FATHER DIVINE
Because of the practice of some news media repeating misinformation stored in their news files and continuously carried as authentic background material for current articles, this letter by FATHER DIVINE to 'The Answer Man' and the material following in Chapter 10, regarding the use of the false name, George Baker, as applied to FATHER DIVINE, are presented here as the truth of the matter, and as a rebuttal to the lies that have been published. The letter from the Library of Congress puts an end to the wanton use of the false name by libraries in their catalogs and by journalists in their writing.
P E A C E
764-772 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia 46, Pennsylvania
November 18, 1946 A.D.F.D.
Mr. Bruce Chapman
145 West 41st Street
New York 18, New York
Dear Mr. Chapman:
Your letter of the 15th ultimo to Mr. Job Paul, Trustee of the Unity Mission Church, Home and Training School, Incorporated, has been received and turned over to ME for reply, and I write in response to same.
Firstly, it was MY understanding that the policy of 'The Answer Man' is to state facts, and therefore, I would like to ascertain definitely from whence cometh the source of your answers concerning ME? Certainly you did not question ME to get first-hand information - the truth! But since you have been properly informed by Mr. Job Paul, one of the millions of MY followers, that your statement regarding MY Name is false and untrue, and since, as you say, you believe firmly in the Gulden Rule, I request you to not only correct your files but to retract your statement over the air, that your misinformed public might also get the truth.
MY Name is MR. MAJOR J. DIVINE as a civilian and citizen of the United States; but as a Minister of the Gospel, REVEREND MAJOR J. or M. J. DIVINE, better known as FATHER DIVINE, as the Creator, Establisher and Demonstrator of the FATHER DIVINE Peace Mission Movement, and as the Founder and Establisher of many incorporated churches under the Peace Mission Movement, the Cooperative System, and the Righteous Government Department and its Platform under the Peace Mission Movement, and known throughout the world as FATHER DIVINE; but not at any time in the history of MY Personal existence have I ever been called George Baker with MY knowledge of it until recent years in the Mineola case, when with perjured testimonies and affidavits, someone brought that name, unknown to ME before then, into the court.
Notwithstanding those findings, the decision and sentence were reversed by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York on thirty two counts of prejudice!
Yet there are those who are malicious, with prejudice and jealousy, who desire to endorse the false, perjured testimonies and affidavits that have long since been ruled out. They desire to do it for the purpose of lowration, distortion and in the act of perverting the minds of the public concerning ME; but I know any democratic and unbiased person will call any other person by the name or names by which they are called, especially by the name by which they call themselves. I call you and all other persons by the name by which you are called; at least, by the name you are known by; but if I were malicious, prejudiced, bigoted, bias-minded towards a person, I might try to call that person by the name that would tend to lowrate or discredit the person of whom I was speaking.
MY Name has never at any time been George Baker, as stated by you and many others who have filled the press and the air with radio broadcasts with false, erroneous and perjured testimonies endorsed as though they were true.
I hope this will give you definite first-hand information so that you might have a chance to be even as this leaves ME, for this leaves ME Well, Healthy, Joyful, Peaceful, Lively, Loving, Successful, Prosperous and Happy in Spirit, Body and Mind and in every organ, muscle, sinew, joint, limb, vein and bone and even in every ATOM, fibre and cell of MY Bodily Form.
Respectfully and Sincere. I AM
s/ REV. M. J. DIVINE
(Better known as FATHER DIVINE)
REV.MJD:
P.S. It is true the decision was legally reversed, as above stated, on thirty-two counts of prejudice, but MY Spirit had already reversed Judge Smith's prejudicial and unjust decision, when he dropped dead with a heart attack in less than five days after sentencing ME. He thought he could stop ME, but MY Spirit removed him.
REV. M. J. D., Ms. D., D. D.
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UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
MEMORANDUM DATE: March 26, 1982
TO: Mother Divine
From: Ben R. Tucker, Chief, Officer for Descriptive Cataloging Policy Subject: The Library of Congress heading for Father Divine
The Library of Congress heading created in 1936 for FATHER DIVINE under the spurious name 'George Baker' has been corrected. Our heading now reads 'Father Divine'.
The change was initiated in 1979 and is being reflected on all records going into our new catalog that we began in January, 1981. This means that as of this date, March 26, 1982, there will be no further uses of the spurious name as a heading for Father Divine.
s/ Ben R. Tucker
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