Presenting
Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review

Volume 9, Issue 26 - July 2 2005


No "Brainwashing Cult" in news media

Magoo, a critical posters who has been interviewed repeatedly in the media, commented on one of her experiences:

"Recently I did an interview with a TV station. We'll see if they air it or not, but I have to say, it was a true learning experience.

First off, their attorneys DO rule the news.

It was amazing being interviewed, and having the 'journalist' ask the same question, over and over, until she got THE answer she wanted, or thought she wanted.

In some cases I know she didn't, as I knew what they were shooting for wasn't true, and I wasn't willing to slip into their lies, any more than I was willing to continue with Scientology's phony crap. (Hi Gavino! Hi Lynn Farney! Hey Bill.........this Celeb stuff is REALLY workin', isn't it?)

One of their big concerns was the usage of the word 'Cult': Not Ok. (Did Scientology get to them?)

Secondly, no usage of 'Brain washing'............too close to legal.

Interesting, eh?

I found it quite amazing.

All I can say is this: I ~love~ the true journalists who still do THEIR own stories, say what they want, and what the people they're interviewing have to say. My congratulations to each of you!

To those who have sold out to the Corporate Media...frankly, my sympathies. In my opinion, you're in a very similar show as Scientology:Different words, similar melody.

My best to those who care, and have the guts to speak their mind, or ask the honest questions that tell the REAL stories! :)

Thank the Critics for the Internet!!!"

Message-ID: 42ba57f2$1@news2.lightlink.com


Xenu story spreading fast

"Praxis" posted that news about Xenu was spreading fast and gave sample Google News results that included:

"Mystery Scientology Theater
DisInfo.com, NY - 1 hour ago
... clusters of 'body thetans,' or spirits, of aliens who died 75 million years ago in an intergalactic purge of overpopulated planets by the evil overlord Xenu. ...

Tom Cruise believes in aliens
Teentoday.co.uk, UK - 1 hour ago
... The Church's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, claimed extra terrestrial beings were sent to planet Earth by intergalactic ruler Xenu, who then blew up the aliens with ...

A smash hit Leguizamo
New York Daily News, NY - 8 hours ago
... According to the doctrine concocted by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard, intergalactic ruler Xenu banished a host of living beings to Earth (then called Teegeeack ...

[...]"

(For anyone who has not yet heard of Xenu: "Scientologists believe that most human problems can be traced to lingering spirits of an extraterrestrial people massacred by their ruler, Xenu, over 75 million years ago. These spirits attach themselves by 'clusters' to individuals in the contemporary world, causing spiritual harm and negatively influencing the lives of their hosts" -- Judge Leonie Brinkema 4 Oct 96 Memorandum Opinion)

Dave Touretzky covered Xenu, space aliens and Scientology on the Glenn Beck Show on Friday, July 1, 2005 at 11:00 AM EST.
(http://glennbeck.com)

In a follow-up post to the above announcement, Touretzky posted:

"What's up with Sylvia Stannard, the DSA of FCDC? That means she's the Director of Special Affairs (chief creep) at the Church of Scientology of Washington DC.

While Scientology's national spokesclam Ed Parkin is denying all knowledge of Xenu, Sylvia is fessing up, saying 'that's only a small part of our belief system'. Whuh??????

I was on the Glenn Beck Show with her this morning, and although she tried her best to evade his questions, Glenn got her to admit that she believes the Xenu story is true. (But she still managed not to utter the word 'Xenu'.)

Sylvia couldn't wriggle out of this becaus I made sure Glenn had read OT III for himself before we got on the air. On Wednesday, doing promo for today's show, he cited the Wikipedia article on 'Xenu'. ..."

In the same show, Touretzky also took issue with a statement Scientology celebrity Tom Cruise made about psychiatry in an interview:

"My claim was that when Tom said he knew the 'history' of psychiatry, he was talking about the whole track history: that psychiatry was invented billions of years ago by evil space aliens, as related in numerous Hubbard lectures.

Sylvia appeared to be saying that Tom was only referring to the history of psychiatry on THIS planet, starting mid-19th century. ..."

