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.

PCG Creates an Archaeology Institute

PCG has announced the establishment of their archaeology institute, the Armstrong-Mazar Institute of Biblical Archaeology. (Brad Macdonald, Trumpet Followers, Meet AMIBA, January 20, 2021.) This move was largely expected after PCG's leader, Gerald Flurry, printed a co-worker letter promoting the idea back on November 1, 2021.

Macdonald says that the PCG leadership hopes to excavate again.

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.

Macdonald states:

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.

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?

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.

And there might be another reason the PCG leadership are devoting so much time and money to reaching out to Israeli Jews.

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.

May PCG's efforts in the Holy Land fail.

PCG Blaming Obama for the Taliban Takeover: Overview of the October 2021 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

(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.)

Disclaimer: Page 10 features a disturbing photo of a child injured during a protest in Afghanistan.

In early September 2021 the PCG leadership released the October 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine, 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.

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 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.

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 "another Antiochus" 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.

In the article Flurry refers to the Taliban as "barbarians" and "thugs." 

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.

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.

I believe Barack Obama intended Biden to take the flak for what has happened here. (p. 31.) 

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 corruption within the Afghan government.

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 that Iran will be the future King of the South consequently PCG's vilification of Iran serves to "prove" to their followers that Gerald Flurry can see the future.

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.

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 Haaretz on August 13. “Iran Braces for Life Next Door to the Taliban Once Again,” Bloomberg headlined on August 19. Germany’s Deutsche Welle wrote, “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.) 

Since the Taliban's rise to power there have been reports 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.

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 who is often reverently quoted by PCG's writers. For decades the Armstrongites have insisted that predominantly Catholic Europe will soon militarily conquer the United States. This dire prediction has never occurred.

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. 

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.”

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.)

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. 

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.

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.

“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.)

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. 

Jeremiah Jacques has an article insisting that Russia and China are happy that the Taliban have conquered Afghanistan.

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.

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."

The global trend toward authoritarian governments has greatly accelerated during the so-called coronavirus pandemic. (p. 20.)

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.

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.)

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. 

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.

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?

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. 

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.

Joel Hilliker has an article saying that being humble is the way to achieve greatness. 

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 the Jehovah's Witnesses and British Israelism to create his own syncretistic system of belief. 

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 have made numerous false prophecies 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.

Vilifying "Science" as a "False Messiah": Overview of the September 2021 Issue of PCG's Trumpet

(Please note: PCG has recently chosen to promote an anti-vaxxer stance 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 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.)

In early August 2021 PCG released the September 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. This issue was published before the fall of Afghanistan.

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. 

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 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.

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. 

Stephen Flurry has an article condemning lockdowns and related restrictions designed to slow down the spread of that dreadful disease, Covid-19.

Richard Palmer has an side article bemoaning the National Health Service as inefficient and as a cause for the dissolving of the British Empire. 

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.

Richard Palmer has an article scare mongering that the Roman Catholic Church will soon change and lead a future European Empire to conquer America.

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.

Harley Breth has an article discussing the planned launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.

The Infographic discusses the satellite.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.)

Climate change is the major crisis facing human society. It is shameful that the PCG leadership are telling their followers that it is not real. 

SocietyWatch discusses deaths by drug overdose in the United States; fifteen Republican led states blocking the enforcement of federal gun laws; and a Scientific American article that denounces a literal belief in Adam and Eve as being motivated by racism against African-Americans.

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.

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.

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. 

Here's a letter from a person who calls PCG's recruitment magazine as the only source of information this person trusts.

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.

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 numerous predictions that failed miserably. 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.

Reading PCG's Booklet, Daniel Unlocks Revelation: Part 2

Continuing from Part 1 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 their website.

Chapter 4

Gerald Flurry denounces an article by Herman Hoeh from the November-December 1987 issue of Good News (pp. 9-12) and accuses him of minimizing HWA's importance in producing (PCG's approved interpretation of) prophecy.

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 him, for the Church. The truth is, God did no such thing. (pp. 77-78.) 

