NOTE: I will keep this at the top for a few days. Newer entries are below this one.
We have all heard over the last few years the disgusting policy that Gerald Flurry has forced upon his members telling them to cut off all contact with ex-members whether they be family or friends. It has had a devastating impact on the lives of many people, none more so than the following story of a suicide that happened recently in PCG due to its no contact policy.
PCG is deliberately LYING to members about this.
From Exit and Support website: Letters of those impacted by PCG:
Suicide in PCG Due to No Contact Ruling:(Notice: Certain details have been changed in this letter due to further clarification.)July 28, 2014
Janet C. Privratsky, age 30, a member of PCG, committed suicide on July 20 because she had to cut off her parents and only brother due to the no contact rule. She became depressed and then killed herself. Her husband's name is David. Someone I know (ex-PCG) attended the funeral and said it was heart rending to see the parents' grief. Not one person from PCG was in attendance. PCG is truly a sick organization. --[name withheld]
Members Being Told Death of Janet Privratsky Was Due to Heart Failure:July 29, 2014
Just read on your site this morning about Janet's death being a suicide. Those in the PCG are being told it was "heart failure." People have been so saddened and shocked!
Believe me, I know how this will be kept on the "down low!" They will not want this out there, for many reasons. One of them being, PCG is in the process of purchasing property in the UK, raising up another college. This would not go over well at all. I am shocked--not once did this enter my mind.
It sickens me. Here it is in a nutshell: You obey the PCG rules because those laws, rules, judgments, anything that comes down from the "government" (which, believe me, members strongly and devoutly believe comes from God); if you go along with all this, you will get along just fine in the PCG, and love it there. But if you disobey and voice any disapproval, and do not agree, and do not give in, you cannot stay in the PCG; cannot be among the people.
Janet's parents and brother, for whatever reasons, were suspended from PCG. I do not know when. David and Janet would, of course, be told they could no longer see her mom and dad and her brother, since the ones who leave are considered to be "Laodiceans."
In their hearts, to whatever degree, David and Janet felt God (down through His "government") was telling them to do this. David, most likely still does, no matter how much he hurts. He'll just suck it up and draw closer to all his PCG family, with all their "love and support."
Everyone in PCG just hopes and prays no one in their family leaves. They don't want to go down the same path as Janet or want that for anyone in their family.
I can tell you right now, many in PCG do not agree with that ruling! But if you choose to leave and your family's in, you just cut yourself off from your own family! They'll turn it around and say, "We did not cut you off, you cut us off when you left us!" They believe firmly, Satan now has you.
If you have any more details or proof about this, let us know. I do know for sure that it was a PCG minister that officiated at the funeral.
Thank you. --Anonymous
22 comments:
What a terrible tragedy. How very sad for her family and friends that she is now passed on. My thoughts and condolences to all those affected.
Her obituary is here.
http://www.clancygernon.com/obituaries/Janet-Privratsky/#!/Obituary
According to this the minister in question was Eric Anderson.
They'll just blame Satan. This won't even register with Flurry's conscience, and it won't be a catalyst for change. They probably didn't even cancel or postpone Irish dancing lessons so people could deal with the grief.
Administrators of Armstrongism never do factor members' abnormal psychology into their policies or teaching. They should be more cognizant of depression, obviously something this young lady was fighting, as was Terry Ratzmann of LCG before her. When they teach corporal punishment, they never even think of victims of abuse going way overboard in perpetuating the cycle of abuse on their own children. And, as they teach making merry with booze for the holydays, the percentage of humans predisposed to alcoholism never dawns on them.
Change sometimes happens in small bites. Hopefully, this death will jar a few more PCG members to their senses. There isn't any such thing as a Laodicean, but the institutionalized treatment of those accused of being such is very much in keeping with the racist attitudes they learn from their British Israelism. All the same kind of fruit.
BB
Jesus said, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:9-11)
I realize that the Person quoted, Jesus, is someone that Flurry and his minions are not acquainted with very well, but He tells us that we KNOW how to do right things and good things. We KNOW when something is WRONG. The abject fear that Armstrongist leaders have managed to generate in their followers has burned away any ability to act on such knowing -- even the ability to know for sure. We see how depraved and sick the likes of Gerald Flurry are -- we hope and pray those still enslaved soon see it.
And how is it - forgive me if I'm being flippant - that such a situation has been created by a man with 10% of HWA's ability as a speaker, and 1% of HWA's charisma? (Please correct my percentages if needed.)
Flurry's imprecise delivery, frequent confusion about what, exactly, the next speaking point is, and inappropriate chuckling always, for me, rendered laughable the idea that God chose him for anything. And that was the TV show, where he only spoke for 28 minutes!
Please, people, get a clue!
