From: referen@ibm.net (Diane Richardson) Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Subject: Re: CO$ and The Cross Date: Sat, 14 Oct 1995 19:42:31 GMT zzassgl@cs6400.mcc.ac.uk (Geoff Lane) wrote: >I notice that on http://www.theta.com/relfreedom the opening image contains >a cross. >What is this supposed to mean? The cross imagery has no connection with the >printed ravings of a demented SF writer. >Personally I don't give a damn what religious images are misused by >no-hopers but I am curious as why the image is used. All I can imagine is >that it is intended as a `subliminal' image intended for casual readers of >the page who have received little or no other information about CO$. They >may assume that because the cross is there CO$ is some kind of christian >sect rather than a collection of money grubbing loons. At about the same time the "Church" of Scientology[tm] adopted a cross as their trademarked symbol, they were fighting a real battle for public acceptance as a "Church" rather than a psychotherapeutic cult. In addition to the cross, auditors were all required to were clerical (Roman) collars. I have also seen photographs in Scientology[tm] publications of the time (1970s) in which Scientologists[tm] were wearing full Catholic vestments, including surplices. During this time, all Scientology[tm] officials (including Robert Vaughan Young, BTW) signed themselves as "The Rev." For all I know, Andy Milne may still call himself "The Rev." It's interesting to see how easy it was for the Scientologists[tm] to appropriate the symbols of another religious organization. If the Roman Catholic Church did what the Scientologists[tm] do (i.e., trademark all names and symbols), Scientologists[tm] would never have been able to get away with this. It may just be me, but I find wholesale appropriation of another group's religious symbols to be incredibly sleazy. It is quite obvious that Hubbard ordered this massive charade to try to cloak his own scam cult in the respectability of established Christian churches. For awhile, at least, the emperor had on borrowed clothes . Diane Richardson referen@ibm.net