Covid Delta is About to Overrun America

The Delta variant of Covid-19 is well on its way to becoming the predominant strain of Covid-19 in America. Covid Delta is the variant that has recently devastated India. It is more contagious and more deadly than regular Covid-19.  

Currently about everyone who gets hospitalized or dies of Covid-19 in America are unvaccinated.

These dire news shows once again the vital importance of getting vaccinated against this dreadful disease. Some genuinely are unable to access them. Listening to some voice on the radio or some random article on the Internet passing on anti-vaccine misinformation will not save anyone from this upcoming latest wave of Covid-19. 

Getting vaccinated is the easiest way to save yourself and those around you from this dreadful disease.

PCG Complaining About the Rise of a New Government in Israel

(Disclaimer: PCG has recently been posting anti-vaccine articles. Please use caution if you decide to read their writings. Thankfully there are many people and NGOs, such as Voices for Vaccines, that speak out against such attitudes. More information may be gained from the CDC. The main article now begins.)

The PCG leadership are still smarting over the fact that, unless something unexpected happens before the proposed new government is sworn in, the Israeli Prime Minister they adore, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be out of power. They continue to moan over this development in another article. (Brent Nagtegaal, The 'Big Lie' in Israel's Election, June 9, 2021.)

Let's see what they have to say this time.

PCG says they support the State of Israel but once it appears that PCG's preferred Prime Minister is about to be removed from power they say the following words. Observe how PCG's leadership talk of Israelis they disapprove of.

Sunday’s confidence vote in the Knesset will be the culmination of the multilayered campaign over the past two years to pull out all stops to remove Netanyahu from leading the Jewish state. A leftist-dominated media and educated class, anti-Netanyahu leaders from the left and right, as well as a politicized judiciary came together to wage war on Israel’s longest-serving and arguably most successful leader. They joined forces through four inconclusive elections in order to oust Netanyahu. And finally, they’ve done it—by all means possible.

PCG's article denounces Naftali Bennett as a liar for joining forces with Yesh Atid, a centrist party.

But after the election, Naftali Bennett betrayed his voters and sided with the left to rip the crown off Bibi’s head and put it on his own. ... Furthermore, had Bennett not lied to Israel, the Yamina party would likely not have received enough votes to clear the electoral threshold (3.5 percent). Meaning, that Naftali Bennett would not even be a member of the Knesset. Instead, because of a lie, a man who probably wouldn’t have made the Knesset is now going to lead the Jewish state. This takes the adage “cheating your way to the top” to a whole new level. If Bennett doesn’t lie before the election, Netanyahu most likely is still Prime Minister today.

Nagtegaal does not mention that it was Yesh Atid that got the second most votes in the 2021 election behind Netanyahu's Likud. After the election President Rivlin gave Netanyahu the first chance at forming a new government. Netanyahu was unable to do so. After that President Rivlin appointed Yair Lapid, the leader of Yesh Atid, with the responsibility to forge a new government. Lapid did so, however as part of the coalition deal Naftali Bennett gets to be Prime Minister first. 

Many in Israel are worried that politically motivated violence might occur. One reason for this concern is the painful memory of the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin by a right wing extremist on November 4, 1995. PCG's article expresses no sympathy for those who are afraid something like that might happen again. Instead such concerns are dismissed as unfounded.

[T]he media in Israel is giving the “big lie” a pass. Instead, they say those who would try to expose and overcome the attack on Israel’s democracy are insurrectionists. Indeed the media has help endorsing such a position from Israel’s security agency. On Saturday, [the] Shin Bet Director ... condemned language that might be perceived as “one who endorses violent and illegal activities that could even lead to harming individuals.” ...

[Nagtegaal quotes Netanyahu saying,] Stick it to them. Every effort. Figurative phrases like that are being trumpeted by Israel’s left-wing media and politicians as evidence that Netanyahu is trying to raise an actual violent insurrection against the results of the stolen election. In fact, if you even discuss the steal, you are labeled as a dangerous conspiracy theorist.

Nagtegaal compares the fall of Netanyahu from power with the fall of Donald Trump. He blames some "deep state" conspiracy which he describes as being "left-wing." 

While the deceitful means enacted to defraud democracy might be different in Israel and in the United States, the outcome and the narrative are almost identical. For years a left-wing, anti-traditional “deep state” has merged with mass media to degrade the Bible-based values and rich history of both America and Israel.

In other words PCG was not happy that Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have lost power. PCG happens to be right wing.

Nagtegaal then insists that somehow he knows better than the State of Israel's prosecutors and he insists that the criminal cases against Prime Minister Netanyahu are "bogus" even though these court cases are in fact happening.

Both Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump have recognized this attack and have fought back. It was the reason Mr. Trump was elected, and it was the reason Mr. Netanyahu remains the most popular leader in Israel. Unable to remove the leaders from power by simple popular vote, the radical left tried other means, from impeachment attempts to Russian collusion to an ongoing bogus legal case against Mr. Netanyahu.

And so we see PCG complaining when political events they disapprove of happen to occur. However considering that PCG says that America and Israel are about to be militarily conquered by a future European Empire any moment now one wonders why the PCG leadership chooses to be so annoyed over the apparent removal from power of Benjamin Netanyahu.

PCG's Six Day Tunnel Vision

PCG's other website focused on presenting their teachings in a manner catered for a Jewish audience, Watch Jerusalem, has highlighted an article of theirs describing the Six Day War of 1967. Let's see what they have to say this time. (Christopher Eames, Miracles in Six Days, June 1, 2019.)

The little nation of Israel, having only been formally reestablished in its biblical homeland in 1948, was, by 1967, facing destruction by four major Arab nations and many other supporting belligerents. The combined might of Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan was about to bear down on the little nation of less than 2.5 million Jews. Israel had half as many soldiers, less than half the tanks, and only a quarter of the aircraft. Yet against the greatest of odds, a truly miraculous victory was won by Israel in what is today known as the Six-Day War.

The fact that State of Israel happens to be geographically small is largely irrelevant because it happens to have a military force better than the surrounding Arab nations as was seen in the 1947-9 war. The State of Israel has been militarily better than the surrounding Arab nations ever since.

Also in 1967 the Arab nations had on paper a common command structure with a Egyptian military officer in charge of everything. In practice there was much confusion between the different Arab nations. Unlike Israel they did not have a clear command structure uniting their efforts.

The State of Israel's military was indeed outnumbered but that would not matter once the Israeli Air Force destroyed Egypt's air force. With that decisive move the State of Israel had control of the air so there was little the Arab nations could do to stop them. 

The Arab nations surrounding Israel had never accepted the official 1948 international reinstatement of the land as a Jewish state. They fought bitterly in the 1948 Arab War to try to destroy the fledgling Jewish nation but were defeated. In 1967, they planned to try again, combining forces once more to defeat Israel in what should have been a quick and decisive victory. Yet within six days, Israel had defeated the Arab armies, tripled the area of land under Israeli control, and fully reclaimed Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel.

