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.)

Current Fighting in Israel/Palestine is Not a Sign of Armstrongite Prophecies Being Fulfilled

The State of Israel's blockade against the Gaza Strip could never create peace. Only a political solution could stop another round of fighting. Without a political solution it was essentially inevitable that fighting would break out again. In the six years since previous war in Gaza the Israeli government did not forge a political solution so now the dreadful prospect of war has been brought to pass. 

It is not possible to know with certainty what is going to happen with the recent dreadful upsurge in violence. The situation may calm down soon as in 2012 or it may get far worse. Sadly the latter seems more likely at the moment. 

There are many things in life which it is not possible to know definitively but there one thing can be known: These recent events are not a sign that (Armstrongism's interpretation of) Christ will soon return. 

Surely the Armstrongites will get excited regarding these events and say that this time their prophecies of the Great Tribulation and (their interpretation of) the Second Coming will soon actually occur. But what will happen is that time will pass and the Armstrongites' false prophecies will fail miserably yet again. Paying tithes to the Armstrongite organizations will not get any supernatural favor from God for those paying tithes.

Some Armstrongites or former followers might fear that these events may indicate that the end is near. There is no need to be afraid of that. The Armstrongites are false prophets. Their predictions of doom and gloom are empty words that will never be fulfilled.

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.

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

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

This issue had a circulation of 248,523 issues.

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

The side article condemns President Biden's inauguration.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This issue has a circulation of 246,497 issues.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this article Macdonald says the following:

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

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

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

PCG Stirring Up Transphobia Again

PCG's Joel Hilliker has posted an article complaining about a transgender woman, Dr. Rachel Levine, getting nominated by President Biden to be assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

In this article Hilliker uses many words designed to stir up fear and animosity towards transgender people. At one point Hilliker condemns what he calls "transgenderism" as a "bizarre new idea about gender" as may be seen below.

This [a proposed law to extend certain protections to transgender people] is a weapon against anyone who does not fully embrace this bizarre new idea about gender, which goes against biology, science and the functioning of family and society that almost all human beings have understood for all of human history. (Joel Hilliker, Transgenderism: Attack on Truth, Attack on Children, March 3, 2021.)

Even if one were to believe that being transgender was somehow contrary to one religion or another Hilliker is still wrong to claim that transgender people are somehow "new." In the Indian subcontinent there is the hijra community which has existed since antiquity. In Samoa there is the fa’afafine community. Transgender people have always been around. Since Hilliker is wrong about transgender people somehow being a new thing what else is he wrong about?

Also Hilliker refers to Dr. Levine numerous times with masculine pronouns refusing to respect how Dr. Levine would wish to be addressed.

Alas, some people are inclined to portray transgender people as a threat to the predominant family structure. But how can this be? Look at India. In many ways it is a more socially conservative society than America. And the hijra community has lived within this society for centuries. 

Transgender people are not a threat to your dreams and aspirations. We should not be afraid of the trangender community.

PCG Promoted Dubious Idea that COVID-19 Originated in a Chinese Lab

Back in March 2020 PCG posted an article putting forward the dubious idea that COVID-19 originated from a lab in China.

What they have found is alarming but not altogether surprising: COVID-19 appears to be a designer virus, a new breed of Franken-gene unleashed on an unsuspecting public. It appears to be a test-tube, made-in-lab pandemic. ...

Did the COVID-19 virus walk out of the lab in the form of an animal that researchers had tested on and later sold for cash on the black market? It’s happened before in China. Could it have walked out another way—perhaps in patient zero? (Timothy Oostendarp, China’s Test-tube Pandemic, March 26, 2020)

(Some readers may have encountered the author's name before. The previous link addresses a certain tragic issue.)

However the scientific consensus is that the virus that causes COVID-19 originated from nature and was not artificially created by human beings. This has been clear since at least March 2020 when a study noted that it was not similar to the other coronaviruses that were previously known and that it resembled viruses for bats and pangolins instead of the previous coronaviruses that can infect humans.

When America was heading into the catastrophe of a pandemic PCG promoted the unfounded idea that COVID-19 originated from a lab contrary to the studied conclusion of most scientists that this virus arose in nature. It is shameful that this organization that tells its followers that they know what is really happening should provide such a ill founded claim to their readers during this most severe crisis.

(Update: March 8, 2021: An additional sentence in the paragraph after the quote has been added.)

PCG Doesn't Know When PLO was Founded

Recently PCG posted an anonymously written article which contains the following section.

Hamas agreed to be part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The PLO is a political organization that claims to be the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. The PLO formed shortly after the Six-Day War. It engaged in guerrilla warfare against Israel for over 30 years before it entered into peace negotiations with them in the 1990s. (Will Hamas and Fatah Form a Unity Government?, February 8, 2021.)

A simple search on the internet will reveal that the PLO was founded in 1964, three years before the Six Day War. Why is it that whoever wrote this article failed to get verifiable facts straight?

Considering how often PCG likes to focus on events concerning the State of Israel one would imagine they would know something like this. Clearly that is not the case.

The PCG leadership claim they know what will happen in the future but they do not what actually in the past. What else are they wrong about?

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

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

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

This issue had a circulation of 247,820 issues.

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

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

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

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

This passage is badly written.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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