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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, September 18, 1979
Page 7
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS GROUPS JOIN FIGHT IN U.S. SUPREME COURT
Various church organizations and other groups deeply concerned over the
State of California's violation of the Church's constitutional rights and
freedoms, have been watching our case with increasing alarm. We now have
before the nation's highest tribunal a special petition asking, in effect,
that the U.S. Supreme Court review this case closely now (before it would
ordinarily reach that Court) because of the extraordiri°a'rily grave consti
tutional implications of what the California Attorney General is doing.
Just recently a number of these groups have "spoken up" by filing sup
porting briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in behalf of the Church. Below
is an article which appeared in today's Pasadena Star-News (reprinted by
permission) reporting on a news conference called in Washington D.C. by
some of these groups in further support of the Church's rights.
Church receivership
criticized as illegal .
By DAN MEYERS
Star-News Wuhington Bureau
WASHINGTON - The State of
California in effect "established
a religion"' when it took control
of assets and management of the
Worldwide Church of God, an
American Civil Liberties Union
attorney said Monday.
"It is very clear to us that the
actions of the state have violated
... the First Amendment," said
the attorney, Nina Kraut, assis
tant legal director for the ACLU
Washington office.
Speaking at a press conference,
Ms. Kraut and Lee Boothby, a
lawyer for a Maryland group
called Americans United for
Separation of Church and State,
criticized the state for putting the
Pasadena-b ased Wor ldwide
Church in receivership beginning
Jan. 3.
Superior Court Judge Jerry
Pacht ordered the action after
six former members of the reli
gious group accused church lead
ers of misusing and not account
ing for church finances.
Attorneys for the church have
lost a series of attempts to have
the
receivership order rescinded.
They now are asking the U.S.
Supreme Court to hear the case
when the court reconvenes in
October.
The ACLU. Americans United
the Alliance for the Preservatio�
of Religious Liberty, the Institute
for the Study of American Reli
gion. and the Berkeley Area In
terfaith Council have filed a brief
in support t>f the church's posi
tion.
"No First Amendment right is
absolute, .. Ms. Kraut said. But
she added that the state "over
reacted:' when it took control of
the Worldwide Church
of·God.
Boothby said, "The State o'
California has intruded itself
violently" in,the case.
The attorneys said their sup
port of the church was based on
principles of freedom of religion,
not on an analysis of the charges
of financial abuse that prompted
the receivership order.
'' Whatever the abuses may or
may not be. they do not warrant··
such extreme action. Boothby
said.