Overview of the January 2022 Issue of PCG's Trumpet

Around late November 2021, before the escalation of the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, PCG published the January 2022 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let's see what the PCG leadership have to say this time.

Gerald Flurry had a personal article bad mouthing modern society for changing. However societal change is natural and normal.

Stephen Flurry had an article complaining children's books. He indulges in red baiting accusing the political left of being Communist.

Stephen Flurry had a side article insisting that various old Communist texts predicted this development. Karl Marx and Antonio Gramsci are cited.

Rufaro Manyepa had a side article condemning various children's books. He mentions 14 books. One of them is a book entitled Antiracist Baby. What possible objection could the PCG leadership have against a book featuring a title opposed to racism?

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.

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.

Andrew Müller had an article complaining about environmental reforms.

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.

The Infographic presents various graphs to insist that climate change is not really happening.

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.

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).

Jeremiah Jacques had an article scare mongering that Japan is building up its military. PCG constantly stirs up fear of Japan even though Japan has been allied with the United States for decades.

Gerald Flurry had an article saying "the key of David" 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.

SocietyWatch has a segment promoting an already debunked rumor (as may be seen in this October 8, 2021 AP article) 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.

Joel Hilliker had an article telling people to stop coveting.

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 risk harming their health and even risk death.

There is no need for anyone to be afraid of PCG's fear based statements about the future. Since its founding in 1989 PCG have made over 50 false predictions of the future. They clearly cannot see the future. There is no need to fear PCG's predictions of the future.

Overview of the November-December 2021 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

Around late October 2021 PCG published the November-December 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let's see what the PCG leadership have to say this time.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Mihailo Zekić 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.

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. 

Andrew Müller also has an article discussing inflation and the supply chain crisis.

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.

The side article makes the following polemical accusation against Saule Omarova.

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.

Saule Omarova's nomination was withdrawn. 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.

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. 

The Infographic discusses the supply chain crisis.

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.

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!

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. 

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.

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.

Joel Hilliker has an article telling people that they need to focus.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Macdonald claims that "immanent civil war" awaits America but it is only the political right that contemplates such an occurrence happening.

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 

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 have produced numerous false prophecies that prove that they cannot see the future. There is no need for anyone to fear their dire predictions of the future.

Overview of the August 2021 Issue of PCG's Trumpet

(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 Voices for Vaccines 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.)

In mid-June 2020 PCG released the August 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let's see what the PCG leadership have to say this time.

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

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.

Gerald Flurry has an editorial article remembering the late Dr. Eilat Mazar who passed away on May 25, 2021, aged 64. PCG had sponsored her archaeological excavations since 2007.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article about the late Dr. Mazar. He gives an overview of her career in archaeology.

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. 

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Infographic talks about agricultural issues.

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 saying such things for years. Here is some of Stephen Flurry's politically charged scare mongering.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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 settled in Britain at the expense of the Celtic Britons who were already there, 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.

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 despite what others have stated.

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.

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.  

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.

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.)

Stephen Flurry has an article saying most people do not actually like the truth. However PCG insists that only they know the truth in regards to getting on the right side of their peculiar interpretation of the Christian God. Consequently the PCG leadership defines the truth for PCG members.

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 numerous false prophecies that have failed miserably. There is no need to be afraid of PCG's dire predictions.

The Danger of Ignoring Medical Science in Connection with Covid-19

Parts of Stephen Flurry's anti-vaxxer article, "Gotten Your Jab Yet?" in the June 2021 issue of PCG's recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet, were lifted from an article by Andrew Müller which was posted on March 24, 2021 which has the alarmist title, "America Ignores COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths." Müller even cites an "anti-vaccine organization" in his article in a passage that also appears in Stephen Flurry's article. As far as I know neither Stephen Flurry nor Andrew Müller have professional medical training. Medical science does not appear to be their expertise. Why listen to such people?

It is a dreadful shame to think that people will be influenced by such talk into foregoing getting vaccinated. Every day such people run of catching this dreadful disease, namely Covid-19. 

Here is a testimony from one individual who has learned that an "elderly aunt and uncle" have caught the coronavirus. The quote below is from this individual. Not myself.

So I just found out today that my both my elderly aunt and uncle have tested positive for COVID 19.  Both of them belong to a very conservative church, and have like so many Americans been fed a heavy stream of lies and misinformation.  Though several members of the family had pleaded with them to get vaccinated, they both resisted, despite their age and several additional health issues.  Of course, they did not.  Why?  They refused to get vaccinated because their church has been vehemently opposed to every single measure to address the virus since the beginning; starting with the “hoax”, pivoting smoothly to “little flue”, then digging in hard to “personal freedoms”.  There were some added sprinklings of “government plot”, “it’s in gods hands”, “liberal political agenda”, “trying to make trump look bad” and a brief return to “hoax” from time to time. (Source.)

