The book that made Xenu freak out

"The Scandal of Scientology", published in 1971, was one of the earliest books accusing the Church of Scientology of being a dangerous, bizarre cult. The author, Paulette Cooper, was harassed by the Scientologists for years afterwards. According to documents obtained by the FBI, the harassment campaign even had a name: Operation Freakout. In the event, the only people who seem to have "freaked out" were the Scientologists themselves!

So what was it that made the book so controversial? Since "The Scandal of Scientology" is available free of charge on the web, everyone can read it and judge for themselves. Today, over 40 years later, the book feels pretty old hat. At the time of its publication, I suppose reactions were very different.

While Cooper is unaware of Xenu and the volcanoes, she does expose the weird antics of the lower levels of Scientology, including the auditing and the "training routines" (TRs). More damning, Cooper charges that sensitive private information obtained during the auditing have been used at a later time to blackmail members or discredit defectors. Hubbard's brutal treatment of his staff, his support for the racist regimes in South Africa and Rhodesia, and the group's devious recruitment tactics are all detailed, as are Scientology's problems with the authorities in various countries around the world. Ironically, the apartheid regime of South Africa suspected Hubbard of being a Communist agent plotting to overthrow it! The high fees and harassment of defectors is also mentioned. Cooper herself took several TRs as she was investigating the group, and her experiences are included.

However, there are also some problems with the book. Cooper plays heavily on the readers' puritanical streaks, accusing the Scientologists of being sexual libertines, sadomasochists and even paedophiles. Somewhat hypocritically (but very typically), this appeal to puritanical morality is accompanied by a detailed information on the sex scandals in question! In a particularly comic passage, the author complains: "As for the sexual questions, while the following list of activities at first glance would seem to cover the entire gamut of `sins', conspicuous in their absence are any questions about oral-genital or sadomasochistic activities -- and -- in an organization consisting of a large number of young single people - fornication." Please note that Cooper seems to place oral sex and "fornication" (between college students?) on the same level as sadomasochism! Note also that she *accuses* the Scientologists of practicing or condoning oral sex?! Must be one of their lesser crimes...

That being said, "The Scandal of Scientology" is nevertheless interesting, especially due to its status as an early (pre-Xenu, pre-Tom Cruise) investigation into the maze known as Scientology...