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NEWS SUMMARY, May 21, 1979
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The state has said, "Look, we own, not only the property, but all the books
and records." We have picked that statement out of three or four places
in the court transcripts where they said it ·in court. But now just this
last time, they put it right in the amended complaint. They laid it right
out--"The church has no proprietary interest in any of its property, its
books, or records."
You see, at this point, simply to say, "Yes, here are the books and records,"
would
mean we are conceding to that statement. We would be saying, "Yes you
are right. You are the owner. Here are your books and records, state.
May we please have your books and records back when you feel free to give
them to us. And may we please have permission to use the Auditorium next
week?"
Do you see what I'm getting at? They have now made a statement--these are
their books and records. To concede to that, we would be acknowledging
it. Hence, there is no way under that theory that we can give it to them.
You know, it's like the difference if I were to come to you and say, "�1ay
I please borrow your car?" And you would say, "Well yes, that's O.K. I'm
not going to use it. Here are the keys." But, wouldn't it be different
if I said, "Look, that is my car. That car belongs to me, not to you,
and I'm going to take it.
-Y
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not going to give it back:to you until
I'm good and ready." Now, would you give the keys to me under those cir
cumstances? Would you say, "Yes, O.K., here are the keys. Fine. Thank
you, Ralph. Good-bye." Obviously you would have to draw a line there.
You would have no option. You would have no other way to go other than
to stand fast.
So I want to just bring that point home to you. But there is another point
to help explain to people why we can't. It comes down to the point to where
the state is saying that they are in control of all church property. They
are virtually saying that they can control all churches, that we're a
charitable trust, that the people of the State of California own the pro
perty, and they are going to dictate and supervise everything the church
does. They say, "Oh, not the ecclesiastical; only all the money." Well,
tell me one thing that we can do ecclesiastically, virtually, without
money.
What pays for the PT? What pays for the booklets? What pays
the ministerial salaries? What pays the hall rents?
Obviously, if they are going to control the money, they are going to con
trol the church! Hence, it really comes down to a very fundamental
principle: Either we're going to stand as free men under Christ, or we're
going to bow our knees as slaves, and we are going to become a slave to
the state. And the Bible tells me that I'm a free man, and that I should
not become a slave. And that's one reason why we're fighting so hard--
to keep from becoming a slave to the state....
What "Love" Is to Some People
Mr. Armstrong has said for years we're not to be a floor mat, we're not
to be a slave. And that's the only thing we're trying to do here is just
preserve our liberties, not to try to wreak vengeance. We're not trying
to take vengeance on anybody. So we're not violating that scripture. Some
talk about "love," but you know,isn't it fundamental that love by itself
has no meaning? How do the dissidents apply the one word, "love?" They
decide which way they want to go and they say that's "love.
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Right?