Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 38
1/13/2002 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2002

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant
postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding
week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as
they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of
significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors,
whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a
kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some
of the most significant postings.

The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of articles
posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original
articles, and many have a URL to get more information. You may be able to
find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles
in the newsgroup before expiring them.

Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available. Subscriptions are
also available on Yahoo. Email weekinreview-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or
see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/weekinreview. PDA channel available at
http://avantgo.com/channels/_add_channel.pl?cha_id=2900

Week in Review is archived at:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/
http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Volunteer Ministers

Scientology's magazine The Auditor urged members to become Volunteer
Ministers in the December, 2001 issue.

"With a quota of as many Volunteer Ministers as there are police officers,
how will YOU be counted upon to help the millions soon to be reaching for
Clear and OT?

"Full timer T-shirt:
'I'M SUPPORTING AMERICA
[DRAWING OF AMERICAN FLAG]
BY GOING UP THE BRIDGE FULL TIME AT THE AMERICAN SAINT HILL ORGANIZATION
DAY'

"Class VI, Carol Kingsley, one of the first trained auditors to arrive in
NY after the Sept. 11th attack, has been at Ground Zero for weeks, tending
to disaster survivors and rescue workers. She's been a driving force in
making Book One Auditors. By delivering a series of Dianetics seminars,
she now has scores of NYer's on their first steps of The Bridge.

"Another St. Hiller on the scene day and night in NY was Wendy Honnor, a
long time VM who is originally from Australia and now resides in Southern
California. Upon her return to San Diego, she began a whirlwind series of
briefing by activating 40 local VM's in Orange County and helped dozens
more through Southern California to get moving on The Bridge.

"Of all the Scientologists stories to come out of NY, you could hardly
find one more gripping than that of veteran fire fighter John McCole. A 17
year member of the FDNY as an on call fire lieutenant, John lost many a
brother at the WTC site., where he arrived just minutes after the
devastation. Undoubtedly, he would have been there in the middle of the
incident had it not been for the life-saving, life-changing job he holds
day in and day out: Academy Course Supervisor, Celebrity Centre New York."

From the December issue of Centre Magazine:

"You, too, are the people we depend on to open and run new Churches of
Scientology and accelerate our expansion to reach our immediate goal of
10,000 missions around the world. These 10,000 missions will become the
building blocks for the 1,000 orgs called for by Chairman of the Board
RTC.' In this edition you will read about the teamwork and camaraderie of
Scientologists who are flying the flag of freedom by opening new Churches
of Scientology from San Francisco, to Tokyo, Hungary to Taiwan, Padova to
Seattle.

"Right after the September 11th, The Way to Happiness was released for the
first time at the Karachi, Pakistan Dianetics Center in the language of
Urdu. A meeting of Dianeticists in the field briefed sixty plus attendees
on the message from Chairman of the Board RTC. Their first actions was to
run a major Dianetics Seminar to tackle the reactive mind head on. From
this 25 Dianetics Co-Audit Groups were established to move out around the
city and get Book One being delivered everywhere.

"Mission Holder Mitch Talevi and his team embarked on a project to
establish a mission with a standard testing line on one of the busiest
streets in Glendale. They have successfully gotten in the OCA line and are
getting many new public started on The Bridge through this route. They
also got off to a fast start selling the new Scientology Handbook and
starting new public and Scientologists on the new VM course directly after
the IAS event.

"Mission Holder Yuko Miwa recently opened her new mission in Agasaka,
Tokyo, Together with her husband, Mike Miwa, they are concentrating on
delivering introductory lectures and the Purification Rundown Program.
Their whole purpose is to move a volume of new public onto The Bridge and
up to the Tokyo Org.

"Two new missions recently opened within 48 hours of each other in
Florida: Belleair and Sarasota. Kathy Feshbach and Colleen Wilhite, both
Flag public, have opened their own Churches of Scientology to service the
Clearwater area community and flood people to Tampa Org and to the Flag
Service Organization."

From the December issue of Cause magazine:

"How many Volunteer Ministers does the World Need?' The question is, how
many policemen are there? How many policemen are there in YOUR country?
Based on the year 2000 Almanac, and the law enforcement employee rate per
1,000 inhabitants in each area, the law enforcement employee average for
all cities nationwide and worldwide is 3.1 per 1,000 inhabitants.

