MEDIA WATCH | THE FEDERALIST

Your article is anti-religious and bigoted

We respect your right to freedom of speech and the press. You should respect the rights of Scientologists to freedom of religion and association. Bigotry of any kind has no place in a free democratic society.

January 5, 2017

The Federalist

Dear Editor,

I am a Scientologist and a neighbor of Pasadena. Your article about my Church on The Federalist website, “I visited The Church of Scientology…,” includes gratuitous anti-religious bigoted comments about the religion of Scientology, none of which you would ever make of other faiths.

Imagine someone giving a completely uninformed and inaccurate description of what Christians or Jews believe with a statement “I wanted to hear the Christian Church’s elevator pitch….” or “I wanted to know what Judaism said to make people fork over massive amounts of money or even distance themselves from family members…” These show that you know nothing about Scientology or our belief system.

I invite your attention to the Catholic Diocese in downtown Los Angeles. Could you imagine an article about them starting like that? How about the beautiful Temple Israel on Hollywood Boulevard?

No, you wouldn’t, Why? Because you would be called an anti-religious bigot, an anti-Semite and an anti-Christian.

In truth, this is pure bigotry.

The first section of the web page of the United States Department of Justice dealing with religious freedom doesn't say, “Protecting The Religious Freedom of All, Except Scientology.” It states, “Protecting The Religious Freedom of All.” It is all-inclusive for a reason. This fundamental freedom applies to everyone.

We respect your right to freedom of speech and the press. You should respect the rights of Scientologists to freedom of religion and association.

Bigotry of any kind has no place in a free democratic society.

Regards,
Joel Phillips
Pasadena, Calif.