Over the Editor's Shoulder (continued)
that this sort of thing comes within your business experience? I feel that BDR is rather pedestrian and conservative..." -- A.J.S. McMillan, Bristol, England.
(Ed. Note: Not many will agree with that last statement, "Mac". We found BDR interesting and quite informative, and no doubt you have many readers who much prefer it to The ABERREE's more "professional" tongue-in-cheek approach.)
"...The Journal of Scientology is always welcome, giving as it does the latest organizational news, but we also need a medium for independent editorial opinion and an exchange of viewpoints, and these latter purposes are ably served by your informal bulletin.
"May I comment on one phase of your lead article on Page 1 of the July-August issue -- namely where you state the change from HAS to HASI will 'give auditors and schools complete security from legal interference'.
"No doubt there are specific legal advantages to the organization as such in converting to a religious fellowship. But I think, in fairness to auditors who might be misled as to their own status, the fact should be pointed out to them that:
"The courts have repeatedly ruled that the protection of religious immunity does NOT apply to any minister who charges a regular fee for his services in helping individuals with their problems or cases!
"The actual truth, unpalatable as it may be, is that the cloak of religious immunity cannot be stretched to apply to any commercial or professional type of functioning for which a definite hourly or session fee is quoted! The latest noteworthy example was the trial and conviction in New York this past March of Rev. Jessie Curl -- reported in detail in Psychic Observer for May 25, 1954.
"At first glance, Christian Science practitioners might seem to be an exception to the rule, but they don't boast (as did Scientology Journal 31-G) of getting $5000 from one case, nor do they admit to treating any bodily ailment, since they do not claim to recognize the existence of ailments. Contrast 31-G's inference that psychosomatic ailments can be cleared up by Scientology at high hourly fees with less cost to t he patient than medical treatment.
"The whole point is if one is going to work in the spiritual field and benefit from religious freedom, then monetary rewards must be renounced, as well as any claim to being of aid in ailments or other terminology used in the field of medicine. But any auditor who wants to have a fee schedule that will permit him to eat regularly, and who holds out hope of helping those with psychosomatic or other ailments, will be in present time only if he realizes that the idea of religious protection is only a mock-up; while this mock-up may seem quite solid in his universe, it is definitely not supported by the real universe." -- Mark L. Gallert, Los Angeles, Cal.
"How's for letting folks know The COMMUNICATOR is still at the old address, but the old Communicators, Chuck and Sadah, ain't? We done moved out to the country to experiment with group living in a huge old ranch house with five others and develop our rock-whomping, jewelry-making business (preclears aren't much harder to whomp than rocks, but the rocks are more fun!) Frances Berglund took over The COMMUNICATOR in June." -- Sadah Field, Littleton, Colo. (Ed. Note: Since this card was written, The COMMUNICATOR has moved to 87 South Logan, Denver.)
"$2 is enclosed (the additional 32