Funny, but not funny

To the editor,

I read the article “Beam me up, CDOT” by John Rhoades and appreciate the humor in it. But the inference that Scientology is in some way connected with “alien-traffic-probe-earth-destruction-plot” unfortunately reinforces a false and misleading idea about the religion.

The question has been asked: Do Scientologists believe they are descended from aliens?

The answer is simply that we do not. Scientology holds no such belief. Any suggestion otherwise is as absurd as saying that Christians believe themselves descended from aliens because they believe there is a heaven.

Much of the “information” on the Internet concerning Scientology religious beliefs is a mixture of misstatements, distortions and outright lies designed to twist Scientology theology. These insulting statements, from the “Internet fringe” are not only untrue, they are intentionally designed to ridicule Scientologists and denigrate their actual religious beliefs. Unfortunately, even in “humor,” your piece forwards that false picture of Scientology and Scientologists.

For information about Scientology beliefs and practices, go to Scientology.org/whatisscientology.

– Alicia Selverson, Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination

Editor’s reply: Alicia – thanks for writing. We must say, after seeing Beck perform in Telluride last weekend, we have a whole new appreciation for Scientologists. He is one supremely talented being. We also find it interesting you somehow stumbled upon our tiny little paper. Guess the internet – much like the universe – works in mysterious ways.