This person's relatives are facing a tragic situation that many within the Armstrongite organizations are also facing as Banned by HWA recently highlighted here and here. We need to follow what science is telling us about this disease and protect ourselves from it. Just because some people like Stephen Flurry and Andrew Müller have gone down the proverbial rabbit hole and adopted an anti-vaccine stance you do not have to. No one can legally force you not to get vaccinated.

If one is afraid they should consult with their doctors instead of reading some scary sounding anti-vaccine article that could have been (and most likely was) written by people lacking medical expertise.

Beautifying Mars as a God Being: Overview of the May-June 2021 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

In late March 2021 the PCG leadership released the May-June 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let's see what the PCG leadership has to say this time.

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

This issue has a circulation of 243,028 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article which mentions the Perseverance probe on Mars in order to promote the Armstrongite dogma of the God Family. It is taught that believers will become God beings as fully God as God is God though of a lesser rank. This is a doctrine that HWA plagiarized from another source. Among ex-COG people it is often believed that he took this idea from Mormonism. I suspect HWA acquired this doctrine from an early teaching of the Watchtower Society.

There is a side article discussing the search for extra-terrestrial life.

Richard Palmer has a side article insisting intelligence alone cannot solve humanity's issues.

Richard Palmer has an article condemning wealthy persons who are here labeled as being in league with the political left.

In this article Palmer promotes the harmful and false stereotype that HIV/AIDS is somehow associated with the LGBT community.

Pharmaceutical giant Gilead sponsors homosexual pride parades--while charging over $2000 a month for an anti-HIV drug. Signaling their support for the LGBT movement is much cheaper than lowering the price of a drug that would predominantly help those in that community. (p. 6.)

In the article Palmer also denounces the LGBT movement.

Mr. Flurry wrote this before the LGBT movement really took off. Now businesses are going along with or supporting a movement that destroys our children's future. It fills them with warped ideas about marriage and family, destroying their potential to have a happy life and making it much harder for them to have a relationship with their heavenly Father. (p. 32.) 

Philip Nice has an article speculating about the nature of society after the establishment of the millennium after Christ's return. He makes all sorts of fantastic predictions such as saying that there will be no interest on loans and no taxes in the Millennium. Instead the government of PCG's interpretation of the Millennium will imitate PCG and rely on tithes and offerings.

Under God's government, the individual would pay no income tax, business tax, sales tax, property tax, health-care tax or death tax. Instead he would pay his first tithe (10 percent of his profits) and offerings of his own determination.... This would produce the spiritual blessing of developing humble, loving, giving character, which would facilitate further blessings by God, the least of which would be financial abundance. (p. 10.)

Armstrongites have been continuously waiting for the future paradise of the Armstrongite Millennium to just happen without any effort on their part since the 1930s and yet somehow it just never happens. In that time many people have boldly strived to improve society instead of waiting for the Armstrongites' predictions to just happen.

Joel Hilliker and José Michels have an article condemning the nomination of Rachel Devine (since confirmed) because she is a transgender woman. Being transgender is labelled as "transgenderism," a label designed to imply that transgender people somehow chose be that way instead of merely expressing what they actually are like. An earlier version of this article was discussed in a previous post.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article portraying Russia as trying to rule over the other nations that were formerly within the Soviet Union. Even though the PCG leadership chooses to vilify Russia in this issue they teach that it will be a future German led, Catholic dominated European Empire which will conquer the United States and Britain in the near future before Christ's return. If they believe this then why are they telling readers to be concerned about Russia?

The Infographic discusses President Putin and the Russian Federation getting more powerful.

Richard Palmer has an article about the interview of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with Oprah Winfrey. The article later turns into a denunciation of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Harry and Meghan's departure from the royal family last year helped open the door for the radical Black Lives Matter movement to spread to the United Kingdom.... Within months, Black Lives Matter protesters were vandalizing statues on Britain's streets.... Black Lives Matter ... is a radical Marxist group fundamentally opposed to Western civilization. (p. 21.)

Seeing such overheated rhetoric from Palmer in this instance it is worth remembering that once Palmer called the Srebrenica massacre as "a crime of passion".

Brent Nagtegaal has an article about the state of the Middle East. It is asserted that President Biden's attempt to restore the nuclear deal with Iran is somehow setting the stage for PCG's (false) prophecies to be fulfilled just before Christ's return.

In the article Nagtegaal condemns the Obama Administration for making the 2015 agreement regarding nuclear power with Iran. He even claims that the 2015 agreement saved Iran's government even though Iran has been enduring American sanctions since the Trump Administration broke the agreement in 2018 including during this ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Not only did the Obama administration do nothing to stop Iran from attaining nuclear weapons, it actually drafted a deal to legitimize its path to nuclear power and provided massive, immediate financial incentives that probably saved Iranian radicals from losing power. (p. 23.)

