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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Letter of the day: Warped view of Scientology
Church of Scientology's Flag Building in Clearwater, Fla., Scientologists' spiritual headquarters (CHRIS O'MEARA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Re: Donna Harris' review of Janet Reitman's book Inside Scientology (Believing in the almighty buck, Aug. 20). It is untrue that Reitman interviewed dozens of Scientologists. While preparing her book, Reitman never contacted the church and never requested nor interviewed a single church representative, let alone the ecclesiastical leader of the religion.
She and her publisher refused the church's offer to provide information. Her "report" is no different than a view of, say, the Catholic church told exclusively by lapsed Catholics or defrocked priests and should more accurately be called Outside Scientology.
Reitman's primary sources of information are a handful of apostates, previous external affairs officers who are admitted perjurers, dismissed and defrocked when their crimes were discovered. These sources have a documented history of making false and defamatory statements against the church. Their anger and hostility toward the church should give anyone serious pause.
If Reitman were truly objective she would have held these sources and their claims up to a harsh and penetrating light instead of putting them on a pedestal.
Claims by Reitman to have engaged in extensive research for her book are laughable. Perhaps the most significant illustration of her outside Scientology book is Reitman's ignorance of the church's accomplishments. She could have seen our new churches in Moscow or Melbourne or any of the dozens opened since 2006 in cities like London, Brussels, Rome, and Washington, D.C., all of them bursting with thousands of new members practicing their chosen faith.
There is nothing secretive about Scientology. Our churches are open seven days a week. Many have public display areas to answer all questions about Scientology beliefs and practices.
KARIN POUW
Church of Scientology International
Los Angeles
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 25, 2011 A13
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