PCG Gloats About New $170,000 Steinway Piano

 

Steinway Model D piano

Everything we hear out of the Philadelphia Church of God is about the imminent return of their creature called "christ" and the end of this age. Yet, PCG spends money like they have a bottomless wallet...well, they actually do...gullible church members who will send in money for this kind of extravagance.

They are gloating about how much prestige that being an "all Steinway school" brings them, supposedly so impressive that the State Department will look at them differently now.

PCG went on a piano quest when the Worldwide Church of God was dissolving and the Ambassador Auditorium was shut down. Flurry then bought one of the Auditorium's Steinway grand pianos. They bought the piano around the same time they bought the two Baccarat Crystal candelabras that used to be in the Auditorium lobby. This was a significant coup for the PCG as anything thing could collect that Herbert Armstrong had touched added to the collection of idolatrous artifacts.

Since that time the PCG has been on a quest to replace all of its campus pianos with Steinway's.

OKLAHOMA—Piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons has recognized Herbert W. Armstrong College as one of its 221 “All-Steinway Schools.” The certification, which Armstrong received news of in May and official notification of on July 20, is given to schools whose pianos are made or designed exclusively by the German-American piano company. The college qualified earlier in May after purchasing a Steinway Model B for the Armstrong Auditorium rehearsal room. 

 

With only 72 students, the college is one of the smallest schools to “demonstrate a full commitment to excellence by providing their students with the best instruments possible for the study of music,” as the All-Steinway program is described on Steinway.com.

The college began the process by purchasing a Steinway Model D from the company’s factory in Hamburg, Germany, in 2009. The sponsor of the college, the Philadelphia Church of God, had previously purchased a 1983 Steinway Model D from Ambassador College in 2004. Since then, the campus’s dozen or so practice or performance areas have transitioned from lower-quality instruments to Steinway-designed pianos, typically an upright from its Boston brand. 

 

When the college finished constructing the Dwight Armstrong Performing Arts Conservatory in 2016 and purchased two grand pianos and an upright for its classrooms, the school’s quantity of Steinway-designed pianos rose high enough to qualify it for the recognition. Armstrong Recognized as ‘All-Steinway’ Institution

Here is the current cost range for Steinway pianos, including the Model D which PCG purchased.

Cost Of A Steinway Piano (Price Chart and Buyers Guide)

In PCG's continuing quest to gain legitimacy and pander to the U.S. Government, even though they claim it will soon deport them all to Jordan, they look at this piano as their ticket with the U.S. Immigration Service as a means to get in foreign students to their cult collge.

“Having toured the Steinway facility in Hamburg, we understand what it means to have this peerless name associated with our institution,” music director Ryan Malone said. “We feel honored to receive such a distinction. Though we’re not a large school, or even a music school, this recognition highlights how we are committed to the highest quality education when it comes to the performing arts.”

The Church’s chief financial officer, Andrew Locher, gave an example of other effects of the recognition: “Being an all-Steinway School adds a respectable credential to Armstrong College in the eyes of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. While we meet the necessary standards to have international students granted a visa for study, each recognition like this helps the reputation of our college.”

The college plans to host a presentation ceremony with Steinway representatives in the months ahead.

While everyday members of the PCG struggle to survive, the elite at the cult compound spend lasciviously and cavort around the country for Irish Dance competitions and to England in their own private jet. 

It pays to be a cult leader of Armstrongism! 

 

Philadelphia Church of God: Father Pleads For Contact With Children Inside PCG: "TELL MY CHILDREN I LOVE THEM, PLEASE!"

I received the following from visitor here who is a father with children inside the Philadelphia Church of God. If you have been a reader of this blog you will see Cal Culpepper mentioned a lot with postings describing his vile behaviour towards PCG members and his enforcement of PCG's "no contact" policy.

I’ve been out of the PCG for 6 years now. I was put out by the demon Cow Cultpecker. 

Since then my two children who remained in the cult have been forbidden to talk to me. 

Thankfully 2 of my children have come out and I am able to see them. 

In an effort to help cut off funding and make people aware of that this evil group is doing, I have been sending a message to all churches in Edmond and Oklahoma City. 