"Cultxpt" responded by posting a number of quotes from L. Ron Hubbard from http://www.lisamcpherson.org/cchr.htm, which included:

"But now, if you really want to make one worse, I'm afraid that you have to go in for mechanical assists... The best one I know is to take a sheet of glass and put it in front of the preclear -- clear, very clear glass -- which is supercooled, preferably about a -100 centigrade. You got that? Supercooled, you know? And then put the preclear right in front of this supercooled sheet of glass and suddenly shove his face into the glass. Now, that's pretty good. I mean, that was developed about five billion years ago by a whole-track psychiatrist.
[...]
'The mechanism of brainwashing which I gave you... was used very extensively in the Maw Confederation of the Sixty-third Galaxy. They had a total psychiatric control of all of their officers and executives, and when they got tired of them they used this specific method of brainwashing.'
-- L. Ron Hubbard taped lecture of 13 November 1956, 'Aberration and The Sixth Dynamic', catalog #5611C13 15ACC-22

'Under the false data of the psychs (who have been on the track a long time and are the sole cause of decline in this universe) both pain and sex are gaining ground in this society and, coupled with robbery which is a hooded companion of both, may very soon make the land a true jungle of crime.'
[...]
'Psychs... destroyed every great civilization to date and are hard at work on this one.
-- HCOB 26 Aug. 1982 'Pain and Sex'"

Message-ID: 1120150505.147725.135980@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: mbjrb1pluf1biod5gbeg64b28l76lm4ki1@4ax.com
Message-ID: 42c5559f$1@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 42c59d4b$1@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 42c62547@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 1120278454.876668.163010@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com


Cult vs. Psychiatry

Fallout from Scientology celebrity Tom Cruise's war on psychiatry continued.

From the New York Post, http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/49008.htm, "Get over yourself" (Tom Cruise/Oprah Winfrey) by Linda Stasi

"June 27, 2005 -- TOM Cruise and Oprah Winfrey should really find better uses for their TV bully pulpits than as venues to whine--about themselves. What the heck planet are they on anyway? Oh wait, in Cruise's case, it's better not to ask.

[...]

Unless you were in a space ship last week, you know the best pals made big news: Oprah for not being allowed to shop after Hermes in Paris had closed and Cruise for berating Matt Lauer on 'Today' for 'not knowing' the history psychiatry, which he called a 'pseudo-science.'

He made a complete ass of himself reiterating his silly attack on Brooke Shields, proclaiming that there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance in the body, hence no need for her to take anti-depressants.

Excuse me? He's not a woman nor ever even been married to a woman who's had his babies--and for sure has never had pre- menstrual symptoms that cause our hormones to go as wacky as a Scientologist outer space convention.

If I want answers to an actual medical issue--or about life for that matter--trust me, I'm not going to an actor who can't stay married, and whose religion was invented by a sci-fi writer with a bad dye job.

So how do I justify my wild-eyed remarks if I have never been a Scientologist myself? I'm glad you asked.

I may not be a Scientologist, but I have been threatened by members for writing about it. Until it was stopped legally.

[...]

Thinking, acting, be lieving that you're smarter, better, more equal than the rest of us, and using TV to push your agenda isn't going to fly with fans.

Tom and Oprah should both think about hopping the next flight back down to earth--where the fans who made them celebrities in the first place still dwell."

--

Posted June 28 from MSNBC, http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8133773/:

"A group billing itself as a 'psychiatric watchdog' is backing up Tom Cruise's controversial comments to Matt Lauer about psychiatry and psychiatric drugs. Oh, and by the way, the 'watchdog' group was formed by the Church of Scientology.

On a recent 'Today Show' appearance, the 'War of the Worlds' star angrily blasted the use of drugs such as Ritalin, and told Lauer that there's no such thing as a chemical imbalance that leads to maladies such as depression.

On Monday, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights issued a statement saying that the high-profile Scientologist was right on with his diagnosis.

[...]

'This looks like a very carefully orchestrated PR campaign,' says a source - and he wasn't referring to the push for the film. 'Tom Cruise seems to be proselytizing his church's positions.'"

--

Posted from a Newsday article of July 1, 2005 by Jeff Linkous, Associated Press Writer,
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--codey-cruise0701jul01,0,7986342.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey
New Jersey's acting governor "Codey rips Cruise over comments on antidepression drugs":

"TRENTON, N.J. -- Actress Brooke Shields has an ally in her war of words with Tom Cruise over her use of drugs to treat postpartum depression: New Jersey's acting governor, Richard J. Codey.

'Tom Cruise knows as much about postpartum depression as I do about acting, and he should stick to acting and not talk about women who need help,' said Codey. Codey's wife, Mary Jo, struggled with the illness and has campaigned to raise awareness about depression.

[...]

A kindergarten teacher, Mary Jo Codey, 49, has openly discussed her struggles with postpartum depression, speaking about the ordeal that started with her being diagnosed with clinical depression 28 years ago.

During a public appearance last fall, Mary Jo Codey told of driving to a pharmacy four towns away from her home to fill a prescription for antidepressants. She said she 'wore dark sunglasses and prayed really hard to God that no one would see me.'

In May, she lobbied lawmakers on Capitol Hill to support legislation aimed at helping women who suffer from postpartum depression."

--

"Psychiatrists condemn Cruise mental health remarks" from http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050627/325/fm4rq.html was cited in a post:

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The American Psychiatric Association on Monday sharply criticised actor Tom Cruise for televised remarks in which he called psychiatry a 'pseudo science' and disputed the value of antidepressant drugs.