I don't know if there is a solution to this. People who willingly put themselves under the control of those who organize their own version of alledged Biblical truth put themselves at risk of the doubleminded dilemma. Believing or wanting to believe two opposite ideas is a mind killer.
When you join a group you give up your individuality to "all speaking the same thing that there be no division among you," which is an insane belief in reality. You don't all speak the same anything for any other reason than it is actually true. Speaking the same thing to prevent division is a formula for depression, anxiety and some ending their lives in the despair of lost common sense and "I'll take your teachings under advisement," but don't inflict your enforcement on me...ever.
If the sheep in Flurry and Pack's grip can ever see this, they will finally see just how "the truth" can make them free indeed..but of course, first their truth has to piss you off to save your mind, heart and sometimes literal life.
Those stuck in these self made dilemmas simply have to take responsibility for what they really feel and note is going on inside them when they hear this rubbish coming from Flurry and Pack, push back.
Push back brethren at your "leaders" and watch them crumble.
I meant, "INSTEAD of, 'I'll take your teachings under advisement but don't inflict your enforcement on me."
Family??!!!
Family??!!!
PCG a family??!!!
Only in the sense the Mafia is family.
Since when is it acceptable to disfellowship Laodiceans?
It's doubtful that most of the lay members and probably many of the "ministry" of PCG will ever hear about this.
This will be kept hush..hush just like so many of their other tragedies and/or scandals.
I knew Eric Anderson when I was in PCG. I warned him about Flurry and what was going on before I left. A lot of good it did...he just continued to suck up to Flurry and the rest of his cronies.
Those people won't listen to anyone except their lord and master Gerald Flurry.
A lot of what Armstrongism is, is simply shame heaped on shame heaped on more shame, on and on and on. No wonder there are people who feel they are headed for condemnation and feel there is no way out but suicide.
Sadly, this is happening beyond PCG.
The latest United News reveals someone who "attended" UCG committed suicide a few years ago - apparently a young man trying to come out of homosexuality.
Check James Malm's reaction to that on his blog - not that far from how PCG might respond.
"Gerald Flurry And PCG Have Blood On Their Hands AGAIN Because Of Another Suicide Of A Member"
This sounds terribly messy indeed. Won't all the blood on their hands get all over the stolen tithe money in their hands that they robbed from God?
Gerald R. Flurry's so-called Philadelphia Church of Fraud cult is one of the worst satanic frauds in all of Church of God history.
From the start, Gerald R. Flurry always used Herbert W. Armstrong's name and photograph to try to attract former Worldwide Church of God people and to pass himself off as Herbert Armstrong's true successor. Gerald Flurry claimed to be faithfully holding fast to everything that Herbert Armstrong had taught. Amazingly, Gerald Flurry has always managed to misunderstand, misrepresent, edit, change, warp, mangle, pervert, and totally bugger up virtually everything that Herbert W. Armstrong ever really tried to teach.
Herbert W. Armstrong taught that the church was led by an apostle (“one sent forth”), and that there were no prophets in the church today—except false prophets. Furthermore, prophets did not have executive or administrative rolls in the New Testament church. Gerald Flurry taught that the church was led by a (drunken, false) prophet (himself) with about 30 other different names, titles, offices, and positions that he made up over time. Gerald Flurry only recently sobered up, learned to his surprise a little bit about what HWA had taught, and finally took the title of apostle too.
The understanding in the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong was that the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18-19 was referring to the coming of Jesus in New Testament times. Gerald Flurry, supposedly egged on by some ignorant PCG member, claimed that it was referring to himself, and ever since has wanted everyone to call him “That Prophet” and to listen to everything he says or else “God will call them to account.” Why be just a false prophet when you can be a false messiah/christ as well?
Herbert W. Armstrong taught that the main purpose of the church was to preach the gospel (good news) of the “soon-coming” (as he would add) kingdom of God to the entire world as a witness to all nations before the second coming of Jesus in power and glory to rule over the whole earth. Gerald Flurry taught that preaching the gospel was over and done with and that with a new church era comes a new commission to the church to “warn” all the evil Laodiceans—which actually meant haranguing them, lying to them, lying about them, and trying to break up their families and friendships. No need to preach the gospel in the 28 years since HWA died, even though the end is that much closer.
In his later years, Herbert W. Armstrong became concerned about the youth in the church and the prophecy in Malachi that said, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6, NIV). With time now even shorter (relatively speaking), Satan sent Gerald Flurry to try to turn the hearts of the parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, husbands and wives, friends and relatives, all mercilessly, hard-heartedly, cold-bloodedly, and implacably against each other—just the way Satan wants it to be. It was also thought clever and advisable to do such monstrous evil in the name of God and of Herbert W. Armstrong, and to keep Satan's own name out of it even though he was the real author of it all.
