Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 40
1/27/2002 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

#####

> Alaska

The Anchorage Daily News reported on January 26th that the Scientology org
there is offering courses to the public.

"The Church of Scientology offers more than 40 public courses in Dianetics
and Scientology dealing with many aspects of life, including marriage and
the family, the mind and the spirit, business, study skills, values,
elimination of drugs and stress."

Message-ID: <a2uueb$cp0@...>

#####

> September 11

Fortean Times in their February issue described the efforts of Scientology
to link September 11th terrorism to Psychiatry.

"The Church of Scientology keeps flogging away at the dead of September
11. The CoS famously had it in for psychiatrists, psychologists, and to be
blunt, anybody capable of picking up on their tommyrot for the transparent
nonsense that it is.

"So, guess who was actually ultimately responsible for the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks? Psychiatrists! A Church of Scientology front styling
itself the 'Citizens Commission on Human Rights' has warned that the
attacks were 'the cowardly actions of weak and insane minds [..] that have
been deliberately psychologically indoctrinated to feel nothing about the
mass murder of innocent lives.'

"The Church of Scientology warns that 'from Hitler, the Bosnia-Kosovo
'ethnic cleansing' of psychiatrist Radovan Karadzic and his patient,
Slobovan [sic] Milosevic, [..] the Unibomber [sic] and Oklahoma Bomber
here in the U.S., all were reportedly, directly or indirectly, influenced
by psychiatric or psychological techniques.'"

Message-ID: <3c4d7891.3909733@...>

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on January 26th that Scientology invited
notable Clearwater area residents to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the
Fort Harrison Hotel at a banquet in the Hotel.

"The Church of Scientology, long on the fringe of the Clearwater
community, will roll out the red carpet at its Fort Harrison Hotel
tonight, staging a black tie gala for the area's power elite. And while
several notables sent regrets, many others are going.

"Tonight's party ranks as another indicator Scientology is gaining
acceptance in a community historically suspicious of the church, if not
hostile. Clearly pleased by the number of acceptances, Scientologists say
their volunteerism and other civic efforts are making a difference.

"Among those attending are politicians and civic leaders who years ago
would have had serious reservations about wining and dining with
Scientologists. State Sen. Jack Latvala and his wife, Pinellas County
Commissioner Susan Latvala, plan to go. Pinellas Sheriff Everett Rice will
attend. So will Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst. Pinellas Supervisor of
Elections Deborah Clark is going. So, too are leaders from the Clearwater
YMCA and the local branch of the NAACP. Clearwater businessman Phil
Henderson and his wife, Dunedin City Commissioner Janet Henderson, a
candidate for state representative, will go and write a check for their
dinners. 'As recently as 10 years ago, I don't think a lot of people would
come to the event, or even consider coming,' Henderson said. 'But they
(Scientologists) have changed their ways.'

"And, of course, the question is on everyone's lips: Will Scientology's
celebrities be there? Bennetta Slaughter, chairwoman of the celebration,
did say, when pushed, that John Travolta and Tom Cruise are filming
elsewhere. What about Isaac Hayes? Jenna Elfman? Kirstie Alley? 'We have
to make the anticipation continue,' Shaw quipped. 'I can't tell you.' Jazz
legend Chick Corea, who lives in Clearwater, will be there, Shaw allowed.
Scientology's leader, David Miscavige, who is based in Los Angeles, could
be there. 'He's invited,' was all Shaw would reveal.

"With valet service, an open bar, buffet and sit-down dinner with several
menu choices, a live musical show and a complimentary brochure
commemorating the hotel, the retail cost of the gala could be as much as
$400 a person, estimated Gregory Snow, president of Tampa Bay's Best
Publications and Productions, which publishes a wedding and party planning
magazine. 'That's first class,' Snow said. 'It could be between $100,000
and $200,000.'

"The church tried sponsoring a political forum at the Fort Harrison in
1992, Susan Latvala recalled, and she and other candidates struggled with
the decision whether to attend. 'Do you think we should go? It's
Scientology,' she said they asked one another. Of the 95 candidates
invited, 17 showed up.

"Latvala, though, will be the only Pinellas County commissioner there.
Commissioner Karen Seel - her son has a dance. Commissioner John Morroni -
it's his son's birthday. Clearwater businessman and community leader Alan
Bomstein has a conflict. So do Clearwater City Commissioners Ed Hart and
Bill Jonson. New Pinellas County Administrator Steve Spratt and longtime
Clearwater police Chief Sid Klein sent regrets. St. Petersburg Times
editors also sent their regrets. The church is not allowing the Times to
send a reporter and photographer to cover the event.

"Clearwater City Commissioners Whitney Gray and Hoyt Hamilton plan to
attend. Hamilton said he is reimbursing the church $90, the price quoted
to him for two dinners. 'I didn't want anyone to get the impression I was
there on the church's dime,' Hamilton said. 'My attendance is strictly the
opportunity to go back and revisit the site of my younger days in
Clearwater.'

"Numerous city employees were invited but have been told they can attend
only the reception and not the dinner because of a city ordinance limiting
gifts. That's what City Manager Bill Horne will do. Assistant City Manager
Garry Brumback, who also plans to go, said Scientologists are some of the
city's best volunteers."

The St. Petersburg Times also reported on January 26th that the Fort
Harrison Hotel will be open for tours and meals for the public

"The three-week open house is part of the church's celebration of the Fort
Harrison's 75th anniversary. The open house runs seven days a week until
Feb. 17 from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Visitors can dine at the hotel's
Hibiscus restaurant, where dress is casual and no reservations are
required. Lunch tabs run about $8.50 per person and dinner averages $14
per person. The church is offering complimentary lunch or dinner to anyone
celebrating a 75th birthday.

"The public can also tour the hotel and see Images of a Lifetime, a photo
exhibit on display in the Crystal Ballroom depicting the life and work of
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

"The Church of Scientology purchased the Clearwater landmark in 1975 and
over the span of 10 years renovated and restored the building's historic
elements. As a spiritual retreat for Scientologists receiving advanced
religious counseling, the hotel has largely been off limits to the public.
Church officials say that will change with the 2003 completion of the
massive new Flag building across the street. All of the counseling rooms
in the Fort Harrison will be moved to the new building, a change that will
render the old hotel completely taxable for the first time since the
Scientologists bought it in 1975. Also at that point, the church will open
the hotel's restaurants to the public."

Message-ID: <a2utno$ath@...>
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#####

> Kirstie Alley

UK newspaper The Herald published an article on January 24th on
Scientology celebrity Kirstie Alley.

"Kirstie Alley stumbled big time, developing a cocaine habit by the age of
24. Apparently it once took her 30 days to drive from Kansas to Los
Angeles because she had to buy drugs along the way. It could so easily
have been the kiss of death to her future career, had it not been for the
Church of Scientology.

"According to Alley, a friend gave her a book, Dianetics: The Modern
Science of Mental Health, written by L Ron Hubbard - the man behind
Scientology. Alley says: 'I thought, This either really works or it
doesn't. So I packed up and moved to Los Angeles to find out.' Her
newfound religion not only helped her to kick her two-year drugs habit,
but gave her the inspiration to aim high career-wise. It also inspired
her, two years ago, to buy a second home, the $1.5m house belonging to
Lisa Marie Presley - located just five blocks away from the Scientology
church. She is also a spokesperson for a drug-rehabilitation programme
sponsored by Scientology.

"After her dalliance with drugs and enrolling in the Scientology church,
she made her debut on the small screen, but not in the traditional
fashion. Instead, she appeared as a contestant on The Match Game. It
wasn't long, though, before her throaty voice and striking looks brought
Alley to the attention of directors and, in 1981, she received a phone
call from Paramount to audition for the role of Lieutenant Saavik in Star
Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

"Off-screen her life was stormy. Her marriage to Parker Stevenson
foundered and the battle for custody of the children was well-documented
in the American tabloids. Then her romance with former Melrose Place hunk
James Wilder fell apart just hours before they were due to wed. In
response, the actress constructed a fence across the bridge she had built
to connect their flats in Hollywood."

Message-ID: <jjl05uk4151cbdki3vqoep7hjsfsoolpma@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

Deana Holmes posted to a.r.s this week to report that the Estate of Lisa
McPherson has lost a case in Texas for breach of contract.

"There was an attempt to add David Miscavige personally to the Lisa
McPherson estate's case as a defendant. A Florida appellate court found
last year that since Miscavige had never been served, he had never been
added to the case, therefore Scientology was not to get the attorneys'
fees they requested in defending Miscavige.

"The cult had started a similar action against the estate in Texas federal
court since Dell Liebreich, the executor of the estate, lives in Dallas.
Despite the appellate ruling from Florida, the federal court judge let
this case go forward.  The jury did not give Scientology everything it
asked for: Rosen's fee was cut in half, and it may be eliminated entirely
since Rosen violated federal rules in bringing this case. The Estate plans
to appeal, since the Texas court does not have jurisdiction over the
estate, which is in Florida.  To collect on this judgment, RTC and David
Miscavige have to go to Florida and start an action in Florida courts,
where there is already an adverse judgment against them. And it should be
noted that the award is rather hollow, since the Estate has no funds."

Message-ID: <Xns91A1DDA9282F0mirelesonicnet@...>

#####

> L. Ron Hubbard

Salon.com published a retrospective on January 24th on the L. Ron Hubbard,
which is the date of his death in 1986.

"Before the Scientology incarnation, Hubbard had a 20-year career writing
pulp magazine stories - adventure, crime, westerns and then mostly science
fiction. In 1982, after decades of Church work - much of it the labor of
dodging the FBI, CIA, IRS and reporters - Hubbard returned to his muse
with 'Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000.' If the numbers are to
be believed, it became one of the greatest science-fiction hits of all
time; if the apostates and investigative reporters are to be believed, the
novel was a required purchase, and another Church scam. If Hubbard himself
is to be believed in his introductory essay, he had been 'studying the
branches of man's past knowledge at that time to see whether he had ever
come up with anything valid.' He had done 'some pioneer work in rockets
and gasses,' was 'in rather steady association with the new era of
scientists, the boys who built the bomb,' and therefore well-placed to be
'one of the crew of writers that helped start man to the stars.'

"According to the Church Web sites, his greatest accomplishment is the
10-book 'Mission Earth' series, a work that believer-critics find
reminiscent of both 'the later Henry James' and 'the later Charles
Dickens,' and such 'a biting commentary on exactly who is doing what on
today's earth' that it is 'repeatedly drawing comparisons to the works of
Jonathan Swift.' Presumably the later Jonathan Swift; possibly that
section in 'Gulliver's Travels' wherein the mad scientists of Lagado
endeavor, among other things, to reconstitute food from excrement."

Message-ID: <20020124005308.27579.00000155@...>

#####

> John Travolta

Glasgow, Scotland newspaper The Herald published an article on January
24th on Scientology celebrity John Travolta.

"The critics have not been kind to John Travolta's latest film, Domestic
Disturbance, about a divorced father who discovers his wife's new husband
is a murderer and that the lives of his ex-wife and his son are at risk.
His career has been something of a roller-coaster ride, with sudden highs
like Pulp Fiction followed by terrible lows like Battleship Earth, the
Scientology-inspired sci-fi film he produced and starred in as a very fat,
hirsute villain.

"At one point, although the film was a surprise hit, he was reduced to
playing the dad of a talking baby voiced by Bruce Willis. 'I think some of
it is because of my Scientology,' he says. 'I have a place to handle my
issues and tools to deal with things and a way to get information and
support. I have also always been a glass-half-full kind of person. You
know, even when I had a dip in my career 10 or 15 years ago, I still
looked at it in a positive way. The way I saw it, I had had the honour of
having been the biggest star in the world, and I would have something to
tell my grandchildren. I didn't think - oh, what a tragedy. I think I had
to hold on to that optimism, that is why it happened again and things
turned round for me.'"

Message-ID: <hsk05us4gsqade4bl4ks4edcuic1h02vk8@...>

#####

> Digital Lightwave

The St. Petersburg Times reported on January 24th that Bryan Zwan, founder
of Digital Lightwave, has returned to head the Clearwater-based company.

"Bryan Zwan, who ran Digital from 1990 through 1998, is back in charge
after the sudden resignation of Gerry Chastelet on Wednesday.  Zwan, who
owns 58 percent of Digital's stock, rejoined the board last October. His
return to a public role with the company came two days after he settled a
charge of accounting irregularities with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

"Chastelet, who could not be reached for comment, said in a written
statement, 'I have thoroughly enjoyed my years at the company, in which we
accomplished a great deal. However, I have decided that this is the right
time for me to pursue new challenges and opportunities.'

"Though Digital, which makes testing equipment for fiber-optic networks,
thrived during the telecom boom under Chastelet's leadership, it has
flagged since the middle of last year.  Last week, Digital said it would
take a restructuring charge of up to $800,000 in the first quarter,
outsource some of its production and manufacturing, and cut an undisclosed
number of jobs. During 2001, Digital cut 42 jobs and now has a work force
of about 150. The company also said it expected fourth-quarter revenues to
be between $5-million and $5.5-million, down from the $7.7-million
estimated by analysts.

"Zwan had run into conflict with the SEC when he and his company were
accused of filing false financial reports for two quarters in 1997. While
Digital settled its part of the case in 2000, Zwan refused to settle until
all fraud charges were dropped. In October, he agreed to an injunction
prohibiting him from violating securities laws. Zwan did not admit or deny
the allegations.

"Zwan, a major contributor to the Church of Scientology, has consistently
denied that his religion has any involvement with Digital's operations.
During his career with the company, Chastelet, who was not a
Scientologist, also repeatedly took pains to distance himself from the
church.  Wednesday, Zwan once again said his religion would have no impact
on how Digital will be run.  'I don't see it being an issue,' he said."

Message-ID: <a2phfa$nld@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 41
2/3/2002 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

#####

> Clearwater

From the letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on January 30th
on the history of Clearwater, Florida:

"Scientology evidently is taking over the city of Clearwater, slowly,
slowly oozing into the power structure, such as it is, and becoming
'normalized.' If the truth about the basis and ongoing operation of this
cult is of any interest to you there are two books that you might read.
The first is Barefaced Messiah by Russell Miller, which is an almost
day-by-day biography of the cult's founder from birth to establishment of
the cult. Those who are regaled with the life and accomplishments of L.R.
Hubbard according to his minions will find almost every claim refuted in
this well-researched biography.

"The second is A Piece of Blue Sky by Jon Atak, which describes the
operational methods of Scientology from its earliest days until 1989.
Anyone who has not read at least some of these two books cannot claim to
know about Scientology, a growing influence in our lives. - Bud
Tritschler, Clearwater"

An internal Scientology email announcing an upcoming awards event was
posted to a.r.s this week.

"FROM: AMaren@...
DATE: Thu, 31 Jan 2002

"In coordination with the LRH Personal Public Relations Office in
Clearwater, Friends of Ron is presenting Socrates Charos with an award for
the artistic and cultural upgrade of the Royalty Theater in downtown
Clearwater. The purpose of the event is to create positive PR for LRH, to
have OL's visiting the FH and attending the ceremony and acknowledging an
ally of the C of S and Flag. The award will be presented by Cass Warner,
the grand-daughter of the Warner family who were pioneers of the movie
industry.  We have confirmed the evening of Monday, Feb. 11th, 2002, from
7:30-9pm at The Fort Harrison Hotel."

The St. Petersburg Times published an interview with Clearwater mayor
Brian Aungst on February 3rd.

"Q: The Church of Scientology has clearly gained greater acceptance in
recent years, and you have participated in that process. Just recently a
lot of this city's bigwigs attended the gala at the Fort Harrison. And
from what I understand, you gave a speech there that night. From your
viewpoint as mayor, how widespread is acceptance of the church today in
Clearwater?

"A: I think the church is making strides. They're working hard themselves
in the community to change their previous image. They certainly had some
obstacles to overcome. I think everyone is working together in the
community right now to effectuate positive change to make this a better
city. One positive thing that came out of the open communication I have
with church leaders was helping Lee Arnold close his deal on their
property. They actually sold him a prime piece of property allowing him to
develop a hotel and condo and 20,000 square feet of retail and
restaurants. I think without being able to pick up the phone, which I may
do once or twice a year, and just say, 'Hey, you know, we need your help
on this,' that may not have happened.

"Q: How would you characterize the influence of the Church of Scientology
in the city now?

"A: I don't think the church has any more influence than anyone else. I
think they're just like every other citizen.

"Q: What parts of the community remain suspicious or unaccepting of the
church?

"A: I certainly think some of the people who have been here for a long
time probably are. Some of the younger people are willing to have an open
mind about things. I'm not real sure, but I think it (suspicion about the
church) maybe trends to people who have been here a little longer, who
were part of some of the things that happened initially that were not
good."

The Tampa Tribune reported on February 3rd on the opening of parts of the
Fort Harrison Hotel to the public.

"The pool at the Fort Harrison Hotel holds some of Liz Roche's fondest
childhood memories.  She recalls fun family afternoons at the hotel in the
1950s and '60s - before the Church of Scientology bought the landmark
hotel and closed most of the property to the public.  This week the church
has opened its doors, offering a rare glimpse into the world of
Scientology and giving people like Roche a chance to relive childhood
memories.  'It hasn't changed as much as I thought it would,' Roche said
of the restored hotel, now an international Scientology retreat. 'It still
has that grand hotel feeling.' Roche said she's not a Scientologist and
wants nothing to do with the church except to tour the hotel, but she said
she was pleasantly surprised there were no attempts by Scientologist tour
guides to convert her to the religion.

"Church officials say conversion and secrecy are not what the tours are
about.  'It's definitely a way to communicate who we are, what we do and
answer people's questions,' said Pat Harney, the church's public affairs
director.  The church recently announced plans to open the Fort Harrison
to the public permanently, once the 380,000-square-foot training and
counseling center is complete in late 2003.  'If people understand a
little bit of what goes on, it makes it easier,' said Lisa Valverde, the
church's downtown relations director.

"As the church expands its influence in Clearwater, the once contentious
relationship that existed between the Scientologists and the city is
moving toward mutual acceptance. A black-tie, invitation-only gala to
celebrate the hotel's 75th anniversary was attended by a number of city
officials and community leaders - proof both sides are learning to
coexist.  Mayor Brian Aungst attended the gala, as did city commissioners
Hamilton Hoyt and Gray Whitney and their wives. Of the seven county
commissioners, only Susan Latvala and her husband, State Sen. Jack
Latvala, R-Palm Harbor, attended.

"City Commissioner Bill Jonson said he couldn't attend the gala because of
a scheduling conflict, not out of animosity toward the church. He said he
didn't recall the church as the subject of much controversy 'in many, many
years.' But lawsuits and countersuits are pending in the 1995 death of
Lisa McPherson while in the care of Scientologists at the old hotel.

"Sheriff Everett Rice attended the gala. Veteran Clearwater Police Chief
Sid Klein did not.  On Dec. 18, the police department ended off-duty
officers' around-the-clock patrols of church properties, at Scientology's
request, after the anti-Scientology Lisa McPherson Trust packed its bags,
closed its nearby offices and left town.

"Boxes of documents, seized during FBI raids of Scientology offices in Los
Angeles and Washington two years after the church arrived in Clearwater,
detailed plans to use infiltration, theft and smear campaigns to obtain a
foothold in the city. Scientology officials subsequently have said those
who crafted the plans violated church policy and have been dismissed from
the church.

"'I think there's a lot of fence-mending that they still need to do in the
community,' Aungst said. 'But we're happy the hotel will be going back on
the tax rolls.' 'People shouldn't be scared of us,' Scientologist Diana
Rajdl said. 'We are church people, too. We really, really care about the
world.  'We should join together to fight against the psychiatrists,
disease, war, criminality and drug-dealing, not against each other.'"

Message-ID: <a399nk$5rr@...>
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#####

> Tom Cruise

BBC News reported on January 30th that Tom Cruise took time from promoting
his latest movie to lobby the American ambassador to Germany on behalf of
Scientology.

"He met with US ambassador Dan Coats while in the country promoting his
new movie Vanilla Sky with co-star and girlfriend Penelope Cruz. Germany
refuses to recognise Scientology as a legitimate church, claiming it is a
fake religion based on making money from its followers. Scientology was
put under official scrutiny in Germany in 1997, followed by France which
outlawed it as a cult.

"Following Cruise's hour-long meeting with Mr. Coats the star signed
autographs and chatted to embassy staff, who remarked on how friendly and
patient he was. Mr. Coats later attended the German premiere of Vanilla
Sky, but would not comment on the meeting."

Internet reporter Matt Drudge received a call on his radio show to protest
reporting the Tom Cruise story on his popular web site.

"A Scientologist called in and began demanding that Matt apologize for
criticizing John Travolta, L. Ron Hubbard and Battlefield Earth. Matt
asked if 'he (Drudge) is allowed to criticize pop culture.' Then Matt
asked 'What are you going to do about it sir?' and the clam replied 'We
(meaning Scientology) have plenty of information on you' and hung up. Matt
told him to take his best shot."

MSNBC reported on January 31st that Cruise has been lobbying other U.S.
officials for Scientology.

"Tom Cruise has been working overtime on behalf of the Church of
Scientology. On Wednesday, it made headlines overseas that the 'Vanilla
Sky' actor, a devout Scientologist, had met with Dan Coats, the U.S.
ambassador to Germany, to lobby the case for the rights of the church in
Germany. A top church official, however, tells The Scoop that Cruise has
been privately meeting with top politicians on behalf of the church for
the last few years.

"Kurt Weiland, a director of the church, says that among the U.S.
officials who have met with Cruise to discuss the Church of Scientology's
plight are Attorney General John Ashcroft and Sen. Jesse Helms, the
Republican from North Carolina who is also senior member of Foreign
Relations Committee. Weiland says that there were 'private meetings and
correspondence' between Cruise and both Helms and Ashcroft 'a few years
ago.' When asked if those meetings and letters resulted in anything,
Weiland said, 'Yes. Efforts were made by them to let the German government
know that they were missing the mark.'"

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#####

> Isaac Hayes

The Memphis Flyer interviewed Scientology celebrity Isaac Hayes in its
December 27th issue.

"How do you manage to juggle so many activities?

"It's difficult, but thanks to my involvement in Scientology, there is a
technology that can help you do that, an administrative technology. It can
help you do it all.

"Is the church here another part of the package bringing you back?

"Lisa Marie Presley and myself put that together. We brought it to Memphis
because we wanted to share it with our city. So the fact that I'm back
helps me be more involved with my own mission. I need to get more people
in there and familiarize more people with the principles, goals, and aims
of Scientology and how good it is for everybody. It's one of the greatest
things that's ever happened to me. I've been in it eight years and it's
really given me tools to improve myself. When you find something good, you
want to share it with people."

Message-ID: <cjnq5ucrqv66g647v1eur5n8684bb1le7p@...>

#####

> Jamie Kennedy

Jamie Kennedy, great-grandson of L. Ron Hubbard, reported in his
newsletter on January 30th how Scientology has reacted to a recent article
in the East Bay Express, in which he was critical of Scientology.

"This was from a letter to the East Bay Express after the article by Katy
St. Clair came out. Katy suspects the writer is a Scientologist, which
would come as no surprise, but I've gotten no response from him when I
attempted to contact him to give him a free lifetime pass to Tourettes
Without Regrets. So here it is:

"'Jamie Kennedy seems like he wants to get his 15 minutes of fame by
dissing all of poetry, and while he's at it, slamming practically all
music with words in it - technically all those songs are poetry. At least
he admits he's all fucked up. He says he hates his great grand-daddy so
much, but he seems to be milking that connection for everything he can
suck out of it. If I ever get a burning urge to take a dump on stage, I
will have to check out one of his shows, and express myself.' - Writer
didn't leave name

"Unfortunately Scientologists are such venomous vipers that I can't milk
my connection without having to have those fuckers on my jock like crab
lice. Believe me, I'd love to get rich off shit talking and revealing all
the nasty secrets about my meglomaniacal psychotic cuckoo for cocoa puffs
great grandfather but I already have to deal with in-fighting
circle-jerking National Poetry Slam fuck-o's, a baby momma and bills and
don't have the time to piss in the blind eyes of brain washed robo-clones.
Also, you can shit on my stage anytime you want. You're free anytime."

Message-ID: <3C576ECD.9010109@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Dave Bird and Jens Tingleff reported on a protest at the Birmingham,
England org on February 2nd.

"John, Hartley, Andy, and later Diane (not on Internet) were demonstrating
away. Soon Jens arrived, and set up the sound gear with John on the mic; I
did some unamplified slogan-shouting too. The little leather jacketed
creep, a sport of down-market version of Graeme Wilson was feeding the
cops a load of lies. Apparently we were harassing his poor parishioners
trying to get to the building. 'Well, this is a public thoroughfare.'
Exactly. We have a right to protest in public thoroughfares. They have a
right to move freely through public thoroughfares to their building. There
is a perfectly good shopping street leading to the far side of the
building (the block is surrounded by streets, with shops on the ground
floor on every side). If people wish to enter the building and take
services I will not pursue them and, if they wish to avoid contact with
me, then they need only go round the other side. 'Right, we understand
each other' said the cop."

"Four Internet kind of persons and two parent type of persons braved the
wind and the slight rain and handed out some leaflets. We also made
contact with the locals who were overwhelmingly supportive.  A passer-by
said that the Co$ had taken her for a small amount for a course which had
been absolutely no use and now she couldn't get the money back.  It was a
small amount, and she had learned a valuable lesson (when a Scientologist
tells you something, that something is usually an outright lie or a
useless generality). Actual quote: 'The always say you have got a problem
when you haven't got a problem and they invent that problem for you.'"

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#####

> Roger Gonnet

French Scientology critic Roger Gonnet reported that a case in which a
Scientologist complained about having his name on Roger's web site was
dismissed for lack of appearance.

"I was yesterday before the Court for the trial from a Scientologist named
Laurent Q., who had complained that his name was to be found onto my
website. Laurent Q. had been in appeal court for the Lyon suit against
Scientology (homicide, fraud and extortion), was named on the appeal
decision, where he was said to have been released from fraud charges.

"Since neither the plaintiff neither his attorney went to the Court
yesterday in Villefranche sur Saone, they have lost immediately."

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#####

> School Tuition

The Associated Press reported on January 29th that a Jewish couple cannot
deduct their tuition payments to a Jewish school similarly to the tax
break given to Scientologist parents, according to an appeals court
ruling.

"The three-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a
federal tax court's ruling that Michael and Marla Sklar of Los Angeles are
not eligible to deduct 55 percent of the tuition they paid for their four
children to attend two Jewish schools. The couple based their argument on
tax deduction allowances made by the IRS for members of the Church of
Scientology.

"Details of the Church of Scientology's tax deduction were not discussed
in the opinion because they were not made available to the court. After a
long tax dispute with the Church of Scientology, the IRS apparently
compromised in 1993 by allowing the church a deduction for 'auditing,'
'training' and other qualified religious services, the opinion said. The
IRS said it could not release the specifics of the agreement at the risk
of disclosing confidential returns and return information.

"In the opinion, Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote that the Scientology case
does not enhance the Sklars' appeal because 'religious education for
elementary or secondary school children does not appear to be similar to
the 'auditing' and 'training' conducted by the Church of Scientology.
While we have no doubt that certain taxpayers who belong to religions
other than the Church of Scientology would be similarly situated to such
members, we think it unlikely that the Sklars are,' Reinhardt wrote."

From the Los Angeles Times on January 30th:

"The leading precedent, the judges said, is a 1989 high court decision
holding that payments Scientologists made for 'auditing' did not
constitute charitable contributions. That decision, Hernandez vs.
Commissioner, was based on a section of the Internal Revenue Code that
states that quid pro quo donations, for which a taxpayer receives
something in return - such as education - are not deductible. The
Hernandez decision held that the section applies to religious quid pro
donations.

"In Tuesday's decision, the appellate court criticized the IRS for
refusing to disclose the terms of a 1993 settlement with the Church of
Scientology. That agreement, among other things, permits Scientologists to
get deductions in conflict with the 1989 Supreme Court decision, according
to the 9th Circuit.

"In support of their claim, the Sklars presented a 1997 Wall Street
Journal article that provided details of the settlement. The 9th Circuit
said that since the IRS failed to present any contradictory evidence on
the nature of the settlement, the court was obliged to accept the Sklar's
representations. Although it was not directly at issue in the case, the
9th Circuit panel said that 'it appears to be true that the IRS' had given
Scientology a 'preference in the interest of settling a long and litigious
tax dispute.' In his majority opinion, Judge Stephen Reinhardt suggested
that the preference represented unconstitutional favoritism toward a
religious organization. Judges Harry Pregerson and Barry G. Silverman
joined in the ruling.

"In a highly unusual move, Silverman invited people who are troubled by
the IRS settlement with Scientology to file a lawsuit to unravel the deal.
'If the IRS does, in fact, give preferential treatment to members of the
Church of Scientology - allowing them a special right to claim deductions
that are contrary to law and disallowed to everybody else - then the
proper course of action is a lawsuit to put a stop to that policy.'

"Jesse Choper, a constitutional law professor at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall
School of Law, said that he believed taxpayers would have standing to
bring a suit challenging the IRS settlement with Scientology under a 1968
Supreme Court decision, Flast vs. Cohen. In that case, the high court
upheld a taxpayer's standing to challenge federal subsidies to parochial
schools as violating the 1st Amendment's prohibition against government
establishment of religion."

From the text of the court's decision:

"The IRS insists that the closing agreement in this case cannot be
disclosed as it contains return information which the IRS is required to
keep confidential.  We conclude that there are several reasons why the
closing agreement in the case before us likely is subject to disclosure,
at least in substantial part. First the closing agreement would appear to
constitute documentation in support of the exemption application which
must be publicly disclosed.  Second, public disclosure of agreements that
affect not just one taxpayer or a discrete group of taxpayers, but a broad
and indeterminate class of taxpayers with a large and constantly changing
membership, is also necessary as a practical matter. Third, where a
closing agreement sets out a new policy and contains rules of general
applicability to a class of taxpayers, disclosure of at least the relevant
part of that agreement is required in the interest of public policy. The
IRS is simply not free to enter into closing agreements with religious or
other tax-exempt organizations governing the deductions that will be
available to their members and to keep such provisions secret from the
courts, the Congress, and the public.

"The Supreme Court has developed a framework for determining whether a
statute grants an unconstitutional denominational preference.  The initial
inquiry must be whether the policy facially discriminates amongst
religions. Clearly it does, as this tax deduction is available only to
members of the Church of Scientology. The second inquiry is whether or not
the facially discriminatory policy is justified by a compelling
governmental interest. Although it appears to be true that the IRS has
engaged in this particular preference in the interest of settling a long
and litigious tax dispute with the Church of Scientology, the benefits of
settling a controversy with one religious organization can hardly outweigh
the costs of engaging in a religious preference.

"The Church of Scientology's closing agreement is irrelevant, not because
the Sklars are not 'similarly situated' to Scientologists, but because the
closing agreement does not enter into the equation by which the
deductibility of the Sklars' payments is determined. An IRS closing
agreement cannot overrule Congress and the Supreme Court. If the IRS does,
in fact, give preferential treatment to members of the Church of
Scientology then the proper course of action is a lawsuit to put a stop to
that policy. The remedy is not to require the IRS to let others claim the
improper deduction, too."

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#####

> Reed Slatkin

The Mail Tribune from Medford, Oregon published a two-part series on
January 27th and 28th on how the scandal of Scientology minister Reed
Slatkin's investment club has affected businesses he invested in.

"Reed Slatkin's name doesn't readily spill off tongues in the Rogue
Valley. More likely it would produce blank stares. But among the
investment community and those who follow Wall Street activity, the name
Slatkin has become synonymous with scam and fraud in what investigators
call one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in history. What he did with $593
million given to him by 800 investors over a 15-year period has been the
subject of federal and private investigations.  The mix of business
associates, investors and victims includes Hollywood producers, directors
and actors - many of whom were fellow members with Slatkin in the Church
of Scientology.

"It also includes Doug Neuman, an Ashland developer known for projects
such as the Ashland Springs Hotel and the Lake of the Woods Resort.
Bankruptcy records show that Slatkin invested $11.5 million in those and
other Southern Oregon projects or properties, virtually all managed by
Neuman, and all currently under the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court.

"Slatkin, now 53, met Neuman while taking Scientology instruction at the
Dianetics Center in Los Angeles in 1975.  Neuman purchased the financially
troubled Mark Antony Hotel in Ashland, poured millions into it and
reopened it as the Ashland Springs Hotel in 2000. At about the same time,
he purchased the Lake of the Woods Resort and again embarked on a lavish
renovation. The bankruptcy documents reveal he was financially able to do
that because Slatkin was providing the bulk of the money - up to 95
percent - for the Neuman-run company that purchased and managed the
properties.

"Nothing among the 2 million pieces of paper and thousands of gigabytes of
computer documents pored over by investigators suggests that Neuman was
part of any illegal activity, said John Reitman, an attorney for Los
Angeles bankruptcy trustee R. Todd Neilson. Neuman's apparently clean
slate has set him up for a remarkable recovery in the midst of the
scandal: Barring any late changes, he will buy the 20 Oregon properties
from the bankruptcy trustee for about 45 cents on the dollar.

"Slatkin threw money in many directions, often without thorough research,
according to investigators. His involvement in the renovation of the Mark
Antony Hotel exemplified that, producing, in the trustee's estimation, a
loss of up to $6 million.

"Neuman still is somewhat shell-shocked at his partner's financial demise.
'When I found out about his bankruptcy and found out about all of these
things, it was kind of surreal,' he said. 'I can't pass judgment, because
I really don't know what happened. I'm sure some day I will.' Before the
scandal bubbled to the surface, Neuman talked on the phone to Slatkin from
time to time. Then things changed. 'Before, when I talked to him, he just
said, there are some really difficult situations,' Neuman recalled. '
'Doug, I can't talk to you, I'm just in the middle of an investigation,'
and all of that.'

"Two copies of a 1988 hand-written note were among the millions of pages
scoured by investigators. The note, known to Church of Scientology members
as a 'knowledge report' where Scientologists report ethical violations to
their church, admitted: 'Instead of working on stocks, I was working on
fabricating statements.'"

"Neuman was born in New York, raised in the San Francisco Bay area and
moved to Los Angeles after a brief stint at San Jose State University. In
1975, he met Slatkin when the young Church of Scientology members were
taking courses at the Dianetics Center in Los Angeles. They shared a
passion for tennis and became friends on and off the tennis court. Neuman
and Slatkin began studying investing techniques under Scientologist Robert
F. Duggan in 1981. Before long, Neuman, Slatkin, Duggan and their families
all lived in Santa Barbara.

"During a 15-year period, Neuman said, he invested somewhere in the
vicinity of $1 million in the investment club Slatkin operated. Based on
the statements from Slatkin, he thought it was a lucrative investment. 'I
paid taxes all these years, based on these gains, and I can only amend
three years back. That's brutal.'

"Developer Chris Galpin, perhaps best known as owner of the Eagle Point
Golf Course, worked with Neuman on the Pheasant Meadows subdivision and a
smaller project off B Street in Ashland. He theorizes that Neuman's
trusting nature worked against him in Slatkin's case. 'Doug is as straight
of a shooter as you're going to find,' Galpin said 'If you're honest, you
have a tendency to believe people and to trust people. 'The guy (Slatkin)
looked like Class A-1, but a lot of people thought that of Enron, too.'

"By 1997, Slatkin's Earthlink investment had turned to gold and he
repeated his earlier interest in investing in Southern Oregon 'He said,
'Doug, like I said before, if there are some good projects I want to be
involved,' Neuman recalled. Neuman had one in mind - Ashland's tallest
building, built in 1925 and opened in 1927. 'I kept looking at it and I
just felt that this was a real important project. It wasn't just about the
money, it was about saving part of the community - trying to restore
something. I just had a vision for this place and I felt that I could do
it. I had a fear that they were going to turn this into maybe a low-end
retirement home. It just didn't seem appropriate for right in the middle
of town.'

"At that point, Slatkin was at the apex of his financial career and money
was no object. Neuman phoned Slatkin, who had seen the hotel in previous
visits to Ashland. 'I talked to Reed and said, 'Are you willing to help me
in this project?' and he said he would.' On July 13, 1998, Neuman's $1.6
million cash offer for the nine-story hotel was accepted by U.S.
Bankruptcy Court Judge Albert Radcliffe after a previous auction winner
had failed to make ends meet. The Slatkin trustee's Dec. 17, 2001, report
showed that remodeling cost an average of $140,000 per room. 'Based on the
professional input of hotel specialists engaged by the Trustee, the value
of the Hotel may not even exceed its existing $3,855,000 debt, let alone
its $9.8 million cost. Thus, (Slatkin's) Estate will lose approximately $6
million due to Slatkin's lack of investment foresight.'"

The Rocky Mountain News reported on February 1st that Colorado investor
Kenneth Tuchman was among the victims of the Slatkin Ponzi scheme.

"TeleTech founder Kenneth Tuchman counts himself among a group of
unwitting investors that federal securities regulators say were swindled
out of millions of dollars by a California celebrity investment guru.
Tuchman is suing his investment advisory firm over the $2 million he lost
in the Reed Slatkin Investment Club. The investment club's bankrupt
founder, Reed Slatkin, is under criminal investigation for running an
alleged $600 million Ponzi scheme.

"A bankruptcy trustee's report lists Tuchman, chairman and chief executive
of the Denver customer calling-center giant Teletech Holdings Inc., as one
of more than 800 investors with claims against Slatkin's estate.

"In the Colorado lawsuit, Tuchman claims he invested 'substantial monies'
with Slatkin in early 2001, after assuming that Pell Rudman had acted on
his instructions to check out Slatkin. 'Unbeknownst to Tuchman at the
time, Pell called no references about Slatkin, conducted virtually no due
diligence, and exercised no independent judgment regarding the
advisability of investing with Slatkin,' the complaint said. Pell Rudman
has yet to file a court answer to the complaint. But Holly Stein Sollod,
the Holland & Hart attorney representing Pell Rudman, said her client 'had
no role in choosing the investment or duty to investigate the
investment.'"

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#####

> Tom Padgett

Ex-Scientologist Tom Padgett reported that a report in his case recommends
he be allowed to continue to see his children over the objections of his
ex-wife, who is still a Scientologist.

"On January 28, 2002, a Report and Recommendation was entered into the
Court records in Kentucky by the Domestic Relations Commissioner
permanently unrestricting visitation between Tom and Laura Padgett's minor
son and his father.

"The ten page report noted that Laura Padgett and her lawyer failed to
prove that Tom is in any way harmful to his son, thereby making Laura's
claims of him being 'unpredictable and unstable' as unfounded and
erroneous. Commissioner Susan McClure supported her decision with the
testimony from the son who begged the Court for a normal relationship with
his dad, and the testimony of Rev. Robert T. Pardon, Director of the New
England Institute of Religious Research.  Pardon's testimony included the
behavioral issues present from Scientologist's use of 'disconnection' as
an 'informational control' vehicle used by many cults, not just
Scientology. This was also supported by the testimony of Dr. Stephen Kent
in the case last summer.

"It was specified that the child shall be able to have normal
communication with his father on a daily and weekly basis by phone and by
e-mail. She recommended that their son be required to attended some
counseling (psychological not dianetic) to help him sort though years of
having to endure his parents' vast secular differences."

Message-ID: <af7713bf.0202031121.5195765e@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 42
2/10/2002 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

#####

> Battle Creek

The Battle Creek Enquirer reported on February 5th that renovation of the
Hart Hotel to be the new Scientology org in Michigan has been delayed.

"The Church of Scientology has delayed moving into the former Hart Hotel
until late 2003.  The church originally had planned to move out of its
present location at 66 E. Michigan Ave. this summer, but decided it would
be more beneficial to wait so the former hotel could be completely
renovated before the move takes place, said Mike Delaware, executive
secretary of the Battle Creek church.

"The later date will better accommodate contractors working on the
restoration of the building, said Larry Rizor, owner of Architects Inc.,
the firm that is doing architectural work for the church.  'It will be
tedious, time-consuming work for the skilled craftsmen,' Rizor said. 'The
contractors can move around a lot better if the building is vacant, rather
than partially occupied.'

"The church bought the hotel in April 2001 for $230,000 and moved into its
current location in the Elizabeth Building three months later. Since
acquiring the hotel, the church has pushed back its anticipated move date
three times.

"Properly restoring a building that has meant quite a bit to the city of
Battle Creek is more important than getting out of a temporary location
quickly, he said.  The location on East Michigan Avenue 'is a temporary
space, but it works and we're happy here,' Delaware said. 'In the end (the
former hotel) is going to be a beautiful property. It fell into neglect
over the past 10 or 20 years, but a lot of important things happened here.
'We're trying to bring the luster back to something that is a source of
fond memories for people in this community.'"

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#####

> Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on February 5th, 6th and
9th addressed the opening of the Fort Harrison Hotel to Clearwater's
community leaders for an evening event.

"I applaud our new county administrator, Steve Spratt, for not attending;
but I am disgusted that the Latvalas and our longtime, much-admired
Sheriff Everett Rice attended. The Scientologists are involved in every
aspect of the community in order to convert other clones, buy more time,
buy respect, buy acceptance - just like they bought up Clearwater. I
wouldn't lower myself to enter that building of pagans.

"I would be too embarrassed to even admit I had received an invitation,
much less attend such a 'Come hither, let's be friends' gala. Let it be
known that this community has never, nor will it ever, become more
accepting of this so-called church. - Dee Jackson, Palm Harbor

"Has Clearwater given up? They sure act like it. Scientology, as owner of
the Fort Harrison Hotel, has a public relations coup with the 75th
anniversary of the county landmark. Some of our county 'leaders' couldn't
wait to cozy up to the cult. I guess they have conveniently forgotten
about the thousands of lives the cult has ruined, the real estate scams,
the infiltration of the public school system in the Boston area, the
mysterious deaths, the harassment of members and former members.

"Why is it that Scientology doesn't want the press in the hotel? The cult
hasn't changed, it has just gotten better at covering up its misdeeds. The
rest of the world might look at the United States, see we have given up
and wonder why they should fight. If a cancer invaded your body, wouldn't
you do everything you could to fight it? Clearwater should not forget and
not give up the fight. - David Rodman, Dunedin"

"This is not about a 75th anniversary of the old Fort Harrison Hotel but
more about getting the people in power over to their side. How can our
elected officials go along with such a farce? I have lived here more than
44 years and can remember when the downtown area was a nice place to shop,
and I also remember the Fort Harrison when it was a nice place to go for
lunch or dinner. Are we going to continue to allow Scientologists to
gobble up the rest of Clearwater and perhaps rename it Hubbardville? It
would seem that's the direction we are heading in. - Shelby Sabathe,
Clearwater

"Scientology takes out newspaper ads and hosts 'gala black tie events'
attempting to blithely link itself to a 75-year history of a Clearwater
landmark. Any true history of this hotel should include Scientology's own
history with it. The group slithered into Clearwater under the false name,
'United Churches of Florida,' when it acquired this historic building. The
St. Petersburg Times reported the first instances of Scientology's
fraudulent behavior in Clearwater nearly three decades ago.

"This so-called church attempted to run covert operations to smear former
Clearwater Mayor Gabe Casares to silence his exposure of it in 1976 and
has never stopped this kind of unsavory behavior since. We still have the
pending civil case in the death of Lisa McPherson, who died in Scientology
'care' at the Fort Harrison, and the admission from a court case reported
by the Times just last year that Scientology has more than 100
surveillance cameras trained on the residents of Clearwater. We have
witnessed this 'church' hiring private investigators to frame another
outspoken critic of its behavior, Jesse Prince, with marijuana charges
just a few months ago. We have heard the courts state that the Clearwater
Police Department was coming dangerously close to becoming Scientology's
private police force as a result of its influence.

"Kudos to the Times for listing those who chose to dine at Scientology's
trough and those who refused. Let's hope the Pinellas County and
Clearwater voters don't forget. - Randy Enerson, Port Richey

"When I see people cynically mentioning 'cult' as if they were experts,
and sharing their attitudes of animosity, it only reminds me of the
trouble spots in the world today, all created by intolerance, exclusion of
others and hate. When the Church of Scientology opened its doors for the
75th Anniversary Celebration, it opened to the community a sincere
demonstration of its intentions and activities of public good. Case in
point: Did you know that the Clearwater Church of Scientology had bus
loads of Scientology Volunteer Ministers that were highly effective and
recognized as such at 'ground zero' in New York City since Sept. 11?

"I therefore acknowledge Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst for his open-door
policy of tolerance, and for demonstrating by his presence at the Fort
Harrison 75th Anniversary Celebration, that a united community working
together to improve conditions and to flourish and prosper is America's
best civil defense. - Luis Colon, Belleair"

The St. Petersburg Times reported on February 6th that the Clearwater area
bus authority is reconsidering the ban on non-commercial ads on county
buses. The ban was placed after Scientology critics advertised on buses
for a protest on the anniversary of Lisa McPherson's death.

"Pinellas County's transit authority is reconsidering its ban on nonprofit
advertising after Crime Stoppers questioned why it couldn't put its slogan
on buses. Crime Stoppers asked PSTA to reconsider its policy last month.
The request comes two years after the agency decided to allow only
advertisements from commercial businesses. That decision came after the
transit authority found itself tangled between the Church of Scientology
and a group of church critics who purchased anti-Scientology ads in
December 1998.

"The agency said in 1999 that it didn't want to become a 'public forum'
for advertisers. The downside of the policy, though, was that public
service announcements traditionally purchased by nonprofit groups such as
Crime Stoppers would no longer be allowed. Since then, groups requesting
to advertise on buses have been turned down, including the state Health
Department. Another group, Focus on the Family, has challenged PSTA for
rejecting its bus shelter ads promoting a conference in Brandon that
addressed preventing homosexuality among youth. The advertisements didn't
appear at shelters in Pinellas, and Focus on the Family filed a motion
seeking an injunction against PSTA that is pending.

"PSTA administrators say they have to be careful and can't base a decision
on the content of the ad. 'The more it's based upon the message, the more,
again, that you can be challenged in your decision,' said Alan Zimmet, an
attorney representing PSTA."

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#####

> Volunteer Ministers

The St. Petersburg Times reported on February 8th that Scientology is
placing billboards to advertise their Volunteer Ministers program.

"For Americans troubled by economic uncertainty, fear and grief, 1,100
Church of Scientology billboards going up in major U.S. cities claim to
have an answer. 'No matter how bad it is ... SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT
IT.' The billboards are part of an unprecedented national media campaign
by Scientology to reach what it calls 'a nation still troubled by the
Sept. 11 attacks.'

"But the blitz disturbs some mental health experts who express concern
about both the church's motive and its expertise in treating emotional
distress. The advertisements promote the services of Scientology's
volunteer ministers, parishioners trained in basic Scientology principles
that the church says can solve problems ranging from grief to marital
difficulties to drug addiction.

"The Church of Scientology is spending $1.1-million on the billboards,
which have gone up in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco,
Sacramento, San Jose, Cincinnati and this week in Clearwater. More are
slated for Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Washington, D.C., Chicago and St.
Louis. In New York alone, there are 1,000 billboards, many mounted in the
subway system. Clearwater, the spiritual headquarters of Scientology, is
getting eight, and some of those will rotate to Tampa.

"The campaign grew out of Sept. 11, said spokeswoman Linda Simmons Hight
of the Church of Scientology International in Los Angeles. Since the
attacks, the ranks of the volunteer ministers have grown from 5,000 to
14,000, she said. Scientologists wanted to help at ground zero, and many
did. 'That's what brought it together,' Hight said. 'We have volunteer
ministers. We're soon to have 6,000 more and we can do something about any
situation in life.'

"Mental health leaders say the campaign looks like a recruitment technique
that could mislead emotionally vulnerable people. 'We are concerned
Scientology may be playing on people's vulnerability to increase their
membership,' said Cynthia Folcarelli, executive vice president of the
National Mental Health Association, the country's oldest and largest
nonprofit mental health research and advocacy organization.

"Volunteer ministers study a 19-chapter text called The Scientology
Handbook that provides lessons such as improving communication skills,
resolving conflicts, getting people off drugs, handling confusion in the
workplace and improving domestic relations. The ministers also learn how
to conduct 'assists,' procedures Scientologists believe help people
overcome physical or emotional difficulty. It takes about 40 hours to
complete all the chapters, although some volunteers study only select
ones, said Sarah Gorgone, who coordinates about 200 volunteer ministers in
the Clearwater area. Volunteer ministers do not proselytize, nor is the
campaign about recruitment, she said. 'It's Scientologists who have
solutions to problems who are willing to go out of their way to share that
with other people,' Hight said."

Mike O'Connor described Volunteer Minister ads that have been running on
CNN.

"View of Ground Zero. Rubble, busy hard-hatted rescuers bending down in
foreground. The color has been sapped from the scene, leaving everything
in the scene black and white, except for a large flag in the background
and the back of the yellow windbreaker of one man in the foreground, on it
written 'SCIENTOLOGY VOLUNTEER MINISTER.'

"'There are disasters that affect a nation.'

"Fade through black to another scene, a flooded street with a boat making
its way slowly, a few people slogging through the water, helping it
through. 'And disasters that affect a community.'

"Fade through black to a well-attended funeral scene at a gravesite, most
color drained from the scene. 'Some disasters affect a family.'

"Fade through black to a nighttime view of a window looking in we see a
woman crying, raising her hands to her face, and a man with her,
apparently arguing. 'And there are those smaller disasters affecting your
life right now.'

"Fade through black to a solitary man in silhouette, slowly walking away
from us down a long, dark, wet tunnel. 'Whatever difficulties you may be
facing'

"Fade through black to a desaturated scene of many commuters exiting a
train. 'With your job'

"Fade through black to a black and white scene in a home, at the bottom of
a staircase, a man and wife arguing, guesturing. 'Relationships'

"Fade through black to a dark scene, the camera at the bottom of the
stairs, a child sitting at the top in the shadows. 'Your children'

"Fade through black to desaturated scene of a man in a plaid shirt and
jacket, hands in pockets, walking down a dank city street at night. 'Or,
well-being'

"Fade through black to a desaturated scene of crowds of people waking down
a city street. 'Life's disasters can be overcome.'

"The crows scene fades into a beautiful amber-colored sky, the sun rising
through the clouds. 'There are workable solutions for the problems you are
experiencing in life.'

"The sunrise fades into an amber-tinted scene of a not-crowded town
street. A black man walks contentedly toward the camera, fade to a happy
pony-tailed woman doing the same, fade to a man walking away from the
camera now, the back of his yellow windbreaker filling the screen,
lettered 'SCIENTOLOGY VOLUNTEER MINISTER.' 'A Scientology volunteer
minister is trained'

"As the walkaway scene continues, letterboxing appears, and in the top
black bar 1-800-HELP-YOU appears. In the bottom bar,
www.volunteerministers.org appears. 'to help you handle life's disasters.'

"The center scene fades to black. The black screen still shows the phone
number and web site. In the center, 'SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT'
appears. 'Something can be done about it. Contact your local Scientology
volunteer minister.'"

Message-ID: <a40gon$qb6@...>
Message-ID: <mike-1AA307.10165706022002@...>

#####

> Olympics

An email sent to Scientologists asked for volunteers to help recruit at
the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

"The tone is like one of our BIG events when we have all just received
some really good news! These athletes are very very special, SO uptone -
lets face it these guys are OT...man do they ever know what it means to be
cause over mest!

"We have permits to work in the Olympic Squares of each city involved,
which is Provo, Salt Lake, Park City, Farmington and Snow Basin. We need a
shoulder to shoulder effort, all Scientologist from everywhere to show up.
We need help in the areas of selling Dianetic books, doing VM activities,
PR Actions and managing the LRH Life exhibition.

"There is a meeting this SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, at 4:00PM at CCI in room
101. At this meeting we will drill on this and other aspects of PR.
Briefing Sheets and booklets on the most commonly asked questions were
prepared by OSA and will be handed out. You will be provided with warm
Dianetic jackets, headbands to keep your ears warm and gloves, you just
need to bring black pants to go with them. It is quite real to win up to
1500 dollars in training awards or more."

Message-ID: <de4984655cb50f0460619f88b6137156@...>

#####

> Lisa Marie Presley

The Evening Standard published an article on February 7th on Scientology
celebrity Lisa Marie Presley.

"No one in Hollywood is the least surprised that Lisa Marie Presley and
actor Nicolas Cage have broken off their 10 month relationship. Insiders
say the turning point came when Cage flatly refused to agree to Presley's
insistence that they set a date to wed. The other reasons for the split
lie in Presley's complex attitude to sex, and her commitment to
Scientology.

"Her descent into cocaine addiction had only halted when John Travolta
introduced her mother to Scientology in 1987. Priscilla Presley forced
Lisa Marie into drug treatment at the Scientology Centre in Holly wood.
Several months afterwards Lisa announced that the treatment had 'saved her
life' and she'd become a committed Scientologist. It was at the
Scientology Centre that Lisa met Danny Keough, whom she married in October
1988 at the age of 20. They were together for five years, although just
before their divorce in April 1994, he was to complain bitterly that she
could be 'cold, distant and aloof'.

"To illustrate the differences between them you need look no further than
the evening in March last year when Cage telephoned Lisa Marie to ask if
she would go out to dinner with him. Presley refused - point blank. He was
still going through his divorce from Patricia Arquette, and she knew that
he'd changed his mind about it before. Sex with a married man, on the
brink of divorce or not, was not on Lisa Marie's Scientology-led agenda.

"Meanwhile, Elvis's little princess has returned sadly to her gated Los
Angeles home, consoling herself by confiding in her ex, musician John
Oszajca, with whom she's been seen out in the past two weeks. The poor
little rich girl's attitude to sex and Scientology has cost her dearly."

Message-ID: <a40hn7$qb6@...>

#####

> Russia

Pravda reported on February 7th that a Russian politician who was involved
in Scientology is now being accused of creating a criminal group.

"Duma deputy, chairman of the state commission for chemical disarmament
Sergey Kirienko, member of the Union of Right-wing Forces, is accused of
establishment of a criminal group. The claims have been presented at the
Duma's session yesterday by deputies Vyacheslav Olenyev, deputy chairman
of the Duma's Ecology Committee and a member of the Agrarian Group, and
Sergey Shashurin, a member of the People's Deputy group. The deputies have
substantiated their accusations on the materials of the Institute for
public opinion research attached to the Russian Academy of Sciences,
concerning Sergey Kirienko's activity.

"In the mid 90-s Sergey Kirienko, being a bank president, completed a
Scientology course;  moreover, he obliged the whole bank staff to attend
the courses. Thomas Gandov, a German expert for totalitarian sects says:
'Scientology strives for the world domination. Kirienko may pose a threat
to the security.'

"It is well-known, participants of the Scientology courses are subject to
a so-called 'Scientologic brain cleansing,' when the human psyche and
mentality are drastically affected. At that, even if people give up
Scientology, the negative consequences of the studies will show up.
Russian intelligence services and the General Office of the Public
Prosecutor warn against the negative influence of Scientology nowadays."

The Washington Post reported on February 8th that Russia refuses to
officially register Western religions and cults.

"For the past five years, ministry officials have refused to register the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a religious organization.
Since June, church elders have filed five applications, each turned away
for a different nit: a missing signature, an incomplete date of birth, a
stylistic error. The region's human rights commissioner, Yekaterina
Gorina, denounced the church in a 1999 newspaper article as 'a strange
neo-religion.' She said that 'disregard of the rights and laws of others
is practically a national characteristic of Americans.'

"Post-communist Russia initially gave religious creeds free rein. But the
ensuing flood of foreign evangelists and missionaries raised an outcry,
especially among nationalists and Communists, that Russia's moral fiber
and even its national security were at risk. The government's response was
to toughen a rule that had previously been thought of as a formality: the
requirement that all religions register with the state. Under a law
enacted in 1997, only religions that can prove a 15-year presence in
Russia or that registered before the law's passage can practice in an
organized fashion, with the right to rent space, open bank accounts and
invite foreign clergy. The remainder are tightly circumscribed.

"Denial of registration means a religious group cannot rent or own
property, open a bank account, proselytize, publish literature, provide
religious training or invite foreign clergy. This is a major setback to
new faiths that must essentially start from zero.

"In a July 2000 letter, deputy education minister Yelena Chepurnykh warned
schools against the influence of the Unification Church, the Church of
Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, the New Apostolic Church
and the Salvation Army. The groups, all identified as U.S. or
German-funded, use 'religious cover' to collect social, political,
economic and military information about Russia, to incite separatist
sentiments and to create a generation of Russians who 'would be steadily
oriented toward Western values,' Chepurnykh wrote. Russia's law
enforcement agencies have evidence that non-traditional religious groups
'do damage to the individual, the Russian society and the state,' her
letter said."

Message-ID: <a3u7nb$ss0@...>
Message-ID: <a40gvr$qb6@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 43
2/17/2002 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

#####

> Austin

The Austin American-Statesman published a profile of L. Ron Hubbard and
Scientology, written by the Director of Special Affairs of the Austin,
Texas org, on February 16th.

"In Scientology, we have no dogma about God. Nor do we ask you to take our
teachings on faith. Instead, we start by showing you things about your
spiritual nature, yourself, others and the world around you. From there
you begin your road to truth and relationship with the Ultimate.

"In May 1950, Hubbard published his initial findings in 'Dianetics: The
Modern Science of Mental Health.' 'Dianetics' gave simple techniques that
enabled one to address mentally caused ills, aberrations and suffering
springing from past experiences. It was immensely popular, spawning a
grassroots movement that by the end of 1950 included several hundred
groups in the United States alone.

"Further exploration led Hubbard to discover the factors that keep a
spiritual being trapped in the physical world, resulting in the loss of
true identity. He developed techniques that opened the door to new levels
of spiritual awareness. Hubbard named this 'Scientology,' describing it as
'the route to total freedom and ability as a spiritual being.'

"Scientology is concerned with bringing about a better civilization
through rehabilitating individuals and providing them with tools to
accomplish positive ends. How can I improve my relationships with others?
How can I know what is ethical? How can I overcome the barriers that
confront me in life? What can be done to bring out a more peaceful
society? Scientology provides practical guidance on these matters.  In
Scientology, we have a motto: Whatever problems you face, something can be
done about it."

Message-ID: <tvdu6uokvhpe1srf1n6cvcblgohoa2f4kq@...>

#####

> MP3

"El Queso" reported that Scientology has lodged complaints with
stationmp3.com over the content of MP3-encoded original music and the
photos that accompany the recordings.

"'Photograph of Mr. David Miscavige (Chairman of the Board RTC)  is taken
from the publication International Scientology News Magazine, copyrighted
by Church of Scientology. We request that this work be removed
immediately.

"'In addition to engaging in copyright infringement, this same stationMP3
subscriber has placed abusive, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, profane and
otherwise objectionable content on his web page on stationMP3's web site
which encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, gives
rise to civil liability and is violative of the law. This content includes
graphic descriptions of perverted sexual acts, bodily functions and such
other pornographic, obscene and vulgar, defamatory content which targets
certain officials of the Scientology religion, Mr. L.  Ron Hubbard, the
founder of the Scientology religion and even one of the lawyers in our
firm, Helena Kobrin.'

"The site is still up, and the song has been slightly redone with a
special 'Fuck you' to Ava in the new version. The song is now called
'David Miscavige is Commodore Blowjob.' The songs will stay up, and if you
make one site pull them, I'll find 2 more to host them."

A musician nicknamed "El Ron Hitler" also drew complaints from
Scientology.

"I was harassed by the Sci-fi religion a couple of years ago for having a
band named El Ron Hitler. We recorded some tracks in late 1999/early 2000
and put them up on MP3.com and then started playing some live shows around
town at parties and clubs. I started receiving strange calls from a woman
who claimed that I was the 'missing ingredient' for an all boy band 'like
N'Sync.' And she was wondering 'Are you in El Ron Hitler?' Right away, I
knew that something was not quite right.  I knew that they were trying to
gather information on me - a clever tactic used by the Church Of
Scientology.

"One morning I was awakened by call from the 'attorney' for the Church Of
Scientology (who sounded a lot like the person that had 'offered' me to
join the all boy band) telling me to stop using the name El Ron Hitler and
that they were threatening to sue me for taking their founder, L. Ron
Hubbard's name in vain. I told her to leave me alone and hung up the
phone. Shortly thereafter, I found a letter sitting underneath my door at
my apartment. I opened the letter and it was a 'cease and desist' letter
from the attorney. The letter stated that El Ron Hitler's music will cause
their the Scientology 'parishioners' to be attacked both verbally and
physically by our fans.

"In the letter was a business card left by the private detective that was
hired by the Scientology's lawyers. He had scrawled 'Call me Immediately'
on a post-it note.  I started getting more voice mail messages the next
day and immediately called an attorney that a fellow friend and local club
booker had pointed me towards - Carol Sobel (ex-ACLU).  I also forwarded
the information to the LAPD and they called me and told me that they had
gone to give Ingram a nice little visit and they assured me that he would
never bother me again. I decided to use the voice mails that Mr. Ingram
had left into a song and I did. The result is 'Careful With That Badge,
Eugene.'

"The calls stopped coming, but the lawsuit was still pending. My attorney
was telling me that the COS had sent some people to her office to 'make
sure that she received the faxes' that they were sending.  I then decided
to change the name from El Ron Hitler to NostraDumAss. I decided to do
this since I didn't want either my band members or our families harassed
by them."

Message-ID: <3C69FFC5.156DE961@...>
Message-ID: <20020213152842.03274.00000064@...>

#####

> Kit Yarbrough

Former Scientologist Greg Barnes reported this week that Scientology
recently declared a Clearwater-area Scientologist a Suppressive Person.

"Last week Kit Yarbrough was declared. Her crime? Not disconnecting from
her livelihood and from Greg and Debra Barnes. Kit has two sisters and a
mother in Clearwater. One of the sisters called her 82 year old father who
lives in Texas to tell him that she is disconnecting from him because he
will not stop talking to his daughter Kit. Kit's dad has not been active
with the cult for some 10 years or more but none the less he got the
disconnection as well.

"Kit's mother and two sisters had previously stopped associating with Kit
because she refused to give up her business and disconnect from us. The
sisters and mother even refused to come to Kit's daughters wedding late
last year. My hopes go out to Kit's dad to somehow make peace with this
insanity."

Message-ID: <a4c0ev02kr4@...>

#####

> Germany

A letter from the Republic of Germany to the U.S. State Department, posted
to a.r.s this week, announced Germany's intention to instruct Ursula
Caberta, head of the Scientology task force in Hamburg, not to respond to
a lawsuit filed against her by Scientology in Tampa, Florida.

"The subject of the complaint is devoted entirely to the activities of
Mrs. Caberta or her staff in Germany in their official capacities as staff
of the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.  Based on the
fact that the complaint may only be validly directed to the Free and
Hanseatic City of Hamburg, the Federal Republic of Germany, representing
the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in accordance with international
law, invokes state immunity and requests immediate withdrawal of the
complaint. A court in the United States does not have jurisdiction in the
Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in the Federal Republic of Germany, and
is not in the position to institute court proceedings there."

Die Welt reported on February 16th that a retired Scotland Yard officer
spoke to a German business association to praise the drug rehab programs
of Scientology.

"The guests of Henry Randmark, President of the American German Business
Club Hamburg e.V., had to wait a matter of minutes before the event
officially began. But the wait in the cold was made up for by the a
presentation by a retired police superintendent of Scotland Yard about
drug crime and rehabilitation, as well as by a buffet. The audience
listened to the presentation in amazement as Brightmore glowingly praised
the rehabilitation methods of the Scientology cult. People present
included US General Consul Susan Elbow and Patron Prince Ferdinand von
Bismarck."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020213074349.112B-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020216081957.110A-100000@...>

#####

> Italy

Dolomiten reported on February 13th that Scientology attended a health
fair in Bozen, Italy.

"The Scientology psycho-cult is once again putting out its feelers in
South Tyrol. At the 'Salus' - a fair for good health - two staff members
distributed information and sold books by cult founder Lafayette Ron
Hubbard from a booth.  Scientology is a business under guise of a church
concerned with maximizing profit, thereby tapping into people's wants; it
strives for world domination, as German former Labor and Welfare Minister
Norbert Bluem characterized the psycho-cult. The totalitarian organization
exploits the fact that many people are searching for a deeper
understanding in the community of good health.

"Scientology is widespread in upper Italy: there are branches in Verona,
Padua, Brescia, Milan and Turin. In Verona they've already been recruiting
directly from the street with their own stands.

"The leaflets distributed contained a personality test with over 100
questions. The test was to be filled out and, together with name, address,
e-mail address and job title, sent to the 'counselor for the Hubbard
Dianetics Foundation' in Milan. The evaluation of the test is free, the
leaflet promises.

"One visitor to the fair observed a Scientology staff member urgently
imposing himself upon another fair visitor. Hubbard's books were also
offered at allegedly advantageous prices.  Antonio Pasqualin, Salus
arranger, did not wish to make a comment on the subject.  Fair director
Reinhold Marsoner indicated that the Bozen Fair was not at fault. The fair
only rented the hall and had no control who was given space at the Salus.
'It is the first time this sort of thing has happened,' said Marsoner. 'I
don't see any connection at all between the theme of the fair - health -
and Scientology.' He said the case was being discussed internally."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020213074300.112A-100000@...>

#####

> Back Taxes

The Los Angeles Independent reported on February 13th that Scientology may
have property seized for non-payment of property taxes.

