Allegation of Sexual Harassment at LCG HQ (Banned by HWA)

Banned by HWA has made a post qouting a person making public an allegation of sexual harassment within LCG headquarters. Considering how many times clergy abuse have occurred in other organizations that claim to be religious I am not surprised to hear of such an allegation. 

Sexual harassment is a terrible crime. If these allegations are true such things are further evidence that indicates that being a member of LCG is not a good idea.

May all those who committed such criminal misconduct face the courts of justice.

Gerald Flurry Compares Getting Fired with the Pearl Harbor Attack

Here's Gerald Flurry absurdly comparing the attack on Pearl Harbor, in which 2,403 Americans were killed, with himself getting fired from Tkach's WCG. 

December 7 is a date etched indelibly into the memories of many Americans. On that day in 1941, the Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Navy was smashed to smithereens in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. America’s response was furious and hard-hitting; its entrance into both theaters of World War II marked a turning point of the war. 

But December 7 marks another, exceedingly more important anniversary for God’s people. On that day in 1989, Satan the devil launched a violent, history-altering spiritual attack on God’s Church. On Dec. 7, 1989, John Amos and I were fired and disfellowshiped from the Worldwide Church of God, and the work of the Philadelphia Church of God essentially began.

This is what happens when you think the few people in your splinter group are the only people know what is really happening in the world.

Flurry is celebrating the anniversary of the founding of his splinter group in 1989 even though PCG teaches its members that it is forbidden for them to celebrate the anniversary of one's birth. This inconsistency is carefully ignored.

This December, the PCG celebrates its 31st anniversary of this event.

How good it is to know that there is no need to live in fear of their predictions of doomsday.

PCG's Alex Harrison Passes Away

Exit and Support Network reports that Alex Harrison, an evangelist for PCG, has died on November 29. Here is the report.

December 2, 2020 

PCG evangelist Alex Harrison has died. We could not find out the details of his death. He was the right hand man of GF and was the cause of many problems in PCG. 

On a photo that was sent it said, “Evangelist Alex Harrison died Sunday morning, a few days after arriving from Australia to Edmond. He had served in the ministry for 34 years as a local elder, pastor, regional director and member of the Council of Elders.”

Overview of the November-December 2020 Issue of PCG's Trumpet

In late September 2020 the PCG leadership, those pawns of the Republican Party, released the November-December 2020 issue of their recruitment magazine seeking more tithes paying converts for their organization. This was published before the election.

Let's see what they have to say this time.

The editors of this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Brad Macdonald, Richard Palmer, Jeremiah Jacques, Dennis Leap and Philip Nice. 

This issue has a circulation of 245,857 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article saying that a new government will soon be created on the Earth.

Stephen Flurry has an article saying society  need new leaders.

Joel Hilliker has an article about how wonderful the cities will be after (PCG's bizarre interpretation of) Jesus Christ returns to rule over the world.

Stephen Flurry has an article about the economy.

The Infographic tells the reader that the world needs a one world government under PCG's interpretation of Jesus Christ.

Gerald Flurry has an article once again vilifying President Obama even though he has not been president since January 20, 2017.

Back in early 2013 Gerald Flurry released a booklet entitled America Under Attack. In it Flurry hysterically compared President Obama to Antiochus Epiphanies, the Syrian king who placed an idol in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and persecuted Jews so severely he provoked an armed revolt. Flurry also compared Obama to Joseph Tkach who implemented the changes which turned WCG into essentially an evangelical Protestant church. Flurry current articles denouncing Obama might be motivated by an attempt to reinforce this negative stance against Obama among his followers.

Richard Palmer has an article scare mongering about the European Union's role in your life even though most PCG members live in the United States and so therefore did not live under EU rule.

Joel Hilliker has an article telling his readers that they need to accept correction from (PCG's heretical interpretation of the Christian) God.

The letters section contains this letter from a reader in South Africa. In this letter the coronavirus is inaccurately referred to as "the Wuhan virus," a name which stigmatize the people of Wuhan and people of Asian descent.

I read this article and it was not wasted time! ... Thank you for this wonderful insight into crumbling America. It's odd that these kinds of stories don't make world news. All the media giants cover is the Wuhan virus, President Trump removing TikTok, and other rubbish. Thank you for not giving "fake news"!

There is also a letter from a reader in California who states a wish to donate to the organization which produces the magazine.

I have never seen anything like the Philadelphia Trumpet! I don't agree with everything written, but I really love the magazine. I would like to see an option either on the website or on the renewal notice for ways to donate.

The editors of PCG's recruitment magazine happily reply:

So glad you are enjoying the magazine. You are welcome to visit [a PCG link with the word "donate" in its URL address.]

That is how PCG got an income of about $19.5 million back in 2012. That is how PCG get enough money to buy a private airplane for their leader.

Brad Macdonald has an article telling his readers to view the tragic events in Kenosha, Wisconsin in religious terms that happens to promote the PCG leadership's views regarding what they insist will soon occur in the near future that PCG has been anticipating for thirty years and counting.

And so we see that the PCG leadership continues to try to get more converts and maintain the loyalty of their followers. However there is no need to follow give heed to these people. They do not know the future. They have made many predictions that have not been fulfilled. There is no need to live in fear of their dire predictions.

Mark Armstrong: "Everything We Value in This Human Life is About to be Lost"

Mark Armstrong continues posting his bizarre weekly updates in which he goes on political rants and writes as though he is quite angry instead of managing the Armstrongite splinter group he inherited from his father, namely the Intercontinental Church of God. 

This time, on his November 20, 2020 update, he complains that the media's warnings about the new third spike of infections of the coronavirus are starting to sound boring to him.

If there's one thing everybody knows it is that, “The numbers don't lie!” Nearly every news station is carrying numbers on screen throughout the day and night. Every radio news-break warns that we're drowning in the virus. They've doubled down on every superlative in the English language, and it's beginning to get a little repetitious.

Over a quarter of a million Americans have died from this terrible disease. The rate of deaths per day in the US is in the thousands. Hospitals are running out of space for patients. And meanwhile Armstrong minimizes the ongoing crisis by insisting that most deaths were caused by other underlying conditions and not the coronavirus itself.

Not only that, the numbers coming out of the CDC show that only a fraction of the deaths constantly reported on the news are exclusively attributed to the virus. But if some want to take the network reporters' word for it, they're welcome to do that.

He then spends the rest of the update complaining about the media making everyone scared and trying to somehow censor him. He never uses the word after this.

(While in this train of thought Armstrong implies that he might not be able to post these strange, bitter and angry tirades as much as does now. Such a statement appears to be an attempt to gain sympathy from his lay member followers.)

It's a little astonishing that Americans who love freedom would be prepared to relinquish it at the drop of a hat over the word of those who've made a career of lying to us. When you consider the fact that so many have died fighting for the rare blessings of freedom, the respect and debt we owe to those who came before, it becomes a little emotional. 

You can look forward to these updates being dialed back somewhat. Our beliefs and doctrines certainly don't hinge on my attitude, which has admittedly become somewhat jaundiced. But it does get a little tiresome, having a lot of tripe jammed down the throats of us all. We seem to be well down the road from a situation where the “truth has fallen in the streets.” None plead for justice, surely not from any mainstream networks or social media titans. When you look at the priorities of those promoting fear, it feels a lot like they intend to rule over what we can and can't know, and what we will or won't do.

He makes the hysterical and nonsensical claim that "everything we value in this human life is about to be lost." Words like this are to incite fear of the world outside his organization and loyalty from his followers towards him. Staying with Mark Armstrong's organization is presented as an act of defiance against bad people.

Having said that, we all want the best for those we love and it surely looks as if everything we value in this human life is about to be lost. 

To his shame Armstrong presents emergency measures designed to save lives and ease the burden facing hospital staff as somehow leading to the mark of the beast. This is shameful demagoguery that puts his followers at greater risk of getting the dreadful disease.

Shutdowns and masks won't be the end of the demands made upon the American people. They're just warming us up. Will we also curl up in the fetal position when they roll out demands that we all receive a Mark that violates our free will, not to mention God's Laws? No doubt it will be promoted as the only assurance of everyone's health and safety.

Please take the coronavirus seriously. Shutdowns and masks help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Shutdowns reduce social interaction which makes it harder for the virus spread. Facemasks makes it harder for the wearer to pass on any disease he or she may happen to have. Including the coronavirus.

Observe shutdown regulations. Minimize social contact, especially indoors. Wear your face mask. Wash your hands. Listen to your doctor. Listen to science. Of course discouraging social interaction is painful but that is how one fights a pandemic. It appears there will vaccines eventually but it will take months before the general public get it. Until then we must be careful not to catch or spread the coronavirus.

