Sunday, April 17, 2016

A Day in the Life of an Unaccredited Church of God "college" Student



The Philadelphia Church of God posted an article that tells loyal followers of Gerald Flurry what a privileged life students lead at their little "college" in England.  Its a rather pathetic exposĂ© of a church cult that demonstrates how spiritually bankrupt they really are.

This is how the morning starts out for one of the guys at Edstone mansion:

Up at 5 a.m. Down two flights of stairs to the fitness center for a 20-minute workout. Up two flights to the men’s dorm to shower. Down a flight to the kitchen for freshly ground and brewed Ethiopian roast. TheTrumpet.com for morning headlines over sips of coffee. Malachi’s Message for Bible study, followed by prayer. Fifteen minutes to get ready: just enough time to meet the other students in the cafeteria for a quick breakfast. Then it’s 8 a.m., and the day really begins. 
Welcome to a day in the life of a student at Herbert W. Armstrong College–Edstone. 
Notice what the focus is? A plagiarized book, news headlines for the PCG indoctrination page instead of London and European papers, and the exquisite life of a privilege white kid.

Then its down the hall to "college" classes. PCG's interpretation of  HWA's interpretation of prophecy.  The focus upon comparing Gerald and Stephen Flurry to Jeremiah.  Since Stephen is the only legitimate heir to the Flurry empire and his fathers rapidly becoming mental state, it is important to demonstrate that the Bible tells of the coming Stephen's amazing work. Given that there is no comparison whatsoever between these two and Jeremiah; its nothing more than indoctrination class.

This particular day is Wednesday. Armed with Tuesday night’s preparations, Hochstetler is ready for the first class of the day, Bible Prophecy. Fellow senior Samuel Livingston plays the lecture, which was recorded by instructor Wik Heerma two days prior at the college’s home campus in Edmond, Oklahoma. Mr. Heerma opened the second semester of the course with a comparison between the commission and work of the Prophet Jeremiah and that of the Philadelphia Church of God in the 21st century.

Then its down the hall to another classroom and a live instruction of God's prophet Stephen Flurry on PCG doctrine.

The next class is Doctrines of the Philadelphia Church of God, taught by Armstrong College President Stephen Flurry. 

Then its around the corner to another room for a "live" video presentation from Jerusalem by a PCG student and working on the dig PCG has in Israel. A student that is presently digging.  No archeology  degree, no advanced studies, no work in other projects around the world, nothing other the a couple summers worth of work.


Then there is the glamorous information about hard working Brad McDonald.  Students are privilege to see him walking around in his wells looking at his sheep.

On the other side of the property, from the mail department window, volunteer mail packers see UK-Europe Regional Director Brad Macdonald walking out to check on the landscapers’ work. Wearing his “wellies” he walks off the pavement of the circular drive and between the newly planted rows of yew hedging. He looks over his shoulder, past the circular flowerbed and the Union Jack flagpole, to wave as Mrs. Amy Flurry beeps her car horn and drives out the gate to do errands in Stratford, about seven miles down Birmingham Road. Mr. Macdonald continues on to check how Hochstetler and the other workers are progressing on their current project: moving a shed. 
What a humble righteous man.

Then its a shining example of how the PCG dumbs down its women and relegates them to the kitchen.  Men are sooooo much more intelligent and godly than the those with "ladies recipes."

While the male students are developing public-speaking skills, the female students attend Meal Management class. Wednesdays are lab days, so Hochstetler and the guys stop by after Homiletics to taste-test the ladies’ recipes, which vary from naturally sweetened chocolate cake to curry-spiced amaranth and millet dishes. Hochstetler, who admits he has a sweet tooth, says his favorite dish has been the brandy snap baskets filled with whipped cream.
Not once is Jesus ever mentioned in the daily journey of a PCG student.  Just like it's magazines, sermons, videos and publications. Jesus is nowhere to be found.

You can read this yourself here: Day in the Life: An Edstone Student

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

...and then you no longer smile because you are happy, you only smile to appease them.

Stepford Heavenly Funland.
What a lame brain cheerleading comment section they have.
“Sometimes God gives you a lot of little no’s so He can give you the world’s biggest yes.”
Yes.
+1.
You are so right!
+2
God says we are always right! +1001
Amen!
I'm happy!
Me too!
We all SHOULD be!
Preach it!
God had wished Noah's family was more like the Flurry's!
How true!
That's why God didn't need to test Gearald by demanding Him to sacrifice Stephen!
Yes, God's reflexes would have been to slow!
More truth!
We love you Stephen!
I know you do!
Please lead us like your Heavenly Father!
I shall!
You must!
I WILL!
...ad naseum

The Propaganda Kitchen

Redfox712 said...

What a sickening piece of sexism that article contains. It is awful to devalue women as though they are only fit to be in the kitchen.

