous blessing. When a minister corrects us, we must recognize it as God pouring out His love upon us—trying to help us turn something around so our life can be blessed.

He also tells PCG members that they are to correct each other as well.

But this is not just the ministry’s job—not in every case. Do you realize you have a duty to intervene in some cases? (Matthew 18:15-17; James 5:19-20). If you fail to do so, and just allow the person to go on doing the destructive act, you’re perpetuating a self-deception in their minds.

He ends the article with these words.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Let’s be honest with God. Let’s be honest with each other. 

Let’s summon the courage to confront deception, and build a life of truth and honesty. Accept God’s Get Real Challenge—every day.

And so the article  which calls for obedience towards PCG's ministers come to an end.

Armstrongite Anti-Semitism

On page 2 of issue 188 of The Journal the following letter may be seen.

Concentration-camp witness  

I have just read the ad by Jan Aaron Young in the July 2016 issue [No. 186]. I was shocked by his obvious hatred of the Jews.  

The camps were doctored up for the Red Cross to inspect, when they were inspected. Actually, they were unlivable. Ike [Gen. Dwight Eisenhower] foresaw there would be people who denied fact as time went by. He gathered up the German civilians and forced them to witness what had transpired. He was a great man, and smart enough to know that there is anti-Semitism throughout the world.  

As a World War II veteran who was in Germany at the end of that war, I can attest to the fact that Mr. Young is 100 percent wrong about most of what he says. I saw the horror of the victims of the concentration camps with my own eyes.  

Yes, millions of Jews were tortured, starved and murdered there. The filth and disease-ridden camps they were forced to live in is unspeakable. I challenge him to refute what I am saying. It disgusts me when I hear zealots try to deny the truth.  

He claims that the German prisoners of war were starved to death by Ike. That is not true! I guarded German POWs. They never had it so good: well fed and clothed. They spent most of the time playing volleyball. In fact, some Italian POWs were allowed to visit Italian-American districts of villages here in America.  

THE JOURNAL printed that it will not knowingly print untruths. I suggest you do a better job of accepting your advertisers.  

I am not suggesting that you censor them, but you should at least smell a rat by some of what Mr. Young writes. He obviously has his own agenda. I have no idea what that is, but I do know it is not good or in any way biblical.

The Journal published Young's response.

THE JOURNAL does have a policy of correcting errors of fact in news articles, mainly by running letters of correction from our readers. That policy cannot apply in the same way to letters, advertisements and editorials because of their opinion-based nature. One man’s fact is another man’s fantasy.  

Because of Mr. DeFalco’s serious allegations including the accusation of anti-Semitism and his challenge to Mr. Young to refute those allegations, THE JOURNAL checked with Mr. Young, who says he disagrees with Zionism but is not anti-Semitic and doesn’t hate anyone. Here is his response to Mr. DeFalco’s above statements:  

“I have reported from books and other resources what others have discovered, that the six million Jews and their Holocaust were written about before World War II. So it must be a fake number and ploy to garner sympathy and money and get Jews to Palestine. 

“See this video: [Link.]

“I do not hate anyone. War is wrong for very many reasons. And true Christians should avoid even hate.  

“I did report on Ike’s death camp of starvation of German soldiers on the Eastern front. I acknowledge that other POWs could have received ‘good’ treatment at other camps elsewhere.”

Incidentally that YouTube video linked to in the response above was posted by an account that promotes the Holocaust Denial claim that the six million figure dates to 1915, insinuates that Jews did 9/11 and that the "New World Order" has been pledged to Jews. All of those ideas are of course wrong.

Below is the article under discussion on page 10 of issue 186 of The Journal. It is filled with various anti-Semitic canards. As is common among conspiracy theorists it is quite confusing.

The Bad War (2015)

By M.S. King: In 1870 the various German parts united to form Germany. It quickly granted citizenship to Jews (who began to prosper) and was the first European nation to do so. Even England’s Rothschilds did not have that.  

Zionists-Globalists purchased The NY Times and skewed news to fit the New World Order. Plans were under way for Jews to acquire Palestine. A copy of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion were found and published in Russia in 1905 detailing their plans. To assassinate world leaders, commit terrorism, oust czarist Russia and start world war to include the US.  

The NY Times of 3-25-1906 is shown claiming 6 million Jews face extermination in Russia—one of many claiming the exact figure before the supposed WWII Holocaust by Nazis! [M.S. King has this and others copied, before the event (see ahead).]  

The New World Order gang had plans laid out in 1912 for the next decade to set up a US central bank (Federal Reserve). Impose a US income tax. Establish a World Political Body (League of Nations), and steal Palestine from Turks and Arabs. Zionist bankers Jacob Schiff, Bernard Baruch and the Warburg brothers controlled puppet President Wilson, all US agents of the Rothschilds.  

The NY Times published on 12-2-1914 that 6 million Jews are suffering in the war zone. Churchill’s and Wilson’s Marxist adviser Edward House contrived to make the US enter the war by having the British luxury liner Lusitania sunk by Germans. For carrying arms and explosives, unknown to the passengers, including 128 US citizens. The US press vilified Germany but made no mention of the illegal smuggled munitions on board a passenger ship. False US reports claimed German schoolkids were given a holiday off to celebrate the sinking. And Germans nailed babies to church doors in Belgium!  

Germany kept making peace overtures, but Britain and France kept making impossible demands as conditions. In 1917 Jews conquered Russia setting up Communism killing millions.  

Edward Bernays of propaganda infamy claimed the (US) populace is controlled by an elite by the engineering of consent. People become willing dupes for the elite. His slogan became the US claim of making the world safe for democracy. The Balfour Declaration Nov. 1917 by Lord Balfour assured Walter Rothschild that the Jews would get Palestine, which was the main reason for war and US entry into it.  

US Ambassador to Russia David Francis said “The Bolshevik leaders here (Russia) ... care little for Russia or any other country but are internationalists and they are trying to start a worldwide social revolution.”  

Russia could not fight a civil war at home and Germany also, so left the latter. The Germans celebrated a holiday with their war effort winning, but Marxists and Zionists in Germany undermined the nations’ morale causing factory strikes, and the press soured the populace and soldiers on the war. So German soldiers went to war with a defeatist attitude. (After the war, editorial cartoons pictured what figuratively happened, of Zionist-Marxists stabbing German soldiers in the back.) About the same time, American troops began to battle, and 10,000 US Jews joined the British to gain Palestine.  