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.

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.

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.

In fact, we had to fight him [Herman Hoeh] personally in court depositions to hang on to that truth! (p. 79.)

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.

Flurry accuses Hoeh of making false predictions without authorization from HWA. However he does not state what prediction he is referring to.

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.) 

Moving on from Flurry's bitter denunciation he then insists that there is some mystical meaning in regards to Daniel's name.

As I emphasized in Daniel: Unsealed at Last!, the meaning of the book’s name is critical: “God is my judge.” (p. 80.)

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.

Pages 81-84 is largely a rehash of Armstrongite dogma citing Daniel and Revelation.

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.)

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.

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.)

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.

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. 

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.

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).  

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. Regardless of when this "king of fierce countenance" appears, it is going to be for an extremely short span of time. (p. 96.)

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.

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).  

 

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.)

Clearly the PCG leadership cannot predict the future.

Flurry ends with this call to his readers for supporting PCG.

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 want you to WATCH and PRAY, PROCLAIM my message and finish the work! Then, we will all STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN! (p. 102.)

However the PCG leadership have made many false prophecies since its founding 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.

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.

Anti-Vaxxer PCG: Overview of the July 2021 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

(Update: May 21, 2021: It is publicly known that some of the Covid vaccines, such as the Astra Zeneca vaccine and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, can have a rare side effect of causing blood clots. With the Johnson and Johnson vaccine this side effect appears to mainly occur among women younger than 50 years old. Covid also produces blood clots. Nevertheless the CDC has recommended continuing to use the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Anyone worried about such matters one should consult with one's doctor. We need to decide what do to based on medical science not the fear that Armstrongism often promotes or the hope that somehow their false prophecies will soon be fulfilled thus solving all our problems. We must face reality.)

In early May 2021 PCG released the July 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. This issue was released before the recent round of deadly strife in what used to be Mandatory Palestine. Even though hundreds of Americans are still being killed by Covid-19 every day PCG's leadership has decided to scare their readers about the vaccines that immunizes people from that dreadful disease, Covid-19. Anti-vaxxerism has been long term problem in the United States and elsewhere. Thankfully many people such as Voices for Vaccines, are trying to stand up against this dangerous and unscientific tendency. It is unfortunate that the PCG leadership has chosen to adopt an anti-vaxxer stance regarding Covid vaccines.

The cover illustration is by Gary Dorning. Here getting vaccinated against that frightful disease that is named Covid-19 is labelled as a form of "coercion" and the widespread attempt to encourage people to get vaccinated is presented as being somehow threatening. It is astounding that PCG's leaders choose to present the Covid vaccines as a threat to their readers rather then encourage them to protect themselves against that awful and sneaky disease that is Covid-19.

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

This issue has a circulation of 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 stays in its previous position.

Gerald Flurry has an article discussing the immanent succession of a new Chancellor in Germany. He speculates that the Christian Social Union in Bavaria might break away from its alliance with the Christian Democratic Union and run in all of Germany as its own party.

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that Donald Trump will return to the presidency. It is even implied that he might return to power in a military coup. Even though Biden was elected Flurry continue to stir up anger at the incumbent President among his followers and give them false hope that somehow Donald Trump will return to the presidency without needing to run in the 2024 election. This is partly an attempt to explain away his failed prophecy that Donald Trump would win the 2020 election and once it became clear that Biden had won this failed prophecy was altered to fit changed circumstances.

Stephen Flurry has an article condemning the political left once again. This time he cites statements by various leftist politicians calling for further reforms of policing to say that these leftists will never be satisfied therefore there is no need to listen to them or try to meet them halfway or anyway in managing American society.

Condemning Covid Vaccines

Stephen Flurry has an article saying that vaccines that protects us from the dreadful Covid-19 are somehow dangerous. He falls for the logical fallacy of the false equivalence, namely he compares the deadly disease Covid-19 with vaccines designed to stop Covid-19. That is like comparing apples and oranges. He outrageously calls the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as merely "a fairly standard flu epidemic" on page 11 even though Covid-19 is not a flu at all. Currently about 675 Americans die of Covid-19 every day.