The easiest way I’ve found to do this is through Facebook. 

I’ve sent the following message to many churches. I’ve received positive supportive messages in  return.  

People are agreeing to boycott events at Armstrong Auditorium. 

I did include full names in the message. 

I hope many will do the same to help warn local people that attending events at Armstrong Auditorium is supporting this family destroying cult.

Thank you for all you do to help members and ex members of the PCG.

----------------------------------- 

Please help a grieving father.  

My wife of 36 years died 8 years ago and now Gerald Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God have taken my children from me. 

I wish I could hear from them on Father's day. I haven't heard from them in 6 years. They are in the Philadelphia Church of God. A controlling cult that cuts children off from parents and parents from children. The dictatorial leader Gerald Flurry has issued an edict that says members can have NO contact with family members that have left the church. If you go against his rulings you will have to go through the tribulation and be cast into the lake of fire. Members have committed suicide because of this evil family destroying ruling. My oldest son Nathan M. and my youngest daughter Elise M. are in the cult and have been prevented from contacting me, my youngest son, my daughter and granddaughters. The cult has destroyed my family. When my oldest daughter and her family were told that they could have no contact with me, and told I was not allowed to see my granddaughter, they left the cult. 

When you attend events at Armstrong Auditorium you support the family destroying cult. They don't allow interracial dating or interracial dancing. They believe they are God's ONLY TRUE Church and Gerald Flurry is THAT PROPHET, he is THE APOSTLE, God’s only representative  on earth. 

Please do not support the evil group by attending events at Armstrong Auditorium  

TELL MY CHILDREN I LOVE THEM, PLEASE!

PCG Kieren Underwood - "I hereby renounce every article I have ever written for The Philadelphia Trumpet...one thing it does not do well is tell the truth."

I just received this concerning Kieren Underwood, a writer for The Philadelphia Trumpet magazine of the Philadelphia Church of God.

This was posted by Kieren Underwood on theTrumpet.com website. He was subsequently fired and marked by the church for standing up to their injustices. 

Hello all,

I have been writing for theTrumpet.com for nearly three years, and have been a student at Herbert W. Armstrong College for nearly four. Many of you have spoken with me at services, invited me to your homes, and been my friends.

But let me tell you a little bit about what I’ve learned.

If you don’t believe any of the following, check DTSearch to see for yourself. Or better yet, go to the library in the Hall of Administration and check the physical Plain Truth archives.

No man knows “the day or the hour” of Christ’s return, right? Well, Mr. Armstrong thought he did.

• In 1934, Mr. Armstrong said the “Day of the Lord” would begin in 1936. (see attachment for his diagram)
• "...the year 1936 will see the end of the Times of the Gentiles.... we may expect the present worldwide depression, time of trouble and fear of war to continue until the year 1936!... quickly after that time, we may expect to see the heavenly signs of the sun and moon becoming dark, the stars falling.... which shall be followed by the ‘Day of the Lord.’" (The Plain Truth, June-July 1934, Herbert Armstrong, p. 5)
• In 1940, he said it was 3-4 years away:
• "...Armageddon, we believe, must be at least three or four years away..." ("Democracy Doomed!" The Plain Truth, April-May 1940, Herbert W. Armstrong)
• In 1953, according to Dr. Hoeh’s chronologies, HWA said it would probably come no later than 1982.
• "Now HERE IS SOMETHING STARTLING! Herman Hoeh, in his eye-opening article you will read in the June number of The PLAIN TRUTH on the Times of the Gentiles shows that the Times of the Gentiles—if chronologies are correct—will come to their final end in the year 1982." ...
• "IF THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES END IN 1982, in October, as Mr. Hoeh has it figured, THE INVASION OF AMERICA AND THE GREAT TRIBULATION MUST BEGIN NOT LATER THAT MARCH-APRIL, 1972!" (Herbert W. Armstrong, Co-Worker letter, May 22, 1953)
• In 1969, it was only 25 years off.
• "If that unseen Hand does not exist, humanity will not survive on earth another 25 years, or less! …” (The Ambassador College Correspondence Course, Lesson 5, 1969, p. 15)

Mr. Armstrong made—literally—hundreds of these false predictions. (See: https://hwarmstrong.com/prophet-1.htm or http://www.exitsupportnetwork.com/mike_ep/exam/dates.htm) Between 1934 and 1946, he prophesied that: the plagues of Joel would occur in 1935, Mussolini and Hitler were the 7th resurrection of HRE, WWII was the last war—leading to Armageddon, Mussolini (and later, Hitler) would unite the 10 kings of Europe, Hitler would “inflict terrible Tribulation upon God’s saints,” etc.