"According to officials with the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor's Office,
the Church of Scientology is in danger of having at least one of its
Hollywood properties repossessed for failure to pay property taxes. The
Scientology property at the corner of McCadden Place and Hollywood
Boulevard, which the church uses as an 'testing center' and residence for
some of its members, is nearing the five-year mark for failure to pay
property taxes, and as a result, could be subject to county auction in
July of this year, if the taxes owed are not brought current, officials
say.

"The back taxes owed on the properties are now in the millions of dollars.
Scientology has filed for exemptions on property taxes owed to the county
on the basis of their being a nonprofit organization. In the meantime, the
county expects the property owner to pay all relevant taxes, which would
then be reimbursed should the county find in favor of the property owner's
exemption.

"Kerry Morrison, executive director of the Hollywood Entertainment
District, says she has not received any of the business improvement
district funds that should have been paid on any of the Scientology
properties for the last five years. The funding for the BID - or BID
assessment fees - are paid to the organization by the county when the
property taxes are collected. Morrison estimates that the money owed to
the BID by the Scientologists totals more than $100,000, and dates back to
'Phase 1' of the business improvement district's existence. Currently, the
BID is in 'Phase 3.' Morrison says the Scientologists' failure to pay the
BID assessment fees have affected the BID's ability to provide service to
the area."

Message-ID: <a4dmbt$c2g@...>

#####

> Birthday

An email sent to Scientologists announcing the schedule of events for L.
Ron Hubbard's birthday celebration was posted to a.r.s this week.

"We are approaching the most important Scientology event of the year, the
event where Scientologists in continents across Earth will join in
celebrating one man's influence upon the lives of billions - the LRH
Birthday Event! At this year's event, you will get a special briefing on
LRH's impact on the world and will see how major opinion leaders and
officials are recognizing the workability of LRH's legacy and working in
earnest to push his solutions into society.

"We are on a race against planetary decline. Only we have the answer right
in our hands - LRH's tech. It's up to all of us to be briefed and
in-the-know on the forward thrust of Scientology and to lend a hand in the
crusade.

"15 March, Friday at FLAG, RUTH ECKERD HALL - live event
16 March, Saturday - PAC, FSSO, WUS, EUS, CAN - by satellite
23 March, Saturday - MTL, QBC, PTR USING TRANSLATED VIDEOS
    - UK, EU, AF, ANZO, MEXICO CITY - VIDEO
30 March, Saturday - TOKYO, BYO, HARARE - BY VIDEO
    - AMS, BXL, TAV, MAL, GOT, STM, BUD, LIS,
    OSLO, BTA, BUE, VZA, CARACAS, GUAD - BY VIDEO"

Message-ID:
<9ngb6uc7783cbeeomarmudkded22nte3lh@...>

#####

> In Memoriam

"Cerridwen" reported this week that long time Scientologist Eunice Ford
has passed away.

"Eunice Ford passed away on February 6th in a convalescent hospital. She
was a long time Scientologist, an OT, and held many posts in the Sea Org
including Chaplain at ASHO. It was reported that she had Alzheimer's
disease. She was well thought of by many. Many of Ex's may have known
her."

Message-ID: <62039c8ba53c525b50c472ec9dd31fb3@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported a protest at Toronto's Scientology org on February
17th.

"Arel was in town, a new person wanted to picket, so 5 of us picketed from
noon to two pm. I was across the street and gave out over 100 Xenu flyers.
Martin LeMoine was part of the Sea Org when it infiltrated into Clearwater
and at one time was the ED of the Montreal org. He and his family went
'clear' together but never got into the OT levels because he wanted his
friends and family to go up the 'bridge' together. Martin was immediately
recognized by Bobby Hill and Val Hill. Bob and Val were very busy trying
to steer the latest scientology recruits away from the picketing SPs. The
org seems to have switched from Saturday courses to Sunday to keep the raw
meat from the enturbulation of pickets.

"Mario and Pat Felsky plus other senior members of the Day org showed up,
having had their Sunday ruined. They begin traffic control, sending people
out of the org in places were the picketers were not close to at the time.
After Gregg read OT 3, the day people vanished except for Mario and
Felsky. Shortly after that Bob and Val Hill showed along with one of the
three Mikes.

"A fresh recruit Scientologist approached Gregg and wanted to talk to him.
He had wanted to know why Gregg had a problem with Scientology. Mario saw
him and screamed 'No! Don't talk to him!' The young man said to Mario 'I
can't hold two conversations at the same time, I want to talk to him'
gesturing at Gregg. Gregg told the young man, 'You won't be able to talk
to me, it's against policy' at that moment Mario reach them and said, 'You
cant talk to him, it's against policy.' Mario grabbed at the young man who
shook him off one arm, Mario went around him, grabbed him by the other arm
and marched him into the org. As he was begin marched away Gregg told him,
'You know where you are going now.' Then Gregg and Martin both said 'Your
going to ethics!'

"At one point in the picket, two kids of scientology's parents were
yelling at Gregg that he was going to die. One police car went by went by,
recognized Gregg and waved."

Message-ID: <3c711e24.127004543@...>

#####

> Switzerland

Tages-Anzeiger reported on February 9th that Scientology held an open
house at a hotel in Zurich, Switzerland.

"On the facade of the Spirgarten Hotel a large billboard sign proclaims
'Would you like your children to live in a drug-free world?' This is the
social theme the Zurich Scientology organization is using to advertise its
exhibition in the hotel auditorium. In order to draw passersby into the
recruitment show, several Scientologists hand out roses on Lindenplatz,
then accompany people to the exhibition spaces, where they are handed over
to other cult adherents who take them through the the exhibition.

"The Zurich Scientologists are getting support in their two-week mission
offensive from the Jive Aces Scientology swing band. The professional band
is currently playing throughout Switzerland and appears for advertisement
purposes on the cult's web pages. The musicians are members of the
Scientology elite unit, the Sea Org.

"It is misleading for the passersby on Lindenplatz to be invited in to
visit an exhibition about drug problems when the topic of the exhibition
is the teachings and practices of Scientology. For instance, visitors
receive a demonstration of Scientology's e-meter. The Scientologists claim
they can 'see thoughts' with the controversial device. In truth, however,
it is more of a simple electrical skin resistance meter, which makes it
sort of a lie detector.

"In another room Scientologists perform their 'assists' on visitors. It is
a sort of laying on of hands by which the visitor 'can experience help
with their own body.' Although the exhibition is public, with flyers being
distributed, Scientologists refuse entry to critical journalists.

"Director Demarmels of the Spirgarten Hotel had no qualms about renting
his hall to the Scientologists. 'I didn't think to much about nor am I
adverse to the association,' he said. Neither is the business manager of
the Nelson Pub worried about contact with the Scientologists. 'We only
care about the music.' He said the band contacted him and asked about
appearing. He is seeing to it, however, that the Scientologists and their
musicians are not advertising for their organization."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020210071810.114B-100000@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 44
2/24/2002 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
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Week in Review is archived at:
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         http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Austria

OTS reported on February 21st that a meeting was held in Vienna to discuss
the Austrian government's position on cults.

"In today's session, the representatives of the families committee were
heavily engaged with the topic of cults. The cause of this had taken form
in the third report of activity from the Federal Center for Cult Issues,
which had recently been presented to the National Assembly by Welfare
Minister Haupt. In the session the representatives rated the Federal
Center's work as markedly positive, and the view was expressed that the
activity in this area needed to be stepped up. Representatives of the SPOe
and the Greens in particular supported the continuation of the cult center
under direction of the federal police, a desire that had also been
supported by Welfare Minister Haupt.

"Deliberations in the committee were introduced with a short report from
the operating manager of the Federal Center for Cult Issues, German
Mueller. According to him, there was no evidence to indicate that the
conflicts accompanying the appearances of cults and cult-like organization
were on the decline. He said the steadily increasing number of contacts
with the Federal Center for Cult Issues demonstrated just the opposite. He
said that, on the average, the center was confronted almost every day with
questions about another new group.

"German Mueller agreed with the representatives that the core prevention
work centered on critical discussions with children. He said that official
bans would be of little use, because the very act of banning could prove
an enticement to young people. As far as dealing with children born into
cults, he said that based on experience, he would recommend communicating
to these children that the 'normal world' was capable of sustaining life
and was not necessarily evil.

"The third annual activity report from the Federal Center for Cult Issues
was unanimously accepted by the families committee. It said that in 2000,
1,807 people had approached the federal center, whereby the information
and counseling services were used mainly by experts, private persons, and
government agencies. 55 cases were identified as inquiries made by the
cult-like organizations themselves. Questions related to 231 various
groups, most of which concerned Scientology, Satanism, Occultism and
Esoterica (divination)."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020222075901.117A-100000@...>

#####

> CCHR

A Scientology press release on February 22nd promoted the work of
celebrity Ann Archer against Psychiatry.

"Actress Anne Archer joined the growing list of celebrity mothers who are
speaking out against the psychiatric labeling and drugging of school
children, by releasing a new Web site at the 33rd annual celebration of
the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International, a psychiatric
watchdog organization.  The Web site, www.FightForKids.com, is designed to
educate parents about the labeling and drugging of children, and inform
them about the necessary reform of Congress's next major educational
project, Special Education.

"Helping to release the new Web site with Anne Archer, was CCHR 2002 Human
Rights Award winner, Sheila Matthews. Matthews, a Connecticut mother, was
awarded for her year long battle to get psychiatry out of the public
school systems."

Message-ID: <gd0f7ucib3qvd2j088m2e5piqocbdshb8k@...>

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on February 23rd that a candidate for
Clearwater City Commissioner announced she will work to rejuvenate the
downtown area, and not let it be dominated by Scientology.

"In the race between incumbent Hoyt Hamilton and Patricia Bates-Smith,
Hamilton says the city needs another redevelopment plan. He reiterates
that the city needs to 'come up with a plan that works and then we have to
work that plan.'

"Bates-Smith said that the city should be aggressive and lease all of the
vacant space in downtown storefronts, then turn around and recruit new
businesses to rent the space at reduced rates. The effort would instill
confidence in downtown, because new businesses that were recruited
wouldn't be alone in opening here, she said. Bates-Smith added that she is
'not willing to give downtown up' to the Church of Scientology, which has
its spiritual headquarters there."

Source Magazine published a calendar of upcoming events in Clearwater and
for the Flag Tour.

"9 February: Annual Clear Expansion Committee Awards Banquet.
2 March: OT Hatting Dinner: 'Treasures of the Bahamas'
15 March: LRH Birthday Event. 7:00 at the Ruth Eckert Hall
15-17 March: Convention Weekend
   Annual International OT Committee Convention
   Flag Prosperity Conference
   Flag OT Convention- Spearheading the Year of the OTs
23 March: IAS Patron Ball
19-22 April: International Wise Convention
11 May: Dianetics Anniversary Event.

"Upcoming Flag Tour Dates:

"26 January - Dusseldorf, San Diego, Detroit
2 February - Hamburg, Washington, D.C
9 February - CC Paris, San Francisco
16 February - Paris, Miami
23 February - Munich, Stevens Creek"

Message-ID: <ecb5bfd963cf0b3751f27008e12180b3@...>
Message-ID: <a587va$9ad@...>

#####

> Penelope Cruz

The National Enquirer reported in its February 26th issue that celebrity
Penelope Cruz has called off her wedding to Tom Cruise, following her
taking the Purification Rundown vitamin and sauna regimen.

"'Penelope has put the brakes on,' revealed an insider. 'Penelope is
telling pals she feels she and Tom need time to resolve issues in their
yearlong relationship,' disclosed a source. One stumbling block is Tom's
attempt to quickly indoctrinate her into his religion. 'He's rushing her
into an orientation in Scientology,' said the source. 'She even
participated in a Scientology purification process - several days straight
of intense cardiovascular exercise, high doses of niacin and sweating to
drain toxins from the body.'"

Message-ID: <dbv87uoc9b38l37slj3j2fnpr4i2g6npfe@...>

#####

> France

Xinhua News Agency reported on February 20th that a French government
report on cults warns against cults participating in health care and
charity work.

"Some sects have turned to new fields of activities such as health care
and humanitarian aid to prey on vulnerable victims, France's
Inter-Ministerial Mission of Fight against Cults (MILS) warned in its
annual report released Tuesday.  They generally cover themselves under 'a
convenient mask of religion' and 80 percent of them are involved in
so-called 'training courses' or 'medical therapies,' said the report,
adding that laws must be adopted to regulate these activities.

"The Church of Scientology, the second largest but the more active one, is
'absolutely a dangerous cult,' said MILS, noting the group has developed a
strategy to destabilize the infrastructure in France by vigorously
applying lawsuits to escape public scrutiny.  Last September, members of
the Church of Scientology were seen distributing aid and preaching to
victims around World Trade Center ruins in New York and AZF chemical
factory ruins in French southern city of Toulouse, said the report.  'But
as humanitarian organizations started distributing aid, the sect members
immediately limited access to their own aid. In fact, they took suffering
victims as potential clients and encouraged them to join the sect rather
than expect aid,' said MILS."

From Agence France Presse on February 19th:

"France's state anti-cult body warned Tuesday that sects are infiltrating
aid efforts in disaster zones like New York after September 11, drawing an
angry outburst from the Church of Scientology that it is the victim of a
'witch-hunt.' The Inter-Ministerial Mission for the Fight against Sects
(MILS) said in its annual report that groups on its blacklist - including
the Church of Scientology - are moving beyond their traditional activities
of offering 'training' courses and para-medical 'therapies' in a quest for
new recruits and respectability. They were now 'not hesitating to take
advantage of strife in the world' to peddle their dogma to vulnerable
individuals, warned the report, which has been handed to Prime Minister
Lionel Jospin.

"But a US lawyer engaged by the Church of Scientology, Aram Kevorkian,
held a news conference with French members of the group immediately after
the release of the report saying its allegations were unfounded. 'In good
old English, we call that bullshit,' he said, adding: 'I think Scientology
is the victim of a witch-hunt in this country.'"

The Guardian reported on February 21st that Scientology will be on trial
for civil liberties violations.

"The case, which could well decide the movement's future in France, is the
first since the adoption there last year of tough anti-cult legislation
that allows the dissolution of suspected sects found guilty of common
offences. Prosecutors will charge the Church's inner temple, the Spiritual
Association of the Church of Scientology in the Paris region, and its
president, Marc Walter, with abuse of civil liberties, misleading
publicity and attempted fraud.

"'It's a hugely important case, the first time the Church has been accused
as a legal entity in its own right,' said Olivier Morice, a lawyer for the
National Union for the Defence of Families and Individuals, which is
demanding that the organisation be outlawed. The case stems from the
complaints of three men, including two former Scientologists, who were
sent brochures, booklets and invitations from the Church two or three
times a week for several years despite having repeatedly demanded to be
removed from its mailing lists.

"'That is a clear-cut case of breach of civil liberties and data
protection legislation,' a spokesman at the public prosecutor's office
said yesterday. 'The judge also argues that the organisation was set up
specifically to commit these offences.'

"The Church, which has dismissed the case as 'a minor affair about the
complaint of a couple of individuals', will also be accused of attempted
fraud based on the 'false allegations and untrue promises' in its tracts."

From the Associated Press on February 21st:

"The two-day trial marks the first time the organization itself was being
taken to task in court, faced with charges of attempted fraud and false
advertising. Marc Walter, president of the Ile de France section that
includes Paris, faced the same charges.  A civil party to the lawsuit, the
National Union of Associations for the Defense of Families and
Individuals, is calling for the Paris branch of the Church of Scientology
to be dissolved, according to Olivier Morice, a lawyer for the
associations.

"Jean Depuis, spokesman for the French division of the Church of
Scientology, has called the trial a 'witch hunt.' He said he hoped 'the
prosecutor realized that the Inquisition ended 600 years ago.'"

From Reuters on February 22nd:

"A French prosecutor asked a court on Friday to consider shutting down the
Church of Scientology in the greater Paris area, saying it engaged in
'mental manipulation.' 'This is about protecting potential victims,'
prosecutor Christine Forey told the court in Paris. 'I ask you to think
about the penalty of dissolution due to the methods used by Scientology,'
she said. Forey charged the church, whose U.S. branch counts Hollywood
stars including Tom Cruise among its members, with attempted fraud,
untruthful advertising, and violation of people's rights by holding
computerised files on them. Forey asked that the church be fined at least
300,000 euros ($263,200) if it were not ordered to close. She also
requested that the group's leader in Paris, Marc Walter, 60, be given a
one-year suspended prison sentence.

"'The methods of Scientology, its deceitful promises of results which call
for large donations of money, amount to a form of mental manipulation,'
Forey told the court. 'The aim of this organisation is purely commercial.'

"Walter's lawyers argued on Thursday that there was nothing stopping any
member from leaving the group. 'If someone doesn't want to belong to the
church anymore, we are not going to hold them back, there's no sense in
that,' said defence counsel Bernard Michel. The court is due to give its
verdict on May 17."

From the Associated Press on February 22nd:

"A prosecutor on Friday urged a Paris court to disband the Church of
Scientology in the French capital, where the organization is on trial for
attempted fraud and false advertising in its efforts to recruit and keep
its members.  'I ask you to consider dissolution,' Forey said.

"Civil parties to the government's case, including the National Union of
Associations for the Defense of Families and Individuals, support the call
for the Paris branch to be dissolved.

"Church of Scientology members have likened the trial to a witch hunt and
say their faith is a religion like any other.  'This is a setup - the
government is trying to destroy a religion,' said Marc Bromberg, a Church
of Scientology official. 'We are in an environment in France that's
against religion and spirituality.'"

Message-ID: <a50hv1$3h3@...>
Message-ID: <a50id3$aln@...>
Message-ID: <_k6d8.3095$hM6.322297@...>
Message-ID: <a52ttu$8f4@...>
Message-ID: <20020223040910.11800.00000289@...>
Message-ID: <a588ru$9ad@...>

#####

> Narconon

Die Welt published additional details on February 18th about a speech
given by a retired Scotland Yard detective in support of Scientology's
Narconon program.

"More than 100 representatives of Hamburg society assembled in the
venerable halls of the American consulate on the 'Aussenalster' to listen
to the words of guest speaker Christopher Brightmore. The retired police
officer unceasingly praised Scientology's Narconon program as the best
drug withdrawal concept in the world. His speech was cause for an
appearance by Ursula Caberta in the meantime. 'This was purely a sales
talk for Scientology,' the feisty director of the Task Force on
Scientology criticized the arrangement.

"The former narcotics agent reported to the assembled guests, police
president Udo Nagel and Ferdinand Prince of Bismarck among them, that he
had searched the entire world for the last ten years to find a drug
rehabilitation program that actually worked, 'And I am happy to
communicate to you that I am certain I've found it,' Brightmore continued.
'It is conducted by an organization called Narconon, which belongs to the
ABLE organization, the Association for Better Life and Education, a
charitable firm founded by the Church of Scientology.' The concept could
be regarded 'as the best drug rehabilitation program available,' the
retired agent proceeded to praise the method of operation and success of
the program with the appropriate details and rapture. Excerpt: 'I have
visited this program at three different sites and spoke with the students.
All were enthused with their experience.'

"As far as Ursula Caberta knows, the praise for this drug withdrawal
program contradicts all findings. She not only regards the Narconon
program as a menace to health, but also believe addicts are being
exploited. 'This is a case of one drug being replaced by another -
Scientology.' The basis of the Narconon program is said to be the
technology of L. Ron Hubbard.  The Berlin narcotics authorities have been
urgently warning people about Narconon since 1978. It contains, for
instance, the 'danger of assimilating the irrational, internal hierarchy'
of the program.

"The director of the government task force also expressed an interest in
the role of Henry Randmark, who, as president of the German-American
Business Club, sent out invitations for the gathering in the general
consulate. The 65-year old American, who runs a cleaning company, has
apparently used his connections to advertise for a dubious drug program,
Caberta speculated.  Randmark told WELT that he was outraged that anyone
suggested he had a connection with Scientology. He said he was not a
member of the controversial cult.  'There's nothing wrong with telling
sick people they should get treatment - no matter if it is from Jehovah's
Witnesses, the Mormons or the Scientologists,' said Randmark."

Rupa Chinai published an article on February 19th promoting Narconon for
patients in India.

"The ill-effects of years of narcotics, alcohol or pharmaceutical drugs
abuse cannot be wiped away by administering so-called wonder drugs to
addicts.  These wonder drugs, or magic bullets as they are popularly known
as, only make the body a pharmaceutical dump, says Clark Carr, president
of non-governmental organisation Narconon International, which has worked
in the field of rehabilitation for three decades and has recently launched
a pilot project offering rehabilitation and prevention services in Mumbai.

"Q. How does your detoxification programme work?

"A. Our detoxification programme flushes out drugs or other toxic residues
from the body through sweating. It focusses on moderate exercise that
stimulates blood circulation, followed by dry saunas.  The long-term
effect is extraordinary. Drug addicts who undergo this programme say, 'The
drugs are not talking to me any more.' The same procedure works for
environmental and occupational toxins.  This approach needs to be
supplemented with fluids and natural food. Drug addicts also need capsule
supplements of vitamins and minerals as they suffer from an imbalance of
micro-nutrients.

"Q. Would such a detoxification programme work for India?

"A. Our detoxification approach is workable in every situation. In poor
countries, even in the absence of saunas, a programme of exercise, sweat
and vitamins enables rehabilitation without hospitals."

Message-ID: <kj2d7us4r7b1o7tg536upk8t43intpl6ht@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020219205926.125A-100000@...>

#####

> MP3

"El Queso" reported this week that MP3.com has released information
concerning his identity to Scientology.

"I am in receipt of your correspondence dated February 11, 2002. As I
informed you, MP3.com removed the El Queso Allstars web page on February
11th, thus discontinuing public access to the artist page for the band
that infringed upon your client's intellectual property.

"The El Queso Allstars web page was posted to the Site on November 19,
2000. Contact information is Name and address, Glendale, Arizona XXXXX as
well as Name and address, Phoenix, AZ XXXXX, phone number (XXX) XXX-XXXX.
The Artist's Email address on file is the_cheese_23@....

"I trust that the matter of terminating access to this artist page from
our Site and providing you with payment and contact information is now
completed to your satisfaction."

Message-ID: <3C7614F5.C4402C30@...>

#####

> Meadow View

The Enterprise reported on February 19th that a center for former cult
members will be opening in Lakeville, Massachusetts, with former
Scientologist Tom Padgett on staff for the opening.

"Organizers of a planned halfway house for refugees of high-control
religious organizations say they hope to open the facility within a few
months at the former Meadow View Nursing Home on Crooked Lane. Tom
Padgett, who said he is a former member of the Church of Scientology, is
the Meadow Haven project coordinator. Once the facility opens, he said, he
will become the program's 'survival advocate.' He said the program could
open as early as six weeks.

"The Rev. Robert Pardon, the director of the new program's overseeing
group, the New England Institute of Religious research, said the institute
has received a large donation that has allowed it to hire an architect to
create the type of building changes the town wanted.

"Padgett said, 'It's a place for transition.' He said high-control
religious organizations differ from other organized religions because they
use mind control and terrorist tactics on their members. He said they take
their follows out of the mainstream and keep them there, with information
control, communication control and coercive tactics Some who enter a
program like Meadow Haven have led cloistered lives for many years within
these high-control religious organizations, he said. Some, he said,
haven't seen television in years, let alone thought of their lives
independently.

"Meadow Haven will include a kitchen and dining room, a residential area
for counselors, offices, a counseling room, eight bedrooms, a deck, a
separate storage building and a library with information on the history of
cults. It will hold up to 12 to 14 clients at a time, plus six staff
people that will include the director and his wife and professionally
trained counselors."

Message-ID: <3c757688.269966007@...>

#####

> Protest / Revenge Summary

Keith Henson reported a protest in Toronto on February 23rd, and a visit
by Scientology PIs at the home of Ida Camburn before a protest at Gold
Base in Hemet, California.

"Toronto got a picket today. At the end of the picket, I got a cell phone
call from Arel that Edwin Richardson was at Ida's. Here is her report.

"Standing on the outside of the locked screen was this tall dark guy who
looked very familiar. 'Hello, you know me,' he said. I told Ida that 'Mr.
Richardson' was here. 'The sheriff is here to keep the peace,' Richardson
said.  'He's parked out front.'

"Richardson said, 'I just wanted you to know that we know about the post.'
He was looking at me more than at Ida. 'What post?' I asked. 'The post
about the pipe bomb and the cake,' he said. 'I just want you to know what
we know about the post about the pipe bomb and the cake,' he repeated
mechanically. Ida was telling him that we know that people post things on
a.r.s. or elsewhere that threaten themselves. He said again that the
sheriff was here to keep the peace, as if we two old ladies would rush out
and attack him with pipe bombs or possibly with cakes.

"We talked with the sheriff. The deputy was Deputy Gonzales, I discovered
when we both asked for cards from him. Deputy Gonzales told us that the
Hemet police would ordinarily have answered such a request, but that he
had been out at 'gold' as part of an investigation there.  I told Deputy
Gonzales exactly what Richardson had said and that we didn't know what he
was talking about as far as any threat was concerned. I said that he was
probably trying to keep us from picketing 'gold' today. The deputy asked
if we intended to picket today. I said that we did."

Message-ID: <3c7808a5.154132291@...>

#####

> Switzerland

Tages-Anzeiger reported on February 18th that a Scientology exhibit in
Zurich, Switzerland continues to bring protests from neighbors in the
area.

"The voices of the district merchants and residents resound in unison: the
Scientologists who have been advertising for over a week on the street for
an exhibition in the Spirgarten Hotel are obnoxious and aggressive.  A
district resident said that he had filed a complaint with the police.

"The store owners and merchants on Lindenplatz are also fed up. 'What's
especially perfidious is that the Scientologists hint at solving drug
problems as a decoy to get people inside,' said one saleswoman. 'Many
customers did not realize until they were in the hotel that they were
involved in a Scientology operation.' Pedestrians also verified that the
street recruiters kept mum about their membership in Scientology. Parents,
moreover, were angered that Scientologists were even luring children into
the exhibition.

"District residents also complained about the Spirgarten Hotel. The
management did not wish to comment, but referred to a press release that
was to have been published this week. In any case it can be seen that they
will continue to let the exhibition operate in their spaces. One passerby
commented that the Scientologists had plenty of money to pay rent, and
they would always find someone to take it.

"One shop owner was annoyed because she was being approached several times
a day by the Scientologists. 'At first they wore yellow jackets. You could
recognize them and dodge them. Now they're wearing civilian clothes again.
Besides that they sometimes run after people.'

"The commercial police say their hands are tied. 'Without complaints we
can't do anything,' said a spokesman. One person after another has
complained to the police, but as a rule they are afraid to file charges.
'Once they realize their names have to be put on record, they get
discouraged.' City council tried to stop the Scientologists' missionary
work, but the cult appealed all cases and recently won in the federal
court. Since then the commercial police must occasionally grant
Scientology a permit."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020218163742.110A-100000@...>

#####

> Ventura

The Ventura County Star reported on February 23rd that the Scientology org
in Ventura has events planned for the coming week.

"CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY 180 N. Ashwood Ave., 644-3993. Thursday: 9 a.m.
public breakfast seminar, 'How to Have a Game Instead of a Case.' Friday:
9 p.m. public seminar 'How Not to Feel Victimized' with the Rev. Jim Hamry
reading from the works of founder L. Ron Hubbard. Ongoing: 10 a.m. to 10
p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Life
Improvement educational services."

Message-ID: <a5899v$9ad@...>

#####

> Volunteer Ministers

The San Diego Union this week publicized the billboards being used to
promote Scientology's new Volunteer Ministers campaign.

"The Church of Scientology has put up a dozen billboards in the San Diego
area, like this one at 30th Street near Adams Avenue, as part of a 14 city
outreach campaign. Callers are matched with volunteer ministers in their
area. A Scientology spokeswoman says the volunteer minister's goal is to
help people with everyday challenges of life-from strained marriages to
job loss."

Message-ID: <3C750D53.C924EC37@...>

#####

> WISE

The World Institute of Scientology Enterprises this week publicized its
annual convention in Clearwater, Florida.

"13th Annual WISE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FLAG April 19-22, 2002 PURPOSE:
To create widespread interest and demand for LRH admin tech by continuing
the establishment of a crack team of WISE members who are shining examples
of LRH admin tech and who through their expanded dissemination activities
generate overwhelming popularity for Hubbard Management Technology
application across the planet. Gain certainty on LRH tech and how to apply
and disseminate it. Find out exactly what to do to be able to deliver LRH
admin tech standardly and get people winning. WISE has launched a new era
in the dissemination of LRH's admin tech. On the heels of the hugely
successful convention just held aboard the Freewinds, WISE is continuing
to unfold its Strategic Planning and bringing the Admin Scale of WISE to
its membership (all present will receive their own copies of these
issues).

"$350 WISE Convention Fee.  $300 if paid by 28 February 2002."

Message-ID: <vqu47u0c78kaj4oquuehnovbap4dmdrmj9@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 45
3/3/2002 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

#####

> CCHR

Scientology announced the publication of a new booklet from the Citizen's
Commission on Human Rights this week.

"The booklet is called 'Psychiatry: Shattering your world with Drugs.' As
LRH has pointed out, psych treatments are the cause of crime, and there
would be no criminals at all if the psychs had not oppressed beings into
acts of vengeance against society. This new booklet will be distributed to
politicians, government officials, law enforcement agencies, judges and
those responsible for funding drug and criminal rehabilitation programs.

"For some time the psychs and drug companies have put out propaganda
directly to Doctors, schools, and even students. So this program includes
the printing of two new pamphlets, written for the same doctors, schools
and students as the psychs propaganda, and CCHR's pamphlets contain the
truth.

"'The hoax of learning and behavior disorders' pamphlet covers the false
'learning disabilities' psychs push on parents and teachers. 'Lets talk
about psychiatry' strips away false data and includes a complete word list
defining the phony labels of psychiatry, and explains what psych drugs are
and what mental illness really is.

"These three publications, in 15 languages, at two and a half million
copies is five times the distribution of any previous CCHR publication."

Message-ID: <3c7de9ab$1@...>

#####

> Caroline Letkeman

Former Scientologist Caroline Letkeman reported that she received her
Suppressive Person declare from Scientology.

"5 February 2002

"Caroline Letkeman, of Chilliwack, British Columbia, is hereby declared a
Suppressive Person. Caroline Letkeman, in November 2001, formally resigned
from the Church of Scientology by means of a public declaration. In
addition to this, she demanded full refund of all funds donated to the
Church.  In the year 2000, Caroline wrote an essay against Scientology
which contained defamatory statements and black propaganda; this was
written for a known suppressive group and was published through a broad
communication medium.

"Attempts have been made by Church staff to assist Caroline to come to her
senses, however, she refused these efforts to help her and has continued
to commit suppressive acts.

"Caroline has committed the following suppressive acts:  VIOLATION OR
NEGLECT OF ANY OF THE TEN POINTS OF KEEPING SCIENTOLOGY WORKING.  PUBLIC
DISAVOWAL OF SCIENTOLOGY OR SCIENTOLOGISTS IN GOOD STANDING WITH
SCIENTOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS.  PUBLIC STATEMENTS AGAINST SCIENTOLOGY OR
SCIENTOLOGISTS BUT NOT TO COMMITTEES OF EVIDENCE DULY CONVENED.
DEMANDING THE RETURN OF ANY OR ALL FEES PAID FOR STANDARD TRAINING OR
PROCESSING ACTUALLY RECEIVED OR RECEIVED IN PART AND STILL AVAILABLE BUT
UNDELIVERED ONLY BECAUSE OF DEPARTURE OF THE PERSON DEMANDING.

"It is hoped that Caroline comes to her senses and recants."

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#####

> Denmark

Jyllands-Posten reported on February 26th and 27th that a Scientology day
care center in Copenhagen, Denmark may be shut down by city officials.

"The politicians are debating whether 20 nursery- and kindergarten schools
are going to be torn away from their secure surroundings of the day care
institution Lillekilde in Valby [district of Copenhagen] because the
parents and the employees are connected to Scientology.  Lillekilde was
founded as a private day care centre for Scientologists and the
institution has for several years been in the spotlights of the City
Council.

"The report dwells on the point that the [Scientology] institution's
pedagogical foundation is based on 'improvement programs' and that each
Friday the children are systematically rewarded with 'diplomas of
commendation' for potty training and other achievements.  Rewards for
certain behaviour of conduct are in conflict with the service law, it says
in the report.

"Nevertheless, Lillekilde has been approved of by Frederiksberg, Hellerup,
Gentofte, Brondby, Lyngby-Taarbaek and Ishoj town districts as a private
day care centre and has until now had a permit from the employment bureau
of Valby Bydel.  With the dissolution of the experiment of the town
district, it is now up to the Copenhagen City Counsel to decide whether or
not the day care centre should be subsidized.

"According to Christine Astrupgaard, who has a daughter in Lillekilde, the
parents have already been notified that the City Counsel is planning to
shut down the cash flow. Therefore, they have taken the matter up with an
attorney, and she thinks that the presentation of the city council is
distorted.

"According to the chairman of the parents council, Julie Truelsen, 60% of
the parents have nothing to do with Scientology. 'I am one of them myself
and I have an incredibly good experience with the institution. The way a
single child is taken care of, I don't think you will experience that in
many other places,' says Julie Truelsen. 'The city council has tackled the
things very unprofessionally, and it looks like there's something personal
behind it. I don't see any connection at all between Scientology and the
institution. But they have chosen to focus on people's religious
relationships instead of looking at some parents, who have taken the
initiative of having their children looked after themselves, because the
municipal could not meet their own guarantee of accommodation,' she says."

"Scientology disclaims any connection with the day care centre, which has
been in the spotlights of the Municipal of Copenhagen and where it is now
being decided if the State aid to the institution should be terminated.

"Kerstin Bergendal, who has a child in Lillekilde, thinks that the
Municipal of Copenhagen are on the wrong track.  'I have no sympathy for
Scientology and my child would never be in the institution if there was
any connection,' says Kerstin Bergendal.

"Bente Moller (EL) is skeptical.  'We are considering whether it is a
place, which the Copenhagen Municipal wishes to give a working permit.
What in any case is needed, is that the institution accepts the rules of
the service-law, agrees to a supervised inspection and is open for common
accommodation.'

"Family and labour market mayor Bo Asmus Kjeldgaard (SF):  'As politicians
we should not interfere with people's religion. This here is exclusively
about whether the institution runs according to the service-law and the
pedagogical goals, which are set by the Copenhagen Municipal. I have asked
the city ownership to come up with a exposition to get the thumb up or
down for a State aid.'"

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#####

> Egypt

The Associated Press reported on February 26th and 28th that two
Scientologists were arrested in Cairo, Egypt for promoting Dianetics,
under the charge that Scientology defames other religions.

"A Cairo court has prolonged the detention of a Palestinian woman and her
Israeli husband suspected of 'contempt of religion' by promoting
Scientology in the country, Egypt's Middle East News Agency reported
Tuesday.  Wafaa Hassan Ahmed, 26, and Mahmoud Mufid Masarwa, 28, have
confessed to being assigned by their followers in Tel Aviv and Rome to
promote Scientology in Egypt as 'a pivotal country in the region that
would ease its spread to neighboring countries.' The agency referred to
Scientology as a religious belief that 'defames Islam and Christianity and
calls for disobeying their teachings.'

"Ahmed confessed to being chosen for her mission because she is
Palestinian and hoped to draw sympathy from Egyptians because of
Palestinian-Israeli violence."

"The Church of Scientology rejects suggestions a couple detained in Egypt
after selling a book by the church's founder showed contempt for Islam, a
spokeswoman said Wednesday.  'We respect all religions,' Leisa Goodman,
the church's human rights director, said in a telephone interview from Los
Angeles.  Goodman said Ahmed, a Palestinian, and Masarwa, an Israeli, came
to Egypt to sell 'Dianetics,' by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard,
because Egyptians had expressed interest in the material. She said they
had received permission to sell 'Dianetics' at the 2001 Cairo Book Fair
and remained afterward seeking a local publisher for Arab editions of the
book.  They were arrested Dec. 24 and since then, Goodman said, the church
has been unable to get much information about their case."

From Agence France Presse on February 28th:

"Egyptian authorities arrested a Palestinian woman and her Israeli husband
belonging to the church on December 24 for allegedly trying to damage the
principles of Islam and Christianity by the spread of a new religious
doctrine. Mahmud Massarwa, 28, and his wife Wafaa Ahmed, 26, are also
suspected of spreading the doctrine 'with the aim of sparking riots.'

"The church said the couple had been in Egypt to establish an office to
promote two books by church founder L. Ron Hubbard and that the works had
been cleared by the Egyptian censors. Prosecutors in Cairo said the pair
entered Egypt as representatives of an Italian publishing firm to spread
Scientology."

From ArabicNews.com on March 1st:

"The court of 'Masr al-Jadidat' in Cairo decided on Tuesday continued
suspension of two of the Palestinians under the charges of belonging to
'Scientology,' according to a judicial source.

"The judge decided to 'continue imprisonment of Wafaa Hassan Ahmad (26
year old) and her husband of an Israeli nationality Mahmoud Mufeed
Masarweh (28 year old) for 30 days for investigations 'that are made with
them at the knowledge of the State's higher security.' The two are accused
of defaming 'divine religions' through the attempt of disseminating a new
religion named Scientology."

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#####

> France

Scientology issued a press release criticizing the trial in France, in
which a prosecutor has urged that Scientology be dissolved for invasion of
privacy.

"The Church of Scientology has today filed a complaint to the United
Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights in Geneva, Ms. Mary Robinson,
requesting U.N. intervention to halt the repeated violations of France's
international human rights commitments by the French government's
Interministerial Mission to Fight Against Sects (MILS), and its president,
Alain Vivien.

"The complaint details 18 separate incidents in which members of the
Church of Scientology suffered serious abuses of their rights, each a
direct result of the campaign of religious intolerance MILS has fomented
and directed. These incidents range from an attempt to bomb the Church of
Scientology in Angers, to the Girl Scouts of France rejecting a little
girl's application for membership, to a Paris kindergarten's refusal to
admit a child to the boycotting of firms because of the Church membership
of their executives.

"'As president of MILS, Alain Vivien works with private, anti-religious
groups to create a climate of intolerance that breeds discrimination,'
said Danielle Gounord, President of the Church of Scientology in Paris."

A column in the Iowa State Daily, the newspaper of Iowa State University,
on February 26th, defending Scientology's case in France.

"Scientology is a religion, as much as Christianity, Judaism, Islam or any
of your popular religions.  The most hilarious thing is the way France has
phrased its accusations. It accused the Church of Scientology of 'mental
manipulation' and demanding large donations to the church in exchange for
results.  But don't those things practically ensure that it SHOULD be
considered a religion? It's not like your standard textbook religions are
turning away donations at the door. There are still religions in this
country that insist on tithing and active participation within the church.

"All of the churches I've ever heard of gather some sort of donations, and
even if they didn't pass the collection plate, they'd expect me to give
them my time. Every time I get the collection plate passed to me, I'm
going to feel some obligation to give, no matter what church I'm
attending.  Does this mean I'm being manipulated? Sure does. But then
again, I'm mentally manipulated by every person I speak to and every
person on campus wearing any sort of corporate clothing.

"Black's Law Dictionary defines a religion as 'a system of faith and
worship usually involving belief in a supreme being and usually containing
a moral or ethical code.' So whether or not you think there's any
legitimacy to the Church of Scientology, legally, it's as religious as you
get.

"Scientologists are just like you and I, except they seem to be a lot
wealthier. Looks like that Church of Scientology isn't doing too well with
its mental manipulation after all, because their donations are pretty
lousy. Tom Cruise is still rich, and he's still not signed on for
'Battlefield Earth 2: A Saga of Trying to Recoup Expenses.' Just because
some church wants me to join isn't a problem. Just because someone
somewhere is wearing a Creed T-shirt, am I going to be manipulated into
having bad taste?"

One of the former Scientologists reported that Scientology has threatened
his family for participating in the case.

"Jo has revealed this morning on Radio Framboise that Scientologists have
been harassing him by phone for months with the goal of buying the rights
on his book, 'Hell and Cult,' and that Mr. J.-M. B., employee of the
Lausanne organization, did not hesitate this Monday to threaten him
saying, 'You know, Jo, you don't have to imagine that it is a problem, we
could get your children.'

"Jo's book describes the daily life of a file clerk who witnesses what
adherents undergo who did not achieve the results requested by their
seniors. He also makes known other illegalities of Scientology (abusing
the files of intimate data of former members who oppose Scientology,
refusing mail from their children, using 'drugs' to quiet down
recalcitrants shut into a cave and crying for help, etc. etc.)"

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#####

> Gold Base

Mark Ebner reported that Scientology critics were confronted this week
while attempting to visit the public golf course on the grounds of Gold
Base in Hemet, California.

"There's the Golden Era golf course, a sweet looking, well-groomed 9-hole
track down the road from Gold. An 'Open To The Public' sign invites
back-road travelers.  There's even a restaurant on the premises. A
Scieno-goon screeched up in his black Nissan Pathfinder, yelling, 'Tory!
You're trespassing! Leave the premises.' As I walked over to his passenger
side, offering press credentials, he barked into his cell phone, 'They
refuse to leave. Call the authorities.' Tory asked guy for his name, and
he pulled away - about 500 ft. He got out of his vehicle and monitored us,
calling in his reports. We approached a gentle, elderly man, fresh off the
course, and asked him if he saw what happened. He replied, 'What was that
all about?' Tory explained her status, and he quickly informed us that
'Scientology had leased the property to a private company,' and 'It was no
longer run by Scientology.' He winced by the severity of our greeting by
the un-named Scientology goon.

"There was no trespassing, confirmed by the Deputy who followed up on the
false report filed by Scientology. Though she seemed rather stern when she
approached Ida's door, once we explained the nature and circumstances of
our visit, the Deputy eased up and explained that her department gets
those frivolous calls from the base 'all the time.' When Ida stepped out
and described her increasing stages of cult harassment in far more
colorful language than I could muster, I think the Deputy got the picture
of what was really going on. Ida and Tory noticed a white car drive by,
and pointed the driver out as the one who was tailing us from Gold to
Ida's house in Hemet. The Deputy confirmed that the car had indeed been
following us.

"The Deputy agreed that such calls from Scientology are an unnecessary
burden on her department's resources, when they could be out investigating
actual criminal activity in the area. The Deputy left smiling and we got
on with our visit with Ida.

"To the point of our visit to the Gold Base gate. Right next to a flashing
sign advertising 'TOURS,' a young blonde guard sequestered in a booth told
us that there were no tours available.  Noticing the smug look on the
young blonde's face, I said, 'Nice Scientology smirk. Looks real good on
you,' and we drove off - tailed all the way through the back roads on our
search for the notorious gulag called the RPF, or, Rehabilitation Project
Force, to Ida's place about ten miles away in a sleepy neighborhood in
Hemet."

Message-ID: <20020303152903.21702.00002286@...>

#####

> Israel

Ha'aretz reported on March 2nd that parents in Rishon Letzion are upset
over the distribution of The Way to Happiness in sixth grade classes
there.

"The teacher distributed small white booklets, and explained that it was
'in honor of Family Day.' Yardena, the school principal, had instructed
the teachers to give them out. There are some very special and beautiful
things written in here, the teacher told them. Now the class would all do
a creative project using the booklets. It would be an original gift that
they would give their parents this year.

"On the cover of the booklet is the title: 'The Way to Happiness: A
Common-Sense Guide to Better Living.' The children were asked to spend a
few minutes quietly reading the booklets. They leafed through them,
skimming over the headings. 'Take care of yourself - Maintain personal
hygiene, take good care of your teeth, eat properly, make sure to rest.
Have self-control - Don't take drugs, don't drink too much alcohol. Don't
be careless - Be faithful to your spouse.' And, the explanation:
'Unfaithfulness on the part of a spouse may significantly reduce a
person's survival - Sex is the means by which the race produces its
future, through children and the family unit. A great deal of pleasure and
happiness may be derived from sex, but when it is not used properly, when
it is exploited, it carries serious penalties. Apparently, nature has also
attested to this. If you do not insist on the faithfulness of your sexual
partner, you are exposing yourself to diseases.'

"'There were a lot of things in there that I didn't understand at all,'
says one girl from the class. 'Some of it made sense to me. Some didn't.
And there was a lot I didn't get. A lot of kids didn't have any idea what
this was supposed to be about. But then the teacher explained to us that
all we really had to do was to find one sentence or saying that we thought
was the loveliest and most insightful. She gave us pieces of posterboard
to write our sentences on.'

"Her parents were very pleased with the gift. They smiled when they saw
what their daughter had written on the back page in bright red magic
marker: 'To my dear family. I want you to remember that, in fire, water,
heaven and earth, I will always love you.' But their smiles disappeared
when they noticed the name of the author of the booklet, which was printed
in blue letters: L. Ron Hubbard. They knew who he was - the founding
father of Scientology.

"The father checked further and found that the name of a mysterious
organization - The Foundation for Prosperity and Security in the Middle
East - was also printed on the back page. Below it was an e-mail address
and telephone number. The recording he heard went something like this:
'Thank you for calling. If you would like to order copies of 'The Way to
Happiness,' please leave the pertinent information. If you would like to
help distribute the booklets, please leave your phone number.' Not a word
about Scientology.

"Appalled, the father called his daughter's teacher.  The father says that
the teacher calmly responded that she had no idea it was related to
Scientology, that she didn't know who'd written the text and hadn't
bothered to check it out. The next day, the teacher informed the school's
principal, Yardena Cohen, about the matter. In response, Cohen sent the
father a copy of a letter. It was a letter from Education Minister Limor
Livnat to the head of The Foundation for Prosperity and Security in the
Middle East. In it, on official Education Ministry stationery, Livnat
wrote to the publishers of the Scientology booklet: 'Greetings. This is to
confirm receipt of your letter and the enclosed booklet, 'The Way to
Happiness,' noted for its importance in educating youth about violence
prevention. Violence is a scourge that must be uprooted. It does not and
shall not have a place in the school system, and we will fight it
tirelessly. Please accept my congratulations on this project. Yours, Limor
Livnat.'

"The father scheduled an urgent meeting with the principal, at which he
again raised his arguments against the authors and distributors of the
booklet. Her response outraged him even more. 'She said to me, 'What
difference does it make who wrote it?'' he relates. She said: 'Read the
contents. The precepts are certainly positive and educational. It's
against violence, against vulgarity, against drugs. It's for respecting
parents and loving children. It's for tolerance and family life - all the
things we want to educate our children about.'

"If Limor Livnat, Yardena Cohen and the teacher had done their homework,
and checked on the Internet, or looked in the Knesset archives, they would
have discovered, among other things, that in the early 1980s, an
inter-ministerial committee was established to look into cults operating
in Israel. After five years of research and information gathering, the
committee included Scientology among the mystic cults active in Israel.
Several Scientology centers are currently operating in Israel. The largest
and most active is on Shoncino Street in Tel Aviv.

"Dan Vidislavski, 27, is the director of The Foundation for Prosperity and
Security in the Middle East, which distributes the booklet. He is a
follower of Scientology and a graduate of a workshop on business
technology called 'Wise International,' founded by L. Ron Hubbard.
However, he vehemently denies any connection between the booklet
distributed at the school and the Church of Scientology, and says that his
foundation has been especially active since the outbreak of the intifada.
He says the foundation's one and only objective is to distribute this
booklet, which he insists has no connection with Scientology.

"Three years ago, a group of Israeli parents with an affinity for
Scientology founded the 'Atid' primary school in the Mikveh Yisrael
neighborhood of Holon. Other parents who innocently enrolled their
children into the school were told that the institution offered a unique
system of learning called 'applied scholastics,' which had proven a great
success in hundreds of schools in the United States. L. Ron Hubbard's name
wasn't kept hidden, but not many parents made the connection with
Scientology. In 2000, the school had 39 pupils in grades one through six.
In July 2001, the Education Ministry decided to close the school, and
canceled its license. The official explanation was that the school did not
meet the required pedagogic criteria or level of studies. The parents
appealed the decision in District Court. Judge Asher Grunis accepted their
argument and ruled that there was no justification for closing the school.
The Education Ministry appealed to the High Court of Justice. A ruling has
not been handed down yet.

"Ezra Marom, the chairman of the school's parents' association, doesn't
understand what all the fuss is about. 'The pamphlet was distributed to
all the students,' he says. 'There's nothing threatening or inappropriate
in it. It isn't geared toward any religion or cult. There wasn't any
missionary effort of any kind here. I spoke with Yardena, the principal,
and she told me that she had thoroughly checked it out before it was
distributed. She only gave out the booklet after receiving written
approval from the education minister.'

"Did you know that the distributors of this booklet are connected with
Scientology? 'No, we didn't know that. And even now, as I understand it,
there is no direct connection. So there wasn't anything improper here. The
parents' association gives full backing to the teacher and the principal.
They acted properly. If a few parents were offended, or saw something
missionary in this or something that reminded them of Scientology, then we
regret that.'

"The following response was received from the office of Education Minister
Limor Livnat: 'The Education Minister had no idea that this was
Scientology material. She thought it was part of a violence prevention
project, and therefore gave her approval to it. The minister thanks the
reporter for bringing this to her attention. The Education Ministry is
unequivocally opposed to the introduction of any material on the subject
of Scientology. A review done by professionals in the ministry found that
the booklet contains no mention of Scientology. Rather, it discusses
universal principles such as tolerance, restraint and acceptance of
others.'"

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#####

> Protest Summary

Caroline Letkeman reported a protest at the Vancouver Scientology org on
February 25th.

"Celebrity picketers this time are John and Margaret Letkeman, who have
suffered at the hands of Scientology since 1975 when their second daughter
- me - entered the cult. They enthusiastically joined Gerry and me
yesterday to add their loving voice to the protest against human rights
violations that Scientology continues to perpetrate against our family,
and against families everywhere.

"Lots of interest from passersby, honking and all 'round approval and
encouragement from wogs of every description. My Dad and Mom were struck
by how many people had heard about Scientology and already know it's a
cult, a fraud and a scam. A bus driver signaled for a flier, and we gave
him one. We used two fliers, and gave away around 90 during a good hour of
picketing.

"After the picket, I asked my parents if they wanted to say anything to
a.r.s. readers. Dad said, 'If you're a Mom or a Dad, or if you've ever had
a Mom or a Dad, get out there and picket and show your stuff.' My Mom
said, 'Let our granddaughter go. And send some money along with her.'

"No one for the entire picket came up and identified themselves as a
Scientologist.  We were causing a complete cessation of movement in or out
of the org's front doors. The org prevents its staff or public from
interacting with us in every way possible, and they had taken to
re-routing exiting and entering through the rear.

"We were walking toward the coffee shop when there was some commotion
ahead and I noticed the OSA babe in her black leathers. She had already
whipped out her camera and was snapping off pictures of the celebrities
when I realized I still had my own camera and my job was not done. By the
time I had taken these images, OSA babe had just taken her last one of me,
and was giving herself a 'That's IT!' on her little op."

John Ritson and Dave Bird reported a protest on March 2nd at the London
Scientology org.

"Five suppressive persons plus boombox turned up outside the Tottenham
Court Road org. At mid-day the org had its chairs on the tables while the
floor was being swept. The five of us outnumbered the forces that
Scientology could mobilise on the street despite frantic phone calls. They
had two demoralised leafletters, plus the receptionist who spent a lot of
time taking photographs, and even more time running along the road,
presumably looking for a phone box.  Strong support from the passers-by.
One lady with a pram shouted 'Scoundrels!' at their leafletters."

"We had Roland on Camera, John on Mic, Dave and Jens on leaflets, plus
Hartley leafleting across the road. In terms of
faces-pointing-at-the-public they were better deployed, except the public
didn't want their leaflets, whereas if I was distracted for a moment
people would actually come up to me and tug a leaflet from the pile in my
hand!"

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#####

> Roger Gonnet

Roger Gonnet reported this week that he has lost his case, in which
Scientology was claiming that he posted to ask one Scientology lawyer to
kill another.

"I'm appealing the judgment, despite its very low level of penalty - $175
- 200 Euros - since I'm certainly not guilty of having really asked Kobrin
to really kill Moxon."

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#####

> LRH Exhibit

The Salt Lake Tribune reported on February 24th that Scientology plans an
exhibit on the life of L. Ron Hubbard.

"A touring exhibit dedicated to the life of Scientology founder L. Ron
Hubbard will be open through the end of February at 30 E. 300 South in
Salt Lake City. The show contains 200 rare photographs and additional
literary works."

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#####

> World Trade Centers

Dave Touretzky posted a report from one of the volunteers at the World
Trade Centers disaster on the behavior of Scientologists following the
9/11 disaster.

"I found myself working with a mental health/mass care group assigned to
Ground Zero five days after the attack.  In spite of the mind-numbing
horror of the site itself, one of the largest jolts of emotion that I had
was when I entered the official command center housed in a school at the
foot of the rubble. The lobby area was overrun by Scientology reps - a
dozen or more - offering their brand of 'bearing witness' in exchange for
minor first aid (foot powder, Band-Aids, massages, cots). The displays of
their pamphlets and books spread strategically throughout the area was
marketing at its most aggressive. They all donned brightly colored
t-shirts and, striking me as eerily inappropriate at the time, seemed to
be festive in their demeanor. A mental health volunteer and I immediately
sought out the central command of the relief effort and made a formal
complaint. No one had apparently authorized their presence and in fact,
Guilliani had publicly and formally strictly forbidden religious groups
from any visible presence.

"No one knew how they had gotten access and they were routed out later
that day. I consider their presence as 'intellectual and spiritual
terrorism' that was taking opportunistic advantage of people (police and
firemen and I assume family members at the Pier site) who were still in
the shock of having, for example, watched '15 of my friends who were
rushing the building in formation to help get people out and seeing the
building crush them ALL.' The Scientologist's were sucking the much needed
air out of the site by promoting their agenda. They were Scientologists
FIRST and human beings SECOND."

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-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 46
3/10/2002 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

#####

> CCHR

Cybercast News Service reported on March 4th that Scientology is
publicizing its battle against psychiatric drugs using celebrities.

"'Why are we pouring billions of dollars in here to label kids as mental
disordered simply because they may not have been taught to read?' asks
Marla Filidei, vice president of the Los Angeles-based Citizens Commission
on Human Rights, a group affiliated with the Church of Scientology.
Filidei counts actresses Anne Archer, Priscilla Presley and Kirsty Alley
as allies in the fight against giving children mood or
personality-altering prescription drugs like Prozac and Ritalin.

"The Citizens Commission on Human Rights 'have been generally opposed to
psychiatry for some time' because of their Scientology roots, according to
Dr. David Fassler, M.D., of the University of Vermont. 'There's a long
history.' When it comes to diagnosing mental illness and disorders in
kids, 'I actually see the opposite problem, that the majority of kids who
have problems are not being diagnosed and getting the help they need,'
said Fassler. 'I don't think that there are incentives in the legislation,
and I don't see schools over-diagnosing kids.  Medication can be very
helpful and even life-saving for some children,' he added. 'But in my
opinion, medication alone is rarely an appropriate treatment for these
kinds of child psychiatric disorders.'

"The federal law that Filidei identifies as a major part of the problem is
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Since its
inception in 1975, Congress has expanded the scope of the IDEA to include
a broader range of disabilities, including more recent conditions like
attention deficit disorder. The law requires schools to provide special
education services for disabled students and sends $50 billion per year in
federal tax dollars to help cover the extra cost. According to Filidei, of
the 5 million plus kids who are now covered under IDEA, 3.2 million have
what Filidei calls 'subjective learning disorders.'

"'If no one can prove any physical abnormality within these children, you
give them 'mathematics disorder,' 'learning disorder,' 'nonspecific
learning disorder;' Filidei said. 'Two-point-eight million children are
categorized under nonspecific learning disorder.'

"Congress faces a difficult task when it takes up reauthorization of IDEA
this year. The IDEA has been the subject of heated fights over the years
because it has never fully funded the mandate it imposes on state and
local governments. Sen. James Jeffords (I-Vt.) cited the lack of funding
as one of his primary reasons for leaving the Republican Party in 2001, a
decision that cost the GOP control of the Senate."

CCHR has announced a new web site and the presentation of their annual
awards.

"Visit www.fightforkids.com. Get your video copy of CCHR International's
33rd annual Human Rights Award Banquet. See for yourself as CCHR honors
three amazing individuals who have helped influence legislation and media
across the nation, leading to legislative reforms such as the Connecticut
law that now prohibits school personnel from coercing parents into placing
their child on psychiatric drugs. The awards were presented to an
investigative journalist who never backed down in her quest for the truth
about psychiatry fraudulently labeling and drugging children, a mother who
took this issue from the classroom of her son's school to the steps of
Congress, and a doctor who took on the psychiatric industry to save
children's lives and authored the best selling book, No More ADHD."

The American Psychiatric Association and the drug manufacturer Novartis
announced this week that the last of several Scientology-led lawsuits
against them for lying about the possible benefits of Ritalin has been
dropped, and one case that was dismissed is on appeal.

"The plaintiffs in a New Jersey class action lawsuit filed against
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD),
the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Novartis, the manufacturer
of Ritalin, quietly withdrew their lawsuit on February 5, 2002.  Said
Gerald Zingone, legal counsel for CHADD. 'Judge Walsh made it clear that
he was highly skeptical of plaintiffs' allegations of conspiracy, and he
also expressed concern that the plaintiffs' lawsuit was hampering CHADD's
first amendment right to speak freely concerning
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and its treatment.'

"The New Jersey lawsuit was one of five class action lawsuits filed in
2000 alleging that CHADD conspired with Novartis and the APA to improperly
broaden the diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder thereby increasing Ritalin sales. Three of those lawsuits have
now been voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiffs who filed them. The other
two were dismissed by federal court judges after hearings on motions to
dismiss filed by the defendants. One of those dismissals, of a case
pending in California federal court, was appealed by the plaintiffs. The
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is set to hear
argument on that appeal on March 6, 2002.

"'The baseless claims against CHADD through these lawsuits have not for
one minute deterred us from our mission of serving individuals with
AD/HD,' said E. Clarke Ross, CHADD Chief Executive Officer. ' Now, more
than ever, we stand in an even stronger position to share with the public
the evidence-based, science-based information so central to CHADD's
mission.'"

Message-ID: <vr178u0so4r055ul8coa6pqd2691feljt5@...>
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#####

> Presley / Alley

The National Enquirer reported in its March 12th issue that Scientology
celebrities Lisa Marie Presley and Kirstie Alley are taking Scientology
courses to help them fine compatible mates.

"Feeling that they're unlucky in love, Scientologists Lisa Marie Presley
and Kirstie Alley slipped away to the Church of Scientology retreat in
Clearwater, Fla., to take up studies that will help them find men who are
life soul mates."

Message-ID: <aard8u4mphjiuatqst60eb315fcep2nrv4@...>

#####

> Denmark

Rob Clark reported this week that a Scientologist's personal web page
described a Danish day care center as Scientology-related, contrary to
descriptions last week by Scientology officials.

"'My name is Virginia Lindskog, I am 27 years old and live in Copenhagen,
Denmark. I am a mother of two small children, Nicklas who is 2 years old
and Patrick who is 4 years old.  I have just opened a kindergarten and
nursery for Scientology families. We are 11 children and 3 adults as well
as 2 volunteers (children range from 1 to 5 years old). We are planning to
move to a bigger and better quarters to be as soon as we find them. My
whole purpose right now is to expand Lillekilde (our kindergarten) so
there is place for all the children who want to come in and make it a safe
and happy environment for all children to be in.'

"The cultists have changed the page. Now it no longer mentions the
kindergarten by name."

Jyllands-Posten reported on March 1st that Copenhagen city officials want
to stop official support of the school.

"If it is up to the officials, the Copenhagen Municipal will no longer
give State aid to the integrating of the day care centre Lillekilde in
Valby.  In a recommendation to the political board it is now certain, that
they do not think Lillekilde can live up to the guidelines of the service
law and that the institution is thoroughly soaked with the methods of
Scientology.

"The Scientology principles run all the way through the pedagogical
lessons of the children, in the dialog with parents and in the supply of
courses in which the staff is participating.  Without State aid from the
municipal, Lillekilde will have to close down within 3 months. Christine
Astrupgaard, who is the mother of a child in the institution is furious.
'If there was any doubt, that this was not about Lillekilde but about the
prejudice of the municipal ownership, there could be no doubt any more,'
she says.

"Michael Rosenmark (V):  'I can hardly imagine that 20 couples of parents
wish to send their child to an institution where something could damage
the development of the child. As a starting-point I value the parents
wishes more than the criticism from two pedagogical advisers,' he says.

"Family and labour market mayor Bo Asmus Kjeldgaard (SF):  'We are in an
awkward position, where on one side we have some parents, who like the
place and on the other side we have a municipal ownership, who finds that
the institution does not live up to the law. If we can reach a string of
conditions by which we can get a guarantee, that Lillekilde will live up
to them, then I am more positive if the institution may continue.'"

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#####

> Germany

Hamburger Morgenpost reported on March 5th and 7th that a proponent of
Scientology's Narconon drug rehab program has been lying about his
military career.

"Henry C. Randmark.  He dances at all the balls. And talks with a perfect
German accent about his well-done deeds. About 'good friends,' like the
crown prince family of Bismarck. About his executive job in
graffiti-removal and how he scoured the Alsteranleger and the Louvre.
About the time when, as a US colonel he led drug investigations in the
Vietnam war. And about the medal that was bestowed upon him for that. But
everything on his uniform that glitters is not gold. The most important
medal he received, as 'Sir Henry' meekly commented, was given to him by
accident at the cleaners.

"The businessman has been president of the Hamburg Chapter of the
'American-German Business Club' since June, 2000.  What the club does is
not exactly known very well in this city. You cannot reach it at all by
telephone. The last heard from the AGBC was a Valentine's Day invitation
to the US Consulate on the Alster. The theme was combating drugs and the
rehabilitation of addicts. Speaker: Chris Brightmore, former officer from
Scotland Yard.

"You could have knocked over many of the 100 guests with a feather once it
became clear that Mr. Brightmore was advertising for Narconon. That is the
'quasi health and welfare department' of Scientology, explained Hamburg's
sect commissioner, Ursula Caberta. Drug experts uniformly describe
Narconon as unprofessional, dangerous and 'junk medicine.'

"Randmark contests being a Scientologist. Although he was a guest at the
most recent Scientology show in the Cafe Seeterrassen.  Randmark makes no
secret of his acquaintance with Interior Senator Schill. The businessman
says he gave him financial support, as well as ideological: 'I advised in
on the issue of combating drugs, because I have had rather good experience
in the field,' revealed 'Sir Henry.'"

"Medals that adorn his uniform from the good old days as an alleged US
colonel were obviously put on there by mistake at the cleaners, he said.
That's not the only crooked thing about Henry C. Randmark. A Pentagon
spokesman confirmed that Randmark's uniform and decorations were entirely
incorrect."

"Randmark wore medals on his uniform that had never been bestowed upon
him. Such as the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, for example. The Silver
Star is the third highest honor awarded for bravery in the USA, and is
presented only for heroic acts. The Purple Heart is given 'for Combat -
Action only;' those who get it were wounded in battle. Randmark said he
was a Colonel from 1968 to 1971 in the Special Forces in Vietnam. 'I was
not on the front lines. I was in the drug investigation unit in Saigon.'

"Randmark found a simple explanation, however, for the fact that the
Silver Star appeared on the clasp for medals, 'Last year, when I brought
the uniform to the cleaner's, I did it together with the military attache.
Perhaps they got something mixed up. I don't know.'

"Trendsetter Juergen Hartman stated, 'If the accusations prove true,
Randmark is done for in Hamburg society. Those Hanseats won't let him get
away with that.'"

Hamburger Morgenpost reported on March 7th that Randmark has falsely
identified himself as a Sky Marshal.

"It was on the 11/11 Karneval flight from Palma de Mallorca to Hamburg.
With a practiced American accent, Randmark told the flight attendants that
he was a 'US sky marshal.' On grounds of flight security, he would have to
have a seat forward. The stewardesses made arrangements for Randmark's
wish. Then Randmark wanted to inspect the cockpit. The Captain refused.
After the plane landed, the airline notified the US authorities. Response:
'Sir Henry' was anything but a sky marshal. Randmark will be charged.

"As President of the 'American-German Business Club,' Randmark did more
than have speakers chat about Scientology programs; he also shamelessly
exploited the club members. One former club member told MOPO, 'He was able
to have the annual meeting at the Hotel Hafen Hamburg, where the Club
could eat for free. In spite of which Randmark demanded 50 marks from each
member to cover expenses.'"

Rheinische Post reported on March 5th that the U.S. State Department has
again criticized Germany in the annual human rights report for its
treatment of Scientology.

"In its annual report, which it published in Washington on Monday, the
State Department was especially critical of Russia for violations of human
rights in Chechnia, and of China, Iran and Iraq.  The German judicial
system was accused of discrimination against the Scientology organization,
among others. In France several cases of abuse of prisoners and excessive
use of force by the police and investigative authorities were cited."

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######

> WISE

Prosperity Magazine for February 2002 reported news from the World
Institute of Scientology Enterprises, including the opening of new
facilities in Los Angeles and the establishment of a new Hubbard College
in New York.

