Basic HTML Version
Mr.
Attorney General
of California:
Congratulations! You did
meanwhat you were saying!
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W
E TOOK YOU at
your word. And
you kept it. While you
were lobbying against
the Petris bill m the
California leg islature, you
were saying-and your
deputies were saying
that if this b ill passed you
probably would find it
necessary to drop your
lawsuit against the World
wide Church of God.
This statement was made
to members of the California
senate, to members of the
assembly, to the governor, to
newspapers and t o news
people of TV stat ions
throughout the state.
In this nationally famous
lawsuit you had been claim
ing, based on your interpreta
tion of a formerly existing
California law, that you, act
ing on behalf of the state,
should OWN, supervise and
monitor ALL CALIFORNIA
CHURCHES, their properties
and church activities! This, in
violation of the United States
Constitution and the First
Amendment'
The Petris bill rescinded
the former law on which you
based your unconstitutional
lawsuit and claim to owner
ship and control of all Califor
nia churches. You lobbied vig
orously against the Petris bill,
which rescinded the law on
which your contention and
lawsuit were based.
The Petris bill was passed
in the senate by a vote of 52 to
1. In the assembly 50 to 12. It
was signed into law Sept. 30
by Gov. Edmund G. Brown ,Jr.
Apparently they took you at
your word that this would
cause you to decide to drop
your unconstitutional lawsuit
against this Church.
Your office had selected the
Worldwide Church of God as
its test case. We were to be the
first domino, and if we fell, all
other churches would follow.
Although their doctrines
and practices differ somewhat
from ours-even as they do
from one another-the major
and minor church denomina
tions came to our legal aid in
this state vs. church lawsuit,
as also did the American Civil
Liberties Union.
We take no part in partisan
politics.
We are grateful to the
major and minor churches
who came to our legal aid. We
thank the lawmaking body of
California for taking you at
your word and giving you this
MANDATE!
We too thank the Jiving
Goo for giving you, Mr. Attor
ney General, the courage and
moral strength to KEEP YOCR
WORD . You are, indeed, a man
of your word'
1-fF.rll'F.RT W. ARMSTRONG
Pastor G,neral
Worldwide 21-)urch of God
Pasadenl!., California
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