Overview of the November 2016 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

The latest issue of PCG's recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet, is now out.

Let us see what they have to say.

The editors of this issue are Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Brad MacDonald, Richard Palmer, Robert Morley, Jeremiah Jacques, Dennis Leap and Phillip Nice.

The circulation for this issue is listed as 277,131.

Gerald Flurry has an article scare mongering that the European Union will soon rise up in "the spirit of Charlemagne" and become a military superpower fated to conquer the United States.

It is accompanied with side articles talking of Margaret Thatcher's opposition to Britain joining the European Union and scare mongering about Bill Clinton being awarded the Charlemagne Prize.

Brad MacDonald has an article implying that Merkel will be forced out of power fated to be replaced by Karl-Theodor zu Guttenburg. Since 2009 PCG's 1% has constantly insinuated that zu Guttenburg is fated to be the military ruler who will conquer the United States.

Richard Palmer has an article insisting that the European Union will soon throw away its secular ethos to become some sort of Catholic theocracy fated to murder Sabbatarians such as PCG members.

Christopher Eames has an article noting various accounts of the Bible gaining extra-biblical support. This topic is very common among Christians. That gives no distinctive motive for a person to join PCG alone.

Jorg Mardian has an article saying that cheap food is not cheap at all.

Andrew Müller has an article moaning about Americans taking too many prescription drugs and lambasting the pharmaceutical industry as being like illegal drug cartels. It is worrying to see an article like this in this publication taking into consideration Armstrongism's long history of promoting HWA's anti-medicine superstition.

The Infographic discusses addiction.

Kieran Underwood has an article blaming pacifism for the fall of France to the Nazi regime in 1940 during World War II.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article speculating that Bashar al-Assad could soon fall. Back in 2011 Gerald Flurry insisted that the Assad regime would fall in Syria to be replaced by a pro-Europe regime which be antagonistic to Iran. This article serves to reinforce that dogma.

The correspondence course discusses having a good name.

Jeremiah Jacques has a little article scare mongering that terrorism works.

Joel Hilliker has an article encouraging people to take responsibility for when things go wrong.

There are letters. One letter from Brazil praises an article that discusses Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, who selflessly saved hundreds of Jews fleeing Nazi tyranny by granting them visas despite receiving orders to the contrary from those above him.

I was profoundly moved by this amazing story of one of the few world citizens who decided to do the right thing in the face of wrong.... Thank you.

It is terrible that a group such as PCG should try to exploit the name of a noble man like that in their recruitment magazine.

And Andrew Müller denounces socialists of the 1600s and state that the Bible only talks about freewill charity and not government assistance to help the poor and disadvantaged.

And so we see that PCG has once again made a recruitment magazine designed to bedazzle readers into thinking that PCG's leaders can see the future. They can not. They are but false prophets.

PCG Still Mainly Silent About Trump's Comment

In the last post it was noted that as of the time of that posting PCG, LCG and UCG had not bothered to write even a small article to discuss Trump's recently disclosed comment about women. (There was one tweet that seems to allude to this but it was very vague and did not refer to the scandal specifically.)

Let us see if PCG has mentioned now.

So PCG has released a few articles on their website to start off the working week.

There's one article by Richard Palmer about the Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, wining the Nobel Peace Prize for his attempts to bring peace in the country's long running civil war. It also scare mongers about the Catholic Church.

There's one article by Kieran Underwood about Jacques Hamel, the French priest who was murdered by ISIL sympathizers, being given a fast track to sainthood.

There's one article by Gerald Flurry scare mongering about Europe being fated to arise as a military superpower fated to conquer the United States. Somehow this modern day superstition is still being used to try and find new followers after eighty years of failed predictions.

Let's now look at their radio station.

Here's the synopsis for the latest broadcast of The Trumpet Daily, hosted by Stephen Flurry.

In recent months Iran has taken steps to strengthen its presence in critical areas throughout the Middle East. In Iraq, Syria and Yemen, the Iranians have bolstered their influence and put pressure on neighboring nations. Over the weekend, another flare up took place in Yemen where two missiles were fired from Houthi territory towards a United States patrol boat. As the Middle East continues to destabilize, look for Iran to continue angling for control. Listen to Stephen Flurry discuss the prophetic importance of Iran’s advances in the region and much more on today’s Trumpet Daily Radio Show. 

In other words Trump's comment is not specifically addressed in the synopsis. Whatever is said in the broadcast is said only to listeners. It is not mentioned in the synopsis.

There has also been another broadcast of Trumpet Radio Live. It is entitled "Hurricane Aftermath, Debate Aftermath". Here is the synopsis.

