"This is based on misperceptions," Stoll said. "They don't understand how the church is created and registered, how it operates under church law, which is entirely separate from secular authorities."
Good old Glen Stoll:
On the morning of August 2, 1996, Glen Stoll presented his Heaven passport and was refused passage on American Airlines because of his nationality. They insisted that he must have picture identification issued by the Local, State, or Federal government. Glen talked to American Airlines management, but they remained firm in their refusal to let him board and he missed his flight from Seattle to Texas. American Airlines cited new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directives as their authority.Yet another clash between Stoll and the law:Later, Glen complained to the FAA that Christians could not fly because of their new directives. FAA officials said that American Airlines was interpreting the new regulations too strictly and said there were exceptions. The travel agency was horrified that Glen had been refused passage and he was issued new tickets for an October flight.
The laws of God practiced by an Oregon-based religious group and the laws of California Highway Patrol and Glenn County Sheriff's Office units came into direct conflict Thursday afternoon and resulted in the detention of six Embassy of Heaven church members - five adults and a juvenile.And:A CHP unit attempted to pull over a motor home southbound on I-5 Thursday afternoon after noting it had an irregular license plate - issued not by a state but by the "Kingdom of Heaven."
As the vehicle did not immediately pull over, but traversed down the freeway until exiting west at County Road 200 and stopping at a Union 76 station there, authorities interpreted the incident as refusal to yield.
With guns drawn and commands shouted, officers ordered the people out of the vehicle. Initially, they refused to exit; then one got out - cab passenger Paul Revere, pastor of the group, the Embassy of Heaven church, based 20 miles east of Salem, Ore., at a location called Sublimity.
Shortly after 8 p.m., the Glenn County Sheriff's Office in Willows released Pastor Revere, daughters Brooke and Skye and Embassy members Abraham and Michael. Driver Glen Stoll remained in custody as did the group's van which also served as their home on the road.
[...]
Officers contacted at the county's adult detention center early Thursday evening expressed their frustration at not getting pertinent information - like dates of birth - from the group in order to book them into the jail.
[...]
According to Pastor Revere's wife, Rachel, speaking by phone from their Oregon home, the group believes, birthdates are immaterial as they have been born again and all things are new in Christ.
Married since 1971, Rachel said she and her husband each received revelations from God in 1987 to begin a different life - one separated from the world - more like the early Christians or the Anabaptists; they don't believe in man-made governments.
"All the men (there are 400 missionaries who go all over the country to spread the Embassy of Heaven message) have been arrested. We don't do bail. They fast and pray and hold steadfast to the faith."
[...] About the group's adamant stance in refusing to give birthdate and name specifics, she concluded, "I pray they'll be firm in their faith."
Closer to home, in September 1994 an Embassy of Heaven "ambassador" led Washington state troopers on a 90-mile chase from Tumwater to Portland on I-5. Glen Stoll, the driver, ignored police signals to stop (he had Embassy license plates), leading them on a 65-mph chase down the interstate until he was forced to stop because of construction traffic. The officers had to lift him out of his vehicle.And another, etc. (too many to list them all):
One of our ambassadors, Glen Stoll, vividly illustrated "fleeing from the stranger." On his way to the Retreat, Glen went around three police roadblocks in his Heaven vehicle. Glen Stoll's exciting story of risking his life to obey the Higher Authorities is in our Road Reports.Also from that site:
"The ancient scriptures say that the Kingdom of Heaven is coming someday. The new testament proclaims that the Kingdom has arrived! Jesus didn't bring us a RELIGION. He brought us a NATIONALITY."So to answer your question, no, they don't think that the law applies to them -- they believe that they are a law unto themselves. Good luck with that one in court, fellas.And: "What is the relationship between Jesus and attorneys? Did Jesus endorse attorneys? Did He say, "Hey, if you sin, get yourself an attorney?" No, Jesus said, "Woe unto you lawyers!" Lawyers openly show they are against Christ's principles by returning evil for evil, and encouraging vengeance rather than forgiveness. If we will just simply take the light burden of Christ, then we don't need lawyers any more. Jesus Christ is our only Advocate. He is our only Mediator."
This shouldn't be a surprise, though. They feel justified in having their own "creationist biology", "creationist geology", "creationist physics", "creationist natural history", and so on, so "creationist law" is just the next logical step in divorcing themselves from reality and living in their own little make-believe world.
You forgot: Creationist Astronomy.