Reading PCG's Booklet, The King of the South (2016 Version)

Recently PCG has released a new version of Gerald Flurry's booklet, The King of the South, promoting Gerald Flurry's dogmatic proclamation that Iran is the "King of the South" fated to arise to power but doomed to be defeated by a future German led European Empire. The booklet was originally released in 1996 but has been altered several times. Compared with the 2011 version additions have been made to Chapter 1 and pictures have been added. The 2003 version of this booklet was discussed in a previous post.

Let's take a look and see what has changed with this latest reprinting of Gerald Flurry's booklet compared with the 2011 version.

They replaced the original cover which contained a picture of some Muslims praying and replaced it with an illustration based on the Iranian national flag.

I hope PCG Headquarters is aware that the Kufic script in the Iranian flag is a well known Islamic religious phrase which translates as "God is greater."

Who is the "King of the South"?

In Armstrongism who "the King of the South" is supposed to be has had a convoluted and confused history. Before 1945 HWA taught that Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) was the King of the South and that the Emperor Haile Selassie was the "King of the South." But after 1945 this idea lost its usefulness but was still present in some of HWA's writings. But one cannot get the lay members to "watch" world events with that an idea that had passed its time. This "King of the South" idea would be made useful again.

From the 1960s onward WCG writers such as Garner Ted Armstrong and Keith Stump taught that there would be a future "King of the South" to arise in the Middle East. But WCG's leaders tended to assume that the "King of the South" would arise among the Arabs. They were not particularly fixated on Iran.

In 1994 Gerald Flurry dogmatically proclaimed that Iran would be the "King of the South." One evident problem this idea is that in the Bible geography was described relative to the Holy Land. Iran is east, not south, of the Holy Land. Most other COGs have not imitated Flurry. But despite this Flurry and his follows have to this day enthusiastically promoted Flurry's dogma particularly after 9/11. Convincing potential recruits that Iran is the "King of the South" serves to "prove" that Gerald Flurry can see the future by divine guidance.

But in 2015 a deal was made that would allow Iran to keep developing civilian nuclear technology while being monitored by International Atomic Energy Agency personnel. If there is peace between the United States and Iran this would discredit PCG's claim that Gerald Flurry can see the future by divine revelation. So PCG's leaders despise this deal and hysterically denounce it and belittle it in order to prop up Gerald Flurry's prophecy that Iran is the "King of the South" and his claim of being able to see the future.

Chapter 1 

 Flurry obliquely admits that he proclaimed Iran to be the King of the South in 1994.

Daniel 11:42 implies that Egypt will be allied with the king of the south, or Iran. This prophecy indicates there will be a far-reaching change in Egyptian politics! We had been saying since 1994 this would occur, and look at Egypt today. The nation’s foreign policy and political orientation is visibly changing in a way that threatens to transform the region. (p. 11.)

Pages 8-14 contains discussion of the fall of Mubarak, the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi, and his fall in 2013 after which he was replaced by Sisi.

But even after the Muslim Brotherhood was deposed from power with much loss of life Flurry insists on presenting them as a sinister menace to be feared.

Even though President Morsi was ousted ... in July 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood still enjoys tremendous support in Egypt. (p. 13.)

Flurry insists that too many people in the West do not take the Muslim Brotherhood seriously.

Many in Israel and the West have underestimated the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and the popular support for anti-Israel policies. (p. 13.)

Gerald Flurry had long fixated on the Muslim Brotherhood, a political party in Egypt. For years Gerald Flurry and his imitators in PCG had been scare mongering that the Muslim Brotherhood would gain power in Egypt. And then suddenly in 2011 it seemed much more likely and by 2012 it had finally happened: The Muslim Brotherhood ascended to power led by President Morsi. But PCG's leaders had no idea that just one year later Morsi would be overthrown and his political party thrust out of the halls of power accompanied with much bloodshed. PCG's prophecy failed.

In certain circles some people are very fixated on the Muslim Brotherhood. Some of them talk of the Muslim Brotherhood in quite an absurdly paranoid manner that is detached from reality. Some have even insisted that the Muslim Brotherhood have infiltrated the federal government.

Considering that such people say such outlandish things like this how can Flurry claim that there is widespread apathy about the Muslim Brotherhood? If anything some people are fixated on them in a paranoid and unrealistic manner as some sort of secret society of boogeymen.

Furthermore in Egypt this particular movement is out of the halls of power. We need to discuss political movements in a realistic manner. Exaggerated paranoia makes it harder to accurately assess what is really happening.

Page 15 features a map showing some of the countries being discussed in this booklet.