PCG's Gerald Flurry Hysterically Says Some on the Left has Already Declared War on America

Back on November 9 PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, posted an article in which he insists that Donald Trump will be elected again. While stating this belief of his Flurry makes the nonsensical statement some have already declared war on America.

Many on the left want a civil war. Some have already declared war! They certainly want to bring the nation to the point where they can pounce on their opponents and destroy them. And they are going all out! (Source.)

After that Flurry cites a lawyer from 2017 mentioning the possibility of impeaching President Trump which is not a declaration of war.

The highlighted statement is wrong. It is certain factions within the political right that fixates on the idea of a second civil war. Not the left.

To say that some unnamed persons on the political left "have already declared war" is nonsensical. Who specifically made this alleged declaration? When did they supposedly did this? That is a frightening accusation and yet Flurry neglects to name who had supposedly did such a thing.

There is no need to listen to Flurry's words of doom and gloom. He has such a poor understanding of present events so how could he see the future? 

Biden Elected President

NBC, CNN, AP and Fox announced shortly before 11:30 am ET, November 7, 2020 that Joe Biden had won in Pennsylvania and therefore had gained enough electoral votes to be elected President of the United States of America.

In the United States most of the Armstrongite organizations tend to favor the Republican Party in regards to politics. Many of the tithes receivers within the world of Armstrongism will be quite unhappy that the candidate of their preferred political party did not get elected to the presidency.

PCG's Gerald Flurry Getting Remarried

Gerald Flurry is to be married on November 16, 2020 to Vicki Barreiro. (Hat tip: Banned by HWA.)

Gerald Flurry has constantly insisted that the end is near. He has said that Christ will return in ten years or less. He has said that terrible things will soon occur. And yet he has time to get married again. He has time to tell his followers to pay tithes to his organization.

Gerald Flurry infamously implemented a no contact policy against the members of the other COG groups. PCG has long had a reputation for being particularly harsh and authoritarian compared with the other COG groups.

This development reminds us again that unfortunately the system of Armstrongism works well for the one percenters who receive tithes and offerings while giving the lay members oppressive and controlling rules. 

The Book of Enoch

I have read the Book of Enoch (First Enoch), specifically the 1893 translation by Robert Henry Charles. It is an ancient religious text of Jewish origin which was first written in Hebrew. It was revered by Jews and early Christians but it gradually lost favor and in time was essentially forgotten. Except in Ethiopia. They adopted it as part of their canon and they preserved it in the Ge'ez language. The rest of the world rediscovered this book thanks to the Ethiopians. 

It is certainly a fascinating and intriguing book. It offers a glimpse of what was believed by at least some ancient Jews and their hope for a future righteous society to be created by God.

One section of the book is devoted to detailing a calendar that differs from the current Jewish calendar.

This book contains descriptions of the movement of heavenly bodies and of the firmament, as a knowledge revealed to Enoch in his trips to Heaven guided by Uriel, and it describes a Solar calendar that was later described also in the Book of Jubilees which was used by the Dead Sea sect. The use of this calendar made it impossible to celebrate the festivals simultaneously with the Temple of Jerusalem. (Source.)

Back around early 2015 this book caused some controversy within LCG when the LCG leadership discouraged lay members from studying this ancient book even though their students had been previously instructed to study that book.

Mark Armstrong Complaining About California's Lockdown

Here's Mark Armstrong, leader of the Intercontinental Church of God, in his October 16, 2020 weekly update stating that his Armstrongite splinter group has observed their idiosyncratic version of the Feast of Tabernacles.

He also appears to imply that lockdown orders in the State of California were ignored.

The good news is that we observed the Feast of Tabernacles at all planned locations, save California, which apparently is still in “lockdown,” per the all-knowing governor's orders. Services were still held on the Holy Days at an undisclosed location. Not many churches are claiming Constitutional protection, thinking it safer to cooperate with the local “authorities,” lest preachers be hauled away in handcuffs. We don't want to sue or see anyone arrested, but we will obey the mandates from on High long before some governor, drunk on his own “authority.” These vain dictators never wielded this kind of power before, but they're clearly enjoying telling everyone what they can and can't do. Constitution? What Constitution!

Did Mark Armstrong just admit to breaking the law? We should follow the law including lockdown restrictions. If he and his followers did not break the law then he should not imply otherwise.

Reading PCG's Watch Jerusalem

Back in 2019 PCG released another recruitment magazine, this one entitled "Watch Jerusalem." The first issue is dated September-October 2019. It bears the following slogan: "Analyzing the past, present and future." This is part of PCG's attempt to convert Jews in the State of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories into PCG's idiosyncratic version of Christianity.

Considering that the PCG leadership says that a future European Empire led by Germany is fated to soon conquer America it would seem to make more sense for PCG to make a recruitment magazine named, Watch Germany, instead of seeking convert Jews.

The editors of this publication are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Brad Macdonald, Joel Hilliker, Brent Nagtegaal and Christopher Eames.

The circulation figures are as follows:

Sep. 2019: 781

Nov. 2019: 901

Jan. 2020: 1,193

Mar. 2020: 1,193

May 2020: 1,190

Jul. 2020: 1,214

Sep. 2020: 1,161

Let's take a look at what they have to say this time.

September-October 2019

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that Israelis need this magazine. Of course they do. It's exactly what they want, namely more missionaries trying to convert them, according to the PCG leadership trying to convert them.

Brad Macdonald has an article insisting that there will be a prophesied resurgence in the State of Israel. The PCG leadership are firmly aligned with the political right consequently they often referred to the time of Trump's administration over America as a time of "resurgence" for the United States. The PCG leadership is applying the same rhetoric to the State of Israel even though it has been led by the Likud Party, the main right wing party in the State of Israel, for the majority of the time since 1978. Little did the PCG leadership know that in just a few months this terrible coronavirus, which is nothing like the flu as PCG writers have erroneously described it elsewhere, would arise and cause so much misery and pain all over the world, including in the State of Israel and the occupied territories.

Gerald Flurry has an article boasting that King David's palace has been found. Considering that there is little description of King David's palace in the Bible it looks odd to see a organization that claims to be religious focus so much attention on it.

Christopher Eames has an article insisting that various archaeological finds further confirm the existence of King David.

Christopher Eames has an article stating that biblical archaeology is very important.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article reciting some of the numerous contacts Herbert W. Armstrong had with Israeli leaders from 1968 onwards. 

Page 22 shows HWA hugging a man who once lead an armed insurgency fighting the British from 1944 until 1948, namely Menachem Begin. 

PCG likes to portray HWA as being friendly towards the State of Israel but to do this they ignore facts such as what HWA wrote in the December 1938 issue of The Plain Truth in which he dogmatically declared that (HWA's interpretation of the Christian) God had given Mandatory Palestine to Britain forever. He wrote that "the Gentile Turk surrendered the land to EPHRAIM-GREAT BRITAIN, to whom it belongs by divine grant from that very day [in 1917], henceforward forever!!" (p. 3, column 1, paragraph 4.) However such inconvenient facts are carefully ignored. 

Nagtegaal's article also includes a picture of Stanley Rader, a man the Armstrongite movement would rather not think about.

There are four letters published. Two written by persons with the same surname, though from different locations.

November-December 2019

The cover shows soldiers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. While the PCG leadership tries to make their readers scared and afraid of Iran PCG members refuse to serve in the armed services saying they are pacifists.

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that Iran will be decisively defeated by a future European Empire. In real life the US has far greater military prowess then the European Union and the Europeans generally do not want to go to war with Iran.

Christopher Eames has an article saying that Nehemiah's wall has been discovered.

Warren Reinsch has an article warning of the danger of internal division during war citing the defeat of the first Jewish revolt in 66-73 CE. (This magazine carefully uses dates in CE and not AD because they are trying to convert Jews.) However in a democracy there is always a certain measure of division. It is more important to ask if such a society can manage these divisions in a way that maintains unity.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article scare mongering about Iran. Even though Watch Jerusalem only began a few years ago Nagtegaal makes the following statement.

In 1994, Watch Jerusalem editor in chief Gerald Flurry warned that Iran was about to rise and dominate the Middle East. (p. 12.)

The Infographic has this bizarre illustration saying that Germany will come at Iran like a whirlwind.

Watch Jerusalem staff made an article insisting that the Book of Daniel can be trusted. This article also promotes PCG's views regarding Daniel 2 which is largely based on what the Millerite Adventists of the 1830s-1840s taught.

There is also an article saying that the Bible was ahead of scientists by centuries.

Brad Macdonald has an article praising Cyrus the Great. And yet the PCG leadership constantly scare mongers and bad mouths his descendents. If he were alive surely he would offended by how the PCG leadership talks of his descendants.

