Holy Cow

Left: Scientology's Mission in San Francisco's North Beach

Apparently, the powers that be at Scientology San Francisco understand that politics is the real show business in this town. Word comes from Matier & Ross that Mayor Newsom is dating a Scientologist. Angela Alioto, whose law offices are located next to Scientology’s main offices in the city, introduced that Scientologist to the Mayor. I suppose that would be alarming to any rational person, given that Scientology has a history of using famous people, primarily in show business, to promote its agenda, and that agenda has been judged by reliable people to be questionable. It might be even more alarming if one remembered reading an item in Leah Garchik’s column last summer:

Right: Newsom has dated a wide variety of celebrities in order to cultivate an image of emotional maturity

“The winner of the Ladies of Disaster Lunch that was auctioned at a fund- raiser last spring for Yick Wo Elementary School was lawyer George Shieman, who bid more than $700. On Friday, Office of Emergency Services Chief Annemarie Conroy, Police Chief Heather Fong, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White and District Attorney Kamala Harris went to the North Beach Restaurant with Shieman and some pals, who arrived with literature from the Church of Scientology. Shieman talked about some of the church's programs, invited the four to Scientology facilities and gave out materials at the end. Auction organizer Pia Hinckle described the women as "shanghaied ... for close to two hours'' while their host tried "to bring them to the light of Scientology.'' But Hayes-White, with whom I spoke on Friday evening, said it had been a "very interesting lunch'' and that Shieman and his friends "weren't trying to convert us.'' She said they asked many questions about their careers and seemed particularly interested in Harris' and Conroy's forays into politics. As to the tour of the Scientologist facility, Hayes-White she said she "might do it. I'm an inquisitive person.'' She said she wasn't so much interested in the program, but "I love to go into buildings and look at the fire safety aspects.'' Shieman also placed a winning bid of $1,000 for a tour of City Hall with Mayor Newsom.”

Left: Jim Jones accepts appointment to the Housing Authority Commission in 1977

While there may indeed be cause for concern, we would submit that Scientology by itself is not necessarily the vector of that concern. The real problem is that San Francisco is no stranger to the occasional emergence of crackpot religions as political players. Certainly we all remember the Burton Machine’s dalliances with the People’s Temple.

Or the fact that a number of city political luminaries – including a former police commissioner and a former redevelopment agency official – are involved with Soka Gakkai, an offshoot of Nichiren Bhuddism which has been accused in the past of having cult-like emotional and financial control over its followers, and whose increasing political power in Japan has undermined the legitimacy of a political establishment which has reigned supreme for half a century.

And, lest we forget, let us ask now: What the fuck is Amos Brown doing playing with the Moonies? Please? Somebody?

Right: Clint Reilly, Janet Reilly, and Cassock-wearing Pedophile Shield Wiliam Levada, pretending to be comfortable

But then, who are we to point the finger at these oddities? Yes, Scientology is a bizarre, power-hungry religion, which bilks millions from its followers only to reveal to them that their bad karma comes from outer space. Yes, Soka Gakkai is a bizarre, power-hungry religion, which bilks millions from its followers only to reveal to them that if they chant long and hard enough they’ll stop worrying about all the money they’ve lost. As for the Moonies, we won’t even go there. But can we even go to the enormous and real influence over politics and culture waged by the Catholic Church in San Francisco? Are Clint Reilly’s Little Black Room and his direct line to the Vatican really any less strange than Willie Brown marshalling the People’s Temple as an army of precinct captains? You tell me.

What is it about this place? You would think that as a community, we would have outgrown the self-absorbed “spiritual exploration” phase by now, especially after the particularly bad trip we went through in the 70’s.


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