Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 48
3/9/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Clearwater

The letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on March 4th
included two responses to last week's article on new Scientology missions
being established in the Clearwater area.

"Scientology is only about making money. Scientology is a cultic,
multilevel marketing enterprise where the merchandise is ostensibly
personal well-being rather than household products. At least with Amway,
you get some pretty good detergent.  Scientology is religion as a pyramid
scheme.

"If Scientology is truly about improving lives, why aren't its insights
free? Certainly at some point, organized religions get around to passing
the collection plate, but for the world's major faiths, salvation (of one
sort or another) comes first, and it comes free of charge. Scientologists
would consider Mother Teresa types dismal failures because such people
don't earn revenue for their church.

"Apart from the issue of proprietary information, there are other reasons
Scientology members don't share their beliefs freely. One is they haven't
had enough brainwashing to know the Scientology version of the Greatest
Story Every Told. They don't know about the evil galactic ruler Xenu who,
Hubbard said, exterminated hundreds of millions of space aliens on Earth
76-trillion years ago. They haven't paid Scientology enough cash for
indoctrination to learn suffering comes from the ghosts of those murdered
beings - called Body Thetans -- inhabiting humans and instilling false
memories, causing sickness and mental dysfunction.

"But if Scientologists are happy with their beliefs, who does it hurt? The
same might be asked about snake oil treatments desperately purchased from
avaricious charlatans. At least con artists simply rip you off and move
on. The Scientologists want you to become a salesperson too, ensnaring
those you can and disassociating yourself from all others. And Scientology
is quite able to destroy your ability to reason and thoroughly control all
aspects of your life so you'll be a willing drone in their cause. - Jim
Carroll, Largo

"Scientology seems poised to have an effect on other cities with its
ever-expanding enterprise and tax-exempt status. The tax-exempt status is
the key, and this article shows exactly why Scientology should not be
exempt from paying taxes. The fees in this article are much like a fee
paid to a doctor. Are fees paid to doctors exempt from taxes? No. Are the
doctors' offices free from paying property tax, or do doctors' offices pay
employment tax and every other proper tax that other businesses pay? Yes,
and so should Scientology.

"With that tax exemption Scientology is allowed to make huge sums of money
and keep it all. This allows them the luxury to build multimillion-dollar
projects on property that should be generating taxes for the county and
state. This has ruined downtown Clearwater, without any question. The
immense presence of Scientology in Clearwater and expanding areas is bad
for the community. Scientology is a business and should be taxed as one. -
F. Charles Gordon, Clearwater"

Message-ID: <f019a.17760$gU.736149@...>

#####

> Ireland

The Irish Times reported on March 6th and 7th that the case of Mary
Johnston, a former Scientologist who is suing for conspiracy,
misrepresentation and breach of constitutional rights, continued this week
with testimony from Dr. Stephen Kent.

"A professor of sociology who has written books and articles critical of
the Church of Scientology and other organisations told the High Court
yesterday the church was attempting to isolate him within the academic
community. Prof. Stephen Kent, who is based in Canada, made the claim in
the ongoing action for damages by Ms Mary Johnston.

"Yesterday, during resumed cross-examination of Prof. Kent, Mr. Michael
Collins SC, for the defendants, referred to articles written by a number
of sociologists, psychologists and others dealing with the concepts of
brainwashing and coercive persuasion. Mr. Collins suggested the
conclusions of some of these writers were at variance with those of Prof.
Kent, particularly regarding the professor's view that a person's free
will can be overborne by certain coercive persuasion techniques to such an
extent they may undergo a significant personality change and truly convert
to whatever ideology it may be sought to persuade them of.

"Prof. Kent agreed there were some differences between his views and those
of some writers referred to but said he was in broad agreement with them
on many issues. He said one expert had not referred to religion in
discussing coercive persuasion and he believed it was vital to factor in
that people are motivated for purposive rewards. He agreed the term
brainwashing can be used in two different senses, involving an element of
physical force and no such physical element.

"Mr. Collins said one recognised expert had described as a myth the theory
that certain techniques could result in a person's psychiatric status
being transformed from normal to pathological. Prof. Kent said he believed
there could be a change in psychiatric status as a result of coercive
persuasion. He agreed hypnosis could be a factor but said there were other
factors.

"At one point, Prof. Kent told Mr. Justice Peart the defendants had put in
a critique of his work in an attempt to isolate him in the academic
community. Mr. Collins said Prof. Kent had responded to that critique and
he was indicating, in referring to certain articles, was that the
professor has been the subject of criticism by reputed scholars."

"A fundamental issue in the legal action by a woman against the Church of
Scientology is whether her free will was overborne or compromised in her
decision to take up certain courses run by the church, the High Court
heard yesterday. If the court finds Ms Mary Johnston's free will was
affected, it must then decide whether that has any legal consequences
entitling her to damages, Mr. Michael Collins, for the church said.

"The fundamental point was whether Ms Johnston's free will was compromised
to an extent that was unacceptable in law, counsel added. His side would
be arguing free will is a concept that cannot be measured.

"Yesterday, Prof. Kent said he had referred to free will in the context of
a sociological definition and not in the context of a philosophical
discussion. He agreed that man has a reasoning power that is unique. Mr.
Collins suggested that if a person exercises that power free of direction
by anyone else, that is an exercise of free will, irrespective of how
complete their information is. Prof. Kent said sociologists and
psychologists had identified the importance of deception as mitigating a
person's ability to make a decision."

Message-ID: <Ls7aa.17969$gU.745131@...>
Message-ID: <Jt7aa.17970$gU.745131@...>

#####

> Juliette Lewis

The Washington Post reported on March 5th that Scientology celebrity
Juliette Lewis visited the U.S. Congress to push for restrictions of the
use of medicine for children with problem behavior.

"Actress Juliette Lewis visits Capitol Hill today to sell Congress on the
nationwide effort - spearheaded by the Church of Scientology - to stop
educational authorities from requiring 'problem' schoolchildren to take
mood-altering medication.

"'This is not a Scientology thing, but there are Scientologists involved,'
said the 29-year-old Lewis, who joined the church seven years ago after
reading a Scientology text 'and it was really logical. I was 22, and at
the time I could really use it. We are against putting people on drugs to
help solve problems.' Lewis said she got involved in the
anti-pharmaceutical campaign in 1999.  'Everyone was really upset due to
Columbine and the other violent crimes that popped up afterward,' she
said. 'The media started looking at entertainment media and blaming them -
which was an oversimplified explanation. So I became curious.'

"Given Scientology's influence in Hollywood, has it helped her career?
'No. I don't look at it that way,' Lewis answered.  'It's helped me
personally, but not necessarily professionally. The two can go together
but that's not what I look to Scientology for.'"

Message-ID: <1Jl9a.17771$gU.738833@...>

#####

> New Zealand

The Dominion Post published an article on March 1st on the state of
Scientology in New Zealand.

"'Be careful what you write about Scientology. They're very rich and very
litigious.' This warning comes from a psychiatrist - psychiatry is the
sworn enemy of Scientology - and shows that the scepticism about the
movement founded in the 1950s by L Ron Hubbard, who made his name as a
writer of science fiction, is alive and well. The heyday of fear of it as
a cult came in the late 1960s when hundreds of New Zealanders signed a
petition calling for legislative curbs on it and a government commission
of inquiry upheld a complaint that it was responsible for alienating two
young Scientologists from their family.  There was no subsequent
legislation, but a handful of rules the cult said it had already embraced
were laid down. Times have changed. Mike Ferris, spokesman for the
Auckland-based church, says the family involved in the inquiry have long
been reconciled. Scientology bears the respectable title of a religion.
And a few weeks ago the Inland Revenue Department decided it qualified as
a charity and was thus tax exempt.

"The Scientologists - the church claims there are more than 6000 in New
Zealand - are over the moon. Only a scattering of countries of the 151 in
which they operate give them such fulsome recognition, notably Australia,
South Africa and Sweden. Britain does not, nor does France. So what
happened to make Scientology respectable, to align it with the mainstream
churches in New Zealand, and give it the same financial advantages? Mr.
Ferris says the possibility of recognition as a charity has been discussed
with Inland Revenue for years. 'You could say we were running in to fixed
ideas on what a religion might be.' He says a breakthrough came in the
form of a 2001 Inland Revenue paper in which the definition of religion
came from a 1983 Australian High Court case recognising Scientology as a
religion. Armed with this, the Scientologists applied for charity status
again.

"Mr. Ferris laughs off the 'rich and litigious' label, unless litigious
can include a case in the 1970s when someone impugned Scientology on
talkback radio.  'He put forth a retraction.' He says Scientology is a
non-profit group and funds are used in the region from which they come.
The only New Zealand church, on the Ellerslie Panmure Highway, is rented.
'Collecting real estate is absolutely not what we're about.'

"The New Zealand Church of Scientology was the the first to be established
outside of the United States. Paul Morris, professor of religious studies
at Victoria University, says New Zealand is historically hospitable to new
religious movements. 'Scientologists' view of themselves has greater
continuity than it once had. Scientology has a series of different levels
in many ways, a kind of inner circle with a shop-front version. Like many
New Age movements, self-improvement is important.' The idea of auditing,
he says, is 'like a pop-version of psychoanalytic theory, memory as a
release. The aim is to become clear and fully functioning'.

"Auckland University emeritus professor of psychiatry John Werry says any
truth in Scientology's attacks on the psychiatric profession is 'highly
overblown'. Scientology, he says, is supposed to be a religion with a
scientific basis. Scientologists have a science for understanding human
behaviour and see psychiatrists as competitors.

"'It's about feeling good about yourself and your community,' says Tim
Perkins, 33, of Wellington, who has been a Scientologist for seven years.
Mr. Perkins was introduced to Scientology by his brother, who encountered
it travelling with mates in the United States. He has done several
Scientology courses, including a purification course in London in 2001.
The aim was to clear toxins and radiation from his body. Vitamin and
mineral supplements and exercise were part of that. 'After five or six
weeks, I felt 10 years younger,' he says. 'Do I think it was expensive?
Definitely not. I know I was pretty filled up with different toxins.' On
other courses, he has learned communication skills, including 'dealing
with the ups and downs of life and how to recognise people who have been
harmful and are holding you back'. 'The whole ethics programme is amazing
and gets back to doing unto others what you would have done to yourself.'

"Bernard Roundhill, an early, acclaimed graphic artist, has been a
Scientologist for almost as long as the movement has been in existence. He
is 91 and lives with his third wife, Peggy, in Auckland. She, too, has
been a Scientologist for decades.  Mr. Roundhill discovered it in 1953.
Mrs Roundhill says he learned, through Scientology, to create art that
could communicate to people. 'With Scientology, he received validation and
learned to do it better and better.'"

Message-ID: <yEl9a.17770$gU.738833@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Dave Bird reported a protest on March 8th at the Birmingham, England
Scientology org.

"Present were Dave, Damian, Tony, and Katie, plus Jens and Martin who
rolled in at the end of lunch.  David and John arrived during the demo
because of delayed trains from London, and also Neil. We were short of
leaflets, but John had some and Martin did an extra hundred at the
stationers. We set up the boom-box, first with Martin and later with John
on the Mic, also the cylinder for helium balloons: we have two sorts,
white with a single red and blue design or transparent with the same print
on each of 4 sides in blue, and we had long-float coating in for the tiny
tots who kept them rather than sucked the gas.

"There were a fair number of clams counter-leafleting.  One guy came past
me and said 'are you protesting against that bunch on the second floor?
Well done, they conned me into there six months ago, and wouldn't let me
out. I hadn't got any money, so she kept saying I'd seen now how valuable
the courses were and why didn't I borrow a few hundred quid off my mother
to buy them with?' By popular request I went on the Mic at the end and did
a few spirited choruses of Do The ElRon-Ron, Little Ghosties, the Xemu
Rap, and so forth."

Message-ID: <fkgVslAL3ja+EwA8@...>

#####

> In Memoriam

The Ocean County Register reported that a teenager was struck and killed
by a truck in his way to the Scientology org.

"Clint Coleman had crossed Red Hill Avenue hundreds of times on his way to
weekly youth meetings at the Church of Scientology. But Tuesday night, the
Tustin 14-year-old never made it. A Dodge pickup hit Coleman and a friend
while they were crossing Red Hill at Olwyn Drive at 6:50 p.m. Coleman died
instantly, police said. His friend, Sam Crabtree, 19, also of Tustin, was
recovering from major injuries Wednesday at Western Medical Center in
Santa Ana.

"The accident was the second involving teens at a crosswalk in the past
week. Saturday, two 14-year-olds were injured when they were hit by a
minivan in an unincorporated area near Tustin. Danielle Genzen, 14, a
friend of Coleman's, is collecting signatures on a petition asking the
city to add more streetlights and a stop sign or traffic light at the
intersection.

"Friends and family at the Church of Scientology remembered Coleman as a
fun-loving guy with a witty sense of humor and a crooked smile. He could
raise anyone's spirits with a mean Clint Eastwood impression and he
rattled off movie lines like a tape recorder, said Andra Clark, 23.
Coleman attended Brighten School in Orange and spent many hours on Church
of Scientology youth projects, including cleaning the shoreline at Doheny
State Beach."

Message-ID: <3e675fb8$1@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

Slatkinfraud.com reported on March 2nd and 7th that the trustee in the
Reed Slatkin bankruptcy case is involving several Scientology
organizations that may have benefited from the Slatkin Ponzi scheme.

"Despite its best efforts to disassociate itself from its disgraced former
minister, the Church of Scientology is being dragged into the Reed Slatkin
bankruptcy investigation once again - and this time, trustee Todd Neilson
and the Creditors' Committee want documents. The Trustee has demanded that
seven separate Scientology organizations produce documents related to any
donations or gifts that the church has received from Slatkin since 1985.
Church officials from each of the seven corporations will also have to
appear for a videotaped examination.

"In addition to records related to money transfers, the trustee also wants
any and all documents or correspondence related to the Slatkin bankruptcy,
pre-bankruptcy investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission
and the ongoing criminal investigation. Neilson is also demanding all
documents related to communication or correspondence between church
officials and any other individual or entity regarding investments with
Slatkin from 1985 until the present."

"Two more Scientology organizations have been added to the list - the
World Institute of Scientology Enterprises, the quasi-independent network
of Scientologist businesses, and the Church of Scientology Religious
Trust, one of the strongholds of cash within the labyrinth of the
Scientology corporate empire. Both organizations have the potential to
provide the trustee with a wealth of information related to Slatkin's
activities in the years before his Ponzi scheme was uncovered.

"According to Church of Scientology International spokesman Aron Mason,
Slatkin was ejected from WISE precisely because of a failure to meet
unspecified 'ethical standards.' A Knowledge Report, prepared by Slatkin
business associate and net profiteer Richard Levine in 1988, is likely
just one example of the correspondence that WISE and other
Scientology-related entices would have received from puzzled and angry
Slatkin investors over the years about Slatkin's shifty and deceptive
business practices.

"Many Scientology-related payments and donations are made directly to the
Church of Scientology Religious Trust, which serves as a repository for
virtually all of the cash collected from within the United States.

"Scientologist attorney Helena Kobrin, long-time counsel to the Church of
Scientology International and Religious Technology Center, two of the
Scientology entities currently facing Slatkin-related Rule 2004
examinations, lost no time in filing an objection to the examination on
behalf of net-gainers named in adversary proceedings related the Slatkin
case. Ms. Kobrin's motion, filed on behalf of Elvira Morgan, Yvonne
Kellerhals, Alex Guevera, and the Fair family (Virginia, Whitney, Joshua
and Jana), argues that the Rule 2004 examinations into the
Scientology-related entities, which will scrutinize not only money
received from Slatkin, but also from adversary defendants, would
improperly deprive defendants of discovery rights.

"Ms. Kobrin and her husband, Michael D. Kobrin, are also facing adversary
proceedings based on the Trustee's claim that they netted $268,000 in
Slatkin-related profits."

Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0303022310.6946c197@...>
Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0303070839.401a836b@...>

#####

> CCHR

The News and Star newspaper from Carlisle, England reported on March 7th
that the Scientology affiliated Citizen's Commission on Human Rights is
asking a hospital to stop using Electroconvulsive Therapy to treat
depression.

"The Citizen's Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), set up by the Church of
Scientology in America, said the West Cumberland Hospital's Yewdale Ward
carries out Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT), which involves sending
between 180 and 460 volts of electricity through the brain.

"The procedure has been used since the Sixties and cannot be carried out
unless a consent form is signed. It is practiced in hospitals all over the
UK. But the CCHR is calling for the treatment to be stopped altogether.
CCHR spokesman Brian Daniels said: 'Electroshock should not be available
as a choice. After 50 years of practising this, psychiatrists are not
likely to suddenly agree that it is harmful.'

"Lindsay Varty, spokeswoman for North Cumbria Acute Health Trust,
confirmed: 'It is a proven form of safe and effective treatment for people
suffering from severe depression. The treatment is the subject of an
ongoing audit.'"

Message-ID: <J27aa.17968$gU.745055@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 49
3/16/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on March 14th that a group of halfway
houses in Clearwater with ties to Scientology has been closed by the city.

"A network of Christian-themed halfway houses in North Greenwood will be
forced to shut its doors after city officials ruled Thursday the operation
is illegal in a residential neighborhood. Community Resurrection Inc., a
haven for recovering drug addicts and alcoholics, got its start early last
year in a small rental house. The mission soon spread up and down Garden
Avenue to include 11 properties owned by three landlords.

"One of those landlords is a real estate investor and a Scientologist,
who, 23 years ago, was involved in one of the darkest chapters of
Scientology history. Richard Weigand, 56, was one of nine Scientologists
convicted of conspiring to conceal the theft of government documents
related to the church. Weigand, who has assembled dozens of rental
properties in Clearwater, said his ownership in the halfway houses is
nothing more than a business investment. Community Resurrection founder
Michael Cournaya confirms that, saying his program was not modeled on
Scientology methods and has no ties to the Narconon drug treatment
program, which is based on the techniques of Scientology founder L. Ron
Hubbard.

"But Cournaya said he is open to sampling Narconon. He plans to undergo a
Narconon program using a sauna meant to sweat out drug residues. He and
Weigand have talked about installing a sauna for residents at Community
Resurrection. 'I don't mind taking a little bit of whatever it takes to
help people,' Cournaya said. 'Anything that I can do that will help people
have a better chance to stay clean and sober.'

"Weigand denied pushing Scientology or the Narconon program. He said he
did not find work for Cournaya's clients. His real estate holdings have no
relation to Scientology, now or in the future, he said.

"Steve Kautz, head of This House, applauds Cournaya's intentions but said
he has taken on too much, too soon. 'His is not a recovery house; it's
more of a shelter,' Kautz said. 'It's a very dangerous recipe. What
they're doing is winging it. It's scary.' Isay Gulley, executive director
of Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services, said a proliferation of new
halfway houses runs counter to her mission of trying to stabilize the
neighborhood. She said she's all for people getting help but worries that
transient population might discourage potential homeowners from investing
in North Greenwood.

"Weigands' properties in Clearwater have been purchased in the last three
years and most are co-owned with Mark Nickels, a Seattle-based building
contractor and major contributor to the Flag Service Building under
construction in downtown Clearwater. Church spokesman Ben Shaw said
Thursday Scientology has no ties, or interest in, Weigand's properties.
'Whatever he's doing is his business,' Shaw said."

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on March 10th discussed
the growth of Scientology missions in the Clearwater area.

"Gee, where can I sign up to give my $1,500 check to the Scientologist
cult to walk on its treadmill, use its sauna and feel better with a
spiritual awakening?  The awakening? From a group of atheists who worship
L. Ron Hubbard? This is a man who lived for years on boats so the U.S.
government couldn't nail him for crimes and back taxes.

"I worked as a volunteer at the Lisa McPherson Trust. I remember best the
poor mother who came and asked if we could help her see her daughter.
Twice at the door to their building downtown, she was turned away, told
that 'her daughter was in audit and couldn't be seen.' The next time she
was told that her daughter had left for California! Ah, such wonderful
'hope-for-man' people. - M.L. Fitzpatrick, Dunedin

"I applaud your article covering the new missions in the Clearwater-St.
Petersburg area. Given the amount of crime, illiteracy, drug use, economic
strain and threat of war and terrorism we face, people need to know that
something can be done about it. Only by knowing that a person can do
something effective can you then increase the person's ability to hope for
a decent future for their friends and family.