Mr. Flurry (“raising the ruins”) continues in this manner:

• Remember it was to be “one generation” after the death of HWA that Christ returned? Well, it’s been 32 years.
• It was the “last hour” in 2001. And then it was the “last half of the last hour” in 2008. Let me do some quick math… (The back of the textbook says: 2015)
• In a sermon in 2008, during PYC, Mr. Flurry said he believed the Tribulation would be here in “five years or less.” Go ahead, check your notes.
• Remember the “Hebrews” revelation? Three or four years, right? Start counting down.
• I hear that in the last ministerial conference, Mr. Flurry said it could be as soon as one year! Boy, better pack your bags!

Ask yourself, how many times have I heard, “it’s only a few short years”?

Remember President Obama was the Antiochus? (By the way, I’ll give $1000 to the person who can tell me where the Bible mentions THREE end-time Antiochus-like figures—you know, the church, political, and European ones.) Well, I guess the world didn’t end with Obama, so it’s time for Jeroboam!

Yes, Jeroboam is surely President Trump. Never mind that there were TWO Jeroboams who ruled Israel. Jeroboam I turned Israel away from God (around 920 BC). Jeroboam II was the one who Amos prophesied against (around 780 BC). They are separated by nearly 140 years. Can someone tell me which Jeroboam is Mr. Trump? Also, set your countdown, because when Mr. Trump doesn’t send you to Jerusalem, this church is finished.

But what about Brexit? Remember that 1956 quote on the front cover of the Trumpet: “Britain will not be part of it”? Guess where it came from. A book published in 1956 called “1975 in Prophecy.” Let me give you another quote from that book. Mr. Armstrong was writing of the famines which would hit America: “Indications of prophecy are that this drought ... will strike sooner than 1975— probably between 1965 and 1972!” Go ahead and check the book yourself—it’s on DTSearch. And the internet (http://www.herbert-armstrong.org/Books%20&%20Booklets/1975%20in%20Prophecy%20(1956).pdf).

Modern-day Assyria is Germany, right? How do you know? Really, how do you know? Did you research it? Only a handful of people in this church could even give a semblance of an answer. (Maybe send Mr. Palmer or Mr. Vejil an email.) Perhaps they might mutter something about “they’re both warlike.” Mr. Armstrong spent a whole TWO sentences proving it in “The United States and Britain in Prophecy.” Go ahead, ask the people in your congregation how they know. Better yet, ask it as a Spokesman Club topics question. Or even better still, go ask one of those confused people in the Assyrian Church of the East. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East) They’re so deceived (Rev 12:9) they don’t even know what race they are! (Attached is a critique of theTrumpet.com’s “The Remarkable Identity of the German People.”)

But Mr. Armstrong “restored all things,” right? Have a look at the Christadelphians—founded in 1848. Doctrines include: Bible is inspired word of God; rejection of Trinity; Father and Son are separate; Kingdom of God is to be set up on earth; reject immortality of the soul; death is merely sleeping for saints; full-immersion baptism; Christ will reign on earth 1000 years; must keep commandments; hell is just the grave; mainstream Christianity has been paganized. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christadelphians#Beliefs)

Mr. Armstrong restored all these things—except that they were already established … 40 years before he was born.

