The Philadelphia Church of God - Page 2

Gerald Flurry magnified his office with a couple dozen titles for himself

Notes:

8. Gerald Flurry's modern day CD ban

   Gerald R. Flurry would like outsiders to believe that he is some sort of heroic freedom fighter standing up for their rights. The November 2000 issue of the Philadelphia Trumpet magazine said on the cover, "A MODERN DAY BOOK BAN. How an attack on our fight for freedom of speech and religion deeply affects you." Actually, what really deeply affects people in the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) is Gerald Flurry's dictatorship. He doesn't allow freedom of speech, or freedom of association, or freedom of conscience, in the PCG. He strictly forbids his followers to read, or even to look at, any literature that he doesn't approve of. This seems to include the writings of Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) that are made available by people other than himself.

   Some insiders have learned the long, hard, expensive way that, rather than supporting freedom, Gerald Flurry and his Philadelphia Church of God actually epitomize the tyranny of Satan. A letter with the heading An Inside Look at the Philadelphia Church of God can be read at http://www.exitsupportnetwork.com/mike_ep/story/inside.htm. It illustrates how serving Gerald Flurry literally does not pay. Another letter, with the heading Run From Death That Resides in PCG!, is posted at http://www.exitsupportnetwork.com/mike_ep/story/death.htm. It illustrates how the PCG treats people. Yet another letter, with the understated heading PCG is Harsh and Abusive!, is posted at http://www.exitsupportnetwork.com/mike_ep/story/harsh.htm. It shows more of how the PCG deals with people. But then, what can one expect from a guy like Gerald Flurry who wrote an article in the May/June 1998 issue of the Philadelphia News newspaper that said, "we have to understand that DISFELLOWSHIPING IS AN ACT OF LOVE" (emphasis his). He warned that, "I hope I can show this to you. Disfellowshiping expresses God's family love." Considering what might happen to those who don't make it out of the PCG, perhaps it really is an act of love! Fear of being disfellowshipped from what is passed off as God's one true church causes people to put up with a lot, as mentioned in a letter called PCG Stole My Life and Filled it With Fear at http://www.exitsupportnetwork.com/mike_ep/story/stole.htm. As the Bible says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25, NIV).

   While Gerald Flurry tries to give the impression that the Philadelphia Church of God cares about Herbert W. Armstrong's writings, the real attitude in the PCG is something different. One PCG member said that he knew Donald H. Tiger, and complained that Donald Tiger had taken up his time one Sunday and kept him from watching the football game. He would rather watch a football game on television than talk with the man who was trying to save the complete and unedited works of HWA on compact discs (CDs). Taking their cue from Gerald Flurry's ranting style, some young PCG girls fly into fits when told that HWA's writings are freely available on the Internet.

   One man had been with the Philadelphia Church of God for a year or two before he learned on his own about Donald Tiger putting old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) literature on CDs. While attending the Feast of Tabernacles in one city, he saw Gerald Flurry and told him about this. While he assumed that PCG leaders would probably already know all about everything, he thought he would mention it anyway just in case they did not. He thought that Gerald Flurry would be excited about it, and might want to contact Don Tiger and ask him to come work with the PCG, since Gerald had made it sound like he loved HWA's writings and that others did not and wanted to suppress them. But, Gerald didn't seem thrilled about any of it. And Gerald Flurry didn't tell the man that Donald Tiger had already been in the PCG, and that he had kicked Don out of it. And, when the man got home from the Feast, before he could attend another weekly PCG meeting, his "minister" called him up on the telephone to kick him out of the PCG too.

   Gerald Flurry had disfellowshipped Donald H. Tiger for giving someone a free copy of the Plain Truth magazine CD. PCG members were told to destroy or return the HWA CDs that they had received. Those who are truly interested in the writings of HWA, as opposed to those who go to the PCG and just pretend to be, can learn more about Donald Tiger's HWA CD project at the Herbert W. Armstrong Library and Archives Web page.

9. The PLAIN TRUTH About Malachi's Message And THAT PROPHET

   Robert S. Kuhne had left the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) in 1993 and gone with the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG). Now, he has left the Philadelphia Church of God to go with The Church of God (TCOG), which consists mostly of former members of the PCG and has a Web site at http://www.t-cog.org. On the Web site of TCOG is posted a letter that Robert Kuhne wrote to Gerald Flurry, dated April 2, 2002, about some questions and concerns he has. The letter can be read at http://www.t-cog.org/Articles/kuhne.html. Below are a few interesting lines from the letter.

   Robert Kuhne noticed some similarities between Gerald Flurry's writings and the earlier writings of Jules Dervaes, who had sent a copy to Gerald Flurry before Gerald wrote his own "little book."

