Faith-Based Groups
U.S. President Bush's plan to fund religious groups who do charitable work continues to raise questions regarding possible payments to Scientology and other cults. From the Boston Globe on February 28th: "Jewish groups are expressing strong reservations about President Bush's plan to give ministries more access to federal funds for social services, and they are warning the White House that their support depends on its fortifying the wall between church and state. 'If this turns out to be a program where there is direct government funding of churches and synagogues and mosques to run social services with religious content, it will be almost universally opposed by all the national Jewish organizations,' Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said in an interview yesterday. "Last week, the Rev. Pat Robertson, founder of the conservative Christian Coalition, put the White House on notice that his group had serious problems with the faith-based initiative if it meant the federal government would provide funds to groups such as the Hare Krishnas and Church of Scientology. John DiIulio, director of the White House office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said yesterday that he welcomes the 'differences of opinion' as his staff begins what is expected to be a monthslong task of putting shape to Bush's call to aid America's 'armies of compassion.'" From the Toledo Blade on February 28th: "This President has operated, refusing to discuss questions, as he did Helen Thomas', and by dissing them by calling them publicly by goofy nicknames he's made up. Ms. Thomas asked about his turning over welfare and social service secular tax money to programs run by 'faith-based' groups. The idea at first resonated through the land, but now even professional Christian and Bush-backer Pat Robertson is leery. "Like many Americans he likely has a hard time imagining his tax dollars going, say, for day care at a church of Christian snake handlers who give lessons; or paying for after-school programs at a Church of Scientology facility, or even with Unitarian-Universalists or Atheists, whose kids, thanks to cranky fuds like themselves, are banned from Boy Scouts. The government will decide which religions are worthy? Ms. Thomas has told Blade ombudsman Jack Lessenberry that Mr. Bush is the least qualified president she has seen since she began covering the White House in 1943." The Washington Post reported on March 2nd that former Vice-Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman will support payments to cults. "Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman yesterday signaled that he is more receptive than many Democratic colleagues to a number of conservative proposals to expand government grants significantly to social services programs run by religious institutions. The former vice presidential nominee, according to his staff, is considering co-sponsoring legislation with Sen. Rick Santorum that would authorize this expansion. "Lieberman said such groups as the Nation of Islam and the Unification Church should be eligible for grants to provide social services, including child mentoring, drug treatment and family crisis centers as long as these services are kept separate from church activities. 'It would probably be problematic on First Amendment grounds to discriminate against faith-based groups for their particular beliefs,' he said. Such groups, he said, 'should be judged based on what they do.' From the Associated Press on March 2nd: "President Bush's pointman for directing more federal money to religious charities says the effort probably will wind up in court, even as he tries to convince Americans that concerns over mixing church and state are overstated. 'Americans sue each other. They sue and sue and sue,' John DiIulio said in an interview. 'I guess it's going to happen.' "Yes, he says, churches and synagogues should be allowed to continue discriminating in their hiring, even if they get government money. And yes, he says, religions outside the mainstream - the Church of Scientology, the Nation of Islam, the Unification Church - would be allowed to compete for government contracts just like any other. "The vast majority of organizations that stand to benefit, he says, don't discriminate or push their religion on anyone. He likes to think of his office helping a community-based program that's denied government money because it stores lumber in a church parking lot." From the Los Angeles Times on March 2nd: "As President Bush develops his proposal to make federal dollars more easily available to religion-based social service programs, many religious leaders and others already working in the field remain skeptical. Perhaps the highest-profile religious leader to criticize the Bush plan is Pat Robertson, head of the Christian Coalition, who recently raised questions on his television talk show, 'The 700 Club.' Bush's promise to make federal money available to all religious groups, including the Church of Scientology and the Hare Krishnas, concerns Robertson. He referred on his show to the 'brainwashing techniques,' and 'underhanded tactics' the groups have been accused of in the past. Representatives from those groups denied such charges. "The matter of who qualifies for grants is proving to be delicate. The Jewish Anti-Defamation League recently urged Bush not to give federal funds to the Nation of Islam, whose leader, Louis Farrakhan, has made anti-Semitic remarks. That sort of request could lead to 'religious tribalism,' says Dr. Maher Hathout. Senior advisor for the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles, he worries that religious groups will fight one another for grants. 'Litigation will certainly follow. I feel the country should be cautious about this proposal.'" Scientology responded to the controversy in an letter to the editor of The Hartford Courant on March 2nd. "The Church of Scientology welcomes the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. The church-sponsored programs, not the church itself, will request the federal funds on the basis of their impressive results. The drug rehabilitation program Narconon, for example, supported by the church for three decades, has helped tens of thousands of people get off drugs, and results like those speak very strongly for themselves. "Based on everything the Bush administration and the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives have said so far, we expect these programs will be given fair and equal treatment based on their efficacy. "The Rev. Carol F. Yingling Church of Scientology of Connecticut" Message-ID: 97iuat$jf@netaxs.com Message-ID: 97lg3j$i81@netaxs.com Message-ID: 97o5qe$q2l@netaxs.com Message-ID: kbwva82j5h.fsf@ragged.cs.yale.edu Message-ID: 97tqpm$548@netaxs.com Message-ID: 97tr4o$548@netaxs.com