But he gave us the “master key” for prophecy, right? The United States and Britain are Manasseh and Ephraim, right? Did you know that theory was created in 1794, and was most popular in the 1870s? It’s called British-Israelism. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Israelism) And just like the Assyria-Germany theory, you probably don’t know much of the details. Did you check the Irish annals yourself? Did you check to see whether Tea-Tephi was a real person, or just made up? (“Tea Tephi” is NEVER mentioned in Irish history. She is a combination of two real people: one called “Tea” and the other “Tephi.”) And did you know that “Tephi” is called a “daughter of Pharoah” in one of the only times she is mentioned in the Irish annals? Did you know that Ollam Fodla (apparently Jeremiah) is mentioned in the Irish legends as a native “Milesian king”? And that he lived around 1000 BC (not 500 BC)? Did you check? Or did you take Mr. Armstrong’s word as gospel? See David Baron for a critique of British-Israelism—written in 1915! (https://archive.org/details/historyoftenlost00barouoft)

Are you afraid to check? Wouldn’t want to check with the “scholars.” Oh yes, vain “scholarship” is a code word, meaning “disagrees with Mr. Armstrong.”

Have you read Mr. Flurry’s “True History of God’s True Church”? Why not compare it with Andrew Dugger’s and Clarence O. Dodd’s “A History of the True Church” (1936). They are virtually the same. 

What about Malachi’s Message? Hundreds of you have told me you knew it was “the word of God.”   Have you heard of the book “The Letter to Laodicea,” which was published--in stages--from 1986 to 1988? Jules Dervaes, who wrote it, began mailing them to WCG members in 1988—and even sent a copy to Mr. Flurry. (http://thehiddenyears.org/1990/09/26/letter-to-mr-flurry-from-jules-dervaes/)

Try reading the book of Malachi. Maybe—just maybe—could it be that when it talks about “the covenant with Levi,” it actually means Levi? No, no, it must be Herbert W. Armstrong. Could Jacob and Esau really be talking about Jacob and Esau? No, no, it must be talking about Jacobite and Edomite LAODICEANS. Remember everyone, “the word of Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Flurry is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…” (Hebrews 4:12).

But Elijah must come and restore all things, right? Try reading Matthew 17:12 (without Mr. Flurry whispering commentary in your ear). “But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.” Jesus is screaming at you: “I said he already came! How much clearer could I be?!”

New Throne, New Stone? Hmmm… why is the British throne still around? Oh, right, it’s corrupt and crumbling, according to Mr. Flurry. The evidence? Prince Harry shenanigans, marrying Meghan Markle, and trying to help people’s mental health (how terrible!). How about Henry VIII having 6 wives and killing 2 of them? What about Mary 1 (“Bloody Mary”) trying to establish Catholicism in England and killing Christians? (That’s nothing compared to Meghan Markle!)

What about our book “He Was Right”? Here’s the secret on how we produced that book: (1) find predictions Mr. Armstrong made, (2) ignore every prediction that was wrong, and (3) write about every prediction that may come true in the future.

The whole theTrumpet.com website is an exercise in this type of logic. We scour the news for events that look like fulfilled prophecy (this is called selection bias). We ignore everything that does not fit with our framework (this is called dishonesty). You then read it and believe it (this is called confirmation bias).

Mr. Flurry often says, “We have been warning American and Britain for 80 years!” He should be saying, “We have been wrong for 80 years.”

I will no doubt be “marked” for this email. I might even get a mention in a sermon or two. They will say, “He is inspired by Satan.” They will warn you, “Look at how clever and powerful the devil is.” But they will not address the facts. They will not give a rebuttal—that would be too dangerous.

But will you prove all things? (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Many of you have been my friends for years. This college has taught me many things. Its teachers have been generous and kind. This church does many wonderful things—I have many good memories.

But one thing it does not do well is tell the truth.

I hereby renounce every article I have ever written for theTrumpet.com.

If you have any questions, please email me at: kierenjunderwood@gmail.com. Or for more information, see: http://www.exitsupportnetwork.com/. Please forward this email to anyone who you think needs to read it.

(I have scans of the Plain Truth from 1934-1946, where HWA makes all kinds of prophecies about 1936, World War II, and Mussolini and Hitler as the “last resurrection of the HRE,” if anyone would like to see them.)

Thanks for reading,

KIEREN UNDERWOOD

EDITORIAL

theTrumpet.com | Edstone Hall | Wootton Wawen, B95 6DDTel:

+44 01789 581910 |

kjunderwood@HWACollege.org

FYI Kieren...I will post anything you want to send me!  Congratulations on achieving freedom!

