Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 5, Issue 10
6/18/2000
by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2000

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 ONElist. Email
weekinreview-subscribe@onelist.com or see http://www.onelist.com
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

#####

> Austria

Agence France Presse on June 16th reported that a Vienna, Austria based
human rights organization is defending itself against charges that it has
been infiltrated by Scientology.

"The Vienna-based International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights hit
back Thursday at accusations by a French anti-cult official that it had
been infiltrated by the Church of Scientology. Leading anti-cult official
Alain Vivien suggested the IHFHR had been compromised. The IHFHR 'seems
today to have passed into the hands of Scientologists and perhaps other
transnational organisations,' said Vivien, who heads up France's
Interministerial Committee for the Struggle against Cults.

"In a letter to Vivien on Thursday, IHFHR executive director Aaron Rhodes
declared his 'astonishment' at the charge. He was, he wrote, 'embarrassed
for you and your fellow French citizens by your recourse to methods of
denunciations and insinuations that remind us of those sometimes used by
totalitarian and backward regimes.' In his letter, Rhodes acknowledged
that its Moscow office had received funding from Scientology to print a
leaflet on religious freedom, but said the group had never sought to hide
the source of the funding."

From the Associated Press reported on June 16th that the town of Lausanne
is accusing Scientology of harassment on public property.

"The Lausanne Town Council will denounce the scientologist managers for
'harassment' on public ground. For three days, they have been approaching
passers-by in the street in the town center, in the frame of their private
exhibition. Open air concerts without authorizations have also been
organized. Despite a first warning, the harassment is still going on.
'This situation is not acceptable anymore' commented the town authorities
friday, announcing that it was going to take the measures required to sue
them. In 1998, the Town Council already had taken a decision restricting
the usage of public grounds by scientology and related organizations."

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> International Relations

The U.S. House Committee on International Relations held hearings this
week on alleged infringement of religious liberty in Europe. From Die
Presse on June 16th:

"'The dealings with religious minorities in West Europe fills many
Americans with concern. Several west European countries, who doubtlessly
are friends of the USA and where freedom in general is cherished, have a
weak point in their attitude towards religious minorities.' Benjamin
Gilman, chairman of the foreign political committee in the U.S. House of
Representatives, emphasized at the hearing on Wednesday that members of
minority religions in west Europe are often discriminated against.

"Robert Seiple, special ambassador of the State Department for
International Religious Freedom, described the situation in Austria as not
dissimilar from that of France. He said the government had long been
carrying out an information campaign against any religious group which, in
its opinion, harmed the interests of the individual or of society. Many
representatives from Scientology and Jehovah's Witnesses testified."

From the Washington Post on June 13th:

"JAG star and Scientologist Catherine Bell, who plays Marine Corps
attorney Sarah 'Mac' McKenzie on the CBS series about military justice, is
in Washington this week, urging Congress to condemn religious intolerance
in Europe. 'We want them to continue to support a resolution that
basically condemns the religious discrimination going in Germany, and get
some changes there,' the 31-year-old actress told us this morning as she
paid courtesy calls on Capitol Hill. For the past four years a member of
the Church of Scientology - which German law classifies as a business, not
a religion - Bell testifies tomorrow before the House International
Relations Committee.

"Bell said she and her Scientology instructor traced her audition troubles
to a searing memory of her life as fourth-grader, when several teachers
gave her a test and she performed badly. 'You're a spiritual being and
Scientology is a religion that deals with you as a spiritual being.' Asked
if it's helpful to her career that other church members are in show biz,
notably Ann Archer, Tom Cruise and John Travolta, Bell answered: 'You
certainly help each other as friends.'"

Excerpts from the hearing transcript:

"REP. BENJAMIN GILMAN (R-NY): I'd like to point out that the purpose of
this hearing is not to support the religious doctrines or other activities
of religious minorities active in Western Europe. But we're called on not
only to protect the rights of those we like, but of those with whom we may
disagree with as well. I've put on the record repeatedly, for example, my
concern over the use of Nazi imagery by supporters of Scientology in their
effort to make their points about German policy.

"Of course, holding or expressing a religious belief or worshipping in
public and private as one may please is not, as such, forbidden by law in
Western Europe. In practice however, expressing a minority religious
belief often leads to discrimination. The loss of a job, of educational
opportunities, of the right to gain custody of one's own child, or to be a
foster parent, which seriously burdens one's exercise of freedom of
religion.