On today's TRL:
- $800 billion in damage from hurricane?
- Another ugly debate
- How sugar is in that drink you drink? [Sic.]

Again Trump's comment is not specifically mentioned in the synopsis. Whatever is said in the broadcast is said only to listeners. It is not mentioned in the synopsis.

Meanwhile pcog.org has said absolutely nothing but since that website is less focused on political affairs that is unsurprising.

One wonders why PCG's leaders did not bother to address this issue in writing freely accessible on the Internet? How can they judge the issues concerning that comment as less important than what they chose to write about?

COGs Mainly Silent on Trump's Comment About Women

So the election campaign has been rocked by the revelation of Trump boasting of being able to grab women in their private area because he's a star back in 2005. Such words have justly earned widespread condemnation.

I took a look at PCG's websites (thetrumpet, pcog, and kpcg), LCG's websites (tomorrrowsworld and lcg) and UCG's main website. As far as I can tell none of them has discussed this disturbing revelation about the man who could be President on those websites.

However PCG's Dennis Leap appeared to allude to this matter in a tweet dated 8:53 PM, October 7, 2016 but even then he neglects to specifically discuss the matter and he does not single out Trump specifically for condemnation instead condemning both candidates.

It's the most hypocritical election process I have ever seen. Both candidates are so guilty. The shame is too much to handle. So sad for USA

It's the most hypocritical election process I have ever seen. Both candidates are so guilty. The shame is too much to handle. So sad for USA

— Dennis Leap (@DennisLeap) October 8, 2016

Do they not care about protecting the women in their lives from this disdainful and disturbing attitude? Is this matter only worth a very vague tweet on a private Twitter account? Is this matter somehow not worth an article from any of them on their main websites?

PCG Members Denounce President Obama as Demon Filled, Modern Day Antiochus

Back in 2013 Gerald Flurry released a booklet entitled America Under Attack which denounced President Obama as a modern day Antiochus Epiphanes, an Antichrist like figure of Flurry's own devising. This equates President Obama with the cruel king who placed an idol in the Temple in Jerusalem. He also compared him to Tkach and denounced him as a tool of Satan used to help bring about the destruction of the United States. 

As absurd as such talk is some PCG members have embraced this paranoid view of affairs as may be seen in this comment thread discussing an article by PCG's resident McCarthyite, Andrew Müller, which denounced various limitations that exist for Christian clergy in the US military.

Here is one comment insisting that President Obama's head is full of demons.

The whole head is sick. I never seen such filth coming from a American President. He must be full of demons.

Here's one comment calling for PCG members to rally themselves for the supposed trials they will supposedly soon endure.

I am thankful to god that this voice will never be silenced. the bold and fearless remnant elect who do “NOT fear their faces.” We must ALL apply that “GRIT” that Mr. Jeremiah Jacques so eloquently spoke to us yesterday about. Be ready for the days ahead.

One commenter seemed particularly moved by Müller's claim of Christian chaplains supposedly being silenced in the US military.

Mr. Miller this is one of the most depressing if not the most depressing but yet truthful articles I ever read on the Trumpet. Just based on this article alone you can easily see why the King of the North (the rod of God’s anger) will easily defeat modern day Israel (US, UK, and Judah). Just from this article alone you can see why God the Father and the Messiah are so angry and there will be no more delay in punishing modern day Israel! Indeed modern day Israel has fallen under the spell of the ‘god of this world’!

One regular commenter then interjects with a short comment stirring up resentment against people in other religions including Islamophobia.

But they have no restrictions against pagan religions such as Wicca or Islam.

Here's one comment insisting that America is getting worse and worse. The commenter's discussion of the "spirit of Antiochus" and "lawlessness" indicates this person is quite familiar with PCG's writings and is probably a member. In this comment Israel refers to the United States, Britain and the State of Israel.

The spirit of Antiochus and lawlessness is continuing to spread throughout all of “Israel” and is absolutely rampant in this most powerful nation of the group. It has destroyed more completely any semblance of “right” principles upon which our founding fathers established this nation. As the lawlessness increases, so the effects of that lawlessness also are increasingly magnified… cause and effect. In and of itself… what a shame! However, in the context of where we are in relation to the return of Christ and the end of man’s flawed and evil rule over man, then may God’s will be done!

One commenter (author of the third comment) thought the preceeding comment was "great".

Great comment.... The spirit of Antiochus is throughout the American society. To my ugly surprised I even had republicans defend these ungodly policies. That is why in my comment I added the statement with an improvement here that all political, military and the people of modern day Israel are under the spell of the ‘god of this world’!

