Talk:Xenu/FAQ

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the corresponding page Xenu. They address concerns, questions, and misconceptions which have repeatedly arisen on the talk page. Please update this material when needed.

Not a joke

A number of contributors have asked if the Xenu article is a joke, or if it is a continuation of the satirical material they may have seen on South Park or other sources.

It is not.

This article is an attempt to document the authoring, content, and dissemination of particular religious beliefs. Although it does include some discussion of satires of those beliefs, the article is not a satire or a joke.

Threads discussing this article and satire:

Spoiler warning

Many contributors have asked whether the Xenu article should contain a "spoiler warning" or disclaimer, ostensibly because it gives away the secret of an advanced level of Scientology.

Spoiler warnings on Wikipedia were previously used in articles about fictional works, especially books and movies with "twist endings". The intent of such warnings is to caution readers that the encyclopedia article may give away elements of the plot, and thus spoil their enjoyment if they haven't yet read the book or seen the movie. The use of spoiler warnings is now prohibited. Offline encyclopedias do not use them; rather, they derive from polite practice on Usenet and other online social forums.

Threads discussing spoiler warnings:

Secret teachings, trade secrets, and reliable sources

Some editors have asked how Wikipedia can have an article on a subject that is a secret. The Church of Scientology does not disclose information about Xenu to the public; indeed, most Scientologists have not reached the auditing level containing the Xenu material. At times, the Church has claimed the Xenu material to be a "trade secret", and has sued people who have disseminated it (see Fishman Affidavit).

However, since the widespread publication of information about Xenu, it is no longer a secret. The Xenu material has been widely discussed in both specialist media (such as books about Scientology, and online forums) and general-audience media (such as newspapers, magazines, and television shows). Even under trade-secret law, once a secret has been published, it is no longer protected.

It is true that there are not (yet) any publicly-available primary sources discussing Xenu -- that is, original Scientology documents. However, there are today many reliable secondary sources, including sworn court affidavits, redactions of primary sources, and scholarly summaries; and these are more than adequate to provide references for a Wikipedia article.

Threads discussing secrecy and reliable sources: