Letters to the Editors
St. Petersburg Times
March 4, 2003
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/03/04/NorthPinellas/Scientology_is_moneym.shtml

Scientology is moneymaking enterprise

Re: Scientologists establish missions in their back yard, story, March 1.

I can't allow what was essentially a front-page ad for the Church of Scientology to go unchallenged. In no way are its works intended to spread "hope for man." Scientology is only about making money.

Scientology is a cultic, multilevel marketing enterprise where the merchandise is ostensibly personal well-being rather than household products. At least with Amway, you get some pretty good detergent.

Scientology is religion as a pyramid scheme.

It was started by a clever but somewhat mentally unbalanced science fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard, to propel himself to wealth and power.

It's a testament to Hubbard's megalomaniacal brilliance that he applied thought control to his moneymaking scheme. It also says something of his organizational skills that Scientology continues long after his death.

If Scientology is truly about improving lives, why aren't its insights free? Contrast that with other missionaries you may have encountered in your life: members of Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons or perhaps evangelistic Christians. Typically, they're eager to tell you more than you want to know about their faith without charging a cent. Right or wrong, such missionaries are out to save souls and make the world a better place.

Certainly at some point, organized religions get around to passing the collection plate, but for the world's major faiths, salvation (of one sort or another) comes first, and it comes free of charge. Scientologists would consider Mother Teresa types dismal failures because such people don't earn revenue for their church.

Apart from the issue of proprietary information, there are other reasons Scientology members don't share their beliefs freely. One is they haven't had enough brainwashing (at their own expense, of course) to know the Scientology version of the Greatest Story Every Told. They don't know about the evil galactic ruler Xenu who, Hubbard said, exterminated hundreds of millions of space aliens on Earth 76-trillion years ago. They haven't paid Scientology enough cash for indoctrination to learn suffering comes from the ghosts of those murdered beings -- called Body Thetans -- inhabiting humans and instilling false memories, causing sickness and mental dysfunction.

True, most religions come with a fantastic story. I, for example, believe a virgin gave birth to the human incarnation of God who was killed and rose from the dead. But my conversion came while relaxing and off-handedly listening to a Christian youth ensemble rehearse for a performance. I was neither stressed nor unhappy with my life. Most assuredly, my faith did not result from having wires hooked to my fingers (the famous e-meter) and being bull-baited by an auditor. Nor was there a $35 introductory fee.

But if Scientologists are happy with their beliefs, who does it hurt? The same might be asked about snake oil treatments desperately purchased from avaricious charlatans. At least con artists simply rip you off and move on. The Scientologists want you to become a salesperson too, ensnaring those you can and disassociating yourself from all others. And Scientology is quite able to destroy your ability to reason and thoroughly control all aspects of your life so you'll be a willing drone in their cause.

Would I deny anyone the right to become a Scientologist? No. I do, however, want anyone considering the possibility to know what they get for the price of admission.

-- Jim Carroll, Largo

Scientology is a business; tax it

Re: Scientologists establish missions in their back yard, story, March 1.

I have written for many years about the subject of Scientology and what it has done to the city of Clearwater. Now Scientology seems poised to have an effect on other cities with its ever-expanding enterprise and tax-exempt status.

The tax-exempt status is the key, and this article shows exactly why Scientology should not be exempt from paying taxes. The fees in this article are much like a fee paid to a doctor. Are fees paid to doctors exempt from taxes? No. Are the doctors' offices free from paying property tax, or do doctors' offices pay employment tax and every other proper tax that other businesses pay? Yes, and so should Scientology.

I want it to be clear that if people are helped by Scientology, I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is their bogus tax exemption. With that tax exemption Scientology is allowed to make huge sums of money and keep it all. This allows them the luxury to build multimillion-dollar projects on property that should be generating taxes for the county and state. This has ruined downtown Clearwater, without any question.

Plus, everything they purchase for these buildings and properties is also exempt from sales tax, further causing a detriment to the state budget.

The immense presence of Scientology in Clearwater and expanding areas is bad for the community. Scientology is a business and should be taxed as one.

-- F. Charles Gordon, Clearwater

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