Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2002 16:01:18 -0400
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] To Quote L. Ron . . .[WSFA] Re: Scientology as a business
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

Ron Kean "clearly" said:

>I don't think Scientology was set up primarily as a tax scam.  They
>simply take advantage of the religious tax exemption, just as any
>business would take advantage of whatever tax reduction opportunites are
>available.  For one thing, the tax-scam aspect does not operate to
>benefit the members, but rather to benefit the insiders.  No one will
>save money on taxes by joining the Church of Scientology as a new member.
> It would better be called a religious scam.

(The following is is from: http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/scientology/s=
tart.a.religion.html which is an anti-scientology site.)

Lloyd Arthur Eshbach was a science fiction writer and publisher between =
1929 and 1957. His autobiography [Over My Shoulder, published by Oswald =
Train, 1983), says on pages 125 and 126 (about the events of 1948 and =
1949):

I think of the time while in New York I took John W. Campbell, Marty =
Greenberg [for you youngsters, there are two Marty Greebergs in the field, =
this particular one was the co-founder of Gnome Press]  and L. Ron Hubbard =
to lunch. Someone suggested a Swedish smorgasbord, and I had my first--and =
last--taste of kidney. Yuck! Afterward we wound up in my hotel room for =
related conversation.

The incident is stamped indelibly in my mind because of one statement that =
Ron Hubbard made. What led him to say what he did I can't recall--but in =
so many words Hubbard said:

"I'd like to start a religion. That's where the money is!"

MJW here: I have no reason to doubt Lloyd's recollection.  As for tax =
scam, making money . . . well, L Ron may have started with one thing in =
mind, but it sures seems to have evolved into something else.

mjw