Among the letters is the following letter from Beersheva, Israel.

With prosperity comes indolence, softness and lack of will. The consequences are reflected in Oslo and the expulsion from Gush Katif. Israel may have been poor in the '50s and '60s, but the Jews back then were much tougher and willing to sacrifice everything for the country! (p. 29.)

And back then most Israeli Jews voted for Labour, the main left wing party among Israeli Jews. The various iterations of the Labour party ruled over the State of Israel from its establishment in 1948 until the election of 1978.

Also in 1957 the State of Israel found itself compelled to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula due to diplomatic pressure from the United States.

The back cover features a picture of a flag of the State of Israel getting burned while scare mongering about Iran yet again. The editors of this recruitment magazine do not mention that this paticular photo is from a feast of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem. Here is the photo's description.

Anti-zionist ultra-Orthodox Jews burn an Israeli flag in Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighbourhood [within Jerusalem] on May 2, 2018, during celebrations for the Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer, marking the anniversary of the death of Talmudic sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai approximately 1,900 years ago. - In a night-long vigil thousands of Jews will light large bonfires and visit the final resting place of Bar Yochai, who is revered as one of Judaism's great sages. (Source.)

PCG says they concerned about the security of the State of Israel but PCG members are forbidden from serving in the armed forces of any nation. 

January-February 2020

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that Jerusalem is built on the site of the Garden of Eden. This idea has long circulated among Armstrongite movement. Back in the 1960s Herman Hoeh implied the same in his discredited Compendium of World History.

Brad Macdonald and Brent Nagtegaal have an article insisting that information about biblical archaeology is being suppressed for political reasons. It is insisted that sympathy for Palestinians is somehow hindering research. It is worth noting that the PCG leadership is fervently supportive of the current right wing government in the State of Israel.

Warren Reinsch has an article speculating that Iran will seek to advance their influence into Africa based on the appointment of Brigadeer General Ismail Qaani as head of Iran's Quds Force following President Trump's assassination of Omar Solimani, which almost provoked a war with Iran endangering thousands of American soldiers.

Warren Reinsch has an article scare mongering that Egypt might ally itself with Iran. This is a speculation PCG promotes based on their idiosyncratic interpretation of Daniel 11:40. The truth is Egypt has been aligned with the United States since the late 1970s. This alliance is partly based on US aid to the Egyptian military. Why would the Egyptian authorities reject such aid? 

There is also an article detailing ten various archaeological discoveries relating to Biblical events.

Christopher Eames has an article discussing archaeological evidence regarding the antiquity of Jerusalem. It is claimed that Melchizedek, who is mentioned in Genesis 14, was the founder of Jerusalem. The Armstrongite teaching that Melchizedek was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ is left unmentioned.

March-April 2020

Gerald Flurry has an article discussing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Christopher Eames has an article stating that there is evidence that the exodus of Moses' time occurred. It is speculated that Amenhotep II, the grandson of Hatshepsut, was the Pharoah who pursued the Israelites into the Red Sea. 

There is a chart of the ten plagues which includes speculation that the Ipuwer Papyrus is a record of the ten plagues from the perspective of the Egyptians.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article telling people to make sure one agrees with the Bible before one can understand archaeological remains connected to the events described in the Bible. In other words the PCG leadership views archaeology as subordinate to their religious views. That is not science.

Brent Nagtegaal has an interview with an archaeologist excavating the site of Shiloh, the location of the tabernacle before the establishment of the temple in Jerusalem.

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that the peace plan proposed by the Trump Administration will not succeed because Flurry's predictions of a nuclear World War III need to occur before the return of Christ to establish a thousand year utopia over the entire Earth. So therefore, according to Gerald Flurry, there will be no peace until Jesus Christ returns.  

Warren Reinsch has an article scare mongering about the Houthis in Yemen because they are aligned with Iran. The ongoing civil war in Yemen is mentioned merely to demonize Iran yet again but this war is currently one of the most severe humanitarian crises facing the world today. There has been so much pain and suffering caused in this tragic civil war. Furthermore the terrorists of Al Qaeda also lie in wait within Yemen seeking to take advantage of the turbulent situation as a third side in the war while more well connected sides fight each other. However the PCG leadership seemed to only want to talk about the Yemeni Civil War in connection with Iran. 

May-June 2020

Gerald Flurry has an article reciting the narration of Isaiah and King Hezekiah to say that if one seeks to repent and embrace God's will then (PCG's idiosyncratic interpretation of the Christian) God will protect you.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article denouncing the Israeli Supreme Court for being inconvenient for the right wing government of the State of Israel which PCG adores. He cites an article by Robert Bork, a right wing judge that Gerald Flurry adores, in which Bork criticizes the judicial views of Aharon Barak, a former chief justice of the Israeli Supreme Court. So that seems to settle the matter for the PCG leadership.

There is an article highlighting the Hezekiah bulla and the Isaiah bulla.

Christopher Eames has an article discussing the symbolism of a serpent relating to medicine.

Christopher Eames has an article discussing the discovery of a coin dating to the Simon Bar Kochba revolt of 132-5.

Daniel Di Santo has an article speculating that Germany may find itself compelled to intervene in Algeria, Nigeria and Iraq. It is taught by PCG that a future European Empire led by Germany is fated to conquer Iran as part of a sequence of events fated to culminate in the return of Jesus Christ to rule the world for a thousand years.

The letters section contains the following letter from Tarshiha, Israel.

I just received the "Coronavirus in Prophecy" issue. I am very glad of the way you analyzed the way Israel reacted to the pandemic. Effectively, they applied the biblical restrictions in case of contagious diseases. The Torah is our way of living, for it is God's true Word. God created the universe, thus creating and knowing the solution to any problem in life. God bless you and continue the good sacred work.

Alas, the State of Israel reopened too quickly and Covid-19 has spread so much among the population that the State of Israel has imposed a second lockdown just before the Jewish fall festivals began. The spread of Covid-19 in the State of Israel is very unfortunate and terrible. About 1,800 people have been killed by Covid-19 in the State of Israel so far.

July-August 2020

Gerald Flurry has an article linking the seals of Jeremiah's persecutors with the royal throne of David which Gerald Flurry says now spiritually resides within PCG. The Armstrongite movement teaches that Jeremiah took a daughter of King Zedekiah to Ireland to marry an Irish prince and therefore the royal line of David has continued in Ireland, Scotland and England to this day in the person of Queen Elizabeth II. This idea was plagiarized from British Israelism and is complete nonsense.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article scare mongering Iran and discussing the possibility of Iran making nuclear weapons. In 2003 Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei issued a fatwa denouncing the possession of nuclear weapons as being un-Islamic. 

Christopher Eames has an article discussing the seals of Jeremiah's persecutors.

The Infographic discusses the seals connected to Jeremiah.

This Watch Jerusalem issue features an article which is derived from Herbert Armstrong's writings. In it HWA asserts that Jeremiah took a daughter of King Zedekiah to Ireland to marry an Irish prince and that therefore the royal line of David continues to this day in the person of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. This idea nonsense which HWA plagiarized from British Israelism.

Brent Nagtegaal and Christopher Eames have an article insisting that the palace of King David has been discovered.

Eleanor Clarke has a side article discussing some proto-Aeolic capitals of pillars discovered in 1963 when the Palestinian West Bank was ruled by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

September-October 2020

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that peace will not arrive for the State of Israel since his doomsday prophesies regarding Iran and Europe which never happen need to be fulfilled first. 

Christopher Eames has an article about various archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem.

Christopher Eames has an article insisting that the Jewish calendar dating system, which dates 2020 as 5780-1, is about two hundred years off in order for Eames to say that we are very close to the six thousand year anniversary of Adam and Eve. Eames says we are about twenty or even less than ten years away from this anniversary. At one point it is even suggested that we have past the six thousand year anniversary already. It is has long been taught within the world of Armstrongism that Jesus Christ will return about six thousand years after the creation of Adam and Eve.

Confusingly the article is accompanied by a graphic which undercurts Eames' message by dating the creation of Adam and Eve to 3924 BC which would push the six thousand year anniversary to 2077. (There is no year zero.) Archbishop Ussher's chronology, which dates the creation of Adam and Eve to 4004 BC and thus sets the six thousand year anniversary to 1997 (again there is no year zero), is left unmentioned.

The Hebrew calendar has been a source of constant arguments and disputes within the Armstrongite groups.

The Infographic mentions certain archaeological objects connected to King Hezekiah.

Marianna Bala'a has an article discussing the Gezer calendar, an ancient prototypical version of the current Hebrew calendar.

