Path: rambo.bobo.net!xs4all!xs4all!newsfeed.wirehub.nl!newspeer1.nac.net!newsfeed.concentric.net!207.155.183.80.MISMATCH!global-news-master From: inFormer@informer.org (Rev Dennis Erlich) Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Subject: Re: "Shattered" minds Date: 21 Nov 1998 12:32:42 PST Organization: inFormer Ministry [a 501(c)3 non-profit, religious organization] "... in service of cult victims and their families." Lines: 47 Message-ID: <365f20cd.14176661@news.concentric.net> References: <36434818.32145259@news.tiac.net> <36526d02.43779474@news.tiac.net> <71ur44$n4n@enews2.newsguy.com> <3654234e.33527137@nntp.ix.netcom.com> <3655d896.2083312@news.concentric.net> <3657e2bc.106602719@news.wwa.com> <736jt9$7g9$1@camel19.mindspring.com> <3659fe0c.5278720@news.concentric.net> <73714v$8ea@enews2.newsguy.com> Reply-To: informer@informer.org NNTP-Posting-Host: ts035d13.lax-ca.concentric.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 X-No-Archive: yes Xref: rambo.bobo.net alt.religion.scientology:146526 "Rebecca Hartong" : yhn >> Trying to translate this gibberish, Rebecca: do you think there >>are predatory culprits at work in attracting brain-dead followers for >>cash? And do you believe they should be prevented from preying, even >>on those who were pre-shattered? rebecca >I don't think it's as calculated as all that. I do think there are more >than a couple of Scientologists who actually believe they're getting >something valuable out of it. (I also think they're a bit deluded, but >that's another conversation.) I think there are predatory culprits at work >all over the place--ranging from carnival side shows to multi-level >marketing scams to, yes, "applied religious philosophies." I don't think >Scientology should be subject to any special provisions just on account of >its being supposedly "religious" in nature. Nor do I. But where tf did religion come into the discussion at all? If an organization has a predatory, fraudulent, fascist goal to attract "shattered" people and exploit them, do you think that organization should be prevented from such activity by the consumer protection provisions of current and future law? >I've always found David Alexander to be a bit odd-- but I don't think he's >brain dead! Angry, perhaps. It's a catchall phrase. Not to be taken literally. >> She'd be the last to fall for a scam like we did. > >I don't know about that... Had I, at some vulnerable time in my life, become >involved with Scientology I don't think I'd have remained involved for very >long Then you're smarter than me. Lots of folks are. I'm just trying to send up a warning for those who are not even as smart as me. Or don't they deserve protection from the criminal cult? Perhaps you think it's just social selection working to thin the herd, and after all, what's wrong with that, eh? Rev Dennis Erlich * * the inFormer * *