"CUTTING THE RIBBON ON A NEW FUTURE - The New Hubbard College of
Administration Special Grand Opening. Photos: Mrs. Peggy Hilgers,
President of the Hubbard College of Administration and host for the Grand
Opening. Mr. Richard G. Polanco, Senate Majority Leader of the California
State Senate. Master Buddhist Kai Chien from Taiwan. Mr. Sky Dayton,
founder of Earthlink.  Senator (Ret.) David Roberti is presented a set of
the Management Series Volumes by Mr. Fred Harris and Rev. Heber Jentzsch.
Mayor Gusztav Radoczi of Gyomro, Hungary. Mr. Craig Jensen, CEO of
Executive Software International. Mr. Don Drader, President WISE
International presents a set of Management Series to Ms. Laurie Milam of
KCAL-9 Television. Mr. Larry Gershman, six-time winner of the prestigious
'Promotion of the Year' Award and former Executive Director of Ogilvy and
Mather Worldwide.

"Mr. Sky Dayton, founder of Earthlink the largest independent Internet
Service provider in the United States, was the first speaker.  'By
diligently applying Mr. Hubbard's administrative technology; from setting
my original life goals to constructing the plans and organizations to
achieve them, I have been able to make my dreams a reality. The Hubbard
College will graduate and endless stream of managers and administrator who
know the laws of organizations and how to win the game with intelligence
and integrity. This has the potential not only to change the face of
business and government, but also of society'

"Mr. Craig Jensen of Executive Software International said, 'The
administrative technology alone created such an impact in our industry
that over 1,000 people have come to tour Executive Software just to see it
in action. I know this technology works - I'm living proof of it. All
people have to do is learn it and apply it.'

"Mr. Richard G. Polanco, Senate Majority Leader of the California State
Senate said 'I am here this evening because I know that the teaching
principals and curriculum offered by the Hubbard College are training
today's and tomorrow's leaders with an unprecedented record of success. I
am profoundly moved by the works of L. Ron Hubbard and I am taking this
knowledge back with me to the Senate to put it to work for California.'

"Proclamations from US congressman Xavier Beccerra and California State
Assemblyman Dario Frommer were also delivered.

"Ms. Peggy Hilgers then invited Ms. Priscilla Presley, representing the 23
Founding Advisory Committee members, Mr. Robert Johnson, Executive
Director of the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools,
State Senator Mr. Richard G. Polanco, Mayor Gusztav Radoczi and Mr. Gerald
Peissl, Executive Director of HCA International to the stage for the
ribbon cutting.

"Almost 16 million people live in the greater New York area.  The
repercussions of Sept 11 have taken a widespread toll. The response from
WISE was swift with the establishment of a new Hubbard College of
Administration New York! An economic disaster recovery seminar entitled:
'New York: Back in Business' was held, echoing the calls of the Mayor of
New York and US President for New Yorkers to return to their jobs and
become active. President of the Prosperity Corp., Harvey Schmeideke,
arrived from Los Angeles, while WISE Regional I/C Karen Berg flew in from
Washington DC. They immediately began preparations for the seminar which
included an in-depth study of the local scene.

"A location for the Hubbard College New York was secured on WEST 24th
Street in Chelsea by WISE member Lee Hopp. Upon arriving at the new
premises for the Hubbard College a neighbor noted: 'Oh, you're here to
help the local businesses. We really need it.'

"Thousands of fliers were distributed promoting the local event; call in
carried on through the day and into the night. Local opinion leaders were
contacted and invited. Veteran disseminator Lynn Irons arrived from
Clearwater, with consultant Jeff Lee. Jay Spina, Harvey Schmiedeke and
Lynn Irons did the delivery for this first seminar which was at the
Marriott Marquis on Broadway.  Feedback was excellent with public signed
up for courses and many prospective students found.

"As Lynn Irons put it 'There are no real barriers to dissemination, as I
have found out by working all over the world.  there is only our
considerations, our own limits on our reach.  Engaging in these fourth
dynamic activities is a life-changing experience, guaranteed to extrovert
you and put you in comm with your fourth dynamic and get you
contributing.'"

Message-ID: <3a5c00ceb631821c92917324819a9204@...>

#####

> India

A Scientology flier is soliciting donations for expansion into India.

"Last year, Scientology pioneers were invited to take part in one of the
largest religious celebrations in the province of Mysore, India. The
invitation was initiated by a very influential religious leader who after
having viewed the Orientation film and purchasing several Scientology
books, wanted to have Scientology disseminated to his people in India.
Referred to as 'His Holiness,' this religious leader influences over 10
million people in relation to their religious and secular lives. The
result of this visit was nothing less than spectacular, with over 200,000
Indians introduced to Scientology and over 30,000 people toured through
the LRH Life Exhibition.

"Through January and early February 2002, 'His Holiness' is hosting two
religious events expected to draw half a million participants. We have
again been invited to attend and introduce Scientology to his people. In
attendance will be several other influential religious leaders from India,
religious scholars, monks, officials, political representatives and
hundreds of thousands of followers of Hinduism. In addition to seminars
and lectures that Scientologists will be delivering, the LRH Life
Exhibition will begin touring India on a permanent basis.

"Our Sea Org delegation, who will be traveling to India to attend this
events, need lots of LRH materials to present to this religious leaders
and hundreds of thousands of attendees.  With your donations to this
project, you will be directly helping to get people into Scientology at a
faster rate than ever and expand Scientology's reach in a country where we
encounter no psychs or psych-drugs and where people are already on a
higher spiritual plateau."

Message-ID: <a62t2c$jna$2@...>

#####

> Kyrgyzstan

The BBC reported on March 5th on the state of religious freedom in
Kyrgyzstan.

"There are officially 1,338 mosques in Kyrgyzstan, 43 Orthodox parishes
and a rising number of Western Christian organizations, quoting the head
of the State Commission on Religious Affairs, Omurzak Mamayusupov. There
are also two nontraditional faiths active in Kyrgyzstan - the Church of
Scientology and the followers of Rev Moon, sometimes called the Moonies.
Mamayusupov also said that Kyrgyzstan enjoyed favourable conditions in
terms of religious freedom.

"From the text of the report by Kyrgyz newspaper Vecherniy Bishkek on 3
March entitled 'There is no prophet in our fatherland:'

"Two nontraditional faiths are also practised in the country, even though
they are not welcomed in many other countries. They are the Church of
Scientology and a community of Rev Moon that are operating in Bishkek
using several public organizations as a covers."

Message-ID: <a65isb$l00@...>

#####

> Tom Padgett

Former Scientologist Tom Padgett reported this week that the appeal of his
conviction in Kentucky family court has been overturned.

"The appeal of the Scientology backed felony conviction of Thomas C.
Padgett of Massachusetts was overturned in the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
Tom Padgett is no longer a convicted felon. The Scientologist mother who
was the ONLY complaining witness in this criminal indictment case that
advanced to a conviction without a jury trial, can no longer tell her
children that their father is a convicted criminal to drown them in more
cult thought reform efforts."

Message-ID: <af7713bf.0203081243.6fd1f9d2@...>

#####

> Slovakia

TASR reported on March 5th that the U.S. State Department human rights
report criticized Slovakia for its treatment of Scientology.

"The Slovak government respected human rights in general last year, the US
State Department says in an annual report.  But although there was
improvement in some areas, problems remained in others, says the report.
The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government
generally respects this in practice. The government monitors religious
cults and sects, although, in general, does not interfere with them.
However, last year the government put pressure on the Church of
Scientology and its members, and media carried several stories criticizing
companies with links to scientology.

"The report also notes as a continuing problem violence and discrimination
against women, and cites cases of child abuse and discrimination against
disabled people. There was several anti-Semitic incidents, and ethnic
minorities, in particular Roma, face social discrimination. Trafficking in
women and children is also noted, especially among the Roma minority."

Message-ID: <a65ipm$l00@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 47
3/17/2002 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

#####

> Celebrity

Celebrity Magazine interviewed Ernie Reyes, Jr., a martial arts celebrity,
in the March, 2002 issue, and reported on an event to honor the memory of
Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Celebrity: You've done two co-audit courses. How has this training helped
you in your life?

"ERNIE: Ultimately it has given me a foundation of understanding. My
training truly safeguards me from becoming continually confused and
dispersed. I am able to focus on what it is that I'm trying to accomplish
in life, professionally as well as otherwise. Training is helping me in
general by giving me a greater understanding of what life is all about,
how to handle it and how to be more at cause. It takes away the confusion
about what it is I need to do to achieve the goals I have set of to
achieve.

"Celebrity: You are an actor and a world-class martial artist. How has
training helped you in your career?

"ERNIE: Well, it's really opened my eyes to the realization of how much
more able, more competent and more certain I can be in all of the things
I'm doing. I used to think that one can reach a plateau in certain actives
and that's it. But in studying Scientology, I began to realize just how
unlimited the gain available really are -- to every individual and in any
area of life. So it has given me a chance to raise the bar to even higher
levels than I've achieved in the past, and I know I can attain those.

"Celebrity: You recently attested to the state of Clear. How did your
training assist you in that accomplishment?

"ERNIE: Before I attested to Clear, I was auditing my brother on the
Method One Co-Audit course. Working a meter and wearing the hat of an
auditor really enlightened me on the state I was going towards.

"At the 10th Annual World Literacy Crusade Celebrity Salute to Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., both Scientologists and non-Scientologists
celebrities came to the Cerritos Center for Performing Arts, making the
educationary group's first decade of saving lives. The event was hosted by
Isaac Hayes and Chaka Khan, along with singer/actress Dawn Lewis as emcee.
Actors Ericka Christensen, Darius McCray, Oba Babatunde, Glen Plummer,
Tracee Nichols, Lynsey Bartilson and Jennifer Hammon performed reading
form the works of King, while singers Isaac Hayes, Chaka Khan, Carl
Anderson and Tine McCool, hip hop artist Doug E. Fresh, jazz guitarist
Johnathan Butler and gospel great Howard McCrary gave musical
performances."

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#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on March 14th that voters at the
Scientology housing compound voted overwhelmingly for Frank Hibbard in the
recent City Commission election.

"Hibbard, a bank investment officer, unseated Hart by winning about 53
percent of the vote. Breaking it down, Hibbard received 610 more votes
than Hart, according to the final results released Wednesday. Hibbard's
support was especially strong in suburban Countryside neighborhoods, which
Hart won three years ago. But that was before Hart aggravated several
well-known residents there who decided to stump doggedly for Hibbard.

"This time, Hibbard won roughly two thirds of the vote in Countryside,
gaining 413 votes more than Hart's total votes here.  Hibbard's strongest
showing in any single precinct was in precinct 518, a Scientology
stronghold where the church-owned Hacienda Gardens housing complex is
located. Hibbard won 88 percent of the vote there, gaining 229 votes more
than Hart's tally. Three years ago, the precinct was a base of support for
Hart.  'I'm pleased at every vote we got regardless of where it was from,'
said Hibbard, a member of Calvary Baptist Church."

Message-ID: <27d86a60.0203141010.1c0f02d5@...>

#####

> LRH Birthday

Scientology announced that Clearwater will be holding a live birthday
event for L. Ron Hubbard.

"All public in the Clearwater area MUST ATTEND this event. It is going to
be massive in scope and everyone must be briefed. Then we are holding the
two day OT Convention at Flag - there is data in here and tools being
released that you and our public must have. So, therefore, take on you
Division 6 hat, get on the rooftops and all comm lines and let EVERYONE
know to be at the event and the Convention!

"There will be a special presentation with data never heard before about
LRH's discoveries into the 3rd and 4th dynamics. It is extremely pertinent
at this time as it concerns the very breakthroughs LRH made on how to
arrest this civilization's decline and Clear Earth. Please let Flag know
that you are coming to our most important event of the year - the
celebration of LRH, his legacy and the gift he wanted most: EXPANSION.

"The D/Captain for the Flag AO will release a brand new dissemination tool
that Flag has produced. This includes a chart and special cards that take
a person's personal seven division org board and by using this tool get
him moving rapidly up The Bridge to OT and expanding across his dynamics!
Many other tools are also being released by him - and you will be
personally drilled by Flag's staff who are experts and have moved
THOUSANDS of public up to OT.

"ML,
Bjorn Jansson
Public Officer FSO"

Message-ID: <27d86a60.0203141443.4c5c0764@...>

#####

> Germany

Rheinische Post reported on March 5th that the U.S. State Department
report on human rights criticizes Germany for its treatment of
Scientology.

"The German judicial system was accused of discrimination against the
Scientology organization, among others. In France several cases of abuse
of prisoners and excessive use of force by the police and investigative
authorities were cited.

"China was accused of violations against religious freedom. Besides that,
said the report, Peking was abusing the international fight against
terrorism to persecute Moslems in Singkiang. Russia, according to the
report, used torture in the fight against Chechnian separatists, and it
said that prisoners were tortured in Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, the police
were criticized for infringements, which were said to include rape and
murder.  Iran and Iraq were brought to task for violations against the
freedoms of assembly and of opinion, and other restrictions."

Freie Presse reported on March 11th that Scientologist and real estate
developer Kurt Fliegerbauer may be forced into bankruptcy if he fails to
pay his taxes.

"Kurt Fliegerbauer and his Schloss Osterstein Management company are in
financial difficulty. The Zwickau City Tax Office has filed an insolvency
application for unpaid taxes against the enterprise.  Fliegerbauer said it
was a matter of about 250,000 Euros that he owed in taxes, in the form of
corporate and value-added taxes. He said things went awry financially
because he had uncollected claims in the millions and the investments he
had been promised hadn't yet happened. As soon as the investment money was
deposited in the company bank account, he would pay off his debts,
probably this week. The businessman is regarded as one of the biggest
construction investors in Zwickau and as one of the most influential
Scientologists in the German real estate market.

"The building renovator has worked on almost 300 buildings in Zwickau, and
has done business of 300 million Euros with more than 500 investors.
Fliegerbauer has consistently denied that his Schloss Osterstein
Management company was ever involved with the cult, 'My business has
nothing to do with Scientology.'"

Message-ID: <20020312015140.19657.00000583@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020312165908.112B-100000@...>

#####

> School Lease

The Los Angeles Times reported on March 17th that the Los Angeles Unified
School District is ending the leases on nine schools by private
organizations, including one school run by Scientology.

"The school board is scheduled Tuesday to seek proposals for the future
uses of all nine campuses in the western San Fernando Valley. Because the
area's schools are among the school district's least crowded, seven of the
campuses have been leased to private schools - among them, a Christian
school, two Jewish academies, a French school and an arts academy that
employs study methods developed by the founder of Scientology. L.A.
Unified has used the other two campuses for administrative offices and
programs for adults, at the Hughes center.

"The school district alerted the private schools more than a year ago that
their leases would not be renewed. Some have found new homes; others are
still looking."

Message-ID: <a72m15$erj@...>

#####

> Narconon

The Sunday News from Lancaster, Pennsylvania reported on March 9th that a
counselor with Narconon, Scientology's drug rehabilitation program, was
found guilty of selling heroin.

"Anthony J. Mariani, 40, now of Dunwoody, Ga., also was found guilty of
possessing drug paraphernalia.  Mariani, who has undergone voluntary drug
rehabilitation and now works as a counselor for the inpatient Narconon
program outside Atlanta, faces a possible 2-year mandatory minimum prison
sentence.

"On Sept. 9, 2000, Mariani, who had a long history of heroin addiction,
was involved in a disturbance at the Turkey Hill Minit Market, 2787
Lincoln Highway East.  When police arrived, they found Mariani in
possession of 31 packets of heroin, weighing 1.1 grams, and assorted drug
paraphernalia.

"Despite objections from Conrad, Ashworth allowed Mariani to remain free
on $15,000 bail and return to the drug rehab center where he works and
lives until he is sentenced."

Message-ID: <bek49uk00sldd0c2vc7bnnm9eon045k7gp@...>

#####

> New Zealand

The Evening Post from Wellington, New Zealand reported on March 12th that
Scientology may join others in filing claims against a mental institution
that allegedly abused patients in the 1970s.

"The lawyer who spearheaded a $6.5 million compensation claim for former
Lake Alice child patients has lodged criminal complaints with police
against the mental institution's staff. Christchurch lawyer Grant Cameron
said today that the complaints were lodged on behalf of 34 people who
alleged they were abused at the now-closed hospital's child and adolescent
unit in the 1970s. The 34 represent about a third of his clients who
received compensation and an apology from the Government in October.

"Mr. Cameron said the complaints alleged assault by staff through the use
of electroconvulsive therapy and the drug paraldehyde, which causes
extreme local pain, as well as sexual abuse of children by some staff. He
believed there was 'undoubtedly' a strong prima facie case in the
complaints. He believed the charges would be subject to extradition.

"Psychiatric watchdog, the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights, said it
was very close to also filing a complaint on behalf of a former Lake Alice
patient."

Message-ID: <a6q5su$d9a@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported a protest at the Toronto Scientology org on March
16th.

"Chris Wood and Android Cat met Gregg and me at noon. As usual I was
across the street.  Brisk day for flyers, some of Kristi's 'Is Scientology
breaking the law' and a batch of a posting by Poopsy Charmicheal. Right
after I got on station a Scientologist came by and told me to quit what I
was doing and go away. He said this about 6 times. Later I had a guy in
shades try to get in a fight with me. He claimed he had spent much time
with Scientologists and they had never tried to suck him in. I asked him
if he was a scientologist and he claimed that I was defaming him. He
seemed in shock to discover I had a tape recorder in my pocket.

"Bob Hill and Brian McPherson put in an appearance. Gregg had considerable
interaction with Bobby. Bob was posted after a while out on the corner to
keep Scientologists from taking a flyer. A street person was giving Gregg
a lot of trouble. After a while the street kid started getting violent -
supposedly because Gregg's patter included a mention that the city would
not subsidize a Hell's Angel's clubhouse but is providing a tax subsidy to
Scientology. Gregg has this really funny section where this street kid is
told he is on tape. Total dismay 'What!' in a high-pitched voice then 'Oh
F***' and then he splits. Later Gregg read OT3 and clears the
Scientologists from the street. The cops arrived from Gregg's request.
Gregg told them the street kid was gone."

Message-ID: <3c94dadc.202295966@...>

#####

> WISE

The World Institute of Scientology Enterprises announced a convention to
be held in Clearwater in April.

"In honor of LRH's Birthday, we are extending a reward to you for getting
registered now. When you sign up before LRH's Birthday, we will give you a
$100 discount off of the full price of $400.  We will be running 3
different series of workshops concurrently to help ensure that all
attendees are able to attend workshops that will most benefit them.

"Model of Admin Know-How Series - How to get the vital basics of LRH admin
tech implemented, such as creating your own organizing board and getting
it into use; marketing; getting your Company Training course room fully
operational to be able to train all your staff on LRH admin tech courses.

"Dissemination Series - Primarily designed for those most interested in
Marketing and Disseminating LRH Management Technology and getting this
tech into the hands of professionals everywhere.

"WISE has launched a new era in the dissemination of LRH's admin tech. On
the heels of the hugely successful convention just held aboard the
Freewinds, WISE is continuing to unfold its Strategic Planning and
bringing the Admin Scale of WISE to its membership."

Message-ID: <apgq8uocjpi7fgd83dlf7e0t82dqeo2e6t@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 48
3/24/2002 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

#####

> Applied Scholastics

The St. Louis Post reported on March 21st that Scientology's Applied
Scholastics program has purchased a former retirement home in St. Louis,
Missouri to be its new headquarters.

"A nonprofit organization promoting the teaching methods of L. Ron
Hubbard, is moving its world headquarters to Villa Gesu, a former
retirement home for Catholic nuns. Applied Scholastics International
bought the complex from the School Sisters of Notre Dame in October for
$2.9 million. For the previous 70 years, the 55 acres of brick buildings
and rolling hills overlooking the Mississippi River had been home to
infirm and elderly sisters who needed regular nursing care. The last of
the sisters moved out at the end of the year.

"Bennetta Slaughter, chief executive of the organization, says she expects
the facility to be up and running in the fall, although no date has been
set. 'We don't even have design plans finished, frankly,' she said. 'We
have a bit of a runway before we'll be there.'

"Asked about the relationship between the Church of Scientology and
Applied Scholastics, Slaughter says there is none. 'Obviously they've been
very kind to the organization in terms of support,' she said. 'But we get
our employees from the same place every secular corporation does. We
advertise in the newspaper.' Because the organization's Los Angeles center
will remain open with much of its current staff, the St. Louis
headquarters will hire most of its employees locally. Teachers from
throughout the country will come to the St. Louis center for short- and
long-term courses, and although some will be able to stay in dormitories
on the campus, most will stay in hotels.

"The sisters are using money from the sale for the renovation of their
motherhouse in Lemay and for charitable works. Over the next 18 months,
they'll be working with Applied Scholastics and the Hubbard organization's
real- estate arm, Better Living Properties, to remove the remains of
sisters who were buried on the property to another Catholic cemetery in
the area.

"'We're happy that this group is renovating the buildings and trying to
maintain them as they are now,' said Sister Joan DiProspere. 'We wouldn't
want it, you know, to be used for any purpose that's contrary to our
values.'"

Message-ID: <a7f75m$m3j@...>

#####

> Buffalo

A letter to the editor of The Buffalo News on March 23 urged the city to
build a parking ramp on the site currently occupied by the Scientology
org.

"To compete with the suburban shopping centers and office plazas with free
parking, the city should be trying to reduce charges and make more spaces
available by building multilevel ramps. The city should continue to
increase the inventory of new ramp parking spaces with rates at the lowest
possible level. Buffalo will then see many of the surface lots converted
to improved properties, which will add significant value to the city's
declining tax base. This is what our Common Council leaders should be
looking at, not how to keep the Church of Scientology and its New York
City management happy.

"JAMES F. FORTON, Buffalo"

Message-ID: <a7kjdv$f2f@...>

#####

> CCHR

MSNBC reported on March 22nd that Scientology's CCHR branch has filed a
complaint in the case of a Houston, Texas mother who killed her five
children.

"Contending that a Houston area mother received 'shoddy' mental health
care before drowning her children, a human rights group has filed a
complaint with state regulators over her psychiatric treatment. Andrea
Yates, convicted this week of capital murder in the deaths of three of her
children, was in a psychotic state caused by premature release from care,
use of inappropriate drugs and overmedication, according to CCHR Texas'
complaint filed with the state Board of Medical Examiners."

The Evening Post, from Wellington, New Zealand reported on March 22nd that
CCHR has filed a complaint on behalf of a former patient of a Lake Alice
mental hospital, who they allege was mistreated in the 1970s.

"The Citizen's Commission on Human Rights, the Church of
Scientology-backed group which raised concerns about the hospital, near
Marton, in the 1970s, said the patient had sent the complaint to
Palmerston North police on Friday. The man's complaint will join the 34
other criminal complaints filed last week by Christchurch lawyer Grant
Cameron, who represented 95 former patients who were last year paid $6.5
million in compensation and given an apology from the Government.
Commission director Steve Green said the patient, who did not want to be
named, had not received compensation and preferred to file a criminal
complaint first."

Message-ID: <3C9B87E7.5B374229@...>
Message-ID: <a7kjb5$f2f@...>

#####

> Erika Christensen

The Washington Post published an interview on March 19th with Scientology
celebrity Erika Christensen, in which she praised the Narconon drug
rehabilitation program.

"In last year's Oscar-winning movie 'Traffic,' Erika Christensen memorably
played the crack-addled teenage daughter of the nation's drug czar
portrayed by Michael Douglas.  'I did a lot of research for 'Traffic' and
discovered there are rehabilitation programs that don't use drugs to get
people off drugs, and they're very effective,' the 19-year-old actress
told us yesterday after she spoke to the National Foundation for Women
Legislators and met with the real drug czar, John Walters, and the head of
the Drug Enforcement Administration, Asa Hutchinson.

"Christensen said she comes to her anti-drug activism through the Church
of Scientology. Her parents raised her in the belief systems of science
fiction writer and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The church frowns
on most drug use, including medically prescribed legal pharmaceuticals
such as Prozac and Ritalin. 'I started studying the technology and content
of Scientology probably when I was around 12,' Christen said, 'and became
interested in the Narc-Anon rehabilitation program as a faith-based
program affiliated with the church and using the technologies developed by
L. Ron Hubbard. Of course there are situations where a drug could be
useful medically but as a general rule drugs can be very destructive.'"

Message-ID: <a7a50t$2v8@...>

#####

> Keith Henson

A document by the Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration was
posted this week, in which he opposed the application of Keith Henson for
refugee status in Canada. Keith has been living in Canada following a
conviction for protesting against Scientology in California.

"There is extensive information which shows that Mr. Henson had engaged in
many activities which would comprise other offences under the Criminal
Code of Canada, namely: using explosives; possession of explosives without
lawful excuse; obstructing or violence to clergyman; disturbing religious
worship or certain meetings; spreading false news; criminal harassment;
utter death threats; attempts/ threatens assault; advocating genocide;
extortion.

"The Minister's position is that the claimant's persistence, his
single-mindedness exhibited against a particular group, the failure to
cease harmful actions despite legal prohibitions, the impact statements of
the members of the group, show that the claimant committed a serious,
non-political crime prior to entering Canada. The Minister's position is
that, the specific nature of Mr. Henson's actions are such that they could
be regarded as offences under Canadian criminal law, and their cumulative
effect sufficiently egregious to warrant exclusion.

"Information indicates that the claimant may have come to Canada and
embarked upon a Convention refugee claim in order to generate publicity
about his case. In the microcosm of the Internet user group with which Mr.
Henson associates, his actions render him a celebrity, as is evidenced in
the various E-mails found in the attached disclosure. There is also an
issue about whether the claimants' statements and activities in relation
to his stance on Scientology is actually leverage to compel funds from
that organization."

Message-ID: <3c9b4cfa.70916313@...>

#####

> Human Rights Award

The European-American Citizens Committee announced this week that the
winner of the 2002 Leipzig Human Rights Award will be Alain Vivien.

"On May 11, 2002, this year's human rights award of the European-American
Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA will
be presented to Minister Alain Vivien. The award, designed by Leipzig
artist Ruediger Bartels, will be handed over to Minister Alain Vivien
during a ceremony in Leipzig's Old Stock Exchange. The award speech will
be given by the Bavarian State Minister of the Interior, Dr. Guenther
Beckstein.

"The recipient of the annual award is presented by the European-American
Citizens for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA. This committee
is concerned, with violations by the Scientology organization against
human rights and religious freedom.

"Alain Vivien has been engaged with problems associated with sects and
totalitarian cults since 1983. As the socialist representative of the
Seine-et-Marne department, he presented the first situation report in this
problematic area to the French National Assembly.  His posts included
State Secretary of the French Ministry of State. Vivien also worked out
the first French Enquete report on sects and totalitarian organizations in
1993, and since November 1998, he has been president of the Mission
Interministerielle pour la lutte contre les sects for the Prime Minister
of the Republic of France (MILS).

"This award is also granted in recognition of the important and successful
work done by all the MILS staff, not leaving out the work done by the
French National Assembly, which worked through all party differences to
enact legislation for the protection of human rights against the new
dangers posed by totalitarianism."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020319064251.126B-100000@...>

#####

> John Mappin

Scientologist John Mappin has lost a case in the U.K. for defrauding a
gossip columnist, claiming that he would produce a film based on the
writer's life. From The Guardian on March 19th and 20th:

"Benjamin Pell, better known as 'Benji the Binman,' has won back the
77,500 pounds he was hoodwinked into paying to finance a bogus Hollywood
blockbuster about his life, following a high court ruling this afternoon.
Mr. Pell brought an action for fraudulent misrepresentation against John
Mappin, an heir to the Mappin and Webb jewelry empire, claiming he had
been 'duped.' He made four separate payments totaling 77,500 pounds so as
not to miss this 'unique opportunity to work with one of the biggest names
in Hollywood.'

"His counsel, Marion Smith, said: 'He believed there were going to be
Hollywood writers on the case, for it to be picked up by a Hollywood
studio, cast with big-name actors and a Hollywood film resulting.' In
fact, the 'well-connected Hollywood film-maker' was a friend of Mr.
Mappin called Iain Jones, who turned out to be a hairdresser. Mr. Jones,
she claimed, had never directed or produced any film at all, but had been
credited with hair design on three Quentin Tarantino films - Reservoir
Dogs, Pulp Fiction and White Man's Burden."

"Describing a videotape which showed Mr. Pell boasting about his ability
to deceive judges and court officials, the judge said: 'He appears proud
of his ability to pass himself off as 'an absolute nutter' so as to
hoodwink his psychiatrist.' But, the judge ruled, Mr. Pell's conduct in
the witness box 'paled into insignificance' when compared to Mr. Mappin's
'mendacity' in the case. He said his deception began when he 'lied to the
police' over the money Mr.  Pell had paid to him, and he 'compounded' his
lies by 'putting before the court a witness statement which gives a wholly
mendacious account of his dealings with Mr. Pell.'

"Mr. Mappin, who was also ordered to pay costs estimated at 250,000
pounds, said the high court failed to understand the way Hollywood worked.
'We are actually on track to deliver exactly what was promised to Mr.
Pell,' he said. 'There are no guarantees where film making is concerned,
but the Pell film project is certainly on track.'"

From BBC News on March 19th:

"Mr. Mappin said he 'regretted' the High Court judge's decision - and
insisted that there was still Hollywood interest in making a film of Mr.
Pell's life. 'My intentions and actions have always been and are in the
direction of getting a film made,' Mr. Mappin said after the ruling. 'USA
Films is currently in discussion with Mr. Jones in Hollywood with a view
to produce a feature film project from the Pell material.'"

Message-ID: <fk9m8.82$%d7.6908@...>
Message-ID: <am9m8.84$%d7.6908@...>
Message-ID: <lo9m8.86$%d7.6908@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Tory Christman and Bruce Pettycrew reported on a protest at the annual L.
Ron Hubbard birthday celebration in Los Angeles on March 23rd.

"Jeff Jacobsen had come in, with a friend. Barbz had arrived from SD, and
Richard, there were some people who didn't want to be named who were new
to picketing. We agreed to meet at the Hollywood Guarantee Building on
Ivar and Hollywood, which is the 'Int' Building where all the
International Executives for the various Scientology Groups, Churches etc.
are located.  We were in front and at the side; people continuously came
up and told us 'We KNOW how bad they are.'

"One of Scientology's Attorneys, Elliot Abelson soon arrived and stayed
all the while we were there, after calling the cops. The policewoman
looked as irritated (at them) as they usually do.

"We were there for about 2 hours, and then moved on down to the Testing
Center, about a mile away. There I ran into an old friend of mine, someone
I have known and liked for years. I walked up and said, 'Hi,' and she
said, 'I'd rather not talk to you.' I pointed out how DM and gang have cut
LRH's 12 page HCOB on Solo Auditing to 5 pages. I wonder if she'll check
that out. Right down the street was all the mass motion of getting ready
for the Academy Awards. People all along the way came up to talk, give us
high 5s, tell us their tales of woe re: Scientology. The documentary guys
followed, filming and got some footage of me and my 'Scientology: Stop
hurting Families' Sign.

"Near sundown we decided to head on down to the Shrine, where the LRH
Birthday event was. They had the entire front TIGHTLY blocked off so no
one at all could see us.  There OSA was out in full including people
trying to block the signs.  We picketed and decided right before 8 to call
it a day."

"Our group consisted of about 10 participants and two
reporters/documentors. Present were Jeff Jacobsen, Tory/Magoo, Barb,
Snefru, Graham and other SP's whose names I cannot recall or who are not
public critics known to the OSA. When we arrived at the LRH Life site,
they pulled their people into the building.  I gave out almost 50 flyers
that Jeff had run off, detailing the lies about Hubbard's academics,
military experience, etc. We also picketed the building across from the
Museum, which sports a Sea Org insignia.  There was a lot of traffic there
and late in the afternoon busses began loading to take the members to the
birthday event at the Shrine Auditorium.

"We re-grouped at the Shrine Auditorium, where we took up posts near the
main parking entrances so that the attendees would have to see our signs.
Jeff and I unfurled the 'WWW.XENU.NET' banner, which is about 8 feet by 4
feet. They brought out about 5 people with signs on sticks that read
'Welcome to the Event' or 'Event Here' and tried to block our
signs/banners. However, Graham was able to position himself between a
lightpost and the curb, so that most arriving guests must have seen the
sign 'LRH Died on Psych Drugs' as they entered the lot. Jeff and I took
the large banner across the street, where it was just as visible to
arrivals and the public."

Message-ID: <3c9dbbe7@...>
Message-ID: <Xdrn8.35531$J54.2230618@...>

#####

> The Profit

Patricia Greenway posted a portion of a filing by Scientology attorney
Kendrick Moxon concerning the film The Profit, a parody of the life of L.
Ron Hubbard and the origin of Scientology. Scientology officials have
previously claimed that the movie has nothing to do with the organization.

"Scientology has abused the legal process of discovery by attempting to
gain access to all film production records by subpoena in the Lisa
McPherson wrongful death lawsuit. Our attorney successfully defended our
company, Courage Productions, and this week ended what could have been a
long drawn out battle over privacy issues and trade secrets.

"'SUPPLEMENTAL MEMORANDUM IN OPPOSITION TO PATRICIA GREENWAY'S MOTION TO
QUASH SUBPOENA; CROSS MOTION TO COMPEL TESTIMONY AND PRODUCTION OF RECORDS
FROM PATRICIA GREENWAY AND PETER ALEXANDER

"'The Court will recall from its examination of the movie that scenes and
characters are an effort to parody Scientology in an extremely derogatory
light. The evil con-man who is the lead in the movie, 'L. Conrad Powers,'
is obviously a take-off on the name of the Founder of the Scientology
religion, L. Ron Hubbard. The uniformed people in the film are a supposed
take-off on the Scientology fraternal organization, Sea Organization.
The 'mind meter' in the movie is a take-off on the Scientology e-meter.
The name of the organization in the movie, 'Scientific Spiritualism' is a
take-off on the name Scientology. The story line 'a pulp fiction writer
turned guru' is a take-off on L. Ron Hubbard, who was a writer of
fictional works in the 30's. The 'therapy' portrayed in the movie is a
parody on Scientology pastoral counseling, called 'auditing.''"

Message-ID: <20020322162012.03408.00000189@...>

#####

> Xenu.net

Andreas Heldal-Lund reported this week that the Google search engine site
removed links to his web site, xenu.net, based on a complaint from
Scientology alleging copyright infringements.

"The complaint mentions a ridiculous list of addresses which successfully
removes the whole site from their engine. Since the complaint is making
claims of ownership of pages clearly not owned by the cult, this could
hurt the cult only. Here's what I received from Google today:

"'We removed certain specific URLs in response to a notification submitted
by the Religious Technology Center and Bridge Publications under the
Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). Had we not removed these URLs, we
would be subject to a claim for copyright infringement, regardless of its
merits.'"

From CNET News on March 21st:

"Google was accused Wednesday of effectively removing from the Internet a
Web site that is critical of the Church of Scientology after it deleted
links to some of the site's pages from its search engine. Andreas
Heldal-Lund, Webmaster of the site Xenu.net, said in a Usenet posting that
the complaint demanded that Google take down a large number of references
to different parts of Xenu.net. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
(DMCA), sites cannot be held liable for copyright infringement provided
they promptly take down content flagged by a copyright holder.

"Digital rights advocates said the Church of Scientology's takedown
request is noteworthy because it underscores potential conflicts between
the DMCA and free speech. 'The danger is that people will attempt to
silence critics under the guise of copyright infringement,' said Fred von
Lohmann, an attorney with San Francisco's Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Heldal-Lund defends this use of copyrighted material, saying that he
believes Scientology survives 'through the protection afforded it by
copyright laws in a way that copyright laws were not designed to address.'

"The EFF's von Lohmann said search engines are not required to comply with
takedown notices, but that most do to avoid the risks of litigation.
'Search engines can't take on every copyright holder,' he said. 'It's hard
to say search engines should pay for this fight themselves.'"

From Wired News on March 21st:

"So far, the DMCA has come under fire because it bans most attempts to
bypass or disable copy-protection technology. But Scientology is relying
on another section of the 1998 law, which says a 'service provider shall
not be liable' for copyright infringements - if it moves with dispatch to
delete any 'reference or link to material or activity claimed to be
infringing.' Until this week, anyone typing in 'Scientology' on the wildly
popular search engine found references to the Xenu.net site in the first
page of results. Now Xenu.net and clambake.org have virtually disappeared
from Google's database.

"When using the DMCA as a legal club to thwap critics, Scientology must
claim that its copyrighted material has been unlawfully expropriated.
Among the ostensibly infringing sites: Excerpts from an internal report on
a Scientology member who died under mysterious circumstances after
allegedly being held against her will, and photographs of Scientology
founder L. Ron Hubbard and others juxtaposed with Adolf Hitler.

"Since Xenu.net and its companion sites are in Norway, Scientology can't
use U.S. law to remove the pages directly. But in getting Google to delete
them from its mammoth database, the church hopes to remove one of the most
obvious ways that Internet users can stumble across the sites."

Reuters reported on March 21st that some of the links to xenu.net were
restored to Google, which claimed some of the links were removed
accidentally.

"Google Inc. restored a Web site critical of the Church of Scientology on
its Internet search engine Thursday while free speech advocates slammed
the the company for removing the site in the first place. Google said the
company had only removed certain pages from the site because of a
copyright dispute. The home page for Xenu.net was 'inadvertently removed'
along with a long, two-page list of associated Web pages Wednesday but was
put back Thursday, said Google spokeswoman Cindy McCaffrey.

"On Thursday evening, the Web site was listed fourth under Google search
results for 'Scientology' and 8th under 'Church of Scientology.' A lawyer
representing the Church of Scientology accused Xenu.net of 'wholesale,
verbatim copyright infringement' by allegedly reprinting large amounts of
material on the site. 'We don't abuse this act,' the lawyer, Helena Kobrin
of the Los Angeles firm of Moxon & Kobrin said of the DMCA. 'We go very
strictly by what the copyright laws are.' Copyright law allows people to
use pieces of copyrighted material for personal, education and other
purposes under a so-called 'fair use' provision. However, Kobrin said the
Web site used more than was allowed under fair use. 'We will do whatever
we can to protect these copyrights,' she said. 'The real story here is my
clients are constantly the targets of some really horrendous stuff on the
Internet.'

"Robin Gross, staff attorney for the San Francisco-based Electronic
Frontier Foundation, said the Church of Scientology was trying to use
copyright law to stifle criticism. 'A lot of the cases using copyright to
quell critics are Church of Scientology cases,' she said."

Reuters reported on March 22nd that xenu.net will not fight to restore the
remaining pages to the Google index.

"A Norwegian man whose hobby is criticizing the Church of Scientology on
the Internet said on Friday he did not plan to challenge the removal of
most of his Web sites from Google search results because that would put
him at risk of being sued in the United States. In a phone interview with
Reuters, Heldal-Lund said Google soon replaced the home page,
www.xenu.net, saying trademarks are not covered under the DMCA and the
Church had claimed that page violated its trademark.

"Linda Simmons Hight, a spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology, said on
Friday that the organization only complained to Google about Web sites
that it felt violated copyrights and not trademarks.

"As many as a hundred other sites maintained by Heldal-Lund remain blocked
from the Google results, although they could be reinstated, according to a
lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Under the DMCA, after
notifying the Web master of the sites that are removed and receiving
'counter-notification,' Google could replace the sites, said Robin Gross,
a staff attorney for the San Francisco-based EFF, an organization that
advocates free speech online.

"Hight denied that the Church was trying to silence its critics. 'There
are certain people who are attempting to make this a free speech issue.
That's a red herring,' she said. 'We have been in favor of free speech
since before these people were born.'

"Heldal-Lund, 37, denied any wrongdoing. 'I live in Norway under Norwegian
law. The servers are in Norway and Holland,' he told Reuters. 'According
to the laws, how I understand them, I'm not breaking any laws. It's fair
use. If a Norwegian court tells me I'm in breach of the law, I'll comply.'
Heldal-Lund said he was surprised Google removed his sites from the Google
results without telling him first, but said that he was wary of
challenging that action. 'In the DMCA, to file a counter-claim or
notification I need to submit to American jurisdiction and I can't do
that,' Heldal-Lund said. The Church 'could file a case against me in
America, and I can't travel all the way over there for that.'

"Heldal-Lund said he became interested in the Los Angeles-based Church of
Scientology in 1996 after hearing that a Norwegian citizen successfully
sued the Church for fraud. 'They've threatened me for five years (over the
Web sites) but haven't dared sue me,' he said. 'I'm just a normal
Norwegian guy with the belief that this has to be done.'"

ZDNet UK News reported on March 22nd that one of the Internet providers
for xenu.net has had to replace its connection to the rest of the Internet
because of complaints from Scientology.

"The apparent campaign by the Church of Scientology to stamp out criticism
on the Internet resulted in the ISP that hosts a Web site targeted by the
Church for its critical standpoint having its upstream connection cut off.
Netherlands-based ISP Xtended Internet said its connection to the Internet
was terminated by its provider after threats of legal action from the
Church. Paul Wouters, managing director of Xtended Internet, said he
believed this was the first time an ISP had suffered such action because
of copyright issues.

"Xenu.net appears to have attracted the Scientologists' attention for
documenting the practices of the Church, and in particular for including
some material that is copyrighted by the Church. On the site, Webmaster
Andreas Heldal-Lund defends this by saying that if full information about
the teachings of the Church were made available 'then perhaps many people
who would join it would never become involved with it in the first place.
I think people have the right to know.'

"In November, Xtended Internet's upstream provider, Cignal Global
Communications, received a letter from the Church of Scientology's legal
counsel notifying it of the copyright and trademark issues with xenu.net.
The letter did not threaten legal action, but set in motion a train of
events that would see Xtended Internet kicked off Cignal's service by the
end of February. Cignal's director of legal affairs Steve Keirn wrote to
Paul Wouters notifying him of the contents and reminding him of Cignal's
acceptable use policy. Wouters wrote back saying that the issue was
between his customer (xenu.net) and the Church of Scientology, and should
not involve either Cignal or Xtended Internet.

"The Church of Scientology issued a second notification to Cignal, and
this time Cignal demanded action by Xtended Internet or else, it said,
Xtended Internet would be cut off. Paul Wouters wrote a detailed reply to
Cignal, saying that any action based on the evidence that had been
provided to date would have been in violation of Dutch laws, and said he
'strongly objected to the notion that US law has any relevance to our
obligation in the Netherlands.'

"'We had to move our entire company to a new backbone provider,' Wouters
told ZDNet UK. 'It has cost us money and time, but was nothing we could
not handle.' Xtended Internet is now housed at TeleCity, the Amsterdam
Internet exchange. 'This facility is carrier-independent,' he added, 'so
we do not have to rely on a single upstream provider.'

"Wouters said he intended to continue hosting xenu.net. 'This customer is
definitely not a profitable one, but we believe in freedom of speech,' he
said. 'This is their (the Scientologists') tactics. But with the Internet
people can exchange information and share information on lawsuits (by the
Church).' Because of this, said Wouters, 'the Internet is the first major
obstacle Scientology has had. That is why xenu.net is so important - it is
a collection of the criticisms.'"

Message-ID: <6dli9u0lovkm9k1vdqik4ag8ml24lff8pq@...>
Message-ID: <a7dihb$bhm@...>
Message-ID: <a7dv94$ieo@...>
Message-ID: <a7f6gp$m3j@...>
Message-ID: <a7i4rs$ffk@...>
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-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 6, Issue 49
3/31/2002 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

#####

> Australia

Jan Groenveld reported this week that Scientology has pressed charges with
the Equal Opportunity Commission of Victoria, Australia for alleged
religious vilification.

"The 'rev' Mary Anderson, Public Affairs, Melbourne Australia Org, has
taken me to the Equal Opportunity Commission of Victoria (Australia) and
charged me with 'religious vilification' under their act. 'A person must
not, on the ground of religious belief or activity of another person or
class of persons, engage in conduct that incites hatred against, serious
contempt for, or revulsion or sever ridicule of, that other person or
class of persons.'

"Mary Anderson has charged me on the basis of my web site contents, The
Anderson Report which she says was long ago overturned and described in
the Victorian parliament in 1987 as 'draconian' and that this material is
not biased, not factual and no current and does not fit into any category
of helpful information, She refers to 'discredited author Russell Miller'
with regard to comments on the site about Hubbard's statements about his
life and war record which she states as been proven true by documentary
evidence.

"She states that persons who know little or nothing of Scientology and who
take this site at face value could hardly fail to be infected with 'severe
ridicule' or 'serious contempt of' if not 'hatred' of the subject of the
site. She then asks that they demand I be made to remove the site."

Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.4.30.0203260639451.9570-100000@...>

#####

> Egypt

The Associated Press reported on March 27th that two Scientologists
detained in Cairo, Egypt have been released on bail.

"A court on Wednesday freed on bail a Palestinian woman and her Israeli
husband accused of 'contempt of religion' by promoting Scientology in
Egypt, police officials said. Wafaa Hassan Ahmed, 26, and Mahmoud Mufid
Masarwa, 28, who have confessed to being assigned by Scientology bureaus
in Tel Aviv and Rome to promote the faith in Egypt, were arrested earlier
last month. No formal charges were filed against the couple.

"The judge who ordered their release Wednesday said 'Dianetics' was
legally released in the Cairo Book Fair, and that the couple should not be
punished for spreading 'new thought' as this would only be 'a violation of
human rights.'"

Message-ID: <a7v1hh$aia@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

A filing by the estate of Lisa McPherson was released this week, in which
it argued against Scientology's argument that cockroaches do not feed on
living people.

"The defense has nothing to say about the fact that the Estate's forensic
entomologists are all board certified and have seen roaches feeding upon
pigs and have identified roach bites on human remains. The Estate's
experts then take these findings and add to that the other case studies,
including criminal reports of roaches found feeding upon babies, both
alive and dead, and combine that with their education to arrive at their
opinions.

"The next amazing argument is that since the FLAG staff never saw a roach
in Lisa's room, and since the hotel was regularly sprayed, then these
marks could not be left by roaches. It will be up to the jury to believe
or not believe the staff of FLAG.

"Both Dr. Haskell and Dr. Goff made very conservative opinions in this
matter. Neither would say that these marks are 100% roach feeding sites
for one and only one reason: they were not there witnessing the roaches
feeding upon Lisa. What both experts do opine is that these marks are
consistent with roach bites based upon their experience and education and
that their opinion meets the legal requirement of more likely than not.

"The Estate attaches hereto two recently reported cases of live babies or
children being found with roaches feeding upon them. The first concerns a
criminal case involving abuse of a 7 month old Quail Valley girl from
Riverside County, California, in 2001. At the emergency room at Inland
Valley Medical Center in Wildomar, California, it was diagnosed that the
baby was suffering from rat and cockroach bites. In April of 1998, in
Rochester, N.Y., a mother was sentenced to 15 years for child neglect of
her 5 year old daughter. Among other signs of neglect, a pathologist cited
cockroach bites on her arms and legs.

"In the authoritative textbook edited by Dr. Werner Spitz, M.D., there is
an extensive discussion with pictures of ant and roach bites on the
deceased. This is prime evidence that roaches do bite human flesh."

Message-ID: <a7t3d4$n3c@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

Reuters reported on March 26th that Scientology minister Reed Slatkin has
agreed to plead guilty to investment fraud.

"EarthLink co-founder Reed Slatkin, accused of defrauding investors out of
nearly $600 million, has agreed to plead guilty to 15 federal charges,
prosecutors said Tuesday. Slatkin, who was charged with 15 felony charges
for allegedly orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme in which he solicited
more than $593 million from some 800 investors - including members of the
Church of Scientology, where he is a minister - has reached a deal with
prosecutors to plead guilty to all of the charges.

"Slatkin, 53, was charged with five counts of mail fraud, three counts of
wire fraud, six counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to
obstruct justice during an investigation being conducted by the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission."

From Bloomberg News on March 26th:

"Slatkin's attorney, Frederick D. Friedman with O'Neill, Lysaght & Sun LLP
in Los Angeles, said in a statement that his client's decision to take the
plea 'is a reflection of his decision to accept full responsibility for
his conduct.'

"The minister in the Church of Scientology got money from socialites,
Hollywood producers and EarthLink's two top executives, Chairman Sky
Dayton and Chief Executive Officer Garry Betty. Among the investors listed
in SEC documents are Fox News legal commentator Greta Van Susteren and
actors Giovanni Ribisi and Jeffrey Tambor."

From the Wall Street Journal on March 27th:

"Mr. Slatkin, an ordained Church of Scientology minister who attracted
seven-figure investments from such luminaries as 'Pearl Harbor' producer
Armyan Bernstein, Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren and former Capitol
Records Chairman Hale Milgrim, is set to be arraigned in U.S. District
Court next month. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 105 years, but
federal sentencing guidelines will most likely bring that down to 12 1/2
to 15 years, according to Steve Olson, an assistant U.S. attorney.

"Frederick Friedman, an attorney for Mr. Slatkin, said the plea reflects
his client's decision 'to accept full responsibility for his conduct and
move forward, by continuing his cooperation with both government
authorities and his creditors.' Mr. Slatkin filed for bankruptcy
protection in federal court in Santa Barbara last May.

"No one else has been charged in the case, but the 32-page statement of
facts mentions several unindicted co-conspirators, including one man, Ron
Rakow, who served nine months in federal prison during the 1980s for his
role in an $80 million Ponzi scheme known as 'Culture Farms.' According to
the statement of facts, Mr. Rakow - who began investing with Mr. Slatkin
before he was sent to prison - helped promote Mr. Slatkin's money
management services. Mr. Slatkin's Santa Fe, N.M., bookkeeper, Jean Janu,
and two others, Dan Jacobs and Didier Waroquiers, are also named in the
statement as accomplices in Mr. Slatkin's conspiracy to obstruct a
Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into his investment
practices that began in 2000. According to the statement, Ms. Janu
furnished the SEC with lists of investor accounts that she was
'liquidating,' when in fact she hadn't returned any funds to investors.
Messrs. Waroquiers and Jacobs, the statement adds, helped Mr. Slatkin
deceive the SEC and investors into believing that he had more than $200
million secure in Swiss bank accounts."

From the Los Angeles Times on March 27th:

"Slatkin's sentence probably will be 'in the 12-to-15-year range,' said
Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles. The
sentence could be reduced by a few years if Slatkin, 53, cooperates fully
with investigators, who still are trying to determine what happened to
investors' money, Mrozek said. Slatkin has acknowledged that at least $255
million is missing in the scheme, in which new investors' money was used
to pay bogus returns to prior investors. 'It's a very significant sentence
for a consensual plea agreement,' said Richard Wynne, an attorney for
creditors in Slatkin's bankruptcy case. But he added, 'We calculated he
could have gotten a life sentence if this had gone to trial, so it's a
sweet deal for him.'

"Investors greeted news of the plea agreement warily. Some fear Slatkin
might flee the country before his arraignment on an unspecified date next
month. 'He's had 11 months to pack,' said investor George Kriste, 'and now
he's got another 30 days.' The FBI and the U.S. attorney's office have
said they don't believe Slatkin will try to escape. Slatkin's criminal
attorney, Brian Sun, said his client was determined to cooperate with
investigators. 'This is obviously a very emotional time for him, but he's
committed to doing the right thing,' Sun said. 'His conduct speaks for
itself.'

"Slatkin, an ordained minister in the Church of Scientology, started
soliciting money from fellow Scientologists in the mid-1980s. His stature
and reputation grew after he helped co-found Internet service provider
EarthLink Inc. in 1994. Before long, he was taking in large sums from
Internet executives, Hollywood players and socialites from across the
country."

From the Santa Barbara News-Press on March 27th:

"Prosecutors and Mr. Slatkin's criminal defense team say that if he
fulfills the terms of the plea and cooperates with authorities, he will
probably get far less than the maximum sentence. They disagree, however,
on how much time he could spend behind bars. Federal authorities say it
would be from 12 to 15 years, while Mr. Slatkin's attorney, Brian Sun, a
former assistant U.S. attorney, said the range could be anywhere from no
prison time to 15 years. 'There are a number of factors here,' said Mr.
Sun. 'It really has a lot to do with the degree and quality of his
cooperation.'

"That cooperation will likely include identifying individuals who aided
him with the conspiracy and fraud, sources said. In addition, Mr. Slatkin
could help federal bankruptcy investigators track down some of the missing
millions. 'Mr. Slatkin's agreement with the government is a reflection of
his decision to accept full responsibility for his conduct and move
forward by continued cooperation with both government authorities and his
creditors,' said Fred Friedman, another attorney on his criminal defense
team.

"'The longer the sentence, the better,' said Michael Azeez, whose family
collectively lost $42 million to Mr. Slatkin. 'I hope he gets a hanging
judge.' There's a lot more that Mr. Slatkin can divulge about the nature
and scope of the fraud that may help identify where some of the money went
and who else was involved, Mr. Azeez said. 'I'm not sure why he isn't
behind bars yet, though,' he said.

"'The fact that he hasn't surrendered immediately is just a complete slap
in the face,' said John Poitras, of Santa Ynez, a former venture
capitalist who lost $15 million. 'He gets another 30 days to sip wine and
enjoy the sunshine. This guy should be put away for the rest of his life
for what he's done to hundreds of families.'

"Rick Wynne, the attorney working with the creditors' committee, called
the plea a 'smart deal' for Mr. Slatkin because if he had gone to trial to
contest the charges, he would have been exposed to a life term. Because
the plea compels Mr. Slatkin to cooperate with investigators, it may help
creditors uncover any missing money, Mr. Wynne said. 'While some of his
victims certainly might have preferred that Mr. Slatkin be drawn and
quartered, his plea is an appropriate resolution to his 15-year fraudulent
scheme,' he said. 'Mr. Slatkin will have a long time to sit in jail and
contemplate what he did to hundreds of his creditors and their families.'"

From the text of the plea agreement:

"Defendant gives up the right to indictment by a grand jury and agrees to
plead guilty to a fifteen-count Information in the form attached to this
agreement or a substantially similar form. Defendant made up and/or
executed a scheme or plan for obtaining money or property by making false
promises or statements; defendant knew that the promises or statements
were false; the promises or statements were material, that is they would
reasonably influence a person to part with money or property; defendant
acted with the intent to defraud; and defendant used or caused to be used,
the mails or private commercial interstate carriers to carry out an
essential part of the scheme.

"The total maximum sentence for all offenses to which defendant is
pleading guilty is: 105 years imprisonment; a three-year period of
supervised release; a fine of $3.75 million or twice the gross gain or
gross loss resulting from the fraud and conspiracy plus twice the value of
the criminally derived property involved in the money laundering
transactions, whichever is greater; and a mandatory special assessment of
$1500.

"Defendant understands that defendant will be required to pay full
restitution to the victims of the offenses.  The parties currently believe
that the applicable amount of restitution is not less than $254,597,235,
but recognize and agree that this amount could change based on facts that
come to the attention of the parties prior to sentencing. Defendant
further agrees that defendant will not seek the discharge of any
restitution obligation, in whole or in part, in any present or future
bankruptcy proceeding."

Message-ID: <a7rgld$k4g@...>
Message-ID: <a7rh11$mg1@...>
Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0203270741.77ce69f3@...>
Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0203262112.573d447d@...>
Message-ID: <a7t1ff$n3c@...>
Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0203280826.46afbddb@...>

#####

> WISE

The Los Angeles Times published an article in the Sterling Management and
the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises on March 29th.

"The 'Battlefield Earth' videos, 'I am a Scientologist' poster and
numerous pictures of L. Ron Hubbard make it clear that Sterling Management
isn't a typical consulting firm. The company is one of about 100 in
Glendale, Montrose, La Crescenta and La Canada Flintridge that practice
the organizational principles of Scientology. In fact, Sterling
Management's business is to promote and teach the organizational
principles of the church to small business owners across the country.
Hubbard, founder of Scientology and a science fiction writer and
philosopher, developed what is referred to as his 'management technology'
for the religion's expansion.

"Sterling Management owner Kevin Wilson and the other owners of local
companies use the management practices as members of the World Institute
of Scientology Enterprises - WISE.  WISE licenses and promotes Hubbard's
work to businesses for the Church of Scientology, WISE President Don
Drader said. About 3,200 WISE members around the world pay anywhere from
$250 to $36,000 per year for membership. Most WISE members are
Scientologists, but it's not required, Drader said.

"James Ryan, an EEOC public affairs specialist, said he wasn't aware of
WISE, but organizations are entitled to use religious principles in the
workplace, as long as employees have the option to object and be excused.
Wilson said he is aware of employee discrimination law and that he stays
within its bounds. 'This job has nothing to do with Scientology,' Wilson
said. 'In no way can I dictate anyone's job with Scientology.'

"Wilson makes sure his company's clients are aware of the relationship
between his business and Scientology, too. All Sterling Management clients
sign a waiver before entering into the consulting relationship, Wilson
said. The waiver states that the Hubbard management materials imply 'no
religious affiliation whatsoever.' It also states a Sterling consultant
may recommend a client see a Scientology practitioner, if the client has
personal problems beyond the scope of Sterling Management."

Message-ID: <a81vcb$pqd@...>

#####

> UK

BBC News reported on March 26th that a teacher's union is speaking out
against schools being run by some religious organizations, including
Scientology.

"Clearer guidelines must be introduced to establish which religious
organisations will be permitted to take up the running of state-funded
faith schools, a teachers' union says. There was currently no clear
indication of who would approve or reject an application to build a school
called the Osama Bin Laden Academy, warned the general secretary of the
Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), Peter Smith. Similarly the
Church of Scientology, the Moonies or even supporters of David Icke - the
former footballer and TV presenter who once claimed he was the Messiah -
could apply to run a state school, said Mr Smith.

"Government plans to encourage a wide range of religious groups to run
state-funded schools have proved controversial, with critics saying they
are divisive. Mixed opinion over faith schools was no less obvious than at
the ATL's annual conference in Cardiff, where delegates tabled conflicting
motions on the matter. One calls for the government to abandon all plans
to increase the number of faith schools, another urges delegates to
'recognise the positive contribution these faith schools make to the
education of young people.'

"The ATL was not pressing for a secular education system, said Mr Smith,
as history could not be rewritten. But he said the government had made a
grave mistake when it paved the way for more faith schools. 'My own
personal view is if a dog is snoring, don't kick it awake and I think it
was very stupid of the government to kick this dog awake,' he said."

Message-ID: <a7q82q$aqv@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 1
4/7/2002 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

#####

> Clearwater

A letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on April 4th described
Scientology's new open house policy at the Fort Harrison Hotel as a PR
ploy.

"Scientology is opening up Clearwater's Fort Harrison Hotel to the public
so we can eat their food and look at the Hubbard exhibit.  Don't you think
it is sacrilegious that they start the open house on Easter Sunday? The
cult never misses an opportunity to try to convince the public that they,
too, are a church. Hopefully, the public is intelligent enough to see that
this is just another ploy by the cult to gain legitimacy that they don't
deserve. - David Rodman, Dunedin"

Message-ID: <a8lgrt$coe@...>

#####

> LRH Birthday

"Cerridwen" reported events at the 2002 L. Ron Hubbard birthday
celebration event.

"The basic theme of this event was to get Scientologists 'rehabbed' on
getting back on purpose on the 3rd Dynamic. That means to get them to be
more active and especially to get them to join staff. It's done by
'enlightening' and pushing lots of Scn buttons. But it's pretty much known
and unspoken that both Org and Sea Org staff think that anyone that is not
on staff is a worthless piece of shit.

"Throughout the event the cameras panned the crowd and we got to see
Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie, Nancy Cartwright, the CO Flag Debbie Cook,
Sally and Craig Jensen.  Scientology's Rich and Famous get front row seats
at events.

"David Miscavige starts in with the Wins and Expansion News and talks
about ABLE. Narconon Arrowhead is the big news. Per DM Narconon Arrowhead
is busting at the seams with public and they have had to build bunk beds
to accommodate all the public there. Not only that but Narconon Arrowhead
is the place where Narconon staff are sent to train so that they can then
go back and start new Narconon's all over the world.  Some accreditation
agency had a policy that they would only accredit counselors with 'college
degrees.' DM stated that the Narconon staff did a presentation to this
accreditation board and convinced them that the Narconon/LRH tech was far
superior to any college degree and the Accreditation Board was so damn
impressed that they certified 22 Narconon Arrowhead counselors. There are
twenty new Narconon's in the world with 2 of them in the US.

"DM also spoke of Narconon Public Service Announcements and their
continued playing on CNN. CNN will continue to air the Narconon PSA's as
long as Narconon continues to provide CNN with them.

"DM said that the VM phone line gets 6000 phone calls a week.  A stat
graph showed 5100 VM's before Sept 11 and 15,400 VM's as of March 13,
2002.

"Mark Yager spoke of the Mission expansion and the translation stats. Due
to some kind of new computer they now have they are able to produce
translated tapes, books, course pack etc. in two weeks. This is a very big
deal for the C of S as what now takes two weeks used to take 4 months or
something like that.  I believe all of the Bridge up through Class V is
now available in Russian. This includes all the course packs, books and
tapes that are required for Courses in a Class V org. A Video was shown of
the St. Petersburg, Russia, Mission, which is now officially a Class V
org.

"There was a video clip on Harlington, which is the home of WISE member
and big bucks Scientologist, Juan Villarreal It seems that The Way to
Happiness is a being widely promoted down in Harlingen, Texas and per the
video, is the sole reason why the crime rate dropped to zero in the town
of Harlingen.

"Birthday game winners. Missions:  First Place -- The Mission of Beverly
Hills. Class V Org: First Place - C of S of Budapest, Hungary; Second
Place - C of S of Padova, Italy; Third Place - C of S of Milano, Italy.
SEA ORG ORG: First place - AOLA; Second Place - AOSH EU; Third Place -
Celebrity Center Int. Continental Liaison Orgs: CLO EU; CLO WUS; CLO EUS.

"The Birthday game is about the overall expansion and it's based on a
complicated point system. The Org, Mission, CLO, etc. with the most
Birthday game points wins.  The Mission Holder, ED of the Class V org or
the Commanding Officer of the SO Org receives their trophy and jockey
shirt.  It has something to do with LRH talking about the birthday game
being a race and the winner is top jockey. The trophy is a statue of a
jockey on a racing horse as well.

"Both Mexico City Orgs got awarded with Saint Hill Size status, which is a
very big deal because I don't think that any orgs have been awarded Saint
Hill Size in the past 8 or 10 years. DM also said that there were 5 more
Class V orgs on the brink of being awarded SHS and news of this will be
coming up at future events."

On April 3rd, Salon.com published an article on the Philadelphia org's
celebration of Hubbard's birthday.

"A few days after I RSVP'd, a Scientology P.R. flack called back to calmly
rescind my invitation. Hadn't he himself invited me to learn more about
his Travolta-tainted faith after I savaged the film adaptation of LRH's
'Battlefield Earth' in the Philadelphia Weekly? If I were to write about
Scientology again, he implied, it would be on Scientology's terms. Though
he offered to meet me personally to explain LRH's mysterious thrall, he
said my attending the birthday bash 'would not be appropriate.' OK, so I'd
have to crash it.

"A smiling greeter clad in black-and-white evening attire ushered us into
the Ben Franklin-founded Philadelphia Free Library. Some 80 eager buffet
grazers and a blissed-out guitarist strumming white noise outside the
men's-room door transformed the place into a South Bend church social
circa 1969. We weren't seated long before a suited man approached as much
to check us out as to proselytize. He asked if we'd read 'Dianetics,'
which true believers and snickering cynics know as the Church of
Scientology's bible. 'Parts,' I admitted. Which was true. In fact I have
my very own copy, complete with Post-its marking favorite spots.

"A local 'org' leader took the stage for a bit of motivational speaking.
She led the crowd in a fist-pumping hip-hip-hooraying of an LRH bust and a
poster-size photo of the man himself standing alongside a lighted birthday
cake.  The enthusiastic crew enunciated a hearty 'yeah' to each canned pep
rally question. Would they like to hear about how the local org grew this
past year? 'Yeah!' How 'bout the hours of auditing performed? 'Yeah!' And
would they like to know how much money the international nonprofit raised?
You betcha they would! But before the international fundraising tally
arrived via simulcast from Scientology 'Flag' in Clearwater, Fla., there
was the matter of honoring local donors, each of whom had made
several-thousand-dollar contributions to the local org to fund expansion
of their offices. All but one of the honorees were introduced as doctors.

"The night's main event began with the Birthday Game, which pitted
Scientology orgs from each inhabited continent on Earth against each other
in a fundraising race in the name of 'religion tech.' (Someday, once the
entire planet has been 'cleared,' a video voice-over said, other planets
will be involved, too.)

"There was last year's big Scientology coup: the 'wake-up call' in New
York. Some of us may forever recall it as 9/11, but to Scientology minds
it was just another reminder that the whole world could use a hefty dose
of e-meter auditing. The simulcast then took followers back in time to
Scientology's previous contributions to world politics - namely their
efforts in bringing down the Berlin Wall and dissolving the Soviet Union.

"Four and a half hours into the high-tech birthday fete, my companion and
I tried to sneak out during one of the incessant standing O's. But the
church leaders gathered outside by the bathrooms intercepted us, eager for
our impressions of the evening. Too long, we concluded, half-apologizing
for ducking out early. They nodded sympathetically, half-apologizing for
the evening's seeming endurance record.  Asked to submit to an exit
interview, we deflected their probing questions with a few of our own
about the e-meter that had suddenly appeared on a nearby table. The thing
was adorned with knobs and two silver cans attached by small cables,
suggesting a childhood phone game.

