t usually starts with an e-mail forwarded by someone, or a photocopied letter. It warns that the President of the Procter and Gamble company -- one of the world's leading household goods manufacturers -- recently appeared on a nationwide television show and declared that "due to the openness of our society," he was announcing his association with the Church of Satan. The communique ads that a "large portion of his profits from Procter & Gamble goes to support this satanic church."

   The talk show host -- it can be any one of the numerous talking heads from daytime TV -- asks if this startling revelation wouldn't be bad for business. The powerful tycoon replies, "There are not enough Christians in the United States to make a difference." Readers of the "urgent" news are then urged to spread the word, "Inform other Christians about this and STOP buying Procter & Gamble Products (sic.)

   "Let's show Procter & Gamble that there are enough Christians to make a difference..."

   So, the faithful are told to go forth and avoid P & G household product, from Pampers and Sure deodorant to Oil of Olay soap, Tide and even Duncan Hines mixes. While mom is busy driving Satanic products out of the kitchen and bathroom (even Mr. Clean gets a rude boot!) , teenagers are urged to stop using the all essential product Clearasil. Granddad should avoid wearing Attends undergarments, and even in the midst of such turmoil, the Pepto-Bismol pink stuff gets thrown into the rubbish bin as well.

   For Procter & Gamble, the rumors of Satanism now seem to be a part of the marketing wars, almost on the same level as fending off grocery store challenges from competitors' products and advertising. The company has even gone to court, and since 1995 filed two suits against heading distributors of Amway products, charging that the vendors "circulated rumors which falsely and malicious associated P&G and its products with Satan." The firm has also won more than a dozen cases against other individuals who spread the dubious charges.

   "This involves our company's reputation and loss of business," a spokesman declared. "We know consumers around the world have been diverted from buying our products." Indeed, the firm has reported received over 200,000 -- that's two-hundred-thousand -- consumer inquires about its alleged ties with Satanic groups, and the "appearance" of the firm's President on national talk shows. The company even had to change its classic moon-and-stars logo which, charged anonymous pamphlets and e-mails, used "satanic" emblems including the outline of the "666" mark.

   In fact, the classic logo had been used by P&G for over a century, and originated about 1851 as an advertising symbol for Star brand candles. Later, thirteen stars (which some charged could be connected to depict the "666" Mark of the Beast) were added, symbolizing the original American colonies.

   According to folklorist Jan Harold Bruvand ("The Choking Doberman and Other 'New' Urban Legends," Procter & Gamble began to receive complaints in 1980 over the popular logo. Originally, concerned customers wanted to know if P&G was linked to the Unification Church of Rev. Moon. Later, calls and letters pouring into Procter & Gamble were inquiring whether the stars-and-moon symbol involved Satanism. A letter began percolating through fundamentalist and evangelical churches -- often passed on through a succession of obvious photocopies -- claiming that the head of the company had appeared on "The Phil Donahue Show" and revealed his affiliation with Satanic groups.

   Along with trying to end the wave of anonymous letters, Procter & Gamble also had to deal with a number of distributors for the Amway Corporation, a household goods company linked to the DeVos family. President Richard DeVos was an early player in helping to build the modern religious right movement, and starting in the 1970s helped to form groups like the Third Century movement and Christian Citizen, a precursor to Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority. P&G charged that in 1995, "with the push of a button, some of Amway's top distributors used Amway's vast voice mail system" to spread rumors linking Procter & Gamble with Satanism. "We believe Amway and its top people should finally be held accountable for the huge damage they have caused..."

"So, the faithful are told to go forth and avoid P & G household products, from Pampers and Sure deodorant to Oil of Olay soap, Tide and even Duncan Hines mixes. While mom is busy driving Satanic products out of the kitchen and bathroom (even Mr. Clean gets a rude boot!) , teenagers are urged to stop using the all essential product Clearasil. Granddad should avoid wearing Attends undergarments, and even in the midst of such turmoil, the Pepto-Bismol pink stuff gets thrown into the rubbish bin as well."

