My reply to the journalist behind this article:

http://cma.zdnet.com/texis/techinfobase/techinfobase/++q9De3cFwzmwwwhqFqr+_9Ws8WmzmwwwwnzmwwwwpFqrp1xmwBnLFqnhw5B/display.html
To: david@coursey.com
From: ahl@xenu.net
Date: 12.11.2000
Subject: Scientology and market value
Dear David, I assume you get letters from all kind of people with special interests. I'm no different. Still, I felt obliged to comment on your article about Scientology and the piece of software Microsoft chose to discard to avoid bad publicity.

I don't have a problem with you disagreeing with people like me on the degree of threat Scientology represent for your or my society (I live in Norway), I assume we're able to investigate the same issues all by ourselves and still end up with two sets of reasonable, but very different, conclusions.

In your article you give the impression that Germany has not been thorough enough in their research into their potential threat and from that you draw a pretty stretched parallel asking "Do they scan Tom Cruise and John Travolta films to make sure no subliminal messages have been added [...]". I admit you write that you haven't bothered doing much investigation into the subject, but is that good journalism?

If you're not interested in if it is a threat or not, why make assumptions or write about it?

Before assuming what's behind the controversy in Germany and why it is absent in America, maybe you should investigate a little bit more about it? I can get hold of a lot of information on the subject and even put you in contact with Germans and Americans who have very fascinating stories to tell.

There has not been passed a law saying Scientologists are not allowed to make software or any other consumable product. But some consumers, me included, feel we have the right to shop intelligently. If a product is made by Nazis or a criminal cult that hungers for world domination, should I have the right to know so I could choose not to buy it? If many enough became a threat to a product so they distanced themselves from groups like this, is there something unamerican about that? I have a hard time understanding how being an irresponsible customer is opposite to being a "patriotic American". Maybe the philosophy goes something like this "even the bastards have the right to sell their product, especially if it's an American bastard"?

Germany have learned their lesson the hard way when it comes to being ignorant to charismatic movements who use dirty tricks to win influence. I believe I got enough evidence to say Scientology is such a group, but that's just my personal opinion. Took me a lot of investigation to understand it and I'm now not the type who act ignorant to potential threats like Scientology. What I do in my fight against Scientology is so important for me to protect the good things in society that I will risk anything for it, even having this "church" on my neck. Knowing what they've done to fellow critics and defectors I believe I have reason to be concerned. But I'd rather die speaking my mind than live in fear if speaking.

I agree, Scientology today is relatively innocent, they only manage to ruin very few families and lives compared to just a few decades ago. There are possibly a lot more dangerous groups out there, Scientology has literally been publicly dissect and in many ways disarmed. But that had a cost and it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for a lot of courageous people who were of the opinion that this is worth fighting. If we can't stop Scientology and Hubbard then we are just paving the road for the next Hitler or Stalin. Hubbard was fixated on ruling the world, and maybe he would have succeeded in another time and place. I don't know. But I do know that I recognize a lot of the things in Scientology that I see in ideologies that have resulted in human tragedies.

If you've given me the honor of reading this far I would invite you to take a look at all the documentation that I base my viewpoint on. Maybe you find it interesting enough to dig places I haven't dug. Or maybe you will confirm that this was a boring subject. Anyways, this is my site:

http://www.xenu.net/ The simple reason for the project was that I got hold of enough information that made me convinced Scientologists are taught to infiltrate and manipulate society in order to give the "church" influence. With thousands of 'net vigilantes they have little space to roam unseen today, but they still desperately try. A few celebrities in their pockets does not give them the world, but it is a good start to spread ignorance among the public. Making people, and even good journalists, doubt they can be anything but innocent, or at the worst tragically ridiculous. Scientologists sign 1 billion years employment contracts with their "church", they believe they got all the time in the universe. So even if they've been forced to moderate their appearance I would say there is still reason to keep an eye on them. At least to keep them away from the ones we care for. I've met too many with their lifes ruined by this "church".

If you consider looking at it I would also urge you to check out the other side, despite my strong opinions this story has two sides too of course: http://www.scientology.org Take care and thanks for listening. :) Best wishes, Andreas Heldal-Lund, Nunsteinvegen 9, N-4056 Tananger, Norway Pho: +47 90 04 32 99 Fax: 90 32 35 46 E-mail: ahl@xenu.net home.sol.no/~spirous www.xenu.net www.hedning.no/hedning --------------------------------------------------------------- "Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph."

- Haile Selassie ---------------------------------------------------------------

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