"The e-meter's operator told me to conjure the day's most unpleasant
moment (I didn't have to reach far for that) and the machine's needle
jumped abruptly rightward. Of course the needle seemed to jump whenever
anyone grabbed the canisters. Pressed to explain how the device worked,
the woman said it measured the mind's resistance to current passing
between the canisters. Impossible, countered my companion, a
neuroscientist by profession, adding that 50 years of neuroscience
research says that can't be measured."

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#####

> IAS

Impact Magazine published news from the annual convention of the
International Association of Scientologists.

"This year's annual IAS Convention of Delegates chaired by President IAS
Administrations Ms. Janet McLaughlin and attended by 28 delegates, was
held for the first time at the Flag Land Base.  Ms. Debbie Fraser, Finance
Director IAS Administrations, presented a financial report, and Mr. Carl
Light, Public Affairs Executive IAS Administrations, summarized the grants
funded by the IAS and the US IAS Members' Trust and their results in the
past year.

"The delegates at this year's IAS Annual Delegates Convention pledge
themselves to the attainment of the following goals: We intend to promote
the Volunteer Minister program internationally, thus bringing the direct
application of LRH tech to millions. We intend to continue the exposure of
the criminal nature of the psychiatric industry and to bring criminal
psychiatrists to justice in greater numbers than ever before, while
dramatically increasing public awareness of their abuses. We intend to
further strike at the scourge of drug abuse by making LRH's life saving
drug rehabilitation technology know and used by ever-increasing numbers.
We intend to greatly advance the use of LRH criminal rehabilitation
technology, resulting in reformed criminals leading productive and ethical
lives. We intend to forward the use of The Way to Happiness, which is
desperately needed in this troubled world."

Message-ID: <B7UAZI4537353.3375578704@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

Tampa TV Channel 28 News reported on April 5th that a decision has been
made by an appeals court that Scientology is trying to drag out the civil
case to bankrupt the estate of Lisa McPherson.

"A state appeals court has ordered the Church of Scientology to stop
harassing the estate of Lisa McPherson. McPherson died while in the care
of church staff members, and her family sued the Clearwater-based church
for wrongful death. The church filed 47 demands to determine who is paying
the family's legal bills during the suit. The appeals court said that
indicates the church is trying to drag out the suit until the family can
no longer afford the legal bills."

From the District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District, denying
Scientology the right to explore the sources of funds to continue the Lisa
McPherson case.

"The estate of Lisa McPherson petitions this court to quash a discovery
order that grants a request by the Church of Scientology Flag Service
Organization for production of documents. We grant the writ and quash the
discovery order. The challenged order requires the estate to produce the
following: All documents concerning the payment by any person or entity
since January 1, 2000 of any sum of money over the amount of $500 to the
plaintiff or her attorney or any representative or agent of plaintiff,
used to pay for any cost, expense, or fee associated with this litigation,
excluding payments from Robert Minton and any agreements thereto.

"We agree with the estate that if the challenged discovery is allowed, it
will create irreparable harm that cannot be remedied on appeal. The
defendant is seeking information from the plaintiff and its counsel
regarding the source of contributions to fund the litigation. As the
estate contends, this will create a chilling effect on receiving future
funding.  Furthermore, the estate points out that if it is forced to
disclose how much money it has to spend on litigation prior to the
conclusion of the case, the church will know how long the estate 'can last
before it has to throw in the towel due to lack of funds.' The fact that
this is the church's forty-seventh request for production bolsters the
conclusion that the church will litigate until the estate can no longer
afford to continue."

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#####

> Lynsey Bartilson

The Los Angeles Times reported on April 4th that actress Lynsey Bartilson
is promoting a book by Scientology promoting human rights.

"Lynsey Bartilson, 18, is hoping a new book on human rights will help
youth learn from the mistakes of the past. Bartilson, star of the teen Fox
series, Grounded For Life, is helping promote a book called What Are Human
Rights?, a small pamphlet designed for youth that educates readers on the
United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"The book is a project of Youth for Human Rights International, a
nonprofit organization established by members of the Church of
Scientology. Bartilson is also a Scientologist. 'I was raised with an
extreme sense of tolerance growing up, and I wanted to help teach kids how
to protect themselves,' Bartilson said. 'The book will be an educational
tool and hopefully will help remove ignorance about human rights.'"

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#####

> Protest Summary

Dave Bird reported a protest at the Birmingham, England org on April 6th.

"Just Dave, Jens, and John plus our sound system this time. The DSA
appeared and wanted to tie us up talking to waste our time. Apparently
they had done so well that week, they didn't need to leaflet today. The
true reason was apparent around 14:00, the Reg and her assistant had been
leafleting the Palestine rally in the library square about 150 metres up
the street from us.

"We finished after 2 hours dead and went to a pub just round the corner on
the other side.  The DSA and his side-kick followed us to the pub and
stood across the road for twenty minutes then went away."

Christopher Wood reported a protest at the Toronto, Canada org on April
6th.

"Picketers: Me, Gregg Hagglund, Keith Henson, and The Unknown Picketer.
Leaflets: We passed out approximately 500. My No Science/Scn Founder Con
Man, Gregg's Xenu/crimes, a couple of Kirsti Wachter's 'Scientology Hurts
People,' and some about the Children's Sec Check. The picket went for
about three hours. The Scientologists who do the picket handling stayed
quiescent, so we managed to picket unmolested.

"I ran out of the 50 leaflets that I started out with.  I ended up reading
to one couple this paragraph from A History of Man, which clearly
illustrates L. Ron Hubbard's disturbing attitude towards the world: 'This
universe is a rough universe. It is a terrible and deadly universe. Only
the strong survive it, only the ruthless can own it. Given one weak spot a
being cannot long endure it for this universe will search it out and
enlarge it and fester and probe it until that weak spot is a festering
wound so large that the being is engulfed by his own sores.'

"A group of three Scientologists came out the front door and Mario rushed
over, saying 'Go out the back! Go out the back!' - and what do you know,
they did as he said. A line of non-OT Scientologists, moving out the back
door of the org, getting waved along by OT Scientologists, and serenaded
by Gregg's 'Doubt is not a crime' spiel. Gregg reports that the herdees
appreciated this more than the herders.

"It seems fairly certain that we were followed home on the drive back. A
white car stayed pretty close right from leaving the parking lot near the
org."

Message-ID: <cWd1wOA5+xr8EwCk@...>
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#####

> Florida Schools

The St. Petersburg Times reported on April 6th that the Florida
legislature failed to pass a set of education laws in part because the
proposal would allow Scientology and other groups to be promoted in public
schools.

"A special session to update Florida's education laws ended Friday in a
spectacular meltdown over language spelling out religious freedom for
students. An unusual coalition of liberal Democrat and conservative
Republican senators blocked the bill because of a provision allowing
students to distribute religious literature and proselytize to fellow
students.

"Jewish lawmakers feared the measure would be used to harass religious
minorities. Christian lawmakers feared it could invite Satan worshipers to
school.

"Sen. Don Sullivan, a St. Petersburg Republican who was on the negotiating
team, said he regretted his Thursday vote to approve the compromise bill
that included the religious language. 'Once we had a chance to think about
it, we were afraid it opened schools up to people who we didn't want
there. It wasn't just Scientology, we have a problem in the prisons with
groups that want to smoke marijuana or sacrifice chickens,' Sullivan
said."

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#####

> Reed Slatkin

The Santa Barbara News-Press reported in a series of articles from March
31 to April 2nd on the guilty plea of Reed Slatkin, Scientology minister
and creator of a fraudulent investment scheme.

"Waiting to serve what will likely be a long prison sentence and shunned
by ex-friends, bankrupt investor Reed Slatkin had another punishment
befall him recently when he learned that he has been excommunicated from
the Church of Scientology. Church officials held a hearing and decided to
expel the former Hope Ranch resident.

"While the church benefited indirectly because Mr. Slatkin and many of his
investors were generous donors, Mr. Neilson concluded that so far there is
no evidence that the church was a large beneficiary. In addition,
Scientologists were just as much victims in the scam as
non-Scientologists, court records show.

"'He misused his connections to the church tremendously,' said Linda
Simmons Hight, a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International.
'He overstated his connections. He hasn't ministered in the church since
1983 and he has abused his position since then.'"

"Securities and Exchange Commission investigators brought the friendly and
smooth-talking 53-year-old to Los Angeles for questioning in January and
February of 2000. They wanted to know more about the investment deals Mr.
Slatkin spun from the suburban Goleta home he had converted into offices
from which he operated his 'investment club.' But instead of confessing to
any financial sins, the EarthLink co-founder and former ordained minister
of the Church of Scientology began to proselytize about the teachings of
the late science fiction writer and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
'It's important to me, and it's been the basis of almost everything I've
done in life,' he told them. Mr. Slatkin then pulled out his copy of Mr.
Hubbard's book 'What is Scientology Doing in the World?' and started
reading: 'The aims of Scientology are civilization without insanity,
without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest
beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights.'

"Investors who heard about how he's living or spotted him over the last
few months - noshing at the Paradise Cafe, pumping iron at Gold's Gym
downtown, or swatting a tennis ball around the court at the Cathedral Oaks
Country Club in Goleta - want him put away as soon as possible. 'They
should put him in jail and make him suffer like the people he hurt,' said
a frail 83-year-old widow and former neighbor, who contends she was made
desperate in her golden years after she lost more than $113,000 from her
life savings.

"But friends and neighbors say Mr. Slatkin hasn't been living a life of
luxury, oblivious to his fate and the consequences of what he has done. He
is borrowing money from his parents and in-laws to cover the rent, sources
said. His wife is working again. To get around town, he drives his sons'
Toyota Prius or Jeep Cherokee. His own cars will soon be auctioned off by
the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee. One of his sons, who is struggling to get
into the music business, recently petitioned to have his name changed from
Justin Slatkin to Justin Michael, court records show.

"One of the most heart-wrenching cases is that of Alice Wintz, a Van Nuys
resident who nine years ago entrusted Mr. Slatkin with $1 million of an
insurance settlement from a car accident that left her a quadriplegic. 'He
said that my money would be safe with him, that if he managed it I would
never have to worry about my medical and living expenses,' said Ms. Wintz,
who was living off interest payments until last year. Now she's living on
charity. 'I'm in a desperate situation. I'm almost destitute. I'm not sure
how I'm going to survive.'

"'I feel a fool,' said one investor, who also feels terrible for having
convinced his grown children to invest. 'I've gone to each of the people I
introduced to him and requested their understanding and release from the
guilt that I feel.' Mr. Slatkin's operation was polished enough to
bamboozle the best. 'Reed fooled a lot of people. He was good at that,'
said Michael Azeez, whose family lost a staggering $42 million invested
with Mr. Slatkin.

"'He had an incredibly devilish way of establishing trust,' he said. 'One
day, he had a phone call from somebody and he said, 'Oh, these poor people
really took it in the shorts. They withdrew all their money from me and
invested it with a friend of mine and he lost it, and I now feel
responsible for rebuilding these people's losses, so I'm looking after
their funds on a special basis.' He showed me how the funds had been
creeping back up (with him).'

"Like many investors, he was asked to sign a statement defining their
financial agreement as a courtesy between friends rather than a business
transaction. 'You have asked me to do you a favor,' the letter began. 'As
a friend I am willing to do this.' But it goes on to list a series of
conditions and then states: 'You understand that I may lose all the money
that you have handed to me.'

"So far, no one else has been charged in the case, but a statement of
facts that is part of his plea agreement mentions three alleged
accomplices.  At least three former business associates, including his
bookkeeper, were accomplices in his conspiracy to obstruct a federal
investigation into his investment practices that began in 2000, Mr.
Slatkin claims. Jean Janu of Santa Fe, N. M. , who served as his
bookkeeper for six years, and consultants Dan Jacobs and Didier
Waroquiers, are named as accomplices in his conspiracy to obstruct the
Securities and Exchange Commission probe by preparing fake investor
documents. Records claim that Ron Rakow of Hope Ranch, a convicted felon
in a previous fraud scheme, solicited people to invest with Mr. Slatkin.

"A handful of other people Mr. Slatkin knew for many years and employed
are already being questioned about the money trail. They include convicted
felon Christopher Mancuso, who set up a Swiss telephone line that
forwarded calls to Mr. Slatkin's Goleta office in an apparent attempt to
create the false image that Mr. Slatkin's Swiss bank accounts were real.
Another former partner is Richard Levine, who co-owned several businesses
with Mr. Slatkin and who knew by 1989 that Mr. Slatkin had been making
fraudulent representations about his investment results, the report said.

"Prying out the truth, settling accounts and determining whether others
share culpability are all expected to drag on for years. None of these
people has been accused, charged or indicted.

"A key figure is Ms. Janu, the bookkeeper who made Mr. Slatkin her only
client starting in 1996. Records show she was paid $1.13 million for her
services. Ms. Janu served as his bookkeeper since 1990, working in New
Mexico where she lived and on travels to Santa Barbara to meet with him.
According to the plea statement, Ms. Janu fabricated lists of liquidated
investor accounts that she knew would be provided to the SEC.

"The statement of facts also states that Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Waroquiers
assisted Mr. Slatkin in 'maintaining the fictions' that Mr. Slatkin had
approximately $217 million secure in a Swiss bank account. Mr. Jacobs
provided consulting and advisory services to Mr. Slatkin since 1974, and
by 2001 was charging Mr. Slatkin a $40,000-per-month retainer. Also, Mr.
Jacobs received a payment of $880,000 from Mr. Slatkin on Nov. 29, 1999.

"Mr. Slatkin invested approximately $7 million into five Santa
Barbara-area businesses, according to court documents. There could be
more. Remaining assets could be seized and sold by the trustee. Mr.
Slatkin bought about 74,000 shares of Computer Motion, the Goleta-based
medical device firm run by his old friend. Today those shares are worth
approximately $300,000.  He also remains one of the top 10 investors on a
percentage basis in privately-held Santa Barbara Connected Systems Corp.,
which turns 6 years old this July. He owned 790,778 shares in the firm as
of last June, according to documents obtained by the trustee."

Stockwatch reported on Reed Slatkin and his relationship with Robert
Duggan.

"Investigators trace Mr. Slatkin's entree into the investment world to
about 1979, four years after he was ordained a minister of L. Ron
Hubbard's Church of Scientology in 1975. 'In about 1979-1980, Slatkin met
Robert F. Duggan, a fellow Scientologist, who Slatkin describes as 'a
successful professional investor, primarily in the stock market,'' states
Mr. Neilson in a recent trustee's report. Mr. Duggan provided rudimentary
investment training to Mr. Slatkin, who had no prior formal training in
either investments or money management. 'During this period, Duggan began
to teach Slatkin about the stock market and the process of analyzing
companies as potential investments.'

"Mr. Duggan arrived on Howe Street around the same time as fellow
Scientologist Mr. Baybak, who remains an active player in the market. Both
invested in a private placement financing of immigrant-investor-fund
promoter Steven Funk's First Generation Resources Ltd. in 1985, along with
budding penny stock promoter and former drug peddler Robert Friedland.

"After his introduction and training by Mr. Duggan, Mr. Slatkin soon
became immersed in the market. In 1984, Mr. Slatkin made the transition
from working as a full-time ordained Scientologist minister to becoming a
professional, although unregistered, self-employed investment manager.
Mr. Slatkin testified he made investments for these 'friends,' 'to help
Scientologists who have their attention away from their money and they're
helping the church.'

"In 1991, Mr. Slatkin made a private placement investment in Athena Gold,
a Vancouver gold promotion which attracted fellow Scientologists Mr.
Baybak and Mr. Gerbino a few years earlier.  Mr. Slatkin's Athena
investment came four months after Time magazine's unflattering cover
feature on the Church of Scientology, which highlighted the promotion of
Athena by Mr. Baybak and Mr. Gerbino. Mr. Slatkin subsequently rose to
prominence in the Scientology community, boosted by his lucky 1994
investment in EarthLink.

"'The trustee has come to the sad, but inescapable conclusion that tens of
millions of dollars, supposedly wisely invested in seasoned and liquid
assets capable of providing a meaningful return, were in fact invested in
highly speculative and illiquid ventures and that much of the invested
funds have been lost as a result of those imprudent investments.' In one
such example, Mr. Slatkin's unregistered fund lost its entire $1-million
and $333,300 investments in PopMail.Com Inc. and Millionaire.com,
respectively, which he purchased with the help of past felon Mr. Rakow
through Co-Right Investments Inc., a Canadian holding company Mr. Slatkin
formed in 1999."

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#####

> Volunteer Ministers

The Auditor reported some of the programs that Scientology's Volunteer
Ministers program has been involved in, as well as news from orgs around
the world.

"Brush Fires in New South Wales. Within hours of the first alarms, our
VM's stepped in to Adi rural firefighters with LRH assist tech,
locationals and basic emergency handlings for the dangerous environment.
As the I HELP ANZO VM IN CHARGE, Ben Lawrence sees it, the push to make
every ANZO Scientologist a Volunteer Minister could not have come too
soon. Dozens of VMs were dispatched to several on site and fire depot
locations. The firefighters response:  overwhelmingly appreciative.

"The UN, in an effort to encourage volunteerism throughout the world
billed 2001 as 'The Year of the Volunteer'. At their year ending
conference in Geneva, our representatives included the conferences' only
participant with volunteer experience at Ground Zero: Class V Auditor
Irnia Lohmann of Hamburg. Addressing the delegates on the work of Scn
Volunteer Ministers around the world were President I HELP International,
Mr. Arlo DiLorenzo, and Irina. One delegate from The Gambia stood up after
the presentation and proclaimed, 'I know my friends from the Church of
Scientology are working in my country and their work is appreciated.'

"Washington DC based field auditor Lee Turbush opened a new Life
Improvement Center in Alexandrea Virginia's main shopping mall.  He has
helped more that 500 people take their first steps on The Bridge.

"The Mission of Nadezhda Nerobova and Igor Klipinitser in Chelney in the
far reaches of Russia formed just over one year ago. The Chelney Mission
is now placing more that 100 new people on the introductory services each
and every week.

"At the Athens Mission mission holder Michel Czimbalmos and his staff are
preparing the ground for the 10 missions that will surround what will
ultimately by Athens Org. Already they're expanding beyond their shores to
a new mission on the island of Cyprus.

"In the last 3 months Tokyo Org as added 56 additional staff, brining them
to a total of 248, while they are now delivering more than 150 Intro
services every week and their sales of the Scientology Handbook in
Japanese topped all foreign releases. And ANZO's first ever Japanese NOT
auditor, Hiroko Fukuda has just graduated the Flag Class IX Internship and
returned to AOSH ANZO!

"Rohn Walker, in the past year established Indochina's first Scn mission.
Thelma Mitchem, ED of the Houston Mission is also the Mission Holder of
the new Harlem Mission in New York. David Pomeranz is one of the most
popular recording artists in the Philippines. They've established a group
in Manila that they intend to expand into the country first Church of
Scientology Mission of The Philippines."

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#####

> Xenu.net

News organizations commented on the recent controversy when Google removed
links to the Xenu.net web site following complaints from Scientology for
alleged copyright violations. From the Boston Herald on April 2nd:

"The Church of Scientology threatened the popular Google search engine
with legal action if searches on the word 'Scientology' yielded links to
anti-Scientology sites like www.xenu.net. The church contends that under
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, this infringes on the church's
intellectual property. Google yanked the links at first, but apparently
restored them after the move outraged many Net citizens.

"Note that, in this case, the church didn't go after the sites themselves;
instead officials tried to prevent Web users from stumbling across them.
As of now, however, a search on 'Scientology' calls up xenu.net as the
fourth choice; the top three are official Scientology sites, including
www.scientology.org."

From Financial Times on April 2nd:

"There is a nasty trend developing out there as far as what links you can
include on your web pages. The large search engine Google recently removed
a web site from the World Wide Web that was critical of the Church of
Scientology. We can thank the US for this. Their draconian Digital
Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is effectively being imposed on the whole
planet and slowing eroding the premise that the WWW is a free global
resource. Ironically the DMCA is also attacking what is supposedly one of
the US's fundamental freedoms - free speech and freedom of expression."

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-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 7
4/14/2002 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

#####

> Andrea Yates

The Houston Chronicle reported on April 11th that Scientology's CCHR
branch is helping the family of Andrea Yates, who is accused of drowning
her five children, with a complaint against her psychiatrist.

"The complaint alleges Dr. Mohammed Saeed, former medical director at
Devereux Texas Treatment Network in League City, did not properly manage
her medication and released her from the hospital when she was dangerously
delusional.

"'We feel that Dr. Saeed's actions of excessive, harmful treatment, and
his lack of action to warn about the endangerment of the children, made
him negligent in his duty to protect the children,' states the complaint
signed by Yates' brothers, Brian and Andrew Kennedy, and her mother, Jutta
Karin Kennedy.

"The Austin chapter of the international Citizens Commission on Human
Rights, a mental health watchdog group established in 1969 by the Church
of Scientology, helped the family develop the complaint.  Jerry Boswell,
president of the Austin chapter, said the complaint does not ask
specifically that criminal charges be filed, but its goal is to see Saeed
charged with criminal negligence.

"Yates confessed to drowning all her children in the bathtub and was
convicted last month of capital murder in the deaths of three of them and
sentenced to life in prison.  Saeed treated her during two
hospitalizations at Devereux last year and saw her twice in his office
after her second discharge May 14.

"The commission's review of Yates' medical records showed that upon her
second admittance to Devereux on May 4, Saeed increased her dose of the
antidepressant Effexor from 200 to 450 milligrams per day. According to
the commission's consultants, that was well above the standard therapeutic
dose of 37.5 milligrams per day, Boswell said.

"But Houston psychiatrist Lucy Puryear, who specializes in women's
psychiatric problems related to giving birth and who testified at Yates'
trial, disagreed, noting she occasionally prescribes up to 300 milligrams
per day.  'As a physician, you're allowed to use your clinical judgment
and increase dosages as long as you monitor for side effects and adverse
effects,' Puryear said."

Message-ID: <6e7bbuoadqshuklfli0td8e0uqiqa8ln2r@...>

#####

> Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on April 9th and 14th
addressed the connection between a development plan for downtown
Clearwater, Florida and the domination of Scientology in that area.

"Letter writer Earl M. Hoaglin is badly misinformed on every issue he
discusses. Mr. Hoaglin seems to think approval of the project would have
somehow diminished Scientology influence in downtown. If so, why were so
many Scientologists attending the referendum meetings and speaking
vigorously in favor of the project? Mr. Hoaglin clearly does not know that
the city attorney acknowledged at a City Commission meeting that the city
would have little or no influence over who the developers chose to
sublease or transfer the lease of property to.

"Still sulking because 72 percent of the voters disagreed with their
grandiose plans for the bluff and bayfront, they seem to be taking
satisfaction in the fact that successive concerts and now the building of
the bridge have contributed to the deterioration of our bayfront park,
which the people of Clearwater have voted, time and again, to preserve. -
Anne McKay Garris, Clearwater"

"Mrs. Garris must have received a different edition of the Times than I
because she arrives at the conclusion that 'Mr. Hoaglin seems to think
approval of the project would have somehow diminished Scientology
influence in downtown.' How she or anyone infers this from that letter
writer's text I do not know. Mr. Hoaglin wrote, 'Due to the
accomplishments of the Save the Bayfront group, the only thing to do is
change the name of downtown Clearwater to L. Ron Hubbard City.'

"My understanding of Mr. Hoaglin's text is that due to the fear tactics of
Save the Bayfront, there is no catalyst project happening today to bring
droves of residents and tourists to downtown Clearwater. Therefore, we
continue to see what Mr. Hoaglin calls 'Ron Hubbard City,' a downtown with
the most visible street activity being performed by residents in the
uniforms of Scientology.

"Mrs. Garris suggests that the referendum on the downtown redevelopment
plan was a Scientologist takeover plot for downtown Clearwater.  She
states that 'they' were 'attending the referendum meetings' and spoke
'vigorously in favor' of the plan. Many other residents did the same and
as property and business owners, those Scientologists she refers to saw
the many positives that the others saw.

"I do believe that Scientologists welcomed the redevelopment plan because
they have accumulated a number of properties downtown and it is in their
best interest financially for redevelopment to happen. Their best dollar
value for their properties will be the day when that group's members are a
minority downtown due to a large number of tourists and residents who will
be entertaining and living in downtown Clearwater as well in a varied but
amalgamated and vibrant downtown. - Ric Ortega, Belleair"

Message-ID: <a8vofb$nt5@...>
Message-ID: <a9c4im$f5t@...>

#####

> Heber Jentzsch

The Associated Press reported on April 11th that Heber Jentzsch, the
president of the Church of Scientology International, has been acquitted
of conspiracy and fraud charges.

"A Spanish court on Thursday acquitted the American leader of the Church
of Scientology of conspiracy and other charges, ending a case that dated
back to 1988. In December the Madrid Provincial Court had acquitted 15
members and employees of the Spanish branch of Scientology who had been
charged along with church leader Rev. Heber Jentzsch. When Jentzsch did
not appear for trial as it began in February, the court decided to try him
separately.

"The court said in December there was no evidence to support prosecutors'
allegations that drug rehabilitation and other programs sponsored by the
Church of Scientology in Spain amounted to illicit gatherings aimed at
activities such as bilking people of money. In 1988 Jentzsch was arrested
when he arrived in Madrid for a Scientology conference. He was held for 4
months before being released, but indicted in 1994."

Message-ID: <28601383.0000fdcb.082@...>

#####

> Help Wanted

A help wanted advertisement posted on April 8th suggests that Scientology
is looking for public relations help to work on Internet issues.

"Los Angeles-based PR agency seeking journalist/writer to work exclusively
on the account of a not-for-profit, somewhat controversial not-for-profit
association. The client is a spiritual growth/personal development-type
movement. The opposition is made of disgruntled members/apostates and is
very active on hate sites on the internet.

"Responsibilities include monitoring the activities of defamatory,
internet-based, hate-group type opposition; implementing internet and
media-based strategies to expose opposition's hateful activities."

Message-ID: <719ae071.0204081017.56a718f9@...>

#####

> Kirstie Alley

Star magazine reported in its April 16th issue that Scientology celebrity
Kirstie Alley will not make an appearance on the TV show Frasier because
of the connection to psychiatry.

"Grammer wanted her to guest-star on Frasier.  Alley apparently doesn't
believe in psychiatry. And even if Grammer only plays a shrink on
television, she still wants nothing to do with Frasier. All other Cheers
cast members made, or are about to make, appearances on NBC's Frasier.

"'Kirstie told Kelsey that she couldn't accept his invitation because her
church, Scientology, believes it can solve all psychological problems and
they look at psychiatry and psychology as competition,' a set insider
said. 'She thinks her presence would show that she's giving her stamp of
approval to something her church frowns upon. Kelsey just wanted Kirstie
to join a few friends for a laugh. This had nothing to do with religion
and everything to do with TV ratings.'"

Message-ID: <16m4bu41v2pp4aact7uvf5laimcsgt2fmv@...>

#####

> Freewinds

Freewinds magazine announced a schedule for a tour of Scientology orgs by
the staff of the Freewinds cruise ship.

"See our video. Meet our staff. Hear the wins from New OT VIIIs and other
Ship service completions.

"16 March - Stockholm
12 March - Phoenix, Twin Cities
30 March - Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Saint Hill UK
6 April - Salt Lake City, London
13 April - Denver, Kansas City, Paris
20 April - Boston
27 April - Dallas, Hamburg
4 May - Austria, Quebec
11 May - Houston, Ottawa, Karlshue
18 May - Halifax, Nice
25 May - Sacramento, Torino, Frankfurt
1 June - Montreal, Stuttgart
8 June - Portland, New York, Dusseldorf
15 June - New Jersey, Munich
21 June - Vancouver, Washington DC, Zurich"

Message-ID: <KF45W61A37356.6063888889@...>

#####

> Xenu.net

Newsbytes reported on April 12th that Google has begun filing complaints
from Scientology for alleged copyright violations on a website dedicated
to documenting the chilling effects of the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act.

"Cindy Cohn, the Legal Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
(EFF) and one of the developers of Chillingeffects.org, applauded Google's
decision to make the letters available. 'If Google is going to do us the
service of providing the cease and desist letters they receive, it's just
going to make the Web site stronger,' Cohn said.

"Google has also posted a page on its own Web site detailing its
obligations and policies under the DMCA. 'It is our policy to respond to
notices of alleged infringement that comply with the DMCA and other
applicable intellectual property laws, which may include removing or
disabling access to material claimed to be the subject of infringing
activity,' the site says. In addition to providing instructions on how to
notify Google of possible infringements, the page includes guidance for
Web site operators seeking to fight infringement claims by filing
counter-notifications."

Message-ID: <a99e93$ca@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 3
4/21/2002 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

#####

> Davis

The California Aggie, newspaper of the University of California at Davis,
published a profile on Scientology on April 17th.

"Michelle Ball-Campbell, a practicing attorney, finds spirituality in
Scientology, as do a growing number of people ranging from movie stars to
professionals. Yet, despite its recent increased acceptance, Scientology
continues to be the target of criticism and debate between advocates and
skeptics.

"While various Web sites assert that the church's unorthodox methodologies
and philosophies are harmful and misleading, Scientology evangelists
explain the religion's foundations, beliefs and practices. According to
Ball-Campbell, special affairs director for the Church of Scientology in
Sacramento, those who have little to no knowledge of the religion
frequently misunderstand Scientology.

"But, Internet Web sites such as Clambake Operations say otherwise. The
site, www.xenu.com, contains what it asserts to be hidden truths about
Scientology. It displays stories written by people who have been involved
with churches. 'The Church of Scientology is a vicious and dangerous cult
that masquerades as a religion and practices a variety of mind-controlling
techniques that submerges critical thinking faculties,' the site states.

"According to Ball-Campbell, Scientology fits the criteria of a religion.
There are three main characteristics of a religion: a belief in a supreme
being, practices directed toward understanding the supreme being and a
community of believers who commune with being through practices and
rituals. Hight explained Scientology as an applied religious philosophy.
Unlike other religions, which base their teachings on theoretical values,
Scientology focuses on practical issues. 'It is dedicated to making a
person's life better and addresses the spiritual nature of man.' According
to the Scientology Web site, communication is the remedy for life's
nuisances, such as stress, fear and psychosomatic illness. Thus,
communication is the key objective behind religious practices, which
Ball-Campbell said are called 'Dianetics.'

"Some Web sites like Clambake Operations say auditing is a form of
brainwashing, a charge Ball-Campbell denied.  'Scientology auditing is
about as far away from hypnosis, meditation, psychotherapy and other
mental therapies as you can get,' said Ball-Campbell. 'There is no
resemblance between Scientology and these practices. During auditing, the
person is alert and in present time.'"

Message-ID: <a9mdvo$jp5@...>

#####

> CCHR

The Vancouver Sun reported on April 17th that CCHR is publicizing the case
of a patient who has received over 130 ECT treatments in three years.

"Riverview psychiatrists have declared that the patient, 71-year-old
Michael Dennis Matthews, is unable to give consent to the shock treatment
because of his mental state. So, as with many geriatric patients, they are
administering electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to him on an involuntary
basis. Matthews told the Vancouver Sun he fears the shock treatments more
than anything else. 'I'm braver now, but I don't like it. They hurt, I
don't want it,' said Matthews, who recalled he was admitted to Coquitlam's
Riverview Hospital 39 years ago - for what reason, he cannot remember or
cannot disclose.

"Billing records show that Matthews received about 135 ECT treatments.
This is well above the average number of ECT treatments of between six and
12. Doctors normally expect improvement within 15 treatments. The public
trustee's office, which has jurisdiction over Matthews' financial and
legal affairs, was made aware of his ECT situation by Julie Butler, who is
director of the B.C. chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a
Church of Scientology affiliate. Butler, who wants doctors to halt
Matthews' ECT sessions, said she became aware of Matthews when she read
about him on a Web site and began visiting him several months ago.

"Dr. Martha Donnelly, a Vancouver Hospital geriatric psychiatrist and
member of a team that has just delivered a report to the minister of
health on recommended guidelines for ECT delivery, said doctors hope that
patients improve within 15 treatments. Asked if there was an upper limit
of ECT treatments any patient should receive she said: 'The point is that
you want the patient to be well, and if they are doing well, then you
continue on. After 15 treatments or six months, you should redo the whole
informed consent and in an involuntary patient, ensure there is a second
opinion,' she said.

"Dr. Jaime Paredes, a psychiatrist who was fired by Riverview after he
went public with his concerns about the sharp increases in ECT on
Riverview geriatric patients, said Tuesday that he couldn't comment on the
Matthews case since he is not familiar with it. 'But in general, it sounds
like an excessive number of treatments and it sounds like the hospital or
the doctors need to provide a very good explanation. I personally
prescribe ECT to patients only as a last resort, often in an emergency
situation where someone is a violent risk to himself or others, or someone
who is dying in front of me because they are refusing to eat,' said
Paredes."

Message-ID: <a9kmc5$8uq@...>

#####

> Karin Spaink

Boudewijn van Ingen reported from a court hearing in The Hague in which
Scientology is opposed to the continued presence of secret Operating
Thetan materials on Dutch websites.

"Warren McShane was allowed to make a short presentation to the judges
early on, about the 'security arrangements' that are supposedly in place
in the Co$ to keep those precious OT-levels from becoming 'published.' Mr.
Hermans (Lawyer for CoS) had argued that at no time copies of the
OT-material were spread amongst Scientologists and that Scientologists
were even never allowed to take notes while they studied the materials.

"According to Warren, the OT's are all printed on special paper called
mylar that is impossible to tear and contains a device that would set off
an alarm when someone would try to remove it from the room.

"When the lead judge asked Warren about the fact that these security
arrangements obviously had not been in use ever since the sixties, when
the OT-material was written, Warren hastened to explain that these
arrangements obviously evolved over time, but that the secrecy had been in
place at all times.  And he waved a piece of paper in front of the bench
that was supposed to prove that. Alas for him, it was by then far too late
to enter new evidence into this case. And of course, waving pieces of
paper in front of a judge at such a late stage in a court case makes the
one doing it look quite ridiculous.

"When it was Mr. Van Maanen's turn (the lawyer for both the ISPs and Karin
Spaink), he quickly reminded the court that by now this case had become
limited to only the OT-2 and OT-3 documents. The Ability material
apparently appeared in printed form already and all the other material
seems to have never been contested by the Co$.  He continued by reminding
the court that by Scientology's own admissions in 1998 some 25,000 people
had already been given access to the documents in question, adding that
that number probably has only grown since then.

"Van Maanen also raised doubt about the security of the materials because
the presentation by Warren McShane could not have had to do much with the
original arrangements that were in place since the materials were written,
but also because the defense had only been furnished with contracts about
this issue between RTC and TWO different organizations, dating 1982, 1988,
1992 and 1995. Obviously if there are SEVEN organizations which are
licensed by RTC, only one of them lacking such security measures would
constitute an obvious flaw in the arguments of Mr. Hermans.  And of
course, if Warren McShane would have 'personal copies' of such documents,
how could anyone be sure how many of such copies there were at all?

"Van Maanen continued to argue that the materials had been made available
to the public anyway. He argued that both the Berne convention and Dutch
law regard making materials available, even under certain conditions as
publication. In Dutch law, it was argued that only if the audience was
direct family, and that no money had changed hands, there was an
exception. In any other case where information is being shared, Dutch law
seems to consider it publication.

"After a short break, it was Mr. Hermans' turn again. He reiterated that
there had been 'confidentiality' and that the material had been 'stolen'.
Then Mr. Hermans made some pointless argument about 'trade secrets'
(completely inappropriate here).  The judges concluded the hearing by
announcing that there will be a judgment on June 13."

Message-ID: <ui1sbukeh0vb39q7cu4vf57v407geoatgd@...>

#####

> Flag World Tour

"Cerridwen" posted the schedule for the Flag World Tour, in which staff
members from Clearwater visit local orgs.

"27 April - Toronto, Berlin
4 May - Denver
25 May - Montreal, Verona
1 June - Sacramento
8 June - Battle Creek, Torino"

Message-ID: <065e953921daf7af0416d8cb77ee6d00@...>

#####

> Lawrence Wollersheim

Lawrence Wollersheim posted an update to his long-running case, in which
he is trying to collect a multi-million dollar judgment against
Scientology for abuse while he was a member.

"The case has now entered the last part of its third and final phase. The
first phase was the original case, which showed Scientology's auditing
practices as dangerous mind control.  The case was won, but Scientology
conveyed $500,000,000 out of the Church of Scientology of California in
order to claim that CSC could not pay the now approximate $9,000,000
judgment. The second phase was the Wollersheim victory in a Strategic
Lawsuits against Public Participation lawsuit against Scientology in which
Wollersheim was awarded, and Scientology paid, $500,000 in fines.

"The third phase is just about to go to the judge for a ruling. This phase
involves showing that Church of Scientology International and Religious
Technology Corporation controlled CSC and therefore are responsible to pay
the CSC Wollersheim judgment.

"The Judge will be listening to the MCCS tapes where Scientology discusses
transferring assets and committing a fraud on the IRS. The judge may order
David Miscavige to the witness stand as he was involved in most of the
CSC, CSI, RTC and MCCS transactions.

"The final evidence for phase three will be heard May 9-15, 2002. The
judge is expected to issue his final ruling within 30-90 days after that.
Here is how I see the case ending and the realistic timetables: The judge
will rule in our favor. Scientology will then spend another two to three
years appealing that new decision. Scientology will have to put up about a
15 million dollar bond. We will survive their appeals and enforce the
collection against the 15 million bond or CSI and RTC by seizing their
assets."

Message-ID: <Lbov8.46854$To6.13495571@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

In a hearing in Clearwater, Florida this week, Bob Minton recanted some of
the testimony he had given in previous depositions. He claims that Ken
Dandar, attorney for the Lisa McPherson estate, asked him to lie under
oath to keep certain events secret. As a result of the hearing, contempt
of court charges against Bob Minton were withdrawn. Scientology has moved
to remove Ken Dandar from the case based on the admissions.

"A. I caused two checks, one in the amount of five hundred thousand
dollars to be issued to Ken Dandar and around May of 2001 and an
additional check for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars issued to Mr.
Dandar in early March of this year.

"These were checks that were issued by Union Bank of Switzerland. Sometime
in Springish of 2001, Mr. Dandar said he needed money to continue with the
case and bring the case to trial and he requested that I get him some
money. And he said that he wanted to do this in such a way that it didn't
appear that the money came from me. He mentioned several reasons why he
didn't want it to appear to come from me, that the wrongful death case was
getting to be extremely messy because of my financial contributions to the
case, and that he did not wish to run this money through his trust
account. That he had another means of hiding this money from the
Scientologists as well as some of his employees.

"He mentioned specifically Michael Garko and Tom Haverty where I think Mr.
Dandar was trying to cut back on payments to them in order to conserve
money to continue the case.

"A. Sometime in July or August of 1999 I flew into town for the purpose of
having a meeting at Ken Dandar's office. Present at that meeting were
myself, Stacy Brooks, Jesse Prince, Michael Garko and Ken Dandar. And this
meeting went on for two or three hours and the sole purpose of the meeting
was to discuss adding these additional parties to the wrongful death case.

"Q. Who brought up that subject, who first suggested adding additional
parties to the wrongful death case, sir?

"A. Mr. Dandar. The other four people at the meeting gave their views
starting with Dandar, Garko, Jesse Prince and Stacey Brooks and finally I
was the last one to talk about it. And all four of those were strongly in
favor of adding David Miscavige. They agreed with Mr. Ken Dandar's
assessment that adding David Miscavige and these other defendants would
force Scientology to pay a larger amount in settlement and get them to the
settlement table a lot sooner based on a strategy that they believe had
worked in the past in the Fishman case which is another case entirely.

"Before Stacy and Jesse and I left, he told us, I think he went down in
the elevator with us and walked out to the cars. He told us that, you
know, we should never discuss that this meeting ever occurred in any way.

"Sometime prior to my deposition Mr. Dandar said, do you remember the
meeting that never happened, and I said no. And he said that's the correct
answer.

"Q. Did you have any discussion with Ken Dandar as to whether you had to
disclose the existence of these two bank checks, the five hundred thousand
and the two fifty?

"A. Yes, I did. I explained to Ken Dandar that my Boston attorney, Steven
Jonas, who is here in the courtroom, advised me that I should disclose
those checks and Mr. Dandar said, look, I haven't disclosed these checks
and you shouldn't disclose these checks. Furthermore, you know, these
didn't come from you. You didn't write these checks. These came from Fred.
Fred was a mythical man that Ken used to refer to me as when he wanted to
talk about these checks.

"MR. ROSEN: Your Honor, at this point there are four motions we would like
to make.  Motion number one is, I believe that this testimony is truthful,
I believe that Mr. Minton has purged himself and with his commitment to
cooperate and testify truthfully, it would be my recommendation that the
Court withdraw its proceedings against Mr. Minton.

"The second motion is for leave to file an amended complaint against Ken
Dandar, the firm of Dandar & Dandar, Mr. Garko, of alleged inappropriate
course of action based on the testimony you heard.

"The third is a motion for disqualification of Ken Dandar and his firm and
the fourth is a motion to impound to the Court records of bank
depositories into which these funds were put.

"We wanted to make a motion to order Mr. Dandar to immediately deposit to
the Court under seal the records of the deposits, whether the depositories
that money went into respecting these two checks."

A second hearing was held in the Lisa McPherson civil case to address the
same admissions by Bob Minton. From the St. Petersburg Times on April
20th:

"For nearly five years, New England millionaire Robert Minton has
bankrolled a civil lawsuit that blames the Church of Scientology for the
death of Lisa McPherson. Check after check, as much as $2-million, have
gone to Ken Dandar, the Tampa lawyer representing McPherson's estate in
the wrongful death lawsuit. On Friday, Minton, one of Scientology's most
vocal critics, sat in court and testified for the church in a related
case.

"'Mr. Dandar is a lying thief,' Minton said, hitting his fist on the
witness box. Minton said, 'I am now of the belief Mr. Dandar is only in
this for the money.'

"The jaw-dropping testimony amounted to a meltdown of Scientology's
opposition front. Should the church succeed, it could seriously damage the
biggest remaining legal challenge from McPherson's death in the care of
fellow Scientologists in 1995.

"The hearing clearly touched off a storm of emotion among those who count
themselves as critics of the church. Minton's close friend, Stacy Brooks,
sat in the audience, red-eyed and exhausted. In his testimony, Minton said
his one-time friend, former Scientologist Jesse Prince, was so angry to
hear that he was testifying for Scientology that he threatened him. Then,
Minton said, Prince told him: 'You have become a Scientologist.' Minton
said he ordered Prince to leave and told him, 'I never want to see you
again.'

"Tampa attorney Luke Lirot, representing Dandar, said the entire
proceeding was another effort by Scientology to derail the wrongful death
lawsuit, set to go to trial in June. He described the church's case
against Dandar as 'much ado about nothing.'

"In testimony, Dandar said he has never asked anyone to lie, nor has he
done anything inappropriate with the money Minton gave him, as was
insinuated during Friday's hearing. Later, Dandar said in an interview
that Minton's testimony felt like 'your father killing you.' He said he
thinks the church is manipulating Minton by threatening him with a
racketeering complaint. Minton's St. Petersburg attorney, Bruce Howie,
denied that Minton had been threatened.

"In his testimony, Minton said he'd just had enough of lying and, under
the advice of his attorney, wanted to recant his false statements. Dandar,
he said, had asked him to find a way to donate money to the case that
could not be traced back to Minton's accounts."

From the Tampa Tribune of April 21st:

"Minton was never a party to the McPherson wrongful death lawsuit, and
Dandar has never represented him, Minton testified. But Dandar accepted
more than $2 million of Minton's money to keep the wrongful death lawsuit
going, and then told Minton to lie under oath about the total amount,
Minton testified. Also, Dandar persuaded Minton and others to sign sworn
affidavits that bore false testimony, Minton told Pasco-Pinellas Circuit
Judge Douglas Baird.

"Minton is recanting that testimony because he fears going to jail for
perjury, he said on the witness stand. And he now believes Dandar is
simply a greedy lawyer out to exploit McPherson's relatives by taking 40
percent of any award in the pending wrongful death litigation, Minton
said.

"Dandar said afterward that he believes the church has discovered
something that Minton wants kept secret. He said Minton told him without
explanation that if any harm came to Minton's family, Dandar would be to
blame. Minton would not comment on Dandar's statements. His attorney,
Bruce Howie, said Minton only wants to settle the litigation against the
church and get on with his life.

"Under cross-examination by Luke Lirot, who is representing Dandar, Minton
invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself when asked if
he was being investigated for tax evasion.

"Dandar also represents the estate in the wrongful death case, pending
before another judge. If Baird grants the church's request to remove
Dandar in this case, he might also be removed from the wrongful death
case, leaving the estate without a lawyer. Dandar could also face
discipline from the Florida Bar. 'I'm fighting for my life here,' he
said."

Message-ID: <d2b08820.0204200138.43730e38@...>
Message-ID: <d2b08820.0204200148.50c3fb52@...>

#####

> Boston Marathon

The Boston Globe reported on April 16th that Scientology attended the
Boston Marathon to distribute balloons to spectators of the race.

"We'd say L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics people scored a major marketing coup
along Boylston by handing out 3,500 helium-filled yellow balloons from
Hereford Street to Copley Square. 'We'll get at least 50 to 100 calls
today,' reported one Church of Scientology disciple, who was manning the
hotline number printed on the balloons."

Message-ID: <u7fobuguvchht6pd590o0m9sljkroiauku@...>

#####

> Missions

Centre Magazine reported news from Scientology missions around the world.

"Cindy and Joe Feshbach - Following the September 11 atrocities, Joe and
Cindy teamed up with Jenna Elfman and, backed up by their staff and local
Scientologists, they opened the new Mission of SoMa in San Francisco. And
they just opened their third mission in Fremont; also in the San Francisco
Bay area.

"Anne Bruce has recently opened her mission in Redondo Beach California.
As one of the newer members of the team she has gotten 560 LRH books into
public hands and moved 50 public up The Bridge to higher orgs.

"Mitch Talevi established a model testing center in his mission in the
heart of Glendale, California.  With his team he as sent over 1,200
Scientologists up The Bridge to orgs for higher services and OT levels.

"Rohn Walker recently opened two Churches of Scientology in Thailand. He
established a translation team in Bangkok and helped release the new
edition of DMSMH in Thai. He recently opened his second mission in Bangkok
near one of the largest university campuses of the country.

"Rebecca Cusano has opened her second mission in Lake County, Illinois.
She has truly set her sights on the expansion of Scientology of her native
city of Chicago.

"Eric Jay Myers opened the Mission of Staten Island in New York with over
a dozen public sent to New York Org in their first month.

"Tom and Cathy Steiner have opened the Mission of New Orleans. With this
mission and their mission in Baton Rouge Tom and Cathy continue to
spearhead Scientology in Louisiana.

"Kathy Dixon and her husband and two daughters recently opened the new
Portland Mission. They now have a Professional Supervisor and are actively
delivering the Volunteer Ministers Course and flowing new Scientologists
to their local org.

"Kzyl-Orda Mission, Kazakhstan - This new mission was recently opened on
the border of the massive Kyzl Kum desert in the heart of Kazakhstan. They
now have a Supervisor in training in Moscow and meanwhile are busy
disseminating Dianetics and delivering Book One."

Message-ID: <b3b8b0c3e18ca26bd0ff524be2b2274b@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

"Starshadow" reported distributing flyers in downtown Seattle this week.

"Arrived downtown with fliers which spoke of IRS' secret deal with the
Church of Scientology and what everyone's tax dollars are used for. Handed
out about fifty of 'em before the rain decided to pour. People who read
the fliers hung onto them after perusing them closely."

Message-ID: <3CBAD74E.7040204@...>

#####

> Tampa

The Tampa Tribune reported on April 18th that the Scientology org in
Tampa, Florida is considering a move to larger offices in a cigar factory.

"The church bought the Andres Diaz building in October for $1.1 million
and has inquired about other cigar buildings and houses in the
neighborhood, Executive Director Sheri Payson said Wednesday. The church
rents an office at 3617 Henderson Blvd. in south Tampa. The building was
sold, Payson said, and the church needs to move soon.

"If the church moves into the West Tampa building, it will apply for a tax
exemption, Payson said. Earl Haugabook, president of the West Tampa
Chamber of Commerce, doesn't like the sound of that. 'I don't feel good
about them purchasing property in West Tampa,' he said. 'I know the
organization and how they move into an area and use their influence, like
in Clearwater. The next thing you know, they could take over West Tampa,
too. We don't want that for this neighborhood.'

"Payson said members will 'go door-to-door' in West Tampa and host an open
house. 'We want to be open with neighbors,' Payson said, noting that she
would like to speak to neighborhood groups.

"City Councilwoman Mary Alvarez said she hopes the church 'won't put
something controversial' in the building. 'I can't say I'm pleased about
this because of the church's reputation in Clearwater,' she said.

"Joseph Petralia, owner of Petralia Advertising Inc., has rented office
space in the Andres Diaz building for the past four years. When the church
bought the building in October, he said tenants were told the church would
move in, then that told it wouldn't, then told the church would sell it.
Petralia said that when his rent doubled to $2,000, he moved out. 'I don't
think our cigar factories are an appropriate place for this church,' said
Petralia, who lives in West Tampa. 'If they buy up our buildings, we'll
lose our heritage. This is scary to me.'

From the St. Petersburg Times on April 19th:

"Officials with the Church of Scientology's Tampa headquarters say they
probably won't relocate to an old west Tampa cigar factory building they
purchased last year. Sheri Payson, executive director of the Church of
Scientology of Tampa, said Thursday that moving from a cramped office on
Henderson Boulevard to the brick building on Habana Avenue doesn't look
likely.

"'We are weighing selling the building,' Payson said. 'We are looking at
possibly buying another building in the area' as a new headquarters.
Payson said the church bought the Andres Diaz building in October for
$1.1-million with a move in mind. But a month later, officials started
talking to tenants and realized they wanted to stay. 'We started
reconsidering,' she said. Church officials also realized they need about
5,000 square feet more than the 18,000 the Diaz building offers, Payson
said."

Message-ID: <a9md59$jp5@...>
Message-ID: <a9oqj8$480@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 4
4/28/2002 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

#####

> Grady Ward

Grady Ward won an appeal against Scientology, in which the court found he
did not violate a settlement agreement. Grady had previously settled a
copyright violation case with Scientology.

"RTC had no right to execute on the judgment because Grady Ward did not
materially breach the settlement agreement. Ward reasonably assumed that
the $10,000 obligation was conditioned on his receiving an advance from
his book deal. Indeed, the plain language of the settlement agreement
suggests that the obligation is conditional. When the district court
determined that the obligation was unconditional, Ward promptly offered to
pay the full amount plus interest. In these circumstances, Ward's delay in
tendering the $10,000 is not a material breach of the agreement."

Message-ID: <leekcuo3runjs0sveqmkoirel4tpb4ogj2@...>

#####

> Israel

The Jerusalem Post reported on April 19th that Scientologists a Tel Aviv
hospital following an attack on Israeli citizens.

"Members of the Scientologists cult in Tel Aviv managed to get into the
public information center set up at Ichilov Hospital immediately after the
recent terrorist attack in Allenby Street, where they spoke to families of
the injured and gave out propaganda material on their cult.  Shortly after
the attack, around 10 Scientologists mingled with a group of social
workers who were at the hospital to receive families of the injured.
Wearing shirts bearing the tag 'spiritual adviser Scientologist
volunteer,' they talked to the anxious relatives who had arrived at the
center, where entry was permitted only to the hospital medical staff and
relatives of the injured.

"The cult representatives distributed a booklet written by the founder of
the cult Ron Hubbard which promises its readers to help them reach 'the
path which leads to a much safer and happier life for you and for others.'
One of the most persistent volunteers even managed to find her way into
the emergency ward, where she was noticed by the hospital manager Gabi
Barbash and asked to leave.

"Ichilov Hospital said in reaction: 'The hospital does not allow entry to
activists of any cult. The members of the cult gained entry to the
information center without permission. They were thrown out of the
emergency ward as soon as it was discovered that they were carrying out
missionary activity.'

Message-ID: <rpqgcukibl135kpfh1j3g8kevu8vegi53d@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

A transcript of the hearing last week in the Lisa McPherson case was
posted to a.r.s this week. In it, Bob Minton and Ken Dandar disagree about
payments made to the case and the existence of a secret agreement to
provide a large part of any settlement in the case to cult awareness
organizations. Some highlights from the first day of the testimony:

"MR. LIROT: We had intended to certainly seek testimony from Mr. Minton,
from Stacy Brooks, from Jesse Prince, from Michael Garko. We have a
witness that we would like to testify by telephone, Dan Leipold, Patricia
Greenway, Peter Alexander, Thomas Haverty, Frank Oliver. We may ask to
call Mr. Rosen. Ms. Liebreich. And then by telephone again, Mr.
Wollersheim.

"BY MR. ROSEN: Q. Mr. Minton, did you have any conversation with Kennan
Dandar which related to or lead to the - your issuance or causing to be
issued Exhibit 5?

"A. Mr. Dandar was somewhat reluctant to keep coming to me all the time
for money, so he suggested that I give him maybe a larger amount and,
therefore, minimize his calls on me for additional funds. He also said
that he had set up an account somewhere that he could hide this money from
Scientology. And so he asked me if I could find a way to get him some
money that he could make sure that Scientology would never know about.

"Q. Is this the first check which is a bank check drawn on the Bank of
Switzerland, and is that because Mr. Dandar wanted the check that way?

"A. He didn't specifically ask for any particular type of check. He pretty
much left it up to me as to how I could get that to him in a way where it
didn't appear to come from me. And that was based on his concerns about
what had been going on in the court case, the wrongful death case, about
my financial involvement in the case.

"Q. How was this check physically delivered to Mr. Dandar?

"A. I brought it down to Clearwater and called Mr. Dandar, told him I had
some funds that we had talked about. And he suggested that we meet
somewhere halfway in between his Tampa office and my office in downtown
Clearwater. So we met at the Bombay Bicycle Club which was on Gulf-to-Bay
just on the Tampa side of Route 19, on the Tampa side of the Clearwater.

"Q. And would you open the folder that is marked Exhibit 6, please, sir?

"A. That's a check for $250,000 payable to Ken Dandar issued by Union Bank
of Switzerland dated March 7th, 2002.

"Q. Okay. Now, prior to the delivery of this check to Mr. Dandar, were
there any - was there any conversation which led up to this between you
and Mr. Dandar?

"A. One of the principal things that Mr. Dandar had said to me at the time
was that he was going to not tell his trial team that he had money, and
that he would be telling them that I wasn't giving money at that stage and
he was financing out of his own personal retirement account this case. Mr.
Dandar would, if we were in private, he would say, you know, is Fred going
to do anything or not?

"Q. Fred meaning his pet name for you?

"A. Well, his pet name for the source of funds that didn't necessarily run
through his trust account.

"Q. But that source was you?

"A. That's correct.

"Q. Mr. Minton, let me turn to another subject then. Did you have any
discussion with Mr. Ken Dandar, on the subject of the proceeds to be had
from the wrongful death case?

"A. Yes, I did. At the time Scientology was making a big issue that Dell
Liebreich was a money grubbing whatever, just out for the money. And I
suggested to Mr. Dandar to deflate that argument that the Estate should
agree to donate a large part of the proceeds to an anticult organization
to fund a cult awareness type organization in the future.

"Q. Did there come a time after that that Mr. Dandar then reported back to
you on the subject of his discussion of this suggestion of yours with Ms.
Liebreich?

A. He said that he had discussed the matter with Dell Liebreich and that
that is what they decided that they were going to do with the substantial
part of the proceeds of the wrongful death litigation.

"Q. Were going to be giving to some anticult group that you were
selecting?

"A. One or a couple.

"Q. Mr. Minton, did you go on a radio show and announce this agreement
with the Estate to contribute the lion's share or a substantial amount of
the proceeds in the wrongful death case to an anticult group?

"A. Yes. This was about the time the Lisa McPherson Trust was being
formed.

"Q. Did you also then post on the Internet an announcement about this time
in the end of '99, beginning of 2000, of this agreement with the Estate to
donate all or a substantial part of the proceeds in the wrongful death
case to an anticult group?

"A. Yes, I did, specifically the Lisa McPherson Trust.

"Q. Did there then come a time later on in the year 2000 that there was
any conversation with Mr. Ken Dandar on the subject of this agreement for
the Estate to donate a substantial part of the proceeds to the Lisa
McPherson Trust?

"A. He said this is going to be a huge issue in the wrongful death case
and we're going to have to backtrack big time on what you said. Basically
we have to say that's not really the case.

"Q. In other words, you have to say that the statements you made about
this agreement were untrue? As far as you were concerned they were true,
right?

"A. They were true at that time and I was subsequently deposed about this.
Mr. Dandar was also somewhat concerned that - I think it was in like May
or June of 2000 - and Dandar was concerned that I had yet again reaffirmed
this agreement in a deposition.

"Q. Did Mr. Dandar express to you why it was necessary for you to
backtrack on the public disclosure of this agreement?

"A. He said because it looks bad for the case because it appears that
there's some improper business deal between the Estate and Bob Minton with
respect to the proceeds of this case.

"Q. Do you recognize this?

"A. It's an affidavit of Ken Dandar.

"Q. At no time is the Estate or the beneficiaries entered into any
informal or formal negotiations, discussions or agreements with Robert
Minton or any other third party concerning the disposition of any proceeds
realized from any litigation involving the Estate of Lisa McPherson.
That's Mr. Dandar's sworn affidavit on December 20th of the year 2000. To
your own personal knowledge, is that statement true or false?

"A. It's a false statement.

"BY MR. LIROT: Q. What happened, Mr. Minton? Why did you change your mind?
Have you sent e-mails to Mr. Dandar saying, we'll be behind you 100
percent. I don't like the Church. I don't like what it's done. I don't
like what happened to Lisa McPherson. Do you recall sending e-mails to
that effect?

"A. I don't.

"Q. Mr. Minton, I want to find out what happened to you. A bold and long,
long-term challenger of the Church of Scientology, now you're going
around, you're telling people, I don't want to fund these cases. I need
you to dismiss these cases. To what do we owe this 180?

"A. Mr. Dandar.

"Q. Well, you haven't had any meetings with Mr. Dandar for quite some
time, have you?

"A. Since early February is not that far.

"Q. You had a lot of meetings with the Church of Scientology after early
February of this year, haven't you?

"A. I have.

Q. Can you tell me about those meetings?

"A. At the present time there's a confidentiality agreement in place
between my attorneys and the attorneys for the Church of Scientology and
I'm not at liberty to comment.

Q. Why is that? Why a confidentiality agreement? What is it that - what is
it that the Church of Scientology has presented to you to cause this
complete reversal of position on your part? Has the Church of Scientology
threatened you with bringing criminal charges for some of your business
practices involving the country of Nigeria?

"A. No.

"Q. Have you talked with Mr. Prince recently?

"A. Yes. He came to see Stacy Brooks and I at the Adams Mark Hotel on
Clearwater Beach and we had a rather extensive talk.

"Q. And did that talk involve Mr. Prince asking you or inviting you to go
and talk to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and provide some
level of protection to you?

A. There was a subsequent discussion where he brought that up, not
directly, but through his girlfriend who read a letter from Mr. Prince to
Ms. Brooks and I over the telephone in our office and Clearwater two,
maybe three nights ago. He said Bob, you know, I'm working with the FDLE.
He say they're going to be in the courtroom in Florida on Friday when you
testify. If you so much as dare tell a lie they're going to haul you off
to jail.  He told Mr. Howie that the FBI was also going to be here.

"We had dinner at the restaurant in the Radisson Hotel. Mr. Prince was
drunk before he got to the hotel. He said, Minton, I am not going to let
you do this. I am not going to let you go down this road. And I will do
everything in my power to stop you. You've become a Scientologist and he
used some vulgar words in front of that. And then he started into the
story about how when he was in Scientology and he was in trouble one time
- that he went back to his room room while he was in California in the
desert compound there. That he went and got an AK-47 and a 45 caliber
pistol and came out and pointed it at the head of the Church of
Scientology, David Miscavige, Norman Starkey, Mike Rinder and one other
person whose name I can't remember. He said, you know, that you've never
done anything for me. I'm not going to let you go and do anything with
Scientology. These people have destroyed me twice when I've tried to
settle with them and I'm not going to let you go down this road. I'm not
going to let you do this. And I asked him to get up from the table and
walk out the front door of this hotel and that I never wanted to see him
again.

"Q. Did you ever tell Mr. Dandar that if he did not dismiss the wrongful
death case that he would, quote, Have the blood and death of you, your
wife, and your two daughters on his hands?

"A. I did say that in the same conversation when I said we're both going
to be destroyed if we keep on this same course.  I'm not anxious to get
destroyed here. And I think I made it really clear to Mr. Dandar that the
destruction was going to come about as a result of the lies that were
being told n this case and the unethical acts that he had asked people to
do in this case. That's what that was all about.

"Q. Do you remember telling him that Scientology had the goods on you and
that you had to have this case dismissed or it was going to cause your
ruination?

"A. I said, For both of our sakes this case needs to be dropped.

"Q. Why? Why would the case have to be dismissed?

"A. Jonas had told me, You need to go down there to Florida and tell the
truth about these checks. Mr. Dandar made it clear to me that he had not
reported these checks to the Court. These were not from me. These were
from Fred, according to Mr. Dandar.

"Q. You gave him a great deal of money after that point in time. Why
wouldn't you hide that? If the goal was to hide the money, why wouldn't
you hide all the money?

"A. It wasn't my goal to hide the money. My goal was to give Mr. Dandar
the money. Mr. Dandar's goal was to try to hide the $500,000 check and the
$250,000 check."

"BY MR. ROSEN: Q. Did you have an understanding that the money that Mr.
Minton provided was a donation or a loan?

"MR. DANDAR: A. I think my letter spells it out as a donation.

Q. And you understood that that was money intended to be used for the
benefit of your client to use for expenses in the wrongful death case,
right?

"A. That's right.

"Q. Mr. Dandar, Mr. Minton has testified that he's given you, between his
personal checks and the two bank checks, a total of $2,050,000; is that
accurate?

"A. One for 500,000 and one for 250,000 from the Union Bank of
Switzerland.

"Q. He's wrong about those?

"A. He's wrong about it, according to what he told me, yes.

Q. Sir, did you receive those two checks?

"A. Yes, I did.

"Q. Did you deposit them into your client trust account?

"THE WITNESS: Okay. No. Those two checks were deposited into my private
bank account.

"Q. Did there come a time when there was an agreement reached between you
and Mr. Minton as to what these funds were that he was providing, a loan,
a gift, a donation?

"A. Well, they were loans because that's what his letter characterizes it
as, a non-recourse loan with no interest paid back according to the
client's discretion.

"Q. A non-recourse loan to who?

"A. Well, to me and my firm.

"Q. A person loans you personally $100,000 and your only obligation to
repay it is if you win a case and then you will pay it out of your
contingency portion of the fee, right?

"A. That's right. It's for all of the money, some of which would go back
to Mr. Minton and 750 would go back to this unidentified third party.

"Q. It is your testimony that you had no strings on this money, it was a
personal loan to you, you could go out and buy a boat, do whatever you
wanted with it?

"A. It evolved. I put it into the bank. I put it into several accounts,
Dandar & Dandar, depending on how Mr. Minton wrote the check. I put it
into other accounts that made interest. I was trying to make some money on
this money so I wouldn't have to keep going back and telling Mr. Minton,
Well, do you want to give us some more money? Then I would transfer it to
the trust account and from the trust account to the operating account.

"Q. When Mr. Minton handed you this $500,000 check at the Bombay Bicycle
Club, did you ask him whose money this was?

"A. Yes. He said, I can't tell you.

Q. And when he sent you the $250,000, did you ask him whose money that
was?

"A. Yes. He said it's the Fat Man in Switzerland. I said, Who's that? And
he said, I can't tell you.

"Q. Is the sole basis of your testimony that this money was not Mr.
Minton's, is the sole basis for that that you say that Mr. Minton admitted
to you it wasn't his money; is that it?

"A. There's two points; he told me it wasn't his money and it's not on his
checking account.

"Q. Sir, I don't understand. How could a bank check be on somebody's
checking account?

"A. Well, you know, I get bank checks, and you know what? My name is on
the check when it goes out to somebody. It's coming from me.

"Q. Well, I guess if that were the case then the name of the Fat Man would
have been on that check?

"A. That's right. I would know who that person is.

"It's not there, is it?

"A. No.

"Q. You said a moment ago, there was never any agreement to contribute the
monies to be recovered in the wrongful death case to a cult awareness
group, right?

"A. Among the family members there was.

"Q. Was there ever an agreement between Dell Liebreich on the one hand and
her family and Mr. Minton on the other that a substantial amount, of the
recovery from the wrongful death case was going to be contributed to an
anticult group?

"A. No. There's been no agreement with Mr. Minton on disposition of funds
outside of trying to pay him back.

"Q. Did you ever have a conversation with Mr. Minton in which you told
him, Hey, we need to backtrack on these statements that you've been making
on the radio about the bulk of the recovery being paid to an anticult
group?

"A. No, as you phrased the question. I told Mr. Minton he shouldn't be
making untrue public statements. He said to the bulk goes to the Lisa
McPherson Trust, that is an untrue statement.