In 1918 the Red Terror in Russia was announced and carried out, of immense cruelty and torture to Russians who resisted the Jews. Finally, most gave up resisting since they were not as ruthless as their enemies.  

After WWI Germany had to pay in many ways for a war that was imposed on it, including a food blockade. Setting up conditions ripe for WWII. The NY Times posted news of July 1921 that 6 million Jews faced massacre by counter-revolutionaries.  

A Dec. 1931 news article reported that 6 million Jews will starve in southeastern Europe. International Jewry issued a Declaration of War against Germany and 20,000 Jews protested at NY City Hall. Rallies urged boycotting German products. The Washington Post was auctioned off during the Great Depression and bought by Zionist Eugene Meyer who had stepped down from the Federal Reserve. Its editorials became pro-FDR, anti-German and soft on Stalin. With the Post purchase, the Jews gained the 4 major media giants (CBS, NBC, NY Times), the head of each had his picture on a Time magazine cover.  

Polish Ambassador to the US Jerzy Polocki said “Above all, propaganda here (in USA) is entirely in Jewish hands . . . their propaganda is so effective that people have no real knowledge of the state of affairs of Europe. President Roosevelt has been given the power to create huge reserves in armaments for a future war which the Jews are deliberately heading for.”  

FDR recognized the USSR as a legitimate nation before any other nation did, even though Soviets claim they want to overthrow all other nations including the US.
Hitler is shown in pictures smiling with children in many photos. However, the Yellow Press and Western history did not convey him as such, or with pets or women. He brought Germany out of financial ruin after the terrible financial burden of WWI was forced on it by the victors. Ex-Prime Minister David Lloyd George claimed he was rightly called a national hero. While Hitler was portrayed badly, Stalin was the supreme villain yet treated well by the Allies. Time magazine had his image on its front cover and praised him.  

FDR tried to bait Hitler to instigate an action that would lead to the US entering the war. While supposedly neutral, FDR impounded German ships, sank its subs, froze German, Italian and Japanese assets and aided Britain in spotting and sinking German ships. But Hitler did not take the bait since he knew US entry would be bad.  

In July 1943 Hamburg was incinerated by firebombs so much that some people on the streets were lifted up by the intensity. This US-UK act was called Operation Gomorrah after the Bible event of fire and brimstone raining down. About 42,000 people, most all civilians, died and as many were injured.  

The major German concentration camps were inspected by the Red Cross and found that 270,000 had died there (not the 6 million Jews that Jews kept claiming). The Red Cross did not dispute the 270,000 figure, or claim that inmates were greatly ill-treated. Most deaths were by disease. Jews tried to enforce law against anyone denying the Holocaust of 6 million Jews. The Auschwitz cite officially reduced the count there to one million, though still too high. Even many Jewish scholars now claim the stories about making lampshades of human skin, shrunken heads and killings by gas at the Dachau camp were faked.  

Chaos and terrorism resulted in Europe after state hostilities officially ended. President Ike held more than a million German POWs and allowed them to starve to death. Sympathetic US guards were told not to give them anything. The Red Cross was denied access. Stalin had his German POWS killed or worked to death.

What a disgusting, anti-Semitic screed that was. There are so many things one can mention.

It has long been a canard of anti-Semitism to claim that Jews somehow control the media.

It is insinuated that the Protocols of the Elders of Zion was genuine. That is not true. It was a plagiarized fabrication created by the Okhrana, the Tsarist secret service, around 1898 or so, which tried to prop up Tsarism and discredit widespread calls for liberal reform within Russia by slurring such reformers as tools of a conspiracy by Jews to seize power. It was plagiarized from a French novel which condemned the authoritarianism of Napoleon III. That evil work has caused untold pain and suffering against innocent Jews. It was even approvingly mentioned by Adolf Hitler in his book, Mein Kampf. It is frightening that anyone should inaccurately claim that it was somehow genuine. It is not.

It is wrong to claim that "Jews" conquered Russia in 1917. This refers to the anti-Semitic canard of "Jewish Bolshevism." To claim that the Bolsheviks were only Jews or acting on behalf of some Jewish conspiracy is a terrible slur against the Jewish people. In times past the Communists were accused of acting on behalf of some Jewish conspiracy. This terrible slur falsely accused Jews in general with the guilt of the problems associated with the Communist dictatorship. Once again Jews were used as a scapegoat.

It is wrong to claim that the United States went to war to acquire Palestine for Jews. The United States never even went to war with the Ottoman Turks. It is wrong that this writing should try to blame Jews for causing the United States to enter World War I to give Palestine to Jews. It is not true.

Hitler did not cause Germany to economically recover. It was the work of Hjalmar Schacht who was the economics minister in 1934-7.

It is strange that this writing should complain that Hitler was somehow portrayed badly. It was Hitler himself who plunged Europe into war with his military aggression against innocent people.

Somehow this writing neglects to mention that it was Hitler who declared war on the United States shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

It is also absurd and offensive to claim that somehow the figure of six million Jews murdered as part of Hitler's attempt to exterminate the Jews was somehow made up. What a terrible accusation. It is a form of Holocaust Denial.

What a terrible, anti-Semitic screed that was. Just dreadful. We must never give hatred a chance to harden our hearts against innocent people.

CUFI Wished Netanyahu a Happy Birthday

Back on October 21 Christians United For Israel, the leading pro-Israel organization within the evangelical community, wished Prime Minister Netanyahu a happy birthday.

Happy Birthday Prime Minister @netanyahu may you have a blessed day. We pray the coming year bring peace & prosperity to all #Israel pic.twitter.com/chzXaTy0JA

— CUFI (@CUFI) October 21, 2016

Seeing this I could not help but think of HWA's ban against birthdays which he plagiarized from the Jehovah's Witnesses. He certainly did not get such a prohibition from the Jewish community considering that one of the most solemn events for a Jew is one's bar mitzvah, which is a birthday. Because of HWA's prohibition Armstrongites are forbidden from even giving simple greetings such as this to their family members and friends.

(Or they could just ignore HWA's anti-social prohibition and, like PCG's Brad MacDonald during the Queen's birthday, give birthday greetings anyway.)

And even though Armstrongites refuse to celebrate birthdays it is written in Luke that the angels sang for joy at Jesus' birth.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2: 8-11.)

