When the entries for the 2000 LMT Literati Contest began to come in, the judges were extraordinarily pleased at the quality and depth of insight into Scientology that the essays revealed. In the ensuing months, it has become clear that a worldwide audience has appreciated these essays to a degree that makes this annual contest so important as a forum for understanding the Scientology problem more broadly.

At this point, the essays of the 2000 LMT Literati Contest have achieved a certain digital immortality. The five winners -- Chris Owen, Caroline Letkeman, "Peter Smith", Zoe Woodcraft, as well as the Cartesian Award Winner, Erik Snead -- have had their essays downloaded by at least 1,002 people per month on average for the first three months of this year. This is an impressive number of people who have been interested enough in understanding Scientology to read these thought-provoking and extremely well-written essays.

To provide even greater exposure for these educational papers, we are reposting them on ARS concurrently with this message. They can also be found on our site at http://www.lisatrust.net/literaticontest/contest2000/winners2000.html. I would be remiss if I did not also point out the outstanding essays from the 1999 Literati contest winners Joe Cisar, Scott Mayer and Arnie Lerma that can be found at http://www.lisatrust.net/literaticontest/contestmenu.html.

Bob Minton