PCG's Joel Hilliker Promoting HWA's Deadly Anti-Medicine Superstition

Herbert W. Armstrong taught that using doctors and medicine to heal yourself was sinful and forbidden. Because of this dogma many people who listened to him were persuaded to avoid seeing doctors or taking medicine or get vaccinations. Inevitably many people got sick and died prematurely because of this dogma HWA taught. Many people died and lost loved ones as a direct result of HWA's teaching on this matter. Hypocritically in his later years HWA used medicine and doctors to live as long as he did, even having his own personal physician. Without doubt this doctrine of death was one of the most abhorrent features of HWA's so-called ministry. 

There was one WCG minister named William Hinson. William Hinson's 1977 book, Broadway to Armageddon most graphically showed the results of this deadly teaching. The author's own son died as a result of this anti-medicine superstition.

Alas, despite the terrible results of this doctrine of death some Armstrongites still have not learned that you should see the doctor, take medicines, get vaccinated and get the children vaccinated as well.

And unfortunately to this day PCG's leaders boast that they continue to teach HWA's teaching on this matter and condemn Tkach for making this doctrine of death one of the first things changed. PCG's website has recently released an article by Joel Hilliker, "When Should You Seek Anointing?" (January 6, 2015).

The medical community is in the hot seat right now. Debate over stem-cell and other genetic research is raising ethical and moral issues that they are unequipped to answer. In their pursuit of greater “miracle” cures, they are meddling with the very building blocks of life—with nothing to guide their decisions but their own curiosity.

Despite the many people who died as a direct result of HWA saying using medicine and doctors are sinful, (including reportedly Brad MacDonald's brother, Garth MacDonald, who died aged 24 in 2006) Hilliker would have us believe it is the "medical community" in real strife at the moment. What poppycock.

This example clearly illustrates something that we in God’s Church are well aware of: This world is cut off from God and the knowledge of His ways, and has raised up its medical profession trying to take the place of God as Healer.

That is the exact same accusation HWA used to tell his followers not to go see doctors and use medicine. HWA said it was God's role to heal people physically therefore seeing doctors and taking medicine was sinful and forbidden. Many people have died or otherwise had their health badly affected as a direct result of listening to such toxic words.

But God gives special benefits to those in His Church. “I am the Lord that healeth thee,” He says (Exodus 15:26). God is our Healer—our Yahweh Rapha.

HWA often insisted that because this is a name of God we must only rely on (HWA's) God for healing illnesses. Many have died because of this teaching.

This was one of the first issues Satan attacked in the Worldwide Church of God after Herbert W. Armstrong’s death. It is a doctrine of tremendous importance because it is so vital for building our faith.

In the Philadelphia Church of God, we follow God’s teachings on healing. Our members are regularly anointed by the ministry—and we regularly witness genuine miracles of healing. God is healing today! We can all have faith in that fact.

What about all the people who died and suffered because they listened to HWA forbidding doctors and medicine for his followers? Their pain and suffering are simply contemptuously thrown into the memory hole.

The instruction is clear: When you are sick, call the ministry for an anointing. That is YOUR individual responsibility—no one is going to demand that you be anointed. We must not be shy or feel that the ministry is too busy to anoint. God is happy to intervene and heal us when we are sick. I’m also sure most ministers would agree that it is a special honor to perform an anointing, not a burden. It builds OUR faith as well as yours.

So it would appear that PCG members are expected to ask for anointing themselves.

In anointing, we ask God to forgive us our physical sin by applying those stripes as a substitutionary payment, so we don’t have to suffer the penalty of sickness or injury. It is an exact type of God forgiving our spiritual sins by accepting Christ’s death on the stake as payment for the death penalty we have brought upon our own head. Only God can forgive sin. Only God can heal.

HWA often asserted that only (HWA's) God could heal illnesses therefore one should not go to doctors or take medicines. Many people have died because of this very teaching that HWA promoted.

Our pastor general [Gerald Flurry] has instructed the ministry never to coerce or force anyone to be anointed and trust in God, because you can only be healed according to your faith. That is why it must be your decision when asking for anointing.

So when facing a difficult health trial, each of us must ask ourselves individually—BEFORE requesting the anointing—Do I have faith to put this sickness in God’s hands, and to PASS on some drug or procedure that would demonstrate a LACK of faith?

How grotesque it is to see Joel Hilliker advising people to not take medicine or not take a procedure simply for religious reasons. There is no medical reason discussed here. This is purely for (PCG's) religious reasons. This is very dangerous thinking. So many have died or been negatively affected within HWA's WCG and some of the other offshoots. It is truly appalling that despite these monstrous events Hilliker is still telling readers it is fine to neglect their health for (PCG's) religious reasons.

Here one is made to feel guilty for possibly "sinning" by taking "some drug or procedure". This is very dangerous. The problem is some PCG members will not think for themselves and discretely avoid the danger of neglecting one's health but will simply take the plunge and neglect their health resulting in tragedy.

Hilliker ends this deadly article with these words.

Let’s rejoice in the blessing of being able to be anointed and seek God for healing! And 98 times out of 100, if we answer these three questions honestly, we will know whether we should seek anointing in a particular case. Then when we do need anointing, we can come to the ministry—and before God—with confidence that we will be healed!

What deadly nonsense this article is. So often PCG's leaders belittle "the world" outside of PCG as evil and immoral. But at the same time they hypocritically do things like this. How frightening.

Let's end this post with a testimony from an ex-PCG member from Australia. (See September 2, 2006 letter.)

I attended PCG in Australia for approximately 10 years (as a child) and witnessed a number of members who refused medical treatment, and instead opted to rely on God to heal them, which in a lot of cases lead them to a slow and painful death. Not once did I see any miracles. Many of those members would still be alive today if they had of followed the doctor's advice and/or start treatment for their otherwise curable medical conditions. The PCG should be held accountable because of their healing doctrine. What they are doing to innocent and naïve people is just wrong. It's time for the PCG to come to an end once and for all. I hope and pray that becomes a reality before any more members die due to a lack of medical care.

What sinister works lie within PCG.