Media Matters Discuss "Christian Identity"

Media Matters has asserted that David Barton, an academic who teaches at Beck University, a venture of Glenn Beck, spoke twice to "Christian Identity" groups in 1991. They cite a 1994 book by the Anti-Defamation League.

Barton claims that he was unaware of the racist nature of these organizations when he spoke to them.

Barton later said he was not aware that the events were hosted by groups with a racist ideology and said "that with as many as 400 speaking engagements a year, he cannot do background checks on each of the invitations he receives," according to an April 10, 1996, Seattle Times article (retrieved via Nexis).

I don't know much about David Barton so I am not going to comment on his professional life or the criticisms against his work which Media Matters presents in the article. Personally I am not sure if it was a good idea for Media Matters to bring up this matter. Barton said he didn't know the nature of these groups, so I would be reluctant to use this to criticize him over this matter at this moment. So doesn't this mean that he has already addressed this business? If he hasn't spoken to any of these Christian Identity groups in 19 years, if he has avoided them this long, shouldn't we leave this matter alone? Isn't that long enough to leave this alone?

I also must state here that Media Matters did not state just how virulently racist these "Christian Identity" groups are. Here is how they are described in the article, quoting a 1994 book by the Anti-Defamation League:

["]Christian Identity["] movement .... "asserts that Jews are 'the synagogue of Satan'; that Blacks and other people of color are subhuman; and that northern European whites and their American descendants are the 'chosen people' of scriptural prophesy."

It's worse then that. "Christian Identity" asserts that Jews are the literal, fleshy descendants of the Devil, and that whites are descendants of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. It is not enough for them to claim to be Israelites but they claim that Jews are impostors usurping the position of the true Israelites, the select European whites.

"Christian Identity" is a racist offshoot of British Israelism which originated from Victorian Britain, taught by men such as Richard Brothers, John Wilson and Edward Hine, and came into America. At first it was not racist towards Jews, instead viewing them as long lost cousins. It was from this non-racist form of British Israelism that HWA adopted it from J. H. Allen in the late 1920s. (Then carefully stole any credit Allen deserved by pointedly refusing to name him in his discussions about British Israelism.) Hence why HWA did not indulge in hating the Jews. But after World War II many of these British Israelites embraced racist doctrines that produced what is now known as "Christian Identity".

Because "Christian Identity" is related to British Israelism I feel it is necessary to mention this matter here.

Letter to ESN on Wade Cox' Armstrongite Group, Christian Churches of God

ESN has published an email about Wade Cox' Christian Churches of God. It's dated September 29. Take a look. The writer gives us a very unflattering portrayal of the leadership, and also expresses concern about their expansion into Africa and wishes that there were more resources on the Internet exposing the truth about this group.

LCG apologist Bob Theil has a fascinating article about this group. Similar to Jehovah's Witnesses, and unlike HWA, this group seems to teach that Jesus Christ is not divine and that He was generated and did not exist from eternity.

If you want to see what the writer is talking about here is the group's page concerning Africa and the Middle East.

Worryingly Bob Theil also indicates that this group is prone to making legal challenges, although he presents little evidence to support this.

On other matters a certain anti-Semite who denies the Bible has redesigned his website and whitewashed his commentary section which contained some of his most disgusting anti-Semitic hate speech, so some of his hate speech are now inaccessible. But there is still one booklet up on his website which claims the Jews are descended from Turkic Khazars and accuses Jews of dominating the slave trade. Both of these are anti-Semitic charges used to demonize Jews and stir up hatred. So I think this is just a trick. He is trying to obscure his hatred but it is clear he still retains his virulent anti-Semitic hatred.

[Update: Be sure to read the comment below. Here's more on this group.]

Rising From The Ruins

You've heard of Stephen Flurry's deceptive book length recruitment pamphlet Raising the Ruins, which, among other things, condemn Tkach for using dictatorial methods to change WCG while PCG operates in the same dictatorial manner, hails Ambassador Auditorium in Chapter 2 as a 'legacy that was neither heavy nor burdensome' naively ignoring the reality that it was a severe financial drain, approving quote HWA's deceptive doctrine of the dark century, quotes a lawyer who insists that Mystery of the Ages cannot be rewritten thus deceptively hiding the fact that PCG has surreptitiously changed HWA's writings, deceptively hides information about the virulent and deadly anti-medicine superstition which HWA taught, cunningly teach that Tkach Sr., was a puppet of Tkach Jr. without revealing that PCG teaches that Tkach Jr., is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2 (and not the last Pope as HWA taught) and much more can be said about it.

Well, recently, I quite randomly ran into this similarly titled book, Rising From The Ruins by Peter Daniels. No, I don't know what it's about and I'm suggesting that there is a connection but I just find it amusing that this book should use such a similar name.

The Bamboo Cross

The following is a reposting of my previous entry Last Year's Day of Atonement which was made to coincide with the Day of Atonement 2009.


