Operation Wideawake

If you look at the statements made about the Internet by the Church of Scientology, you will notice a very peculiar fact: not once, in any of their publications or court documents, do they mention the name alt.religion.scientology. This omission speaks volumes about the effect the Internet is having on the organization. They are genuinely scared of the Net. They know that the truth about Scientology is being sent to the world through this newsgroup, in spite of every attempt by the organization to suppress it. They've tried removing the newsgroup, cancelling messages, seizing the computer equipment of their critics and former members, threatening lawsuits, investigating posters to the newsgroup, and flooding the group with garbage posts...and still the information continues to flow.

The image of Scientology is so soiled on the Internet that they have nothing to lose if they continue their current attack. After all, the Net may be all but closed to Scientology now, but does that really matter in the REAL WORLD? Outside of the Internet, who has heard of alt.religion.scientology? Who has read the affidavits, and how many people have been able to find the books that criticize Scientology?

The gap between the "real world" and the Internet may be the last, best hope for Scientology. The Church knows that if people read alt.religion.scientology, they will learn the truth about Scientology. Therefore, the Church is taking another course of action: they are trying to keep the existence of alt.religion.scientology a secret.

This is why I am appealing to you, the reader.

We must tell the world about alt.religion.scientology!

We must reach past the line of defense that the Church is trying to hold. For if more people learn about the existence of the Usenet newsgroup, more people will read the newsgroup. More people will learn the truth about the Church of Scientology. Perhaps...even Scientologists?

This may be what the Church fears more than anything else. If their own members were to learn about the war on alt.religion.scientology, then they may become disillusioned. They may enter what Hubbard called a "condition of doubt." Many Scientologists may quit the Church and never come back. And the money would stop flowing.

Without money, the Church of Scientology would come crashing down. Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other religions may be able to survive without money, but Scientology can't. L. Ron Hubbard himself stated this when he made his statement: "Make money. Make more money. Make others produce so as to make money."

This is where you, the reader, can help.

Bring the word of alt.religion.scientology to the REAL WORLD! Do whatever you can to spread the word and get people interested in alt.religion.scientology. Print pamphlets praising the newsgroup and get them to the Scientologists! Mention the war between Scientology and the Net whenever the subject of censorship comes up in your conversations with your friends. And above all, SPREAD THE WORD.

By doing so, you will be spreading the news of a valuable source of information, one that may be beneficial to a great many people. Instead of listening to nothing but the polished Scientology public relations campaign, people will have a chance to discover for themselves what Scientology is really about.

Who knows? In the long run, you may even save someone's life. -- Reverend Modemac (modemac@netcom.com) First Online Church of "Bob" "There is no black and white." PGP Key Fingerprint: 47 90 41 70 B4 5B 06 90 7B 38 4E 11 8A ED 80 DF URL: http://www.tiac.net/users/modemac/ (FINGER modemac@netcom.com for a FREE SubGenius Pamphlet!)