Letters to the Editor
Chicago Sun-Times
401 No. Wabash ave.
Chicago, IL 60611

07/08/02

Religion columnist Cathleen Falsani's article on The Church of Scientology's 'volunteer ministers' (July 5) is misleading. This is no fault of Falsani's as Scientology is quite good at deceiving people. Scientology's 'minister's are trained in nothing but how to promote and distribute Scientology literature and how to lure people into their centers.

Scientology's 'volunteer minster's tried to infiltrate the WTC site as 'rescue workers' but they were found out and thrown out along with their literature.

This brazen travesty was written up in a number of major publications. More recently they tried to infiltrate the airliner crash scene in Germany and again were removed.

I was a Scientology member when L. Ron Hubbard realilized that he could get out of paying taxes by declaring Scientology a religion. Overnight we became the 'Church' of Scientology. We were told to wear clerical collars and to call ourselves 'ministers' so that the general public would perceive us as a real church. A 20 minute 'Ordination' course was thrown together and we were 'ministers.' It was a farce then and it is a dangerous game now as these untrained cult members race to accident sites to give 'assists.' The statement that these 'volunteer' ministers try to 'help' traumatized people move on emotionally, psychologically and spiritually is appalling and disturbing.

Cathleeen Falsani and the Chicago Sun-Times should exert more responsibility in giving promotional space to members of dangerous and deceptive cults.

Jim Beebe

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