-Caveat Lector- I've been getting updates about the month-long standoff at the Indianapolis Baptist Temple. Forwarded without comment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > BlankIndianapolis: The Stand Off That Wasn't > By Don Lobo Tiggre - Posted: 12.06.00 > I knew from news coverage that the situation at the > Indianapolis > Baptist Temple (IBT) was nothing like the standoffs at Waco and Ruby > Ridge, > but I wasn't sure what to expect when I drove down and went to check > it out > with two Friends of the Liberty Round Table . > > We knew that the judge had refused to grant a stay against > seizure of > the church's property while the case is pending before the Supreme > Court, > not once, but twice, and that the judge had set November 14th as the > final > deadline-- a deadline that had come and gone with no visible action > taken by > the US Marshals. Why the delay? It couldn't be that the federals, as > we call > them, were surprised to find the church full of women, children, and > ministers from around the country on the 14th; IBT had told them that > would > be the case. It might have been that the federals didn't want to drag > men of > the cloth out in chains in front of watching TV cameras, but delaying > wouldn't make that any easier. > > Being interested in walking the talk, several LRTers decided to > investigate. Actually, we had meant to show solidarity with a > presence on > the 14th, but Life happened, people got sick, and we didn't make it. > We were > eager to get down to Indy before the peaceful standoff ended. > > We got there Wednesday evening, the 28th of November, parked > our truck > at the Ponderosa Steak house down the street, and walked the two > blocks to > the temple. It was cold and dark, but the city lights reflecting off > the > clouds showed the respectable extent of the church's property > holdings, > mostly undeveloped and park-like, aside from the main temple and > residence. > One of our group commented on how much the land must be worth, in > such a > prime city location. Could it be that individuals in the US > government would > force a congregation out of their church while their case was pending > in > court, just to please some drooling real estate developers? Nah-- > only third > world officials take kickbacks. Right? > > Well, we're not naive and we know this is Amerika, where > government > officials can and will, for reasons of their own, punish people > without > bothering to convict them of any crime. So, where were the federals? > Were > they in the empty apartments across the street, taking pictures of us > with > long telephoto lenses hidden in dark rooms, even as we walked by? Or > were > they too embarrassed to actually remain in the presence of courageous > people > who refused to submit to legalized theft? > > We got to the temple and crossed the parking lot unchallenged. > No > uniforms were in sight. There were two TV vans in front, at least one > of > which noted our presence with its unblinking eye. Both vans looked > somewhat > obscene, sporting their huge erections, beaming who knew what > information > where. Maybe the Federals didn't need to bother standing around in > the cold > watching kids snuggle in sleeping bags to make sure representatives > of The > Law didn't break in to their church at night and steal it. They could > munch > their doughnuts sitting in warm comfort and monitor the feed from the > news > cameras-- left on, even though nothing was happening-- watching who > came and > went. > > At the front door of the temple we were finally challenged, but > only > with a questioning look. We stood there, reading the signs with large > friendly letters proclaiming: "US Marshals, check in here," and "US > Marshals, leave ski masks and unload guns here." The little black ski > mask > and bullet graphics were amusing. There were lots of other signs, > including > many saying: "NO GUNS." After a short pause, I guess they decided we > didn't > look like federals or troublemakers, and they let us in. > > When I told them that I was from Wyoming and that we'd come to > show > our support, they warmed up quite a bit, and invited us to warm up > inside. > They immediately wanted to know what church we were from. I told them > I was > not a member of any organized religion, but that I still objected to > what > was being done to IBT. I was speaking to one of their ministers, > whose name > escaped me. As things were quiet, he took the time to answer our > questions. > > Yes, it seemed that local law enforcement didn't want to have > anything > to do with the federal action, and not many of the marshals were > happy about > it either. Unofficially, the word had come through that the marshals > wanted > the IBTers to leave so they could take the property over without > creating > any juicy TV scenes, but the IBTers were remaining steadfast. Again, > unofficially, word had come through that there was a new deadline of > "the > end of the year," with no clear statements about what would happen if > the > IBTers didn't vacate their church building and lands. > > We were told that the conflict is not about taxes. The problem > is that > the church members believe that Jesus Christ can be the only head of > their > church and the only being with authority over it. Consequently, they > unincorporated a few years back (corporations being legal creatures > of the > state, after all). IBT doesn't accept any help or benefits from the > state, > and members' contributions are not deducted from their taxes. As > IBT's new > brochure puts it: "IBT Church Ministers, as individuals, submitted > returns > and all taxes to the IRS; the IRS returned a portion of those > payments, > DEMANDING that the "Church" make those same payments: the REAL ISSUE > is > clearly on of CONTROL and NOT TAXATION." (All emphasis in the > original.) IBT > claims that US Judge Sarah Evans Barker and the DoJ have "grossly > exceeded" > their lawful authority when a summary judgment was granted for the > IRS on > January 19, 1999. > > The minister introduced us to IBT's attorney (Al Cunningham, > who was > preparing a new petition under direct authority of the first > amendment of > the US Constitution. The plan is to gather signatures and petition > the > president (whoever that might be) and the congress directly for > redress of > their grievances. (the petitions are now available) . Other than > that, there > was not much to do; we were welcome to some snacks and coffee and to > chat > with the people keeping the buildings occupied. It's a big facility: > a large > amphitheater style main room, a full sized gym, many other rooms. > > Both men said that while they appreciated all the support IBT > was > receiving from all quarters, they were discouraging militia types and > armed > people from coming to the temple. That explained the signs: > > They have no intention of cooperating with an unlawful abuse of > power, > but they don't want any of their children shot either; they want to > win, not > get Wacoed. As Gandhi taught, their strategy is one of > non-aggressive, but > very assertive, noncooperation. This, they were confident, would > force even > the thugs who came for them to wince and know who was right and who > was > wrong. IBT will win in the court of public opinion, if nowhere else, > and > that's the most important and most permanent judgment they can win, > save one > from above. > > There was a large poster board, to one side of the atrium where > we > were speaking. It was covered with Pictures of IBT's March rally and > protest > march down to the courthouse. Three LRTers had also been present for > that > event, but we couldn't find any of them in the pictures. Preachers > from all > around the US had come to speak in IBT's defense, and in defense of > freedom > of religion and the US Constitution. This, apparently, made no > impression on > the IRS and DoJ. But the national interest and strong support seemed > to be > bothering the Fedrals now... We still weren't quite sure why. > > On the way back to pick up the new petition in the morning, > someone > hit on a new idea: the original showdown was scheduled for a safe > week > beyond the elections, but now the elections have smeared out into a > seemingly never-to-end mess. Could it be that the DoJ is under orders > not to > do anything that could look bad for the administration, and hence the > anointed heir, until the votes can be recounted enough for a more > satisfactory outcome? Could it be that nationally televised scenes of > Fedral > Jack Booted Thugs dragging Christian men, women, children, and their > ministers out of their temple, in chains, would make the candidate > who > sounds more conservative look better? Nah-- political considerations > never > affect the administration of the law, not in Amerika. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. 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