tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58465673134027318472024-02-06T23:16:32.698-08:00Living ArmstrongismRedfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.comBlogger2394125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-67383339703135512822023-03-17T22:20:00.001-07:002023-03-17T22:20:46.050-07:00Overview of the January 2022 Issue of PCG's Trumpet<p>Around late November 2021, before the escalation of the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, PCG published <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMjEvMTEvMjIvMW4zcXk1OXg4d19QVDIwMjIwMV9FTi5wZGYiXV0/f39c82707434cbae.pdf">the January 2022 issue</a> of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let's see what the PCG leadership have to say this time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63ki-YCKfEf3yqzdb_z_POxy7NOvHBgSPQtIMxz4HrJjifKnyICfoQT411pzIjfOWTBJWjSAiTcCsH2rEzv1__eXwRCf9gOIShb39TjZtVZGx4BZ9bfQ3kN48NLHePJ0G2QKBIfp7rX9AgA09R3ig7QWDPP-JfictqDgisfKWxuejyo9R3seZjCSV/s3150/1638087738507.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63ki-YCKfEf3yqzdb_z_POxy7NOvHBgSPQtIMxz4HrJjifKnyICfoQT411pzIjfOWTBJWjSAiTcCsH2rEzv1__eXwRCf9gOIShb39TjZtVZGx4BZ9bfQ3kN48NLHePJ0G2QKBIfp7rX9AgA09R3ig7QWDPP-JfictqDgisfKWxuejyo9R3seZjCSV/w305-h400/1638087738507.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><p>Gerald Flurry had a personal article bad mouthing modern society for changing. However societal change is natural and normal.</p><p>Stephen Flurry had an article complaining children's books. He indulges in red baiting accusing the political left of being Communist.</p><p>Stephen Flurry had a side article insisting that various old Communist texts predicted this development. Karl Marx and Antonio Gramsci are cited.</p><p>Rufaro Manyepa had a side article condemning various children's books. He mentions 14 books. One of them is a book entitled <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/AntiRacist-Baby-Ibram-X-Kendi/dp/0593110412">Antiracist Baby</a></i>. What possible objection could the PCG leadership have against a book featuring a title opposed to racism?</p><p>Andrew Müller had an article scare mongering that measures to contain and mitigate the effect of the coronavirus pandemic are some sort of plot to change society somehow.</p><p>Richard Palmer had an article complaining about the negative effects of restrictions caused by the coronavirus epidemic. Instead of encouraging people to do what they could to make this dreadful pandemic not so widespread they chose to stir up hostility and resentment against governmental authorities for trying to mitigate this terrible crisis.</p><p>Andrew Müller had an article complaining about environmental reforms.</p><p>There is also a side article denouncing widespread concern about climate change which is here denounced as a scam. Pretending that global warming is not happening is not a solution.</p><p>The Infographic presents various graphs to insist that climate change is not really happening.</p><p>Joel Hilliker had an article reciting the doctrine that all governments will be replaced by the rule of (PCG's interpretation of) Jesus Christ after the Second Coming. Armstrongites have been promoting this idea continuously since the 1930s and yet it never happens and the world we live in continues to be.</p><p>Gerald Flurry had an article complaining that once Queen Elizabeth II passes away this will weaken ties to the UK monarchy in Commonwealth nations. (This article was written before she passed away on September 8, 2022.) Ironically Gerald Flurry was born and lives in a nation that overthrew that monarchy after six years of war (1775-81).</p><p>Jeremiah Jacques had an article scare mongering that Japan is building up its military. PCG <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2014/08/pcgs-demonization-of-japan.html">constantly stirs up fear of Japan</a> even though Japan has been allied with the United States for decades.</p><p>Gerald Flurry had an article saying <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2014/12/reading-pcgs-booklet-key-of-david.html">"the key of David"</a> unlocks one's ability to become a member of the God Family. In the context of PCG dogma what Gerald Flurry calls the key of David vision is essentially a phrase used to promote the alleged glorious afterlife of being a God being as fully God as God is God though of a lower rank.</p><p>SocietyWatch has a segment promoting <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-529913215948">an already debunked rumor (as may be seen in this October 8, 2021 AP article</a>) claiming that Pfizer used cells from aborted fetuses in developing their coronavirus vaccine. The vaccine does not contain "aborted fetal cell lines." Rather the fetal cell lines are used to test drugs to check that it is safe for human beings. Many drugs go through this standard, routine safety measure. It is also implied that Pfizer hid this information. They did not. It will never be known how many people have suffered or even died of that dreadful disease because some people were hesitant to get vaccinated because of such rumors.</p><p>Joel Hilliker had an article telling people to stop coveting.</p><p>Stephen Flurry had an article complaining about Pfizer and accusing that company of having control over media outlets and politicians. It is awful that so many people chose to vilify and condemn vital medical treatments during the crisis caused by Covid-19. Those who refuse proper medical assistance <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-horror-of-vaccine-hesitancy-with.html">risk harming their health and even risk death</a>.</p><p>There is no need for anyone to be afraid of PCG's fear based statements about the future. Since its founding in 1989 PCG <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/52-false-prophecies-by-pcg.html">have made over 50 false predictions of the future</a>. They clearly cannot see the future. There is no need to fear PCG's predictions of the future.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-52448919971144748002022-06-05T23:47:00.002-07:002022-06-05T23:47:54.249-07:00Overview of the November-December 2021 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet<p>Around late October 2021 PCG published <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMjEvMTAvMjcvN29oczV0dXM1bF9QVDIwMjExMV9FTi5wZGYiXV0/b8ca2f87d857f8e6.pdf">the November-December 2021 issue</a> of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let's see what the PCG leadership have to say this time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKGISSkohqIWP3qzEB08V6ECER_nRZlL1x9t6ogqR_Nqzjhyrx9SSVoyZZo1Mj0icH3xbkcMjRA8hkOsOwwxMdud4ACG_8Lf5jnTJII1xixJLZTV-qBJXSi4Id6LUlZIjk3F_8EuDxUfYO6ZWm5TpBiHlvt_7OarF3RIwzQZyAVQ8nbBtQnfFAbJR/s3150/PT202111_EN-page-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKGISSkohqIWP3qzEB08V6ECER_nRZlL1x9t6ogqR_Nqzjhyrx9SSVoyZZo1Mj0icH3xbkcMjRA8hkOsOwwxMdud4ACG_8Lf5jnTJII1xixJLZTV-qBJXSi4Id6LUlZIjk3F_8EuDxUfYO6ZWm5TpBiHlvt_7OarF3RIwzQZyAVQ8nbBtQnfFAbJR/w305-h400/PT202111_EN-page-001.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><p>Gerald Flurry has a personal article scare mongering that the European Union will suddenly transform into a frightful military power which will militarily conquer the United States just before Christ's return. Armstrongites have been shrilly insisting that this would happen any moment now since the 1930s. This prediction has never been fulfilled because they are but false prophets.</p><p>Richard Palmer has a side article exploiting France's anger over the establishment of the AUKUS alliance between the United States, Britain and Australia to make it appear more likely that the Europeans will soon turn against the United States.</p><p>Jeremiah Jacques has an article exploiting tensions regarding Taiwan. This is a tragic issue that is ever with us and Armstrongites have long exploited this issue to make their followers fearful of the future. </p><p>Joel Hilliker has an article discussing commercial space travel. Armstrongism teaches that it is humanity's destiny to become God beings as fully God as God is God though of a lower rank. They often claim that such persons are able to traverse the Universe at the speed of thought. This teaching is drastically contrary to the Bible and what is taught in mainstream Judaism and Christianity.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mihai<span style="background-color: white;">lo Zek</span></span>ić has an article discussing the civil war in Ethiopia. He speculates that it may be mentioned in the Bible. It is not. But PCG's interpretation of Daniel 11:40-45 makes the PCG leadership ever fixated on Ethiopia. They believe that Ethiopia will join forces with a resurgent Iran and provoke the future European Empire into conquering Iran, the Middle East and Ethiopia in the war the PCG leadership says will occur before Christ's return.</p><p>Andrew Müller has an article insisting that the infamous "audit" of presidential election votes in Maricopa County, Arizona revealed that things were wrong with the presidential election. PCG is committed to promoting what many experts, journalists and commentators often refer to as the big lie, namely the claim that Donald Trump somehow won the 2020 election. This claim has been discredited in the courts of law dozens of times but certain political demagogues know that most people do not tend to read such court rulings so they can get away with promoting this false claim. As a result many Americans do not realize that Biden won. </p><p>Andrew Müller also has an article discussing inflation and the supply chain crisis.</p><p>Andrew Müller also has a side article (which is left with no byline in the print version for some reason) insinuating that the "radical left" is plotting to "exterminate" capitalism. The website lists this side article's author as Andrew Müller.</p><p>The side article makes the following polemical accusation against Saule Omarova.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Is it a coincidence that the woman Joe Biden nominated as comptroller of the currency is a Moscow State University graduate who received the Lenin Personal Academic Scholarship? It is becoming more apparent with each passing day that the radical left’s coronavirus response is revolutionizing the nation in ways that socialists like Bernie Sanders, Michael Moore and Rachel Maddow always hoped for.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>Saule Omarova's <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/07/statement-of-president-joe-biden-and-nominee-for-office-of-the-comptroller-of-the-currency-saule-omarova/">nomination was withdrawn</a>. Will the PCG leadership tell their followers that now there is hope to defeat those the PCG leadership view as the political left? Of course not. They will continue presenting events in a dire, heart rending manner because it is easier to move people to do what you want when people are distressed and afraid.</p><p>The side article also quotes Vladimir Lenin saying that he was producing too much money in order to destroy capitalism. However that quote can only refer to a brief period in the early history of the Soviet Union when the Bolsheviks imposed so-called "war communism." In 1921 the regime under Lenin moved away from this policy by adopting the New Economic Policy which adopted certain capitalistic features in society. Hyperinflation was not generally relied upon in the old Soviet Union. All this context is ignored in PCG's article. </p><p>The Infographic discusses the supply chain crisis.</p><p>Joel Hilliker has an excerpt telling his male readers that they need to be manly men. At one point he complains that women and children are oppressing men.</p><p></p><blockquote>When there are no strong men to lead, something else fills the void: “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them” (verse 12). Some say more work needs to be done to secure women’s rights. God says the opposite! He says women and children already lead society!</blockquote><p>That passage of Isaiah was talking about the ancient Kingdom of Judah. To say that passage refers to modern American society is taking that passage out of context. Also Americans of European descent are not descended from the northern Kingdom of Israel. This dogma is named British Israelism and happens to be untrue. Nevertheless Armstrongites continue to base most of the prophetic predictions based on this incorrect dogma. </p><p></p><p>Jeremiah Jacques and Mihailo Zekić have an article discussing the development of the Loess Plateau in China. Without doubt this is a great and praiseworthy achievement. But none of those responsible are Armstrongites.</p><p>The PCG leadership has included an excerpt from their Bible study course telling their readers that humanity is now existing in the "last days" just before Christ's return as Armstrongites have been constantly insisting since the 1930s.</p><p>Joel Hilliker has an article telling people that they need to focus.</p><p>Brad Macdonald has an article telling his readers that one does not necessarily need to be saddened by the current state of affairs because a new world will soon arrive following Christ's return.</p><p></p><p>In this article Macdonald unscientifically refers to Covid-19 as the "Fauci-China virus" associating that dreadful disease with a nation and an individual when medical practice is to not name diseases after nations or people. The Chinese government has made it clear that they object to having that dreadful disease be named after their nation. Since this pandemic began there have been numerous attacks against people of Asian descent. This wave of hate crimes is clearly motivated at least in part by blaming Chinese people for starting this pandemic.</p><p>The reference to Dr. Fauci refers to a nasty rumor that the political right was pushing at the time that Dr. Fauci headed some governmental department that funded the Wuhan Institute of Vironology. The insinuation here being that he funded the creation of that dreadful disease. None of these sensationalist claims can be proven. The lab in question has denied that there was any leak. </p><p>Efforts to encourage people to get vaccinated are mischaracterized by Macdonald as "vaccine tyranny." To their eternal shame PCG has made it a habit to stir up hesitancy regarding the Covid-19 vaccines leaving their followers and readers more susceptible to contracting that dreadful disease.</p><p>Macdonald claims that "immanent civil war" awaits America but it is only the political right that contemplates such an occurrence happening.</p><p>Macdonald also alludes to the homophobia, transphobia and opposition to feminism that PCG so often promotes when he writes that the "new world" after Christ's return will have "no confusion about gender, sex or family." Some Republican led states </p><p>And so we see that the PCG leadership has produced yet another issue of their recruitment magazine to keep their followers persuaded that PCG is worthy of loyalty and to try to persuade other people to join PCG. However since their founding in 1989 the PCG leadership <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/52-false-prophecies-by-pcg.html">have produced numerous false prophecies that prove that they cannot see the future</a>. There is no need for anyone to fear their dire predictions of the future.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-47237214273485665872022-05-15T04:04:00.003-07:002022-05-15T04:04:32.953-07:00PCG Absurdly Compares USA to Sri Lanka Crisis<p>As is well known Sri Lanka is currently stuck within a severe economic and political crisis. PCG has published an article about this crisis. However instead of explaining what is happening the crisis is exploited to imply that the United States may also soon end up like Sri Lanka. (Richard Palmer, Could America Soon Look Like Sri Lanka?, <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/25527-could-america-soon-look-like-sri-lanka">April 20, 2022</a>.)</p><p>Palmer says Sri Lanka has a corruption problem. But many nations have problems with corruption and they are not falling apart like Sri Lanka. That does not explain this situation in and of itself.</p><p>Palmer says Sri Lanka is allying itself with China. He says Sri Lanka has been making trade deals with China and not getting good deals with them. But many nations have made trade deals with China and they are not falling apart like present day Sri Lanka. That also does not explain this situation in and of itself.</p><p>Palmer says Sri Lanka has a lot of debt. But many nations have a lot of debt without falling apart the way Sri Lanka is. That also does not explain this situation in and of itself.</p><p>Then finally Palmer mentions something truly specific to Sri Lanka.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The government also made things worse, abruptly banning the import of pesticides and forcing the country to switch to organic farming last year. In the long run, moving away from pesticides and herbicides has a lot of advantages. But it’s not a change that can easily be made at the drop of a hat. Food output plummeted, and the country had to import more, worsening its economic situation.</p></blockquote><p>That is what really set Sri Lanka onto its path to catastrophe. Back in April 2021 the Sri Lanka <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct39st">government banned certain pesticides and essentially ordered the nation's farmers to switch to organic farming</a>. With this sudden switch productivity declined to such an extent that it began to cause many other horrible negative consequences that are now sorely evident to everyone. </p><p>But PCG relies on a lay membership mainly based in the United States so Palmer has to scare monger that a similar situation will occur in the United States.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The big difference is, the U.S. dollar is the world’s reserve currency. Despite a series of horrible decisions, people are still willing to buy it: They need to, to engage in international trade. Even so, inflation is starting to bite, at 8.5 percent.</p><p>No one thinks that corruption, inflation or debt are good things. But it’s easy to lose sight of how destructive they can be. Sri Lanka shows that they have potential to be nation-destroying problems. And the U.S. is walking down the same path.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>It is very unlikely that the United States could collapse in this manner. Especially since the US has not tried to impose all farmers to organic farming. It is unfortunate that PCG tries to scare a predominantly American readership by absurdly implying that something similar to the crisis in Sri Lanka will soon happen to the United States. Since their founding in 1989 PCG have produced<a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/52-false-prophecies-by-pcg.html"> numerous false prophecies that have failed miserably</a>. There is no need to fear PCG's dire predictions about the future.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-22616482608110582022-05-05T09:19:00.000-07:002022-05-05T09:19:18.443-07:00Roe v. Wade Overthrown<p><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/02/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-00029473">Politico broke the story</a>. The US Supreme Court is set to overturn Roe v. Wade and let the individual states decide how to manage abortion instead of following the 49 year old precedent of respecting abortion as a right guaranteed by the federal government.</p><p>It is reasonable to assume that the Armstrongite groups will be pleased with this development. Similar to evangelical churches and the Roman Catholic Church the Armstrongites tend to teach that abortion is forbidden within their religion. (Fred Dattolo, "Is Abortion Murder?," Tomorrow's World, <a href="https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/sites/default/files/magazines/pdf/twmarapr01.pdf">March-April 2001</a>, pp. 14-17.) At times LCG even compare abortion to the Holocaust even though most American Jews support abortion being legal. (Douglas S. Winnail, "Abortion: A Modern Holocaust?," Tomorrow's World, <a href="https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2005/march-april/abortion-a-modern-holocaust">March-April 2005</a>, pp. 10-13, 29.) But despite this stance it does appear that the old WCG did encourage abortion under certain extreme circumstances as is evident in an article for The Plain Truth <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2021/05/when-hwas-wcg-encouraged-abortions-1985.html">which was published in 1985</a>.</p><p>Having read the draft opinion by Justice Alito it cannot help but be noted that there is little discussion about the inevitable negative effects of such a ruling upon women in the United States. One cannot help but think about Savita Halappanavar, a woman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Savita_Halappanavar">who died on October 28, 2012 in Ireland</a> after her request for an abortion was denied. The outcry over her death help lead Ireland into legalizing abortion. </p><p>Also noteworthy is what happened to Agnieszka T., a woman in Poland who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jan/26/poland-death-of-woman-refused-abortion">died of sepsis after being denied an abortion on January 25, 2022</a>. She was the mother of three children. Recently Poland passed a law making abortion very difficult to get. Because of that restrictive law tragic events like this are now happening in Poland.</p><p>Knowing of such events it seems certain that harrowing events like this will happen in the United States once a ruling allowing states to restrict abortion is made law. It is to be wondered at if the right wing judges in the US Supreme Court are not worried about these consequences of their ruling.</p><p>(Knowing how passionately views are held on this issue on both sides I am not interested in trying to change peoples' religious views on abortion. Many unconnected to Armstrongism also condemn abortion. So if one were to criticize the anti-abortion stance such a person would be criticizing many other people outside of the Armstrongite groups. On this blog I wish to focus on Armstrongism. But I cannot help but express sadness at what will inevitably occur under laws that severely restricts access to abortion. We need to see things as they are, not what we wish them to be.)</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-35811774001755015882022-04-17T18:27:00.002-07:002022-04-17T18:27:27.455-07:00PCG Fails to Anticipate Diplomatic Tensions Between Iran and the Taliban<p>Recently Iran and the Taliban have been having a quarrel over accusations that Afghan refugees are not treated well in Iran.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>DUBAI, April 12 (Reuters) - Iran summoned the Afghan envoy to Tehran on Tuesday, Iranian state TV reported, a day after protesters threw rocks at Iranian diplomatic missions in Kabul and Herat over what they called "mistreatment of Afghan refugees" in the Islamic Republic.</p><p>The protests began after videos posted on Twitter in recent days showed young Afghan refugees in Iran being harassed and humiliated by ordinary Iranians. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the videos. (Reuters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/iran-summons-afghan-envoy-after-protesters-throw-rocks-diplomatic-missions-2022-04-12/">"Iran summons Afghan envoy after protesters throw rocks at diplomatic missions," April 13, 2022</a>.)</p></blockquote><p></p><p>The PCG leadership, who claim to know so much about what will happen in the future, failed to anticipate such disagreements occurring. When the Taliban conquered Afghanistan PCG produced an article saying that Iran and the Taliban are working together.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The Taliban and Iran are not enemies. They are fighting for the same team, and Iran is king. ...</p><p>The Taliban gaining power will not counter Iran’s hegemony in the region. In fact, not only did Iran plan for America’s eventual exit from Afghanistan—there is proof it also worked with the Taliban for almost a decade to bring it about.</p><p>The Taliban takeover gives the forces of radical Islam a massive economic, military and ideological boost. And the power that will benefit most is Iran. (Brent Nagtegaal, With Enemies Like These, Who Needs Friends?, <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/24565-with-enemies-like-these-who-needs-friends">October 2021</a>.)</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Back in 1998 Iranian diplomats in Mazar-i-Sharif were killed by the Taliban and there was much fear that Iran <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_killing_of_Iranian_diplomats_in_Afghanistan">could have gone to war</a> against the Taliban in retaliation. Iran and the Taliban are their own political actors but PCG is devoted to scare mongering about Iran. </p><p>Since the 1990s Gerald Flurry has dogmatically declared that Iran will be the 'King of the South' fated to fight and get routed by the future European Empire. Consequently scare mongering about Iran is a way for PCG to portray their leader, Gerald Flurry, as one able to see the future. This motive makes PCG less inclined to pay attention to news that does not fit their dogmas about supposed future events such as Afghan protesters throwing stones at Iranian diplomatic property over rumors of mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Iran.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-82466990752253035652022-03-20T04:07:00.001-07:002022-03-20T13:48:53.406-07:00Reading Mark Mendiola's Article, The Bible: A Book for All Time (2001)The fourteenth issue of LCG's recruitment magazine, Tomorrow's World (September-October 2001), featured an article by Mark Mendiola of Pocatello, Idaho entitled "The Bible: A Book for All Time." (pp. 16-19.) This was <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2017/04/mark-mendiolas-articles-for-lcgs.html">the twelfth of several articles</a> Mendiola would write for this recruitment magazine. Here Mendiola praises the Holy Bible and cites Christians who disagreed with many of Armstrongism's dogmas to praise the Bible but then he says the Bible cannot be understood until one chooses to obey (LCG's interpretation of) God.<p></p><div>Mendiola quotes Queen Victoria, William Gladstone, George Washington, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Sir William Herschel and Sir Isaac Newton as persons who revered the Bible. However all of those persons believed things very different from what is taught in the Armstrongite organizations. They all belonged to churches that worshipped on Sunday, a practice Herbert Armstrong and his imitators insist is the mark of the beast of Revelation 13. Newton was alleged to have held dissident religious views. George Washington at times <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_of_George_Washington">refused to take communion</a> in his Episcopal church. Abraham Lincoln was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_of_Abraham_Lincoln">alleged to believe in universal salvation</a>. The British monarch leads the Church of England. William Gladstone was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ewart_Gladstone#Religion">a member of the Church of England</a>. Theodore Roosevelt was a member of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt#Religion">the Reformed Church in America</a>. Since they do not share the views of LCG why did Mendiola cite them in this article? How is this not a lie? Mendiola cites these famous persons to say the Bible is revered and true in a publication designed to get recruits for LCG, an organization that teaches things contrary to what those famous persons actually believed.</div><div><br /></div><div>He extols the Old Testament and the New Testament and then he quotes a Jewish archaeologist even though Judaism does not view the New Testament as canon.</div><div><blockquote>Dr. Nelson Glueck, a renowned Jewish archaeologist, observed: “It may be stated categorically that
no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a
Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings
have been made which confirm in clear outline or in
exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And by
the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical
descriptions has often led to discoveries” (<i><a href="https://archive.org/details/riverinthedesert012851mbp/page/n51/">Rivers in the Desert</a></i>, Glueck, p. 31).</blockquote></div><div>Dr. Glueck was also <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Glueck#Rabbinic_career">a rabbi of Reform Judaism</a>. It is reasonable to assume that in the passage above Dr. Glueck was referring to the Hebrew Bible, namely the Old Testament. This is misleading to the readers. Mendiola glides over this flaw in his article and refuses this address the problem of quoting a Jewish rabbi while promoting the New Testament. Was he hoping that his readers would not notice this flaw? The fact that Mendiola did this indicates that this article was directed at people who only have a very superficial knowledge of Judaism.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mendiola also cites some other persons like <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/jeffery-l.-sheler.html">Jeffery Sheler</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Jeffrey">Grant Jeffrey</a> but, again, they belonged to Christian churches which worship on Sunday thus, according to Herbert Armstrong and his imitators, they bear the mark of the beast. Why does Mendiola cite people who worship on Sunday when he belonged to an organization that teaches that worshipping on Sunday is a terrible thing?</div><div><br /></div><div>He also cites <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0783398/">Charles Sellier</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751044/">Brian Russell</a> but those men did not appear to have been affiliated with any Armstrongite organization. Mendiola cites all these people to praise the Bible but he does so selectively. He chooses to cite certain words of theirs to say the Bible is of religious importance and reliable but, at the time this article was written, he disregarded anything they say contrary to Armstrongism by choosing to be a follower of LCG.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then after praising the Christian Bible he insists that the Bible cannot be understood unless one chooses to obey (LCG's interpretation of) God.</div><div></div><blockquote><div>Amazingly, the Bible even predicts many would
not understand it and would consider it cryptic.