"Country Total inhabitants Quota for VM's
Australia 18,783,551 58,229
Austria 8,139,299 5,231
Canada 31,006,347 6,118
Denmark 5,356,845 6,603
France 58,978,172 82,831
Germany 82,087,361 254,469
Italy 56,735,130 175,878
Sweden 8,911,296 27,624
United States 272,639,608 845,184"

Message-ID: <7YIBV3US37263.8274305556@...>
Message-ID: <9YLBIKJI37268.8060648148@...>
Message-ID: <ZJJNCX6Q37264.0575462963@...>

#####

> Germany

Welt am Sonntag reported on January 5th that Scientology's exhibit in
downtown Hamburg, Germany is being held despite efforts by local
officials.

"On Friday morning the cult opened a 'What is Scientology?' exhibit in the
Cafe Seeterrassen in Planten un Blomen. Meetings between the downtown
district office and the business manager to prevent the event had no
effect. Now the Interior Ministry's sect commissioner, Ursula Caberta, has
accused the office of not doing enough.

"'More could have and should have been done,' said Caberta. 'If the DVU
would have wanted to organize an exhibit there, people would have taken
basic action against it.' Caberta stated that she had already notified the
downtown office on Thursday morning, after she learned about the exhibit.
There was a little consultation, and, according to the Task Force on
Scientology, there was enough margin in the contract to end the
engagement.

"Legal spokesman and downtown district commissary director Georg Cramer
defended his decision on Friday and said there was nothing that could have
been done about the exhibit. 'The contract has been in effect for ten
years, and you can't end that because of a single event. No court in the
world would go along with that,' said Cramer. But he also said that the
exhibit was projecting a poor image upon the park and that they would keep
their eye on the manager there.

"The manager, Felix Thiede, doesn't want to stop the event. 'Scientology
is not a legally prohibited organization. As long as nobody is engaging in
any criminal behavior here, I see no reason to stop the exhibit.' He says
there are hardly any visitors to the park. He said he possibly would have
felt differently if it would have been summer.

"Meanwhile the business sector has also voiced opposition to the
Scientology exhibit. 'It is bad that the city government couldn't react
effectively,' said Ulrich Moellers, business manager of the Hamburg Bode
Chemie. 'We'll have to show some courage on our own.' Moellers now wants
to bring the topic up with the board of directors of the industry
association. The Ring Deutscher Makler (RDM) has also stepped in. 'The
district office would have had various alternatives to stop the exhibit,'
said Peter Landmann, chairman of the Hamburg RDM state association. 'I
encourage the district office director to to anything he can to close down
the exhibit immediately,' said Landmann. Scientology plans on holding the
exhibit in Hamburg until January 11, then they move on to Munich."

From Hamburger Morgenpost on January 5th:

"Normally people would go to the Cafe Seeterassen for graduation
festivities, parties or a tea dance. But since yesterday, those who are
interested in the Scientology psycho-cult can get information at an
exhibit in the fine location on Planten un Blomen. 'It's clear to me that
this is not what people come here for,' admitted 'Seeterassen' operator
Felix Thiede, 'but anybody can relax here.'

The Cafe Seeterassen belongs to the city of Hamburg. For the city, the
exhibit by the Scientology 'octopus' is a pain in the side. 'Naturally we
aren't happy about it,' said Gerthold Roch, spokesman for the downtown
district office. 'But we wouldn't have been able to stop the event in any
court.' He said the contract stated that Thiede could rent the space
without an advance permit.

"Roch thinks he can get somewhere by pointing out to the stray businessman
the passage in the contract that says the cafe has to used in a way that
conforms with the park, and that the exhibit doesn't meet this
requirement. That has also occurred to the hard-put Felix Thiede, 'Could
be that the district office will try something now.' But until then the
cult has the 'Seeterassen' tightly in its grip."

From Die Welt on January 10th:

"The downtown district office is currently taking a series of actions to
ban Scientology's publicity measures associated with its 'What is
Scientology?' show, which the cult is currently staging in the Cafe
Seeterrassen in Planten un Blomen. The district's planning office was
able to stop a demonstration planned for Wednesday on Moenckeberg Street.
The cult was going to have a band perform. Permission for that was denied.
As were lit billboards on St. Petersburg Street meant to lure visitors
into the exhibition. 'They had a string of wires hazardously tied
together. We put those in safekeeping,' stated Sorina Weiland,
spokesperson for the downtown district office.

"The office was less successful in its attempt to ban the billboard
completely: 'The cafe operator's lease agreement permits him to advertise
events in his building on that. We didn't have any legal alternative to
prohibit him from doing that,' said Weiland. The district office is
currently working out, clarifying and implementing provisions that would
place restrictions in the lease agreement. At this time all it says is
that use of the buildings should be compatible with use of the park.

