Wouldn’t it be better news if you followed the other media outlet’s stories about ex-Anonymous members joining Scientology after wallking in and asking, “What do you do here?”

I don’t understand this sentence. Which is the other media outlet? What does it mean to be ex-anonymous? How do you walk into scientology?

As for your first sentence, though, it really does look like there was nothing wrong with this thesis; McMaster has it in its digital commons, and no alternate thesis by Spencer seems to be offered. How do you come by a mistaken claim like that innocently?

Of course, I’ve learned to take attacks on people who have looked at scientology critically with a grain of salt, as have most people.

I’m not sure that’s 100% accurate.

I noticed no mention of Xenu or however it is spelled. Was this a later addition???

(steps back quickly)

Scientology must be a very insular world if their best spokespeople are so fantastically ham fisted.

Also, Anonymous, you might want to read up on the Streisand Effect.

Also he vigorously defended the Scientologists in Friday and I believe he had a point. How many other religions, big and small, have been responsible for mass murder?

I’ve learned to take any attack on the religion with a pinch of salt, as have most peoople.

Wouldn’t it be better news if you followed the other media outlet’s stories about ex-Anonymous members joining Scientology after wallking in and asking, “What do you do here?”

That is all.

That presumably rhetorical question makes no sense whatsoever. Not whithin this context, nor outside it.

DREAM.

Personally I think Scientology was Heinlein’s idea. Since the idea came from a discussion between RAH and Hubbard and Hubbard wasn’t a particularly good science fiction writer.

Well, there’s always the old bar bet story. Of course, some people believe it more than others. Wikipedia’s article on bar bets says this: “It is widely believed that the creation of Scientology was the result of a bar bet between L. Ron Hubbard and Robert A. Heinlein. The story says L. Ron Hubbard dared that he could create a religion all by himself. According to Scientology critic Lindsay this is “definitely not true”, no such bet was ever made, it would have been “uncharacteristic of Heinlein” to make such a bet, and “there’s no supporting evidence”. However, several of Heinlein’s autobiographical pieces, as well as biographical pieces written by his wife, claim repeatedly that the bet did indeed occur.”

Also he vigorously defended the Scientologists in Friday and I believe he had a point.

Did he? I thought his mention of Scientologists had them involved in a three-way brawl with Hare Krishnas and the “Angels of the Lord” at an airport. The best thing he says about them there is that they were “clean and neat” and “fought with discipline.” Seems like he was just having a laugh at his old pal Ron’s expense.

Heinlein OTH was a real ideas man.

Well, to quote one of the henchmen in Time Bandits, “But he created you, Evil One!”

Back in the Hugo Gernsback days, Hubbard was sort of a short-order cook for Gernsback’s various publications. Hubbard was staying in his boat somewhere around Manhattan at the time. If somebody didn’t get their stuff in the mail on time (or the Post Office lost something) Hugo would ring up Hubbard at the last minute and say “Ron! I need 15 pages by tomorrow morning! Can you do it!” Hubbard would always say “Sure thing!” and crank it out.

I’ve read some of it. It wasn’t particularly worse than any of the stuff it was filling in for except that sometimes Hubbard would forget to put any articles in the sentences.

After a while they decided that they really should let him write stuff for an issue a month or so in the future instead of just using him for the rush-rush stuff. One of the things he turned out was a story about these guys taking over a planet with an invented religion. At some annual party (possibly an Ur-Worldcon) that Gernsback had for all his authors they all went out on Hubbards boat for a spin around the harbour. Hubbard provided the background music on his guitar.

Everyone was complimenting him on the invented religion story and someone, possibly Henry Kuttner although Williamson couldn’t exactly remember, said something along the lines of “Wow, Ron. That was a really scary story. The way you wrote it I could just picture something like that happening in the real world!”

Hubbard got a funny look on his face and said “Yeah, it could; couldn’t it!?”

The rest is history.

My supervisors and I made very sure that all the findings in the thesis were attributable and referenced from published and reliable sources. One of the best resources I used was Roy Wallis’ book “The Road to Total Freedom” which is a well-written and balanced account of Scientology’s history. The book also contains a critique of Wallis’ research by a Scientologist — which seemed to me to be a reasoned way of accommodating the twodifferent perspectives.

This work was not written as an attack on Scientology or any religious belief system. There’s a big difference between an attack and study and analysis. One activity usually leads to greater tolerance and understanding. One activity does not.

Asimov said it, I believe it, and that settles it!

Now bow down three times in the direction of Cape Canaveral and say “THERE IS NO GOD BUT TECHNOLOGY AND ROBERT HEINLEIN IS ITS PROPHET!”

We shall pray for the coming of the Singularity and though it tarry we shall remain faithful.

Here’s my Scientology story: When I first moved to the big city (Boston) from NH in ’82, I must have been seen as an easy mark; every cultist and religious nut would approach me on the street. The Krishna’s were cool, I even went to their dogma/dinner a couple of times. The Xians I could engage in reasonable discussion and hold my own (thanks, Mom); the JWs and 7th Day-ers I simply avoided.

But this I did several times and I’m not sorry; a well-dressed Scientologist would approach with a clipboard and ask if I wanted to take a “Personality Test”. I would calmly lean forward, get right in his/her face, scream as loud as I could and turn and run. Good clean fun and I encouraged many friends to do the same.