   "Shortly after the 2001 Feast of Tabernacles I accidentally discovered The Letter To Laodicea (www.viadelrey.com), written over about a one-year period from 1986-1987 by Jules Dervaes. This document, as I know you are (or should be) well aware, contains the essence of your book Malachi’s Message. . . . The Letter To Laodicea is not bits and pieces, but contains the heart and core of Malachi’s Message."

   As for Gerald Flurry being "that prophet," Robert Kuhne said,

   "Your 'proof' consists solely of what several commentaries say the Jews believed, and what you think. You do not even accurately represent what the commentaries do say, and what the Church has always taught, which is that Jesus Christ was 'that prophet.'"

   Robert Kuhne also noticed short Gerald's tall ego:

   "At last count I number twenty six titles or types that you are applying to yourself, including several that actually belong to God (e.g. Father, King, Counselor, Lawgiver, and That Prophet)."

   It is no wonder that some people can't help thinking that the biblical title that best suits that arrogant runt is "Man of Sin." A certain type of person just goes crazy with the name game. For example, in the Moslem religion, called Islam, there are 99 names for God. Not to be outdone, a former Iraqi dictator by the name of Saddam Hussein came up with 101 names for himself.

   Robert S. Kuhne has a Web site called The PLAIN TRUTH About Malachi's Message And THAT PROPHET at http://www.pcog.info. This Web site of Robert Kuhne's contains many documented facts about Gerald Flurry's teachings. Unable to answer Robert Kuhne's questions about the doctrinal changes and contradictions, Gerald Flurry just says that "Satan's got to him" and that he has a "demoniacal mindset." However, the evidence presented at Robert Kuhne's Web site suggests that it was Gerald Flurry that Satan got to, and that he is the one with the "demoniacal mindset."

10. One of those guys that Jesus warned you about

    Gerald R. Flurry, and his son Stephen Flurry, have now started to teach that Gerald Flurry is "Christ in the flesh"--the single fleshly manifestation of Christ on earth, and the only man through whom Christ is working. In a sermon, it was explained that anyone who does not recognize Gerald as the single and only "Christ in the flesh" person at this time is one of many antichrists. This latest trick of Gerald's, plus his recent "last hour" prophecy, should cause people to remember some of the warnings that Jesus gave:

    "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:3, NIV).

    "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them." (Luke 21:8, NIV).

    No matter what Gerald Flurry claims, one can't help wondering if Christ was ever able to get into Gerald Flurry's flesh. A more likely scenario is that Satan and/or one or more of his demons got into Gerald's flesh during one of his drunken drinking binges, and did a "possession" of his beer-soaked brain. There is a reason why unrepentant sexual perverts, predators, and outright liars can be members in good standing in the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG). There is a reason why people who care about the truth of God, and who try to live morally, get expelled from the PCG and slandered all over the place. Gerald Flurry's so-called Philadelphia Church of God could turn out to be one of the worst satanic frauds in Church of God (COG) history! As Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) warned, Satan is much more clever than people give him credit for. Changing and destroying the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) was only one part of Satan's overall master plan. It is now obvious that another part of Satan's plan was to raise up the so-called Philadelphia Church of God to try to destroy the people who did not go along with the doctrinal changes in the WCG. Many of these same people now feel that they do have to go along with Gerald Flurry's doctrinal changes.

    In the Bible, Jesus summed up the difference between Himself and some of the other characters who come around:

    "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10, NIV).

    On the bright side, any honest, decent people who were ensnared by the PCG will either leave or get kicked out. Their integrity will save them. Any people who stay in the PCG and continue to support outrageous evil will probably also get what they deserve for their behavior. Then, they will have to be careful that they don't become angry at God about it all, and reject the Bible. The Bible contains this blunt warning:

    "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD" (Proverbs 19:2-3, NIV).

    People in the PCG don't seem to have time to read either the Bible or HWA's writings. Perhaps they are kept too busy by Gerald's bright idea that they should read one of his own crazy booklets each week. Those who are currently being used and abused by the PCG, as well as those who have already been kicked out of the PCG, need to stop reading such nonsense and start to read the Bible. In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus said some comforting and encouraging words:

    "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).

    Jesus also cared about the very young who were just getting started in life, and said,

    "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Luke 18:16, NIV).

    As for the fear that has gripped those in the PCG, the Bible says,

    "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity [KJV: spirit of fear, NRSV: spirit of cowardice], but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline [KJV: a sound mind]" (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV).

    This way of thinking began in the Old Testament, which is so pleasant and beautiful compared to the satanic abuse that Gerald tries to pass off as the "government of God."

    "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8, NIV).

11. The WCG versus PCG court case over Mystery of the Ages

    The Worldwide Church of God (WCG) went to court against the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) to try to prevent the PCG from reprinting Herbert W. Armstrong's (HWA's) last book, called Mystery of the Ages. The U.S. District Court of the Central District of California decided in favor of the PCG. But, on September 18, 2000 this judgment was overturned on appeal by the Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals in Pasadena, by a vote of 2 to 1. For details of this latest decision, see Worldwide Church of God V Philadelphia Church of God (Case Number: 99-55850, Date Filed: 09/18/00).