"The district office was only partially successful in hindering
Scientology's fireworks on Tuesday evening in the park. 'They lit them off
despite a burn ban,' said Sorina Weiland. The show's organizers had also
planned fireworks for Wednesday evening. The district office was working
on putting a stop to that with a larger show of force."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020108093319.128A-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020108093350.128B-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020110162459.115A-100000@...>

#####

> Narconon

London Locals reported on January 12th that Scientology organized a
fundraiser for Narconon in the Knightsbridge area.

"Belgravia musician Baroness Soujata Devaris has organised a special
afternoon of music at the Carlton Towers Hotel in Knightsbridge to raise
money for the Narconon Drug Prevention campaign. A mixed musical and dance
programme was scheduled for November 18th in the hotel's beautiful
ballroom featuring Soujata Devaris herself, and Dellal McDonald. There was
pop music as well from Laura Comfort.

"Baroness Devaris hopes to raise several thousand pounds to tackle a
problem which she says is causing great concern to all parents. 'We are
all aware that society is openly struggling with the rapidly growing drug
problem amongst youngsters with children as young as seven addicted to
heroin. Narconon has helped an estimated one million people worldwide,
including more than 115,000 school children in 1997 alone. This is a very
important cause and I hope local residents will support the event and help
alleviate this awful problem.' The afternoon included a presentation by
Clark Carr, President of Narconon International."

Message-ID: <AO608.255$6n1.61903@news20>

#####

> Ground Zero

The Los Angeles Times reported on January 10th that copies of a mural made
at the New York org in the days after the World Trade Centers disaster
will be hung in fire department offices.

"Glendale artist Pomm never thought her painting, 'Unspoken Courage,'
would hang proudly on a New York City Fire Department memorial wall. On
December 16, Pomm presented two prints of her piece to New York Fire
Department Chief of Training Nicholas J. Santangelo as part of a
department ceremony. One print hangs on the memorial wall at Randall's
Island Firefighting Academy, while another is at the department's
headquarters in Brooklyn, said Fire Department Deputy Commissioner Stephan
Hittman.

"The painting depicts a New York firefighter with two children against an
American flag waving in the background. 'We love it,' Hittman said as he
reflected on the piece. 'And we're proud to have it.'

"Pomm went to New York a week after the attacks to help volunteers at a
Church of Scientology mission, blocks away from the World Trade Center
rubble, in efforts to aid rescue workers. As she painted, church workers
told Pomm about what they saw."

Message-ID: <a1km15$f4t@...>

#####

> In Memoriam

Tory Christman reported this week that former Scientologist Carol South
has passed away from cancer.

"Her name is Carol South. She died a week ago from Cancer. Greg and Deb
Barnes went to the funeral, and told me at the funeral were both
Scientologists and ex-Scientologists. She had resigned, but I guess her
friends didn't know it. So she left a letter to be opened after the
funeral telling them everything. She will be missed, by many, I am sure."

Message-ID: <3c3e99e0@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

The Santa Barbara News-Press reported on January 10th that the legal team
handling the Reed Slatkin Ponzi scheme investigation will receive payment
from the sale of Slatkin's possessions.

"The legal team that uncovered the scope of the $593 million Reed Slatkin
financial scandal will receive its first payments since beginning to
unravel the massive case last May. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robin
Riblet on Wednesday awarded approximately $2.8 million to seven of the
eight legal firms and consultants, who had requested $4.4 million in fees
and expenses. Money to pay these bills comes out of the Slatkin estate.
Its assets - ranging from stock to a wine collection to Mr. Slatkin's real
estate holdings - are being discovered and sold to raise money, some for
legal expenses and some to repay investors.

"Investors stand to receive only a fraction of their investments, minus
legal expenses - all of which are a matter of public record. The sizable
sums reflect the nature of the case: 2 million documents, about 800
victims, more than 7,000 hours of investigation, and numerous assets to
evaluate and sell, all without significant cooperation from Mr. Slatkin.
Among the assets recently sold was Mr. Slatkin's wine collection, which
was appraised at $35,000 but sold for $133,614. Mr. Neilson said Wednesday
that he has purchase offers for Mr. Slatkin's Goleta house on Kellogg
Avenue and for a property near Solvang. Mr. Neilson also sold some of Mr.
Slatkin's EarthLink stock for $3.2 million. He plans to sell millions of
dollars of additional EarthLink stock this year."

The National Post reported on January 9th that some investors say they
will fight attempts to have them repay the money they were paid.