As it is that time of the year again I wish to share with you all my last Day of Atonement as a COG believer.

It was habit during holy time to read spiritually uplifting material. Therefore on the Day of Atonement 2008 I went to the library and read a book there that had caught my attention. The Bamboo Cross by Homer E. Dowdy (1968).

It is an account of Evangelical Degar (Montagnard) missionaries among their people in Vietnam back in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a fascinating account of life among these peoples.

I was not evangelical at all but I was already familiar with most of COG doctrine and their stories so I read other religious works.

In this book a shaman incites a drunken horde to destroy anything white, including white people. The harassment from Communist Viet Cong guerrillas who tried to lure them to join them in their war.

It also relates how among one tribe it was the custom to demolish a house once a person died in that house.

Also it related how there was this tribe that lived in an inaccessible place that could only be accessed by climbing a treacherous stone.

Since this book was written before the Communist North Vietnam conquered South Vietnam I wonder what happened to them. This book is definitely worth a read if you can get your hands on it.

PCG's $24 Million White Elephant and Another False PCG Prophecy

According to the letters on ESN about PCG the Armstrong Auditorium may have actually cost $24 million.

Also check out this interesting letter:

Flurry has been screaming for years how short time is. [He still is. Recently he's been 'suggesting' Christ will return in about ten years.] He told me personally in 1993 that he didn't expect things would last until 1996. Thus, PCG would be a seven year work. (1989-1996). When that didn't happen, he had to use the gimmick of printing MOA. They claimed that God probably had given them seven more years to preach the gospel to the world. That began in 1997.

Rising From The Ruins

You've heard of Stephen Flurry's book length recruitment pamphlet Raising the Ruins, which, among other things, condemn Tkach for using dictatorial methods to change WCG while PCG operates in the same dictatorial manner, hails Ambassador Auditorium in Chapter 2 as a 'legacy that was neither heavy nor burdensome' naively ignoring the reality that it was a severe financial drain, approving quote HWA's deceptive doctrine of the dark century, quotes a lawyer who insists that Mystery of the Ages cannot be rewritten thus deceptively hiding the fact that PCG has surreptitiously changed HWA's writings, deceptively hides information about the virulent and deadly anti-medicine superstition which HWA taught, cunningly teach that Tkach Sr., was a puppet of Tkach Jr. without revealing that PCG teaches that Tkach Jr., is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2 (and not the last Pope as HWA taught) and much more can be said about it.

Well recently I quite randomly ran into this similarly titled book, Rising From The Ruins by Peter Daniels. No, I don't know what it's about and I'm suggesting that there is a connection but I just find it amusing that this book should use such a similar name.

Disinformation About Social Security

The Daily Howler is beginning a special report on the Right's campaign of disinformation to discredit Social Security in order to gut it when it is unnecessary and how the left how unfortunately allowed this state of affairs to occur.

If you think that Social Security is going to fail (I know many do) please read this. Many of us have all been misinformed on this issue.

Social Security is not going to fail. It is not in a crisis contrary to the many deceptive claims made by some persons within the Right.

Happy FOT, Armstrong Auditorium Opening

I hope everyone in the COGs have had a good Feast of Trumpets. I have nothing against anyone observing that day in order to please God. I hope COG followers had a good and happy Feast of Trumpets.

On other matters I'm glad that dreadful Koran burning stunt has been called off.

PCG's $20 million white elephant Armstrong Auditorium is now open. Stephen Flurry has another one of those articles glorifying what they have done, Incomparably Magnificent.

As mentioned here previously ESN reported that PCG has been acquiring other websites in order to make search results more favorable to them. Here's another site, StephenFlurry.com, which is essentially a blog of his articles.

The most recent blog there are Dedication Remarks. What struck me about this post is that, unless he there is more to the speech that was not included in that blog, he didn't thank his fellow PCG members,, who are required to live under the severe terms of PCG's dictatorial rules. If true, then that is a pretty large and unfortunate omission.

But, alas, because PCG is so notoriously dictatorial it will be very difficult for anyone to complain to the ministry without running the risk of punishment. If I was a PCG member I wouldn't complain due to fear. (But I must emphasize here again that this may very well be over nothing if there are other comments which were not included in that post.)

Armstrong Auditorium Soon To Open

Very soon now PCG's $20 million white elephant called Armstrong Auditorium is due to open September 5.

Stephen Flurry has produced this little article A House for God! for the opening.

Spam for Gerald Flurry

Someone has been sending spam promoting Gerald Flurry's Philadelphia Church of God cult. One of them reached one Dave Rhea, who works for The Journal Record.

Here is his response: Jesus Is Not a Spammer. Is Gerald Flurry?

Alas spamming is the least harmful thing PCG does (assuming the spam actually came from PCG instead of an enthusiastic member or fellow traveler).