"I have been successfully applying Scientology methods to my life for the
past 12 years. The most important thing I have learned is that it is okay
to improve your own life as long as you are also trying to improve the
lives of others. My company supports a local literacy center, and we have
helped hundreds of children learn to read. We also support effective drug
rehabilitation methods that have saved many lives.

"The fact that there are several missions that will be opened in the near
future is proof that something effective can be done about improving
conditions in a person's life. - Jim Mathers, Clearwater"

Message-ID: <874ca.18267$gU.760358@...>
Message-ID: <cekca.18279$gU.762513@...>

#####

> Volunteer Ministers

Chris Owen reported that a Volunteer Ministers event is currently running
in London.

"The Church of Scientology's 'Volunteer Ministers Cavalcade' has turned up
in London. A traveling exhibition in a mustard-yellow tent is currently in
Victoria Embankment Gardens. The exhibition runs from 7th-21st March 2003,
10am-6pm. This is part of Scientology's Europe-wide tour of the Volunteer
Ministers. ED Int Guilliaume Lesevre described the Volunteer Ministers'
activities in a presentation to Scientologists last year.

"'Mr. Lesevre showed attendees a series of billboards to drive people into
our cavalcade announcing that we are coming, saying 'NO MATTER THE PROBLEM
IN LIFE, SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT, VOLUNTEER MINISTER CAVALCADE,
Real help is coming' with the date and location. Explaining how each city
will be plastered with newspaper ads and posters announcing the cavalcade
and hug banners on the local org, the cavalcade will be transported to the
next European city where we have an org. There it will stand, a full-blown
Volunteer Minister pavilion, 3,000 square feet in size and the VM team
accompanying the cavalcade will get into immediate production, delivering
VM services, seminars, courses and workshops to hundreds of people at a
time.'"

Message-ID: <f758becc.0303121652.72332d25@...>

#####

> Ireland

The Irish Times reported on March 12th that Scientology asked the court
not to discriminate against Scientology by allowing testimony from a
Psychologist on the practice of auditing. The case was brought by Mary
Johnston against the Scientology org and several leaders for conspiracy,
misrepresentation, breach of constitutional rights and negligence.

"For the court to admit evidence from a psychologist which was critical of
the practice of auditing - described as the core and single most important
way in which Scientologists profess and practise their religious belief -
would be akin to conducting a judicial inquiry into the legitimacy of the
Sacrament of the Mass in Roman Catholicism, it was argued. This was
impermissible under the constitutional guarantee of the free profession
and practise of religion.

"In submissions on behalf of the church, it was argued Scientology had
been recognised as a religion by many governments worldwide, and must be
treated the same as any other religion here. Mr Michael Collins SC, for
the church, was objecting to the court hearing evidence from a
psychologist, whom it sought to call on behalf of Ms Mary Johnston in her
continuing action for damages.

"Mr Collins said Ms Johnston was seeking to adduce evidence which would
presumably be primarily directed to the effects of auditing and whether it
involved some form of hypnosis and the consequences of auditing for Ms
Johnston. Mr Michael Cush SC, for Ms Johnston, argued he was entitled to
call the psychologist. He referred to a previous ruling by Mr Justice
Peart in relation to such evidence and said Mr Collins was not entitled to
reargue the point and 'blur' the issue. It was for the judge to decide
whether Scientology was a religion and the judge might conclude it was
entirely misguided. Mr Cush said it was Ms Johnston's case that
Scientology was a pseudo-religious cult."

From the Irish Times on March 13th:

"A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology appeared to have been
hypnotised while undergoing an auditing session by a member of the church,
a psychologist told the High Court yesterday. Ms Mary Johnston appeared to
have been subjected to 'very curious' and 'not very good' therapy. Dr
Peter Naish, a chartered psychologist who has written extensively on
hypnosis, said it was his view Ms Johnston was very susceptible to
hypnosis.

"Asked about hypnosis, he said there was nothing intrinsically harmful in
the practice per se. However, when it was used as a vehicle for some kind
of therapy, the person using it must be able to deal with the subject's
reactions. There was a concern that if a subject became distressed, the
hypnotist might retraumatise them. Not all people were susceptible to
hypnosis. In his view, Ms Johnston was highly susceptible.

"Mr Cush read extracts from Dianetics - The Modern Science of Mental
Health, by the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, and also outlined
extracts from Ms Johnston's evidence to the court. He said the extracts
from Dianetics indicated that what was involved in auditing was hypnosis.
It appeared hypnosis was being used as a vehicle and that material was
being developed in an emotional context."

RTE News reported on March 13th that the case was settled by the
participants.

"A High Court action for damages by a Dublin sports shop owner against the
Church of Scientology has ended after out of court talks. No details of
the settlement were disclosed but costs in the action are estimated to be
around 2 million Euros.

"Mary Johnston joined the Church of Scientology in 1992. In her legal
proceedings against the Church and three members of the Dublin Mission,
she claimed she suffered a personality charge after being sucked into the
grasp of the church and subjected to mind control techniques. She claimed
efforts were made to prevent her leaving the church and to silence,
devalue and intimidate her and prevent her taking her legal proceedings.
She claimed she suffered psychological and psychiatric injuries."

Message-ID: <7sd07v87980fc0uh5fc8vmp51mc6snst65@...>
Message-ID: <iG3ca.18266$gU.760269@...>
Message-ID: <ine37v0bdfvdcdr761hr2eqb586bsogtoo@...>

#####

> Kelly Preston

An article by MSNBC on March 13th questioned an appearance by Scientology
celebrity Kelly Preston on a repeat airing of the Montel Williams show.

"Was Kelly Preston providing a valuable public service on a Montel
Williams show? Or was she merely touting some controversial policies of
Scientology? Preston, who with hubby John Travolta is a devout
Scientologist, appeared on the talk show Wednesday, discussing the health
woes of their son. Then she told how his ailments were cured by following
the detoxification procedures in 'Clear Body Clear Mind' a posthumously
published book by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

"Also featured on the show, which was a rebroadcast, was Michael Wisner,
who was introduced as 'Toxicologist to the Stars.' Wisner, too, is a
Scientologist, who promotes Hubbard in his Sacramento, Calif., clinic,
according to Rick Ross, whose Web site, www.cultnews.com, notes that the
word 'Scientologist' was never used on the show.

"Also not discussed, says Ross, were the potential risks and side effects
of Hubbard's treatment. 'Montel's show was devoid of any meaningful
critical balance that might help viewers develop a more informed
understanding about this supposed process of 'purification.' Instead,
Williams provides a platform for Kelly Preston to essentially use his show
much like an infomercial to promote her Scientology beliefs.'"

Message-ID: <a_0ca.18264$gU.759865@...>

#####

> Camille Paglia

The gossip column of the New York Post on March 16th published the views
of essayist Camille Paglia on Scientology.

"The trendiest religion in Hollywood was founded on the teachings of a
Satanist, a new essay by Camille Paglia claims.  According to an article
by Paglia in Boston University's Arion journal, Hubbard got many of his
ideas from infamous devil worshipper Alistair Crowley.

"'Hubbard had met Crowley in the latter's Los Angeles temple in 1945,'
Paglia writes. 'Hubbard's son reveals that Hubbard claimed to be Crowley's
successor: Hubbard told him that Scientology was born on the day that
Crowley died.' According to the article, Scientologists perform some of
the same rites that Crowley invented, all designed to free practitioners
from human guilt.  'Drills used by Scientologists to cleanse and clarify
the mind are evidently a reinterpretation of Crowley's singular fusion of
Asian meditation and Satanic ritualism, which sharpens the all-conquering
will. Guilt and remorse, in the Crowley way, are mere baggage to be
jettisoned,' Paglia says."

Message-ID: <20030316033644.18599.00000006@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 50
3/23/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported in articles on March 18th and 23rd that
a group of Scientologists have purchased one of the large office buildings
in downtown Clearwater, Florida.

"A group of international investors who frequently visit the Church of
Scientology's downtown religious retreat have purchased a nine-story
office building one block away. Despite its proximity to the church, the
building anchored by the AmSouth bank will not be leased or sold to the
church, said Tom Wright, a spokesman for the investors. The white
building, which overlooks Clearwater Harbor, sold for $8.2-million March
4.

"Its location and position as one of downtown's largest buildings have
created a buzz about what the future holds. That buzz intensified as word
spread that the new owners are Scientologists. The church has no plans to
buy or lease any part of the building, said church spokesman Ben Shaw. 'I
can assure you, the church has no interest in it,' he said. 'These are
just businessmen, and from what I understand, very successful
businessmen.'

"On Monday, Assistant City Manager Ralph Stone said the city is anxious to
hear what's in store for the AmSouth building. 'We certainly want to meet
with them and see what their plans are,' he said of the new owners.
'Because that's a key piece of downtown property.' Tenants said they were
assured they wouldn't have to move.

"Last week, Kevin Burke, one of the new owners, made the rounds at the
AmSouth building to introduce himself. He told Martin Richardson of
Corporate Sports Marketing Group Inc. to expect 'business as usual,'
Richardson said. 'Our first thought was, 'Do they want all
non-Scientologists out?' Richardson said. 'That doesn't seem to be the
case.'

"The other investors are Roberto Santos, Elias Jaffif and Marcos Salame,
according to corporate records. The investors bought the property from
Decade Gulfcoast Office Partners, headed by Jeffrey Keierleber. Records
from the county Property Appraiser's Office show Decade Gulfcoast bought
the property in 1996 for $3.1-million."

"Forget the nine-story AmSouth building, the real gem in the recent
purchase of 400 Cleveland St. by a group of international investors
appears to be the parking lot that came with it. On that paved lot, the
investors tentatively plan to build a high-rise, said Lee Arnold, whose
real estate firm helped broker the AmSouth purchase.

"Arnold said he met two weeks ago with Elias Jaffif, one of the four
investors, all of whom are Scientologists who noticed the property while
visiting Clearwater for Scientology services. Arnold said Jaffif told him
the investors are interested in developing some mix of uses in a
high-rise: perhaps condos and hotel rooms or offices, atop a parking
garage and street-level retail stores. Jaffif also seemed very interested
in including a movie theater, Arnold said.

"News of the prominent building's sale last week to a group of
Scientologists resulted in a range of reactions. 'There are definitely
different camps in town,' said city Commissioner Frank Hibbard. One camp,
he said, had this reaction: 'Oh, no, they (Scientologists) are buying
more.' The other camp thought it irrelevant that the buyers are
Scientologists, he said, so long as they are committed to improving the
downtown. 'I would just like to see this land stay on the tax rolls and be
around for larger overall development,' Hibbard said.

"Some downtown business owners said who bought the building, and what they
may plan to do with it, is less important than the city's commitment to
the downtown. 'To me, it (the purchase) doesn't mean anything,' said Terry
Tsafatinos, who owns five commercial properties downtown, several of which
he rents to Scientologists with small businesses. 'I don't think
Scientologists, by themselves, can save the downtown.'

"A lingering negative attitude about the Church of Scientology's large
downtown presence is one big reason some people won't invest there, he
said. 'That's why we suffer,' Tsafatinos said. 'People, they discriminate
against each other. Some people are afraid of Scientologists for no reason
at all. They have to stop that.'"

The St. Petersburg Times reported on March 22nd that a candidate for Mayor
of Clearwater was introduced to a group of Scientologists interested in
her campaign.

"Several weeks ago, political consultant Mary Repper told mayoral
candidate Pam Iorio that several friends wanted to meet her. But the
introduction came with a warning. Her friends included prominent members
of the Church of Scientology, Repper said.  'They were interested in my
candidacy,' Iorio said Friday, adding she doesn't ask supporters about
their religious backgrounds. 'I viewed them as individuals who lived in
Tampa and knew of my record and wanted to offer support. I truly treat all
people the same and all people with respect.'

"Years ago, Repper said, she would have never introduced a mayoral
candidate to a group of Scientologists. The church was too much of an
issue. Now, Repper said she has invited Hillsborough County commissioners,
City Council members and other elected officials to meet Scientologists.
'I work with a lot of elected officials who turn to the church,' Repper
said.

"Repper said the Scientologists who held the fundraiser for Iorio also
helped her opponent, Frank Sanchez. Campaign finance records show the
three Scientologists gave a total of $800 to Sanchez."

Message-ID: <rPFda.18330$gU.773025@...>
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#####

> The Way to Happiness

An email sent to Dutch Scientologists urged them to collect copies of The
Way to Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard for shipment to Iraq.

"I received the following order from Int management: 'Collect 10.000 Way
to Happiness booklets from The Netherlands to send to Iraq.' The threat of
war in Iraq increases by the hour. My father and brother are at this
moment in Israel. They have sealed the houses, a gasmask lies next to
their chair. Despite the reports there is much fear that Saddam Hussein
will attack Israel with chemical weapons. The Org too has been blinded and
sealed.

"There are thousands of WTH booklets in Arabic printed and lying ready to
be sent out in Copenhagen. The Netherlands has the quota of 10,000. One
booklet can prevent a wrong decision and can trigger a decision to not
commit a murder. See what you can do and mail or call me back. It's gotta
be quick! We have no time to lose. This is a 'call to arms'!

"Omri Paz,
Head, Books Department
Amsterdam Org"

Message-ID: <vjfi7v8a7i2svsf8e5iir5v6abpsreto5a@...>

#####

> Taiwan

Reuters reported on March 20th that the government of Taiwan has
recognized Scientology as a religion.

"'At this time of world peril, our recognition in Taiwan reflects a
country where diversity is celebrated rather than politicized,' Rev. Heber
C. Jentzsch, president of the Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology
International, said, adding that Taiwan is the 100th government
acknowledgment or recognition of Scientology internationally."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0303220604.5737551d@...>

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 7, Issue 51
3/30/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> UK

The Daily Telegraph reported on March 27th that the Advertising Standards
Authority has ruled against Scientology advertisements claiming that
250,000 people have been helped to give up drugs. The authority relies on
public opinion and publicity rather than governmental authority to enforce
its rulings.

"The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint against the
Church of Scientology, which stated in a poster that it had rescued
250,000 people from drug addiction. The council said that the worldwide
religious movement had not proved its claim that as many as a quarter of a
million addicts had stopped using drugs as a direct result of
Scientology's intervention.

"The Church of England's Birmingham diocese and several members of the
public had objected to the poster, which was produced by the
Scientologists to publicise a tour of parts of the country. The poster
read: 'Scientology: applied religious philosophy. 250,000 people salvaged
from drugs.' There was also a free telephone number and a website address.

From the Birmingham Post on March 26th:

"The Diocese of Birmingham complained that the poster breached the parts
of the advertising code which related to truthfulness, honesty and
substantiation. The letter added that the claims made were 'both dishonest
and also misleading by both ambiguity and exaggeration'.

"In upholding the complaint, the ASA said they were 'concerned that the
advertisers had not proved that all those enrolled on the programmes were
dependent on drugs at the time of the enrolment or that as many as 250,000
drug users had stopped using those drugs as a direct result of
Scientology's intervention.'"

From The Guardian on March 27:

"The ruling related to a poster coinciding with a campaign run two years
ago by the church. In effect it claimed that the church had saved all
those who had completed its drug programmes. It did not mention that its
definition of drug use included an occasional alcoholic drink or
prescription medicine, and exposure to chemical toxins.

"The ASA judgment said: 'The authority accepted that the programmes had
enabled many people to overcome a dependency on drugs but was concerned
that the advertisers had not proved that all those enrolled were dependent
on street or prescription drugs at the time of enrolment, or that as many
as 250,000 drug users had stopped as a direct result of Scientology's
intervention.'"

Mad.co.uk reported on March 26th that a second complaint against the claim
that Scientology is capable of helping people stop taking drugs was denied
by the ASA.

"The Church of Scientology has been rapped by the ASA for an ad, which
claimed the church had saved 250,000 people from drugs. While
acknowledging the religion's views on drug use and its steps to prevent
drug abuse among its members, the ASA did not accept that all those
enrolled on the church's programmes were existing drug users, or had
stopped taking drugs as a direct result of intervention by the church.

"However the industry regulator failed to uphold a second complaint
objecting to the claim that Scientology could help people kick a drug
habit. The ASA felt the church had provided sufficient evidence to
substantiate its claim."

From the text of the adjudication:

"The Authority accepted that more than 250,000 people had undertaken the
Church's Drug Purification and Drug Rundown programmes, the Authority
understood that, within Scientology, the concept of 'drug use' referred to
a variety of behaviours that ranged from heavy use of street drugs to
occasional ingestion of alcohol or prescription medicines and exposure to
chemical toxins. It understood that, because the Church of Scientology
described itself as a 'drug-free community,' members were encouraged to
identify their patterns of drug use and free themselves from habits that
contravened Scientology's philosophy. Although it acknowledged the terms
of Scientology's philosophy on drug use, the Authority considered that,
without clarification, readers were likely to interpret the claim '250,000
people salvaged from drugs' to mean that 250,000 people had stopped being
dependent on street or prescription drugs because of Scientology. The
Authority accepted that the drug Purification Rundown and Drug Rundown
programmes the advertisers offered had enabled many people to overcome a
dependency on drugs but was nevertheless concerned that the advertisers
had not proved that all those enrolled on the programmes were dependent on
street or prescription drugs at the time of enrolment or that as many as
250,000 drug users had stopped using those drugs as a direct result of
Scientology's intervention. The Authority welcomed the advertisers'
assurance that the poster was no longer appearing and advised them to make
clear the terms of their definition of drugs in future advertising.

"The Authority considered that the advertisers' evidence showed that many
people with a damaging drug habit had stopped taking drugs with help from
Scientology and did not object on those grounds."

Message-ID: <Uo6ga.18394$gU.791957@...>
Message-ID: <3e471c14.0303261656.59e528e6@...>
Message-ID: <3e471c14.0303261705.32c45a58@...>
Message-ID: <QZDga.18409$gU.796115@...>
Message-ID: <bVDga.18408$gU.796115@...>

#####

> Birthday Event

"Cerridwen" reported on the annual L. Ron Hubbard birthday event held in
Clearwater on March 21st.

"The LRH Birthday Event was held at the Ruth Eckert Hall and then held
again on March 22nd in the outer orgs of the US and Canada. The theme
around this event was 'Help' and how great it is to help others and how
the C of S needs your help in Clearing the Planet. It seems the best way
to help is to join staff or the Sea Org and if not, then the second best
thing is to be on the Bridge as much as possible, preferably, full time.

"The event is held at Flag on Friday night and then is sent via satellite
to the local orgs in order for the event to be held the next night. The
event seen at the local orgs or at the Shrine in LA is always a video of
the event. The reason it is not live, is because they want to be able to
edit it before everyone sees it.

"All the big money people get to sit up front at an event. This is the
case in local orgs as well. Patrons of the IAS, per policy get to sit in
the first few rows. The more money you gave to the IAS, the closer to the
front row you get.

"The stage has is gold and gaudy with Gold columns, gold dais, huge gold
replicas of the Birthday Game winners cup and the a photo of LRH that has
to be 40 to 50 feet tall, by 12 feet wide.  DM arrives to a standing
ovation. DM starts talking about all war and giving his take on it.  All
of a sudden he came to a stop and said 'and so I welcome you to the 2003
LRH Birthday event' and the crowd went wild with cheers. It was really
weird.

"DM then introduced the LRH Biographer Dan Sherman.  Dan's gig was to show
us video taped interviews of non-Scientologists that knew and had some
dealing with LRH and what a superior human being LRH really was.  The
first video was of a man who attended George University with LRH.  He
spoke about LRH and what a great guy he was and some of the fun things
they did together, including learning how to put on a turban. There was
one of Edd Charitier who was an illustrator for many of LRH's early Sci Fi
works, a man who was a crew member of the ship the 895 that LRH commanded,
the gardener at Saint Hill Manor and a black man from South Africa, who
held the 'houseboy' job when LRH lived there. The all gave video
testimonials to what an absolutely fucking fabulous guy LRH really was.