Clearwater
Jeff Jacobsen spoke to the Clearwater city commission this week concerning the off-duty officers hired by Scientology. "For over a year now every day 2 uniformed off-duty police sit on Watterson Street next to the Scientology Bank building on Cleveland Street. They are there from 11am to 8pm 7 days per week, paid by Scientology. They do essentially nothing but sit in lawn chairs provided by Scientology. "In a January 21, 1983 article in the Clearwater Times, a survey of Clearwater citizens showed that 'eight out of 10 adult residents think the Church of Scientology is a problem.' In 1995 Paul Maser of the Clearwater Police Department wrote an affidavit where the city was suing Scientology. He wrote about Scientology that 'harassment and intimidation is authorized by the Church under the Fair Game Law, as dictated by L. Ron Hubbard founder of the Church of Scientology.' "The City of Clearwater knows about Scientology. They know Scientology's history. And yet now I see the city officials kowtowing to Scientology. Antonio the Scientology security staffer sits all day with these 2 uniformed officers, sitting on Scientology chairs eating Scientology food enjoying Scientology company and doing essentially nothing for Scientology money. "Scientologists who may think of leaving Scientology may think twice when they see city police are in the pockets of Scientology. Scientologists are no doubt told that the police are there because of the dangerous people just down the street at the Lisa McPherson Trust and they are there for Scientologists’ protection. "Judge Thomas Penick in St. Petersburg ruled on February 21 of this year that the Clearwater police are 'coming very dangerously close to being a private security force for the Church of Scientology.' I urge the city commission to look into this matter. What has changed in Scientology's behavior that city officials no longer view Scientology as dangerous?" Message-ID: 3a9eeb50.41241390@news.primenet.com
Cruise/Kidman
Regent Digital News published an article on Scientology and the split between Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. "Cruise is just one of numerous popular figures who count themselves amid Scientology's adherents, and partake of tailored services at elegant Celebrity Centres throughout the world, far from the hordes of ordinary Scientologists. This star-seduction was by design: the group's founder L. Ron Hubbard, made clear that if Scientology was to become the world's dominant belief system celebrities must play a key role in building credibility and wooing the general public. "Other than career pressures, the most frequently cited cause of the Cruise-Kidman split is a growing religious rift. Indeed, Kidman has increasingly exhibited doubts about Scientology. She has sought to downplay its role in her life, even saying that her beliefs involved 'a little Buddhism, a little Scientology; a big part of me is still a Catholic girl.' Although Scientology spokespersons often declare that the organization's members can also subscribe to other faiths, Hubbard ridiculed and dismissed other religions, including Catholicism, and made clear that no other thought system could coexist with his. Indeed, Scientology's basic creation story, which has humans as amalgams of alien beings transported from another galaxy 75 million years ago, is fundamentally incompatible with Christian - and other - dogmas. "If the divorce action is not an amicable one, the matter of their children - and Scientology's attitudes and policies toward young people -- are likely to figure in the mix. Cruise and Kidman have two adopted kids, at least one of whom was reportedly born to an impoverished Scientologist in Florida. Scientologists who do not have the money for the expensive courses and counseling sessions can join a sort of lay clergy called the Sea Organization. In part due to their heavy workload, they are discouraged from having children. According to former members, Sea Org staffers who do become pregnant are encouraged to have abortions - although some may have been given permission to give up their children for adoption, in which case those children may have gone to more affluent Scientologists. "The most likely source of marital difficulty, say Scientology-watchers, probably centers on the relationship between Kidman and her parents in Australia, who work in the mental health field - a profession Hubbard was determined to stamp out. He regularly attacked psychiatry as a criminal profession, arguing that only his methods could correct aberrations and relieve mental and emotional difficulties. Cruise's own family connections may have the opposite effect. Former members say that Cruise has at least one sister who is deeply involved in Scientology, having joined at the actor's urging, and that if he were to leave the fold, that would put tremendous pressure on his sister to sever ties with him. Message-ID: 97i2ac0ouo@drn.newsguy.com
NOTs
