On Wed, 2 Oct 2002 08:48:09 -0500, xganon <remailer@xganon.com> wrote:
>http://www.statehornet.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/10/02/3d99d5681651c
>
>FORUM : LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
>
>No Cult, No Hazards
>
>by Melissa Butz - CSUS Student
>October 02, 2002
>
>I find it odd that you have found this bigotry worthy of print.
snip
If the Hornet will take input from a person made into an exile for trying to inform people know about the dangers of scientology . . . .
October 02, 2002 , in the "No cult, No Hazards" letter by Melissa Butz, a CSUS Student and obvious member of the cult wrote:
(snip)
"Scientology is a bonafide, certified, worldwide religion and millions of people use it to improve conditions in life."
I have news for her. Scientology is a criminally convicted *business* in Canada. They tried to get charity status, the first step in being recognized as a religion, and were turned down on the basis of their own policies which forbid charity. They were tossed out of Greece after being caught stealing documents from the military. Germany considered them a danger to democracy and France will kick them out after one more criminal conviction.
She mentioned lronhubbard.org. I suggest trying scientology in Google. Seven of the first ten are sites exposing scientology.
"L. Ron Hubbard developed the most successful drug rehabilitation program . . . ." She is talking about Narconon, widely considered to range between worthless and outright dangerous.
And finally, "Scientology is for people who can think for themselves." Recent advances in neurobiology and evolutionary psychology have found that what cults (*all* of them) do to people is to provide attention (social) rewards. The attention causes the release of endorphins and dopamine. These brain reward chemicals have exactly the same effect in people very sensitive to social rewards as drug addiction.
Lots more here: http://human-nature.com/nibbs/02/cults.html
(With a pointer to a recent NYT article.)
Keith Henson