"Mark Yager spoke about the 'unprecedented expansion' and then all of a
sudden all these tech stat graphs started appearing on the screen and
stayed up on the screen for 2 seconds. There was no way anyone could
actually read them or see what the numbers on them were. But per Mark each
and every one of the Scientology tech stats -

"We get to see a video presentation of the brand new Tampa Org. I have to
admit it was very nicely done, if you like that early attic look. I happen
to know that Tampa org had an awful time getting their new building
renovated and moved because of the 6,000 Scientologists that live in the
Tampa area only a handful showed up to help reno and moved the org.

"We have a new Class V Org formed in Athens, Georgia. The ED of the Athens
Org gets a standing Ovation as he walks from the audience to the stage
while the Golden Era Musicians play Greek Music. It's done in the same way
that Oscar winners are filmed walking down the aisle to the stage while
the appropriate theme song is played for them. He promises that 'I'll be
back' soon to collect his Saint Hill Size Award.

"Winner of the Mission Birthday game
Third place: Kansas City (Kirstie Alley's Mission).
Second place: A mission in the Ukraine.
First Place: Cercedilla, Spain.

"Class V Orgs
Third place: Verona, Italy.
Second place: St. Petersburg, Russia.
Winner: Milano, Italy.

"Sea Org Orgs
Third Place: ASHO Day.
Second Place: AO Europe.
First Place: Celebrity Center Int.

"CLO's or Continental Liaison Offices.
Third Place: Latam (Latin America).
Second Place: WUS (Western United States}.
First Place: Europe.

"The event wrapped up with DM showing us some of the newly purchased
Scientology properties. The first one was in Buffalo, New York.  Then DM
showed us the newly purchased 'historic Landmark' that was purchased in
San Francisco. Per DM, the C of S purchased the original Trans America
Building which is right across the street from the current pyramid shaped
Trans America building.

"DM asked the crowd, who in this society is the leader in cultural changes
in music, fashion.  The answer per DM is Black America. So with this in
mind, the C of S purchased a building on 125 Street in Harlem, New York."

Message-ID: <8ZYDIMMV37705.6162847222@...>

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on March 26th that a proposed drug
treatment center is turning to Scientology, hoping to receive the donation
of a building in downtown Clearwater.

"The Pinellas-Pasco public defender wants to put a new drug and alcohol
dry-out center in or around downtown, a plan that has riled city
officials, who fear such a facility would undercut their efforts to
kick-start redevelopment in the struggling business corridor. 'We don't
want to just be known as the place to come for people who have issues like
that,' said Mayor Brian Aungst.

"Public defender Bob Dillinger argues that locating a facility downtown is
common sense. That's where the problem is, he said. Among those Dillinger
has approached for help is the Church of Scientology, which owns numerous
downtown properties. Dillinger said he needs a donated building to
duplicate in North Pinellas the treatment services offered in St.
Petersburg by Turning Point, an independently operated, government funded
detox center. Turning Point serves 3,000 people a year, and Dillinger said
he figured to help roughly half that number with a new center in
Clearwater.

"Several city officials said one property Dillinger targeted is a building
owned by the Church of Scientology at 601 Grand Central St., a block east
of Morton Plant Mease Hospital. The building operates as a church mill,
where workers make furniture and internal fixtures for the church's Flag
Service Building under construction in downtown Clearwater. The church is
'definitely willing' to help Dillinger, church spokesman Ben Shaw said,
but the mill may be off limits. 'We need that building,' he said.

"Shaw said the church is committed to a solution. 'We're a player in the
downtown,' he said, 'and it's a downtown problem.'"

Message-ID: <Rbjga.18401$gU.793648@...>

#####

> Narconon

The St. Petersburg Times reported on March 30th on a Narconon facility
that has been operating in Clearwater for the past 10 months.

"At Tampa Bay's newest alternative to mainstream drug treatment, the
license issued by the state hangs next to commendations from the Church of
Scientology. Narconon, a controversial drug treatment program based on
techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, has opened its
first Florida facility in Clearwater in a commercial park off U.S. 19.

"The facility's client list, its director said, is mostly mid- to
upper-level executives - doctors, lawyers and business professionals - who
are recreational drug users. The staff of five includes a certified
addictions specialist and a registered nurse.

"Critics contend that Narconon is a recruitment tool for Scientology.
Narconon International president Clark Carr calls the charge 'baloney,'
but concedes 10 to 15 percent who complete the program become
Scientologists. The director of the new Clearwater Narconon, Cheryl
Alderman, a Clearwater resident and a longtime Scientologist, sank
$100,000 of her own money into the venture and opened it quietly 10 months
ago. The program got a boost from Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst, who
issued a proclamation for 'Narconon Day.'

"Now Alderman plans to do what no other Narconon program in the country
does: Get taxpayer assistance in the form of state and federal grants. She
also plans to seek referrals from local court systems and permission to
teach a Narconon-based prevention program in Pinellas public schools. Some
in the political elite indicate they will listen. Pinellas County
Commissioner Susan Latvala and Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judges Linda Allan
and Linda Babb have toured the facility and left impressed. Pinellas
Public Defender Robert Dillinger said he could envision courts sending
offenders there. Government money and partnerships would subject the
Clearwater facility to closer government scrutiny than any other Narconon
facility has encountered. Alderman said her program is ready.

"The Clearwater Narconon is financed by private Scientologists, Alderman
said, and enjoys only a 'supportive' relationship with the Church of
Scientology, whose international spiritual headquarters are in downtown
Clearwater. Narconon's mission, she said, is to get people off drugs.
Period.

"Its ties to Scientology are undeniable. Scientologists are major
contributors, and when volunteers are needed, Alderman simply calls the
church. With one exception, every Narconon in the country is run by a
Scientologist. Narconon also embraces Hubbard's opposition to psychiatric
drugs. It sells itself as an alternative, drug-free treatment program. It
does not use psychiatric drugs or methadone, common at most mainstream
detoxification facilities for treatment of heroin and morphine addicts.

"'There is no data that that kind of experience reduces the level of
toxins,' said Dr. Raymond Harbison, professor of environmental and
occupational health in the College of Public Health at the University of
South Florida. Others question the program's stance against treatment
drugs and psychiatry. As many as 40 percent of drug addicts need
psychiatric treatment, sometimes including drugs, said Nancy Hamilton,
chief executive officer of Tampa Bay's largest drug treatment program,
Operation PAR. And drugs such as methadone, properly applied, improve the
odds of getting heroin and opiate addicts clean, Hamilton said.

"Despite the skepticism, Clearwater's Narconon is gaining acceptance.
Tampa's DACCO, a drug treatment program, has referred clients. So has
Pinellas-based Operation PAR, Alderman said. The latest edition of
Scientology's Freedom magazine carries a ringing endorsement from Dr.
Betty Buchan, vice president for research and laboratory services for
Operation PAR. Buchan's comments landed her in trouble with her boss.
Buchan has no authority to endorse a program for PAR, Hamilton said. If
PAR employees referred clients to Narconon - computer records show no such
referrals, Hamilton said - that should cease until PAR formally reviews
Narconon.

"County Commissioner Latvala said she is open to Narconon as an
alternative. A former Pinellas School Board member, Latvala remembers
school officials rebuffing an attempt several years ago to teach a
Narconon prevention program. The feeling among many, she said, was: 'It's
just Scientology.  Oooo, don't do that. The Church of Scientology is here
to stay,' Latvala said. 'They are doing a lot of good in the community. If
they are teaching kids to say no to drugs, what's wrong with that? If (the
drug treatment program) works, I'm all for it.'

"When Narconon opened its Chilocco facility in 1991, the Oklahoma Board of
Mental Health issued a blistering assessment in denying its application
for certification. 'There is no credible evidence establishing the
effectiveness of the Narconon program to its patients,' the board
concluded. It attacked the program as medically unsafe; dismissed the
sauna program as unproven; and criticized Narconon for inappropriately
taking some patients off prescribed psychiatric medication."

Message-ID: <mzCha.18426$gU.803080@...>

#####

> Org News

The St. Petersburg Times reported on March 28th that the new Tampa org has
opened after renovating a former cigar factory.

"When the sign 'Church of Scientology Tampa' went up outside the stylishly
renovated cigar factory next to her home, several other neighbors warned
her it was 'more like a cult than a church.' But after several weeks, all
she notices now is the busy parking lot. 'I can't complain,' said Furlow,
28. 'They seem like nice people.'

"Saturday will mark the grand opening of the Church of Scientology's new
Tampa home. The four-story, 18,000-square-foot facility at 3102 Habana
Ave., purchased last year for $1.1-million, demonstrates the church's
burgeoning growth on the other side of Tampa Bay from Clearwater. For
years, Scientology maintained a nominal presence in Tampa, operating out
of a small leased building on Henderson Boulevard in South Tampa. Now,
church officials say, the church's Tampa membership has ballooned to
5,000. About 12,000 Scientologists are said to live in the bay area.

"The Tampa facility will offer courses, lectures and counseling geared to
longtime Scientologists. It also will welcome newcomers. Services will be
provided in Spanish and English. Some offerings will be free -
personality, IQ and aptitude testing. Scientology's 'purification rundown'
will be offered. It aims to remove harmful toxins through vigorous
exercise followed by several hours in a sauna in conjunction with a
regimen of vitamins, minerals and oils. The facility has several
treadmills and a sauna large enough for 20 people. On the top floor is the
Hubbard Guidance Center, where 14 rooms have been readied for Scientology
counseling, called auditing.

"Scientologists have made substantial efforts recently to establish the
church as members of the Tampa community. The church was one of 30 'gold
level' contributors pledging at least $200,000 to Tampa's failed bid to
land the 2012 Olympics. Church members also got involved in the Tampa
mayoral race, hosting a fundraiser for Pam Iorio. Political consultant
Mary Repper, who arranged the Iorio fundraiser, said she suggested it to
some friends who are Scientologists as a way to avoid in Tampa some of the
controversy the church generated when it quietly moved into Clearwater in
the 1970s.

"'They've done a beautiful job with the building,' said Javier Plasencia,
who runs a cigar shop next door. 'They came in and introduced themselves
and told us a little bit about their organization. They seem okay. They
seem very friendly. The courses they offer are life improvement things,'
he said. 'Heck, who can knock bettering people's lives, if that's their
agenda.'

"But Earl Haugabook, president of the West Tampa Chamber of Commerce, is
wary of the church, given its controversial history in Clearwater. 'An
organization like Scientology, which has basically taken over downtown
Clearwater, is not the type of organization we want in the West Tampa
area,' Haugabook said. 'But they purchased it, and it's their property.
We're going to have to live with it.'"

The San Francisco Business Times reported on March 21st that the San
Francisco org has purchased a building and intends to relocate.

"The Church of Scientology, Hubbard's celebrity-laden religious
organization, has purchased 701 Montgomery St. for approximately $7
million. That's an eye-popping $350 per square foot for the
20,000-square-foot building. The Church of Scientology will move from its
current 40,000-square-foot building at 83 McAllister St."

Message-ID: <pVWga.18413$gU.798503@...>
Message-ID: <7ADfa.18376$gU.788016@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

The Los Angeles Times reported on March 26th that investors in the Reed
Slatkin Ponzi scheme will attempt to recover funds from Scientology, and a
judge has ruled that the records of donations must be handed over.

"Investors defrauded of $255 million by EarthLink Inc. co-founder Reed
Slatkin are hoping to recover funds from the Church of Scientology
International and six affiliated organizations that allegedly wound up
with tens of millions of dollars from the investment scam. The investors
won an initial battle when a bankruptcy judge in Santa Barbara recently
refused to block subpoenas ordering the Scientology groups to hand over
records of money transferred to them by certain Slatkin investors who came
out ahead financially. The subpoenas also seek records of communications
the groups had about Slatkin, a longtime but now excommunicated
Scientologist who was known for his celebrity clientele.

"The subpoenas mark the first legal targeting of church entities. No suits
have been filed against the church or the affiliates. Attorneys expect
months of legal wrangling before the subpoenas might yield anything.
Lawyers for the church groups, who sought to block the subpoenas, won a
partial victory from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robin Riblet, who is overseeing
Slatkin's bankruptcy. The judge ruled Friday that they can participate in
the subpoena process. That will allow the groups to mount further legal
challenges and to have access to any documents that are made public.

"One of the claims made to try to block the subpoenas was that details of
money transfers are protected by 'clergy-communicant privileges' - the
status accorded to the confessing of sins to a priest. But attorneys for
the trustee and the committee of unsecured creditors questioned in court
documents 'how a simple monetary transfer, where no communication was
involved, would violate any clergy-communicant privileges.' Legally, there
is no protection for third parties such as the Church of Scientology if it
can be shown that they received supposed profits from Slatkin, said
Alexander Pilmer, an attorney for the trustee and creditors.  'We believe
that Scientology entities received tens of millions of dollars from
Slatkin or from Slatkin's Ponzi scheme,' Pilmer said.

"Slatkin pleaded guilty nearly a year ago to fraud, money laundering and
conspiracy charges carrying a potential sentence of up to 15 years.
Slatkin's plea agreement allowed him to request a lighter sentence because
of what the plea agreement called the 'psychological impact of his
association with certain individuals and/or groups,' a reference to his
membership in the Church of Scientology and long and close relationship
with some prominent members.

"Linda Simmons Hight, a spokeswoman for the church in Los Angeles, said
Slatkin 'used his position in the church to suck in Scientologists who
were victimized along with other people.' Pilmer said dozens of people who
profited from Slatkin's scheme have settled the claims. The latest
settlement, approved Friday by Riblet, was with CNN legal commentator
Greta Van Susteren and her husband, tobacco litigator John Coale. They
agreed to pay about $700,000 - about 81 cents on the dollar for the
profits Slatkin paid them."

Message-ID: <Tejga.18402$gU.793648@...>

#####

> Spam

"Glennf" reported on March 26th that a marketing company hired by
Scientology is sending out unsolicited emails asking for recipients to
link to Scientology web sites. This would have the effect of boosting
Scientology's prominence in search engines.

"We would like very much to exchange links with your site, but to do it
with a twist. Do to a long standing policy that prohibits the Church of
Scientology from reciprocating links, we are not able to provide a link
back. However, we do have a few sites that we could link you with.

"Regards,
Ignite Business Solutions
http://www.ignitebiz.com
linkpartners@..."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0303270758.11aebbe6@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 1
4/6/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Belgium

Frankfurter Rundschau reported on March 30th that members of Scientology
have been charged as being part of a criminal association.

"A spokesman for the public prosecutor's office has confirmed that
proceedings are being instituted against the members of the sect who had
been the subject of previous reports in the Belgian media. Apparently the
action that has been taken is the consequence of 25 house searches carried
out against Scientology in 1999.  Investigations at the time had been
triggered by a former member of the sect, who had demanded the repayment
of the contributions and course fees he had paid. All nine accused are
also being charged with being members of a criminal association It now
remains only for the charges to be approved by the appropriate court.

"La Libre Belgique, a French-language Catholic daily newspaper, reported
that the house searches in 1999 had provided grounds for believing that
several members of parliament, a journalist and members of the Belgian
Gendarmerie (an organisation that has since been dissolved and absorbed
into the local and federal police force) were also members of the sect.
Furthermore, links with Belgium's extreme right wing had emerged during
this operation.

"A fact-finding parliamentary committee had included Scientology on the
list of sects and classified it as 'damaging and dangerous.' In a petition
to Mary Robinson, the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the
Scientology organisation demanded the return of 2000 files that had been
seized by van Espen."

Message-ID: <3e8e070a$1@...>

#####

> Prison workers

The Buffalo News reported on April 6th that prisoners worked to renovate
the new Scientology org in Buffalo, New York.

"Buffalo's Church of Scientology, soon to be forced from its downtown
church for a new city parking ramp, turned to Erie County prison inmates
to help get its new Main Street home ready. A crew of six inmates from the
Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden, dressed in orange prison
jumpsuits and guarded by corrections officers, spent the last month
helping with interior renovations in the new Scientology Church at Main
and Virginia streets.

"Sheriff Patrick M. Gallivan, questioned Thursday by The Buffalo News
about a government agency providing free labor to a church, removed the
prison crew from the building several hours later. 'He decided to pull
them until they resolve this,' said Mary Murray, a spokeswoman for the
sheriff.

"Gallivan earlier told The News that, while he had a firm policy that
prison crews could only provide labor to county departments and non-profit
groups, he had never thought about the longtime tradition of separating
church and state. 'Now that the issue is raised, we will immediately look
at it,' Gallivan said. 'It's just something we hadn't considered, and it's
apparent we should have.'

"The county's assistance comes after a Scientology benefactor and church
member financed a trip to inspect Mexican prisons for H. McCarthy Gibson,
the county's top jail administrator, and one of his deputy
superintendents, Robert Huggins. Gibson said they took the trip in October
2001 to look at a Scientology anti-drug program being used in Mexican
prisons that he thought might work here. It was never begun at the county
prison.

"Gallivan said helping the church renovate its new home was unrelated,
suggested by a West Seneca insurance agent impressed by the prison crew's
work on another project. 'I think it's an outstanding program,' the
sheriff said of the prison's Service Assistance Corps. 'We're providing a
service to the community and the inmates are doing something productive
with their time, rather than just sitting there.'

"The Internal Revenue Service designated Scientology a church for tax
purposes a decade ago. That's enough for Rob Boston, a spokesman for
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a lobby group in
Washington, D.C. 'Houses of worship should be built by private donations
without any help from government at all,' he said.

"Gibson, the county's chief prison administrator, said the inmates working
on the building were model prisoners who are considered prison trustees.
He said there were no sex offenders or violent offenders among them. 'It's
an inmate works program,' he said. 'These are people who have never had an
opportunity to work before. We designed the Service Action Corps to do
some non-profit community related projects.'

"Gibson said the trip to Mexico that he and Huggins took allowed them to
see a Scientology Second Chance drug program that uses long sessions in a
sauna with large doses of vitamins and minerals. 'It was a holistic
program involving saunas and a vitamin regimen that actually purged the
toxins out of your body,' he said. Gibson said he had hoped to start a
pilot program involving the Scientology methods here, but said prison
administrators have not had time to do it."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0304060557.36909676@...>

#####

> Germany

Agence France Presse reported on April 1st that Scientology has sued the
German government in order to stop surveillance by the Office of the
Protection to the Constitution.

"The German branch of church has asked an administrative court in Cologne
to order the country's interior ministry to 'cease surveillance of the
Church and its parishioners by the state security police,' the church
said. It also wants the court 'to declare that such 'observation' is
illegal,' it said in a statement issued from its Los Angeles headquarters.

"A parallel suit was filed against the interior ministry of the State of
Berlin to end alleged observation of church members by its Office of the
Protection of the Constitution (OPC), it said.

"The announcement of the suit against the German government came as the
State Department said in its human rights report for last year that German
authorities, notably the federal and state OPCs, remained wary of
Scientology. 'Scientologists continued to report discrimination because of
their beliefs,' the report said. 'A number of state and local offices
share information on individuals known to be Scientologists.' The State
Department report said the church had been singled out by OPCs for
scrutiny as they believed it posed a threat to the state's 'democratic
constitutional order.' The perceived threat was because the church
allegedly 'advocates replacement of parliamentary democracies by an
undemocratic system of government based on principles of Scientology,' the
report said."

From the Associated Press on April 2nd:

"All but one of Germany's 16 states have been monitoring the
Scientologists since June 1997, on suspicion of being a religious cult
with purely economic interests that poses a danger to the democratic
political order by trying to infiltrate governments and companies. The
Scientologists insist, however, they are a religious organization and
claim surveillance is 'politically motivated, based on no facts, and
abuses Scientologists' rights to freedom of religion and belief.'

"Sabine Weber, a spokeswoman for the Scientologists said the organization
hopes a victory in the Cologne case against the federal agency will be
precedent-setting. The Berlin suit was filed after a court there ruled in
favor of Scientologists in a 2001 case forbidding state officials from
planting informants in the church. It was not clear when either case would
be heard, she said."