Richard Palmer has an article scare mongering against vaccine passports. As more people get vaccinated to protect themselves from the dreadful disease we call Covid-19 people and businesses will find it easier to manage people by only letting vaccinated people to gather in certain venues. He says such a hypothetical is not the "mark of the beast" but then he dilutes his previous point by saying it may lead up to that. Such scare mongering is unhelpful in the current situation. The PCG 1% would not have any need to be worried about being inconvenienced with not having a vaccine passport if they just did the socially responsible thing and make America stronger by getting themselves vaccinated against that frightful disease.

It is shameful that PCG chooses to stir fear and doubts about vaccines against Covid-19. Alas, Armstrongism has a long history of adopting a hostile attitude towards medical science. Much pain and misery has been caused over the years by this hostile attitude that Herbert Armstrong and his hirelings promoted to their followers. For decades Armstrongism has caused people to be afraid of, and even refuse medical treatment. 

One of the most detailed records of this dreadful aspect of Armstrongism is William Hinsom's book, Broadway to Armageddon (1977). It is wise to heed the warning contained in this book.

Aren't PCG's leaders afraid that someone might unnecessarily place themselves in harm's way, or even die, reading their words on the matter of getting vaccinated to protect oneself from Covid-19? As far as is publicly known based on PCG's writings Stephen Flurry or Richard Palmer do not have any training in providing medical care. This is also true of Herbert Armstrong. They are talking about matters for which they have no professional training. The rise of particularly dangerous variants of Covid-19 such as those originating in Britain and India make it necessary to get as many people vaccinated against Covid-19 to reduce the danger of this dreadful threat. Those who are in doubt about vaccines against Covid-19 should go consult with their doctors about this topic, not unqualified people passing on unscientific scare stories.

Forgetting America's Indebtedness in the 1940s

Robert Morley has an article bemoaning so-called free money as having negative consequences. So the government chooses to be generous in providing financial assistance to help people in their time of need in this ongoing pandemic and Morley chooses to complain about the government spending money trying to help people. At one point he makes the following absurd complaint.

The national debt took more than 200 years to reach $1 trillion. It took only 26 more years [from 1982] to rise to $10 trillion in 2008, and only 12 years to exceed $27 trillion. (p. 17.)

The problem with the above statement is that Morley neglects to take inflation into account. A dollar in  1982 is worth more than it is today. A more accurate way to assess the size of the national debt is to compare the national debt to the nation's GDP instead of just looking at numbers that change due to inflation. Viewing it that way one would learn that the US reached a record level of debt in the 1940s and early 1950s due to World War II which is never mentioned in Morley's article. And that debt was greatly reduced as a percentage of GDP by about 1955. The national debt's record in and immediately after World War II has only been equaled by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a pandemic which ironically is often downplayed by the PCG leadership.

Morley used to be a regular author of articles in PCG's recruitment magazine. For whatever reason that is not the case at present.

The Infographic bemoans the decline of the US dollar's purchasing power. Instead of comparing the national to the size of the GDP it is measured compared with the price of gold which has the effect of making appear that though the US dollar has become drastically undervalued since the dollar's convertibility with gold was abolished in 1971. In the Infographic a complaint is made that abolishing the US dollar's convertibility with gold made it possible for the Federal government to print as much money as it liked but even so the national debt did not match the previous record height set because of World War II until the current coronavirus pandemic. Also the infographic does mentions that inflation is an issue when studying financial statistics but the implications of that fact is astoundingly ignored everywhere else in this recruitment magazine.

***

Joel Hilliker has an article saying that lying is wrong. While introducing this topic he goes on a right wing political spiel including questioning the legitimacy of last year's presidential election.

Look at the role of lying over just the past year with COVID-19, with irregularities in America's election last November, with truth and facts being censored by media and Big Tech, with leftist causes being promoted in spite of contrary facts. There is an epic amount of lying in the public sphere today. (p. 20.)