Considering how the men in PCG devalue women in this way it is no wonder that PCG has so many problems of authoritarianism within its midst.

As far as I can tell Armstrongism's view regarding men and women can be summed up in four words: Men rule over women. The COGs have not been particularly helpful on this issue. Women deserve to be treated with respect and as equals.

One wonder how the men in PCG would react meeting a women who refuses to be treated like this?

Redfox712 said...

Furthermore some of PCG's 1% have insisted that men are to lead the conversation with their wives.

"There are two vital activities in which Dad ought to be involved with the family in this brief slice of time—being at the head of the table to command the evening meal time conversation, and taking the opportunity after the meal, before bedtime, to fulfill his role as teacher of the children." (Ron Fraser, Become a Man, My Son!, July 11, 2013.)

The following is from a man who often writes for PCG discussing singles dating.

"Something I like is eagerness. You can be throwing yourself into the date, trying to give yourself in conversation as much as you can, but if the person on the other side is not responding, it does make it a little bit trickier. The guys are obviously supposed to lead in conversation and such, but to have someone who wants to interact, who wants to have that conversation or take part 100 percent in the activity really does help a lot." (From a June 29, 2013 article.)

How would these men like it if they were told that they have to let the wife lead the conversation every night at the dinner table for life? This is clearly sexism.

It is absurd to make rules about this. To devalue a women as though she is not worthy to start up a conversation is sexist. Women deserve better.

Anonymous said...

11.39 PM the mans pays for the privilege of leading the woman on a date by chauffeuring the woman, paying for her meal and entertainment. The same should apply in the marriage, the man should contribute more to earn the right to lead. No, this is not sexism, rather it is trade. All these spoilt woman who think that being treated like the queen of Sheba is a entitlement. Ha. Any woman is quite welcome to pick me up on my doorstep, chauffeur me, pay for the restaurant bill and movie. All for the measly price of leading. Woman, I am available, please ask me for a date.
Notice how ridiculous the June 29 article is with the "if the other side is not responding, it does make it a little but trickier." The 'trickier' situation should be resolved by telling your date that they are being a crook by not fulfilling their part of the trade. Yes, a date is a trading arrangement, something hidden by the article and the church.

Anonymous said...

When is this coming out on DVD or digital download?

Won't it be called Keeping Up With The Armstrong Students?

What a poor excuse for a relevant article, even if you're a Flurry slave. Who even in that world cares how many flights of stairs are involved?

Yecch!

Anonymous said...

The PCG’s bizarre fixation with Irish dancing became apparent approximately 10 years ago. In Edmond the rationale behind the pursuit of Irish Dancing was that it represented a form of dancing established or practised by King David, a dancing style that ultimately was transferred to Ireland by Jeremiah, and therefore one that needs to be practised in the church today. This new-found Irish Dancing fixation supported by its pseudo-doctrinal belief system quickly synergized with the already firmly established PCG obsession with all things musical.

Add to that toxic mix the endemic nepotism and self-serving egotism at PCG HQ and you have a recipe for what amounts to nothing more than unbelievable self-indulgence and at the same time unbelievable financial incompetence. Consider the following:

- PCG income for 2016 is currently down a shocking 25%!

- For the 2014-2015 period income was only stable due to two large estate donations PCG received.

- Bizarrely in 2013-2014 PCG spent £4.5M ($6.5M) on an old British mansion for a second college campus. This is a facility which due to its age and size will require millions more spent on it just to maintain and bring the thing up to a serviceable level.

- Declining circulation of PCG’s flagship publication The Philadelphia Trumpet. After over 25 years in publication current circulation is well under than 300K with a rumour that around 200K of this figure is from circulation derived from their waiting room programme!

- An ageing tithe-paying membership that is rapidly approaching collective retirement.

- A message that has little or no impact with the modern world, especially young people.

Yet despite the above, PCG are prepared to spend $1.8M on a music and dance facility! In light of this all I can conclude is the following:

1. PCG leadership is genuinely financially and managerially incompetent and incapable of making long-term sound decisions that prioritizes the stability of work of the church above self-interest. Where is the financial wisdom in building this facility?

2. Spending money like this shows PCG leadership has nothing but contempt for the sensibilities and feelings of field members; a membership who almost universally loathe the music and dancing extant in the PCG. This construction proves that PCG HQ leadership literally has no understanding or interest in their member’s needs. What does a ministry that spends money like this on music and dancing primarily for themselves and their kids have in common with the one described in the pages of the Bible? What fear of God is there in people who spend tithes like this?

The PCG hierarchy have proven themselves to be individuals who desperately crave approval and admiration and see the resources of the PCG as their own and their position as church leaders as opportunities for unbelievable self-indulgence and self-promotion.

In a recent post about Malone’s Song of Songs musical a commentator made the statement that when they saw the reaction of the PCG HQ audience roar with approval at the conclusion of a previous musical performance, that it felt like being at a high school musical with ambitious, pushy parents. I can tell you from first-hand experience that is a highly accurate description of the PCG right now.

