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The Week on the Web reports on Scientology
Transcript of lead item from "the Week on the Web" broadcast by the BBC World Service (radio) 31st October/1st November 1995 MB= Michael Bywater, the presenter FV= Female voice MV= Male voice (there was more than one male actor) MB: Perhaps the greatest thing about the Internet for many people is the freedom of speech it seems to, well, almost guarantee. At last your voice can be heard even if you aren't rich, powerful or part of the government or the media. But maybe that freedom of speech has only persisted so far because the 'net has only just caught the attention of the traditional enemies of free speech: big business, politics and (of course) religion. -not just any old religion, but the Church of Scientology; the world's first science-fiction religion, started in the '50's by the american writer L Ron Hubbard. The "Church" of Scientology, or as its opponents on the 'net prefer to call it... MV: The CULT of Scientology MB: has spent the last nine months FV: attempting to quell unfavourable comment on the World Wide Web since former minister Dennis Erlich posted excerpts from the church's sacred texts... MB: Sorry? FV: sacred texts MB: I thought so. FV: ...to the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology. MB: Yes, the merchants of mental hygiene have called in those celebrated defenders of freedom of expression- the lawyers. They got a warrant, raided Erlich's home and seized equipment since when, according to the London Times... FV: the offices of an Amsterdam internet access provider have been similarly raided, and five internet users in the UK have been warned that they face legal action. MB: One of those threatened last week [ooops- it was back in July that it happened- MLP] was philosophy postgraduate Martin Poulter from the University of Bristol in England, but was his university prepared to bow to threats and legal bluster from the church... MV: Cult! MB: ...of Scientology? Yes it was. Poulter had his internet access suspended for 24 hours, but he's back on line again, albeit rather toned down. But what was all the fuss about? We e-mailed Poulter, who said that an MV: attorney for the Religious Technology Center in California... MB: Well it would be *there*, wouldn't it! MV: ...claimed that I had breached copyright and trade secret laws. I have had to remove some Fair Use extracts. MB: ...which are those brief quotations with supporting commentary, on which the entire world academic community depends- an unwritten agreement upheld in the name of intellectual freedom by almost every reputable publisher. As Poulter points out, MV: If the Church of Scientology gets away with its intimidation tactics, a precedent will have been set: anyone with enough money will be able to censor what you tell the world. MB: But let's be reasonable. Isn't this just a dispute about copyright? Not according to one 'netter: MV: I don't know of any religion that has trade secrets with commercial monetary value, like the Church of Scientology claims. MB: And according to another: FV: Knowledge is power, and their inability to understand both free society in general and the 'net in particular causes them to make STUPID mistakes. MB: Well frankly I don't want to get involved, certainly not if some of Martin Poulter's wilder, and of course completely unsubstantiated, claims are to be believed, for example that the Church... MV: Cult! MB: ...of Scientology is planning to... No, let's just let it lie. [End of item] [note: there was a great deal of very British, understated humour in the presentation of this item, which you don't get unless you actually hear the voices. The way MB said "and of course completely unsubstantiated" in particular had me ROTFL.]
Up: Martin Poulter > Scientology Criticism > UK Media Archive