Let the court decide, not the Internet

Timothy Titus has speculated in the Daily Pilot that his Episcopal

Church will grab property from St. James Church, which was built and

is supported by the contributions of hundreds of St. James families

(“St. James property debate stacked against local church,” Daily

Pilot, Sept. 9).

The result will not be determined by the Internet, the law of

other states or even church rules, as Titus claims. Instead, a

California court will apply California law and decide the question

based on California’s long history of protecting the property rights

of independent corporations and those who hold the deeds.

Titus should know full well that churches frequently have inactive

and children members on their rolls who are ineligible to vote or who

never attend Sunday services. By his logic, politicians would never

be elected in the absence of a majority vote of the entire

population.

Even after having filed an aggressive lawsuit, seeking to evict

people from their church and confiscate Bibles from their children,

the people of St. James hope that the Episcopal Diocese will be fair,

wise and respectful of the property rights and freedom of religious

choice they have exercised.

ERIC C. SOHLGREN

Attorney for

St. James Church