The Skeptic

Magazine Overview

Title: The Skeptic
Issue: Volume 5, Number 9
Date: December 1991
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics

This issue of The Skeptic, the newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics, offers a critical examination of media coverage of pseudoscience, psychic phenomena, and controversial organizations. The publication features articles that debunk claims, question media portrayals, and provide a skeptical perspective on various topics.

The Third Eye: News and Commentary from the Weird World of the Media

By Pat Reeder

This section critically analyzes the media's embrace of the frivolous and the irresponsible, particularly concerning psychic phenomena. Reeder begins by discussing the movie "The Butcher's Wife," starring Demi Moore, which featured a psychic advisor. He notes the film's poor reception and questions the influence of psychics on other box office disappointments involving Moore and her husband, Bruce Willis.

Reeder then commends several general interest magazines for their investigative work on oddball beliefs. He highlights *Time* magazine's cover story on alternative medicine, which, despite a somewhat credulous approach, did a good job of categorizing fringe treatments and noting the role of physician neglect. *Spy* magazine is praised for its profile of proponents of "nutty physics" and inventors of perpetual motion machines. *Newsweek* and *The New Republic* are recognized for their investigations into the "October Surprise" conspiracy theory, concluding there was no evidence for it, yet Columbia Pictures still bought the screen rights.

The article also discusses Oliver Stone's upcoming movie "JFK," noting that he hired consultants who insisted on their own theories, regardless of evidence. Reeder contrasts this with the need for good scripts in filmmaking, suggesting that media outlets should focus on factual reporting rather than sensationalism.

Psychic Fair at Texas Woman's University

PSEUDOSCIENCE SALES PITCH SPONSORED WITH STUDENT FUNDS

By L. R. Caswell

This report details a "Psychic Fair and Lectures" event held at Texas Woman's University, sponsored by the Student Organizations and Programs (S.O.A.P.) Talks and Topics Committee. The event drew protests from science faculty and religious groups, but was defended as "entertainment." The program included three 30-minute lectures on topics like "History of Palmistry," "Metaphysics for the 90s," and "Synastry: The Astrology of Romance." Each speaker was a self-identified professional offering services, with students able to pay for 15-minute readings. The lectures were poorly attended, and the article notes that many students were coached to be skeptical. The author, Lyman Caswell, is a professor of chemistry.

Update: Aurum Maker Fined by Attorney General

COMPANY ORDERED TO STOP DECEPTIVE ADS FOR GOLD-LACED LOTION

By Mike Sullivan

This article reports that the Texas Attorney General has fined Au Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of "Aurum--The Gold Lotion," $25,000 for deceptive advertising. The lotion, which claimed "almost miraculous" relief from arthritis, was advertised with claims that its inactive gold content provided therapeutic value. The company agreed to stop these deceptive claims and revise its product label to indicate the gold is inactive. Dr. Tim Gorski, NTS technical advisor and chairman of the Greater Dallas/Ft. Worth Area Council Against Health Fraud, is cited as pointing out that the gold content primarily reduces consumers' wallets. The settlement also requires the company to stop referring to the gold content in the lotion.

IRS Current Target of Scientology Media Blitz

Church Files $120 Million Lawsuit

By Mike Sullivan

The Church of Scientology International is conducting a large advertising campaign against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), placing full-page ads in USA Today. This follows a previous campaign against *Time* magazine. The ads promote a $1 "membership fee" for a booklet on becoming an IRS "whistleblower" and suggest abolishing income tax in favor of a flat 16% national sales tax, under the guise of "Citizens for an Alternative Tax System (CATS)." The Church alleges the IRS has waged a 33-year-long war against them, using deceptive practices and violating their First Amendment rights. The IRS maintains that Scientology is a sham religion operating as a business. The article notes that Scientology has a history of using tactics like mail covers and infiltration against its foes, mirroring the accusations made against the IRS.

In related news, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel rejected a proposal to require suicide warnings on prescriptions for the antidepressant drug Prozac, a campaign spearheaded by Scientology and its anti-psychiatry front group, the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights. The panel found no established link between Prozac and increased suicides.

Reader's Digest Next In Line For Cult's Wrath?

This brief section speculates that *Reader's Digest* may be the next target for the Church of Scientology's "public education campaign" after it reprinted Richard Behar's *Time* cover story exposing the cult.

Letters to the Editor

This section includes correspondence from readers. Deborah Boak of Arlington writes to Mike Sullivan, defending the idea of a national sales tax and suggesting that the Scientologists' promotion of it is a constructive use of their energies. Mike Sullivan replies, clarifying that his article aimed to report on the Church's campaign and its points without commenting on the ideas themselves.

Pat Reeder receives responses regarding his comparison of Anita Hill's sexual harassment allegations to UFO abduction claims. David K. Schumacher argues that sexual harassment evidence is plentiful, unlike UFO evidence, and that comparing the two is inappropriate. Gary Eakman concurs, stating that Hill's charges are less extraordinary and thus more believable than UFO claims, and that they should not be held to the same standard of proof. Reeder defends his position, emphasizing that evidence is crucial regardless of the claim's nature and that the legal principle of "innocent until proven guilty" applies to all cases, including that of Clarence Thomas.

Location, New Dates Set For 1992 CSICOP Conference

By Mike Sullivan

This article announces that the Harvey Hotel D/FW in Irving, Texas, has been selected as the site for the 1992 annual conference of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). The dates have been tentatively moved to October 16-18, 1992, to avoid conflict with the presidential elections. The article details the hotel's facilities, including meeting space, accommodations, and dining options, as well as nearby attractions like the State Fair of Texas. It also calls for volunteers and donations to help organize the event.

Up a tree: a skeptical cartoon

By Laura Ainsworth

A three-panel cartoon satirizes the reliance on psychics and sensational media. It depicts a character deciding to call a psychic, undergo past-life regression, and visit a psychic dentist, ultimately concluding by watching the "Weekly World News" on CBS.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of The Skeptic are media criticism, the debunking of pseudoscience and paranormal claims, and the scrutiny of organizations that promote unsubstantiated beliefs. The editorial stance is clearly skeptical, advocating for critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and a cautious approach to claims made in the media and by various groups. The publication actively challenges the uncritical acceptance of psychic phenomena, alternative medicine, and conspiracy theories, while also addressing issues of consumer protection and the integrity of public discourse.