Remember those Bible Story books from the halcyon days of the Worldwide Church of God when the church had some slight relevance and meaning in peoples lives? Remember those idyllic nights cuddled up in bed and your parents reading you cute little stories about Noah's ark and all the soft furry creatures that miraculously made their way to it?
Wait! What? STOP!
That was the stories read to the kids next door by their "so-called" Christian parents. This is what they saw in their books:'
God smiling down on Noah and all the cute little animals.
So what did the kids in the Worldwide Church of God get to see?
This:
and this
Now you will get to relive those memories all over again. The dark and twisted cult of Gerald Flurry and The Philadelphia Church of God are republishing this crap for a new generation of people. Just one more tool in Flurry's arsenal on keeping the kiddies in line and submissive.
Living Armstrongism is reporting that when the PCG claims to have bought the publishing rights to The Bible Story. LA notes that this set of books was NOT in the original number of books and booklets that PCG dished out over $3,000.000.00 for when they lost the court trail over their plagiarizing of Mystery of the Ages.
So Joel Hilliker says that PCG bought the copyright to The Bible Story. He made this claim that PCG has purchased the copyright for The Bible Story, a retelling of the Old Testament by Basil Wolverton made for HWA's WCG in 1958-1972.
Surely Grace Communion International (WCG) did not sell more books to Flurry? The fact that they did it in the first place raised a lot of eyebrows considered they believe everything that Herbert Armstrong taught was heresy. But I guess money still speaks louder than integrity.In this particular segment of PCG's Trumpet Hour Hilliker talks with Brent Nagtegaal about PCG's Bible Story. While introducing this segment Hilliker makes the following statement:Well, for several years now the Philadelphia Church of God has been working on a multi-volume project called The Bible Story. This was actually started by Herbert W. Armstrong back in the 1960s. We bought the copyrights to it and we're printing it again. (20 minutes.)Really? PCG bought the copyright for The Bible Story? It was not one of the eighteen booklets PCG purchased in 2003. I was aware that PCG was publishing their own version of The Bible Story but this is the first time I have heard that PCG has purchased the copyright for The Bible Story.
What is going on here? Did PCG purchase the copyright without going through WCG? Did they give even more money to Tkach's WCG?
17 comments:
The impact of this and other tomes cranked out by HWA's massive operation were pretty negligible. It's amazing how Flurry, Pack and the others like to brag about the Plain Truth having a "circulation of 8 million" (print run, maybe...many of which found their way, unwrapped and unopened, into dumpsters the world over). Add to that the millions of booklets and reprints...and countless hours of expensive air time for radio and television...and what came of that in terms of memberships? Very little. Even at that, half of those who became members over the years eventually wised up and left. Millions upon millions of dollars, most of it extracted from members, just went down the drain of Armstrong's media empire. Lucky for Gerry, Dave, et al, that enough people were hooked and hoodwinked that offshoots like theirs were able to pick from some pretty low hanging fruit.
As with most "ministries," HWA's did a wonderful job of supporting him -- and others in various administrative positions. Didn't do such a good job of supporting the needy, however. As for "The Bible Story," Basil outdid himself with those horrific drawings. But, they were tame compared to some of the truly bizarre stuff he had done for Mad Magazine and other publications over the years. Still, growing up in the church, I can definitely say those and the other images were burned into my brain. No surprise at all that HWA's version of the "Bible story" ended with the Old Testament. Punishment and retribution created more fear and response among members than a loving message of redemption and grace would have.
So easy to decipher now. Hard to believe that people willingly continue to perpetuate it all.
This stuff makes my head spin!
What was included in that $3+ million sale to PCG?
I ask because I know people now in "Grace Communion International" who view the Tkaches as heroes or saints or saviors of Biblical proportions.
I am less adoring of the Tkatches than those folks are.
Did the Tkach church initiate the copyright infringement lawsuit against the PCG so they could make millions by then selling what they ostensibly no longer believed in, knowing full well that the PCG would use the results of that sale to screw people?
If so, what possible rationalization could there be for such a sale? (Maybe that this was for people whose heads were already screwed up, but at least this will make them happy while having their brains invaded with cult-germs?)