But somehow HWA and his imitators insist that it wrong to celebrate birthdays. What a terrible thing HWA did to those who trusted in him.

Overview of Jehovah's Witnesses' Awake! (No. 5, 2016)

Recently I got my hands on the Jehovah's Witnesses' recruitment magazine, Awake! Namely number five of 2016.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are often viewed as a cult due to various authoritarian practices among themselves such as shunning ex-members and refusing blood transfusions even if it causes death.

It is well known that HWA was heavily influenced by the Jehovah's Witnesses as he devised what became known as Armstrongism. Both the Watchtower Society and Armstrongism are offshoots of the Millerite Adventists of the 1830s-1840s.

Let's take a look.

The Watchtower Society was started up by white Americans in 1879 under the leadership of Charles Taze Russell, so naturally they portray Jesus as a white man. The main leaders of this organization such as Russell, Rutherford, Knorr and Franz, were mainly white. Even today the main leadership of this organization in Brooklyn, New York is still predominantly white.

On the contents page it is stated that this recruitment magazine has 57,761,000 issues in circulation in 106 languages.

There is an article stating that Jesus existed which every other church teaches as well (pp. 3-6).

While discussing this topic it slurs the Jewish rabbis who authored the Talmud as "Jesus' enemies".

This collection of Jewish rabbinic writings [the Talmud], dating from the third to the sixth centuries C.E., shows that even Jesus' enemies affirmed his existence. (p. 5.)

It also states that the following will happen after the Millennium comes.

Wickedness, including greed and corruption, will be gone forever, along with ungodly people. (p. 6.)

What a way for one to say that he or she does not want to hang out with people who religiously disagree

Watching the world talks about checking on e-mails less; ending over fishing in the Caribbean; and widespread violence in Brazil (p. 7).

There is a parenting article discussing how to teach sex to your children (pp. 8-9).

Then it discusses carbon (pp. 10-11).

Then it encourages people to show gratitude (pp. 12-13).

Then it features a profile on Aristotle. The topic is exploited to denigrate the Catholic Church, Luther and Calvin. (pp. 14-15).

Aristotle's notion that a stationary earth lies at the center of the universe became Catholic dogma. The teaching was also adopted by Protestant leaders, such as Calvin and Luther, who said it was biblical. (p. 15.)

The Watchtower Society claims they are the one, true church and historical facts such as the widespread misconception that the Earth was at the center of the Universe is used to reinforce the idea that one must not join any other church aside from the Watchtower Society.

And on the back cover there is an article boasting of how videos from their website is being used in classrooms in South Korea.

And so the Watchtower Cult has produced another issue to try and get more people to join them and to encourage those who are already members to remain in it.

Cracked.com Discusses Armstrongism

The humor website, Cracked.com, has released an article discussing Armstrongism, Six Things You Learn Living In (and Killing) a Cult. (Hat tip: Banned by HWA.)

At one point the article muses why it is that WCG is not talked about so much nowadays even though it had a larger membership than some more well known groups and had an income greater than some well known evangelists. Partly it is because the institution collapsed after the Tkach changes. Also WCG was not overtly political even though WCG's leaders tended to lean to the right. No doubt there are other factors.

I was surprised to learn that WCG HQ even had its own gas station. That detail was never mentioned in what I had read about Armstrongism.

The article contains a picture from pages 5 and 7 of the February 1962 issue of the Plain Truth in which HWA makes a dire prediction of catastrophe. His words are now plainly revealed to have been complete nonsense.

Near the end it mentions that some people in well off neighborhoods of California tend to avoid getting vaccinations.

What was once, Mike admitted, "a cult" that urged its members to risk their lives rather than see doctors, now has a more enlightened attitude on medicine than many rich, white neighborhoods in California.

It is terrible that this dangerous modern day superstition has been able to take root and promote dangerous behavior and unfounded fears that puts people, including children, at risk from dangerous diseases unnecessarily. Children deserve to be protected. Get vaccinated. Get our children vaccinated.

Painful Truth Posts Quotations of Stanley Rader's Book

The Painful Truth blog is currently posting quotations from Against the Gates of Hell by Stanley Rader. Also includes fascinating comments about the topic.

• Part 1.

• Part 2.

• Part 3.

There's more to come later on.

I only tried reading that book after I had renounced Armstrongism. I could only bother reading the first half discussing the receivership crisis. The second half discussed HWA's visits to world leaders but I never read that section in full.

Gerald Flurry Admits PCG has Just 6000 Members (2008)

Back in October 2008 PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, wrote an article promoting PCG's observance of their Feast of Tabernacles which has just been recently posted on pcog.org. While insisting that (PCG's) God bestows spectacular favor upon his PCG, even implying that his PCG is the only true church on Earth, he admits that his organization only has about 6,000 members.

If people in this world would only look closely at God’s Feast of Tabernacles, they would see their fabulous future. But most people cannot see history as being truly important when it is comprised of only 6,000 people! Still, this Work is THEIR ONLY HOPE. (Gerald Flurry, History of God's Feast of Tabernacles, October 2008.)

It is worth bearing in mind that, as noted in a previous post, back in August 1997 his son, the heir apparent, Stephen Flurry, admitted that PCG had less than 7,000 members.

Just look at what the right priorities have done for the Philadelphia Church of God. Each month, you can receive the Trumpet magazine at no cost to you. Furthermore, our television program, The Key of David, seen around the world, never solicits contributions. And television and publishing are only two departments of this worldwide work. Yet the Philadelphia Church of God has less than 7,000 members! Many people are astonished at that figure. (Stephen Flurry, Don't Waste Your Time, August 1997, p. 2.)

In 1997 Stephen Flurry said PCG had "less than 7,000 members" and eleven years later Gerald Flurry stated that PCG was "comprised of only 6,000 people". If anything it sounds as though PCG's number of members had declined between 1997 and 2008. One can only wonder what has happened to PCG's membership numbers since 2008.

PCG's leaders are notoriously secretive about their organization which necessitates reading between the lines.

US Presidential Election is Fair and Not Rigged

It has been concerning to hear that Trump has been claiming that the presidential election is somehow rigged. It is not. If he loses he would have lost the election fair and square.