Flurry's Fanciful 1500 Year Crusade

It is generally understood that there were nine Crusades. The first occurred in 1095-9. The ninth crusade took place in 1271-2. The last of the Crusader states was conquered with the fall of Acre in 1291. The Crusades occurred in that time period. But Flurry seems to be ignorant of how this word is normally used.

Iran could also potentially get control of Jerusalem, its third-holiest site. I believe Jerusalem is more important to Iran than the oil is. The Islamic people have fought the Catholic Crusades for about 1,500 years over control of Jerusalem. (p. 16.)

What 1500 year Crusade is Flurry talking about? There were nine Crusades occurred between 1095 and 1272. This is not a creative way of using that word. It is never used like that. This suggests Flurry does not even know what the Crusades are.

Why didn't anyone at PCG Headquarters editing this booklet bother to correct this ahistorical statement? Is there even one there who knows that this is an incorrect use of the word "Crusade"?

It is well known that many within PCG are quite devoted and have trusted Gerald Flurry with their lives. They think if they stay loyal to PCG they will get to go to a place of safety.

Do they realize that Gerald Flurry does not even seem to understand what the Crusades are?

***

Pages 20-23 contains a discussion of Tunisia.

Pages 23-28 contains a hysterical denunciation of the deal with Iran.

One of the most worrying aspects of Iran’s growing power is its flirtation with nuclear weaponry. Iran has had a nuclear program of its own for many years. Information leaks have shown that Iran, while publicly stating that its program is purely for energy use, actually wants other nations to know it could be a nuclear threat. In May 2011, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had worked on developing a trigger for a nuclear bomb. (p. 23.)

PCG has been accusing Iran of trying to make a nuclear bomb for a long time. Here is Joel Hilliker shrilly insisting that Iran will get nuclear bombs back in 2005.

That’s not to say that all the charades are over. There will likely be more talk. We may even witness military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. But Bible prophecy strongly indicates that talks will fail and any action will not be tough enough to deter Iran in the long run.
Iran will get its nukes. (Joel Hilliker, "A Man With a Dangerous Mission", August 2005.)

So in 2005 Joel Hilliker was fear mongering that Iran will get nuclear weapons. But earlier in 2001 he claimed that Iran had already purchased nuclear weapons from somewhere in the former Soviet Union.

Iran is the one Mideast country with the power, the determination and the resources to be the king of the south. Its long-held objective is to become the undisputed leader in the region. Not only is it at the TOP of the State Department’s terrorist list because of its vast links to regional terror groups (including Hamas and Hezbollah), Iran has been stockpiling weapons and delivery systems (former Soviet nuclear warheads and weapons-usable nuclear material; thousands of tons of chemical blister, blood and choking agents; artillery mortars, rockets, aerial bombs and Scud warheads) and building production capabilities (manufacturing biological agents and long-range missiles; pushing for uranium-conversion facilities) for years. Make no mistake about it: Iran is the head of the snake. (Joel Hilliker, The Head of the Snake, November 2001.) 

So back in 2001 PCG was claiming that Iran had possessed "former Soviet nuclear warheads". Whatever happened to these warheads? Why is PCG no longer making this claim? Was this claim wrong?

Fifteen years later Iran still has no nuclear bomb. What is taking so long? The Manhattan Project only took four years. Why is Iran taking so long to do this?

Perhaps Iran is not even trying to build a nuclear bomb? In 2003 Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei issued a fatwa denouncing the possession of nuclear weapons as un-Islamic.

And now back to the booklet.

One peculiar feature of PCG distinct from the other COGs is a superstitious fixation on January 16, the date HWA died in 1986. Flurry teaches that HWA's death signaled the beginning of a supernatural war in the Heavens in which Satan was cast down to the Earth. He teaches that signs indicating that Christ will soon return will occur on that date. Flurry alludes to that superstition of his below.

January 16, 2016 marked the implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran. The U.S. and the European Union lifted sanctions on Iran, released over $100 billion in frozen assets, and welcomed Iran into a whole rush of economic deals. And they received nothing in return. (p. 23.)

They just negotiated with Iran to allow IAEA inspectors to intensively monitor what Iran does with the nuclear power technology for ten years. Flurry is wrong to make this wild accusation that the United States and other parties to the negotiations got "nothing in return." This hysterical claim is simply untrue.

Flurry also quotes a certain British right wing columnist that PCG's leaders trust a lot to insinuate that Iran might already have a nuclear bomb thanks to North Korea.

In other words, Iran may be working with North Korea so it can deploy a nuclear bomb in a way that prevents anyone from knowing where it came from! That is as deceptive and dangerous as it gets. (p. 25.)

Flurry states that the State of Israel launched an airstrike against Syria in 2007.