Most people in the world are drunken with false doctrine and ideas that blur the precious truths contained within its pages. Many consider it sealed.
Others think they are not educated enough or must
be fluent in Hebrew or Greek to understand it. Even
ministers are confused about its teachings....</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesus Christ said that His disciples would be
given the spiritual discernment to understand the
hidden truths of the Bible. He told His disciples that
He spoke in parables so only they would understand
the mysteries of God, and the world at large would
not ....</div><div><br /><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">The Living God who inspired the Bible must open
our minds to understand it as we show Him a willingness and humility to obey His instructions. ... Obedience to God is
the key that will unlock for you the truths of the Bible</span>:
a book for all time!</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Among the Armstrongite organizations it is taught that one cannot join unless (Armstrongism's interpretation of) God open that person's perception to begin to believe Armstrongism. This explanation is quite useful in explaining away why most people do not convert to Armstrongism after learning about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>This article seems to be merely a paean to the Holy Bible but it is actually deceptive in citing persons who revered the Bible while being used in a magazine designed to attract recruits into an Armstrongite organization. The people Mendiola cited did not adhere or believe in what was taught by Armstrongites including LCG. It is deceptive to cite these persons and then insist that they are wrong in every stance contrary to Armstrongism.</div><div><br /></div><div>In September 2006 Mendiola left LCG and joined Dave Pack's Restored Church of God. Around 2008 he left RCG and joined Don Billingsley's Church of God-Faithful Flock. He was credited as helping to produce COG-FF's magazine, The Philadelphia Remnant, as late as 2012.</div>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-24125652841958598252022-03-13T16:01:00.002-07:002022-03-13T16:01:41.875-07:00Reading Mark Mendiola's Article, A Powerless America? (2001)<p>The thirteen issue of LCG's recruitment magazine, Tomorrow's World (July-August 2001), featured an article by Mark Mendiola of Pocatello, Idaho entitled "A Powerless America?" (pp. 20-24.) This was <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2017/04/mark-mendiolas-articles-for-lcgs.html">the eleventh of several articles</a> Mendiola would write for this recruitment magazine. Here Mendiola cites energy management issues as evidence that the United States will soon collapse.</p><p></p><blockquote>Simultaneous energy and
water shortages jeopardize the faltering U.S. economy’s chances for a strong
recovery. Bible prophecy indicates that conditions may grow much worse
before they improve.</blockquote><p></p><p>Mendiola discusses strain upon the energy supply in west coast states of the USA. He cites President Bush and Vice-President Cheney. He also cites a future Governor of Washington.</p><p></p><blockquote> “You can today see blackouts
coming, as big as life, and an energy crisis going into the fall,” said
Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash.</blockquote><p></p><p>In the entire article there is no discussion about climate change.</p><p>He ends this article claiming that these energy supply problems are signs of an impending catastrophe about to hit the United States.</p><blockquote>Is it merely coincidence that
the U.S. is confronting major
crises on several fronts that threaten to cause major hardships and
suffering? Most experts are reluctant to cite it as a source, but the
Holy Bible plainly shows a cause and-effect reason for what can
accurately be described as curses
plaguing the nation. Our actions—
the choices we make—determine
whether we are blessed or cursed.
The Living Creator God who
inspired the Bible warns of adverse
consequences if we disobey
commandments, but blessings if we
are obedient to His spiritual laws. ...<div><br /></div><div>God then describes curses
that would result—including terrorism, disease outbreaks, farm
disasters and defeat by enemies.
He also describes a drought that
symbolically turns the heavens
and earth dry and hard. ...</div><div><br /></div><div>U.S. energy, water and economic crises are worsening as
snowpack, spring runoff and
reservoir levels dwindle due to
drought conditions gripping
major regions of the nation. Those
setbacks further weaken the
nation’s power and prestige. ... Breaking God’s commandments
brings national as well as individual
curses on us. T he choice is ours.</div></blockquote><div></div><div>LCG and the other Armstrongite groups teach that white Americans are descendants of the ancient Kingdom of Israel described in the Bible which was conquered by the Assyrians around 720 BCE. This <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/06/hwa-and-british-israelism.html">idea is called British Israelism</a>. This idea is used within the Armstrongite groups to insist that the frightful fate of military conquest and exile that the ancient Israelites and Jews endured will occur to the United States in the near future. The Armstrongites have been teaching this since the 1930s. But the idea called British Israelism happens to be false. Non-Jewish Americans of European descent are not descended from the ancient Israelites.</div><div> </div><div>In this article Mendiola cites Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 11 as evidence that the United States will soon endure terrible things but those passages were describing warnings to the ancient Israelites and Jews. These warnings were alluding to the conquest of those kingdoms by the Assyrians and the Babylonians and the subsequent exiles they were forced to endure. Those Biblical passages were not talking about 21st Century America. Those Biblical passages were cited out of context. There is no need to fear the dire predictions of the Armstrongites.</div><div><br /></div><div>In September 2006 Mendiola left LCG and joined Dave Pack's Restored Church of God. Around 2008 he left RCG and joined Don Billingsley's Church of God-Faithful Flock. He was credited as helping to produce COG-FF's magazine, The Philadelphia Remnant, as late as 2012.</div>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-38298894944867819712022-02-24T02:12:00.000-08:002022-02-24T02:12:01.761-08:00Russia Launches Armed Campaign Against Ukraine<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_FM2y5uOmXWIPmuxiGRirpR_6cSFHnPPWVcr9kHnKzPGMWzGC2r3FdTe_aDy1QLzkBma09fk-tfdPepGOhOnXl3WZrSC2pfd3wWt5kD8iURnx8EdS3lRxVmsGeQD5wJp-B3sLISCGUCnu9YfBVAZ0KRt9FcEngOqaWbmbNrmeOvGA05w8kp-3-1iA=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_FM2y5uOmXWIPmuxiGRirpR_6cSFHnPPWVcr9kHnKzPGMWzGC2r3FdTe_aDy1QLzkBma09fk-tfdPepGOhOnXl3WZrSC2pfd3wWt5kD8iURnx8EdS3lRxVmsGeQD5wJp-B3sLISCGUCnu9YfBVAZ0KRt9FcEngOqaWbmbNrmeOvGA05w8kp-3-1iA=w320-h213" width="320" /></a></div><br />That which many feared has begun to occur. Russia has chosen to fight Ukraine. This is a terrible, awful moment the world is now witnessing. The potential death, destruction and humanitarian crisis this will cause is dreadful.<p></p><p>With such terrible news some within the Armstrongite organizations or their former members may start to fear that this is somehow the beginning of the dire predictions Herbert Armstrong and his imitators have taught. This is no such thing. Herbert Armstrong was a false prophet who made many false predictions thus proving that he is a false prophet. There is no need to fear his dire predictions. </p><p>And since Herbert Armstrong was a false prophet then anyone seeking to produce prophecies and predictions based on what Herbert Armstrong said are also false prophets. There is no need to fear their dire predictions either.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-23981954002538329422022-01-23T05:01:00.000-08:002022-01-23T05:01:17.713-08:00PCG Creates an Archaeology Institute<p>PCG has announced the establishment of their archaeology institute, the Armstrong-Mazar Institute of Biblical Archaeology. (Brad Macdonald, Trumpet Followers, Meet AMIBA, <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/25121-trumpet-followers-meet-amiba">January 20, 2021</a>.) This move was largely expected after PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, printed a co-worker letter <a href="https://armstrongismlibrary.blogspot.com/2021/11/gerald-flurry-plans-on-educating-israel.html">promoting the idea back on November 1, 2021</a>.</p><p>Macdonald says that the PCG leadership hopes to excavate again.</p><p></p><blockquote>AMIBA will also continue to sponsor and participate in archaeological excavations in Jerusalem. Even now we are working with Hebrew University and the various authorities and organizations in Israel to plan a new excavation. We hope to announce this new dig over the next few months.</blockquote><p></p><p>Macdonald states:</p><p></p><blockquote>The ultimate mission of this institute is to showcase and share Israel’s biblical archaeology with the largest audience possible, especially the people of Israel.</blockquote><p>Let us note. PCG, an Armstrongite organization predominantly based in America, is going to all this trouble and expense to promote archaeology to Israelis. Why not let Israelis promote archaeology among themselves?</p><p>There can be no misunderstanding. PCG is doing this for themselves. This move promotes PCG. Presumably the PCG leadership hope this will give them an opportunity to gain respect and trust from Israeli society.</p><p></p><p>And there <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/12/who-will-save-israeli-jews-from-pcg-pcg.html">might be another reason the PCG leadership are devoting so much time and money to reaching out</a> to Israeli Jews.</p><p>The State of Israel has plenty of problems. The best thing PCG could do to the nation is to leave. Leave them alone. The vast majority of Jews, in Israel and elsewhere, are not interested in joining the Christian churches or Armstrongites organizations like PCG. Also they do not need PCG to learn about archaeology.</p><p>May PCG's efforts in the Holy Land fail.</p><p></p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-19590971605870786062021-12-30T13:53:00.000-08:002021-12-30T13:53:07.640-08:00Vaccination Against Covid-19 is Necessary<p>The recent rise of Covid Omicron shows again the necessity of getting vaccinated against Covid-19. Millions have been vaccinated. I myself got vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine as soon as I could. I encourage everyone to be vaccinated against Covid-19 subject to medical advice. If anyone is concerned let them consult with their doctors.</p><p>Unfortunately some within the Armstrongite groups have chosen to scare monger about the Covid vaccines leaving their followers more vulnerable to getting infected with the dreaded disease. Sadly <a href="https://m.dailykos.com/tags/Antivaxxchronicles">many people all over the world who were vaccine hesitant have suffered</a> or even died when they could have avoided getting the dreadful disease by getting vaccinated.</p><p>All of us need to be responsible during this ongoing crisis.</p><p>Happy new year everyone. May the year 2022 be a happy and prosperous time for you.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-41887387118833438742021-12-29T12:49:00.000-08:002021-12-29T12:49:59.507-08:00PCG Using Vicious Rhetoric Against Barack Obama <p>PCG has long vilified Barack Obama. In 2013 Gerald Flurry <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2015/01/gerald-flurry-says-president-obama-is.html">called him "another Antiochus,"</a> comparing him to Antiochus Epiphanes and Joseph Tkach, Jr. PCG continued this theme on November 2, 2021 when PCG posted an article by Stephen Flurry in which he wrote the following about Barack Obama.</p><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px;"><blockquote>On October 23, Obama was campaigning in Virginia for Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Criticizing the opposing nominee and conservatives in general, he said, “We don’t have time to be wasting on these phony, trumped-up culture wars, this fake outrage that right-wing media pedals to juice their ratings—and the fact that he’s willing to go along with it? Instead of talking about serious problems that actually affect serious people? That’s a shame. That’s not what this election is about.”</blockquote></span><div><span face="abril-text, Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">And the</span></span><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px;">n Stephen Flurry discusses a <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudoun_County_Public_Schools#2021_sexual_assaults">tragic case of sexual abuse</a> currently going through the justice system which has been used by the political right to attack transgender friendly policies. Unfortunately PCG has <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/search?q=PCG+Transgender ">a long history of condemning transgender people</a>.</span></div><div><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px;">While recounting this case Stephen Flurry names the victim's father. Many media reports about this case refrained from naming him to protect the victim's identity. And yet Stephen Flurry and the PCG leadership chose otherwise. Consequently I will refrain from linking to the article. </span></div><div><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17px;">Stephen Flurry then says:</span></div><div><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px;"><blockquote>Barack Obama, leader of radicals who have elevated grievance and complaining to a bizarre art form, says that if you are upset about this, your outrage is “phony.” He is not a normal person. He is a heartless monster.</blockquote></span></div><div>Stephen Flurry is alluding to a statement by Fox News' Tucker Carlson. He stated the following at the start of the article.</div><div><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px;"></span></div><blockquote><div><span face="abril-text, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 17px;">Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson recently condemned him as a “heartless monster.” Carlson is more right than he realizes.</span></div><div></div></blockquote><div>Vicious, bitter rhetoric such as this reveals more about the PCG leadership than anything they were trying to say in this article.</div>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-49354745480545233712021-12-13T14:23:00.002-08:002021-12-13T14:23:20.421-08:00Herman Hoeh's Tale of the Cannibal King<p>Herman Hoeh asserted in his presently discredited Compendium of World History that one ancient ruler of Egypt was a cannibal, namely Unis, who is also referred to as Unas, the last king of Dynasty V.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>With Unis the dynasty comes to a catastrophic end. (He was a contemporary of the Pharaoh who perished at the Red Sea.) The king died the night of the Passover. Unis was a firstborn' He was also a cannibal! After Moses left Egypt, he commenced the frightful practice of eating the firstborn of his enemies. That is one of the reasons God slew the firstborn of Egypt. From the pyramid-tomb of Unis one may read this horrible account of his life, his blasphemous claims, and his deeds.</p><p>"Behold, Unas hath arrived at the height of heaven .... Ra is on one side and Horus is on the other, and Unas is between them .... Unas hath weighed his word with the hidden god who hath no name, on the day of hacking in pieces the firstborn .... Unas devoureth men .... He ... cutteth off hairy scalps ... the cordmaster hath bound them for slaughter. Khonsu the slayer of ... hath cut their throats and drawn out their inward parts, for it was he whom Unas sent to drive them in: and Shesem hath cut them in pieces and boiled their members in his blazing cauldrons. Unas hath eaten their words of power, and he hath swallowed their spirits; the great ones among them serve for his meal at daybreak, the lesser serve for his meal at eventide, and the least among them serve for his meal at night. The old gods and the old goddesses become fuel for his furnace. The mighty ones in heaven shoot out fire under the cauldrons which are heaped up with the haunches of the firstborn; and he that maketh those who live in heaven to revolve around Unas hath shot into the cauldrons the haunches of their women of the gods in visible form. UNAS IS THE FIRSTBORN OF THE FIRSTBORN existence is ... and the offerings made unto him are more than those made unto the gods ..." (from E. A. Wallis Budge's "A History of Egypt", vol. II, pages 83-88.) Compare King Unis and his blasphemous claims with II Thessalonians 2:3-4. A remarkable analogy. (Herman Hoeh, Compendium of World History, <a href="https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=get_acthesis&InfoID=1351681310">Volume 1, Chapter 3</a>.)</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Hoeh was wrong. This hymn for Unas, which is called the Cannibal Hymn, was an allegory.</p><p></p><blockquote>... the hymn is best understood as a mythologization of butchery ritual. The sacrifice of a bull was a key element in many Egyptian religious ceremonies. In the Cannibal Hymn, it is the gods who are butchered, cooked and eaten by the king, so that he may absorb and deploy their powers to assist him in his resurrection and apotheosis after death. (Toby Wilkinson, introduction to Text 3.1, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writings-Ancient-Egypt-Penguin-Classics-ebook/dp/B01DVEZLZU">Writings from Ancient Egypt</a></i>, 2016.)</blockquote><p></p><p>How good it is to be free from misunderstanding and error. </p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-43780310988991320322021-10-27T06:27:00.004-07:002021-10-27T06:27:50.369-07:00PCG Blaming Obama for the Taliban Takeover: Overview of the October 2021 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet<p>(Warning: This recruitment magazine discussed in this post is produced by an organization that has chosen to take an anti-vaxxer stance against Covid-19 vaccines. Such a stance encourages people to leave themselves vulnerable to getting that dreadful disease. The easiest way to reduce the risk of getting that dreadful disease is to get vaccinated. Many are encouraging people to get vaccinated subject to medical advice.)</p><p>Disclaimer: Page 10 features a disturbing photo of a child injured during a protest in Afghanistan.</p><p>In early September 2021 the PCG leadership released <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMjEvMDkvMDkvOWZuaHJiZjdtcl9QVDIwMjExMF9FTi5wZGYiXV0/d280c6217660a8a0.pdf">the October 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine</a>, The Philadelphia Trumpet. In this issue the PCG leadership exploit the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan to vilify President Biden ignoring the fact that it was President Trump who made a peace agreement with the Taliban behind the back of the Afghan government. That agreement was what made the tragic Taliban takeover possible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpYzXpr_VxRxHXv2BKLX2SQLAq6z8FYDD3SMg4mTvgzy53Vl2-r8NEvBCayzoyCkuNBZttdusvGlkrmM7_09Ltkt0oGPUwm9sGK6doenQjrkCTnuGe8gb4j2AAblymNDsgU6oe3q2WGI/s2048/PT202110_EN-page-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpYzXpr_VxRxHXv2BKLX2SQLAq6z8FYDD3SMg4mTvgzy53Vl2-r8NEvBCayzoyCkuNBZttdusvGlkrmM7_09Ltkt0oGPUwm9sGK6doenQjrkCTnuGe8gb4j2AAblymNDsgU6oe3q2WGI/w305-h400/PT202110_EN-page-001.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><p>The editors of this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Philip Nice, Brad Macdonald, Richard Palmer, Jeremiah Jacques and Dennis Leap.</p><p>This issue had a circulation of 240,656 issues. The September issue had a circulation of 240,596 issues, a difference of only 60 issues. The August issue had a circulation of 239,545 issues. For the July issue it was 241,917 issues. For the May-June issue it was 243,028. For the April issue it was 247,023. For the March issue it was 248,523. The circulation for PCG's recruitment magazine appears to be slightly declining.</p><p>Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is part of a plot to destroy America. He blames Barack Obama and Satan. Back in 2013 Gerald Flurry labeled President Obama as <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2015/01/gerald-flurry-says-president-obama-is.html">"another Antiochus"</a> comparing him to Antiochus Epiphanes and Joseph Tkach, Jr. Consequently Flurry often brings up Obama in order to "prove" his earlier condemnation of President Obama.</p><p>In the article Flurry refers to the Taliban as "barbarians" and "thugs." </p><p>In the article Flurry accuses the Taliban of letting the suicide bomber into Kabul airport even though so many Afghan citizens were killed as well.</p><p>He also claims that Obama somehow planned for President Biden to get blamed. Flurry is so determined to stir up anger and hostility against Obama even though he has not held public office since January 20, 2017.</p><p></p><blockquote>I believe Barack Obama intended Biden to take the flak for what has happened here. (p. 31.) </blockquote><p></p><p>Joel Hilliker has an article seeking to explain why America was unable to prevent the Taliban's return to power. It is insisted that the fall of Afghanistan is a sign of (PCG's) God's punishing the United States for being unrighteous, that is behaving contrary to PCG's dogmas. This is magical thinking that serves to devalue attempts to understand and explain how the fall of Afghanistan happened. Because of this the fall of Afghanistan is presented as something that just happened. The Taliban takeover is many things but it is not an accident. There are many reasons why this happened, not the least of which being <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkvsq9endXE">corruption within the Afghan government</a>.</p><p>Brent Nagtegaal has an article scare mongering that the Taliban takeover will somehow work to the benefit of Iran. It is insisted that Iran has been working with the Taliban since at least 2015. Since the early 1990s Gerald Flurry has taught <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2014/09/pcgs-demonization-of-iran.html">that Iran will be the future King of the South</a> consequently PCG's vilification of Iran serves to "prove" to their followers that Gerald Flurry can see the future.</p><p>This article features the following paragraph which focuses on the headlines used to describe the rise of the Taliban instead of discussing what is written in these articles. Links have been added in for convenience.</p><p></p><blockquote>Yet when Kabul fell to the Taliban, prevailing media opinion was that Iran feared what would come next. “Taliban Surge Will Force Iran to Forge a New Defense Strategy,” reported <i>Haaretz</i> <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/iran/taliban-surge-next-door-will-force-iran-to-forge-a-new-defense-strategy-1.10113184">on August 13</a>. “Iran Braces for Life Next Door to the Taliban Once Again,” Bloomberg headlined <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-19/iran-braces-for-life-next-door-to-the-taliban-once-again">on August 19</a>. Germany’s <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/afghanistan-taliban-offensive-iran/a-58846254">Deutsche Welle wrote</a>, “Afghanistan: Taliban Offensive Puts Iran in a Bind.” These three headlines represent the broad consensus that while Iran might be happy America is gone from Afghanistan, it is terrified of the Taliban. (p. 8.) </blockquote><p></p><p>Since the Taliban's rise to power <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58807734">there have been reports</a> that the Taliban have been persecuting people belonging to the Hazara ethnic group. Most Hazaras are Shia Muslims like the majority of Iran's population. Such reports will do nothing to foster friendly relations between the Taliban and Iran.</p><p>Richard Palmer has an article saying that Europe is adversely affected by the Taliban takeover. At one point on page 11 Palmer quotes the right wing British columnist Melanie Phillips <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/pcgs-reliance-on-melanie-phillips.html">who is often reverently quoted by PCG's writers</a>. For decades the Armstrongites have insisted that predominantly Catholic Europe will soon militarily conquer the United States. This dire prediction has never occurred.</p><p>The article features this passage scare mongering about immigration. One moment he says the fall of Afghanistan is a terrible thing. Next moment he says be afraid if the resultant refugees move to your nation. </p><p></p><blockquote><p>Even before the Taliban took over, 30,000 people fled Afghanistan each week. ... an aid worker in Afghanistan, warned, “We can assume that up to 3 million Afghans will make their way to Europe in the foreseeable future.”</p><p>Less than half that number of refugees from around the world—1.3 million—arrived in Europe in 2015. The resulting political crisis shook the foundations of governments across the Continent and sparked an outbreak of political extremism not seen since the 1930s. Can European politics as we know it survive the arrival of 3 million Afghans? What if, as has occurred repeatedly in Europe, that mass of refugees harbors even a few terrorists? (p. 12.)</p></blockquote><p>Governmental authorities are empowered to manage these issues but PCG's recruitment magazine irresponsibly foster fear and panic over people fleeing the Taliban, even slurring them as potential terrorists. </p><p></p><p>Richard Palmer also has an article speculating that the Taliban takeover will strain relations between the United States and the United Kingdom. It is insisted that Britain is so alienated with America's withdrawal that they are aligning themselves more closely with Germany and France.</p><p>In this article Palmer includes a quote which accurately notes that the agreement to withdraw American military forces from Afghanistan was made by President Trump as part of an agreement with the Taliban.</p><p></p><blockquote>“The American decision to withdraw was not just a mistake—it was an avoidable mistake, from President [Donald] Trump’s flawed deal with the Taliban to President [Joe] Biden’s decision to proceed, and to proceed in such a disastrous way,” said Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats. (p. 14.)