A Letter from the Church of Scientology

Abstract

This is a response to the article: The French and German versus American Debate over 'New Religions', Scientology, and Human Rights Stephen A. Kent, Edmonton (Canada) Published in MJR Vol.6, No.1 (January 2001)

A person who wears the label of "professor" assumes certain responsibilities. Foremost is that his work will be thorough, fair and honest, and free from preconceptions offered as conclusions. One can hardly imagine a scholar writing about Judaism, but not speaking to any Jews. Or doing a dissertation on the Lutherans, but never attending one of their services. What would you think of someone who claimed a close knowledge of Catholicism based on his conversations with excommunicates? And if he insisted that his lack of first-hand information was an asset, not a liability, and yet he had only negative things to say, you would probably label him biased, at least. Certainly, you would doubt his being the disinterested seeker after truth that is traditionally the mark of the scholar.