One commenter absurdly alleges that Jihadists are protected.

Who could have imagined it would get this bad? You can stand on a street corner and preach Jihad and your protected. You can burn the flag Its your constitutional right. You can spit, scream and swear in the face of a police officer and that is all fine. But open your mouth to speak from the Holy Bible and your guilty of committing a hate crime.

The third commenter returns insinuating that allowing gays to openly serve in the military will lead to the United States getting annihilated like Sodom and Gomorrah.

I could not write this comment any better than you did! Thank you! The modern day Israel is unthankful to what God the Father and the Messiah has given to us! We think it is a product of our abilities instead that God promised Abraham this prosperity! Now God the Father and his Messiah are so angry with us even more so that they were with the people of Sodoma and Gomorrah! We will reap the fruits of our disobedience towards our creator! One of the thinks the Father will do is to totally break down the morale of the military! The military was the last bastion of morality. Unfortunately the ‘god of this world’ through his devious schemes already conquered that bastion too! The Father has no many options with us! We are forcing his hands to accelerate the punishments on modern day Israel!

One commenter disparage executive actions as mere temper tantrums.

When the Commander-in-Chief throws his little executive order tantrums and wouldn’t exactly be known around the world for being a religious example, it comes as very little surprise that he would twist a law on its head to persecute the very peope it is meant to protect. A sad and shameful situation for the American Military but the people of America got the very thing they wanted/voted for.

One regular commenter implies in a dire manner that the next election will be "the final in your face kick by America".

Think things are bad now wait for the next set of elections (US presidential and congressional) for the final in your face kick by America. Can’t imagine God or His Son Christ will like that any better. The warning has been given to Israel for over 70 years. It wouldn’t be surprising for THE punishments to really arrive enforce to teach the only lessons mankind will hear… With all due respect Israel bring them on!

One regular commenter implies that problems US veterans face when coming home are because they do not have the commenter's religion.

Wow, then we wonder why ‘ our ‘ greatest Military has such low moral and come home with ‘ problems ‘ , no Spiritual guidance what so ever, this is only going to get worse, such a shame.

One commenter expresses rage against Satan and fantasizes about getting into a brawl with Satan.

My blood is boiling against satan and his demons . I wish I could just have one or two rounds against him outside on the grass but I will have to have a perfect body and mind. Michael and Gabriel struggled for a couple of weeks just to past by the devil to bring a message to Daniel. Thank the Lord that satan will be the last enemy that will be destroyed by God the Father who created him.

The third commenter responds to the above comment.

Indeed ... the devil, ‘the god of this world’ and his demons are the source of all evil. I cannot wait for the Day of Atonement when God will put the devil and his demons away and stop influencing the world the way they have for the past six thousand years!

One commenter implies that the Obama Administration is preparing the way for the establishment of a "New World", possibly a reference to "New World Order" conspiracy theories.

I question this articles conclusion of “the Obama administration is setting up secular humanism as America’s established religion.”
Rather, this will only be a stepping stone to something far worse. The writers of the 1986 movie Cobra (starring Sylvester Stallone) understood this when a villain stated: “I ain’t no psycho, man! I’m a hero! You’re lookin’ at a … ‘ hunter! I’m a hero of the New World! ”
That is, the Obama administration aims at a moral inversion.

One commenter insists military chaplains face similar issues in Australia.

This is nothing new since here in Australia chaplains in the services have had their content watered down for decades. Many return to mainstream churches so they can actually preach again.

One Spanish speaking follower of PCG has this simple denunciation of President Obama.

Esta actitud de Obama, es la actitud de Antioco Epífanes.

One commenter denounces President Obama as having a lawless mind.

Antiochus is flying his flag and the State of his mind, lawlessness rules.

PCG leans far to the right in regards to politics. Naturally their audience reflect that tendency of theirs. Their partisan hostility towards those not politically aligned with themselves is quite evident in the quotes above.

PCG's Trumpet Radio Live on the Charlotte Riots and the Presidential Debate

Since 1992, if not earlier, PCG's leaders have promoted a false prophecy of "race war." They teach that in the near future African Americans will launch a wave of riots against the white majority. This paranoid attitude influences how they view and discuss relations with the African American community.

Wanting to know more about PCG's reaction to the protests and riots in Charlotte I listened to the following broadcasts of Trumpet Radio Live, hosted by Dwight Falk and Grant Turgeon.

• September 21, 2016.

Here the situation is only beginning. It is mentioned for the first six minutes.