Despite PCG's impending financial demise, despite its steady decline in income, membership and overall effectiveness of its work, I can guarantee you one thing: dancing and music at PCG HQ Edmond is not going to be cut back any time soon.

DennisCDiehl said...

Hwa U = MCF
Midlife Crisis Factory

Retired Prof said...

You're right, Anonymous Swapping Dude. Dating (along with other stages of courtship) is a trading arrangement. Women are looking for a meal ticket, and men are looking for breeding stock. However, the deal is likely to go more smoothly if the participants hide their ulterior motives and approach negotiations obliquely.

How about if they each get together hoping to enjoy a couple of hours of pleasant company, to charm and be charmed? Without focusing on the quasi-economic matrix their encounter is embedded in, they could wind up enjoying the evening for its own sake, the way they do with friends of their own sex. Whether they then become friends with no romantic involvement, whether they proceed toward marriage, or whether they part ways and retain the event in fond memory, the evening will have been worthwhile. At a minimum, they relieved a few hours of tedium during this dreary interval between birth and death.

Many years ago, I kept a notebook of sayings I composed to use later. This is the time for one of them:

"Happiness is like a puppy. If you chase him, he will keep running away and eventually learn to fear you. If you sit on the ground near him and look quietly friendly, you'll scarcely be able to keep the little son of a bitch off your lap."

Anonymous said...


Anonymous at 4:32 AM said...

- PCG income for 2016 is currently down a shocking 25%!

- For the 2014-2015 period income was only stable due to two large estate donations PCG received.

- An ageing tithe-paying membership that is rapidly approaching collective retirement.



So, what is the problem? The PCG is the Devil's cult, so let the Devil take care of it. The real financial incompetence is shown by the PCG members who financially support a false prophet like Gerald Flurry and his impostor cult. Nobody ever should have given Gerald Flurry any money at all.

The ageing PCG members who eventually stop working and tithing can still give generous donations, and die and will their estates to the PCG and Gerald Flurry's children and grandchildren, rather than selfishly leaving anything to their own families, which the old geezers do need to cut off and abandon anyway in order to be real PCGers.

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous at 4:32am

You said:
"An ageing tithe-paying membership that is rapidly approaching collective retirement."

From past experience with COG groups, you Elderly in the Church should expect:
1. Shabby treatment from ministers once you're no longer useful, ie., no longer paying tithes(or you pay titihes on your Pension?!?!?!?)
2. No visits when its your turn to be in the Nursing Home (again not useful, right?!?!?)
3. Membership drives are really about the Ministers finding future payers for THEIR Old Age support... don't let them tell you about the gospel, it was and still is all about the money...

I could ave written more, please, all of you church veterans, look to what the Bible says about treating the Elderly... then you'll know if you belong to the True Church or a ministerial employment organization that
"Plays Church"

Play Time is ending someday

James said...

Hochstetler, wasn't that the Nazi on Hogan's Heroes? A SS man I recall.

Redfox712 said...

There are some in PCG who happen to bear German names. Daryle Hochstetler is one of them. Quite ironic considering how PCG so often demonize Germans and insist that Germany will soon become some sort of Nazi like entity which will conquer the United States.

Anonymous said...

The guy is a student not faculty so I am not repeating the name.
However that name evokes images of Switzerland. Green pastures and chocolate.
Pennsylvania Amish. Small ecological footprint and peaceful carts.

Judging by the article, others are wearing the boots.

nck

btw anyone in cog land ever cared that in order to conquer the USA one needs at least one aircraft carier and perhaps more. (And maybe one heck of a hacker dude. :-))

Anonymous said...

So is this like.... a more luxurious version of the Edmond campus? Sounds like these kids have it pretty good there. Is this another tier in the college compared to the Edmond Campus?

Anonymous said...

"In a recent post about Malone’s Song of Songs musical a commentator made the statement that when they saw the reaction of the PCG HQ audience roar with approval at the conclusion of a previous musical performance, that it felt like being at a high school musical with ambitious, pushy parents. I can tell you from first-hand experience that is a highly accurate description of the PCG right now. "

Yeah... I was there for the opening night of that show and let me tell you. Me and every other field member from California to New York thought it was boring as $#it.

Many were especially disappointed after HQ touting it up as "a song you will never forget and will be able to sing from memory."

Not one person I've asked since then can remember a single word or song besides those that participated in the performance.

HQ people are just like fags - sure I don't care if they life music but they don't leave me well enough alone and constantly have to push it in my face to the point where I become fed up with it and want nothing to do with it.

Anonymous said...

"Malone’s Song of Songs"
"a song you will never forget and will be able to sing from memory."

I'll bet that if you don't like it, you are sinning against God or you are retarded.