[8/18/2006: Comments are now closed on this entry]
From today’s LA Daily News, reports of intimidation of citizens who oppose a Narconon rehab clinic in their Bouquet Canyon neighborhood.
This is typical of the Scientology tactic: Use intimidation and bizarre lies to distort the truth. They’re also not above using their lawyers.
What’s scary about this article isn’t the tactics they’re using with opposing residents, whose voices carry much weight with planning commissions. The scary part is the idea of any rehab clinic being operated by Scientologists.
From the article:
Narconon was created 40 years ago and uses the writings of L. Ron Hubbard, late founder of the Church of Scientology, to treat addicts. Instead of administering drugs, the program puts addicts on a regimen of vitamins, including niacin, and has them “sweat out” toxins with time in the sauna.
Does anyone see a contradiction in the Scientology method of “detoxification” of using megadoses of vitamins? Vitamins are chemical compounds which are also “drugs”. (Niacin is listed in the MedlinePlus Drug Database, along with all of the possible negative side effects). Yet the justification is that niacin is “natural”. Give me a break.
As to the idea of using a sauna to “sweat out toxins”, data shows an increased risk of heart attack and raised blood pressure by any sauna use of longer than 10 minutes. According to accounts of Narconon methods, sauna sessions are much longer than that.
The final parting shot? The efforts of the Scientologists to insinuate themselves into the California school system with their “anti-drug” programs. So far they haven’t succeeded, since the state has concluded they have no basis in science or medicine.
This is really important to watch. I’m sure they won’t limit these efforts to California, and ANY foothold they are able to gain in ANY school system is a disaster for our children and our schools.
Technorati Tags: scientology, narconon, cults, detox
