Rising From The Ruins

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

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

The Bamboo Cross

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Also check out this interesting letter:

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

Rising From The Ruins

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

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

Disinformation About Social Security

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

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

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

Happy FOT, Armstrong Auditorium Opening

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

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

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

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

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

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

Armstrong Auditorium Soon To Open

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

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

Spam for Gerald Flurry

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

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

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

ESN Letters on PCG's Armstrong Auditorium

I havn't been to Exit and Support Network's letters archives in awhile but there has recently been a lot of new emails concerning PCG. Check it out.

Here's some relevant quotes:

Just looking at the latest Royal Vision. Looks as though those at the top of the PCG pyramid are becoming increasingly paranoid and controlling. The article in the July-August edition entitled "Must We Avoid Them?" by Greg Nice is another attempt at getting the deluded and deceived members to cut off loved ones and friends who have left the PCG. They use emotional blackmail statements such as: "If we fail to avoid them (ex-members) or cut them off today, we are doing it because we love ourselves and not because we truly love them." Members are also instructed not to: "...Eat with them; don't share a social event with them...avoid them until they repent..." --Anonymous

More sensible critique on the necessity (!) of Armstrong Auditorium.

I can think of so many things that a "real" church could have done with those millions of dollars, including feeding and clothing the needy in the community. Such a waste of members money. I'm reminded once again of the Scriptures and Jesus' reply to the rich young ruler: "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21) It's just so obvious where GF's treasure is. --Impacted by PCG

One letter reveals that PCG are trying to massage the search results about them.

According to the June, 2010, Philadelphia News article by Timothy Oostendarp titled "Church improves online reputation," the PCG has "partnered with a Canadian-based contractor specializing in search engine optimization" to, in effect, silence critics. The article says: "In the case of God's Church, there is the added dimension of Satan using people to constantly upload virulent, smear-based materials." It says that these materials "were lodged as the top links Internet users found when they searched for information related to the Church. That is no longer the case. Through the optimization efforts and improved website content, the relevancy of PCG websites has steadily risen, while the relevancy of negative websites has declined."

Alas, this seems to be true. Observe these pro-PCG websites, GeraldFlurry.info and this biographical article. And most hilariously, this Gerald Flurry blog, which is composed of just three virtually identical blog posts posted on the same day. Clearly it exists solely to gobble up search engine rankings in order to bury the ugly truth about PCG.

This Auditorium is the PCG's "tower of Babel." It doesn’t bring glory to God, but to the man, HWA, and the same fate will befall it that has befallen the campus and buildings in Pasadena. God will not be mocked.

Could not agree more.

Thoughts On That Idiotic Koran Burning

There's some crazy church in Florida planning to burn Korans on September 11. I wish to state here that I absolutely condemn this inflammatory act.

In every way one looks at this event it must be concluded that this will only cause unwanted strife and heartache.

I have heard stories of Muslims becoming highly offended at such attacks upon their faith.

I remember reading in Princess Sultana's Circle how one women was tormented by unwanted mental images after seeing an irreverent portrait of Muhammad. She was traumatized. And the narrator, Sultana, commented that she was at least glad she did not have to endure that stress, even though she had been forced to endure various stressful situations discussed elsewhere in the book.

I remember reading how the first mass hunger strike in Guantanamo Prison was caused because a US soldier accidentally caused a Koran to fall on the floor.

I believe it was early February when, on Charlie Block, a Koran was thrown to the floor during a cell search. [It is later revealed that this was accidental.] This caused the whole camp to go in a massive uproar, screaming and yelling to the point all [military police officers] came out of the blocks....When the incident with the Koran happened, the whole camp pretty much went on a hunger strike that lasted a week or so.

Why are these people willing to do something like that and risk something similar occurring?

They are like little kids playing with fire.

This really is a heartless and foolish act. Do they think they will convert any Muslim by doing this? All this is doing is unnecessarily building another block of separation to hamper relations between Christians and Muslims.

I shudder to imagine that this may incite some professing Muslim terrorists somewhere in the dar al-Islam to persecute the Christians within their midst.

How can anyone still burn books considering the practice's negative association with Nazism? I am not calling these people Nazis, but it must be pointed out that whatever intellectual respectability book burning may have had before 1933 was completely lost because of its use by the Nazis. Again I am not calling them Nazis, that would be inappropriate and inaccurate, but it must be asked why they would use such a disreputable act with such a negative association.

There are countless, more sensible things they could do instead.

Why don't they burn Osama bin Laden's books? They could burn Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden. That would be far more sensible, it would make it clear they are directing this act against this specific movement, and it would not offend a billion people, the vast majority of whom had nothing to do with al Qaeda, at least not as much.

Or why not stage a protest at some embassy respectfully asking them to address an issue in that country?

Or why not hold a service discussing persecution of Christians in various parts of the world? Get in a speaker from Voice of the Martyrs or some such organization and educate people about these things, show them a movie about it and tell them how they can help persecuted Christians. This book burning will certainly not help the persecuted Christians. It may worsen their plight.

Furthermore there are Muslims living among us. How does this event help them feel safe and respected living with us? They are here and they are going to stay here and we all have to live together in peace and harmony as much as possible. This event does not help us to live together well but will only unnecessarily cause strife.

For all these reasons this deed must be judged as most reprehensible and mischievous.

It is a heartless and foolish act.

I condemn it completely.