"Q. Mr. Dandar, would you like this motion to turn, and would you like
your license to practice to turn on the integrity and veracity of that
answer? Should we make it easy for the Judge? Make it a one-issue case? Do
you want your license to turn on the integrity of the --

"MR. LIROT: Objection, argumentative.

"THE COURT: Sustained.

"MR. ROSEN: I'll withdraw the question,

"Your Honor. Nothing further."

Message-ID: <aae8rh0i1d@...>
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#####

> Norway

Nettavisen reported on April 23rd that Scientology has come under
investigation in Norway for keeping personal records improperly.

"Datatilsynet is criticizing Scientology for violating the law about
personal information, and demands that Scientology changes their routines.
Datatilsynet is an official agency that tells who can and who can't store
information about people, and how the information must be stored and
otherwise dealt with. Datatilsynet inspected Co$ in March, and found that
they violated the law.

"Scientology is instructed to go through their internal control on how
they register and manage personal information. They are also instructed to
tell those who are registered, what the purpose for the registration is
and who is the receiver of the personal information. Scientology must also
tell their members it is voluntarily to give personal information.
Scientology must also be able to document that personal information is
treated confidentially and when personal information is to be send to USA,
Scientology must have consent from the registered party."

Message-ID: <ct5fcu0pge44cm2td53p1dgv58jp6ramcd@...>

#####

> Child Actors

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on April 25th that the Mission Street
org in San Francisco is hosting a seminar for prospective child actors.

"The Church of Scientology is hosting a lecture on how to become a child
actor Saturday at its Mission Street storefront. The speaker is Lynsey
Bartilson of the sitcom 'Grounded for Life.' The talk is part of a plan to
attract more children to the site, which explains why a church is touting
getting kids into showbiz."

Message-ID: <aa96fm$m3d@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

The Los Angeles Times reported on April 26th that Scientology minister
Reed Slatkin has surrendered to authorities in connection with a Ponzi
investment scheme he ran, losing hundreds of millions of dollars.

"Reed E. Slatkin, the money manager to Hollywood luminaries who admitted
to having lost $255 million during a 15-year fraud spree, was taken into
custody in federal court in Los Angeles on Thursday to await months of
questioning by investigators. The co-founder of EarthLink Inc. agreed last
month to plead guilty to 15 counts of fraud, money laundering and
conspiracy. He returns to court Monday to enter his plea to charges
carrying a potential sentence of as many as 15 years.

"Slatkin, 53, of Santa Barbara, will try to win a lesser sentence by
helping prosecutors and bankruptcy lawyers seeking to identify additional
assets and defendants.  An attorney for a creditors committee, Richard
Wynne, said he hopes to begin distributing 'significant' amounts of
recovered funds to investors by the end of the year. One unusual provision
of Slatkin's plea agreement allows him to request a lighter sentence
because of the 'psychological impact of his association with certain
individuals and/or groups,' a reference to his long involvement in
Scientology.

"Slatkin sat motionless, in an open-collared white shirt and sport coat,
his eyes downcast, until U.S. Magistrate Rosalyn M. Chapman called him
forward. She asked if he realized he was signing away his rights. 'Yes,
your honor,' Slatkin murmured, barely audible."

From the Santa Barbara News-Press on April 26th:

"Although he appeared uneasy or dejected during the proceedings, Mr.
Slatkin was calm and focused, his attorney said. 'This agreement and his
willingness to turn himself in confirm that he's committed to cooperating
with authorities to resolve this and accept responsibility for what he's
done,' Mr. Sun said. Federal authorities believe the sentence could range
from 12 to 15 years, while his defense attorney believes it could be much
lower.

"Although it would have been possible for Mr. Slatkin to enter his guilty
plea, post bail and be out of custody while he cooperated, federal
authorities wanted him behind bars, 'because of the enormity of what he
has done and because we consider him a flight risk,' said Assistant U.S.
Attorney Steven Olson, who is prosecuting the case with Jacqueline
Chooljian.

"Along with answering questions from the Department of Justice and the
U.S. Trustee, the creditors' committee will likely submit questions for
Mr. Slatkin to answer. The committee has already aggressively investigated
Mr. Slatkin's operation, reviewing literally millions of pages of
documents in an attempt to track financial transactions and find any
co-conspirators."

The News-Press also reported on April 26th on the Internet web site
devoted to following details of the Slatkin case.

"Why are a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, a Canadian
journalist and a New York Web site designer so interested in Reed Slatkin?
The answer is Scientology. David Touretzky, the Carnegie Mellon scientist
and specialist in computer modeling of the brain, is an outspoken critic
of the church. The staunch advocate for First Amendment protections on
Internet content has knocked heads with the church for posting Scientology
texts and the church's training secrets on various sites.

"The Web site, http://www.Slatkinfraud.com, has evolved from its focus on
Scientology, posting reams of financial documents and court records.
However, last September the church sent a letter to Mr. Touretzky's
Internet service provider warning it that he was using their trademark
Excalibur-like cross without permission. After a series of letters from
the church's attorneys, the owners of the small company asked Mr.
Touretzky to move his Web site. He picked EarthLink as the new provider.
And he has since removed the Excalibur image from the Web site's opening
page. Mr. Touretzky described the move to the bigger Internet service
provider as a 'deliciously ironic' twist, because EarthLink was founded by
prominent Scientologist Sky Dayton, and Mr. Slatkin was one of the initial
investors.

"Mr. Touretzky, journalist Kady O'Malley of Ottawa, and New York Web
designer Scott Pilutik have amassed an impressive amount of documents to
support their assertions. There are more than 60 megabytes of information
on the site. The documents include dozens of newspaper articles, court
documents, exhibits and depositions, as well as lists of hundreds of
investors and businesses caught up in the bankruptcy.

"Digging up the documents and tracking down investors has been a reporting
challenge, said Ms. O'Malley, who also covers politics in Canada. While
she believes that well over half the investors are Scientologists, she
said it does not appear that a disproportionate number of Scientologists
made profits. 'It appears Reed decided who benefited based on those who
were close to him or who could either hurt him or help him,' she said."

Message-ID: <aaaj730cv1@...>
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#####

> Xenu.net

The controversy over the efforts by Scientology to remove links to
Xenu.net from the search engine Google was the subject of an article in
the New York Times on April 22nd.

"Google, the company behind the popular Web search engine, has been
playing a complicated game recently that involves the Church of
Scientology and a controversial copyright law. Legal experts say the
episode highlights problems with the law that can make companies or
individuals liable for linking to sites they do not control. And it has
turned Google, whose business is built around a database of two billion
Web pages, into a quiet campaigner for the freedom to link.

"The church sent a complaint to Google last month, saying that its search
results for 'Scientology' included links to copyrighted church material
that appears on a Web site critical of the church. Under the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, which was intended to make it easier for
copyright holders to fight piracy, the complaint meant that Google was
required to remove those links quickly or risk being sued for contributing
to copyright infringement.

"The site in question, Operation Clambake (www.xenu.net), is based in
Norway, beyond the reach of the United States copyright act. The site
portrays the church as a greedy cult that exploits its members and
harasses critics. Andreas Heldal-Lund, the site's owner, says the posting
of church materials, including some internal documents and pictures of
church leaders, is allowable under the 'fair use' provisions of
internationally recognized copyright law.

"The Google software judges the importance of a page in part by looking at
how many other pages link to it. Scientology's complaint set off a flurry
of linking to the critics' site, pushing it up two spots to No. 2 in the
search results for 'Scientology' - just below the church's official site."

From BBC News on April 25th:

"The Church of Scientology has taken its long-running battle against the
distribution of its material on internet sites - especially sites critical
of the church - to Google, one of the most popular search sites on the
internet. Google catalogues more than two billion pages on the internet,
but cyber civil libertarians cried foul when the site removed links to a
website called Operation Clambake, due to a legal challenge from the
Church of Scientology. The Operation Clambake site portrays the church as
a money-hungry cult."

Linux Journal published a letter on April 17th from Helena Kobrin, a
lawyer for Scientology, explaining their plans to continue complaining to
search engines.

"We asked Scientology attorney Helena Kobrin if Google's new policy of
making DMCA takedown letters public and the resulting boost to the Google
standings of Scientology critic site Xenu.net would affect her firm's
decision to send future takedown letters. Here is her answer:

"'When we learn of infringements to those rights, we take appropriate
actions to protect them by writing to the infringer and, if a service
provider is involved, to the service provider. We take follow-up actions
as needed. It has nothing to do with search engines or criticism. Will we
stop doing our jobs because someone disagrees or puts our letters on the
Internet? No more so than I would stop in going after someone who breached
a contract or would fail to prosecute a murderer, a thief, or an embezzler
if I were a prosecutor or would back off on stopping someone from dumping
toxic waste if I were an environmental attorney merely because someone
criticized my actions."

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#####

> Sea Org Stats

Roger Gonnet this week posted statistics from the Sea Org league of the
Birthday Game, in which advanced Scientology orgs compete for statistical
superiority.

   "Weekly        Quarterly      Cumulative

1. AOSHEU 110    AOSHEU 573     AOLA 3024
2. AOLA 95       AOLA 539       AOSHEU 2959
3. CCINT 46      ASHOD 431      CCINT 2644
4. ASHOD 43      CCINT 422      ASHOF 2552
5. AOSHUK 43     AOSHUK 335     ASHOD 2525
6. ASHOF 38      ASHOF 329      ASHUK 1913
7. SHF 25        AOSHANZO 308   AOSHANZO 1800
8. AOSHANZO 25   SHF 197        SHF 1327"

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-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 5
5/5/2002 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

#####

> IRS

Taxes published an article on May 1st on the IRS decisions that have led
to a tax deduction for Scientology services, and the ability of
non-Scientologists to deduct tuition to religious schools.

"In M. Sklar, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
held that the taxpayers were not permitted to deduct, as a charitable
contribution, any portion of the amounts they paid for their children's
religious school tuition. The Sklars lost in court, largely because they
failed their burden of proving the amount of the tuition payments that
were allocable to 'intangible religious benefits.' This column discusses
Sklar and the possible planning opportunities suggested by the case.

"In RL Hernandez, the United States Supreme Court upheld the denial of the
deduction for the Scientologists' auditing and training payments.
Pursuant to a central tenet known as the 'doctrine of exchange,' the
Church set forth schedules for mandatory fixed prices for auditing and
training sessions that varied with the length and the level of
sophistication of the auditing or training sessions.

"Notwithstanding the government's victory in Hernandez, the IRS obsoleted
its earlier ruling disallowing charitable deductions for Scientologists'
payments auditing and training sessions. In October 1993, the IRS released
favorable exemption ruling letters to at least 25 Church of
Scientology-related groups. Shortly after Hernandez was decided, the IRS
also entered into a closing agreement with the Scientologists.

"The Sklars argued that in allowing the Scientologists to deduct the cost
of religious instruction and denying the deduction they claimed for
religious instruction, the IRS had violated the Establishment Clause of
the First Amendment. The Ninth Circuit disagreed, noting that the Supreme
Court had rejected a similar claim in Hernandez because adopting such a
policy could require excessive government entanglement with religion. The
Ninth Circuit also dismissed the Sklar's administrative inconsistency
claim. A taxpayer may challenge the IRS's disparate treatment of the
taxpayer if the taxpayer can show that it is similarly situated to the
group being treated differently by the agency. The court, however, doubted
that the Sklars were similarly situated to the persons who benefit from
the Scientologists' closing agreement because the religious education of
the Sklars' children did not seem to be similar to the auditing and
training or 'other qualified religious services' conducted by the Church
of Scientology.

"While the Sklars lost the case in the Tax Court and in the Ninth Circuit,
it is likely that other taxpayers will assert similar claims.  The Ninth
Circuit's opinion offers some indication of the facts that must be proved
to win such a case. In future cases, taxpayers may present more facts
concerning the nature of the auditing and training offered by the Church
of Scientology to establish that the religious training that they or their
children received was similar to the religious training received by the
Scientologists.

"Allowing taxpayers to claim charitable deductions for tuition paid for
religious training could cause a significant drain on federal income tax
revenues. Many commentators have questioned the IRS's authority to
disregard the Supreme Court's Hernandez opinion. If taxpayers like the
Sklars prevail on an administrative inconsistency claim, the IRS may
regret its concession to the Scientologists.

"Determining whether taxpayers who pay for religious training or other
intangible religious benefits may claim charitable deductions may create
an intractable problem. The closing agreement between the IRS and the
Scientologists is not source of the problem. Allowing a charitable
deduction for some, but not all, payments made to religious organizations
inevitably requires government entanglement with religion.  Indeed,
determining whether an organization is organized for religious purposes
requires government entanglement. Whether such entanglement is excessive
enough to violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment is
likely to be an issue in many of these cases."

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#####

> Russia

The Associated Press reported on May 1st that Scientology has won a
decision in Russia that may allow them to register as a religion.

"The Church of Scientology has won a ruling in a Moscow court preventing
authorities from using a widely criticized religion law to stop the group
from registering, church officials said Wednesday. In a one-day trial
Tuesday in a Moscow district court, judges argue that liquidating a
religious organization that doesn't pose a threat to public order is a
violation of freedom of religion, the church said. Leisa Goodman, human
rights director for the Church of Scientology, said by telephone from Los
Angeles that the ruling 'opens the door not only to Scientology but to
thousands of other religions.'

"The religion law, championed by the dominant Russian Orthodox Church,
requires all religious groups to register with Russian authorities.
Several groups, particularly foreign-based ones, have met with legal
troubles since its passage and say it limits religious freedoms Russia
that were won with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Authorities have 10
days to appeal the ruling to a higher court, Goodman said."

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#####

> Belgium

Le Soir reported on February 22nd that a court in Belgium has ruled that
by keeping PC folders on its members, Scientology is violating personal
data laws.

"On one hand members demanded their folders back as individual citizens.
On the other hand the cult demanded everything back intact, asserting it
was the cult's property.  The Brussels law court could only determine that
the contents of these files stood in contravention to the personal data
security law. There was detailed medical information, reports on people's
intimate lives, including sexual conduct, testimony about family members,
and confessional reports obtained through the use of the electrometer.
This was data which would be illicit for an organization to own without
written agreement of the individual. Besides that, the people upon whom
these reports were kept did not have access to them to make corrections,
in accordance with law."

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#####

> CCHR

The Vancouver Sun reported on April 30th that officials are reviewing the
treatment of an ECT patient whose cause has been publicized by Scientology
and the CCHR.

"The newly created Provincial Health Services Authority is beginning its
own probe of an elderly Riverview Hospital patient who has received more
than 100 electric shock treatments against his will. At the same time, the
Public Guardian and Trustee's office of B.C. is 'pursuing and making
inquiries' about alternatives to the electroconvulsive treatments that
71-year-old Michael Matthews has received.

"Matthews, who has been confined to Riverview for the last four decades,
was interviewed recently by a Vancouver Sun reporter and photographer who
were later ordered off the Riverview property by hospital security guards.
At the time, Mathews said of his treatments: 'I'm braver now, but I don't
like it. They hurt, I don't want it.'

"Matthews' situation was documented in The Vancouver Sun after records of
ECT doctors' billings were obtained by Vancouver resident Julie Butler,
director of an organization called the Citizens Commission on Human
Rights, a Church of Scientology affiliate that exposes, and lobbies
against, 'psychiatric abuses.'

"Case manager Linda Irwin advised Butler in a letter that alternatives to
ECT are being investigated in the Matthews' case.  Butler has been
visiting Matthews for the past several months and was apparently his only
visitor, but Riverview authorities banned her from the hospital last
week."

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#####

> Penelope Cruz

The National Enquirer reported on May 2nd that Penelope Cruz has decided
to adopt Scientology in an effort to win back Scientology celebrity Tom
Cruise.

"Determined Spaniard Penelope does her best to win back the vertically
challenged Tom. Insiders say that Penelope is 'desperately trying' to win
him back. 'Penelope has decided to do whatever it takes to become Mrs Tom
Cruise,' whispers a source close to the couple. 'But Tom's friends believe
the relationship is done for.' Indulging in some serious soul-searching in
Madrid after he kicked her out of his Beverley Hills home, Penelope
'realised she'd caused all the problems with Tom' and, 'in a series of
teary phone calls, she promised Tom that she'd mend her ways.' No longer
will she squabble with Nicole Kidman or regard their children with
distaste. She will ditch her own religious beliefs for the teachings of
the Church of Scientology."

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#####

> Lisa McPherson

The St. Petersburg Times reported on April 29th that Scientology is trying
to remove attorney Ken Dandar from the Lisa McPherson wrongful death case.

"The Church of Scientology is rolling out an aggressive set of legal
maneuvers aimed at wiping out one of its biggest headaches: the lawsuit
blaming the church for the 1995 death of Lisa McPherson. The church is
zeroing in on Tampa attorney Ken Dandar, who in representing McPherson's
family has mustered an unrelenting challenge costing the church millions
and fueling unending bad publicity. Accusing Dandar of professional
misconduct and perjury, the church is taking the rare step of trying to
get him removed from the case.

"In a hearing before Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer, the church intends to
argue the whole case should be tossed because of alleged 'misconduct, sham
pleadings, (and) perjury' by Dandar; his client, McPherson's aunt, and
millionaire Bob Minton, who spent $2-million to keep the case going.
'Plaintiff herself and not merely her counsel or her financier or her
consultants and witnesses chose to convert this case into a broadside
attack on the church and the Scientology religion,' the motion says.
Dandar called the claims 'outrageous lies by Scientology.'

"The wrongful death case erupted on April 19 when Minton, the New England
millionaire who has devoted the last half-decade to fighting Scientology,
stunned all those following the case by taking the stand as a witness for
Scientology and attacked Dandar, calling him a 'lying thief.' Minton's
surprising testimony was not a reversal of his opposition to Scientology,
said his attorney Bruce Howie of St. Petersburg. Minton was facing
possible jail time for contempt of court and needed to clear the record,
Howie said. 'He realizes that the church will take advantage of his
testimony, but in the long run it's in his own best interest to tell the
truth,' Howie said. That hearing, before Judge Baird, set in motion the
church's strategy to compromise Dandar.

"Dandar has a backup. Waiting in the wings is Tampa attorney Luke Lirot,
famed defender of Tampa's adult entertainment industry. 'I would consider
it a privilege to be involved in the case,' said Lirot, who is
representing Dandar. 'I'm going to do whatever is necessary to assist.'
Lirot said he is not fazed by the scale of the lawsuit or the Church of
Scientology as a legal opponent. 'I often embrace difficult issues,' he
said."

From the St. Petersburg Times on May 1st:

"Millionaire Scientology critic Robert Minton has expanded his criticism
of the lawyer fighting the Church of Scientology over the death of Lisa
McPherson. In a 26-page affidavit, Minton elaborated on his earlier
testimony in the case, arguing that Tampa attorney Ken Dandar asked him to
lie, drew up false court records for him to sign and urged him to generate
bad publicity for Scientology to prejudice potential jurors in the
McPherson wrongful death case. Minton has become Scientology's star
witness as it tries to get the wrongful death case dismissed on grounds of
serious misconduct by Dandar and his client.

"For two hours Tuesday, Scientology's New York attorney Samuel Rosen tried
to grill Dandar about his financial arrangement with Minton and how he has
spent the more than $2-million Minton has given to the case. It was a
fiery exchange, with Dandar refusing to answer some questions and
responding to others: 'It's none of your business.' Baird, who will decide
whether Dandar should be disqualified from the case, gave Dandar a stern
warning. 'This isn't a game,' the judge said. 'Listen to the questions.
Answer the questions, and we'll get through this.'

"Much of the inquiry centered on two Swiss bank checks totaling $750,000.
Minton says he gave the checks to Dandar. However, Dandar says Minton told
him only that the money came from an anonymous donor. Rosen questioned why
Dandar never investigated the source of the money."

From the Tampa Tribune on May 3rd:

"Even if a leading Scientology critic lied in court about paying more than
$2 million to fund a lawsuit against the church, 'Who cares?' said the
judge in the case. Millionaire church critic Bob Minton likely will face
contempt of court proceedings and could be prosecuted for criminal
perjury, but that does not affect a wrongful death lawsuit brought against
the church by the Lisa McPherson estate, Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge
Susan Schaeffer said Thursday. 'You guys are spending too much time on
stuff that doesn't have anything to do with this trial,' the judge told a
panel of church attorneys.

"Whether or not Minton chooses to spend his money underwriting the lawsuit
on behalf of McPherson's elderly aunt has no effect on the issue of
whether McPherson's death while under church care in December 1995 was an
accident or homicide, Schaeffer said. The judge repeatedly wondered aloud
why Minton would fund the lawsuit without a contract stating the bulk of
any monetary award would be donated to groups critical of the church, as
he now contends. 'I don't know what the funny business is, but there are
weird things going on when someone gives someone $2 million and there's
not a written agreement,' Schaeffer said. 'There is something crazy going
on.'

"Schaeffer also had sharp words for Dandar. She scolded Dandar for
implying in court records that the church was 'blackmailing, extorting or
otherwise convincing Robert Minton to change his deposition testimony'
without firm evidence to back up the allegation. 'No wonder people look so
askance at lawyers these days,' the judge said.

"The case is simple, the judge repeatedly told church attorneys. Either
McPherson died from an accidental blood clot while undergoing a religious
procedure to heal mental problems or she died after becoming dehydrated
and falling into a coma while church officials ignored the situation,
Schaeffer said."

From the St. Petersburg Times on May 3rd:

"Scientology lawyers want Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer to remove Dandar
and dismiss the lawsuit because of 'a pattern of misconduct' by Dandar,
his client and Robert Minton, an outspoken church critic who has given
$2-million of his own money in support of the lawsuit. That misconduct,
church lawyers claim, has resulted in 'incalculable damages' to the church
that can only be remedied by the lawsuit's dismissal. 'The complaint was
written to say they murdered her - the whole church is murderers,' church
attorney Eric Lieberman told the judge. Schaeffer told him, 'Just because
you have to fight hard (against) some of the allegations doesn't mean I
make the case go away.'

"Minton is now accusing Dandar of urging him to lie under oath, drawing up
false court records and urging him to drum up anti-Scientology publicity.
On Thursday, Schaeffer questioned the relevancy of Minton's allegations,
many of them centered on how the case was financed and what would happen
to any money awarded by a jury. 'It doesn't matter if Mr. Minton gave six
trillion dollars,' she said. 'I don't know why in the world anybody cares
about it. It surely doesn't get the case thrown out.'

"Minton will answer to the court for any perjury he might have committed,
Schaeffer said. But, she noted, he is not a witness in the wrongful death
case. Over and over, she asked church lawyers, 'What does that have to do
with the wrongful death case?' 'We're going to trial,' she said. 'I want
to deal with the wrongful death case set for June. It's set, and it's
going. This case is about money, money on both sides,' Schaeffer said. 'If
you're going after the church just to go after the church just to create
more rancor in Clearwater you can't use my courtroom for that.'

"One of the more graphic claims in the lawsuit is that McPherson was
bitten by cockroaches as she lay dying at Scientology's Fort Harrison
Hotel. But at the end of the hearing Thursday, Schaeffer told Dandar she
has decided he does not have enough evidence to make that claim to a
jury."

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#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported protests at the Toronto Scientology org on April
28th and May 5th.

"Gregg and I showed up at the Toronto org about noon.  The org was flat
out deserted, no 'bodies in the shop' not even the oldtime members. A
passer by told Gregg they had all moved about ten blocks away to 49 Front
street where they were holding a scientology 'revival meeting' complete
with a bunch of white and blue balloons. About half an hour into the
picket, we shut off the camera and moved. It was an area with about the
same pedestrian traffic as Yonge St., but unlike the main location not as
many people are clued in.

"I took up a station about 120 feet down the street. I was splitting my
time handing out flyers and talking to a religious studies guy when Brian
McPherson came up and started needling me about about Dandar and Minton.

"Gregg gave out 75 flyers right in front of the doorway of the rented art
gallery where scientology was running a 'What is Scientology exhibit.'
Virtually every one of the people who were not scientologists coming out
took a flyer. One of the store employees in front of my location came out
and thanked me, took a flyer and said he would check out Scientology on
the web. Gregg said the woman running the store next door to the
Scientologists came out and talked to him. She was not very happy with
them, said it has really hurt business the entire week.

"Buttnor, Felsky, and McPherson called the cops. They had quite a
conversation with the cops, but while the cops did ask for our names, they
blew off the org."

"Gregg and I put in one hour and a half starting about 1:30. Then we broke
for a long lunch and came back about 5:40 for another session. The org had
a tent out with table and chairs. There were few takers Gregg saw. When
Gregg showed up Mario could be heard running about saying 'f*ck, f*ck,
f*ck' in total frustration. The cult was largely in hiding for Gregg.

"Ms. X was picketing with us one of the cult drones got right in her face
with a camera. Gregg got good tape of one incident in the late picket.
Brian McPherson and Gwen Jones were trying to rag at Gregg, who promptly
played some head games on them.  'Big Mike' showed up, pushed Gregg and
grabbed a handful of flyers out of Gregg's hand. Caught nicely on tape
too. Gregg was able to recover the Xenu flyers to the extreme surprise of
the cultie.

"The Toronto org had some kind of event going, something about going OT in
CW.  Gregg counted the chairs (160) and the people who showed up. They
filled about 1/4 of the chairs. Most of the people Gregg recognized as
tapped out old timers. There were 10 or fewer new faces and most of them
got a Xenu flyer. Even if the cult took the flyers away from them inside
the door, the people know they can look it up on the net.

"Gregg gave out about a hundred Xenu flyers. I must have given out
something like 250 of several kinds for the whole day. I didn't get a
count on how many Ms X gave out, but Gregg said lots of people were coming
by with flyers in their hands. It is getting harder to give out flyers
because such a high fraction of the people already have taken one."

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#####

> Salt Lake City

Deseret News reported on May 4th that Scientology volunteers will be
spending time with the elderly in the area.

"In recognition of the recent National Volunteer Week, the Church of
Scientology's volunteer ministers are launching a new program, 'Listeners
for the Living.' It involves spending time with the elderly and listening
to their stories."

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#####

> Reed Slatkin

Reuters reported on April 29th that Scientology minister and Ponzi scheme
creator Reed Slatkin pled guilty to fraud charges.

"Reed Slatkin, the investment advisor who provided start-up funds for
Internet service provider EarthLink pleaded guilty on Monday to 15 charges
of fraud and conspiracy for bilking almost 800 clients out of nearly $600
million. Slatkin entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Margaret
Morrow under the terms of a plea deal announced by the U.S. Attorney's
Office on Mar. 27.

"'Your Honor, it is an acceptable representation of my conduct,' Slatkin
told Judge Morrow after prosecutors described to the court how he had used
investments from new clients to pay returns to old clients, in what is
commonly known as a Ponzi scheme. It is not clear whether Slatkin can pay
the $254.6 million in restitution he agreed to pay since he has filed for
bankruptcy protection from creditors. Slatkin was led by U.S. marshals
into the courtroom wearing the standard-issue green jacket, blue pants and
manacles around his waist and wrists."

From the Santa Barbara News-Press on April 30th:

"After spending the weekend in the federal detention center in downtown
Los Angeles, EarthLink co-founder and former Hope Ranch resident Reed
Slatkin pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to orchestrating one of the
biggest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history. Mr. Slatkin, 53, pleaded guilty to
15 charges, ranging from mail fraud and money laundering to conspiracy to
obstruct justice. The charges against Mr. Slatkin carry a maximum sentence
of 105 years in federal prison and fines of up to $3.75 million. Federal
authorities believe the sentence could range from 12 to 15 years; his
defense attorney believes it could be much lower."

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#####

> Xenu.net

Linux Journal published an interview with the creator and ISP for xenu.net
on April 30th.

"Google's decision to pull Xenu.net from its index, under the
controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and the later commitment
to making DMCA takedown letters public caused a publicity storm that, when
it cleared, left 'Operation Clambake,' Xenu.net, at the top of a Google
search for the word 'Scientology.' We asked Andreas Heldal-Lund, the
site's webmaster, and Paul Wouters, of their long-suffering ISP, Xtended
Internet, how the popular site is handling the load.

"LJ: What hardware are you running Linux on?

"Paul: The main servers are running on Intel ISP boxes (1150s and 2150s).
The load-balanced server at XS4ALL is a Penguin 2U server.

"LJ: Andreas, what are the secrets of developing a search-engine-friendly
site?

"Andreas: I've not had to focus on being search-engine-friendly for years.
Xenu.net is on top now basically because the cult attacks have generated
so much attention.

"LJ: How do you get so many incoming links?

"Andreas: Mostly the same reason as above. Few are so disliked as this
cult here on the net. Each time the cult tries to close my site, the more
attention they send my way.

"LJ: Can your Linux server(s) handle the traffic?

"Paul: Right now there is no problem whatsoever. The servers are doing
less then 80KB/sec. We did have some problems after being slashdotted
twice and the site appearing in the Washington Times and on CNN.  We found
the hardcoded limit of 128 Apache children had been reached on the main
server. We recompiled Apache with 512, which was reached again around 6pm.
We then went for 1024 and restarted. At this point we also added two more
servers and used DNS roundrobin to try and load balance things a bit.

"At the peak, at 8pm, we ran into performance problems on the Linux
firewall. These weren't resolved until after the massive peaks. We
optimized all the TCP socket options and we added more memory to the
firewall (the socket options eat up a lot of memory).

"When the Church of Scientology coerced the search engine, Google.com,
into dropping the anti-Scientology site Xenu.com from its listings,
free-speech advocates were outraged. But Xenu's owner wasn't worried; he
knew what happens when you mess with the Net."

From Readme on May 1st:

"Seventy-five million years ago, a galactic tyrant named Xenu (pronounced
'ZEE-NOO') killed all living beings with a hydrogen bomb, then brainwashed
their disembodied minds. Eventually, Xenu was overthrown by his former
followers and locked away in a mountain prison encircled by an
impenetrable force field. He remains there to this day.

"This story is one of the fundamental beliefs of the religion known as
Scientology. According to 'Countercultures', a 1995 book by the cult
critic William Zellner, the Church of Scientology charges as much as
$400,000 to completely free a believer from the residual effects of Xenu's
brainwashing. Scientology has come under fire for its controversial
practices, which critics allege include cult-like brainwashing and
lucrative global racketeering. The Church has trademarked its teachings
and has a reputation for using legal threats, specifically the charge of
copyright infringement, to muzzle these disaffected onetime believers and
anti-cult activists.

"In the most recent Web war between Scientology and its critics, the
popular search engine Google caved in to legal pressure from the church
and removed any mention of the most well-known anti-Scientology website
Xenu.net from its search results. According to the church, Xenu had made
secret Scientology teachings public, in violation of church-owned
copyrights and trademarks.

"On March 21 Google sent Heldal-Lund an e-mail with a listing the Xenu
pages that they had removed from their searchable archives. The e-mail
also stated that his webpages could be reinstated if he submitted a
counter notification to Google. Heldal-Lund did not respond. Because of
his silence, recent articles portray the Xenu founder as a cowering victim
of Scientology's legal abuse, afraid of being sued. Two days after sending
the e-mail, battered by a barrage of protests and under scrutiny from
free-speech advocates for the hasty decision, Google restored Xenu.net's
homepage and related links to its archive, claiming they had been
'inadvertently removed.'

"'I do not consider this a Scientology victory,' said Heldal-Lund, in an
e-mail interview. 'The result [of the church's actions] is a lot of media
attention and hundreds of thousands of hits on Xenu. The cult achieved the
opposite of what they aimed for.'"

From an editorial in the San Jose Mercury News on May 2nd:

"Search engines like Google provide an indispensable road map for
navigating the Internet; hypertext links are the vehicles that quickly
take you where you want to go. Search engines and links provide
information in context; they enhance the Internet's richness of ideas. As
such, they warrant full free-speech protections. But a tussle between the
Church of Scientology and Google has exposed a First Amendment
vulnerability. A poorly worded copyright-protection law is putting dissent
and speech on the Internet at some risk.

"The church threatened to sue Google for contributory copyright violations
for merely listing links to Web pages that, the Scientologists said,
illegally published copyrighted passages. The church demanded that Google
remove the links to the site, Operation Clambake, from its automated
search results. The brash tactic initially worked. Google complied because
of potential liability that Congress created in the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act.  The law provides search engines with immunity if they take
down a disputed link in response to a complaint.

"The Church of Scientology was the first to target search engines; if it
succeeded, others may follow, filing complaints to stifle critics or to
isolate Web sites that make fair use of copyrighted works. Word that the
largest stand-alone search engine had caved to the Scientologists stirred
a small protest at Google's Mountain View headquarters. And that, in turn,
inspired the company to try a novel approach.

"As of last month, whenever it receives a complaint that causes it to
remove a link, Google is forwarding a copy of the complaint to the Web
site of Chilling Effects Clearinghouse, a new Internet civil liberties
organization. Chilling Effects posts each complaint, which also lists the
Web address of the site that Google no longer carries. The result may be
to give substantial attention to sites the Scientologists hoped to make
invisible. Google is also including information on its site on how Web
page owners can seek to have their links reinstated by filing a
countercomplaint. Google's new approach is commendable, even ingenious.
But it doesn't remove the shadow of liability that Congress created in the
1998 copyright protection law. Courts and Congress should make clear:
Linking is a virtue of the Internet, not a crime."

Message-ID: <aaojdm$ooj@...>
Message-ID: <QFxA8.67$0B4.95584@...>
Message-ID: <mrQA8.189$9d.386273@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 6
5/12/2002 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

#####

> Vickie Ford

Vickie Ford placed an ad in the May 6th issue of U.S. News and World
Report to publicize how Scientology has separated her family.

"The ad says on top: OUR FAMILY Below that it has a picture of Vickie,
David and their son. Below the picture it says 'before Scientology.' Then
there is the same picture with the son blocked out. And below it says
'after Scientology.'"

Message-ID: <4892526.0205081357.8d8ad8d@...>

#####

> Lawrence Wollersheim

The Washington Post reported on May 10th that Scientology has paid
Lawrence Wollersheim for the judgment he was originally awarded in 1986.

"The Church of Scientology never paid - until yesterday, when officials
wrote a check for more than $8.6 million to end the case, one of the
longest-running in California history. 'They stalled it and stalled it and
stalled it,' said Wollersheim, 53, now of Nevada. He called his victory a
landmark for former members of the church, which is known for heated and
protracted legal battles. 'I'm smiling,' he said. 'It's like being the
first plaintiff to get a victory against the cigarette companies.'

"Wollersheim, who ran a small photo business, joined Scientology in 1969
and later became a recruiter. He signed a 'billion-year' contract to serve
the church but says that he ended up being punished in a 'thought reform
gulag,' consigned to the hold of a ship docked off California for 18 hours
a day. The ship was part of a mini-navy assembled by L. Ron Hubbard, the
science fiction writer who created the church in the early 1950s. Because
of Scientology practices, 'Wollersheim's mental condition worsened to the
point he actively contemplated suicide,' a California appeals court said
in 1989. 'The church's conduct was manifestly outrageous.'

"Wollersheim, who suffered from a bipolar disorder, was forbidden to seek
medical help under Scientology policies, he says. He quit the church after
spending $150,000 on Hubbard's 'mental health' regimes, and by 1980 had
filed suit. In 1986, a jury awarded him $5 million in compensatory damages
and $25 million to punish the church for what jurors called intentional
and negligent 'infliction of emotional distress.' The total was reduced on
appeal to $2.5 million. But Scientology officials vowed they would pay
'not one thin dime for Wollersheim,' and members were rallied to chant
that slogan at hearings.

"Church attorney William Drescher yesterday blamed Wollersheim in part for
the long delay in resolving the case. 'From what I understand, Wollersheim
didn't make any effort to collect [the judgment] for 11 years,' he said.

"But attorneys for Wollersheim said the church evaded payment by setting
up corporate shells and employing endless hardball legal tactics, based on
Hubbard policies that aim to ruin ex-members who sue the church.
'Twenty-two years is extraordinary,' attorney Ford Greene said."

From the Associated Press on May 11th:

"Church officials on Thursday handed over a check for $8,674,843 to Los
Angeles County Superior Court, saying they wanted to put the matter behind
them. 'This lawsuit was over 20 years old and concerned events from 30
years ago,' Neil Levin, president of the Church of Scientology of
California, said in a statement.

"Wollersheim, who lives in Nevada, joined the church in 1969. 'Everything
hasn't had a chance to set in, except that this is a great victory for
social justice,' he said by phone Friday.

"According to his lawsuit, at one point he was held on a ship for 18 hours
a day, deprived of food and sleep. He said it was a mind control tactic
that caused him to develop bipolar disorder. 'The counseling techniques
are designed to either break you or make you a slave,' said Wollersheim,
53. 'I was on the edge of insanity.'"

From the Los Angeles Times on May 11th:

"The payment came nearly 22 years after Lawrence Wollersheim, 53, filed
his 1980 lawsuit, and nearly 16 years after a California jury awarded him
$30 million. In the intervening years, the award was reduced on appeal to
$2.5 million and went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was
upheld in 1994. Meanwhile, the $2.5 million collected 10% interest and
eventually grew to $8,674,843, which was deposited Thursday with the Los
Angeles County Superior Court.

"'This is an absolute watershed,' said Arnie Lerma, 52, an
ex-Scientologist who manages a Web site devoted to critiquing the
religion. Lerma said he hopes the award will convince other
ex-Scientologists to file their own lawsuits.

"On his Web site, www.factnet.org, Wollersheim issued a statement: 'The
cult that vowed it would never pay me one thin dime has now paid over 86
million thin dimes.'"

From Reuters on May 11th:

"'They're facing a cigarette company meltdown,' Lawrence Wollersheim, 53,
told Reuters, referring to the flurry of claims filed against tobacco
companies after the first successful suit brought by a smoker with health
problems. 'This case has broken their litigation machine,' said
Wollersheim, who co-founded the FACTNet.org Web site devoted to
disseminating information about cults and groups accused of mind control.
'I'm extremely happy to end such horrible litigation.'

"Linda Simmons Hight, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles-based Church of
Scientology International, the Los parent of affiliate organizations
worldwide, said church officials believed it to be the first payment of a
judgment, at least in the last 20 years.

"Hight dismissed Wollersheim's charges that the church abused members and
stonewalled on paying the judgment. 'That's so outrageous and insulting
that I don't want to respond to that,' she said. 'I don't want to respond
to his ramblings.' Hight could not say how many lawsuits had been filed
against the church by former members or if there had been any settlements.
'This is the last piece of litigation,' she said."

Message-ID: <%JSC8.129$2V2.55875@...>
Message-ID: <_U9D8.214$2V2.129853@...>
Message-ID: <%0aD8.215$2V2.130280@...>
Message-ID: <tSkD8.115$W83.123759@...>

#####

> Oxford Capacity Analysis

The Orlando Sentinel reported on May 8th that a podiatrist is using
Scientology's personality test to screen job applicants.

"Renee Zines was stunned when her interviewer at the podiatrists' office
also handed her a 200-question personality test. Some of the questions
seemed harmless, if goofy, such as: 'Do you often sing or whistle just for
the fun of it?' Others offended the Melbourne woman, such as questions
about her moods, her eating and spending habits, how many friends she has,
whether she likes to gossip or steal things, whether she has pondered
suicide and the number of children she plans to have. Experts say such
tests - or any overly personal questions asked of job applicants - are
rarely appropriate, and they can even be illegal.

"The test that Zines took was the Oxford Capacity Analysis, a
questionnaire created by the Church of Scientology that some employers use
to screen applicants. This and similar tests became common in the early
1990s but have dropped off because of controversy and the tight labor
market. Today, roughly one in five employers still uses them, according to
the Society for Human Resource Management.

"'I felt that I was being violated,' says Zines, 25, now a sales assistant
for a telecommunications firm. 'I thought the questions were really
personal. Those questions have nothing to do with working at a podiatry
clinic.'

"Interview questions are illegal if they seek to classify applicants based
on categories protected under anti-discrimination laws, including race,
national origin, religion, age, disability or marital status."

Message-ID: <9WfC8.170$Gb5.153602@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

John Ritson and Jens Tingleff reported a protest on May 11th in Brighton,
England.

"We were able to launch into the usual round of 'AGAINST the barmy UFO
cult' on the microphone and leafleting and keep it up for about two and a
half hours, by which time the leaflets were all gone. Slightly more
activity from the 'org' this time. One character came outside for a
cigarette, and their obligatory complaint to the police resulted in a
solitary constable arriving, calling the station with a report of the
situation and then shrugging his shoulders and departing, much to the
disappointment of the solitary smoker. And he was certainly solitary for
part of the time as one person arrived and he had to let them in with a
key.

"As were halfway back to the station, two Scientologists we had not seen
before came racing uphill after us to claim that we had been such a help
to them that some students had signed up for extra courses. We told them
that we loved coming back to Brighton to help them out, but it was
difficult to justify the effort for such a downstat 'org.' Their extremely
late arrival makes it likely that they were ordered in from Saint Hill or
from their homes and needed to make contact with us to claim to have
'confronted' the 'evil suppressives.'"

"John R did his usual fantastic job on the microphone, 'protest AGAINST
$cientology' loudly enough to make everyone notice.  A few people did not
notice that we were protesting against the criminal organisation known as
the 'church' <spit> of Scientology. These people had simply recognised the
bad vibes surrounding anything to do with $cientology and firmly shut out
anything to do with the CoS.

"Several school-kids (10-13 year olds) came up and asked if they could
have some more Xenu leaflets to hand out to everyone that they knew. I had
to tell them no, since we'd only brought a few leaflets, but also told
them to get copies off the Web (www.xenu.net, of course). We did get two
who were obviously little clams. The two of them stood around, read
leaflets, went away, came back, stood around. Finally, one walked up and
said 'Scientology is real.' I corrected it to 'Scientology is a real
problem.' He non-confronted the Xenu leaflet a bit more, held up a fist
and tried to shout 'Scientology is real' and left."

Arnie Lerma reported a protest on Washington, DC on May 11th.

"I got there about 1:30. I walked around the neighborhood putting 'It's
worse than you think!' posters up around the neighborhood. They have
before and after 17 days of 'care' photos of Lisa McPherson. I put one on
the lamp post on the corner right in front of the org.

"I went out and started picketing alone at about 2PM. Sylvia came out took
a photo, and tried to chat some.  I started in on 'If there was just one
OT in scientology, I wouldn't be here.' She walked back to the org,
walking right by the poster on the lamppost, but did not see it. A couple
of times she and other 'OT's walked past it while we picketed.

"Wes Fager showed up. At one point Wes drew a crowd of perhaps 12 people
listening to him. Sylvia tried to interrupt a bit but eventually gave up
as I'd stand behind her and point out the Scientology LIES in RED arrow on
my sign, which said 'Warning, Entering Greedy Cult zone WWW.XENU.NET.' At
one point one of the org member posing as an interested public managed to
grab 15 flyers or so and ran into the org with the fruits of her theft.
They also used 'sprinkler' tech but it did nothing. I asked them if they
were gonna bring out a leaf blower next.

"Because we were on the corner, at break time, 3:30, they put up a sign
that said 'Please use side entrance' facing inwards, on front door. So Wes
and I moved to either side of the driveway where we could ask the handful
of students and staff 'Are there any OT's there? If there were just one OT
in scn we wouldn't be here.' A couple of folks mentioned Wollersheim,
having read it in the Washington Post. Wes and I walked away, smiling,
because the 'It's Worse than you THINK' poster was still on the lamp post
right in front of the org.

Tory Christman reported a protest in Los Angeles on My 11th.

"Today was the Celebration of the anniversary of Dianetics, so a few of us
decided to picket. Many people who usually do were out of town, but we
here decided to go ahead anyway. My sign said: 'Wollersheim is PAID (after
22 years) By Scientology: 8.7 Million Dollars!' and the other side said,
'Scientology Pays Wollersheim 87 Million 'Thin Dimes!'"

"Phantom Picketer joined us, and this was his first picket.  Jeff Jacobsen
came, and also a new X-Sea Org member, Dan. We all headed from here to the
Int HGB (Hollywood Guarantee Building). The staff were for the most part
hiding inside the buildings. They snuck things out rapidly into vans for
the event, if we were down the street. Once we'd go back, they'd zoom
everyone back in the building.

"The Scientology Parishioners League arrived, and all huddled at one end
of a block. Jeff Jacobsen had discovered a law re: picketing and blocking
pickets. He said he'd posted it last night, so they were all in different
form today.

"We walked back and forth in front of the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition
and passed out flyers on Xenu.net and Scientology in general. One guy rode
by on his bike and whispered to me, 'Keep exposing them.' Many people said
similar things in various different ways. This went on all day.

"We all moved from INT down the block to the 'Testing Center' and picketed
that. Again, they had a few 'OT's' who refused to talk to us at all.
These 'Ots' were out trying to hand out their flyers. Few people would
take them, but many took ours. On to the Shrine. There as we drove by tons
of staff was outside eating dinner. We parked, and walked there with our
signs. As we got there, they'd shuttled all staff inside. God forbid they
might see the truth: LARRY WOLLERSHEIM WAS PAID 8.7 Million Dollars! We
picketed the one side for awhile, and then joined Jeff on the other side.
Jeff had handed OSA the law printed out, so although they had signs to
block ours, they weren't nearly as bad as they have been in the past. Also
funny is their signs saying 'Welcome' and me standing right next to them
with 'Scientology PAYS Wollersheim 8.7 Million Dollars'.

"At the end I stood next to Joel who I had turned the Scientology
Parishioners League over to and said: 'You have your views, and I have
mine. But the big difference is I still like you, and you have to hate my
guts.' I could tell he heard me and he didn't really like that concept."

Message-ID: <DE3eNkepLV38EwBo@...>
Message-ID: <3cdd8a5b.140478141@...>
Message-ID: <3cde376f@...>
Message-ID: <ablj460315@...>

#####

> In Memoriam

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on May 6th that Scientologist
Barbara Schofield has passed away.

"Barbara P. Morris Schofield, 66, died Saturday at a Las Vegas hospital.
She was born July 30, 1935, in Erie, Pa. A retired real estate agent, she
was a member of the Church of Scientology and a 10-year resident of Las
Vegas. She is survived by her sons, Douglas Morris of Sauk Rapids, Minn.,
Thomas Morris of Las Vegas, Theodore Morris of Corona, Calif., and Samuel
Bartelli of Tucson, Ariz.; mother, Marcella Cooper of Las Vegas; six
grandchildren; and a great-grandchild."

Message-ID: <o58C8.82$Gb5.100954@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 7
5/19/2002 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

#####

> Delphi School

The North County Times reported on April 30th that a new Delphi School is
planned for San Marcos, California.

"The Old Richland Schoolhouse will soon be a school again.  Arie de Jong,
the owner of the building that served as a reception hall for nearly a
decade, said Monday that Delphi Schools Inc. signed a five-year lease on
the building effective April 1.  The private school, which has a campus in
La Jolla, plans to hold an eight-week summer session at the site starting
June 24. The regular session is slated to start Sept. 3, said Stacey Ruiz,
the headmistress of the soon-to-open Delphi Academy of San Marcos.
School officials will also use the facility at 134 Woodland Parkway for
weekend social events such as wedding receptions or dinners, de Jong said.
The school can serve up to 80 students.

"Ruiz said that 30 students will be in the summer session and that 35 will
begin school in the fall. The San Marcos campus will serve kindergarten
through third grade, while the La Jolla campus serves kindergartners
through sixth-graders.  Ruiz said she and her partner, Chris Gerson, the
headmistress of the La Jolla school, wanted a site in North County and
found the one in San Marcos by accident.

"The school is going through the permitting process with San Marcos, Ruiz
said. Its enrollment could grow, she added. Delphi Academies focus on
individual learning and teaching students at their own pace, she said.
There's one teacher for every 15 children."

Message-ID: <jokE8.453$W83.564005@...>

#####

> France

The Associated Press reported on May 17th that the Paris Scientology org
has been fined for mishandling personal information of its members.

"A French court on Friday fined the Paris branch of the Church of
Scientology for a data protection violation but acquitted the church of
attempted fraud and false advertising in connection with its efforts to
recruit and keep members. The court fined the church 8,000 euros (about
dlrs 7,300), while imposing a 2,000-euro fine (dlrs 1,824) on Marc Walter,
the president of the Ile de France section that includes Paris. The court
also declined to impose the harshest penalty sought by prosecutors - an
order to disband the church's Paris branch.

"The church said it would appeal the ruling, saying that it violated the
European Convention on Human Rights. 'The decision is an attempt to apply
commercial law to prohibit religious expression. It is an intolerable
interference by the state with the religious freedom won from 2000 years
of history in Europe,' said Leisa Goodman, human rights director for the
Los Angeles-based church.

"The conviction stemmed from a complaint by a former member who said he
was bombarded with publicity materials even though he wished to end his
membership."

From CNN on May 17th:

"Scientologists have likened the trial to a witch hunt and say their faith
is a religion like any other. The church has 40,000 members in France,
including 20,000 in Paris. In France, it is placed on a list of nearly 200
groups under surveillance to prevent cult activities. The church is to a
significant extent devoted to the personality cult of L. Ron Hubbard, who
died in somewhat mysterious circumstances in California in 1986 leaving a
corporate empire worth millions of dollars as well as a huge personal
fortune."

From Agence France Presse on May 17th:

"The church was cleared of the more serious charges of fraud and spreading
mendacious publicity.  The National Union of Associations for the Defense
of Families and the Individual (UNADFI), which brought the case, said the
result was a victory because under a controversial law on sects passed a
year ago if the church is convicted a second time it could be disbanded.
'The way is open for other cases. UNADFI has an appointment with
Scientology in other courts,' said lawyer Olivier Morice. 'A few hours ago
the scientologists were saying that they would not be found guilty. But
here on a matter of principle the church is convicted. The symbolic
importance should not be underestimated,' he said.

"Spokesman Jean Dupuis said the church's acquittal on the more serious
counts was welcome, but the conviction for breach of confidentiality was
'evidence of the political and judicial conspiracy which sets out to
destroy those who dare to think differently.'

"The church says it is the principal target of last May's anti-sect law,
which was described by the US administration and international human
rights groups at the time as an assault on religious tolerance. Entitled
'the law to reinforce the prevention and repression of groups of a
sect-like character,' it made it an offence to abuse a vulnerable person
via the 'exertion of heavy or repeated pressure or techniques liable to
alter his judgment. It also allowed courts to close down associations
after two convictions for a range of crimes."

From Voice of America on May 17th:

"French prosecutors say the Church of Scientology harassed former members
of the group long after they left the organization. The court did not
impose the strongest penalty sought by prosecutors - that of dissolving
the Paris Scientology chapter - but would consider such action if the
chapter faces similar charges in the future.

"According to a spokeswoman for Scientology, Gaetane Asselin, the court's
decision represents a partial victory for the organization. 'The main
accusation of fraud and false publicity was relaxed,' she said. 'So it
means we were found not guilty of any of these accusations, which is very
good for us. Because the attorney of the opposition has been trying to
prove for years that is what we are doing, and one more court admitted it
has nothing to do with us.'

"Lucia Salazar, who works with a private group that is fighting
Scientology, says her organization will continue its efforts to dissolve
the church. Mrs. Salazar supports the new French law on sects. She says it
allows victims of so-called cults to fight for reparations."

Message-ID: <Hq9F8.512$cw5.543740@...>
Message-ID: <Pv9F8.513$cw5.544124@...>
Message-ID: <6113d3a679de716ddbd700ab194d0fea@...>
Message-ID: <OhvF8.1043$W83.1083246@...>

#####

> Lawrence Wollersheim

Denver Westword published an article on May 16th on Lawrence Wollersheim's
efforts to collect his 16-year old judgment from Scientology.

"A 22-year legal battle came to an abrupt end last week when the Church of
Scientology paid $8.67 million to one of its harshest critics: a former
member who claimed the church had harassed him for years and driven him
'to the brink of insanity.' In the past, litigation involving the
controversial 'new religion' and disaffected ex-members has been resolved
quietly, the terms kept strictly confidential. But Wollersheim says his
settlement contained no such conditions and came minutes before a court
hearing at which his attorneys planned to introduce a recently acquired
document challenging the Church of Scientology International's tax-exempt
status.

"'I signed no gag orders,' says Wollersheim, who now lives in Nevada. 'The
only reason they settled was that somehow they pierced our intelligence.
Three hours after we [uncovered] an absolutely conclusive piece of
evidence that [CSI's] corporate structure is a scam, the check was
delivered to the court.'

"Wollersheim says he became disillusioned with the group and was subjected
to thousands of hours of intensive counseling at 'thought-reform camps
designed to make you crazy.' He filed suit in 1980, claiming that members
continued to harass him after he left the church. In 1986, a California
jury awarded him $30 million in damages; the award was reduced to $2.5
million on appeal. But he was unable to collect from the Church of
Scientology of California and spent years trying to 'pierce the corporate
veil' of its parent organization, CSI. Outside of court hearings, church
supporters carried protest signs declaring that they would pay 'not one
thin dime to Wollersheim.'

"Five years ago, Wollersheim told Westword that he'd rejected a $12
million settlement offer from the church because it would have required
him and other FACTNet members to cease their anti-cult activities and
destroy their extensive archive of Scientology materials.  Last week's
payment of $8,674,643 represents the $2.5 million award from the 1986
trial plus sixteen years' interest. 'The cult that vowed it would never
pay me one thin dime has now paid over 86 million thin dimes,' Wollersheim
noted in a statement on FACTNet's Web site (www.factnet.org).

"Asked for comment, Church of Scientology of California president Neil
Levin provided a written statement noting that the judgment was against a
church entity that has since undergone restructuring. 'This is a
twenty-year-old case involving an old Scientology church that doesn't
exist anymore,' Levin wrote. 'We've been trying to pay Mr. Wollersheim for
five years, but he has so many creditors, we couldn't do it. So finally,
we put the money into the court.'

"Although much of the money is owed to attorneys, Wollersheim says there
should be enough left over to allow him to continue to support FACTNet and
to become involved in 'less confrontational' activities. He sees the
settlement as a turning point in the tumultuous history of Scientology.
'Now victims who have been intimidated into silence by the belief that no
one could ever get paid are calling their attorneys,' he says.  'This is
also a tremendous encouragement to other social-advocacy groups - the
cigarette-company victims, environmental groups, whatever. The message
isn't that Lawrence got paid. It's about justice and patience. It really
can work if you just work the system.'"

Message-ID: <zxSE8.388$cw5.437078@...>

#####

> Leipzig Human Rights Award

Leipziger Volkszeitung reported on May 13th on the presentation of the
Leipzig Human Rights Award to Alain Vivien.

"Alain Vivien, the French government's cult commissioner, was
distinguished for his involvement in taking action against totalitarian
organizations with the presentation of the third Leipzig Human Rights
Award. In the 'Old Stock Exchange' the 63-year-old socialist received from
the hands of Bavaria's Interior Minister Guenther Beckstein (CSU) the
'Alternative Charlemagne Award,' an image of the Nicholas Church encased
in glass.

"Vivien successfully applied himself to creating a legal framework to
protect the victims of Scientology and other similar organizations in
France. The minister has been addressing problems related to sects and
totalitarian cults since 1983. In 1993 he worked on the first French
Enquete report in that area.  He has been the French president of the
'Interministeriellen Mission im Kampf gegen Sekten' (MILS) for the Prime
Minister of the Republic of France.

"Beckstein described Vivien in his laudatio as a 'pioneer in the
Scientology controversy across Europe and across the world.' At the same
time he called for cooperation among political parties in the fight
against totalitarianism. Vivien said he was pleased 'to receive the award
in a place from which freedom of thought has for so long emanated.'"

Message-ID: <3CE79B87.6020807@...>

#####

> Bob Minton

The St. Petersburg Times reported on May 18th that Bob Minton testified he
has spent $10 million on causes against Scientology.

"Scientology critic Robert Minton has funneled $10-million into a global
anti-Scientology crusade, financing lawsuits against the church and
supporting some of Scientology's most strident opponents. No one has ever
orchestrated such a campaign against the church, said Scientology
spokesman Ben Shaw. 'He obviously had something in mind and he went out to
accomplish it,' Shaw said. 'He was trying to destroy the church.'

"He dumped more than $2-million into a now defunct anti-Scientology
organization in downtown Clearwater called the Lisa McPherson Trust, named
for a Scientologist who died in 1995 under the care of fellow
Scientologists. Minton testified that he put up nearly $2.5-million for
the movie The Profit, made in the Tampa Bay area by two Scientology
critics.

"Minton said he gave $700,000 to Lawrence Wollersheim, a former
Scientologist who recently collected an $8.6-million settlement from
Scientology, ending one of the longest-running lawsuits in California
history. And he funded lawsuits against Scientology in places as distant
as Germany and France.

"But the focus of his anti-Scientology efforts was the Pinellas County
wrongful death lawsuit that blames the church for Lisa McPherson's death.
Minton gave $2-million to fund the litigation. Circuit Court Judge Susan
Schaeffer is taking testimony on a motion by the Church of Scientology to
have the lawsuit dismissed. In what remains an astonishing reversal,
Minton is testifying on behalf of the church in the hearing, which began
May 2 and is expected to last at least another week. Minton is accusing
Tampa attorney Ken Dandar, who represents the McPherson estate in the
lawsuit, of serious misconduct in the case.

"Minton has said his recent testimony came about from tremendous legal
strain in the McPherson case. He was facing contempt of court charges and
feared going to jail for perjury he said he committed at Dandar's urging.
Minton said he decided it was time to clear the record. His St. Petersburg
attorney, Bruce Howie, says Minton wants nothing more to do with funding
anti-Scientology litigation. His close friend Stacy Brooks, a former
Scientologist and critic said Minton got caught up in the anti-Scientology
movement. 'I think he was swept up in the idea he was really fighting
evil,' Brooks said. 'Neither he nor I feel that way anymore.'"

Message-ID: <fjvF8.1044$W83.1083652@...>

#####

> John Mappin

The Daily Mail reported on May 5th that UK Scientologist John Mappin will
declare bankruptcy.

"Scientologist and Winchester educated John Mappin, 35 is expected at the
bankruptcy court in London this morning.  It may have something to do with
Benji 'The Binman' Pell being awarded repayment of pounds 77,500 and costs
of around pounds 350,000 when he sued Mappin in the High Court.

"Mappin duped Pell into handing over thousands of pounds to make a
Hollywood blockbuster of his life story and promised to introduce him to
filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg or George Lucas.  Instead, Benji met a
hairdresser who was putting himself through film school."

Message-ID: <evhaeucp7ql8sfqsftqliouc1400csu3tk@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Christopher Wood reported a protest in Toronto on May 11th.

"Picketers: Me, Gregg Hagglund, Keith Henson. Leaflets: Scientology's
Founder: Con Man / No Science in Scientology (by me) Xenu / Crimes (by
Gregg).

"Gregg and I arrived in front of the org at about 1:00, with Keith in his
usual position up the street. I gave out nearly all the leaflets in my
bag, while Gregg and Keith depleted their supplies in a somewhat similar
fashion.  No Scientologists approached Keith Henson this time. In past
pickets, Scientologists have actually gone near him, talked to him, and
stood watching him pass out leaflets. At this picket no Scientologists
were engaged in actively disproving their supposed fear of Keith.

"Just after we got to the org, Gregg did a side trip up Saint Mary St.,
reading from his copy of OT3. Suddenly, the OT Scientologists started
moving the other Scientologists into the org. I still don't understand why
anyone would submit to being treated like this. We wound it up at 3:00
when we discovered that we were nearly out of leaflets."

Keith Henson reported a protest in Toronto on May 18th.

"Saturday, May 18, 2002 we picketed the org and the hotel where the org
had the local Dianetics event.  Early afternoon at the org there were
three of us: Gregg and the unknown picketer in front of the org and me
across the street.  A young thin guy came up while I was talking to a
woman and insisted he was a scientologist.  The woman I was talking to was
just boggled when I mentioned I had this space cootie story on the flyer,
handed her one and the horrified kid said it was confidential and ran.

"About 4:30 we went to the Colony Hotel, same place as they used last
year. Gregg paced off 100 feet from the ballroom they had rented and
stationed me up the street.  I gave Xenu flyers to at least 4 'raw meat'
who where headed for the event.  Gregg, the unknown picketer, and Chris
Wood picketed and handed out flyers in front of the hotel. There were some
tour buses full of high school kids from Tennessee that came in and many
of them took flyers. Some of them said they were going to check out the
event. I would guess we had 20-30 people in the event with flyers.

"Three bicycle cops showed up and politely asked Gregg if he had been
abused by the Scientologists yet. Gregg explained that they had been
behaving themselves for most of the last year.  The hotel lobby revolving
door is below the street in a driveway. The effect was to focus Gregg's
voice so it was able to punch through the single glass when the revolving
door was in that position. People inside told Gregg he fairly well
controlled the conversation by coming in lumps (Scientology Management
Lies!). In between the door revolutions the old time Scientologists in the
lobby were talking loudly about Gregg. According to a person who came out
they were claiming that Gregg had his wife lobotomized. After hearing that
she had a brain tumor removed that has left her somewhat emotionally
vulnerable and that the Scientologists have attacked her using this, the
guy looked back in and said they were not only crazy but vicious."

Message-ID: <pan.2002.05.18.16.19.46.384014.31422@...>
Message-ID: <3ce8cc21.147513620@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 8
5/26/2002 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

#####

> Cannes Film Festival

indieWIRE reported on May 24th that Scientology was represented at the
annual Cannes Film Festival.

"New religions are popping up at the 55th Cannes Film Festival: the Church
of Scientology mounted an exhibit to L. Ron Hubbard in a small art store
just off the Croisette. But the old gods still hold sway. As usual, some
harrumphed that the main competition bowed to old standbys like David
Cronenberg, Manoel De Oliveira, Allen and Olivier Assayas out of blind
faith."

Message-ID: <KFpH8.1835$cw5.1486740@...>

#####

> Dianetics Day

"Cerridwen" reported events at Scientology's May 9th Dianetics Day
festivities.

"The big new is that DM was a no show. The first speaker was Karen
Hollander and she just stumbled through her prepared speech for several
minutes until she finally settled down.  Then came Mark Yager, who was
also stumbling and bumbling through his prepared speech. Heber made an
appearance. It has been several years since I've seen Heber at one of
these events and he got a big round of applause.  He was brought out to
present the awards for most books sold.

"There was a remake of an LRH Film called 'Evolution of a Science.' This
was a 20 to 25 minute film and will be part of a new campaign to go along
with promoting the book.  The film promotes the book 'Evolution of a
Science' through a story and of course, they have to add all that hokey
crap about the psychs.

"There was news of new missions opening.  Four new ones may have opened in
the US since the beginning of the year, or since the last event, I can't
remember which. The number of Book One auditing hours did something like
10X in the past year, and a graph with actual hours was shown.  The
bookseller from Liberia has been selling DMSMH there and in the
surrounding half a dozen or more countries. There are Dianetics groups now
all over the area, including Rwanda."

Message-ID: <0335645c8511cb28da269d9e39a3bf54@...>

#####

> Church of Religious Science

The Los Angeles Times published an article on the Church of Religious
Science on May 24th, and the difficulties with being confused with
Scientology and Christian Science.

"When Edward Graff talks about his church, its philosophy and spiritual
basis, people listen and seem interested. But the moment he mentions the
name, he senses a change. 'They get a little standoffish,' said Graff,
board president of the Claremont Church of Religious Science. That's
because some confuse the Church of Religious Science with two other
churches: The Church of Christ, Scientist, and the Church of Scientology.
So the Claremont church put out a request to its members to come up with a
new name. So far it has collected 47.  In February, at its annual
membership meeting, the congregation will vote on whether to change the
name, and then if so, what it would be, Graff said.

"When he explains the beliefs of his church, Graff said, people show
curiosity. Once he says Religious Science, 'they're not as open and they
don't feel as easy.' They get 'a little worried when they hear science and
religion in the name of a church,' Graff said. 'We didn't want a name that
was too confusing or too threatening.' The Church of Religious Science
grew out of the studies of Ernest Holmes, born in 1887 in Maine. It's more
philosophy than religion, Graff said.

"Religious Science is different from Scientology and Christian Science,
said Pastor Patt Perkins of the Claremont Church of Religious Science. 'I
believe that Scientology has got a pretty bad reputation,' Perkins said.
'We don't want to be identified with that because that's not who we are.'

"If the Claremont church changes its name, it will be the church's fourth
in 53 years. Suggested names include: Learning Center for Spiritual
Growth; Church of Serenity; Spirit, Mind and Body Institute; or Claremont
Community Church of Wisdom."

Message-ID: <HvpH8.1834$cw5.1486445@...>

#####

> Lawrence Wollersheim

The Los Angeles Times published a story on May 21st on Lawrence
Wollersheim and the recent collection of his judgment from Scientology for
abuse he received while he was a member.

"Lawrence Wollersheim was awarded millions of dollars, but he plans to
keep living as a nomad in a solar-powered RV, connected to the world by a
cellular phone with a secret number. The ex-Scientologist came by his
money in a unique fashion, too: He won a grueling 22-year court battle
against the Church of Scientology of California that went to the U.S.
Supreme Court.

"Wollersheim said the church pushed him to the brink of suicide, brought
on bipolar disorder and drove his business into bankruptcy. A Los Angeles
jury agreed. On May 9, the church deposited $8.67 million with the Los
Angeles Superior Court, marking the only time in two decades, church
officials say, that Scientology has lost a lawsuit and been forced to pay
a former member, or as church officials call him, an apostate. 'Justice is
more powerful than therapy,' Wollersheim said. 'If it takes another 22
years, I'll stay with it. I'm standing up straight and tall and looking
them in the eye, and they're not pushing me anymore.'