Iran’s connection to North Korea is something the Trumpet has watched for several years. In our November-December 2007 issue, I quoted some statements from a Spectator article titled “We Came So Close to World War III That Day”: “Israeli intelligence tracked a North Korean vessel carrying a cargo of nuclear material labeled ‘cement’ as it traveled halfway across the world. On September 3, the ship docked at the Syrian port of Tartus. ... Soil samples and other material [Israeli commandos] collected [at the cargo’s destination] were returned to Israel. Sure enough, they indicated that the cargo was nuclear. ... Israeli F-15I jets were scrambled and, minutes later, the installation and its newly arrived contents were destroyed” (Oct. 3, 2007).

Who was behind that alarming event? “Syria is a surrogate of Iran,” I wrote. “The king of the Muslim world is Iran.” ...

Israeli jets made short work of those efforts back in 2007, but that did not end Iran-North Korea nuclear cooperation! (pp. 25-26.)

Pages 37-38 contains scare mongering that Iran will gain influence within Iraq by sending aid to Iraq to help defeat the terrorists and murderers of ISIL.

Pages 43-45 contains absurd claims that Germany has military forces surrounding Iran now.

This is accompanied with a map on page 42 insisting that the Germans can launch a whirlwind attack to destroy Iran. This is hysterical nonsense.

Chapter 2

Here Flurry discusses his teaching of the "Psalm 83 nations" which he introduced in 2011 during the height of the Arab Spring. Flurry teaches that not only is Iran the King of the South but a rival, pro-EU bloc of nations which he calls the "Psalm 83 nations" will arise opposed to Iran. After the European Beast Power defeats Iran these "Psalm 83 nations" will be allied with Europe and help plunge the world into the Great Tribulation.

This chapter is the same as the previous 2011 version. 

Chapter 3

Here Flurry retells the Crusades in order to demonize the modern day Papacy and predict that the Europeans will soon unite as an unstoppable military superpower that will soon crush Iran and conquer and enslave the United States, Britain and the State of Israel. He calls this the "final Crusade."

Flurry asserts that the European Union accepted Cyprus as a member state in order to have a military launching pad to attack the Middle East and Iran. This is a hysterical and paranoid accusation.

This chapter is the same as the previous 2011 version.

Chapter 4

Here Flurry then alludes to the Tkach changes and discusses Christ's return.

This chapter is the same as the previous 2011 version.

Original 1996 cover.

And so we that PCG has released again another polemic against Iran designed to convince people that God is with Gerald Flurry by convincing them that his 1994 proclamation of Iran being the King of the South is true.

But PCG's leaders have made many false predictions since their founding in 1989. They are but false prophets. There is no need to fear their dire proclamations.

Profile of Leader of White Supremacist Group in Sacramento Stabbings

Recently a bunch of white supremacist extremists attacked anti-fascist protesters in a clash in Sacramento. What follows is the start of an article that discusses the leader of that white nationalist group and the various racist ideologies he has espoused.

Last weekend, havoc reigned in Sacramento as 30 white nationalists clashed with hundreds of anti-fascists during a protest. At least ten people were injured in the brawl, two of them critically. .... the group that organized the protest, doesn’t seem fazed by the violence — they appear emboldened. They’ve since promised to go to the Republican National Convention to “make sure that Donald Trump supporters are defended.” (Rachel Cain, The Most Important White Supremacist Of 2016, Think Progress, July 2, 2016.)

It was sad to hear that some brave counter-protesters had been attacked by this group. I hope they may heal well.

We must give no room to extremism and racist hatred.

Terrorist Attacks in Saudi Arabia

There have been terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia. One of the attacks was an attack at the Mosque in Medina killing four innocent people who were working as security guards. The fact that these terrorists are willing to attack a site that is so historically important shows that these terrorists are willing to do anything to seize power.

May those responsible for these terrible acts be quickly caught, hauled before the courts of justice and face trial.

Watching PCG's Broadcast, Archaeology Filled With Hope

On July 2, 2016 PCG released a broadcast of The Key of David hosted by their leader, Gerald Flurry. They also released a transcript. The transcript dates this broadcast as being made on June 23, 2016.

Here Flurry promotes the archaeological excavations that PCG has been aiding with Dr. Mazar since 2006. He mentions that the archaeologist is not affiliated with PCG.

Dr. Mazar has had phenomenal success I think like no archaeologist in this world, and she’s in no way affiliated with us, but she is outstanding in her work.... (p. 1.)

Flurry mentions some of the discoveries this archaeological expedition made. The bulla of King Hezekiah is briefly mentioned. But he chooses to focus on the bullae of Gedaliah and Jehucal, officials who opposed the prophet Jeremiah and even detained him in a pit.