'It is irresponsible for Mr. Cruise to use his movie publicity tour to promote his own ideological views and deter people with mental illness from getting the care they need,' APA President Dr. Steven Sharfstein said in a statement. ..."

--

On July 2, "Magoo" had comments on her personal experiences about advice from Scientology personnel about taking needed medication:

"Scientology, Medication and My Life While 'In', On Medication

[...]

While I was a member of the organization known as 'The Church of Scientology', I was told I had to get off the much needed medications I was to take to control Epilepsy.

Being a true believer, I dove right in, following just as Tom says.

Yes, I was put on intense programs of vitamins. I was told these vitamins were all I needed to 'Handle' Epilepsy, that really it was just a lack of magnesium. Adel Davis was the source both Hubbard used, and numerous Scientologists trying to tell me what I needed, and didn't need. Please let me make this perfectly Clear: NONE of these people, just as Tom Cruise is not trained medically, none of the people telling me I must get off the medications my Doctor prescribed were medically trained.

Sadly, their programs didn't work AT ALL. I began having seizure after Grand Mal Seizure within the 'Churches' of Scientology. What happened then? Well, first they'd take care of me briefly, but then, always, it came back to me. Who was I connected to that I was having seizures? Scientology believes one must be connected to someone evil, if they're sick in any way. Also, it was implied there was something VERY wrong with me, and very bad. I must handle it with their counseling, which I struggled with for really 30 years.

Granted, one might read it and ask, 'What is wrong with you, that you would follow such a program?' That's an excellent question, and all I can say is Scientology is like an extremely slow train of mind control. Once on, and believing Hubbard actually had THE answers, one tends to turn off things that are not right. A perfect example is Tom Cruise. Tom is now at almost the top level of Scientology. He's supposed to have near supernatural powers. However, in the basic Creed of a Scientologist it says, 'Man has the inalienable right to free speech, free thought'. However, Tom Cruise is not allowed to speak with me. Ok, he *could* .however, on the mind control train, one is trained not to ever speak with 'Suppressives', as they are truly so evil, they could harm you. ..."

--

"War of Words" by Brooke Shields in the New York Times of July 1, 2005 was cited from
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/01/opinion/01shields.html

"I WAS hoping it wouldn't come to this, but after Tom Cruise's interview with Matt Lauer on the NBC show 'Today' last week, I feel compelled to speak not just for myself but also for the hundreds of thousands of women who have suffered from postpartum depression. While Mr. Cruise says that Mr. Lauer and I do not 'understand the history of psychiatry,' I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Mr. Cruise has never suffered from postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression is caused by the hormonal shifts that occur after childbirth. During pregnancy, a woman's level of estrogen and progesterone greatly increases; then, in the first 24 hours after childbirth, the amount of these hormones rapidly drops to normal, nonpregnant levels. This change in hormone levels can lead to reactions that range from restlessness and irritability to feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

I never thought I would have postpartum depression. After two years of trying to conceive and several attempts at in vitro fertilization, I thought I would be overjoyed when my daughter, Rowan Francis, was born in the spring of 2003. But instead I felt completely overwhelmed. This baby was a stranger to me. I didn't know what to do with her. I didn't feel at all joyful. I attributed feelings of doom to simple fatigue and figured that they would eventually go away. But they didn't; in fact, they got worse.

I couldn't bear the sound of Rowan crying, and I dreaded the moments my husband would bring her to me. I wanted her to disappear. I wanted to disappear. At my lowest points, I thought of swallowing a bottle of pills or jumping out the window of my apartment.

I couldn't believe it when my doctor told me that I was suffering from postpartum depression and gave me a prescription for the antidepressant Paxil. I wasn't thrilled to be taking drugs. In fact, I prematurely stopped taking them and had a relapse that almost led me to drive my car into a wall with Rowan in the backseat. But the drugs, along with weekly therapy sessions, are what saved me - and my family.

Since writing about my experiences with the disease, I have been approached by many women who have told me their stories and thanked me for opening up about a topic that is often not discussed because of fear, shame or lack of support and information. Experts estimate that one in 10 women suffer, usually in silence, with this treatable disease. We are living in an era of so-called family values, yet because almost all of the postnatal focus is on the baby, mothers are overlooked and left behind to endure what can be very dark times.

And comments like those made by Tom Cruise are a disservice to mothers everywhere. To suggest that I was wrong to take drugs to deal with my depression, and that instead I should have taken vitamins and exercised shows an utter lack of understanding about postpartum depression and childbirth in general.

