Well, the internet really is a wonderful, entertaining, educating thing…<\/p>\n

Today, I was looking over eBay trying to find some things to buy (as you do). I started off my search looking for camera filters but after a while I got fed up reading page after page of “UV Filters” for sale from Hong Kong (I have a UV filter…) and searched for other things. I have a certain amount of interest in philosophical topics, so I thought checking out what philosophy books were available would be worthwhile.<\/p>\n

So, off I go to books -> educational textbooks -> philosophy<\/em> and I am presented with a list of books. Second on my search is one titled “ALL ABOUT RADIATION.” Now, call me old fashioned, but I really found it hard to work out what was philosophical about radiation, so I had a look. Boy was I in for a treat. Now this auction (see it for yourself<\/a>) only has 11 hours left to go as I write this, so in case it is gone by the time you read this post, I have taken a screenshot of it for you:<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

This priceless bit of nonsense reads:<\/p>\n

Written by L. Ron Hubbard and two well-known medical doctors, this book provides the facts surrounding the effect of radiation on the body and spirit and offers solutions to those harmful effects. An immediate sellout in bookstores when originally released, All About Radiation<\/em> tells the truth about the little known and talked about subject of radiation, and introduces the Purification program as the technology to handle its cumulative effects. (See companion lecture series, Radiation and Your Survival<\/em> where L. Ron Hubbard details the subject of radiation and its effects.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Amazing. It almost beggars belief that people actually fall for this sort of nonsense, but that is a topic which has been done to death many a time in the past. The idea that radiation is harmful to the “spirit” is comical, as is the idea that these two unnamed yet “well-known” medical doctors have had any scientific input into this drivel.<\/p>\n

What interests me in this auction, is the way this woo-filled nonsense is being sold.<\/p>\n

Obviously the proponents of this dianetic \/ scientologist gibberish are aware that if they label it as scientologist people will steer clear en masse<\/em>. To get round this, and obviously draw some level of interest, they have:<\/p>\n

\n
1. Marked it as a Medical \/ Nursing book (which I suppose is almost close to the truth… almost)<\/li>\n
2. Placed it in the “philosophy” category<\/li>\n
3. Been strangely not-forthcoming in the title (most ebay titles read like the whole item description…)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

   I cant help but think that if Scientology \/ Dianetics is such a “sensible” and genuine “school of thought” (sorry for all the sneer quotes, but I cant help but sneer at this), then they wouldn’t have to resort to underhand tactics. Sadly, and in a blow against my innocent view of the world, it seems scientologists rely on this as their main form of recruitment.<\/p>\n

   The one bit which really made me laugh was the idea that radiation is “little known and talked about…” That might have been true in 1920, but this is 2007. People shouldn’t be jumping to mad ideas about electromagnetism and radiation. (Ah… I might be wrong here…<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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       Well, the internet really is a wonderful, entertaining, educating thing… Today, I was looking over eBay trying to find some things to buy (as you do). I started off my search looking for camera filters but after a while I … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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