Dave Touretzky reported receiving a legal warning from Scientology lawyer Ava Paquette regarding his plans to discuss Scientology's secret materials at a lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. "You have posted an announcement to the newsgroup, alt.religion.scientology about your intention to publicly display the entire text of NOTs 34 under the guise of 'teaching' activities. Labeling this activity as 'teaching' does not give rise to any exemption notwithstanding your views of the law. Given the context in which you are announcing your intentions, it is plain that your threatened display of the entire text of NOTs 34 as educational 'fair use' is a pretext. As you well know, Judge Whyte enjoined the unlawful reproduction of that work even when, according to Keith Henson, its reproduction was relevant to his purported purpose. For these reasons, we demand that your refrain from your announced display of NOTs 34, without prejudice to any of RTC's rights or remedies, all of which are expressly reserved, as is RTC's right to take action without further notice to you." "Dear Ms. Paquette, "I was disappointed to receive your email message this evening, because my lecture in the Information Warfare class was at 11:30 this morning. I agree with you that use of material in the classroom is subject to copyright limitations. However, I reject your assertion that those limitations are exactly the same in all contexts. Copyrighted works are routinely displayed in their entirety in classroom settings, especially in the case of movies, audio recordings, or poetry. Nonetheless, I am delighted to see you acknowledge the possibility of fair use of Scientology materials. For the sake of argument, could you tell me exactly which paragraphs of NOTs 34 you think could be displayed to a class without exceeding the bounds of fair use?" Message-ID: 3a9b0d47.0@news2.lightlink.com
Blue Asbestos
A declaration from former Scientologist Lawrence Woodcraft was posted to a.r.s this week, in which he described how blue asbestos aboard Scientology's ship, the Freewinds, was not properly removed when it was discovered. "One day Steve and I went into one of the cabins and he took a hammer and removed a section of paint from the outer steel wall. Under the layer of paint I noticed a powdery blue fibrous substance approximately 1 1/2" thick between the paint and the steel wall. I told him I thought it was asbestos, which is a hazardous substance, and the fibers must not be allowed to go airborne. I went into the engine room, saw a section where ceiling panels had been removed, and saw a big chunk of blue asbestos hanging down. I went to the Chief Engineer and said there is exposed asbestos in the engine room. He said that it was not asbestos. "On board were the original plans from the shipyard. Even though the notations were in Finish, I saw the word asbestos over and over. The ship was divided vertically into fire compartments with steel walls that ran the full height of the ship. They were lined both sides with 2-3 inches of blue asbestos. The underside of every deck was lined in asbestos. The outside walls of the ship had been sprayed with asbestos. All the ceiling panels contained asbestos. Around this time Bitty Miscavige visited the ship. I went to her and took copies of the ships blueprints and showed her the full extent of asbestos on the ship. Steve Kisacky stated that L. Ron Hubbard doesn't state in policy that asbestos is dangerous; he only states that fiberglass is dangerous and therefore we are only removing the fiberglass. It was explained to me that the ship was being remodeled only according to the written policies and 'advices' of L. Ron Hubbard. Since Hubbard had been in the US Navy and had then founded the Sea Org and had run a fleet of ships, he knew everything about ships. If asbestos was dangerous, he would have written this somewhere. Also Hubbard knew everything about cancer. He had written that cancer was caused by the mind and specifically second dynamic aberration (problems with relationships). I was told that people only get sick if they go into 'agreement' with being sick. I was being a 'wog' (non-scientologist) worrying about a little thing like asbestos. "The asbestos was scraped away to make room for new electrical wiring and new air-conditioning ducts. Holes were cut through the steel decks, sections of the vertical fire compartmental walls were removed to make way for relocating restaurants etc. etc. Asbestos was everywhere blowing around the ship like an insidious blue dust of death. It was piled up in the corridors, big chunks of it lie on the floor. When the re-fit company arrived, they saw the asbestos everywhere and had a fit. The re-fit company boss said it was dangerous and he couldn't expose his men to it. An asbestos team was formed using Sea Org members (3 or 4). Wherever there was exposed asbestos they would rush to the location and spray it with water and or paint. The idea was that the asbestos shouldn't be dry and flaking and therefore releasing airborne contamination. This was an extremely poor handling and the ship refit contractors were very unhappy; they would even sleep in their cabins wearing masks. "By the time the ship was finished, all the paneling was put back in place and the walls were painted and wallpapered, the floors were carpeted and new furniture was installed. It looked great, but behind the paneling, the asbestos was left hanging and flaking and falling apart. Every time a panel is removed for routine maintenance, asbestos dust is released into the rooms, cabins and corridors of the ship. This is continuing to this day." Message-ID: mnqs9tgti75itjmckngkijhb6ljtp10300@4ax.com
Maria Pia Gardini