The author insists that the Arab nations were on the verge of "a quick and decisive victory" and suddenly they lost so much territory. The fact that Israel had such a decisive victory suggests they were in never in that much military danger in 1967.

But was President Nasser trying to attack? Could he do so? According to President Lyndon Johnson it was the assessment of US intelligence that President Nasser was not trying to attack Israel and furthermore the State of Israel was not in real danger of military defeat.

On the evening of May 26 [1967] I [President Johnson] met with Israel's Foreign Minister Abba Eban, who had just flown to Washington. Our conversation was direct and frank. Eban said according to Israeli intelligence, the United Arab Republic (UAR) was preparing an all-out attack. I asked Secretary McNarama, who was present, to give Mr. Eban a summary of our findings. Three separate intelligence groups had looked carefully into the matter, McNarama said, and it was our best judgment that a UAR attack was not imminent. "All of our intelligence people are unanimous," I added, "that if the UAR attacks, you will whip the hell out of them." (Lyndon Johnson, The Vantage Point, 1971, p. 293.)

And the Americans were right. The Egyptians were routed by the Israeli military. How can this be a miracle as Armstrongites say when people US intelligence, President Johnson and Secretary McNarama were able to accurately anticipate a decisive victory for the State of Israel?

However this information was not widely known among the public within either the United States or the State of Israel. The people of the State of Israel were genuinely afraid of total defeat even though those in power, as is seen above, knew better. The State of Israel was never in any real danger of a total defeat in 1967.

We now return to PCG's article.

Early in the morning on June 5, 1967, nearly 200 Israeli airplanes took to the sky, making their way toward Egypt. Jordan, picking up the Israeli air force movements by radar, forwarded a coded warning to Egypt. In a miraculous stroke, however, the Egyptians had changed their message-coding equipment without notifying the Jordanians. As such, the Israeli planes were able to knock out more than 300 Egyptian planes—more than half the Egyptian air force—in only three hours! Strangely, no order was given for the Egyptian anti-aircraft missile batteries to retaliate. By the end of that initial day, two-thirds of the Syrian Air Force had also been destroyed, along with most of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

These are not signs of a miracle, as Armstrongites claim. These are the results of an unclear, badly integrated command structure on the Arab side. The Egyptians changing encryption method without telling the Jordanians is a result of unclear communications. The Israelis were fighting by themselves so they had a clear command structure. This is an organized nation fighting disorganized nations. Being outnumbered does not matter when you are more organized compared with the other side.

Also those planes the Israelis had were bought from France. Many of the State of Israel's tanks were purchased from Britain. Both the British and French governments disapproved of this war but they armed Israel until the moment the Israeli government chose to attack. The military genius of Britain and France gave the State of Israel the arms to win.

For the Arab alliance, things got worse. Rank ineptitude and disorder reigned. 

To defeat an inept and disorderly enemy is not a miracle. It is the inevitable result of better planning and discipline.

Israeli desert troops made their way into the Sinai Peninsula, readying an attack on the well-armed Kusseima military outpost. Massive explosions were heard within the base, and by the time the Israelis arrived, they found the Egyptians had already destroyed their own equipment and fled. Egypt had abandoned other military bases as well.

The Egyptians had lost their air force so it made sense for them to flee to safety instead of leaving themselves vulnerable to attack from the air. After the Six Day War the Egyptians regrouped and proceeded to wage a guerrilla war against the State of Israel to regain control of the Sinai Peninsula until the death of President Nasser in 1970. When Sadat become President he prioritized negotiations (aside from the 1973 Yom Kippur War) and in 1979 made a treaty which among other things allowed Egypt to regain the Sinai Peninsula. The restoration of Egyptian rule over the Sinai was completed in 1982. If the 1967 war was a miracle, as Armstrongites claim, why did the God of Armstrongism cause the State of Israel to return the Sinai Peninsula just fifteen years later?

Surely such military successes were too much for just the little nation of Israel to accomplish. 

Balderdash. The State of Israel was better organized and disciplined compared with the Arab alliance. They had French planes and British tanks. So of course they won. 

The Israelis had been expecting a fierce and bloody land battle on the well-fortified Golan Heights, as the Arab bunkers were impervious to conventional airstrikes. However, by June 10, before many of the enemy positions had even been set upon by the Israelis, the Syrians had left their weapons and fled their positions in a state of panic!

Why would the Syrians flee? Look at what the author said four paragraphs earlier:

By the end of that initial day [June 5, 1967], two-thirds of the Syrian Air Force had also been destroyed, along with most of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

The Syrian soldiers were left exposed to air attacks so they fled to safety. From their perspective it was rational to preserve their military force from possible air attack. That's not a miracle.

The statistics from the war are amazing. For every Israeli who perished in the conflict, 25 of the enemy died. For every Israeli prisoner of war, there were over 394 Arab POWs. For every Israeli plane that was downed, more than 11 Arab planes were lost.

It is worth noting that those unfortunate Israeli soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice or were captured or shot down while in a plane are never mentioned or discussed in this article. For those soldiers and their families and friends there was no miracle. Their pain and suffering is ignored and minimized to make the supposed miracle sound good to Armstrongites.

There are many more miracles that happened during the Six-Day War that you can read about. They certainly cannot be regarded as blind luck. 

It was not blind luck at all. The State of Israel had a better military force, a clear command structure instead of an unwieldly amalgam of different military forces, and air superiority after destroying the air forces of the Arab nations. So of course the State of Israel won. The Arab nations did not stand a chance.

After the war, on Shavuot (Pentecost), hundreds of thousands of Jews arrived in the recently recaptured city of Jerusalem, offering up prayers of thanks to God for His miraculous delivery from the jaws of the Arab armies.

After seizing East Jerusalem from the Jordanians the State of Israel quickly demolished the Moroccan neighborhood in order to have a wide open square in front of the Wailing Wall. The demolition was done so quickly that one unfortunate woman was killed in the demolition.

Also during the Six Day War an American navel ship, the U.S.S. Liberty, was attacked by Israeli forces. Thirty-five Americans were killed in the attack. The Israeli government said it was a mistake. The question needs to be asked of the Armstrongites: Was that part of the miracle? If not, why not? Questions such as these are carefully ignored in this article.

Also the Six Day War led to the rise of Fatah within the Palestine Liberation Organization. After the 1947-9 war the Palestinians, about 750,000 of whom had been expelled from their homes by the newly formed State of Israel, were in no position to fight the State of Israel to go home so they placed their hope in the Arab nations hoping that they would gather up their forces and fight. Many placed their hopes on President Nasser. The PLO was originally founded in 1964 to keep the Palestinians aligned with the Arab governments. After 1967 it was clear that the Arab nations could not defeat the State of Israel in a military conflict. Consequently the Palestinians began to organize themselves under the aegis of Fatah and tried to wage an armed insurgency against the State of Israel to go home. Fatah quickly became the dominant faction of the PLO. Fatah's armed insurgency against the State of Israel escalated. The Israeli government chose not to negotiate with the PLO until 1991. Was the rise of Fatah in response to the Israeli victory in 1967 part of the miracle that these Armstrongites claim occurred?