Brent Nagttegaal has an article the Beirut explosion of August 4, 2020 which killed 192 people and caused about $15 billion of damage.

Warren Reinsch has an article complaining about the withdrawal of some US forces from Iraq which is hysterically portrayed as America somehow from retreating Iran's forces.

There is also a question and answer that mentions that this recruitment magazine quotes a Jewish translation when quoting the Old Testament.

“Unless otherwise noted, scriptures are quoted from the Jewish Publication Society of America of the Tanakh version of the Bible.” We use this in Watch Jerusalem and [their website] because that is the Bible translation Israelis are most familiar with. (p. 29.)

Look how desperate they are to ingratiate themselves with potential converts by hiding who they are. Why pretend to be Jewish when you are not? Why are these people from PCG so sneaky in their attempt to try to convince Jews to convert to their peculiar interpretation of "Christianity"? This is shameful behaviour. How dare you, PCG.

May God protect the peoples of the State of Israel and the Palestinians from PCG's attempts to gain converts.

The COGs' Error Regarding the Feast of Tabernacles

This year the Armstrongite splinter groups will be observing their version of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day beginning at sunset on Friday, October 2 and ending at sunset on Saturday, October 10. Even after about 205,000 people have been killed by the coronavirus in the United States some within the COGs are still planning to assemble together for the Armstrongite Feast of Tabernacles. The disease is spread by close contact with infected people. One is more likely to be infected indoors than outdoors. Some of the COGs will not even be using face masks despite plentiful evidence that wearing face masks hinders the spread of this terrible disease. Among the Armstrongites it is taught that this feast is commanded by God but the Feast of Tabernacles as celebrated by the Armstrongites is very different from what is described in the Holy Bible. The following is a repost of a 2013 post, Herbert W. Armstrong's Error Regarding the Feast, discussing how the Feast of Tabernacles is observed by the COGs.

*******

Very soon the Feast of Tabernacles will occur and the COGs will observe them by gathering themselves together to the various Feast sites and fellowship with one another and listen to sermons for eight days as the entire COG from all over the world unite together for eight days of fellowship and communion with each other.

But there is a problem with their observance of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Notice Leviticus 23:40-43:

And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

And that is exactly what the Jews do today.

Look at how the Jews observe this day. They do it by building booths, called sukkah (sukkot plural) in the Hebrew language, within their houses or somewhere on their property.

Take a look at how the Jews observe the Feast of Tabernacles and the booths they observe it in.

They do not go around gathering themselves up together to assemble to listen for eight days to their Rabbis teaching the religion to them, instead they have fun and socialize with each other while staying at their own places or visiting their friends' places.

Does Leviticus say, Assemble yourselves together in a large warehouse far away from the world and go on vacation for eight days while you listen to my priests explaining the mysteries of the universe to you that you have already been hearing all year?

HWA has willfully misunderstood what this Feast is about. Instead of getting his followers to rejoice and celebrate with each other by meeting together in booths (sukkot) as seen above, in their own places, he exploited the peoples' misunderstanding and ignorance of this feast to get the COG members to assemble themselves together in a hotel, warehouse, campus, or some other such place in order to indoctrinate them into his syncretic religion.

Recently I had the honor of reading Carla Powers' book, Matches in the Gas Tank. She well described how the Feast was a terrible burden as her family had to drop everything from their regular lives and take a compulsory eight day vacation by order of HWA.

The Feast is designed to isolate COG members from society. It makes keeping a job that much harder for the COG members as they try to take eight days off. Kids are forced to take several days off from their education at school. Going to the Feast likely forces COG members to sacrifice by not using their hard earned money to go somewhere else. Instead they must go where the minister orders them to go.

They have no idea that they are not following God, but instead are following a man made tradition invented by one Herbert W. Armstrong.

Instead of observing the Feast as it is actually described in Leviticus and how the Jews observe it, HWA devised his own man made tradition in order to indoctrinate his followers.

The truth is HWA invented this man made custom of assembling together to hold a great feast in which every member is ordered to attend. The COGs think they are following God's law. In fact they are following a tradition invented by HWA.

Overview of the October 2020 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

In late August 2020 the PCG leadership released the October 2020 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet.

The editors of this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Brad Macdonald, Richard Palmer, Jeremiah Jacques, Dennis Leap and Philip Nice.

This issue has a circulation of 247,007 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that Lebanon is fated to ally with the future European Empire fated to conquer America. In 2011 PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, presented some "new revelation" to his followers and proclaimed that in the future there would be two power blocs within the Middle East. One was the "King of the South," namely Iran, which would be opposed against the future European Empire. What was new was Flurry's insistence that there would be another power bloc he named "the Psalm 83 Alliance" which would be allied with the future European Empire and opposed against Iran. He unveiled his doctrine of the Psalm 83 Alliance during the early days of the Syrian Civil War when there was a widespread expectation that the Assad regime would be overthrown. 

Brent Nagtegaal has an article discussing Lebanon after the Beirut blast on August 4, 2020. It is insisted that Lebanon is fated to become a part of "the Psalm 83 Alliance" which is fated to be allied with the future European Empire and against the "King of the South," namely Iran. 

Brent Nagtegaal also has an article discussing the United Arab Emirates' decision to grant diplomatic recognition to the State of Israel. 

Gerald Flurry also has an article in which he once again denounces President Obama even though he has not been president since January 20, 2017. This time he alleges that Obama somehow orchestrated the authorities to spy on Carter Page in order to somehow spy Donald Trump in the campaign. He cites some article talking about the Horowitz report. America is in the grip of this dreadful Covid-19 pandemic. About a thousand Americans every day die from this dreadful disease which is nothing like the flu. It would be accurate to think of it as like a common cold that happens to be even deadlier than the flu and even more contagious than the flu. And Flurry wants to talk about this instead.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article denouncing China over Xinjiang, its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong from June 30, 2020 onward.

Andrew Müller has a side article hysterically saying that China is waging a "secret war" against the United States. He is simply talking about espionage activity.

Gerald Flurry has an article telling his readers of the "glory of empire." The British Empire was imposed by force of arms. Flurry conveniently forgets that his own nation was established because the founders concluded that living under British rule was intolerable. The dissolution of the British Empire was a pragmatic admission that it simply was impossible to impose their rule on other nations anymore. No longer ruling over all these other nations allowed the United Kingdom to instead devote their money to building up the infrastructure of their own nation so that the people could enjoy better lives. Let the people rule themselves.

The Infographic bemoans the lower rate of religiosity among younger people in America. Bemoaning how so many young people will not be interested in becoming life time tithes payers to PCG.

Richard Palmer and Daniel Di Santo has an article about an economic stimulus in the European Union made in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Richard Palmer has an article about right wing extremists in the German army. The problem of right wing extremists in the armed forces of other nations is left unmentioned.

Gerald Flurry has an article saying that an understanding of (PCG's interpretation of) history leads to understanding of (PCG's interpretation of) Bible prophecy.

There is also a side article that compares Winston Churchill as a watchman just Ezekiel. This is used to advertise a booklet about Churchill by Gerald Flurry. In that booklet Flurry absurdly compares Winston Churchill as being like himself. This topic is discussed in a previous post.

WorldWatch discusses the German navy sending forces to war torn Libya; the US withdrawing troops from Germany; a poll saying Germany is the most favorably viewed country; Hungary purchasing German made tanks; mass protests in the State of Israel calling for the removal of Netanyahu as Prime Minister, which is luridly and absurdly compared with the ancient Jewish revolts against Roman Imperial tyranny; Iran trying to convince Iraq to get US forces to leave the nation; Iran launching ballistic missiles as part of a military drill; Russia and China talking about building a base on the Moon; Japan being concerned about the spread of Covid-19 among US military personnel in Okinawa; scare mongering that Japan will ally with Russia despite a long standing border dispute; and President Duterte announcing he would not increase US military presence in the Philippines in order to keep the nation out of a possible future between the United States and China.  

SocietyWatch has a racially divisive story about attacks against white farmers which are presented as though it were a targeted campaign of violence against white farmer sidestepping the fact that, alas, South Africa has a severe problem with violent crime that afflicts everyone regardless of race or religion and somehow the other victims who happen to not be white farmers are left unmentioned; complains about a court decision that churches in Nevada egarding the state's right to restrict church meeting during the ongoing health crisis; and that about a quarter of Americans have missed a bill payment because of the events associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Stephen Flurry has an article insisting to his readers that one can escape from the future World War III. It is taught that being part of the "true church" means when the Great Tribulation begins PCG members will be miraculously taken by PCG's God to a place of safety on Earth where they will live in peace and safety while the rest of the world falls apart until Christ returns. This is very similar to the doctrine of the rapture except according to the Armstrongite teaching the believers stay on Earth during the Great Tribulation.

