Here are two letters to the editor in the Sydney Morning Herald of Monday 30th of April 2001, and the first is a local $cientologist's projections on the issue, and the second from a Jedi Knight of the Oblong Table on the relevance of religious absurdity. The link to the letter column is below these two. (I'm an atheist who does understand BTW and for anyone unsure about $cientology and its colossal fraud read http://www.xenu.net 'Belief in god' indeed!

"The ignorant[sic] practise anti-religious[sic] humour I am always sickened by self-confessed atheist writers who joke about religions they clearly do not understand ("Why following the Jedi faith makes perfect census", Herald, April 25).

Hatred[sic] and bigotry[sic] are ugly and advertise the ignorance of the small-minded and intolerant. I have found that such bigots[sic] are the last to jump in and help their fellow man in need. Their prejudices[sic] make them spectators of the realities of life.

The High Court of Australia found Scientology to be a bona fide religion[sic]. Considerable research went into this decision.

Scientology's essential philosophy has roots in Buddhism[sic] and much older beliefs.

We believe in God[sic] and despite differences in belief and practice with Western faiths, we share common goals of giving real help[sic] to people with social problems - illiteracy, immorality, crime and drugs.

Real men and women of religion don't get enmeshed in philosophical differences, they just get in and help others. With more than 250,000 people freed from the harmful effects of drugs and a drug-free congregation, The Church[sic] of Scientology is doing something right[sic].

We all deserve better than the so-called "humour" of degrading[sic], overall anti-religious[sic] articles.

Linda Fitzpatrick, Hurstville, April 25.

According to Geoff Smith of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the "ABS has only mentioned the possibility of a fine" if people write "Jedi" as their religion in the coming census (Letters, April 27).

How comforting, Mr Smith. Have you ever heard of religious freedom in this country? If not, could you please include with the census form a list of "acceptable" religions that we can choose from?

Better yet, if the form simply stated our religion, you could save many valuable hours in tabulating the returns.

If you make good your threat, you will make a laughing stock of your organisation throughout every court in the land.

As a Jedi Knight of the Oblong Table I would also like to thank you most warmly for your enormous help in quadrupling the size of our flock virtually overnight.

Keep it up. We are the fastest-growing religion in Australia, nearly all due to your prodigious efforts.

Alas for all ABS staff out there who want to join the Jedi Knights, we have a 50-page questionnaire you must fill in first.

Harry Rowland, Jedi Knight of the Oblong Table (Canberra leg), O'Connor (ACT), April 27."

The Editor
The Sydney Morning Herald April 2001 Dear Sir or Madam, I see that a Scientologist has been given space to complain about 'hatred' and 'bigotry' in reply to a light-hearted piece concerning the Australian Bureau of Statistics' ham-fisted efforts to discourage Australians from writing the word 'Jedi' in the space for 'religion' in the forthcoming census.

I also see that the Scientologist could not refrain from practicing that most holy of their scriptural injunctions - 'telling an acceptable truth' - or, in plain English, lying.

The High Court did *not* 'find Scientology to be a bona fide religion'.

Scientologists do not 'believe in God', they believe in achieving the superhuman powers promised to them by their founder. If they spend enough time and money (about US$300,000 at last calculation), they will find themselves believing in Xenu, the evil intergalactic Emperor, who is the ultimate reason why humans 'forgot' their innate godlike powers. They will also find themselves exorcising, or 'auditing' the invisible spirits of dead aliens which infest us all, causing everything from halitosis to cancer. Indeed they will find, in the 'secret' writings of the cult's founder (known world-wide as NOTs 34), that by exorcising these 'Body Thetans' they can cure themselves (and others) of maladies of all kinds, including cancer.

Readers who doubt my interpretation of Scientology's beliefs might be interested in examining the content of www.xenu.net and noting that the site links to www.scientology.org but that the reverse does not apply. There's nothing like looking at both sides of the argument, is there?

Scientology's 50-year history of fraud, abuse of critics and of its' adherents, and the personal inurement of its leaders at adherents' expense, is well-documented. What is not so well-known is that the frauds and abuse continue up to the present day, here in Australia as well as in every other country in which they have a presence.

In closing, allow me to quote from the words of Scientology's founder concerning religion in general, and let your readers consider to whom your correspondent's words 'small-minded', and 'intolerant', might apply.

"There are gods above all other gods, and gods beyond the gods of the universes." (Scientology 8-8008, pages 72 and 73.)

"The whole Christian movement is based on the victim.... A Scientologist is not a victim.... We can win by converting victims.

Christianity succeeded in making people into victims. We can succeed by making victims into people" (Hubbard Communication Office Bulletin, (HCOB) 18 July 1959.)

"Neither Lord Buddha, nor Jesus Christ were OT's (Operating Thetans) according to the evidence. They were just a shade above clear." (Ability, No. 81, 1959.)

(Note that 'Operating Thetan' is the promised state of superhuman grace to which adherents aspire, and for which they pay incredible sums. 'Clear' is the earlier version promised by the self-proclaimed 'science' of Dianetics, preceding Scientology the self-proclaimed 'religion'.)

Yours faithfully,
Thomas J Best NOT FOR PUBLICATION
You might like to contact me either at this email address, or at
tjb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or phone me on 83xxxxxx or my
mobile 040xxxxxxx

tam

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