[Skybird]

I don't care if hubbard'S SF novel is entertaining or not. the crimes against living people commited by his organization, the psychological submission and exploitation, the abuse of man, the intended deformation of minds, the killing of free will and freedom, the criminal ways of money-accumulation and money-laundring, the ways of sinking into industrial, economical and political hierarchies and decision-making structures to establish scientology there to give them more and more influence to exploit business and industry for their hunger for powe,r and give them the ability to influence education and forming of social structures - this is the thing that counts, this is what they are aiming at.

Your attempt to put it into relation is very misleading, and dangerous, Chock. You want to add a more balanced view to it, but I tell you there is nothing worth to be seen in a "balanced" way, as you understand it. You can't talk it less dangerous, and more nicely, sometimes this is simply not possible with certain things. This is simply sick, criminal, abusive, inhumane. Some kinds of things simply are not to be tolerated, simply that. This is in no way a "religion" that can claim the constitution's protection for freedom of religious practicing. It is a criminal organization, and it does massive damage to people, and exploits the weak ones. Note that throughout europe political verdicts as well as court rulings made it clear that it is no religion in the understanding of European laws. also note that you need to pay them the more money in order to get access to the higher glories and teachings. How altruistic and religiously motivated can that be?

What you said about Hubbard's background in parts I did not know (his navy background), but judging by the damage he already has caused I wished that he would have been locked up in a psychiatry where he probably would have belonged. Hubbard'S biography doesn't make today's scientology any less angerous. they are especially going for the children, the juveniles, and the rich and very influential ones. what they are doing is modern psychological techniques of brainwashing, remote-controlled self-regulation of the subject's mind, using mobbing-like and self-exposing techniques of implying pressure, and creating dependency on the authority of superiors, and the anonymous auhtoirty of the group. The individuality of individuals gets destroyed, and they are being turned into drones instead.

And no excitement in reading Hubbard's SF novel changes a bit in that.