At one point Michael Brown is mentioned and Black Lives Matter protesters are lambasted for citing that shooting. Falk states that Brown robbed a convenience store, had smoked marijuana, and attacked the police officer who shoot him.

It should be noted that marijuana is utterly irrelevant regarding the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

In other words, just because marijuana was found in Brown’s system does not mean he was high at the time he was shot to death by a police officer. It doesn’t even necessarily mean he recently consumed cannabis. Such false assumptions often lead to claims that marijuana use is directly linked to criminal behavior. While some studies have found higher marijuana use among criminal offenders, the presence of THC [the active ingredient of marijuana] in their systems is often circumstantial, rather than a contributor to the behavior itself. 

Even if Brown was high or had recently used marijuana, there is little evidence to suggest Brown would have been more aggressive or confrontational when approached by a police officer because of it. In fact, if Brown were high, a number of recent studies suggest that marijuana would have made him much less aggressive. (Nick Wang and Matt Ferner, So What If Michael Brown Had Marijuana In His System When He Was Killed?, Huffington Post, August 18, 2014.)

He also insisted that the police officer was cleared. But what actually happened was that a grand jury ended the investigation. A grand jury is not a jury. A grand jury does not hear evidence for and against a defendant but only from the prosecutor. A grand jury does what the prosecutor tells it to do. A grand jury by design is very favorable towards the prosecutor and does what the prosecutor tell them to do. It is extremely rare for a grand jury to say the case should not proceed. These things are not explained.

• September 22, 2016.

Here the discussion becomes more detailed. It is mentioned that some rioters tried to throw an unconscious journalist into a fire but the police stopped them. It is constantly insisted that the police are restrained and are barely able to hold the rioters in check.

It is insisted that the protesters are wrong about some of what was said condemning the shooting of Scott.

At one point Turgeon mentions that he watched Sean Hannity on Fox News which broadcast for an hour discussing the situation in Charlotte without any commercial breaks. He states that Hannity was lambasting President Obama for not doing enough to stop the riots. Considering how far to the right PCG leans it is unsurprising to notice that a person this high up within PCG's ranks should be getting his information from there.

Back on April 4, 2013 PCG's Jeremiah Jacques discouraged PCG's writers from overly relying on Fox News as a source for their articles since many people seeing this will assume (correctly) that PCG is right wing and ignore them.

Fox News is less “conservative” than it is “republican.” There is a great stigma associated with it among many people. Many who consider themselves moderate or liberal get instantly bristled by it. Beware of the way people recoil away when if we cite it. We should almost always try to balance it out with another source. If we quote it alone, people will assume an ideological slant. (Jeremiah Jacques, April 4, 2013.)

Clearly that advice is not being followed here.

Now I do not condemn PCG for being right wing. But it is important to note that they are right wing because this explains many of the political stances they choose to make.

Listening to them insist that the protesters are wrong I cannot help but wonder if that drives some of their denunciations of Black Lives Matter protesters. Since their motivations are ignored then what happens must seem irrational and to have almost arisen from nowhere. But there are reasons why things like this have occurred over the years. These things do not just happen.

• September 27, 2016.

Here Falk and Turgeon mention the first presidential debate. At first it is mentioned that politics is such a burden but as they discuss the debate it is quite clear and unsurprising where their sympathies lie.

It is mentioned that CNN did a poll in which Clinton won but then they mention an Internet poll that said Trump won.

It is insinuated that the moderator was politically biased in Clinton's favor even though he has been listed as a registered Republican since 2003.

Fact checkers are presented as politically motivated. At one point Falk feels compelled to insist that Trump's comment that Clinton had been fighting ISIL for all of her adult life was merely "a flippant comment" that was not supposed to be taken literally.

Turgeon said that Trump criticized Clinton well but said he should have criticized her about Benghazi and the emails more. Considering that nine investigations of Benghazi failed to find anything against Clinton it is doubtful that line of criticism would have worked for Trump.

They then talk about how utterly horrible and dreadful it is that some members of the Democratic Party should dare call some people racist. It is hard to take their criticism seriously considering how the organization they belong to, PCG, has historically condemned interracial marriage. In 1967 the US Supreme Court ruled that US authorities had no right to restrict interracial marriage and yet PCG's leaders have audaciously tried to impose this onerous burden on their followers.

• In 1997 PCG published a booklet by Gerald Flurry and Dennis Leap entitled Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God's Temple, which condemned interracial marriage as a "sin".