Message-ID: <XVDia.18444$gU.811418@...>
Message-ID: <IHXia.18778$gU.813250@...>

#####

> Lisa Marie Presley

Fox News published a story on April 3rd on Scientology celebrity Lisa
Marie Presley, who is conducting a publicity tour to support her first
album.

"I'd like to say Lisa Marie Presley should have her head examined. But she
can't, since she doesn't believe in psychiatry. I mean, she really doesn't
believe in it. On her album, which will be released next Tuesday, Presley
even sings the whole title track about this. The song, 'To Whom It May
Concern,' is a screed about psychotropic drugs being bad for kids. ('When
there's something wrong take an antidepressant. You can even choose which
kind you want by the latest suicide.')

"Of course, this is the position of the Church of Scientology, of which
Presley is an adherent: They are anti-psychiatry and anti-medication. They
would rather be the cure for what ails you. You'd think Rolling Stone,
which has Lisa Marie on its new cover and has promoted the heck out of
this fact, would have asked Presley about some of this in the story. In
fact, the writer of the 8,000-word piece glosses over it, as well as the
fact Presley's Web site promotes a charity called the Citizen's Commission
on Human Rights, or CCHR.

"In fact, this is Scientology. There are 23 registered non-profit chapters
of CCHR, and their purpose, besides lobbying and promoting Scientology,
seems to be to raise money for the group. On their tax filings, CCHR
chapters spend lavish amounts on promotion and press, paying consultants
far more than the charity's local directors.

"Writer Chris Heath could have asked Lisa Marie if she only listens to
Scientologists or goes to their parties based on this information. After
all, that's why some people think it's a cult. Presley does break with
Scientology philosophy, which says we shouldn't blame others for our
mistakes. To get publicity for her album, she turns on Michael Jackson and
blames him for their highly publicized bad marriage. She even sends Heath
lyrics to a song not on the album that imply Jackson is 'masturbative.'"

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0304030652.5828e5a@...>

#####

> Org News

The Seattle Times reported on April 3rd that Scientology plans to purchase
a building from the Seattle School Board.

"The district has reached a deal to sell its former computer center on
Fourth Avenue North in Lower Queen Anne for $2.25 million. The buyer is
the Church of Scientology of Washington. The computer center is the last
of four properties that became surplus when the district last fall opened
its new headquarters, the John Stanford Center for Education Excellence,
south of downtown."

The San Francisco Business Times reported on March 28th that the same firm
that helped Scientology purchase a new building in San Francisco will help
sell the old org on McAllister St.

"Steve Pugh of GVA Whitney Cressman represented the Church of Scientology
in the organization's $7 million purchase of 701 Montgomery St. Pugh is
also brokering the sale of the Church of Scientology's existing
38,000-square-foot space at 83 McAllister St. The asking price is $2.9
million."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0304030640.3161feee@...>
Message-ID: <3e471c14.0303310625.3d2bae9@...>

#####

> U.S. State Department

The annual U.S. State Department Human Rights report was released on March
31, 2003.

"Austria - In March the Catholic Diocese of Linz, in conjunction with the
provincial government of Upper Austria, publicly distributed a CD-ROM
entitled 'The Search for Meaning: An Orientation Guide to Organizations
that Offer the Solution.' It included information on a wide range of
recognized and unrecognized religions ranging from the Roman Catholic
Church to the Church of Scientology.

"Sensitivity to members of the Church of Scientology and fears of
infiltration remained high. Individual Scientologists were subjected to
discrimination in hiring during the year. Scientology leaders complained
that the church's bank account was closed without cause and that they did
not receive permission to set up an informational tent in downtown Vienna.

"France - In 2001 charges were filed against the Church of Scientology for
fraud and false advertising in a lawsuit brought by three former members.
In May the court found the Paris branch guilty of violating the privacy of
former members and fined it approximately $8,316 (8,000 euros); however,
the branch was cleared of attempted fraud and false advertising. The court
fined the president of the Ile-de-France section of the organization
approximately $2,079 (2,000 euros). Church of Scientology representatives
reported that a case filed by a parent whose child attended an 'Applied
Scholastics'-based school remained ongoing.

"Scientologists continued to report cases of societal discrimination
during the year. Panda International software company claimed that press
reports in 2001 and critical statements by government officials linking it
to the Church of Scientology continued to cause a significant loss in
business.

"Germany - Several states, noting their responsibility to respond to
citizens' requests for information about nontraditional religious groups,
have published pamphlets detailing the ideology and practices of these
groups. Scientology was the focus of many such pamphlets, some of which
warn of the alleged dangers posed by Scientology to the democratic
political order and free-market economic system and to the mental and
financial well being of individual Scientology practitioners. For example,
the Hamburg OPC published 'The Intelligence Service of the Scientology
Organization,' which claimed that Scientology tried to infiltrate
governments, offices, and companies, and that the church spied on its
opponents, with the aim of defaming and 'destroying' them.

"Bavaria announced in November that it might seek to ban Scientology based
on recommendations of a recently released study commissioned by the state.
The basis for the ban would be medical malpractice associated with
Scientology's 'auditing' techniques. The Bavarian Interior Ministry is
expected to test a ban in courts during 2003.

"The federal OPC's annual report for 2001 concluded that the original
reasons for initiating observation of Scientology in 1997 still were
valid, but noted that Scientology had not been involved in any criminal
activity. When the issue of OPC observation was discussed at the annual
gathering of state interior ministers in Bremen in December, the ministers
also acknowledged that Scientology had not been involved in illegal
activities. In December 2001, the Berlin Administrative Court ruled that
the Berlin OPC was barred from using undercover agents or other covert
means for observing Scientology activities. However, the observation of
Scientology activities through other means was not affected by the ruling,
which applied only to the city-state of Berlin.

"In March the Baden-Wuerttemberg Administrative Court ruled that
Scientologists were not permitted to sell books and brochures in
pedestrian zones in the cities of Stuttgart and Freiburg. The court noted
that such activity required a permit, which the Church of Scientology
never applied for. The Church of Scientology argued that this restriction
violated the basic right of religious freedom; however, the court did not
accept this argument.

"In the state of Bavaria, applicants for state civil service positions
were required to complete questionnaires detailing any relationship they
may have with Scientology. According to Bavarian and federal officials, no
one in Bavaria lost a job or was denied employment solely because of
association with Scientology; Scientology officials confirmed this fact. A
number of state and local offices shared information on individuals known
to be Scientologists. There were numerous unconfirmed reports from
Scientologists that they were denied banking services when the account was
to be opened under the name of the Church of Scientology, and were denied
the right to rent facilities to hold meetings and seminars.

"Greece - An appeal by the Church of Scientology to obtain recognition and
a house of prayer permit was pending at year's end. The non-Greek Orthodox
churches must provide separate and lengthy applications to government
authorities on such matters as gaining permission to move places of
worship to larger facilities.

"Russia - Efforts to liquidate the Moscow branch of the Church of
Scientology were defeated in the courts. At year's end, the Church
continued to be engaged in legal battles in other localities. The Moscow
Department of Justice, a branch of the Ministry of Justice, filed a
liquidation suit in 2001 against the Moscow branch of the Church of
Scientology, but the Church won both the suit and ensuing DOJ appeal in
July. While the Moscow Church had not been cleared to reregister by
October, the group continued to operate. The Scientologists filed a suit
with the ECHR against the liquidation order. The St. Petersburg branch of
the Church of Scientology filed an application to register in February,
but was refused twice. In Khabarovsk the local Department of Justice filed
for the liquidation of the Dianetics Center. The Church of Scientology
lost on appeal and the case was under consideration by the federal Supreme
Court. In a related case, the director of the Dianetics Center was
convicted on criminal charges of the illegal practice of medicine and
education. She lost on appeal and was given a suspended sentence of 6
years. Local media attention included references to 'totalitarian sects'
in their coverage. The case was also under consideration by the Supreme
Court.

"In October 2001, police arrested five suspects believed to have been
involved in tossing a Molotov cocktail into the Moscow headquarters of the
Church of Scientology in 2001; the church had received bomb threats by
telephone prior to the incident. In February one of the five defendants
was found guilty and sentenced to 2 years in jail.

"UK - The Government did not recognize Scientology as a religion for the
purposes of charity law. Scientology ministers were not considered
ministers of religion for the purpose of immigration relations or
facilitating prison visits. However, prisoners were free to register their
adherence to Scientology."

Message-ID: <ZcYia.18779$gU.813250@...>
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/

#####

> Vancouver

The Vancouver Courier published an article on Scientology on March 31st.

"Since it was created by world traveler-cum-science fiction writer L. Ron
Hubbard in the 1950s, Scientology has remained a relatively small, if
controversial, player among world religions, best known for high-profile
followers like John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Lisa Marie Presley, Isaac Hayes
and Nancy Cartwright - the voice of Bart Simpson.

"In Vancouver, the Church of Scientology has occupied the corner of
Hastings and Homer since 1980 with volcano-adorned window displays of
Dianetics and signs beckoning passersby to drop in for a free Personality
Test. That's what James Wood encountered when he found himself jobless,
with plenty of time on his hands and broke from spending all his money on
pot.

"'Then I went to the library to prove Scientology wrong, to read one of
their books and say, 'Well these guys suck' - like everything else I had
ever read.' Much to his surprise, Wood agreed with everything he read in A
New Slant on Life - a collection of Hubbard's essays on family, children
and the state of the world. Wood says that since immersing himself in
Scientology and the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, he no longer uses drugs,
he understands how to communicate better and his relationship with his
family has improved tenfold. He's also gotten married and now has a son.

"The book that seems to have smacked the most people in the head is
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Published in 1950,
Dianetics was Hubbard's explanation of what makes people tick. He
postulated that humans possess an analytic mind and a reactive mind - the
part of the mind that acts unconsciously and causes unwanted sensations,
emotions and psychosomatic illnesses. Dianetics is essentially Hubbard's
prescription for how to 'clear' one's reactive mind. This is done through
a technique called auditing, where someone trained in applying Dianetics
and/or Scientology processes assists a 'preclear' to defeat his or her
reactive mind.

"While Scientology believes in a supreme being, it doesn't dictate who or
what that supreme being is. It's up to individuals to decide as they
become more enlightened. Enlightenment, however, doesn't come cheap. One
of the first steps for anyone wanting to move up The Bridge to a state of
'clear' and beyond is the Purification Rundown - a regimen of vitamins,
minerals, exercise, rest and sauna time to rid the body of toxins,
pollutants, alcohol and drug residue that apparently block mental and
spiritual development. In Vancouver, the Church of Scientology's
purification program costs $1,609.87.

"Then there's the cost of the seemingly endless stream of L. Ron Hubbard
lecture CDs, workbooks, courses, training programs to become an auditor,
buying your very own 'Super VII Quantum E-meter' - all of which can add up
to thousands upon thousands of dollars in expenses, with the promise of
faster progress up The Bridge. 'Soar to OT,' announces an advertisement in
one of Scientology's many promotional magazines. 'Your fastest route to
Clear and OT starts here,' claims another.

"I take a tour of the premises with Angela Ilasi, the church's public
relations officer. As Ilasi walks me through the church, I notice that
nearly every room has a framed photograph of L. Ron Hubbard, usually in an
ascot or a captain's hat, often looking wistfully out at the ocean or
standing on the bow of a ship. Downstairs, there's a sauna, auditing rooms
and classrooms. In one of the rooms, a man and a woman, both training to
be auditors, sit and face one another in silence. 'They are practising
being able to confront,' Ilasi whispers. 'They're practising being able to
comfortably be in a space without bothering you. Later as it gets higher
to where people are yelling at you, you practice keeping it together.'

"Dr. Stephen Kent, a University of Alberta sociology professor
specializing in the study of religion, says the information superhighway
has hindered Scientology's expansion into the mainstream. 'The Internet
seems to have caused a problem for Scientology. People who might be
interested in the organization can log on and find out a lot of material
by the organization itself, but also a tremendous amount by its critics.
So the Internet has inhibited Scientology's ability to control information
on itself.'

"One of the church's most vocal critics is Gerry Armstrong, a former
Scientologist and Hubbard biographer who calls himself 'Scientology's
Salman Rushdie.' Armstrong left the church in 1981 and has dedicated his
life to speaking out against what he frequently refers to as a 'psycho
cult.' 'My goal is for every Scientologist or ex-Scientologist to be able
to speak freely about his experiences,' says Armstrong. 'I was lured into
Scientology the same way everyone else is - by its false promises. The
cult promised to raise IQ a point per hour of 'auditing.' It promised
stable psychological states far above what man has achieved before. It
promised superhuman abilities. I bought the package.' Even calling
Scientology a religion is controversial. 'Since the KGB and mafia are not
considered religions by thinking people, neither is Scientology,' says
Armstrong.

"'Scientology can be very aggressive against perceived opponents,' says
sociology professor Stephen Kent, who himself has been a target. In 1998,
after Kent spoke to German government officials who were gathering
evidence against Scientology, the church paid for an advertising insert in
the Globe and Mail in which he was compared to Holocaust denier Ernst
Zundel.

"'Scientology is a multidimensional, transnational organization, only one
part of which is religious - Scientology would like to replace
conventional mental health practices with its own techniques, but most
Scientologists have no scientific training, which makes their ability to
offer intelligent criticisms somewhat limited. From time to time,
Scientology has helped uncover mental health abuses, but much of what it
claims is shrill.'"

Message-ID: <3e8aeaaa$1@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 2
4/13/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> CCHR

The Boston Globe reported on April 11th that Scientology's Citizen's
Commission on Human Rights planned to protest a hospital where a patient
who committed a murder/suicide was treated with Zoloft.

"An antipsychiatry 'watchdog group' said that Colleen Mitchell's
psychiatric medication had spurred her to shoot Dr. Brian McGovern and
then turn the gun on herself. Members of the Citizens Commission on Human
Rights, which is affiliated with the Church of Scientology, planned a
protest at the hospital today against the use of antidepressants such as
Zoloft, which Mitchell had apparently been taking.

"A Harvard Medical School psychiatrist said yesterday that it is
'preposterous' to assign blame for a crime to an antidepressant like
Zoloft. The drugs increase buildup of a naturally occurring chemical,
seratonin, around nerve endings in the brain. Although 'edgy' people may
sometimes see an exaggeration of that quality, he said, the effects are
transient.

"But a Utah activist who has testified as an expert witness against drug
manufacturers said a high level of seratonin in the brain can cause people
to 'act out their nightmares,' leading them to commit violent crimes. Ann
Blake Tracy, director of the International Coalition for Drug Awareness,
said she had become increasingly suspicious of SSRI antidepressants as she
watched more and more friends in Utah begin taking them, 'doing violent
things completely out of character for them.'"

Message-ID: <xpAla.19000$gU.832372@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

The New Zealand Herald reported on April 9th that Scientology celebrity
Tom Cruise has donated money to Scientology's Drug Free Ambassadors
program.

"Hollywood film star Tom Cruise has donated $1500 to an Auckland youth
drug programme sponsored by the Church of Scientology. Cruise sent the
cheque and a letter after hearing about the work of the Drug-Free
Ambassadors group, which encourages young people to adopt a drug-free
lifestyle.

"Mo McLeary, manager for the group, which has been running for three
years, said it was thrilled with the donation. Mr. McLeary had written to
the actor hoping it might receive a photo for publicity use. Instead
Cruise sent the Union Bank of California cheque through the Bank of New
Zealand. The money will be used to reprint 10,000 copies of an anti-drug
booklet, Truth About Joints, and contribute to a booklet on Ecstasy."

Message-ID: <c7Mka.18817$gU.826856@...>

#####

> Nicole Kidman

Teenhollywood.com reported on April 10th that Nicole Kidman has backed
away from her involvement in Scientology.

"Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman has distanced herself from
Scientology - her former husband Tom Cruise's religion. But according to
John Travolta's wife Kelly Preston - who is a committed Scientologist like
her husband - Kidman used to love the controversial creed.

"Kelly says, 'Actually when I knew Nicole she seemed to think there was
nothing better than Scientology. She was, like, 'This is the greatest
thing ever.'

"But Kelly notes that since Cruise and Kidman's 2001 split, Nicole has not
kept their friendship. She adds, 'Well, I haven't seen her for a long,
long time. I see Tom, but not her as much.'"

Message-ID: <cnAla.18999$gU.832372@...>

#####

> Narconon

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on April 13th responded
to an article last week about a new Narconon facility in Clearwater,
Florida.

"Narconon, a Scientology drug treatment program, wants taxpayers' dollars
by having the local court system order people into the program at a cost
of $7,500 per client. The article states that insurance is not accepted at
Narconon. What insurance company would pay $7,500 per client for a
religious-based treatment program 'incorporating the same concepts and
principles one encounters in introductory Scientology courses at a church
mission'?

"Cheryl Alderman, the director of this Scientology program, is a
Scientologist herself who invested $100,000 of her own money to make a
profit. According to the story, 'Drug treatment became a priority for
Alderman, she said, after an immediate family member failed to get help
from several treatment programs.' That vast knowledge of chemical
dependency, plus a 'staff of five that includes a certified addiction
specialist and a registered nurse' equals no validation of the knowledge,
skills and abilities needed for competent treatment performance.

"As a former director/counselor in chemical dependency treatment programs
at a state prison for the Florida Department of Corrections, my salary was
$28,000 per year, with a minimum of 50 inmates on my case load at all
times. For $7,500 I could treat 50 inmates continuously for three months
and give myself a $500 bonus.  Now taxpayers are to pay $7,500 per client
as a recruitment tool for Scientology. - Michael J. Kelly, Dunedin

"Scientology intends to open its drug treatment program called Narconon.
In no way should our schools, courts or community be involved with this
program. The methods that Narconon uses are very antipsychiatric because
that is the cult way. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was
antipsychiatry for obvious reasons. The $1,200 detoxification program
called the 'purification rundown' is unproven and may be harmful - and
$1,200 for a sauna, vitamins, treadmill and cooking oil? This often is the
first step in the cult's high-priced teachings. According to the Food and
Drug Administration, the only things the procedure removes from the body
are salt and water.

"According to the Oklahoma Board of Mental Health, Narconon's program is
not safe. There are no scientific, independent, well-controlled studies
that document its safety. Yet according to Hubbard, the purification
rundown can cure, among other things, radiation sickness! Narconon only
appears to have decent results for two reasons. One, it doesn't take
addicts that would require professionals to treat them, and two, the
patients are declared cured by unqualified members of the cult.

"The bottom line is, you can't give taxpayer dollars to what is
essentially a cult recruiting tool. You have to understand the cult's only
goal is to sell expensive programs and expand. It doesn't do anything
unless it benefits the cult. - David Rodman, Dunedin"

Message-ID: <Oecma.19021$gU.837200@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Dave Bird, John Ritson and Jens Tingleff reported a protest on April 12th
in Manchester, England.

"I found Damian, John, Neil, and Steve CT. Jens and Andy joined us later
at the demo, and a veteran of the old Manchester demos passed by who will
probably join us next time in Manchester.  The clams had found out we were
coming, presumably through the city council, and sent police a notice of
their own 'say no to drugs' event on the same day. Again because of city
council hassles, we didn't bring the sound system; but John and I were in
good voice, alternating and occasionally overlapping on various slogans.
John had also prepared a quick 'Nar-CON-on, bogus drug rehab' leaflet
based on http://www.narconon-exposed.org"

"One new recruit was 'ashtray man.' He had obviously been through the
early training, such as the part that teaches how to avoid being diverted
from the point. This works very well in the controlled conditions of a
Scientology classroom, and may have limited use in the real world. When
this results in an adult Scientologist standing in the street and chanting
'You can only destroy things' for an hour, it does not improve the public
image of the cult. It also does not help if you are up against a person
with a considerably louder voice and a much larger repertoire. We told him
we were destroying Scientology and after a while we managed to get him to
change to 'You can only try to destroy things.'

"Another new recruit got himself tangled up in the 'You're distorting what
Scientology is all about' trap - which opened him up to a rapid
re-education course from experts. Being forewarned, they had put out an
all-points alert, and had the children of Scientology members washing the
pavements.  It took these people with their expensive 'superior abilities'
two hours to work out that it might inconvenience us or cause a
confrontation if they tried to wash the pavement we were standing on
(actually it didn't and we simply moved a few feet away)."