The letters section features a letter from a person who yearns for McCarthyism. The writer refers to an illustration of a person in the article as though he were a real person. The writer also talks of Russia as though it were a Communist country even though it has not been so since December 25, 1991. 

What a star-packed August issue! On page 20, "Why Socialists in America Are Excited," this man does not look too intelligent. No airplanes, no cars, no factories, no stock market reports. Where does this joker think food comes from? He wants everything free. Who will wash windows? America is not the country I emigrated to in 1962. It is a complete mess, and as you say, all inspired by Pinkos or Communists. Where is McCarthyism today? America needs this strong form of anti-Communist ideals today. The Bible says that if you don't work you should not eat. Yet these commies advocate working or not depending on if you "feel like it." I suggest America gives all these Commy-lovers a one-way ticket to either China or Russia. The American commies will love it there. And it would be cheaper for America, considering all the damage and mayhem this segment of society is causing. One-way tickets to a Communist country and as an added bonus, strip all of their American citizenship. Done. (p. 34.)

Joel Hilliker has an article condemning "the moral standards of the left" in regards to protests against police brutality. He also makes sure to insist that reparations for slavery to the African American community is beyond the pale of permitted discussion. 

But many people insist that some are guilty of sins committed more than five generations ago. Slavery has been illegal for more than 150 years, but they say that if you are white, you are to blame--it's in your DNA. (p. 35.)

And so see that even though America is currently in the grip of the ongoing Covid-19 catastrophe PCG still dutifully releases its recruitment magazine trying to get more tithe paying members. Back in 2012 PCG enjoyed an annual income of about $19.5 million, so it is little wonder why the PCG leadership goes to such lengths to get this recruitment magazine out there.

During the current Covid-19 crisis there are many that have and will go wrong. But there is one thing we can take comfort in, namely that PCG's dire prediction that America will soon be conquered by a future European Empire will not come true. Since its founding in 1989 PCG's leaders have made many predictions that simply have not happened. These false predictions are false prophesies that prove that PCG does not know the future. There is no need to be afraid of the fear inducing screeds PCG produces.

(Update: September 17, 2020. Daniel Di Santo's name corrected.)

PCG Misinforming Readers About 2012 Egyptian Presidential Election

Look at the inaccurate misinformation PCG is passing on to their readers. Where are their proof readers? Don't they care about what they are saying to their readers?

This is also why when Egypt, the largest Arab state, had its first free election in 2011, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate was elected in an overwhelming victory. (Brent Nagtegaal, The Undisputed King of Radical Islam, August 25, 2020.)

That election was held in 2012, not 2011.

The late Mohamed Morsi won the 2012 presidential election by a margin of 3.46%. He won by 882,751 votes. How could that be called "an overwhelming victory" as this PCG article did?

A simple search on Wikipedia would easily reveal such information and yet somehow no one bothered to proof read this before it was posted online for public viewing.

Since PCG got verifiable information like this wrong, what else have they gotten wrong?

It is tragic that some people trust PCG so much even though PCG have failing such as this.

PCG's Sloppy and Careless Vilification of Iran

It is one thing to say, "Iran will become big, powerful and scary. This is part of my religion." But facts are facts. If you get your facts about things that had actually happened wrong people are going to think you do not what will happen in the future. With that thought in mind that let us look at the following anonymously written article from PCG, "Iran and Europe Heading for a Clash of Civilizations" (September 14, 2017). 

In recent years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has transformed from pariah to ally.

It is quite a stretch to describe US relations with Iran while the JCPOA was in force as one between allies. Many would question that characterization. And even then this state of affairs did not last long thanks to President Trump who chose to break the US government's word that it would adhere to the agreement. PCG applauded this move.

Iran is still a theocracy, governed by a radical cleric who, like 85 percent of Iranians, believes in Twelver Shiism, an ideology that embraces death.

That is a dreadful and ignorant thing to say. That is hate speech. That is an appalling to thing to say. How can they vilify, not only the Iranian government, but every adherent of Twelver Shiism all over the world like this? That is a shameful and frightening thing to say. How dare PCG says such inflammatory talk.

[Iran] continues its march toward becoming a nuclear power.

Iran has said they do not want nuclear weapons. Back in 2003 Iran's Supreme Leader issued a fatwa declaring the possession of nuclear weapons as contrary to Islam.

The article discusses some of Herbert W. Armstrong's speculations. If one carefully reads it one will note that HWA never said Iran would be the "King of the South." Back in the era of Fascism HWA taught that Ethiopia was the King of the South. Even after World War II HWA still taught that doctrine in his booklet, The Middle East in Prophecy. Some within Radio/WCG such as Garner Ted Armstrong and Keith Stump taught that there would be a future King of the South but they tended to assume such a future personage would arise among the Arabs, not Iran. HWA himself does not appear to have personally promoted that idea.

It is stated that Gerald Flurry speculated on who the King of the South would be in 1990.

The article contains the following amusing misprint.

Writing about Islam's immense population, control of oil and possible acquisition of nuclear weapons from the former Soviet Union...

The writer seems to have meant Iran. Iran. Islam. So easy to those confused, isn't?

And [Gerald Flurry] repeated that forecast dozens of times per year from 1993 through to today.

In other words he had not decided who the King of the South should be until 1993. With Iraq severely weakened after the Gulf War and suffering strict sanctions imposed by the United Nations Iran would appear to be more convincing as a dreaded enemy. 

Is it really possible that this 2 [and a half] millennia-old prophecy accurately describes 21st-century Iran?

As Dr. Phil would say, this is not a question. This is a statement disguised as a question. That well describes PCG's belief about their interpretation of that particular part of the Old Testament.

Push is a violent word!

Usually it is not. But this is the jargon of the group. To be accepted into the group one must accept this dogma no matter how absurd it sounds outside of the group. Several times in this article it is asserted that Iran is pushy. It still sounds ridiculous.

The article quotes a 1998 article by Flurry.

Iran has a foreign policy with a lot of "push."

This sounds so ridiculous.

Looking around the Middle East, Iran clearly has a foreign policy with the most pushiness.

The article scare mongers about Shia Muslims in the Middle East. Once again Shia Muslims as a whole are condemned and presented in a menacing manner to the reader. Shame on PCG for stirring up sectarian anger.

Iran actively seeks to destabilize nations where there is a significant Shiite population. In fact, every nation that has a substantial Shiite presence is currently embroiled in conflict.

The article then talks about Iran's influence in certain nations in the Middle East, namely Lebanon via Hezbollah, Syria and Iraq.

Then the article talks about the Houthis in Yemen.

In Yemen, the Houthis, a Shiite sect in the northwest of the country, continue to wage war against the government.

The Houthis are a political movement within Yemen. It is a not a sect of Shia Islam. How can anyone trust this writer. The writer keeps making mistakes about verifiable facts.

The article then quotes an advisor to a former Iranian President without stating the source of the quote.

The article then quotes a columnist from Fox News. PCG is a right wing organization and that quote from Fox News further confirms that fact. I do not condemn the PCG leadership for choosing to be right wing but it is worth mentioning that they are right wing since this explains much of their political stances.

The article then states:

Clearly, it is Iran's pushy actions that are destabilizing the Middle East.

Calling any nation state "pushy" sounds ridiculous.

The article then scare mongers that Iran is plotting to make nuclear weapons even though Iran has often insisted that they are not trying to make a nuclear weapon. The article cites a quote from President Hassan Rouhani from 2002. However in 2003 Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei issued a fatwa declaring that possessing nuclear weapons is against Islam. Any alleged attempt to make a nuclear weapon within Iran ended with that fatwa. That's why the article had to cite a source from before that fatwa of 2003.

The article quotes an another article by Flurry from 2011 where he makes this curious comment about the Suez Crisis of 1956.

Controlling the Suez Canal is not enough. Egypt tried that in 1956, when Britain, France and Israel kicked it out in one attack. [Flurry then moves on to another topic.]

Actually Egypt succeeded in gaining control of the Suez Canal. President Eisenhower decided to oppose this attack against Egypt and consequently Britain and France had to give up the Suez Canal and the State of Israel found itself compelled to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Egypt got the Suez Canal. It is strange that Flurry seems to be unaware of this fact.

Now [Iran] is working to take over the Red Sea. You can see this now by ... the heavy influence it has gained in Somalia, and the long-standing relationship it has had with Sudan.

Of all the things to worry about in the world the article's writer is worried about Iranian influence in Somalia. Bewailing Somalia's tragic civil war since 1988 is certainly justified but who else in the world is worrying about Iran's influence in Somalia?

The article displays sloppiness in the following passage in which three leading officials are mentioned in a vague and careless manner.

