Derogatory term: Wog

Question answered by escapee in Scientology

FredricRice asked this question on 9/5/2000:

I've run across Robert A. Heinlein's use of the term "Wog" in his book, "The Number of the Beast." I know that L. Ron Hubbard hated "Chinks" as he called them, and that the Scientology cult uses the derogatory term for anyone who hasn't been suckered into the cult.

Did Hubbard get the term from Heinlein? Or was the racist term merely one of many used in Hubbard's time and Hubbard -- and his insane cult -- merely adopt the use of the term?

Thanks.

escapee gave this response on 9/6/2000:

Fredric, your question is so biased I almost didn't answer it. You state it as a fact that LRH hated Chinese. That is just not true. I have never known him to hate any group. There was a black lady who worked for him for years and years in Washington D.C., and later the Sea Org. She adored him.

You have to understand the culture of the day. It wasn't then like it is now. Ethnic jokes were not considered politically incorrect, and WOG, worthy oriental gentleman, was part of the humour. When wog was first used it was a new word, and we were all trying to picture it. Wog, woggy, sort of not with it sort of thing, and in the middle of that confusion he paused and clarified it as "worthy oriental gentleman". Blew a lot of charge, it was funny. It wasn't intended as derogatory.

It stuck. Like a two-sided coin. Scientologist could realize that unprocessed people may be "woggy" in a state of confusion, but one could also remember to be polite.

True, after a few years, the original meaning was lost to the group (the one I left, not the one I helped create) and WOG was said in a put-down manner.

Now if LRH had allowed the humour to extend to Scientology, so that Scientologists could learn to laugh at their own folly, instead of writing the Policy on Jokers and Degraders things might have gone/might even go a bit better. Unfortuneately what was right for Ron to do regarding other subjects was not OK for us to do on his subject of Scientology.:) You rated this answer:

In Hubbard's diary dated around 1951 he stated that the people in China didn't wash enough and that the problem with China is that there are too many "chinks" in it. There may not be hatred yet it certainly was an exhibition of the times. Doubtlessly his referal to "chinks" was unthinking and merely a very common practice at the time. Thanks!

Return to The Skeptic Tank's main Index page.