If any good can come of Mr. Cruise's ridiculous rant, let's hope that it gives much-needed attention to a serious disease. Perhaps now is the time to call on doctors, particularly obstetricians and pediatricians, to screen for postpartum depression. After all, during the first three months after childbirth, you see a pediatrician at least three times. While pediatricians are trained to take care of children, it would make sense for them to talk with new mothers, ask questions and inform them of the symptoms and treatment should they show signs of postpartum depression.

[...]

So, there you have it. It's not the history of psychiatry, but it is my history, personal and real.

Brooke Shields, the author of 'Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression,' is starring in the musical 'Chicago' in London"

--

Message-ID: 9g10c1pv9cjdh49it0r7p5imqleegqkgcb@4ax.com
Message-ID: 1119947268.497323.33240@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: oyoxe.2098$4m3.692@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com
Message-ID: 1119943022.731248.293970@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: 42c63d10$1@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 1120228967.535043.294480@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com


Critics in the media

On June 28, Mark Bunker posted:

"Here's Gerry's radio appearance from yesterday:

http://www.xenutv.com/radio/gerry-062705.htm"

On June 28, Andreas Heldal-Lund posted:

"Another storm of visitors after Howard Stern mentioned Operation Clambake on his show this morning. Haven't heard it myself, just been reported."

"Batchild (Sue M.)" posted a recap of the Operation Clambake mention:

Howard said there was a phone caller claiming to be a Thetan 7 from Scientology. Howard asked if the guy really was a Thetan 7. The caller said yes he was, but Howard said there's probably not really any way you could test him to see if he was lying or not. Howard said that Tom Cruise was a Thetan 4. Robin Quivers asked how the caller made it to Thetan 7. The caller asked, 'Who, me? Hey, am I really on your show?' and Howard said yes. The caller said he thought it would be impossible to get through and Robin said, 'For a Thetan 7? No way!'. The caller said that when you talk to a Scieno you have to ask them the right questions, like where they are on the Grade Chart, where they've gone up the Bridge and if they've exteriorized, which is when you leave your body. The caller said that's one of the biggest things for the upper level Scienos, leaving your body. Robin asked if Tom Cruise could leave his body and the caller said that he didn't know what part of the Bridge Tom has done or how much auditing he's gotten so he wasn't sure. Howard didn't think Tom has left his body and the caller agreed that nobody can.

[...]"

--

On June 25, 2005, Mark Bunker posted:

"Here is Andreas' radio appearance from a couple of days ago:

http://www.xenutv.com/radio/andreas-062305.htm

Enjoy."

David Rice commented:

"Nineteen megabytes, but worth it."

--

On June 30, 2005, "Ball of Fluff" summarized her interview on the Carl Wiglesworth Show, KAHL Radio, San Antonio

"They are not on line and do not have apparatus to make a transcript yet. So I took notes and wrote up what was discussed. Here it is.

Carl Wiglesworth started things out by describing me as an ex Scn'ist. So I then indicated I was still a practicing Scn'ist and that I'd practice til I got it right. So he said he knew I had disagreements with CofS and I said yes, and I mentioned being expelled a year after walking away simply for posting to a public forum, so he asked me how would I practice Scn outside CofS?

I said there're non CofS practitioners and sometimes I go to one of them but also there're things one can practice in life. Once you have a concept, you have it.

He asked like what, and I gave example of ARC triangle.

He also intro'd me as being a former auditor, and isn't that someone who takes new people to Clear? And I said 'Well, the clearing course is the clearing course' (not wanting to get into Dn Clears, natural Clears, etc) 'but there are many types of auditing for different things. Intro level, intermediate, etc'.

I also indicated I was a 'heretic'. I said that a couple times during the interview.

So then he asked about it being a religion. I told him that in my opinion 'Applied religious philosophy' was a better moniker as it's a philosophy meant to be applied and deals with spirituality but I'm not picturing it at this point as being an out and out RELIGION.

I said that I thought that Scn sometimes tries to be too many things to too many people and that has caused critics to ask 'is it a floor wax or a dessert topping?'

[...]

Anyway, Cathy [from the Scientology organization in Austin, Texas] emphasized CofS' stated stance on just wanting to get rid of overmedication, psychiatric abuses, and then when it was my turn to speak, I commented that David Miscavige, the head of CofS, stated his aim to get rid of psychiatry completely by 1995 and that this date was later moved up to 98 or 2000. Carl was incredulous and pointed out that this date has come and gone. He was laughing a bit.

No response from Cathy.

[...]

So that was how it went. It was supposed to take about 25 minutes but it went about 40 minutes."