And while I'm wondering about the alleged "godliness" of the Tkatches- what about the sales of their various properties?
Has there EVER been a public accounting?
Iirc, the WCOG got a nice "cult-free" rating from the Christian Research Institute and Hank Hanegraaff, based on the promised fiscal transparency and elections to come "soon", but none have never actually materialized even after all these years.
There's more to this. Turns out PCG has just released their Bible Story online at their website.
https://www.pcog.org/resources/bible-story
They have currently released eight volumes.
The first volume is copyrighted 2008. Volume 2 is dated 2009. Volume 3 is dated 2009. Volume 4 is dated 2010. Volume 5 is dated 2011. Volume 6 is dated 2012. Volume 7 is dated 2013. And Volume 8 is dated 2014.
The first six volumes use the old text and illustrations by Basil Wolverton. (The chapters are arranged differently from how WCG did it.) However the volume covers are different.
But starting with Volume 7, set during the time of David, PCG began writing the text themselves and producing their own illustrations for them. Volume 7 is written by Robert Morley and David Brandon. Volume 8 is written by Robert Morley and Brent Nagtegaal. It is still ongoing. Currently PCG's account is still set in the two kingdoms period.
It must be noted that the illustrations in the original post are may be seen in PCG's version of that book in Volume 1 (2008), pages 51 and 52.
Genocide is all over the pages of the bible. What Hitler did to the Jews has horrible and should never be tolerated on this earth ever again. But wasn't the flood, (if you believe the story to be true) much worse then what Hitler did to the Jews? After all (according to the story) every race that existed on the face of the earth was totally erased except for a handful of people. What Hitler did was evil. But wasn't the flood, (if it ever happened at all) by comparison much more evil?
Also how many times did God tell the nation of Isreal to invade nations around them and to kill every man, woman and child in those nations? Wasn't this genocide?
We are right to be critical of the scarring bible story books that the old WCG put out and the PCG is resurrecting but where they not an effort to accurately tell the horrible fairy tales of the bible?
Let's wait for "The Bible Story for Psychopaths".
It will be a must read for the leaders of the Armstrongist churches of God.
Redfox712 said...
“But starting with Volume 7, set during the time of David, PCG began writing the text themselves and producing their own illustrations for them. Volume 7 is written by Robert Morley and David Brandon. Volume 8 is written by Robert Morley and Brent Nagtegaal. It is still ongoing. Currently PCG's account is still set in the two kingdoms period.”
Some Morley moron is just what Satan needs to write story books for little children.
Ronald Morley and his son Robert Morley operated like a father and son team of sickos. Crazy old sex perverts in the PCG would go to assholes like Ronald Morley to get him to set them up with much younger members that they couldn't keep their hands off. At the same time, Robert Morley would slander the younger person to other young people. Ronald and Robert would both continue their malicious behavior until they finally got rid of the person. They always seemed eager to attack innocent people that they did not even know. Immoral people were always welcomed into the PCG and supported, but even politely and respectfully shunning evil was never allowed in the PCG.
From the beginning, the Morleys have always acted like they were working for Satan. Now, it looks like one of them was selected by him to write story books for little children. Not surprising.
It warms my heart and sets a legacy for Flurry and company a common place in hell for their crimes against humanity.
As for Robert Morley I will not comment about things that I cannot verify but I will say that he does have a tendency to write rather xenophobic words about non-white ethnicities and Germans.
"Sixty-nine years later, London is under attack again. Only this time, the Huns are burning it economically. ... Hundreds of thousands of British gave their lives during the war to prevent this very thing. Germany is conquering Britain without even firing a shot. (Robert Morley, The Battle for Britain Begins, Trumpet Weekly, October 17, 2009.)
If you are a politician, be careful who you offend because you just might represent a district composed primarily of Poles, or Roma, or Sudanese, or Pakistanis, or Cambodians. Who then do you really represent? Do you represent the British interest, or the interest of some other people? (Robert Morley, Rule al Britannia, Trumpet Weekly, November 27, 2010.)
