Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Philadelphia Church of God: Lost In Translation



Soon after the Philadelphia Church of God was forced to pay over $3,000,000 for the rights to publish Mystery of the Ages and to pay for the rights to publish the rest of HWA/WCG's old literature, Gerald Flurry began to subtly start changing things.

He first started with The Mystery of the Ages.  Herbert Armstrong had stated in the book that,

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

This statement was a big slap in the face for Gerald Flurry as he has declared himself a prophet in the Church of God.  Since Flurry has placed HWA on par with Jesus Christ, it would be a searing shock for PCG members to read that God's greatest man said there were no prophets in the church today, since Flurry has claimed he is one.  Who is a poor PCG member to believe?  Gerald or God's greatest man?

Lil'Steveie wrote in PCG's PGR, Oct. 21, 2004, p. 3-4:

We removed that sentence from the 2003 version, not because we are doing away with Mr. Armstrong’s teachings, but because of what God has added to the Church since Mr. Armstrong died—the revealed truth that there is, in fact, a prophet guiding the Church today who also serves an administrative and executive position within the Church. God did not reveal this to Mr. Armstrong before he died, just as He didn’t reveal the specifics about the Laodicean rebellion—for obvious reasons…

According to HWA, God Himself dictated the book (along with Aaron Dean):

Dear Brethren and Co-workers with Christ:

Since last December I have been working diligently on the LARGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT BOOK OF MY LIFE. IN REAL FACT I FEEL I MYSELF DID NOT WRITE IT. Rather, I believe God used me in writing it. I CANDIDLY FEEL IT MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK SINCE THE BIBLE. …“We want to reach the largest audience possible with this book. I know you will feel the same way when you read it.

That certainly is a bitter pill for Flurry to swallow.  However, he could care less because most PCG member do not have the sense or intellect to research things on the internet.  They rather would prefer to be blindly led on and lied to by their prophet who can do no wrong.

Flurry has take the editing process even further.

PCG's latest "Lil'Super Boy" Grant Turgeon writes:

EDMOND—For a dedicated group of 45 Philadelphia Church of God foreign language translation department staff members and volunteers, translating is about much more than just cranking out as many words as possible. PCG translators and editors also strive to correct errors in previous translations and achieve complete accuracy.
Apparently all WCG literature was seriously flawed because of Satanic influences while they were translated.  Those errors have to be "correct" to fit the logic of the PCG.

Several translators and editors said the focus on accuracy within their 22-year-old department is heightened due to the fact that most of the Worldwide Church of God translations they inherited are unfaithful to Herbert W. Armstrong’s original style and intent. While they sometimes use faulty wcg foreign-language renditions as a foundation, they always compare their drafts with updated pcg English versions to ensure nothing is “lost in translation.”

WCG translators were so spiritually corrupt that they even changed HWA's book, The Incredible Human Potential! Those men and women who were part of WCG and who translated books and booklets into Spanish, Italian, French, German, Norwegian, Dutch were apparently used by Satan to bring error into HWA's writings.  Flurry declared recently that the Tkach's were "the man of sin" who were satanic.  Since neither man was in charge in the 1970's who was allowing Satan to work in its midst at that time?

Vernier said flawed versions in French and several other languages developed in the late 1970s when liberals took over the Church. Norwegian team leader Joop Roelofszen added that the Dutch and Norwegian translations changed in 1985, less than a year before Mr. Armstrong died.

“I’m nearly done reviewing The Incredible Human Potential; 95 percent of it is right on,” Local Elder Carlos Heyer, a Spanish-language editor, said. He added that “the style of intellectuals is not Mr. Armstrong’s style of all caps, italics and exclamation marks. They doctored the translations into the accepted style.”
PCG feels by their adding to the booklets and "correcting" them they are "putting back" the truth of Herbert Armstrong.  They do admit that the WCG changes some words because HWA's writing's were racist  at times.  PCG does not care about that.  Racism and bigotry is inherent in British Israelism and they cannot touch that sacred cow!

Mr. Heyer said wcg translators also tried to squeeze the Spanish message into the same number of pages as the original English, even though it requires “10 percent more words in Spanish to explain the same thing in English.” They even changed book and booklet titles. For example, The United States and Britain in Prophecy became The Master Key of Prophecy.

Vernier said the same thing happened with French translations. For example, translators axed 22 pages from Mystery of the Ages, eliminating any mention of the 12 tribes of Israel or the Assyrians. Translators supposedly made this major revision in order to make Mr. Armstrong’s message seem less “racist.”