ICG's Mark Armstrong: European Cultures "Obliterated" by Arrival of Refugees

Did you hear that European culture has "been obliterated" by refugees coming into Europe? Intercontinental Church of God's leader, Mark Armstrong, seems to state that such a thing has happened in his October 7, 2016 weekly update.

We've heard regularly that the whole atmosphere has changed in many European nations, and that the indigenous cultures have been obliterated as people try to go about their business without becoming an unreported statistic in the Muslim crime wave sweeping Europe.

What a ridiculous thing to say. What a bitter and vicious thing to say.

Furthermore he insists on viewing the current refugee crisis in an Islamophobic manner by stereotyping them as Muslims instead of seeing them as people trying to find safety, often from the ongoing cataclysmic war in Syria.

A major reason why so many refugees have been arriving in Europe is because of the ongoing conflict in Syria that has afflicted that land since 2011. Many of the refugees Mark Armstrong talks about are people fleeing from this deadly conflict looking for safety. And yet he would have us believe that these desperate people have already somehow "obliterated" the cultures of European peoples. (Whatever that means.)

By the way, is Mark Armstrong talking about a partial obliteration or a complete obliteration? Either way there is no such thing happening. It is nonsense to insinuate that European cultures have been somehow "obliterated" with the arrival of refugees.

What nonsense.

ICG's Mark Armstrong Ridicules Warnings About Hurricane Matthew

In his October 7, 2016 weekly update, Intercontinetal Church of God's leader, Mark Armstrong, chides weathermen and the news media warning Americans to evacuate their homes because of Hurricane Matthew. Even though 46 Americans were killed by Hurricane Matthew he insinuates that America was spared the scale of destruction it inflicted on Haiti because of the prayers of his followers.

Maybe it's too soon to relax, but it looks as though the predictions of death and devastation by hurricane may have been a bit premature.  When it became clear that the east coast of Florida was in line to be raked, if not plastered by the first major hurricane to threaten landfall there in ages, we knew there would be prayers going up by the millions.  There is no doubt that a great many of those who were ordered to evacuate their homes on relatively short notice were very concerned that they might lose everything.  The over-wrought predictions by some “reporters” and forecasters led us all to expect something far more devastating than what has actually transpired.

Looking at some of the scenes from Haiti, where the hurricane swept across the island killing hundreds, certainly made it look like the southeast coast would be in for a major disaster.  But it seems that the news media may have hyped these concerns out of all proportion to reality.  Haiti is largely without the kind of sturdy construction that can protect people from a storm of such magnitude.  Much of the flimsy make-shift housing was likely reduced to flying debris and contributed to the mounting death toll, currently reported at nearly [900] now.

There's no question that some of the reporters went way over the top with their scary rhetoric this time.  Fox News' Shepard Smith has been widely lampooned for his comments to the effect that, should the storm turn 20 miles to the west, “...you and everybody you know will be dead.”  And he went on from there.  There is this lingering suspicion that the situation may have been exploited for the sake of ratings, and it makes you wonder whether anyone will listen the next time authorities believe widespread evacuation is warranted.  Then again, a lot of prayers may have been answered.
Our nation and our way of life is under ominous threats from more directions than we care to contemplate all at once.  You can see the gathering threat from within, and read plenty about everything from the onslaught of illegals, to the economic bubble, from Russia's provocations to Iran and North Korea's development of nuclear missiles.  The prayers of an entire nation need to go up with the same urgency and immediacy with which we reacted to the dire reports of the approaching hurricane.  The storm may not have been quite as bad as reports indicated, but any one of the other threats routinely downplayed by the media will be far worse.  May God protect you and yours whatever the immediate future holds. 

It is terribly dangerous advice to imply that weather watchers are somehow untrustworthy and should not be listened to. A lot of work goes into determining how to predict the paths of hurricanes. We need to be smart and protect ourselves from threats such as hurricanes.

I dearly hope no one chooses to ignore the warnings of authorities concerning severe weather because of Mark Armstrong's weekly update.

Battle for Mosul Begins

Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, has declared that the battle to regain Mosul, which has been ruled by the infamous criminal network called ISIL since July 2014, will now begin.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announces the ‘decisive battle’ for Mosul will begin soon. https://t.co/IAgw6ad78Z pic.twitter.com/sSWmJ9l1M9

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) October 16, 2016

New Documentary About Armstrongism Being Prepared

Banned by HWA has brought attention to a Kickstarter account raising money to produce a documentary about the truth about Armstrongism. It is entitled Splintered By The WCG.

It is certainly to be hoped for that this documentary will help open peoples' eyes on this topic.

PCG Preparing for the Feast with Crude Scare Mongering

Even when PCG's Gary Rethford writes an article telling PCG lay members to rejoice in the (Armstrongite) Feast of Tabernacles he writes this bizarrely cruel passage fantacizing about what will supposedly soon occur in the Great Tribulation.

Looming just ahead of us is a time in which this earth and all humanity will suffer the most excruciating, gut-wrenching horror ever endured. Remember that Christ said it would be a time in which all humanity would be mercilessly destroyed unless supernaturally stopped! (Matt. 24). Only a fraction of all the people on earth will survive this coming holocaust. ... 

This rejoicing spoken of in the Psalms is of a people who have been spared. Consider the plight of these individuals: They have been starved, lived with the pain of loved ones perishing, perhaps witnessed the raping of their own precious daughters, the murder of their defenseless babies—treated like cattle by a beast power who considered them sub-human. Most, if not all of them, might have begged for death because they just could not stand to see, or endure, that existence; and now, the Kingdom of God has arrived, and THEY REJOICE! (Gary Rethford, Rejoice at the Feast!, published 1998, posted October 11, 2016.)

It really shows how fixated on death and destruction this group is when one of their leaders should talk about such ghastly things while telling PCG lay members to rejoice at the yearly, eight day conference that often takes place far from home.

Did the people reading that article in 1998 expect for things to still remain as they are eighteen years later?

The Feast of Tabernacles described in the Bible gave instructions on how to observe that festival at home. It is a beautiful and joyous festival that is celebrated at home, not in some site far from home decided by the leadership of an Armstrongite group as is the case in the COGs. The Jews build sukkot on their property to remember the wandering of the Israelites. It does not disrupt the children's education in the way that the Armstrongite feast does.

But HWA exploited this joyous Jewish festival and appropriated it for his own syncretic religion. Having his followers celebrate it at home with family and friends did not advance his interests. He probably had little understanding of this Feast. So he ordered his followers to assemble at a place he chose for an eight day indoctrination session and yearly conference.