Flurry boasts that these bullae are tangible. Something that can be touched and seen. It is presented as proof that PCG's views about the Bible are right. These precious, historical artifacts do not in any way prove PCG to be right about any of their views about the Bible. 

Discussing Gedaliah and Jehucal allows Flurry to discusses Jeremiah.

Flurry then presents certain "proof texts" that leads to Flurry reciting HWA's teaching that Jeremiah took one of King Zedekiah's daughters to Ireland to marry an Irish prince and continue the throne of David which, he asserts, continues to this day with the current Queen of Britain, Elizabeth II.  

This idea is nonsense. It is an idea that HWA plagiarized from British Israelism, a movement that originated in Britain. Today genetic testing proves that the British and Americans are not descendants of the lost tribes of Israel as British Israelism and HWA claimed. British Israelism is an error. It is not true no matter how many times its adherents insist otherwise.

Flurry quotes a co-worker letter of his.

Here’s what we wrote about it in a co-worker letter. “As Dr. Mazar noted, ‘It’s RARE for science and the Bible to converge as dramatically and as TANGIBLY as they do with Jehucal and Gedaliah bullae.’ In many ways, this offers PROOF that Jeremiah was there, and because of his message they really did put him in the dungeon.” And of course, this is OUR writing, our view there. “These two princes were the reason he was imprisoned two different times, and then they set out to KILL him.” (Emphases in original, p. 3.)

Flurry says it is is a great discovery, even saying it is like (PCG's) God is talking to them. He then complains that the media are not paying as much attention to these discoveries as he wishes.

It’s as if God is just speaking from the DUST right there in Jerusalem! And yet, how much attention does this get from the world? Even the Biblical Archaeology Review wrote that these bullae “found in the course of Eilat Mazar’s City of David excavations are bringing the book of Jeremiah back to life.” It’s like it’s DYING, but now this is bringing it back to life! Why? Because it proves that what the Bible says is true. (p. 3.)

Flurry then insists that a time of catastrophes similar to what the people of Judea experienced with the Babylonian exile will soon occur. HWA and his imitators have constantly insisted that some colossal catastrophe will soon occur since the 1930s. It has never happened. HWA and his imitators are but false prophets. Their dire predictions will never come to pass. We have no need to fear them.

Flurry goes on to quote HWA's recruitment book, The United States and Britain in Prophecy.

Flurry mentions some of the first visions of Jeremiah. The boiling cauldron is interpreted by Flurry to refer to the alledgedly soon coming European superpower fated to conquer the United States in the Great Tribulation.

Flurry also mentions the almond tree and seems to insists that the almost tree refers to himself.

Verses 11 and 12 read this way: “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. (12) Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.” Well, I’ll just read to you that the rod of an almond tree, and it precedes the boiling pot. The Companion Bible describes it as “a watcher or an early waker because it is the first of the trees to wake from its winter sleep, and it is thus what the cock is to the birds.” And it is also described as “a vigilant watchman.” There must be a vigilant watchman to warn Israel, three nations in particular in this end time about what happened anciently and it is coming at us AGAIN if we don’t wake up! (p. 5.)

In 1999 Gerald Flurry proclaimed himself to be "That Prophet" and took for himself many titles from the Bible insisting that they referred to himself as the leader of PCG. This seems to be one of the titles he chooses to take for himself.

Viewers unfamiliar with the intricacies of PCG dogmas will be unaware that he is alluding to himself.

Flurry also briefly alludes to the Tkach changes which are denounced as an apostasy that "proves" (according to him) that the Great Tribulation will soon occur. This is nonsense. Considering the many failed predictions PCG's leaders have made over the years it is clear that PCG's leaders cannot see the future. They are but false prophets.

Flurry quotes the Mayor of Jerusalem praising these archaeological discoveries.

Flurry then confusedly complains that the media are not paying enough attention to these archaeological discoveries and that they do not view these discoveries the same way that he and PCG views them.

But when they had this celebration, there was almost no media members there at that time, and that is tragic. It’s tragic because it’s as if, well, most of the media — and I suppose that would be true here as well and other nations — but most of the media just isn’t concerned about God or the Bible. That’s not a big deal to them. And yet we’re facing human annihilation! And they’re not interested in going, even looking into what God has, to see HOW it’s going to be solved, and how they COULD solve it now, ahead of all the disasters that are coming. We could solve it now. I mean we’re about to see this Earth change dramatically. And remember, we’re going to be held accountable for these things. (p. 6.)

In PCG's loaded language the previous reference to "God or the Bible" really refers to the PCG leadership's understanding of God and the Bible. Considering how PCG insists that they are the only true Christians in all the world it is safe to assume that there are differing opinions that Flurry excludes in this loaded language. 

