COMBATING BIGOTRY & HATE | FEBRUARY 5, 2017

When Media Crosses the Line and Feeds the Flames of Religious Bigotry

When major media becomes unfair, unjust and dishonest it threatens the bedrock of our society that depends on an honest evaluation and understanding of key issues of our times. Just such a biased and unfair film ran on a cable network last year about Scientology.

I personally found this so-called documentary extremely disturbing because it presented “as fact” a fabrication that bore little resemblance to the Scientology I know and have practiced for 46 years. And little wonder, when the director relied for his “facts” on anti-Scientologists with biased agenda to attack the religion.

When the media gives credibility to bigoted propaganda, it crosses the line by perpetuating untruthful and sensationalist bigotry and discrimination against organizations or individuals.

I have been the editor-in-chief of a national education magazine, and I demanded that my writers and editors based their articles on facts and not on the opinions of patently biased individuals. The producers of this film have failed in their responsibility to the public by their lack of due diligence.

I have personally experienced the prejudice that comes from bigotry and an unwillingness to observe the truth for oneself, and not rely on the opinions and hearsay of others.

Had the director of that show contacted me to present my viewpoints for this film, I could have written pages and pages of successes in my own life and the lives of others I have helped across the globe by applying Scientology principles and methodologies. But then again, that would not have fit their bigoted agenda.

I have personally experienced the prejudice that comes from bigotry and an unwillingness to observe the truth for oneself, and not rely on the opinions and hearsay of others. I have been married for over 40 years to a fantastic woman; I am white and Jewish, she is African-American. My father never spoke to me again from the day I got married—only because my wife is African-American. He never met her, never personally observed her kindness, her beauty, her love for me. He totally shut me out of his life and missed the opportunity to know his oldest grandchild because he refused to observe the truth for himself.

I have seen what happens when bias and hate clouds the truth and stokes the fire of bigotry. Freedom of speech is one thing, but giving a venue to hate and bigotry is irresponsible and inexcusable.

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AUTHOR

Bernard Percy

Author, educator, international lecturer, proud dad of three adult daughters, husband (for 45 years), and a Scientologist (since 1968). He has had eight books published on education and family relationships; he was a New York City elementary school teacher for 12 years and he has a master's degree in childhood education from Columbia University.

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