Stacy Brooks posted and summarized a series of affidavits written by Maria Pia Gardini, a former Scientologist and Class 9 auditor. "In January of this year, Maria Pia Gardini contacted the Lisa McPherson Trust to ask us to help her recover 1.5 million dollars from Scientology. Maria comes from a wealthy Italian family. She was coerced into giving nearly her entire inheritance to Scientology and now is in serious financial difficulties. Maria's daughter got into Scientology via the Narconon program in Italy. At the same time, Maria was very sad about the death of her father, and her daughter begged her to get some auditing to help relieve her grief, so Maria did it. This auditor helped Maria tremendously during a difficult time in her life. "Because that very first auditing made her feel better, she continued to hope that as she moved up the 'Bridge to Total Freedom' she would feel better again, but it never happened. At each new auditing step Maria was disappointed, but always a Scientology registrar, or reg were able to get her to keep paying for more services, promising that the next level was the one she was looking for. Very soon after she got into Scientology, Maria joined the Sea Organization and ultimately became a Class 9 auditor, which is a very high level of training. Sea Org members are supposed to receive not only their room and board but also their auditing and training for free in return for their work. Yet because Maria had money, she was required to pay for everything she ever received in Scientology. She was literally told that she was unethical to want to hold onto any of her money and that she should simply turn over her entire fortune to Scientology. "At every level beginning with OT3 Maria was promised that she would be rid of all her body thetans once she was done with that step. But at every step she discovered that it had been a lie. After OT3 she was told she had drugged BTs to take care of on OT4. Then she was told she had sleeping BTs to handle on OT5. Then on OT6 she learned that there were BTs everywhere, that her whole body was a mass of clusters of BTs. Then she did OT7 and thought she was now rid of all BTs - until she got to the Freewinds to do her OT8 and discovered that she was expected to audit out still more BTs. "Maria details a monumental 'reg cycle' in which she was coerced into turning over a million dollars for a project to bring Italian auditors to Flag to train to Class 8, only to find that not one Italian Class 8 was ever made with the money she had donated. The Commanding Officer of the Flag Service Organization, Debbie Cook, bought a new $40,000 car with the commission she made from Maria's coerced donation, and many others also got commissions from Maria's money. When Maria demanded her money back she was again coerced, this time into agreeing to get only half her money back. They waved a check in front of her and told her if she would agree to be repaid only half the money they would give her the check right away, otherwise, she would get nothing. "Shortly after Maria visited the Lisa McPherson Trust, I received a letter from Kendrick Moxon threatening to sue the LMT for inducing Maria Gardini to breach her contract. John Merrett then wrote to Moxon demanding a copy of the contract that was allegedly being breached, and informing Moxon that unless a copy of the agreement was forthcoming within one week we would consider that no such agreement existed. No such agreement has ever been produced by Moxon. "Tragically, Maria's daughter died of AIDS, contracted when she used a dirty needle given to her by another drug user while being treated at Narconon. Her daughter was OT7 when she died." Message-ID: e3a0at4ehucqb0ektgtauu2e8hvn5m5v6r@4ax.com
Ed Hattaway
A declaration by Ed Hattaway was posted to a.r.s this week, in which he describes the fraud he was involved with in Scientology's WISE organization. "As a 3rd year chiropractic student, I was introduced to WISE by way of a chiropractic 'opinion leader' who taught seminars to students on a particular treatment technique. I began to seek out other successful chiropractors who were using 'the tech'. I found several in my local area who were with a Clearwater-based WlSE organization known as David Singer Enterprises. I was introduced to a local mission. Then to a larger org. Borrowing money from my college funds and bank to pursue that self-improvement ideal that would ultimately make me successful. By my third year in practice, I was already $20,000 in additional debt, with nothing to really show for it. I then purchased my own practice and began working out of the financial hole I had been digging for three years. I was nearly out of debt when I started getting reged for the OT levels. "I started sending a 'flow' to FSO of $500 to $1000 per week toward my OT levels. I then began to put plans into the works to leave my office and stay at FSO for between 4 and 6 weeks to get onto my OT levels. I took out a second mortgage. I did a lease buy-back on my office equipment. I maxed out all 4 of my credit cards. I borrowed money on some of my father's property. This was all encouraged as 'just a drop in the bucket', after all my super-duper OT abilities were going to create such abundance in my life-happiness, productivity, financial success, etc. I put over $50,000 into Flag's coffers for these services in 1994 alone. Totaling nearly $70,000 since 1989. "I started my OT preps and Solo course at FSO. My business immediately began to fall apart. I opted at that point to leave and handle my business. It was then suggested by the reg that I should get my 'L's' instead. I did L-11, the new life rundown and L-12 the OT executive rundown. The practice continued to crash. I went back to Flag for 4 different reviews in the following 4 months. Things kept getting worse. My wife and I decided to just stay away for awhile and see how things went. We couldn't afford to 'fix' me anymore. "I fell 6 months behind on my mortgage(s), my office rent, my equipment lease and my van. Over the next two years I accumulated over $30,000 in back taxes. In 1997 we gave up our home and our office and all of our equipment and moved into a Suburban Lodge with my wife and three small children. We talked my parents into taking us in. My parents said we could build out an apartment in their basement and live there until we got back on our feet. 4 years later, we are still in the basement." Message-ID: spv2atk22s1m41n617vs7sf54co5k12dhu@4ax.com