Iran also hosts the International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada. In 2017, it held the sixth such conference, which explicitly promotes the intifada, aimed at ending Israel’s very existence. The three most powerful men in Iran, the ayatollah, the speaker of the house and the president, all gave speeches calling for Israel’s destruction.

It is no secret that Iran and Israel are adversaries. Strangely the writer can not be bothered mentioning these three officials by name. Don't the readers of this article deserve to know by name who would call for the destruction of the State of Israel? The writer seems to be referring Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, Speaker Ali Larijani who was speaker from 2008 until 2020, and President Rouhani. A moment of research would have easily supplied that information and yet the author did not bother to do that for this article. Is this a sign of carelessness?

The writer also makes a careless mistake in referring to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei simply as "the ayatollah." An Ayatollah is a religious title given to high ranking religious leaders within Shia Islam. It is not a political office. The reason people who read the news would pay attention to Khamenei is because he happens to be Iran's Supreme Leader, an office somewhat similar to a monarch in a constitutional monarchy, not because he happens to be an Ayatollah. There are other Ayatollahs out there in the world of Shia Islam. 

Since the author of that article did not notice that distinction what else is this article wrong about? 

It is insisted that the leaders of Iran are religious fanatics who think causing a war would somehow make the Mahdi arrive. This allegation seems to be a reference to Ahmadinejad, who was President from 2005 until early 2013. He is not the President of Iran anymore.

The gigantic clash the Trumpet is expecting, in fulfillment of these biblical prophecies, all begins with pushy Iran. This is the same nation that is about to get the nuclear bomb. Iranian leaders and many of their people believe the 12th imam—their version of the Messiah—is about to return. They think his return can be hastened by creating violence and chaos. Several nations have nuclear weapons—but only Iran has leaders who harbor such dangerous religious thinking! What will happen when they achieve nuclear capability? What sort of chaos would they stir up if they thought it would cause their messiah to return? In the thrall of religious zealotry, they would not even care about their own destruction!

The PCG article makes the factually absurd claim that no one is willing to stand up to Iran. The truth is a lot of people are weary of Iran and seek to counteract it.

But who is going to stand up to Iran? If no one will stand up to it today, when it does not yet have nuclear bombs, who will stand up to it when it actually has the bomb?

PCG will often state that no one is really standing up to Iran. It is hard to view such emotive language as anything else but an expression of desire for war with Iran. PCG's belligerent rhetoric towards Iran is frightening. Iran is a massive nation state, far larger than Iraq. Unlike Iraq in 2003 Iran has a well developed military infrastructure. Unlike Iraq in 2003 Iran has many allies throughout the Middle East. A war with Iran would be horrific. American soldiers will be killed if such a war were to occur. 

There are religious and ethnic minorities within Iran, including Christians and Jews, who would be bound to suffer if such a war occurred. These minorities are left unmentioned in the entire article.

Also there are people in Iran who are working hard to try and make Iran a more socially liberal society. If war with America occurred their hard work will go down the drain so long as such a hypothetical war would occur.

And yet at the time PCG teaches their followers to refuse military service as conscientious objectors. If America were to go to war with Iran PCG members would be far away from the field of battle. They would even say that it is part of their religion. There is a word to describe people who call for war and yet refuse to serve in the armed forces: chickenhawk.

The article ends with an ad for a booklet by PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, where it is confidently asserted that Iran will not go to war against America, but rather with the future European Empire. But if they really believe that then why do they constantly scare monger against Iran? There will be no war between Iran and America, they say. Unfortunately it seems safe to assume many who read PCG's belligerent writings about Iran in PCG's other articles will not catch that caveat.

IRAN WILL GO TO WAR—BUT NOT WITH AMERICA

The Trumpet has watched Iran for more than 25 years. It projected the rising aggression of its terror-powered foreign policy. Today, the world has begun to recognize that Iran is becoming what the Trumpet forecast in 1992: the “king of the south.” Yet analysts still do not realize what Iran’s future holds: Its aggressive foreign policy will explode into war—not with America, but with a new superpower!

Why has Iran risen so powerfully? Why won’t America confront it? And who is this new superpower? The Trumpet has no special insight into the answers—except for its one “inside source.” That source is [PCG's interpretation of] the Holy Bible. Find out how the Bible identifies Iran [according to PCG] and what it forecasts for the future.

America would be better off if PCG stopped their bitter, angry tirades against Iran. Also PCG's vilification of Shia Muslims, calling a form of Shia Islam in this article "an ideology that embraces death," instead of criticizing the Iranian government, is appalling and could arguably constitute a form of hate speech. Also the article's sloppy of the title "Ayatollah" suggests that the author of this article is not particularly knowledgeable about Iran or Shia Islam. Also since PCG members are not willing to put themselves on the front lines of such a future war there is no good reason to take their scare mongering seriously. It is written, "Blessed are the peacemakers," and yet PCG refuse to follow such high minded ideals. The peoples of the world would be better off ignoring these bitter, careless tirades from PCG. The people need and deserve proper information about how the world operates. This article from PCG fails to do this.

PCG's Gerald Flurry Says Obama "wants to Destroy Everything Good in America": Overview of the September 2020 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

Around early August 2020 the PCG leadership released the September 2020 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. While many Americans die every day because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, including more police officers than any other cause of death, somehow in this issue the ongoing pandemic does not get its own article. The epidemic is mentioned here and there within this issue but the epidemic itself does not get its own article in this issue.

The editors of this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Brad Macdonald, Richard Palmer, Jeremiah Jacques, Dennis Leap and Philip Nice.

This issue had a circulation of 247,833 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article blaming President Obama for the Trump-Russia scandal. He accuses Obama of helping to frame Lieutenant General Flynn. He says Obama had a feud against Lieutenant General Flynn because of his opposition to the JCPOA agreement with Iran.

Here is Flurry showing the world how much he despises President Obama. He even nonsensically declares that Obama "wants to destroy everything good in America" which is a truly bizarre and unhinged statement. (Please note: In the paragraph below "Israel" refers to America. This is part of PCG's jargon.)

The Iranians may not know that the Americans are literal descendants of ancient Israel, but they do label America the “Great Satan” and the Jewish state the “Little Satan.” They really want to blot these nations out! And through his Iran nuclear deal, Barack Obama was helping them accomplish this goal! He was implying, You take care of the Jews and we’ll take care of America. We’ll “blot out the name of Israel from under heaven” by transforming America into a socialist state our founders wouldn’t recognize. He wants to destroy everything good in America and to fundamentally change the nation into a Marxist dictatorship. Spiritually, he wants to wipe out the faith of Israel—just like the Iranian mullahs want to wipe Israel off the map!

This is what [a certain journalist] doesn’t understand. Obama decided to “choose the Islamic Republic as a partner” and to use “tactics typically employed by Third World police states” because he wants to blot out both the Jewish state and America! He also expressed hatred for Britain. Like the ancient Seleucid King Antiochus (Daniel 8:24), he is empowered by the devil to destroy the people of Israel through flattery and deceits that lead to violence.

It takes faith to believe what God says in 2 Kings 14:26-27. If God did not intervene to save America “by the hand” of Donald Trump, then America’s republic would have been blotted out—and Iran’s theocracy would probably have an atomic weapon!

Flurry then tries to take the sting out of his previous words by saying he does not blame Obama for wanting "to destroy everything good in America." He blames Satan, thus presenting Obama as a tool of Satan.

We must recognize that the real enemy is not Barack Obama. ... The real culprit behind his efforts to “blot out Israel” is not a man! I am not blaming him—I am blaming Satan!

Richard Palmer has an article that reverently recalls the British Empire's role in banning slavery in order to condemn protesters calling for statues associated with racial injustice to be removed.

Andrew Müller has an article scare mongering that America is on the verge of a "second civil war." In the current political situation in America this is a fear that almost exclusively exists within the political right.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article discussing how President Quezon of the Philippines helped to save 1,300 Jews in Germany from Nazi persecution in 1938-1941. One wonders why the PCG leadership do not call upon the US government to accept more refugees today.

Brad Macdonald has an article promoting British Israelism as the "reason" why America and Britain happen to have been so mighty and powerful from 1800 onward.

The Infographic serves to reinforce Macdonald's article. In PCG's spin of British Israelism it is claimed that (PCG's) God miraculously granted much riches and power to America and Britain from 1800 onward because it was 2,520 years after the northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. The other Armstrongite COG also teach this idea. The Americans and British people at the time would not have noticed any such thing. 

A major reason why Britain became the most successful colonial power was because of their victories against France in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). 

Also in 1800 Britain was engaged in a desperate and most severe war against France which would rage until 1815. Many British soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice. The British soldiers who served would not have noticed any miraculous change in fortune for their nation from 1800 onward. 

