Transcript | Annotation | Source: 89-4286-C-2-A-8- | Month Index
Got up at 8.00.
For breakfast had toast, beef bacon, egg. Beulah had beef bacon for the first time after I had spoken to her about eating pork. She doesn’t like it.
She told me Donna Malone had stolen a radio from a man’s house. She has a brother and sister in the custody of juvenile authorities.
Sitting in the sun on the porch, I worked on journal entries. The weather was very pleasant, except for some smog.
Beulah lent me a turban as I lost my head scarf on coming in the Temple on Friday night.
The driver who brought us last night came for us. When we arrived at the Temple, although there were a number of young men, no one helped Debbie with her luggage.
At the opening of the meeting Norman made announcements concerning the visit to the Muslim Temple today.
Jim was on the podium at 12.00.
Jim warned of economic collapse and major earthquake danger in LA. We should enter in SF. Necessary to go to p.l. sure. All black leaders selling us out such as supporting Jimmy Carter, who has never repudiated his remark about “ethnic purity.” Some in this room have been informers, finks. They will get you in the end. Eldridge Cleaver is in church tank in Alameda County. It’s not safe to be a fink in a prison. Once you’ve started on the highway to freedom there’s no turning back he invented those who are disloyal now or who want to desert to repent and we will forgive you. “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god.” He may choke you. Celebration of Jim as God as followed.
If thou wilt be perfect, sell all. You will not see God until free from all impurities, attachments to family, houses and money.
While taking the offering, Jim tried to recruit a busload of LA people to come back to help with newspaper distribution. Only 21 were achieved and he decided they should come back with us instead of on a special bus.
Healings, including several cancers.
Another offering, then he continued healing.
Reception into church.
Jim asked all who were not communal to come to the altar. Communal people could leave by the side door and go directly to the buses. We would not return to the temple after going to the Muslim service. Bag lunches would be put on the buses. We left the Temple about 3.00 and arrived at the Muslim Temple about 3.30. Left our purses and coats on the buses. The Muslim Temple would not hold all our people and we were seated gradually, as space was made for us.
The greater portion of their service was a recording of a sermon which had begun before we arrived. About all I got from it were references to Old Temple figure.
At the end Jim was presented and he talked for about 2 minutes, emphasizing this dislike for the Christian religion. The title “Christ Church” in our name was, he said, “a masquerade.”
Their service was over at about 5.30. We boarded the buses. I changed my clothes on the bus. We did return to the Temple because we didn’t have enough bag lunches for all and to allow us to go to the bathroom.
An offering on the bus was taken by Lee Ingram who said a crisis had arisen which necessitated Jim’s going back immediately after the Muslim meeting. He did not say whether he was driven or flew. Because of the crisis extra funds were needed. I gave a dollar which I had intended for the bus offering.
The buses left about 6.00. I read the CIA book.
Another offering was taken by C.J. to whom I gave three dollars. I tried to sleep but the bus was terribly crowded; the children in the aisle brushed up against me. Babies cried. I did not succeed in getting to sleep before we reached the rest stop at 8.30. We were told we had 15 minutes only to go to the bathroom.
When we boarded the buses again, we had received a message from the staff that (1) we were in a serious crisis and would have to take another offering and (2) as many as possible should go to the Gold Room when we arrived in SF at 3.00 and work on letters. C.J. took charge of getting people to volunteer for both. He gave us a long speech about sacrifice on the battlefield which was much overdone. I had already given more than usual and felt my work would suffer if I missed sleep from 3.00 to 6.00, especially since it was obvious I wasn’t going to get much on the bus. I did not give or pledge more and did not sign up for letter writing.
Later word came through that 2 articles about Jim and the Temple were appearing in the Monday paper exactly as Jim had predicted, that they were on the whole favorable and only those who had not written previously should go to the Gold Room to do so.
I managed to sleep 3 hours at most on the rest of the journey. Marie changed places with me to ease her arthritis, but she moved a great deal.
We arrived at 3.00.
Christians took me home. We joked about C.J. and my feelings improved somewhat.
I washed Friday’s dishes and unpacked.
Went to bed at 4.00 and slept well until my alarm rang at 6.00.