Naturally, in filthy Flurry's PCG cult of utter depravity, the New Testament teaching in I Corinthians 5:9-11 not to associate with, or even to eat with, anyone who claims to be a church member but is sexually immoral, a slanderer, etc. gets totally turned around exactly backwards. Innocent people get slandered all over the place and actually expelled from the PCG for not going along with old male and female sex maniacs, sex perverts, and predators two or three times their age and their selfish and vile agendas.
To repeat a crucial point, Gerald R. Flurry's so-called Philadelphia Church of Fraud cult is one of the worst satanic frauds in all of Church of God history.
Freedom of religion in the United States sounds like such a great idea. Then satanic perverts like Gerald Flurry come along and misuse it and abuse it in the worst possible way.
Anonymous July 30, 2014 at 7:55 AM said: "Since when is it acceptable to disfellowship Laodiceans?"
MY COMMENT - This is yet another change in WCG beliefs under Gerald Flurry. My recollection of WCG beliefs under Herbert Armstrong was that the Philadelphian and Laodicean Christians co-existed together. The parable of the 10 bridesmaids of Matthew 25 comes to mind. "Laodiceans" were never disfellowshipped in WCG.
Of course, WCG originally taught that the Great Tribulation would begin in January, 1972 and that the Philadelphians would be taken to Petra the Place of Safety "on wings of an eagle" while the Laodiceans - still a part of God's Church - would be tried by fire in the Great Tribulation.
Flurry, ignoring Armstrong's teachings and failed prophecy, now teaches that the Philadelphian era ended with Herbert Armstrong's death and that they in the corporate entity Philadelphia Church of God are the Philadelphia remnant in the Laodicean era. This is completely contrary to what Herbert Armstrong taught!
Unlike Armstrong, Gerald Flurry won't even acknowledge that the Laodiceans as he defines them are part of God's true church (Note: not that I believe God has only one true church). Herbert Armstrong believed there were Laodiceans in the WCG but didn't disfellowship them because they were part of God's true church too just as Mr. Armstrong also had to admit that the members of the Sardis era otherwise known as Church of God, Seventh Day were also part of God's true church too.
Richard
Don't stop keeping on putting it out there, Gary. People need to be made aware of the risks, especially those in the cults! Thank his noodely goodness they can't shoot the messengers. Long live the messengers.
>>Of course, WCG originally taught that the Great Tribulation would begin in January, 1972 and that the Philadelphians would be taken to Petra the Place of Safety "on wings of an eagle" while the Laodiceans - still a part of God's Church - would be tried by fire in the Great Tribulation.
Flurry, ignoring Armstrong's teachings and failed prophecy, now teaches that the Philadelphian era ended with Herbert Armstrong's death and that they in the corporate entity Philadelphia Church of God are the Philadelphia remnant in the Laodicean era. This is completely contrary to what Herbert Armstrong taught!<<
You are completely correct.
Gerald Flurry teaches that he receives "new revelation". He also teaches that God reveals "new revelation" to one man at a time and that it is necessary to find that man [Gerald Flurry] and support him or else you get the Great Tribulation.
"God inspires all of His ministers. But He reveals new truth for the Church to only one man—the man He sent to do His Work. The whole Church must get behind that one man and do God’s Work.
"God does not reveal new truth to a woman, or to the Church in general. He gives new revelation for the Church to one man. Then God holds that one man accountable.
"This is exactly how it is done in the Philadelphia Church of God today. (Gerald Flurry, Isaiah's End-Time Vision, 2013 version, Chapter 8, p. 73.)
So claiming to be the bearer of "new revelation" Gerald Flurry can change doctrines as he pleases and then claims God's authority to do so, such as saying that the Laodicean era started with HWA's death. No one in HWA's WCG anticipated such a thing as far as I can tell. Some speculated that Garner Ted Armstrong's splinter group was the Laodicean work. Flurry has changed this doctrine.
I would have liked to be a fly on the wall listening to what Eric Anderson had to say at that funeral.
Did he tell the remaining family members that Janet will be in the third resurrection,(LAKE OF FIRE)...because that is what the PCG teaches about committing suicide. Or did he tell them she must have been "unconverted" and she will wake up in the second resurrection with most of the others? Surely Eric didn't tell the family members..."She's in heaven now" because the PCG does not believe this, nor would they dare say SHE'S IN HELL NOW, of course they could say that , it would be a half truth as hell just means a hole in the ground.
Wonder what he had to say about that, and I wonder who's idea it was for a PCG minister to preside over the funeral? It's sort of like when a family member insists someone be cremated to cover up the crime that might just be found out if an autopsy was performed??