Message-ID: U4owe.10287$ro.7715@fed1read02
Message-ID: qpv2c19m6ns9pdrtegi430fd59ju3i2d4i@4ax.com
Message-ID: 1094c15ead0aar0kn8qsunohrrshvreboa@4ax.com
Message-ID: BPave.961$ro.303@fed1read02
Message-ID: 42bd9895@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: 1120159784.747359.214410@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com


Cult vs. Media

On June 27, Mark Bunker posted from a Paul Krassner blog aout a lawsuit Scientology launched against him for a satirical article back in 1971:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/paul-krassner/tom-cruise-scientology-a_3217.html

"Tom Cruise, Scientology and Me

Tom Cruise may consider himself educated about the negative aspects of psychiatry, but I suspect he doesn't know good old Jack Shit about the dark side of Scientology, the source of that education.

In 1971, I announced in an ad the features that would be included in the 13th anniversary issue of The Realist. Among them was 'The Rise of Sirhan Sirhan in the Scientology Hierarchy.'

The Church of Scientology proceeded to sue me for libel -- they wanted $750,000 for those nine words -- for the title of an article that I had not yet written.

What's relevant here is the paranoid mindset of Scientology as revealed in this excerpt from their complaint:

'...Defendants have conspired between themselves and with other established religions, medical and political organizations and persons presently unknown to plaintiff. By subtle covert and pernicious techniques involving unscrupulous manipulation of all public communcation media, defendants and their co-conspirators have conspired to deny plaintiff its right to exercise religious beliefs on an equal basis with the established religious organizations of this country.'

I published their complaint in The Realist and told my attorney, James Wolpman (now an OSHA judge), that I wanted to fight the lawsuit in court on a 1st Amendment basis.

But when Scientology learned that (a) The Realist had no assets, and (b) I was in the habit of publishing satirical articles, they offered to settle for $5,000. I turned it down. Then they offered to drop the suit altogether if I would publish an article by Chick Corea, a jazz pianist and member of Scientology. I explained that this was not how I made my editorial decisions, and again I refused to settle. They dropped the suit anyway.

I cultivated a source inside Scientology (Deep E-Meter) and I found out that their records showed that under the heading 'Operation Dynamite' -- their jargon for a frame-up -- a memo read: 'Got CSW from SFO not to do this on Krassner. I disagree and will pass my comments on to DG I US as to why this should be done. SFO has the idea that Krassner is totally handled and will not attack us again. My feelings are that in PT, he has not got enough financial backing to get out The Realist and other publications and when that occurs, will attack again, maybe more covertly but attack, nonetheless.'

I finally finished writing 'The Rise of Sirhan Sirhan in the Scientology Hierarchy' in 2003, and it will be included in my upcoming collection, 'One Hand Jerking: Reports From an Investigative Satirist.' Hey, maybe Tom Cruise could play me in the movie version."

A number of articles making critical mention of Scientology were also posted.

From http://www.timesherald.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1672&dept_id=32095&newsid=14761472&PAG=461&rfi=9

"The joke is on the Phillies" by Tom Fonde, sports editor

"...

There is nothing more fun that watching a celebrity go through a meltdown. It may sound harsh, but it's the reality. After all, this is a country where motorists get into accidents because they are slowing down to stare at another fender bender. But in recent weeks, it's been one of my favorite actors as Tom Cruise has officially gone out of his gourd. I'm just waiting for him to star in one of those old school public service announcements- 'This is your brain. This is your brain on Scientology. Any questions?'

..."

From http://www.radaronline.com/fresh-intelligence/2005/06/27/index.php

"Scientology's Catholic Guilt

Before Katie Holmes' devoutly Catholic parents officially sign their daughter over to the Church of Scientology, they might want to get in touch with Philip J. Spickler. One of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's original disciples, Spickler is the father of Mimi Rogers, Tom Cruise's first wife and the person responsible for recruiting him into the cult in the early '80s.

Like his daughter-who, at her most pious, worked for the Church full-time-Spickler has since left Scientology. Unlike his daughter-who spent last week on the talk-show circuit spinning her ex's increasingly unhinged behavior-he has quite a bit to say about the sect.

Of particular note to Martin and Kathleen Holmes might be Spickler's firsthand account of L. Ron Hubbard's virulent anti-Catholicism. Although Scientology publicly portrays itself as compatible with Christianity, in one of a series of emails he has written to friends and associates since his defection, Spickler writes that Hubbard 'often referred to the Pope as 'Dr. Pious,' and the priests as his 'witchwater boys.''

In addition, Spickler writes, Hubbard ironically dismissed Catholicism as a 'very successful operation to control the spirit, minds, and bodies of those who fell under its thrall before they attained an age where they could reason and discriminate and choose for themselves.'

[...]"

Roger Gonnet followed up with a post citing "the Great God Throgmagog."

