Presenting
Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review

Volume 9, Issue 22 - June 4 2005


2 oldtimers leave Scientology

Reports were posted this week about an American Scientologist of 26 years and an Austrian Scientologist of 28 years leaving the cult.

Arnie Lerma cited text from Creed Pearson, a 26 year Scientologist.

"Regarding Hubbard

'Here is your proof of how much importance he placed on 'our future.' Even today in the Sea Org, parents and children are often separated from each other. Sometimes even husbands and wives are separated as well.

According to my brother, he was told when he joined the Sea Org, that he would be eating his meals with his children and would see them every weekend. This was not the case. In fact, he lived apart from his children in a separate location, and rarely saw them. His daughter, Leah, was married and he could not attend because he was in the 'RPF'. He never even knew she got married until I told him a year later.'

Image and complete story on this page http://www.lermanet.com/creed-pearson/"

Comments posted included:

"This is the most intense learning curve writeup I think I've ever read, of someone ripping their Scientology world of ideas to shreds, and coming out the other side, in so short a period of time!

The links he lists, again show the power of the internet, and the accumulated excellent work of others, how directly it helps get people back out of L. Ron Hubbard's smothering world of ideas, back to reality. ..."

"... So yes, thank you to everyone who has the courage to step out and tell their story and thank you to those who publish them."

There were also reports from Austria about "former Vienna Org ED Wilfried Handl" getting out of Scientology after 28 years and writing a book in German. It was stated an English release was expected later in the year.

"Here is his web-site (not much on it but at least online...)
http://www.mensch-versus-scientology.at/

The title of the book is: "Scientology - Delusion and Reality"

A broad media campaign can be expected."

Message-ID: 7a1i91la2bda0v2jjnkkcul2mi0dp78e7f@4ax.com
Message-ID: 1117350875.077924.176710@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: MPG.1d03a81eba16259e989c78@news.freeserve.net
Message-ID: 429ea23d$0$18317$626a14ce@news.free.fr
Message-ID: 429eab2a@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 1117566793.236811.184910@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com


UK Scientology statistics

Hartley Patterson explained how he came up with a total figure of 1,839 Scientologists in the United Kingdom as follows:

"In the 2001 UK Census Scotland had a separate Census form, and the Scottish Authorities decided not to engage in a detailed analysis of answers to the "What is your religion?" question.

The Scottish Council of the Pagan Federation stomped up the money for an analysis which they obtained in March 2004, and the results can be found at http://www.paganfed.vscotland.org.uk/census.html

So here we go.

Total population: 5,062,011
Did not answer:     278,061
Pagans                1,930
Scientology              58
There is one Org in Scotland, in Edinburgh.

So the total number of adults identifying themselves as Scientologists in the UK in 2001 was 1,781 + 58 = 1,839.

"Android Cat" commented:

"The Edinburgh org isn't a church, of course. It's a 'Hubbard Academy of Personal Independence'. ..."

Message-ID: MPG.1d044afa101f32b0989c7b@news.freeserve.net
Message-ID: 89ad$429a3f95$cf70176c$6399@PRIMUS.CA


Bavaria reports on extremist Scientology

"Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior
2004 Constitutional Protection Report
Development of political extremism in 2004
Scientology Organization
Free Unofficial Translation (FUT) from Lermanet.com

http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/germany/2005_05.htm

[...]

Section 6. Scientology Organization (SO)

1.	On SO history
2.	Ideology & Operations
2.1	SO publications
2.2	Setting up a Scientology society
2.2.1	Government control by Scientology
2.2.2	Introduction of a scientology legal system
2.2.3	Fighting criticism of teachings and practice - aggressive expansion techniques
2.3	SO Activities
2.3.1	Attacks on representatives of the State
2.3.2	Techniques of steering and controlling behavior
2.3.3 	Investigating and combating critics
2.3.4	Scientology's periodical 'free MIND magazin'
2.3.5	SO Activities abroad
2.4	Evaluation of writings and activities
3. 	Organizational and command structure of the SO
3.1 	Worldwide command structure of the SO
3.2	Organization of the SO in Germany
3.2.1	'Church' sector
3.2.2	WISE sector
3.2.3	ABLE sector
3.2.4	Particularly active SO front groups
3.2.4.1	NARCONON
3.2.4.2	Kommission für Verstöße der Psychiatrie gegen Menschenrechte e.V. (KVPM)
3.2.5	Office of Special Affairs (OSA)
4.	SO members
5.	Establishments and miscellaneous SO activities
6.	Administrative Court proceedings
7.	Internet Information and confidential telephone line
[...]

