Court to take custody of Scientology Church files
North American News Report
October 3, 1995 21:44 E.T.

DENVER (Reuter) - A federal judge said Tuesday he will take custody
of materials the Church of Scientology says include its secret
beliefs, thus avoiding pressing church leaders into violating their
faith.

U.S. District Court Judge John Kane said his decision will not
require church officials to break religious rules against giving up
the confidential material.

Last month the judge ordered the material, which the church had
seized under court order from Colorado critics, to be returned.

The dispute arose because former member Lawrence Wollersheim has
been disseminating on a computer bulletin board information that
church officials contend contains secrets of their faith.

The church has sued Wollersheim for alleged copyright and trade
secret violations.

But church leaders argued in Kane's court Monday they would place
their souls in jeopardy by handing over the materials because it is
a damnable sin for them to release the secret beliefs, which were
written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Kane said his ruling avoids this problem because it orders the
church's lawyers - not its officials - to hand over the material.

"Accordingly, my order cannot be perceived as requiring (the
church) to violate any religious belief, nor constitute a threat to
a central tenet of the religion," Kane wrote.