• In 1997 PCG also published a booklet by the late Ron Fraser entitled South Africa in Prophecy which in Chapter 3 insisted that interracial marriage was sinful and against (PCG's) God's will.

• In 2014 PCG published a booklet for singles entitled Single-Minded for God which stated that single PCG members are to date within your race. It is also mentioned that PCG's unaccredited "college," Herbert W. Armstrong College, has a policy against interracial dating. This may be seen in the following quote:
  
  "Be sure that, as at God’s college, you date within your race— even online dating. In most cases this is obvious, but sometimes it isn’t. If you have any doubts, please talk with your minister before you do any one-on-one dating—although group dating, with three or more people of different races, is encouraged. (p. 50.)"

• In 1997 PCG begin distributing pirated copies of Mystery of the Ages, a book that also condemned interracial marriage as sinful. This got them entangled in a drawn out court case with WCG which they lost but as part of an out of court settlement with WCG they paid $3 million to purchase the copyright to Mystery of the Ages and other writings by HWA. PCG greatly reveres this book that condemns interracial marriage as sinful.

Considering these things it seems quite absurd for persons from such an organization to complain about people calling other people racist. Condemning interracial relationships is racist.

Mark Armstrong Vilifying Refugees Again (and Multicultualism)

Mark Armstrong, leader of the Intercontinental Church of God, son of Garner Ted Armstrong and grandson of Herbert Armstrong, made another weekly update on September 30, 2016.

Let's take a look.

As is typical in his weekly updates he brings up a lot of issues all at one. It can be hard to keep track of his train of thought. Here he talks about the bombing against UN aid personnel in Syria; Syrian rebels; ISIL; xenophobic scare mongering about refugees who (he insists) are not refugees at all; and scare mongering about the American Muslim ethnic minority who already live in the United States.

The media is in full-throated dismay over civilian casualties and the reported bombing of medical relief and supply convoys.  Whether the U. S. has some role in the debacle is rather murky.  Are there supposed to be some “good guys” in the Syrian civil war?  Whatever happened to the “Syrian rebels” who were financially supported and trained?  Did they join ISIS or what?

The caliphate is still operating, both on the ground and on the Internet.  It seems that nearly every place on earth is under the constant threat of some “lone-wolf” following the murderous instructions of some obscure weird Muslim holy man.  We all realize that “refugees” have flooded Europe, thousands have recently been secreted to various locations around the United States.  But some of the most recent attacks are from Muslims whose families were taken in a decade or two ago, and they still haven't “assimilated.”  They still don't respect our laws or believe we have a right to exist.  Just like they don't think Israel has the right to exist, now nobody who fails to take up their heathen cause deserves to live.

Surprisingly in this section he links to a Mondoweiss article which says things that Mark Armstrong would not agree with.

Accepting refugees means more terrorism he seems to imply. Even though the Syrian refugees are fleeing repression and violence by the Assad regime and ISIL and the cataclysmic situation underway there these unfortunate people who saw their homeland turned into a war zone are castigated as terrorists. He clearly is aware that a cataclysmic war is underway in Syria but he seems to not pay attention to the fact that the refugee crisis is to a large extent a symptom of the Syrian conflict.

There is not the slightest shadow of a doubt that, given the advent of hundreds of thousands more “refugees,” we will see an explosion of terrorist attacks that will dominate (or terminate) the lives of the next generation. Even the utterly corrupt Director of the F.B.I. managed to say as much in recent congressional testimony. That's if time goes on and Iran or North Korea don't manage to fulfill their lunatic fantasies.

Mark Armstrong then condemns President Obama's opposition to legislation allowing the family members of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia.

He also castigates various moves made by the US government as part of implementing the deal with Iran to make sure that the International Atomic Energy Agency is allowed to monitor Iran's nuclear program. He also neglects to mention that the "$400 million worth of foreign currency" he mentions was to resolve a financial dispute dating back to the time of the Shah.

In the case of the unbelievable nuclear “deal” the administration cut with Iran, the blind followers had no involvement. This is something that was done without the cooperation or even the knowledge of Congress. Sure there was a lot of outrage, but nothing was done to stop it. Only recently have details begun to spill out, like the information and photographs of pallets laden with plastic-wrapped cash in the hold of an unmarked airplane (last January), said to contain $400 million worth of foreign currency. Now we learn that there may have been much more than that. 

Now it's leaked out that the White House secretly lifted sanctions on the two major Iranian banks that had played a major role in Iran's acquisition of nuclear related material and machinery. The news just broke, even though the treasonous action was taken back at the same time the secret cash was flown into Iran and the four American hostages were released nine months ago. It's one more blinding scandal that will be investigated, denounced and ultimately brushed aside like each one before it.

