[Note: Kim Baker does not regularly read this newsgroup at present, but I e-mailed her this quote, and she e-mailed me back this comment to post for her. -- Ron Newman <rnewman@media.mit.edu>]

In article <1995Mar20.152914.1884 @news.media.mit.edu >, Ron Newman <rnewman@media.mit.edu> wrote:

The following is a quote from Robert Kaufman's INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY  (subtitle: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman), published in 1972 by The Olympia Press of London and New York….

Many [Scientologists] were reactionary, almost Fascistic, in their political views. The attitude of this breed was that the poor and oppressed of the world, the dwellers in mud villages and ghettos, were suffering solely from their own inadequacies; they were dominated by their reactive minds and were getting exactly what they deserved. Scientologists from South Africa were almost unanimously in favor of apartheid. [Part I: The Franchise, Saint Hill ]

Interesting. Yes, I have encountered this "they were very abberated Beings to pick up black bodies in South Africa in the first place" viewpoint among South African Scientologists. One Indian man kept saying that he had "picked up the wrong body, he was meant to be White."

This viewpoint was very prevalent before the elections. I recall, during the run-up to the Elections, I was the only Scientologist (at that time) who got out there, and trained as a Peace Monitor and became involved at "grass roots level". <laugh!> The others were stock-piling canned food because they thought the country was going to end, and hiding in their homes. When the Election was obviously going well, they came out, and joined in in the general euphoria of experiencing a miracle.

I no longer am spoken to by Scientologists in my area, but I recall towards the end of last year, before I became persona non grata, some of the younger ones had embraced the changes enthusiastically. And some of the older Scientologists steadfastly stuck to their views that the "Blacks were going to ruin the country". Many are making plans to emigrate, so they can avoid being there when the country finally falls apart! But there were some who were hopeful about the future.

Most are concerned now about the economy — because they need to continue earning in the top percentile in order to afford their Scientology services, and as a redress to the past imbalances, the government is trimming all the perks of this income sector. They are not happy. Shouts of "out-exchange", etc. No sense of responsibility for the state of the nation at all. We are all feeling the financial bite, some of us are bearing it willingly, knowing that it is being used to put in housing, sanitation, etc for the people,and going towards the Reconstruction and Development Plan.

A worthy cause. But not if you're trying to buy your next service at ANZO or Flag, and the exchange rate has just increased AGAIN! So, they want to emigrate. Personally, I found that attitude strange. My view is rather, stay here, and make it work, make that vision of South Africa as a model for peaceful transformation, SUCCESSFUL transformation, work, and work WELL, set a shining example to the world.

Kim