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. Officially we stand on solid ground in thi: matter, Our Church Manual says this,
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RIGHT OF MEMBER TQ RF HEARD IN HIS OWN DFFFNCF
“It 1s a fundamental principle of Justice, that every member has a right to be hear
in his own defence, and to introduce evidence znd produce witnesses in his own
behalf, No church should vote to disfellowship a member under circumstances that
deprive the member of this right, if he chooses to exsrcise itDue notice should be
given by the church to the member under discipline of the intention to try their
cape, thus giving them opportunity to appear in their own behalf, n
Read that declaration again, ‘there are =ix definite directions given, every one of
Which Fld. Figuhr violated, He was not ignorant of these provisions; he hac read them
4gain and again, He knew wnat he was required to do, And still he decided to abrogacta
every one of them, and forbad me to make any response, He taped my mouth, An elected
official who served a few years and uses them to abrograte fundamental rights} May
God save His people}
The right to be heard is not & mere privilege, It is a right, whom no man can grant
nor take away, It should be noted, however, that it was not FY + Flguhr who sat. only
wag guilty, The vote was wanimous, That means that every officers was guilty, and
shares with the presidenthig injustice and lawlessness, ‘Every one shared his violation
of hig (implied) oath of office, That put all on the defencéve and raises the questiion
of thelr right t- administer law which they violate, It raises the Question if thay
can be trusted not to violate otherfundamental rights, What they have done is not only
a ain, but sin done "with a high hand®, a transgression, which counts heavy in the
government of Qod,
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To refuse a man to be heard 1g a sin peculiarly heinous in the alght of God, It
reduces a man from his Oodgiven status as a being formed .in he image of God to the
level of brute creation who before his hearers stands dumb, his mouth taped and a dager
plunged into his sheat, He is degraded to the level of a beast who cannot explain
and who cannot speak, A dog may disturb the sleep of his master by his barking, and be
subjected to an ummerciful beating, because he cannot explain that he was merely
trying to protect his master by warning him of a Prowler, A man who is mot permitted
to speak 1s put in the game position, A man that thus degrades another man is lowering
himself to the status in which he puts the other man, Because of thes considera tions,
taping a man's mouth 1s reckoned 85 one of the lowest crimes of which man can be gullty,
Such canndt serve in any position in the cauge of Gode It is not a matter of
punishment meted out for trensgression, It is an insult, to God and man, May God
have mercy on his church, if ite member are to be subject to auch officials,
In view of these considerations, I demand first of all a retraction of the sentence of
Suspension, Next I demand a trial according to the laws of Seveth = day Adventists,
I demand a neutral Jury; not a jurg composed my accusers, a Jury such as is geleceted
from fair, honest men, whé have not already formed their opinion, In this trial JT w
wnt freedon of speesach, &8 I wish to prescnt certain charges agalnet hig officials,
These, as matters of Justice, are my demands,
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If my request for a retraction of the sentence 18 granted, I suggest thiat I am willing
to negotiate all other matters, for I well realize thet Buch a trial as T suggest will
Cause serious results as far as the church is concerned, Rkmove the sentence of sy-
spension, and all other matter can be feootated, But I do hot want this to be unduly
Prolonged. If a book is to be written it must 0% done before hristmas to be of value,
; ’ =
Sincelely J —= =