Overview of the August 2017 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

PCG has released another issue of their recruitment magazine (August 2017) in an attempt to gain more tithes paying converts. Back in 2012 PCG had an income of about $19.5 million according a booklet by their leader, Gerald Flurry. Even as early as 1996 PCG claimed to have more than $5 million in annual income. Recently PCG has even bought its own plane.

Let's take a look at what PCG's leadership are saying this time.

Even though Republican legislators are trying to pass a healthcare law which, according to the Congressional Budget Office, will cause 23 million Americans to lose their health insurance that weighty matter is ignored. Instead the issue argues that one should be worried about nuclear war.

The editors 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 255,897 issues. July's circulation was 267,569. May-June's circulation was 263,551. April's circulation was 267,569 (which happens to be the same as July's figure). March's circulation was 271,949. February was 273,591. January was 267,992. November-December was 277,131.

Gerald Flurry has a particularly bitter personal article condemning the Paris Climate Accord by denouncing it as an attempt to undermine and control America. He also moans about former President Obama for supporting the Paris Climate Accord even though he is no longer president. He defends President Trump's decision to withdraw from it. 

Andrew Müller has an article insisting that there is no scientific consensus that climate change is happening because of the excess emission of greenhouse gases by humans. He implies that concerns about climate change is an attempt "to frighten people into surrendering their freedom to centralized government." (p. 6.) However the vast majority of scientists say that climate change is real and it is being by human activities.

Jorg Mardian has a little article extolling the health benefits of enjoying laughter.

Richard Palmer has an article denouncing the leaders of Britain's Labour Party as "Communists" even though such heated rhetoric has clearly failed to stop the Labour Party's strong electoral performance in the last election. It also includes a side article by Richard Palmer blaming the youth for the Labour Party's increased share of the vote.

Brad MacDonald has an interview with the German journalist Niklas Frank discussing Germany and the journalist's infamous father, Hans Frank.

Stephen Flurry has an article insisting that America is propping up the supposed rise to power of both Europe and Iran. He excoriates Obama for making the nuclear power deal with Iran and Trump for calling on Germany to spend more money on its military.

Kieran Underwood has a little article discussing what would happen if European nations increased their military budgets.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article bemoaning that in his opinion China has succeeded in establishing control of its claimed territory in the South China Sea.

Andrew Müller has an article denouncing the various murders of white South African farmers. As is well known South Africa presently has a severe problem with violent crime which harms everyone of all races and all socioeconomic classes.

Gerald Flurry has an article promoting (PCG's edited version of) Mystery of the Ages insisting that it can reveal various religious teachings about the nature of God.

Joel Hilliker has a little article encouraging readers to manage stress by being healthy. This would be easier to do if a certain proposed legislation, which if passed will cause 23 million Americans to lose their health insurance, gets rejected by the Senate.

Abraham Blondeau has an article scare mongering that the European nation states are a "hidden superpower." The Infographic shares the same theme.

WorldWatch mentions that Germany will establish a military vase in Jordan; NATO is to conduct military operations against ISIL; Lebanon presenting a request for $12 billion in aid from Europe; a spokesman of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing that they will continue to develop their missile capabilities; speculation that Iran has copied a submarine design from North Korea; a thaw in relations between Iran and Hamas; North Korea's test launch of a Hwasong-12 missile on May 14; scare mongering that states and cities bear more debt than is generally acknowledged; and speculation that the newly elected South Korean Prime Minister Moon Jae-in may ease relations with North Korea.

SocietyWatch mentions gang violence by MS-13 criminal gang in order to condemn President Obama's supposedly soft stance regarding immigration (even though more people were deported under President Obama than any other president); that 36% of respondents in a Gallup poll said that pornography was moral; and citing the murder rate in Baltimore to insist that the murder rate was caused by the riots of 2015 that occurred after the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. PCG has a long history of condemning Black Lives Matter protesters and insisting that their grievances are wrong and illegitimate.

There are letters. Only four of them this time. Here is one letter from Huntsville, Alabama from a person who used to read HWA's recruitment magazine and seems to be unaware that there are hundreds of COG splinter groups which all teach many of the same things that PCG teach as well.

I used to be hooked on Herbert Armstrong’s magazine. I’d go and find them in the stands everywhere and read them. But then I stopped finding those stands. But when I took my mom to the doctor here in town, low and behold, I found the Philadelphia Trumpet—only this is by Mr. Gerald Flurry. And if you can get the word to him, tell him he is doing a wonderful work. I sure do appreciate it. I have a lot of questions, and none of the other denominations answer them, but Mr. Flurry sure does.

Here is one letter from Phoenix, Arizona from a person of German background insisting that the situation in Europe is worse than what PCG has said. No wonder PCG's writers picked this letter to publish.

I really like getting your magazine! It talks a lot about Europe, and I have a German background, so I’m very interested in what’s going on over there. Your magazine is true. What’s happening over there is far worse than what they are publishing here. I agree with what you say about it.

Here is one letter from Florida.

I am a permanently disabled combat veteran, and I read the magazine every month. I agree with most everything it says, and I don’t agree with much these days.

It is certainly to be hoped that one who had sacrificed so much will be looked after and be blessed with a happy and prosperous life.

For whatever reason there is no mention in this recruitment magazine of the controversy surrounding President Trump's firing of the director of the FBI.

PCG's writers insists that there are so many threats directed toward their audience and yet they make no mention in this issue of the proposed legislation now heading to the Senate which if passed will cause about 24 million to lose their health insurance. No doubt that would include thousands of those who read this recruitment magazine. And yet PCG's leadership says nothing about that in this issue.

And so we see that PCG's 1% has produced yet another issue of their recruitment magazine seeking to gain new recruits and to keep their followers overawed towards PCG's 1% by thinking that they can see the future. They cannot. Since its founding in 1989 PCG has made at least 52 failed predictions. Getting a British columnist to talk at their headquarters cannot change that fact. Clearly PCG's leaders are but false prophets. There is no need to fear their dire proclamations. PCG's leaders are but false prophets.