"Church officials see a very different picture. They paint Wollersheim as
a calculating, deranged ex-member who was mentally unbalanced when he
joined and managed to convince a jury - using bogus testimony - that
Scientology was responsible for what was wrong in his life. His victory
was 'a miscarriage of justice,' said Kurt Weiland, an official with the
Church of Scientology International. Church officials dispute
Wollersheim's allegations that they dragged their heels to avoid paying.
They said that he didn't want to collect and that he had an elaborate
scheme to lose so he could continue collecting donations from
anti-Scientologists.

"Wollersheim's lawyers dismiss this claim as ridiculous. Attorney Craig
Stein said the church 'used every possible litigation technique to make
the pursuit of collection of the judgment so costly that any less
determined person would have given up a long time ago.'

"Scientologists believe that auditing can help rehabilitate the human
spirit and is the path to spiritual enlightenment. For 11 years,
Wollersheim said, he believed that too. He signed a billion-year contract,
which the church describes as a symbolic gesture of eternal commitment. At
one point, he said, he lived with other Scientologists and spent all his
waking hours working for the church. He also operated several businesses,
including a photography enterprise. In the mid-1970s Wollersheim agreed to
undergo auditing sessions aboard a ship in Long Beach. It was a strenuous
regime of little sleep, paltry food and hours of auditing that experts
testified helped bring on his mental illness. At another stage, according
to court records, Wollersheim agreed to disconnect from friends and family
who had expressed concerns about Scientology.

"When he started to question his belief in Scientology, Scientologists
drove his business into bankruptcy. Church officials said members stopped
patronizing Wollersheim's business because they discovered he was
disreputable. They also deny pressuring him to disconnect from friends and
family.

"Much of the money is owed to lawyers and others who helped bankroll
Wollersheim's battle. He hasn't had a long-term job in the last decade, he
said, because harassment from those angry at his suit have forced him to
stay on the move, at times armed with a gun and a bulletproof vest.
Scientology officials say they never harassed him.

"What kept him going was the conviction that he was fighting, not just for
himself, but for others hurt by the church, he said. He lives in a
recreational vehicle with four wheel drive and solar power so he can go
'off the grid' to hide if necessary."

Message-ID: <JiqG8.1410$cw5.1030230@...>

#####

> Narconon

The Sunday News from Lancaster, Pennsylvania reported on May 17th that a
Narconon staffer is asking to have his drug-related sentence reduced.

"Anthony J. Mariani III has struggled with drug addiction his entire adult
life and has been in criminal court many times.  But now, family members
told Judge David Ashworth on Wednesday, Mariani is clean from his drug
habit and back in control of his life.  Now, he is an 'integral part' of
the administrative staff of a drug rehabilitation center in Georgia,
Ashworth was told.

"Defense attorney John A. Kenneff urged the judge to put Mariani on
probation for a long time and let him go back to his work helping
others.
Assistant District Attorney Jeff Conrad was skeptical about Mariani's
recovery from heroin since his arrest in September 2000.  Conrad argued
for a stiff prison sentence, saying Mariani still needed to be held
accountable for committing the felony crime for which he was convicted
last March - possessing 31 bags of heroin with the intent to deliver.

"After listening to more than an hour of testimony and discussion of the
case Wednesday morning, Ashworth sentenced Mariani to one to two years in
prison followed by 13 years probation.  The judge reduced the prison
sentence by one day so that it could be served in Lancaster County Prison.
Then Mariani may be paroled to a drug rehabilitation facility, including
the one where he works.

"Mary Reeser, director of the Narconon facility where Mariani works, said
that since completing the program himself and joining the staff, he has
become an 'integral part of our facility.' While Mariani may be clean from
his drug addiction now, Conrad suggested that there was an 'undue risk to
society' and treatment is 'best supplied in prison.' Conrad asked for a
stiff prison sentence, telling the judge that a lesser period of
incarceration would depreciate the seriousness of the crime."

Message-ID: <qscheusnu1s7lenqkcjv7bqdufqakt51lc@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Tory Christman reported a protest in downtown Hemet, California on May
25th.

"I pulled into Blockbuster and pulled out my signs. I thought these people
should be informed of the latest news, and how I feel about Scientology
and families. They read: 'SCIENTOLOGY PAID (after 22 years of fighting)
WOLLERSHEIM 8.7 MILLION DOLLARS!' My other one is red, shaped like a stop
sign and reads: 'SCIENTOLOGY STOP HURTING FAMILIES.'

"I walked back and forth on a main corner in downtown Hemet as numerous
cars streamed by. Almost all read my signs. Soon a number of people
started honking, giving me the Hi Five Sign and Waving. I stayed for about
20 minutes, walking back and forth, nodding to people, holding my signs
out for them to read."

Message-ID: <3cf070ee@...>

#####

> U.S. State Department

The U.S. State Department released its annual report on human rights for
2001 this week. Some excerpts from the report on Austria:

"The nine religious groups that have constituted themselves as
confessional communities according to the law are: Jehovah's Witnesses,
the Baha'i Faith, the Baptists, the Evangelical Alliance, the Movement for
Religious Renewal, the Pentecostalists, the Seventh-Day Adventists, the
Coptic Orthodox Church, and the Hindu religious community. After initially
filing for confessional community status, the Church of Scientology
withdrew its application from consideration in 1998. Sensitivity to
Scientology in the country remained high. The Church of Scientology has
reported problems obtaining credit cards, and individual Scientologists
have experienced discrimination in hiring."

On the Czech Republic:

"On December 18, Parliament voted to override President Havel's veto and
enacted the Law on the Freedom of Religious Belief and on the Status of
Churches and Religious Societies. It will 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 new law will also impose a 10-year observation period on all
first-tier organizations wishing to obtain second-tier status. Under the
old law, registered churches would automatically receive second-tier
status. The new law has been criticized by some unregistered religious
groups (including the Muslims and the Church of Scientology) and
nongovernmental observers as prejudicial against minority religions."

On Belgium:

"In February the Church of Scientology took legal action to force the
return of documents seized in a 1999 police raid of church facilities and
the homes and businesses of about 20 members. The Church of Scientology
also filed a complaint asserting that the Prosecutor's Office provided
prejudicial statements to the press in violation of the country's secrecy
laws regarding investigations. A second, smaller raid on the Church of
Scientology's Brussels headquarters took place on February 8 at which time
additional documents were seized. Most of the seized computer equipment
was returned to the Church, but the documents from both raids still were
being held by the investigating magistrate at year's end. In March the
Church filed a complaint against the Government with the U.N. Special
Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance. No arrests were made or charges filed
against church members as a result of the original raid.

"In November the Church of Scientology was informed on the morning of the
scheduled day that it could not use the International Press Center to
announce its suit against the Commission's dangerous sect list. A
representative of the center reportedly cited the presence of the Church
of Scientology on the commission's list as a reason for the cancellation.
However, in a subsequent review of the refusal, the Center decided that in
the future the Church of Scientology could use the facilities."

On Denmark:

"Scientologists continued to seek official approval as a religious
organization. Their second application was resubmitted in 1999 and
withdrawn again 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. The
Scientologists had not resubmitted an application by year's end."

On France:

"The Government does not recognize all branches of Jehovah's Witnesses or
the Church of Scientology as qualifying religious associations for tax
purposes and therefore subjects them to a 60 percent tax on all funds they
receive.

"A number of court cases have been initiated against the Church of
Scientology, generally by former members who have sued the Church for
fraud and sometimes for the practice of medicine without a license, and
some cases have been brought under the Data Privacy Act. In April the
Church of Scientology was taken to court for fraud and false advertising
in a lawsuit brought by three former members; the case remained pending at
year's end. Church of Scientology representatives reported that a case
filed by a parent whose child attended an 'Applied Scholastics'-based
school remained ongoing. In March warrants in this case were executed, and
the police entered Scientology offices and removed files.

"In April the press reported that software produced by Panda International
was created by a Scientologist. According to representatives of Panda
Software, the Interior Ministry and others subsequently indicated that
they would not renew their contracts with the company. Panda claimed that
critical statements by government officials in press articles that linked
the product to Scientology have caused a significant loss of business."

On Germany:

"Several states, noting their responsibility to respond to citizens'
requests for information about these groups, have published pamphlets
detailing the ideology and practices of nonmainstream religions.
Scientology is the focus of many such pamphlets, some of which warn of the
alleged dangers posed by Scientology to the political order and freemarket
economic system and to the mental and financial well being of individuals.
For example, the Hamburg OPC published 'The Intelligence Service of the
Scientology Organization,' which claims that Scientology tried to
infiltrate governments, offices, and companies, and that the church spies
on its opponents, defames them, and 'destroys' them.

"In April the federal OPC concluded in its annual report for the year 2000
that its stated reasons for initiating observation of Scientology in 1997
remained valid. The section of the report covering Scientology described
the organization's political ideology as antidemocratic, quoting from the
writings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology pamphlets.

"On December 12, the Berlin Regional Administrative Court held that the
Berlin OPC could not employ undercover agents to continue the observation
of Scientology's activities in the state of Berlin. The Court concluded
that after 4 years of observation, the Berlin OPC had failed to uncover
information that would justify the continued use of intrusive methods.

"A number of state and local offices share information on individuals
known to be Scientologists. Until March the Government required firms to
sign a declaration in bidding on government contracts stating that neither
the firm's management nor employees were Scientologists. Firms that failed
to submit a sect filter declaration were presumed 'unreliable' and
excluded from consideration. In response to concerns expressed by foreign
governments and multinational firms, in 2000 the Economics Ministry
limited the scope of the sect filter to consulting and training contracts.
In March the Economics Ministry persuaded the federal and state interior
ministries to accept new wording that would only prohibit use of the
'technology of L. Ron Hubbard' in executing government contracts. Firms
owned or managed by or employing Scientologists could bid on these
contracts.  The Federal Property Office has barred the sale of some real
estate to Scientologists, noting that the federal Finance Ministry has
urged that such sales be avoided, if possible.

"In the state of Bavaria, applicants for state civil service positions
must complete questionnaires detailing any relationship they may have with
Scientology. Bavaria identified some state employees as Scientologists and
has required them to complete the questionnaire.  Some of these employees
have refused, and two filed suit in the local administrative court. Both
cases have been decided, both in favor of the employees. The Bavarian
Interior Ministry commented that these were individual decisions, but
withdrew the questionnaire for persons already employed with the State of
Bavaria or the City of Munich; however, the questionnaire is still in use
for persons seeking new state or municipal government employment.
According to Bavarian and federal officials, no one in Bavaria lost a job
or was denied employment solely because of association with Scientology.

"In January 1999, a higher social court in Rheinland-Pfalz ruled that a
Scientologist was allowed to run her au pair agency, for which the State
Labor Ministry had refused to renew her license in 1994 because of her
membership in the Church of Scientology. The judge ruled that the question
of a person's reliability hinges on the person and not their membership in
the Church of Scientology. The ruling remained under appeal by the State
Labor Office at year's end, and the au pair agency continued operations.

"In October the management of a commercial racing track in Oschersleben
informed the foreign subsidiary of the California Superbike School that it
could not rent the track to conduct a training session; they stated that
the denial was based on the grounds that the founder of the School was a
Scientologist, and that Scientology was under OPC observation."

On Greece:

"In February 2000, the Scientologists submitted an application for
recognition as a known religion. Although the period mandated by law for
processing the application is 3 months, the Ministry waited until October
2000 to decide that it would not recognize the Scientologist community as
an 'official' religion. In October 2000, the Ministry denied the
Scientologists their application for recognition and a house of prayer
permit on the grounds that Scientology 'is not a religion.' The Church of
Scientology appealed the decision to the Council of State in December
2000, and the case was pending at year's end."

On Hungary:

"In 2000 the Hungarian Tax Authority initiated investigations of the
Church of Scientology, based on questions regarding the registration of
its clergy. The investigations took place at the Church's office where
investigators requested files and conducted interviews. The APEH had not
completed its investigation by year's end."

On Russia:

"The Church of Scientology has experienced problems in reregistering its
organization in Moscow. In October the Moscow city court upheld a lower
court ruling on the denial of reregistration to the church's local
chapter, and the local department of the Ministry of Justice initiated
liquidation proceedings against the chapter.

"Some religious minority denominations accuse the FSB, Procurator, and
other official agencies, of increasing harassment of certain
'nontraditional' denominations, in particular, Pentecostals,
Scientologists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and the Unification Church.
In December 2000, a Moscow court returned a case in which the Church of
Scientology was accused of 'criminal activities' to law enforcement
authorities for further investigation because of irregularities by the
procurator's office. In January the case resumed, but subsequently was
dismissed for lack of evidence. The procurator appealed, but the appellate
court upheld the lower court's ruling in May, clearing the Scientologists
of all charges.

"In March the head of the local department of the Ministry of Justice and
other local officials held a press conference at Nizhniy Novgorod's city
hall in which they called for noncooperation with such groups as the
Jehovah's Witnesses, the Moonies, and the Scientologists. From April 23 to
25, local Russian Orthodox Church officials held a conference in Nizhniy
Novgorod, which was devoted to 'Totalitarian Cults - Threat of the XXI
Century,' featured a number of presentations from both domestic and
foreign 'anticult' activists. In the materials that came out of the
conference, groups such as Pentecostals, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, the
Unification Church, and Scientology were included in the list of 'cults,'
despite the fact that all have legal status.

"On September 16, perpetrators hurled a Molotov cocktail into the Moscow
headquarters of the Church of Scientology; the church had received bomb
threats by telephone prior to the incident. By year's end, the police had
arrested five suspects."

On Slovakia:

"The police law regulates wiretapping and mail surveillance for the
purposes of criminal investigation, which may be conducted on the order of
a judge or prosecutor only in cases of extraordinarily serious
premeditated crimes or crimes involving international treaty obligations.
There were reports that the Ministry of Interior actively monitored
members of the Church of Scientology.

"The Ministry of Interior also actively monitored Scientologists. Several
stories have appeared in the media critical of companies that have ties to
Scientology, including reports that the Director of the SIS was concerned
that a company with close ties to the church of Scientology had won a vote
to provide the Government with a new computer system."

On Spain:

"In December a Madrid court acquitted 15 Spanish citizens of charges of
illicit association and tax evasion. The charges arose from a fraud
complaint against Church of Scientology offices Dianetica and Narconon and
the subsequent arrest of Scientology International President Heber
Jentzsch and 71 others at a 1988 convention in Madrid. Scientology
representatives asserted that the indictment against Jentzsch, who was not
part of the trial, was religiously based, a claim denied by officials."

On Switzerland:

"In December 2000, the Federal Department of Police published a followup
report to a 1999 report by the Business Review Commission of the National
Assembly regarding the need for state involvement in controlling 'sects.'
The December 2000 report concluded that the activities of sects, including
Scientology, had not increased significantly and that special monitoring
of sects therefore was not justified.

"In 1999 a court held that the Scientologists' activities were commercial
and not religious, and that the city should grant them and other
commercial enterprises, such as fast food restaurants, more freedom to
distribute pamphlets on a permit basis. Fearing a heavy administrative and
enforcement workload, the city appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme
Court rejected the appeal in June 2000, affirming the decision by the
lower court that the Scientologists' activities were commercial in nature
and thus should be permitted."

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-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 9
6/2/2002 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

#####

> Dell

Magill magazine published a story in its June issue about the use of
Scientology training methods at Dell in Ireland.

"Since February of this year, Dell's Limerick plant has been availing of
the services of Effective Training Solutions and its '100% Proficiency
Training' programme. The programme helps employees to train better, and
thus become more efficient in their work. ETS trained a number of Dell's
own in-house trainers, who then rolled it out to employees. 'You will
learn about and become skilled in the use of some vital training tools
that very few people are trained in,' explains the introduction to the
programme's '100% Proficiency Training Workshop' manual, which forms one
part of the overall programme. 'Your power and ability to influence your
own training and education (and others' should you help other people) will
be greatly increased.' Since February, Dell's in-house trainers have
rolled out the programme to approximately 200 Dell employees who are
engaged in production work at the plant. Dell says the reaction from
employees to the course has been extremely positive. But not every
employee who underwent the course was happy after realising where the
course originated from. The 100% Proficiency Training Workshop is, the
manual explains on its last page, 'derived from the copyrighted writings
of L Ron Hubbard on the subjects of training, education and management,
and used with permission.' Nowhere does the manual state that Hubbard was
the founder of Scientology. A spokesperson for ETS stressed that those who
chose to undergo the training course at Dell did so voluntarily.

"ETS was formerly known as Applied Scholastics of Fremont, California -
part of the wider Applied Scholastics International movement which is seen
by many as an educational arm of Scientology, although Applied Scholastics
disputes this, saying it is a secular charitable organisation independent
of Scientology.  In 1992, a Californian company, Applied Materials,
settled out of court for an estimated $600,000 with three former employees
who claimed they were forced out of the company after complaining about
work-place training given by Applied Scholastics of Fremont.  Applied
Materials admitted that it had 'lacked sensitivity with regard to the
controversial nature of L Ron Hubbard' when employing the Applied
Scholastics training. The training involved communication courses. An
attorney representing the three workers claimed before the case was
settled that some of the training given was identical to material in
Scientology handbooks.

"Hubbard's ability to break down barriers not recognised by other
educators is news to some. Professor of Education and Vice President of
University College Cork, Aine Hyland, is one of this country's leading
authorities on the history of education. She is unaware of any
breakthrough contribution made by Hubbard to the field. 'In my research
into education in the 1960s in scholarly educational journals, I have not
come across any reference to any major or significant contribution made by
L Ron Hubbard to educational philosophy, nor am I aware that scholars in
the area since then would regard any of Hubbard's writings as of major
significance in the history of education.'

"Dr. Finian Buckley of Dublin City University's Business School,
meanwhile, doesn't agree that Hubbard has made significant contributions
to business, management or training. 'Hubbard wouldn't be regarded as
having contributed to any cutting-edge research in these fields,' he says.
Hubbard's writings, he believes, are more in line with the type of books
available in bookstores that promise to reveal the previously-secret steps
to sensational business success. 'Most of those serious professional
trainers wouldn't touch,' he adds.

"The company said that the results of the programme 'led to significant
quality improvements on the Dell production floor. The reaction from Dell
employees to this particular training course has been extremely positive.'
A host of major international companies other than Dell who have used the
course say likewise: DuPont, Bayer, National Semiconductor, Chevron and
Cisco among others. Yet it is not the course materials as such that bother
the Dell employees who spoke to Magill, but rather the fact that L Ron
Hubbard was, in part, responsible for it. The manual states that if the
participant is interested in learning more about Hubbard or his lecture
series, or ETS itself, they should mention this to their trainer.

"In other countries, courses using Hubbard material have been accused of
trying to introduce participants to Scientology. ETS states categorically
that while its 100% Proficiency Training Course is derived from Hubbard's
writings, it does not address religious issues. Nor does it make mention
of Scientology. Nor does it attempt to introduce participants to
Scientology.  Dell stressed in its statement that it 'supports diversity
in the workplace and does not in any way promote any particular religious
group or religious ethic. ETS has also confirmed to us that they have no
links - financial or otherwise - to the Church of Scientology.'

"Many Scientology websites have sections on Applied Scholastics. One site
mentions Applied Scholastics as one of its 'related programmes,' and the
information printed is copyrighted to the Church of Scientology. America's
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), however, apparently made little of the
disclaimer when it reached a confidential settlement with the Church of
Scientology in 1993 after a long-standing tax dispute between the two.
Applied Scholastics was included in the settlement as a
'Scientology-related entity.'

"Dell since announced it is to cut 150 jobs at its Limerick plant. The
jobs being cut will come from the administrative and middle-management
staff, and will be decided on a voluntary redundancy basis. The company's
future looks bright nonetheless, and it will continue to contribute
significantly to the Irish economy. ETS's Gudenas says 'the real story in
our business world is the exodus of jobs and companies to south-east Asia
and China. The only way to stay competitive is through efficiency, quality
and proficiency of the Irish workforce, and that's what our programme
provides,' she says. 'Your article could help us keep more jobs in Ireland
as you are in a key role to get the politicians and the government to
support training - for example, in the USA, the states refund companies a
portion of their training costs. You could push the politicians to do
this; why aren't they thinking about the future and the threat of China
and supporting training? That's the real story regarding the economic
future for Irish people,' she says, before adding: 'In this enlightened
age, when your house is on fire, do you stop to ask the religious
affiliations of the firemen before you accept their help? I think not.'"

Message-ID: <rlscfu0vjbg5q3ftt344l3je23vf3q3t25@...>

#####

> Gerald Armstrong

A lawsuit against Gerald Armstrong, Bob Minton and the Lisa McPherson
Trust was posted to a.r.s this week. Scientology is seeking compensation
for breach of contract.

"Beginning in late 1989, Armstrong systematically began breaching
virtually every material covenant to which he had agreed by entering into
the Settlement Agreement. In 1992, CSI instituted suit against Armstrong
seeking damages for his repeated breaches and provisional and permanent
injunctive relief against future breaches. CSI obtained a monetary
judgment and a permanent injunction. Armstrong, who characterizes this
Court's Injunction as 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional,' and 'a great
stupidity,' began almost immediately to violate the terms of the
Injunction. As a result, Armstrong has been found by this Court to be in
contempt on two separate occasions, citing 14 separate violations, and is
the subject of two outstanding bench warrants. On July 13, 2001, Armstrong
was again fount to be in contempt of the Injunction on no less than 131
additional occasions. Armstrong has evaded both the fines and the
imprisonment to which he has been sentenced by fleeing the jurisdiction
and relocating to British Columbia, Canada.

"CSI asserts claims for breach of contract against Armstrong, as the
contracting party, claims for intentional interference with contractual
relations against Defendants Robert Minton and the Lisa McPherson Trust
whose financial resources were intended to, and specifically enabled them
to act in concert and conspiracy with Armstrong to perpetuate his ongoing
contempt of this Court and to violate virtually a daily bases CSI's
contractual rights.

"Despite its deceptive and misleading name, Defendant Lisa McPherson Trust
is neither a trust nor any other sort of nonprofit enterprise. LMT, at all
times until its dissolution in December 2001, was a for-profit
corporation, organized and existing under the laws of the State of
Florida, with its principal place of business in Clearwater, Florida.
Minton is the founder, sole incorporator, and is the source of the
financing of LMT.

"Armstrong on the one hand and Minton and LMT on the other hand combined,
conspired, and agreed to perform the unlawful acts which are the subject
of this Complaint and to conceal from discovery both the unlawful acts and
the unlawful, conspiratorial participation of Minton and LMT therein.

"On December 6, 1986, CSI and Armstrong entered into the Settlement
Agreement, designed to end bitter litigation, including several separate
cases then pending. In consideration for a payment of $800,000, Armstrong
and CSI exchanged mutual, general releases. Armstrong made various
covenants, including the following: 'Plaintiff agrees never to create or
publish, or attempt to publish, and/or assist another to create for
publication by means of magazine, article, book or other similar form, any
writing or broadcast or to assist another to create write, film, or video
tape or audio tape any show, program or movie, or to grant interviews or
discuss with others, concerning their experiences with the Church of
Scientology, or concerning their personal or indirectly acquired knowledge
or information concerning the Church of Scientology or L. Ron Hubbard.
Plaintiff further agrees that he will maintain strict confidentiality and
silence with respect to his experiences with the Church of Scientology and
any knowledge or information he may have concerning the Church of
Scientology or L. Ron Hubbard. Plaintiff agrees that if the terms of this
paragraph are breached by him, that CSI and the other Releasees would be
entitled to liquidated damages in the amount of $50,000 for each such
breach.'

"Beginning in late 1989, Armstrong began breaching his obligations under
the Settlement Agreement.  Armstrong, having fled the jurisdiction,
continued his contumacious conduct virtually unabated. Since the February
1998 contempt order, Armstrong mad oral statements and statements created
and transmitted vial e-mail and by 'posting' to the Internet newsgroup
alt.religion.scientology thus committing more than 200 separate breaches.

"In December 1999, Armstrong traveled to Clearwater, Florida at the
invitation of Minton and LMT, who paid for the expenses of Armstrong's
visit, with the purpose and intent of enabling Armstrong to violate the
Agreement including media and other public appearances as part of LMT's
anti-Scientology campaign. While in Clearwater, Armstrong appeared at and
addressed a gathering assembled and sponsored by LMT, which also produced
a videotape of Armstrong's remarks. So brazen was Armstrong that he began
his videotaped remarks by acknowledging that his address was prohibited by
the Injunction.

"On December 10, 1999, while still in Florida at the request and expense
of Minton and LMT, Armstrong appeared on Radio Station WMNF-AM in Tampa,
Florida and gave an interview on that station. In June 2000, Armstrong
traveled to Germany to attend a public ceremony where Minton was presented
with an award for his anti-Scientology activities by a small group of
like-minded extremists. During this trip, Armstrong met with media
representatives and engaged in further breaches of the Settlement
Agreement. On information and belief, these travels and actions were
financed and supported by Minton, individually or through his alter ego,
the LMT, with the knowledge that Armstrong would use this opportunity to
further violate the Settlement Agreement.

"From May through July of 2001, Armstrong traveled to Russia, Germany,
Denmark, the United Kingdom, and other countries where he met with media
personnel and made numerous public statements in violation of the
Settlement Agreement. On information and belief, these travels and actions
were financed and supported by Minton, individually or through his alter
ego, the LMT, with the knowledge that Armstrong would use this opportunity
to further violate the Settlement Agreement by making numerous public
appearances where those violations occurred, including in Leipzig, Germany
where Armstrong publicly appeared with Minton, Brooks, and other LMT
employees. Minton encouraged Armstrong in the above violations.

"Armstrong has committed 201 separate and distinct breaches of the
Settlement Agreement, as a result of which CSI is entitled to liquidated
damages of $50,000 for each such breach, totaling $10,050,000. Minton and
LMT have knowledge and notice of both the Settlement Agreement and the
Injunction and nonetheless wilfully, deliberately, and maliciously aided
and financially rewarded and enabled Armstrong to breach his contractual
obligations."

Message-ID: <3CF21500.EBDFF988@...>

#####

> Milwaukee Mission

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on June 1st that the Milwaukee
Scientology mission has moved to larger offices.

"After about 15 years at 710 E. Silver Spring Drive in Whitefish Bay, the
Church of Scientology-Milwaukee Dianetics Mission recently moved to larger
quarters in Milwaukee at 6806 W. Wedgewood Drive. The mission is open from
6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday
and Sunday. Sunday service begins at 10:30 a.m. and is open to the
public."

Message-ID: <TLqK8.1387$%k1.1025736@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Graham Berry reported protesting Scientology's Gold Base in Hemet,
California.

"Sunday May 26 I was driving into the town of Hemet and the nearby Gilman
Hot Springs. I decided upon an impromptu 'Justice For Keith Henson Solo
Picket.' I parked my borrowed car in front of the Ashley Shaner Memorial
and its adjacent Scientology surveillance camera. I only had one picket
sign available. One side read 'Scientology: Church of Fair Game.' The
other side read 'LRH DIED ON PYSCH DRUGS.'

"I crossed Highway 79 at the bottom gates into the Golden Era film studio
facilities. There did not seem to be anyone out and about.  As I slowly
strolled up towards the main gates holding my picket sign aloft I noticed
bicycles and mopeds haphazardly parked and strewn along the sides of the
paths and roads of the Base on both sides of Highway 79.  The Guard House
had two guards on duty. Because of my presence with a picket sign, the
gates had to be closed, and two white passenger vans turned around and
driven back into the base. The old black scientology security SUV was
driving up and down. It parked behind my borrowed vehicle as if to
intimidate and threaten me.  I continued sauntering down the highway and
to take photographs."

Keith Henson reported protests at the Toronto org.

"Two pickets, one May 20, Victoria day and one today, June 1.  Last time
was Chris Wood, a new guy, Ron Sharp, Gregg and me. We did 3 hours of
picket and gave out about 400 xenu and other flyers. This was the last
time the 'making the able more able' sign was up at the org.  Two of the
goon squad showed up but they just watched. We took a break when the
Victoria Day parade went down Yonge St.  The org has gone to blue tarp
tech, only in this case it was black foam boards in the Dianetics windows
on Yonge St.

"Today it was just David Palter, Gregg and me for an hour and a half. We
gave away 125 flyers on each side of Yonge St. The new sign blocking the
window is false advertising saying that Dianetics is a 'science of the
mind.' First thing that happened to me when I started was a tall woman
with brown hair came by and said she was a Scientologist and that this
Xenu stuff was crap. I mentioned that I had seen it in Hubbard's own
handwriting. She said it was still crap even if LRH wrote it. I said she
was going to have to do a knowledge report about having talked to me and
she left going down the street freaking out. I watched and she never
crossed the street to the org.

"There was one funny sequence where this guy who is either involved or has
a relative in carefully checks out that nobody is watching him from the
org, takes a flyer from Gregg and stuff it into his pants."

Message-ID: <20020601015028.18817.00001660@...>
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#####

> Slovakia

Slovak news agency reported on May 29th that the Slovak Intelligence
Service is monitoring Scientology and other cults as possible security
risks.

"Presenting the report to parliament on Wednesday [29 May], SIS
Director-General Vladimir Mitro said crime groups focused on drug
trafficking, but also on public procurement tenders, privatization tenders
and other state orders. The SIS also monitored activities of the sects
Church of Scientology and Moonies in Slovakia. Scientologists have
official centres in Martin and Bratislava, and secret civic associations,
language schools and private companies."

Message-ID: <WsoJ8.920$%k1.691390@...>

#####

> Digital Lightwave

The St. Petersburg Times published a story on June 2nd on Digital
Lightwave and the effects Scientology has had on the company.

"It was New Year's Eve 1997 when Digital Lightwave's chief, Bryan Zwan,
made his biggest deal: a $9-million contract for his signature product, a
10-pound device that tests telephone lines. But his overtaxed workers -
they had put in 100-hour weeks during the holidays - didn't have enough
time or materials. As the night wore on, the crew sent incomplete and
unassembled units to a shipping warehouse, giving the impression the order
was filled. Digital had done this before. The company even had shipped
units to salesmen's homes for storage and booked them as sales. A
manufacturing manager named Chuck Anderson became fed up. Most company
whistleblowers typically alert the Securities and Exchange Commission to
possible wrongdoing. But Anderson reported the trouble to his own higher
authority: the Church of Scientology.

"He wrote a 'knowledge report,' addressed to church leaders, warning that
the New Year's Eve shipments were the latest in a troubling pattern in
Digital that could create a 'huge potential flap' for Scientology. 'What
happens if someone goes to the newspapers, the investors, the SEC?'
Anderson, a Scientologist, wrote in his report. 'Not to mention putting
Scientology and Scientologists at risk.'

Zwan, a longtime Scientologist, has long insisted that Digital has no
connection to the controversial church. Zwan said he never hired people
because they are Scientologists and never sought church advice on company
matters. 'We are a public company,' Zwan said. 'We have nothing to do with
the Church of Scientology. It has no role in this company.'

"A Scientologist helped Zwan develop Digital's fiber-optic technology.
Scientology facilities, including the landmark Fort Harrison Hotel in
Clearwater, were backdrops for important company negotiations. Zwan tapped
Scientologists for his early management team. And fellow Scientologists
were Zwan's early backers, many reaping riches from Digital's run on Wall
Street. Zwan hired as one of his top executives Denise Licciardi, the
sister of Scientology's worldwide leader, David Miscavige. Quickly
promoted and given a six-figure salary, Licciardi was widely regarded as
Zwan's right hand at Digital. She urged him to run day-to-day operations
by following Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's business practices known
as 'LRH Tech.' Digital could 'become a showcase of LRH Tech,' Licciardi
wrote in one memo to Zwan. 'This was what you communicated to each of us
was your dream.'

"In 1993, Zwan needed investors to take Digital Lightwave out of the
incubator. He found a wealthy business partner while visiting
Scientology's international spiritual retreat, the Fort Harrison Hotel in
Clearwater. One day over lunch in the hotel's Hibiscus room, a Scientology
staff member introduced Zwan to Brian Haney, a fellow entrepreneur
visiting from Columbus, Ohio. Haney had become a millionaire in his 20s
selling toys through his Great American Fun Corp.

"Zwan traveled to Columbus to discuss a deal, meeting Haney at the
Scientology facility there.  First on the agenda was Scientology. The
church wanted $100,000 for its planned Super Power building in Clearwater,
a massive, $50-million complex now under construction. Haney balked. He
had already given the project $200,000. But Zwan and the church staffer
kept asking. Eventually, Haney wrote the check. The businessmen then
turned to Digital Lightwave. The two Scientologists discussed using
Hubbard's teachings to run the company. They had an unspoken
understanding, Haney said: No one would mention Scientology and Digital in
the same breath. 'It was known people would frown upon it,' Haney said.
Investors and potential customers might be leery of a company with ties to
a controversial church.

"'We were going to be two Scientologists who ran a Scientology company
that would bring in a ton of money that would get donated to Scientology
so Scientology could put up Super Power buildings all over the globe,'
said Haney, now 43. The entrepreneurs made a pact. For $5-million, Haney
said, he wound up with 49 percent of the company and left daily operations
to Zwan. Haney and his wife, Linda, had grown disillusioned with
Scientology and left the church. The church labeled Mrs. Haney a
'suppressive person,' a name given to people the church believes are
working against it. Church members are not to associate with a suppressive
person. Haney said Zwan summoned him to a meeting at the Fort Harrison
with church staff member Mary Voegeding Shaw, now president of FLAG,
Scientology's spiritual retreat in Clearwater.  'Mary Voegeding says to me
because my wife is a declared (suppressive) person I cannot be a partner
in business with Bryan Zwan and that I only have two choices: I have to
either divorce my wife or stop being Bryan Zwan's partner.'

"Zwan decided to sell stock to the public, a bold move to generate cash so
his young company could grow faster. To help navigate the expansion, Zwan
recruited Seth Joseph, a 41-year-old securities lawyer from Miami. One of
the few non-Scientologists in Digital management, Joseph was given a
$250,000 salary and up to 656,666 stock options, potentially worth
millions. Another executive came aboard then, too: Denise Licciardi, a
36-year-old Scientologist and sister of the church's leader, Miscavige.
Zwan soon promoted Licciardi to vice president of administration, paid her
a $123,000 salary and gave her 60,000 stock options. Her authority
bothered Joseph, who questioned her qualifications. 'She was very, very
close to Bryan beyond what her skills would warrant,' he said. 'It was
because of her relationship with Bryan in Scientology.'

"On Feb. 6, 1997, Digital Lightwave staged a successful initial public
offering, trading at $12 a share. For Zwan, that meant his 20-million Left
out of the millionaire's jubilee was Haney, the early investor who had
left Scientology. Saying he had been tricked into selling back his shares,
Haney later sued Zwan, claiming his stock would eventually have been worth
$235-million.

"Just months after coming aboard, a frustrated Licciardi wanted more of
Hubbard's 'Admin tech' in the workplace. She wrote Zwan a nine-page memo
reminding him that in recruiting her and other Scientologists, he had
promised to use the Scientology methods. 'We left our lives behind for a
reasonable salary (and) a small amount of stock to help you attain your
goal,' she wrote. 'Here all we are trying to do is get to be a
billion-dollar company in the telecom industry. Why don't we just apply
the tech?'

"Nearly half the sales Digital reported in the second quarter of 1997
involved deals that either never happened or were not closed. A stunning
79 percent of third quarter sales were wiped off the books. The
restatement triggered SEC and Nasdaq investigations, and more than 20
shareholder lawsuits. And as the company was reeling from the bad
publicity, it was facing another crisis internally. Licciardi told
higherups that on New Year's Eve she had shipped out a couple of dozen
partly filled boxes to be counted as sales.  'It was clear she had to go,'
said Joseph, the lawyer who served as Zwan's No. 2. 'She had committed
criminal conduct. She admitted to it. It was devastating.'

"Scientologists and non-Scientologists turned on each other as the
company's top two financial officers, Joseph and Steve Grant, called for
Zwan to fire Licciardi. A group of Scientologists in the company went to
Zwan to rally support for Licciardi. That morning, some said they saw
Scientologists in distinctive naval uniforms in the corridors. Others said
it was hired security.

"Three days later, it was non-Scientologist Joseph who was forced out.
Zwan said Joseph's firing was part of a companywide restructuring. Joseph
cried foul, filing an arbitration complaint to recoup thousands of stock
options. An arbitrator later sided with Joseph, ordering Digital to pay
him $3.8-million.

"But Licciardi didn't survive either. In two weeks, she was gone too. Yet
her departure was largely on her own financial terms, which she spelled
out in an e-mail to Zwan titled 'Ending Cycle,' a Scientology term. She
told Zwan she was 'without a doubt guilty of executing on orders without
question.' Licciardi wrote she applied 'Simon Bolivar to a 'T,' ' a
Scientology phrase referring to loyalty.

"Today, Digital still is a big player in fiber-optic testing, with a 36
percent market share in the United States and specific strategies to push
its international sales. It has 110 employees, and this year contracted
with Jabil Circuit of St. Petersburg to manufacture all its units.
Digital's stock price closed Friday at $3.10. The company ranks 25th on
this year's Times list of top-performing public companies. Digital also
has put in place new accounting practices that, Zwan says, will prevent
past problems from recurring.

"As for the turbulent last four years: The SEC imposed a $10,000 fine on
Zwan in settling its case last fall. There was no admission of wrongdoing.
The SEC had hoped to develop Licciardi as a witness against Zwan. The
agency interviewed her in 1999 but could not find her as it prepared for
trial. The Times likewise could not find Licciardi. A Times reporter
visited several times a residence listed on Licciardi's driver's license,
mailed her letters and sought interviews through her mother and Gerald
Gentile, whom she married after leaving Digital. Reporters also left an
interview request at a Scientology Mission in Belleair Bluffs, where she
is said to work.

"Joseph works at a Miami law firm. Digital has not paid him the
$3.8-million award, and is appealing. His case, though, resulted in a
strong rebuke from Miami lawyer Stanley Beiley, the arbitrator who heard
Joseph's complaint. Digital shareholders should have been told, Beiley
wrote, that 'senior management knew that Denise Licciardi admitted to
significant inventory falsifications and yet rewarded her by permitting
her to resign, rather than firing her.'

"Brian Haney sold his toy company and is a venture capitalist. He also
runs a Christian charity organization out of his home in Columbus. Haney
and Zwan settled their suit in 2000. Terms are confidential.

"Zwan, now Digital's chairman, CEO and president, recently upped his stake
in the company to 60 percent. He insists Scientology plays no part of
Digital's operations. He says no more than three Scientologists work there
today."

Message-ID: <JGqK8.1386$%k1.1025521@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 10
6/9/2002 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

#####

> UCLA

The newspaper of the University of California at Los Angeles printed two
letters to the editor on May 23rd and May 28th in response to an insert in
the paper by Scientology.

"Is the Daily Bruin getting so hard up for ad revenue that now even
crassly infamous cult groups are allowed to insert their flyers? L. Ron
Hubbard was basically a fraud. The Scientology organization, which over
the past decades has paid out tens of millions of dollars in damage awards
to victims they have harmed, is little more than a coercive,
mean-spirited, money-making machine that never hesitates to prey upon the
weak and confused.

"I had many occasions to interact with the Scientologists living in the
area and I can never forget how manipulative and heavy-handed their
'recruiting' tactics were. I was variously told by organization members
how much better off I would be if I joined up, and how useful it would be
to turn over essentially all of my personal assets in return for
Scientology's loony and disingenuously dangled carrot of 'clear'
enlightenment.

"While I totally support our precious First Amendment right to express and
publish religious and philosophical views, I can only hope that the sharp
minds of our students will see the insert for what it is: something to be
tossed into the trash can of exploitative, irrelevant beliefs. Science is
a wonderful system of enquiry. Seeing it in the same sentence with the
words Dianetics and Scientology will always be a disconnection from
reality in my opinion.

"Solomon Matsas
Student Affairs Staff Coordinator
Office of the Vice Chancellor"

"In response to Soloman Matsas' letter about the Wednesday insert in the
Daily Bruin titled 'Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science,' I would like
to say to students: find out for yourself.

"Dianetics and Scientology, like other fields of knowledge, are concerned
only with results - improvement of mental ability and intelligence. There
are 8 million people worldwide who have used L. Ron Hubbard's works in
these fields to produce such positive results as improving their
intelligence and reducing stress in their lives. Tens of thousands of
those people are right here in Los Angeles, each with their own story.

"So if you're not one to believe everything you hear about others'
religious beliefs or actions, then find out for yourself about this
revolutionary technology of the human mind.

"Austin Mattison
President, Student Scientologists in Action"

Message-ID: <mtu2guo4r10dhlmgusmqpbd461546l38k2@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

"Cerridwen" reported that at a recent Scientology event it was announced
that actor Tom Cruise has reached the level of OT5.

"Tom Cruise attested to OT 5 last week at the AOLA. He gave a talk to the
crowd that assembled in the Atrium to hear his win. Tom said that
completing OT 5 was the most important thing he had ever done in his life.
It was more important that anything in his career.

"Tom gave a big acknowledgment to LRH and the crowd went nuts. Tom also
told the crowd that he was going to be starting on OT 6 and 7 right away.
I am surprised that Tom did OT V at AOLA. Most of the Scn Rich and Famous
go to Flag for services. AOLA is like sitting in the cheap seats."

Message-ID: <QPXJTUNA37414.0055555556@...>

#####

> Evolution of a Science

A 30 minute Scientology infomercial for the book Dianetics: Evolution of a
Science aired on the cable station CNBC on June 2nd.

"At a football game one of the players gets hit and sustains a serious
spinal injury. At Westside Memorial Hospital Jerry is getting bad news
from his doctors, who agree that the situation is hopeless and talk of 'no
cure' while huddled away in a corner of the room. Jerry's problem lies in
his cerebral cortex, apparently. Doctor Number One registers his grim
verdict: 'I recommend psychosurgery. Open him up and probe around. He
would make an interesting research subject.' Doctor Number Two agrees
completely.

"Jerry's cheerleader girlfriend is there, holding him. Before the nurse
kicks her out because visiting hours are over, she mentions that 'one of
your friends gave me something for you to read.' Jerry dozes off again
while the camera pans over to Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science. He
reads aloud: 'Dianetics is an organized science of thought. Dianetics
offers a therapeutic technique with which we can treat any and all organic
and psychosomatic ills. Dianetics shows that all memories are recorded
fully and retained. Dianetics demonstrates that abberative memories lie
only in areas of unconsciousness that only unconscious memories are
capable of abberating.'

"Flashback to the football game. 'What happens when a man gets knocked
out? He isn't there. But all the memory recordings during the period are.
You relieve the pain in the unconsciousness, and the pain goes away.'
Jerry is really concentrating on the accident now. He winces.  But Jerry
is focused now.  He throws his covers off and stares at his feet. He can
move them! He gets out of bed and gingerly puts his feet on the floor. He
can walk! Jerry laughs maniacally while running about the room and jumping
up and down on his bed.

"The evil psychs are not at all happy to see Jerry fully dressed and on
his way out.  Jerry smiles knowingly, 'This book. I read it. And I'm
well.' He marches out while the doctors amble about in a confused panic.
Adler screams down the hallway, 'Wait! Wait!' but Jerry is gone. Brown
thumbs through the book while Adler stews by the window. He points a
crooked finger at Brown while spewing his disgust, 'That book! That book
is dangerous. It could put us out of business!'

"A narrator speaks to us directly. 'Can a bed-ridden man really read a
book, apply its concepts, and walk himself out of the hospital? The film
you just saw was based on a true story.'

Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0206030607.396e9d77@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

Berliner Zeitung published an article on May 30th on hearings in the Lisa
McPherson civil case and the testimony of Bob Minton regarding lies he
says he told in depositions.

"Horror would be too weak a work, said Graham Berry. 'It's a shock. A
disaster.' The Los Angeles lawyer loses a little of his composure as he
talks about an 'unbelievable coup by the Scientologists.' Berry has just
returned from Leipzig, Germany, where an award ceremony had been held,
with a prize going to opponents of the sect.

"Minton was the sect opponents' major bank roller in the US, and he talked
with politicians and secret services. Now he is supplying the sect, which
is being monitored by the intelligence service in Germany, with material
against those people who used to be his allies.

"Minton said that he had invested ten million dollars in this crusade.
The opportunity to strike a serious blow against the sect came with the
case of Lisa McPherson. In 1995 the 36-year-old Scientologist suffered an
accident in Clearwater, Florida, a Scientology stronghold, and was taken
to hospital where she was diagnosed as having a 'psychiatric problem.'
Since Scientology fights against anything to do with psychiatry,
Scientologists took Lisa to Fort Harrison, a former first-class hotel,
where the sect now runs courses. Seventeen days later Lisa McPherson was
again taken to a hospital. She died on the way there. The forensic doctor
found 'severe dehydration,' but retracted her findings when it came to the
criminal case against Scientology.

"So far Robert Minton has provided a total of two million dollars to
support the family's lawsuit. In addition he set up a company called the
Lisa McPherson Trust in 1999, with the aim of looking after the victims of
Scientology and of gathering information about the sect.  For the eight
employees and their visitors, life in Clearwater meant running the
gauntlet. There were demonstrations and counter-demonstrations almost on a
daily basis, with charges and countercharges being brought. 'Private
detectives appeared at the offices and homes of Minton's business partners
and relatives, Scientologists distributed flyers against him, details from
his medical files were posted on the Internet,' said Graham Berry.
Scientologists also accused Minton of having laundered money for the
Nigerian government on a grand scale.

"In November 2001 Minton was forced to close the Lisa McPherson Trust.
'But that does not mean that we are giving up,' he said, 'I don't feel
defeated.' But things were to turn out quite differently. The McPherson
family's suit for damages was delayed for five years. Scientology in turn
brought an action against the family and against Minton. They alleged that
the banker, rather than the family of deceased, was directing the lawsuit
- and that was illegal. It is a lawsuit against the lawsuit.

"A dramatic turnaround took place on April 9 of this year. On that day
Minton appeared before the court and suddenly accused the attorney acting
on behalf of the McPherson family, Kenneth Dandar, that he had induced him
to say 'the worst possible things' about Scientology and to lie to the
court. Minton said he himself had been lying when he testified that he was
not directing the McPherson lawsuit. 'Mister Dandar is a lying thief,'
Minton shouted, thumping his fist on the table. 'I am now convinced that
he is only sitting here for the money.' Dandar's key consultant on
Scientology issues, former Scientologist and Minton's friend, Stacy
Brooks, suddenly also accused her attorneys of being liars. Scientology
opponents in the court could not believe their ears. One of them said:
'Bob, you've become a Scientologist.' Even the judge checked that he had
heard correctly. 'What has prompted you to make this statement, Mr.
Minton?' he asked. Minton replied: 'I could not bear the lies any longer.'

"Minton and Brooks are currently being cross-examined and are turning ever
more vehemently against their former allies. Attorney Dandar suspects that
Minton's mysterious behavior is due to a typical maneuver used by
Scientology to eliminate an opponent. Dandar believes that Minton is being
blackmailed by Scientology with the aim of throttling the action for
damages due to be heard in July. 'He sacrificed six years of his life and
ten million dollars for the battle against Scientology and then he
suddenly changes sides? You just need to use your common sense to
understand what's going on here.'

"Minton and Brooks have admitted to having had secret meetings with the
head of the Scientology secret service and with the sect's attorneys.  In
the US, and in Europe as well, opponents of the sect are now afraid of
serious repercussions. 'Minton knows a lot', said Graham Berry. He knows
the strategies, structures and private details relating to opponents and
politicians committed to fight against the sect."

Message-ID: <20020604124941.29869.00002803@...>

#####

> South Africa

The Teacher, a South African magazine, reported on June 3rd that officials
developed a policy to deal with drug use in schools, and have rejected
Scientology's Narconon program as a participant.

Due to be released this month, the Department of Education (DoE) has
developed a policy for dealing with drugs in schools. These guidelines are
meant to help schools effectively prevent, manage and treat learners who
abuse or are dependent on drugs.  'In the past, individual schools had
their own codes of conduct regarding drugs,' says the co-ordinator of Safe
Schools in the Western Cape, Brian Jeftha. 'We're now aiming for a more
integrated approach.'

"But without proper departmental co-ordination, the danger exists that
get-rich-quick schemers will hop on the bandwagon. For example, an
organisation calling itself Narconon recently submitted a proposal to Safe
Schools. It has since been exposed as a front for the Church of
Scientology. Narconon is not connected to accredited drug treatment
programmes such as Narcotics Anonymous - which sometimes goes by the name
Narcanon."

Message-ID: <hgJK8.1458$%k1.1100000@...>

#####

> Occidental College

Tory Christman and Stephen Kent participated in a meeting with Los Angeles
area ministers at Occidental College on June 3rd.

"About 25 Ministers came. One was a Scientologist named Gayle Carrol. I'd
known Gayle from when I was in. She's an OT who used to own a Mission in
Pasadena.  Scientology had called, e-mailed, went to the Bishop, etc.
trying to stop this meeting. The college had done other Cult Meetings
there, and was familiar with needed security. They had security alerted on
foot, and in cars.

"The ministers had submitted what they wanted to hear. They didn't want us
to go into Scientology's Religious aspects, which we tried not to. They
were very interested in WISE, and any other front groups. They also wanted
to know how Scientology infiltrates communities, and where does all the
money go? They asked about 'SP' and what that entails. They wanted to know
about their recruiting tactics, and numerous other things. It went from
3-5:00 and on.

"Stephen began, speaking about how he had been Fair Gamed years ago. I
added my story of Fair Game with the Red Santa's Chair. He had brought a
number of policies he showed on an overhead, And as he would explain the
academic view, I would add the personal story of how it affected me, or
how it might affect their community.

"At the end, Gayle Carrol got up and said, 'We just want to work
Together.' I interjected, 'Well then please make sure YOUR group doesn't
harm or badger either Stephen or I for starters.' She said 'fine' and went
on with what she wanted. Many of the ministers came up to thank both of
us. They all agreed they had learned a great deal about Scientology.

"What does OSA do? The morons have people posted at every exit handing out
a flyer about 'STEPHEN KENT' with their Black PR on him, in it. These
ministers were amazed at my stories and Steve's information, which is
Scientology's Policies. But hearing it and seeing it are two totally
different things! Now THEY were mad!"

Message-ID: <3cfc3a42@...>

#####

> Tom Padgett

Tom Padgett reported this week that his legal troubles in Kentucky
continued this week with a bench warrant issued for failure to appear.

"On Monday, June 3rd, a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Thomas
C. Padgett of Massachusetts by Hopkins Circuit Court Judge Charles W.
Boteler, Jr. at the request of local Western Kentucky Prosecutor, David
Massamore, a known close neighbor of Scientologist Laura Vannoy Padgett.
The grounds for the arrest warrant was 'failure to appear.' Public
Defender James M. Ruschell was shocked by this ruling, 'This case seems to
have a life of it's own.'

"This new arrest warrant tossed my way, is approximately the 20th now in
the both civil and criminal proceedings in the past 9 years."

Message-ID: <af7713bf.0206041038.4f3340d5@...>
Message-ID: <2692-3CFD3E1B-53@...>

#####

> Xenu.net

The San Jose Mercury News published a letter from Scientology official
Janet Weiland on June 2nd, in which she defended actions taken to remove
Xenu.net from the Google search engine.

"The issue is not copyright protection vs. free speech. It is, purely and
simply, an issue of copyright ownership vs. copyright piracy. No matter
how loudly and disingenuously those who intentionally commit copyright
violations posture their actions as 'free speech,' the unlawful use of
protected works is a crime. If an individual walked into a book store and
stole volumes of an author's writings and sold them, or gave them away,
would any rational person defend this act of theft as 'free speech?' Of
course not. They would call the police.

"The Church sending a letter to Google to remove links to specific pages
containing substantial copyright infringements is about as brash as a Des
Moines tea party. The Mercury News editorial calling this a 'brash tactic'
is almost laughable.  Millions of such letters are sent by copyright
owners every year, including the handful from Scientology churches on
which so much attention has been focused.

"For 50 years, Scientologists have championed all forms of free
expression, including uncovering atrocities of suppressive regimes,
providing a platform for voiceless minorities and giving teeth to the
Freedom of Information Act that has served media and others seeking access
to government files. We will continue to do so."

Message-ID: <VaJK8.1457$%k1.1099615@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 11
6/16/2002 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

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times printed a letter to the editor on June 10th about
Scientology's plan to open the Fort Harrison Hotel to the public.

"A while back a letter spoke about how opening the Fort Harrison Hotel
could help open minds about the wonderful organization known as
Scientology. We can't forget we are not talking about a wonderful
organization worth opening our minds about. We are talking about an evil
empire bent on global expansion funded with the savings of thousands of
victims. No amount of letters written by members of the cult or people
ignorant of the truth about the cult can change the fact that Scientology
is an evil cult. - David Rodman, Dunedin"

Message-ID: <j60N8.723$kW1.422355@...>

#####

> Images of a Lifetime

The New York Post published a review on June 10th of the film L. Ron
Hubbard, Images of a Lifetime.

"It changed my mind. I now believe that L. Ron Hubbard is the greatest man
who ever lived. Just kidding! That breathless reverence, however, captures
the glitzy, almost servile reverence of the show, which, through photos
and hyperventilating captions, seeks to detail the life of Scientology's
founder. Born of an almost insatiable passion for p.r., this show is as
slick a piece of p.r. as you are likely to see - and you are encouraged to
go for that reason if for no other.

"You will learn, for example, that Ron was America's youngest Eagle Scout
and that he won 20 merit badges - before the age of 12, I think it was.
You will see pictures of him traveling to exotic lands, images of him at
his typewriter, of the early days of Scientology and some of the group's
more recent community outreach programs. Finding fame as a sci-fi author,
he is said to have written over 60 million words. Not a modest man, he
began his most famous, almost unreadable book, 'Dianetics,' with these
words: 'The creation of Dianetics is a milestone for Man comparable to his
discovery of fire and superior to his invention of the wheel and arch.'

"I have read about him before and have never been able to crack this one,
central mystery of the movement: How could so many people, so much
cleverer and more refined than Hubbard, fall for his pseudo-religion?
Unfortunately, this is not the sort of exhibition to provide any answers."

Message-ID: <_o0N8.728$kW1.425413@...>

#####

> Ireland

The Irish Times reported on June 13th that Scientology is seeking reports
about Scientology written by Irish ambassadors.

"The Church of Scientology looked for certain records in the Department of
Foreign Affairs. The department 'decided that to disclose the existence or
non-existence of records relating to the request could reasonably be
expected to affect adversely the international relations of the State.'

"The Department of Foreign Affairs 'seems to feel that all diplomatic
exchanges between ambassadors and department should be a class exemption,'
that they should be exempted regardless of content. In its response to the
applicant, the department used a provision that it could 'neither confirm
nor deny' the records. In his ruling, the commissioner said that 'at the
very least, the department should have acknowledged the existence of
records without necessarily disclosing the circumstances surrounding their
creation.' The commissioner directed that the records be released. 'We
expect public bodies when they refuse records to justify their refusals
and they have to do it strictly by criteria laid down in the Act.'"

Message-ID: <eskO8.81$Ie2.77200@...>

#####

> Juliette Lewis

The Calgary Sun published a profile on Scientology celebrity Juliette
Lewis on June 10th.

"She's only 28 but Juliette Lewis is already in the comeback stage of her
career. At 17, Lewis was dating Brad Pitt and earning an Oscar nomination
for her nymphette role in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear. Five years later,
her life was so out of control Lewis checked herself into a Scientology
rehab centre. 'I crashed and burned a couple of times, but it really just
amounted to a short burnout,' she recalls. She's now drug-free, married to
professional skateboarder and sometime actor Steve Berra and has been
acting non-stop for the past three years."

Message-ID: <OUmN8.87$pI4.101117@...>

#####

> Bob Minton

The St. Petersburg Times reported on June 13th that the judge in the Lisa
McPherson civil case has predicted that Scientology critic Bob Minton may
be in serious legal trouble as a result of his recent admissions.

"New England millionaire Robert Minton came forward recently to say he
wanted to set the record straight about lies he told in a wrongful-death
lawsuit against the Church of Scientology. But his confessions and
testimony may bring him a heap of new legal problems. Judge Susan
Schaeffer said Wednesday that Minton could be in serious trouble with her,
the State Attorney's Office and the Internal Revenue Service. 'I think Mr.
Minton is in all manner of trouble,' Schaeffer said. 'Mr. Minton has
perjury problems. Mr. Minton has contempt problems. I think Mr. Minton has
IRS problems.'

"Accusations of wrongdoing in the lawsuit have flown during the
proceeding. Schaeffer made it clear Wednesday that the allegations will be
brought to the attention of prosecutors. 'When this hearing is over,'
Schaeffer said, 'I'm going to turn the matter over to the state attorney
because there are all kinds of allegations of criminal acts from both
sides.'

"The church has relied, in part, on Minton's statements to accuse Dandar
of serious professional misconduct and to ask Schaeffer to throw out the
case. Dandar has denied the allegations and said the church is extorting
Minton. Minton has filed affidavits recanting some of his earlier
testimony. When he testified recently in court, however, Schaeffer
uncovered more lies that Minton had not corrected in those affidavits.
'Maybe I need someone here to advise this man of his rights,' Schaeffer
said at one point during the hearing.

"Minton also testified about two financial arrangements that funneled
$800,000 of his money from Europe to the Lisa McPherson Trust, an
anti-Scientology organization he founded in Clearwater. Later, Minton
pocketed a large portion of the money. The money was transferred that way,
Minton said, to keep Scientology guessing about the source of the trust's
money. Schaeffer noted that it was 'a fairly elaborate scheme' to hide the
money from Scientology and 'whatever else it is that you're trying to made
hide it from.'"

Message-ID: <Ya7O8.18$Ie2.5314@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 12
6/23/2002 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

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times published a letter to the editor on June 17th
from Pat Harney, PR director for Scientology, on the opening of the Fort
Harrison Hotel to the public.

"In addition to the beautifully restored hotel, rich in the history of
this city, visitors to the Fort Harrison learn about Scientology and meet
the real people of Scientology, who come from all walks of life. The
majority of our church parishioners are active in their communities,
helping others to live better lives.

"Visitors to the Fort Harrison learn that Scientologists in Tampa Bay
contribute thousands of hours of volunteer time in teaching people to read
and learn, helping people to get off drugs, as volunteer ministers during
times of disaster and in the day-to-day business of living, with its
upsets and problems.

"What initially began as just three weeks of open house to celebrate the
75th anniversary of the Fort Harrison stretched into four weeks and now,
due to popular demand, is being done weekly on Sundays.  I invite you all
to come and see for yourselves. - Pat Harney"

Message-ID: <XLjP8.552$1J6.613968@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

The Los Angeles Daily News published an article on Scientology celebrity
Tom Cruise on June 16th to mark the release of his new movie Minority
Report.

"Either Tom Cruise is really working the charm, or he's just being
himself. Whatever it is, the 39-year-old, $25-million-plus-a-picture star
is opening up like never before. Perhaps he's doing it simply to promote
his new sci-fi thriller, 'Minority Report.' It's a dark, thoughtful and
dystopian meditation on a future where people are arrested for crimes
before they commit them. "

"'I don't believe in fate,' he points out. 'I believe that you make your
own fate in terms of your own life. But if we were in a situation where we
had precognitives and they were able to predict the future, I think that
would be pretty cool. But then there's that whole thing of how accurate is
it, that problem. But it would be pretty interesting to know what's going
to happen in the future, and then you can have a choice. Of course, if
somebody predicted 20 years ago that I'd be where I am today, I'd say they
were out of their mind.'

"Even those barely familiar with Scientology, the belief system that
Cruise has followed since the mid-1980s, will detect its influence in the
actor's previous statement. Once the most controversial aspect of Cruise's
personal life, Scientology is now something he shares eagerly and with no
trace of defensiveness when interest is expressed.

"'People talk about stress, people talk about their lives being unhappy,'
he notes. 'Literally, this is an applied religious philosophy that you use
in your life to help you with those things. You don't have to live like
that. It's something that helps an individual to find out who you are. For
someone like me who went to 15 different schools it's really helped me to
be able to know that I really can learn anything.'"

From Time magazine on June 16th:

"He can be as distant as he is pleasant, as guarded as he is engaged, his
very politeness a kind of barrier. His steadfast allegiance to the
controversial Church of Scientology, his surprising split a year ago from
Nicole Kidman, the gay rumors (and his diligent litigation in response)
serve to remind us that despite all the ink spilled and all the gossip
milled over the past two decades, Cruise remains someone about whom we
have never quite been able to connect the dots.

"To begin to understand Cruise, you must understand his relationship with
the Church of Scientology, an organization that advocates self-styled
scientific methods as cures for ailments of the body, mind and spirit.
Scientology has been accused of using coercion to keep its members in line
and intimidation to squelch criticism of its tactics. Cruise is more than
a defender of Scientology; he is a resolute advocate. 'It's something that
has helped me to be able to live the kind of life that I'm living and work
toward being the kind of person that I want to be,' he says.

"Cruise says that Hubbard's teachings helped him put a hard-knocks
childhood behind him. 'I went to 15 different schools growing up,' he
says, 'because of parents divorcing, father losing jobs, transferring,
trying to find another job.' Even today, Cruise, whose father died in
1984, often mentions the trauma of always being the new guy. 'I thought, I
can't wait to grow up because it's got to be better than this,' he says.
'The politics and the fights and always wearing the wrong shoes and having
the wrong accent.'

"He also had a devil of a time learning in class. 'It was a real problem
for me,' says Cruise. 'I was diagnosed as having dyslexia. I confused
letters. I was a slow reader. I didn't know how to use a dictionary. I
tried, but I didn't have a system where I could learn. I couldn't catch
up.' In the 1980s, his first wife Mimi Rogers (they would divorce in 1990)
introduced him to Scientology. Cruise credits Hubbard's 'study technology'
with helping him overcome his learning disability. 'It really changed my
life,' says Cruise, who in the past few years has given considerable time
and money to the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project (H.E.L.P.). It
is a secular organization but uses Hubbard's study technology to offer
free tutoring to children and adults.

"As Cruise walks through H.E.L.P.'s crowded headquarters on Hollywood
Boulevard, none of the tutors or children seem to take special notice of
him. He comes here often. 'Do I wish I'd had something like this when I
was a kid?' asks Cruise. 'Absolutely. It would have saved me many hours
and days and weeks of pain and embarrassment.' When asked if H.E.L.P.
could be used as a recruiting tool for the church, he says, 'Listen,
people who want to know about Scientology, they can read books. People may
go in there and say, 'Who is this guy?' and start reading [Hubbard's]
other books. Good for them. There are tools that he has that can improve
their lives. But the purpose of H.E.L.P. is to help.'"

Message-ID: <k1eqgu0ngtbaf6p4pji2kc45sak1vgd4v7@...>
Message-ID: <4vdugu8cvpqjct63fjmbmg7uq4idi8slcl@...>

#####

> Edmonton

See magazine from Edmonton, Canada published a report on the What is
Scientology exhibit in that city.

"The International Exhibit of the Church of Scientology rolled into town
last week. The traveling road show was set up at the church's new
headquarters on 97 St. and was expected to attract 1,000 visitors. The
official purpose of the exhibit was not to vie for new recruits. But
'Anyone can come in and find out what it's all about,' explained Deborah
Jurt, president of Edmonton's church.

"Before the Church's ribbon-cutting ceremony, Canadian Scientology
President Reverend Yvette Shank announced that Canada's social problems
need Scientology solutions. The now-dead L. Ron is said to have devised
'technologies' that cure drug addiction, criminal behaviour and learning
difficulties. All these are available to our governments ­ for a price.
The truth is that many of these programs are already widely used in Canada
and the U.S. Montreal's Narconon program, for drug rehabilitation, is
already the largest drug rehab program in North America. Criminon, which
teaches errant criminals to be law-abiding citizens, is used in the U.S.
prison system. And Applied Scholastics, an educational program, is used in
the California school system and Glenora's own Progressive Academy.

"There are currently 400 Scientologists in Edmonton and close to 1,000 in
Alberta. Jurt assured SEE that the Church of Scientology does not
discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation ­ gay people are OK,
according to L. Ron, and so are minors. Kids are welcome to join the ranks
of the Church's Drug-Free Marshals program. 'They're a youth group who go
out and promote a drug-free life,' explains Jurt.

"There are 12 to 15 marshals between the ages of six and 14 currently at
work in the Edmonton area. Jurt says they promote clean living by
providing entertainment in seniors' homes and doing street cleanups. A
photo from the exhibit pictured a troupe of marshals in front of a freshly
scrubbed mail box in downtown Toronto. What does cleaning up graffiti have
to do with promoting drug-free living? 'If it's cleaner, it's more likely
to be safe,' said Jurt.

"Anyone still not convinced of the here-and-now advantages of Scientology
can heed the words of recent convert Mariann Bordeau: 'What's really cool
is that you don't have to die in order to get the benefits.'"

"One nice lady at the meeting was moved to Toronto through a CoS
promotion. She hates the city. But unlike a job, you can't just quit your
belief system, especially if it's been proven tenticular, as the
$8.6-million church settlement to a disgruntled former L.A. cultist last
month admits. Lawrence Wollersheim was locked up in a ship-based 'thought
reform gulag,' 18 hours a day, to the point of near suicide, then denied
access to medical attention.