"AMBASSADOR ROBERT SEIPLE: German officials say they are concerned that
Scientology has, 'anti-democratic tendencies.' The Offices for the
Protection of the Constitution at both the state and federal level have
been monitoring Scientology since 1997 for evidence of activities that
would constitute a threat against the state. Although initial reports
concluded that it did not, the monitoring continues to this day. In 1998,
a commission on so-called sects and psycho groups presented a report to
the parliament that criticized Scientology for, 'misinformation and
intimidation,' of its critics. Accusing it of being a political extremist
group with, 'totalitarian tendencies.' Following this, the states of
Bavaria and Hamburg published brochures warning the public of the
purported dangers Scientology poses. For their part, many of the country's
Scientologists have reported both governmental and societal discrimination
in their daily lives.

"Some employers, for example, use the so-called sect filter, screening
applicants for Scientology membership. The federal government also screens
companies bidding on some consulting and training contracts for
Scientologists, as do some state governments. That these and other forms
of discrimination are occurring was documented in a 1998 UN report. We
have expressed our concern that the continued official observation of
Scientology by the German government, without any legal action being
initiated as a result, creates an environment that encourages
discrimination. We have urged our German colleagues to begin a dialogue
with the scientologists, and we have raised our concerns multilaterally at
meetings of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe.

"DR. JEREMY GUNN: The one issue that has received increasing notice during
the past few years in Europe is what may be called the anti-sect movement.
The most serious problem regarding the anti-sect movement in Western
Europe is in France. In 1998, the French government established an agency
entitled the Inter-Ministerial Mission to Battle Against Sects. The
mission is now headed by the former French Foreign Minister Monsieur Alain
Vivien. During the past few years, the French National Assembly has also
issued prejudicial reports on so-called sects that are shockingly
unscientific.

"The most commonly employed term by the anti-sect movement is, of course,
the term sect, which plays a role similar to that of racial epithets. One
common tactic by some in the anti-sect movement is then to accuse they're
ideological opponent of being members or fellow travelers of the foreign
group. I personally witnessed one telling example of this tactic by the
president of the inter-ministerial himself against a member of an official
U.S. delegation in France.

"The reports of the anti-sect movements rely on statements made by
accusers and disgruntled former members. But they refuse to accept the
considerable evidence that most, although not all, adherents of the new
religious movement generally report positive and beneficial experiences
with the group. This was in fact the conclusion of both the Swedish and
the German governments' investigation into new religious movements.

"MR. JENSEN: I am the CEO of Executive Software, a company I founded in
1981 in California. My company's products are in use in every sector of
the American economy, including right here on Capitol Hill, and are sold
extensively abroad, as well. Purchase of my products is restricted in
Germany by government edict. And now, the fact that Microsoft's new
Windows 2000 operating system includes a component developed by my company
is being used to justify a ban on the sale of Windows 2000 in Germany.

"The official reason given is that my company is headed by a member of the
Church of Scientology. But what does my religion have to do with selling
software? While such a blatantly discriminatory admission would be
condemned immediately in this country, in the climate of intolerance
created by German government, it is allowed to pass. Official statements
from the German government have confirmed that public bodies expressly ban
purchases from companies owned by or associated with Scientologists,
effectively prohibiting the purchase of U.S. products.

"MS. BELL: In fact, I'm here at the request of my friend and fellow
actress, Ann Archer, whose professional commitments unfortunately prevent
her attendance at this hearing to speak on her behalf. Present in this
room today are nearly two dozen German citizens who have come here to
witness the fact that an official body would care enough to hear their
personal grievances and provide an open forum to air the facts about
governmental religious discrimination in Germany.

"Mr. Karl Rorig is a very talented graphic artist whose work has been
exhibited internationally and has appeared on the covers of leading
international magazines. Because of his religious beliefs, Mr. Rorig has
been blacklisted and has had exhibits boycotted or canceled. His bank
accounts were closed with explanation, and his family threatened. He was
compelled to send his family abroad to rescue them from the discrimination
and intolerance they faced in Germany.

"Mr. Hans Bajor, another Scientologist who is here today with his family,
worked for 20 years as a journalist. After his religious affiliation
became known, all work suddenly dried up. In the end, he had no choice but
to leave Germany, and he and his family now live here in the United
States. Finally, I would like to introduce Ms. Antia Viktor. In 1997 she
became the first German Scientologist to be granted asylum by a U.S.
immigration court on the grounds that she faced ruinous religious
persecution if she had to return to Germany. On a personal note, I
receive a lot of letters from people in Germany who watch 'JAG,' the TV
series in which I play a U.S. Marine Corps attorney. I would hate to think
that due to reading such hateful propaganda, that they might be made to
think less of the program or of me.

"REP. SALMON: One of the concerns that's been raised is information that
has been sent to virtually every member of this committee from the Lisa
McPherson Trust. Do you have any thoughts on some of the allegations that
have been raised by this group, and if so, what are they?