The war lasted six days only if one chooses to view it that way. If one views it as part of a long term conflict between the State of Israel and the Arab nations then the Six Day War becomes merely a dramatic moment in a decades long struggle.

So we see the Six Day War was not as miraculous a triumph as the PCG leadership would have their followers believe.

PCG Mourning the Apparent Fall of Netanyahu

After going though four elections since March 2019 it now appears that the State of Israel will have a new Prime Minister and a new coalition government by June 14. No Likud Party involvement required. Unless something unexpected happens Benjamin Netanyahu will be out of office once the new government gets sworn in. The proposed government has not taken power yet PCG has already produced an article about this. The PCG leadership adores Netanyahu so they are not happy at this development. Let's see what PCG has to say about this now. (Brent Nagtegaal, Will Israel Lose Its Churchill?, June 3, 2021.)

Jerusalem—Barring last-minute heroics, the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history will soon be out of power. 

It seems evident that what mainly frustrated Likud's attempts to regain power since 2018 is the fact that Netanyahu happens to be facing several corruption allegations in the courts of law. Turns out a lot of Israelis are not happy having to take orders from a Prime Minster facing corruption charges. Nagtegaal gives little attention to that problem.

Netanyahu became Israel’s youngest-ever prime minister during his first term (1996–1999) and its longest-serving prime minister during his second (2009–present) and has weathered numerous onslaughts, including multiple corruption charges.

Outside observers, especially conservatives, find it illogical that Israelis would discard Netanyahu in the face of multiple threats to Israel’s security. The prime minister is viewed by many as one of the most effective leaders in Israel’s modern history. In a region prone to violence, He has successfully managed to protect Israel from outside threats, especially Iran. In fact, the last decade under Netanyahu has been Israel’s most peaceful, and in just the past year, his government signed four new peace agreements with Arab states, doubling the number that have been signed since Israel’s modern founding. 

Meanwhile, as most nations still grapple with COVID-related crises, Israel is back to normal, apart from its largely closed international borders.

And a major reason why the State of Israel is like that now is because they did not let people like Stephen Flurry scare them off from getting vaccinated. And they wore masks. Prime Minister Netanyahu advised the people to wear face masks. The contradiction between PCG's stance and what the Israeli government under Netanyahu had done is quietly ignored.

Yet it is also undeniable that Mr. Netanyahu has become the most divisive leader in Israeli history. In the past election, Netanyahu’s Likud party attained its most votes ever. That number was still not enough to maintain power, yet it shows the power he holds among the party’s base. And at the same time, Netanyahu’s enemies have increased across all sectors of society.

Nagtegaal is wrong to say that the Likud Party got more votes in the 2021 election than any previous election. That is not true. In the 2020 election Likud got 1,352,449 votes which was 29.46% of the vote. But in the 2021 election Likud got 1,066,892 votes which was 24.19 % of the vote. Likud lost about 285,557 votes compared with their result in the 2020 election. This is a major reason why Netanyahu faces the prospect of losing power: Many previous Likud voters did not vote for the Likud party this time. Nagtegaal is wrong to say Likud got more votes in the 2021 election than ever before. That simply is not true. Why does the PCG leadership let him say something that is verifiably untrue?

And the question must be asked: why have people in the State of Israel chose to no longer support Prime Minister Netanyahu? Did this have anything to do with the corruption allegations? Such questions are ignored in this article.

Nagtegaal then condemn the incoming government as an unworkable government doomed to fail once it gets into power and remove Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's office.

While presenting Prime Minister Netanyahu in a positive light Nagtegaal refers to the Biden Administration as "the American regime."

Mr. Netanyahu is fighting to safeguard Israel’s future, just as he has done during previous American administrations. It is the American regime that has turned hostile.

Nagtegaal cites a statement by the Prime Minster and does not cite his source. Apparently we are just supposed to merely take his word for it that this happened.

“If we have to choose—I hope it doesn’t happen—between friction with our great friend the United States and eliminating the existential threat, eliminating the existential threat [wins],” Netanyahu said recently. 

Nagtegaal accuses the Biden Administration of seeking to back Iran at the State of Israel's expense.

More than any other political leader in Israel, Netanyahu is keenly aware of the anti-Israel policies of the United States. He almost certainly realizes that this is a greater threat to his country than even Iran. More than any other political leader in Israel, Netanyahu recognizes that it is a United States-backed Iran that poses the greatest threat to Israel.

Nagtegaal mentions Netanyahu's speech before a joint session of Congress in 2015 to oppose the deal with Iran. He implies that Donald Trump was elected President due to opposition among Americans to the deal with Iran.

Netanyahu was chosen by the people, “he saw the sword coming,” and he warned of the danger of a United States-backed Iran, embodied in Barack Obama’s nuclear deal. And the American people listened, voting into power a leader who was determined to nullify the deal and restore deterrence on Iran.

Actually Netanyahu was not chosen by the people because the electoral system in the State of Israel is somewhat indirect. In the State of Israel the voters vote for the party, not the leader or individual candidate. After the vote who gets to lead is in the legislators' hands and power does not necessarily go to the party with the most votes. For instance, in the 2009 election Likud got 21.61% of the vote and were actually second behind the Kadima Party led by Tzipi Livni which got 22.47%. But unlike today Likud had more allies back then so they gained power anyway.

Now the reason the PCG leadership pays so much attention to the State of Israel is because they think political acts in connection with that industrialized nation state will somehow herald the beginning of the end of the world as we know it to be destroyed in a future World War III. In this supposed war the State of Israel, America and Britain will be militarily conquered by a future European Empire. Some "friends" the Armstrongites are for the State of Israel: They watch news about it to detect if the end is near.

Israel faces a historic moment right now. Several important biblical prophecies are in play, and political upheaval—particularly one that emboldens Israel’s enemies and makes the Jewish state more vulnerable—could rapidly advance the fulfillment of these prophecies. Still, although Netanyahu may be gone, the warning will continue. 

Unlike Herbert Armstrong, Gerald Flurry and their imitators I make no claim to see the future. But no matter who happens to be Prime Minister of the State of Israel we can rest assured that the false prophecies of Armstrongism will never be fulfilled. Since 1989 PCG have made numerous predictions that have not happened. We can take comfort in knowing that no matter what happens in this current political drama the scary predictions of Armstrongism will never happen.

Notes from Plain Truth Issues (1962)

Continuing on from Post 1 and Post 2 let us now take a look at what was written in The Plain Truth, the recruitment magazine for HWA's organization which was then called the Radio Church of God back in 1962. 

Among people influenced by what was taught in HWA's organization, the Armstrongites, the period between the founding of Ambassador College in 1947 and the first suspension of Garner Ted Armstrong over an adulterous affair in 1972 tends to be viewed as a sort of golden age when all was well in the organization. But once any person actually looks at what was happening one will see it was no golden age. Many of the problems that continue to afflict the Armstrongite organizations were already well present within HWA's organization. Authoritarianism. Dogmatism. Racism. Homophobia. McCarthyite paranoia. A scorn for anything contrary to what was taught by HWA's organization. Superstitious loathing of medical science and doctors. Tithing with the expectation of gaining divine favor. False prophecies that did not occur as was foretold.

