Sent this morning.

I read your piece on the erosion of religious liberties in which you mention the "Church" of Scientology. While I understand the reason for your point of view, research on the 50 year history of this group shows them to have a closer resemblance to Nazi totalitarianism than an innocent, persecuted religion.

Not only do their scriptures advocate the removal of persons unwilling to submit to their control, Scientology also has other characteristics which are unusual in a religion, to say the least. Prison camps, intelligence gathering branch, a paramilitary organization, an enemies list, an army of private investigators who are sent out to intimidate and harass those who speak out, and an unbelievable history of criminal and civil abuses which are well documented.

Despite their effective PR machine, Scientology cannot hide its history.

They are actively trying to suppress all critical information about its past, but thanks to the internet, they are playing whack-a-mole with critical websites.

I advise people to look at both points of view about Scientology.

I urge them to visit the Scientology website, and compare it with Operation Clambake, the primary critical site, and compare.

The Scientology site URL is: http://www.scientology.org

Op Clambake URL: http://www.xenu.net

You must understand that, despite Scientology's claims of religious intolerance and bigotry, the primary reason anyone protests them is not due to their beliefs, but rather, to their actions. The Scientologists like to compare themselves to the Jews, or the blacks before the civil rights movement. This is a bit ironic, as their 50 year history exposes them as every bit as totalitarian and despicable as the Nazis. Don't take my word for it. Look for yourself.

One anecdote, and I'm gone. One of the claims made by members is, "Scientology saved my life." I'd often wondered what was behind that very general assertion. One day during a picket of the facility here, a Scientologist made that statement to me. I asked her how Scientology had saved her life, and here's what she told me; "I took the personality test and they told me that I would commit suicide within five years if I didn't start taking courses immediately."

The personality test, or Oxford Capacity Analysis, is one of the tricks used by Scientology to recruit the unwary.

An excellent analysis of this spurious recruitment tool may be read here:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/cos/essays/owen_ambulance2.html

I hope you will spend some time researching Scientology before further defending its "right" to defraud, abuse, and harm its members, critics and the justice system.

-- Barb Chaplain, ARSCC http://members.cox.net/bwarr1/index.htm

"$cientology sees the world this way: One man with a picket sign:

terrorism. Five thousand people dead in a deliberate inferno: business opportunity.

$cientology oozes _under_ terrorists to hide."

-Chris Leithiser

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