Assuming there is such thing as Philadelphia and Laodicea just for the sake of argument, naming one's church as Philadelphia DOES NOT make it Philadelphia. If I name myself a Rockefeller or a Ford, does that make me their heir? The logic of this Philadelphia Church of God claiming to be the Philadelphia era by naming itself Philadelphia is the most absurd reasoning I have heard in my entire life. Come on, let us change our names to be what we claim we are. Their leader and their followers have problems with logic and mental health.
Had he left the name of God out of it, probably the most accurate name for one of these churches would have been the one HWA originally selected: "Radio" Church of God.
When your first lie is the name you select for your church, can anything good come of it? Every name these wazoos have chosen for their splinters is inaccurate.
BB
The WCG and their splinters claim that theirs is the "true church" in part because they can trace their roots to the NT Church. Tracing your lineage to the NT Church is not proof of authenticity. There were false teachers in the time of the NT Church. The test is whether these churches are teaching the same truths as the NT church, which none of them are.
Besides, the church is not an organization, but an organism, the body of Christ. They are wrong on so many issues. I suggested to a LCG letter answerer that if he is to preach the Gospel to the world, why not attend a Bible study or Sunday school class at a local protestant church and share your insights. "Into ALL the world" includes those just down the street, doesn't it?
Byker Bob said, “Had he left the name of God out of it, probably the most accurate name for one of these churches would have been the one HWA originally selected: "Radio" Church of God.
When your first lie is the name you select for your church, can anything good come of it? Every name these wazoos have chosen for their splinters is inaccurate.”
MY COMMENT - So true, Byker Bob. Both Herbert Armstrong’s corporate Church names – Radio and Worldwide – were accurate descriptions of the Church. And so was the parent Church, Church of God, Seventh Day. But the major splinter groups?
Here is just a sampling of the splinters:
Living Church of God is a dead church. My mother was a member of it when she died. It’s only a matter of time for Rod Meredith and that dead church will break apart as remaining members see the nepotism come to the forefront.
Philadelphia Church of God has no brotherly love; the “no contact rule” is not Philadelphian love. Flurry does not follow the description of the Philadelphia era that Herbert Armstrong himself preached.
United Church of God is not united; it is a warring faction of political strife and loose associations;
Church of God International is barely international; a large following in Jamaica doesn’t make it “International”
Church of God, a worldwide association is barely a worldwide association; this un-United splinter took this name because the best WCG splinter names were already taken.
Restored Church of God makes no sense because what was restored: Herbert Armstrong’s beliefs of church government in 1939? I doubt it. Or, how about 1st century church beliefs? I doubt that also.
Triumph Prophetic Ministries is neither triumphant nor is it prophetic.
Church of God, an International Community does not have much of an international community other than in England and the USA.
They all have to appear bigger than what they really are.
House of Yahweh is a house of Yahoos!
Church of God, Faithful Flock is neither faithful nor a flock! Faithful to what? Herbert Armstrong’s booklet “1975 in prophecy?
Church of God – Preparing for the Kingdom is run by a felon in a Federal Pen who is only preparing himself for a continued income stream from the dumb tithe slaves once he is released from prison for tax evasion.
Living Room Church of God meets around someone’s kitchen table.
Twentieth Century Church of God is in the wrong century!
Continuing Church of God is not continuing anything!
So yes Byker Bob, based on the above sampling, I would agree!
Richard
My concern about Gerald Flurry and the PCG involves the preoccupation with Sabbath adherence!... and the answer to which, became abundantly clear after reading Mark 2: 26 and 27! And it reads as follows... 26) During the high priesthood of Abiathar, He (Jesus) entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread... which was lawful only for the priests. And He (Jesus) gave some to his companions as well. 27) Then Jesus told them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'"
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Simply put... to compel believers in Jesus Christ to be "slaves" to the Sabbath, IS TO MAKE MAN FOR THE SABBATH!... AND TO TURN THE SABBATH INTO A FORM OF IDOLATROUS WORSHIP! In Heaven, REST in God will be for E-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y!... D-A-Y I-N, A-N-D D-A-Y O-U-T! In other words, the AGAPE LOVE and PEACE and GODLY ACTS are E-T-E-R-N-A-L-L-Y E-F-F-E-C-T-E-D! God wants us to come into His Kingdom and to share that REST F-O-R-E-V-E-R!... AND NOT JUST FOR A PARTICULAR DAY! Indeed!... for an ETERNAL GOD!... and for those ETERNALLY SAVED!... WHY WOULD A-N-Y D-A-Y BE OF CONSIDERATION? DAYS, AND NIGHTS, ARE NO MORE!... T-H-E-R-E I-S B-U-T E-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y!!
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Please!... no emails!
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