</blockquote><p></p><p>Under the Trump Administration's plan this withdrawal was supposed to be completed by May 2021. However this information is presented as merely a quote. Palmer does not state that it happens to be true that it was Trump who made an agreement with the Taliban to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan. </p><p>Jeremiah Jacques has an article insisting that Russia and China are happy that the Taliban have conquered Afghanistan.</p><p></p><p>The Infographic discusses the cost to the United States of waging war in Afghanistan. It is stated that the Taliban gained the equivalent of 116% of the military spending of India, the third largest military spender. This obscures the fact that the United States is by far the largest military spender in the world.</p><p>Josué Michels has an article scare mongering that Europeans' attempts to manage the spread of Covid-19 are paving the way for some sort of authoritarian rule instead of viewing them as being sincere attempts to contain and minimize the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic. At one point he even refers to the current Covid-19 crisis as "the so-called coronavirus pandemic."</p><p></p><blockquote>The global trend toward authoritarian governments has greatly accelerated during the so-called coronavirus pandemic. (p. 20.)</blockquote><p></p><p>While condemning lockdowns Michels cites figures from California and Florida dating back to March 2021 before the more contagious Covid Delta variant began to predominate among American cases of Covid-19.</p><p></p><blockquote>Comparing restrictive California with open Florida is telling. As of this past March, in Florida, 8,979 people per 100,000 were infected; in California, that number was 9,079. The death rate in Florida was 146 per 100,000; in California, 135. Clearly, lockdowns are not the cure-all they were purported to be. (p. 20.)</blockquote><p>Michels cites a difference in death rates of 11 per 100,000 but all those people in California just got saved from dying of that dreadful disease. </p><p></p><p>Josué Michels also has a side article scare mongering that the US dollar is on the way out. PCG so often uses this thought to scare their readers.</p><p>Gerald Flurry has an article saying that empires are great and wonderful. The inaccurate dogma of British Israelism blinds the Armstrongites from understanding why European Empires has now largely collapsed. It is hard to run an empire once the colonized realizes they are as worthy of respect and self rule as the colonizers. Why bother studying such things as decolonization when one believes such events are merely caused by the will of the God of Armstrongism?</p><p>WorldWatch discusses wildfires in Europe; France passing a law regulating religious groups; Italy introducing a green pass as a proof of vaccination; Iran getting a new Foreign Minister, namely Hossein Amir-Abdollahian; the announcement of the construction of a new terminal for an oil pipeline in Iran; Cuba shutting down the Internet in response to protests, which this recruitment magazine also blames on China; President Putin claiming that Ukraine is not independent; China making more nuclear missile silos; the cyberattack against Kaseya; and the passage of a $1.2 billion bill by the US Senate. </p><p>SocietyWatch discusses how some companies have benefitted from the lockdowns; the Biden Administration's condemnation of anti-vaxxer misinformation on social media which is portrayed in PCG's recruitment magazine as an attempt to control social media websites; and an alarmist claim that the Biden Administration has somehow spent the American people's savings. The PCG leadership gives themselves so much time vilifying the political party they oppose.</p><p>Joel Hilliker has an article saying that being humble is the way to achieve greatness. </p><p>The Discussion Board has letters. Four letters are persons stating that they used to enjoy listening to Herbert Armstrong and reading his recruitment magazine. This ignores the many problems concerning Herbert Armstrong and his organization. Much of what Herbert Armstrong was cobbled together from various sources like <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/03/hwa-plagiarism-and-jehovahs-witnesses.html">the Jehovah's Witnesses</a> and <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/06/hwa-and-british-israelism.html">British Israelism</a> to create his own syncretistic system of belief. </p><p>Joel Hilliker also has an article insisting that (PCG's) God will provide a way of protection from the future catastrophe PCG and the other COGs insist will soon occur. The Armstrongites have been insisting that some sort of catastrophe will soon occur since the 1930s. Such a catastrophe has never occurred. And even when this current pandemic is causing so much pain and suffering some within the Armstrongite organizations have chosen to minimize this crisis under the pretext that this is not the crisis they have been scare mongering about since the 1930s. PCG's leaders <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/52-false-prophecies-by-pcg.html">have made numerous false prophecies</a> since the organization's founding in 1989. PCG's leader are but false prophets. There is no need to fear their predictions of the future.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-50321265517948505172021-09-26T03:22:00.001-07:002021-09-26T03:22:51.949-07:00Christians Do Not Need to Observe the Armstrongite Feast of Tabernacles<p>On September 21, 2021 PCG released <a href="https://kpcg.fm/shows/trumpet-daily/episodes/1603-will-aukus-shake-up-the-world">episode 1603 of their radio show</a>, The Trumpet Daily. This episode was hosted by Andrew Locher. It featured a segment justifying the observance of the Armstrongite Feast of Tabernacles.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Why We Keep the Feast of Tabernacles</p><p>Why is the Trumpet Daily staff away from their regular schedule and keeping the Feast of Tabernacles? This holy day is essential to see world news in its proper perspective.</p></blockquote><p>In the segment Locher the description of the feasts in the Old Testament. He says they were to be observed forever. These people they are the true Christians and yet they choose to follow something else. If Christians were supposed to observe festivals such as the Feast of Tabernacles why is it the vast majority of them have never done done so?</p><p>He then mentions that Paul stated in Acts that he needed to observe the fast and so he went to Jerusalem. Of course Paul observed such a thing. He was a Jew. But he did not expect the Gentile converts to Christianity to observe this.</p><p>If observing the Feast of Tabernacles was so important to the Christians of the New Testament era why is it that in the letter sent by the Council of Jerusalem, described in Acts 15, there is no admonition to the Gentile converts to observe Jewish festivals such as the Feast of Tabernacles? Also Paul's Letter to the Galatians was evidently an admonition against Judaizers, that is early Christians who were telling early Gentile Christians that they needed to be circumcised and observe the Law of Moses to be a Christian. </p><p>Some within the COGs may think that this controversy over circumcision in the New Testament era was only about that ritual and has no wider implication for their practice of their religion. To say that one did not need to be circumcised meant that one did not need to convert to Judaism to be a Christian. In those days Christianity originally arose among Jews and only later Gentiles began to join. So the question had to be asked: Did Gentiles converting to Christianity need to become Jews as well to be a Christian? By the time the New Testament was written the question had been settled: Gentiles wishing to convert to Christianity did not need to become Jews as well to become a Christian. </p><p>Seeing that there is no need to convert to Judaism to be a Christian therefore there is no need to observe Jewish festivals such as the Feast of Tabernacles to be a Christian. </p><p>(In time a consensus arose among both Jews and Christians that they were separate religions and they went on their separate ways. However that separation was not as well defined back in the New Testament era unlike the situation today. We need to respect other religions.)</p><p>Armstrongites insist that they are following the Bible and yet they ignore the implications of what is written in Galatians and Acts 15. Christians are under no obligation to observe Jewish festivals, such as the Feast of Tabernacles, to be a Christian. Herbert Armstrong was wrong on this matter.</p><p>Furthermore the Armstrongites insist on observing the Feast of Tabernacles in<a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2013/09/herbert-w-armstrongs-error-regarding.html"> a manner utterly contrary to how it is described</a> in the Old Testament and how it is observed among Jewish communities today. In the Old Testament it is festival observed at one's home. One way of observing it is by building a sukkah outside one's home. A sukkah is referred to as a tabernacle in the King James Version. It is a festival that brought much joy and happiness to the Jewish community throughout the ages.</p><p>The Armstrongites insist that the Feast of Tabernacles must be observed then they observe it in a wrong manner. Instead they gather themselves together in an eight day yearly convention. This practice is burdensome for many who work. It is also a burden for school children who have their school attendance disrupted for eight days. If they had observed it in their homes as the Bible says they would not need to endure such burdens. This is a terrible wrong that Herbert Armstrong has inflicted on his followers.</p><p>In our current Covid-19 era Herbert Armstrong's practice of holding an eight day yearly convention has the added burden of placing everyone in a potential super spreader event. In the ongoing crisis caused by Covid-19 it is necessary that we try to minimize risk wherever possible.</p><p>Horrifically Herbert Armstrong <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/05/healhwa-and-healing.html">often denounced medical science</a>. This bad example he set makes the Armstrongites vulnerable to being swayed by misinformation that could make them more likely to get infected with Covid-19. The easiest way to protect oneself from Covid-19 is to get vaccinated. If one is concerned they should consult with their personal doctor. </p><p>I wish the Armstrongite organizations would have set a good example for society and not gather together while this pandemic remains a severe threat to people's lives, health and safety. They could have held it online. Alternative arrangements could have been made but some have chosen not to do so.</p><p>Again there is no need to observe Jewish festivals such as the Feast of Tabernacles to be a Christian. Herbert Armstrong was wrong on this matter. Everyone relying on his example is also wrong on this matter.</p><p>Please keep safe during this Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p></p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-73706092729357224032021-09-17T20:32:00.000-07:002021-09-17T20:32:19.536-07:00The Horror of Vaccine Hesitancy with Covid-19 Vaccines<p>At present much of the world including the United States is in the midst of an epidemic of Covid-19. With the rise of Covid Delta the disease has become more contagious and more likely to cause hospitalization and death than earlier strains of Covid. Nevertheless many people are refusing to get vaccinated or are hesitant to get vaccinated. There has been a wave of misinformation causing many people to be unnecessarily reluctant to get vaccinated. Members of the COGs are particularly vulnerable to such misinformation since for decades Herbert Armstrong <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/05/healhwa-and-healing.html">denounced medical science and made his followers fearful of seeking medical care</a>. </p><p>This year the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day will be held from the evening of September 20 until sunset on September 28. In contrast to the Jewish practice of celebrating these festivals at home Herbert Armstrong taught his followers <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2013/09/herbert-w-armstrongs-error-regarding.html">to gather together in an eight day yearly convention</a>. I cannot help but fear that during this year's Feast of Tabernacles Covid Delta will spread throughout the COGs.</p><p>Sadly some COG members fear getting vaccinated or listen to people who dangerously minimize the danger of Covid-19. Meanwhile that dreadful disease continues to inflict pain and suffering wherever it spreads. Recently Markos Moulitsas has been posting a series of blog posts detailing people who refuse or are reluctant to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Covid-19 is a dreadful and dangerous disease. Pretending it is not a major problem cannot protect anyone from Covid-19. It is tragic that some people have been mislead on this important issue. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/8/30/2049148/-The-tragic-timeline-of-an-anti-vaxxer-COVID-death">The (tragic) timeline of an anti-vaxxer's COVID death</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/8/31/2049391/-Anti-vax-chronicles-another-senseless-death-by-QAnon-stupidity">Another senseless death by [Conspiracist] stupidity</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/1/2049403/-Anti-vaxx-chronicles-Let-us-die-and-y-all-can-defund-the-police">'Let us die ... and y'all can defund the police'</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/2/2049667/-Anti-vaxx-chronicles-Basic-parenting-instincts-are-short-circuited-leaving-3-kids-motherless">Basic parenting instincts are short-circuited, leaving 3 kids motherless</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/3/2049674/-Anti-vaxx-chronicles-A-redemption-story">A redemption story</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/4/2049729/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-The-blood-of-Christ-versus-COVID-19">The blood of Christ versus COVID-19</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/7/2050819/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-I-refuse-to-believe-anything-different">'I refuse to believe anything different'</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/8/2051034/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-Death-by-meme">Death by meme</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/9/2051261/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-The-grim-reality-of-a-slow-COVID-death">The grim reality of a slow COVID death</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/10/2051473/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-That-one-family-member-who-refused-the-vaccine">That one family member who refused the vaccine</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/11/2051486/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-In-a-battle-between-woke-and-conservative-America-who-remains-alive">In a battle between 'woke' and conservative America, who remains alive?</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/12/2051502/-Anti-vaxx-chronicles-The-Cowboy-Code-wasn-t-a-bad-idea">The Cowboy Code wasn't a bad idea</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/14/2052109/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-Should-ve-listened-to-his-friend-Kyle">Should've listened to his friend Kyle</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/15/2052456/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-A-terrifying-blow-by-blow-recap-of-a-COVID-illness">A terrifying blow-by-blow recap of a COVID illness</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/16/2052520/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-Debbie-doesn-t-do-vaccines-nor-her-family-What-happens-when-COVID-visits">[Person] doesn't do vaccines, nor her family. What happens when COVID visits?</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/17/2052812/-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-Anti-vaxx-Chronicles-Unvaccinated-unafraid-unbelievable">Unvaccinated, unafraid, unbelievable</a></li></ul><p></p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-35026683151728015912021-09-11T03:10:00.002-07:002021-09-11T03:10:39.438-07:00Vilifying "Science" as a "False Messiah": Overview of the September 2021 Issue of PCG's Trumpet<p>(Please note: PCG has <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2021/05/anti-vaxxer-pcg-overview-of-june-2021.html">recently chosen to promote an anti-vaxxer stance</a> in regards to vaccines against that dreadful disease, Covid-19. The truth must be stated. This anti-vaxxer stance leaves people dreadfully vulnerable to getting infected with Covid Delta. This terrible strain, Covid Delta, is more contagious and more likely to cause hospitalization than earlier versions of Covid-19. The easiest way for people to protect themselves against Covid-19, including Covid Delta, is to get vaccinated. If any is worried about getting vaccinated then they should consult such concerns with their personal doctors, instead of reading some rant on the Internet from anti-vaxxers. Many people and organizations such as <a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/">Voices for Vaccines</a> are trying to counteract vaccine hesitancy. We need to listen to medical science to minimize the harm caused by this dreadful disease.)</p><p>In early August 2021 PCG released <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMjEvMDgvMDIvNWlicHV4dmQ1ZF9QVDIwMjEwOV9FTi5wZGYiXV0/fb03485ff15353be.pdf">the September 2021 issue</a> of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. This issue was published before the fall of Afghanistan.</p><p>Shamefully the cover incites contempt and fear towards attempts to contain the ongoing epidemic of Covid-19. Science is simply analyzing what happens in reality. The only way to bring Covid-19 under control is to vaccinate against it but nevertheless the PCG leadership produces a cover which negatively portrays a medical needle. Also "science falsely so-called" is a reference to I Timothy 6:20 and in proper context actually refers to a rival religion, namely Gnosticism, not what we now refer to as science. That is why most modern English translations here say knowledge, not science. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9GF4JPd_FSrdEEVztfvuvW7aHjKtSmMgSMsqtJGpg_ylfJX4Wcbp1jaFYvjlz27olM1uCkrCOQTmDc3tddMk2NN1CgxuDC8GPibWbJ6VJ7ewN1FjzlC4LAFhoR-Rjd6aE7v1EEUNIgY/s2048/PT202109_EN-page-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9GF4JPd_FSrdEEVztfvuvW7aHjKtSmMgSMsqtJGpg_ylfJX4Wcbp1jaFYvjlz27olM1uCkrCOQTmDc3tddMk2NN1CgxuDC8GPibWbJ6VJ7ewN1FjzlC4LAFhoR-Rjd6aE7v1EEUNIgY/w305-h400/PT202109_EN-page-001.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The editors for this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Philip Nice, Brad Macdonald, Richard Palmer, Jeremiah Jacques and Dennis Leap.</p><p>This issue has a circulation of 240,596 issues. The August issue had a circulation of 239,545 issues. For the July issue it was 241,917 issues. For the May-June issue it was 243,028. For the April issue it was 247,023. For the March issue it was 248,523. For the February issue it was 246,497. The circulation for PCG's recruitment magazine appears stable at present.</p><p>Gerald Flurry has an article exploiting the discovery of a bulla from the time of King Jeroboam II to promote his bizarre lionization of the former Republican President, Donald Trump. </p><p>Stephen Flurry has an article condemning lockdowns and related restrictions designed to slow down the spread of that dreadful disease, Covid-19.</p><p>Richard Palmer has an side article bemoaning the National Health Service as inefficient and as a cause for the dissolving of the British Empire. </p><p>Josué Michels has an article saying that Germany is on the verge of going through a major transformation into a militaristic power soon fated to conquer the United States.</p><p>Richard Palmer has an article scare mongering that the Roman Catholic Church will soon change and lead a future European Empire to conquer America.</p><p>Abraham Blondeau and Mihailo S. Zelić have an article discussing protests over the recent discovery of the buried remains of hundreds of First Tribes children in schools as part of a frightful policy of assimilating them to be like people of European descent.</p><p>Harley Breth has an article discussing the planned launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.</p><p>The Infographic discusses the satellite.</p><p>Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that PCG members will become God beings as fully God as God is God though of a lower rank after the second coming.</p><p>Brent Nagtegaal and Brad Macdonald have an article praising Donald Trump and comparing him to King Jeroboam II of Israel. According to the authors all was good and right while Donald Trump was President and all is bad and dreadful now that President Biden is in office. All problems and contentious matters concerning the Trump Administration is ignored. This article is a retreat from reality into fantasy. It is a shameless whitewashing of recent history.</p><p>WorldWatch discusses the Nord Stream 2 pipeline made to supply oil from Russia to Germany being almost ready; the Papacy preparing to canonize former French Prime Minister Robert Schuman, a politician instrumental with the founding of the European Economic Community; a mass murder in Wurzburg on June 25, 2021 in which three women were murdered; the establishment of a new government in the State of Israel which is denounced because it pushed Netanyahu out of power; US military strikes against Shia militias which are portrayed in this magazine as being too weak; Russia and China extending a cooperation treaty on June 28, 2021; Russia testing hypersonic missiles; and also claims that China is making weapons designed to destroy satellites in the event of war breaking out. </p><p>Furthermore WorldWatch discusses heat waves in North America. The PCG leadership astoundingly denies that these heat waves are caused by climate change produced by human activity. They casually insist that climate change has been disproven even though the vast majority of scientists are warning the world that this major crisis is real and will negatively affect just about everyone.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">What is the cause of these worsening weather conditions? Scientists point to man-made climate change. But many scientists have been exposed for manipulating data on historical temperature records that disprove this theory. (p. 30.)</p></blockquote><p>Climate change is <a href="https://www.beforetheflood.com/">the major crisis facing human society</a>. It is shameful that the PCG leadership are telling their followers that it is not real. </p><p>SocietyWatch discusses deaths by drug overdose in the United States; fifteen Republican led states blocking the enforcement of federal gun laws; and a <i>Scientific American</i> article that denounces a literal belief in Adam and Eve as being motivated by racism against African-Americans.</p><p>Mark Jenkins has an article condemning popular culture as bad compared with classical Western culture. His bitter diatribe will do little except incite parents and older people into despising and being bitter against youth culture. His readers would have been better served if they were encouraged to understand that each generation defines itself with particular music and stories unique to themselves. If a youth are told to reject popular culture then it will be harder for them to socially connect with their peers. Shame on this recruitment magazine for sowing discord between the generations.</p><p>The Discussion Board has letters. Here's a letter from Mississippi from a person who recites PCG's stance that President Biden merely represents Barack Obama.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I have been reading your fine for 10-plus years, and I appreciate how you have explained how big business drive trends and the economy, but I never realized how much influence they had on the political front until I read [a PCG article by Richard Palmer]. ... With Biden in power (Obama, actually) things will only get worse. </p></blockquote><p>Here's a letter from a person who calls PCG's recruitment magazine as the only source of information this person trusts.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">My father has been following you since the early 1980s. When the Worldwide Church of God fell apart, he was so confused and wondered what was going on. In the early-to-mid-90s, he randomly stumbled across Gerald Flurry on a Key of David program. He just so happened to mention Herbert W. Armstrong. He was instantly intrigued--mind-blown, I can imagine--and I'm pretty sure he knew he had found the truth again. That is one thing that has helped me build my faith, as well as many other world events almost rolling daily in our lives. Keep reporting real news. It is my only source; I do not trust any other reporter.</p></blockquote><p>Joel Hilliker has an article telling his readers to take their "warning" seriously. Their "warning" message is that America is about to be militarily conquered by a future European Empire very soon. But this "warning" has not happened in decades. In fact PCG have made <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/52-false-prophecies-by-pcg.html">numerous predictions that failed miserably</a>. These failed predictions prove that there is no need to fear their predictions. They are merely false prophets. We do not need to fear their predictions.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-84726144296572351432021-08-28T03:41:00.003-07:002021-08-28T03:41:19.067-07:00Reading PCG's Booklet, Daniel Unlocks Revelation: Part 2<a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2017/03/reading-pcgs-booklet-daniel-unlocks.html">Continuing from Part 1</a> let us conclude this reading of Gerald Flurry's booklet, Daniel Unlocks Revelation. The original 2005 version of this booklet is discussed in this post. The current 2019 version of this booklet may be read on <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/literature/books_and_booklets/525">their website</a>.<div>
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Chapter 4<br />