    The Freedom Forum Online, September 27, 2000, had an article about the the court case between the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG). The article Church can't distribute copyrighted book, federal appeals panel rules has been posted on the Internet at http://www.rickross.com/reference/general/general285.html.

    The February 21, 2001 issue of The Wall Street Journal newspaper had an article about the court case between the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG). The article Crying Copyright Violation, Church Demands Money Donated to Splinter has been posted on the Internet at http://cgca.net/coglinks/wcgvspcg/WSJArticle.html.

12. Satan sells copyright to Satan

    The current leader of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) wrote a book called Transformed by Truth. In it, Joseph Tkach, Jr. wrote that, "We believe it is our Christian duty to keep [Mystery of the Ages] out of print."

    In the September-October 2002 issue of the Royal Vision magazine produced by the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG), Gerald Flurry wrote that, "People have pressured us to make a deal to resolve this dispute [over Mystery of the Ages]. But we won't make a deal with such an evil force--we will only fight, using any means at our disposal."

    When a couple fibbers like Joey and Gerald say such things, a deal becomes all but inevitable. The WCG had won the court case. The PCG had lost the court case, and the Supreme Court had refused to hear the PCG's appeal. The PCG was awaiting a trial to determine what damages it would have to pay the WCG. So the PCG made a deal to pay the WCG two million dollars (plus another million dollars that the PCG's insurance had paid) to buy the copyright to the writings of Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA). The May 2003 edition of the PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet magazine announced the deal.

    To raise money to cover the costs, Gerald went off all the television stations that he had been on. He said that would give him more time to update about ten of his own booklets, and that "there will be some updating to do on a few of the 19 works [of HWA]." The editings of Gerald Flurry can now be passed off as the writings of Herbert Armstrong. The writings of HWA might never be the same again. Some can be suppressed and kept out of circulation. Others can be changed to make it look like HWA had said things that he did not say, or had not said things that he did say. The editing has already begun. No real change has taken place to who controls the copyright, as it is still under the control of the Dark Side.

    Since Gerald Flurry has made doctrinal changes that contradict what Herbert Armstrong had taught, changes are now being made to HWA's writings to keep them in harmony with the "new revelation." Gerald Flurry has total control over the Philadelphia Church of God that he started, and also passes himself off as a prophet. In fact, he claims that he is not merely an ordinary prophet, but "that prophet." It is not surprising that Gerald Flurry's 2003 PCG copyrighted second edition of Mystery of the Ages left out the following sentence that started at the bottom of page 244 and ended at the top of page 245 in the original hardcover edition put out by HWA in 1985:

    "No prophets are mentioned as having either administrative, executive or preaching functions in the New Testament Church."

    In the past, the PCG tried to claim that the first amendment (right to freedom of religion) gave them the right to reprint Mystery of the Ages. Now, Gerald chuckles that he owns the copyright and has the luxury of suing anyone else who tries to print it. In May 1997, Donald H. Tiger was disfellowshipped by the PCG for giving someone a copy of his Plain Truth magazine CD. Even back then, the PCG actually threatened to sue Donald Tiger for making his HWA CDs available to anyone, not just PCG members. And the PCG members were told to destroy or return the HWA CDs that they had received.

    Read the ORIGINAL TEXT of Mystery of the Ages You do not have to wait for tricky guys like Gerald Flurry to get his edited version of Mystery of the Ages into your hands. The text of Herbert W. Armstrong's original 1985 hardcover edition can be read right now on the Internet at any one of a number of different Web sites. Just go to http://home.sprynet.com/~pabco/mys_toc.htm at Pabco's Home Page, or http://www.hoselton.net/religion/hwa/booklets/mystery at Hoselton.net, or do a Google search to find other sites that carry the book.

    
    

13. The high cost of following Flurry

    Members of the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) are expected to send the PCG a tithe (tenth) of their gross income each year. They are also expected to save up a second tithe (tenth) of their gross income each year to cover their expenses of attending the PCG's annual conventions, and send a tithe (tenth) of this tithe (tenth) to PCG headquarters. Every third and sixth years of a seven year cycle, members are supposed to send in a third tithe (tenth) of their gross income. This "third tithe" is supposedly for such things as helping the poor, though it no longer seems to find its way to them. Also, at each of the church's seven annual sabbaths, members are supposed to give offerings above and beyond their tithes. Merely paying the three required tithes (tenths) of their gross income is considered to be only doing what is required of them, and makes them "unprofitable servants." So, they have to give generously above and beyond the three tithes on their gross income.