Maybe they learned of the many false predictions HWA and his various imitators have made over the years. HWA said Christ would return in 1975. HWA said Mussolini wold fight Christ during the second coming. HWA said Hitler would do this instead. HWA said Hitler survived and was in hiding. No wonder the media do not care what PCG or the other COGs say about the future. They are right to be unconcerned at the COGs' words.

And Flurry complains "we’re facing human annihilation!" That is a line straight from the Cold War era. During the height of the Cold War it was quite rational to be afraid that the intense rivalry would lead to a nuclear catastrophe. But with the Cold War over, and even with the current tensions with Russia over Syria and Ukraine, who is worried about that now? Flurry needs to stop acting like the Cold War is still going. Things have changed. That possibility is far less likely now.

And although Flurry holds out the possibility that catastrophe can be avoided in actual fact the COGs tend to be quite insistent that the Great Tribulation will not be delayed. However their dire predictions continuously fail to come to pass.

Flurry ends with some talk about how great things will be after Christ returns. Elsewhere PCG teaches that PCG members can become God beings as fully God as God is God though of lower rank, a heretical teaching that differs from the vast majority of Christian churches. But to attain this PCG teaches that it is necessary to become a member of PCG. Among the requirements of membership is paying three tithes.

PCG's leaders are but false prophets and those archaeological artifacts do not prove in any way that PCG is the one, true church.

(Incidentally there is no discussion about the Palestinians in this broadcast. Just a walk away from the excavation site lies East Jerusalem which is predominantly inhabited by Palestinians. Do the PCG members involved in the excavations notice those people? What do they think seeing them there? Such things are not mentioned in this broadcast.)

PCG's Reliance on Melanie Phillips Exposed Again

As mentioned in a previous post PCG's leaders are very dependent on a British right wing columnist named Melanie Phillips. They have quoted her numerous times since 2000. Gerald Flurry once praised her as "an excellent British commentator". The late Ron Fraser praised her as "feisty", a "paragon of British political incorrectness" and an "admirably politically incorrect commentator". Brad MacDonald praised her as "brave", a "clear thinker" and "one of the bravest, smartest, most rational and articulate journalists of our age." As far as I know they have never bothered to criticize anything they have chosen to quote from her.

More evidence of the PCG leadership's dependence on her may be seen in the following tweet by Richard Palmer.

You know Gove is good when this is Melanin Phillilps' response to his candidacy. https://t.co/FOsYtfVK0f

— Richard Palmer (@R_G_Palmer) June 30, 2016

Once again the PCG leadership reveals their dependence on this columnist.

Of course she cannot be blamed that some organization based in Edmond, Oklahoma chooses to take her so seriously. This post is not about her, it is about the PCG leadership exploiting her writings to make themselves seem knowledgeable about world affairs. I am not aware of any evidence that PCG's leaders have had any personal contact with her.

Muslim Doctor Stabbed in Houston, Texas

Unfortunately some people tend to fixate on Muslims in a hostile manner. Alas, another bitter individual went over the edge and lashed out in violence in an attack possibly motivated by a hatred of Muslims. May the details of this incident soon be clarified.

A Muslim doctor in the US state of Texas has been shot and stabbed while on his way to a mosque for morning prayers, local reports said. 

The victim, identified as Arslan Tajammul, an eye specialist, had parked his car and was walking towards Madrasah Islamiah in the city of Houston, when he was approached by three men, according to KTRK.

Without any warning, the doctor was stabbed, before one of the men reportedly pulled out a gun and shot him twice. (Texas mosque attack: Doctor 'shot and stabbed', Al Jazeera.)

ISIL Terrorism in Baghdad

(Update: Death toll now raised to over 200.)

Terrible news from Baghdad as about 131 innocent people have been killed by a bomb by the murderers and terrorists of ISIL. The murderers want to inflame divisions within Iraq.

May the murderers responsible for this mass murder be swiftly hauled before the courts of law and face justice.

Reading PCG's Autobiography of HWA

PCG has released their printing of the Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong which is now available. It includes an anonymously written afterword.

Most of the photos appear to have been taken from previous printings of the Autobiography including the sometimes dated captions. Some photos which have clearly been added by PCG may be seen on PDF pp. 936-7. Photos appear on PDF pp. 186-217, 458-89, 682-713, 906-37.

PDF page 484 contains a photo of a tent meeting of HWA's in 1935. It is said that these were years of financial hardship. But seeing that HWA was able to hold such a meeting one cannot help but wonder if he and his organization were really so in want?

