December 11, 2001
John Powell
Registrar of Companies
Ministry of Finance and Corporate Relations
PO Box 9431 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria BC V8W 9V3
E-mail: john.powell@gems2.gov.bc.ca
Re: Church of Wogs/
Name Approval Request Nr. 933863
Dear Mr. Powell:
It is a pleasure to be able to write to you on this day.
I spoke on November 5 with Tim Monaghan of your office who
advised me that the procedure for an appeal from the decision to
reject my name approval request for the "Church of Wogs" was by letter
to you. I am asking that you reverse this decision and grant my name
approval request, based on the information and argument provided
below.
The reason given on the printout of the rejection of the names
"Church of Wogs," "First Church of Wogs" or " Church of Wogs
International," was that they "may be considered offensive by some."
Mr. Monaghan confirmed and further expanded on that reason during our
conversation.
He stated that to him the word "wog" means "nigger," and I
acknowledge that to some other individuals as well it may still mean
that. I also acknowledge that someone can find just about anything
offensive. To some people it might be offensive to be called a Jew. In
other places being fingered as a Christian can send you to your death.
But we British Columbians don't stop the creation or naming of
Churches of Jewry or Churches of Christians because some few folk are
foolishly offended.
The word " wog" is very unlike "nigger," because it has come to mean,
and is increasingly coming to mean, something completely different,
something in fact unifying of human beings of all colors or shades,
or, for that matter, all races, religions and allegiances. As I
stated in the additional information box on my name approval request,
sensing that I should define the term just because there might be
someone who didn't know what I at least meant by "wogs," " By "wogs" is
meant all homo sapiens, regardless of race, nationality, gender or
creed; the brotherhood of men."
Wogs are a religious denomination, and "Church of Wogs" as
well as being a church is a religion. The closest theological parallel
perhaps would be the religious denomination "gentiles." Gentiles are
gentiles regardless of race, religion or allegiance. Wogs are wogs
regardless of race, religion or allegiance. Judaism makes gentiles. So
does Mormonism, of course. Scientology makes wogs. Your office would
not refuse a "Church of gentiles," and it should not refuse a "Church
of Wogs."
Judaism, generally, I would think, does not emphasize its
"superiority" over the gentiles, anywhere close to the degree
Scientology pushes its "superiority" over wogs. In this teaching,
Scientology is more akin to the nazi philosophy and actions of racial,
social and ethical "superiority" over the Jews. "Wogs" are akin to the
Jews of the nazi period, because wogs are forever defined in Scientology
"scriptures" as inferior, and are similarly persecuted on the basis of
bogus,anti-intellectual and anti-human "science."
It is clear that government will not act to defend wogs, nor
even often recognize the existing threat to wogs, and for that matter
the whole wog world. Thus it falls to the wogs who do recognize the
threat to them and all wogs to act to defend themselves. Since this is
so obviously a holy calling involving the soul and the spirit of every
wog everywhere it must be organized as a church.
Since my conversation with Mr. Monaghan a month ago, I have
given this matter a great deal of meditation and prayer, earnestly
seeking to divine if there was any other name this Church will have.
None have come to me. I believe that there is no other name by which
wogs can be known, and no other name which will rally all wogs, so the
Church of Wogs it will be.
The Church of Wogs (CoW) ® has its incorporators selected and
ready to incorporate. Obviously this isn't possible until we receive
your approval of our name. Because of its rightness and the clear
urgency, however, I will, tomorrow, Wednesday, December12, 2001, open
up the Church of Wogs' ® doors, invite membership, print stationery,
and do all the things churches can and should do. I pray therefore
that you will approve our church's name without delay. For your
guidance, CoW's mission statement accompanies this letter appeal.
You, your office, and the B.C. Government have an opportunity
to apply a few happy minutes of vision and wisdom to this, admittedly
tricky but, thus far, governmentally unimportant, matter. There really
is no increased risk to anyone if you simply grant my name request.
Your office doesn't prevent a new synagogue from being named a new
name because some crazy gentile might be offended and desecrate it.
Let's you and I and the rest of us wogs do what we can to remove this
word "wog" forever from the bigots' vocabulary.
I think a decision to reject the name the Church of Wogs (CoW)
® in fact only adds to whatever might be considered derogatory in the
word, and thus makes it, and the world, a little more offensive. But,
consider the word "Canuck," which, as did "wog," started out as an
offensive word. If all the Registrars of Companies across Canada had
refused to allow the commercial or societal use of the name " Canuck"
or "Canucks" because it may have been considered offensive by some,
the word would still be offensive, or even more offensive, and B.C.
would never have had an NHL team. Plus the Canadian and international
lexicons would be that much poorer. A recent Province newspaper had
this headline to a half page story: "Canucks set sail in U.S. armada."
Just as "Canuck" is a label Canadians now wear proudly, so "wog" is a
label we wogs with a clue wear proudly, and some of us even
reverently. Isn't it inconceivable that your office would now reject
a request for the name "Church of Canucks," or the Canuck Church (CC)
®? By accepting "Church of Wogs," in my opinion, you and the Registry
of Names would be demonstrating that you understand the modern real
environment and are refusing to bow to outdated fears and prejudice.
"Canuck" could have remained an offensive term, but Canadians have a
sense of perspective and a sense of humor, so "Canuck" is now almost
universally inoffensive.
Mr. Monaghan stated during our discussion that if I walked
along Granville Street and surveyed one hundred people, ninety-nine of
them would answer that "wog" meant "nigger." I have not followed Mr.
Monaghan's survey suggestion, although I think it is an excellent
idea, a dissemination opportunity for the Church; but I did do an
Internet "Google" search for the words "wog" and "nigger." Of the
first 100 hits for "wog," only 17 related in any way to race or color,
and none of them offensively. Several hits in fact related to " wog" as
homo sapiens regardless of race; e.g.,
http://www.users.one.se/~chribesk/sects/xenu/xenu-14.html. The first
100 hits for "nigger," on the other hand, all related to the term as
racially offensive.
Preventing wogs from assembling as a body of believers,
preventing them from calling themselves wogs, and preventing them from
calling their church the Church of Wogs ®, when there is no other
Church of Wogs ®, are impossible, unenforceable measures and thus
certainly legally impermissible. The Church of Wogs ® cannot help
existing, and tomorrow will commence operating. Please, then, happily
grant our name request.
Because of the importance of this matter and your decision, I will
copy this letter to various wog media and to other wogs watching and
involved.
Thank you for your attention and your anticipated approval.
Yours sincerely,
[signed]
Gerry Armstrong
Church of Wogs (CoW)®
[former address]