<br />Gerald Flurry denounces an article by Herman Hoeh from <a href="http://www.herbert-armstrong.org/Good%20News%201980s/Good%20News%201987%20(Prelim%20No%2008)%20Nov-Dec.pdf">the November-December 1987 issue</a> of Good News (pp. 9-12) and accuses him of minimizing HWA's importance in producing (PCG's approved interpretation of) prophecy.</div><div></div><blockquote><div>In an article he wrote less than one year after Herbert W. Armstrong's death, A Sealed Prophecy Now Open to Understanding," Herman Hoeh didn't mention anything about the many revelations that God gave to Mr. Armstrong. ... Dr. Hoeh wrote, "Some tried to explain this enigmatic prophecy before God's time came to reveal it." Those are strong words. He was implying that God had revealed this prophecy to <i>him</i>, for the Church. The truth is, God did no such thing. (pp. 77-78.) </div><div></div></blockquote><div>Flurry fails to mention that Hoeh's article was a denunciation of the Seventh Day Adventist interpretation of Daniel 8. Several times Hoeh mentions interpretations that link Daniel 8 to the date 1844. Hoeh's article is clearly criticizing the Seventh Day Adventist interpretation of this passage. However Flurry presented Hoeh's article as though it were an attempt to minimize HWA's contribution the Armstrongite interpretation of prophecy. Anyone who soberly looked up what Hoeh said in that 1987 article will see that is not true.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though Flurry states that Hoeh's article was written less than a year after HWA's death it was actually published over a year after HWA's death when it was published in the November-December 1987 issue of Good News.</div><div><br />Flurry then links Hoeh with the court case with Tkach's WCG which is melodramatically portrayed as an attempt to hang on to (what the PCG leadership calls) the truth.</div><div><div>
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In fact, we had to fight him [Herman Hoeh] personally in court depositions to hang on to that truth! (p. 79.)</blockquote>
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How can these words be true? It is not legally possible for Tkach's WCG to prevent PCG from practicing their religion. It would have been easy for PCG to continue practicing their religion without using HWA's writings just like every other Armstrongite group like LCG, UCG, COGWA and the others. If PCG had done that they would have avoided a lengthy and expensive court case.<br />
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Flurry accuses Hoeh of making false predictions without authorization from HWA. However he does not state what prediction he is referring to.<br />
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Even when Mr. Armstrong was ill, Dr. Hoeh came out with some prophecies that were wrong and quite different than what Mr. Armstrong was used by God to restore. We must be certain not to make that mistake! Why would men of such high rank, to whom God had given such honor, make such catastrophic mistakes? (p. 79.) </blockquote>
<div><br /></div>Moving on from Flurry's bitter denunciation he then insists that there is some mystical meaning in regards to Daniel's name.<br />
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As I emphasized in Daniel: Unsealed at Last!, the meaning of the book’s name is critical: “God is my judge.” (p. 80.)</blockquote>
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That is the name of Daniel. To take his name and assume it reveals something about the content of the book is taking his name out of context.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Pages 81-84 is largely a rehash of Armstrongite dogma citing Daniel and Revelation.</div>
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Then came 10 resurrections of that beast. This power kept coming back. Here God says it received a deadly wound. We mustn’t have the misconception that it just degenerated and collapsed—it received a deadly wound and almost died. That is why the Roman Catholic Church had such a vengeance in resurrecting a strong empire—the last seven of those 10 horns (after the first three horns were uprooted). (p. 84.)</blockquote>
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This is not true. The Papacy did not revive the Roman Empire. The Papacy did not trick the Byzantine Empire to conquer Italy. The Byzantine Empire, under the leadership of Emperor Justinian, chose to advance into what we now call Italy for their own motives. The claim that the Papacy caused the Byzantine Empire's expansion at this time is an Armstrongite myth made to promote Armstrongite false prophecies.<br />
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In A.D. 554, Justinian, Emperor of the East, from Constantinople, set up his government through an Imperial Legate at Ravenna, Italy, and brought about what is known in history as the “Imperial Restoration” of the Empire. (p. 84.)</blockquote>
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The Imperial Restoration is practically only mentioned by Armstrongites to prop up their prophetic dogmas. Look up any account of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-65) in the history books. The Imperial Restoration as taught by the Armstrongites is a myth.<br /><br />
Flurry then praises "Philadelphians," in this context PCG members in good standing, as loving prophecy as opposed to "Laodiceans" in this context followers of WCG/GCI after the Tkach changes. And because Flurry thinks love and obeying rules are the same this leads him to make a call for his followers to follow rituals and rules derived from Armstrongism's selective adoption of certain Jewish rituals and rules. <br />
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Flurry then goes back to "loving prophecy" by saying the future Germany and the future Papacy would be very scary and horrifying. Flurry insists that a scary German leader fated to conquer America is about to arise. At this time in 2005 the PCG leadership was fixated on Edmund Stoiber, chairman of the Christian Social Union.</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">This man doesn’t think he would do murderous deeds (Isaiah 10:6-7). But Satan is going to get to him—he will experience a mind change (Habakkuk 1:11). </div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">That man could be coming on the scene as early as this year--2005--or 2006. There has been a dramatic shift in German politics and new elections are scheduled to be held in September of this year. Watch those elections when they come! Or see how a man could manipulate the system.</span> Regardless of when this "king of fierce countenance" appears, it is going to be for an extremely short span of time. (p. 96.)</div></blockquote><p>Stoiber has been chairman of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria from 1999. He challenged Schröder in the 2002 election. He lost but the PCG leadership continued to scare monger about him to their followers. Contrary to PCG's prediction Stoiber left the chairmanship in 2007. From about 2009 onward PCG redirected their scare mongering on Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. PCG has quietly erased their previous speculation. Here is how this passage now appears in the current 2019 version of this booklet.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">This man doesn’t think he would do murderous deeds (Isaiah 10:6-7). But Satan is going to get to him—he will experience a mind change (Habakkuk 1:11). </div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: left;">That man could be coming on the scene very soon. Regardless of when this “king of fierce countenance” appears, it is going to be for an extremely short span of time. (2019 edition, p. 124.)</div></div></blockquote><div>
<br />
Clearly the PCG leadership cannot predict the future.</div><div><br /></div><div>Flurry ends with this call to his readers for supporting PCG.</div><div></div><blockquote><div>It is left to us now--you and me. This little remnant has been given that watch. We're all that is left, and God says, <i>I want you to WATCH and PRAY, PROCLAIM my message and finish the work!</i> Then, we will all STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN! (p. 102.)</div><div></div></blockquote><div>However the PCG leadership have made <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/52-false-prophecies-by-pcg.html">many false prophecies since its founding</a> in 1989 thus proving that the PCG leadership cannot see what will happen in the future. There is no need to be afraid of PCG's dire predictions of the future.</div></div>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-51482614346419681112021-07-31T20:22:00.000-07:002021-07-31T20:22:39.778-07:00Overview of the August 2021 Issue of PCG's Trumpet<p>(Please note: PCG at present is taking an anti-vaxxer stance regarding vaccines against Covid-19. With the increasing spread of Covid Delta it is quite evident that this anti-vaxxer stance can easily lead to tragedy and loss of life. The easiest way for people to protect themselves against Covid-19, including Covid Delta, is to get vaccinated. Many people and organizations such as <a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/">Voices for Vaccines</a> are trying to counteract vaccine hesitancy. We need to listen to medical science to minimize the harm caused by this dreadful disease. We now begin with this post.)</p><p>In mid-June 2020 PCG released <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMjEvMDYvMTUvNHFud2c4ank2NF9QVDIwMjEwOF9FTi5wZGYiXV0/56b6169d10f13b0c.pdf?name=august-2021">the August 2021 issue</a> of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let's see what the PCG leadership have to say this time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEAXrnF9Uz80MeHG6R0f9s9GoPRrbK_FbcMY3MyDusqz3D3UWpWIM6R19IGopm0R1PrIrgIim6M9sK_kTz9h5xqz64lHzJ3A0t5rPkUsZ3YX37WvDNtQ4Tr5-k_ZdSXfMGt5wtZum1XU/s2048/PT202108_EN-page-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEAXrnF9Uz80MeHG6R0f9s9GoPRrbK_FbcMY3MyDusqz3D3UWpWIM6R19IGopm0R1PrIrgIim6M9sK_kTz9h5xqz64lHzJ3A0t5rPkUsZ3YX37WvDNtQ4Tr5-k_ZdSXfMGt5wtZum1XU/w305-h400/PT202108_EN-page-001.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><p></p>The editors of this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Philip Nice, Brad Macdonald, Richard Palmer, Jeremiah Jacques and Dennis Leap. <div><br /></div><div>This issue has a circulation of 239,545 issues. For the July issue it was 241,917 issues. For the May-June issue it was 243,028. For the April issue it was 247,023. For the March issue it was 248,523. For the February issue it was 246,497. For the January issue it was 247,820. The circulation for PCG's recruitment magazine appears stable at present.<div><br />Gerald Flurry has an editorial article remembering the late Dr. Eilat Mazar who passed away on <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2021/05/israeli-archaeologist-dr-eilat-mazar.html">May 25, 2021</a>, aged 64. PCG had sponsored her archaeological excavations since 2007.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Brent Nagtegaal has an article about the late Dr. Mazar. He gives an overview of her career in archaeology.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Brad MacDonald and Brent Nagtegaal have an article about the round of violence that broke out in May 2021 between the State of Israel and the blockaded Palestinian Gaza Strip. While discussing this topic they also condemn the Biden Administration for not being Republican. On page 6 they write of what they hysterically call "the Biden Administration's war on Israel." The Armstrongites are constantly fixated on acts of violence that occur in what used to be Mandatory Palestine because they think such things might be a sign that the Great Tribulation is just about to occur. PCG insists that the Great Tribulation will soon occur culminating in the second coming and the imposition of a world government led by (PCG's interpretation of) Jesus Christ which will, presumably, dissolve the State of Israel as part of unifying the entire world. </div><div><br /></div><div>Joel Hilliker has an article complaining about women gaining too much power in society. Armstrongism tends to be very negative towards attempts to empower women in society. In this article Hilliker also complains about lockdowns in which he presents these attempts to minimize the spread of that dreadful disease as "a hysterical overreaction" which is negatively portrayed as "a spectacular demonstration of the feminization of our world." (p. 10.)</div><div><p>Jeremiah Jacques has an article about nuclear weapons. It is mentioned that China is making some new type of nuclear reactor (possibly to cut down on coal production). Thus we see PCG still scaring people with the thought of being killed by nuclear war. Meanwhile in the real world millions of people have died from that dreadful disease which has and will kill many people. However the possibility of nuclear war is at present quite unlikely.</p><p>Richard Palmer has an article about the problem of cyberattacks. Gerald Flurry has long scare mongered about cyberattacks somehow helping bring about the fall of America to the future European Empire.</p><p>Josué Michels has an article saying that farming is about to fall apart. He also scare mongers about various German companies historically connected to the Nazi-era company, IG Farben. PCG's recruitment magazine always says everything about society is about to fall apart any moment now. Even though the criminal Nazi regime was destroyed seventy-six years ago the PCG leadership continuously brings them up in their recruitment writings and their fear inducing false prophecies.</p><p>A side article scare mongers about Germany saying no one fears the Germans as they should. Once again, to their eternal shame, the PCG leadership exploits the painful memories of World War II to scare monger against Germans today.</p><p>The Infographic talks about agricultural issues.</p><p>Stephen Flurry has an article bemoaning immigrants at the southern border. President Trump's decision to cancel development aid to Central American nations is defended by Stephen Flurry. He does this by citing a statement he made in an interview with a host from Fox News. In this article it is hysterically insisted that the Democratic Party is conspiring to bring in these immigrants in order to get more voters for the Democratic Party. The PCG leadership have been <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2015/06/listening-to-trumpet-hour-june-10.html">saying such things for years</a>. Here is some of Stephen Flurry's politically charged scare mongering.</p><blockquote><p>To the radical left, the border crisis is a giant voter drive. They know that if they can encourage hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to pour into America, they can create a humanitarian crisis that can only be solved by mass deportations or mass amnesty. And they are betting that the American people will opt for the latter option. The government will be pressured into granting immigrants asylum, and the cycle will repeat, importing the Third World into the United States! (p. 24.)</p></blockquote><p>However many people in Latin America are actually rather right wing in their political stances. For instance three Central American nations, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, have some of the most restrictive laws against abortion in the world partly due to the influence of the Catholic Church.</p><p>The Armstrongites have a particular reason to fear Hispanic people immigrating to the United States. People of Hispanic heritage would be less likely to believe in the Armstrongite dogma of British Israelism.</p><p>Andrew Müller has a side article about the illegal drug trade. While it is perfectly proper to warn people about the problems caused by the illegal drug trade usually such warning are not wrapped in an attempt to gain more recruits for an authoritarian, Armstrongite organization.</p><p>Andrew Müller has an article defending the Representative of the 14th District of Georgia (Republican) for praising "uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" even though Anglo-Saxons, who <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_settlement_of_Britain">settled in Britain at the expense of the Celtic Britons who were already there</a>, has not existed as a distinct ethnic group for centuries. The norms and values that create and sustain liberal democracies such as the United States and the United Kingdom do not belong to any ethnic group but belongs to all who do and believe in that which is necessary to produce such societies. Müller also promotes the discredited dogma of British Israelism which is an idea that fuels much of Armstrongism's false prophecies of doom and gloom for the British and the Americans.</p><p>WorldWatch discusses President Macron saying nice things about Napoleon; former French military officers signing an open letter calling Muslims a threat to the unity of the French nation; a stabbing murder in Paris; Iran enriching uranium to 60% purity following the path of retaliating against President Trump's decision to break the agreement; Russia establishing thirty military bases to monitor the ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia; France encouraging the establishment of a new government in Lebanon; the release of an app in China to encourage reporting people to the authorities; speculation that managing potential future conflicts against Russia and China could be challenging for America; scare mongering that if a true rate of inflation was allowed to occur the economy would collapse; and complaining about another dossier produced by Christopher Steele about the former President Trump. In regards to the Trump-Russia scandal the PCG leadership insists nothing scandalous happened <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Collusion-Secret-Meetings-Russia-Helped-ebook/dp/B0776YZF4P/">despite what others have stated</a>.</p><p>SocietyWatch discusses children being taught in too much of a left wing manner for the PCG leadership's liking; a law to regulate the Internet in Canada being proposed which is condemned; and over 120 retired military officers signing a open letter accusing President Biden of Marxism, whatever they mean by that emotive claim.</p><p>Joel Hilliker has an article telling readers to obey (PCG's interpretation of) God with happiness and enthusiasm. Obeying (PCG's interpretation of) God with reluctance or even resentment is not correct according to this article. </p><p>The Discussion Board has letters. Here's a tragic letter from a person who has chosen to let his suspicion and fear of "big pharma" make him decline chemotherapy, a method often used to combat cancer, even though he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer. He also astoundingly insists he had not had any flu in over sixty years. However Covid-19 is a coronavirus not a flu. The letter is too vague to discern whether or not this person is a member of PCG.</p></div></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div><div><div><p style="text-align: left;">Long before they even had a vaccine, I could see vaccine passports happening. I've been asked if I would get vaccinated, and replied NO! I'm almost 80 years old and haven't even had any flu in more than 60 years. I have prostate cancer and told the doctors there is no way I would do chemotherapy; I don't trust big pharma. (p. 34.)</p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div><p>Stephen Flurry has an article saying most people do not actually like <i>the truth</i>. However PCG insists that only they know <i>the truth</i> in regards to getting on the right side of their peculiar interpretation of the Christian God. Consequently the PCG leadership defines <i>the truth</i> for PCG members.</p><p>And so the PCG leadership's attempts to gain more recruits and to keep their followers continue even in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis and the ongoing rise of Covid Delta. But there is no need to be afraid of the fearful predictions of the PCG leadership. However since its founding in 1989 PCG has produced <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/52-false-prophecies-by-pcg.html">numerous false prophecies that have failed miserably</a>. There is no need to be afraid of PCG's dire predictions.</p></div>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-87394966066625530222021-07-24T23:46:00.002-07:002021-07-24T23:46:42.856-07:00PCG On Doomed Path of Anti-Vaxxerism<p>Just a few months after the PCG leadership chose to shamefully jump on <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2021/05/anti-vaxxer-pcg-overview-of-june-2021.html">the anti-vaxxer bandwagon</a> it has now come to pass that Covid Delta is now ravaging America. This was <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2021/06/covid-delta-is-about-to-overrun-america.html">perfectly predictable</a>. The vast majority of new cases of Covid-19 in America are among the unvaccinated. This is not just happening in America. In France <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/france/20210721-96-of-new-covid-19-cases-among-non-vaccinated-people-says-french-pm">about 96% of new Covid cases</a> are among the unvaccinated.</p><p>And does the PCG leadership have to say after this awful development? Continue to condemn those encouraging people to get vaccinated as "scaremongering with lies." </p><p></p><blockquote><p>“The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated,” Joe Biden said on Monday. He then said that the unvaccinated are killing people. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky is echoing the same plea for the unvaccinated to get the jab. On the other hand, Sky News’ Alan Jones is being criticized for bringing sanity and truth to the discussion on COVID-19. He states bluntly what the mainstream media have been doing from the beginning of the pandemic—scaremongering with lies. “Fear,” he says, “has won over truth.” ("Truth Is the Real Threat to Power," The Trumpet Daily, July 21, 2021.)</p></blockquote><p>Incidentally this Sky News pundit is based in Australia, a nation which so far has escaped the full horror of what Covid-19 is capable of. While the United States has endured a Covid-19 death toll of about 610,000 deaths Australia has so far endured a Covid-19 death toll of about 960 people. This would be the per capita equivalent of the United States having a Covid-19 death toll of 12,393 people.</p><p>Alas, Armstrongism has <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/05/healhwa-and-healing.html">a long history of condemning medical science</a> and discouraging their followers from helping themselves by using doctors and medicines consequently it is unsurprising that some Armstrongites choose to follow the path of anti-vaxxerism even in the midst of the supreme crisis of the current pandemic. </p><p>It is shameful that the PCG leadership are discouraging their followers from doing the scientifically correct act and getting vaccinated against that dreadful disease. The easiest way for people to protect themselves from that dreadful disease is to get vaccinated against it.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-27210374821593375802021-07-15T06:20:00.000-07:002021-07-15T06:20:18.776-07:00Notes from Plain Truth Issues (1963)Continuing from <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2018/10/notes-from-plain-truth-issues-of-1959.html">Post 1</a>, <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2018/12/notes-from-plain-truth-issues-1961-2.html">Post 2</a> and <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2021/05/notes-from-plain-truth-issues-1962.html">Post 3</a> let us continue looking at what The Plain Truth was saying during the Kennedy Administration. Many Armstrongites tend to view the time between the founding of the unaccredited Ambassador College in 1947 and the first suspension of Garner Ted Armstrong over adultery in 1972 as a sort of golden age for Armstrongism. But when one actually looks at what was happening in that time it is clear that it was no golden age. In this time HWA's organization, which was then named the Radio Church of God, bore the seeds for Armstrongism's current splintered state. Dogmatism. False prophecies. Fear of a frightful future. Scorn for the outside world. Superstitious fear of doctors and medicines. Such terrible flaws were present within HWA's organization in 1963. In this post we look at issues of HWA's recruitment magazine, The Plain Truth, from its January 1963 issue until the January 1964 issue which was published after the assassination of President Kennedy.<div><p>(Please note: In regards to page the cover page is not included so when reading PDF files of these issues of HWA's recruitment magazine add two more pages to get the reference.)</p><p>And so we begin.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4dpwm6xwIpwANc__gr1MEnWRCID9ICQ9pisceoH9cpeJLgSlxlMll9HVDGhoMl3zn7mfLFVcrQrrXeqo1WxEeDj2EOumdxligi39V3zNBEJZiCF91qb2ED_2ngJjAxH_GHoh1ZuaR-o/s2048/Plain+Truth+1963+%2528Vol+XXVIII+No+08%2529+Aug-page-001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1553" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4dpwm6xwIpwANc__gr1MEnWRCID9ICQ9pisceoH9cpeJLgSlxlMll9HVDGhoMl3zn7mfLFVcrQrrXeqo1WxEeDj2EOumdxligi39V3zNBEJZiCF91qb2ED_2ngJjAxH_GHoh1ZuaR-o/w304-h400/Plain+Truth+1963+%2528Vol+XXVIII+No+08%2529+Aug-page-001.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><p><b>January 1963</b></p><p>A letter from an exchange student from Japan says his foster family describes HWA's organization as being "very fanatical." </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">When I was in Denver, Colorado, as an exchange student from Japan, I listened several times to The World Tomorrow and wrote for a subscription to The Plain Truth; however my foster family in Denver said it was <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">very fanatical</span> and wouldn't let me read it or listen to the program anymore. But I still remember the three or four messages I got to listen to were such an inspiration and blessing to me and now that I am back home in Tokyo, I am writing you for a monthly subscription to the magazine. If you have any subject you need prayer for, do let me know, too.