"MR. JENSEN: Congressman contrary to its characterization as a foundation,
it's a profit-making body and all the charges brought in their case were
dismissed recently.

"REP. SALMON: All of the charges that - or all of the allegations that
they've made have been dropped?

"MR. JENSEN: That's correct. They've been dismissed by the court.

"REP. ACKERMAN: One of the things that the officials in Germany were using
to make whatever points they thought they were making, was that this
particular religion of which we speak today, Scientology, in their view
was not a religion and was just basically a ponzi scheme to take money
from unsuspecting people. We argued that, but how do you respond to that?

"MR. JENSEN: Congressman, In Germany, they don't have religious freedom,
they don't have separation of church and state, they have combined certain
religions and declared certain religions to be official state religions.
And all others are referred to as sects or free-churches. And my
understanding is that free means a religion or church that's not
controlled by the government. So I'm not surprised that they would use
such derogatory terms to refer to my church.

"REV. L'HEUREUX: One of the tragedies that I see in this current
environment is that much of the anti-sect movement in Europe, France and
Germany that I'm familiar with personally, in particular, arises because
of the work for the last four decades here of the American anti-cult
movement. It has been rendered economically deficient in this country by
legal judgments that have bankrupted the cult awareness network and one of
their leading kidnapper/deprogrammers."

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> France

Agence France Presse reported on June 11th that France plans a new
initiative against mental manipulation by cults.

"The struggle against cults should be considerably reinforced by a
specific judicial arsenal, according to a bill initiated by the socialist
group, and shall be examined on June 22d by the national assembly. The
parliament have 'hesitated for long' before planning specific anti-cult
dispositions, but this time, it has decided to 'take the bull by horns',
said the deputy PS Catherine Picard, President of the Task Force to study
cults in the French assembly. The text's purpose is to allow the political
authorities to dissolve 'moral entities' having been condemned many times
- either themselves or their executives, for some typically cultic
offences, such as endangering people, illegal school studies, abuse of
trust, etc."

From The Guardian on June 14th:

"France will defy President Clinton's appeal to be more tolerant of
religious sects and introduce draconian laws, including an offense of
'mental manipulation' - brainwashing - which will carry a two-year prison
sentence. President Jacques Chirac has told Clinton that religious freedom
will no longer be a subject for bilateral presidential talks in the light
of what has been officially described as 'shocking' White House support
for Scientologists and Moonies.

"Alain Vivien, chairman of a French ministerial mission to combat the
influence of cults, said many observers believe Clinton was making his
peace with big religious movements 'because they offer an indispensable
source of political financing.' France has waged war against mainly
American-sponsored movements, prompting the accusation, particularly by
Scientologists, that it is indulging in 'collective hysteria' and
preparing to ban religious freedoms.

"Vivien denied that France was acting alone, claiming that Germany was
leading the battle, with strong support from Belgium, the first country to
produce a legal definition of a sect. He claimed that religious sects, led
by Scientologists, were infiltrating U.N. and European human rights
associations, financing some of their work and collaborating on reports
that condemned France 'with virulence.'"

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> Germany

Badische Zeitung Loerrach reported on May 17th that Renate Hartweg spoke
on the subject of Scientology in German business.

"About 900 people filled the courtyard at the first presentation in the
new series from the Volksbank Dreilaendereck, 'Dialogue - Discussions in
Dreilaendereck.' In this attraction, Renate Hartweg developed the theme of
'Scientology - the ticking time-bomb in business.' Renate Hartwig answered
the question clearly: Scientology was not a religion, but a 'business
concern, similar to the Mafia,' and which she described in media
interviews as 'racist, fascistoid and anti-democratic.' That, she said,
was because the Scientologists' mission included actively obtaining
cooperation in putting 'winners' (Scientologists) in key positions in all
areas of society while 'losers' (non-Scientologists) were to be left out
in the cold.

"Mostly they appear as nice people, and can therefore present themselves
as victims who 'are only persecuted because they are Scientologists.' She
said, however, that they were not victims, but perpetrators. They often
appear as business consultants and offer courses and seminars. For
self-protection, Renate Hartwig recommended having a security declaration
signed saying that Hubbard technology is not used in business operations."

Der Tagesspiegel reported on June 16th on the controversy over Windows
2000 and its Scientology connection.

"The latest U.S. Congressional hearings on the theme of 'Treatment of
religious minorities in western Europe' took place on Wednesday. Once
again, Germany was put on trial for its dealings with Scientology. But the
old feud took a surprising turn. Has the Federal Republic of Germany been
maneuvered into a situation in which it must boycott the Windows software
from Microsoft?

