Letter to Madeline Albright
Jeffrey Liss
8 Jan 2000

Hon. Madeline K. Albright
Secretary of State
United States Department of State
Washington, DC

January 5, 2000

Dear Madam Secretary:

United States policy toward two important European countries has been hijacked by the influential Church of Scientology.

Germany and Sweden have both been pressured by our government to adopt policies which are more sympathetic to Scientology. The United States is even pressuring Sweden to change its constitution to deprive its citizens access to certain government documents.

These two nations share our commitment to democracy and belief in fundamental human and civil rights. They regard the Church of Scientology as a dangerous threat to those values. There is ample evidence to prove their assessment correct.

Scientology, which operates under the guise of religion, is actually a criminal cult which robs its members of their money and their ability to think independently. All over the world, courts have repeatedly found that Scientology operates illegally, motivated by insatiable greed and a determination to destroy those who oppose it. I have enclosed a selection of quotations from judges' opinions in these cases.

In the United States, Scientology's long-running war with the Internal Revenue Service led the cult to infiltrate U.S. government agencies in an effort to steal or destroy information the government had about the cult's illegal activities. Members of the cult - including the wife of its founder L. Ron Hubbard - were convicted and sent to prison as a result. Hubbard himself escaped prosecution by going into hiding until his death in 1986. This pattern - of infiltrations, theft, forgery, and fraud - has been repeated by the cult all over the world.

Most recently, the church has been indicted in Florida for its involvement in the death of Lisa McPherson, a Scientologist who was trying to leave the cult.

Is it any wonder Germany seeks to protect its citizens from so ruthless an organization? Scientology places loyalty to the cult above patriotism, the love of family, and individual thought. It is, ipso facto, a totalitarian movement. The German government is constitutionally obligated to protect the country from such a threat to liberty.

Given Germany's past, it is remarkably qualified to identify totalitarian movements and the threat they represent. Current U.S. policy is disrespectful to the legitimately constituted courts that have found Scientology to be a dangerous fraud. It is presumptuous and wrong for the United States to place its own misguided understanding of the situation ahead of the German government's solemn obligation - to its citizens and the world - to stop the Scientology cult in its tracks, before the mistakes of the past can be repeated.

Sweden has one of Europe's most liberal laws concerning a citizen's right to access public information. In conjunction with freedom of speech and freedom of the press, it is regarded as a basic constitutional right. Now, because the law threatens the ability of Scientology to continue its false religion scam, our country is trying to meddle with the Swedish constitution itself. What right does the United States have to effect constitutional changes in another nation simply to bring it into accord with our domestic policy? Have we any respect for Swedish sovereignty or the rule of law?

It is precisely this kind of arrogant interference that hurts our reputation abroad and efforts to carry out serious diplomacy.

The United States should stop treating friendly nations like children. Germany and Sweden have both reached policies regarding Scientology that are in accord with their laws and national interests. We should respect their right to define for themselves what kind of groups pose a danger to their citizens.

Respectfully yours,

Jeffrey A. Liss

Enclosure: What Judges Say About Scientology
cc: His Excellency Rolf Ekéus, Ambassador;
His Excellency Juergen Chrobog, Ambassador