Up: Martin Poulter > Scientology Criticism > UK Media Archive

Right of Reply: The Church of Scientology, in the name of its founder, responds to Paul Vallely's recent article

The Independent, 25 August 1998

From chriso@lutefisk.demon.co.uk Mon Feb  1 17:40:13 GMT 1999


WHEN PAUL Vallely visited our Church last week, we did not envy him his
task of condensing the half-a-million pages of Scientology scriptures
into a 1,200 word article, with no real study of the subject and no
personal experience. Having read the resulting piece 'Signing up for
Scientology', 15 August), that view remains. 

Paul Vallely didn't come any closer to discovering why someone like Geri
Halliwell might be interested in the Scientology religion, which was,
after all, the stated aim of his visit to us. While it is easy to 'skim'
through a 600-page book and dismiss its contents, as Paul did, it takes
a great deal more time and an actual personal interest to properly study
the subject, apply it to one's life and see if it works the way it is
said to. 

As to those who have criticised Church of Scientology - what religion
hasn't been criticised and persecuted? Witness Christianity. 

Why were the Scientologists Paul interviewed able to give numerous
instances of improving their own and others' lives with Scientology. In
Scientology you think for yourself. You study the subject and apply it
to your life, you receive spiritual counselling, and you see if it works
for you. 

While a great deal of Scientology is indeed 'common sense', the subject
as a whole is a practical religion, a summation of 'workable truths' on
which you can only really pass judgement when you have put them into
practice and seen the results for yourself. 

Fundamentally, Scientology is about the individual man or woman. Its
goal is to bring an individual to a sufficient understanding of himself
and his life and free him to make improvements where he finds them
necessary and in the ways he sees fit. 

Up: Martin Poulter > Scientology Criticism > UK Media Archive