A major reason why the organization was so united was that HWA and Co. had been teaching since 1953 that the Great Tribulation would begin in 1972 with Christ's return occurring three and a half years later in 1975. With this prophecy the people in the organization had a common goal and a shared feeling of excitement to encourage them to expand the organization. But by 1972 the cracks began to show in HWA's organization. 

But that happens later. For now in this post we focus on 1962, the year in which civilization as we know it was almost destroyed as a result of the intense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union in the height of the Cold War.

March 1962

The letters section features this response.

The truth is very different and sometimes, for the natural man, very difficult to believe until you have proved it for yourself. The real reason most people don't agree with God is that they are unwilling to do what he says. (p. 2.)

In the personal Herbert Armstrong talks about the costs of distributing and delivering a mass circulation magazine such as his recruitment magazine, The Plain Truth.

David Jon Hill has an article fearfully describing the rise of West Germany.

Herbert Armstrong also has an article denouncing psychology. He denounces it as "idiotic." He shrilly insists that psychologists have been brainwashed.

Herbert Armstrong mentions a prediction that the world would end on February 2, 1962. What fools! The Great Tribulation was clearly going to start in 1972 with Christ's return occurring three and a half years later in 1975, according to HWA and Herman Hoeh at this time.

They got some "Swedish biochemist" to do a guest lecture at Ambassador College to say, "It is UNNATURAL to get sick." What utter nonsense. Then why does every other creature on Earth gets sick as well?

Herman Hoeh has an article insisting that historians were not seeking the truth and cannot be trusted because they say things contrary to what HWA's organization teaches.

Lynn Torrance has an article hysterically entitled "German Rationalism Exposed!" condemning various German scholars for interpreting in ways contrary to what was taught by HWA's organization.

Let's see. Plain Truth readers of this issue were told not to listen to psychologists, historians or "German rationalism." That is a lot of people to ignore. This is one of the characteristics of cults, they try to control what information you have access to.

April 1962

There are letters. There's a rhetorical one. In one a retired policeman requests a few free booklets to check if it is not a racket. Little does he know the racket comes in later after one voluntarily sends a donation and when the interested readers is told to tithe to HWA's organization.

There's a homophobic letter from San Francisco, California written in response to an article by Roderick Meredith. When this was written the LGBT community had little protection from the widespread social stigma imposed upon them at this time. At this time same sex attraction was even considered a disorder by the American Psychologist Association although psychologists at this time were starting to rethink such things.

"I have read 'The Shocking Truth About Queer Men' several times. The facts on the existence of effeminates are obvious and self-evident, but your analysis of the reasons and your quotations from the Bible are quite amazing. This may be the reason why I have been attracted to you. Most so-called Christian churches are effeminate in their very nature. They don't teach religion in a manly way. They paint Christ as a weak-kneed cream-puff.

"I am also amazed at the youth in your organization and I am sure that many of your listeners and followers are young people. I am 33 myself. Your religion is the most down to earth religion I have ever heard."

Here's a rhetorical letter from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

You are either the biggest fraud in this century or the nearest thing to divine truth since Paul. If you are the former, God will deal with you in due time in His own way. If you are the latter, you are and could be the greatest blessing to this hellbent world that has happened in this century. I am persuaded you are the latter. 

Garner Ted Armstrong talks about John Glenn's orbiting of the Earth.

Herman Hoeh promotes their teaching that Jesus died after being stabbed with a spear citing an unusual reading of Matthew.

Roderick Meredith has an article assuring potential students that Ambassador College is wonderful. You have got to join.

Garner Ted Armstrong has an article explaining why Jesus was born in 4 BC (before Christ). In the article he cites Alexander Hyslop's anti-Catholic polemic, The Two Babylons, a thoroughly discredited book. It is presented in an alarmist manner as evidence of living in a paganized world.

Lynn Torrance's denunciation of "German rationalism" continues.

Garner Ted Armstrong gives parenting advice. Similar article appear in many issues of HWA's recruitment magazine at this time. In 1963 Garner Ted Armstrong would release a booklet entitled The Plain Truth About Child Rearing which was promoted within HWA's organization. Many survivors of Armstrongism say this booklet contributed to creating a culture of harsh, even abusive, treatment of children within HWA's organization in which corporal punishment was widely encouraged. Knowing these facts we reach the conclusion: Don't take parental advice from Garner Ted Armstrong's dreaded writings about child rearing. 

May 1962

Here's a letter from a lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia.

I am a lawyer by training and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the articles in The Plain Truth. You really enlightened me about being born again. I have checked you in the Bible and see that you are so right. I am glad that I am not as confused in Georgia Law as some so-called Theologians are about the Bible! (p. 2.)

Walter Martin in his book, The Kingdom of the Cults, was utterly unimpressed with HWA's interpretation of being born again. He even stated that he believed that HWA was maliciously lying about this doctrine. HWA had no professional training in reading the New Testament in Greek.

Here's a letter from Northern Ireland.

What you have been revealing from the Bible certainly seems to be taking place before our very eyes. It pays to watch world events. I read your magazine every month. There is nothing to compare with what you preach, and it is backed up by Scripture. (p. 2.)

Little did this person know but in just a few years Northern Ireland would be plunged into a protracted civil war. 

In response to a letter commenting on the stance of HWA's organization that there would be no war between the United States and the Soviet Union an editor of the recruitment magazine wrote this:

Many people wonder if this year will see war with Russia. Do you know? If not, write immediately for the free article 'Will Russia Attack America?' (p. 23.)

Later that year the United States and the Soviet Union very nearly went to war over Cuba. 1962 is the year civilization as we knew it nearly got destroyed. Thankfully the possibility of nuclear war is now much less likely.

Herbert Armstrong finds himself having to apologize for errors in his March 1962 personal regarding the cost of magazine distribution.

Gene Hogberg has an article scare mongering about elections in Argentina that favored Peronist candidates. The rise of left wing political parties in Latin America are portrayed in a hostile manner.

Herbert Armstrong denounces the idea that the law was nailed to the cross.

Garner Ted Armstrong warns of Europe rising up.

Garner Ted Armstrong has an article asking, how do you believe what you believe? Here this is a recruitment trick designed to make people doubt themselves in order to make them more likely to just go along with what HWA's organization says.

J. W. Robinson has an article saying that Jesus had four younger brothers and at least two sisters who were the children of Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth.

Roderick Meredith has an article stating that baptism by immersion is necessary.

The Question and Answer discusses sports, namely which sports are allowed or not. What about gambling? In my experience LCG opposed gambling so it is reasonable to assume the same of HWA's organization in 1962. The other question concerns when Jesus was born.

Lynn Torrance has an article entitled "The real origins of Communism!"