PCG's Hezekiah Exhibit: Making Biblical Archeology "Sexy" Again

If you have been following Philadelphia Church of God's recent media blitz you would imagine that they have once and for all proven that they are the one true church because they have been participating in a dig in Jerusalem for several years with Dr Eliat Mazar. No other COG understands biblical archeology or truth better than the PCG.

The Times of Israel is reporting about PCG's new exhibit in the Armstrong Auditorium lobby.

Why a world premiere of precious biblical artifacts is in quiet Oklahoma

A rare world premiere exhibit of ancient biblical-era artifacts was launched this week at the Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond, Oklahoma. Located in the middle of lush green fields, the massive, pillared auditorium — complete with a water sculpture at its entrance — is an unlikely forum for the first ever display of tangible proof of the biblical King Hezekiah and Prophet Isaiah.

For the first time in the world, seal impressions or bullae discovered in 2009-2010 in Jerusalem’s Old City at the Ophel excavations conducted under Hebrew University archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar are on show to the general public in the exhibit “Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered.” Other finds, such as a large cache of 2,000-year-old coins from the Jewish revolt discovered earlier this year in a cave near the Ophel, are also having their premiere.

Still more rare First Temple Period artifacts are also on display, largely taken from Tel Lachish and Tel Beersheva excavations. The weapons, ceramics and weigh stones are striking. But the explainer films, interactive programmed tablets, reproductions of key finds, including the British Museum’s Lachish relief, as well as a huge scale cross-section of Hezekiah’s tunnel in Jerusalem, all shore up the historicity of the biblical story and the 8th century BCE Assyrian siege. This narrative is clearly spelled out in the showcases throughout the attractive auditorium lobby.

The article goes on to mention that the PCG has dropped over a $500,000.00 in putting on this production.  A half million dollars in tithe money that the poorer PCG members struggle to send in. 

The exhibit is the fruit of a 50-year partnership between a group of steadfast Christians and generations of the archaeological Mazar family. And it is impressive.

But who will see it?

When the Ambassador Foundation put on exhibits from Thailand and China in the 1980's it had a ready audience by the fact it was in the middle of the Los Angeles basin.  Thousands came to see the exhibits.  PCG is right in the centre of cow pattie fields.

Now take a look at how many the PCG expects to have in attendance:

Edmond, a suburb of Oklahoma City, is located smack dab in the Bible Belt. Several church bus tours are already scheduled to make their way there, according to the exhibit’s curator, Brad MacDonald, bringing 40-50 visitors each.

But in conversation in Jerusalem the day after the grand opening, vice president of the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation Stephen Flurry seems untroubled when he estimates that only some 10-15 individuals will trickle in each day.

After the Herbert Armstrong College students and local PCG members all stop by to the see the exhibit, scant few of the public will ever see it. 

The Times of Jerusalem goes on to state that far more will see it online than ever in person:

That’s where the exhibit’s smart online presence takes up the gauntlet.

Interested surfers can attend the exhibit virtually through its dramatic YouTube videos, highlighting the thoughtful artifact display and the surrounding explanatory material.

In many ways, the Armstrong Foundation’s online presence is of much more relevance than its onsite exhibit.

The Times of Jerusalem also states a fact that PCG refuse to acknowledge, what if their biblical "facts" are not necessarily true?

Only a click or two brings a viewer to a seemingly endless font of information about the artifacts themselves and the biblical history. It is all housed on the WatchJerusalem.com website, one of the several media outlets connected to the foundation, its associated Philadelphia Church of God, and its seminary, the Herbert W. Armstrong College.

There is no pretense of scientific skepticism in the exhibit. The foundation’s goal is to “bring the Bible to life,” says Flurry, who lives outside of Birmingham, United Kingdom, at a second Armstrong College seminary.

The article also questions the disproportional amount of money spent on the Jerusalem digs:

The Philadelphia Church of God poured half a million dollars into supporting the excavations this year, including student expenses. Flurry estimates many tens of thousands more were spent on this exhibit. These expenses are disproportionately large swaths of the church budget, which flows from a 5,000-strong membership and up to 20,000 additional donors.

Brad McDonald justifies the money spent by stating that they want to get young people engaged in biblical history by making it "sexy".