One negative consequence of Britain's severe struggle against France was that the British adopted a policy of forcibly conscripting people at sea to fight for the British Navy. Many sea faring Americans lived in severe fear of being, essentially, kidnapped by the British Navy. This would later lead to Britain and America going to war with each other in the War of 1812. None of them noticed that Britain and America had suddenly gained a miraculous change in fortunes for their nations. 

This British Israelite dogma that America and Britain were divinely restrained from gaining great wealth and power from about 720 BC until 1800 is simply not true. It is a idea some today tell ourselves and they project this idea onto the past.

Joel Hilliker has an article commemorating 9/11. It is mentioned that PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, on May 5, 2001 had proclaimed that humanity had entered its "last hour." Nineteen years later PCG is still waiting for the "last hour" to end. What is left unmentioned is that Gerald Flurry makes these dire proclamations every now and then. For instance back in 2008 Gerald Flurry had proclaimed that America had passed "the point of no return" as noted in #33 here. So we been apparently stuck beyond this "point of no return" for about twelve years now. PCG Information also has some intriguing information about this "last hour" dogma. (A previous version of Hilliker's article was discussed in a previous post.)

Andrew Müller has an article condemning estimates of the age of the universe and the Earth because they contradict PCG dogma.

Herbert Armstrong's Autobiography is cited to say that evolution is false and to present Herbert Armstrong as being knowledgeable of science even though he never went to college.

WorldWatch discusses the controversy regarding alleged Russian bounties paid to the Taliban to kill US soldiers which is presented as a partisan attack on PCG's beloved President Trump; added US sanctions against the Assad regime in Syria; certain explosions in Iran; Germany sending financial aid to companies involved in the arms industry; the US withdrawing troops from Germany; the US sending in three aircraft carriers into the South China Sea to demonstrate their opposition to China's claim to it; Germany gaining the EU presidency on July 1, 2020; Russia adopting amendments to their constitution which would allow Vladimir Putin to remain as President as late as 2036; the reduction of protests in Hong Kong after the enactment of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on June 30, 2020; and Japan choosing not to purchase a certain American air defense system.

SocietyWatch discusses young Americans being less religious; scare mongers that crime has increased because of protests against police brutality; scare mongers that a third of Americans think civil war is about to occur even though it is mainly the political right that chosen to be fixated on this inflammatory topic; and the former Prince Harry talking about racism in Britain. 

The letters section contain a letter from South Africa.

I just want to thank the Philadelphia Church of God and the Trumpet. I don't know if you realize how much you change people's lives for the good in teaching us about supreme Lord God Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm a changed person because of your literature, and I'm grateful and thank you so much. Lord God Almighty bless you. (p. 34.)

Stephen Flurry has an article insisting that Satan is the cause of the current problems. Not Covid-19 or police brutality. While stating this he also claims that restrictions designed to slow down the spread of Covid-19 and save are "self-destructive" and "unprecedented" even though quarantining people to stop the spread of diseases has been for thousands of years.

This world is changing dramatically—and fast. A powerful spirit influence that crosses borders, classes and ideologies changed the world with unprecedented, self-destructive coronavirus restrictions, then with the riots and outright assault on American and British history, culture and the last remnants of biblical principles. This spirit of hate is inspired by Satan the devil.

Richard Palmer has an article in which he insists PCG's dogmas make sense of the world.

Here is Palmer making the hysterical claim that certain economically deprived Americans dream of destroying their nation somehow. So often PCG say they love America and yet they are willing to vilify "the average poor person in America" in such a hysterical and nonsensical manner.

For years, the Trumpet has focused on the spiritual causes of world events. We have said that there is a real, spirit world and a real devil. We have said that God has worked out a specific plan for a specific purpose, using nations like Britain and America, and that Satan has tried to destroy that plan and those nations. How else do you explain the extremes we’re seeing right now? ... the average poor person in America has air conditioning and a smartphone—and more than likely wants to destroy his own nation!

Later Palmer insists to his readers that "[t]here is no catch" to PCG's offer of their writings to their readers.

You can read the whole book online, but I encourage you to request your own free print copy. We will mail it to you, just about anywhere you might be in the world, with no charge for postage, packaging, handling or any other hidden costs. Your name and address stay private. And we won’t contact you for any follow-up. There is no catch. We are simply a group of people who understand that this is the only source of hope and understanding that there is. We know God provides the answers, the hope, and the means to get it out there: We want to share it with as many people as possible. (p. 35.)

A lifetime of tithes. The goal of this magazine is to gain more members for PCG. One of the requirements of PCG membership is to pay tithes to them. That is how PCG got an income of about $19.5 million in 2012. That is the catch.

No wonder the PCG leadership devote so much time and resources to producing their recruitment magazine. But there is no need to give heed to their dire proclamations of the future. They have made many predictions of the future that have failed miserably. They do not know the future. They are but false prophets.

Updated: PCG Photos Suggest PCG's "College" is Neglecting to Wear Face Masks or to Practice Social Distancing

(Update: More photographic evidence of PCG's "college's" refusal to implement social distancing may be seen at their website concerning news regarding activities from August 12, 2020 onward.)

I recently encountered this August 29, 2020 article from PCG about life in their unaccredited "college," Herbert W. Armstrong College. It is dated August 29, 2020.

There are four photos accompanying this article. In the first three photos they do not appear to be practicing social distancing. The first three photos are of a classroom. In it they are not wearing face masks. Not even one of them. The students are all seated together right next to each other without face masks.

The fourth photo they look like they are placing some distance between each other but they are not face masks. Not even one of them. The instructor appears to be Joel Hilliker. The article mentions Joel Hilliker teaching a class which lends further evidence that these photos are very recent. The article states, "On Wednesday, instructor Joel Hilliker taught freshmen how to use barbells and kettlebells and coached them through a workout of pushups, lunges and kettlebell swings."

After having read this article it would appear that PCG is playing with fire. It would appear that PCG is tempting catastrophe by not taking proper measures to protect their own people from the spread of Covid-19.

PCG Condemning Protesters: Overview of the August 2020 Issue of PCG's Trumpet

In late June 2020 the PCG leadership released the August 2020 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. 

PCG has a long and shameful history of scare mongering that the African American community will launch a wave of riots shortly before Christ returns. PCG tends to label such imagined future riots as "race riots" or "race wars." Much can be said about what happened after the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 but nevertheless these events are not a sign that PCG's false prophecies are about to occur. People of all ethnicities and religions have participated in these protests. Also PCG have made many false prophecies since their founding in 1989 therefore it is clear that they do not know what will happen in the future. There is no need to fear their dire predictions of the future. We can be rest assured that PCG's predictions will fail.

The editors for this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Brad Macdonald, Richard Palmer, Jeremiah Jacques, Dennis Leap and Philip Nice.

This issue had a circulation of 246,051 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that the events he simplistically refer to as "race riots" are prophesied within the Bible. In fact many peoples of all ethnicities and religions have participated in these Black Lives Matter protests. Furthermore Flurry's claim that these events are predicted by the Bible is based on the assumption that white Americans are descendants of the so-called "lost ten tribes" of Israel. This dogma is often known as British-Israelism and it is false. It matters not how fervently its proponents promote this dogma it is still false and therefore any conclusion arising from this assumption is false as well.

Here is Flurry denouncing "the Floyd family's lawyer," Ben Crump, as promoting "satanic and racist" lies.

Ben Crump, who became the Floyd family’s lawyer, wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post about Floyd’s death saying that all these incidents are starting to feel like “genocide.” He wrote a book last year called Open Season: The Legalized Genocide of Colored People. Genocide is the DELIBERATE EXTERMINATION OF A PEOPLE! Is that happening in America? Do you see white people trying to put black people to death?

In all of last year, police killed 28 unarmed black people, according to mappingpoliceviolence.org. (Some news agencies have reported that number as being only nine, but that only counts unarmed blacks shot by on-duty officers.) In nearly all of these cases, the people were fighting against the police in ways that got them killed. That is unfortunate, and policemen do make mistakes, but it is hardly deliberate extermination! How can a lawyer call that GENOCIDE? He KNOWS that is a lie. If that isn’t satanic and racist, I don’t know what racism is! (p. 2.)

Here is Flurry insisting that Al Sharpton speaks "words [that are] are right out of the mind of the devil."

Mr. Sharpton says he wants peace, but at every opportunity, he tries to draw attention to evil deeds by the police, but in most of those cases the police were exonerated, and I think rightfully so. Will those kinds of statements bring peace? HE IS ALWAYS TRYING TO DIVIDE THE RACES AND MAKE WAR! Al Sharpton tries to look like a lamb, but he speaks like a dragon! His words are right out of the mind of the devil! (p. 2.)

