Article in today's Star Advertiser on Tulsi's Guru's media crtiticism.

[mahina]

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/01/27/hawaii-news/butler-and-his-organization-criticize-the-press-decline-interviews/?HSA=72bb47cbf37cb9fee9ab9c8a2ca401668c4b4615
Sophie Cocke
Jan 27, 2019

“When the Honolulu Star-Advertiser began reporting on a story about Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and the Science of Identity Foundation, a religious organization founded by a local spiritual leader named Chris Butler, the organization began aggressively arguing that the newspaper was using religion as a “political weapon” and was fomenting religious bigotry.

The Science of Identity Foundation has been of interest to the Star-Advertiser, in part, because its adherents have had a history of entering politics and the newspaper is exploring what influence Butler may have on their political views — in particular views relating to LGBT issues.

Political analysts have also argued that, fair or not, the Science of Identity Foundation could prove a political liability for Gabbard as she embarks on a campaign for president. People who say they are former adherents of the Science of Identity Foundation have made a litany of allegations against the organization that have at times been picked up by the press. The organization has vehemently denied those allegations.

The Star-Advertiser sought to explore those issues further. In response, Butler and the Science of Identity Foundation hired a Beverly Hills, Calif., attorney who threatened to sue the newspaper. Their primary focus was on ensuring the Star-Advertiser didn’t publish allegations from people who say they were former practitioners of the religion, including two who told the newspaper they grew up listening to Butler’s lectures. The “false allegations” under consideration by the newspaper “paint our clients as charlatans and hypocrites,” said attorney Anthony Glassman, in a letter to the Star-Advertiser. He said that if published it “will severely damage SIF’s and Mr. Butler’s well-­deserved reputation in their community, as religious, spiritual and moral guides (and Ms. Butler’s reputation as a yoga instructor.)”

More at the link. Of note, every time I come back to this url I see an ad from the subject above the article’s headline.

Interesting read. It’s tough to discern what is true from what is not. I’m thankful for reporters willing to do the work.