“We want to make archaeology great again,” laughs Australian exhibit head curator Brad MacDonald, sitting on a dainty couch next to Nagtegaal in the King David ahead of the Jerusalem event.

“We are actively looking for opportunities to play a role or collaborate and make it sexy — something young people can get into,” says MacDonald. 

The Times of Jerusalem also goes on to state that the PCG and Eilat Mazar may have "suspended belief" by some of their dogmatic statements about the artifacts.

Suspension of disbelief

Accuracy is definitely the goal in all research, including archaeology. But when the subjects of study are long dead, many facets are open to interpretation.

The main stars of the Oklahoma exhibit, the Hezekiah and Isaiah seal impressions, are one such example. Could they really have belonged to the biblical king and his chief adviser? 

Dr. Eliat Mazar says:

According to Mazar, “the identification of the seal impression of King Hezekiah is very certain, beyond any shadow of doubt, as you can read for yourself.” She reads out the clear Hebrew inscription at the King David event, “‘Belonging to King Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, King of Judah.'”

The other seal, she acknowledges, is much less certain. Upon its publication earlier this year as a goodbye present to the longtime, retiring editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review Hershel Shanks, the claim that the seal impression was connected to the famous prophet was met with skepticism. In her King David Hotel presentation, Mazar herself introduces the find as “maybe the seal impression by Prophet Isaiah.” 

It's all a "may be!"  Now there is a good Church of God statement!  That's standard operating procedure for most COG prophets who spout nonsense today.  

Suspended belief, no pretense of skepticism, and over half million dollars spent. What more could we expect from a Church of God in 2018?

Read the entire article here:  Why a world premiere of precious biblical artifacts is in quiet Oklahoma

Six-Pack Flurry $7 Million in the Red

Armstrong Delusion has taken the latest Co-Worker letter from Gerald Flurry and dissected it rather well.
It seems old Six Pack is in a snit because members pledged a lot of money to help build the Mini-Me Auditorium in the middle of Oklahoma and now aren't sending in the money.  Their lack of faith has resulted in the PCG owing over $7,000.000 for Six Packs monument to himself.  Six Pack is pissed!

Armstrong Delusion includes this excerpt:

…our building fund donations are $700,000 less than they were last year. I want you to think about that.
Before we built Armstrong Auditorium, we sent a letter to our Church members only, asking for pledges to the building fund. We used those pledges to determine how much we could invest in construction and loan repayment until all the construction costs were repaid in full. We’ve enjoyed using the auditorium for over a year now, but we still have a big balance left on the loan–over $7Million.
Have we kept our pledge to God that we would contribute toward this project until it is paid off?

 I won't get into the maniluptaion that Six Pack is pulling on his members.  It's the blame game all over again.  Faithless members who are not relying on God to provide them the money to send it.  It doesn't matter if you have lost your job or have had an income reduction.  You still are required to send it in!  Your salvation is at stake for your unfaithfulness!

I know this is a difficult time financially, and we do have unemployment problems among our members and supporters. But as Mr. Armstrong always said, God blesses us as our ways please Him. The needs of the work have never been greater. And if our ways are pleasing God, no recession or depression could make a bit of difference.

Read the entire article here:  Dear Brethren and Co-Workers!

A Messianic Jew Looks at Armstrongism

I received a link a while back from a Messianic Jew who seems to have had a lot of contact with various splinter cult ministurds of Armstrongism--or at least knows a lot about how they operate.
Unfortunately she stills seems to think there was good teachings in some of Armstrongism.

Traits of Cults
Some of her comments were:

Many cults have started with "good" intentions, but with human nature and
Satan at the bottom of them; they usually deteriorate very quickly.

For instance many religionists did start out with high ideals, until the
money started rolling in
"A few of the traits of the cultleaders"
Most cult leaders are people that have inferiority complexes, some of
them, but not all of them being of short stature.

It is interesting to note that almost all the various splinter cults of Armstrongism (including Herb himself) were/are lead by short, over-compensating tyrannical men.
Many of them have come from low backgrounds; with very unloving Fathers,
three dictators that I can recall, were beaten unmercifully by their
fathers... Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Saddam Hussein.