Excerpt:

http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/germany/2005_05.htm#3.2.4.1

3.2.4.1 NARCONON

In 2003 members of the SO in Munich founded a new association 'NARCONON Bayern e.V.' Since that time this association has endeavored to establish a NARCONON Rehabilitation center in Cham county. It got as far as having citizens stage a protest against the plan, which delayed it considerably.

According to the SO, 'Europe's greatest' NARCONON center opened in Tyrol, Austria.

The SO recommends the following for the founding of a NARCONON establishment:

'Anyone interested in opening a NARCONON center based on the technology of L. Ron Hubbard as a pioneer should first contact a representative of NARCONON International or the nearest NARCONON center, which will help him. NARCONON International will then provide the advice, direction and materials needed for a start.' (cited from 'Was ist Scientology?', page 514)

Those who undergo a 'NARCONON' withdrawal participate in 'training routines,' among other things, which is also part of the training program used by the 'church' to prepare auditors. Another part of the course is a 'Purification Rundown,' which in the 'church' needs to be completed before auditing begins.

A representative from NARCONON has been convicted in Germany for violating the law on medical practice. It was found at the time that neither the chairman of the 'NARCONON-Schliersee' association nor the person conducting the treatment were competent or qualified."

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Criminon in California prison system

Posted from the Los Angeles Times at [long link]

"Scientologists Reach Behind Bars

Eschewing psychiatry and antipsychotic drugs, secular arm of church offers rehab. Some corrections officials have promoted its use.

By Dan Morain, Times Staff Writer
May 29, 2005

SACRAMENTO — Hundreds of inmates at one of California's highest-security prisons, where a fourth are mentally ill and most are serving time for violent crimes, have participated in a rehabilitation program affiliated with the Church of Scientology, which rejects traditional mental health care.

The rehab program is offered at Corcoran State Prison by Criminon International, a secular arm of Scientology, a fierce opponent of psychiatry and antipsychotic drugs given to mentally ill prisoners to regulate their impulses and behavior. California prisons are under a federal court order to provide all necessary treatment, including medication and therapy, for mentally ill inmates.

Experts both in and outside the prison system say Criminon's presence could undermine the ability of licensed clinicians to treat mentally ill inmates. They and others worry that if inmates reject therapy, they could pose a danger to themselves or others.

Authorities at corrections headquarters said they have no evidence that has occurred. Those officials also said, as Corcoran officials initially did, that they were unaware of Criminon's presence at that prison or other lockups. Most said they knew little or nothing about Criminon.

But corrections department memos, along with other documents and interviews, show those officials do have some familiarity with the organization, and some have promoted its use.

It is unclear how Criminon's program, which is voluntary and conducted by correspondence, began at Corcoran or other prisons. But a Criminon document obtained from Corcoran states that the program has been operating there for at least 15 years. It appears to have spread by word of mouth among inmates, with help from some prison employees.

Prison officials, responding to questions from The Times and the concerns of some employees, in recent days have begun examining the use of Criminon's courses at Corcoran. 'We are currently reviewing all staff actions related to Criminon,' said corrections spokesman Todd Slosek.

The inquiry comes as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration embarks on a major reorganization of the $6.5-billiona-year youth and adult correctional system.

[...]

Some observers say there is no difference between the church and its secular arms. 'They're trying to draw a fine line,' said former Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, who sponsored Proposition 63 last year to increase funding for mental health services outside prisons. Scientology was the most vociferous foe of the measure, which passed.

'The bottom line,' Steinberg said, 'is that all of their programs fall under the umbrella of Scientology, and Scientology's views on mental health treatment are well-known.' An opening Criminon course for inmates is based on a Hubbard booklet called 'The Way to Happiness' and includes 21 sections, followed by questions.

[...]

One Criminon instruction manual obtained from Corcoran prison says:

'If [inmates] are on psychiatric drugs, encourage them to get off. Psychiatrists are heavily into the prison system. Most jails and prisons have a staff psychiatrist that goes in daily and gives dosages of various and sundry mind-altering drugs to the inmates. Most of the time this is a ploy to keep the inmates sedated so that they don't cause trouble.'

Manual Called Outdated

Criminon executives said in interviews that the manual, which was kept at the prison's administrative offices, was outdated.