Modern management technology defined, page 524, L. Ron Hubbard:

"THROGMAGOG, the Great God Throgmagog. He doesn't exist. He's everywhere at once. He's in all drinking water. If we say the Great God Throgmagog caused it the condition can never be erased. People get very upset with it because they can never penetrate to the causation. Never being able to penetrate to causation they cannot eradicate the condition so the condition goes on forever. (5611C15)"

"RolandRB" posted:

"For people who have read that Catholicism and Scientology are not opposed, then hear the words of L. Ron Hubbard, himself. Linked to from this page:

http://www.xenu.net/archive/multimedia.html

http://www.xenu.net/archive/media_vault/Christgm.ra
http://www.xenu.net/archive/media_vault/Nochrist.ra
http://www.xenu.net/archive/media_vault/RomnCath.ra
http://www.xenu.net/archive/media_vault/God.ra
http://www.xenu.net/archive/media_vault/Yahweh.ra
http://www.xenu.net/archive/media_vault/Godynamic.ra"

On June 29, 2005, Chuck Beatty posted, concerning, http://www.nypost.com/gossip/25552.htm

"The above was done through the courage of former ex-Sea Org members (and Int Base staffers) willing to speak out about what we all 'knew' to be going on.

Thanks for the courage to come forward. ..."

Cited from the article referred to:

NY Post "Abort-Happy Folks" Page 6 by Richard Johnson with Paula Forelich and Chris Wilson

"June 29, 2005 -- THE new religion embraced by former Catholic schoolgirl Katie Holmes - unlike her original faith - actually encourages abortion. As The Post's Philip Recchia has re ported, the Church of Scientology assigned Tom Cruise's fiance a full-time handler, Jessica Rodriguez, 29, who is a member of the sect's elite corps, the Sea Organization. Like all Sea Org members, Rodriguez is discouraged by the sect from ever giving birth. And if she does get pregnant, chances are she'll have an abortion. A former high-ranking Sea Org member now tells Recchia: 'It is estimated that there have been some 1,500 abortions carried out by women in the Sea Organization since the implementation of a rule in the late '80s that members could not remain in the organization if they decided to have children. ...'"

--

From Fox News: Tom and Katie "home" schooling in the future?

Found at:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160756,00.html

Monday, June 27, 2005, by Roger Friedman

"It remains to be seen how Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' weekend with their families went after Thursday's botched 'War of the Worlds' premiere.

[...]

I wonder how Tom explained to Marty and Kathy Holmes how he picked the famous Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan as the place where the new families should get to know each other. After all, the Carlyle is where Tom literally lived with Nicole Kidman and their adopted children for months at a time during their marriage. Certainly Tom's kids--Katie's prospective stepchildren--must have mentioned that at some point along the way.

The kids, Isabella, 12, and Conor, 10, might have also mentioned to their father's new in-laws-to-be that they are home-schooled, not sent to either a parochial school or a non-denominational private academy as are most children of celebrities.

Indeed, Isabella and Conor Cruise, like John Travolta and Kelly Preston's kids Jett and Ella, are home-schooled with an emphasis on the works of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Cruise children are tutored by Tom's sisters Cass and Marian, who have teaching degrees. The former lives in Cruise's Beverly Hills estate; the latter lives nearby. All three sisters, including Tom's current publicist Lee Anne De Vette, and their mother Mary converted to Scientology from Catholicism many years ago at Tom's insistence.

Martin Holmes, Katie's attorney father, may want to vet the Scientology Code of Honor that his daughter will have to live by now that she's converting as well.

[...]

Cruise himself sent me a lavish package outlining Scientology at Christmastime last year after I had a lovely lunch with Lee Anne De Vette in New York.

Among the rules outlined in the Code of Honor, which was part of the package:

[...]

12. Never fear to hurt another in a just cause.

13. Don't desire to be liked or admired.

[...]

--

Message-ID: QHXve.8179$ro.5041@fed1read02
Message-ID: 1119888112.621695.302040@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: 1119887872.029054.203700@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: 42c10d37$0$26252$626a14ce@news.free.fr
Message-ID: 1119948689.913789.34310@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: 1120116714.630016.270420@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: 1120067040.160670.35350@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: 1120112742.359368.13230@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: tg30c196uirgkf7hi29taejjumufj5llea@4ax.com


Salon series on Scientology

"Salon magazine has the first of a four-part series about Scn's suddenly higher profile:

Missionary man
Tom Cruise has become a top proselytizer for Scientology. Is it because of a new private conviction, or a new public role for the church itself?"

The complete article is available at:

http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2005/06/27/cruise/index_np.html"

"Stranger than fiction
L. Ron Hubbard's 'Dianetics' is a fantastically dull, terribly written, crackpot rant -- it's also the founding text of Scientology. So, what does it actually say?"

Excerpt from http://www.salon.com/books/review/2005/06/28/dianetics/index.html

"'Dianetics' begins with a stern admonition: 'Important Note: In reading this book, be very certain that you never go past a word you do not fully understand. The only reason a person gives up a study or becomes confused or unable to learn is because he or she has gone past a word that was not understood.' This seems a bit punctilious, as everyone knows that one of the main ways people learn the meanings of new words is by hearing or reading them in context. Since only a few pages later, we're promised that only 'basic language' will be used in 'Dianetics,' how tough is this going to be?