Even though Iran does not now have nuclear weapons it is assumed that Iran is plotting to make nuclear weapons even though Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei issued a fatwa in 2003 denouncing the possession of nuclear weapons as contrary to Islam.

Also in this article Nagtegaal cites an article by Melanie Philips who is often quoted in PCG's writings.

Gerald Flurry has an article about the Armstrongite interpretation of the two witnesses. He also alludes to his teaching that his book, Malachi's Message, is the little book of Revelation 10. However many of the ideas within Gerald Flurry's booklet, Malachi's Message, were plagiarized from The Letter to Laodicea by Jules Dervaes which were written between December 1986 and January 1988. Dervaes's work was sent to 237 WCG ministers including Gerald Flurry and John Amos. Once on September 26, 1990 Jules Dervaes even sent a letter to Gerald Flurry denouncing Malachi's Message as "a direct and clear plagiarism" of his work.

WorldWatch discusses lockdowns which are hysterically portrayed as a threat to democracy instead of being attempts to manage a frightful epidemic; German troops remaining in Afghanistan until January 2022; Switzerland having a referendum on March 7, 2021 deciding to ban full face coverings which is interpreted as a ban on the burqa; rocket attacks against American bases in Iraq; a call by certain politicians condemning the International Criminal Court taking up a case regarding the State of Israel; the threat of cyberattacks to Americans; China's introduction of a digital currency; Hong Kong making a law giving the police the power to forbid certain individuals from leaving Hong Kong in certain circumstances; and Russia preparing to host military exercises with eight neighboring countries. 

SocietyWatch discusses British Columbia seeking to decriminalize certain drugs; condemning a Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calling for the British flag to be lowered and replaced with the European Union's flag; AT&T trying to lobby the State Department to keep China Telecom off of a list a sanctioned companies over Xinjiang; and hysterically denouncing a proposed reform of immigration policies.  

Dwight Falk has an article telling people not to laugh at inappropriate jokes. How humorousless.

The discussion board features a letter which asks if the presidential election was somehow stolen from Donald Trump then why is it that no one has been prosecuted over it?

If all this information is true and accurate, is there something that can be done to prosecute the known people who were responsible? (p. 34.)

This assumes that the allegation is "true and accurate" but the allegation that the presidential election was somehow stolen from Donald Trump is unfounded.

Here's a letter from Ireland saying God is opposed to the liberals all over the world.

America has to repent and return to Almighty God and ask for forgiveness and help.... The same laws are forces over the heads of believers in Northern Ireland. We know that our heavenly Father is absolutely livid with the state of the liberal way of life all over the world. (p. 34.)

Richard Palmer has an article saying that fake history can have negative consequences for people today. Here's an example of fake history: saying all was well in HWA's organization in the 1950s and 1960s. A major reason HWA's organization was united and stable at that time was because from 1953 onwards it was taught that the Great Tribulation would begin in 1972 with Christ returning three and a half years later in 1975.

In the article Palmer complains about lockdowns which are bizarrely portrayed as a sign of weakness instead of as a vital public health measure to counteract a extremely dangerous disease. The recent tragic events in India reminds us all yet again how awful this disease is.  

Now we crave nothing and hunker in fear of a virus that at least 99.9 percent of healthy people survive. Our politicians lack the courage to make decisions--and instead delegate to "experts" who see catastrophe around every corner. Even after their forecasts of doom are proved wrong time and again, we still cower at their warnings just in case this time they're right. (p. 35.)

And so we see that the PCG leadership continues to try and find more recruits for their organization. However since their founding in 1989 the PCG leadership have made numerous false prophecies thus proving that they do not know what will happen in the future. There is no need to be afraid of their dire predictions.

Denying a Presidential Election: Overview of the March 2021 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

In early February 2021 PCG released the March 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Here Gerald Flurry's false prophecy that Biden would not assume the presidency met with ignominious failure and the PCG leadership had to desperately explain it all away. PCG's false prophecy of Biden not assuming the presidency is merely one of many false prophecies produced by PCG since its founding in 1989.

This issue had a circulation of 248,523 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article trying to explain away his false prophecy that Trump would remain as president by implying that Trump would later return to power. 

The side article condemns President Biden's inauguration.

Stephen Flurry has an article denouncing President Biden and attacking his legitimacy to lead as president. It is absurdly insinuated that the January 6 insurrection was the work of left wing infiltrators. He cites the presence of one individual, John Sullivan, amongst the insurrectionists as evidence that the January 6 insurrection was somehow the work of left wing infiltrators. But a little fact checking reveals that Sullivan's presence proves nothing as may be seen here and here.

