Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: dennis.l.erlich@support.com
Subject: TRANCENET: TM FRONT GROUP
Message-ID: <9510202051.0TAYK02@support.com>
References: <466nv1$5h3@news.spectra.net>
Organization: L.A. Valley College Public BBS (818)985-7150
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Date: Fri, 20 Oct 95 20:51:35 -0700
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jmknapp@crl.com (John M. Knapp)

>Newsgroups:
>alt.meditation.transcendental,alt.meditation,sci.skeptic,alt.support.ex-cult,al
>t.religion.scientology

   The word scientology should appear somewhere in the post
   additionally to the newsgroups, John.

>In response to the uncritical Page 1 article on the Natural Law Party in
>the _San Francisco Chronicle_ today, 10/19, the editors of _Trancenet_
>have written the following reply. (You can email the Editor of Chron at
>chronletters@sfgate.com.)
>-----
>
>To the Editor:
>
>I was dismayed to read your front page story, "New Age Party Likely on State
>Ballot,2  which contains many distortions and untruths about the Natural
>Law Party.
>
>The story uncritically describes candidate John Hagelin9s efforts in
>glowing terms, while failing to mention his connection to the
>controversial Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement and other front
>groups for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (Please note that Mr. Hagelin9s
>first name is 3John,2 not 3Jim2 as your reporter wrote.)
>
>For instance, Mr. Hagelin states that ``People are responding quite
>favorably to our platform of ... a government based on what works -- not
>what's politically expedient or bought and paid for by special interest
>groups,'' but fails to mention that he is in the employ of the
>Transcendental Meditation movement -- reported Sept.17, 1988 by the
>_Illustrated Weekly of India_ to be a world-wide empire with $3.5 billion
>US in assets.
>
>
>You may remember that in the 1992 Presidential election, Hagelin and the
>Natural Law Party ran a series of national TV infomercials similar to
>those of Ross Perot. They gained approximately 37,000 votes in that
>election. They also ran a slate of candidates in England, New Zealand, and
>Australia at the same time.
>
>No member of the NLP has ever been elected to any office.
>
>As frequently stated on the Internet group, alt.meditation.transcendental,
>and elsewhere, the Natural Law Party is considered by many the political
>arm of the TM movement -- with branches in US, Europe, and around the
>globe.
>
>Those interested are encouraged to read the Natural Law Party platform for
>yourself on the World Wide Web at http://www.fairfield.com/nlpusa, where
>you will find that TM is offered as a solution to all problems, as it is
>in this quote about crime:
>
>"In studies involving more than 160 cities across the nation, it has been
>shown that with the introduction of the Transcendental Meditation
>technique to as few as 1% of the population (or even fewer practicing the
>advanced TM-Sidhi
>program), crime rates, accident rates, and other indicators of societal
>stress decrease dramatically, and positive trends increase throughout
>society."
>
>The studies he cites here and in your article are at best controversial in
>the scientific community -- and some experts call them outright
>fraudulent.
>
>As a former 20-year member and teacher of the Transcendental Meditation
>program in the San Francisco Bay Area, I feel that the Natural Law Party
>is one of the most bizarre and dangerous aspects of the TM movement.
>
>I invite everyone to read more about the cult-like aspects of
>Transcendental Meditation on the World Wide Web at
>http://www.crl.com/~jmknapp/trancenet and http://minet.org.
>
>John M. Knapp
>1034 First Street West
>Sonoma, Ca 95476
 
   Rent a newsgroup.  This one's already got a subject.
   
            +--------------------------------------+
           Rev. Dennis L Erlich  * * the inFormer * *
      dennis.l.erlich@support.com  +  inForm@primenet.com
                           "tar baby"