And now, in an attempt to counter all that bad press, they are attempting to hide behind the good name of legitimate-honest-to-God church and charitable organization: The Salvation Army.
Australian independent senator, Nick Xenophon has proposed some legislation that would require religious groups to prove what public benefit they they provide before being able to claim tax-exemption. Scientologists - fearful of loosing their tax exempt status in Australia - now claim that they are just like the Salvation Army.
I realise, of course, that I'm biased here. I am, after all, an officer in The Salvation Army. But this claim is outrageous.
Our services are provided (for the most part) free of charge. Not so in the Church of Scientology where members can expect to pay thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to receive services from the Church and to reach higher levels. Our drug and alcohol recovery programs have a demonstrable record of success - not so with Scientology's Narconon (Not to be confused with Narcotics Anonymous!). The Salvation Army has always been open and forthright about it's financial records. We keep ourselves accountable to the public whose donations fund our work. Not so with the secretive Scientologists.
"Like the Salvation Army?" I don't think so....
Well, except for maybe one thing. Within the Church (cough! cough!) of Scientology there is group known as the "Sea Org" who wear uniforms similar to ours.
Who ever heard of any organization let alone a religious organization that coerces its employees into abortion and maintains an intelligence agency that threatens, intimidates and defames its critics?
ReplyDeleteThe greatest justice we can do for the cult's victims is to see that the abuses are ended and its totalitarian structure is dismantled.
It is going to take a lot of public pressure on government officials to investigate, and the Christian churches have a key role to play in educating their members to this end.
Jesus tells us that what we have not done for the least of his brethren we have not done for him. The victims of Scientology and the tens of thousands of families it has destroyed are victims overlooked by the churches, who have done very little to speak up on their behalf.
It is increasingly important that we speak up loudly and in numbers. We have the appalling spectacle of Sharron Angle, Southern Baptist and pro-life Republican candidate for US Senate from Nevada, legitimizing a Scientology front group called Second Chance peddling L. Ron Hubbard's quackery for the treatment of drug addiction and criminal rehabilitation.
When Scientology enters into high-profile election races we have a serious problem, particularly if Angle ends up in the Senate where she will be Scientology's advocate.
Thanks for writing. The comparison of the cult with the Salvation Army is ludicrous, and another example of the cult leeching respectability from an authentic religious organization that has done outstanding work.
I hope you will continue to educate your fellow pastors and leaders in the Salvation Army the sooner to hasten the end of Scientology's horrendous abuses.
Apologetics Index is a great resource for pastors:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/s04.html
Excellent news, commentary, and research is found at the Why We Protest and Ex-Scientologist Message Board forums.
There has been a lot of comment and praise for the Salvation Army at Why We Protest:
ReplyDeletehttp://forums.whyweprotest.net/318-senator-xenophon-scientology/salvation-army-pastor-responds-scientology-claims-68717/
I don't know what SA in Australia is like, but here in the United States the unequal treatment of gays and lesbians from the Salvation Army has been notable and quite repressive. Before you act like your organization is so much better than Scientologists, you should clean up your treatment of gays. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_Army#United_States
ReplyDeleteTerrific aricle. Good blog you have here. I especially enjoy your articles on Scientology. Thanks for speaking up.
ReplyDeleteScientology is no Salvation Army, for sure!