Many churches hold a yearly conference. Usually they are only held over a weekend over two or three days. But HWA had his yearly conference last for eight days.

It is terrible how HWA twisted a beautiful and joyous Jewish festival into a burdensome, eight day indoctrination session that bears little resemblance to the festival described in the Bible.

Still No Article About Trump's Comment by PCG or LCG

So much has happened in the presidential election since Trump's comment about having the power to force himself on women recorded in 2005 were publicized on October 7 but PCG and LCG's websites do not even have an article about this event.

Since an earlier post PCG has released:

• an article about Jerusalem, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

• an article scare mongering about the European Union building an army.

• an article about the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.

And somehow they cannot be bothered to write an article about Trump's comment.

Meanwhile on LCG's twitter accounts (here and here) there is still no mention of these comments that have shocked so many people. Somehow they cannot be bothered to write an article about this matter.

One wonders what must the women in these organizations think of the fact that those comments are not discussed in an article produced by these organizations.

No doubt there is discussion of this matter within these groups but the leaders have chosen not to write even a small article to discuss this matter. Whatever they think of it they are not making their thoughts on this matter easily available.

So often the COGs bemoan the world outside of the group and yet they do not write an article about Trump's recent comment.

Overview of the November 2016 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

The latest issue of PCG's recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet, is now out.

Let us see what they have to say.

The editors of this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Brad MacDonald, Richard Palmer, Robert Morley, Jeremiah Jacques, Dennis Leap and Phillip Nice.

The circulation for this issue is listed as 277,131.

Gerald Flurry has an article scare mongering that the European Union will soon rise up in "the spirit of Charlemagne" and become a military superpower fated to conquer the United States.

It is accompanied with side articles talking of Margaret Thatcher's opposition to Britain joining the European Union and scare mongering about Bill Clinton being awarded the Charlemagne Prize.

Brad MacDonald has an article implying that Merkel will be forced out of power fated to be replaced by Karl-Theodor zu Guttenburg. Since 2009 PCG's 1% has constantly insinuated that zu Guttenburg is fated to be the military ruler who will conquer the United States.

Richard Palmer has an article insisting that the European Union will soon throw away its secular ethos to become some sort of Catholic theocracy fated to murder Sabbatarians such as PCG members.

Christopher Eames has an article noting various accounts of the Bible gaining extra-biblical support. This topic is very common among Christians. That gives no distinctive motive for a person to join PCG alone.

Jorg Mardian has an article saying that cheap food is not cheap at all.

Andrew Müller has an article moaning about Americans taking too many prescription drugs and lambasting the pharmaceutical industry as being like illegal drug cartels. It is worrying to see an article like this in this publication taking into consideration Armstrongism's long history of promoting HWA's anti-medicine superstition.

The Infographic discusses addiction.

Kieran Underwood has an article blaming pacifism for the fall of France to the Nazi regime in 1940 during World War II.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article speculating that Bashar al-Assad could soon fall. Back in 2011 Gerald Flurry insisted that the Assad regime would fall in Syria to be replaced by a pro-Europe regime which be antagonistic to Iran. This article serves to reinforce that dogma.

The correspondence course discusses having a good name.

Jeremiah Jacques has a little article scare mongering that terrorism works.

Joel Hilliker has an article encouraging people to take responsibility for when things go wrong.

There are letters. One letter from Brazil praises an article that discusses Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, who selflessly saved hundreds of Jews fleeing Nazi tyranny by granting them visas despite receiving orders to the contrary from those above him.

I was profoundly moved by this amazing story of one of the few world citizens who decided to do the right thing in the face of wrong.... Thank you.

It is terrible that a group such as PCG should try to exploit the name of a noble man like that in their recruitment magazine.

And Andrew Müller denounces socialists of the 1600s and state that the Bible only talks about freewill charity and not government assistance to help the poor and disadvantaged.

And so we see that PCG has once again made a recruitment magazine designed to bedazzle readers into thinking that PCG's leaders can see the future. They can not. They are but false prophets.

PCG Still Mainly Silent About Trump's Comment

In the last post it was noted that as of the time of that posting PCG, LCG and UCG had not bothered to write even a small article to discuss Trump's recently disclosed comment about women. (There was one tweet that seems to allude to this but it was very vague and did not refer to the scandal specifically.)

Let us see if PCG has mentioned now.

So PCG has released a few articles on their website to start off the working week.

There's one article by Richard Palmer about the Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, wining the Nobel Peace Prize for his attempts to bring peace in the country's long running civil war. It also scare mongers about the Catholic Church.

There's one article by Kieran Underwood about Jacques Hamel, the French priest who was murdered by ISIL sympathizers, being given a fast track to sainthood.

There's one article by Gerald Flurry scare mongering about Europe being fated to arise as a military superpower fated to conquer the United States. Somehow this modern day superstition is still being used to try and find new followers after eighty years of failed predictions.

Let's now look at their radio station.

Here's the synopsis for the latest broadcast of The Trumpet Daily, hosted by Stephen Flurry.

In recent months Iran has taken steps to strengthen its presence in critical areas throughout the Middle East. In Iraq, Syria and Yemen, the Iranians have bolstered their influence and put pressure on neighboring nations. Over the weekend, another flare up took place in Yemen where two missiles were fired from Houthi territory towards a United States patrol boat. As the Middle East continues to destabilize, look for Iran to continue angling for control. Listen to Stephen Flurry discuss the prophetic importance of Iran’s advances in the region and much more on today’s Trumpet Daily Radio Show. 

In other words Trump's comment is not specifically addressed in the synopsis. Whatever is said in the broadcast is said only to listeners. It is not mentioned in the synopsis.

There has also been another broadcast of Trumpet Radio Live. It is entitled "Hurricane Aftermath, Debate Aftermath". Here is the synopsis.

On today's TRL:
- $800 billion in damage from hurricane?
- Another ugly debate
- How sugar is in that drink you drink? [Sic.]

Again Trump's comment is not specifically mentioned in the synopsis. Whatever is said in the broadcast is said only to listeners. It is not mentioned in the synopsis.

Meanwhile pcog.org has said absolutely nothing but since that website is less focused on political affairs that is unsurprising.

One wonders why PCG's leaders did not bother to address this issue in writing freely accessible on the Internet? How can they judge the issues concerning that comment as less important than what they chose to write about?