“I know Dutch translations sometimes omitted parts of texts from Mr. Armstrong, just like the English ones,” Mr. Staal said, “mainly after he died, but even before that.”

“Why is there this tendency to help poor Mr. Armstrong communicate in their style?” Mr. Heyer said. “They felt he needed a filter. They took Mr. Armstrong’s punch and pow. We’re putting all that back.”




25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Racism is making distinctions based on race.

If you believe that Chinese people are short, you are a racist.

If you believe that Africans have dark skin, you are a racist.

You cannot avoid being a racist.

If you believe that Asians are smart, and say so, as many people do, you are a racist, even if it is true.

So what's the big deal about racism? It's only a problem when certain people get ticked off because you said something that they didn't like. The people who get offended are the problem. Racism is not the problem.

RSK said...

The Flurrys seem to very much enjoy making a straw man out of a namby-pamby version of racism - which I suppose should be no surprise since HWA was always making straw men out of a namby-pamby, vapid caricature of Christianity.

That aside - I can't speak for the translations, but as I recall HWA's material was often revised before publication in WCG in the later decades because he was simply wrong or out-of-date in some historical citings.

Anonymous said...

As for the above Anon, I suppose I should have thought little of it when my former boss told me "You will learn a nigger's place around here and stay in it" and not gotten offended, right?

Assistant Deacon said...

Hey Anon 2:25,

Racism is actually:

1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

You could look it up. Or does your church discourage that?

Byker Bob said...

What amazes me is that here is yet another conspiracy theory. These people just seem to love them!

BB

old EXPCG hag said...

The problem with this whole "I'm a Prophet" thing is...

The prophets definitely knew the message was from God therefore spoke exactly what Good told them. Nothing was edited or revised. There was no personal estimating or speculating about times and dates. They did not require to be given hoards of money from others so them and theirs can live a lifestyle of the rich and famous in this life. They did not seek to be treated as >God on Earth<.
And what is with this business of a Prophet being over the church Christ built??
Any MAN whom sets himself up as "all knowing" is full of VANITY which is of the devil, as he is possessed by him. Just like Hitler.
It's all a satanic deception!

Byker Bob said...

As a young boy, the first time I heard the "N" word, I knew that something was up. So, I discussed it with my mom. She told me that this was an offensive name, used by ignorant people to hurt others. She further explained that this was not acceptable language in our home, and that if any of us kids insisted on using it, we would either be spanked, or have our mouths washed out with soap.

I had to know the answer to one more question, though, and asked, "Mother, when Negroes are angry with us, or are poking fun, what do they call us? Cauccers?"

BB

Redfox712 said...

No doubt the PCG translators will alter HWA's writings to confirm with PCG's new doctrines. (Gerald Flurry's so-called "new revelation".)

Saying that African Americans are not allowed to marry white people because it somehow weakens racial "purity" is racist.

Oh that's right. HWA banned racial intermarriage in Mystery of the Ages. HWA must be racist then.

I know from what I read online that there are some African Americans within PCG. What must they think when they see HWA in Mystery of the Ages condemning racial intermarriage and even saying that racial intermarriage was a reason why (HWA's) God destroyed the world in Noah's time? What goes through their minds when they read stuff like that? And this is the book Flurry praises to the heavens over and over and over again.

Redfox712 said...

Also it needs to be stated here that already PCG has altered at least three of HWA's writings. Mystery of the Ages, The Proof of the Bible and Who or What is the Prophetic Beast?

I have no doubt they will alter the translations as well.

Anonymous said...

Hey stupid deacon, I did look it up, and you are lying because you confuse supremacism with racism. Grow a brain.

Anonymous said...

Racism is good. It keeps the race pure. WTF is wrong with that? Grow some gonads you self-righteous weenies. And it has nothing to do with "my church" you lying fools because I don't go to one.

Head Usher said...

HWA was a racist. His formative years, beginning in 1892 were during a time when Queen Victoria was still on the throne and "empire" was still a good word. He was four when Plessy v. Ferguson resulted in the landmark Supreme Court ruling officially mandating racial segregation. It is easy not to realize how unreconstructed America was prior to it's overturning in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education, the integration of schools in 1957, and the Civil Rights legislation of 1964. Just imagine how unreconstructed America was before WWI. HWA was already 20 years old in 1914.