   In order to combat the spreading "urban legend," the company enlisted the help of various religious figures including Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham, Donald E. Wildmon of American Family Association and the Archbishop of Cincinnati. Phil Donahue announced in 1995: "It seems impossible that the rumor of an appearance by the President of Procter & Gamble on DONAHUE is still circulating after more than a decade. There is absolutely nothing to this rumor." Jerry Falwell declared, "These rumors need to be squelched. Many Christians and non-Christians alike are responsible for continuing to drag the name of Procter & Gamble through the mud and this should stop. I would encourage people everywhere not to participate in spreading these unfortunate rumors." A total of 15 legal suits have been filed so far, six against persons linked to Amway, and all were concluded in favor of Procter & Gamble.

   Even so, the letter charging that links exist between P&G and Satanism are back, thanks to the internet. A new version of the original letter which has circulated for years now charges that the "The President of Procter & gamble (sic) appeared on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show on March 1, 1998. He announced that 'due to the openness of our society,' he was coming out of the closet about his association with the church of Satan." The letter continues charging that the unidentified corporate head "stated that a large portion of his profits" benefits a satanic church, and -- when queried over the consequences -- supposedly responded: "There are not enough Christians in the United States to make a difference..."

   Along with the testimonies and material refuting such claims at the P&G web site (http://www.pg.com) there is a statement from Maurice Tunick, Executive Producer of the Sally Jesse Raphael program. "The president of P&G has never appeared on the Sally Jesse Ralphael Show, nor has any other P&G executive." The letter is dated July 27, 1999, apparently in response to the latest wave of on-line urban legend mongering.

   No evidence is ever presented to substantiate the charges made in the photocopied leaflets or e-mails that any P&G official ever appeared on the specified daytime program. Despite statements by religious leaders including Falwell, the "story" of involvement with Satanism appears to have an incredible immunity to truth. Similar charges have been hurled against the McDonald's hamburger chain, claiming that founder Ray Kroc supposedly appeared on the Donahue show and admitted ties to the Church of Satan. Unlike the P&G official, though, Kroc HAD appeared in May, 1977, but the most controversial revelation was about the company's new Filet o' Fish sandwich. Another elaboration suggests that an executive from the Liz Clairobrn women's' clothing company had appeared on television boasting of satanic allegiances.

   All of these bizarre allegations originated during a period of "satanic panic" in modern American culture. Books, news reports and questionable television documentaries claimed to explore the existence of a so-called "Satan's Underground," a network of devil cults engaged in human sacrifice and other illegal activities. A leading Protestant publication ran an "expose," telling readers that this was "America's best kept secret," and that satanic groups across the country were recruiting lawyers, doctors, policemen and other pillars of the social order. The case of the McMartin Preschool fueled apprehension by parents that children were at risk at the hands of Satan worshippers; among the charges being made (and rarely questions) were claims that up to 50,000 people a year -- many of them youngsters -- were being abducted for purposes of human sacrifice.

   Ironically, many of the features in the "satanic panic" -- kidnapping, sexual perversion, breeding with demons, mutilation of animals -- later appear to have morphed into claims involving alien abductors from outer space. The countenance of His Demonic Majesty was replaced in the popular imagination by bug-eyed aliens who crossed interstellar space in order to mate with human beings and spend free time designing elaborate patterns in farm fields.

   Measured against much of popular culture, though, the allegation that Procter & Gamble is involved in satanic activity may appear to many people as a credible, believeable hypothesis. Claims of religious miracles, anomalous events, paranormal activities and other artifacts of superstition are steady fare in the mass media, and rarely questioned or examined thoroughly from a critical, scientific point of view. A case in point is last week's Fox network presentation "Signs From God: Science Tests Faith." If statues of the Virgin Mary are weeping, if aliens are mating with human beings and leaving crop circles behind in wheat fields, anything becomes possible, even true -- especially in an intellectual environment where people are not encouraged to ask for good evidence.

   In the meantime, Procter & Gamble fights on in an effort to answer its frenzied critics and stop the persistent, inaccurate rumors of satanic activity. It is a daunting task. As noted on the Ship of Fools web site, one minister of a small congregation says that he would not even be satisfied if Procter & Gamble opened its books to conclusively show that it did not contribute money to any Satanic church. "He shrewdly replied that he would not (believe P&G), since 'they could still be sending cash..' "

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