In a recent newspaper interview Ted Armstrong suggested that the only document which might be worth anything that he has in his possession is the letter in which he was offered $50,000 a year "to keep my mouth shut." He has on previous occasions likened the Work's offer of $50,000 a year to "hush money."
Garner Ted Armstrong has chosen to characterize the generous offer made "for the good years" as somehow evil and highly irregular. He should notice a recent article in Time magazine. The "religion" section of Time told of a large Protestant West German church, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (which includes half that nation's Protestants), which unfrocked the "Rev." Paul Schultz for heresy. He was a Lutheran pastor for years in Hamburg. "The church hardly rushed to judgment," — Time said. "After years of official 'discussions' that proved fruitless, formal proceedings against him began in 1976."
The Lutheran pastor was forbidden, by the church, to preach or administer the sacraments. In spite of years of documented heresy and behavior contrary to one supposed to uphold the beliefs of the church, "He is expected to receive a $12,000-a-year stipend if he shuns anti-church activities" (Time, April 2, 1979, page 89, emphasis ours).
It was noted in the Time article that he had "refused to recognize the contradiction between his teachings and exercising his office." Nevertheless, they were going to give this heretic and former pastor in the Lutheran church a stipend IF he didn't fight the church in which he had been a minister! So the offer to Ted Armstrong by God's Church is clearly not an unheard of gesture — just a little more generous.
THE CHURCH'S OFFER TO GTA WAS TOTALLY PROPER
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