</p></blockquote><p>Now I cannot endorse forcing people to not read or listen to what they want as this person say happen. In this instance it did not work as this person wrote for a subscription after no longer living with this foster family. This person needed to be persuaded that HWA's organization was not worth listening to. I have no direct experience with this situation. </p><p>But this anecdote does illustrate how important it is to share what happened in the world of Armstrongism to encourage others not to walk on the path of Armstrongism. Back in 1963 there was little critical information about Armstrongism available to the public. This foster family would have little, if any, access to printed critical information. Nevertheless they knew enough about HWA's organization to warn this person that they were "very fanatical."</p><p>This letter shows that even in 1963 HWA's organization was gaining a bad reputation as being "very fanatical." Those words actually describe Armstrongism very well.</p><p>There is also a letter from Florida claiming a miraculous healing had occurred.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">You will recall that my niece was in a terrible automobile accident. [Injuries are then described.]... On October 5th I took the anointed handkerchief and placed it on her forehead and all her injuries, asking for her full and complete recovery. She is <i>almost completely well now! </i></p></blockquote><p>The editors of HWA's recruitment magazine then mention this.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>This was written on October 29, 1962, only 24 days after an anointed cloth was received.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>This is what is known as "faith healing." For decades HWA taught that <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/05/healhwa-and-healing.html">it was wrong and sinful to rely on doctors and medicine for healing</a>. Instead he told his followers to pray to the God of Armstrongism. Many people suffered because of this fanatical rejection of medical science that HWA taught for so long. Some even died. This is a particularly awful and dreadful aspect of Armstrongism that the public deserves to be warned about. </p><p>HWA's personal article boasts that this issue celebrates the 29th anniversary of the start of his recruitment radio broadcast, The World Tomorrow. And yet at the time HWA taught his followers that were forbidden from celebrating the anniversaries of their births and that of their children, namely birthdays. Birthdays are the anniversaries of one's birth.</p><p>HWA has an article overseeing the political situation of the world and insisting that it points to the second coming of Christ happening in a very short time. From 1953 onward HWA taught that the Great Tribulation would begin in 1972 with Christ returning three and a half years later in 1975. He mentions Franz-Josef Strauss.</p><p>Gene Hogberg has an article discussing political developments in Europe.</p><p>David Jon Hill has an article about the Armstrongite hell. It is hell expect there is no consciousness of it for those sent to it. Functionally speaking these are the same.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article about Germany being present in his Armstrongite interpretation of the Bible. He cites some Iraqi official to claim that the Nazis did go underground and are hiding to seize power any moment now. No such conspiratorial rise to power ever happened.</p><p>L. Leroy Neff has an article condemning the ritualistic recitation of the Lord's Prayer.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article advising people how to have happy, enduring families. Garner Ted Armstrong had a prosperous life because he lived off of tithe payers for most of his adult life. </p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article telling people how to understand the Bible. How is this to be done? By accepting the interpretation of the Bible provided by HWA's organization.</p><p>HWA's autobiography discusses the early days of the unaccredited Ambassador College. Features photo of the cover of the January 1947 issue of HWA's recruitment magazine, The Plain Truth, which promoted it before it opened.</p><p><b>February 1963</b></p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article discussing Japan's rapid economic development since the end of World War II in 1945. And so began Armstrongism's <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2015/08/armstrongite-wcgs-demonization-of-japan.html">long history of scare mongering against Japan</a> in the post-World War II era. It continues in <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/pcgs-demonization-of-japan.html">some of the more authoritarian Armstrongite splinter groups</a> to this day.</p><p>HWA has an article reciting his peculiar version of the born again doctrine. HWA taught that a Christian is only born again after Christ's return when, according to him, all true Christians, the Armstrongites, will be supernaturally transformed into God beings. The transformation into God beings was taught by HWA to be the moment one is born again.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article hysterically insisting that Indonesia, then under the rule of President Sukarno, was plotting to conquer Australia. Little did he know President Sukarno would be overthrown in a military coup just two years later and the military rulers launched a purge killed about half a million people destroying the Indonesian Communist Party as a viable political force. Indonesia thereupon allied with the United States.</p><p>HWA's autobiography discusses his tithes funded trip to Europe in 1947 under the pretext of trying to establish a second campus for his unaccredited Ambassador College in Lugano, Switzerland. This installment discusses their journey through Britain and France. Page 27 features passport photos of HWA and Loma Armstrong.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article saying it is important to know what a true Christian is. HWA's organization taught that only the members of HWA's organization were the only true Christians. In this way a Christian is redefined to mean a member of HWA's organization, which was then called the Radio Church of God.</p><p>Albert Portune has an article discussing the topic of the secret rapture. HWA's organization taught that there is no secret rapture, instead they taught that members of HWA's organization would flee to a "place of safety" on Earth. Among the Armstrongites this "place of safety" is often identified with Petra in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.</p><p>The Question and Answer insists that the word Deutsch is derived from a name the Armstrongites insisted was given to Assur, the father of the Assyrians. The author stridently said, "By their own admission they are Assyrians!" (p. 45.) This is all nonsense. Germans are not Assyrians.</p><p><b>March 1963</b></p><p>Letters. One letter scare mongers that there are "pressure groups" out there conspiring to hamper the recruitment efforts of HWA's organization.</p><p>HWA discusses President De Gaulle blocking Britain's attempt to join the European Economic Community. President De Gaulle would continue to do so as long as he was in power.</p><p>Gene Hogberg has an article about winter weather.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article insisting that true Christians, by which he means Armstrongites, are still bound by certain Jewish religious rules such as observing the seventh day Sabbath. Neither HWA nor Garner Ted Armstrong were ever professionally trained in how to understand ancient Christian history so they failed to understand that early Christianity reached a consensus that those who were not Jews did not need to become Jews to be Christian. Their identity as Christians existed independently of the Jewish religion. The Armstrongs' promotion of their misunderstanding have caused thousands of people to badly misunderstand this issue.</p><p>The Question and Answer assures readers that the early Christians were not Communists, that is it is insisted that, according to HWA's organization, they did not live as a commune. Another question says that Rahab is rightfully counted as one of the righteous even though she lied to protect spies from the ancient Israelites.</p><p>Gerhard Marx has an article discussing political developments in West Germany with the goal of reinforcing HWA's dogma that Germany would in the near future transform Europe into a mighty European Empire fated to militarily conquer the United States shortly before Christ's return.</p><p>HWA's autobiography discusses HWA and Loma Armstrong's journey into Switzerland in 1947 under the pretext of trying to establish a second campus for HWA's unaccredited Ambassador College in Lugano, Switzerland. Here their journey through Switzerland is discussed.</p><p>HWA has an article about living the abundant life. It is easy to do so when one convinces thousands of people to tithe to an organization under his complete control.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article telling the readers it is important for them to know who is the "true church." Of course HWA's organization, which then called itself the Radio Church of God, taught that it was the "true church" and every other church was false. In this a Christian was redefined as a member of HWA's organization.</p><p><b>April 1963</b></p><p>In the letters section there is a letter mentioning earthquakes. Within Armstrongism it is taught that earthquakes and other natural disasters are a sign of divine anger against sinners. This is a superstition. Earthquakes happen because there are a lot of tectonic activity underground usually along fault lines. But some refuse to accept what is happening and scare people by exploiting natural disasters to insist that some supernatural force did it and that this supernatural force can somehow be manipulated into not letting an earthquake occur where you are. </p><p>HWA has an article about colleges. He says most colleges will be obsolete in fifteen years. This is a reference to his prophecy of 1972-5, dates he taught to his followers since 1953.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article scare mongering about the "new Germany," continuing to promote the false prophecy that very soon Germany would lead a future European Empire into militarily conquering the United States. Franz-Josef Strauss is mentioned.</p><p>HWA has an article saying that Jesus Christ died on the cross on a Wednesday and was in a state of unconsciousness, which is known in related Adventist sects as "soul sleep," until being resurrected late Saturday afternoon. HWA taught that after death humans are in a state of unconsciousness until God resurrects later. In other related religious movements this is named as "soul sleep" but HWA always refused to use this name. This is similar to what is taught among the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses, both of which are ultimately derived from the Millerite Adventists of the 1830s-1840s. </p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article telling readers they need to be baptized by immersion as part of the process of joining HWA's organization.</p><p>HWA's autobiography discusses HWA and Loma Armstrong returning home via Britain and a particularly stormy Atlantic Ocean in 1947.</p><p>Raymond McNair has an article bemoaning the supposed decline and fall of the British Empire. Because of their embrace of British Israelism the Armstrongites have never properly understood the disintegration and subsequent reorganization of what used to be the British Empire. It fell because no one needed it anymore. The colonized peoples realized there was nothing special about British people compared with other people. Neither the colonized or the colonizers could justify why one nation should rule over so many others. Britain no longer needed a mighty military or to rule over the seas when they were allied with the United States and western Europe. Even the British 1% did not need it anymore. But the Armstrongites, blinded by British Israelism, think the fall of the British Empire was a terrible wrong and a sign of the Armstrongite God's wrath when it was no such thing.</p><p>McNair's article features a bigoted photo caption mocking a Hindu religious ceremony on page 27.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The teeming multitudes of India are part of the British Commonwealth--in name only. In this scene are thousands of religious Hindus in the Jumna River bathing on "body cleansing day." Waters are consider holy even if sewage-ridden.</p></blockquote><p>J. W. Robinson has an article saying that farming is about to go down the drain due to genetic diseases afflicting livestock and other such things. Fifty-eight years later farmers continue to farm.</p><p><b>May 1963</b></p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article scare mongering about the rise of the United Arab Republic with Iraq agreeing to join Egypt and Syria in this union. These events are also used to scare monger about Germans working in the Middle East. Little did HWA's organization know this union of Arab states would collapse just a few months later. The union between Egypt and Syria only lasted five years (1958-63).</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article vilifying colleges as producing mental illness and making people mentally unbalanced. This is done to promote his own (unaccredited) college, Ambassador College. This is an exercise in discredited the accredited competition.</p><p>Raymond McNair has an article continuing to bemoan the supposed decline and fall of the British Empire.</p><p>Page 29 features a photo of Allied soldiers moving bodies of some of the victims of Nazi crimes from Bergen-Belsen in 1945.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article insisting that those who tithe to HWA's organization will be blessed with financial blessings.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article insisting that HWA's organization have all the answers you need regardless of what any historian should happen to say based on their analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Again this is an exercise of preemptively discrediting information that could contradict the teachings of HWA's organization </p><p>J. W. Robinson has an article continue to say that farming is in big trouble.</p><p><b>June 1963</b></p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong had an article bewailing the supposed lose of power, influence and prestige for the United States in the Caribbean. Throughout the rest of the Cold War era the United States would exert much trouble to combat any perceived attempt among not only the Caribbean nations but in all of Latin America. To this day the United States maintains a dominant position within the Caribbean. In 1983 the US even invaded Grenada and deposed a leftist government there. The US blockade against Cuba remains in force to this day. The Armstrongites in 1963 completely failed to foresee such things because they cannot see the future.</p><p>David Jon Hill has an article scare mongering about volcanos. One is reminded of ancient wisdom: Do not be bewildered by the signs of the heavens. The same attitude should be taken in regards to natural seismic activity.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article saying the future European Empire fated to militarily conquer America is rising up and about to fulfill its Armstrongite devised destiny any moment now. Fifty-eight years the Armstrongites are still waiting for this supposed catastrophe.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article assuring his readers that there is a way of escape from the dire future the Armstrongites kept scaring everyone with. HWA's organization taught that their members would be supernaturally protected by the Armstrongite God and would be moved to a "place of safety," which was often identified with Petra in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.</p><p>In Hoeh's article it is implied that Adolf Hitler was demon possessed. But Armstrongites seem to ignore a problem with this idea. If Adolf Hitler was demon possessed as Hoeh alleged here wouldn't that mean that Hitler was innocent of his countless crimes? If Hitler was demon possessed then that implies that he was not responsible for his crimes. Shame on <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2017/03/lcgs-meredith-hitler-was-influenced-by.html">the Armstrongites for minimizing</a> the guilt of Adolf Hitler and the genocidal regime he led by claiming that Hitler was demon possessed.</p><p>Gene Hogberg has an article condemning brutality in sports.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article stating that Paul's writings are to be viewed as divinely inspired and condemning the idea that Paul was presenting his own ideas in his writings preserved in the New Testament.</p><p><b>July 1963</b></p><p>Gene Hughes has an article discussing France's plans to conduct nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article discussing the Abomination of Desolation. </p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article claiming to reveal the true identity of the False Prophet mentioned in Revelation. He taught it would be the final Pope.</p><p>Raymond McNair has an article saying society outside of HWA's organization is uncivilized and uncouth.</p><p>David Jon Hill has an article stating that the Armstrongite interpretation of the gospel is embedded within the Old Testament. Many within the Jewish community would vociferously disagree with that assertion.</p><p>L. E. Torrance has an article seeking to refute evolution by saying the idea of evolution has itself evolved.</p><p>L. E. Torrance has an article advising readers how to get prosperous employment.</p><p><b>August 1963</b></p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article about race relations. It is hard to convey the madness and fanaticism of this article. Only by reading of the article can one grasp the horror of this article. Everything about the article is written under the assumption that in just a few years (1972-5) everything will drastically change after Christ's return. It is asserted that keeping races separate is the natural way to manage race relations from the perspective of humanity and the Armstrongite God. (By the way, that is wrong.) The Armstrongite God will solve race relations after 1975 by separating the races into their respective homelands. Meredith condemns the civil rights movement as a plot to permit interracial marriage. The article is presented as forging an enlightened third way beyond segregation and equality. It is no such thing. It is clearly in favor of segregation. Shame on HWA's organization for stirring up and encouraging opposition to the civil rights movement back in this time as was done in Roderick Meredith's article above.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article saying President Kennedy's visit to the Federal Republic of Germany did not go very well. It is insisted that the Germans applauded President Kennedy simply because they were ordered to do so. They only showed actual enthusiasm in response to a visit by President De Gaulle. President Kennedy's visit is portrayed as a desperate and futile attempt by President Kennedy to stop West Germany from getting closer to France. </p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article providing a brief background of HWA's organization. In this article he denies that HWA's organization was influenced by the Jehovah's Witnesses.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">[Garner Ted Armstrong quotes a letter:] "My wife is a Jehovah's Witness and I am a Catholic. My wife thinks you are now or were at one time a Jehovah's Witness. I honestly don't have any idea what your religion is...," writes a man from Missouri. His wife is wrong--neither my father nor I have ever been remotely connected to the Jehovah's Witnesses--or any of their writings. (p. 9.)</p></blockquote><p>Anyone familiar with the teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses know that many things taught by <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/03/hwa-plagiarism-and-jehovahs-witnesses.html">Herbert Armstrong and his imitators are very similar to that of the former</a>. Fixation on the second coming. Soul sleep. Not going to Heaven after death. <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/06/hwa-and-pyramidology.html">Pyramidology</a>. Jesus lacking divinity while living as a human. Denial of the Trinity. Relegating the Holy Spirit to merely an impersonal force. Condemning Christmas, Easter and birthdays. The <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/05/healhwa-and-healing.html">superstitious condemnation of vaccines and medical science</a> which the Jehovah's Witnesses also adhered to from 1921 until 1952. The <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2018/02/god-family-doctrine-originated-from.html">God Family doctrine</a>. Etc. </p><p>Back in the June 1953 issue of his recruitment magazine, The Plain Truth, HWA also denied a link with the Jehovah's Witnesses. But in that article he admitted he had read some of their writings but he implausibly insisted that he arrived at similar conclusions independently of what the Jehovah's Witnesses said. What nonsense. It is quite clear that Herbert Armstrong was influenced by the Jehovah's Witnesses no matter how many times this quite evident link is denied.</p><p>Also Garner Ted Armstrong assures his readers that his father's autobiography can be trusted.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Herbert W. Armstrong ... strives to give readers of [The Plain Truth] the real inside story about himself! It's TRUE--It's ACCURATE! I <i>know </i>because I <i>well remember </i>many of these personal incidents he related. (p. 23.)</p></blockquote><p>Garner Ted Armstrong was born in 1930. Many things HWA described in his autobiography occurred before Garner Ted Armstrong was even born or was too young to understand what was happening. There is of course no way Garner Ted Armstrong could possibly verify much of what his father stated in his autobiography. It is shameful that Garner Ted Armstrong would pretend otherwise.</p><p>Page 22 features a photo of recruitment writings being moved onto a vehicle after being produced by Ambassador Press. Page 26 features a photo of Garner Ted Armstrong in his office. Page 27 features a photo of Herbert Armstrong in his office. It also shows what is described as being the newly designed seal of HWA's unaccredited Ambassador College.</p><p>Dibar Apartian has an article insisting that the interpretation of Bible prophecy accepted within HWA's organization explains what will happen to France. He discusses widespread tax evasion. France's nuclear weapons program. He alludes to the date 1972 which was then taught by HWA's organization to be the year the Great Tribulation would begin. He also scare mongers about a future European Empire.</p><p>Knowing that Apartian spoke French fluently it is strange to see him write of a French speaking man's talk to him as though it were written by one unfamiliar with French.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">[The French customs inspector] smiled with half admiration and half sarcasm. "Americans rich," he went on, "they do big things. But then, they have much, much money." (p. 12.)</p></blockquote><p>David Jon Hill has an article asking, what is the Devil's religion? In the world of Armstrongism this is largely a question that cannot be answered in a straight forward manner.</p><p>Ronald Kelly has an article scare mongering about world hunger. Little did he know scientific advances in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution">Green Revolution</a> already underway would prevent such a feared famine from occurring.</p><p><b>September 1963</b></p><p>Gene Hogberg has an article insisting that the United States will very soon suffer an economic catastrophe. Fifty-eight years later the Armstrongites are still waiting for this feared catastrophe. The economic downturn in 2020 caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is most emphatically not what the Armstrongites like Gene Hogberg warned about.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article complaining that society is falling apart by glorifying the "goof-off." He moans and complains about people on social welfare. He even indulges in fat shaming. This is yet another tirade that the economically deprived will have heard over and over again.</p><p>Herman Hoeh, doctor of an unaccredited college, has an article saying that archaeological discoveries agree with HWA's organization's interpretation of the Bible. He even says that the archaeologists are lying about their discoveries to prevent the people from following rules described in the Bible.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I am finding anew in this Ashdod digging that archaeological reports do not disclose all that is found in archaeological diggings. Archaeologists dig up much more evidence than you hear about. ... Neither archaeologists nor ministers want to accept anything that supports the Bible--because they are unwilling to accept the Bible at face value. (p. 7.)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">What men dig up are facts. Facts are fine. But it is the THEORY of how facts are to be understood that is in error. They go to the Philistines to understand the Bible, not to the Bible to understand the remains left by the Philistines. I am finding that out here first-hand! (p. 46.)</p></blockquote><p>Hoeh's article also features this photo caption that refuses to mention that it was the State of Israel which expelled "the Arabs [meaning the Palestinians] and Egyptians" from Ashdod. Many of the descendants of those Palestinians are now refugees living in the blockaded Palestinian Gaza Strip.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The village of Ashdod as it looked before the Arabs and Egyptians were expelled in 1948. Dr. Hoeh is assisting in the excavating of this Biblical city. (p. 7.)</p><p></p></blockquote><p>Gene Hogberg has an article discussing the Sino-Soviet Split. It would be nine long years before President Nixon took advantage of this split and embarked on establishing diplomatic ties with China (and thus gained the possibility of playing off China against the Soviet Union).</p><p>Leslie McCollough has an article discussing the tragic and ever present problem of people dying by suicide.