Scientology vs. "Critics"

Mayday for Critics

Communication, the Scientology organization teaches, is one of the three foundations of understanding. Yet communication seems to have caused its fair share of misunderstanding for the newly tax-exempt organization. "When does Freedom of Speech become Freedom to Harm" reads one of Scientology's recent hand-outs condemning people whom the movement regards as "critics."

Critics "and their internet cohorts" are said in the hand-out to engage in activities which include: surreptitious picture-taking of Scientologists, picketing the Church's organizations, and "making false accusations against Church members in an effort to create a climate of intolerance."

When it comes to criticizing the critics, however, Scientologists do more themselves than just exercise freedom of speech.

Bob Minton said he was jostled and called offensive names by Scientologists as he was picketing the Boston, Massachusetts organization. Minton stated that the disruptive behavior stopped only after he called police from his cellular telephone.

Arnie Lerma reported that a piece of a picket sign was snatched by a Scientologist who then disappeared with it back into the Washington, D.C. Scientology service center which Lerma & Co. were picketing.

Kristi Wachter of San Francisco has had anti-critic Scientologists picketing in front of her apartment building almost every day for the month of May, 1999. The anti-critics are passing out flyers saying that she is a "religious bigot." Wachter is one of several dozen protestors nationwide who have had their homes picketed by disapproving Scientologists. At least one of those whose homes have been picketed is concerned about how her unlisted address had been found out. Scientology has increased its use of independent investigators since eleven of its own top staff were sent to prison in the 1980's for illegal information gathering.

One such investigator, Kirk Fowler, recently wrote to the Phoenix, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction where the wife of an ardent anti-Scientology protestor works. In his letter, Fowler attempted to link alleged "bigotry" of those who protest Scientology to the "numerous irrational activities concerning public schools throughout the United States." This appears to be a vague reference to the recent shootings in public schools. The wife's employer replied that what people did on their own time was their own concern.

Dr. Lonnie Cleaver is an expert in new religions, and head of the religious studies department at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He is considered a sympathetic scholar by the Church of Scientology, and has been asked to testify as an expert witnesses on its behalf.

Dr. Cleaver stated on National Public Radio two years ago, "One of the things we need to understand is that religion deals with power in similar ways that politics and education deal with power. Religious organizations and religious traditions need to build into their fabric ways of limiting the abuse and misuse of power, and I think Scientology, as a religious organization, needs as the next step of development to find ways to guarantee power is not abused."

Certainly the Scientologists are right in saying that freedom of speech should not mean freedom to harm. Shouldn't we also be able to say the same for freedom of religion?

Note: the incidents reported above, with the exception of the NPR broadcast, all occurred in the month of May, 1999.