He then discusses the dismissal of Alabama's chief justice, Roy Moore, over his opposition to same sex marriage. He ends his weekly update by implying that some similar strife may come upon him and his followers. He also condemns multiculturalism and abortion which were never discussed elsewhere in this weekly update. (Unless condemning the arrival of refugees is viewed as part of a condemnation against multiculturalism.)

Strangely he also seems refers to himself and his followers as "bitter clingers".

We might all take stock.  What will we be willing to risk as society collectively rejects God's Laws and seeks to punish bitter clingers?  Will we go along to get along, or will we stand for the Truth regardless of the consequences from the utterly corrupt agencies of government, or the activists that would attack and silence all voices of opposition?  We now find ourselves in a shrinking minority of a minority and will stand out like a sore thumb as the do-gooder fascists try to stamp out all who are branded with every evil accusation for simply standing for God's Word.  And that means we will never play along with “gay-marriage,” multiculturalism, “a woman's right to chose” or any of the other corrupted parlance with which they desecrate this blessed land. 

And so we see more of the same vicious rhetoric being given to his followers. Considering how there are so many other problems to deal with in the United States it is shameful that he should try to make his followers fearful of people looking for safety after their homeland was torn apart by a cataclysmic conflict that has been ongoing since 2011.

He should be thankful that he is privileged to live in a land that has not experienced a similar cataclysm like that since 1865, Otherwise he might have to go elsewhere as a refugee and be condemned as a threat.

PCG: Music is Sending the Western World into Tribulation (2007)

Armstrongism has a long history of trying to control what music their followers listen to. PCG's Ryan Malone continues this Armstrongite tendency in his January 2007 article, "Are You Listening to the Right Music?"

Let us see what Malone has to say.

Exercising our senses to discern good and evil requires a lot of individual judgment. The Church cannot come up with a list of good bands and bad bands, good music and bad music. Not only would that job be overwhelming and impractical, it would deny people the character-building experience of exercising their own senses, coupled with God’s Spirit, to discern good and evil. 

We all need to be able to discern, meaning our senses must be exercised. The purpose of this article, therefore, is not just to lambaste the obviously and overtly satanic heavy metal or hard rock music, or simply to say something like rap isn’t really music. Nor is it just to praise the obviously wholesome types of symphonic music. After all, it shouldn’t take too much discernment or exercise to make those decisions.

Malone warns his readers to beware of popular music. Satan would be most likely to manipulate music that is popular and widely used, he insists here.

We could say that a good majority of fine art would be acceptable in that it generally does not have a negative effect on moods, and it offers intellectual stimulation. It also stands to reason that Satan would get the most mileage out of exploiting the popular tradition of music—the one designed to entertain and appeal to a wide audience. This would be especially so in the age of mass communication, as this enables him to get his moods and messages across more easily. 

Though caution and discernment should be applied to all music, popular music is generally where we need it the most.

Of course telling members to not pay attention to popular music has the effect of isolating such persons from mainstream society and render them more dependent on the group.

Malone warns the young within PCG to beware of popular music so as not to become exploited by big business firms funding music.

Young people: Even though you do not have God’s Holy Spirit yet, you need to exercise your senses as well. And here’s a secret that no one in this society will tell you: Getting wrapped up in this world’s music is just playing into the hands of those media moguls who want to make millions off you. They’re counting on the fact that you’re not discerning; that you’ll just accept what they tell you to like! Don’t let them do that. Don’t let them run your life. Be empowered. Train your senses. Be aware of your musical choices.

And who else makes millions of dollars? PCG. Gerald Flurry boasted in a 2012 booklet that PCG had an annual income of $19.5 million. That money comes from the members of PCG including many of the parents within PCG reading Malone's article.

Malone then casually assumes that the young will simply obey their parents regarding what music they listen to.

Obviously, you young people must trust your parents and obey them. With most of the youth in God’s Church, your parents or guardians have God’s Spirit. They need to be involved in the judgment and discernment of the music you listen to because of these spiritual components.

Malone tells his readers to beware of "bitter and angry" music.

Even setting aside the lyrics, in much of today’s music you hear singers who are bitter and angry—and their music often casts the same emotional fervor onto its listener. 

Would certain rap hits, even with “good” lyrics, still be considered good under this criterion? Lyrics aside, if the artist is shouting or yelling in an angry tone, is the art from God or from the being who wants to do violence to us? Is it still associated with provocative dancing and skin-tight halter-tops?