</p><p>HWA's autobiography discusses about "Christian Fundamentalism" while discussing an early faculty member of the unaccredited Ambassador College. HWA condemns Christian Fundamentalists for not obeying the law, namely certain rituals and rules as HWA selectively taught them. HWA failed to understand that Christians are under no obligation to observe Jewish rituals and rules to be a Christian.</p><p>Lynn Torrance has an article saying that evolution could not possibly be true because it contradicts the stance of HWA's organization regarding early history.</p><p><b>October 1963</b></p><p>HWA has an little article insisting that they, meaning his organization, do not take any stance regarding the civil rights struggle which is idiosyncratically referred to as "the race issue."</p><p>HWA has an article about the civil rights struggle that was then so prominent in the public affair of the nation. HWA condemns "forced integration." This is one of the most important and consequential challenges facing the United States and Herbert Armstrong, pretender prophet, failed his nation and society by choosing to side with racial segregation. His hollow denials of taking sides rings empty.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article written from the Middle East. He denounces President Nasser and says he has a lot of influence in Lebanon. He scare mongers about German scientists aiding the development of Egypt's military. He cites the division of Jerusalem between Israel and Jordan as being in accord with Armstrongite predictions of the future. He states that he will soon cross the armed border from Jordan into Israel in Jerusalem soon. He also presents an interpretation of the Second Coming contrary to what is often taught among the Armstrongites: Meredith said that Christ would return to stop the European Empire and the Communists (Russia, China and various allies) fighting each other at Jerusalem. </p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article encouraging people to have more self-confidence.</p><p>HWA has an article insisting that polygamy was not practiced in the Old Testament era even though it clearly was. HWA also advances a bizarre interpretation of II Samuel 11-12 while failing to note that those chapters are a foreshadowing of Absalom's revolt. In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Talmud-Selection-Penguin-Classics-ebook/dp/B002RI9AD6/">Talmudic Judaism</a> polygamy was allowed but it was not viewed as a <i>mitzvot </i>(righteous deed).</p><p>The Question and Answer discuss how to talk about intimate relationships with teenaged children.</p><p>Robert Boraker has an article scare mongering that the Europeans are plotting to change things in Ireland.</p><p><b>November 1963</b></p><p>There is a brief article discussing the retirement of Chancellor Adenauer.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article discussing Pope Paul VI's call for church unity. The Armstrongites teach that the Roman Catholic Church are fated to seize control of the Protestant churches and impose a forced unity submitting to the final Pope who is identified by the Armstrongites with the false prophet mentioned in Revelation. In reality no such thing is being except in the minds of marginal fanatics.</p><p>C. Wayne Cole has an article discussing the establishment of Malaysia as an independent nation state. It is implied that Malaysia would soon fall to "Communists." More specifically it is implied that Malaysia would soon be conquered by Indonesia. At the time Indonesia was ruled by a left wing government that HWA's organization viewed as being essentially Communist. Very soon war would indeed erupt between Indonesia and Malaysia but, little did the Armstrongites know, peace was soon restored, Indonesia's President Sukarno would soon be overthrown with much bloodshed and Malaysia continues to this day as an independent nation.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article seeking to make the reader become doubtful about his or her own religion in order to convince them to join HWA's organization.</p><p>HWA has an article complains that many people do not view Jesus Christ in ways contrary to how HWA's interpretation of Jesus Christ. </p><p>HWA's autobiography continues in this issue. Page 14 features a photo of the first four students of the unaccredited Ambassador College. One would split away from HWA's organization in 1974 after changes over Pentecost and Divorce and Remarriage, namely Cole. One would remain in WCG after the Tkach changes, namely Hoeh.</p><p>Robert Gentet has an article assuring his readers that dinosaurs existed before Adam because this aligns with what HWA's organization teaches. HWA taught that the Earth was created twice. There was a first creation in which the Earth was populated with Angels. That was when the dinosaurs lived. But then Lucifer rebelled against the Armstrongite God becoming Satan the Devil and caused the Earth to be destroyed. After that first catastrophe the Armstrongite God recreated the Earth but this time added human beings on it. This recreation, HWA and his imitators say, is what is described in Genesis 1-2.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article saying that women must not be placed in positions of authority over men in a church. He also states that prophets have no administrative authority over lay members. To this day many of the Armstrongites, which are mainly male dominated, do not allow women to be placed in positions of authority, such as being a minister, within their organizations.</p><p>Allen Manteufel has an article reporting from a conference of teachers in Chicago.</p><p><b>December 1963</b></p><p>Letters regarding the "race issue" published in this issue of HWA's recruitment magazine was discussed in <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/12/plain-truth-readers-discussing-race.html">a previous post</a>.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article fearfully warning Americans that West Germany is developing rapidly. The rise of Ludwig Erhard to the Chancellorship is also discussed. This is portrayed as a dire development. HWA's organization taught that Germany would lead a future European Empire fated to militarily conquer the United States in the Great Tribulation which was said to begin in 1972.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article presenting ten reasons why the Armstrongite Christ simply must return soon. It is insisted that many Western cities would soon be destroyed by nuclear weapons. Among other things Roderick Meredith insists that "race war" is about to occur.</p><p>Albert Portune has an article condemning Christmas just like the Jehovah's Witnesses.</p><p>The Questions and Answer responds to a person who speculates that going beyond Earth is somehow contrary to religion. That is the sort of people HWA's recruitment magazine appealed to.</p><p>L. E. Torrance has an article saying the Great Flood described in Genesis 6-9 did happen because it aligns with what HWA's organization taught about this subject.</p><p><b>January 1964</b></p><p>This was the first issue published after the assassination of President Kennedy.</p><p>HWA has a personal article describing how he heard about the shooting and death of the President while teaching a class in his unaccredited college.</p><p>HWA has an article predicting what was likely to happen in 1964 in such a way as to promote his prophesies that the end of the world as we know would occur in 1972-5. He implies that the newly installed President Johnson might be the last President of the United States. (He was not.)</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article bemoaning the problem of killing in the United States.</p><p>The Questions and Answers discusses the allegedly impending fall of the United States and Britain which is falsely compared with the fall of the Western Roman Empire. That is a false equivalence. Also another question asks if there was any prophetic significance to the murder of the President.</p><p>HWA's autobiography discusses how his unaccredited Ambassador College allowed him to get his recruitment magazine reliably published every month by adding personnel from students of his unaccredited college.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article calling for people to respect governmental authority. The murder of the President is blamed on a widespread contempt for political authorities.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article discussing how the unaccredited Ambassador College heard about the assassination. He mentions how he and Garner Ted Armstrong heard about the assassination.</p><p>There is an article detailing how members of HWA's organization reporting reactions to the assassination in West Germany, Australia, the Philippines, Britain, Canada, apartheid South Africa and Switzerland. </p><p>An article written back in the January 1956 issue of HWA's recruitment magazine by a "Wartime Naval Intelligence Officer" is reprinted to scare monger that the Soviet Union is plotting to make a more destructive nuclear weapons.</p><p>L. E. Torrance has an article continuing to promote the interpretation of the Great Flood taught by HWA's organization.</p><p style="text-align: center;">***</p><p>And so this post ends.</p><p>There was no golden age of the supposed Philadelphia era. All the ingredients for the current degraded state of Armstrongism were all well present back in the height of the "golden age" of Armstrongism in 1962-4.</p><p>There is no need to listen to false prophets.<br /></p></div>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-81089548791281366942021-06-27T19:40:00.000-07:002021-06-27T19:40:43.934-07:00Covid Delta is About to Overrun America<p>The Delta variant of Covid-19 is well on its way to becoming the predominant strain of Covid-19 in America. Covid Delta is the variant that has recently devastated India. It is more contagious and more deadly than regular Covid-19. </p><p>Currently about everyone who gets hospitalized or dies of Covid-19 in America are unvaccinated.</p><p>These dire news shows once again the vital importance of getting vaccinated against this dreadful disease. Some genuinely are unable to access them. Listening to some voice on the radio or some random article on the Internet passing on anti-vaccine misinformation will not save anyone from this upcoming latest wave of Covid-19. </p><p>Getting vaccinated is the easiest way to save yourself and those around you from this dreadful disease.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-71016744177917159592021-06-12T17:52:00.000-07:002021-06-12T17:52:08.337-07:00PCG Complaining About the Rise of a New Government in Israel<p>(Disclaimer: PCG has recently been posting anti-vaccine articles. Please use caution if you decide to read their writings. Thankfully there are many people and NGOs, such as <a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/">Voices for Vaccines</a>, that speak out against such attitudes. More information may be gained from <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html">the CDC</a>. The main article now begins.)</p><p>The PCG leadership are still smarting over the fact that, unless something unexpected happens before the proposed new government is sworn in, the Israeli Prime Minister they adore, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be out of power. They continue to moan over this development in another article. (Brent Nagtegaal, The 'Big Lie' in Israel's Election, <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/24139-the-big-lie-in-israels-election">June 9, 2021</a>.)</p><p>Let's see what they have to say this time.</p><p>PCG says they support the State of Israel but once it appears that PCG's preferred Prime Minister is about to be removed from power they say the following words. Observe how PCG's leadership talk of Israelis they disapprove of.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Sunday’s confidence vote in the Knesset will be the culmination of the multilayered campaign over the past two years to pull out all stops to remove Netanyahu from leading the Jewish state. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">A leftist-dominated media and educated class, anti-Netanyahu leaders from the left and right, as well as a politicized judiciary came together to wage war</span> on Israel’s longest-serving and arguably most successful leader. They joined forces through four inconclusive elections in order to oust Netanyahu. And finally, they’ve done it—by all means possible.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p>PCG's article denounces Naftali Bennett as a liar for joining forces with Yesh Atid, a centrist party.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">But after the election, Naftali Bennett betrayed his voters and sided with the left to rip the crown off Bibi’s head and put it on his own. ... Furthermore, had Bennett not lied to Israel, the Yamina party would likely not have received enough votes to clear the electoral threshold (3.5 percent). Meaning, that Naftali Bennett would not even be a member of the Knesset. Instead, because of a lie, a man who probably wouldn’t have made the Knesset is now going to lead the Jewish state. This takes the adage “cheating your way to the top” to a whole new level. If Bennett doesn’t lie before the election, Netanyahu most likely is still Prime Minister today.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p>Nagtegaal does not mention that it was Yesh Atid that got the second most votes in the 2021 election behind Netanyahu's Likud. After the election President Rivlin gave Netanyahu the first chance at forming a new government. Netanyahu was unable to do so. After that President Rivlin appointed Yair Lapid, the leader of Yesh Atid, with the responsibility to forge a new government. Lapid did so, however as part of the coalition deal Naftali Bennett gets to be Prime Minister first. </p><p>Many in Israel are worried that politically motivated violence might occur. One reason for this concern is the painful memory of the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin by a right wing extremist on November 4, 1995. PCG's article expresses no sympathy for those who are afraid something like that might happen again. Instead such concerns are dismissed as unfounded.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">[T]he media in Israel is giving the “big lie” a pass. Instead, they say those who would try to expose and overcome the attack on Israel’s democracy are insurrectionists. Indeed the media has help endorsing such a position from Israel’s security agency. On Saturday, [the] Shin Bet Director ... condemned language that might be perceived as “one who endorses violent and illegal activities that could even lead to harming individuals.” ...</p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p>[Nagtegaal quotes Netanyahu saying,] <i>Stick it to them. Every effort. </i>Figurative phrases like that are being trumpeted by Israel’s left-wing media and politicians as evidence that Netanyahu is trying to raise an actual violent insurrection against the results of the stolen election. In fact, if you even discuss the steal, you are labeled as a dangerous conspiracy theorist.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>Nagtegaal compares the fall of Netanyahu from power with the fall of Donald Trump. He blames some "deep state" conspiracy which he describes as being "left-wing." </p><p></p><blockquote><p>While the deceitful means enacted to defraud democracy might be different in Israel and in the United States, the outcome and the narrative are almost identical. For years a left-wing, anti-traditional “deep state” has merged with mass media to degrade the Bible-based values and rich history of both America and Israel.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>In other words PCG was not happy that Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have lost power. PCG happens to be right wing.</p><p>Nagtegaal then insists that somehow he knows better than the State of Israel's prosecutors and he insists that the criminal cases against Prime Minister Netanyahu are "bogus" even though these court cases are in fact happening.</p><blockquote><p>Both Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump have recognized this attack and have fought back. It was the reason Mr. Trump was elected, and it was the reason Mr. Netanyahu remains the most popular leader in Israel. Unable to remove the leaders from power by simple popular vote, the radical left tried other means, from impeachment attempts to Russian collusion to an ongoing bogus legal case against Mr. Netanyahu.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>And so we see PCG complaining when political events they disapprove of happen to occur. However considering that PCG says that America and Israel are about to be militarily conquered by a future European Empire any moment now one wonders why the PCG leadership chooses to be so annoyed over the apparent removal from power of Benjamin Netanyahu.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-63753993053355009692021-06-07T07:03:00.000-07:002021-06-07T07:03:24.853-07:00PCG's Six Day Tunnel Vision<p>PCG's <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/12/who-will-save-israeli-jews-from-pcg-pcg.html">other website focused on presenting their teachings</a> in a manner catered for a Jewish audience, Watch Jerusalem, has highlighted an article of theirs describing the Six Day War of 1967. Let's see what they have to say this time. (Christopher Eames, Miracles in Six Days, <a href="https://watchjerusalem.co.il/246-miracles-in-six-days">June 1, 2019</a>.)</p><blockquote><p>The little nation of Israel, having only been formally reestablished in its biblical homeland in 1948, was, by 1967, facing destruction by four major Arab nations and many other supporting belligerents. The combined might of Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan was about to bear down on the little nation of less than 2.5 million Jews. Israel had half as many soldiers, less than half the tanks, and only a quarter of the aircraft. Yet against the greatest of odds, a truly miraculous victory was won by Israel in what is today known as the Six-Day War.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>The fact that State of Israel happens to be geographically small is largely irrelevant because it happens to have a military force better than the surrounding Arab nations as was seen in the 1947-9 war. The State of Israel has been militarily better than the surrounding Arab nations ever since.</p><p>Also in 1967 the Arab nations had on paper a common command structure with a Egyptian military officer in charge of everything. In practice there was much confusion between the different Arab nations. Unlike Israel they did not have a clear command structure uniting their efforts.</p><p>The State of Israel's military was indeed outnumbered but that would not matter once the Israeli Air Force destroyed Egypt's air force. With that decisive move the State of Israel had control of the air so there was little the Arab nations could do to stop them. </p><blockquote><p>The Arab nations surrounding Israel had never accepted the official 1948 international reinstatement of the land as a Jewish state. They fought bitterly in the 1948 Arab War to try to destroy the fledgling Jewish nation but were defeated. In 1967, they planned to try again, combining forces once more to defeat Israel in what should have been a quick and decisive victory. Yet within six days, Israel had defeated the Arab armies, tripled the area of land under Israeli control, and fully reclaimed Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>The author insists that the Arab nations were on the verge of "a quick and decisive victory" and suddenly they lost so much territory. The fact that Israel had such a decisive victory suggests they were in never in that much military danger in 1967.</p><p>But was President Nasser trying to attack? Could he do so? According to President Lyndon Johnson it was the assessment of US intelligence that President Nasser was not trying to attack Israel and furthermore the State of Israel was not in real danger of military defeat.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>On the evening of May 26 [1967] I [President Johnson] met with Israel's Foreign Minister Abba Eban, who had just flown to Washington. Our conversation was direct and frank. Eban said according to Israeli intelligence, the United Arab Republic (UAR) was preparing an all-out attack. I asked Secretary McNarama, who was present, to give Mr. Eban a summary of our findings. Three separate intelligence groups had looked carefully into the matter, McNarama said, and it was our best judgment that a UAR attack was not imminent. "All of our intelligence people are unanimous," I added, "that if the UAR attacks, you will whip the hell out of them." (Lyndon Johnson, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vantage-Point-Perspectives-Presidency-1963-1969/dp/B000OEF0LG/">The Vantage Point</a></i>, 1971, p. 293.)</p><p></p></blockquote><p>And the Americans were right. The Egyptians were routed by the Israeli military. How can this be a miracle as Armstrongites say when people US intelligence, President Johnson and Secretary McNarama were able to accurately anticipate a decisive victory for the State of Israel?</p><p>However this information was not widely known <a href="https://mondoweiss.net/2017/06/1967-changed-american/">among the public within either the United States</a> or the State of Israel. The people of the State of Israel were <a href="https://mondoweiss.net/2017/06/provoked-fighting-survival/">genuinely afraid of total defeat</a> even though those in power, as is seen above, knew better. The State of Israel was never in any real danger of a total defeat in 1967.</p><p>We now return to PCG's article.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Early in the morning on June 5, 1967, nearly 200 Israeli airplanes took to the sky, making their way toward Egypt. Jordan, picking up the Israeli air force movements by radar, forwarded a coded warning to Egypt. In a miraculous stroke, however, the Egyptians had changed their message-coding equipment without notifying the Jordanians. As such, the Israeli planes were able to knock out more than 300 Egyptian planes—more than half the Egyptian air force—in only three hours! Strangely, no order was given for the Egyptian anti-aircraft missile batteries to retaliate. By the end of that initial day, two-thirds of the Syrian Air Force had also been destroyed, along with most of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>These are not signs of a miracle, as Armstrongites claim. These are the results of an unclear, badly integrated command structure on the Arab side. The Egyptians changing encryption method without telling the Jordanians is a result of unclear communications. The Israelis were fighting by themselves so they had a clear command structure. This is an organized nation fighting disorganized nations. Being outnumbered does not matter when you are more organized compared with the other side.</p><p>Also those planes the Israelis had <a href="https://mondoweiss.net/2017/06/israeli-manufactured-geniuses/">were bought from France</a>. Many of the State of Israel's tanks were purchased from Britain. Both the British and French governments disapproved of this war but they armed Israel until the moment the Israeli government chose to attack. The military genius of Britain and France gave the State of Israel the arms to win.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>For the Arab alliance, things got worse. Rank ineptitude and disorder reigned. </p><p></p></blockquote><p>To defeat an inept and disorderly enemy is not a miracle. It is the inevitable result of better planning and discipline.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Israeli desert troops made their way into the Sinai Peninsula, readying an attack on the well-armed Kusseima military outpost. Massive explosions were heard within the base, and by the time the Israelis arrived, they found the Egyptians had already destroyed their own equipment and fled. Egypt had abandoned other military bases as well.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>The Egyptians had lost their air force so it made sense for them to flee to safety instead of leaving themselves vulnerable to attack from the air. After the Six Day War the Egyptians regrouped and proceeded to wage a guerrilla war against the State of Israel to regain control of the Sinai Peninsula until the death of President Nasser in 1970. When Sadat become President he prioritized negotiations (aside from the 1973 Yom Kippur War) and in 1979 made a treaty which among other things allowed Egypt to regain the Sinai Peninsula. The restoration of Egyptian rule over the Sinai was completed in 1982. If the 1967 war was a miracle, as Armstrongites claim, why did the God of Armstrongism cause the State of Israel to return the Sinai Peninsula just fifteen years later?</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Surely such military successes were too much for just the little nation of Israel to accomplish. </p><p></p></blockquote><p>Balderdash. The State of Israel was better organized and disciplined compared with the Arab alliance. They had French planes and British tanks. So of course they won. </p><blockquote><p>The Israelis had been expecting a fierce and bloody land battle on the well-fortified Golan Heights, as the Arab bunkers were impervious to conventional airstrikes. However, by June 10, before many of the enemy positions had even been set upon by the Israelis, the Syrians had left their weapons and fled their positions in a state of panic!</p><p></p></blockquote><p>Why would the Syrians flee? Look at what the author said four paragraphs earlier:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>By the end of that initial day [June 5, 1967], two-thirds of the Syrian Air Force had also been destroyed, along with most of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>The Syrian soldiers were left exposed to air attacks so they fled to safety. From their perspective it was rational to preserve their military force from possible air attack. That's not a miracle.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>The statistics from the war are amazing. For every Israeli who perished in the conflict, 25 of the enemy died. For every Israeli prisoner of war, there were over 394 Arab POWs. For every Israeli plane that was downed, more than 11 Arab planes were lost.