COGs Mainly Silent on Trump's Comment About Women

So the election campaign has been rocked by the revelation of Trump boasting of being able to grab women in their private area because he's a star back in 2005. Such words have justly earned widespread condemnation.

I took a look at PCG's websites (thetrumpet, pcog, and kpcg), LCG's websites (tomorrrowsworld and lcg) and UCG's main website. As far as I can tell none of them has discussed this disturbing revelation about the man who could be President on those websites.

However PCG's Dennis Leap appeared to allude to this matter in a tweet dated 8:53 PM, October 7, 2016 but even then he neglects to specifically discuss the matter and he does not single out Trump specifically for condemnation instead condemning both candidates.

It's the most hypocritical election process I have ever seen. Both candidates are so guilty. The shame is too much to handle. So sad for USA

It's the most hypocritical election process I have ever seen. Both candidates are so guilty. The shame is too much to handle. So sad for USA

— Dennis Leap (@DennisLeap) October 8, 2016

Do they not care about protecting the women in their lives from this disdainful and disturbing attitude? Is this matter only worth a very vague tweet on a private Twitter account? Is this matter somehow not worth an article from any of them on their main websites?

PCG Members Denounce President Obama as Demon Filled, Modern Day Antiochus

Back in 2013 Gerald Flurry released a booklet entitled America Under Attack which denounced President Obama as a modern day Antiochus Epiphanes, an Antichrist like figure of Flurry's own devising. This equates President Obama with the cruel king who placed an idol in the Temple in Jerusalem. He also compared him to Tkach and denounced him as a tool of Satan used to help bring about the destruction of the United States. 

As absurd as such talk is some PCG members have embraced this paranoid view of affairs as may be seen in this comment thread discussing an article by PCG's resident McCarthyite, Andrew Müller, which denounced various limitations that exist for Christian clergy in the US military.

Here is one comment insisting that President Obama's head is full of demons.

The whole head is sick. I never seen such filth coming from a American President. He must be full of demons.

Here's one comment calling for PCG members to rally themselves for the supposed trials they will supposedly soon endure.

I am thankful to god that this voice will never be silenced. the bold and fearless remnant elect who do “NOT fear their faces.” We must ALL apply that “GRIT” that Mr. Jeremiah Jacques so eloquently spoke to us yesterday about. Be ready for the days ahead.

One commenter seemed particularly moved by Müller's claim of Christian chaplains supposedly being silenced in the US military.

Mr. Miller this is one of the most depressing if not the most depressing but yet truthful articles I ever read on the Trumpet. Just based on this article alone you can easily see why the King of the North (the rod of God’s anger) will easily defeat modern day Israel (US, UK, and Judah). Just from this article alone you can see why God the Father and the Messiah are so angry and there will be no more delay in punishing modern day Israel! Indeed modern day Israel has fallen under the spell of the ‘god of this world’!

One regular commenter then interjects with a short comment stirring up resentment against people in other religions including Islamophobia.

But they have no restrictions against pagan religions such as Wicca or Islam.

Here's one comment insisting that America is getting worse and worse. The commenter's discussion of the "spirit of Antiochus" and "lawlessness" indicates this person is quite familiar with PCG's writings and is probably a member. In this comment Israel refers to the United States, Britain and the State of Israel.

The spirit of Antiochus and lawlessness is continuing to spread throughout all of “Israel” and is absolutely rampant in this most powerful nation of the group. It has destroyed more completely any semblance of “right” principles upon which our founding fathers established this nation. As the lawlessness increases, so the effects of that lawlessness also are increasingly magnified… cause and effect. In and of itself… what a shame! However, in the context of where we are in relation to the return of Christ and the end of man’s flawed and evil rule over man, then may God’s will be done!

One commenter (author of the third comment) thought the preceeding comment was "great".

Great comment.... The spirit of Antiochus is throughout the American society. To my ugly surprised I even had republicans defend these ungodly policies. That is why in my comment I added the statement with an improvement here that all political, military and the people of modern day Israel are under the spell of the ‘god of this world’!

One commenter absurdly alleges that Jihadists are protected.

Who could have imagined it would get this bad? You can stand on a street corner and preach Jihad and your protected. You can burn the flag Its your constitutional right. You can spit, scream and swear in the face of a police officer and that is all fine. But open your mouth to speak from the Holy Bible and your guilty of committing a hate crime.

The third commenter returns insinuating that allowing gays to openly serve in the military will lead to the United States getting annihilated like Sodom and Gomorrah.

I could not write this comment any better than you did! Thank you! The modern day Israel is unthankful to what God the Father and the Messiah has given to us! We think it is a product of our abilities instead that God promised Abraham this prosperity! Now God the Father and his Messiah are so angry with us even more so that they were with the people of Sodoma and Gomorrah! We will reap the fruits of our disobedience towards our creator! One of the thinks the Father will do is to totally break down the morale of the military! The military was the last bastion of morality. Unfortunately the ‘god of this world’ through his devious schemes already conquered that bastion too! The Father has no many options with us! We are forcing his hands to accelerate the punishments on modern day Israel!

One commenter disparage executive actions as mere temper tantrums.

When the Commander-in-Chief throws his little executive order tantrums and wouldn’t exactly be known around the world for being a religious example, it comes as very little surprise that he would twist a law on its head to persecute the very peope it is meant to protect. A sad and shameful situation for the American Military but the people of America got the very thing they wanted/voted for.

One regular commenter implies in a dire manner that the next election will be "the final in your face kick by America".

Think things are bad now wait for the next set of elections (US presidential and congressional) for the final in your face kick by America. Can’t imagine God or His Son Christ will like that any better. The warning has been given to Israel for over 70 years. It wouldn’t be surprising for THE punishments to really arrive enforce to teach the only lessons mankind will hear… With all due respect Israel bring them on!

One regular commenter implies that problems US veterans face when coming home are because they do not have the commenter's religion.

Wow, then we wonder why ‘ our ‘ greatest Military has such low moral and come home with ‘ problems ‘ , no Spiritual guidance what so ever, this is only going to get worse, such a shame.

One commenter expresses rage against Satan and fantasizes about getting into a brawl with Satan.