Stephen Flurry has a side article insisting that sometimes a leader is not legitimate if PCG's God does not recognize that person.

Gerald Flurry has an article condemning the judges for constantly ruling against the Trump campaign's attempts to somehow overthrow the result of the presidential election in court. The judges' decisions constitute powerful evidence that the presidential election was run properly and that Biden was legitimately elected consequently Flurry has to explain away the numerous rulings against the Trump campaign.

Richard Palmer has an article scare mongering that in the near future America will be harmed by an economic blockade. He recites HWA's claim that the "sea gates" will soon be taken away from America. It is not mentioned that as early as 1939 HWA thought the Axis powers would seize those "sea gates." Once HWA's false prophecy failed miserably he merely rewrote the script to fit post-World War II conditions.  

The Infographic discusses how many consumer goods are transported over the seas. Did the PCG leadership only just notice this detail of modern day life?

Jeremiah Jacques has an article in which he interviews a Uyghur politician in the United States in order to condemn the Chinese government for their management of Xinjiang in recent years. However everything written in the article is undermined when Jacques implies that problems like these will only solved after Christ returns.

In God's government, and only in God's government, there is hope for Uyghurs of the present, the future and even the past. And for you and me. (p. 22.)

But according to PCG dogma "God's government" in the present era only exists within PCG. 

It is worth mentioning that for decades HWA and his imitators have taught that Turkey will be killed off en masse at the time of Christ's return. It was taught that Turkey would work with the future European Empire against America and the State of Israel in the future World War III (which will never happen the way the Armstrongites say it will). In retaliation the Armstrongite God would destroy Turkey. HWA and his WCG taught that Turkey was descended from the people of Edom, the descendants of Esau. However HWA appeared to not be aware that the Turks of Turkey are one branch of the Turkic peoples and the Uyghurs are one of the Turkic peoples. If Turkey is descended from Edom then the Uyghurs are presumably also Esau's descendants. Are the Uyghurs a part of "Edom" or not?  

Jeremiah Jacques has an article condemning a trade deal between China and the European Union.

Richard Palmer has a side article to scare monger that the signing of this trade deal reveals Germany's power within the EU. 

Andrew Müller has an article denouncing Pope Francis as a leftist and as being anti-capitalist.

Andrew Müller has a side article condemning attempts by the Papacy to try to resolve a long running dispute with the Chinese government concerning ecclesiastical appointments.

WorldWatch discusses Armin Laschet being elected leader of the Christian Democratic Union in Germany; Sweden and Greece increasing military spending; governments collapsing in Italy and the Netherlands; Germany sending arms to Yemen and Libya; Iran announcing to their plan produce uranium with 20% purity partly as retaliation for the United States' breaking the 2015 agreement with Iran regarding nuclear facilities; the various natural disasters in America; Iraq devaluing its currency; Russia building up its presence in the Arctic Ocean; Russia and China conducting a joint patrol in the South China Sea; and Japan building more battleships. 

SocietyWatch discusses the video game industry getting more money as a side effect of the coronavirus epidemic; two Democratic Party congresspersons calling for America to be more secular; a legal argument over clinics giving puberty blocking drugs to transgender people; and citing a report from Britain to imply that people who go to university are somehow less happy. It should be noted that PCG has their own (unaccredited) "college" thus PCG has a motive to discourage people from going to other institutions. 

Ryan Malone has an article promoting observance of the Sabbath from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. This is a practice that Herbert Armstrong took from the Church of God (Seventh Day), a church that Armstrong would spend decades denouncing as a 'dead' church.

The letters section contains letters from people insisting that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, the same claim that incited hundreds of Trump supporters to invade the US Capitol to somehow stop the election, an unprecedented attack on the US electoral system. Despite the dire results of casting doubt on the election without substantiated cause, as evidenced by the numerous court cases the Trump campaign lost, some people nevertheless end up believe what the PCG leadership tells them. Here's one letter from a person saddened after reading and believing PCG's claim that the presidential election was rigged.

Very sad to read that U.S. presidential elections were rigged and manipulated by people who are supposed to be role models.... A fair investigation should be done, and those involved should be punished. America, please set an example; we are looking at you for standards and ethical values. May the Lord save this blessed nation. (p. 34.)

Here's a voicemail response from a person who is probably a PCG member. Gerald Flurry proclaimed Donald Trump to be like King Jeroboam II of Israel. Who else refers to Trump like that?

My neighbor just got her January issue of the Trumpet magazine with the president on the front.... I read it, and I just want to say keep up the good work! Trump is the end-time Jeroboam, and people are going to start noticing this little Church very soon. (p. 34.)

Here's a letter from a person mentions that about seventy-five million voted for the Republican Party candidate without mentioning that about eighty million voted for the Democratic Party's candidate. The person also states that the Bidens have committed "evil behavior" without elaborating this accusation. 