Herman Hoeh has an article denouncing evolution because it contradicts what HWA's organization says on this topic.

Robert Boraker has an article speculating if West Germany was somehow colluding with the Soviet Union.

June 1962

Here's a letter from a serviceman in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina who said he just cannot find anything wrong with what HWA and followers are saying in their recruitment which is designed to persuaded to join HWA's organization.

For some time I have been studying religions and searching for one that really made some sense. Then one day a friend of mine told me about your program and I tried you out. At present I have been listening for almost 2 months and I do not know whether to fully believe you or to take what you say with a grain of salt. I must admit that what you say is quite logical but at the same time I am afraid that what you say might really prove to be true. Last night I sat down with the March Plain Truth and I spent almost 3 hours trying to prove that what you said was false but at the end of that time I found that I could not tear down one single sentence out of any article. Instead I found more truth in it than I had at first. (p. 2.)

They print a letter from minister who read up some of their recruitment writings are concluded, "Now I am certain it is the true gospel." 

Herbert Armstrong says Moscow was worried about East Germany's slugging economy. This topic is then used to promote his scare mongering about a future European Empire.

Gene Hogberg has an article discussing President Kennedy ordering the steel business to not raise the price of steel.

Jack Elliot has an article entitled, "What's wrong with science?" What is wrong? Namely scientists are not saying what HWA's organization says.

Roderick Meredith has an article about mental health. This is not a good idea. 

Herman Hoeh moans about the national debt reaching a trillion dollars.

Garner Ted Armstrong has an article entitled, "The CURSE of TELEVISION." Once again HWA's organization is trying to control what information their followers are accessing.

Albert Portune has an article asking "Is sin obsolete?" Of course not, is the answer provided by HWA's organization.

July 1962

There are letters. This is one letter condemning modern child rearing because HWA's organization told this person to view it that way. One letter from Burma (Myanmar). One Canadian letter says all the articles sound the same which, strangely enough, is meant as a compliment. One letter compliments the recruitment magazine for their "scoop" on the rise of the European Common Market.

Herbert Armstrong denounces Britain's attempt to join the European market. Little did he know that President de Gaulle would carefully keep Britain out. Britain would not enter until 1972. HWA then recites his teaching of a future European Empire. While reciting this teaching he says this:

Meanwhile the chief bishops of the Church, at Rome, became more influential than civil rulers. In 554 A.D., at the behest of the chief Bishop of Rome, now called the Pope, Justinian restored the Empire in the west. He was crowned by the Pope. He knelt before the Pope, acknowledging his supremacy. (p. 25.)

How did Herbert Armstrong know that Justinian was crowned by the Pope? How did he know that Justinian bowed before the Pope? It would be good to know if there are any historical sources to back up these claims of his. I welcome clarification. But until someone does so I am saying this: I think Herbert Armstrong made those details up.

Herbert Armstrong has an article saying education will be so much better after Christ returns.

Herman Hoeh has an article scare mongering about President de Gaulle stoking up nationalist feelings in France.

Lynn Torrance has an article scare mongering about the Communists. He confidently insists that the political moves of the Soviet Union in international relations can be easily explained by reading some statements Lenin made decades ago in a drastically different political setting.

Well-meaning people speculate, theorize, and rationalize that what the communist leaders have written they do not mean, but history clearly shows that they have not deviated from this blueprint, from this plan of world conquest--one iota. (p. 4.)

Back in Lenin's time, aside from World War I, America tended to adopt an isolationist stance regarding European politics and tried to stay out of their squabbles. This approach was abandoned only after the Pearl Harbor attack and Hitler's declaration of war against the United States which was decades after Lenin's time.

On page 16 there is a photo of a university building with this mean spirited caption. In this context "materialists" is used as sort of like a euphemism for Atheists, just slightly more specifically connected Communists.

This massive, cold-appearing University of Freiburg, Germany, teaches German rationalism. How many cold-blooded materialists has it produced?

Roderick Meredith has an article promoting what he calls seven laws of radiant health. His seventh law is avoid bodily injury. What profound words! How could anyone outside of HWA's organization figure out something like that?

Herman Hoeh again has an article denouncing historians for not agreeing with HWA's organization's teachings regarding history.

J. W. Robinson and Gene Hughes has an article denouncing radiocarbon dating as a "fraud" because they were being used to justify an interpretation of history contrary to what was taught by HWA's organization.

August 1962

There are letters. 

• One letter is from a person who listened since 1934 and only asked for a subscription now. 

• Another from South Africa is written in a humble manner. 

• One letter from Ireland speaks of gross materialism and praises HWA's recruitment magazine for being free. 

• One letter denounces TV and says it will be removed from the house. 

• There are four letters praising tithing insisting that it will miraculously give good financial fortune to any tither. 

• One letter from Detroit is from a person who says he is not interested in ordinary programs anymore after listening to what was produced by HWA's organization. 

• One letter from Ohio letter praises a positive approach in the pages of the recruitment magazine not knowing that Armstrongism is very negative about society outside of its influence and control.

L. E. Torrance has an article denouncing a supposed proposal within the Kennedy Administration to seek some sort of agreement with the Soviet Union.

Garner Ted Armstrong has an article superstitiously denouncing ill health as a curse.

Autobiographical installment mentions the marriage of his younger daughter.

L. Leroy Neff has an article advising readers how they can listen to their recruitment radio broadcast if they are having trouble listening to it.

Garner Ted Armstrong has an article explaining why his readers need a church, specifically HWA's organization.

Roderick Meredith has an article saying that Christ's return is necessary.

David Jon Hill has an article assuring readers that hell fire is not real. Instead HWA's organization taught that one is annihilated for all eternity in the Lake of Fire. It tends to escape the notice of Armstrongites that this is functionally speaking the same thing. HWA merely removed consciousness from his interpretation of the eternal punishment, imitating the Jehovah's Witnesses. As he did with many doctrines. 

September 1962

There are letters. One letter says there really is no follow up by HWA's organization. The follow up only happens after you pay. To use an unwitting letter to imply that there there is no follow up is deceptive. 

One letter from Tasmania letter says HWA's organization are the warning sent by God and this person knows this because the Armstrongites told him to believe that.

Herbert Armstrong denounces Pablo Picasso as a bad painter. He cites Picasso's confession. HWA assures his readers it is genuine. It was fake. HWA cited a fabrication to denounce Pablo Picasso.

Herbert Armstrong has an article telling his readers what the twenty-first century will be like. Back then he was saying that Christ would return in 1975.

Dibar Apartian has an article about France becoming more nationalistic because, can you believe this, a nation will pursue its own interests and sometimes those interests will contradict those of another nation. How horrifying.

David Jon Hill has an article telling his readers why the vast majority of people of the Jewish community do not choose to be Christians.

On page 20 in Herbert Armstrong's autobiographical installment he mentions a Catholic bishop, namely Bishop Hunt of Salt Lake City, giving an address during the founding of the United Nations. At the time HWA very talked up that address as a sign of the rise of the future European Empire. But here it is presented as just another detail. This detail of history was no longer useful to him in scaring his followers of some coming catastrophe.