And knowing that some will interpret these words to mean to only listen to happy music he then confusingly tries to lessen this criticism.

This isn’t saying our music selections always have to be happy. Psalm 49:4 reads, “I will open my dark saying upon the harp.” Some music is sad, but it won’t necessarily depress you. David’s music was educational and helpful.

That is about as clear as mud.

The COGs have had a long history of fixating on peoples' looks. Malone's article continues that intrusive tradition.

As with many things pertaining to the physical senses, context is important. This applies in the area of diet—even foods God created aren’t good past a certain quantity. With dress standards, the amount of skin appropriate to show around the swimming pool is obviously different than the amount we should reveal in any other social situation.

He then talks about judging music based on how loud it is. Strangely in this section he only writes about music being used in a religious setting.

Also related to this is the volume of the music. The context determines the volume appropriateness. Music can be louder at Church dances than at a fine evening meal (but still not so loud that it prohibits decent fellowship).

Malone then mentions one song to suggest that it was unacceptable when it was released but now it is fine. How confusing.

Look also at the social context. The song “Rock Around the Clock” doesn’t make most of us want to revolt against our parents in this era—there is nothing in the spirit and attitude that relays that to most of us. Rather, today, we might just consider it peppy and cheerful. But it once carried those fruits and attitudes, and, at that time, it would have been wrong to entertain that type of selection.

He encourages people to listen to film symphonies to get into classical music.

Buy film soundtracks that emphasize the symphony orchestra. This music is usually more accessible to the untrained ear than certain classical pieces. This genre of music helps to condition the ear to a more symphonic sound and therefore make the transition to “classical” music much smoother.

Malone ends his article with these dire words insinuating that popular music will plunge the United States into nuclear World War III. What vicious nonsense.

Music is one of Satan’s main talents and tools and is one of the sins sending the Western world into tribulation! But music is also a force for great good if used properly. Let’s use good music to invite God’s presence into our lives. Let’s use good music to have His Holy Spirit flow more mightily so that we can keep Satan’s destructive influence out—conquering him once and for all!

In other words it is insinuated that not listening to this article could cause the reader to come under Satan's influence and lose one's salvation.

There are comments.

Here's one comment from a person relieved to have a better idea of how to judge music.

I've been thinking about this subject lately, thanks for making it easier to gather my thoughts of the subject. what a great concept I'm sure God inspired you to write. Thanks so much!!!

Here's one comment from a person who thinks it is important to listen to the kind of music Malone approves of.

Thank you for such a great article. I now understand even more the importance of good music in order to invite God's presence into our lives. Wow!

Here's one comment from a person relieved to know that her friend who likes rock music is wrong to say it is just as good as the kind of music used in church services.

Quite the wonderful article – excellent points made too. This is exactly the kind of talk I'm looking for, as I have a friend who believes rock music is just as good as music meant to glorify God. All credit given to you, thanks!

And so we see how Malone's words are being applied by PCG members.

Imagine that. PCG publishes an article that insists that (PCG's) God will plunge the United States into catastrophe because of bad music. What drivel.

PCG Calls Russia Communist

PCG's leaders seem to live in a different world from the rest of us. This synopsis for a recent Trumpet Daily broadcast by Stephen Flurry (September 30, 2016) contains three colossal errors which indicate that the PCG leadership is divorced from reality.

Vladimir Putin’s Russia is cracking down on the infiltration of Western immorality like pornography and homosexuality. Many Russians are supporting moves to block access to pornographic websites, and one group recently shut down an American exhibit in Moscow that was displaying perverted photographs. What does it say about America’s morals when Communist Russia is cracking down on the nonstop filth flowing out of America? Listen to Stephen Flurry discuss this subject and much more on today’s Trumpet Daily Radio Show. 

Pornography and homosexuality are not infiltrating Russia from the West. They were already there.

Russia has not been Communist since 1991. How did PCG not notice that rather obvious fact in the last twenty-five years? (Or maybe they wish the Cold War was still with us?)

PCG Scare Mongering of Urban Riots by African Americans

PCG has a long and shameful history of promoting their false prophecy of "race war." PCG's 1% insist that in the near future African Americans will launch a mass wave of riots against the white majority. Supposedly this mass wave of riots by African Americans against the white majority will occur everywhere in the United States at the same time. (It has to occur everywhere at once because otherwise this dire prediction just might not scare PCG's audience. If they are told it will happen in one place but not in another then the audience might think nothing like that will happen where they are.)