My blood is boiling against satan and his demons . I wish I could just have one or two rounds against him outside on the grass but I will have to have a perfect body and mind. Michael and Gabriel struggled for a couple of weeks just to past by the devil to bring a message to Daniel. Thank the Lord that satan will be the last enemy that will be destroyed by God the Father who created him.

The third commenter responds to the above comment.

Indeed ... the devil, ‘the god of this world’ and his demons are the source of all evil. I cannot wait for the Day of Atonement when God will put the devil and his demons away and stop influencing the world the way they have for the past six thousand years!

One commenter implies that the Obama Administration is preparing the way for the establishment of a "New World", possibly a reference to "New World Order" conspiracy theories.

I question this articles conclusion of “the Obama administration is setting up secular humanism as America’s established religion.”
Rather, this will only be a stepping stone to something far worse. The writers of the 1986 movie Cobra (starring Sylvester Stallone) understood this when a villain stated: “I ain’t no psycho, man! I’m a hero! You’re lookin’ at a … ‘ hunter! I’m a hero of the New World! ”
That is, the Obama administration aims at a moral inversion.

One commenter insists military chaplains face similar issues in Australia.

This is nothing new since here in Australia chaplains in the services have had their content watered down for decades. Many return to mainstream churches so they can actually preach again.

One Spanish speaking follower of PCG has this simple denunciation of President Obama.

Esta actitud de Obama, es la actitud de Antioco Epífanes.

One commenter denounces President Obama as having a lawless mind.

Antiochus is flying his flag and the State of his mind, lawlessness rules.

PCG leans far to the right in regards to politics. Naturally their audience reflect that tendency of theirs. Their partisan hostility towards those not politically aligned with themselves is quite evident in the quotes above.

PCG's Trumpet Radio Live on the Charlotte Riots and the Presidential Debate

Since 1992, if not earlier, PCG's leaders have promoted a false prophecy of "race war." They teach that in the near future African Americans will launch a wave of riots against the white majority. This paranoid attitude influences how they view and discuss relations with the African American community.

Wanting to know more about PCG's reaction to the protests and riots in Charlotte I listened to the following broadcasts of Trumpet Radio Live, hosted by Dwight Falk and Grant Turgeon.

• September 21, 2016.

Here the situation is only beginning. It is mentioned for the first six minutes.

At one point Michael Brown is mentioned and Black Lives Matter protesters are lambasted for citing that shooting. Falk states that Brown robbed a convenience store, had smoked marijuana, and attacked the police officer who shoot him.

It should be noted that marijuana is utterly irrelevant regarding the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

In other words, just because marijuana was found in Brown’s system does not mean he was high at the time he was shot to death by a police officer. It doesn’t even necessarily mean he recently consumed cannabis. Such false assumptions often lead to claims that marijuana use is directly linked to criminal behavior. While some studies have found higher marijuana use among criminal offenders, the presence of THC [the active ingredient of marijuana] in their systems is often circumstantial, rather than a contributor to the behavior itself. 

Even if Brown was high or had recently used marijuana, there is little evidence to suggest Brown would have been more aggressive or confrontational when approached by a police officer because of it. In fact, if Brown were high, a number of recent studies suggest that marijuana would have made him much less aggressive. (Nick Wang and Matt Ferner, So What If Michael Brown Had Marijuana In His System When He Was Killed?, Huffington Post, August 18, 2014.)

He also insisted that the police officer was cleared. But what actually happened was that a grand jury ended the investigation. A grand jury is not a jury. A grand jury does not hear evidence for and against a defendant but only from the prosecutor. A grand jury does what the prosecutor tells it to do. A grand jury by design is very favorable towards the prosecutor and does what the prosecutor tell them to do. It is extremely rare for a grand jury to say the case should not proceed. These things are not explained.

• September 22, 2016.

Here the discussion becomes more detailed. It is mentioned that some rioters tried to throw an unconscious journalist into a fire but the police stopped them. It is constantly insisted that the police are restrained and are barely able to hold the rioters in check.

It is insisted that the protesters are wrong about some of what was said condemning the shooting of Scott.

At one point Turgeon mentions that he watched Sean Hannity on Fox News which broadcast for an hour discussing the situation in Charlotte without any commercial breaks. He states that Hannity was lambasting President Obama for not doing enough to stop the riots. Considering how far to the right PCG leans it is unsurprising to notice that a person this high up within PCG's ranks should be getting his information from there.

Back on April 4, 2013 PCG's Jeremiah Jacques discouraged PCG's writers from overly relying on Fox News as a source for their articles since many people seeing this will assume (correctly) that PCG is right wing and ignore them.

Fox News is less “conservative” than it is “republican.” There is a great stigma associated with it among many people. Many who consider themselves moderate or liberal get instantly bristled by it. Beware of the way people recoil away when if we cite it. We should almost always try to balance it out with another source. If we quote it alone, people will assume an ideological slant. (Jeremiah Jacques, April 4, 2013.)

Clearly that advice is not being followed here.

Now I do not condemn PCG for being right wing. But it is important to note that they are right wing because this explains many of the political stances they choose to make.

Listening to them insist that the protesters are wrong I cannot help but wonder if that drives some of their denunciations of Black Lives Matter protesters. Since their motivations are ignored then what happens must seem irrational and to have almost arisen from nowhere. But there are reasons why things like this have occurred over the years. These things do not just happen.

• September 27, 2016.

Here Falk and Turgeon mention the first presidential debate. At first it is mentioned that politics is such a burden but as they discuss the debate it is quite clear and unsurprising where their sympathies lie.

It is mentioned that CNN did a poll in which Clinton won but then they mention an Internet poll that said Trump won.

It is insinuated that the moderator was politically biased in Clinton's favor even though he has been listed as a registered Republican since 2003.

Fact checkers are presented as politically motivated. At one point Falk feels compelled to insist that Trump's comment that Clinton had been fighting ISIL for all of her adult life was merely "a flippant comment" that was not supposed to be taken literally.

Turgeon said that Trump criticized Clinton well but said he should have criticized her about Benghazi and the emails more. Considering that nine investigations of Benghazi failed to find anything against Clinton it is doubtful that line of criticism would have worked for Trump.

They then talk about how utterly horrible and dreadful it is that some members of the Democratic Party should dare call some people racist. It is hard to take their criticism seriously considering how the organization they belong to, PCG, has historically condemned interracial marriage. In 1967 the US Supreme Court ruled that US authorities had no right to restrict interracial marriage and yet PCG's leaders have audaciously tried to impose this onerous burden on their followers.