Herbert Armstrong has an article insisting that Christians are supposed to observe the seventh day Sabbath, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, contradicting the vast majority of Christians throughout history. This is a useful wedge issue which is used to cause readers to become disillusioned with their churches since the vast majority of churches worship on Sunday. However when Christianity began to be accepted among non-Jews a consensus was reached that it is not necessary to become submit to Jewish religious rules in order to become a Christian. This may be seen in Acts 15 and Paul's letter to the Galatians which, contrary to what some Armstrongites have mistaken thought, is actually a polemic condemning "Judaizers" who were telling non-Jewish Christians at that time that they needed to be circumcised to enter the Christian faith. 

Roderick Meredith has an article presenting what is called "the inside story" of The World Tomorrow recruitment radio broadcast.

Herbert Armstrong has an article about fasting. HWA's organization taught followers to fast as a religious ritual. Fasting is one of the rituals associated with the Armstrongite Day of Atonement and it is also encouraged to be done on a somewhat regular basis as a religious ritual.

October 1962

Here's one letter from a person in Cincinnati, Ohio who had lost faith in his church after paying attention to HWA's recruitment materials.

My wife and I have requested that our membership in a local church be dropped because the minister said you probably preach the second coming of Christ. When questioned on his views of German Rationalism, he said he agreed with the rationalistic approach. His entire philosophy of 'religious belief' seemed to me, at least, to be based on a theory that the Biblical truths are merely of historical interest, and that modern psychology and rationalistic beliefs are the answer to the present day unmoral and amoral outlook.

Here an anonymous letter from a person excited after hearing HWA saying they are preparing a history book.

On a recent broadcast you mentioned a new and unique history book that is about to be published--unique in the fact that it considers the fact that God intervenes in the making of history! I wonder if you would inform me of the title so that when it comes out, I can acquire a copy. 

The recruitment magazine's editors responded as follows:

Only the Compendium has been written. When the entire book is published, it will be announced.

This is clearly referring to Herman Hoeh's Compendium of World History. It was never released to the public. It was largely based on a book publicly available since 1952. In his later years Hoeh himself would disavow this book. Only with the innovation of the Internet has this narrative of Armstrongite pseudo-history (Volume 1 and Volume 2) become available to the public.

Herbert Armstrong has article insisting his supposed future European Empire will soon change everything. HWA taught that this future European Empire would rise into great power and militarily conquer the United States and take Americans as slave labor back to Europe in the three and a half years just before Christ's return. Fifty-nine years later the Armstrongites are still waiting.

HWA's autobiography reaches 1945.

Page 15 features portraits of Richard David Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong taken in 1945 when they were about seventeen and fifteen years of age respectively.

Herbert Armstrong continues to tell his readers what the 21st Century will be like. In this article HWA recites his interpretation of Ezekiel 38 and 39. He interprets those passages as predicting a massive invasion of what used to be Mandatory Palestine by the Soviet Union, China and others allied with them. HWA asserted that the Holy Land at this time would be inhabited by Americans, British and Jews recently liberated from the future European Empire. HWA insists this invasion would occur a few years after the return of (the Armstrongite) Christ. HWA asserts that (the Armstrongite interpretation of) Christ will supernaturally kill them off in an instant and in this manner the rule of the Armstrongite God Family will spread over all humanity.

Herbert Armstrong continues to insist that Christians are supposed to worship on the seventh day Sabbath, namely Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, instead of Sunday. This is one way how he denounces and vilifies the vast majority of Christian churches 

Roderick Meredith continues his account of the recruitment broadcast of HWA's organization, The World Tomorrow. The article contains a photo of Dibar Apartian on page 45.

In that article Meredith boasts about Herman Hoeh's upcoming world history book. It was never published for the general public. Why would they refuse to publish revelation from the Armstrongite God? Was it too costly to publish? They published HWA's autobiography but not Hoeh's "World History." Or maybe they realized that even they, the leaders of HWA's organization, could not bring themselves to publish such a flawed book. Apparently it was largely influenced by some other author. Hoeh himself in his latter years would disavow this narrative work of his.

Here's Meredith writing up about himself.

About Your Author

... As I told you last month, I came to Ambassador College in the fall of 1949 after having had one year of college in Missouri first. Later becoming student body president, I graduated from Ambassador College in 1952 and soon found myself immersed in conducting baptizing tours from coast to coast and up into Canada, preaching, teaching, writing and editing. 

I have had the privilege of taking three trips to Europe, and one through Central and South Africa. And I have conducted six evangelistic campaigns--two here in America, and four in Great Britain. I have been blessed with a wonderful wife and three children--and have found that serving in this great Work of God is the most interesting, challenging and rewarding career on earth today!

For unlike the ordinary preachers or college professors, those of us directly in God's Work have the realization that we are in a tremendous CRUSADE. Although countless overtime hours are taken out of the night, sacrifices are made in many ways, nevertheless there is tremendous JOY experienced in seeing human lives really CHANGED from wretchedness and sin, to lives filled with peace, overflowing love and happiness. (pp. 46-47.)

Meredith said, "I ... have found that serving in this great Work of God is the most interesting, challenging and rewarding career on earth today!" But how could he know that? He spent his entire adult life working for Armstrongite organizations.

November 1962

This issue features a lot of letters responding to the German language arm of HWA's organization which was headed by Herman Hoeh at this time.

Meredith continues describing the radio broadcast of HWA's organization, The World Tomorrow. Includes a write up of his uncle, C. Paul Meredith, the doctor of veterinary medicine.

Robert Boraker has an article scare mongering that Nazis at the time in 1962 were plotting to unleash World War III on the world. At one point there is an article heading entitled, "The Germans Lack Imagination."

On page 8 is a photo of several books presented as further evidence that the Germans are plotting to launch a third World War against the United States. (Please note: Links are not endorsements.) Here they are: Book 1 (1945), Book 2 (1942), Book 3 (1961) and Book 4 (1944). Boraker also cites Book 5 (1944) and Book 6 (1953). So four books written before 1946 are presented in 1962 by Boraker to insist that the Nazis have gone underground and will rise up again to conquer America. He is imitating what HWA said in his booklet, 1975 in Prophecy (1956). What nonsense. Fifty-nine years later the Armstrongites are still waiting for the European attack.

Garner Ted Armstrong has an article scare mongering about Germany rising up as a great power.

HWA's autobiography heads into 1946. It features a photo of Eva Armstrong (née Wright), HWA's mother.

Herman Hoeh has an article saying that historians are wrong to say that humanity has existed for more than six thousand years because this contradicts HWA's interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2. Hoeh's article contains racist photo captions describing inhabitants of New Guinea.

His "world history" is presented as being "forthcoming." It was never released to the public by HWA's organization.

Roderick Meredith has an article saying you need to change because the Armstrongite Christ is about to return.