Alas, it is not only individual words that can cause confusion. Perfectly clear words can be dragooned into sentences so grammatically torturous and incoherent that any meaning once inhabiting those words runs screaming from the wreckage. Context only helps you figure out a word's definition when the context itself makes sense, and in 'Dianetics,' it often doesn't. Still, there's a certain twisted panache to preemptively scolding your readers for not trying hard enough to grasp your point before you bedevil them with logic-defying exercises in the hanging modifier and the passive voice. You don't get it? That's because you didn't look up enough words! What did I tell you, idiot?"

From the second page paragraph:

"It shouldn't take anyone 700 pages of gobbledygook to cover this material, so along the way it's easy to be distracted by Hubbard's numerous personal and writerly eccentricities. I kept scouting the book for hints of something I'd heard about, the wacky science fiction mythology that lies at the inner sanctum of Scientology, though I knew it wouldn't appear per se in 'Dianetics.' That's reserved only for those who have undergone the church's intensive training and indoctrination. Scientologists say they withhold this information because learning it can drive the unprepared person insane and give you pneumonia, but it's all over the Web, and it strikes me as far less likely to cause suffering than Hubbard's prose."

Dave Touretzky posted:

"Letters from some of our favorite SPs were published in Salon in response to the first of their four Scientology articles. Chuck Beatty has the first letter, and Roger Gonnet also appears.

http://www.salon.com/ent/letters/2005/06/28/scientology/index.html

There's also a great letter from a woman whose father, a psychiatrist, attended the first Dianetics conference back in 1950, and decided that Hubbard was crazy."

Letters of ardent admiration for Cruise were also posted.

From http://www.salon.com/ent/letters/2005/06/30/scientology_2/index.html

"Earth to Salon.com. Guess what? The world is round and Scientology works!

. Get your facts straight.

...

Shame on you. How stupid do you think we are? It is ridiculous of you to try to present an 'unbiased' story about Scientology when it is obvious that you are expressly biased.

...

Wow. I guess Laura Miller didn't like 'Dianetics.'

While I prefer my book reviews to be more about the book and less about the reviewer's biases, I suppose that has a lot to do with the intentions of the company that publishes the review. Is it to inform or to smear?

One of the most fundamental tenets of 'Dianetics' and Scientology is to examine things for yourself. Is it true for you? ..."

The following identifies articles from http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/06/30/scientology/print.html

"The press vs. Scientology

After years of conflict, the church and the media seem to have reached a truce. Is it because Scientology has become less confrontational -- or because the press is scared?"

and from http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/07/01/sci_psy/index_np.html

Scientology's war on psychiatry

Message-ID: 0d7vb1lf62fua9d3d3jq45irtjjr29vfv9@4ax.com
Message-ID: cp5we.10597$hK3.5758@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net
Message-ID: 42c104cf$0$26271$626a14ce@news.free.fr
Message-ID: 1120011167.182955.252040@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com
Message-ID: 42c223aa$1@news2.lightlink.com
Message-ID: GVNwe.11295$hK3.3603@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net
Message-ID: 7177c151m665jtmc95r0d0gej1r2g3fhp3@4ax.com
Message-ID: 26p9c1li306mo7ku7st3roomklti95ku4t@4ax.com


Different interpretations the recent PR frenzy

Arnie Lerma posted:

"It's been a lovely day, hasn't it folks?

On Friday, Scientology did it again, Andreas had 1.2 million hits to

WWW.XENU.NET

I used to be real happy with 10,000 hits to Lermanet

Friday was Total Hits 86,966

First order of business, is a public THANK YOU to BROOKE SHIELDS..

For having the Courage to stand up to Scientology"

Barb posted another communcation from the Chicago OT Committee:

"From: Chicago OT Committee
Sent: Jun 30, 2005 3:15 PM
Subject: OTC Briefing

This is the time. This is our moment

We've never seen anything like this. We are witnessing an unparalleled reach for our Technology. This gives each of us an unparalleled responsibility. Millions of people are being given a hope for a saner life and happier future. They are reaching for answers. We provide them with those answers by creating an Ideal Org right here, right now.

[...]"

Message-ID: mbjrb1pluf1biod5gbeg64b28l76lm4ki1@4ax.com
Message-ID: 42c559b7$1@news2.lightlink.com


Narconon Russia faces big problems

Roger Gonnet posted news about Narconon in Russia

"Krasnoyarsk Krai against 'Narconon'

9 June 2005

Yesterday Krai deputy governor Lev Kuznetsov held a meeting in which the validity of the existence of the 'Narconon' rehabilitation center was examined.