In the Middle East—democracy just takes power from strongmen who work with America and hands it to thugs that want to destroy America. (Robert Morley, The Spark That Lit Egypt, Trumpet Weekly, February 12, 2011. [Please note that these words only appear in The Trumpet Weekly issue and not the online version.])
I downloaded the pdf version, but I want my free version, full color to arrive in the mail..... makes me nostalgic
Does it really scare children...
or does it desensitize them to violence?
Black Ops, I was in high school by the time the church started publishing The Bible Story. It must not have scared me too bad, because a couple of years later I thought it would be safe to leave Ambassador College, and after that I also stopped attending church services.
As a little kid I was scared shitless by Armstrong's prophesies on The World Tomorrow that the Germans would rise again after WWII and conquer America. My little sisters were small enough for the soldiers to toss in the air and catch on their bayonets. Me they would hang on meathooks. I used to huddle in my little bed with the covers pulled over my head and practice not breathing so when the Germans came I would be ready to fool them into thinking I was nothing but a pile of blankets.
The breakup of the WCG and the formation of splinter groups like the PCG provided the opportunity for all sorts of abusive petty tyrants to worm their way into little leadership positions.
As far as I am aware, none of the Morleys ever did any good at all at any time ever. Yet, they were not the type to mind their own business and leave other people alone. They always had to be ruling over other people. As far as I am aware, this always consisted of them trying to do one evil thing or another to unsuspecting, innocent strangers. From everything I ever saw and heard, the Morleys were always incompetent and immoral, but somehow extremely wise to do evil, so nothing but evil ever came from any of them.
The Morleys were not the type to admit that they were ever wrong about anything, even when they clearly were in the wrong. Even when some higher-up like Wayne Turgeon could see clearly through the dirty tricks that were being played, the Morleys were never the type to repent of their evil behavior, but would instead push ahead with their slander campaigns and get their victim expelled. They were always very persistent in doing evil.
The Morleys not only helped other sex perverts to do evil, but also had the common characteristics of perverts themselves. That is, the Morleys were always big brave men to do evil to unsuspecting, innocent people and to slander them, but were always worthless, gutless cowards when it came to opposing bad behavior or standing up for the truth. Maybe that is why the Morleys are themselves abusers in an abusive cult like the PCG.
Ronald Morley and his spoiled brat Robert Morley were always extremely PROUD and ARROGANT, and treated other people with UTTER CONTEMPT. They could not seem to tell the difference between good and evil except just enough to always consistently do evil. There is a reason why their type is in a cult of the PCG type.
I was raised in the WCH and the Wolverton bible stories. I'm 43 years old. Those stories and images are burned on my brain. The horrific and the beautiful. The images and and film of the holocaust are also burned in my brain. You can not put the two on the same level. I am grateful that all of thsee are burned into my brain. I still own the same ones that were read to my brother, sister and myself...and I still read them. As that simple but trues saying states... If we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it. The world is not all unicorns and cotton candy. If the bible stories offend you and you are concerned that they will traumatise your children don't read them. Instead maybe you should attack other more widespread publications that are truly evil and destructive such as the Necronomico or dark wican books.
The wolverton bible stories are not fear books to subdue a frightened congregation. They were books that taught the difference between right and wrong, responsibility and consequences.
This is an old post, but if you ever see this reply it would be nice to chat. You made a comment that these images are "burned into your brain". Mine and my friends also, as we were in the same church growing up. One thing that is off in this write up, I don't remember us thinking that we would be burned like the that picture of the guy being killed in that oven. We were taught that we would die, but never suffer. We just wouldn't get all the goodies the ones who were good would get, to live for eternal life. We would just die. Be gone. God was taught as an ever loving god, we were told to fear him, but we weren't told we would be burned to death. At least I don't recall it that way.
Yes. I agree. I too was raised in worlwide and I never feared God. We were taught to see him as our LOVING father. Before one makes assumptions about something they obviously know knothing about it would be nice to know that you at least tried to find out what it was like.
I found your site because I am actually lookimg for those books to read to my kids. The mainstream ones give a false image of God. These books actually gave me a much deeper understanding of God. I knew that although he loved me deeply he did however have an amgry side. Those pictures you showed were of people being punished. There were happy pictures as well. The books are quite balanced.
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