"They had roped in a lot of people. Seemed like the usual mix of staffers
/ Sea Ogres / public / kids.  Some of the locals tried to gently persuade
us that we had it all wrong and attempted standard discouragement and
diversion tactics. I do wonder if it struck them as odd that we had
specific answers to their generic criticisms of our activities. They all
much preferred to try to divert me ('Why are you protesting here today?')
to looking at my web-site.

"There must have been one camera for every two clams. I don't know how to
distinguish their behaviour - taking turns at shouting right in your face
and video recording - from that of a group which has decided to
manufacture an incident. I'm glad to report that not even tens of minutes
of having 'you can only destroy things' shouted at our stalwart protesters
had any effect other than slight exasperation."

Message-ID: <IxfAZiAEhGm+Ewyy@...>
Message-ID: <YDZc60xgBYm+EwTj@...>
Message-ID: <b7cf9b02s1v@...>

#####

> Spam

"Android Cat" reported that a staffer for Scientology's Association for
Better Living and Education submitted an apology for having sent spam
emails in an attempt to increase newsletter readership.

"I apologize for this inconvenience. I have actually reviewed the SPAM
California laws and have actually made my emails to fit the law. My
intention regarding this emails is not to spam others or bother or annoy
others.

"I work in ABLE International, a non-profit organization dedicated to
improving conditions for our children ad our communities through the
promotion and expansion of charitable programs using social betterment
technologies developed by L. Ron Hubbard. ABLE's purpose is to reverse the
social decay that threatens our societies by resolving the worst problems
that plague man today - drugs, crime, illiteracy ad immorality. This is
done by supporting and promoting the programs of four organizations
dedicated to social betterment - Narconon International, Criminon
International, Applied Scholastics International and The Way to Happiness
Foundation International.

"I usually get one list every week which is supposed to be targeted and
opt-in. And whoever signs up to receive our newsletter gets put on our own
list. Again, I apologize for this, and will stop sending these emails if
need be.

"Best Regards,
Pedro Cue
Director of Promotion"

Message-ID: <ASxla.4984$1b1.362820@...>

#####

> Tampa

The Tampa Tribune reported on April 10th that some neighbors of the new
org in Tampa, Florida are unhappy about the new location.

"Susan Tennyson said workers have made construction noise during the night
and traffic has increased in the neighborhood. 'I'm not happy they are
here,' said Tennyson, who lives adjacent to the church. 'I think they
bring down the value of our homes because they have a cult type of stigma.
I moved here because it's a family neighborhood, and that has been taken
away.'

"Last year, the Church of Scientology of Tampa purchased the Andres Diaz
Building, a 1908 former cigar factory, for $1.2 million. The church has
improved the interior of the four-story building and has landscaped the
property. Inside the brick building, there are administrative offices,
counseling and course work rooms, a film room, a chapel, a library, a
bookstore and an L. Ron Hubbard room. Hubbard, who founded the Church of
Scientology, died in 1986.

"The church is trying to be good neighbors and work with the community,
said Ana Tirabassi, spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology of Tampa.
Members have visited many homes in the area to introduce themselves and
had invited residents to the grand opening in March, Tirabassi said.

"City Councilwoman Mary Alvarez went to the grand opening and said she was
impressed. Alvarez doesn't pay much attention to the talk that the church
may purchase more property in West Tampa, as it did in downtown
Clearwater. 'They went into a neighborhood that is predominantly Hispanic
and Catholic,' Alvarez said. 'If they try to reach out into the community
for conversion, they are probably going to face a rough time.'

"Along with purchasing the building, the church acquired an adjacent
parking lot. It is considering purchasing more property in West Tampa to
make room for their community outreach programs, Tirabassi said, including
drug awareness programs, cleanup projects and literacy classes.

"Earl Haugabook, president of the West Tampa Chamber of Commerce, said he
is concerned if the church plans to grow in West Tampa. 'They could easily
buy a whole bunch of property,' Haugabook said. 'We want a diversified
community with businesses who are going to come in and offer jobs and keep
the West Tampa mystique. We don't want West Tampa known as the Scientology
capital.'"

Message-ID: <Rgela.18991$gU.829926@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 3
4/20/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on April 18th reacted to
recent articles and letters about Scientology.

"The article, City forces halfway houses to shut down, should win the
prize for worst writing by two reporters. Was this article about Michael
Cournaya and his effort to help recovering addicts? Was it about Richard
Weigand, a former executive in the Church of Scientology? What does
Weigand's past have to do with his being a property owner in Clearwater?
It was data added in to connect Scientology with something not related to
Scientology.

"It seems your editor missed the point that Weigand offered a solution to
the renters (Narconon) and should have printed the statistics of how many
people have been helped by Narconon, and therefore would have shown that
Narconon has one of the highest rates of drug addiction recovery of any
program on this planet. Lack of investigative facts and sloppy reporting
show up blatantly.

"If the philosophy of L. Ron Hubbard did not work, there would be no
issues. Since the data on the human spirit, his mind and body appear to be
true and his solutions to improve mankind by improving the human spirit
are workable, Scientology has been attacked by those who don't want a
better planet. I am proud to be a Scientologist and use this data to help
others who need help, no matter their religion or background. If every
person of every religion did this, do you really think the planet would be
in the shape it is in? - Dan Sigal, Clearwater

"Since you insist on printing David Rodman's false and derogatory letters
about my religion, then may I ask some questions regarding your
often-published hate monger? What scientific and controlled studies has
Mr. Rodman done regarding the religion of Scientology? What is his
experience, background or expertise that would support his conclusions
regarding the religiosity of Scientology? Has Mr. Rodman ever asked any of
the 12,000 Scientologists in the Tampa Bay area how Scientology helps them
in their lives or why they practice this religion? Has Mr. Rodman visited
a church of Scientology and scientifically evaluated the data for himself
firsthand?

"His unrestrained hypercriticism based on false rumors is typical of
someone who refuses to find out for himself. His generalities are sweeping
and beg a challenge. He doesn't even realize that the Narconon facility in
Clearwater has been open for almost a year and has been licensed. Did he
read the fact that Mrs. Cheryl Alderman invested her own funding into
opening the facility and that the facility is, in fact, owned and run by
her?

"Does Mr. Rodman even care that Narconon is in fact getting thousands of
people off drugs? There are an estimated 16-million Americans using drugs
on a monthly basis, and 6-million meet the clinical criteria for needing
help. What is Mr. Rodman doing about the problem? - Doe Hewitt, Holiday"

Message-ID: <ykSna.19062$gU.847528@...>

#####

> The Way to Happiness

A letters to the editor of the Los Angeles Times on April 15th claimed
that a recent fund raiser event was dedicated to providing copies of L.
Ron Hubbard's book The Way to Happiness to Israel.

"Article in the Glendale News-Press on April 8 announced that Mayor Dave
Spence was quite willing to help publicize a $1,000-a-couple 'peace
fund-raiser' held on March 29 at a 'home in La Canada Flintridge.' No
other names were mentioned, so his was obviously included for its
public-relations value. The peace fund-raiser raised $53,000, some of
which will be used to distribute a booklet titled "The Way to Happiness"
by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in Israel and Palestinian
territories.

"I know of this booklet, which advocates taking care of your health,
following the 10 Commandments and living by the Golden Rule - certainly
not a bad thing. I first learned about it when I read a December 1999
article in the LA Times, which noted that during a visit to the
Renaissance Academy, Assemblywoman Carol Liu received a copy of 'The Way
to Happiness.' Perhaps Spence's affinity to peace groups is a result of
his close relationship with Democrats like Liu.

"Pat Kerr
Sunland"

Message-ID: <cs1na.19043$gU.842355@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

Arnie Lerma reported that Judge Shaeffer has removed herself from the
counterclaim by Scientology against the estate of Lisa McPherson and Bob
Minton.

"On April 8th, Schaeffer recused herself from the counterclaim and
referred the matter of whether she should remain on the wrongful death
claim to the Chief Judge. Granting Robert Minton's motion to do same. On
Wednesday the Chief Judge reassigned both cases to Judge Robert Beach.
Judge Beach was the discovery judge, and is intimately familiar with what
Scientology is."

http://www.lermanet.com/reference/McPherson/schaeffer-040903c.pdf
http://www.lermanet.com/reference/McPherson/demers-041603.pdf
Message-ID: <3e9ecef6.266970504@...>

#####

> UK

The London newspaper Trinity Mirror reported on April 17th that marathon
runners were attacked with stones and approached by Scientology with
offers of nerve assists.

"Marathon runners were pelted with stones by a reckless gang of youths, as
they ran the Isle of Dogs section of the course. Runners and onlookers
were horrified as youths threw projectiles at competitors, just as they
were tackling one of toughest parts on the Marathon course.

"Controversial religion the Church of Scientology targeted Marathon
runners at the Wharf with a 'healing therapy.' The church came to
Westferry Road to promote a 'Nerve Assist,' which promises to aid recovery
from injury and illness. Volunteer ministers for the church said they had
been overwhelmed by interest from runners on Westferry Road who lined up
to experience the practice."

Message-ID: <Ptvna.19057$gU.845353@...>

#####

> Montel Williams

The New York Post published an article critical of television host Montel
Williams on April 17th in response to a show in which Scientology
celebrities appeared to oppose psychiatric medicine and to promote the
detoxification methods used by Scientology.

"Was Montel Williams duped into promoting the Church of Scientology on his
talk show?  Earlier this week, Williams - who is not a Scientologist -
devoted a show to 'children abused through the use of prescription
psychiatric drugs such as Ritalin, specifically given to alleviate the
symptoms of attention-deficit disorder.' But the featured organization on
the segment was the 'Citizens Commission on Human Rights.' CCHR, founded
by Scientology in 1969, is an anti-psychiatry 'watchdog group' that once
described psychiatry as a 'malignant disease' that 'threatens society and
ultimately mankind.'

"During the show, CCHR president Bruce Wiseman compared 'your friendly
neighborhood psychiatrist' to drug lords in Colombia. Appearing with him,
Scientology celebrity Juliette Lewis urged the audience to make 'drug
manufacturers and psychiatrists accountable.' Williams also introduced
cameo clips by church followers Anne Archer and Catherine Bell.

"Noted Scientology-watcher Rick Ross writes on cultnews.com, 'At no time
did the talk show host explore the wider agenda of the CCHR and/or its
antipathy for the entire mental health profession. The word Scientology
was never even uttered.  Many of the claims made by the CCHR have been
labeled 'preposterous' by experts. It seems that Montel has either gone
from dumb to dumber, or is so desperate for celebrity appearances to boost
his ratings, he will shill almost anything,' Ross wrote.

"A rep for Williams said: 'In the 12 years that 'The Montel Williams Show'
has been on the air, guests have never been discriminated against based on
religious beliefs. We would not discriminate against someone like Mr. Rick
Ross. We welcome him to the show to discuss his bias.'"

Message-ID: <3ajt9vspgcoegq6c3029pffcltogr8qf6n@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 4
5/4/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

Note: This issue contains articles from the past two weeks of
Alt.religion.scientology.

#####

> Leipzig Award

CNET News published an article on May 1st on the award of the Leipzig
Human Rights Award to Xenu.net creator Andreas Heldal-Lund.

"A critic of the Church of Scientology, Andreas Heldal-Lund, has received
a human rights award for maintaining his Web page despite repeated legal
attacks from church officials. Heldal-Lund, a Norwegian citizen who
operates the Operation Clambake Web site, is the fourth recipient of the
Leipzig Human Rights Award. Church of Scientology officials have tried to
silence Heldal-Lund by, among other things, asking Google and the Internet
archive site Archive.org to pull links to his site, claiming that material
on its pages violates church copyrights."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0305011943.3198fb58@...>

#####

> Criminon

The East Grinstead Courier reported on March 7th that Criminon is planning
an evaluation of its programs with the University of Kent.

"Criminon, based in Lewes Road, runs a number of correspondence courses
for prisoners, and its work is to be evaluated by senior lecturer in law
at the University of Kent at Canterbury, Dr Deborah Cheney. 'We've been up
and running for seven years doing this,' said Criminon executive director
Susan Chalmers. 'We would very much like to take it to the next level,
which would be actually running courses inside prison. But to do that, you
need to have a proven success rate - and this work is very difficult to
evaluate.'

"She said the ideal way to research a programme like this would be to
evaluate the recidivism rates of people who have completed the Criminon
programme, in other words, working out how many Criminon 'graduates'
commit crimes after being released from prison. Dr Cheney's idea is to
look at the disciplinary records of prisoners, and see if there is any
improvement once a prisoner has begun the Criminon correspondence course.
'If this proves successful,' Mrs. Chalmers said, 'we can then move forward
to an in-house programme where it can then be evaluated for recidivism.'

"Criminon is part of an international organisation which uses the works of
L. Ron Hubbard to address the main factors behind offending. Programmes
are running in prisons in countries as diverse as South Africa, the USA,
Hungary, Israel and Mexico. 'Certainly in no way do we want it to be
solely staffed by scientologists,' she said. 'My goal is for the
organisation to eventually act like a sort of quality control, ensuring
that it is run with the original philosophy.

"About 10 prisoners register with Criminon every week. Eight courses are
on offer, beginning with The Way to Happiness - a 21 point 'common sense
guide to better living'. After this, more specific courses can be taken,
including parenting skills and drug awareness. Criminon operates out of
about two thirds of prisons in the country, and its take-up rate appears
to be almost equal between men and women."

Message-ID: <f758becc.0305031242.738ebee@...>

#####

> Search Engines

Tory Christman reported that an Scientologists are being asked to email
search engines to ask that web sites critical of Scientology be removed.

"They are supposed to say things like: 'Scientologists have suffered
personal violence and bloodshed in Europe and the USA. Potentially violent
and unstable people get their fuel from others hate-speech. Do you want an
incident of violence traced to a hate-site found by your search engine?'

"'This issue is absolutely not a matter of 'free speech' or 'showing both
sides of a controversial subject.' One is not free to incite violence, to
fuel hatred, or yell 'fire!' in a crowded theatre. These hate sites
actively seek to ruin others' lives and businesses, then hide behind 'free
speech.' Scientologists with excellent work records have been fired or
lost their businesses when hate-media mentioned them as Scientologists or
stirred up ignorant anti-Scientology hysteria. Do you want those economic
repercussions traced to your search engine?'

"'Hate sites for other religions, other persuasions are omitted from
search results -- as they should be! It's prejudicial to include
hate-sites that denigrate Scientology. (Please find another example
besides Judaism; it gets overloaded as a comparison point.)'

"They are to send their emails to:
Google: comments@...
Yahoo: http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/abuse/cgi_abuse
Lycos: abuse@...
Netscape: http://wp.netscape.com/feedback/general.html
AOL: http://www.aol.com/info/feedback.html"

Message-ID: <pJVra.58926$cO3.4010708@...>

#####

> In Memoriam

The Buffalo News reported on April 21st that Marie Bolt, a staff member of
the Buffalo org, has passed away.

"A memorial service for Marie R. Bolt, of the Town of Tonawanda, will be
held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Church of the Nativity United Church of
Christ, 1530 Colvin Blvd., Town of Tonawanda. Mrs. Bolt died April 16th of
injuries suffered in an auto accident in Oak Hill, WV, while traveling
with her family. She was 48.

"In 2002, she joined the staff of the Church of Scientology, where she was
a ministerial counselor in training. She was active as a Girl Scout troop
leader and a member of the Kenmore East High School Band Parent Council."

Message-ID: <1051525386.810908@...>

#####

> Montel Williams

CHADD (Children and Adults with ADD) published an open letter to TV talk
show host Montel Williams protesting a recent appearance by Scientology
celebrities on his show, in which they promoted Scientology's theories of
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

"As the director of communications and media relations of CHADD, the
nation's leading support and advocacy organization serving individuals
with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, I am writing to express my
astonishment and supreme disappointment in your biased, inaccurate, and
unequivocally damaging program entitled, 'A Parents Right to Choose.' By
featuring the panelists you did - individuals who vocally decry the
existence of AD/HD - you not only offered 'no right to choose,' you
unquestionably deterred and prevented millions of families from seeking,
obtaining and securing the help and medical treatment they or their
children may need in order to manage their AD/HD and live successful and
fulfilling lives.

"Irresponsibly tossing around untruths and inaccuracies is a tactic
designed to startle and scare the American public, one spearheaded largely
by a wealthy organization with Hollywood celebrities who claim that AD/HD
and other childhood mental disorders do not exist. Anyone familiar with
your featured panel knows that several of your guests are reported to be
members of the Citizens' Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), an affiliate
founded by the Church Scientology, and well recognized for its anti
psychiatry rhetoric. It was a one-sided panel, a one-sided show, and a
one-sided case of journalistic irresponsibility at its height. Shame on
you, Mr. Williams, for not recognizing junk science when it's staring you
in the face.

"Tather than citing the vast body of research validating the existence of
and devastation of untreated AD/HD, you and your panelists cited no
credible research at all. Instead, you mocked the medical community,
referred to stimulant medication as 'kiddie cocaine,' compared
psychiatrists to drug lords and, in general, violated every possible rule
of sound and responsible journalism that you had an obligation to provide
to your viewers.

"Perhaps most glaring was the complete omission of well-documented
clinical studies demonstrating the effectiveness of stimulant and other
psychotropic medications when appropriately administered. Not one was
referenced; not one was included.  No one will dispute that unnecessarily
placing a child on medication is deplorable. But the greater travesty is
delaying proper diagnosis and effective treatment for those who truly need
it. The sad truth is that many more children with mental disorders slip
unrecognized past the gatekeepers of mental health services than those who
are improperly diagnosed.

"Peg Nichols
Director of Communications & Media Relations
CHADD"

Message-ID: <53183a73.0304271742.659eb270@...>

#####

> Lisa Marie Presley

The Daily Record newspaper from Glasgow, Scotland reported on May 1st that
Scientology celebrity Lisa Marie Presley has been receiving therapy from
John Travolta in the wake of her divorce from Nicolas Cage.

"John Travolta has been giving 'therapy sessions' to Lisa Marie Presley,
who is trying to get over the collapse of her marriage to Nic Cage. The
actor has been passing on Scientology tips on how to find her true
soulmate. Travolta became pals with her mum Priscilla Presley after
helping her cope after the death of Elvis."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0305011939.7957c99c@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 5
5/11/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Ritalin

Roll Call reported on May 7th that U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy of
Rhode Island will oppose a bill supported by Scientology to prevent
requirements that some students take medicine for attention deficit
disorder.

"Psychiatrists and at least one lawmaker are taking on the Church of
Scientology's support for a provision in a House special education bill
that seeks to prevent teachers from requiring students to take medication
for attention-deficit disorder. 'It's a wolf in sheep's clothing,' said
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) of the provision that was added to the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act reauthorization, which passed
the House last week. 'I suspect it probably had its antecedents in the
community that believes that all medication for kids with
[attention-deficit disorder] is wrong.'

"Kennedy and members of the psychiatric profession say the provision,
which has been aggressively backed by the Scientology-founded Citizens
Commission on Human Rights, is an attempt to achieve what opponents charge
is Scientology's broader goal of abolishing the field of psychiatry
altogether.

"The provision, sponsored by freshman Rep. Max Burns (R-Ga.) and supported
by Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), is intended to address highly
publicized cases in several states of teachers pressuring parents to
medicate children with Ritalin and other psychotropic drugs. Burns said he
was aware that the provision was backed by CCHR, but said his goals were
far different from those of the Church of Scientology and CCHR, which
dispute the American Psychiatric Association's determination that
attention-deficit/hyper-activity disorder, or ADHD, is a medical condition
that sometimes requires medication.

"'I did not go out and solicit that support,' said Burns. 'We're not
trying to take away the scientifically based treatments that we have. But
we don't want to over-diagnose or misuse some of these treatments.'