Ireland
The Irish Independent reported on February 25th that a former Scientologist in Wexford, Ireland is claiming she was the subject of mind control. Judgment was reserved yesterday in High Court proceedings brought by a 33-year-old businesswoman who claims she was subject of mind control techniques by the Church of Scientology. Mary Johnston operates a sport equipment shop at Westwood, Foxrock, Dublin. She brought an application seeking documents against the organisation, which she described as a pseudo religious cult. Ms Johnston claimed the documents were necessary in her action for damages against the church and three of its members - John Keane, Tom Cunningham and Gerard Ryan. "She alleged that while undergoing 'treatment' offered by the church she suffered increasingly with a dissociative stress reaction, became intolerant and rejected family and friends. Ms Johnston claimed she suffered a distinct personality change, would often adopt a fixed stare and simulated smile while switching off her feelings. She also said she became increasingly confused and her health suffered. "She alleged that at a time when to Mr Cunningham's knowledge she was in an 'emotionally liable condition', he said courses known as 'dianetic auditing' would greatly improve her sense of well-being. Pressure was exerted on her to have a test which took place in March 1992 and the evaluator was Mr Keane. Ms Johnston claimed Mr Keane and Mr Cunningham pressurised her into subscribing for a 'purification rundown and training routing' at a cost of 1,200 pounds. David O'Neill BL, for the church, said his clients believed they would suffer damnation if they disclosed the counseling folder." Message-ID: 3a9f5002.51065415@news.ams.chello.nl
New Year's Eve
An anonymous report from Scientology's New Year's Eve celebration was posted to a.r.s this week. "The 2001 New Years Event took place in Los Angles a day or two before New Years. This has become standard practice as Int Management needs time to edit the videos before they are sent to the orgs. DM reported that over 100,000 visitors got their first look at the real world of Scientology. That the LRH Exhibition which has been in the US, Africa, Europe and India has been visited by 10s of thousands of people and that this tour has created more than 600,000 orders for LRH books. DM told us that the demand of the tech in cyberspace was absolutely the highest ever and resulted in 338 new official web sites in the past year alone with over 120 million hits. This figure is larger that the total hits in the past 4 years. "DM stated, 'A reflection of how deeply we have reached into society is the respect we now command from courts and governments in the world over. In the legal arena, we saw no less that 65 major victories, including the wipeout of one of the most suppressive attacks in our history. Meanwhile, official recognition of our true nature was likewise unparalleled - four new religious recognitions in just the last quarter; seven in a single year, another all-time high!' "DM told us that the C of S brought Dianetics to half the people of Guyana. DM also reported that the British Navy has had a complete turnaround in viewpoint in regard to the C of S. DM reported a very impressive story about a professor at the Texas Lutheran University, who discovered that the poor freshman there were being taught this insidious subject of Liberal Arts. This professor convinced the University Administration to get rid of this Liberal Arts class and replace 'how brains learn in different ways' with study tech. DM reported that this was such a successful action at the Texas Lutheran Univ. that it created a statewide phenom. And now more than 3,000 Texas teachers are bringing the study tech to over 30,000 students. "Heber Jentzsch briefed us on ABLE which is bringing LRH's solutions to millions planet wide. Heber started out with his usual dreck about how awful it all is. In over 70 countries, homicide is up 45%, drugs, crimes blood brother per the emoting Heber costs economic woes in the US to the tune of 100 billion dollars a year. 73.5 trillion is spent WW for education yet 1.1 billion can not read. Heber reported that the Narconon program in Utah's juvenile court system is producing unprecedented results and that it is now the referral program of choice in Utah and is entirely state funded. Criminon is now delivering the tech to 1508 prisons in 23 countries. Highest ever. Narconon has added 22 drug ed programs and rehab centers in the past year alone for a grand total of 91. This has doubled it delivery of drug ed to over 226,000 people. Applied Scholastics has 185 education centers and brought the study tech to 362,000. The Way to Happiness was published in a bunch more languages for a total of 35 languages in 84 countries with more that 56 million copies given out WW. "Mike Rinder spoke of the far reaching results from WISE. 9 new Hubbard Colleges opened for a grand total of 25 WW Enrollment of students increased by 60% WW with the total number trained in the Admin tech to 12,000. Translated materials are now available in a bunch more languages. "Karen Hollander spoke of Scientology Missions International. SMI delivered over 260,000 WDAH and trained more than 6000 Book One Auditors. The Mission Network doubled the total number of mission staff in tech and admin training. A bunch of missions opened but no count was given. It was reported that there are now 77 countries with mission. "Ray Mithoff spoke about field auditors and I HELP. Ray reported that MILLIONS have been reached with the news of Scn and Dianetics from Swaziland to Lesotho, and from Mali to the Congo with the help of field auditors. Ray told us that the number of field auditors doubled, that over 200,000 WDAH was delivered by the I HELP folks which is a 6X