Two sleazy rackets that go extra-sleazy together!

From CNN comes this fascinating article informing us that some Christian churches have started incorporating, of all things, Scientology literature into their ministries. One of these churches is right down the road in Houston, where Rev. James McLaughlin of the Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (that's already a head-swirling doctrinal combination as it is) has begun teaching from late sci-fi hack L. Ron Hubbard's The Way to Happiness.

"I'm looking for solutions, and the people that I help, they don't ask me who L. Ron Hubbard is," said McLaughlin, who works with addicts. "You know what they say? 'Thank God.'"

Well, sure they do, because religion basically appeals to emotionally weak and vulnerable people who aren't big into rationalism and critical thinking in the first place. All you have to do is sell them warm, fuzzy hope in an easy-to-absorb, Sesame Street-level lesson plan, and they're hooked. They don't notice the discrepancies between Scientology's and Christianity's disparate teachings, because they're not the kinds of people who think about their beliefs. They just believe their beliefs.

Still, these ministers ought to know better. It's bad enough they're pushing Christianity's repugnant dogmas in the first place. To be patently indifferent to Scientology's repellent history of cult indoctrination, harassment, intimidation, and outright murder as long as they get some kind of vapid "feel-good" message across shows their moral bankruptcy in all its dark splendor.