A different manual provided by Criminon leaders last week makes only a passing reference to psychiatry, saying a reason inmates may seem angry is that 'some of them are on psychiatric drugs and have strange side effects as a result.'

[...]

A prison official involved in mental health care issues in the corrections system, who requested anonymity for fear of being fired, said Criminon's beliefs seem to be 'completely at odds with the accepted standards of care for mentally ill people.'

'Our treatment is based on research and empirical data,' the official said. 'It is subjected to the rigors of the scientific standard. Theirs is not…. The more that is being uncovered, the more disturbing it is, and the more extensive it seems to be. People didn't bother to check.'

[...]

Scientology's goal, said professor Stephen Kent, a University of Alberta sociologist who studies the group, 'is to destroy psychiatry and replace it with Scientology's own treatments. Criminon is simply one of many Scientology organizations that hope to see this goal realized.'

[...]

Program Is Unstudied

Criminologists say there are no generally accepted academic studies showing whether Criminon's techniques work. Five leading academic experts on recidivism said they had not heard of Criminon or knew little about it and were not aware of any academic studies of it.

'I have never seen any studies on its effectiveness,' said professor Edward Latessa, head of the criminal justice division at the University of Cincinnati.

..."

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Scientologist Slatkin associate sentenced

The Monterey Herald reported that a former bookkeeper for Scientologist Reed Slatkin was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

"Posted on Tue, May. 31, 2005
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - A former bookkeeper for EarthLink co-founder Reed Slatkin was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in federal prison for obstructing a federal fraud probe that resulted in Slatkin being sentenced to 14 years in prison. Jean Janu, 56, pleaded guilty last year and a judge said Tuesday that she should have known investors' money was at risk. Authorities said Janu created bogus account statements in support of a Ponzi scheme concocted by Slatkin that bilked some 800 investors out of nearly $600 million. The investment scam did not involve EarthLink.

[...]

Slatkin was sentenced to 14 years in prison and ordered to pay $240 million in restitution."

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/11783430.htm

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OT News

Messages from the Chicago OTs posted included the Weekly Activity Report for 05-24-2005, and a blurb on how to spot suppression,

" ... Upward trends are what we expect in Chicago, and there is only one stat that is stubbornly stuck - our number of Actives. There is a simple handling for that stat. Everyone who is reading this email should simply be active and remember to report. ..."

The summarized weekly statistics:

  1. Number of books sold to raw public. 7
  2. People who rec'd some LRH Tech application: 365
  3. Arrivals to (including self) Upper Orgs, Orgs, Missions, and Field Groups for auditing, training or raw public service: 15
  4. Volunteer hours on Chicago Org Projects - CF, Building Fund, or Bookselling: 76.5
  5. Volunteer hours - OTC, VM, Criminon, Narconon, WISE, ABLE, CCHR, or LRH PR activities: 76
  6. Funds Raised for Chicago Ideal Org: $5,500.00
  7. Active OTC Members: 37
  8. WINS: "... On Friday I gave my wife assists at 5:30am so that she could go to work without pain. ..."
Another dated May 31, 2005 from the Freewinds advertised a public speaking course for Scientologists:

"... Aboard the Freewinds

26 - 30 June, 2005

You will drilled personally by the CO FSSO on public speaking and will learn the tech of delivering seminars:

This convention covers the basics of ethics presence and getting a dedicated glare into all Scientologist's eyes by using the tech of ethics and the knowledge of groups from LRH. You will also learn public speaking and how to address large groups of people and get them to change their necessity level and get into action now. ..."

A survey from May 31, 2005 asked Scientologists if they owned a DVD player and what type of TV screens they used, among other things.

Message-ID: 4299e8bf$1@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 429db638$1@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 429db611$1@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 429db668$1@news2.lightlink.com


Bringing Scientology to Black America

An invitation from I.M. Chait Gallery in Beverly Hills from June 1, 2005 was posted:

"COTTON CLUB COMES TO BEVERLY HILLS!

Come celebrate and support the Ingelwood Forming Org.

[...]

Attire: Casino/Evening wear

Featuring celebrities, music, raffles,Blackjack, Texas Hold'em Poker, and more!

$25 Donation

Purpose: Bringing Scientology to Black America."

Message-ID: XXYJOVU538504.6175@anonymous.poster


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A.r.s. Week in Review is put together for your benefit. This collection is organised for WWW by Andreas Heldal-Lund. Only edits done by me is replacing word encapsuled in * or _ with bold and underscore, and made links into HTML.


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