Jeremiah Jacques has an article about Elizabeth Anne Everest, the childhood nurse for Winston Churchill.

Gerald Flurry has an article saying the Former Prophets are also prophets who predict the future. It is mentioned that this article was published in PCG's other recruitment magazine, Watch Jerusalem, which is specifically targeted at making converts out of Jews.

Gerald Flurry has an article discussing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's split away from the British royal family which he hysterically denounces as causing division between America and Britain. This is an absurd claim to make. America and Britain need each other to pursue various common interests. This family rift, as tragic as it is, cannot change that fact. This is the second full length article in PCG's recruitment magazine mentioning this family split with the previous issue containing an article by Richard Palmer on this topic.

WorldWatch discusses France conducting its first military space exercises; Denmark trying to get Muslim immigrants to leave; saying the "fringe right" in the Netherlands did well in their elections even though it was a mainstream party that gained power; a petition among French police officers and soldiers claiming France is on the verge of civil war with the Muslims in it; Germany pledging $2 billion in aid to Lebanon which is portrayed as an attempt to influence that nation; Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa'ani visiting Iraq for two days in the early part of April 2021; Russia making deals with Cuba and Venezuela; President Putin signing a law that could let him remain as President as late as 2036; President Biden's decision to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021; and China opening up more coal plants while America and Europe close theirs down since it is not needed so much anymore. 

Also contained in WorldWatch is a little article scare mongering that America may soon experience hyper-inflation like in Venezuela. What PCG do not mention here is that a major reason why Venezuela is in such a mess is because their economy is heavily dependent on one resource, namely oil. In contrast America has many sources of income and consequently numerous options for managing the nation's finances. Also the US government's decision under Donald Trump to impose economic sanctions on Venezuela further exacerbates the situation.

SocietyWatch discusses the rise in gun violence in America over the last year (which is partly caused by political reluctance to change rules on this topic since such attempts are constantly blocked by the National Rifle Association, which is not explained in this little article); the problem of children finding ways to see pornography on the Internet in Britain; the introduction of military uniforms for pregnant women in the US Air Force which is portrayed in a negative manner; and reports indicating that many Canadians happen to have few savings.

Stephen Flurry has an article saying that the Fourth Commandment also requires one to work on the other six days. In this little article he condemns those who criticized Herbert Armstrong who making buildings when HWA had said Christ would return in just a few years. Stephen Flurry neglects to mention that it was Herbert Armstrong who told his followers from 1953 onwards that Christ would return in 1975.

Some people criticized Mr. Armstrong for continuing to expand the work of God's true Church by constructing new buildings when they thought Jesus Christ's return was immanent. [Stephen Flurry then cites Herbert Armstrong's August 28, 1967 Co-Worker Letter to settle his point.] (p. 33.) 

The discussion board has three letters condemning Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Here's a letter from a person in North Carolina who has disconnected himself from mainstream sources of information.

I quit watching and listening to the mainstream media several years ago and now depend on the PCG for almost all my news. I read the Trumpet from cover to cover every month. I listen to your podcast as often as I am able, making sure that I hear the weekly wrap-up every week. My life just would not be the same without you.

It is frightful to imagine a person such as the one cited above choosing to take this issue's statements about Covid-19 vaccines at face value. By depending on PCG to provide the news for this person alternative perspectives will be harder to notice or listen to for this person.

Here's a letter from a person bemoaning gay people. The letter is in response to an article complaining about the transgender community and efforts to make society more responsive to the needs and concerns of the transgender community.

The only answer to this is the Word of God. ... Most churches have become one with the world, with their gay flags flying. We have kicked God out of churches, the home, schools and government, and have become a lawless society. Man has caused the problem, but man can't fix it. Only God can.

Joel Hilliker has an article denouncing the political left in Britain for supposedly exaggerating the problem of systemic racism. 

The left has no interest in significant, documented improvements in race relations. That is because their power comes from dividing people. (p. 35.)