PDF page 683 contains a family photo of HWA and his immediate family. One can see Dorothy on the far left looking towards the other family members. She does not look particularly happy. Was she filled with disgust that she had to deal with HWA because he was her father?

In 1980 former WCG minister David Robinson revealed to the world that HWA had committed incest against his younger daughter for ten years.  Recently two of HWA's immediate family has stated that the incest happened. Some of the evidence for the incest was recently summarized by Kevin at Ambassador Watch.

An afterword written by someone in PCG appears at the end of this edition of the Autobiography (pp. 889-907, PDF pp. 1028-46). It summarizes HWA's life from 1959 to his death.

It is mentioned that HWA expanded his broadcasting to Australia.

As he oversaw the myriad decisions leading up to opening the new campus, Mr. Armstrong continued to direct the expanding Work of the Church. Soon after the college opened, he took his first trip around the world to Sydney, Australia, to book 39 additional radio stations, giving the World Tomorrow broadcast coverage of about 98 percent of the Australian population.

Prominent leaders of PCG originating from Australia include the late Ron Fraser and Brad MacDonald.

It is stated that 1963 was a year of austerity for HWA's Radio Church of God.

The connection with Australia is mentioned again.

The year 1966 brought Mr. Armstrong on another around-the-world trip to Australia, this time accompanied by his wife. Over the previous 5½ years, hundreds of Australians had come into God’s Church, and the Church’s message on radio and in print was continuing to reach thousands and even millions of Australians. (p. 889. PDF p. 1028.)

Loma Armstrong's death is mentioned. An oblique reference to HWA's ban against medicine and doctors is mentioned.

In February 1967, Mrs. Armstrong was stricken with a serious intestinal condition. What seemed to be an attack of appendicitis proved to be something more critical. With advice from a member with a medical background, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong did everything they could without putting their faith in doctors. But then, Mr. Armstrong wrote, “The time had come to stand still, and commit it into God’s hands.”

A month and a half later, Mr. Armstrong wrote with sorrow: “[M]y wife’s critical illness has ended in the manner least expected—in her death just after midnight Saturday morning, April 15. In the next second of her consciousness she will awake in the resurrection, completely healed—and, far more than we beseeched God in our earnest prayers, not in the corruptible body of this mortal flesh and blood, but in an immortal spirit body, in glory in God’s eternal Kingdom!” (p. 891. PDF p. 1030.)

The association with Dr. Benjamin Mazar from 1968 onward is mentioned.

HWA's meetings with world leaders is portrayed as something unplanned which just providentially occurred.

Mr. Armstrong did not initiate meetings with the king, the professor or the prince. Nor would he initiate meetings with the presidents, first ladies, kings, queens, prime ministers, legislators, judges, ambassadors, professors, educators and other leaders he would meet during the 1970s. Yet he visited more of them than perhaps any other man alive. (p. 893. PDF p. 1032.)

The construction of Ambassador Auditorium is mentioned.

The mass defection of 1974 is mentioned. HWA is carefully shielded by the PCG writer from bearing any blame for what happened.

A group of 35 ministers led a major rebellion, largely against the authority of Garner Ted Armstrong, but also against Mr. Armstrong. Garner Ted, Mr. Armstrong wrote, was making day-to-day decisions as executive vice president—and some major, unauthorized decisions that Mr. Armstrong discovered later. Misunderstandings about divorce and remarriage and other doctrines caused serious problems. Accusers also said Mr. Armstrong and others at headquarters were mishandling funds. The group and those who followed along rejected the belief that God was behind Mr. Armstrong. (p. 895. PDF p. 1034.)

In fact some of those ministers continued to teach many of HWA's doctrines afterward. This indicates that their opposition was not motivated by a total rejection of HWA's teachings.

The establishment of the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation is mentioned. Various projects it funded are mentioned.

It is mentioned that in the late 1970s HWA visited Apartheid South Africa. It is boasted that officials of that regime had long been reading HWA's recruitment magazine, The Plain Truth.

The latter half of the 1970s brought more flights to world capitals and meetings with world leaders. During one trip to South Africa, Mr. Armstrong spoke to 30 groups, gave press conferences and radio and television interviews, met Prime Minister John Vorster and former President J. J. Fouche, met mayors and leaders from Port Elizabeth and Edenvale (most of whom had been reading the Plain Truth for years), and spoke to crowds of 750 or more Plain Truth subscribers at public appearance campaigns in Capetown, Durban and Johannesburg. Nine months later, he met and addressed about 80 delegates in Southwest Africa (now Namibia), including Windhoek Mayor Dries Yssel, as they drafted the country’s new constitution. The special session at the Turnhalle in Windhoek was held especially to hear Mr. Armstrong.