December 1962

There are letters. Four letters are responses to the German language arm of HWA's organization. Two letters condemn the banning of traditional holidays like Christmas, Easter and Halloween by HWA's organization for their followers. One letter from Sarawak is from a person who reads them from the public library.

Here's a letter from a person from Fort Bliss, Texas who says he studied the Sabbath issue for himself.

I accepted your often-quoted challenge of 'Prove it for yourself' and took a seven-day leave from the army purposely to determine the truth of the Sabbath Day. For one week I poured through historical literature from the greatest minds of the centuries, and the product of my search, without a doubt, firmly convinced me that the true Sabbath is not, as I have always been led to believe, Sunday, but rather the traditional Jewish Sabbath; Friday sunset to Saturday sundown.  

HWA was not trained in how to understand early Christian history so he failed to understand what happened and tragically passed on his misunderstandings onto thousands of people. The first Christians were Jews so they celebrated the Sabbath because they were Jews. But once non-Jews started accepting Christianity the question was asked, Are they Jews as well? The consensus in the early Christian church was, No, they are not. That is why in Acts 15 the council in Jerusalem did not tell non-Jewish Christians to observe the Sabbath. They were told to do other things but not that. There is no need for a Christian to observe Jewish religious rules such as the Sabbath.

A juvenile girl in Texas writes them a letter asking them to no longer send her the recruitment magazine.

Would you please stop sending me The Plain Truth magazine. I am just 15 years old. I don't read your magazine and I don't understand it, besides my pastor said it was not good to read. You are wasting God's money by sending it to me. 

The recruitment magazine's editors petulantly responded to this juvenile girl in this manner. They let themselves sound like a bully. 

Well, of course, you can't understand it if you don't read it. But your pastor wouldn't know anything about The Plain Truth unless he were a regular reader himself!

There are all sorts of reasons why a pastor in Texas may have become aware of HWA's organization and realized he needed to guide the lay members of his church away from HWA's organization.

Here's a tragic letter from Albright, West Virginia. It is from a person who has decided to start tithing to HWA's organization even though this person's financial situation has progressively gotten worse and worse.

We havn't been tithing for some time, but we should have been. After we quit tithing, things did get rough. It seemed as if there was always something popping up to take twice the amount of our tithes. And we have gotten further in debt than we ever were before. Things aren't any better than they were a year ago, but I have decided to tithe anyhow. In fact, things are a lot worse, but this time I have already promised God that I will tithe, even if I starve to death.

HWA's organization responded to this letter with an ad for the reader:

More of our readers need the booklet, "Ending Your Financial Worries." 

Garner Ted Armstrong has an article assuring that his readers that he knew that the United States and the Soviet Union could not possibly go to war during the Cuban Missile Crisis because HWA's organization had insisted that a future German-led European Empire would militarily conquer the United States instead. In reality those two great powers got very close to going to war. It is entirely possible that the Cuban Missile Crisis could very well have sparked off a full scale nuclear war unleashing destruction on a vast scale in 1962. It is good that such a dreadful thing did not occur. The sheer horror of mass nuclear destructions makes it an most unattractive option for political leaders and people of conscience.

Herman Hoeh has an article discussing a border war between China and India. At this time HWA's organization taught that India would be conquered by Communists so that they would be part of the invasion described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. It was said by HWA's organization that this would take place several years after Christ's return.

HWA's autobiography discussed acquiring the property that would become the unaccredited Ambassador College. Page 16 contains photos of the Armstrong family.

Herman Hoeh has an article denouncing Christmas as forbidden to be observed by the followers of HWA's organization.

Herman Hoeh has an article insisting the vast majority of Christians are wrong to worship on Sunday but rather they must observe the seventh day Sabbath, Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Unfortunately many Christians do not know how to respond to this rhetoric attack against the vast majority of Christians. When non-Jews began to accept Christianity it was decided that these non-Jewish Christians did not need to become Jews in order to be Christians. This may be seen in Acts 15 and Galatians which is actually a polemic condemning "Judaizers" who insisted that Jewish ritual law must be observed if one wishes to become a Christian. An Armstrongite will say, But the Sabbath was in the Ten Commandments so you cannot change it. Armstrongites don't want to change but the New Testament did.

And anyway the real purpose of HWA's organization telling their readers, You must worship on the Sabbath, is get them to leave their churches and join HWA's organization. One of the duties of members is to pay three tithes to HWA's organization. It is a trick to control the reader and then live off of them.

Herman Hoeh has an article insisting that the Christian practice of worshipping on Sunday was derived from ancient Babylonian mystery religions which were imported into Christianity shortly after the time of the Apostles in a grand conspiracy inspired by Satan.

This epistle, or letter, is filled with many inaccuracies, triflings and absurdities. It is a complete contrast to the inspired New Testament epistles. It is written in confused, mysterious language. Yet this is the kind of rubbish that is used to support Sunday. Its origin is of the Devil himself. (p. 24.)

Or, to say it in a less emotional way, worshipping on Sunday is contrary to what HWA's organization teaches therefore Hoeh forbids his readers from doing so in this article. 

Herman Hoeh has an article scare mongering about the rise of West Germany. HWA's organization taught that the Germans are descendants of the ancient Assyrians. 

Page 27 features photos of actual modern day Assyrians in the Middle East. It is insisted that they look like Germans and do not look like Arabs.

Roderick Meredith has an article asking if you really understand your own religion. This is a recruitment trick designed to make you doubt yourself and let him answer your questions for you.

Herbert Armstrong has an article telling readers that (his interpretation of) God is fair.

***

And so 1962 ended with civilization still intact and 1963 began. But this post ends here.

There is no need to listen to false prophets.

HWA's First Girlfriend

This is from Chapter 1 of HWA's Autobiography. HWA is describing something that occurred when he was about 16 years of age.

My first date with a girl took place at about this time -- a date to escort a next-door neighbor girl in my class in high school to some school function. At that stage I was pretty much in awe of girls, and felt awkward in their presence. It has always been a puzzle to me that so many boys around that age are afraid of girls, ill at ease before them, and yet girls seem not to be shy or bashful in any way in the company of boys. For the next 8 years I continued to date this girl on and off, (not what today is termed "going steady," however), but never did I put my arm around her, kiss her, or as they would say today, "neck with her." (It was called "loving up" in those days.)

In the September 1957 issue of The Plain Truth (p. 22) this paragraph has another sentence at the end. It is also present in the 1973 edition of HWA's Autobiography (p. 31).

It just wasn't generally done in those days--or, if it was, my eyes had not yet been open to the practice.

So Herbert Armstrong, when he was about 65 years old, wrote, "girls seem not to be shy or bashful in any way in the company of boys." That is not true. What an astoundingly sexist and ignorant thing to say. What a fool this Herbert Armstrong was.

And to think a man so narrow minded about women would dare tell his followers what to do and how to view sexual matters. Everyone would be better off finding better instructors on these matters.

Also it seems odd to see him present a relation that existed in some form or other for eight years as not being that important.

And why was that last sentence cut out? Did they worry that it would show HWA as being woefully naïve about real life?