• In 1997 PCG published a booklet by Gerald Flurry and Dennis Leap entitled Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God's Temple, which condemned interracial marriage as a "sin".

• In 1997 PCG also published a booklet by the late Ron Fraser entitled South Africa in Prophecy which in Chapter 3 insisted that interracial marriage was sinful and against (PCG's) God's will.

• In 2014 PCG published a booklet for singles entitled Single-Minded for God which stated that single PCG members are to date within your race. It is also mentioned that PCG's unaccredited "college," Herbert W. Armstrong College, has a policy against interracial dating. This may be seen in the following quote:
  
  "Be sure that, as at God’s college, you date within your race— even online dating. In most cases this is obvious, but sometimes it isn’t. If you have any doubts, please talk with your minister before you do any one-on-one dating—although group dating, with three or more people of different races, is encouraged. (p. 50.)"

• In 1997 PCG begin distributing pirated copies of Mystery of the Ages, a book that also condemned interracial marriage as sinful. This got them entangled in a drawn out court case with WCG which they lost but as part of an out of court settlement with WCG they paid $3 million to purchase the copyright to Mystery of the Ages and other writings by HWA. PCG greatly reveres this book that condemns interracial marriage as sinful.

Considering these things it seems quite absurd for persons from such an organization to complain about people calling other people racist. Condemning interracial relationships is racist.

Mark Armstrong Vilifying Refugees Again (and Multicultualism)

Mark Armstrong, leader of the Intercontinental Church of God, son of Garner Ted Armstrong and grandson of Herbert Armstrong, made another weekly update on September 30, 2016.

Let's take a look.

As is typical in his weekly updates he brings up a lot of issues all at one. It can be hard to keep track of his train of thought. Here he talks about the bombing against UN aid personnel in Syria; Syrian rebels; ISIL; xenophobic scare mongering about refugees who (he insists) are not refugees at all; and scare mongering about the American Muslim ethnic minority who already live in the United States.

The media is in full-throated dismay over civilian casualties and the reported bombing of medical relief and supply convoys.  Whether the U. S. has some role in the debacle is rather murky.  Are there supposed to be some “good guys” in the Syrian civil war?  Whatever happened to the “Syrian rebels” who were financially supported and trained?  Did they join ISIS or what?

The caliphate is still operating, both on the ground and on the Internet.  It seems that nearly every place on earth is under the constant threat of some “lone-wolf” following the murderous instructions of some obscure weird Muslim holy man.  We all realize that “refugees” have flooded Europe, thousands have recently been secreted to various locations around the United States.  But some of the most recent attacks are from Muslims whose families were taken in a decade or two ago, and they still haven't “assimilated.”  They still don't respect our laws or believe we have a right to exist.  Just like they don't think Israel has the right to exist, now nobody who fails to take up their heathen cause deserves to live.

Surprisingly in this section he links to a Mondoweiss article which says things that Mark Armstrong would not agree with.

Accepting refugees means more terrorism he seems to imply. Even though the Syrian refugees are fleeing repression and violence by the Assad regime and ISIL and the cataclysmic situation underway there these unfortunate people who saw their homeland turned into a war zone are castigated as terrorists. He clearly is aware that a cataclysmic war is underway in Syria but he seems to not pay attention to the fact that the refugee crisis is to a large extent a symptom of the Syrian conflict.

There is not the slightest shadow of a doubt that, given the advent of hundreds of thousands more “refugees,” we will see an explosion of terrorist attacks that will dominate (or terminate) the lives of the next generation. Even the utterly corrupt Director of the F.B.I. managed to say as much in recent congressional testimony. That's if time goes on and Iran or North Korea don't manage to fulfill their lunatic fantasies.

Mark Armstrong then condemns President Obama's opposition to legislation allowing the family members of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia.

He also castigates various moves made by the US government as part of implementing the deal with Iran to make sure that the International Atomic Energy Agency is allowed to monitor Iran's nuclear program. He also neglects to mention that the "$400 million worth of foreign currency" he mentions was to resolve a financial dispute dating back to the time of the Shah.

In the case of the unbelievable nuclear “deal” the administration cut with Iran, the blind followers had no involvement. This is something that was done without the cooperation or even the knowledge of Congress. Sure there was a lot of outrage, but nothing was done to stop it. Only recently have details begun to spill out, like the information and photographs of pallets laden with plastic-wrapped cash in the hold of an unmarked airplane (last January), said to contain $400 million worth of foreign currency. Now we learn that there may have been much more than that. 

Now it's leaked out that the White House secretly lifted sanctions on the two major Iranian banks that had played a major role in Iran's acquisition of nuclear related material and machinery. The news just broke, even though the treasonous action was taken back at the same time the secret cash was flown into Iran and the four American hostages were released nine months ago. It's one more blinding scandal that will be investigated, denounced and ultimately brushed aside like each one before it.

He then discusses the dismissal of Alabama's chief justice, Roy Moore, over his opposition to same sex marriage. He ends his weekly update by implying that some similar strife may come upon him and his followers. He also condemns multiculturalism and abortion which were never discussed elsewhere in this weekly update. (Unless condemning the arrival of refugees is viewed as part of a condemnation against multiculturalism.)

Strangely he also seems refers to himself and his followers as "bitter clingers".

We might all take stock.  What will we be willing to risk as society collectively rejects God's Laws and seeks to punish bitter clingers?  Will we go along to get along, or will we stand for the Truth regardless of the consequences from the utterly corrupt agencies of government, or the activists that would attack and silence all voices of opposition?  We now find ourselves in a shrinking minority of a minority and will stand out like a sore thumb as the do-gooder fascists try to stamp out all who are branded with every evil accusation for simply standing for God's Word.  And that means we will never play along with “gay-marriage,” multiculturalism, “a woman's right to chose” or any of the other corrupted parlance with which they desecrate this blessed land. 

And so we see more of the same vicious rhetoric being given to his followers. Considering how there are so many other problems to deal with in the United States it is shameful that he should try to make his followers fearful of people looking for safety after their homeland was torn apart by a cataclysmic conflict that has been ongoing since 2011.

He should be thankful that he is privileged to live in a land that has not experienced a similar cataclysm like that since 1865, Otherwise he might have to go elsewhere as a refugee and be condemned as a threat.