Seventy-five million people voted for Trump. I don't think they are going away. I will be praying for Trump and so will the people who love him. This election could be overturned in some way. The truth needs to come out about the Bidens' evil behavior. I don't think Trump has given up. (p. 34.)

Here's a letter that inaccurately states that Iran already has nuclear weapons and is testing them. That is not true. Iran does not have nuclear weapons. It is terrible that PCG's constant scare-mongering against Iran has numerous readers afraid.

North Korea already said they are ramping up nukes. Iran is testing nukes. And China is becoming a reputable force. You said Germany will come in, and I'm waiting and watching. (p. 34.) 

Joel Hilliker has an article discussing pornography. When the Armstrongites talk about pornography it is normally condemned and that stance continues here. 

And so we see PCG continuing to keep their followers in awe and trying to gain new recruits. However PCG's many failed predictions prove that the PCG leadership cannot see the future.

PCG Denouncing China Before the European-German Invasion of America: Overview of the February 2021 Issue of PCG's Trumpet

In early December 2020 PCG released the February 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine,  The Philadelphia Trumpet. For this issue the PCG leadership adopted a let's be scared of China theme. But for decades Armstrongites have insisted that some Catholic European superpower would militarily conquer the United States in the near future. If the Armstrongites really believe this is going to happen soon then how does it make any sense for them to be afraid of China since Armstrongites say China will not conquer America?

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

This issue has a circulation of 246,497 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article once again denouncing Barack Obama. Back in 2013 he made a booklet which denounced Barack Obama as being like Antiochus Epiphanes and Joseph Tkach. Denouncing Obama is a way of restating that he was correct to denounce him in 2013.

Brad Macdonald has a side article insisting Barack Obama really deserves to be blamed for the Democratic Party being too left wing for PCG's taste.

Stephen Flurry and Joel Hilliker have an article scare mongering about China even though it is taught by PCG that a bunch of angry Germans are fated to somehow militarily conquer the United States.

Richard Palmer has an article bemoaning political tensions between China and Australia.   

Gerald Flurry has an article scare mongering that China will somehow block the Panama Canal to American commerce even though he tells his followers that it will be a bunch of angry Germans who will somehow militarily overpower the United States. 

Andrew Müller has an article insinuating that China is somehow in league with drugs cartels and using drug addiction to weaken American society from within. While it is hard to prove a negative this accusations sounds rather outlandish. The results of opportunistic criminal activity does not necessarily require some sort of political motive. 

The Infographic promotes the claim some right wingers made claiming the 2020 presidential election was somehow stolen from Donald Trump even though such claims were rejected in the law courts about sixty times. 

Andrew Müller has an article condemning the power of big internet companies. 

Stephen Flurry has an article insisting to his readers that they must find a "true church." PCG teaches that they are the only true church in all the Earth. Within PCG the word Christian is redefined to mean PCG member since it is taught that everyone one who identifies him or herself as a Christian outside of PCG are false Christians.

WorldWatch discusses the German Green Party calling for increased spending for the military (probably because they are afraid of Russia); the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Germany and Russia being resumed; Hungary and Poland vetoing a stimulus bill for the European Union; the assassination of General Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Iran on November 27, 2020 which PCG states is widely assumed to the work of the State of Israel; Russia planning to build a naval base in Sudan; the outbreak of civil war in Ethiopia; Russia building more naval vessels; a claim that China is building up its nuclear arsenal citing a report from a newspaper which was founded by a controversial religious organization from Korea; and Russia helping to enforce a ceasefire in the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia which is negatively presented by PCG as a sort of power grab by Russia.

SocietyWatch discusses a Supreme Court case about restricting when places of worship can open during the ongoing coronavirus epidemic; a reported increase in the homicide rate; maths scores for US students falling; and a report from Fox News saying more people are entering the US through Mexico without authorization. Though considering that PCG says a bunch of angry Germans will soon conquer the United States it seems odd that PCG chooses to worry about desperate people trying to make better lives for themselves and their families by moving to the United States.

Stephen Flurry has an article extolling General Douglas MacArthur as a man who followed orders and worked harder than others. The fact that the General was dismissed during the Korean War for arguing with his commander in chief, namely President Truman, is quietly ignored.

For some reason this issue reprints a letter that was printed in the January 2021 issue. The February 2021 issue mentions this letter originated from Sandes Estes, Texas. The January 2021 issue only mentions that this letter was from Texas.

Just a brief note of appreciation for such a wonderful and enjoyable magazine you all have sent me all these years. I read everything in it thoroughly. I like that nothing is sugar-coated or beat around the bush on current events, but you stick to the truth 100 percent. There are so many great articles I sometimes read over and over again.

So someone liked this letter so much it got printed twice. Is PCG getting so few letters they need to recycle one of them?

