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By Root 1038 0

a moment, the following information: A man who preaches love and tolerance is recognized by political and civic leaders as a man of God. He runs a wealthy and growing church. He can show his power to raise the dead and cure fatal illnesses, and no one denies his abilities. He creates and promotes interest in a community in another country wherein followers will be safe from the evils of pollution and prejudice. He teaches them methods of self-defense, warns them against "outsiders," and is obeyed and believed in all he does. Would it not be logical to follow this man wherever he leads? Such is the thinking of idealistic, lost souls who are easily deceived by appearances.

Some perhaps reasoned: If he were a fake he would not have had the support he displayed and the endorsements he advertised. Those who might have been misrepresented in his claims surely would object, wouldn't they? His tricks—if he had any—would surely have been exposed immediately, don't you think? Yes, that is what should have happened. But no one spoke up and denounced Jones early in the game—or at any point prior to the mass murder/suicides of November 18, 1978. U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan, certainly a hero among heroes, was one of the very few who bothered to get up on his feet and bitch about it. Ryan, who flew to the jungle settlement to investigate rumors of strange goings-on there, got his face blown off for his trouble. To thank a man like that is impossible—except by following his example and yelling loudly when another Jones comes along. The face and name will be different, but the methodology will have the same old smell. And there are others even now scrambling to replace Jones.

Aside from the failure of the knowledgeable to blow the whistle, the main reason people follow a Jones is that they abandon critical judgment on the assumption that their leader is infallible. Consider the Unification Church of the "Reverend" Sun Myung Moon. He tells his fanatical followers that a "New Messiah" is coming and that he will be a Korean male born this century. Moon is a Korean male. He was born in this century. He says that this "Third Adam" will become the father of a "Perfect Family" that will redeem mankind. Moon, who has had several marriages, is certainly a father—seven times over. When asked uncomfortable questions, Moon replies to his disciples—who may be seen in the streets of New York City begging money—"I am your brain." Obviously, the busloads of young people who are daily carted off to posts throughout Manhattan (from the church's headquarters at the former Hotel New Yorker) to solicit funds for the millennium believe this statement and are happy with it. Would they, too, drink cyanide if Moon commanded them to?

Synanon is an organization whose leader is presently accused of attempted murder with a venomous snake. Would its members drink poison if told to do so? L. Ron Hubbard, a science-fiction writer, told a select audience years ago that the secret of success is to find out what people need and sell it to them. He then went to the typewriter and invented the pseudo-science known as Dianetics. This segued into a supposed religion, with all the protection that implies, called Scientology. To his adherents, Hubbard is infallible too. The federal court case against him has already told us of the devotion Hubbard inspires. Is it enough to drive the believers to sip cyanide?

The Children of God, Eckankar, and Transcendental Meditation sects are run by leaders who have obtained fanatical followings as a result of philosophical claptrap and/or other flummery. Miracles are claimed, and scapegoats are drummed up. And few speak out. When is the next poison party to be held?

In 1977, during the annual meeting of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, a question was asked at the press conference. A reporter wanted to know what damage belief in the paranormal could do. Was it not just a harmless, if somewhat nutty, pursuit? Our answer was that such irrationalities lead to victims' losing their sanity, their