But PCG also creates divisions between people. Those labelled as "Laodiceans" are shunned by PCG members for either not being in PCG or for being removed or choosing to leave PCG. PCG publishes a book, namely Mystery of the Ages, that demonizes the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is viewed by some Christians as the unpardonable sin. Also in this book interracial marriage is condemned as contrary to (HWA's) God's will. Furthermore PCG teaches that it is the only true church in the world thus dividing PCG members from the rest of the world. PCG is very divisive.

And so we see that PCG continues to try to attract new members and keep current members persuaded to remain within PCG. However there is no need to be afraid of the PCG leadership's words of doom and gloom about events supposed to occur before Christ's return. Since its founding in 1989 PCG's leaders have made numerous false prophecies that failed to occur thus proving that the PCG leadership do not know what will happen in the future. And since they are wrong about their claimed ability to predict the future why listen to the PCG leadership about vaccines either?

As for vaccine hesitancy many have been dismayed by the prevalence of this tendency among some people. Many have wondered how they can be persuaded to get vaccinated. But just because some people choose to do this you don't have to do so. Those who get vaccinated against Covid-19 will make America, or whichever nation they happen to live in, stronger against that dreadful disease. Those who get vaccinated protect themselves and those around them from Covid-19 by getting vaccinated. 

That dreadful disease can and will be put under control if everyone do their part.

(Update: May 21, 2021: I had accidently allowed a paragraph to be placed twice in this post. It is exactly the same as the paragraph immediately under the second picture of this post. The duplicate mention of this paragraph has been removed.)

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.

Mourning the Loss of Power: Overview of the April 2021 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

In late February 2021 PCG released the April 2021 issue of their recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet. Here the PCG leadership were still processing their feelings about Donald Trump losing power to Joe Biden.

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 had a circulation of 247,023 issues.

Gerald Flurry has an article moaning that his preferred political party lost the 2020 election. As part of that he denounces the Mueller investigation even though the investigation was completed years ago.

Gerald Flurry also has a side article hysterically insisting that the left are somehow trying to "erase America." How a community defines itself is continuously negotiated within the community so it is natural that how a community identifies itself will change from time to time.

Stephen Flurry has an article exploiting a Time magazine article to portray the Biden election effort as being some sort of conspiracy.

Stephen Flurry has an article denouncing the left. The Democratic Party is hysterically portrayed as being nation destroying even though it was the Democratic Party that managed to get more people to vote for their presidential candidate in all but one presidential election since 1992, the exception being the 2004 election.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article negatively portraying the Biden Administration as weakening US allies in the Middle East. The PCG leadership are right wing in regards to politics so they supported the Trump Administration which was also right wing. So the Trump Administration looked for allies mainly among other right wingers including in the Middle East. Now the Biden Administration happens to be left wing consequently right wingers are somewhat displeased.

It is worth noting that PCG has a motive to denounce Iran. Back in 1994 Gerald Flurry dogmatically proclaimed that Iran would fulfill the role of being the "King of the South" fated to provoke the future European Empire into routing Iran as part of a sequences of events said to occur just before Christ's return. If peace were to ever be made between America and Iran such a peace would discredit Gerald Flurry's prophecy concerning Iran. All this helps fuel PCG's motivation to vilify Iran.

Richard Palmer has an article discussing the Gamestop rally. As part of this article he tries to discourage get rich quick schemes. While it is certainly right and proper to discourage such things it should be noted that Armstrongism tends like a get rich scheme. Join us and you will not be killed by a bunch of angry Germans. Join us an you will become a God being ruling over your own worlds. Becoming a God being is the ultimate get rich quick scheme. The only difference being is that the reward is deferred to the afterlife.  

Mihailo S. Zelić has an article denouncing George Soros for his financial support of left wing causes. The fact that the political right have their own sponsors (like the Mercers) is ignored.

Mihailo S. Zelić has a side article trying to link Soros with Barack Obama. Back in 2013 Gerald Flurry labelled President Obama as "another Antiochus," comparing him with Antiochus Epiphanes and Joseph Tkach, Jr. Because of this declaration PCG is determined to bring up Barack Obama in their constant denunciations of the political left even though Biden is the President.