"But psychiatric organizations that oppose the provision - including the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American
Psychiatric Association, the Federation of Families for Children's Mental
Health, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and the National
Mental Health Association - claim supporters have been duped into
supporting a measure that they say could prevent teachers from even
talking to parents about the possibility of their child being evaluated by
a mental health professional. 'It's all an organized campaign to discredit
the mental health profession and disavow the existence of childhood mental
disorders,' said Clarke Ross, CEO of the nonprofit Children and Adults
with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder.

"CCHR spokeswoman Marla Filidei countered that her organization has been
fighting for the provision because of hundreds of stories from parents
about teachers and school districts that have urged or pressured parents
to put their nonattentive children on drugs, such as Ritalin, to address
what may be simple behavior problems or the boredom of a gifted child.
CCHR's Web site states that the group was formed in 1969 by the Church of
Scientology and State University of New York psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz
to 'combat psychiatry's oppression' and to 'expose and help abolish any
and all physically damaging practices in the field of mental healing.'

"Opponents of the provision are hoping to find allies in the Senate to
prevent the provision from becoming law. One lobbyist for the psychiatric
profession said they have already targeted a number of Democrats on the
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, such as Sens.
Edward Kennedy (Mass.) and Jeff Bingaman (N.M.). Psychiatric groups also
plan to contact Republicans friendly to the mental health profession, such
as Sens. Pete Domenici (N.M.) and John Warner (Va.). 'They're not too
worried about it getting into the Senate [Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act] bill,' the lobbyist said of conversations with Kennedy's
staff. 'Conference committee is where we'll be focused in the end.'

"Kennedy argued that the problem is not as widespread as CCHR makes it
seem. 'Clearly, it's a legitimate issue, but as I said, it's a
mischaracterization of the situation to think that it's not the exception
rather than the rule,' he said. 'The question is whether this is a
national issue that requires a national bureaucracy,' added Ross. 'It's
all based on these highly publicized situations.'"

Message-ID: <1052303722.172319@...>

#####

> Celebrity

Celebrity Magazine reported news from the CCHR awards banquet, held in LOs
Angeles.

"At the Citizens Commission on Human Rights Awards Banquet, JULIETTE
LEWIS, PRISCILLA PRESLEY, EDUARDO PALOMO and GINA ST. JOHN presented Human
Rights Awards to individuals who have fought to expose the increasing
pressure schools are placing on parents to drug their children. Also
participating in the event was ANNE ARCHER as Mistress of Ceremonies.
Hundreds of doctors, politicians, human rights activists, parent groups
and celebrities, including CATHERINE BELL and LYNSEY BARTILSON, attended
the awards banquet in Los Angeles."

Message-ID: <7MHUWMAI37749.7335069444@...>

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on May 11th that Clearwater city
officials are planning to revitalize the downtown area, despite the strong
presence of Scientology.

"Three years after voters killed a sweeping $300-million plan to remake
downtown, backers still lament the lost opportunity and ponder what might
have been. Amid pockets of redevelopment, empty storefronts remain,
leading to mounting fears that the struggling commercial corridor could
wither and die when the new Memorial Causeway Bridge opens and beach-bound
traffic is diverted forever off Cleveland Street. But city officials
remain hopeful. After months of study, they are preparing to bring forward
their latest plan to remake downtown into the tourist and community magnet
they say its geography has destined it to be.

"The exhaustive new proposal incorporates elements of past plans,
including a revamped Coachman Park and millions of dollars for
beautification and other improvements to the downtown core. What's new is
the acknowledgement that City Hall is available for sale if the right
development project comes along. And now Calvary Baptist Church's property
next door - a key to development - is on the block, too. Also planned are
a downtown marina, a monorail to the beach and a parking garage on Osceola
Avenue. Meanwhile, the plan will serve as a road map of sorts by creating
six unique 'character districts' with general design guidelines meant to
shape future development.

"But Clearwater faces unique challenges, including its distance from a
major interstate. And the dominant presence of the Church of Scientology
has fed the perception that investments downtown will chiefly benefit the
church, Siemon said. But that perception is false, he said. '(Scientology
is) not what's causing the failure of redevelopment,' Siemon said. 'What
makes them stand out in downtown Clearwater is they're the only ones
there. I think dilution is the only solution.'

"Commissioner Whitney Gray agreed. 'If you feel like there's a large
presence of Scientologists downtown, it's because it's in isolation,' she
said. 'The more great things there are to do downtown, the more people
will come.'"

Message-ID: <1052657988.485470@...>

#####

> Digital Lightwave

The St. Petersburg Times reported on May 10th that Digital Lightwave will
not appeal a judgment by Seth Joseph, a former employee of the company.

"For four years, as he waited to collect millions of dollars he said he
was owed by former employer Digital Lightwave, whistleblower Seth Joseph
refused to talk publicly about his case. He preferred to let court
documents speak for themselves: hundreds of pages of testimony, e-mails
and internal memos that detailed how the Clearwater company maneuvered
through an accounting scandal in 1998. The documents also helped show how
the tech company's fortunes and misfortunes were closely tied to
influential members of the Church of Scientology.

"On Friday, after Digital said it would not appeal a $5.2-million judgment
in Joseph's favor, the former Digital senior executive vice president
broke his silence. 'Whenever an individual has to stand up to a big
company with lots of resources, it's not an even fight,' Joseph, who now
works for a Miami law firm, said in an interview with the St. Petersburg
Times. 'Digital used every delaying tactic, every procedure they could to
wear me down and make it almost impossible just to survive through the
process, but here we are.'

"Joseph filed an arbitration suit in 1999 alleging that he was unfairly
dismissed by Zwan. In testimony, Joseph said he was punished because he
urged Zwan to terminate another executive, Denise Licciardi, who was
linked to an accounting scandal in the company. Joseph said that Zwan, a
large donor to Scientology, did not want to dismiss Licciardi because she
is the twin sister of Scientology's worldwide leader, David Miscavige.
Zwan has denied Joseph's account, saying his firing was part of a
companywide restructuring.

"Joseph won his arbitration complaint and, most recently, an appellate
court affirmed the judgment in Joseph's favor. Joseph's lawyer, Holly
Skolnick, said the fight took longer than expected because 'I've never had
such tenacious adversaries. Seth really went through hell.'

"Joseph declined to talk about Zwan personally but predicted that more
problems lie ahead for his old company. As a maker of testing equipment,
Digital will lag behind any recovery in the telecom market since any
initial burst of spending will probably go to telecom switches and
operating equipment instead of testing, Joseph said. 'The only thing that
makes it possible that the company will survive is the fact that Zwan was
able to cash out to the tune of $400-million to $450-million during the
(tech) bubble,' he said."

Message-ID: <1052572045.583419@...>

#####

> France

Agence France Presse reported on May 7th that two Scientologists have been
indicted for fraud and illegally prescribing medicine.

"Two execs from the Scientology church have been recently indicted by a
Parisian instruction judge, one for fraud and the other for illegal
pharmacy practice. Alain Rosenberg has been indicted as General Manager of
the 'Celebrity Center' in Paris, for fraud and complicity of illegal
exercice of pharmacy.

"The judge suspects him to have been engaged in personality testing
without a scientific basis having caused damages to the plaintiff. Those
tests could have been used in order to steal fortunes of some people,
under the guise of a psychological aid.

"Another executive, Aline Fabre, is indicted for illegal pharmacy practice
because she would have sold high dosages vitamins. Attorney Aram
Kevorkian, who is the defender of the two persons indicted, declared that
indictment is not culpability, and that the people are not guilty. Nothing
forbids personality testing, and those tests had scientific bases, did he
declare, before adding that vitamins can be sold outside drugstores.
Kevorkian added that he had appealed of these indictments before the
Indictments appeal Room in Paris court."

Message-ID: <3ebba81f$0$23446$626a54ce@...>

#####

> Scientology Tour

Skyway News published the first of two articles on a visit to Scientology
in Minnesota.

"Through the storefront windows at 1011 Nicollet Mall, the Church of
Scientology of Minnesota seems bright, open and warm.  Posters advertise
personality, toxicity and IQ tests - free and immediately available. At
one of the tables abutting the windowpane, a young man in a black hooded
sweatshirt diligently fills in small ovals on a test. Bright paperbacks
and posters of golden, erupting volcanoes frame the space around him.
Come, step out of the rain - and discover your full potential.

"As I step inside, a kind- and weary-looking man jumps from his post at
the front desk to greet me. It's raining, I tell him, and ask, what is
this place? He extends his well-muscled, lean hand - the hand of a
laborer. He is Bernie, a volunteer, and says this is the Church of
Scientology. It basically believes you are a soul inhabiting a body that
can get toxic, so the church helps you clear it and reach your potential.
'You see,' he says, his eyes opening a little wider, 'you are so much more
than you've been taught you can be.'

"He reaches for one of the thousand or so books on the shelves as one
might reach for a bottle of medicine, haltingly yet reverently. 'This
book,' he begins, 'saved my life.' Bernie owns an auto diagnostics
business. Things got stressful, so he took a management course; the
teacher used a 'tone scale' to help him discern and deal with people's
basic dispositions.

"Bernie opens one of the thinner, cheaper books and displays the realm of
human beings divided into strata, from the gray and glowering at the
bottom, to the clear and serene at the top. 'You see,' he says, pointing
to the darkest circles, 'not everyone is on your side. About 2 percent of
people in the world are Suppressive Persons; they want to keep you from
being happy.' Suppressive agents cause most illnesses, Bernie explains.
Take someone he knows, he says, locked up in a mental hospital because 'he
didn't have this technology to deal with the abuse in his past.'

"Day two. I say hello to a woman in a pinstriped brown and black outfit at
the front desk, and Troy emerges in his pressed shirt, tie and gray
slacks.  'You're back!' he says with a flash of his even white smile. The
brochures seem contingent upon taking the personality test, I explain; I
only have a half-hour, is that enough?

"The woman at the front desk sets to her task, which involves calling
people out of the phone book. I resist the urge to interrupt and ask what
certain test questions are meant to reveal: 'Do you intend two or less
children in your family even though your health and income permit more?'
'If we were invading another country, would you feel sympathetic towards
conscientious objectors in this country?' and 'Would the idea of
inflicting pain on game, small animals or fish prevent you from hunting
and fishing?' I answer honestly, 'yes,' 'yes' and 'yes.'

"By the time I finish (about 10 minutes) I've admitted to allowing
'external noise' to disturb my concentration, being 'a slow eater' who is
'touchy about certain things about [my]self' and occasionally 'feel[ing]
compelled to repeat some interesting item or tidbit.' Troy emerges with
the prognosis: I'm down on seven of 10 counts, below 'normal' and in an
'unacceptable state,' in need of 'immediate assistance' as I suffer from:
depression, a lack of accord, being critical, not being outgoing enough,
nervousness, irresponsibility and being unstable or dispersed.

"I stammer, try to explain/defend myself as Troy's finger points to each
of my documented downfalls: well, I can be blunt, but I'm also the primary
caregiver in my family, so how can I be irresponsible? Troy explains that
responsibility is not 'like, 'Do I pay my bills on time or vote.' It's
like, are you causative or do you let life happen to you - like cause and
effect. Don't I want to take control of my life?' Troy cocks his head,
smiles, and moves his index finger to my most significant problem -- the
one point on the chart Troy has drawn a small cloud around: I'm depressed.
I had no idea.

"Day Three. Over breakfast 'Josh' - me - completes the exam guessing how a
super-Scientologist would answer. 'Josh' doesn't prefer a few close
friends but prefers a wide net of familiars; he wants us to breed like
rabbits, which, of course, he has no problem shooting. He also feels
comfortable telling others every opinion he has, even if he can't prove
what he's saying and is generally not influenced by his emotions in his
personal interactions. This time, another man sits at the front desk. He
seems preoccupied, but looks up when I come in. He extends his long thin
hands to take the pink fold-up test, but withdraws when I tell him it's
for my husband - and I could get him to take it but not to come in. 'Well,
it isn't much use without talking about it with somebody,' he says softly,
but with deep concern. 'Well, I'd like to see how our charts compare.'

"'This is a nice looking chart,' she says, indicating the eight of 10
counts where Josh/superman is in the 'optimum range.' He's aggressive,
responsible, outgoing - very impressive. But there are a couple areas
where he's just normal: he can be critical and isn't very appreciative. If
I'm interested, there's a solution - a glossy little book on marriage and
the primer, 'Components of Understanding.'"

Message-ID: <3eb706e8$1@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Jeff Jacobsen reported a protest at the Mesa, Arizona org on May 8th.

"Bruce asked me if I wanted to picket. How could I say no? So during rush
hour today we picketed the mission in Mesa. There were about 16 cars
there, including wonderful Russ! One guy came out and took our pictures.
He talked to me a bit commenting on my Lisa McPherson sign and saying
that's old news. I said 'she's still dead.' He argued a bit with me,
asking if we also protest the Catholic church too. I said that we each
choose our fight.

"We got about 8 positive reactions and 1 negative from the traffic that
was crawling by because of road work ahead. I handed out 3 flyers, which
is almost a record there because there is little foot traffic. After an
hour we left and had a nice meal."

Message-ID: <vbjn88mdnr2vef@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

Slatkinfraud.com reported on May 8th that Scientologists are opposing the
trustee's plan for the Reed Slatkin estate to go after some Scientology
orgs to recover money donated by Slatkin during the period he ran a Ponzi
scheme investment club.

"High-ranking Scientologist creditors are fighting back against Trustee
Todd Neilson's proposed reorganization of the estate, claiming that he
failed to disclose his plan to go after Church of Scientology entities in
an effort to recoup some of the millions lost in the Slatkin Ponzi Scheme.
The Scientologist bloc is represented by lawyer Helena Kobrin, herself an
active Scientologist and Slatkin net debtor, who has also served as
counsel to several of the Scientology organizations targeted by the
trustee.

"From the Kobrin motion: 'Objecting parties assert that the Plan cannot be
confirmed because it has become evidence that the Trustee intends to sue
various Scientology entities, but did not disclose this intention in his
disclosure statement. Instead, he waited to make this intention known
through his attorney's comments to a newspaper reporter, resulting in a
March 26, 2003 article entitled 'Victims of Scam Target Church.' Beyond
the obvious desire to use this intention to create yellow journalism, the
Trustee's failure to disclose this intention in the normal fashion through
disclosure documents filed in the court violates 11 USC 1129(1),(2) and
(3). Not only would it affect how a substantial number of claimants who
are parishioners of the Scientology religion would vote, but the
concealment of the issue affects the entire conduct of the case, including
such things as the intensity of the Trustee's pursuit of these and other
adversary defendants, and the Trustee's refusal to settle other than at a
very high percentage of the amounts demanded.'

"Ike Kezsbom, a longtime Scientologist, writes in his declaration of
objection: 'My accounts suffered a net loss of approximately $2,400,000. I
am a longstanding member of the Church of Scientology. I reviewed the
Trustee's disclosure statement and proposed plan, and it did not state
that they were planning to sue the Church of Scientology. I would be
opposed to any Plan that involves suing my Church, and would prefer a plan
that liquidates the assets of the Estate as promptly as possible. Based on
the disclosure, I was under the impression that they did not intend to sue
the Church. I believe other Scientologists [sic] creditors were also left
with the same impression.'"

Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0305061615.d00a6c4@...>

#####

> FSMs

Flag FSM NewsLetter reported the winners of the Birthday Game for Flag
Field Staff Members. The contest is based on money paid by recruits for
training and processing to Scientology in Clearwater, Florida.

"FINAL BIRTHDAY GAME STANDINGS 2002-2003 WINNERS!
1. Michael Phillips CW
2. Wendy Ettricks WUS
3. Ty Dillard WUS
4. Barry Klein WUS
5. Mike Smith WUS
6. Ronit Soracco WUS
7. Steve Besio CW
8. Ray Barton CW
9. Divona Lewis WUS
10. Wayne Fuller CW
11. Deborah Hulthen CW
12. Monika Ruegg EU
13. Pat Parodi WUS
14. Sheila Bulger UK
15. Kay Daly Weiner WUS
16. Mary Jo Hyland WUS
17. Dennis Feeney WUS
18. Neils Kjedlsen EU
19. Susan Rowe EUS
20. Luis Colon EUS"

Message-ID: <WNAGQTES37749.7008333333@...>

#####

> Narconon

Tulsa World reported on May 3rd that the Oklahoma legislature voted down a
measure to commend Narconon for its work in drug rehabilitation.

"Normally, resolutions honoring this or that group, person or event fly
through the Legislature with nary a ripple of controversy. However, those
measures do not usually involve substance-abuse treatment facilities
operated by the Church of Scientology. On Thursday, freshman Rep. Terry
Harrison, D-McAlester, appeared surprised that his Senate Concurrent
Resolution 29, sponsored in the Senate by Sen.  Frank Shurden,
D-Henryetta, sparked opposition. The resolution commends Narconon
Arrowhead, a nationally recognized drug and alcohol treatment facility
located at a former state lodge in Pittsburg County.

"The measure doesn't mention the facility's ties to Scientology. It cites
the $5.5 million spent on the lodge's purchase and renovation, delivery of
free drug education programs to 58,000 Oklahoma youths, 130 jobs and $7.4
million impact on the local economy, among other attributes. Rep. Richard
Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, said drug-afflicted people come to the Narconon
center from all over the country. A lawyer, Lerblance said some of his
clients have completed the program successfully. 'This is a program, a
company, that has come into Pittsburg County to help people,' he said.
'Whoever this company is owned by is immaterial.' Rep. Al Lindley,
D-Oklahoma City, also spoke for the measure. 'I'm completely ashamed of
the membership here,' he said. 'It doesn't matter who owns that facility
down there, as long as it helps people.'

"Rep. Bill Paulk, D-Oklahoma City, said he didn't want his name 'on
something supporting the Church of Scientology.' The veteran lawmaker said
such measures illustrate the dangers of mixing church and state. 'This is
a faith-based organization,' Paulk said. The resolution failed 43-50. It
had passed the Senate a day earlier, but not before Shurden fielded
questions on the facility's licensing with the state."

Message-ID: <1052303170.63878@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 6
5/18/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> CCHR

Zap2it.com reported on May 17th that Scientology plans to protest against
the annual convention of the American Psychiatric Association in San
Francisco.

"Actress Kelly Preston plans to lead a protest with hundreds of supports
from the Church of Scientology against the American Psychiatric
Association's annual convention in San Francisco on May 19. Preston says
she's protesting the psychiatric organization's recent opposition to
federal legislation designed to keep parents from being coerced by school
officials to give potentially addictive psychiatric drugs to children.

"Other celebrities such as Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley, Juliette
Lewis, Isaac Hayes, Anne Archer, Catherine Bell and Lynsey Bartilson have
spoken out at rallies and testified before the House of Representatives
Government Reform Committee on this issue since last September. The actors
are involved with the Citizens Commission on Human Rights - a mental
health watchdog founded by the Church of Scientology. The group says that
since the beginning of 2003, 16 states have introduced laws that would
prohibit the practice of psychiatrists using teachers to identify children
as mentally disordered and forcing parents to give drugs to their children
as a condition for them continuing school."

Message-ID: <1053263908.944186@...>

#####

> Housing Authority

Connecticut newspaper the Greenwich Time reported on May 16th that a
Scientologist in charge of the local housing authority has retired.
Benjamin Little was involved in a lawsuit by an employee who claims his
termination was religious discrimination.

"Benjamin Little retired yesterday as chief executive officer of the
Greenwich Housing Authority because of health problems that began earlier
this year when he underwent emergency colon surgery, he said. Little said
his decision to retire was based on a desire to spend more time with his
family and not on a lawsuit that alleges Little, a Scientologist, fired a
former employee because of religious discrimination. Scientology is a
philosophy based on creator L. Ron Hubbard's teachings of self-discovery.
'The lawsuit still goes forward,' Little said. 'The suit's going to be
there. My leaving does not affect the suit.' The housing authority and its
board are also named in the suit."

Message-ID: <1053081297.573130@...>

#####

> Interfaith Day

An email sent to Scientologists invited them to participate in an
Interfaith Day of Prayer being sponsored by the Los Angeles Police
Department.

"You are invited to join president CSI, Heber Jentzsch; Chief Bratton and
Reverend Leonard Jackson, of the first AME Church at CC Int on Sunday!
LAPD Religious Advisory Forum is holding this Interfaith Day Of Prayer to
recognize the commitment of the officers of the LAPD.