"Investors who unknowingly profited from the scam - including Greta Van
Susteren of Fox News and actor Peter Coyote - may be asked to pay the
money back. U.S. security regulators trying to piece together an
investment scam that reached the highest levels of Hollywood have banned
the alleged operator from ever associating with a financial advisor. The
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission handed down the punishment
following negotiations with former Wall Street icon Reed E. Slatkin, who
is accused of running one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American
history.

"Authorities say Mr. Slatkin, an ordained minister in the Church of
Scientology, offered people huge returns on investments in such legitimate
companies as Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Schering-Plough Corp. But instead
of investing their money, Mr. Slatkin allegedly maintained a
US$593-million triangle scheme in which early investors - which included
Fox News commentator Greta Van Susteren - would be paid off with the funds
collected from later clients.

"A court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, who is trying to recover nearly
US$230-million in lost investments, said 75 people who unknowingly
profited by the scam may be asked to pay back the money they 'earned.'
'They'll either do it voluntarily or they'll be sued,' said Richard Wynne,
a Los Angeles lawyer who represents more than 800 bilked investors. 'I
will fight it,' said Ms. Van Susteren's husband, John Coale, who made
nearly US$500,000 on his US$2.1-million investment with Mr. Slatkin.
'There's not some Mercedes sitting in my driveway. That money went to
taxes. Plus, I was stupid enough to pay this a--hole fees.'

"Mr. Coale, a prominent anti-tobacco lawyer in Washington, said he
sympathizes with the people who lost their life savings but he said he was
ripped off, too. 'I'm not even allowed out of the house to buy cigarettes
any more. For a couple of years, I looked like an investment genius. Now
I'm just a dope.'

"Born in Michigan, Mr. Slatkin earned a living during the 1970s and early
1980s as an ordained minister with the Church of Scientology. It was not
until the mid-1980s, however, that the charismatic clergyman began
dabbling in the stock market, making a number of small investments for
himself and a handful of fellow Scientologists. Soon after those first
investments, authorities say, the minister began to steal from the people
who trusted him the most. A 2,024-page interim report filed in a
California bankruptcy court says that, as far back as 1986, Mr. Slatkin
was defrauding close friends and acquaintances, some of whom invested
their retirement savings and children's education funds."

Message-ID: <a1kq1p$8u@...>
Message-ID: <a1o7cp$37o@...>

#####

> John Travolta

The Evening Standard published an article on January 8th on Scientology
celebrity John Travolta and hiss new movie, Domestic Disturbance.

"When Tonight Show host Jay Leno asked John Travolta to appear as a guest
to discuss Ground Zero, he felt the request merited a trip to view the
devastation and rescue effort for himself. 'I had to know what I'd be
talking about,' said Travolta. 'I hadn't been to Ground Zero. And when I
got there, the reality really hit me, especially the fact that those
firemen and rescue workers were prepared to give their lives for those of
complete strangers

"His new film, Domestic Disturbance, racked up a reasonable $44 million in
the US last year, while Swordfish, which he terms now 'an anti-terrorism
movie,' fared even better with a whisker under $70 million. He dropped his
fee to $10 million for the roundly panned Battlefield Earth, adapted from
a novel by L Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. Ask him if there's a
film he regrets making and one might hope he'd cite the latter. But not a
bit of it. The endlessly upbeat Travolta says he 'loved it.' He claims the
film 'made 100 million bucks,' though its US run made only $21.5 million.
'And it was the first Hubbard film to make it to the screen. He's a great
science fiction writer. There's still the second part of the same book we
might do.'

"He worries more these days about issues like the 'drugging of children in
school - Ritalin and other drugs they put kids on which seem really
unnecessary. A drug like Ritalin will quieten down a child and make them
less of a problem, but it will only lead to a bigger problem. That drug
simply connects them to the next thing they're presented with, be it
cocaine or whatever.'"

From Ananova News Service on January 10th:

"John Travolta says his faith helped him pull through when his career hit
the doldrums. His says his belief in Scientology pulled him through, until
Quentin Tarantino offered him a role in Pulp Fiction.

"Travolta told Ananova: 'I guess I have almost always been a positive
person but my studies in Scientology have made me even more positive. I
can be very resilient when needs be. I can get down like anybody else for
a while but then I have this reflex to pick myself up. There are folk in
Hollywood who get addicted to suffering and pain and almost enjoy being
sad. I'm not one of those. I like a good cry but that's usually in front
of a movie screen or at home when I'm watching one of those black and
white classics.'"

Message-ID: <fl8m3uceu7aoeqhr6mqb50fu7kq0pidho4@...>
Message-ID: <n8gr3u8fsmkcs9i4ks3d6rdj7mjr6b03a3@...>

-end-