Brad Macdonald has an article saying a cycle of partisan reaction and counter-reaction will only stop by changing human nature. In Armstrongite dogma it is often assumed that such an event will only occur after (PCG's interpretation of) Christ return.

In this article Macdonald says the following:

In America, politics have been split in two, with animosity and rancor separating them more and more. (p. 35.)

PCG does not help by vilifying Barack Obama as a modern day Antiochus Epiphanes.

And so the Armstrongite tradition of spreading a message of fear and anger to potential recruits continue.

Overview of PCG's January 2021 Issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet

In late November 2020 PCG published the January 2021 issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let us what they said this time.

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

This issue had a circulation of 247,820 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article announcing that Donald Trump will win the presidential election because certain predictions he made about the future require Donald Trump to remain as president. He takes comfort in Justice Barrett being placed in the Supreme Court and he implies that the Supreme Court will somehow keep Trump in the presidency. He possibly got misled by his partisan favir for the Republican Party and by the "red mirage." Many warned that the results on election night may appear to favor Republicans but after the mail in votes get counted it would be the Democratic Party which would pull ahead. Some of the swing states had rules requiring maul in ballots to only be counted after the regular votes on election day got counted contributing to the delay of results. 

After Biden was declared the winner Gerald Flurry proclaimed that Donald Trump would remain President but his prediction failed miserably.

Stephen Flurry has an article alleging voter fraud in the election.

Richard Palmer has an article about Europeans's negative views of President Trump. This is presented in order to promote the completely unrealistic idea that the European Union will soon militarily conquer the United States.

This passage is badly written.

The radical left is dividing America. The nation’s collapse in moral standards and integrity has made that popular. (p. 16.)

Does "that" refer to the "radical left" or the "nation's collapse in moral standards and integrity"? If the former then this passage should have been one sentence, not two.

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that the recent normalization agreements which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan have made with the State of Israel will not lead to peace because Flurry's predictions of the future have not yet occurred.

The Infographic discusses the federal aid made to assist people in the ongoing coronavirus catastrophe. 

Gerald Flurry has an article condemning calls for statues of historical persons associated with racism to be removed.

Mihailo Zekić has an article about the recent acts of Islamist based acts of violence that has occurred in Europe. PCG and many of the other Armstrongite groups have a long history of using divisive issues concerning Muslims to provide content for their writings.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article describing Russia and China as being in an alliance with each other. This is identified with the kings of the east in Revelation. It is not mentioned in this article that PCG and other Armstrongite groups teach that this is directed against the future European Empire. 

Josué Michels and Andrew Müller have an article scare mongering about blockchain technology presenting it in a simplistic and alarmist way as something that can be used against America 

Josué Michels has a side article scare mongering about Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. Since 2009 PCG has constantly insinuated that he will be the European dictator fated to militarily conquer the United States of America just before Christ's return. 

Stephen Flurry has an article telling readers how to pray to PCG's version of God.

Brad Macdonald has an article insisting that Donald Trump won the election. Biden's election is portrayed as a sign of America morally disintegrating. The PCG leadership heavily favors the Republican Party in regards to politics. Consequently Biden's election is condemned by the PCG leadership and portrayed in a negative manner.

And so it may be seen that PCG continues to produce their recruitment magazine to gain more converts and to keep PCG members persuaded to continue to be loyal to PCG including by paying tithes.

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

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

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

This issue has a circulation of 247,007 issues.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This issue had a circulation of 247,833 issues.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The letters section contain a letter from South Africa.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overview of the July 2020 Issue of PCG's Trumpet

Around mid-May 2020 the PCG leadership released the July 2020 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Let's see what the PCG leadership had to say this time in the hope of getting more tithes paying converts.

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

This issue had a circulation of 246,078 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article scare mongering that the European nations' responses to the Covid-19 pandemic will prepare the way for the creation of the future European Empire, the very empire that Armstrongites have constantly insisted since the 1930s will soon conquer the United States. 

At the end of this article is the following blurb advertising one of their recruitment booklets. 

Put the Trumpet to the test. Over 75 years of evidence proves biblical prophecies true. Compare recent events beside Bible prophecy. (p. 5.)

Since its founding in 1989 PCG has made many predictions that have simply turned into false prophecies.

Josué Michels has a side article scare mongering that the Roman Catholic Church is fated to seize control of the Protestant churches in Germany. Armstrongites have constantly presented this accusation to their followers against the Roman Catholic Church and yet it never happens.

Brad Macdonald has an article complaining that some people do not like President Trump. Since when has any US president been universally adored by everyone? That has never happened and never can happen within a democracy.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article criticizing China over the Covid-19 pandemic and trade issues.

