Scientology
Sir: As a member of the Scientological growth industry, Mrs Wakley (February 9) naturally wishes to refute all criticisms, yet in view Of the vast, disparity between Scientological publicity and my single expressim; of a personal opinion, she shoillu have been content to oppose her absolute affirmation to MY bald rejection rather than choosing to adopt the somewhat fatuous course of denouncing my opinion as irrational on the grounrlAs that Scientology is booming and profitable. So are pornography ah,4" science fiction for that matter an 'pop' art, parking meter revenues, common theft and much else besides. I would be delighted to learn that Scientology has been reformed and remodelled in line with its pretensions but my past experience makes me doubt that the leopard has changed its spots. That experience taught me that a zombie-like grin coupled with the blank assertion of the idiotic, provided all too often the stout bulwark upon which all reasonable, sympathetic and disinterested enquiry foundered. Such antics surpassed the broadest limits of credibility, and it would have been irrational indeed to have concluded that the organisation was anything other than an institutionalised quackery. I may have been mistaken but not irrational. Neither do religious pretensions, the invocation of a dubious sacerdotal, sanctity, nor the adoption of art esoteric jargon, which in this case amounts to a flagrant assault upon the English language, absolve initiates, from ordinary considerations al reason, integrity and common sense, nor do they add one iota of credibilitY or virtue to the brazen coxcomb of charlatanry. Scientology was, in my opinion, first and foremost, a business geared t° profit. The rest was largely balderdash which taken in moderation need do no , harm and might, like the 'placeh°' actually do some good. Yet there, seemed to be no adequate safeglia,r! against the obvious dangers from the ignorant zealotry and blind fanaticism which then prevailed and I wonder whether that situation has really bee"„ rectified. Scientology was certainly opposed t° drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitn tion and pornography, which, While greatly to its credit, in my view, just about exhausted the gamut of its vir tues. Its claims however went infinitely
beyond that, as Mrs Wakley well i.tnows, into those fertile fields of the ;111aginati00 where charlatanry may uxuriate all too easily if not subjected
to the rigorous criticism of common Se nSe so lacking to Scientologists.
1260 Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland.
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