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>It is worth noting that those unfortunate Israeli soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice or were captured or shot down while in a plane are never mentioned or discussed in this article. For those soldiers and their families and friends there was no miracle. Their pain and suffering is ignored and minimized to make the supposed miracle sound good to Armstrongites.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>There are many more miracles that happened during the Six-Day War that you can read about. They certainly cannot be regarded as blind luck. </p><p></p></blockquote><p>It was not blind luck at all. The State of Israel had a better military force, a clear command structure instead of an unwieldly amalgam of different military forces, and air superiority after destroying the air forces of the Arab nations. So of course the State of Israel won. The Arab nations did not stand a chance.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>After the war, on Shavuot (Pentecost), hundreds of thousands of Jews arrived in the recently recaptured city of Jerusalem, offering up prayers of thanks to God for His miraculous delivery from the jaws of the Arab armies.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>After seizing East Jerusalem from the Jordanians the State of Israel quickly demolished the Moroccan neighborhood in order to have a wide open square in front of the Wailing Wall. The demolition was done so quickly that one unfortunate woman was killed in the demolition.</p><p>Also during the Six Day War an American navel ship, the U.S.S. <i>Liberty</i>, was attacked by Israeli forces. Thirty-five Americans were killed in the attack. The Israeli government said it was a mistake. The question needs to be asked of the Armstrongites: Was that part of the miracle? If not, why not? Questions such as these are carefully ignored in this article.</p><p>Also the Six Day War led to the rise of Fatah within the Palestine Liberation Organization. After the 1947-9 war the Palestinians, <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/08/when-loma-armstrong-saw-palestinian.html">about 750,000 of whom had been expelled from their homes</a> by the newly formed State of Israel, were in no position to fight the State of Israel to go home so they placed their hope in the Arab nations hoping that they would gather up their forces and fight. Many placed their hopes on President Nasser. The PLO was originally founded in 1964 to keep the Palestinians aligned with the Arab governments. After 1967 it was clear that the Arab nations could not defeat the State of Israel in a military conflict. Consequently the Palestinians began to organize themselves under the aegis of Fatah and tried to wage an armed insurgency against the State of Israel to go home. Fatah quickly became the dominant faction of the PLO. Fatah's armed insurgency against the State of Israel escalated. The Israeli government chose not to negotiate with the PLO until 1991. Was the rise of Fatah in response to the Israeli victory in 1967 part of the miracle that these Armstrongites claim occurred?</p><p>The war lasted six days only if one chooses to view it that way. If one views it as part of a long term conflict between the State of Israel and the Arab nations then the Six Day War becomes merely a dramatic moment in a decades long struggle.</p><p>So we see the Six Day War was not as miraculous a triumph as the PCG leadership would have their followers believe.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-45423004006541450162021-06-05T03:05:00.000-07:002021-06-05T03:05:00.358-07:00PCG Mourning the Apparent Fall of NetanyahuAfter going though four elections since March 2019 it now appears that the State of Israel will have a new Prime Minister and a new coalition government by June 14. No Likud Party involvement required. Unless something unexpected happens Benjamin Netanyahu will be out of office once the new government gets sworn in. The proposed government has not taken power yet PCG has already produced an article about this. <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/01/pcgs-favor-for-prime-minister-netanyahu.html">The PCG leadership adores</a> Netanyahu so they are not happy at this development. Let's see what PCG has to say about this now. (Brent Nagtegaal, Will Israel Lose Its Churchill?, <a href="https://www.thetrumpet.com/blogs/58-brent-nagtegaal/24111-will-israel-lose-its-churchill">June 3, 2021</a>.)<div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Jerusalem—Barring last-minute heroics, the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history will soon be out of power. </div><div></div></blockquote><div><div>It seems evident that what mainly frustrated Likud's attempts to regain power since 2018 is the fact that Netanyahu happens to be facing several corruption allegations in the courts of law. Turns out a lot of Israelis are not happy having to take orders from a Prime Minster facing corruption charges. Nagtegaal gives little attention to that problem.</div><div></div><blockquote><div>Netanyahu became Israel’s youngest-ever prime minister during his first term (1996–1999) and its longest-serving prime minister during his second (2009–present) and has weathered numerous onslaughts, including multiple corruption charges.</div><div></div></blockquote><div><div>Outside observers, especially conservatives, find it illogical that Israelis would discard Netanyahu in the face of multiple threats to Israel’s security. The prime minister is viewed by many as one of the most effective leaders in Israel’s modern history. In a region prone to violence, He has successfully managed to protect Israel from outside threats, especially Iran. In fact, the last decade under Netanyahu has been Israel’s most peaceful, and in just the past year, his government signed four new peace agreements with Arab states, doubling the number that have been signed since Israel’s modern founding. </div><div></div><blockquote><div>Meanwhile, as most nations still grapple with COVID-related crises, Israel is back to normal, apart from its largely closed international borders.</div><div></div></blockquote><div>And a major reason why the State of Israel is like that now is because they did not let people like Stephen Flurry scare them off from getting vaccinated. And they wore masks. Prime Minister Netanyahu advised the people to wear face masks. The contradiction between PCG's stance and what the Israeli government under Netanyahu had done is quietly ignored.</div></div></div></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Yet it is also undeniable that Mr. Netanyahu has become the most divisive leader in Israeli history. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">In the past election, Netanyahu’s Likud party attained its most votes ever.</span> That number was still not enough to maintain power, yet it shows the power he holds among the party’s base. And at the same time, Netanyahu’s enemies have increased across all sectors of society.</div></blockquote><blockquote><div></div></blockquote><div>Nagtegaal is wrong to say that the Likud Party got more votes in the 2021 election than any previous election. That is not true. In the 2020 election Likud got 1,352,449 votes which was 29.46% of the vote. But in the 2021 election Likud got 1,066,892 votes which was 24.19 % of the vote. Likud lost about 285,557 votes compared with their result in the 2020 election. This is a major reason why Netanyahu faces the prospect of losing power: Many previous Likud voters did not vote for the Likud party this time. Nagtegaal is wrong to say Likud got more votes in the 2021 election than ever before. That simply is not true. Why does the PCG leadership let him say something that is verifiably untrue?</div><div><br /></div><div>And the question must be asked: why have people in the State of Israel chose to no longer support Prime Minister Netanyahu? Did this have anything to do with the corruption allegations? Such questions are ignored in this article.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nagtegaal then condemn the incoming government as an unworkable government doomed to fail once it gets into power and remove Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's office.</div><div><br /></div><div>While presenting Prime Minister Netanyahu in a positive light Nagtegaal refers to the Biden Administration as "the American regime."</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Mr. Netanyahu is fighting to safeguard Israel’s future, just as he has done during previous American administrations. It is the American regime that has turned hostile.</div><div></div></blockquote><div>Nagtegaal cites a statement by the Prime Minster and does not cite his source. Apparently we are just supposed to merely take his word for it that this happened.</div></div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>“If we have to choose—I hope it doesn’t happen—between friction with our great friend the United States and eliminating the existential threat, eliminating the existential threat [wins],” Netanyahu said recently. </div><div></div></blockquote><div>Nagtegaal accuses the Biden Administration of seeking to back Iran at the State of Israel's expense.</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>More than any other political leader in Israel, Netanyahu is keenly aware of the anti-Israel policies of the United States. He almost certainly realizes that this is a greater threat to his country than even Iran. More than any other political leader in Israel, Netanyahu recognizes that it is a United States-backed Iran that poses the greatest threat to Israel.</div><div></div></blockquote><div>Nagtegaal mentions Netanyahu's speech before a joint session of Congress in 2015 to oppose the deal with Iran. He implies that Donald Trump was elected President due to opposition among Americans to the deal with Iran.</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Netanyahu was chosen by the people, “he saw the sword coming,” and he warned of the danger of a United States-backed Iran, embodied in Barack Obama’s nuclear deal. And the American people listened, voting into power a leader who was determined to nullify the deal and restore deterrence on Iran.</div><div></div></blockquote><div>Actually Netanyahu was not chosen by the people because the electoral system in the State of Israel is somewhat indirect. In the State of Israel the voters vote for the party, not the leader or individual candidate. After the vote who gets to lead is in the legislators' hands and power does not necessarily go to the party with the most votes. For instance, in the 2009 election Likud got 21.61% of the vote and were actually second behind the Kadima Party led by Tzipi Livni which got 22.47%. But unlike today Likud had more allies back then so they gained power anyway.</div></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div>Now the reason the PCG leadership pays so much attention to the State of Israel is because they think political acts in connection with that industrialized nation state will somehow herald the beginning of the end of the world as we know it to be destroyed in a future World War III. In this supposed war the State of Israel, America and Britain will be militarily conquered by a future European Empire. Some "friends" the Armstrongites are for the State of Israel: They watch news about it to detect if the end is near.</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Israel faces a historic moment right now. Several important biblical prophecies are in play, and political upheaval—particularly one that emboldens Israel’s enemies and makes the Jewish state more vulnerable—could rapidly advance the fulfillment of these prophecies. Still, although Netanyahu may be gone, the warning will continue. </div><div></div></blockquote><div>Unlike Herbert Armstrong, Gerald Flurry and their imitators I make no claim to see the future. But no matter who happens to be Prime Minister of the State of Israel we can rest assured that the false prophecies of Armstrongism will never be fulfilled. Since 1989 PCG have made numerous predictions that have not happened. We can take comfort in knowing that no matter what happens in this current political drama <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2016/06/52-false-prophecies-by-pcg.html">the scary predictions of Armstrongism will never happen</a>.</div></div></div></div>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5846567313402731847.post-10345366522980145442021-05-31T03:53:00.001-07:002021-05-31T03:53:06.399-07:00Notes from Plain Truth Issues (1962)<p>Continuing on from <a href="https://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2018/10/notes-from-plain-truth-issues-of-1959.html">Post 1</a> and <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2018/12/notes-from-plain-truth-issues-1961-2.html">Post 2</a> let us now take a look at what was written in The Plain Truth, the recruitment magazine for HWA's organization which was then called the Radio Church of God back in 1962. </p><p>Among people influenced by what was taught in HWA's organization, the Armstrongites, the period between the founding of Ambassador College in 1947 and the first suspension of Garner Ted Armstrong over an adulterous affair in 1972 tends to be viewed as a sort of golden age when all was well in the organization. But once any person actually looks at what was happening one will see it was no golden age. Many of the problems that continue to afflict the Armstrongite organizations were already well present within HWA's organization. Authoritarianism. Dogmatism. Racism. Homophobia. McCarthyite paranoia. A scorn for anything contrary to what was taught by HWA's organization. Superstitious loathing of medical science and doctors. Tithing with the expectation of gaining divine favor. False prophecies that did not occur as was foretold.</p><p>A major reason why the organization was so united was that HWA and Co. had been teaching since 1953 that the Great Tribulation would begin in 1972 with Christ's return occurring three and a half years later in 1975. With this prophecy the people in the organization had a common goal and a shared feeling of excitement to encourage them to expand the organization. But by 1972 the cracks began to show in HWA's organization. </p><p>But that happens later. For now in this post we focus on 1962, the year in which civilization as we know it was almost destroyed as a result of the intense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union in the height of the Cold War.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLf-OiLUv5pdiTYw7BMum_Duwda6e_BkyX4JsllsDhqxRRBAmYqgNo8qJxfaifm5SzuQljwgq_7hxdATrdp81WiCZ5KStyCSFuuV9JQNGcTDonCrQ-qeBfbCbKMGPSxCucxqVkea1rZ5M/s2048/Plain+Truth+1962+%2528Vol+XXVII+No+11%2529+Nov-page-001.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1553" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLf-OiLUv5pdiTYw7BMum_Duwda6e_BkyX4JsllsDhqxRRBAmYqgNo8qJxfaifm5SzuQljwgq_7hxdATrdp81WiCZ5KStyCSFuuV9JQNGcTDonCrQ-qeBfbCbKMGPSxCucxqVkea1rZ5M/w304-h400/Plain+Truth+1962+%2528Vol+XXVII+No+11%2529+Nov-page-001.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><p><b>March 1962</b></p><p>The letters section features this response.</p><p></p><blockquote>The truth is very different and sometimes, for the natural man, very difficult to believe until you have proved it for yourself. The real reason most people don't agree with God is that they are unwilling to do what he says. (p. 2.)</blockquote><p></p><p>In the personal Herbert Armstrong talks about the costs of distributing and delivering a mass circulation magazine such as his recruitment magazine, The Plain Truth.</p><p>David Jon Hill has an article fearfully describing the rise of West Germany.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong also has an article denouncing psychology. He denounces it as "idiotic." He shrilly insists that psychologists have been brainwashed.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong mentions a prediction that the world would end on February 2, 1962. What fools! The Great Tribulation was clearly going to start in 1972 with Christ's return occurring three and a half years later in 1975, according to HWA and Herman Hoeh at this time.</p><p>They got some "Swedish biochemist" to do a guest lecture at Ambassador College to say, "It is UNNATURAL to get sick." What utter nonsense. Then why does every other creature on Earth gets sick as well?</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article insisting that historians were not seeking the truth and cannot be trusted because they say things contrary to what HWA's organization teaches.</p><p>Lynn Torrance has an article hysterically entitled "German Rationalism Exposed!" condemning various German scholars for interpreting in ways contrary to what was taught by HWA's organization.</p><p>Let's see. Plain Truth readers of this issue were told not to listen to psychologists, historians or "German rationalism." That is a lot of people to ignore. This is one of the characteristics of cults, they try to control what information you have access to.</p><p><b>April 1962</b></p><p>There are letters. There's a rhetorical one. In one a retired policeman requests a few free booklets to check if it is not a racket. Little does he know the racket comes in later after one voluntarily sends a donation and when the interested readers is told to tithe to HWA's organization.</p><p>There's a homophobic letter from San Francisco, California written in response to an article by Roderick Meredith. When this was written the LGBT community had little protection from the widespread social stigma imposed upon them at this time. At this time same sex attraction was even considered a disorder by the American Psychologist Association although psychologists at this time were <a href="https://www.apa.org/research/action/gay">starting to rethink such things</a>.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>"I have read 'The Shocking Truth About Queer Men' several times. The facts on the existence of effeminates are obvious and self-evident, but your analysis of the reasons and your quotations from the Bible are quite amazing. This may be the reason why I have been attracted to you. Most so-called Christian churches are effeminate in their very nature. They don't teach religion in a manly way. They paint Christ as a weak-kneed cream-puff.</p><p>"I am also amazed at the youth in your organization and I am sure that many of your listeners and followers are young people. I am 33 myself. Your religion is the most down to earth religion I have ever heard."</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Here's a rhetorical letter from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.</p><p></p><blockquote>You are either the biggest fraud in this century or the nearest thing to divine truth since Paul. If you are the former, God will deal with you in due time in His own way. If you are the latter, you are and could be the greatest blessing to this hellbent world that has happened in this century. I am persuaded you are the latter. </blockquote><p></p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong talks about John Glenn's orbiting of the Earth.</p><p>Herman Hoeh promotes their teaching that Jesus died after being stabbed with a spear citing an unusual reading of Matthew.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article assuring potential students that Ambassador College is wonderful. You have got to join.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article explaining why Jesus was born in 4 BC (before Christ). In the article he cites Alexander Hyslop's anti-Catholic polemic, The Two Babylons, <a href="http://xhwa.blogspot.com/2008/12/babylon-connection.html">a thoroughly discredited book</a>. It is presented in an alarmist manner as evidence of living in a paganized world.</p><p>Lynn Torrance's denunciation of "German rationalism" continues.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong gives parenting advice. Similar article appear in many issues of HWA's recruitment magazine at this time. In 1963 Garner Ted Armstrong would release a booklet entitled The Plain Truth About Child Rearing which was promoted within HWA's organization. Many survivors of Armstrongism say this booklet contributed to creating a culture of harsh, even abusive, treatment of children within HWA's organization in which corporal punishment was widely encouraged. Knowing these facts we reach the conclusion: Don't take parental advice from Garner Ted Armstrong's dreaded writings about child rearing. </p><p><b>May 1962</b></p><p>Here's a letter from a lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia.</p><p></p><blockquote>I am a lawyer by training and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the articles in The Plain Truth. You really enlightened me about being born again. I have checked you in the Bible and see that you are so right. I am glad that I am not as confused in Georgia Law as some so-called Theologians are about the Bible! (p. 2.)</blockquote><p></p><p>Walter Martin in his book, <i>The Kingdom of the Cults</i>, was utterly unimpressed with HWA's interpretation of being born again. He even stated that he believed that HWA was maliciously lying about this doctrine. HWA had no professional training in reading the New Testament in Greek.</p><p>Here's a letter from Northern Ireland.</p><p></p><blockquote>What you have been revealing from the Bible certainly seems to be taking place before our very eyes. It pays to watch world events. I read your magazine every month. There is nothing to compare with what you preach, and it is backed up by Scripture. (p. 2.)</blockquote><p>Little did this person know but in just a few years Northern Ireland would be plunged into a protracted civil war. </p><p>In response to a letter commenting on the stance of HWA's organization that there would be no war between the United States and the Soviet Union an editor of the recruitment magazine wrote this:</p><p></p><blockquote>Many people wonder if this year will see war with Russia. Do you know? If not, write immediately for the free article 'Will Russia Attack America?' (p. 23.)</blockquote><p></p><p></p><p>Later that year the United States and the Soviet Union very nearly went to war over Cuba. 1962 is the year civilization as we knew it nearly got destroyed. Thankfully the possibility of nuclear war is now much less likely.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong finds himself having to apologize for errors in his March 1962 personal regarding the cost of magazine distribution.</p><p>Gene Hogberg has an article scare mongering about elections in Argentina that favored Peronist candidates. The rise of left wing political parties in Latin America are portrayed in a hostile manner.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong denounces the idea that the law was nailed to the cross.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong warns of Europe rising up.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article asking, how do you believe what you believe? Here this is a recruitment trick designed to make people doubt themselves in order to make them more likely to just go along with what HWA's organization says.</p><p>J. W. Robinson has an article saying that Jesus had four younger brothers and at least two sisters who were the children of Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article stating that baptism by immersion is necessary.</p><p>The Question and Answer discusses sports, namely which sports are allowed or not. What about gambling? In my experience LCG opposed gambling so it is reasonable to assume the same of HWA's organization in 1962. The other question concerns when Jesus was born.</p><p>Lynn Torrance has an article entitled "The real origins of Communism!"</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article denouncing evolution because it contradicts what HWA's organization says on this topic.</p><p>Robert Boraker has an article speculating if West Germany was somehow colluding with the Soviet Union.</p><p><b>June 1962</b></p><p>Here's a letter from a serviceman in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina who said he just cannot find anything wrong with what HWA and followers are saying in their recruitment which is designed to persuaded to join HWA's organization.</p><p></p><blockquote>For some time I have been studying religions and searching for one that really made some sense. Then one day a friend of mine told me about your program and I tried you out. At present I have been listening for almost 2 months and I do not know whether to fully believe you or to take what you say with a grain of salt. I must admit that what you say is quite logical but at the same time I am afraid that what you say might really prove to be true. Last night I sat down with the March Plain Truth and I spent almost 3 hours trying to prove that what you said was false but at the end of that time I found that I could not tear down one single sentence out of any article. Instead I found more truth in it than I had at first. (p. 2.)</blockquote><p></p><p>They print a letter from minister who read up some of their recruitment writings are concluded, "Now I am certain it is the true gospel." </p><p>Herbert Armstrong says Moscow was worried about East Germany's slugging economy. This topic is then used to promote his scare mongering about a future European Empire.</p><p>Gene Hogberg has an article discussing President Kennedy ordering the steel business to not raise the price of steel.</p><p>Jack Elliot has an article entitled, "What's wrong with science?" What is wrong? Namely scientists are not saying what HWA's organization says.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article about mental health. This is not a good idea. </p><p>Herman Hoeh moans about the national debt reaching a trillion dollars.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article entitled, "The CURSE of TELEVISION." Once again HWA's organization is trying to control what information their followers are accessing.</p><p>Albert Portune has an article asking "Is sin obsolete?" Of course not, is the answer provided by HWA's organization.</p><p><b>July 1962</b></p><p>There are letters. This is one letter condemning modern child rearing because HWA's organization told this person to view it that way. One letter from Burma (Myanmar). One Canadian letter says all the articles sound the same which, strangely enough, is meant as a compliment. One letter compliments the recruitment magazine for their "scoop" on the rise of the European Common Market.