    Gerald Flurry started a Building Fund to pay for his new building program. All PCG members were instructed to fill out, sign, and return a pledge card promising to send money for the building program, which will put Gerald into a nice new house. Members who cannot afford to send any more money "over and above" their regular required tithes and offerings have been told that they must send in the card anyway with an explanation of why they cannot afford to pledge even more money. Anyone who resists being totally financially drained is accused of not having his heart fully in the Work.

    The PCG also likes members to will their wealth to the cult so that it can get even more money when the members die. And the cult's teachings against doctors and medicine seem almost designed to help the members die sooner.

    The highest price of all of following Flurry is paid when the PCG causes people to lose faith in God. Missing out on eternal life is the high price that might be paid for wasting time, energy, and money following false prophets.

    Gerald Flurry was a drunk who became a false prophet who has had more people go through his group over the years (leave and be kicked out of it) than currently attend it. He is definitely NOT "That Prophet" as he falsely claims, nor any of the other 30 titles that he gave himself. The little book that he copied and changed was NOT delivered by a mighty angel, but by the US postal service from its original author. And it is NOT the little scroll mentioned in chapter 10 of the book of Revelation. Jesus warned that many false prophets would come and deceive many. These false prophets are NOT God's imperfect leaders as some suppose, but rather Satan's instruments sent "to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10, NIV). Like Simon the Sorcerer mentioned in chapter 8 of the book of Acts, though they got baptized, yet have they "no part or share" in the true work of God, but rather are "captive to sin" (Acts 8:21-23, NIV).

14. PCG minister rejects the commandment of God for his own tradition

    The following letter appeared at a Web site called Mike's Enlightenment Page on the Web page for Letters From Those Impacted By Philadelphia Church of God for 2005.

    PCG Tells Member to "Let the Dead Bury Their Dead." November 9, 2005 A few years ago, a young lady friend of mine who was in the PCG would always call her elderly mother who was very ill and unable to get out of bed before the "fellowship dinner" after services. One day after services, and as the dinner was beginning, the young lady received word after she called that her mother had been rushed to the hospital, and was hemorrhaging very badly. She immediately left the dinner to be by her mother's side, which was some fifty miles away. The next time she returned to services, the lady was told that she had been "disfellowshipped." When she asked the minister why, he told her that it was because she had "left the fellowship dinner without permission." She tried to explain to him that she had to leave because her mother had been hemorrhaging very badly and had been hospitalized. He replied to her that she should have "let the dead bury their dead." --Not in PCG

    This sort of attitude and behavior is so typical of those Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) "ministers." They just don't think. Of course, the verse where Jesus told a man to "Let the dead bury their own dead" (Luke 9:60, NIV) does not apply while the person is still alive. Also, Jesus was telling a man to "go and proclaim the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:60, NIV). He was not telling some woman to stay around for a potluck dinner.

    What is the will of God? The Bible not only explains it, but commands it. God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, one of which said, "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you" (Exodus 20:12, NIV). Jesus did not come to do away with this law. In fact, Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17, NIV). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul wrote that, "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (I Timothy 4:8, NIV). Parents are important. You would not be here without them.

    Now, lest some pervert tries to promote sin, it probably needs to be pointed out here that honoring one's parents does not mean that one has to go along with their sins. The God who commanded the Israelites to honor their parents also told them, "Do not follow the statutes of your fathers or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; follow my decress and be careful to keep my laws. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us" (Ezekiel 20:18-20, NIV).

    The PCG "minister" is not the first person to set aside a command of God for his own tradition. The Bible contains a story about some Pharisees and teachers of the law who also had wrong ideas about the importance of their eating traditions. They complained to Jesus, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" (Matthew 15:2, NIV). Then, Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites!" (Matthew 15:3-7, NIV).

    Amazing! The PCG hypocrite did the same thing that Jesus criticized the Pharisees and teachers of the law for doing. He set aside the commandment that said to honor one's parents. He thought his own potluck dinner tradition was more important than the law of God. What should one do with such characters? Jesus instructed his own followers, "Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit" (Matthew 15:14, NIV).

    Many followers of the blind PCG guides have fallen into a pit. The crazy and evil behavior of PCG "ministers" has caused many former members of the PCG to leave the cult and to turn to Sunday-keeping churches, or even to reject God and the Bible completely. Gerald Flurry and his so-called "ministers" have always tried to pass off their own satanic abuse as the "government of God." The victims of this abuse need to be careful not to reject the truth of God. They need to understand that the problem is not with the Bible, or God, or His laws. The problem is with wicked religious leaders who reject the commandments of God in order to keep their own traditions. It is a mistake for people to follow and support false prophets like That Runt. It is also a mistake for them to reject the Bible, and God, and His laws. Those who really truly do want to submit to the government of God can do so by simply obeying the laws of God, such as the one that says to honor one's parents (Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16). Understand that it is not possible to obey the laws of God and at the same time be a member of a satanic cult.