"This short event will be at the Pavilion at CC Int, from 5 to 6:30 on
this Sunday, May 18th.  The C of S Choir has organized an interfaith choir
to perform. Your attendance would be appreciated. It is important that our
Church shows its utmost respect to the men and women of the LA Police
Department."

Message-ID: <4OU6GVQA37755.6@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Dave Bird reported a protest at the Birmingham, England org on May 10th.

"We did another picket of the Scientology cult's offices which are in
Churchill House on the floor above Pizza Hut in New St. Present were Dave,
Jens, John, Neil, Katie and Tony.  We had a gas cylinder and the
ever-popular Xemu Loves You helium balloons, white ones and clear ones. We
also have some 7 inch PVC inflatable space aliens with Xemu Loves You
printed on their little foreheads.

"The clams seem to have had their own promotional event in Library Square.
We split three and three when the gas cylinder ran out, half the group
going up there to check it out, but whatever it had been was already have
dismantled by the time our 3 got there."

Message-ID: <eyz1ZBIR$Xv+Ewph@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 7
6/1/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

Note: This issue includes articles from the last two weeks of
alt.religion.scientlogy.

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on May 29th that Scientology has mailed
promotional materials to encourage retailers to open stores in downtown
Clearwater, Florida.

"The Church of Scientology has sent out promotional brochures to national
retailers such as the Gap and Banana Republic in an effort to lure more
upscale businesses downtown. But city officials, largely caught off-guard,
expressed surprise and disappointment at the strategy. 'I thought that it
was odd that an independent entity would do this,' Commissioner Whitney
Gray said. 'You don't see other businesses, or churches certainly,
marketing downtown to this degree.'

"Gray said she had been notified by the church about plans for the
eight-page flier touting downtown. She met with a church representative
and bluntly outlined her concerns. Given the church's dominant presence
downtown, there are people who refuse to spend money there because they
think it would benefit Scientology, according to Gray. 'If it looks to the
public like the Church of Scientology is building downtown,' she said,
'people won't come.'

"The brochure was distributed to 10 to 20 retailers, including Haagen-Dazs
and Ann Taylor. The church, he said, has an interest in seeing downtown
thrive, both for parishioners' benefit and for the community at large.

"Commissioner Frank Hibbard said the church had ventured outside its
traditional bounds. 'When you talk about promoting Clearwater as a whole,'
he said, 'that is the role of city government.' In fact, the city put out
a glossy brochure of its own in March, sending it to 4,000 developers
nationwide. Assistant City Manager Ralph Stone said the effort was widely
publicized and sought input from a host of city groups, many that include
members of the church.

"Mayor Brian Aungst said he was surprised by the brochures. 'I don't know
that it hurts anything,' he said. 'It's probably helpful, but we'll find
out, I guess.' City officials said they had no problems with the
information contained in the church's flier - it is standard economic
development fare, with statistics on population, median age and income.
But they worried about straying from a unified message. At the very least,
Gray said, the city of Clearwater needs to be perceived as heading up its
own economic development. 'This just makes it a little bit harder,' she
said."

The article prompted a letter to the editor on June 1st.

"The headline should read, City of Clearwater sold downtown to
Scientology. The city of CLEARwater has long since been handed away bit by
bit to this church by ill-informed and misguided commissioners and a few
mayors, most recent being the ever-so-eloquent Brian Aungst. It does not
bother me that the 'The Church of Scientology' operates in the city; it
has a constitutional right to and I believe it should. However, do not
think for a second it has the citizens of Clearwater in the forefront of
its mind.

"The church operates and caters to a transient population that, for the
most part, is crammed into motels and apartment complexes throughout
Clearwater and Pinellas County and is clothed and fed by the church. How
is this helpful to a once thriving city? It is not. I challenge the City
Commission to research the legal term ad valorem, and try to enact a bill
that would restrict any tax-exempt entity from owning a certain percentage
or dollar amount of property within a single city limit. - Paul Hodges,
Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on May 23rd that Scientology is
requesting the Lisa McPherson wrongful death case be moved from Clearwater
because of the low opinion potential jurors have about the organization.

"Earlier this spring professional researchers combed Tyrone Square Mall
asking Pinellas residents what they thought of the church. 'A cult,' said
person after person. 'Scam,' said one. 'Crooks,' said another. The
researchers, hired by the church, questioned 300 people. Their findings
were grim: Four out of five had unfavorable things to say about
Scientology. The church concluded that the negative opinions Pinellas
residents hold toward Scientology are so deep and widespread, it could not
get a fair trial here.

"This week, it took the unusual step of asking the court to move a civil
trial out of this area because, it says, potential Pinellas jurors have
been prejudiced by negative media coverage. The motion for a change of
venue comes in a related matter, a countersuit against the McPherson
estate and its attorney Ken Dandar. The church alleges that Dandar
improperly attempted to add Scientology leader David Miscavige as a
defendant in the wrongful-death suit. That case is scheduled for trial
July 7.

"'(The church) has learned that the breadth and intensity of 'community
prejudice' against both the Scientology religion and Flag (the church's
Clearwater entity) within Pinellas County is such that Flag cannot receive
a fair trial in this venue,' the 28-page motion states. 'The community
prejudice has been fueled by an ongoing barrage of negative media
comments, principally by the St. Petersburg Times and the local television
stations, including publication of inflammatory and unethical public
statements by Kennan Dandar.'

"Dandar, who has represented McPherson's family for six years, called the
allegation 'a bunch of baloney' and another delay tactic by the church's
formidable legal team.

"Ben Shaw, the church's head of public relations in Clearwater, said the
respondents were residents whose perceptions were 'created by the
continuing onslaught of negative media coverage.'

"Times editor and president Paul C. Tash defended the paper's coverage.
'The Church of Scientology remains a big and important institution in the
Tampa Bay area and we're going to continue our coverage, fully and fairly,
even if sometimes the church officials object to that coverage,' Tash
said.

"Dandar said he wasn't surprised by the survey's findings. 'They (church
officials) are complaining about the newspaper reporting on the tragic
death of Lisa McPherson when they are the ones who caused her death in the
first place,' Dandar said. 'They are blaming everyone but themselves for
their bad public relations image.'

"Last month, the case was reassigned from Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer,
who sat through weeks of hearings last year, to Senior Judge Robert Beach.
Chief Circuit Judge David Demers made the move after Schaeffer recused
herself from handling a counterclaim."

Message-ID: <1053685708.753904@...>
Message-ID: <1054203669.363094@...>
Message-ID: <1054469652.461617@...>

#####

> Narconon

The South Idaho Press reported on May 20th that city officials in Rubert,
Idaho will hear a presentation from Narconon

"The council will also hear from officials of the Burley-based NARCONON of
Idaho. The group offers drug treatment and counseling. NARCONON's
treatment is based on methods created by L. Ron Hubbard. 'It's a natural
method of ridding the body of drugs stored in fat. They use herbs, saunas,
sweating and exercise to help in the process,' Neiwerth said.

"The council needs to know about drug treatment alternatives, she said. 'I
wanted the council to be aware of some of the methods available to help
people get off drugs so they can get out of that drug mode and trafficking
and making drugs. It's to help take them off that dependency for drugs,'
Neiwerth said."

Message-ID: <3ECADCE2.1030601@...>

#####

> Leipzig Human Rights Award

Freie Presse Chemnitz reported on May 18th that the Leipzig Human Rights
Award has been presented to Andreas Heldal-Lund, creator of the web site
xenu.net.

"The information technology specialist was honored in Leipzig on Sunday
for his work against the Scientology cult and his efforts towards freedom
of speech on the Internet. For almost seven years, Heldal-Lund has
maintained a web site by the name of Operation Clambake, in which he
distributes information about the Scientology organization.

"Last year's award winner Alain Vivien said in his laudation that
Heldal-Lund had revealed the machinations of the Scientologists with
'respect and intelligence.' In doing this he was helping both potential
and past victims.

"In his acceptance speech, Heldal-Lund emphasized the role of the citizen
in the fight for basic rights, such as freedom of speech. 'These rights
being anchored in the Constitution is not good enough,' he said. Therefore
every individual should deliberate on how to put a stop to such churches
and organizations. Also people had to continue to earn their basic rights.

"Heldal-Lund uses his Internet pages to inform people about the doctrines
and practices of Scientology that the organization itself does not want
published. Despite legal complaints from Scientology and temporary
boycotts from several Internet Service Providers, Heldal-Lund has not shut
down his web site.

"The award is conferred annually by the European-American Citizens
Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA. Besides
Americans and Germans, the committee includes members from England,
Austria, Russia and Sweden. The Citizens Committee was formed in 1997 and
opposes physical and psychological abuse of humans under the pretext of
religion, among other things. One of the people who received the award
prior to Heldal-Lund was former Labor Minister Norbert Bluem."

From Frankfurter Rundschau on May 15th:

"The Norwegian Internet expert from Stavanger is receiving this year's
Leipzig Human Rights Award on Sunday. For six years Heldal-Lund has been
engaged in uncovering the human rights violations of the cult-like
Scientology organization, as reported by the 'European-American Citizens
Committee for Human rights and Religious Freedom in the USA' in Berlin on
Wednesday. The recipients of the unremunerated honor, bestowed since 2000
in the form of a glass-contained sculpture with an image of the Leipzig
Nikolas Church, include former federal labor minister Norbert Bluem (CDU).
In presenting its award to individuals, the Committee hopes to promote
'human rights reforms' among cult-like organizations."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1030525055801.121A-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1030524061946.119B-100000@...>

#####

> Scientology Tour

Skyway News published the second of two articles on May 12th on a tour of
the Scientology org in Minnesota.

"After a quick talk with Scientologist Troy about how I don't have to be
introverted, and, really, the depression score isn't high enough to be a
real concern, Diane, another volunteer working at Scientology's 1011
Nicollet Mall center, asks if I'd like to see a video on Dianetics.
There's a process in it that can help people figure out what's wrong and
give them the tools to fix it.

"There is a certain cadence to the narration and pacing of the imagery,
the monotonous voice of the narrator regularly punctuated by exceedingly
long pauses. However slowly, I am being introduced to the only system in
the world that has ever figured out the source of man's problems and, more
importantly, how to fix them.

"Basically: the mind is split into two parts, the 'analytical mind' and
the 'reactive mind'. The analytical mind is incapable of making mistakes,
it is logical and rational - it is sane. The reactive mind is toxic,
holding on to negative impressions of the world formed by bad experiences
or by people saying things to us while we're in an unconscious state;  it
is the source of neurosis and insanity.

"Michael has pulled out a screening form.  The questions quickly grow
intimate: Have I had any alcohol in the last 24 hours, how much do I
normally drink, have I ever had any illegal drugs, am I on any medication,
ever had psychiatric treatment or counseling, if so, why, how long, what
was the analysis?  I end up telling him things I don't usually divulge to
strangers.  Have I or a family member ever personally contributed to
negative articles in the media about Scientology? Am I a member of the
news media? Am I with the CIA or FBI or any other government agency?

"I ask a free church service is contingent upon my profession or
government involvement. 'The church has to protect itself from
infiltrants,' he explains.  Like I said before, I'm the managing editor of
Skyway News, but I'm not in the CIA or anything. He just writes 'No.' With
the form completed, albeit incorrectly, and oddly without me having to
sign it, we move on.

"For the next hour or so, I recount 10 times each the experiences of a
bike accident and a previous childhood chin injury, eyes closed.
Unfortunately, I couldn't recall anything said to me when I was
unconscious, no engrams. But I did get a headache and my neck got tight -
evidence of regression, i.e., reliving the experiences on that part of my
time track.

"I just need to pay for some books I picked up from hours ago.  Michael
drops me off with a woman who can process the book order. There's no cash
register. She has to go to the basement to get change. Standing there,
waiting, I browse the brochures. I'm back in the area where I watched the
Dianetics video.

"One of the men in the navy-like outfits approaches.  'Are you in the
navy?' I ask.  'No, I'm in the Sea Org.' Uh-huh.  'Would you like to
complete our survey?' he asks, handing me another opportunity to offer up
personal information: name, address, am I married, do I have kids? How
many? Do I have debts? How much? And answer 'yes or 'no' questions like,
'DO YOU HAVE A PURPOSE TO HELP CLEAR THIS PLANET?'

"Another man approaches as I finger brochures. 'Do you like to read?' he
asks. Yes, I like to read, in fact, I work at the local newspaper; no, I
don't have much time. The woman emerges from the basement with my change.
Despite my desire to leave, I find it impossible to be rude and leave the
friendly man who approached me. We agree to talk until 4:30 p.m., no
longer.  At 5:30 p.m., I get up to leave.

"Diane comes out. 'How was the auditing?' The next step is the basic
Dianetics course for just $35 and another audit that costs $200 but it's
eight hours long.  Over the next day or so, I find 'Dianetics' impossible
to read. I quote a passage to my husband and can't imagine calling the
kind man for assistance decoding it."

Message-ID: <Xns9380618C6B62kadywwwaifnet@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

Slatkinfraud.com reported on May 26th that Scientologists have been
pressuring their members to join in opposing the Reed Slatkin trustee's
attempts to recover money from Scientology orgs.

"Scientologist profiteers used high pressure tactics to pressure fellow
Scientologists with creditor status in the case to sign up for a legal
maneuver almost entirely contrary to their own interests. In a mass email
sent out last January, longtime Scientologist Tony Lonstein, currently on
the hook for nearly $2 million according to the suit filed against him by
the estate, called on his fellow Scientologists to join an objection to
the trustee's plans to reorganize the estate, claiming that trustee Todd
Neilson is 'out of control' and plotting to attack the church.

"'The Trustee is out of control, suing anyone he can find. As an example,
in the 50 page interrogatory which he just sent us, there is a full page
devoted to listing out every single corporate entity of the Church,
followed by questions related to our dealings with the Church. Despite the
fact that this is highly inappropriate, it does lead one to believe that
the Trustee has taken significant time researching all the Church's legal
entities, and one must wonder if he doesn't intend to use this information
in some sort of a suit or other attack against the Church, which I am sure
you would not want to support.'

"Scientologist net-loser Al Ribisi questioned Lonstein's failure to make
clear his own pecuniary interest in the motion, and chided him; '(for)
positioning the issue in any way with our Church. Leave the Church out of
it. It's off-line. We have an Office of Special Affairs to handle these
things.' Lonstein responded by quoting liberally from Scientology founder
L. Ron Hubbard, and claimed that trustee Todd Neilson was a 'suppressive'
- a Scientology term for an 'enemy' - for attempting to recoup Slatkin
profits from 'hundreds of upstanding, ethical, productive Scientologists.'

"'I personally believe that the Trustee's actions are suppressive, and
that his suit of hundreds of upstanding, ethical, productive
Scientologists is suppressive, and that his attempts use the legal system
to strong-arm Scientologists into paying him by trying to get their assets
attached in advance of a judgement are suppressive, and that his posturing
to sue the Church is grossly suppressive, and if he sues the Church, he is
100% suppressive, and that anyone who actively backs him up or sits
quietly on the sidelines getting monetary benefit from his actions is
aiding and abetting a Suppressive. Think about it, one of the
distributions you receive from the Trustee could potentially be money
extracted from the Church. No-one would want that to occur.'"

Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0305260806.e04472f@...>

#####

> Tampa

The Tampa Tribune reported on May 31st that Scientology has been
aggressively distributing material in Ybor City, a neighborhood of Tampa,
Florida known for its large number of bars and restaurants.

"For months, well-dressed Scientologists have lined parts of Seventh
Avenue, two on each side of the street, passing out pamphlets and asking
passers-by to take a personality test. Now, Ybor City residents and
business owners are complaining to the city that they are being harassed
by Scientology recruiters who follow them down the street and won't take
no for an answer. 'People have said they are just as annoying as
panhandlers,' said Vince Pardo, president of the Ybor City Development
Corp.

"The church is renovating a building it is leasing at 1619 E. Eighth Ave.
and plans to open The Scientology Life Improvement Center on June 7, said
Ana Tirabassi, spokeswoman for the church's Tampa headquarters. It will
offer lectures, courses and films on Scientology, she said. Scientologists
stand on street corners not to harass people, Tirabassi said, but 'to
introduce us to people new to the subject.' 'It's a traditional way of
letting people know about Scientology,' she said. 'It's what we do in
cities all over the country. We have excellent relations with our Ybor
neighbors, and there have been no complaints that I know of.'

"In response to complaints made to the city, Councilwoman Rose Ferlita on
Thursday asked the city's legal department to investigate the issue and
find out what, if anything, the city can do to limit how Scientologists
recruit in the district. 'We have two issues here,' Ferlita said. 'The
respect of visitors of Ybor and religious rights. I don't really feel you
can equate this to panhandling, but them approaching someone may
ultimately end in the request for a contribution.'

"Tampa has an aggressive panhandling ordinance that prohibits people from
repeatedly asking for money. Members of the Ybor Coalition have asked the
city whether it can draft a similar ordinance to limit how many times
Scientologists can ask someone to take a personality test. But because it
is a religious organization, it has protection, said Gina Grimes, chief
assistant city attorney. The city is faced with balancing the
constitutional religious rights of the church with the rights of someone
to walk down the street without feeling pressured, she said.

"Joe Howden, an Ybor resident and Barrio Latino commissioner, said he
walks past at least four Scientologists daily on his way to work at King
Corona Cigars at 1523 Seventh Ave. 'We've worked hard to get panhandlers
out of this area, and now we have these people standing on the street
approaching people, and it's unfair,' he said. 'I don't know why this
organization seems to think it has the right to step beyond the boundary
of personal space.'

"Irene Pierpont, general manager of Centro Ybor, said she has had to ask
Scientologists to leave her property. 'We wouldn't have a problem if we
didn't witness them following people down the street,' Pierpont said. 'But
we just can't have that here.'

"Rachelle Wagner, an Ybor resident, said she's glad to see the church
renovating a vacant building, but she's concerned that members don't
identify themselves when approaching people on the street. 'The average
person doesn't know what a personality test is or what Scientology is,'
Wagner said. 'What bothers me most is that they seem so sneaky.'"

Message-ID: <1054395295.644605@...>

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 8
6/8/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on June 5th reacted to
plans to Scientology's efforts to promote downtown Clearwater, Florida to
developers and retailers.

"Please, Clearwater Commissioner Whitney Gray, spare preaching 'the good
word of downtown' to the majority of Clearwater residents. City officials
know how most residents feel about the Scientologists' overwhelming
presence in downtown Clearwater.

"The bulk of property they have procured within our city is disturbing to
many. The concept of spending up to $41-million to provide residents with
a Barnes & Noble, Ann Taylor, Armani Exchange, Kenneth Cole and FAO
Schwartz is absurd. Do they think these stores would draw most of us
downtown? Call me stupid, but come on. The elephant is in the living room.

"This issue has exhausted most taxpayers in this community. Most of us
have had uptown 'dreams' of downtown, but that's all they are, dreams. -
Charlene Comeau, Clearwater

"When I was in Florida last year, I dropped by the Lisa McPherson Trust
not too long before its demise. One of the staff members took me on a
walking tour to see the various Scientology buildings, pointing out the
many 'security' cameras and motion sensors. We were constantly shadowed by
operatives yapping on walkie-talkies and cell phones. When approaching
Scientologists on the sidewalks, my guide simply stopped in his tracks,
explaining that they couldn't come within 10 feet, so he preferred to let
them figure out how to deal with that prohibition.

"The atmosphere in downtown Clearwater is downright intimidating. The
heart of the city is an occupied territory, under constant surveillance by
a 'religion' based on sci-fi scriptures about alien forces that
overwhelmed Battlefield Earth 75 million years ago. - Eldon M. Braun,
Paris, France"

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0306050600.242bc4c3@...>

#####

> Germany

A press release from the Dialog Center in Berlin, Germany on June 3rd
warned that Scientology has begun advertising in magazines placed in taxi
cabs.