"I am going to defend Scientology exactly once in this article, right now.
You either choose to get into it or you choose to walk away into the world
of such sins as coffee consumption. Scientologists are up front with their
odd ideas, some of them, anyway, as I learned during an hour talking to
various smilers this week. They are amicable, positive people; indeed,
there's even a tone chart of human emotions which shows enthusiasm and
zest to be the ultimate place to evolve from conservatism, anger and the
dreaded apathy.

"Kevin and I talked about the emotional tone chart, and he told me
something I already knew. After pegging a stranger into one of the
categories, you can, as he put it, 'predict exactly how that person is
going to react in any given situation.' There's that control thing again,
and it's no coincidence that, like many churches, Scientologists always
set up recruiting offices on the borders between the right and wrong side
of the tracks, on Hastings in Vancouver, just south of Boyle Street in our
own town. Control in the ghettos, you may have heard, is a fleeting thing.
Control of the galaxy, well, hold onto your hats.

"There was no mention of Xenu at the exhibit. Xenu is Hubbard's high-level
secret space-alien, galactic ruler responsible for brainwashing the souls,
called 'thetans,' of millions that he'd purposefully atomically massacred
under a volcano. Seriously. Xenu then showed the souls 3-D images of God,
the devil and Christ, confusing the thetans, who to this day drift through
space, polluting us, making us sick and sad and otherwise immune from our
true utopian destiny as omnipotent gods."

Message-ID: <B9380A11.1F60%swilson@...>

#####

> France

The Washington Times reported on June 23rd that Scientology has been fined
in France for defamation in articles published against a cult awareness
group.

"A Paris court ordered the head of France's Church of Scientology to pay
$19,400 in damages Friday after the group published articles comparing the
practices of an anti-sect group to those 'practiced under the [Nazi] Third
Reich.' Daniele Gounord, president of the church, was found guilty of
defamation and ordered to pay damages and court costs to the National
Union of Associations for the Defense of the Family and the Individual."

Message-ID: <4YjR8.245$mp2.87373@...>

#####

> Diane Feinstein

U.S. Senator replied in a letter to Ida Camburn regarding the IRS policies
on Scientology deductions for religious schooling.

"Dear Ms. Camburn

"Thank you for writing to express your concern regarding IRS policy and
more specifically, deductions allowed for costs at religious studies and
services. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to
respond.

"On January 9, 2002 in the case of Michael Sklar v. Tax Court the U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals decided that the Sklars did not show that their
payments for the secular and religious private education of their children
exceeded the market value of other secular private school education
available. Therefore the Sklars were ineligible for the deductions that
they took on the tax returns in question.

"The Court's opinion states that the sole issue in question was whether
the Sklars' claimed deduction was valid. and 'not whether the members of
The Church of Scientology have become the IRS's chosen people.' The
opinion also states that if the IRS is guilty of providing preferential
treatment, the proper course of action is not to allow the IRS to expand
its allowances for improper deductions, but rather a lawsuit to stop the
policy of what the court may see as preferential treatment.

"In a closing agreement between the IRS and the Church of Scientology, the
IRS formally recognized the Church of Scientology International as a
charitable organization. In its decision, the Court comments that the
IRS's refusal to reveal this agreement with the Church of Scientology is
questionable. The IRS insists that its closing agreement with the Church
cannot be disclosed because it contains tax return information.

"I value and respect your opinion and hope that you will continue to share
your concerns and ideas with me. If I can he of further assistance, please
do not hesitate to call my staff.

"With warmest personal regards.
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator"

Message-ID: <3d0ddb8b.80760310@...>

#####

> Digital Lightwave

Forbes published a profile on Digital Lightwave and its founder, Bryan
Zwan, on June 20th.

"Bryan Zwan just made the cut last fall when we compiled our annual list
of The Forbes Four Hundred Richest in America. This year, the Digital
Lightwave founder may fall short, since the value of his 60% stake has
shrunk dramatically. But the controversial Zwan is not cutting his losses
- he has reclaimed operational control of the fiber-optics firm he founded
and vows to shepherd it back to prosperity.

"Zwan is a former academic researcher who founded Digital in 1990 and took
it public in 1997. He stepped down as chief executive in late 1998, after
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had begun probing allegations
that the firm had filed false financial statements. Without admitting any
wrongdoing, Zwan reached a settlement with the SEC last October, and
within a few months he had returned as Digital's chairman and CEO.

"Clearwater also is home to a major facility of the Church of Scientology,
and that has exposed Zwan, himself a Scientologist, to criticism that
church members have been too involved with his firm. Zwan says his
religion 'has never been a factor with Digital Lightwave.' Currently the
firm employs 'only two or three people' who share his faith, he says, so
any suggestion that the church has too much influence over his firm 'is
just ridiculous.'"

Message-ID: <90mQ8.846$1J6.989545@...>

#####

> Tom Padgett

Tom Padgett posted an update to his ongoing dispute with his ex-wife, who
is a Scientologist, over child visitation and support.

"On June 20, 2002, Scientologist Laura Vannoy Padgett, filed a document in
the Hopkins Circuit Court civil court proceedings, titled 'MOTION TO
TEMPORARILY SUSPEND VISITATION.' The motion acknowledges her son's court
ordered extended visitation with his father during the summer. However,
she goes on to argue that she's 'been informed that there is a bench
warrant for his arrest in criminal proceedings (under the SAME judge that
she is the complaining witness in that criminal action.)

"Her argument was 'that she was fearful of sending her 17 year old son to
Massachusetts to visit with the Respondent (his Dad) since he may be
arrested and the child would be stranded in Massachusetts until further
arrangements could be made.' Laura Vannoy's private civil attorney Bill
Whitledge, asserted all contact with the father in respect to visitation
be severed until the arrest issues are resolved in criminal court matters.

"This motion is to be heard in court on July 1, 2002. Although she
acknowledges that prior court orders for her to produce her son to his
father on June 21st for 5 weeks, it appears she will not follow those
prior Orders in hopes that Judge Boteler will rule in her favor as a
personal friend of her parents' and sister's former employer - all
sympathetic to Hubbard scripture."

Message-ID: <af7713bf.0206211313.4732ad78@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 13
6/30/2002 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

#####

> Buffalo Org

The Buffalo News reported on June 26th that Scientology is threatening the
city of Buffalo, New York that the move to condemn the org there in order
to build a parking ramp may violate U.S. federal law.

"The Council found itself back in the debate over condemnation of a
four-story office building at 43 W. Huron St., now occupied by the Church
of Scientology, to make room for an expansion of the Owen B. Augspurger
parking ramp.

"After failed attempts to negotiate with church leaders to purchase the
building, the Council voted, 10-3, in late April to begin condemnation and
demolition proceedings. However, a procedural error in the vote brought
the matter back before the Council, where opponents got another chance to
sway the vote.

"The Rev. John Carmichael, who presides over the church in New York State,
said for the city to wipe out a place of worship to make room for a
parking ramp not only reflects badly on the city and its leaders, it
'almost certainly violates federal law.' The matter was sent back to
committee for further review, stalling the $13.6 million project for
another two weeks."

Message-ID: <jw0T8.932$mp2.591781@...>

#####

> Universities

Dave Touretzky reported this week that Scientology is promoting L. Ron
Hubbard's book Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science to university
professors.

"They're mailing freebies to university faculty. Here's what the package
consists of: One new, hardbound edition of Dianetics: The Evolution of a
Science, updated to include some drawings and an email address
(authoraffairs@...). One new, shrinkwrapped, audio
version of the book. The book is read by Lloyd Sherr, 'an accomplished
voiceover artist.' The tape is recorded using ClearSound (tm). A reply
card where one can supply contact info.

"An interesting fact about this book is that it contains not a single
reference anywhere to the Church of Scientology. All the org addresses in
the back are for Hubbard Dianetics Foundations! All the contact and
copyright info mention Author Services or L. Ron Hubbard Library or Bridge
Publications or New Era Publications.  Even the legal disclaimer at the
front of the book refers only to Hubbard's 'observations and research,'
omitting the standard Scientology phraseology about this being a
'religious' work."

Message-ID: <3d17fea6$1@...>

#####

> Germany

Hamburger Abendblatt reported on June 27th that Ursula Caberta, head of
Hamburg's Scientology Task Force, has been fined in connection with a loan
made to her by activist Bob Minton.

"For accepting favors she was fined 7,500 Euro by the Hamburg Office
Court, payable monthly in the amount of 1,250 Euro.  Caberta had been
accused by the Scientology organization of receiving $75,000 from US
businessman Bob Minton. She herself described the sum as a private loan,
but the Scientologists saw it as bribery and accepting favors, because
Caberta dealt with Minton professionally and could no longer be impartial
towards him.

"The decision for a fine is apparently a settlement between prosecution
and defense. The state attorney had originally filed for criminal charges,
but did not want to pass up the fine. In the case at hand Caberta will not
be regarded as a convicted criminal.  Legally the criminal proceedings
will be seen as 'provisionally suspended.' Court spokesperson Sabine
Anette Westphalen said, 'If Mrs. Caberta accepts the fine, the proceedings
will be definitively over.'"

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020628094932.164A-100000@...>

#####

> Xenu.net

Corporate Counsel magazine published an article on June 25, 2002 on the
Google search engine, and the legal threats Scientology made to remove
links to Scientology awareness web site Xenu.net.

"Kulpreet Rana, director of legal affairs at Google Inc., received several
letters from the Church of Scientology International alleging copyright
infringement. If Web surfers looked for information about the church using
Google's search tools, the results brought up confidential documents. The
church insisted that Google remove the links. In typical Silicon Valley
fashion, Rana consulted the Mountain View, California-based company's
engineers for a high-tech legal solution. They decided to remove the links
to the confidential material to shield Google from legal trouble.

"But Rana didn't want to leave it at that, and the engineers added another
twist. Now, if a user finds one of the links that bothered the
Scientologists, a message on Google.com encourages him to visit
chillingeffects.org, a pro-First Amendment Web site founded by the
Electronic Frontier Foundation and a handful of law school clinics. Posted
on chillingeffects.org is the Scientologists' cease-and-desist letter to
the search engine.

""The church's letter listed 85 copyrighted works, including secret,
advanced teachings as well as photographs and texts drawn from the
church's official publications. Alongside each entry was the Web address
where the document could be found on www.xenu.net, a site calling itself
'Operation Clambake' that is critical of Scientology.

"At least one rival search engine saw a spike in removal requests after
Google's delisting of the anti-Scientology Web pages. Says Sharon Anolik,
associate general counsel and chief privacy officer at Ask Jeeves Inc.,
based in Emeryville, Calif.: 'We don't like the idea of having to remove
sites from our results. And neither did Google. But the DMCA does require
this.'

"Scientology lawyer Helena Kobrin says her small firm has been trying to
hold online service providers responsible for revealing unpublished
copyrighted works since the mid-1990s. Technology has emboldened
infringers, observes Kobrin: 'It's easy to hide behind a computer.' While
she doesn't object to the church's legal notices being made public on
chillingeffects.org, she does take offense at the site's name. 'It implies
that the First Amendment gives people some special right to infringe
copyrights,' says Kobrin, a Scientologist who has represented the church
for 16 years.

"Robin Gross, a staff attorney for intellectual property at the Electronic
Frontier Foundation, describes such cease-and-desist notices as 'bully
letters' or 'legal torpedoes' unlikely to hold up in court. But few
recipients want to take their fights into the ring, she says, noting that
her organization has been looking for the right case to put digital
copyrights to the test."

Message-ID: <rZ1S8.524$mp2.276329@...>

#####

> Keith Henson

Scientology this week filed another action against Keith Henson, arguing
that he is violating the terms of a permanent injunction against him to
not publish Scientology's secret NOTS materials.

"Religious Technology Center moves this Court to issue an Order to Show
Cause directing that defendant H. Keith Henson appear at an evidentiary
hearing before this Court on a date certain and to there and then show
cause why he should not be adjudicated in civil contempt of the Permanent
Injunction entered by this Court on June 16, 1997 in this action.

"The grounds for this motion are that defendant Henson has made postings
to the Internet that contain matters infringing RTC's copyrights in NOTs
56 and in NOTs 34, the same work for which he was previously adjudicated
as liable for copyright infringement in the action in which he was also
previously held in contempt by this Court for posting a sealed transcript
with portions of the work to the Internet. Additional grounds for this
motion are that in violation of the 1997 Injunction, Henson has been
inducing and encouraging others to infringe.

"Apparently believing that because he has fled the United States, and
therefore is no longer constrained by the Permanent Injunction entered in
this action, Henson has openly and arrogantly violated that Injunction.
RTC believes otherwise, and on this motion, asks the Court to issue an
Order setting an evidentiary hearing and directing Henson to appear and
show cause why he should not be adjudicated in civil contempt of the
Permanent Injunction."

Scientology is also attempting to remove the judge from Keith's bankruptcy
case, on the grounds that he is biased against Scientology.

"The grounds for this motion are the bankruptcy court's manifest bias
against RTC and the Scientology religion, his aiding of the debtor's
fugitive status, while permitting him to remain a chapter 13 debtor, and
his continuing unwillingness or inability to conduct an evidentiary
hearing on RTC's Motion to Dismiss, pending for nearly two years in a
bankruptcy proceeding that has been pending for more than four years. In
addition, Henson has committed contempt of the district court's Permanent
Injunction, which is being urged as further evidence of Henson's bad faith
in support of dismissal. As RTC's contempt motion will be heard by the
district court, judicial economy suggests it should also withdraw the
reference and address the related issues.

"In its most extraordinary April 22, 2002 Order, the bankruptcy judge
blatantly violated the First and Fifth Amendments to the United States
Constitution by prohibiting one of creditor Religious Technology Center's
long-standing counsel of record from access to discovery responses to be
made by debtor, H. Keith Henson, on the sole ground that counsel is an
adherent to the Scientology religion, and also aided and abetted Henson to
maintain his fugitive status in Canada by denying RTC's request that
Henson appear for further deposition in California.

"By his April 22, 2002 Order, the bankruptcy judge has now demonstrated,
beyond any shadow of doubt, that he is so insensitive and so biased
against RTC and the Scientology religion, that he is legally unqualified
to further preside over Henson's chapter 13 bankruptcy case.

"By that same order, the bankruptcy judge has again cast himself as an
alder and abettor of Henson, who has fled the United States and remains a
fugitive from a sentence of incarceration imposed by a California State
Court.

"In his April 22, 2002 order, in plain English, in words that do not admit
of any inoffensive interpretation, the bankruptcy judge held that 'the
identity of Debtor's employer must be disclosed, but only to Creditor's
outside counsel who are not members of the Church of Scientology or
members of Creditor.' It is, pure and simple, nothing less than a ruling
depriving RTC of one of its long-standing counsel, thus trampling upon the
constitutional rights of both RTC and its counsel, Ms. Kobrin."

Message-ID: <3d1e35b5.7723316@...>
Message-ID: <3d2014b8.64822593@...>
Message-ID: <3d1d27b3.4136660@...>

#####

> Narconon

A letter to the editor of the Carroll Star News on June 7th objected to
the newspaper's expose on the links between Narconon and Scientology as it
attempts to get a zoning variance in Carrollton, Georgia.

"An article of 5 May and commentary to a letter published on 26 May
expressed considerable hostility towards the Narconon program and inferred
that representatives of Narconon were disavowing any relationship to the
Church of Scientology.  As is made clear in numerous pages of Narconon
International's website, the Narconon program was founded by a man named
William Benitez in Arizona State Prison in 1996 and later incorporated by
him as an independent non profit public benefit corporation. Mr, Benitez
based the Narconon program, which means supply 'no drugs.' on the research
of author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.  Although corporately separate
and distinct from the Church of Scientology from its beginning, the
Narconon network has long enjoyed a warm friendship with Scientology and
Scientologists."

"Clark Carr
president, Narconon International

"Editor's response: The Carroll Star News reporter, J. Pilkonis accurately
reported that the Narconon representatives who visited Carroll County's
planning and zoning meetings (and the Star News office) denied any
association with the Church of Scientology. Later, in person, I pointedly
stated to Susan Webb (public relations representative of the Church or
Scientology) that I also was told by these two Narconon representatives
they did not have any relationship with them. She had no direct response
for me, and instead continued to speak of how great the organizations was.
Since Mr. Carr is the president of Narconon International and states: 'In
fact, the majority of new Narconon facilities established since that time
have been made possible by be volunteer and financial support given by
Scientologists,' I will assume that Narconon IS directly associated with
the Church of Scientology, and the two representatives were either grossly
misinformed or lying."

The newspaper published a commentary by J. Pilkonis on June 9th on the
Narconon controversy.

"Hello, and welcome to another great JP column - the only column in
Carroll County, incidentally to win six consecutive Pulitzer prizes, a
Grammy for the audio recording of Brando Reads Pilkonis, and an
unprecedented twelve academy awards for the film version of The 'P' Stand
for Prima Donna: The JP Story, staring Nathon Lane as Bill Chappell,
Jackie Chan as Brian Crotty. Pathways' Joan Moore taking the part of,
well, just about anybody and, in a role which will shock you, Dr. Jack
Kevorkian as Sue Horn.

"As I write this in my fabulous 48 room mansion in the South of France
chomping on Beluga caviar and the generic brand of Ritz crackers, I am
busily dictating my next bestseller to my new secretary, Connie Chung, and
insisting to the powers that be that before I agree to let them carve my
face on Rushmore, that Jefferson character has to go.

"Are you impressed yet? I should hope not, because blatant lies should
never be something which benefits the one impairing them. Unfortunately,
one group of people who haven't quite picked up on this seem to be those
in charge of Narconon International, which, as we've finally confirmed, is
indeed tied both spiritually and financially to the Church of Scientology.

"We've now been visited on several occasions by both representatives of
Narconon and the Scientologists. They were caught in lie after lie after
lie, and when confronted with the truth, they opted to lie more.  It got
so hard to take that I forcibly terminated our meeting with Susan Webb.
There was no point in going on. Her purpose - proving herself a liar - had
been fulfilled.

"The targets of Narconon are those cursed with addictions, people who are
intrinsically weak and vulnerable. Is Narconon a vehicle for the Church of
Scientology to recruit new members? I would not say yes or no on the
subject, but consider this: Norseman says 'No.' and their reputation for
honesty, at least in our dealings with them is utterly nil.  The big joke
is that the Narconon/Scientologist camp don't seem to realize that they
wouldn't be under a fraction of the scrutiny they're currently
experiencing if they had just played it clean and honest from the very
beginning. It's true that they would have had a hard row to hoe, being
involved with something as eccentric as L. Ron Hubbard's rantings.

"This to no time for Bowdon residents to be complacent. Folks, now that
you know what kind of people you're dealing with, it's time to take real
action. Let your legislators know how you feel. Remind them that you'll
remember how they voted on the Narconon issue. It's my opinion that we're
dealing with a potentially dangerous situation here. But make your on
decisions, then act, for yourselves, and for the good of your community."

Message-ID: <3d1f05d7.126559035@...>
Message-ID: <3d201a8a.131859235@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported a protest at the Toronto, Canada org on June 22nd.

"There were 4 of us, Arel, the unknown picketer, Gregg and me up the
street. Brian McPherson was taking pictures of Arel. In fact, we
understand from one of the locals Brian is there every Saturday just in
case we show up. We got a huge number of acks, but only gave out about 150
flyers. That area is just saturated.

"When Gregg and Arel first showed up there was this 18 yo with his mother.
They were looking into the testimonials window. The kid had a copy of What
is Scn in his knapsack. The kid was trying to sell her on spending her
retirement money. He was ready to fight Gregg, grabbed a flyer, crushed it
and threw it at Gregg. His mother was mortified and apologized. She went
on in and was put on the cans and everything, but was looking out the
window at the xenu flyer. Came back out and had a huge argument with the
kid. She went on up the street and the kid went back into the org, likely
a disconnect case."

Rod Keller reported a protest at the Washington, DC org on June 29th.

"Arnie Lerma, Duncan Pierce and I decided to protest the Washington, DC
org.  We put in two hours despite the burning sun of the south.  Arnie was
carrying his 'Danger: Greedy Cult Zone' sign, Duncan had the 'Scientology:
the Church with a Body Count sign,' and I had my 'Stop Hurting Families,
Scientology' sign.

"We had a very slow and methodical sidewalk cleaning with a hose for most
of the protest. It didn't stop us from going back and forth as we pleased.
She took an hour and a half to clean 30 feet of sidewalk.  I had my usual
'Why I Protest' flyers, of which I distributed about 300.  A young woman
came running back for another flyer, reporting that a Scientologist was
standing down the block and took her flyer. She said he would walk up to
people and say 'Wow, that looks interesting, can I have that?' After that
I told everybody headed in that direction to 'Make sure the Scientologist
in the yellow shirt doesn't take your flyer. He doesn't want you to read
this.' Arnie was on the triangle across the street, and reported that they
guy didn't get any more flyers after that.

"We had a couple of interesting passers-by. A couple told Arnie that they
knew all about how bad Scientology is. Arnie asked how they came to know
that. 'I grew up in Clearwater, Florida' was the answer. We also had a
young man tell us he worked in the org for three weeks. 'They had me
talking to doll babies, so I quit.' The look on his face was hysterical.
Handler Sylvia Stanard was primarily concerned with the number of
protesters, being three and not a thousand I guess. Duncan had the line of
the day, 'How many does it take to make a statement?'"

Message-ID: <3d192666.57325331@...>
Message-ID: <9THT8.260$d34.238026@...>

#####

> Switzerland

Tages-Anzeiger reported on June 26th that two Scientologists have been
sentenced in Zurich, Switzerland for fraud.

"Two former Scientology adherents were sentenced on Tuesday by the Zurich
Superior Court for millions in fraud. An attorney received 27 months in
prison and his accomplice got punishment suspended.

"The superior court has confirmed the judgment of the Zurich district
court of 1999. The principal convicted party, a formerly high-ranking
Scientology member and long-term magistrate in eastern Switzerland, had
defrauded over 200 investors of about 15 million franks (over 10 million
dollars) in the early 1990s with false promises of returns, according to
the indictment. The attorney was supported in the data processing
department by another Scientologist.

"In December 1999 the primary accused was sentenced to two years nine
months in prison by the Zurich District Court. His accomplice got away
with six months prison suspended for aiding and abetting.  Based on the
defendants' unblemished conduct since then, the superior court reduced the
sentences on appeal by six and three months respectively."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020626204755.125A-100000@...>

#####

> John Travolta

U.K. Newspaper The Independent published a column on June 28th on
Scientology celebrity John Travolta.

"There was a time, probably around 1978, when I'd have envied any woman
married to John Travolta. Now, however, I feel nothing but pity for poor
Kelly Preston. For starters, there's Travolta's Scientology, and the
Scientology-related films. Then there are the films that have nothing to
do with Scientology, but are rubbish anyway. Then there is the passion for
flying Qantas aeroplanes, which he is now about to indulge by taking the
whole family on a trip around the world in his 707 jet.

"Surely Travolta doesn't need the money. Perhaps he just likes dressing up
in costumes and looking skywards with a mad glint in his eye. Possibly
because he thinks that up in the sky he is closer to L Ron Hubbard.  He
couldn't sound like less of a catch if he had knickers on his head and two
pencils up one nostril. My one, fervent prayer? That somewhere up her
sleeve, Kelly has an excellent divorce lawyer."

Message-ID: <zz0T8.933$mp2.592010@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 14
7/7/2002 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

#####

> Gay Pride

The San Francisco Examiner reported on July 1st that Scientology attended
the annual gay Pride Parade, attempting to sell attendees copies of
Dianetics.

"This year, the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride
Parade ushered in a new era, with the 1 million-strong Market Street crowd
cheering long and loud for the uniformed gay police officers and sheriffs
who marched hand in hand with their partners. Politicians waved,
whip-cracking leather daddies strutted, shirtless dykes rode their
motorbikes and scantily clad muscle boys in red and white gyrated to
techno beats. Vendors were hawking everything from your name on a grain of
rice to the Scientology tome 'Dianetics' - you could even get a 'Botox
Pride Special.'"

Message-ID: <zPAU8.44$FW5.31503@...>

#####

> Germany

A Scientology Press Release issued on July 1st announced that a German
Scientologist is suing his employer in the U.S. because he was fired for
being a member.

"A German member of the Church of Scientology today filed suit against the
U.S.-based company Life Plus International over his dismissal without
notice as a marketing agent for the company's German branch, solely
because of his religious beliefs. Mr. Thomas Ernst Akyar has sued the
natural food supplements company in the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of Arkansas.

"After an article in the German trade journal Network Press featured a
photograph of Mr. Akyar captioned 'Successful Scientologist,' Life Plus
Europe terminated Mr. Akyar's contractual relationship. Life Plus's
counsel Dr. Gerd Weidemann wrote to Mr. Akyar 'our client has been
informed that you openly admit your Scientology membership and take a
stand to the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard. We terminate the existing
contractual relationship with Life Plus Europe Ltd.' Life Plus Europe
disseminated a two-page document concerning Mr. Akyar that attempted to
justify the termination of his contract by reference to his religion.

"Mr. Akyar charges that Life Plus, headquartered in Batesville, Arkansas,
has violated the Arkansas Civil Rights Act of 1993. In addition to
damages, Mr. Akyar seeks an injunction holding that the termination of his
contract was discriminatory and unlawful."

Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on July 4th that Scientologists attempted to
interfere with rescue efforts following an airplane crash in Southern
Germany.

"'Everybody wants to help,' said Ferdinand Veit.  Many people want to
console the relatives of the dead, and other bring giant cakes to the
auditorium in which police, fire department personnel and other assistants
can sit down.  Some assistants are not wished for. A troop in bright
yellow t-shirts from the Scientology cult has assembled in front of the
fire-fighters' building and are offering what they call spiritual
counseling. 'The pack of scum ought to disappear,' said one town hall
employee."

Berliner Zeitung reported on July 4th that Scientology is campaigning to
recruit volunteer ministers in Berlin.

"On the big yellow sign next to the tangled cross the highly visible black
letters carve out a common ground: 'These are hard times. Something can be
done about it,' and ends up with a telephone number and the surprising
message, 'Call a Volunteer Minister.' But you don't have to do that at
all, because a 'volunteer minister' is to be found in a big yellow tent
erected on the parking lot at Rosa-Luxemburg Street. At least that is what
it says on his yellow t-shirt. Smiling, he directs us into the tent. Later
on it becomes clear that the Scientologists are trying to recruit staff
members.

"Little pictorial stories show ever-smiling alcoholics drying out, family
fights being settled and over-stressed office employees being relieved of
their mountains of paperwork.  They are especially proud of the
photographs from New York after the September 11th catastrophe of last
year. Scientologists are to be seen in their yellow t-shirts amid the
rubble of 'Ground Zero' among firemen and even a somewhat surprised
Rudolph Giuliani, who was mayor back then.  'We were the only group they
let in to give assistance,' a woman told us proudly.

"Thomas Gandow, cult commissioner of the Evangelical Church, however,
describes it somewhat differently, 'They used a trick to slip in and
bother people,' he said, 'about which people complained.' The campaign in
front of the yellow tent is a 'desperate attempt to find staff members in
Germany,' said Gandow. 'They're making a last-ditch effort here to cast
their solution upon stricken people.' He estimates the number of active
members in Berlin at 20 or 30. At least half that number appear to be in
action in front of the yellow tent.

"They have two stretchers where volunteers are being treated with 'touch
assists.' Back and forth they touch arms and legs, up and down. That is
supposed to help pain, fatigue and cramps.  'That is how pockets of energy
are removed from the body,' the staff member explained the cross between
massage and laying on of hands.  'What they're doing with the touch
assists, of course, is quackery,' said Gandow, 'but it's interesting that
they're offering something for free.'"

Message-ID: <20020703182841.03785.00006925@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020707073407.117A-100000@...>

#####

> Institute for Historical Review

Spotlight magazine reported this week that Scientology is bidding to
purchase the mailing list of Liberty Lobby from the Institute for
Historical Review. Both are right-wing organizations that cast doubt on
the existence of the holocaust.

"Our attorney said that both the ADL and the Church of Scientology were
interested in buying the LL mailing list from us. It didn't surprise me to
hear that the ADL might be scheming. I suppose it would be a good
propaganda for them to tell their supporters that they had gotten Carto's
mailing list.

"I'm a bit stunned that it is even considered an option. The same goes for
the Church of Scientology. We should sell it for the best price we can get
from a non-interested party (that is a party that neither tries to stamp
out patriotic organizations, such as the ADL, or a party which attacks
racial groups with full-page ads in the NY Times, such as the Church of
Scientology), but to an honest business. Both of the aforementioned
organizations are piranhas which are no better than Carto himself.

"If we are going to stand on principles and refuse to sell to CoS, ADL,
ACLU, we have to be prepared for the alternative, which is either make a
LOT more money than we are making now, cut back to a staff of two or
three, hibernate, and hope for the best while we continue the legal
struggle somehow, or simply go out of business (but with all our
principles intact!).

"The supposed deal with Scientologists was so concrete that Greg said that
the Church of Scientology had offered to send their own attorneys to
Liberty Lobby to do the photocopying of disclosure files for us."

Message-ID: <GcYU8.314$FW5.220413@...>

#####

> Dell

A letter to the editor of Magill magazine criticized a recent article
about Scientology training methods being used at Dell computers in
Ireland.

"Where Mr. O'Brien stuck to the essential story - that the training
courses used by one of the most successful companies in the world is based
on the writings of L. Ron Hubbard - the piece rang true. Where the story
deviated from facts and got into unsubstantiated allegation it floundered.

"Mr. Hubbard's research into the mind and spirit are increasingly being
used in secular fields - simply because they are effective. For example,
the secular drug rehabilitation programme Narconon is based on his
research into the effects of drugs and how to deal with these. It has an
independently assessed success rate of between 70 and 80 per cent, and has
helped tens of thousands of hard-core drug addicts to kick their habit.
Narconon recently opened the largest residential drug rehab centre in the
world in Oklahoma, USA.

"As regards Ron Hubbard's research into organisational structure and
administration theory, Jordan Levy, lecturer at California State
University, stated: 'It's a brilliant way of horizontally laying out a
company, giving everybody a clear identification of what their
responsibility is, but at the same time giving management a tool to use to
gauge growth in every area.'

"Gerard Ryan,
Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin

"Paul O'Brien replies: My piece on a training course used by the
Irish-based company in question centred on the nature of the course, the
company that provides the course, that company's background and its links
to Scientology.  The 'unsubstantiated allegation' I take to refer to my
questioning of the late L. Ron Hubbard's own background, and the claims of
many of his followers, who attribute to him a remarkable list of
achievements.  Officialdom in several countries, most notably France and
Germany, are sceptical of many of these claims, and several judges have
also questioned them. As such, I believe it is valid to question aspects
of his background.

"Narconon does indeed have 'the largest residential drug rehab centre in
the world in Oklahoma,' but independent medical experts have questioned
the methods of treatment that the facility offers. Similarly, there have
been questions raised about educational and training programmes based on
research by L Ron Hubbard. I acknowledged that Hubbard's writings have
influenced 'a range of educational, anti-drug and training programmes
among others,' but pointed out that most of these are run or administered
by Scientologists or legally incorporated bodies or Companies with some
affiliation to the movement."

Message-ID: <m6k6iuonv1psj3rj9la8hblg0utjkke5nh@...>

#####

> Keith Henson

Keith Henson and Gregg Hagglund reported on a hearing in Toronto, Canada.
They are suing the police for using a SWAT team to arrest Keith after
Scientology had reported him as a terrorist and bomb-maker.

"McGivney stuck to the line that the cops had every right to bust us with
whatever level of violence they wanted because they had a warrant against
me based on the 'fact' I was an 'explosive expert.' We have engaged Peter
McWilliams.  McGivney said, 'I don't imagine this is just going to go
away.' McWilliams said, 'No it's not. Because your fellows went too far.
Ever hear of the Casey Hill case?' McGivney said, 'Of course but it's not
relevant to this.' McWilliams smiles, gets that mongoose look on his face
again and says, 'Of course it's relevant. We have the same cast of
characters. Your fellows were relying upon some strange bedfellows. I plan
to call Justice Hill as a witness to establish that relevance.' McGivney
blanched.

"The judge picked up the two thick briefs Gregg and I provided and shaking
them slightly said, 'There are serious allegations in here.' McWilliams
said 'I take it your honour is familiar with our documentation?' and the
Judge said, 'Yes. I read them.' At this point McGivney (who possibly
didn't read them) is blinking like crazy. The judge sent us out to set a
trial date with the clerk."

Message-ID: <3d292d9c.82852364@...>

#####

> Bob Minton

The St. Petersburg Times published an an article on July 7th on Bob Minton
and his testimony in the Lisa McPherson civil case.

"Over and over Minton was ordered into depositions and grilled by
Scientology lawyers about his financial dealings. When Minton invoked his
Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, a judge ordered him to
answer. When Minton didn't show up for a deposition, he faced contempt of
court. Scientology attorney Monique Yingling testified that the church
believed it was on the verge of uncovering serious abuses of the legal
process, false affidavits and false allegations in the McPherson case. 'It
was like the Terminator was after you,' he said. Now, after six years on
the Scientology battlefront, Minton wants out.

"Just eight months ago, Minton stood before a crowd in Cleveland and
proudly accepted a human rights award recognizing him for 'extraordinary
courage' in the 'battle against tyranny over the mind of man.' A
nationally known Scientology critic, Minton talked in his acceptance
speech of 'terrorist cults' led not by Osama bin Laden but by 'like-minded
terrorists' such as Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology
leader David Miscavige.

"Scientologists did not turn the other cheek, according to Minton and
other church critics. They circulated leaflets about Minton to his
neighbors in New Hampshire and Boston calling him a 'hate monger' leading
a 'KKK style' attack on a religion, according to a 'harassment' timeline
maintained by the critics and entered into court records. Scientologists
picketed him at his home and at airports. Minton said a Scientology
official sent photos and a letter to his wife accusing him of adultery.
Scientology dug into Minton's finances. Minton said Scientology operatives
stirred up an allegation that he helped a Nigerian dictator launder
$12-billion as part of a business deal 12 years ago. Minton has not been
charged and says the allegation is bogus.

"Dandar said he believes Minton was threatened with something Scientology
discovered related to his overseas financial affairs. Minton has invoked
the Fifth Amendment when pressed for details about his finances and when
asked if he has underreported his income to the IRS.

"Now the church is using Minton's testimony to support an effort to get
the lawsuit dismissed. It has left Dandar fighting not only for the
McPherson case but for his own reputation. Dandar has denied all of
Minton's accusations, saying Minton's lies started after he met with
Scientology. 'They are committing a charade on the court,' Dandar said.
'They have Minton coming in as if he were this pitiful lying witness who
wanted to come clean. He was coming in claiming to be a perjurer because
he was told to do that.'

"After he settles his litigation with the church, he said, he just wants
to walk away. 'I just want some peace.'"

Message-ID: <UiWV8.619$FW5.767838@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Dave Bird reported a protest at the Scientology org in Birmingham, England
on July 6th.

"Present were Dave and Jens and John, plus Martin who turned up later by
coach, and we had one Local Lady who turned up at the demo site.  I
brought 500 Xemu leaflets and John brought 200 Xemu leaflets, of which we
gave out 550 to 650. We had helium balloons, large white one with
orange-and-blue 'XEMU LOVES YOU.' We had pre-cut ribbons with a weight,
and a little 'Daily Xenus' newspaper style mini-leaflet, though not enough
for all 160 balloons.

"John did the slogans on our fine boom-box, Jens did the helium balloons,
Martin did leafleting, I did leafleting too plus handed out the odd helium
balloon when the customers weren't actually queuing up, and the local lady
did some chatting and leafleting. I noticed people were reading our
leaflets, and coming up to us and asking for them, also parents were
looking close up at the Alien Face on their kiddies balloon and reading
the 'www.xenu.net' (plus 'scientology sucks') written in smaller type.

"I saw some torn up clam leaflets torn up on the ground, and one passer-by
tear up a leaflet in the face of the clam who gave it to him.  There were
a few body routers and leafletters out; actually there must have been
about a dozen present, but most were milling round in plain clothes and
trying to be part of the crowd."

Message-ID: <C35OJCT337443.6662268518@...>

#####

> WISE

Prosperity Magazine announced a reorganization of the World Institute of
Scientology Enterprises.

"Mr. Don Cunningham, Commanding Officer WISE International, addressed a
packed WISE convention audience at the Flag auditorium. He briefed them on
the recent surveys of Scientologists in business and what they have to
confront on a daily basis

"Traditionally, Charter Members of WISE have acted as a committee to
handle disputes and ethics situations of a business nature in their local
communities.  Some Charter Committees, deciding to expand their role,
began disseminating LRH admin tech and assisting others in its
application. Other WISE membership groups provided services to their local
WISE membership by assisting in the application of LRH admin tech through
seminars and guidance on the Model of Admin Know How Programs.

"This restructure included: A broadening of the responsibilities of
Charter Committees.  The are wholly entrusted with the administration of
the WISE membership locally. Literally, through their charter from WISE,
this power has now been delegated locally to them. All dispute handlings,
ethics and justice matters are directed toward getting LRH tech applied. A
situation is not resolved unless a party or parties have as a result begun
applying LRH tech. And Charter Committees extend their reach to ensure
this product is achieved. Charter committees work with the entire local
membership to expand the membership and through standard application of
LRH tech create a sane community in their areas.

"The Charter membership annual fee has been cut to a fraction of its prior
amount. Now any ethical and responsible person can apply to join or
establish a local Charter Committee.

"Twelfth Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winner:
Craig Jensen, Executive Software International

"Eleventh Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winner:
Luis Colon, MGE, Inc.

"Tenth Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winners:
David Singer, David Singer Enterprises

"Ninth Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winners:
Heimo & Uta Bucerius, Idee & Geld
Roger Van Loocke, U Man Belgium
Juan Villareal, Harlingen Family Dentistry

"Eighth Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winner:
Robert Lotter, R.A. Lotter Insurance
Pam Chipman, Clearwater Academy
Clearwater Charter Committee
Bennetta Slaughter, AMC Publishing

"Seventh Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winners:
Dan Margolin, Clearly Platinum
Dr. Jack Sushko, DDS
Bruce Atkinson, DDS
Kim Bright Cassano, Kim Bright Cassano Inc.
Rob Collewijn, Health Motion Physical Therapy, Inc.

"Sixth Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winners:
Tom Niemi, New Era Dental
Janet Nodine, Family Maternity Clinic
Bruno & Helen Tschuppert, TCM Tschuppert
Mike Chan, Durable Slate

"Fifth Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winners:
Alain Bohren, Formatique
John Brasel, Exec Tech Consulting
Chet Eccles, American Alliance
Juri Murk, Dajoeri
New York Charter Committee
Carl Smudde, DDS
Marc Silber, Pacific Management Consultants
Jim Speiser, Indianapolis Veterinary Emergency Clinic
Marlin Anderson, Anderson/Anderson CPAs
Hubbard College of Administration Clearwater
Flag OT Committee

"Fourth Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winners:
Larry Gluck & Ted Prescott, Mission: Renaissance
Sherry Harris, Ultimate Creations
Tom Schuster, Sovereign Finance
John Stout, Stout Development
Alan Baker, Atkinson-Baker Court Reporters
Business Expansion Club International
Dan Kingsbury, Networking Dynamics

"Third Consecutive-year Model of Admin Know-How Winners:
Los Angeles Charter Committee
Cindy Clayton, Clayton Chiropractic
Brian Coyle Advanced Medical Center
Rainer Fischer, Fischer Immobilien
Lorraine Hart, Ideal Consulting
Hubbard College of Administration Pecs
Sherene Lee & Jeffrey Lee MD
Gabor Lenkei & Eva Peto, Comline
Chuck Wolhberg, Aqua 2000 Burbank
Graham Payne and Peter Buckles, Summit Business Mgmt
Business Expansion Club Orange County"

Message-ID: <2FTHPDLP37438.3920717593@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 15
7/14/2002 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

#####

> Buffalo Org

The Buffalo News reported on July 3rd that religious and community groups
have joined Scientology in their opposition to a city plan to replace the
Buffalo Scientology org with a parking ramp.

"Religious leaders from various denominations expressed strong opposition
Tuesday to the city's plan to tear down a building occupied by the Church
of Scientology to expand a downtown parking ramp. 'This is something that
must stop here,' said G. Stanford Bratton of the Network of Religious
Communities, a region-wide interreligious and ecumenical group.

"Thomas A. Gallagher, a parking board consultant, said the additional 850
parking spaces would help revitalize downtown. 'The building owners
downtown cannot rent their space. If we could provide them with adequate
parking, they could fill that space,' he said.

"But Church of Scientology members, religious leaders from other
denominations and community advocates challenged the assertion. 'I find it
hard to believe that a parking ramp is going to revitalize this city,'
said Anne Marie Dunning, a Church of Scientology member who questioned the
need for more downtown parking.

"Similar views were voiced by Patrick McNichol, a member of the New
Millennium Group, which represents young professionals who strive to
advance 'positive change.' McNichol said his group hasn't taken a position
on the Hurst Building, but members are convinced any development must be
done in the context of a long-term strategic plan.

"Some Council members want to see church leaders and parking officials
reach a compromise that might involve relocating the church to another
downtown building. Randolph C. Oppenheimer, a church attorney,
acknowledged 'room to negotiate,' but only if the city withdraws its
condemnation plans. 'All we ask is that you take this sword from over our
head,' Oppenheimer said.

"'We'll be opposed to this all the way to the end,' said Merle E. Showers,
a United Methodist Church community minister. A regional official from the
Presbyterian Church sent lawmakers a letter expressing 'extreme dismay and
strong opposition' to the plan and describing the condemnation as a gross
misuse of powers."

Message-ID: <kPeW8.1903$oN.678698@...>

#####

> CCHR

The Citizen's Commission on Human Rights announced a seminar and book
signing by Dr. Mary Ann Block

"Saturday, August 10th, 2002 from 2-4 PM. Admission is Free.

"Dr. Block will be in Los Angeles for a free back-to-school seminar on
non-drug solutions to so-called 'Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder'
(ADHD) and 'Learning Disorders.' Dr. Block, author of No More ADHD, is an
international expert and healthcare leader on the treatment of attention
and behavior problems without drugs. Her book provides a natural and
practical approach to children's health and debunks theories that 'ADHD'
is a 'chemical imbalance in the brain' or a 'mental disorder.' She exposes
the dangers of psychiatric drugs frequently prescribed for this condition
and summarizes the most common causes of attention and behavior symptoms."

Message-ID: <0bNX8.23358$pi1.1862770@...>

#####

> Chick Corea

The St. Petersburg Times reported on July 11th that Scientology celebrity
Chick Corea will perform at Clearwater's annual Jazz Holiday event.

"With sponsorships off by at least $20,000, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday
Foundation Board cut executive director Karen Vann's $35,000-plus position
Monday, eliminating its only paid employee.  The Jazz Holiday will spend
about $300,000 to produce this year's event, Oct. 17-20 at Coachman Park,
Garcia said. Add to that jazz education programs, sponsor parties and
administrative costs.

"But attracting big-name sponsors this year has been tough. Garcia
admitted 'we're a little short of where we'd like to be.' Vann's
resignation comes just as this year's headliners are being announced.
Blues pianist/vocalist Deanna Bogart will perform on opening night.
Pianist Chick Corea will be the featured act on Saturday, and Lou Rawls
will close the show on Sunday."

Message-ID: <39d3458a638071cea52c6b0d87e181d0@...>

#####

> Germany

Suedkurier reported on July 8th that a speaker at the mourning ceremony
for vicitms of a plane crash in Owingen, Germany criticized Scientology
for opportunism at the crash site.

"Led by Mayor Gunther Former and his wife, by Catholic reverend Reinhard
Schacht, his Evangelical colleagues Hartmut Dietrich and the theologian
staff member of the Mennonites, Cathrin van Sintern, several hundred of
the faithful proceed to the area where countless victims of the airline
catastrophe have been found.  Schacht's words towards all the Scientology
members who went about their unholy work in Owingen were also extremely
clear, 'Where there is carrion, the vultures gather.'

"Mayor Gunther Former thanked the rescue workers for their service,
thanked the Lord for the wholeness of the local people, and communicated
the thanks of the volunteers to the citizens, who supported the rescue
workers according to their abilities. Herbe rt Dreiseitl also paid his
respect to the rescue workers; he said they had made possible an 'internal
constitution of serenity and security' for the citizens by their diligent
work."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020708080000.156A-100000@...>

#####

> Dan Garvin

The James Randi Educational Foundation newsletter published a letter from
former Scientologist Dan Garvin, describing some of his experiences and
the cash prize that Randi offers for demonstrations of paranormal
abilities.

"In 1974, when I was 17, I got interested in Scientology as a 'scientific'
way to attain mystical super-powers, which I had already believed in
before that.  Within two years I had joined their Sea Organization, the
elite group of top Scientologists. Sea Org members have to sign a
billion-year contract in order to join. Since Scientologists believe in
past lives extending for more than 76 trillion years, and the ability to
recall these lives fully, there is nothing symbolic about this contract.
They really mean a billion years, and their motto is, 'We come back.'

"Sea Org members are the most dedicated Scientologists of all. In addition
to their long-term commitment, they live and eat in communal quarters,
have almost no freedoms, or time off in which to exercise freedoms if they
had some, or money to enable them to afford those freedoms. They work and
study the works of Hubbard, and occasionally are rewarded with bits of
'auditing,' the Scientology technology for making people better, happier,
healthier, more powerful, and ultimately giving them TOTAL SPIRITUAL
FREEDOM!!

"I signed my billion-year contract and was in there with the best of them.
I remained wholly convinced of Scientology's effectiveness for almost the
entire twenty-five years I remained in the Sea Org.  In about 1999 or
2000, I was still a believer and still a Sea Org member, but I was
gradually growing more disgusted with the way the church and the Sea Org
were run. I was in that frame of mind when I heard James Randi as a guest
on Al Rantell's talk show in LA. You were advocating mandatory licensing
for people claiming psychic abilities -they would have to demonstrate
their abilities to a licensing board, which of course none of them would
be able to do.

"I was thinking 'How come some Scientologist doesn't claim this prize?
After all, we are the ones who really can do these things. There are
prohibitions against showing off in public, but that came from back when
New Age wasn't cool.' You'd think at least one of those would claim the
prize, not being encumbered by the church's regulations.

"It took a year or two, but I finally had to decide that the reason nobody
claimed the prize was probably that nobody could, not even top
Scientologists. I certainly had never observed any paranormal phenomena
that couldn't be explained conventionally.  My heretical thinking
eventually led me to leave the Sea Org. I didn't leave Scientology yet,
but I knew that before I invested any more of my life into it, I was going
to have to see some actual evidence, not just more glowing success stories
or PR from the church itself. Sea Org members are utterly forbidden to
access the internet, and all Scientologists are forbidden to look at
information critical of Scientology.

"One of the first places I looked, after I got out, was the JREF website.
There wasn't much about Scientology, but it was clear that no
Scientologist had won or even tried to win the challenge money. Within a
couple weeks I got up the resolve to look at Scientology's secret
upper-level materials, posted in part on www.xenu.net. They're supposed to
kill you if you read them without the proper preliminary Scientology
levels, but they've been out there for quite a few years and nobody has
died, so I looked.  It made specific claims about Earth's history that
could be disproven. And since it was wrong, it meant all of Scientology's
top levels, where you get your magical superpowers, were based on a lie, a
mistake, or a delusion.

"That was what took me from doubter to full-blown ex-Scientologist. Once I
was out from under the spell, I learned a tremendous amount that had never
made it past Scientology's censors: criminal behavior, horrible abuses,
vicious reprisals against critics and especially against plaintiffs.

"Scientology's lies and practices cost me my marriage and well over half
my life. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have escaped with my
mind intact. Others have been driven to acute or permanent mental illness,
and some to suicide.

Message-ID: <20020714004640.09311.00000640@...>

#####

> Russia

Radio Free Europe reported on July 9th that members of the Russian
Orthodox church planned a rally to protest Scientology in Yekaterinburg.

"Russian Orthodox believers are expected to hold a rally in Yekaterinburg
on 13 July to protest the activities of nontraditional religious
organizations, such as the Church of Scientology.  Father Vladimir Zaitsev
told the agency that the rally will be held outside of the local Kosmos
movie theater where Scientologists will celebrate the birthday of the
organization's founder, Ron Hubbard. Zaitsev, who called Hubbard a
'Satanist, paranoiac, and drug abuser,' said that there are several
thousand Scientologists in the city.

From the Interfax on July 9th:

"The demonstrators would like to give a clear picture to people about the
nature of Scientology and its dangers, Zaitsev noted. In order to achieve
this goal, officials of the diocese's missionary department have made
leaflets and posters featuring exposing slogans. 'This organization is
extremely dangerous to society.  Scientologists read books written by L.
Ron Hubbard, and try to imitate him in everything. Hubbard himself is
known as a Satanist, a paranoiac and a drug abuser,' Zaitsev said.

"He noted that in Yekaterinburg, Scientologists act under the guise of a
number of organizations, including the Urals Dianetics center, the Studen
school, a public youth union and the Narkonon rehabilitation center for
drug addicts."

Message-ID: <xAXW8.1223$FW5.1222222@...>
Message-ID: <3D2EBF0C.1050204@...>

#####

> Spain

Scientology's Impact magazine reported on a What is Scientology? exhibit
that was held in Madrid in March, 2002 to celebrate the dropping of
charges against top Scientologists there. The magazine also described some
legal cases in which Scientology was involved.

"The first day, a record 2,700 people visited the exposition, surpassing
all previous daily attendance records for the exposition. The following
day 4,560 people toured the Exposition.

"The ribbon was cut by Luz Almeida Castro, one of the Church's attorneys
who played a key role in bringing about the win in Spain.  She was
accompanied by Juan Garces, well know Spanish human rights attorney,
Joaquin Atuna, President of the organization Peace and Cooperation: Rafael
Burgos Perez, another Church attorney who played a key role in the Spanish
victory: Luis Gonzalez from the Office of Special Affairs International:
and Faustino Gomez, Director of Public Affairs for the Church of
Scientology Madrid.

"By the time the Exposition completed its stay in Madrid, more that 23,000
people had visited it, more than in any other city in Europe.

"In 2001, the Supreme Court ended tax cases against Churches and Narconon
Centers. In the United Kingdom, full VAT (Value Added Tax) exemption has
been given by Her Majesty's Custom and Excise to all churches and missions
in the UK. In Sweden where the right to perform legal marriages is part of
religious recognition, this right to marry has been granted to Scientology
ministers. And the tax exempt status of Narconon centers was recognized by
the Danish government this last year.

"Fearing the widespread Scientology expansion of the late 1980's, German
SP's conceived at the time a plan whereby they accused the Church of
attempting to infiltrate society and the government - while they
themselves were attempting to infiltrate the Church. In a landmark victory
this year, a Berlin court not only issued a ruling in favor of the Church,
but also gave the correct interpretation of the Church's activities which
ended the SP's plan with finality: 'The action of bringing about a
pro-Scientology government means resolving the personal problems of
government officials so they can do their jobs better and clearing the
planet means bringing about a world of heightened awareness and reason for
everyone on earth.'"

Message-ID: <7VYSWZTS37446.2637384259@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 16
7/21/2002 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

#####

> Narconon

The Battle Creek Enquirer reported on July 19th that Scientology is
planning a new Narconon program in Battle Creek, Michigan.

"Renovation efforts are in full swing at Narconon Stone Hawk, a drug
rehabilitation center on St. Mary's Lake, after its owners overcame
community objections and satisfied zoning requirements. The residential
treatment center was expected to open in August, but owners Kate and Per
Wickstrom moved the opening date to mid-September to accommodate further
renovation."

Message-ID: <3D388C9B.9040408@...>

#####

> Turncoats

Deseret News reported on July 20th that Scientology planned a lecture in
Salt Lake City, Utah on turncoats.

"The Church of Scientology's lecture Sunday, July 21, at 11 a.m. will
focus on 'What to do when a team member has taken on the colors of enemy?'
The public is welcome to this service."

Message-ID: <kl0jjusk0hk474kthn9obbhr3pg0b4js6p@...>

#####

> Drug Free Marshals

The Times newspaper in Gary, Indiana reported on July 19th that
Scientology held a Drug Free Marshals event at a local Independence Day
celebration.

"The Drug-Free Marshals were on hand at the Harvey 4th of July celebration
held at Gloria J. Taylor Park. Kids were invited to sign the 7-point
Drug-Free Marshals Pledge and make a promise to themselves to live their
lives free of drugs and to help friends and families do the same.

"Sponsored by the Church of Scientology International, the Drug-Free
Marshals have become a familiar sight at Gloria J. Taylor, participating
for the past four years in such events as Gospel in the Park, the annual
Halloween Party, and Dells Day. 'The kids are always eager to sign the
pledge and receive their official Drug-Free Marshals badge, and many stop
by year after year to renew the promise they have made to create a bright
future for themselves,' stated Sue Strozewski, regional director for the
program.

"The Drug-Free Marshals are sponsoring a regional essay and poster contest
throughout the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.  Children
between the ages of 7 and 14 are invited to write an essay, compose a song
or draw a picture based on the theme, 'How I can help create a drug-free
community.'

"Drug-Free Marshals will participate in the Ingalls Hospital and Harvey
Park District Kids Fest and Flea Market on July 27, and will again be in
attendance at Gloria J. Taylor Park for Gospel in the Park on August 17."

Message-ID: <3D39556D.8050209@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported a protest at the Toronto, Canada org on July 14th.

"Gregg was in his spiel about Scn committing criminal acts and our new
thing about the tax scam.  Gregg was on a roll, 'Scientology is a criminal
organization full of criminal people committing criminal acts like
criminal harassment. Isn't that right Bobby Hill?'

"Bobby turns around and comes back toward Gregg and points at Gregg and
says,' Don't harass me personally.' Gregg says 'I can talk to you, I've
got tape you harassing me all the time.'

"Gregg now turns to address 3-4 curious bystanders one of whom reaches for
a flyer. 'That's scientology's way of handling critics, they lie to the
police. I have them on hours of tape surrounding me on the sidewalk,
trying to drive me into the street, screaming and yelling at me insulting
me, my wife and my family, my relatives, insulting the clothing I am
wearing.'

"The first officer contacts Gregg. There is a long rap about the long
involved history of Scientology harassing Gregg, his family, friends,
fellow picketers, employers, etc. A female officer, starts talking to
Gregg. She proceed to try to intimidate Gregg by claiming that any member
of a religious could commit any libel, defamation, assault, etc upon a
critic and that was just fine, but the critic would be guilty of a hate
crime if he talked to one of them about their criminal conduct or the
criminal conduct of their organization.  Gregg made a mockery of that
unique interpretation and she was reduced to threatening Gregg with arrest
for disturbing the peace.

"Gregg blew off her threats and the officer then informed Gregg that he
was cautioned about his 'hate crimes' activity and that caution was going
into her incident report. Gregg's reply was to caution her in return about
misinterpretation of the law, charter rights, and taking the unsupported
word of lying street scum like Bobby Hill The first officer didn't say
much but was trying to call her attention to the camera focused on her. He
finally got her attention.

"We learned later from contact inside the police ranks that this officer,
once she realized she was on video tape while threatening Gregg, had
finally consulted informed agents about the nature of the criminal cult's
tactics, reputation and absolute hysteria about peaceful picket. Gregg was
assured that his actions were entirely within the law - and Gregg as the
videotape to prove it.  Despite the hubbub or maybe because of it, we gave
out about 100 of the new flyers and 50 Xenu flyers."

Message-ID: <3d363147.449195602@...>

#####

> Russia

The Associated Press reported on July 18th that Scientology has won a case
in Russia in which the Justice Ministry was attempting to disband the
organization.

"The Church of Scientology's Russian branch won a legal victory Thursday
when the Moscow City Court upheld a lower court's ruling allowing the
group to continue operating in Russia. Authorities in the Justice Ministry
had sought to shut the group down based on a widely criticized 1997
religion law that requires all religious groups to register with Russian
authorities.

"A Moscow district court dismissed the ministry's request in May, arguing
that liquidating a religious organization that doesn't pose a threat to
public order is a violation of freedom of religion. The Church of
Scientology said it has tried to register eight times since 1998, but was
either ignored or met with refusals. In Russia, the church has 200,000
members and 73 centers."

From the BBC on July 18th:

"The Moscow department of the Russian Justice Ministry is unlikely to file
any more suits to liquidate the Church of Scientology, Anton Lychkin, the
president of the Moscow Church of Scientology, told Ekho Moskvy radio. The
Church asked the Justice Ministry for re-registration more than once, but
all our applications were ignored so we had to address them again and
again. Another application submitted by us is considered now, Lychkin
said."

From Pravda on July 20th:

"The Moscow Church of Scientology president, Anton Lychkin said, 'I am
very glad that we have won, though it is not only the victory of
scientologists; this also signifies religious freedom in Russia.'

"The head of sect department at the St. Tikhon Orthodox Institute,
Alexandr Dvorkin stated that the Justice Ministry had intended to deprive
the Moscow church of Scientology of registration for formal reasons: this
organization had not completed the necessary documents in proper time.
However, the organization's lawyers managed to settle this question in
legal form in favour of the organization.

"According to Dvorkin, there are [Scientology] groups that have a medical,
scientific, or educational status.  They have different names:
Hubbard-College, Dianetics Center, etc.  Scientologists use different
masks, hiding behind other organizations created by them. 'Sometimes, it
is difficult to identify them from the name of the organization. For
example, in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, there is an organization called
Zemlyane (Inhabitants of the Earth), registered as a financial and
industry group which, according to the local press, has already put under
its control the biggest part of the city and of the region.'

"The St. Iriney of Leon Center reports that in Ukraine, an officially
registered party called The Party of the Seriously Ill Rehabilitation
(PRTU) is connected with Scientologists. According to the experts of the
center, this could be seen at least from the program of the party, which
promises to Ukrainian citizens topazes and making them almost the richest
people and turning Ukraine into a world leader. This sounds like a speech
of Ron Hubbard."

Message-ID: <3D378622.90104@...>
Message-ID: <3D3786DD.6060806@...>
Message-ID: <3D380EB6.5060300@...>
Message-ID: <3D3957B5.8060409@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 17
7/28/2002 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

#####

> Applied Scholastics

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on July 23rd that at a Catholic
cemetery for nuns, the buried remains are being transferred to make room
for a Scientology facility.

"Workers have begun moving the remains of 752 nuns from the cemetery at
the former Villa Gesu center in north St. Louis County to Resurrection
Cemetery in Affton.  Transferring the remains of the nuns, members of the
School Sisters of Notre Dame, became necessary when the center was sold
last year.

"Nuns are buried in simple pine boxes in keeping with their vows of
poverty. As a result, the workers have found that many of the caskets have
deteriorated. Each sister's remains will be placed in a small casket. Ten
of those smaller containers will be buried in a single plot at
Resurrection.

"Applied Scholastics International bought the complex for its world
headquarters for $2.9 million. Applied Scholastics also set aside $1
million for relocating the nuns' remains, Bates said.  The nonprofit,
educational organization promotes the teaching methods of L. Ron Hubbard,
founder of the Church of Scientology."

Message-ID: <86jtjugf6ai2c535f9qbi6qtqiopmn0r3p@...>

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on July 28th on the progress of the
Super Power building in downtown Clearwater, Florida.

"From arched 31-foot windows to the 1,140-seat dining room, there is much
that will be grand in the Church of Scientology's new downtown religious
center. It will have 889 rooms, 447 windows, 42 bathrooms. A two-story
lighted cross will perch atop the highest tower, 150 feet up. The building
even has a hefty nickname, 'Super Power.'

"A decorative pedestrian bridge will span Fort Harrison Avenue connecting
Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel to the new building, named the Flag
Building after the local Scientology Flag Service Organization.  The
building, on which work began in early 1999, is expected to be completed
by the end of 2003.

"Bob Wright, a Scientology staff member overseeing the project, says
people linger on downtown sidewalks every day staring at the building.
There is much to see as the construction nears its final year. Work has
begun on the 124-foot bridge 17 feet above Fort Harrison Avenue. It will
connect the third floor of the Fort Harrison Hotel to a landing between
the second and third floors of the Flag Building.

"The shell of the building is almost done and interior construction will
begin around the end of October. Church staff members will build the wood
furniture and accents for the new building at Scientology's mill and
workshop on Grand Central Street in Clearwater.

"Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst: 'It's going to be a big building, a nice
building, in an area we're trying to redevelop and I think it will help in
that regard.' Downtown business owner Michele Homer said she's not sure of
the building's purpose and described it as 'intimidating.' 'It makes a
huge statement,' she said. 'It is clear to me they own downtown and that's
not a bad thing. They've done more for downtown than the city itself.'

"Mike Meidel, president of the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce, is
glad the church didn't build 'a giant cube' downtown. 'I think it's an
attractive building,' he said. He predicted the new building will bring in
more well-to-do people.  Plus, he said, with the new building, the church
might be able to free space in the Coachman Building for retail, another
boost for downtown.

"Dr. Mack Sigmon, pastor of Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church across the
street, said his parishioners have been asking how the new building will
affect their church. 'Obviously, it dwarfs our church. It makes us less
visible,' he said.  'The greatest concern I hear from my parishioners is,
'Does this turn the downtown into the Scientology mecca? What about the
other churches?  What about businesses?' ' Sigmon said he hopes city
officials are committed to fostering economic prosperity downtown. He said
he still hears people say they don't have any reason to come downtown -
that there's nothing in downtown but Scientology.

"City Commissioner Frank Hibbard said he too has heard people worry that
the city is giving downtown to the Church of Scientology. But, he said,
the city is still working hard on downtown revitalization. 'I haven't
given up on downtown,' he said. 'We have too much potential.'

"Unlike other Scientology facilities such as the Fort Harrison Hotel and
the Sandcastle, the Flag Building will not have any hotel rooms. It will
be used primarily for the delivery of religious services and for office
space. The building will feature 300 rooms where as many as 900
Scientologists a day can receive 'auditing,' Scientology spiritual
counseling.

"At the Flag Building, Scientologists for the first time will be able to
do 'Super Power,' an auditing process designed to provide 'full
restoration of one's perceptions,' Shaw said. Developed by Scientology
founder L. Ron Hubbard, Super Power has not been released until now, Shaw
said, because the church needed to build a facility specifically designed
for Super Power. The new building will include a 150-foot running track on
the sixth floor, which will be used as part of Super Power.

"Dining facilities for Scientology staff members in the Clearwater Bank
Building will relocate to the basement of the Flag Building, which will
feature a massive kitchen capable of preparing up to 11,500 meals a day.

"Offices for various Scientology social programs will be on the first
floor, along with a heritage museum depicting the history of the Sea
Organization, Scientology's fraternal organization of uniformed staff
members who pledge their life in service to the church. The first floor of
the Flag Building will be open to the public. Shaw said opening the
facility will alleviate any concerns in the community."

Source Magazine reported news from Scientology in Clearwater.

"In recent months the Super Power Project has rapidly moved forward with
the construction of the new Flag Mecca building. Major progress on the
building includes installation of wall panelings, interior masonry,
installation of the mechanical equipment - air conditioning, plumbing and
heating. And very visibly, the exterior wall stucco and installation of
windows. It is now more urgent and vital than ever to complete
construction of the Flag Mecca building so Super Power can be released.
Your help is needed.

"The LRH Images of a Lifetime Exhibit was the site of a special validation
of Clearwater theater owners by L. Ron Hubbard's Personal Public Relations
Officer at Flag, Judith de Saldarriaga and Honorary LRH PRO, Cass Warner.
The award reads: 'The Friends of Ron wish to acknowledge Socrates and Dru
Charos for bringing the Royalty Theater to life in downtown Clearwater,
Florida and for all their passion in bringing all forms of art and music
to the city of Clearwater, thereby uplifting its culture.'

"The Scientology group, Story Tellers of Tampa Bay, have been telling
stories to enlighten children all over the Clearwater/Tampa area recently.
They also spent a day at the state capitol in Tallahassee performing and
meeting with lawmakers to promote LRH Study Tech.

"The 10th Annual Easter Egg Hunt in Coachman Park drew 1,500 children and
parents, double the number attending last year. The popular event is
sponsored by the Community Volunteers of the Church of Scientology Flag
Service Organization."

Message-ID: <3D4410EE.7020004@...>
Message-ID: <52f83b0976171eba7a05bb403e28fd2f@...>

#####

> Faith-Based Groups

A column in the Washington Post by Colbert I. King on July 27th criticized
the U.S. administration for including Scientology on a list of religious
groups that will help administer programs for prisoners who have been
released into the community.

You've got to hand it to Attorney General John Ashcroft and D.C. Mayor
Tony Williams. Who would have expected that in an effort to help the
District of Columbia cope with droves of violent offenders returning from
jail that the spirit-filled Ashcroft and holier-than-thou Tony Williams
would seek the assistance of the Church of Scientology.

"The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) looks after
more than 26,000 individuals under pretrial supervision, probation or
parole. The CSOSA director is nominated by the president and confirmed by
the Senate. CSOSA disclosed that it had joined with partners in the
District's faith community to create a mentoring program for offenders
recently released from prison. Citing the Bush administration's
faith-based initiative as the guiding light and quoting president Bush's
desire to 'rally the armies of compassion' spread throughout America,
CSOSA announced it had assigned a dozen offenders presently living in D.C.
halfway houses to eight faith-based institutions 'for mentoring services.'
Among those providing mentoring relationships to D.C. offenders were seven
local protestant churches and, according to CSOSA's press release, 'the
Church of Scientology.'