"'The federal government at first did not even try to palliate that their
embargo being based on religious discrimination,' said Jensen on Wednesday
before the foreign politics committee. 'I am not appearing here today to
complain about a trade boycott or religious discrimination, but to direct
your attention to the interplay of the two of them, an embargo that is
justified with official government religious discrimination.'

"It is recognized that one or the other government official in Washington
will bow to the adeptly mounted pressure from Scientology and get excited
about Germany's dealings with the alleged church. What's new is that the
scandal pulls in one crisis after the next. The friends of Scientology
have managed, for the first time, to rope in a second U.S. department. The
USTR trade agency, directly subordinate to the White House, announced in
the beginning of May that the disadvantages of Scientologists in
announcements in Germany presented a serious obstacle to free world trade.
It was about the exact same 'sect filter' that Craig Jensen complained
about so emphatically.

"Juergen Chrobog, the German Ambassador in Washington, reacted on
Wednesday to the Congressional hearing, 'The latest assertions concern
only a fraction of the contract announcements, in particular the
educational measures in government contracts. These are not directed at
Scientology, but are meant to ensure that techniques which attempt to
suppress or psychologically manipulate are not implemented for purposes of
consultation or education.'"

From Der Tagesspiegel on June 16th:

"The city-state of Hamburg will not use certain components of the new
Windows 2000 computer operating system in its agencies because the
components were produced by a U.S. company whose owner is one of the most
influential Scientologists. This is in regard to a so-called
defragmentation program with the name of Diskeeper, which serves to
organize the data on a hard disk so that it can be more quickly accessed
by the computer. The producer is the U.S. company Executive Software,
Inc., which belongs to Scientologist Craig Jensen, who, according to the
information in Hamburg, is counted as one of the managing forces of
Scientology at 'Class VIII Operating Thetan.' Executive Software, in turn,
belongs to the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE).

"On the part of the Federal Office for Security and Information
Technology, nobody wanted to address the matter. 'Diskeeper is a matter in
process,' said the representative spokesman of the Bonn office, Joachim
Weber. For two months BSI, on commission of the Interior Ministry, has
been negotiating with Microsoft in order to clear up any sort of threat
from the operating system."

From Der Tagesspiegel on June 16th:

"Hamburg's government agencies are walking on thin ice. Stopping the
installation of a computer program because it comes from the company of a
high-ranking Scientologist is objectionable. This is not a matter of free
selection of a product by a private operation. The pious intention is
that Hamburg avoid anything which could be of use to Scientology. But a
ban on products will affect any business which accuses Germany of
discriminating against a religious denomination. The Scientology lobby in
the USA will vigorously exploit this case.

"But only assumptions have been given play here - which are fed by
Scientology's incontestable urge for expansion and by growing discomfort
of people who do business with the Microsoft company. The fact that not
even computer experts can agree about the importance of the program does
not help the situation. Of course the state should not play into the hands
of sects. But it must place its obstacles to them more wisely."

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> John McLaughlin

A transcript of the May 20th broadcast of John McLaughlin's One on One TV
show was posted to a.r.s this week, on the subject of religious
discrimination and mentioning Scientology.

"MR. MCLAUGHLIN: At the dawn of the 21st century, one of mankind's age-old
curses still afflicts us. It is religious intolerance. In China,
Christians and so-called 'cults' are the targets of brutal government
crack-downs. In the Sudan, antichristian riots have killed hundreds. In
Russia, antisemitism is rearing its despicable head.

"SEN. BROWNBACK: The Religious Commission report on international
religious liberty and they're putting forward three countries that they're
particularly citing that have some of the worst cases of religious abuse,
such as in the Sudan and China, and one that we hold some of the most
promise, but some of the problems are rearing their head, in Russia.

"MR. MCLAUGHLIN: And let's move on to Scientology. It's called a cult,
which is kind of a dismissive word, which almost invites a certain amount
of oppression, doesn't it? To those who practice Scientology, a true
faith.

"SEN. BROWNBACK: It is. And where I get concerned is, like the First
Amendment, when you start cutting somebody's speech out somewhere, I get
concerned anywhere about it. What people choose to do with their own souls
is their right, and it should be protected.

"MR. MCLAUGHLIN: You know, in Germany, the Scientologists take an
extra-heavy hit. Why do the Germans find Scientology so obnoxious?

"MS. SHEA: They don't consider it a religion, and I guess they feel
threatened by it. And I don't think governments, especially Germany,
should be in the business of saying, you know, what's a religion or not.
And I find it very disconcerting."

