TTSOML #75: I Discover The Abbey Owns Their Town

I didn't want to file my own lawsuits pro se. I was told, by the Oregon State Bar and the PLF, that the only way to preserve my claims was to file it on my own and then look for a new lawyer.

So, supposedly, this is what I was doing. I was just filing and getting the service right so that a real lawyer could come in and help me fight for my reputation and straighten the record. I also was asking for non-monetary relief. One of my requests was for the City of Mt. Benedict to be incorporated into the City of Mt. Angel.

Mt. Angel Abbey had their own "town". I didn't think it was appropriate that a religious organization could own its own town and therefore protect itself, like it's the Vatican within Oregon state, by having its own city and laws and yet still be able to call on secular police from the ADJOINING town to do their dirty work, when their "town officials" (i.e., Roman Catholic clergy) decided to have someone cited for something (that they probably didn't even do).

I felt, I think rightly, that by eliminating this curious privilege, the church would be subject to the same laws, or at least, more likely to be subject to the normal standards, than if they had their own power and authority of owning their own town.

I mean, BY GOD, what century IS this?!

When i told lawyers about this little arrangement, half of them couldn't believe it. They asked for details. "Well, is there a well?" "Well, do they have their own address? is it separate from the City of Mt. Angel?" and finally, the big question:

"Do they have their own post office"

Yes, Virginia, it's true.

The Mt. Angel Abbey has it's own town, The City of St. Benedict, and they own their own post office.

They are an unincorporated town.

The Rajneeshees came under fire for the exact same thing, and yet it's perfectly acceptable for a more commonly known religious organization to do the exact same thing, without investigation.

Okay, so number one, they're using secular police to do their dirty work. For their own civil means of intimidation and harassment, and then number two, they figure out a way to own their own land and utilities and "town" so they can make up their own rules but still PAY the adjoining town for police services.

That was the other thing I discovered. Mt. Angel Abbey pays City of Mt. Angel police for their services and has an annual contract with them.