I was put out of PCG for not tithing. Before that, I was liked by everyone in the organization. I was always Johnny on the spot. I think I stopped tithing when Gerald Flurry bought the land for his College empire. It seemed that the PCG started changing when all its money started going for itself and its own growth. There was an interview by the Fox25 network in Oklahoma with Stephen Flurry in 2008 stating that tithing is “voluntary” not mandatory. The other thing was the F16 fly over to start off their new Music Hall year. The other thing was their creating a float in the parade there in OK. The PCG always preached that we were supposed be different from the ways of the world, not followers of worldly traditions, and separate in our ways. But in its own strategic ways it was doing what it wanted with our money and our lives, keeping us under scrutiny and fear with threats of losing our spiritual lives.
I wanted to ask the leaders this: If God is so with you and you follow the traditions of WCG and Armstrongism, and if you always keep your organization under raps, and God is with you in your every endeavor, then how do you explain me? I believe in God and try to do right but no one is perfect. I was in for a number of years and only tithed about 4 years, yet I was in a position of some authority. If the PCG is so perfectly in tune with God that their every move is controlled by Flurry and his finely tuned one-on-one with God, then why did they not put me out sooner? Because it’s not so tuned with God. Because it’s run by a man, one man, and they even preach not to follow a man yet Flurry always gets his so called “revelation” from God and members follow.
Finally, when a minister asked me if I was tithing, I said no. I could of lied but I didn’t. I was finally put out not because of my tithing issues (which Stephen Flurry on FOX said was “voluntary”) but so that they could use me as a example to everyone else to keep them in line–threat tactics. They love to call us put-out members “bad apples.” Not to poison the others. PCG was losing people a lot at that time and what a better scare tactic than putting out someone everyone liked, to keep everyone in line. I remember while I was in the PCG every time you heard someone leaving, or being put out, there was a sense of fear that you might be next and all the complaining would die down for a while. But, like human nature, it would start up again. Fear was one of their best controlling maneuvers and I feel bad for the weak minded that will never overcome them. I realized it shortly after I came in but stayed because of friends and loved ones.
PCG has a wonderful moneymaking Music Hall at over $100 dollars a seat that the poor members built with their sweat and blood and which most will never get to see or take part of. PCG has a college that is mostly filled with the children of ministers or key people in the organization so they can be taught what their fathers were taught so that they can go out into the field and do the same thing with the next generation of people. What a great self-fulfilling prodigy organization they have. Teach your children to do the same thing and you’re never going to be without money and prestige. Being a family of God is nowhere in their vocabulary. Just sell religion and be wealthy.
God walked the earth by Himself and sometimes with others but He never did it to build up His own greatness. He was the humble Son of God preaching the Word of God. Why can’t they do that?
By Carl
June 24, 2012