By Paul E. Zimmerman
Sierra Times

INDIANAPOLIS (May 11, 2000) -- Today the Indianapolis Baptist Temple had its day in court, yet again. The attorneys for the IBT and the IRS used the full 15 minutes allotted to them and they made their final oral arguments before the three judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. The judges asked a few questions of each side and then retired. The judges will render their decision and publish it some time in the near future.

I spoke to Rev. Greg Dixon via his cell phone today in order to get his reactions and feelings on the hearing and the IBT rally that was planned for today.

Rev. Dixon thought that the hearing "went pretty well" but he had no gut feelings or predictions about the final outcome. He said that the decision is dependent upon "how far our government has gotten away from the Constitution, the supreme law of the land."

Despite several unforeseen hurdles the rally that the church planned at the federal building in Chicago went ahead as scheduled. The IBT had made arrangements with a transportation company to have four buses and several vans available at the Indianapolis Temple this morning in order to pick up an estimated 300 supporters to take them to Chicago, but when the agreed upon time rolled around the company only sent one bus and the congregation had to scramble to make last minute arrangements to put together a car caravan to get them all to Chicago. Rev. Dixon said that all the supporters found rides and participated in the rally and that in addition to those who came from the church many others came and joined in the rally. Rev. Dixon estimated that there were "several hundred" people at the rally despite a heavy Chicago rainstorm that did not dampen the spirits or enthusiasm of those in attendance.

It is important to keep in mind that the court order to seize the church building and IBT property is still in force and that the only restraint keeping the I.R.S. and it's enforcers, the U.S. Marshals, from taking the church is the restraint that the I.R.S. imposes upon itself. Will the I.R.S. choose to continue to exercise this self-restraint or will it make an Elian-like blitzkrieg raid even before the appellate court makes its decision? At this point the church must "hurry up and wait" to see if the appellate court will side with them and the U.S. Constitution, or if it will side with the I.R.S.

Published with permission by
Sierra Times
Paul E Zimmerman
http://www.SierraTimes.com

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