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> Los Angeles Benefit

The Los Angeles Times reported on June 10th that Scientology held a
fundraiser at a local country club.

"The Women's Auxiliary of the Church of Scientology of La Crescenta held
its second annual benefit at the La Canada Country Club. More than 220
attendees participated in live and silent auctions and had dinner. Mardi
Gras was the theme of the event. Auction co-chairwomen were Lisa Malm of
Glendale, Nancy Reitze of Pasadena and Margaret desMarteaux of Tujunga."

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> Lisa McPherson

Criminal charges against Scientology in the death of Lisa McPherson were
dropped by the prosecutor this week due to fears of the credibility of the
Medical Examiner. From Reuters on June 12th:

"A Florida prosecutor dropped criminal charges on Monday against the
Church of Scientology's Clearwater headquarters in the 1995 death of a
woman member. In 1998, Pinellas County State Attorney Bernie McCabe
charged the church with two felonies, practicing medicine without a
license and criminal neglect of a disabled adult in McPherson's death. In
February this year, Pinellas Medical Examiner Joan Wood changed her
finding in the cause of McPherson's death from undetermined to accidental
after experts hired by the church challenged her original finding. McCabe
said because of the change in the autopsy finding, he did not have enough
evidence to proceed with the case.

"'We're very happy. We think that was the appropriate thing to do,'
Scientology spokesman Mark Rinder said. The church has said it was not
responsible for McPherson's death. A separate civil wrongful death suit by
McPherson's estate against the church is still pending. No trial date has
been set."

From the St. Petersburg Times on June 13th:

"State Attorney Bernie McCabe's weekend reading was a memo by his chief
assistant urging him to drop the first criminal charges ever filed in the
United States against the Church of Scientology. The essence was all too
clear: The star prosecution witness, Medical Examiner Joan Wood, really
didn't know why Scientologist Lisa McPherson died in 1995 while in the
care of Scientology staffers in Clearwater. It said she had botched the
case beyond repair.

"He read the memo one more time before the weight of its words finally
sank in. Then, 'I realized I had nowhere to go,' he said Monday evening.
'You just have to do the right thing and let the chips fall where they
may.' The veteran prosecutor had written 'OK' atop the memo with a
scrawled note that instructed its writer, Assistant State Attorney Douglas
Crow, to drop two felony criminal charges against the church's Clearwater
operation: abuse of a disabled adult and practicing medicine without a
license.

"'It's not a celebration, I would describe it more as a sense of relief,'
said Marty Rathbun, a top church official who normally deals with
ecclesiastical matters but in recent years has been thrown into battle as
a defense strategist. 'It's a big milestone,' Rathbun said. If anything
good came of the case, he said, it was that it prompted Scientology to
accelerate efforts to improve its relations in Clearwater.

"Crow, the assistant prosecutor, placed the blame squarely with Joan Wood,
the veteran medical examiner, who in 1997 broke her usual practice of
discussing cases only in court. Crow submits that several factors may
have 'impacted the quality of her judgment.' He cited Wood's vulnerability
to litigation in the case and a suggestion by Scientology that it could
'reveal information extremely damaging to Wood's office and her career.'

"Ken Dandar, the Tampa attorney representing McPherson's estate in the
wrongful death lawsuit, said of McCabe's decision: 'This is a prosecutor
that has no backbone.' He blamed the decision on politics, saying
politicians 'want everything to be quiet, nice and neat and going after
Scientology is too raucous. The people should be ashamed of their
prosecutor.' In the civil case, Wood is 'just another doctor,' one of many
medical experts, Dandar said. 'This has absolutely no effect on the civil
case. It actually makes our resolve stronger, if that's possible.'"

The St. Petersburg Times reported on June 13th on the effect this has had
on the Medical Examiner, Joan Wood.

"Although prosecutors said her 'serious forensic error' ruined their case
against the Church of Scientology, Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Joan
Wood said Monday she has no plans to resign. But veteran lawyers
predicted the case -- and particularly the 31-page memo from prosecutors
that blasted Wood as 'illogical' and 'inconsistent' -- will dog her every
time she takes the witness stand.

"Wood would not comment on whether the dismissal of the case might affect
her credibility in future criminal cases or her ability to continue in her
job. 'This is a unique case,' Wood said. 'That's not a question I can
answer for you. You should ask an attorney.' During a child-abuse murder
case last month Assistant Public Defender Violet Assaid cross-examined
Wood about her change-of-heart on the McPherson case. Assaid also brought
up an error Wood made in a 1994 child-abuse murder that forced prosecutors
to downgrade a first-degree murder charge to second-degree murder. But
the judge ruled that those matters were not sufficiently germane to the
case at hand and did not allow the jury to hear that testimony. Assaid's
client was convicted of first-degree murder.