He also addressed ministers, the legislative assembly and citizens of the Republic of Transkei (now dissolved) as it was being created; met with the mayor of Pretoria, South Africa, a keen Plain Truth reader.... (pp. 897-8. PDF pp. 1036-7.)

PCG has a long history of denigrating the current government in South Africa and overlooking the oppression against the black majority that was in force during Apartheid.

The Republic of Transkei was a Bantustan created by the Apartheid regime as part of an attempt to maintain Apartheid. The black majority were forbidden from voting in elections to determine the government of the Apartheid regime. To keep the black majority trodden underfoot the Apartheid regime created various "homelands" for certain tribes within the black majority and creating a legal fiction that those parts of the black majority belonged to these "homelands" and thus had no right to be treated as an equal with white South Africans. Once Apartheid was abolished in 1994 naturally these Bantustans were dissolved and reunited with the nation state.

Somewhat surprisingly HWA's marriage to Ramona Martin is mentioned. This aspect of HWA's life is often ignored and passed over in silence in COG hagiographies of HWA.

HWA's publication of The Incredible Human Potential is mentioned.

HWA's rejection of Garner Ted Armstrong is mentioned.

Garner Ted Armstrong is accused of being a driving force for the forced receivership imposed on WCG by the State of California.

The havoc surrounding Garner Ted’s actions did not end with his excommunication. The younger Armstrong went to the press with accusations and established his own church. He also took part in what turned out to be a major assault on God’s Church.

During the autumn of 1978, six disfellowshiped WCG members began to plot a class action lawsuit against the Church. ...

The main accusation made by Garner Ted was against his father’s “lavish spending.” The charges (which were later thoroughly disproved) prompted the state attorney general to appoint retired Judge Steven Weisman as the receiver of the Church. (p. 902. PDF p. 1041.)

One of these six former WCG members who initiated the lawsuit was John Tuit. After the receivership case ended he wrote a book all about the receivership case entitled The Truth Shall Set You Free, an account of how he joined WCG and ended up initiating the receivership lawsuit. The whole book may be read at Keith Hunt's website along with footnotes added by Hunt. Also Banned by HWA has large sections of the book online as well.

Among other things Tuit asserts that the receivership was an attempt to save WCG's assets from being used in an exploitative manner. The initiators of the receivership were not trying to destroy WCG but to reform it and save the WCG members' money from being used in an exploitative manner that disregarded the interests of WCG lay members. It was an attempt to reform WCG; not an attempt to destroy it. Also the six initiators of the lawsuit continued to fervently believe much of what HWA taught.

Were the allegations "thoroughly disproved"? Did the investigators take a look at WCG's finances and concluded that nothing was amiss? Let us see what this anonymously written afterword has to say about that.

While fighting against an unconstitutional attack that sought to establish state power over churches, the WCG received the support of dozens of other churches that recognized the danger of such an attack—support from churches with different doctrines, but all clinging to one common belief: freedom of religion.

On October 14, 1980, after siphoning off hundreds of thousands of dollars or more from Church funds to pay for the unjust and illegal receivership, the state of California dropped the case against the Church when the legislature passed a law barring the attorney general from investigating religious organizations the way they had accosted the Worldwide Church of God. (p. 903. PDF p. 1042.)

In other words WCG was not vindicated. Instead WCG lobbied "dozens of other churches" that were worried this receivership might also be used against them as well. This lobbying eventually led to a law being passed by the State of California that made it impossible for the State to conduct investigations like this on other churches and so the case against WCG was dropped. WCG was not vindicated; they simply changed the law.

Mr. Armstrong continued to fight resistance and disloyalty to the end of his life. The betrayal reached all the way to his marriage, when his second wife, Ramona, proved unwilling to stay by his side in Pasadena or in travel. It appeared “that there are other agents bearing influence in this matter,” Mr. Armstrong wrote; he was forced to file for divorce in 1982. (p. 905. PDF p. 1044.)

In other words it was HWA who decided to end the marriage and divorce her. It is simplistically asserted that she was to blame for the end of the marriage. How does this PCG writer know that? Other reports indicate that it was HWA who chose to end the marriage.

It has also been asserted that HWA reimposed his ban on makeup partly as an attempt to force her to initiate the divorce. It failed and it was HWA who had to initiate the divorce as even this PCG afterword obliquely admits. The court case dragged on until 1984.