They didn't receive mercy, so they never learned mercy.

Many cult leaders are very intelligent and have a gift for speaking,
unfortunately, most of them do not have a great proclivity for telling
the truth, except when it is to their benefit.

Most cult leaders learn very early, that they are very convincing to
people (Mainly gullible people), so therefore these "leaders" think that
they have found their calling.

The people that they prey on, are usually the old, the weak, the lonely,
the gullible and the mentally unstable, but another group that they prey
upon, is those that have money.
Many Cult Leaders have a "Messianic Complex", and now that they have
followers, they really start believing that they are God's "prophet or
messenger", then they start deluding themselves.

If anyone or anybody affronts them in any way, then they get paranoid,
and they set up an enforcing arm, usually other deluded people; most of
them inherently violent; to police their great "kingdom"

One of the last things these " false messiahs" do, is completely isolate
their followers, and set up spy networks, and if there is any hint that
their converts are trying to "desert", then they get them and even
threaten them with "Hellfire", ex-communication ( hell) or even bodily
harm.

When the cult followers are completely isolated, then they are nominally,
or literally held prisoner.
The Unproved "Petra" doctrine was a way WCG could hold people nominally
captive, by threatening, that they would not get to go there, if they got
out of line.

This doctrine will probably be used against the brethren again, by some
of the COG leaders; at least to get the people's money.
This happens very often in churches, it has even happened in some of the
Churches of God.

There was all kinds of duplicty, there were sexual scandals; money
scandals; varience; power struggles; harangues; false prophecies; spy
networks and every other kind of problem.
Right now, some of these cult leaders have gotten hold on some of God's
people, Gerald Flurry is one of them; he follows most of the classic
traits of having a messianic complex.

He has his Scapegoat (The Laodiceans), and he is into the isolating the
members from everybody else.

David Hulme and Ron Weinland are several of the others, who are trying to
isolate their members (tithe paying dupes) from the other commandment
keeping brethren; and they do this for control, mainly of the tithes;
this though is completely opposite to Christ's outgoing service to all.

Video of Dedication of Dagon's Temple in Edmond

I hesitate posting this so as to not give them more hits to their web site, but this video is appalling.  Not only is this the largest monument of idolatry ever built in modern times, it it is creepy in it's blatant imitation of HWA and WCG.

I have always been fascinated why none of  the 700 some splinter cults could ever come up with anything original when it came to names of their churches, look of the booklets, names of magazines, fake colleges, picture posing's like HWA, etc.  Even his unaccredited 'college' is named after HWA.  The House of Idolatry is named after HWA.

Having worked in Pasadena for three decades I am very familiar with the Ambassador Auditorium.  No expense was spared.  Six Pack has done the same.  The front look of the building is a direct imitation of the Ambassador.  The seating colors are identical, carpet colors identical.

He bought one of the Ambassador's old Steinway's and the two baccarat candelabras.  He also bought the old "Dedicated to God" gold letters from the Ambassador.  These now adorn his walls.

His video is an close imitation of videos description of the Ambassador.

Six Pack traipsed through the woods in Oregon and hauled a dirty old rock back so he could worship it and bow down to it.  How more idolatrous can this cult get????????

Six Pack spent 20 million dollars on the House of Idolatry.  Nine million was financed and the rest was given by the membership.  So in essence the members were conned out of over eleven million dollars.  Eleven million dollars is a lot for a church that is made up of less than 5,000 members.  Ageing members at that! Incidentally, eleven million is what it cost to build the Ambassador.   Money that these older folk should have spent on their retirement instead of financing a monument to HWA and Six Pack.

Their video boasts that 1/6th of the church membership was present for the dedication.  Multiply that by six and you have a church membership of less that five thousand.

The creepiest part is towards the end when they bring in David Wynne to dedicate the swan fountain that Six Pack hauled up from the old Big Sandy campus.

When they start mentioning HWA's name the people in attendance start shouting, whistling and clapping like a bunch of happy seals.  Creepy is not even the word for it!

Watch it at your own risk.  It is 24 minutes long.

House of Idolatry Dedication

there are two other videos related to Dagon's temple on the above page