"Records released Monday show Wood angered State Attorney Bernie McCabe
long before she reversed her finding on the cause of death with another
action he disapproved of: appearing on the tabloid television show Inside
Edition to discuss the McPherson case. In her statement last week, Wood
told Crow she 'no longer felt the sense of camaraderie' she once shared
with McCabe and his assistants. 'I just feel like my position is
different. It's different with you; it's different with Bernie.'"

From the Tampa Tribune on June 14th:

"Medical examiner Joan Wood says the case against the Church of
Scientology has hurt her personally, but she doesn't plan to quit her job.
The now-defunct case has taken 'a toll far greater than anything else in
my life,' Wood said Tuesday. Even now, she worries her actions have been
misinterpreted. Wood said she mentioned the crash on the death
certificate only because the crash ultimately led to McPherson's winding
up in the care of fellow Scientologists. 'I'm saying in my opinion, her
problems began when she had that accident and there is an unbroken chain
from that accident to Morton Plant Hospital, back to the church, through
the 17 days to her death,' Wood said.

"Wood had little luck making the same case earlier this month before
prosecutor Doug Crow. In a memo to State Attorney Bernie McCabe, Crow
called Wood's explanations illogical. 'One might just as well have argued
that the fact that Lisa was a Scientologist, lived in Clearwater or got
out bed that morning are causes contributing to the death,' Crow wrote."

The St. Petersburg Times published an editorial on June 14th.

"It was a sad day Monday in Pinellas County when State Attorney Bernie
McCabe dropped all charges against the Church of Scientology in the death
of Lisa McPherson. Sad because the incompetence of Medical Examiner Joan
Wood was exposed too late to save an important criminal case. Sad because
McCabe could find no way to bring to justice those who callously allowed
McPherson to suffer and die without seeking prompt medical attention for
the incapacitated woman. Sad because the bullying Church of Scientology
has won again with its mixture of seemingly unlimited resources and
intimidation.

"The medical examiner's conduct has spoiled this important case, and it
threatens the outcome of others, as well. One defense attorney in an
unrelated murder trial has already quizzed Wood about her handling of the
McPherson autopsy. And other lawyers, including Pinellas-Pasco Public
Defender Bob Dillinger, are questioning her credibility.

"Re-appointment of Wood to another three-year term as medical examiner is
awaiting a decision by Gov. Jeb Bush, who should question her fitness for
the job. Wood should not let the issue get that far. Her sense of decency
and integrity should tell her the right thing to do is to resign."

From the Tampa Tribune on June 14th:

"This was never an easy case. Although brought as a criminal matter, it
was really a medical case, and prosecutors needed strong and convincing
testimony from a sure medical examiner to prove the charges and attain a
conviction. Scientology officials maintain that the prosecutors never had
a case and that lies infected the investigation from the beginning.

"Senior official Marty Rathbun told reporter David Sommer that McCabe's
decision was 'a watershed event between an old era of distrust and
misunderstandings and a new era of moving forward with the community.' But
Lisa McPherson did not die an easy death, and the church's own internal
records reveal, at the very least, a gross insensitivity to her worsening
condition. Further, when church members realized how sick she was, they
took her to an emergency room 45 minutes away rather than to close-by
Morton Plant Hospital, where she could have received immediate medical
attention.

"The point is that the questions raised by McCabe's office haven't gone
away, and neither has the civil case brought against the church by
McPherson's estate. Perhaps in that forum, the truth about Lisa
McPherson's death will finally be known."

Reuters reported on June 13th that the civil case against Scientology
continues to be heard.

"Church of Scientology officials Tuesday hailed the dismissal of criminal
charges against the church in the death of one of its members, while a
critic promised to continue the legal battle in civil court. Ken Dandar,
the attorney for McPherson's estate, vowed to continue a separate civil
suit against the church. 'This has absolutely no effect on the civil
case. It actually makes our resolve stronger, if that's possible,' Dandar
told the St. Petersburg Times. No trial date has been set for the civil
case."

The St. Petersburg Times reported on June 14th that Scientology offered
prosecutors a deal to drop the charges.

"Alarmed at the 'massive impact' of two criminal charges, the Church of
Scientology's worldwide leader quickly offered Pinellas County's top
prosecutor a deal. Drop the charges, David Miscavige told State Attorney
Bernie McCabe in November 1998, and the church would make a $500,000
donation to the county's EMS system. It also would pay the nearly $200,000
in expenses incurred in what then was a three-year investigation into Lisa
McPherson's 1995 death while in the care of her fellow Scientologists. In
addition, Miscavige offered to pay the $15,000 the church would have been
fined if convicted of the charges.