This afterword makes no mention of Stanley Rader, an accountant who gradually rose to assume great power within WCG. He was even ordained an evangelist by HWA even though he had never been trained at Ambassador College and had not risen in the ranks within WCG's ministry. For a time he was the second most powerful man within WCG behind only HWA himself. It was widely believed he would succeed HWA. However his power within WCG relied on his close connection with HWA. There was little love for him within the ministry or the membership. Many WCG ministers resented how he was able to get so far bypassing them. But in 1981 HWA for whatever reason turned against Rader and he retired. However WCG faithfully paid him his retirement package until his death in 2002 even after the Tkach changes.

It is mentioned that the Youth magazine was started in the 1980s.

HWA's production of his last book, Mystery of the Ages, is mentioned.

HWA's last co-worker letter of January 10, 1986 is mentioned.

Between the late 1970s and the year Mr. Armstrong died, the Plain Truth circulation went from 1 million to more than 8 million, World Tomorrow television stations jumped from 50 to nearly 400. The Church’s annual budget leaped from $75 million to $200 million. (p. 906. PDF p. 1045.)

What was the date at which WCG's recruitment magazine had one million in circulation? What was the date in which WCG had an annual income of $75 million? These points of reference are not stated thus making this statement terribly vague.

Upon his death it is mentioned that some of the world leaders and officials he had met with over the years had sent their condolences and made kind words to WCG upon HWA's passing. Previously it was mentioned some of these officials sent words of encouragement to HWA during the mass defection of 1974.

However these world leaders and officials had never been deceptively recruited into joining his following. They had never been made to feel that they had to pay three tithes and extra offerings to HWA's organization. They had never been told that going to doctors or taking medicine was sinful and denied themselves vital medical treatment. They had never been told that they needed to do whatever a WCG minister told them to do or else they might not be allowed to go to the place of safety and be forced to endure the Great Tribulation. They had never faced the prospect of being disfellowshiped from WCG and losing all contact with WCG members. They had never had to face the disillusioning realization that a lot of what he taught was simply not true.

But the lives he affected the most, and those he cared about the most, were those whom God had called through him: the members of God’s Church. (p. 907. PDF p. 1046.)

HWA certainly affected the lives of his followers a lot. Often to their disadvantage.

PCG's version of HWA's autobiography ends with advertising for various writings by PCG and some of HWA's writings that PCG owns. The real purpose of this book is to recruit more members to join PCG and pay three tithes to the organization for the rest of that person's life.

But God is not with PCG. Since PCG started in 1989 the leaders of PCG have made 52 false prophecies. No doubt there are more. PCG's leaders are but false prophets.

(Update: July 3: Courtesy of Black Ops Mikey here is the 1972 version of HWA's Autobiography published before PCG got their hands on it.)

Netanyahu Speaking About Gays

PCG tends to adore Netanyahu. In recent times they have even compared him to Churchill and Moses. But they present a rather sanitized portrayal of Netanyahu to pursue their interests in convincing PCG members that they dogmas and dire predictions are true. Inconvenient facts are left out.

Here's one story about Netanyahu that the COGs will in all likelihood ignore.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed his support on the Knesset’s first designated LGBT Rights Day on Tuesday.

Netanyahu rarely appears in the legislature on Tuesdays, a day on which it usually does not hold important votes, but he arrived specially to participate in LGBT Rights Day, during which discussions of the topic were held in the plenum and committees.

The prime minister briefly addressed the plenum: “I know that there were important and lengthy discussions today, and I came here in the middle of my schedule, which was no less busy, to say one sentence to the members of the LGBT community: ‘Every man was created in the image of God.’ That is the idea brought by our nation to mankind thousands of years ago, and it is the principle that must guide our national lives today.” (Jerusalem Post, February 23, 2016.)

It should be noted that PCG fairly often cites The Jerusalem Post so it is somewhat likely they noticed this article. As far as I know they have said nothing in public about this.

In recently years various sectors within the State of Israel has been promoting it as a haven for gays and have made advertising campaigns to encourage gay tourism to Israel.

Some activists have condemned this as a public relations exercise that fails to address the problems facing the State of Israel and have labeled this pinkwashing.

Of course not every part of Israeli society is like this.

Why don't the COGs notice these things?

Jerusalem Day 2016

Journalists David Sheen and Dan Cohen has released a video showing of the sights and people to be seen in the celebration of the State of Israel's capture of East Jerusalem during the Six Day War of 1967 during this year's Jerusalem Day.

Features interview with one Israeli who calls Netanyahu and Lieberman cowards, call upon them not to worry about international legitimacy and proposes to send a tank into the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem and machine gunning the place. (2 minutes.)

Features one reveler leading the crowd in singing , "Worship God by nakba!"

Features marchers singing for the construction of a Third Temple and a speech by a Jewish Home MK calling for the construction of a Third Temple.

Now why would some Palestinians be afraid that a Third Temple is being planned?