The marvelous genius of Groucho Marx put it this way: "These are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others." And so it is in this year of Presidential candidates with bizarre views and actors who do not want to be out done. America has a marvelous tolerance for the outrageous and the ridiculous and that is good. It is only because of the ridiculous that we can appreciate real knowledge. In the beginning of the 21st Century, as we approach the bicentennial of the birth of two greats of all time, Lincoln and Darwin, both born on the same day, February 12, 1809, we see stark contrasts in the lives off modern headline grabbers. Mr. Romney seems to believe that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri, that a bizarre character Joseph Smith found golde tablets written by God in a language only he could understand: that Jesus came to America and preached to Indians who are actually the Lost Tribes of Israel. Mr. Huckabee seems to be a very nice fellow but thinks Adam and Eve existed, is not sure that the unbaptised such as Jews can get to Heaven, and seems to believe that Noah rounded up two of every kind and survived the flood. No less unusual are the beliefs of Mr. Cruise, a fellow that follows a cult developped about the teachings of a science fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard. Apparently, over lunch Mr. Hubbard and his friend, another science fiction writer LSprague DeCamp decided to invent a new religion seemingly believing they could and that their new cult would find adherents.The new "belief set" early on complete with light bulbs and gadgetry. Early on scientology was explored on all night radio talk shows in New York, such as the Long John Nebel show. In between discussions with Georg Adamski, an entertaining gentleman who claimed he had met and journied with aliens on flying saucers, Mr.Nebel (really the inventor of talk radio), spoke to scientology advocates and entertained with discussions of "clears" and light bulbs, etc. Mr Cruise and other theatrical folk seem to find what they need in this science fiction created cult, and that is certainly their right. Indeed, Mr. Romney is free as any of us are to believe ot not believe as we choose, and if he is happy with the Garden of Eden in Missouri, well, that's just fine. After all, the grand story "Field of Dreams" kept asking if Heaven was in Iowa. Mr. Huckerbee is happy with the Adam and Eve story and with Noah and his flood and seems not to be a Darwinian. All that is quite alright and their business. However, it is their choice to demonstrate that they would be good leaders and capable of understanding complex issues in a complex world. I suggest that because of this, their personal belief systems must be addressed. We live in the 21st Century. All the sciences have made enormous progress. We know Jesus never preached in America and that Indians are not the lost Jewish tribes and that Eden is not in Missouri. We know that there was no universal flood or an ark or a biblical Garden of Eden. In this sense, the candidates for public office differ from Mr. Cruise. His unusual cultish beliefs will not impact public policy, and he will not support of deny support for scientific inquiry. It is important, I suggest, to understand where the office holders stand; Mr. Cruise and the Scientology cult are little more than footnotes to history and more silly than substantive.