"He also promised steps to ensure a death like McPherson's never occurred
again. The church would submit to temporary monitoring under a 'pretrial
intervention program.' It would have a doctor on call 24 hours a day at
Scientology's Clearwater operation. And it would establish a protocol with
local hospitals that detailed how Scientologists with mental problems
should be cared for in light of Scientology's vigorous opposition to
psychiatry.

"Shortly after Miscavige made the offer in 1998, McCabe turned it down and
made no counter proposal. 'That conversation didn't last very long,' the
prosecutor said Tuesday. 'I didn't think (the offer) spoke appropriately
to the conduct we had charged.' The offer to McCabe was meant to address
the prosecutor's chief concerns about McPherson's treatment while in the
care of staffers at Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel, Miscavige said.
For example, the donation to EMS attempted to ease concerns that none of
the staffers thought to call 911 during McPherson's 17-day stay, instead
driving her in a van to a hospital 45 minutes away. The donation was
neither a 'buyout' nor a symbolic gesture but a tangible expression of
Scientology's support for EMS service, Miscavige said."

The Times also reported on June 14th that many in Clearwater are ready to
let the case drop, and resume life as normal.

"With a high-profile criminal case against the Church of Scientology
dropped, city officials, downtown merchants and residents are divided on
what impact the turn of events will have on the church's image in
Clearwater. 'I think it's time to move on in the community,' City Manager
Mike Roberto said. 'I've always contended that the church was a positive
aspect of the city. They're a major property owner downtown and a
contributor to the community.' 'I'm not in any way defending what the
church may have done way into the past,' said Les Spits, owner of the
Mooko International fine furniture gallery downtown. However, he said, the
past is just that -- the past. With the McPherson case, Spits said, 'If it
was anybody else, then the issue would be dropped and that would be the
end of it now. But because there is this vendetta it seems against the
church, it keeps getting dragged up, and the rest of us who are trying to
build a community down here suffer for it.'

"But other residents expect wariness toward the church to continue,
regardless of the decision to halt criminal prosecution. A civil case
filed by McPherson's family over her death is still pending. 'I think it
leaves more hanging in the air,' former Mayor Rita Garvey said. 'A woman
died under their care.'"

From the St. Petersburg Times on June 16th, on the public records status
of autopsy photographs of Lisa McPherson.

"Now that the criminal case against the Church of Scientology is over, a
judge must decide whether the public should have access to a key piece of
evidence: the autopsy photos of Scientologist Lisa McPherson. The church
and McPherson's estate, normally at odds, joined forces Thursday to ask
Pinellas-Pasco Chief Circuit Judge Susan F. Schaeffer to keep the photos
under seal. The church argued the photos could jeopardize its right to a
fair trial in Tampa, where the estate has filed a wrongful death lawsuit
contending Scientology is responsible for McPherson's 1995 death.

"Ken Dandar, the estate's attorney, told Schaeffer the privacy rights of
McPherson's family could be compromised if the public were to see the
photos. He added he did not want to give the church any grounds for
appeal. Schaeffer denied both requests, saying she had no jurisdiction in
the matter. But she kept the photos under seal until the church and the
estate could file lawsuits in Pinellas.

"Schaeffer looked at the autopsy photographs from the bench and described
them in open court. Echoing Scientology's attorneys, she said some of the
natural changes that occur in a body after death could be misconstrued by
the public. She said local newspapers probably would not publish them, but
worried that they might be displayed on the Internet. 'That does give you
some concerns,' she said."

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> Nigeria

Bob Minton attended a forum at Howard University in Washington, DC this
week to explain how Scientology is attempting to use his past business
dealings in Nigeria against him. From the Nigeria Guardian on June 14th:

"Details of the $4.5 billion debt buy-back deals of the Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida administration were unearthed at the weekend in Washington DC,
United States of America, with the then government's principal partner,
Bob Minton admitting that the transactions were not totally transparent.
The deals, similar to the Ajaokuta debt buy-back scheme of the late Gen.
Sani Abacha administration were blown open recently by former football
star, John Fashanu.

"At a forum held by the U.S.-based Nigerian Democratic Movement, at
Harvard University, Washington DC, Minton also conceded that if the deals
were done in the open market, they would have fetched higher prices for
Nigeria. The American businessman, with two others - Jeff Schmidt and
Celine Louis - bought back debts and resold to Nigeria between 1988 and
1993. Minton, who expressed readiness to testify before the Nigerian
Senate, if summoned, noted that by the disclosures, he was violating the
term of agreement with the Babangida administration that the transaction
would be kept secret. Fashanu and his Canada-based investigator, Robert
Clarke, who were also billed to address the forum were, however absent.