expansion since the release of GAT. The number of PCs sent to upper orgs by field auditors doubled 'with the numbers of those sent up the line for Clear at more that 11,500 and highest ever'. "WORLD CHAMPION MISSION FSM Andre Sizov from St. Petersburg, Russia In the past year Andre has delivered more than 500 lectures to over 10,000 people and has selected (got paid for) 145 people into the org. WORLD CHAMPION CLASS V ORG FSM Mauizio Pastore from Milano, Italy. WORLD CHAMPION SEA ORG SERVICE ORG FSM Ty Dilliard from LA, Calif. Ty is a Class VI, OT VIII. He got 120 people to arrive to Sea Org orgs in the past year. WORLD CHAMPION FLAG SERVICE ORG FSM Wendy Ettricks from LA, Calif. Wendy is OT VIII, L's comp now on the SHSBC She has gotten no less than 1000 people on the bridge. I believe this is a lifetime stat not a one year stat. WORLD CHAMPION FLAG SHIP SERVICE ORG FSM Mike Phillips. Mike is OT VIII Class VI This year Mike got 176 people on the bridge and has gotten more people to the Freewinds than any other FSM that has not yet been declared. "ELITE FSM AWARD. It requires that the FSM get a minimum of 1000 onto the Bridge in a single year. The award goes to Diana Pedroni-Giffuni. In the past year Diana has held 116 events, brought in 9791 new people for intro services and selected over 1000 people onto their next step. "New tape lecture series released called the Game of Life. DM claims that they are 20 lectures never before available. Cost $240.00 or $192.00 with IAS Lifetime membership. "DM gave his closing speech to the audience. 'Our certainty flows from two things. We have the tech to make it happen. And we have a true third dynamic. You and I have the wealth of knowledge that spans all sectors and zones of activities across the playing field call Earth. There is nothing we cannot do. No problem we cannot solve. No environmental challenge we cannot meet. We abound in the wealth of LRH truth contained in his books, lectures and films. In fact, we are the wealthiest beings in any universe. That is what the Golden Age of Tech is all about: Making the reality of what Scientology can achieve, your reality. No matter what you do in or out of Scientology, the increased knowledge gained in its study is the key to your eternity. "'We recently did a survey which revealed an average 400 point increase in OCA test results by students training without receiving any auditing. 90% of Scientologists who have completed GAT training have since gone Clear. 79% are now OT. Training gets you there and handles apparent barriers in life preventing that achievement. Let me bluntly address the two most famous of barriers. The first is 'no time.' Well, we all know that time itself is the biggest lie and hence, so must be that barrier. Factually, you have no time not to get trained. The better trained you are, the more you will succeed in every endeavor. From raising the next generation to flourishing in whatever occupation you have, and yes-- even handling planetary SPs. So there is the central message for the coming year. Learn the tech, know it with certainty, and apply it. You can make the difference.' "Then we get the phony count down 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Happy New Year!!!! It is actually about 9 o'clock at night LA time, a day or two before the New Year." Message-ID: 983420545.3a9dce81a36bf@webmail.cotse.com
Tom Padgett
An update on Tom Padgett's family court case in Kentucky was posted to a.r.s this week. "An order was entered in the western Kentucky court by the Domestic Relations Commissioner to overrule Laura Vannoy Padgett's Motion in Limine to restrict the testimonies of experts being brought forth by Tom Padgett. The petitioner tried to argue that even the simple mention of the word 'scientology' in the proceedings was inappropriate, contemptuous, and inadmissible. Experts will be able to address the issues of the cult as it relates to visitation, child support, and arrearage matters. The evidentiary hearing scheduled for February 23rd and 26th, was postponed to May 11th and May 14th in the Hopkins Circuit Court in Madisonville, KY. "Laura Padgett's witness list did not include any experts - only herself and the parties' emancipated daughter. Tom will object to Laura's subpoenaing their children to keep them out of the middle of this very damaging Hubbard mandated litigation protraction tactics. Continued efforts by Tom to settle through mediation and counseling forums are being rejected by Laura Vannoy and her counselors." Message-ID: 22195-3AA03CB6-49@storefull-216.iap.bryant.webtv.net
State Department Report
The annual U.S. State Department Human Rights Report was released this week. Some highlights regarding Scientology: "Austria - Nine religious groups have constituted themselves as confessional communities according to the 1998 law. After initially filing for confessional community status, the Church of Scientology withdrew its application from consideration. "Belgium - In September 1999, 110 national police officers raided Church of Scientology facilities and the homes and businesses of about 20 members of the Church. At year's end, an investigation continued, and no arrests had been made. "Czech Republic - In March and May 1999, the Government established two commissions to improve church-state relations. The commissions advise the Government on church-state relations, the status of churches and methods of their financing, as well as church-related property questions. Members of the commissions also have advised the Ministry of Culture on a proposed new Law being considered. It would impose a two-tiered registration system, lowering the membership requirement for the first tier (non-profit religious association with limited tax benefits) to 300, but raising the membership requirement for the second tier (full religious association with benefit of state funding and property rights) to approximately 20,000. The proposed changes have been criticized by