With the mass protests and riots in Charlotte following the death by shooting of Keith Lamont Scott unsurprisingly PCG's leaders have once again stirred up irrational fears of their racist false prophecy of a "race war" will soon occur at last. This may be seen in the following broadcasts.

• Stephen Flurry, Black Victim, Black Officer, Black Police Chief, Black Rioters—White ‘Devils’, The Trumpet Daily, September 22, 2016.

• Week in Review: Charlotte Unrest, Impending World Financial Crisis, U.S. Terror Attacks, Putin President for Life? and Much More, Trumpet Hour, September 23, 2016.

On the Trumpet Hour the unrest in Charlotte is mentioned in the first six minutes. It is remarked as though it is astonishing that African Americans should complain since an African American police officer fatally shot Scott. It is assumed that African Americans should not complain if one of their own is shot to death by an African American. Don't they see how strange it is for them to imagine that people would not feel anything if a family member or a friend gets shot by a police officer of the same race?

As for Stephen Flurry he chose to bring up previous convictions of the late Scott thus portraying him in a negative way which does not prove anything about what happened the day of the shooting. One could mention a certain incident concerning his father and boss in 1993.

Then he mentions the police officer in a rather adulatory manner and presents him as having a model life as a student and a model career until the day of the shooting. We need more African Americans like him Stephen Flurry proclaims.

He insists that Scott had a gun because the police said so. He talks about Scott's daughter talking about the shooting. Stephen Flurry portrays her as being wrong.

Black Lives Matter protesters are condemned as being wrong and presented as rushing to conclusions. But if waiting for conclusions is a virtue then why does he seem so confident in knowing that the Black Lives Matter protesters are wrong about the shooting? Shouldn't he wait for the investigation to be complete?

He also discusses the death of Justin Garr during the riots. He mentions that the police said it was a civilian on civilian shooting. He then mentions that a group of clergymen stated that he was shot by the police. After the broadcast an arrest was made.

He cites one African Americans talking about "white devils" which has the effect of inspiring fear and loathing among his listeners. Such talk is, of course, unjustifiable, inflammatory and worthy of condemnation. But there is little thought given to how this inflammatory and objectionable statement is merely a fringe view that most African Americans do not share.

Protests about police violence are hysterically denounced as a war on police. Condemning problems within the police is not a "war on police." To call it such is just hysterical hyperbole designed to shut down debate.

The ad in the middle of the broadcast states that there is a war on police. What ridiculous hyperbole.

In the second half of the broadcast he vaguely talks about how bad everything in America now.

He complains about the media complaining about Trump's brief statement about birtherism and complains that President Obama is guilty of worse citing the nuclear deal with Iran which he hysterically denounces as the worst foreign policy disaster (because his daddy said so). Back in 1994 Gerald Flurry proclaimed Iran to be the King of the South. If there is peace between the United States and Iran it would discredit Gerald Flurry therefore PCG's 1% loath the possibility that their dire predictions about Iran will not come to pass.

It is mentioned that the nuclear deal with Iran began to be implemented on January 16, 2016 in order to tie this into PCG's fixation on January 16 as the date of HWA's death and the supposed occurrence of Satan's expulsion to Earth.

Stephen Flurry ends the broadcast with a list of the various news stories, terrorist attacks by people influenced by the ISIL criminal network, that have occurred this year. It just goes to show how being PCG seems to be so intent on making themselves miserable.

PCG is wrong. Their dire false prophecy of "race war" will never come to pass. It is shameful that PCG's leaders should promote such horrid scare mongering to their followers instead of helping to address the problems. Instead those trying to address problems are vilified as wrong and as waging a "war on police," which is emotive hyperbole which has the effect of shutting down debate. The Black Lives Matter movement is a peaceful movement. So far those riots, those most unfortunate events, have only occurred in cities in which a fatal shooting had occurred. PCG's leaders said nothing about that circumstance in their dire false prophecy before it became an issue.

PCG's Deluded Dream of the Ark of the Covenant Being in Ireland

Banned by HWA has a post detailing the ridiculous, British Israelism inspired nonsense being promoted by PCG's 1% that the Ark of the Covenant is possibly buried in Hill Tara in Ireland.

Gerald Flurry is completely wrong to insinuate that the word Tara is etymologically related to Torah. Hebrew is a Semitic language. Irish belongs to the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family. They are not linguistically related. Flurry is wrong on this matter.

It is just awful how an organization should try to distract people with nonsense like this while so many other problems are happening amongst themselves. PCG members seem to dream of finding the Ark of the Covenant in Hill Tara, Ireland while giving less heed to the money they have been ordered to send to the organization.