Joel Hilliker has an article promoting Armstrongism's God family doctrine after talking about how one thinks about death. The founder of Armstrongism, Herbert Armstrong, in all likelihood plagiarized this doctrine from another source as he did with many other teachings. Many have suspected Herbert Armstrong's source of this doctrine was Mormonism. Another possible source is the early Watchtower Society back in the days of their first leader, Charles Taze Russell.

The Infographic complains that the death rate of Covid-19 is estimated at too high a figure. However Covid-19 is so contagiousness even if it had a death rate of less than 1% and not 3.4% it will still kill vast numbers of people and overwhelm the health care infrastructure of society. And that will also kill many other people unable to access healthcare because of the many people who got severely sick by Covid-19. We must be careful not to downplay how serious the Covid-19 pandemic truly is.

Joel Hilliker has an article that mentions Alexander Solzhenitsyn's detention within the Soviet Union's gulag system of labor camps. In this article Hilliker "assures" his readers that a wonderful future world will be created after humanity goes through a time of horrific horrors, namely a future war PCG and fellow Armstrongites call the Great Tribulation during which the United States will be conquered by a future European Empire. This future war is to culminate in (Armstrongism's interpretation of) Christ coming to Earth and ruling over the world for a thousand years of peace and happiness under an Armstrongite theocratic dictatorship.

Stephen Flurry has an article insisting that there should only be one Christian church. PCG's leaders make it clear elsewhere that they teach that PCG is the only "true" Christian church in all the world. He even mentions Roderick Meredith splitting away from the Global Church of God in 1998 in order to denigrate the other COGs as using systems of government he disagrees with. In reality most COGs practice an authoritarian style of governance similar to PCG's.  

WorldWatch discusses the United States upgrading their nuclear weapons in Germany; Germany sending soldiers to Libya to impose an arms embargo; Pope Francis calling for a universal basic income; Prime Minister Netanyahu getting an agreement to pursue annexation of part of the Palestinian West Bank as part of a new Israeli government (now on hold); a clash between Iranian and US ships; the US withdrawing from certain bases in Iraq; China once again staking their territorial claims in the South China Sea; the US State Department accusing China of testing zero yield nuclear weapons tests; and a claim that internet trolls from China are spreading misinformation regarding lockdown measures in the US.

SocietyWatch discusses an increase in consumer debt; changed personal habits caused by the Covid-19 pandemic; and a lower marriage rate among adults in the United Kingdom.

Stephen Flurry has an article calling upon readers to use their time wisely.

Andrew Müller has an article demonizing environmental activism as some sort of modern form of "paganism." This is vile name calling that falsely conflates concern about the environment with certain religions that happened to be prevalent in some parts of the world before the rise of Christianity.

And so we see that the PCG leadership continues with their attempts to attract more tithes paying converts even as the world faces the supreme crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic.

PCG Recruiting for More Tithe Payers in the Coronavirus Era: Overview of the May-June 2020 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

Around mid-April 2020 the PCG leadership released the May-June 2020 edition of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Now the PCG leadership, like the rest of us, witnessed America getting ravaged by this dreadful disease, namely Covid-19. What did the PCG leadership do in the wake of this supreme crisis? Insist that their doctrines are correct.

The cover portrays President Trump as wearing a face mask and yet President Trump made a show of refusing to wear face masks. Nevertheless he has been known to wear them sometimes. It is now widely accepted that wearing face masks helps to protect people from getting infected with Covid-19. At present it is not possible to have herd immunity from Covid-19 but the effect of herd immunity can be enjoyed right now if everyone wears face masks. We need to conduct ourselves so as to keep everyone else safe from this terrible disease.

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

This issue had a circulation of 244,874 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that prophecy is proof of PCG's God. Here is Gerald Flurry talking about himself. "Watchman" is one of numerous titles he has taken for himself to bolster his prestige within PCG.

God is saying that a WATCHMAN MUST WARN! He gave prophecy for a REASON, and He commands His people [PCG] to tell the world of the dangers that are coming! If we don't then we are as worthless as a slumbering watchdog. (p. 1.)

Brad Macdonald has an article telling his readers that (PCG's) God is in charge even though many people are suffering and even dying because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zechariah 6 shows that God Himself--through these four angels and their legions--IS CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATING WORLD EVENTS. Some might think it preposterous to say that God monitors world conditions using angels. Some will find it hard to visualize angels crisscrossing the planet, keeping tabs to ensure events unfold according to Bible prophecy. [Such objections are dismissed by Brad Macdonald.] (p. 5.)

Richard Palmer has an article insisting that PCG's dogma that Europe will soon conquer America will be fulfilled even though much of Europe has been badly affected by Covid-19. Here is Palmer's dire prediction of the future European Empire fated to soon conquer America according to PCG dogma.

This is a united European superstate, ruled by kings, not elected representatives, and united under one overall strongman. This is exactly the direction the coronavirus crisis--just like earlier crises--is driving Europe. (p. 9.)