On another matter it is impossible not to think about certain things that HWA did from around 1933 until 1943.

HWA's Alleged Friendship with Yitzhak Shamir

Herbert Armstrong wrote the following in his December 27, 1978 co-worker letter after a visit to the State of Israel. Here he boasts of meeting several prominent political leaders of the State of Israel including the Speaker of the Knesset. HWA claims to have been a friend of the Speaker for ten years. Since 1968. That year was the year HWA began to visit and meet with leaders of the State of Israel. But nevertheless, for whatever reason, HWA neglects to mention the Speaker of the Knesset by name.

I had meetings with President Navon, with Prime Minister Begin, Yigael Yadin (leader of the Democratic Movement for Change Party), Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, Speaker of the Knesset (a friend of ten years standing), Shimon Peres (leader of the leading Labor Party), Mayor Teddy Kollek, Knesset member Gideon Hausner (who prosecuted the German Eichmann as Attorney General for Israel,) Professor Benjamin Mazar, who directed our great archaeological project adjoining the south wall of the Temple, Dr. Joseph Aviram of the Hebrew University, and many others.

According to Wikipedia's list of Knesset speakers at this time that role was held by Yitzhak Shamir who held that office from June 13, 1977 until March 10, 1980. Shamir would later be Prime Minister (1983-4 and 1986-92).

HWA says he has been friends with Shamir since 1968 but, as far as I can tell, Shamir is never mentioned by name in any of HWA's co-worker letters. What sort of a friendship is that? 

At present it seems that HWA's claim of being a friend of Yitzhak Shamir for ten years sounds awfully hollow.

Gerald Flurry's False Prophecy: More Violence in the Holy Land

One way the PCG leadership has tried exploit the recent war centered in the Palestinian Gaza Strip is to claim that this round of violence fulfilled a prediction by their leader, Gerald Flurry. In an article dated May 2, 2021 Gerald Flurry wrote the following while indulging in yet another rant bad mouthing President Biden and the Democratic Party. 

Biden is empowering Iran so it may soon obtain nuclear weapons. I am certain we will have more Palestinian terrorist attacks now because of who is in charge. (Gerald Flurry, What Will Happen After Trump Regains Power, April 2021.)

Then a few weeks later tensions escalate into full scale war in the Gaza Strip partly because of unrest in East Jerusalem. Over 200 people were killed. And the PCG leadership tried to exploit this deadly tragedy into evidence that their leader in Edmond, Oklahoma can somehow see the future.

Three weeks ago, before the current violence, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry warned our readers to watch for increased terrorist attacks in Jerusalem because of the Biden administration’s position. ... Almost immediately after that statement was printed, the violence in Jerusalem increased. The connection to the Biden administration’s pro-Palestinian positions is unmistakable. (Brent Nagtegaal, Watch Jerusalem Now!, May 10, 2021.)

These tensions have been ongoing for decades. The court case in Sheikh Jarrah has been ongoing for decades. It is essentially inevitable that rounds of unrest and violence in the current political situation will occur. That is a dreadful shame but that is the way things at the moment and has been for decades. 

So it is factually unfounded for the PCG leadership to claim that those words Gerald Flurry wrote in April 2021 somehow predicted the future. Anyone who pays attention to the situation in Jerusalem could have said the same thing.

Once again we see that the PCG leadership are false prophets. They cannot see the future. There is no need to be loyal to the PCG leadership to get close to God. Paying tithes and offerings cannot get divine favor. The PCG leadership are but false prophets.

When HWA's WCG Encouraged Abortions (1985)

Amstrongite organizations tend to take an anti-abortion position teaching their followers that abortion is contrary to the will of (the Armstrongite) God. Nevertheless in 1985 HWA's organization, that which was called the Worldwide Church of God, published an article which seems to say that abortion is permitted in instances of rape and incest. This may be seen in Ronald S. Toth's article, "The Plain Truth About Abortion! Why So Little Understood?," from The Plain Truth, April 1985, page 2.

Of course there are the relatively rare tragic cases of girls becoming pregnant through incest. These sad cases naturally draw compassion and sympathy. 

And women need to protect themselves against rape. Local police or reference librarians can provide much needed information about rape. Any woman who becomes victimized by a rapist should seek professional help immediately. Don't delay. Don't wait three months or three weeks or even three days. Seek medical advice immediately.

But the abortion issue today does not center on such tragic cases as incest or rape.

Is it not odd how there no discussion of the responsibility of the rapist? Rape is a crime and rightfully forbidden by law. People need to be taught that it is not permitted to rape.

Now even though the author then proceeds to avoid the issue of pregnancy by rape and/or incest by saying most abortions are not affected by those issues this statement seems to be a recommendation for victims of rape and incest to get abortions. Now there's one aspect of Armstrongism that the Armstrongite one percenters don't tend to talk about to their followers.

PS: At present it is not possible for me to verify what became of Ronald S. Toth after the Tkach changes.

The Danger of Ignoring Medical Science in Connection with Covid-19

Parts of Stephen Flurry's anti-vaxxer article, "Gotten Your Jab Yet?" in the June 2021 issue of PCG's recruitment magazine, The Philadelphia Trumpet, were lifted from an article by Andrew Müller which was posted on March 24, 2021 which has the alarmist title, "America Ignores COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths." Müller even cites an "anti-vaccine organization" in his article in a passage that also appears in Stephen Flurry's article. As far as I know neither Stephen Flurry nor Andrew Müller have professional medical training. Medical science does not appear to be their expertise. Why listen to such people?

It is a dreadful shame to think that people will be influenced by such talk into foregoing getting vaccinated. Every day such people run of catching this dreadful disease, namely Covid-19. 

Here is a testimony from one individual who has learned that an "elderly aunt and uncle" have caught the coronavirus. The quote below is from this individual. Not myself.

So I just found out today that my both my elderly aunt and uncle have tested positive for COVID 19.  Both of them belong to a very conservative church, and have like so many Americans been fed a heavy stream of lies and misinformation.  Though several members of the family had pleaded with them to get vaccinated, they both resisted, despite their age and several additional health issues.  Of course, they did not.  Why?  They refused to get vaccinated because their church has been vehemently opposed to every single measure to address the virus since the beginning; starting with the “hoax”, pivoting smoothly to “little flue”, then digging in hard to “personal freedoms”.  There were some added sprinklings of “government plot”, “it’s in gods hands”, “liberal political agenda”, “trying to make trump look bad” and a brief return to “hoax” from time to time. (Source.)

This person's relatives are facing a tragic situation that many within the Armstrongite organizations are also facing as Banned by HWA recently highlighted here and here. We need to follow what science is telling us about this disease and protect ourselves from it. Just because some people like Stephen Flurry and Andrew Müller have gone down the proverbial rabbit hole and adopted an anti-vaccine stance you do not have to. No one can legally force you not to get vaccinated.

If one is afraid they should consult with their doctors instead of reading some scary sounding anti-vaccine article that could have been (and most likely was) written by people lacking medical expertise.