"As to the steps he would take on the accusations leveled against him by
the Fashanu report, Minton said he had retained a counsel in Nigeria, sued
Fashanu in Italy and would also sue him in Germany and the United Kingdom.
Minton alleged that Fashanu was being used by the Church of Scientology
with which he has a three-year running battle over the church's alleged
human rights violations and murder of certain persons which he is trying
to expose."

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> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported a protests this week in the San Jose area.

"I bought one of the street people a bagel, he picketed while I went and
got it. Offered to buy him lunch and dinner if he wanted to keep
picketing, but it was too weird for him when nice Mark came out with a
camcorder and taped him. Only other thing of note was that 'blue shirt'
came out and wanted to know if my taping crew was there. Since I would not
say if they were watching he was moderately abusive verbally, but
refrained again from nazi salutes.

"They did call the San Jose police. The officer who came by could find
nothing amiss with me picketing from the sidewalk, and took away a copy of
the newspaper story on Ashlee Shaner. After that I gave the San Jose
mission, Los Gatos, and the new Mt. View locations token ten minute
pickets. Mt. View has done nothing to block the windows. I also went by
the Palo Alto org, but it was entirely shut down today."

Mark Bunker reported a one person protest in Clearwater, near the Lisa
McPherson Trust.

"I stepped outside about 1 p.m. today and noticed the entire Sea Org
coming out of the bank building and lining up across the street. Literally
hundreds of uniformed members filling more than half the block on the
opposite side of the street. They reached almost all the way down to our
door. I grabbed one of the Lisa Picket signs from our window and walked
over to the group. Instantly they all averted their eyes and looked away
so I walked through the group and stood at the edge of the white lines. In
moments, OSA was out there to assess the situation. This included a
personal appearance from Ben Shaw himself.

Suddenly the troops were all called back inside. This all happened in a
little more than a minute. After the crowd was herded inside I asked the
OSA guy who was standing between me and the cop 'Everybody had to go back
in because of one sign?' He didn't respond."

Bruce Pettycrew protested in Mesa, Arizona.

"Kathy and I picketed today from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. When we arrived, the
site was empty, by 10:00 8 persons had arrived. During the picket a car
driven by a single woman arrived and parked right next to the driveway, so
our path went within 8 feet of her while she was finishing her cigarette
before going inside. She gave me a fixed stare as I walked by, so I
offered to give her information about the behavior of her church. Her
reply: 'Don't talk to me.' Since she was parked directly by the sign with
the motto 'Think for yourself' I pointed out that she needed info from
both sides to carry out that goal. Her reply: 'Don't talk to me'.

"Two women came out to take our picture during the picket, including the
one that offered such scintillating conversation. I told her that I hoped
she got a good picture. Her reply: 'Don't talk to me.'"

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> Prozac

The Boston Globe published an article on June 11th on Prozac, mentioning
the effect Scientology has had on the history of the drug.

"This is a story about a drug that changed the world, the bravery of rats,
the evolution of a psychiatrist, the Jekyll and Hyde nature of man-made
chemicals, the Church of Scientology, and the impulses that lead some
people to kill. The drug is Prozac. Introduced by Eli Lilly and Co. in
1988 as the first notable new antidepressant in two decades, it lifted the
spirits of millions and became shorthand for the search for answers in
convenient pill form.

"The most ardent Prozac critics were members of a group affiliated with
Scientology, which was founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard,
in part based on his hatred of psychiatry. The group blanketed the media
with claims that Prozac was a 'killer drug.' In one press release the
group stated that 'the numbers of persons who have been driven or are
being driven suicidal or homicidal by Prozac is astronomical.' It was one
of many subtle and not-so-subtle distortions of Teicher's paper.

'Teicher says his contact with the Scientologists was limited to one phone
call in which he complained they were distorting his data. Yet, he says,
he suffered 'guilt by association,' despite the fact that he always
believed Prozac was a valuable addition to the psychiatrist's toolbox, 'a
breakthrough' drug that simply needed to be monitored closely for
troubling side effects. But, for the most part, all anyone heard was that
Teicher had linked Prozac to suicide, and the Scientologists were citing
him as their most potent ally.

"The psychiatric community circled the wagons to oppose the
Scientologists' attacks on Prozac and the entire profession, sweeping up
Teicher in what he called a 'strange, surreal' process. Lilly fought back
as well, offering studies and scientists to challenge Teicher's work and
sending out press releases of their own to counter the criticism."

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