Nightline's Hypocritical Scientology Story

Three hours ago, ABC's program Nightline aired a story critical of Scientology, based on the revelations of an insider, former Scientologist Jena Hill.

So, you say, isn't it good that ABC and Nightline aired anything critical of Scientology? Where's the hypocrisy?

When has ABC, let alone any major network, aired a story critical of the basic tenets of Catholicism, Judaism, Islam or any other religion? When have they ever run an interview with someone who abandoned fundamentalism to adopt a materialist, scientific world view, like author Michael Shermer? They never have. They never will. Despite the assertions of people like Michael Medved to the contrary, the media pander endlessly to the followers of religious mass movements. Have you noticed how CNN, the History Channel and other media outlets pollute the airwaves with interminable pseudo-historical specials like What Did Jesus Have for Breakfast on Christmas? whenever there's a major religious holiday?

All religions are superstitious nonsense. ABC picked on Scientology because it's a minority belief that sounds peculiar when summarized that has generated constant media attention because it attracts Hollywood celebrities like Tom Cruise, who amplifies the peculiarity of Scientology with his anti-psychiatry rants to Matt Lauer and his sofa jumping on Oprah's show.

Although there are believable allegations that the Church of Scientology has engaged in various forms of misconduct, including harassing and persecuting its critics and possibly causing one woman's death, they pale into insignificance compared with the criminal legacy of the Catholic church, most recently demonstrated by years of revelations of sexual molestation of minors by priests which were covered up by the church's hierarchy.