This logic could well be used to reason that HWA should be exonerated, and given a pass for his racism, arguing that he was merely a product of his times. But I don't think he should be given such a pass, because he claimed to be inspired by none other than the the one and only Jesus Christ himself. Only thing is, Jesus didn't help him to understand the moral problems with being a racist. HWA wasn't out in front on the issue of racial equality, no, he was at the back of the pack, being dragged by corrupt, secular politicians, whose legislation forced him to integrate AC. If it weren't for that, he might never have allowed AC to become integrated.

But then, racism and slavery doesn't just come from "empire" and the desire by European nations to enrich themselves by colonization. Racism doesn't just come from a misunderstanding by Europeans of non-European cultures. Slavery doesn't just to us from the legacy of the Roman Empire. No, these things arise from biblical concepts. The bible condones slavery, and not just the Old Testament, but the New Testament as well. And the concept of darker skinned peoples being inferior to lighter skinned peoples comes from the idea that white is an elevated color, indicating spiritual superiority, purity of character, etc., while black is the color of evil, of the devil, or those who god has cursed and banished from his presence.

So, maybe there's a reason why Jesus didn't tell HWA (or the rest of Christendom) that there was something wrong with racism and slavery. Maybe Jesus doesn't see anything morally wrong with these things either? Or maybe Jesus has been influenced by human secular society and has seen the error of his ways and changed? Should we give Jesus a pass?

Whatever. Either way, HWA was a shithead about a lot of things. He started off with racism and incest, and then went downhill from there into playing a large-scale religious con game, destroying the lives of many people so that he could grow rich off of them. Morality was obviously one of HWA's short suits. And anyone who tries to replicate his "success" is also morality-challenged.

Anonymous said...

The Japanese believe that Japanese should rule Japan. Does that make them supremacists? Yes. Does that make them evil? Hell no. I say good for them. Too bad we don't have the gonads to rule our own country.

Byker Bob said...

Hey racist: I hope that if you have children, they rebel against you by marrying non-whites, giving you mult-ethnic grandchildren for you to learn to love. It will be good for your further education and growth as a human being!

BB

Assistant Deacon said...

"It keeps the race pure."

Geneticists everywhere just threw up their hands and went home.

Anonymous said...

Assist. Deac: So did the truly educated theologians!

Manasseh and Ephraim's mommy was an Egyptian. Was she Nubian Egyptian (black), or Egyptian-Egyptian? Either way, hardly proto-Anglo-Saxons there in Manny and Ephie!

Genetics are a Kodak moment, a snapshot in time. The Hebrews were already a product of Canaanite intermarriage, hardly pure, and certainly not Aryan.

There was even a Moabitess in Jesus' genetic woodpile!

And, ol' Moses? He was absolutley legendary for having found hisself a little colored gal!

Anonymous said...

"Byker Bob" is pure evil for wishing such a thing on any family.

Kumah said...

Anon2:09. Really? Are you stupid or what? I hope the same thing happens too! May your children find love with a different race or culture! That's what it will take to overcome the racist mentality you hold. BB rocked in his comments.

RSK said...

I'm still waiting to hear what my response to my ex-boss should've been.

Anonymous said...

RSK, Personally, I would not have handled such advice from a boss very well at all. The situation would have escalated quickly, and I probably would have been fired and maybe even have ended up in county jail. Had I succeeded in keeping my temper, there would most definitely been some sort of secret retaliation. Nobody should have to endure such disrespect.

Probably the best recourse would have been to bite your tongue, and be polite and respectful, but to report the man to the labor board in your state, have a chat with your local ACLU group, and make some noise at the NAACP.

old EXPCG hag said...

Sing it!...

One of these kids is doing her own thing...Can you tell me how to get, how to get, how to get to racism street? How to get to racism street!...

Me and Byker Bob

Blogger Byker Bob said...

Oops. an accident has happened. My anecdote was intended for the racism discussion in the Flurry translation post.

BB

May 20, 2014 at 7:50 PM

Let's see if anyone gets this!

RSK said...

I mean how his comment was for the good of keeping his race pure (Lebanese, to be exact). Apparently I'd be the problem if I had gotten offended, so I'm just waiting to hear the positive spin on it from the OP.

Anonymous said...

According to the Urantia Book which Byker Bob has read, the people of planet Earth are a tad behind schedule as far as inter-marrying/breeding to homogenize the races.

Assistant Deacon said...

The Urantia Book.

Well, this thread has officially jumped the shark.

Byker Bob said...

Agreed. Some of the anonymi have been around collecting and retaining information for a very long time. The last time I even mentioned the Urantia book was sometime around 2005.

BB