some unregistered religious groups (including the Muslims and the Church of Scientology) and nongovernmental observers as prejudicial against minority religions." "Denmark - Scientologists continued to seek official approval as a religious organization. The application was withdrawn in early 2000, shortly before a decision by the Government was expected. In withdrawing the application, the Church of Scientology asked the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs for additional time to respond to reports about Scientology that had appeared in the media. By year's end the application had not been resubmitted. "Finland - In 1998 the Ministry of Education turned down the application of the Finnish Association of Scientologists to be registered as a religious community. The Scientologists' application was pending for nearly 3 years while the Government awaited additional information that it had requested from the association. The association acknowledged that it had not responded to the Government's request. "France - In October the Paris prefecture denied a request by the Church of Scientology for a permit for a demonstration involving 10,000 participants. The Church alleged discrimination; however, the prefecture justified the denial based upon the proposed size and duration of the demonstration, which would make it difficult to maintain public order. The group rented a private park outside Paris in which to hold their gathering. "In March a Paris Correctional Court fined Jacques Guyard, the president of the parliamentary commission and a drafter of the 1996 National Assembly report on so-called sects, approximately $2,850 in response to complaints by three groups that were named in a parliamentary commission's June 1999 report on the financing of religious groups named in the original report. The 1999 report in question focused on multinational groups, especially Jehovah's Witnesses and Scientologists. "Germany - Several states have published pamphlets, which are provided to the public free of charge, detailing the beliefs and practices of non-mainstream religions. Many of the pamphlets are factual, but the inclusion of some religious groups in publications covering known dangerous cults or movements may harm their reputations. Scientology is the focus of many such pamphlets, some of which warn of alleged dangers posed by Scientology to existing political and economic structures and to the mental and financial well-being of individuals. For example, the Hamburg OPC publishes 'The Intelligence Service of the Scientology Organization,' which claims that Scientology tries to infiltrate governments, offices, and companies, and that the church spies on its opponents, defames them, and 'destroys' them. "The Church of Scientology, which operates 18 churches and missions, remained under scrutiny by both federal and state officials who contend that its ideology is opposed to democracy and that it is not a religion but an economic enterprise. In April the Federal OPC concluded in its 250-page annual report for 1999 that the reasons for initiating observation of Scientology in 1997 still were valid. The six pages in the report covering Scientology described those aspects of the organization's beliefs that were deemed undemocratic, quoting from the writings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology-published pamphlets and books. "Scientologists continued to report discrimination because of their beliefs. A number of state and local offices share information on individuals known to be Scientologists. The Federal Government uses its 'Defense Clause' (commonly referred to as a 'sect filter') for procurement involving some training and consulting contracts, specifically those that may provide opportunities for mental manipulation or behavior modification. The sect filter requires a bidder to declare that the firm rejects and will not employ the 'technology of L. Ron Hubbard' within the framework of the contract, and that the firm does not require or permit employees to attend courses and seminars conducted via this 'technology' as part of its business function. "In April the Hamburg administrative court dismissed the suit of two Scientology members against the city-state for its use of 'sect filters.' In the state of Bavaria, applicants for state civil service positions must complete questionnaires detailing any relationship that they may have with Scientology; the form specifically states that employment will not be considered if the form is not completed. Moreover Bavaria has identified some state employees as Scientologists, sometimes years after they were first employed, and has required them to complete the questionnaire. Some of these employees have refused and two of them have filed suit in Bavarian courts. In October the Munich labor court ruled that the state cannot require employees to complete the questionnaire in the absence of evidence that the employee is involved in anticonstitutional behavior. The court further stated that even if the Scientology Church were to be found to be anticonstitutional, an individual's mere membership in the organization could not justify the Government delving into that person's private life in the absence of illegal behavior on his or her part. "Late in 1999, allegations that Microsoft's Windows 2000 contained a 'Trojan Horse' or 'back door' that would permit the Church of Scientology to obtain information from an unsuspecting user's system surfaced in the technology trade press. These allegations arose after Hamburg's sect commissioner expressed public concern about the software because a firm whose chief executive officer is a Scientologist developed a disk defragmenting component for Windows 2000. Critics claimed--with no proof--that the defragmenter would secretly send personal data from individual computers to Scientology offices. In December Microsoft published instructions on how to remove the disk defragmenter from Windows 