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California
courts
moved·
by devil, Armstrong says
BY ROB LtVIN
TIieArlr.onaDallyStar
Any doubts that more than 7 ,000 mem
bers of
the Worldwide Church of God
might have had concerning the health of
their leader-, Hecbert W. Armstrong, were
laid to rest yesterday in a powerful and
emotion� 80-minute speech.
In the final day of the church's Feast of
Tabernacles at the Tucson Community
Center, Armstrong came out of a month's
seclusion to make pronouncements on
morals, the "government of God" and,
most
pointedly, the govenunent of Califor
nia.
The 100,000-member church is ln a bit
ter btWe wi1h the Ca}ilornia courts over
claims that church funds have been spent
for personal use.
The 87..year-old founder of die church
said, "lf California can win / this battle
against the Worldwide Chur<*of God, they
can do it with other chur�."
',c,
'/
been moved by
are looking at it
from
humanpolitical . ti11es. They're try
ing
to
destroy this ' emment
ot
God.
"The only pljlC� today in the world.
Star PIIOto by teiiue s...i.,:�
(SeeCOURTS, hptA)
Armstrong flays society ·
THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
TUCS0N,SUNOAY,0CTOBERI4,l979
Courts in California work
of Satan, Armstrong says
(Continued
From Page One)
where the
government
of God is being ad
ministered is right here in this church -
the Worldwide Church of God."
Annstrong concluded his sporadic ref
erences to California , where the church
still keeps much of its headquarters, by
saying that properties being held therewill
be protected. "You can be sure of that."
Earlier, Stanley Rader, second in com
mand, addressed the crowd, saying the
church lacked the physical resources to
"resist this machine of destruction" -the
courts. "But let there be no mistake , the
spiritual resources wiJJ overwhelm the
physical powers of the :,tate," he said.
''We shall face arrest and trial and im
prisonment if need be, and even death."
Annstrong entered the arena moments
after a choir sang "The Battle Hymm of
the Re p ublic." Waving and smiling, he
stood
with
a bOyish grin on his face while
the congregation stood and applauded for
two
minutes.
For many in the crowd, who came from
all 50 states and several foreign countries,
it was the first time they had ever seen
Armstrong in person.
He carried on stage with him a magni
fying glass, notes and a tattered Bible.
Frequently, during his speech, which
sometimes left the crowd stunned with its
vehemence, Armstrong paused as he lo. .
cated certain passages in the Bible with
the magnifying glass.
He criticized today's modem societ y ,
which he said has advanced "p h y sical
progress," but has done little for "spiritual
progress." He cited a rise in the divorce
rate and crime , and a decline in morals.
As a token of
its gratitude , the members
donated $25.92 for every man, woman and
child attending yesterday , a total of about
$187,000. Earlier in the day, a minister said
the money would do the most good in the
church, since the stock market was going
to crash again anyway .
As the audience filed out of the commu
nity center, exclamations could be heard
p raising Armstrong.
"I think he's the most important man on
the face of the earth," said Glenn Williams
of Woodbridg e, N.J.
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