Basic HTML Version
PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, August 22, 1980
Page 6
conversation over the telephone. This outrageous invasion of Mr. Arm
strong's privacy not only was done by a former member out of gross dis
respect for Mr. Armstrong, but was also "in contravention of a penal code
section of the California law code."
Then Mr. Rader gave another insight into the whole affair with Mike
Wallace.,
"As· a matter of fact, Wallace made representations to me which
included,the fact that before anything was aired he would give me a chance
to review it. Not so that I could take out whatever editorial product he
had involved himself in, but so that I could object to any particular
footage that was used in a manner inconsistent with what the story line
was supposed to be. He broke that representation and, as I think I have
told the press [at the press conference this morning], when we bring our
suit against him, it will include such actions as misrepresentation and
fraud and things of that nature."
In an interview in Shreveport Friday the 15th, Mr. Rader had the oppor
tunity to rehearse circumstances surrounding the litigation in California.
He explained how he had to round up the support of the churches which we
now have at our side. He went from one group and denomination to another,
explaining what was really happening to us in California until it became
obvious to them that all religions were in danger. This certainly took
a great deal of hard work, but it was worth it. Now Mr. Rader is up
dating the ministry and the brethren in various parts of the country,
and at the same time using every opportunity presented by the media to
tell our story to the public.
Friday night Mr. Rader spoke to the ministry at a dinner. The next day
Sabbath services were held in the college "Field House." Over 2500 were
in attendance, filling up the gym to overflowing. Some 200-300 had to
sit in the Student Dining Hall. Members came from Shreveport, Texarkana,
Dallas and Fort Worth to meet with the brethren from Big Sandy and Tyler.
Mr. Rader told the brethren that there was a great deal of public con
fusion about the Church. The Attorney General had tried to take advantage
of that fact, as well as the emotional impact carried by the word "cult"
in the aftermath of the Jonestown tragedy. He explained, "We are now
beginning to let people know what kind of church we really are. And this
has helped us a great deal. We have really gone, in the minds of the
major denominations, from the minor leagues to the major leagues over
night...they now understand us because we've taken the effort to explain
ourselves to them and they have even come to give us a begruding respect
for not only what we are as a group of people, a spiritual organism, but
also for our doctrine which they now realize is very hard to refute--they
would rather not get into a debate." And so the public at large is begin
ning to know about us!
The nature of politics and bureaucracies were also explained by Mr. Rader.
Power is very often a primary motive. "Show me a politician and I will
show you a man who wants more power," he said. "That's what we mean about
the establishment becoming more and more entrenched. And show me a
bureaucrat who has a little bit of turf and I will show you a bureaucrat
who wants more turf."
He said that many bureaucrats receive some kind of satisfaction from
increasing the power that they personally wield, and that this requires
effort directed at taking away the power and independence of someone else.