Nevada’s elected officials are not interested in visiting Mexico on a free junket, at least not if it involves Scientology.
Only two legislators indicated that they would go on the proposed trip to visit a Mexican prison that uses the Scientology related Narconon program, reports the Las Vegas Sun.
One pro Narconon state assembly member said she is sponsoring a bill for a similar prison program that would rely upon federal funding through President Bush’s faith-based initiative.
It’s unlikely that any such legislation will pass, but it’s interesting to note the connection to the Bush plan that allows federal dollars to be used by religious groups to fund supposedly non-sectarian social programs.
All three Nevada legislators who now seem interested in the Scientology program are social and/or religious conservatives.
But religious conservative Pat Robertson once opposed the Bush initiative on the grounds that controversial groups like Scientology might seek funding.
Looks like the televangelist was prophetic.
However, Robertson later lifted his objections after receiving a half million dollars from the fund for one of his pet projects called “Operation Blessing.”
Regardless of Robertson change of heart, evangelical cult watchdog groups such as “Watchman Fellowship” continue to warn conservative Christians and the general public about the perils of groups like Scientology.
Perhaps Nevada legislators should consider carefully Watchman Fellowship’s assessment of Scientology.
The Fellowship says, “Controversy continues to rage around Scientology due mostly to the totalitarian and abusive nature of its practices…It does, in fact, involve religious belief (in what most outsiders would regard as science fiction). But that belief appears to have been built chiefly as a cover for exploitive commercial operations.”
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