The Infographic discusses forty-nine executive actions by President Biden. These measures are portrayed in an alarmist manner as happening too quickly.

Richard Palmer has an article insisting that America is about to be double crossed by a bunch of angry Germans in the near future. Armstrongites have been using claims of an immanent invasion by Germans for decades to make their followers afraid of the outside world and the future. And yet such an invasion has never occurred.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article denouncing evolution. Many others do so thus this position in and of itself cannot to used to "prove" that PCG is somehow uniquely worthy of being followed. 

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that (PCG's interpretation of) prophecy is true. In this article he makes the following statement.

God's reward is SUPREME GLORY. Christ has invited all who will follow Him prior to His Second Coming to proclaim His Message to the word to rule with Him for eternity! What a reward! (p. 27.)

In other words: get rich quick once you are resurrected or after (PCG's interpretation of) Christ returns. 

WorldWatch discusses the strength of the German military; Mario Draghi becoming Prime Minister of Italy again; Schleswig-Holstein in Germany opening a detention facility for people who refuse to follow quarantine rules; Germany trying to maintain military relations with Turkey (they are both in NATO after all); Ethiopia arresting fifteen people for allegedly plotting to bomb the Emirati embassy on February 3 (it is claimed that this was the work of Iran); Iran testing its Zuljana rocket on February 1; mass protests in Russia supporting Alexei Navalny when he returned to Russia; China passing a law allowing its coast guard to use force in the South China Sea; and it is mentioned that China gets a lot of its petroleum imports via the South China Sea.   

SocietyWatch discusses some left wingers in Portland complaining that Biden is not left wing enough for them; two hundred colleges teaching about critical race theory which is denounced as being somehow too much like Marxism (PCG often condemn things too left wing for their taste as somehow being like Communism or Socialism); an increase rate of people driving under the influence of marijuana (probably not as much as people driving under the influence of alcohol); and President Biden signing an executive order calling for equality for gays and transgender people in schools.  

Fred Dattolo (yes, that person) has an article advising the reader how to study the Bible. However since 1930s Armstrongism has developed an elaborate and complex interpretation telling the followers of Armstrongism to interpret the Bible in a rather specific manner. There is nothing in the Bible about a bunch of angry Germans marching their way through the streets of Edmond or Wadsworth after nuking the American nation. To think the soldiers of a supposed future European Empire would want to walk in a nuked land is absurd. There is nothing in the Bible that say, Germany is Assyria. This is an interpretation that the Armstrongites have created for themselves since the 1930s. While lay members fear of a future catastrophe the one percenters within the Armstrongite organizations have lived off of the tithes and offerings of the lay members for decades. 

(Incidentally there are actual Assyrians who still exist today. Armstrongites ignores them.)

The letters section contains letters from people saddened that Donald Trump lost the election. It is insisted that the election was somehow stolen from the Republican candidate.

God will definitely ensure that the truth comes out involving this election fraud. After all, God does works in mysterious ways and His timing is always perfect.

Another letter says:

What an encouraging article. We pray daily for Mr. Trump, and it was heartbreaking to see what happened. Knowing all our lives it is wrong to steal, yet seeing this take place is mind-blowing. Thank you for wring this article.

Here's a letter saying many African-Americans support Trump.

You are right on target. Why do they say it's a small set of black voters for Mr. Trump? That's flat out not true. My friends who are black voted for Mr. Trump. He is the one who held back the laws that are trying to come into play now.

The letter above is an example of anecdotal evidence. While this account may very well be true in this person's personal experience it proves nothing about how the majority of African Americans view this matter.

Joel Hilliker has an article calling for readers to be hopeful because (PCG's interpretation of) Christ will soon return and solve everything. The PCG leadership cannot leave their followers to despair too much.

But there is no need to be afraid of PCG's dire predictions of the future before Christ's return. PCG has a long history of making false prophecies a long history of making false prophecies which prove that the PCG leadership cannot see what will happen in the future.