Stephen Flurry has an article shrilly denouncing the Black Lives Matter protest movement. He gives little indication of understanding this protest movement. There is also little acknowledgment that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation since many people who were employed have now lost their sources of income in this ongoing crisis. Whereas before many people who sympathized with previous protests against police brutality were busy going to work now many are unable to work and view participating in the protest movement as a worthwhile endeavor.

Here is Stephen Flurry talking about Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, and referring to him as a "miserable man." 

Mayor Frey took a knee in front of George Floyd’s casket at the funeral, buried his face in his hand, and sobbed for more than a minute. He later appeared at a Black Lives Matter rally in Minneapolis and confessed to the crowd through a face mask over the public address system that he, as a white man, was “coming to grips with my own brokenness.” He then lashed out at the Minneapolis Police Department, saying the “systemic and racist system needs to be revamped.” This miserable man made extraordinary efforts to exhibit his solidarity with BLM. (pp. 5-6.)

Mayor Frey happens to be Jewish. PCG often present themselves as friendly to the Jewish community and yet they would still speak of a Jewish man with such contempt.

Here is Stephen Flurry simplistically presenting attempts at dialog with protesters as doomed to failure.

Brokenness is the right word. In fact, it well describes the status of any kind of resistance or pushback by the authorities in this country against this aggressive, clamorous, extremist movement. Instead it is full-scale retreat, evacuate, capitulate and appease. And brokenness is also what this movement is leaving in its wake when anyone even hints at anything different. (p. 6.)

Here is Stephen Flurry insisting that dialog is impossible and pointless. He seems bizarrely uninterested in what activists against police brutality have to say about things. He also implies that the police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck was inspired by a demon.

On top of that, no matter HOW MANY of these policies are enacted, their advocates will never absolve and forgive America for the sin of racism. Having become convinced this nation is institutionally, systemically racist, they will ALWAYS be able to unearth evidence that, in their minds, proves this beyond doubt. Never will America—or any nation on Earth—meet the illusory standard of racial and social justice these radicals harbor in their minds. Even if the nation “progressed” to the point of ENFORCED EQUALITY on all educational, financial and occupational outcomes for all races, it would only take one person in a bustling, messy nation of 330 million to do something heinous to a black man—and the fury would erupt just as violently as it is now, and worse. See? It keeps happening! Four hundred years of this! We can’t breathe!

That was all it took in Minneapolis: one person, who may well have been influenced by a demon to commit that evil act—and the ugliest of racial hatreds instantly reignited nationwide. Police killing 28 unarmed people out of 44 million black Americans feels like GENOCIDE. What evidence could change the mind of someone who believes that? (pp. 6, 32.)

Unfortunately believing that all will be solved only after Christ return discourages attempts to solve problems today.

Joel Hilliker has an article describing the death of George Floyd as a "self inflicted race wound," whatever that clunky phrase is supposed to mean. 

Gerald Flurry has an article complaining that mainstream accounts of history do not promote his religious views. In this article he often quotes Herman Hoeh, a man who in his later years chose to side with the Tkach changes and remained in good standing with Tkach's WCG until he died. It should be noted that people who are not employed by PCG are under no obligation to do what the PCG leadership tells them to do.

Richard Palmer has an article complaining that historical accounts of World War II do not mention that many people in the Allied nations prayed. However PCG elsewhere teaches that all Christians churches are false except PCG. So, according to this view, all Christians who worshiped on Sunday and adhered to any Christian church without being aligned with Herbert Armstrong during those terrible days were merely false Christians. Of course, this is absurd and offensive but this disturbing implication of Armstrongite dogma is often ignored within the COGs.

Gerald Flurry has an article discussing the current state of negative relations between the United States and China. He implies that Covid-19 originated from a Chinese laboratory. That laboratory denies there was any such leak of hazardous materials. One could argue that such a denial cannot be trusted but even if one chose not to trust this denial readers would deserve to be informed of this denial. Furthermore it is much more likely this disease simply migrated from animals into humans by chance since that happens all the time. He also complains about China pursuing its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Here is Flurry saying China and other nations are enemies of the United States. Who are these other nations? Apparently according to Flurry this includes the European Union and Mexico according to Flurry. (Please note: In the paragraph below "Israel" inaccurately refers to America and Britain.)

Notice: These gates would have otherwise belonged to Israel’s “enemies.” And who controls many of these gates today? Either directly or indirectly, IT IS CHINA! Israel’s enemies are trying to get control of these sea gates because they hate the nations of Israel! Whether we realize it or not, China and many other nations are our enemies! ...

China isn’t the only “enemy” making moves against America. The German-led European Union signed a trade deal with Mexico on April 20. We can see the beginnings of a trade war in which America will be besieged in all its sea gates.... (pp. 16-17.)

Does Flurry think Mexico is an enemy of the United States? His words above would indicate that is the case.

Jeremiah Jacques has a side article denouncing the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region being implemented in Hong Kong since it went into effect on June 30, 2020.

The Infographic denounces what it calls the "myth of black genocide."

Joel Hilliker has an article bad mouthing "socialists." Even during this supreme crisis people are still perfectly capable of proposing how to reform society to make it better. But PCG's 1% are inclined to see a repeat of Leninist Communism awaiting attempts to reform society.

The ideas are always couched in altruistic language—“opportunity,” “safety net,” “social protection,” “sustainable and inclusive growth”—but they promote a fundamental idea that has impoverished, enslaved and even killed hundreds of millions of people throughout history, particularly over the last century. (pp. 21-22.)

The PCG leadership is firmly aligned with the Republican Party. I do not condemn PCG for choosing to be right wing but it is worth mentioning that they are right wing since sometimes they present themselves as though they are not.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article denouncing the Israeli Supreme Court for inconveniencing Prime Minister Netanyahu. Nagtegaal indulges in name calling by choosing to label the Israeli Supreme Court as "rogue." The PCG leadership adores Prime Minister Netanyahu since he is a right winger. In fact they adore Prime Minister Netanyahu so much that once Gerald Flurry criticized Pope Francis after the Pope correctly pointed out to Netanyahu that Jesus spoke Aramaic as a vernacular language and not Hebrew as Netanyahu incorrectly stated. PCG boasts that they understand Christ better than anyone else and yet their leader does not appear to know what language Jesus spoke.

Gerald Flurry has an article promoting his dogmatic views about what a "true" church should be like. PCG teaches that PCG is the only true church in all the world. Everyone outside of PCG who calls him or herself a Christians are false heretics who do not the favor of PCG's God. That is the absurd and offensive implication of such a teaching.

WorldWatch discusses a report discussing how priests of the Roman Catholic Church supported the Nazi regime during World War II; the European Union setting up a fund to prop up the EU during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis; an increase of far right extremist hate crimes in Germany in 2019; Germany's arms exports; the ongoing Libyan Civil War; Israeli air strikes in Syria; Germany banning Hezbollah; increased trade via trains between the EU and China; the US removing bombers from Guam; negotiations between the EU and Mexico for a new trade deal; Russia adding ships to its Baltic fleet; and the Banque du France testing some sort of block chain based digital currency.

SocietyWatch discusses President Trump trying to get votes from Catholics; complaints about the lockdowns caused by Covid-19; and scare mongering about sex education in schools.

Joel Hilliker encouraging people to make use of their time wisely since we do not know what may happen in the future.

Richard Palmer has an article complaining that the United Kingdom "is almost a fascist state" for imposing social distancing restrictions to slow down the spread of Covid-19. He says this even though the current UK government is right wing and therefore would normally be viewed favorably by the PCG leadership.

I’m writing to you from what is almost a fascist state. The government dominates the economy. Public gatherings are banned. The entire country is under house arrest. Even Russians and Cubans can visit the park if they want. But not here—in the United Kingdom. ... Before March 23, British freedom was sacred. After March 23, it wasn’t. Before March 23, the police protected liberty. After March 23, they threaten it.

The UK government was right to be afraid of Covid-19. About 41,500 people in the United Kingdom has been killed by this terrible disease. This is the highest death toll for any nation in Europe. This death toll would have been even higher if social distancing restrictions had not been imposed.

And so we see that the PCG leadership continues to try to gain tithe paying members with their recruitment magazine with their increasingly shrill proclamations that everything will get worse until Christ returns. Unfortunately this belief means there is little incentive to improve the situation today when bold, courageous and peaceful solutions are needed more than ever. As dire as the current crises of Covid-19 and police brutality are one day these crises will be addressed and improved because people are striving to solve these pressing problem. Humanity will make a way out without having to pay a lifetime of tithes to PCG.