The case was that this organization, which essentially engages in medical activity, does not have any license for that.

An inspection also showed that the 'Narconon' center, located not far from the village Pamyati 13 Bortsov in the Emelyanovsky district, has not a single employee with medical training, and, referring to trade secrets, conceals the method of treatment. 'Sick people - drug addicts - are kept in the 'Narconon' center.

Many have hepatitis and heart disease. Despite this, as we succeeded in finding out, the center's management would not reveal its methods; the basic methods of treatment occurred to varying extent, especially the running and sauna sessions.

In the absence of a doctor this sort of experiment could result in tragedy,' said a member of the examining commission, chief of Krai health-safety administration Egor Korchagin.

He is convinced that the 'Narconon' management is close to the Church of Scientology, whose operations are prohibited in many countries of the world, which does not add to its popularity among Krai administration bureaucrats.

The Krai Prosecutor was also interested in the Scientologists; at the present time that office is preparing a conclusion on the legality of the rehabilitation center's operation in Krasnoyarsk Krai.

Deputy Governor Lev Kuznetsov reportedly set a time limit after which all violations of Russian law would have to be eliminated - 13 June, and if this would not happen, the center would be closed and the operations of the 'Scientologists' prohibited on the territory of Krasnoyarsk Krai.

www.press-line.ru

*

'Narconon' building may be moved to a different center (Krasnoyarsk)

The owner of the building of the health improvement complex near the village Pamyati 13 Bortsov needs to set a date on which to take bids for lease. This was the opinion expressed 9 June by the chairman of the committee on affairs of nationality, religion and social associations, Mark Denisov.

At the present time the building is being leased to 'Narconon,' a foundation to rehabilitate sick drug addicts and which leases the building from the district DRSU. The lease deadline, however, has already expired. 'In the condition the building is in now, it needs neither road work nor health control, as making a nice vacation camp there would be impossible,' said Denisov.

He commented that a bid to lease the building would be held among the more than 40 registered social centers in Krasnoyarsk Krai that rehabilitate drug addicts.

'Several rehabilitative centers offer their services for far less than the 'Narconon' foundation. Several organizations even do it for free. To carry out this activity, though, they need premises on which to operate. In this case there is talk about a private complex which would have to serve the people,' emphasized the committee chairman.

www.regnum.ru
June 10, 2005"

Message-ID: 42bfb923$0$12706$626a14ce@news.free.fr


Scientology attacks backfiring

Chuck Beatty posted a message about

www.religiousfreedomwatch.org

"When I read ARS smear tactics on Ford Greene, Gerry Armstrong, Prof Dave Touretzky, Prof Kent, and countless other Scientology movement critical observers, from my 27 year experience as a Sea Org member (Sea Org is the elite lifetime staffer category of the Scientology movement), these smearing petty drudging up all the old dirt that the writers can (and obviously with the help of research provided, sponsered, encouraged and directed by OSA and RTC staffers), the conclusion I make is that the persons being smeared are doing something right!

Scientology members and supporters are out of step with religious tradition to NOT engage in this offensive smearing. Scientology supporters do not see how disgraceful it paints their own characters.

The offensive dirty tricks smearing tactics only blackens Scientology's image, and repels the people who might otherwise be attracted to L. Ron Hubbard's Scientology.

When Hubbard is quoted ordering the very tactics displayed against the critical observers of the Scientology movement, it seals in a public person's mind how nasty Scientology can be. It is not behavior I ever wanted to be associated with.

It sickened me to see the cheap smearing being done, when I was a Sea Org member, I never knew why 'we' did it against the critics.

I always wondered why didn't we just take the higher principled road and be silent, or sanely discuss the issues the critics brought up.

I cannot support the Scientology movement, for this major point alone, their ongoing dirty tricks smearing of reputation tactics, that they carry out with disgraceful impunity on ARS and their links to the attempted reputation smearing sites.

It is a concrete reason why I distance myself from the behavior of the official Scientology movement.

The Scientology movement supporters should take the higher principled road, like the main line religions do, and cease these petty smearing strategems that are a disgrace for any religious group to so incessantly engage in.

L. Ron Hubbard was incapable of defending his ideas, and chose to 'attack back', rather than engage in discourse, and maybe learn a thing or two from those arguing with him. His unquestioned authority to dictate policies that the official Scientology movement members were then obligated to follow, has led to this sick predicament, of today Scientology supporters continuing to engage in the disgraceful smearing campaigns against persons who are simple reminding official Scientology of the valid and still unhandled offensive faults in the Scientology movement. ..."

Message-ID: 1119819382.054095.292740@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com
References: 1119813535.085933.10040@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com


Back to A.R.S. Week in Review

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.


Brought to you by:
Operation Clambake