During the early 1980’s, the Seattle establishment, including the police and a group called Parents in Arms, targeted The Monastery for closure based on bigotry and prejudice. Statements and affidavits submitted in support of efforts to close The Monastery often commented on racial mixing, and the presence of homosexuals. Read More
Mass Arrests, Just To Prove A Point
It is no secret that law enforcement agencies have been in a perpetual struggle with how to control the power they possess. Over the years, there have been so many incidents that involve police violence that the public has become more and more afraid of the police, and less sympathetic to the problems they face. Read More
Laws Worth Fighting For?
Over the years, the Universal Life Church has served as a haven for the downtrodden. It would open its doors to those that did not have a place to go. On the whole, we as a society are not very welcoming, but that was not the case with this particular establishment. Read More
Religious Persecution: Going After the Wrong People
In the early 1970s the Seattle Police were dealing with some serious threats to the community. There were robbers, vandals, criminals assaulting innocent civilians, and worse, happening daily in the city. Luckily, the SPD had their priorities straight; the police knew the true threat to the city came from criminals and degenerates who are drinking alcohol at The Monastery Read More
The Case for George Freeman
In 1977, George Freeman, a New Yorker, moved to Seattle and found a derelict church with a “For Rent” sale on it. Being the opportunist that he was, he formed The Monastery Church, focusing his attention on turning it into a night establishment. On May 19, 1979, Freeman was ordained as Presiding Minister for The Monastery Read More
The Long, Legal Fight for Justice in King County
In 1982, King County and the Washington Department of Revenue (WDOR) sought to assess personal property taxes against The Monastery, arguing that The Monastery was not a legitimate church. George Freeman and The Monastery fought back and appealed this tax assessment to the State Board of Tax Appeals, which ruled The Monastery was entitled to a partial exemption. Read More