They make this dire prediction despite PCG's record of numerous failed prophecies.

Stephen Flurry has an article insisting that the Democratic Party and CNN are using the Covid-19 pandemic against President Trump. He also condemns governmental stimulus measures. Also he insists that lockdowns do not work. He cites one study from Imperial College that forecast a high death toll in the United Kingdom and then Stephen Flurry complains that the high death toll did not occur. The high forecast would only have come true if the UK government did nothing. But the government and the people rallied together to fight Covid-19 and so that dire prediction did not come true. Unfortunately Covid-19 still killed about 41,500 people in the UK which is the highest death toll for a nation in Europe. This is still a catastrophe.

Richard Palmer also has an article insisting that various financial stimulus measures made to protect people from financial collapse caused by Covid-19 will lead to a future economic collapse. With this article people are to be anxious over governmental attempts to help people during this supreme crisis.

The cycle [of governments burrowing money] continuously builds up more debt. In the long run it is unsustainable. Step by step, choice by choice, we are creating conditions guaranteed to produce an unprecedented, world-altering crash. (p. 16.)

Even though PCG and other Armstrongite groups insist that a future European Empire will militarily conquer America they still scare readers with other topics of dread such as an economic collapse.

Joel Hilliker has an article insisting even worst disasters will soon occur. He even calls the Covid-19 pandemic a "comparatively minor crisis" at one point.

You need to know how to react, physically and spiritually--because even more-serious [sic] crises are coming. ... [Speculation by experts] is creating a lot of hysteria. Most of the shocks to stock markets have not come from existing problems, but from fear of possible problems.... Bible prophecy says far more and far worse crises are coming. ... Witness people's behavior in this comparatively minor crisis. The world has never reacted to a pandemic as it is reacting today. (pp. 16-17)

Gerald Flurry also has an article condemning the Democratic Party. Even as America faces the supreme crisis of our time he still found time to condemn the major political party he does not like. He talks about Obama, Hitler and also cites Newt Gingrich in a Fox News interview to scare monger that civil war is approaching even though most politically motivated violence in America is committed by far right extremists. This article also proves that PCG happens to be right wing in its political stances. I do not condemn PCG for choosing to be right wing but they sometimes profess to not be right wing even though many of their writings plainly reveal otherwise.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article speculating that constitutional changes in Russia have turned President Putin into a dictator. Meanwhile PCG operates with a "one-man rule" system of managing themselves. 

WorldWatch discusses the possibility of increased migration into Europe due to the ongoing Syrian Civil War; the making of a facial recognition database in ten nations within the European Union; Pakistan test firing a cruise missile; the possibility of the Israeli Jewish center-left allying with Palestinian citizens of Israel to form a government without Netanyahu's Likud Party (which did not happen); Iran producing more enriched uranium after the Trump Administration refused to abide with the JCPOA agreement; Russia upgrading its nuclear weapons; the argument between Russia and other OPEC nations over how much oil to export; and various flu viruses in Asia. While discussing these flu viruses the following tone deaf comment is made:

Unlike African swine fever, H1N1 bird flu can infect humans. Though this is rare, it has a human mortality rate of about 60 percent. (Coronavirus has a mortality rate of 1 to 2 percent.) (p. 28.)

For most people it is not that important that the H1N1 bird flu is so deadly since the world now has to deal with the terrible Covid-19. Also Covid-19 is not a flu, it is a coronavirus. This difference is not mentioned. Covid-19 is related to certain strands of the common cold. And Covid-19 has the ability of infecting many people at once thus overwhelming the health care infrastructure of society. We must be careful not to minimize this ongoing pandemic.

SocietyWatch is absent in this issue.

Joel Hilliker has an article in which he talks about the practice of quarantining people to try to make people curious and determined to take advice from (PCG's interpretation of) the Bible in physical and spiritual matters. It is an attempt to proselytize his readers.

The letters section has one short letter from a person in Rhode Island.

I'm addicted to the Trumpet.

It is unfortunate that this person is in all likelihood unaware of the many problems concerning PCG.

The letters section highlights a PCG article entitled, "The Wuhan Coronavirus and the Bible's prophesied Disease Epidemics." Many people have objected to having this disease called that as offensive and even racist. Instead of helping and encouraging victims of the coronavirus this name stigmatizes the people of Wuhan.  

Richard Palmer has an article saying that one must trust in (PCG's) God and that it is impossible to trust human experts. 

And so we see that PCG produced yet another issue of their recruitment magazine seeking more tithe paying converts for their organization. They continuously assure their readers that they know what will happen in the future but in fact PCG has made many false prophesies that have simply not come true. There is no need to listen to the PCG leadership to get saved from an alleged future event or to gain God's favor.