2000 as an alternative to further testing by BSI. "Scientologists have taken their grievances to the courts, with mixed results. Some individuals who had been fired because they were Scientologists sued their employers for 'unfair dismissal.' Several have reached out-of-court settlements with employers. For example in March, a woman who had been summarily dismissed from her position in the bond department of a bank because of her association with Scientology received $27,300 (DM 60,000) under a settlement with her former employer. "Major political parties continued to exclude Scientologists from membership, arguing that Scientology is not a religion but a for-profit organization whose goals and principles are antidemocratic and thus incompatible with those of the political parties. However, there has been only one known enforcement of this ban. A Bonn court upheld the practice in 1997, ruling that a political party had the right to exclude from its organization those persons who do not identify themselves with the party's basic goals. "Public exhibitions by Scientologists in a number of cities to explain themselves to citizens encountered difficulties. In April the Visitor's Bureau of the Federal Press and Information Office intervened with a Berlin hotel, forcing the hotel to cancel Scientology's reservations for rooms for an exhibit. The hotel claimed that the Visitors' Bureau threatened to cancel several hundred thousand dollars worth of reservations if Scientology were allowed to exhibit in the hotel. Scientology was able to rent space elsewhere but incurred substantial extra expenses related to the last minute move of the exhibit. In Frankfurt a late February Scientology exhibit in the cafe of a well-known, city-owned museum sparked significant criticism, with city officials speaking out openly against Scientology and the exhibit. However, Scientology's recently established information office in Frankfurt has generated little or no public controversy. A Scientology exhibit at the Leipzig book fair in March provoked complaints about what some visitors considered aggressive marketing tactics, and fair authorities were reviewing whether to allow the exhibitors to return next year. In April Scientology was able to rent the public congress center in Hanover for a 2-day exhibition, after a hotel canceled its reservation when it learned that Scientology had made the booking. "The government of Baden-Wuerttemberg appealed a decision by the Stuttgart Administrative Court, which ruled that a Scientology organization could not be deregistered as a nonprofit organization because its activities were used to accomplish its ideological purposes. The case was pending at year's end. The Celebrity Center Munich, a Scientology-affiliated organization that was stripped of its status as a nonprofit organization in 1995, has appealed a 1999 upper court ruling upholding that decision. The case was pending at year's end. "Greece - The only recent application for recognition as a known religion at the Ministry was submitted in February by the Scientologists of Greece. Although the deadline mandated by law for processing the applications is 3 months, it took the Ministry until October to decide that it would not recognize the Scientologist community as an 'official' religion. Scientologists, most of whom are located in the Athens area, practice their faith through a registered nonprofit philosophical organization. According to the president of the Greek Scientologists, the group chose to register as a philosophical organization because legal counsel advised that the Government would not recognize Scientology as a religion. In a step toward gaining recognition as a religion, Scientologists reapplied for a house of prayer permit in February. The application was rejected by the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs on October 17 on the grounds that Scientology 'is not a religion.' "Russia - The Church of Scientology has been in conflict with authorities since a February 1999 raid on its Hubbard Center in Moscow by the tax police, FSB, and procurator. Since then the organization has faced charges that it engaged in a commercial enterprise without a license. The case is still pending. The Church has been repeatedly refused in its efforts to reregister its national center and register local religious organizations. While the Church has succeeded in registering 50 'Dianetics Centers' as social organizations, it has only managed to register 1 Church of Scientology in Moscow as of October. The Church reports that authorities have impeded the operation of its centers in Dmitrograd, Khabarovsk, and Izhevsk. "Switzerland - The Federal Court decided on June 7 to uphold a cantonal decision granting Scientologists the right to distribute leaflets in public areas. However, the court also affirmed that Scientology leaflets serve a 'commercial enterprise' and that distributors must obtain a permit to use public areas for their dissemination. The court ruled that Scientology does not act as a religious organization in such cases. Scientologists previously distributed flyers without the necessary permits, protected by the Religious Freedom Act. Several cantons are likely to use the precedence of the Federal Court's decision to regulate the distribution of leaflets. "United Kingdom - The Church of Scientology asserts that it faces discrimination because the Government does not treat Scientology as a religion. Ministers of Scientology are not regarded as ministers of religion under prison regulations or for immigration purposes. In 1999 the independent Charity Commission rejected a Church of Scientology application for charitable tax status accorded to most religious groups, and concluded that it is not a religion for the purposes of charity law." 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A.r.s. Week in Review is put together by Rod Keller ©
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.