"Scientology was founded in the 1950s by Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, a
George Washington University student from 1930 to 1932 who died in 1986.
According to several published accounts, L. Ron Hubbard believed a
galactic ruler named Xenu banished alien evil spirits called body thetans
to Earth more than 75 million years ago, and that said thetans were
implanted in volcanoes. Hubbard, it has been reported, wrote that the
volcanoes exploded and the thetans invaded mankind, accounting for our
present ills. Although the human mind and body are infected with beaucoup
body thetans, there are, the stories go, specific instructions advanced by
Hubbard for undoing the damage done by the galactic cataclysm - a process
called auditing.  If faithfully followed, and carefully monitored by an
E-meter (two wired metal cans capable of detecting truth), a person can
overcome negative experiences, undergo a regeneration of native abilities,
and find a natural spiritual awareness of self, reaching the highest level
in Scientology teachings called Operating Thetan or OT.

"Now there are those who insist that Scientology, a truly worldwide
movement, is a paranoid cult possessed with pseudo-scientific theories -
despite its recognition as a religion for nonprofit status by the Internal
Revenue Service in 1993. Scientologists, on the other hand, reject that
characterization, strongly asserting that their religion provides the
means by which people can find spiritual fulfillment and improve their
lives, and they cite Scientology community projects to prove their point."

Message-ID: <3D428E7D.9070908@...>

#####

> India

New Delhi Newsline reported on July 23rd that Scientology is opening a
publishing branch in India.

"New Era International recently opening a branch in Delhi, under the name
N.E. Publications India.  According to Thomas Goldenitz, MD of NE
Publications India, the group will be bringing out books in the fields of
health, science and management, 'areas which have made New Era
International one of the leading publishers in Europe.' Headquartered in
Copenhagen the group which has published books in over 53 languages, and
is one of Denmark's leading exporters, are perhaps best known for
publishing works of L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the bestselling Dianetics:
The Modern Science of Mental Health and Scientology. The group is looking
to to India 'because Hubbard's research into the human mind did include an
extensive study of the Vedas. In fact the fundamental basics of the
subject have been derived from there.' Other books that the publishing
house have introduced is an education series Learning How to Learn, drug
rehabilitation Clear Body Clear Mind and The Management Series - a three
volume reference book and another book entitled The Way to Happiness."

Message-ID: <3D3D85E5.2090607@...>

#####

> Jenna Elfman

Supermarket tabloid the Globe reported in its August 6th issue that
Scientology celebrity Jenna Elfman is despondent over the cancellation of
her television series.

"Customers at an L.A. bookstore were surprised to see a sobbing Jenna
Elfman being consoled by her loving husband Bodhi. Word is, the Dharma &
Greg star was weeping because she still can't get over the cancellation of
her show in April. She's been making frequent trips to the L.A.
Scientology center to help deal with what she describes as a 'major
defeat' in her life. 'She's taking this real hard,' says a pal. 'Jenna is
not getting any good movie offers and she's starting to panic a bit over
her career.'"

Message-ID: <l0n3kukc5cq3ssbfo61800177voncetgaj@...>

#####

> Keith Henson

Keith Henson posted a filing by Scientology in which RTC President Warren
McShane asked the court to find that distribution of an original work in
the style of Scientology's NOTS series is a violation of their copyright.

"Henson's claim that NOTs 56 is not an RTC work is false. As explained in
the accompanying Reply Declaration of Warren McShane, contrary to Henson's
representation, NOTs 56 is an unpublished, copyrighted work in which RTC
holds the rights. Thus, while Henson may wish to refer to something he
allegedly created as NOTs 56, the paragraph in Exhibit 13 to which he
refers does not convey the meaning he is ascribing to it. Furthermore, his
request for people to send him 'NOTs 56' if they can find it on the
Internet is a solicitation of an RTC Advanced Technology work, as
prohibited by the Permanent Injunction.

"There is no reason in Henson's opposition to deny RTC's motion for an
Order to Show Cause. Henson obviously believes that his absence from the
United States enables him to violate this Court's injunction with
impunity. Action needs to be taken now so that he is disabused of that
notion."

Message-ID: <3d4262d8.168360109@...>

#####

> Narconon

The Battle Creek Enquirer published two letters on July 24th and 26th
concerning the new Narconon center being established in Battle Creek,
Michigan.

"I find it interesting that the proprietors of the soon-to-open Narconon
'rehab' center disavow connection to the Church of Scientology.  This is a
flat lie. Narconon is a well-known front group for Scientology.  Further,
the techniques used are dubious at best and dangerous quackery at worst.
Their purported 'detoxification' process is unproven medical nonsense.
Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop had this to say: 'It's dangerous. I
don't think L. Ron Hubbard has credibility in the scientific world. The
author's suggestions about detoxification can be detrimental to your
health.'

"An excerpt from a Detroit News article dated Feb. 11 1980: 'Michigan
Corrections Department psychologist John Hand calls Narconon 'so
misleading as to be termed a con.' Hand says, 'They are phony, a front for
the Church of Scientology. We found out in Michigan that most of the money
that we were paying Narconon was laundered back into the Church of
Scientology.' Funding for the program was terminated.

"Michigan's prison system found early on they didn't need Narconon, and
Battle Creek doesn't need it either. Reputable organizations exist that
are more than adequate; why trust an addicted loved one's health and
safety to the hands of this group? - Todd A. Phipps"

"The Narconon program is licensed to use only L. Ron Hubbard's secular
research and development in drug rehabilitation. The organization has been
corporately separate and independent of any church or other organization
since the first nonprofit public benefit corporation was founded by
William Benitez on May 20, 1970. Narconon staff have long been fortunate
to have friendship and support in terms of volunteer hours, donations,
etc. from many churches and their congregations. Not just Scientology but
many churches have been glad to support Narconon centers saving lives in
their communities. Narconon centers are working in close association with
different U.S. Christian churches, with a Buddhist temple in Taiwan and
people of many different faiths. President Bush announced in his
Faith-Based and Community Initiative that he hoped churches and drug
rehabilitation professionals would work together to reduce drug addiction.

"The technical methodology used by Narconon has been scientifically
studied. After early confusions were cleared up decades ago, Narconon
staff continue to work with justice departments worldwide, including a
Utah juvenile court program; in Pretoria, South Africa; in Baja,
California; Mexico prisons, etc. - Kate Wickstrom, Executive director,
Narconon Stone Hawk"

Message-ID: <20020724141717.28062.00000435@...>
Message-ID: <l0c09.123859$_51.88299@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported a protest at the Toronto, Canada org on July 21st.

"Al Buttnor was in deep lurk inside the org, Brian McPherson as usual was
the front man, on a tight leash by Pat Felske. Bob Pearce was videotaping
from the coffee shop across St. Mary's St. Mad Mike was there too plus
several other actives and a bunch of spectator 'day orgers' inside the org
looking out. Their only obvious function must have been cheer at Gregg's
expected arrest.

"Martin met us at the door to the coffee shop. Martin was the ED of the
Quebec City org and has been out a long time. This was his second picket.
This was the first time in about two years they have paid to have an
officer there for a picket.  Brian did an outstanding job of misinforming,
misleading and manipulating the police officer.  The officer had been
predisposed by Brian's efforts to be an enemy and indeed was vocally
hostile at first. Gregg reminded him bluntly that he was supposed to be
professionally neutral.

"He obviously thought about that and listened to what Gregg was telling
folks on the street.  Within minutes the officer was not only acting
professionally neutral, he was emotionally neutral and willing to listen.
The officer asked to read all the material Gregg had with us, not only the
flyers but also the things we don't reproduce, like Gregg's laminated copy
of Fair Game and OT3. The officer read the OT3 flyer and that really
opened his eyes and he understood what the fraud was, not a belief but it
is being sold fraudulently as a 'science.' Then Gregg showed him the Fair
Game Policy and the cancellation of its name and Martin explained to him
about what the Fair Game Policy meant to Scientologists.

"The officer appeared to realize the Scientologists had manipulated him.
The tensions between the picketers and the officer completely disappeared.
At one point when Gregg was talking about Lisa McPherson, Brian was trying
to disrupt the discussion. The officer just gave Brian a cold hard stare.
Brian shut up and vanished inside. He and Pat were just steamed that
Martin and Gregg had turned the officer they had bragged uplines would
arrest Gregg.

"Toward the end of the picket, three officers in the van were taking a
cool break and had brought our officer a slushy and air conditioned space
for respite from the heat. Our officer thought it was important to inform
the other officers about the volume and quality of false complaints made
by scientology. The other officers were incredulous at his explanation so
he opened the door of the van and called for Gregg to bring over some
flyers. Gregg went over and found that the officers wanted to read all of
his material.  All were deeply interested in scientology's policy to
destroy its enemies, and its attempted use of the police to further this
goal.  We ran entirely out of the 'A Parsonage?' flyers and gave out maybe
another 200 Xenu and Child Sec Check flyers."

Message-ID: <3d3b5bb7.39508199@...>

#####

> Russia

The Russian Institute reported on July 22nd that Scientology is making a
new push for expansion in Russia.

"On Saturday, July 13th, Scientology Yekaterinburg was to celebrate the
birthday of its spiritual leader Ron Hubbard.  Ural clergymen protested:
'Hubbard: a homosexual, paranoid, drug-addicted Satanist, and all his
followers are cultists.' The legal protection organ took care that the
conflict between believers of either side did not escalate into open
confrontation.

"Another one of the surprises the Hubbard disciples had in store was the
international marathon in support of the 'Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.' The marathon planned by the Church of Scientology started July 16
in Saint Petersburg and is to end August 20 in Paris. The Torch of Freedom
will be displayed in ten European countries. Russia is participating in
this 'premiere world-class event,' reported the Hubbardists' information
sheets.  It was anticipated that at the starting gate would be Governor
Vladimir Yakovlev, a religious and social figure, representative of the UN
Information Center in Russia and Apparatus Representative for human rights
in the RF, along with more than 25 Olympic and world champions. A
statement was also to be signed with an appeal to observe hum an rights
and with a proclamation of 'freedom for all.'

"The document, which will be conspicuously carried about by marathon
participants, contains the following words, 'We appeal to France, as a
leading nation in Europe, to end government discrimination against
religion, which has criticized groups that support human rights all around
the world, and to stand as an example for all humankind.' Why name France?
And what kind of religion? And what does that have to do with Scientology?
Back in October 1996, Scientologists in Lyon were convicted of homicide.
Cult member Patric Vic, not having money to pay for the next 'course,'
jumped out the window, and his wife brought the case to court. After the
case was heard, representatives of the cult were convicted at the highest
level of government.

"In the Archdiocese Council Ruling of the Russian Orthodox Church 'On
pseudo-Christian cults, neo-paganism and occultism' (December 1994), the
Church of Scientology was called a pseudo-religion.  In 1999 the
Ostankinski intramunicipal court of Moscow declared the regional
registration invalid for the 'Hubbard Humanitarian Center' social
organization and made the decision about its liquidation in connection
with violations of the registration law. The violation of registration
procedure was discovered in the course of the investigation into the
criminal case, brought up in dealing with the Hubbard Humanitarian Center
and the Scientology Church of Moscow. In court, the defendant called the
court's decision 'a violation of social rights to visit a church.'

"On May 17, 2002, in the Moscow city Duma as session was held on the theme
'of destructive totalitarian cults (sects).' Deputy Mikhail
Moskvin-Tarkhanov presented in his proposal, government and society in
Russia tended to underestimate the extent and danger of cult proliferation
in current times.  The analytical bulletin of the RF State Duma 'On the
national threat in Russia from the direction of destructive religious
organizations' of 1996 reads, 'Cults present a danger to the individual,
the family and to society. According to official texts from the MVD in
Russia, the Church of Scientology is one of a variety of satanic cults
that has a manifest criminal tendency and actively applies psychotropic
substances so that its adepts will obtain a controlled type of
personality. Cult instructions have specially created structures of
concealment, and it is engaged in superficial charitable activity, which
also applies to the Hubbard Humanitarian Center. The police in many
countries recognize that the Scientology organization has created a
massive spy network and collects information by both legal and illegal
methods.'"

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020728074940.112A-100000@...>

#####

> Sweden

"Mucronate" reported a visit to the Scientology expo in Gothenburg, Sweden
on July 17th and 22nd.

"Lots of big pictures and some text about how incredibly much the
Scientologists had helped people. They also showed various films about the
Volunteer Missions and films with information about Scientology in
general. There was a television set up with two nice little rows of chairs
in front of it, an e-meter close by with information about the bridge,
various monitors containing Dianetics in many translations, and three
tables with various scriptures on it. Everyone who entered was asked if
they wanted a guided tour. Both times there were more Scientologists than
visitors there.

"The second time I explained as well as I could what they were showing,
and various things about Scientology in general. My friend was approached
by a Scientologist asking if we wanted help, and as I explained my friend
was not speaking Swedish, she was immediately taken to the table with
English scriptures on it. I moved around and ended up close to a woman
from the cult talking to a man about psychology. She was ranting about how
insane it was to hand amphetamine to children and went on to talking about
how much greater Scientology was.

"She began talking about courses and that the man should try one to
improve himself. I interrupted after a while asking the woman why she did
not tell him how much the auditing cost, as I thought it would be fair to
let him know. The only thing she would say was it would cost 'some money'
after which the other man began realizing what it was all about. She
proudly declared anyone could reach 'clear' without even one hour of
auditing from just reading Dianetics alone, and when I asked how many had
done so she replied with a very delayed 'hundreds of thousands of people.'
I asked her if she knew anyone personally who had done so, and the
question must have taken her by surprise because she was stuttering for a
while before saying 'yes, well, several.'

"She finally lost her temper with me and asked where I found such silly
and wrongful information about Scientology. She wanted to know my name as
she refused to say another word if I did not tell her, and she refused to
talk to me in the vicinity of others. I stressed my name was not
important, and she began ranting about how silly I was and how she always
wanted to know who she was talking to. When I went on refusing to tell her
my name she wanted to take a picture of me! I refused that as well asking
her loudly why she needed to take my picture when I asked critical
questions. I gave her some sources of information i.e. xenu.net and she
was clearly shaking when she wrote it down on a piece of paper, even
asking how to spell 'that name' Xenu. As I had to leave the exhibition in
its final minutes before closing on that the last day she was shouting
after me she did not have to find any information on the Internet since
'Scientology provided her with everything she needed.' I replied with
saying she probably could not even visit the site at all since
Scientologists are not allowed to do so.

"When leaving the place with my friend who was clearly shocked by the way
the woman acted I noticed there were people standing around listening to
the whole thing. On top of facing another critic she had managed to act
stupid in front of a lot of people."

Message-ID: <3d3d9bdf.10048378@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 18
8/4/2002 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

#####

> Drug Free Marshals

Letters to the editor of The Times in Gary, Indiana on July 28th and 31st
discussed Scientology's Drug Free Marshals program.

"This program is a devious ploy used by the Church of Scientology to
recruit members. That they would target children with their phony drug
program is disturbing and should be investigated by your paper and by the
state's attorney office. The Church of Scientology is widely regarded as a
destructive and subversive cult. I can tell you from personal experience
as a former Scientology member that this cult is devious and has many
front groups that are used to recruit new members. Scientology has another
front group called Narconon, which it promotes as a drug rehabilitation
program. The truth is that this is another deceptive recruiting ploy. The
regional essay and poster contest the church is sponsoring is a ploy to
get the names and addresses of the kids parents who will be subjected to a
barrage of recruiting literature from the Church of Scientology." - James
Beebe"

"The July 28 letter from Jim Beebe is the trademark of someone who lives
his life filled with hatred. He is an authority in hatred. This same man
worked for the now-defunct, anti-religious group called the Cult Awareness
Network until its bankruptcy filing in 1996.  Beebe has now made a career
of denigrating religious groups' positive projects and activities that are
designed to better society. It appears he has a problem with kids living
drug-free lives and helping their friends and families to do the same. It
seems he also has a problem with Catholics, Muslims and Mormons to name
but a few of the religions he attacks. - Mary Anne Ahmad, Director of
Public Affairs, Church of Scientology of Illinois"

Message-ID: <20020801123954.04601.00000793@...>
Message-ID: <3D47C05B.7000609@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

"Cerridwen" reported that Tom Cruise completed the OT6 level, and was
present at the July 27th graduation even in Clearwater, Florida.

"Tom Cruise spoke for about 20 minutes which is much longer than the usual
time allotted.  Tom talked about his progress up the bridge and some of
the big wins he had along the way. He promised that he was going to do
everything he could to expand and safepoint Scientology.  He gave a big
acknowledgment to Int Management, RTC for keeping the tech pure and big
ack for LRH."

Message-ID: <JACBEUHS37465.8507986111@...>

#####

> France

The Associated Press reported on July 30th that charges against
Scientology in Paris have been dropped because the statute of limitations
has expired.

"A Paris judge has ruled that a 13-year-old case against the Church of
Scientology alleging fraud and illegal practice of medicine cannot go to
trial because the statute of limitations has expired, a judicial official
said Tuesday. Judge Colette Bismuth-Sauron ruled Friday that there was a
lack of progress in the investigation and rejected the case on procedural
grounds, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The criminal probe into 16 leaders of the church was opened in 1989 after
a criminal complaint was filed by a former Scientologist, Juan Esteban
Cordero. He accused the group of 'progressive mental conditioning' that
led him to spend more than $167,000 on Scientology-related courses. The
charges carry a three-year statute of limitations. Bismuth-Sauron ruled
that prosecutors and Judge Moracchini didn't advance the investigation
enough from 1993 to 1996 to keep the case alive."

Message-ID: <3D47BC9E.9010405@...>

#####

> Kate Ceberano

Fans of musician Kate Ceberano were sent an email this week on behalf
Scientology and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights.

"I'm a big supporter of The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR).
Read the message below and if you feel the same way I do about this issue,
please sign the petition and pass it onto your friends to do the same.

"Thanks & much love, Kate

"The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) is requesting your help in
safeguarding our children's future by signing and promoting the Petition
for Children's Rights Against Psychiatric Stigma and Drug Abuse. Today,
six million American (and many in Australia too) children are being
labelled and prescribed brain-damaging psychiatric drugs. They are being
told there is something 'wrong' with their brain, though no one can prove
it. They are labelled with diagnoses such as Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a disorder that exists not because of
science but by a majority vote of American Psychiatric Association
Committee psychiatrists.  Children are then subjected to brain-altering
drugs in order to change their behaviour.

"This petition will be sent to the United States President and used in
meetings with Congressmen to show that we will not stand idly by while
psychiatrists hook millions of children on mind-numbing drugs. If you have
a website, please include a link to this petition address so that many
more people who share this same concern over the labelling and drugging of
children can voice their opposition. Forward this e-mail and link to your
friends, family, colleagues and any other concerned individuals. With a
concerted, united effort we can help stop the legal enforcement of
psychiatric labels and drugs in our schools.

"Sincerely, The Executives and Staff of CCHR International"

Message-ID: <4503ee3c.0208020619.77e64346@...>

#####

> Memphis

The Memphis Business Journal published an article on the Scientology org
on July 26th.

"Eric Everett, director of community services for the Scientology Mission
of Memphis, says Scientology is an 'applied religious philosophy'
appropriate for any faith tradition. 'We live in a society under siege,
bombarded by an onslaught of drugs and toxins. No one escapes the
pollution,' Everett says. 'The Scientology Purification program is the
solution to this drug and chemical problem.'

"The program uses a combination of sauna- and exercise-induced sweat,
vitamins and oils, and a diet of pure foods and water to rid participants
of addictions to alcohol and other drugs. Everett says it is also an
effective treatment for post-traumatic stress syndrome, as well as those
interested in freeing themselves from the effects of environmental and
workplace pollutants. Other than its high doses of widely available
vitamins, particularly niacin, the program uses no drugs.

"Everett says Scientology makes three assumptions: that man is a spiritual
being, that there is a creator other than man, and that man's purpose in
life is to improve himself, his life, his family and mankind as a whole.
He says Scientology 'rehabilitates a person's creative ability' as he
studies and applies the 'technology' developed by Hubbard. But before
someone can begin to apply that technology, he must free himself from the
effects of accumulated toxins and traumas. The purification program begins
the process.

"In his writings, Hubbard says the use of toxins like alcohol and illegal
drugs is a stumbling block to spiritual development and represents the
'single most destructive element present in our current culture,'
responsible for societal violence and wasted lives. He also says that
psychotropic drugs, electroshock therapy, hypnosis and environmental
pollutants are toxins.

"The purification program lasts from two weeks to as long as it takes,
Everett says. Custom designed for each person, the program costs about
$1,500, depending on its specifics. That cost covers the necessary
vitamins and oils, use of the treadmill and sauna at the Scientology
mission, and a program supervisor."

Message-ID: <3D466DB0.10203@...>

#####

> Celebrity Center

The New York Daily News reported on July 31st that Scientology will
celebrate its anniversary in a celebrity-filled event in Los Angeles.

"Tom Cruise and John Travolta have some young allies in the Church of
Scientology. The controversial sect is having its 33rd-anniversary gala
Saturday at its L.A. Celebrity Center. A church spokesman tells us that
among the actors expected are Erika Christensen (who played Michael
Douglas' drug-addled daughter in Traffic), Christopher Masterson (Malcolm
in the Middle), Jason Lee (Almost Famous), Lynsey Bartilson (Grounded for
Life) Michelle Stafford (The Young and the Restless) Marisol Nichols
(Resurrection Blvd.), Leah Remini (The King of Queens), Pablo Santos
(Greetings From Tucson) and Catherine Bell (JAG)."

Message-ID: <jc9gkusogvl3hick03tnasl7bogtn1p4rs@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 19
8/11/2002 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

#####

> Hollywood

Hollywood Star News reported on August 7th that a party was held by
Scientology to celebrate the anniversary of the Celebrity Center.

"The star turnout led by Tom Cruise at the Church of Scientology Celebrity
Centre's 33rd Anniversary Gala in Hollywood over the weekend was a vivid
demonstration of why some call Scientology the 'power religion of
Hollywood.' The religion remains a controversial presence in many of those
countries, including Germany where there has been a long-running battle
over the church's very right to exist. John Travolta is one of the
Scientologists who has spoken out about the situation in Germany. Besides
Cruise, highly visible show business Scientologists include Jenna Elfman,
Lisa Marie Presley, Kirstie Alley, Ann Archer, Mimi Rogers, Chick Corea,
Karen Black, Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) and Travolta's
wife, actress Kelly Preston.

"Among the 1,200 guests at the plush party held on the country club like
grounds under a tent on a warm night in Southern California were Leah
Remini, Jason Lee, Erika Christensen, Giovanni Ribisi Christopher
Masterson, Lynsey Bartilson, Michelle Stafford, Marisol Nichols, Pablo
Santos, Catherine Bell and actress Juliette Lewis.

"The Celebrity Centre is one of eleven such centers worldwide including
New York, Paris, Nashville, Las Vegas, Vienna and London. From the
beginning of Scientology in the mid-1950s, Hubbard made the recruitment of
celebrities a high priority, because they could help in recruiting the
public and gave credibility to his teachings. The use of celebrities to
endorse the church is a marketing tool, especially for reaching young
people (another Scientology target group), in a world where celebrity is a
very powerful commodity."

Message-ID: <6Tr49.1706$V62.112679@...>

#####

> Renate Hartwig

Suedwestpresse reported on August 10th that German critic Renate Hartwig
has released a new book about other critics of Scientology.

"For eleven years Renate Hartwig was regarded as the most competent
Scientology expert there was, who not only warned people about
Scientology, but could prove what she said. All that was over yesterday as
she presented her new book in Berlin, 'Die Schattenspieler.' Renate
Hartwig did not write about Scientology in her book, but about critics,
who she said misused Scientology to further their own interests. She this
was done by taking advantage of the public's vague fear of Scientology,
and the people she pointed the finger at included Constitutional Security,
officially known as the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. She
said after the fall of the Wall, Constitutional Security merely
substituted Scientology for the former East Block for job security. She
said she was tired of the self-appointed judges, juries and executioners
of libel and no longer wanted to be a part of it.

"She accused all the cult critics of having a vested interest, those of
the churches, those in government, and those in the political parties. She
said that nothing was more profitable than vague threats. She wrote about
companies that would not have been afraid of Scientology if it were not
for the fact that they had hired high-priced, self-appointed experts to
make sure that their company had no contact with Scientology.

"Renate Hartwig said she uncovered a business scheme by US millionaire
Robert S. Minton who she said paid German cult commissioners to help win
an 80-million dollar lawsuit against Scientology in America. She said
Ursula Caberta got $75,000 of that and was subsequently charged
accordingly by the state attorney. Hartwig's harshest words were for
Constitutional Security, who she said not only knew about the insufferable
critics, but engaged in activity of the same kind by having a
Constitutional Security agent pretend to be a Scientologist on the
Internet who told everyone that Scientology had forced him to behave in a
criminal manner."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020810143313.110A-100000@...>

#####

> Ireland

The Irish Times reported on August 10th that Scientology participated in a
fair on Bull Island, Ireland.

"The car-free day, organised jointly by Dublin City Council and
Coastwatch, transformed the beach from a sandy motorway to a seaside oasis
only minutes away from the city centre. 'It's going to be hard to convince
people to change the habits of a lifetime,' said the Lord Mayor of Dublin,
Cllr Dermot Lacey, who is in favour of an outright ban on cars on the
beach.

"In their bright yellow T-shirts, the Church of Scientology Litter Patrol
milled around adding a splash of colour to the scene. 'We have been coming
here for two years every third Saturday,' said Ms Siobhan Ryan, from
Swords. 'We are trying to establish a blue flag beach here. The job is
getting easier each time and it is wonderful to see no cars here today.'"

Message-ID: <rKs59.1808$V62.123041@...>

#####

> New Zealand

The Press newspaper from Christchurch, New Zealand reported on August 3rd
that a plastics factory is owned in part by Scientologists.

"Key players in the controversial Hokitika plastics factory proposal are
devotees of the Church of Scientology. Wayne Byrne, of Sydney, and Soren
Kierkegaard, of Tauranga, are the two principals of FT Manufacturing
(Westland) Ltd, which has received a $500,000 loan from the Westland
District Council, along with a council commitment to build the factory for
a further $2.2 million.

"An online testimonial from Mr. Byrne, an accountant, said his discovery
of Hubbard's management and administration technology had changed his
approach to business. 'This technology is admirably workable in every
organisation, and I apply it with success each working day,' he wrote. He
said most of what he had learned at university and within his profession
was 'quite useless' in the management of any kind of business venture. 'In
particular, accounting is a very poor management tool for understanding
what is really happening.'

"Mr. Kierkegaard, a New Zealander who has returned after 30 years
overseas, changed his name by deed poll to that of the 19th-century
existentialist philosopher. He and his Sydney-based company, Technology
Group Management Ltd, are named as members of the World Institute of
Scientology Enterprises. The three directors of Technology Group
Management, which is handling the Sydney side of the plastics project, are
Mr. Byrne, and Mr. Kierkegaard and his wife, Sue. Mrs. Kierkegaard is a
Scientologist.

"Scientology is based on a psychotherapy technique that is supposed to let
people free themselves from their unhappiness, but the organisation has
been involved internationally in several court cases, high-profile
disputes over alleged tax evasion, and claims that it exploits its
adherents.  Westland Mayor John Drylie would not comment on the
Scientology link, or any other aspect of the Hokitika project."

Message-ID: <pxG39.1627$V62.103627@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson reported a protest at the Toronto, Canada org on August 10th.

"I watched the org for a long time from the coffee shop and there was next
to no activity, unlike last time when they had Sea Orgers all over the
place. Eventually S. Putnik (who has picketed with us before) showed up.
We wondered back to the car where we collected signs and flyers and
started walking back to the org.  Some guys hanging out on the grass in
the little park we walk through saw our signs and asked for flyers.  As we
started off he asked if he could join us. We had extras so I got another
sign out and we all went over to the org.  During the entire picket only
one person went in.

"In about 15 minutes a guy who said he was a 30 year scn vet come up and
start taping them and trying to pump them for their identities.  He
pretended just to be an interested person, joined in listening to S.
Putnik talk about a certain refugee from California, and the cult being
convicted of spying in three countries.  Camera guy jumped in and wanted
to know S's name. S gave him Fred Flintstone, the guy said 'That's not
your real name, will you give that?' And S said 'no, I am not going to
make it too easy, you have to work for it.' Camera guy then accused S of
not being a 'legitimate' picker because he would not give out his name.

"The two scns seem to be highly concerned about the long conversations
pedestrians were having with the picketers. Taking pictures of those who
stopped just verified what the picketers said about the ugly nature of
scn.  I gave away the rest of my 'Parsonage?' flyers about the tax scam
and maybe 60 Xenu flyers. S and Nex gave out about 150."

Message-ID: <3d55c5c6.256891962@...>

#####

> Lee Konitz

Down Beat magazine profiled Lee Konitz, winner of their Saxophonist of the
Year award, in the August 1st issue.

"Lee Konitz sits atop a bar stool centerstage at Manhattan's Blue Note.
Ears cocked and eyes darting, the patriarch of 'cool jazz' embarks on a
round of spontaneous composition with pianist Paul Bley and bassist Marc
Johnson.  Konitz, 74, sat in the living room of his Upper West Side
apartment, where Proust and Dostoevsky novels hold a place with a healthy
collection of classical and jazz CDs. 'So many talented people are obliged
to learn many different kinds of musics to function as professionals. I
was never really obliged to do that. I just want to play 'All The Things
You Are' in all the keys.'

"Konitz began to wean himself from marijuana during a long, sporadic
involvement with Scientology that began around 1973. 'It seemed to me that
I would have a chance, step-by-step, to look at my life and things around
me, and try to make some sense out of it,' Konitz says. 'It provided me
with the opportunity to continue studying, a discipline that I had stopped
when I left high school. I left the Jewish thing early on, and had never
been part of a religious group too much. Besides the business part, which
I objected to strongly, it was clean. And whatever was hokey about it, I
just accepted the part that felt it was to our benefit.'

"Free and clear of marijuana, Tristano and L. Ron Hubbard since 1990,
Konitz relies on his ears and intuition 'to communicate with the people
I'm playing with, not just somehow register what they're doing, and
continue to do what I do.'"

Message-ID: <bjaclu07lr6v1njmgb5hnub8dgs4nn0tbj@...>

#####

> Switzerland

Scientology working to improve its image

Tages-Anzeiger reported on August 5th that Scientology is attempting to
improve its image in Switzerland.

"Scientology's headquarters in Zurich used to receive praise on a regular
basis from its American parent organization for sending a steady flow of
euro-dollars from Zurich in the direction of the USA. Then the
world-famous psycho-cult began making headlines. A number of adherents
were caught in con games and Scientology business people were declaring
bankruptcy. The big Scientology center had to move from the prestigious
Badener Strasse to the edge of town. Scientology's image took a beating,
and this was reflected in its membership figures.  Scientology boss Juerg
Stettler is seeing to it that his people no longer squeeze their customers
like they used to. Customers are no longer counseled to take out loans for
tens or hundreds of thousands of franks. The loans were often given by
Scientologists themselves backed by banks, and financial losses in the
millions occurred.

"Scientology is today treading lightly in Zurich, nothing much about its
totalitarian indoctrination system has changed. The courses still cost an
arm and a leg - one hour at the highest level can cost 1,000 franks. And
the staff are at the grindstone for up to 70 hours a week. In return for
their services they get spending money.  The Zurich Scientologists are
also using new methods to lure in new members, like tele-marketing. They
check names off in the white pages whose numbers they dial to ask them,
for instance, what they would do to improve their lives. They try to draw
people into personal conversations and to sell them Scientology books. Not
everybody they talk to are aware they are speaking with Scientologists.

"Scientologists are discovering how to go from door to door like Mormons
and Jehovah's Witnesses.  One 17-year-old apprentice was taken in by the
Scientologists, although he had already heard about them. He had bought a
booklet and filled out the survey in back, which contained the 200
questions of Scientology's personality test. It wasn't until he was given
the evaluation for the test that he realized what he had gotten himself
into. 'Being caught like that by the Scientologists really burned me up,'
he said in retrospect, and further stated that his test showed him
negative in 9 of the 10 areas, with 7 points almost at the bottom. If he
would have taken the test seriously, he might have thought he was
anti-social, depressed, neurotic and unstable. Results like these are used
by the Scientologists to create anxiety in people about themselves, upon
which the cult's white knights will gallop in to save the day by offering
them Scientology courses.

"Recently the Scientologists have gotten a permit to operate a stand on
Bahnhof Strasse. They battled for this privilege through the court system
up to the federal level. To polish their tarnished image, the
Scientologists have also been organizing public relations events, such as
clean-the-parks campaigns. Besides that they have put up a big billboard
by the sidewalk where their new organization is with the seductive message
that the unemployed will immediately receive a job. To create good-will,
Scientologists sometimes pass out roses in the surrounding area. When
Scientology moved into the new quarters, they had promised not to solicit
for customers on the streets, but now residents are complaining about
getting Scientology advertisements in the mail, sometimes twice a week.
The Scientologists have also tried to get shopowners to put their books on
display in their businesses.

"Though they may find themselves in dire financial straights, the
Scientologists don't skimp on expenses when it comes to celebrating.
Recently the organization held a celebration in the Grand Hotel Dolder,
where Swiss Scientologists were to be honored by their American parent
organization for their services - meaning money. But those who thought
that the Americans wanted to reward their Zurich staff for their hard
labor don't know Scientology. Admission was 325 franks."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1020806105330.126A-100000@...>

#####

> Writers of the Future

New Jersey newspaper the Courier-Post reported on August 5th that a local
man is a finalist on Scientology's Writers of the Future contest.

"Drew Morby in the garden of his Cherry Hill home. He is a finalist in a
fiction writing contest. A Cherry Hill man with a penchant for science
fiction and fantasy is about to jet off to Los Angeles in search of a
jump-start to his career. As a second-quarter finalist in the annual L.
Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, Drew Morby will attend a
workshop featuring some of the finest science fiction writers on the
planet.

"'My expectations are that my career will take off at this point,' said
Morby, 33, who lives in the Point of Woods section with his fiancee, Lisa
Salerno, 45, her daughter Danielle, 14, and a menagerie of two dogs, four
cats and three birds. 'The contest comes with a workshop, so at least I'll
be able to improve my craft.'

"Hubbard, the founder of Scientology and an accomplished science fiction
writer himself, started the contest in 1983 to promote good writing and
provide a career springboard to promising writers. Since the contest's
inception, says Beverly Widder, whose public relations firm in Marina Del
Rey, Calif., promotes it, nearly 300 winners have gone on to sell well
over 100 novels and more than 1,000 short stories. Well-known science
fiction writers Karen Joy Fowler, Nina Kiriki Hoffman and Dean Wesley
Smith head the list. As a second-quarter finalist, Morby received a $500
check and an invitation to the Aug. 17 awards ceremony.

"Morby's entry is published in this year's L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers
of the Future Anthology. Work from five or six finalists are included in
each year's anthology in addition to first-, second- and third- place
finishers each quarter, says Widder. The contest attracts between 2,000
and 3,000 entries each year.  Winners do not have to be Scientologists.
Like many aspiring writers, Morby, who is not a Scientologist, gets most
of his ideas from observing others. He watches them in shopping centers,
on walks, in restaurants - wherever people congregate. Ideas also jump out
at him from movies and books and while falling asleep at night."

Message-ID: <OAG39.1628$V62.103627@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 20
8/18/2002 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

#####

> Greg Bashaw

On August 16th the Chicago Reader published an article on the suicide
death of Scientologist Greg Bashaw.

"While the shock and grief of his son's suicide were still fresh, Bob
Bashaw read back through their decades-long correspondence, looking in
particular for references to Scientology. 'I wanted to see what there was
here I missed,' he says. His son Greg had been a member of the Church of
Scientology for more than 20 years. Bob supported his son's choice,
because he believed people should be free to practice their religion
without getting hassled about it - and because he couldn't find a good
enough reason not to. That changed in November 2000, when suddenly, he
says, Greg broke into 'a hundred pieces.' He'd recently lost his job in
advertising. And now, Greg told his father, his church had excommunicated
him. Seven months later, more than $50,000 in debt, he ended his life on
the shoulder of a Michigan road, leaving behind a wife of 20 years and a
teenage son, to whom he'd written a brief, unemotional note.

"Greg borrowed thousands of dollars from his father for
Scientology-related endeavors. Bob says Greg used one of the loans to go
with Laura to the church's Los Angeles complex for course work; he paid it
back with interest, explaining that he'd felt pressured by the church to
cough up the money. 'What happened,' he wrote Bob on January 21, 1981, 'is
that our financial officer for the Church informed us we would need
another $1700 to pay for the package we were securing. It was imperative
to get it this past week; otherwise the annual price increase, which he
had held off for us through administrative fancywork, would go into
effect. Simply put, if we didn't send the money Wednesday, the prices
would have gone up on us by $500.'

"Mystery surrounds the upper-level teachings.  Greg wrote to his father
from Los Angeles, 'the data is confidential for good reason. But I can
tell you that the Level deals with and resolves a great catastrophe that
occurred on this planet 75 million years ago.' On this level
Scientologists apparently are taught that 75 million years ago an evil
galactic overlord named Xenu, faced with an overpopulation problem,
rounded up and froze people, then banished them to earth, where they were
blown to smithereens by hydrogen bombs and implanted with false memories.
Hubbard said the people's spirits merged into clusters and are now
attached to every living person.

"In December 1985, shortly after learning the Scientology creation story,
Greg flew to Clearwater, Florida, where the church has a large complex,
the Flag Service Organization, that serves as the mecca of Scientology.
Greg stayed at Flag through the holidays, straining his budget. His wife
and son had planned to join him, he wrote to Bob the day after Christmas,
'but we decided we'd better not spend the money, which is now very tight.
I'm economizing as much as possible while here - staying in a shared room,
etc.' In a letter he sent after New Year's, Greg implied that the gains
were worth the financial burden and time away from his family.
'Scientology has saved my ass, that's for sure,' he wrote. 'I was totally
stuck in that thing from the past, not even knowing what it was. Now I'm
unstuck, in the know, and working towards completion. It will be a new
life when I get back.'

"In the 1990s there was no bigger threat to Scientology than the Cult
Awareness Network. CAN was a clearinghouse for information on groups it
considered destructive cults, and the network had amassed a thick file on
the church. CAN's headquarters were in Barrington, a stone's throw from
Greg's house, and Greg did what he could to ensure the organization's
demise. 'None of my encounters with Greg were pleasant,' says Reg Alev, a
former executive director of CAN. He says Greg once confronted him on the
way out of a rest room, bellowing something about CAN being a terrorist
organization. 'Greg was the kind of guy we always wanted to help,' says
Alev. 'But a normal dialogue would have been impossible with him at that
time. He was extremely confrontational and loud, and he had an agenda that
was anathema to the organization I represented at the time.'

"According to Cynthia Kisser, who succeeded Alev as executive director of
CAN, Greg's actions were part of a concerted effort by Scientologists to
'harass and disrupt' the network. Between 1991 and 1996 Scientologists
across the country filed 50 nearly identical lawsuits and human rights
complaints against it. Eventually many of them, including Greg's, were
dismissed for lack of merit, but CAN sank into a financial crisis
defending itself. In 1994 it counterattacked, suing the church, its law
firm, and 11 Scientologists, including Greg, for inundating it with
frivolous lawsuits.  CAN buckled under the financial weight of all the
lawsuits.  At a bankruptcy auction a Scientologist acquired CAN's name,
logo, and hot-line number. Lawyers tied to the church wound up with the
network's archive - all of its confidential files containing information
about callers and donors were now in the hands of Scientologists.  Greg's
efforts had paid off, and he was elated by CAN's demise.

"In September 2000 Greg told his father he was returning to Clearwater.
'He'd always let me know when he was going, but he'd say, 'I'll be back in
two weeks,' and it was always four, five weeks.' This time, Bob recalls,
'I said, 'Greg, you're spending a hell of a lot of time down there. I
don't understand it. You're spending time away from your job, and you're
spending time away from your family.' And his answer to me was, 'You're
right, dad. You don't understand it.''

"Greg, who was now on OT7. the second-highest level, didn't return until
November. When he did he told his father he'd been fired. On November 30
the phone woke Bob at 4:30 AM. Laura was on the other end, asking him to
stop by to see Greg.  Bob recalls, 'an all of a sudden he breaks down and
says he was preparing to kill himself.' He'd even come up with a plan - to
drive to the nearby forest preserve and drink a bottle of Drano. 'I was in
such shock,' Bob says. The contrast between the image Greg had been
projecting and his emotional reality was stark. 'I'm holding him, and he's
saying he failed everybody, he isn't worth anything, he's a total
failure.' The trip to Clearwater had been a disaster. 'They threw him
out,' Bob says. Greg told him the church staff had said he had some kind
of medical or physical condition they couldn't help him with, then sent
him away, telling him never to return. He urged Greg to check himself into
a hospital, and he says Laura did too.

"Greg reluctantly checked himself into the psychiatric ward of Good
Shepherd Hospital in Barrington. Greg tried to commit suicide twice by
overdosing in the next couple of months. In January his 17-year-old son
found him on the floor, barely alive. In February he E-mailed a suicide
note to Jim Hanon. Hanon got it within 20 minutes and alerted Barrington
police, who arrived in time to save Greg's life.

"Desperate, Bob visited the now defunct Lisa McPherson Trust. Not far from
Scientology's headquarters in Clearwater and staffed by high-level
defectors, the trust had been founded to expose the church's 'abusive and
deceptive' practices and to provide support to ex-Scientologists
attempting to readjust to life outside the church. It put Bob in touch
with former Scientologists who'd reached the same level as Greg, OT7. Greg
Barnes remembers receiving a desperate call from Bob: 'He was a father who
was lost. A distressed man going, 'What do I do?' - reaching out to
everyone and anyone who could help his son.'

"Greg told Barnes he'd been under extreme pressure during his last visit
to Clearwater, and that church officials had said he couldn't leave until
he completed certain regimens. 'He had to get back to work. He was
stressed, and he communicated that he was stressed,' Barnes says. 'They
took that to mean he was unstable.' He says Greg was then sent to an
auditor, who made things worse. 'If you misapply this technology you can
drive someone insane. You can cause someone to become psychotic.'

"Bob found a retreat for cult survivors in Ohio called Wellspring. 'The
setting is residential, home cooked meals, private rooms,' he wrote,
trying to make it sound attractive.  Greg wasn't interested.  He said he
wanted to work on getting better, but 'deprogramming' at Wellspring
wouldn't work. 'I know I won't get better doing something I don't believe
in at all. When you have a meltdown like I did, people then suggest their
own beliefs as alternatives.' By the time you reached his age, he
continued, 'you have a pretty good idea about what you believe and what
you don't. And in my case, a pretty informed idea.'

"Greg stayed home in Barrington Hills, his mental condition deteriorating.
He owed his bank $27,000 and had racked up $29,000 on his credit cards.
Bob says that in February Laura started talking about suing the church to
recover money they'd paid in advance for auditing and course work. 'I had
been told,' he says, 'they had a balance of nearly $200,000 in credit.'
Greg adamantly objected to suing. After Laura started talking about trying
to get their money back, Greg wrote to his father that he didn't want to
be a 'poster boy' for the harmful effects of Scientology. 'It would
subject me and my family to a great deal of shame and embarrassment, and
additionally such a stance does not reflect what I believe to be true.'
One day in early June, Hanon received a desperate call from Greg. 'He
asked me, 'What can I do?' He was in torment. He felt like he was losing
control. I asked him to come here right away. He arrived at my house,
coherent but just barely hanging on,' he recalls. Greg was shaking, he
says, and had all but lost the ability to function. Hanon and his wife
prayed with Greg, and after a couple of days Greg agreed to check himself
into Pine Rest, a nearby hospital. At first, according to Hanon, he
refused to take drugs or undergo counseling; 'It appeared to me that he
was conditioned, that part of his training was not to assign any value at
all to what a psychiatrist would say.'

"Greg wrote to Bob for the last time on June 20. 'I wanted to call on
Father's Day but was hospitalized at Pine Rest here in GR, and had no
calling card. My condition worsened dramatically three weeks ago. I have
been in the hospital the last two weeks and am now moving to an intensive
outpatient status.' He begged Bob to persuade Laura not to sue the church.
'They would put 50 lawyers on the case to the one Laura would hire. They
would employ private investigators, and the like, to help win their case.
And the stress on Laura would be enormous.' Greg went on to say that he
would be checking out of the hospital that afternoon, though he felt his
release would be premature. 'I told them this morning I still felt
depressed and suicidal,' he wrote. 'They are hurrying me into the
outpatient program because I only have two days of insurance left!'

"Three days later Greg pulled onto the shoulder of a road in Montcalm
County, northeast of Grand Rapids. Using duct tape, he attached a hose to
the exhaust pipe of his Honda, then ran it through the passenger window,
sealing off the opening with a towel. He reclined in the passenger's seat,
folded his arms across his chest, and breathed in a lethal dose of carbon
monoxide. Police found the suicide note to his son on the nightstand in
his hotel room. It consisted of a single sentence: 'Goodbye [son], you
were a good buddy. Love dad.'

"Bob wrote a death notice for his son, which he published in the Chicago
Tribune. 'In memory of a trained journalist, disciplined and hard-working,
an honored writer of substance and creativity and imagination, loved by
family and friends, respected by his contemporaries, who in the prime of
life, because of his needs and naivete trusted wrongly an entity that
crushed his sweet and sharing spirit. He found his journey through life
too painful to continue and was blind and deaf to all of those who loved
him. My God bless you Greg, and may God bless us all.'"

Message-ID: <20020816160021.20566.00000960@...>
Message-ID: <20020816160234.20560.00000845@...>
Message-ID: <20020816160403.20560.00000846@...>
Message-ID: <20020816160553.20572.00000843@...>
Message-ID: <20020816160756.20589.00000850@...>
Message-ID: <20020816161238.20578.00000835@...>
Message-ID: <20020816161440.20578.00000837@...>
Message-ID: <20020816162347.20589.00000855@...>
Message-ID: <20020816164439.20589.00000865@...>
Message-ID: <20020816165016.20578.00000843@...>
Message-ID: <20020816223244.29150.00001096@...>
Message-ID: <20020816223931.29150.00001099@...>

#####

> Nicholas Cage

MSNBC reported on August 13th that his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley may
indicate that actor Nicolas Cage is becoming involved in Scientology.

"Now that the moody star has married devout Scientologist Lisa Marie
Presley, sources believe that Cage is becoming involved in the
controversial religion.  'I strongly suspect that Nicolas Cage is either
now taking some Scientology courses or planning to do so in the future,'
cult and alternative religion expert Rick Ross tells The Scoop. 'It is
very unlikely that any prominent celebrity who is a Scientologist would
marry someone who is not involved with Scientology in some way, shape or
form. That's not their history and someone as prominent and important to
Scientology as Lisa Marie Presley has been would be an unlikely
exception.'"

Message-ID: <hxq69.1851$V62.131301@...>

#####

> CCHR

Scientology's Citizen's Commission on Human Rights issued a press release
on August 11th, claiming that a government commission in the Netherlands
has ruled that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder cannot be claimed
to be a neurological disease.

"The Netherlands Advertisement Code Commission has ruled that the
country's Brain Foundation cannot claim that the controversial psychiatric
condition Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a
neurobiological disease or brain dysfunction. The Commission ordered the
Foundation to cease such false claims in their advertising. The
Advertisement Code Commission was responding to a complaint brought by the
Dutch chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR).

"On August 6th the Advertisement Code Commission found that the Brain
Foundation had falsely advertised and solicited funding by publishing ads
in newspapers, magazines, flyers and on TV that stated ADHD is an
'inherent brain dysfunction.'"

Message-ID: <20020814160455.11587.00000277@...>

#####

> Denmark

Et-sect-era Magazine reported on August 9th that a French former
Scientology Sea Org member has died of malnutrition.

"French Eric Rubio was found dead in his apartment in Roedby on January
15, 2002. When he was found, he had already been dead for a longer period
of time, and his body was in an advanced state of decay. When he was
found, the 36-year old man weighed 45 kilograms for his 167 centimetres.
He died in his kitchen, allegedly while cooking. He had not consumed any
food for several days, and had suffered from malnutrition.

"When Erik Rubio came to Denmark in 1994, it was to join the Sea
Organization. There he was later declared unfit and thrown out, but not
without having to pay back a huge sum to the cult. Until his death, he
made regular payments to Scientology. After having officially distanced
himself from the cult in August of 2001, Eric began to interest himself in
Hare Krishna and various Eastern teachings."

Message-ID: <3d5e9511.119029793@...>

#####

> Digital Lightwave

The St. Petersburg Times reported on August 14th that Scientologist Bryan
Zwan has resigned as President and CEO of Digital Lightwave.

"Inheriting the top jobs will be James Green, an executive whom Zwan
telegraphed as his heir apparent when he promoted him to chief operating
officer in January. But in a statement, Zwan said he planned to stay
involved in turnaround efforts, remaining as chairman. 'The board had
asked me to return to an active role in driving sales of existing products
and accelerating new product development,' Zwan said in a statement. Zwan
said he would focus on potential merger opportunities and on developing
the next wave of products for the maker of testing equipment for
fiber-optic networks. Green will focus on daily business operations.

"The popularity of Digital's testing equipment and a no-holds-barred tech
boom in the late 1990s briefly turned Digital into one of the the hottest
stocks in the country and made Zwan a megamillionaire. The stock plummeted
and sales collapsed during the dot-com meltdown. The company also was
dogged by concerns that it was a Scientology-run company because of Zwan's
close affiliation with the church that has its spiritual headquarters in
Clearwater."

Light Reading reported on August 15th that Zwan may be involved in
irregular sales of Digital Lightwave stock.

"At the latest tally, it appears that Bryan Zwan, chairman and founder of
Digital Lightwave Inc., has taken no less than $348 million out of the
company. Meanwhile, Digital Lightwave's business has collapsed, it has a
market capitalization of less than $40 million, and it's now almost
trading as a penny stock, at $1.22. Zwan moved the money via arrangements
to sell his stock at fixed prices across complex strings of transactions
involving: a Nevada company he controls, ZG Partnership; investment bank
Credit Suisse First Boston Corp.; and one of the bank's subsidiaries, CSFB
SAILS Corp. This is according to a form 13D filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission in May of this year.

"Zwan stepped out of the CEO post for the second time, moving back
upstairs as the company's chairman. His tight control over the company,
the company's falling fortunes, and his affiliation with the Church of
Scientology has made his leadership a popular item of debate. Over the
years, Zwan made arrangements to lock in gains for sales of millions of
shares of stock at prices ranging from $31 to $121, raising $23.8 million
in cash for himself and another $348.5 million in guaranteed purchase
agreements for his company, ZG Partnership, of which he is the sole owner
and president, according to the SEC filings. The sheer magnitude of Zwan's
sales - which in dollar terms now amount to nearly ten times the current
market capitalization of his company ($38 million) - are astounding, say
experts. 'That's ridiculous,' said one investment banker, asking to remain
unnamed.

"So far, it's not clear whether there are any government investigations
into these dealings.  The SEC, has, however, already thrown out a March
2000 complaint that it filed against Zwan. All the same, Zwan's activities
have grabbed the attention of Digital Lightwave's shareholders, who have
filed numerous suits."

Message-ID: <sDq69.15$w5.2943@...>
Message-ID: <mDq79.1927$V62.136264@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

A closing argument filed by Scientology on August 9th argue that the Lisa
McPherson wrongful death lawsuit should be dismissed, and attorney Ken
Dandar be disqualified from representing the estate. The estate will have
an opportunity to respond to the conclusions reached in the filing.

"The record of this hearing shows, first, that plaintiffs contrived claim
that the senior ecclesiastical leader of a worldwide religion ordered the
'murder' of a parishioner during a religious rite for public relations
purposes is a sham pleading without a shred of evidentiary support or
truth.  Mr. Dandar's multiple, self-conflicting versions of the 'truth'
figuratively ricochet across the record. Mr. Dandar has changed his
testimony to meet his perception of the exigencies of the moment with such
frequency that the notion of the truth has been completely obscured.

"In trying to deny the transparent influence that Mr. Minton exerted on
the prosecution of this case by virtue of his more than $2 million dollars
invested and his ubiquitous participation along with that of his agents
(the Lisa McPherson Trust, Ms. Brooks and Jesse Prince), Mr. Dandar has
variously testified that despite over 500 telephone calls between Mr.
Dandar and Mr. Minton or LMT, despite 2 1/2 months when Mr. Dandar and LMT
shared offices, and despite Mr. Dandar's recollection of being with Mr.
Minton at five restaurants, three hotels, two private residences, two
locations of Dandar & Dandar, the LMT building, and at a 'vigil,' Mr.
Minton had 'zero involvement' in the 'shape, manner or activities in this
suit,' and that Mr. Dandar '[doesn't] think [he] ever had a meeting with
Mr. Minton.'

"In trying to find a way to avoid the undeniable truth that he knew Mr.
Minton was the source of a $500,000 Swiss bank check handed to him by Mr.
Minton, Mr. Dandar has testified that the identity of his benefactor was
'friends in Europe,' 'the Fat Man,' 'anonymous,' 'I have no idea,' and
perhaps even some guy named 'Fred.' Beyond that, Mr. Dandar has changed
his story of the purpose, beneficiary, and intended use of the millions he
received from Mr. Minton so many times that it is impossible to extract
the truth from his self-contradictory morass of assertions that it was
'donations,' loans to defray litigation costs, donations to cover
litigation costs, or personal loans to him which he could use to buy
'estates, cars, yachts, planes' or whatever else he wished. Mr. Dandar has
also orchestrated systematic perjury so that Mr. Minton's and Dell
Liebreich's testimony and affidavits addressing the distribution of any
recovery in this case shifted 180 degrees in unison to corroborate Mr.
Dandar's idea of what 'truth' was needed at a particular moment in time
and to help, him conceal both Mr. Minton s interference with this case and
Mr. Dandar's own effort to pocket Mr. Minton s money with no strings
attached.

"In the end, what emerges from this lengthy process is a wrongful death
lawsuit taken over from a willing plaintiff by a lawyer inextricably bound
to an anti-Scientologist millionaire and the like-minded zealots he
employed, who changed this case from a lawsuit into a crusade against a
religion and its ecclesiastical leader. To accomplish that improper
purpose, they fabricated and pursued a sham complaint, supported it with
perjury and subornation, subjected defendants to enormous legal costs and
an exhaustive evidentiary proceeding which only proved, with more
certainty than set forth in defendants opening brief, that the defendants
are entitled to the following relief both cumulatively, and in the
alternative:  (1) The striking of plaintiff s Fifth Amended Complaint;
(2) An order precluding plaintiff from answering the counterclaim;  (3)
The dismissal of plaintiff s claims with prejudice;  (4) The
disqualification of plaintiffs counsel from representing plaintiff in any
matter in this case; and (5) Sanctions substantial sanctions including
attorneys fees, in an amount to be determined, against both plaintiff and
her counsel.

"In no event and under no circumstances should the Court permit Mr. Dandar
or his firm to remain in this case. The activities of Mr. Dandar set forth
above constitute, violations of the Florida Rule of Professional Conduct -
A lawyer shall not knowingly permit any witness to offer testimony or
other evidence that the lawyer knows to be false. If a lawyer has offered
material evidence and thereafter comes to know of its falsity, the lawyer
shall take reasonable remedial measures. A lawyer shall not engage in
conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation. Here,
Mr. Dandar himself engaged in false testimony and subornation of false
testimony, and made repeated false statements to the court."

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#####

> Protest Summary

Keith Henson and Christopher Wood reported a protest at the Toronto
Scientology org on August 11th.

"As usual I was 100 feet away on the far side of Yonge St., where I could
watch out for Chris and he could see me. No encounters with the police at
all. I was giving out 'Parsonage' flyers today. Gave out about 130 of
them, and several of the people who took them said they were going to call
the number of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation and complain
about a non-religious, non-charity getting a tax break by calling an 8
story office building a 'parsonage.'

"A very high fraction of the people who pass by that location already know
about the cult. One woman who had been to www.xenu.net was just boggled by
it all.  There were two scns who came by headed for the org. The first was
a tall woman in her 30s, long dark hair, slightly curly. She broke in on
me talking to some citizens and insisted they should ignore me, that I was
full of shit. I asked her to say Xenu and of course she could not. An scn
with a crew cut came by and warned me that I had to be back 100 meters
when the actual order is 30 meters.

"A guy came by who told me the most astonishing story of being a neighbour
of the house at 451 Clinton St. where the Toronto staff used to live up to
late December of last year.  According to him, some new staff members from
out of town showed up and sat on the porch for about two hours. It was
during the day, but they about froze before someone from the org showed up
to let them in. It seems they thawed out huddled over an electric heater
for some time before everyone left for the org and left the heater on.
After a while a bed or couch in the living room caught on fire. The fire
department put out the fire with no more than a lot of smoke damage to the
place and a hole burned in the floor. The neighbours told the fire marshal
there were about 30 people living there, the fire marshal counted 47 beds
being used! It's a fair sized house, but they were stacked at least 6 to a
room.  The fire marshal found a couple of smoke detectors, but no
batteries in them. No fire extinguishers. Once the situation in this house
came to the attention of the fire marshal, there was no way they could
stay there. All their stuff was dumped out in the street. The locals
picked through it, but found very little of value. This person told us the
house was still the way it was when the staff's meager possessions were
tossed out in the street because the landlord and the scns were in some
kind of legal battle about who should pay for fixing the damage. At one
point the landlord told him the org was at least 8 months behind in paying
the $2000 a month rent, but it seems to be about impossible to evict
people from a house in Canada. There were kids who were not in school, and
in some cases were being kept up all night."

"A number of the Toronto OT's were there, but nobody actually came and got
in my face like the Scientologists do to Gregg Hagglund when he pickets. I
could do with more pickets like this - picketing quietly and giving out
leaflets. Isn't that what it's all about?

"When I started picketing, first Mario (Dianetics Missionholder), then
Andy Hill (OT Committee person) and a Scientologist I didn't recognize
started making like airport ground technicians and directing
Scientologists down Saint Mary Street.  The guy who herded the
Scientologists who picketed me in 1998 is still a Scientologist - I saw
him passing into the org.

"A young couple stopped and actually thanked me for picketing. I offered
them a leaflet anyway, and the young lady said they had already been to
the website, and no thanks.  The cult has put up large all-black posters
in their Yonge-facing windows, each with a Dianetics ad in the middle and
the copyright fine print at the bottom. Before the break, I had given out
21 leaflets. After the break, I said to Keith that I would picket for an
hour, or until all 50 of my leaflets were gone. Just as I was trying to
give the last one out, an old guy who had parked his bike and gone into
the org came back out. I offered a leaflet in his general direction, and
to my surprise he took the leaflet and read it, then passed it back. He
then asked me some questions, and as it turned out he had bought one book
and had just been inside the org watching a film. I pointed out that while
the book may have been only a few dollars, and the film was free, he was
certainly headed towards the costlier cult courses. We discussed this and
that, and in the meantime Mario came out of the org and stood listening to
what I was saying.

"When I was done talking to the guy it was obvious I hadn't convinced him
of anything right out. I said that he shouldn't feel obliged to spend any
money, and wandered off to find an eager set of hands for this last
leaflet. Mario rushed over, and I heard the snippets 'drugs' and 'twenty
billion dollar industry.'"

Message-ID: <3d5712a1.342116047@...>
Message-ID: <pan.2002.08.12.01.25.52.221589.4636@...>

#####

> Tory Christman

The Door Magazine published an interview in its July/August 2002 issue
with Tory Christman, formerly Tory Bezazian.

"In 1969 Tory hitchhiked from Chicago to L.A. to become a disciple of
Dianetics. She invested untold tens of thousands of hours and dollars in
it. In time, she rose to the level of OT VII, Scientology's all-powerful
'auditors' said the evil alien thetas still clung to her body. Oh yeah,
and she had epilepsy.

"Still, Tory joined the Scientology Parishioners League (sort of a
Scientology Anti-Defamation League) where she spearheaded ferocious
attacks against any imagined media slight of L. Ron or Dianetics. She
became the indefatigable 'Magoo,' nemesis of the Internet newsgroups
at.religion.scientology and http://www.xenu.net Eventually, Tory was an
ordained 'minister' and worked as a trainer of new Scientology initiates,
like John Travolta.

"Today Ms. Bezazian spends her time informing as many people as possible
that the abuses of Scientology can destroy lives and that it is built on
lies told solely for the purpose of enriching a small elite group who run
the organization.

"THE DOOR MAGAZINE: Exactly what is Scientology?

"TORY BEZAZIAN: What Scientology says it is, a study of knowing how to
know. They say they're a religion and they're there to basically help
people get free. L. Ron Hubbard wrote a book called Dianetics. And from
Dianetics, you can erase painful moments or moments of loss.  Originally,
that's what Dianetics was and then he came up with a state of mind called
clear, which was supposedly where you had a perfect memory and a perfect
I.Q. However, the truth is, through his own definition, there isn't a
clear.

"DOOR: So he realized that he was wrong and recanted and gave everyone
back their money?

"BEZAZIAN: No, he found out it'll make money and as he says in his own
words, in order to make money you've got to start a religion. So that's
what he did. He started Scientology.

"DOOR: When you originally got involved in Scientology what drew you to
it?

"BEZAZIAN: I was really looking for a higher state of consciousness and a
way of helping people. And I read Dianetics and I felt 'Wow this is it!'
You know, 'I can help people go clear.' And I literally hitchhiked from
Chicago to Los Angeles to study Scientology.

"DOOR: The website www.xenu.net calls Scientology 'the most expensive
religion on earth.' Why?

"BEZAZIAN: Because Hubbard was trying to make money and the execs in it
basically live very well.

"DOOR: But how would that be any different than some televangelist who is
balking people out of their welfare and Social Security checks?

"BEZAZIAN: There's definitely a similarity. The difference in those
religions and Scientology is (that) you have a choice. In Roman
Catholicism, for example, you don't have to go to church. You're welcome
in their church at any point. In Scientology, you cannot do most of their
stuff without paying a definite price. It's already pre-planned. They call
it a donation. It's basically a service they're selling. They call it a
religion so they don't have to pay taxes.

"DOOR: So how much is the total sum a person must pay to achieve clear?

"BEZAZIAN: It's in the tens of thousands. Probably would be $100,000 at
this point. I attested to clear, but they ended up invalidating it while I
was on OT VII. OT VII is the highest level.  I'd been on OT VII for seven
years and then an auditor said: 'Well, you're not really clear.' Basically
the truth of the matter is that their beginning levels are empty and they
can't get a lot of new people because they read the Internet and find out
what's going on. So I think they ran out of money and decided, 'Well,
we'll just make all the OT VII's redo OT VII.' And all the auditors redo
their training.

"DOOR: So was that when you first began to see holes in their philosophy?

"BEZAZIAN: The beginning of the holes was getting on OT VII, because I
really thought it was going to be this real neat level. And it was just
more of what they call OT III - which has to do with these alien beings
that you're supposedly surrounded by called BTs and Clusters. They say
seventy-five million years ago, this real evil dude called Xenu decided to
handle the galactic overpopulation problem that existed by putting these
excess people into volcanoes and blowing them up with hydrogen bombs, and
their spirits were stuck on these electronic strips. I think that somehow
he put the strips in these DC 8s, which is really weird.

"DOOR: During the 30 years you were in. Scientology must've done some good
things for you, or you wouldn't have stayed with it.

"BEZAZIAN: There's a lot of nifty people in it. And that's probably more
than anything what I stayed in it for. And there's a huge hope factor. And
once you get to OT, you will be able to do X, Y and Z. And a lot of people
stay for that very reason.

"DOOR: Um, yeah. Thanks for reminding us. You worked for Scientology's
Office of Special Affairs. What exactly did you do for them?

"BEZAZIAN: Mostly public relations stuff. They asked me to be in charge of
the Scientology Parishioners League, which handles 'Black PR' in the
media. Black PR is anything critical of Scientology. I was a volunteer for
them for 20 years, but I was only in Scientology Parishioners League for
four months. Shortly after that, I left. I mainly organized it and we had
an A & E special on cults and we asked them to take us out of that, saying
'Scientology isn't a cult.'

"DOOR: You left the church July 18, 2000. And you have no regrets about
leaving?

"BEZAZIAN: None. Are you kidding me? When people do that kind of *** to
you?

"DOOR: So, where are you today as far as religion or anything of that
nature goes?

"BEZAZIAN: I believe very much in religion. I believe in faith, and I
believe in people believing in whatever they believe in that makes their
lives better. Whatever that is. I don't have any particular group that I'm
a part of. If that's what you mean, no. I do believe in higher spirits,
yes."

Message-ID: <YbV59.776$Rn.49578@...>

#####

> In Memoriam

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on August 17th that Andre La Chambre
has passed away.

"Andre La Chambre, 45, died Aug. 6 at home.  He was born March 15, 1957,
in Los Angeles. A musician, he was a 15-year resident of Las Vegas.
Services will be at 9 a.m. Sunday at Church of Scientology, 846 E. Sahara
Ave. The family requests memorial donations be made to the Polycystic
Kidney Disease Foundation."

Message-ID: <3tsslucob6i8rjfntg8b0864thmmubppg0@...>

-end-