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong denounces Britain's attempt to join the European market. Little did he know that President de Gaulle would carefully keep Britain out. Britain would not enter until 1972. HWA then recites his teaching of a future European Empire. While reciting this teaching he says this:</p><p></p><blockquote>Meanwhile the chief bishops of the Church, at Rome, became more influential than civil rulers. In 554 A.D., at the behest of the chief Bishop of Rome, now called the Pope, Justinian restored the Empire in the west. He was crowned by the Pope. He knelt before the Pope, acknowledging his supremacy. (p. 25.)</blockquote><p>How did Herbert Armstrong know that Justinian was crowned by the Pope? How did he know that Justinian bowed before the Pope? It would be good to know if there are any historical sources to back up these claims of his. I welcome clarification. But until someone does so I am saying this: I think Herbert Armstrong made those details up.</p><p></p><p>Herbert Armstrong has an article saying education will be so much better after Christ returns.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article scare mongering about President de Gaulle stoking up nationalist feelings in France.</p><p>Lynn Torrance has an article scare mongering about the Communists. He confidently insists that the political moves of the Soviet Union in international relations can be easily explained by reading some statements Lenin made decades ago in a drastically different political setting.</p><p></p><blockquote>Well-meaning people speculate, theorize, and rationalize that what the communist leaders have written they do not mean, but history clearly shows that they have not deviated from this blueprint, from this plan of world conquest--one iota. (p. 4.)</blockquote><p>Back in Lenin's time, aside from World War I, America tended to adopt an isolationist stance regarding European politics and tried to stay out of their squabbles. This approach was abandoned only after the Pearl Harbor attack and Hitler's declaration of war against the United States which was decades after Lenin's time.</p><p></p><p>On page 16 there is a photo of a university building with this mean spirited caption. In this context "materialists" is used as sort of like a euphemism for Atheists, just slightly more specifically connected Communists.</p><p></p><blockquote>This massive, cold-appearing University of Freiburg, Germany, teaches German rationalism. How many cold-blooded materialists has it produced?</blockquote><p></p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article promoting what he calls seven laws of radiant health. His seventh law is avoid bodily injury. What profound words! How could anyone outside of HWA's organization figure out something like that?</p><p>Herman Hoeh again has an article denouncing historians for not agreeing with HWA's organization's teachings regarding history.</p><p>J. W. Robinson and Gene Hughes has an article denouncing radiocarbon dating as a "fraud" because they were being used to justify an interpretation of history contrary to what was taught by HWA's organization.</p><p><b>August 1962</b></p><p>There are letters. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>One letter is from a person who listened since 1934 and only asked for a subscription now. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Another from South Africa is written in a humble manner. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>One letter from Ireland speaks of gross materialism and praises HWA's recruitment magazine for being free. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>One letter denounces TV and says it will be removed from the house. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>There are four letters praising tithing insisting that it will miraculously give good financial fortune to any tither. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>One letter from Detroit is from a person who says he is not interested in ordinary programs anymore after listening to what was produced by HWA's organization. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>One letter from Ohio letter praises a positive approach in the pages of the recruitment magazine not knowing that Armstrongism is very negative about society outside of its influence and control.</li></ul><p></p><p>L. E. Torrance has an article denouncing a supposed proposal within the Kennedy Administration to seek some sort of agreement with the Soviet Union.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article superstitiously denouncing ill health as a curse.</p><p>Autobiographical installment mentions the marriage of <a href="http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2009/02/incest.html">his younger daughter</a>.</p><p>L. Leroy Neff has an article advising readers how they can listen to their recruitment radio broadcast if they are having trouble listening to it.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article explaining why his readers need a church, specifically HWA's organization.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article saying that Christ's return is necessary.</p><p>David Jon Hill has an article assuring readers that hell fire is not real. Instead HWA's organization taught that one is annihilated for all eternity in the Lake of Fire. It tends to escape the notice of Armstrongites that this is functionally speaking the same thing. HWA merely removed consciousness from his interpretation of the eternal punishment, imitating the Jehovah's Witnesses. As he did with many doctrines. </p><p><b>September 1962</b></p><p>There are letters. One letter says there really is no follow up by HWA's organization. The follow up only happens after you pay. To use an unwitting letter to imply that there there is no follow up is deceptive. </p><p>One letter from Tasmania letter says HWA's organization are the warning sent by God and this person knows this because the Armstrongites told him to believe that.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong denounces Pablo Picasso as a bad painter. He cites Picasso's confession. HWA assures his readers it is genuine. It was fake. HWA cited a fabrication to denounce Pablo Picasso.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong has an article telling his readers what the twenty-first century will be like. Back then he was saying that Christ would return in 1975.</p><p>Dibar Apartian has an article about France becoming more nationalistic because, can you believe this, a nation will pursue its own interests and sometimes those interests will contradict those of another nation. How horrifying.</p><p>David Jon Hill has an article telling his readers why the vast majority of people of the Jewish community do not choose to be Christians.</p><p>On page 20 in Herbert Armstrong's autobiographical installment he mentions a Catholic bishop, namely Bishop Hunt of Salt Lake City, giving an address during the founding of the United Nations. At the time HWA very talked up that address as a sign of the rise of the future European Empire. But here it is presented as just another detail. This detail of history was no longer useful to him in scaring his followers of some coming catastrophe.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong has an article insisting that Christians are supposed to observe the seventh day Sabbath, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, contradicting the vast majority of Christians throughout history. This is a useful wedge issue which is used to cause readers to become disillusioned with their churches since the vast majority of churches worship on Sunday. However when Christianity began to be accepted among non-Jews a consensus was reached that it is not necessary to become submit to Jewish religious rules in order to become a Christian. This may be seen in Acts 15 and Paul's letter to the Galatians which, contrary to what some Armstrongites have mistaken thought, is actually a polemic condemning "Judaizers" who were telling non-Jewish Christians at that time that they needed to be circumcised to enter the Christian faith. </p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article presenting what is called "the inside story" of The World Tomorrow recruitment radio broadcast.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong has an article about fasting. HWA's organization taught followers to fast as a religious ritual. Fasting is one of the rituals associated with the Armstrongite Day of Atonement and it is also encouraged to be done on a somewhat regular basis as a religious ritual.</p><p><b>October 1962</b></p><p>Here's one letter from a person in Cincinnati, Ohio who had lost faith in his church after paying attention to HWA's recruitment materials.</p><p></p><blockquote>My wife and I have requested that our membership in a local church be dropped because the minister said you probably preach the second coming of Christ. When questioned on his views of German Rationalism, he said he agreed with the rationalistic approach. His entire philosophy of 'religious belief' seemed to me, at least, to be based on a theory that the Biblical truths are merely of historical interest, and that modern psychology and rationalistic beliefs are the answer to the present day unmoral and amoral outlook.</blockquote><p></p><p>Here an anonymous letter from a person excited after hearing HWA saying they are preparing a history book.</p><p></p><blockquote>On a recent broadcast you mentioned a new and unique history book that is about to be published--unique in the fact that it considers the fact that God intervenes in the making of history! I wonder if you would inform me of the title so that when it comes out, I can acquire a copy. </blockquote><p>The recruitment magazine's editors responded as follows:</p><p></p><blockquote>Only the Compendium has been written. When the entire book is published, it will be announced.</blockquote><p></p><p></p><p>This is clearly referring to Herman Hoeh's Compendium of World History. It was never released to the public. It was largely based on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_in_Chaos">a book publicly available since 1952</a>. In his later years Hoeh himself would disavow this book. Only with the innovation of the Internet has this narrative of Armstrongite pseudo-history (<a href="http://www.herbert-armstrong.org/Miscellaneous/Compendium%20Vol%201.pdf">Volume 1</a> and <a href="http://www.herbert-armstrong.org/Miscellaneous/Compendium%20Vol%202.pdf">Volume 2</a>) become available to the public.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong has article insisting his supposed future European Empire will soon change everything. HWA taught that this future European Empire would rise into great power and militarily conquer the United States and take Americans as slave labor back to Europe in the three and a half years just before Christ's return. Fifty-nine years later the Armstrongites are still waiting.</p><p>HWA's autobiography reaches 1945.</p><p>Page 15 features portraits of Richard David Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong taken in 1945 when they were about seventeen and fifteen years of age respectively.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong continues to tell his readers what the 21st Century will be like. In this article HWA recites his interpretation of Ezekiel 38 and 39. He interprets those passages as predicting a massive invasion of what used to be Mandatory Palestine by the Soviet Union, China and others allied with them. HWA asserted that the Holy Land at this time would be inhabited by Americans, British and Jews recently liberated from the future European Empire. HWA insists this invasion would occur a few years after the return of (the Armstrongite) Christ. HWA asserts that (the Armstrongite interpretation of) Christ will supernaturally kill them off in an instant and in this manner the rule of the Armstrongite God Family will spread over all humanity.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong continues to insist that Christians are supposed to worship on the seventh day Sabbath, namely Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, instead of Sunday. This is one way how he denounces and vilifies the vast majority of Christian churches </p><p>Roderick Meredith continues his account of the recruitment broadcast of HWA's organization, The World Tomorrow. The article contains a photo of Dibar Apartian on page 45.</p><p>In that article Meredith boasts about Herman Hoeh's upcoming world history book. It was never published for the general public. Why would they refuse to publish revelation from the Armstrongite God? Was it too costly to publish? They published HWA's autobiography but not Hoeh's "World History." Or maybe they realized that even they, the leaders of HWA's organization, could not bring themselves to publish such a flawed book. Apparently it was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_in_Chaos">largely influenced</a> by <a href="http://ambassadorwatch.blogspot.com/2007/03/enigma-of-herman-hoeh.html">some other author</a>. Hoeh himself in his latter years would disavow this narrative work of his.</p><p>Here's Meredith writing up about himself.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>About Your Author</p><p>... As I told you last month, I came to Ambassador College in the fall of 1949 after having had one year of college in Missouri first. Later becoming student body president, I graduated from Ambassador College in 1952 and soon found myself immersed in conducting baptizing tours from coast to coast and up into Canada, preaching, teaching, writing and editing. </p><p>I have had the privilege of taking three trips to Europe, and one through Central and South Africa. And I have conducted <i>six evangelistic campaigns</i>--two here in America, and four in Great Britain. I have been blessed with a wonderful wife and three children--and have found that serving in this great Work of God is the most <i>interesting, challenging</i> and <i>rewarding</i> career on earth today!</p><p>For unlike the ordinary preachers or college professors, those of us directly in God's Work have the realization that we are in a tremendous CRUSADE. Although countless overtime hours are taken out of the night, sacrifices are made in many ways, nevertheless there is tremendous JOY experienced in seeing human lives really CHANGED from wretchedness and sin, to lives filled with <i>peace, overflowing love</i> and <i>happiness</i>. (pp. 46-47.)</p></blockquote><p>Meredith said, "I ... have found that serving in this great Work of God is the most interesting, challenging and rewarding career on earth today!" But how could he know that? He spent his entire adult life working for Armstrongite organizations.</p><p></p><p><b>November 1962</b></p><p>This issue features a lot of letters responding to the German language arm of HWA's organization which was headed by Herman Hoeh at this time.</p><p>Meredith continues describing the radio broadcast of HWA's organization, The World Tomorrow. Includes a write up of his uncle, C. Paul Meredith, the doctor of veterinary medicine.</p><p>Robert Boraker has an article scare mongering that Nazis at the time in 1962 were plotting to unleash World War III on the world. At one point there is an article heading entitled, "The Germans Lack Imagination."</p><p>On page 8 is a photo of several books presented as further evidence that the Germans are plotting to launch a third World War against the United States. (Please note: Links are not endorsements.) Here they are: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Against-Peace-Warning-Nation-ebook/dp/B07H2MHL4J/">Book 1</a> (1945), <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/German_Strategy_of_World_Conquest_by_Der.html?id=CieJMwEACAAJ">Book 2</a> (1942), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-Germany-Old-Nazis/dp/B000GWP3K4">Book 3</a> (1961) and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nazis-Go-Underground-Curt-Riess-ebook/dp/B00H1B5D1M/">Book 4</a> (1944). Boraker also cites <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Germany_Will_Try_it_Again.html?id=Jj5KAAAAMAAJ">Book 5</a> (1944) and <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Germany_Plots_with_the_Kremlin.html?id=T4ocAAAAIAAJ">Book 6</a> (1953). So four books written before 1946 are presented in 1962 by Boraker to insist that the Nazis have gone underground and will rise up again to conquer America. He is imitating what HWA said in his booklet, 1975 in Prophecy (1956). What nonsense. Fifty-nine years later the Armstrongites are still waiting for the European attack.</p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article scare mongering about Germany rising up as a great power.</p><p>HWA's autobiography heads into 1946. It features a photo of Eva Armstrong (née Wright), HWA's mother.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article saying that historians are wrong to say that humanity has existed for more than six thousand years because this contradicts HWA's interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2. Hoeh's article contains racist photo captions describing inhabitants of New Guinea.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJYPB_xHDVaYpeish7_CxDqD6cI1jfdKXZhH-5M_IfNT5WjbAaxOsrwdZEJruACYQ8cwSRzur4nFTa9eSV6_PH27yOTKTOy_qeH8hS82OgdGD02D95l8FIT5Cp1tJjgoJ2bXHZ1BPvY0/s1413/Haklamaa2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="1413" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJYPB_xHDVaYpeish7_CxDqD6cI1jfdKXZhH-5M_IfNT5WjbAaxOsrwdZEJruACYQ8cwSRzur4nFTa9eSV6_PH27yOTKTOy_qeH8hS82OgdGD02D95l8FIT5Cp1tJjgoJ2bXHZ1BPvY0/w400-h66/Haklamaa2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_D9YZXo9dVFc0en8JHLIVtJSZX6BV9BLXzE4i4yR945vk_83v-qG8PYzZZHL57beITNn6YILpEPl5ZUpUksIfl_ttggfe7Kzxr4qrq9uYEnxI1KEDJd0RT8nVksNJCNW7bnhag1tUOs/s1124/Haklamaa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="1124" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_D9YZXo9dVFc0en8JHLIVtJSZX6BV9BLXzE4i4yR945vk_83v-qG8PYzZZHL57beITNn6YILpEPl5ZUpUksIfl_ttggfe7Kzxr4qrq9uYEnxI1KEDJd0RT8nVksNJCNW7bnhag1tUOs/w400-h108/Haklamaa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>His "world history" is presented as being "forthcoming." It was never released to the public by HWA's organization.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article saying you need to change because the Armstrongite Christ is about to return.</p><p><b>December 1962</b></p><p>There are letters. Four letters are responses to the German language arm of HWA's organization. Two letters condemn the banning of traditional holidays like Christmas, Easter and Halloween by HWA's organization for their followers. One letter from Sarawak is from a person who reads them from the public library.</p><p>Here's a letter from a person from Fort Bliss, Texas who says he studied the Sabbath issue for himself.</p><p></p><blockquote>I accepted your often-quoted challenge of 'Prove it for yourself' and took a seven-day leave from the army purposely to determine the truth of the Sabbath Day. For one week I poured through historical literature from the greatest minds of the centuries, and the product of my search, without a doubt, firmly convinced me that the true Sabbath is not, as I have always been led to believe, Sunday, but rather the traditional Jewish Sabbath; Friday sunset to Saturday sundown. </blockquote><p></p><p>HWA was not trained in how to understand early Christian history so he failed to understand what happened and tragically passed on his misunderstandings onto thousands of people. The first Christians were Jews so they celebrated the Sabbath because they were Jews. But once non-Jews started accepting Christianity the question was asked, Are they Jews as well? The consensus in the early Christian church was, No, they are not. That is why in Acts 15 the council in Jerusalem did not tell non-Jewish Christians to observe the Sabbath. They were told to do other things but not that. There is no need for a Christian to observe Jewish religious rules such as the Sabbath.</p><p>A juvenile girl in Texas writes them a letter asking them to no longer send her the recruitment magazine.</p><p></p><blockquote>Would you please stop sending me The Plain Truth magazine. I am just 15 years old. I don't read your magazine and I don't understand it, besides my pastor said it was not good to read. You are wasting <i>God's money</i> by sending it to me. </blockquote><p></p><p>The recruitment magazine's editors petulantly responded to this juvenile girl in this manner. They let themselves sound like a bully. </p><p></p><blockquote>Well, of course, you can't understand it if you don't read it. But your pastor wouldn't know anything about The Plain Truth unless he were a regular reader himself!</blockquote><p></p><p>There are all sorts of reasons why a pastor in Texas may have become aware of HWA's organization and realized he needed to guide the lay members of his church away from HWA's organization.</p><p>Here's a tragic letter from Albright, West Virginia. It is from a person who has decided to start tithing to HWA's organization even though this person's financial situation has progressively gotten worse and worse.</p><p></p><blockquote>We havn't been tithing for some time, but we should have been. After we quit tithing, things did get rough. It seemed as if there was always something popping up to take twice the amount of our tithes. And we have gotten further in debt than we ever were before. Things aren't any better than they were a year ago, but I have decided to tithe anyhow. In fact, things are a lot worse, but this time I have already promised God that I will tithe, even if I starve to death.</blockquote><p>HWA's organization responded to this letter with an ad for the reader:</p><p></p><blockquote>More of our readers need the booklet, "Ending Your Financial Worries." </blockquote><p></p><p></p><p>Garner Ted Armstrong has an article assuring that his readers that he knew that the United States and the Soviet Union could not possibly go to war during the Cuban Missile Crisis because HWA's organization had insisted that a future German-led European Empire would militarily conquer the United States instead. In reality those <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317910/">two great powers got very close to going to war</a>. It is entirely possible that the Cuban Missile Crisis could very well have sparked off a full scale nuclear war unleashing destruction on a vast scale in 1962. It is good that such a dreadful thing did not occur. The sheer horror of mass nuclear destructions makes it an most unattractive option for political leaders and people of conscience.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article discussing a border war between China and India. At this time HWA's organization taught that India would be conquered by Communists so that they would be part of the invasion described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. It was said by HWA's organization that this would take place several years after Christ's return.</p><p>HWA's autobiography discussed acquiring the property that would become the unaccredited Ambassador College. Page 16 contains photos of the Armstrong family.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article denouncing Christmas as forbidden to be observed by the followers of HWA's organization.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article insisting the vast majority of Christians are wrong to worship on Sunday but rather they must observe the seventh day Sabbath, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Unfortunately many Christians do not know how to respond to this rhetoric attack against the vast majority of Christians. When non-Jews began to accept Christianity it was decided that these non-Jewish Christians did not need to become Jews in order to be Christians. This may be seen in Acts 15 and Galatians which is actually a polemic condemning "Judaizers" who insisted that Jewish ritual law must be observed if one wishes to become a Christian. An Armstrongite will say, But the Sabbath was in the Ten Commandments so you cannot change it. Armstrongites don't want to change but the New Testament did.</p><p>And anyway the real purpose of HWA's organization telling their readers, You must worship on the Sabbath, is get them to leave their churches and join HWA's organization. One of the duties of members is to pay three tithes to HWA's organization. It is a trick to control the reader and then live off of them.</p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article insisting that the Christian practice of worshipping on Sunday was derived from ancient Babylonian mystery religions which were imported into Christianity shortly after the time of the Apostles in a grand conspiracy inspired by Satan.</p><p></p><blockquote>This <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_of_Barnabas">epistle, or letter</a>, is filled with many inaccuracies, triflings and absurdities. It is a complete contrast to the inspired New Testament epistles. It is written in <i>confused</i>, mysterious language. Yet this is the kind of rubbish that is used to support Sunday. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Its origin is of the Devil himself</span>. (p. 24.)</blockquote><p></p><p>Or, to say it in a less emotional way, worshipping on Sunday is contrary to what HWA's organization teaches therefore Hoeh forbids his readers from doing so in this article. </p><p>Herman Hoeh has an article scare mongering about the rise of West Germany. HWA's organization taught that the Germans are descendants of the ancient Assyrians. </p><p>Page 27 features photos of actual <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_people">modern day Assyrians</a> in the Middle East. It is insisted that they look like Germans and do not look like Arabs.</p><p>Roderick Meredith has an article asking if you really understand your own religion. This is a recruitment trick designed to make you doubt yourself and let him answer your questions for you.</p><p>Herbert Armstrong has an article telling readers that (his interpretation of) God is fair.</p><p style="text-align: center;">***</p><p>And so 1962 ended with civilization still intact and 1963 began. But this post ends here.</p><p>There is no need to listen to false prophets.</p>Redfox712http://www.blogger.com/profile/17734930967002040931noreply@blogger.com0