"Numerous Berlin taxis have been driving through the capitol city recently
with covert Scientology advertisements. Sect commissioner of the
Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg, Rev. Thomas Gandow, warned about
the taxi advertisements for the new Scientology magazine 'Free Mind -
Reise zum Ich.' The connection of the advertisement to the Scientology
organization is not readily apparent to either the taxi driver or to the
potential buyers. This is because the word 'Scientology' is not mentioned,
although the advertisement is for 'Dianetics' and Scientology founder
Hubbard.

"Scientology and Dianetics inventor Hubbard stated that his psycho-courses
were going to replace psychiatry and psychotherapy. Erich Fromm, who back
in 1950 was a renowned psychotherapist, wrote that the Dianetics book was
'alarming.' He said the book was a 'symptom of a dangerous trend.'

"'Free Mind' is printed by Verlag New Era Publications GmbH.  There is no
doubt this is a Scientology corporation whose business consists primarily
of dealing in Hubbard books."

#####

> Narconon

Narconon International Newsletter reported in its May, 2003 issue on
developments around the world regarding the Scientology drug rehab
program.

"The First China International Symposium on Alcohol and Health was put on
by the Beijing SIJI Exchange Center for Science and Technology, the World
Health Organization-Shanghai Collaborating Center for Health Education and
Promotion, and the University of Nebraska. More than fifty delegates
attended from throughout China, Australia, Canada, Europe, and Taiwan. The
Narconon International President delivered an address on sauna sweat-out
detoxification methodology, as developed by L. Ron Hubbard, in relation to
treating alcoholism. He presented the research and published materials of
the Narconon program and evidence of its worldwide delivery.

"Following the symposium, the President met with Prof Gan Xmgfa of the
WHO-Shanghai Collaborating Center, who requested that someone from
Narconon International come as soon as possible to present the Narconon
drug rehabilitation method, to help pilot the Narconon program in a local
hospital, and to help survey the China Republic regarding drug abuse. Many
professionals in the country are aware that there is a large and growing
problem and are searching for intelligent technology that can be
implemented rapidly and locally to deal with it.

"An invitation to introduce Narconon technology and First Step Workshop at
the second Project Bridges Faith Based Substance Abuse Treatment and
Prevention Conference soon followed from Washington, DC. The motto of the
conference was 'Mobilizing to Bridge the Gap.' The conference focus was on
faith- and community-based organizations, building them into a grassroots
movement toward handling the drug problem. The attendees were primarily
African-American pastors and related associates in the Washington, D.C.
area.

"Clifton Mitchell, President Bush's Coordinator of Faith and Community
Partners Initiative, spoke about the President's initiative to increase
funding for faith-based rehab groups. He encouraged the attendees to form
coalitions and write grant proposals to the U.S.  Government. Mr. Mitchell
thanked Clark Carr and Narconon for helping him to do his job and urged
everyone to visit Narconon Arrowhead. Rev. Carlton N. Pressley (Senior
Advisor for Religious Affairs to the D.C. Mayor), gave a rousing sermon,
preaching among other things that the listeners 'should be sending addicts
to Narconon.'

"The federal ANF (Anti Narcotics Force) of Pakistan invited the President
of Narconon International to tour and lecture throughout Pakistan. Dr.
Humaira Aziz, a Narconon supporter in Islamabad, has been disseminating
Mr. Hubbard's social betterment technology, and Narconon drug prevention
and rehabilitation methods were what were most urgently requested.

"The Narconon International President first met with Dr. Muhammad Sharif,
ED Narconon Hyderabad, near Karachi. Dr. Sharif set up meetings with the
Mayor of Hyderabad and Latifabad, a neighboring town, and put on for the
President a welcoming event with 40 enthusiastic supporters of Dr.
Sharif's activities, followed by a banquet at which awards and
recognitions were given out to all.

"A two-day workshop in the city of Rawalpindi got rave reviews.  All
attendees gave heartfelt wins and thanks to Narconon International for
coming to Islamabad/Rawalpindi, to the President, and to Dr. Humaira Aziz.
Every rehab group in attendance rushed the President for Narconon license
applications. The President then toured local rehabs, giving assists to
those he saw were ill, and continued to work with their representatives on
how to get vitamins, etc., for delivery.

"The staff of Narconon Southern California have long since filled their
Narconon Newport Beach facility to capacity. Now, after purchasing a
lovely new residential facility in the desert hills of north San Diego
County, they have completed the zoning approval processes and are filling
this center to capacity and are looking for a third location!

"Narconon Racine in Wisconsin was licensed this year. They have done their
basic incorporation and have begun promoting the Narconon drug prevention
program. This group is just north of Chicago, so they are also working in
coordination with Narconon Great Lakes and will be doing referrals to
Narconon Stone Hawk."

Message-ID: <DJ1YKYZO37778.1267824074@...>

#####

> Safe

CNET News.com reported on June 3rd that Scientology is attempting to force
AT&T to disclose the identity of a poster to alt.religion.scientology who
allegedly posted copyrighted materials anonymously.

"Raising new issues about anonymity on the Net, the Church of Scientology
is invoking a law passed last year to force AT&T to disclose the identity
of an Internet service subscriber who allegedly infringed the church's
copyrights online. Scientology's Bridge Publications, which four years ago
helped to forge new law when it sued Internet service provider Netcom,
claims the anonymous author 'made two unauthorized, verbatim Internet
postings' of the church's copyrighted works on the
alt.religion.scientology Usenet group. Invoking a provision in the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act, Bridge Publications filed a subpoena on AT&T
that would require it to turn over the name of the Worldnet subscriber.

"AT&T spokesman Jonathan Varman said the company had not yet turned over
the information to the church and was 'looking to do the best for our
customer and still comply with the court.' The subpoena set yesterday as
the deadline for complying. In a telephone interview, the poster, going by
the pseudonym 'Safe,' said AT&T had agreed to delay complying with the
subpoena until at least tomorrow to give his attorney time to figure out
how to proceed.

"Dan Leipold, Safe's counsel and an attorney who has done battle with
Bridge Publications in the past, said he was concerned the law was being
misused against his client. 'This individual has not been shown to do
anything wrong and yet he's going to lose his anonymity,' said Leipold,
who declined to name the author. 'He's worried. He does not want to give
up the anonymity because he knows who's on the other side and he knows
what they'll do to him.'

"According to one of the offending Usenet postings, the church goes so far
as to make it a 'high crime' for followers to 'Organize splinter groups to
diverge from Scientology practices still calling it Scientology or calling
it something else.' In all, the post, which purports to cite the
Introduction to Scientology Ethics, lists 274 'errors, misdemeanors,
crimes, and high crimes' against the Church.

"Leipold argued that despite the large amount of text quoted verbatim, the
posting fell under so-called fair use exceptions to the copyright law.
Fair use provisions permit parties to reprint copyrighted work depending
on the purpose, the amount of text quoted, and other factors. 'If you're
trying to illustrate the point that they exert control over their members,
you can't do it by quoting only five or six rules,' Leipold said. 'You've
got to look at what the scope is.'"

Message-ID: <1054636018.812490@...>

#####

> Ybor City

The St. Petersburg Times reported on June 6th that Scientology will open a
new facility in the Ybor City area of Tampa, Florida.

"The church spent $200,000 renovating the leased building at 1619 E Eighth
Ave. and expects 500 people for the grand opening, Tirabassi said. 'We
like Ybor City because it has lots of people, lots of life, lots of
activities, and it's a vibrant community,' she said. This week, workers
were putting the finishing touches on the Scientology Life Improvement
Center, which will sell Scientology books, administer personality, IQ and
aptitude tests and offer self-improvement courses.

"But to get people through the doors, the church stops them on sidewalks.
Vince Pardo, executive director of the Ybor City Development Corporation,
said he's pleased to see the church fix up a local building but he's also
heard complaints about the intensity of church members' pitches. In teams
of two, members have been standing along Seventh Avenue, talking to
passers-by and offering free personality tests. Some of them have
apparently followed customers onto private Centro Ybor property, where
solicitation is off limits.

"'We're all for free speech,' said Lisa Brock, a spokeswoman for Centro
Ybor. 'We just have to draw the line at following people (onto) any of our
property, which might cross into the area of harassment.'"

From the St. Petersburg Times on June 7th:

"The church, which has been criticized for aggressive canvassing in Ybor
City, met with its neighbors this week and discussed that very question.
After the meeting, Ybor civic leader Vince Pardo was pleased. The
Scientologists, he said, had agreed to dispatch no more than two people at
a time to recruit new members from the streets of Ybor.

"But church spokeswoman Ana Tirabassi didn't remember it that way. She
said the church didn't limit itself to a number but simply agreed not to
overwhelm the neighborhood. Friday, after a reporter raised the
discrepancy with Pardo, he opened a three-way conference call with church
spokeswoman Pat Harney. When she avoided a firm commitment, he expressed
disappointment. 'What you're doing is voluntary, and I appreciate that,'
said Pardo, executive director of the Ybor City Development Corp. 'But I
also appreciated that you came up with a number.'

"In recent weeks, community leaders have received complaints about the
number of canvassers and the intensity of their pitches. When the
Scientologists learned about the concerns, they started talking to shop
owners and promised to be good neighbors. Pardo said he told them about
the concerns of business owners who had reported that church members
followed customers onto Centro Ybor's property. The Scientologists, he
said, were apologetic. Pardo said the church agreed to remind members of
its policy not to follow or harass people on sidewalks.

"Pardo said he was told that the typical number of canvassers assigned to
Ybor is from two to eight. According to Pardo, the church committed to
limiting canvassers to two at a time. Tirabassi said the church generally
assigns no more than two members at a time but reserves the right to send
more. The bottom line, Tirabassi said, is that the church wants to be
sensitive to neighborhood concerns without limiting its own rights. Pardo
said he was encouraged by the Scientologists' 'good faith, voluntary
agreement.'"

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0306060405.6aead645@...>
Message-ID: <1054989910.672517@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 9
6/15/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Clearwater

A St. Petersburg Times editorial on June 9th reacted to charges made by
Scientology that Clearwater area residents have been prejudiced against
them by press coverage.

"Many Pinellas County residents know the story of how the Church of
Scientology slipped into Pinellas under a different name in 1975 and began
buying property in downtown Clearwater, where it established its
international religious retreat known as Flag. They remember the clashes
that followed between Clearwater city officials and Scientology, the
church's penchant for secrecy and the disinformation campaign hatched by
the organization to discredit a city official who opposed Scientology.

"Many Pinellas residents also remember hearing that a member of the Church
of Scientology, Lisa McPherson, died in 1995 after being kept in the care
of staffers in the church's Fort Harrison building. Because they know all
that, some of them have strong opinions about Scientology, and it should
come as no surprise that many of those opinions are negative. What is
surprising, given the history of the church in Pinellas, is that
Scientology officials are shocked by how many Pinellas residents distrust
or dislike their organization.

"The church recently hired professional researchers to survey 300 shoppers
at a St. Petersburg mall to learn their opinions of Scientology, Flag and
the McPherson case.  Since getting the results, the church has asked for a
change of venue in an upcoming jury trial that peripherally involves
aspects of the McPherson case. The church's motion for the venue change is
filled with accusations about the 'religious bigotry' of the Pinellas
population and 'hate-mongering' by local media, including the St.
Petersburg Times. The church claims that the media have poisoned the
public's view of Scientology.

"The truth of the matter is that most residents of Pinellas County are
neither misled nor confused about Scientology. What they are is
well-informed, and they have good memories. They see not just the
dressed-up image the church has displayed since getting smarter about
public relations a few years ago, but also the years of shenanigans that
preceded the change.

"Church officials apparently thought they had made more progress at
changing perceptions, especially in Clearwater. And indeed, Clearwater
officials have forged a cooperative relationship with Scientology, in some
cases accepting campaign support and assistance from church members,
bestowing awards on the church and even inviting church officials'
participation in city government affairs.

"Perhaps it was the city of Clearwater's accommodating attitude that
recently led the church to believe it had the standing to start recruiting
national retailers to downtown Clearwater.  The church prepared a brochure
spotlighting the city's demographics and benefits (including a section
touting the positive presence of the Church of Scientology downtown) and
sent it to retailers such as the Gap and Banana Republic. Because no
author is listed, the brochure promotes the mistaken impression that it
comes from city government. Yet asked about this presumptuousness by the
church, Mayor Brian Aungst said merely, 'I don't know that it hurts
anything. It's probably helpful, but we'll find out.'

"Clearwater officials would do well to review the results of the
Scientology survey and consider whether an informed and wary public would
be comfortable seeing them hold hands with the Church of Scientology."

Message-ID: <1055153838.94746@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

The Palm Beach Post reported on June 11th that Scientology has withdrawn
its request to move the breach of contract counterclaim in the Lisa
McPherson case to another county.

"In a letter to the judge on the breach-of-contract case, an attorney for
the church wrote that since the court date was only four weeks away, the
church would try for a fair jury panel there. The Scientologists
previously argued that they could not continue in the Clearwater area
because a survey conducted by the church had shown a bias in the area.

"The church lawyers asked that the case be moved to Palm Beach or Broward
county because the counties have demographics similar to Pinellas County.
The church is involved in expansive litigation after a church member died
while under psychiatric care at a church facility. The church member, Lisa
McPherson, 36, a devout Scientologist from Clearwater, had a mental
breakdown in 1995 and was taken to a church retreat facility, where she
died 17 days later."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0306110811.564c44d8@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

The Washington Post reported on June 15th that Scientology celebrity Tom
Cruise visited U.S. Government officials in part to discuss issues
important to Scientology.

"Church of Scientology cause celeb Tom Cruise slipped into town this week
for private meetings with senior Bush administration officials at the
Department of Education and the White House. On Thursday, Education
Secretary Rod Paige hosted a lunch for Cruise so the actor could gab with
education officials in the secretary's dining room. 'He wanted to learn
more about the president's 'no child left behind' program,' Education
Undersecretary Eugene Hickok told us yesterday. Hickock added: 'We're
willing to talk to anyone interested in the issue. I don't think I'm
star-struck.' But we hear that on Friday at the White House, where Cruise
lobbied officials on Scientology-related issues, there were plenty of
young female staffers standing around, hoping to bump into him in the
corridors of power."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0306142123.1d697177@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

Slatkinfraud.com reported on June 14th that an attorney for Scientology
will be asking for a subpoena in the Reed Slatkin Ponzi scheme case to
discover communications between creditors of the Slatkin estate and the
Slatkinfraud creators.

"Scientology lawyer Helena Kobrin, here acting as counsel for herself
(independent from Scientology) and other Scientology investors, has filed
a declaration revealing her intent to target members of the Creditors'
Committee for subpoena. First on Kobrin's list is George Kriste. Among the
monstrous laundry list of material she asks Kriste produce is a request
for 'all documents which relate to communications you have had with any
person who is involved in the Slatkinfraud web site, including, without
limitation, David Touretzky, Kady O'Malley, and Scott Pilutik.' Kirkland &
Ellis attorney Alex Pilmer replies in a letter that Kriste will only
respond to the subpoena if ordered to by the court. If the court does
allow the Kriste subpoena, Kobrin states plans for serving identical
subpoenas to the rest of the Creditors' Committee."

Message-ID: <5e0371c5.0306141502.2f1b9142@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 10
6/22/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on June 17th and June
20th addressed a recent editorial, the issue of Scientology's dominance in
Clearwater, Florida and its expansion into nearby Tampa neighborhood Ybor
City.

"I know well the history of Scientology in this community, especially the
'shenanigans,' as you put it, that occurred more than two decades ago.
There is no doubt that during that period there was legitimate reason to
question the motives of some members of this church. Even its current
members and leaders will acknowledge those past mistakes made by former
leaders who were purged because of their actions.

"My relationship with individual members of the Church of Scientology
grows out of many years of friendship and observing the good things they
have done for my hometown of Clearwater. I see positive improvements in a
downtown that was suffering. I see new stores, retail activities, coffee
shops and arts events where there were none. I see an honest effort to
reach out to people in my community, not for nefarious purposes but out of
a genuine love for this city and a desire to be part of its future. It
amazes me that you cannot see those same changes that so many people in
Clearwater have seen in the Church of Scientology's effort to undo the
damage of 30 years ago when it first arrived here.

"Especially disappointing to me, as someone who has been in the public eye
for more than 20 years and who is a big believer in the media's important
role in our community, is the threatening tone of the editorial. Instead
of making a reasoned argument in the marketplace of ideas, your editorial
resorted to calling out individuals such as myself by name and threatening
their political futures should they continue to treat Scientologists as
even possibly productive members of society.  - Mary Repper, Clearwater

"I want to thank you for your excellent editorial on Scientology. As a
former 20-year member, who was not aware of the continual pattern of
illegal/unethical covert activities practiced by this so-called church
while he was in the group, I commend you for exposing the true nature of
this cult. Scientology's recent attempt to clean up its image is like
Osama bin Laden getting a haircut and a shave, and has the same purpose:
to disguise what it really is. - Peter Alexander, Tampa

"Your recent articles on the opening of the Scientology Life Improvement
Center in Ybor City created a controversy about complaints that are not
even specified, allegedly concerning Scientologists inviting the public to
the center. The Church of Scientology is opening a new and beautiful
center in a restored historic building where anyone can walk in and find
out about Scientology for themselves.

"The Scientology Life Improvement Center in Ybor City is open for anyone
to come in and find out for themselves about Scientology. We have had a
wonderful reception from our neighbors. We are there to help people and
the community to thrive, prosper and achieve better conditions in life. -
Ana Tirabassi, Church of Scientology, Tampa

"This organization is not a church, but a cult. It is built on falsehoods
and stands on sinking sand. The citizens do not want this cult in our
community and by the organization's own research find that it is
considered a detestable organization, which is unfortunately located on
our mist. The St. Petersburg Times reports that the words used to identify
this group were 'cult,' 'scam,' 'crooks,' 'despicable,' 'lost souls and
evil,' 'mind-controlling.'

"Scientologists are blaming the Times for the negative responses. They
blame everybody but themselves for their own failings. Remember when they
first came into Clearwater? They came under the disguise of United
Churches. If this is a church, why do they use falsehoods and devious
tactics? They have loaded upon the citizens of this community their tax
burden because they are hiding under the name 'church.' Churches do not
sue about everything and everybody that may offend them. All this cult is
about is money, money, money. - Ken Peters, Clearwater

"Clearwater has become synonymous with Scientology, a goal that the
organization deliberately set out to achieve when it sneaked into town
under the assumed name 'United Churches of Florida' and promptly tried to
frame and eliminate Gabe Cazares, then-mayor of Clearwater. Just how
synonymous Clearwater is with Scientology is something that most of the
St. Petersburg Times' readers are probably not aware of unless they read
national news. Horribly, if you visit the Web site Encyclopedia.com and
enter 'Scientology' in the search request, Clearwater is offered as one of
the four encyclopedia entries.

"In a fairly recent court case in the county, a judge reviewed
documentation covering the more than 100 video cameras Scientology has set
up to watch and record vehicle and pedestrian traffic in downtown
Clearwater. The judge turned to the Scientology lawyers and rhetorically
asked them, 'I just don't get it. When is the invasion coming?' The fact
is Scientology's invasion was a success. The city of Clearwater lost. -
Fredric L. Rice, Glendora, California"

Message-ID: <575016bf.0306180012.32d3b384@...>
Message-ID: <1056104001.442760@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

MSNBC reported on June 19th that Tom Cruise has been talking to U.S.
administration officials about education and Scientology issues.

"The Church of Scientology's Top Gun has been lobbying the White House.
Tom Cruise has been meeting with officials from the Department of
Education and lawmakers at the White House, reports the Washington Post,
and a source says he believes that Cruise is hoping to get government
funding for the church.

"'Tom is a big believer in the teaching tools of Scientology and has
spoken in the past about how it cured his dyslexia,' says alternative
religion expert Rick Ross. 'It looks to me like he is seeking federal
funds for Scientology schools under President Bush's Faith-Based
Initiative.'

"Ross also says that Cruise is appealing to the Bush administration to
pressure some European countries to ease up on their anti-Scientology
policies - just as John Travolta lobbied the Clinton administration.

"'Tom met at the Department of Education because he has always been
passionate about education and wanted to meet the Secretary [of
Education],' a spokeswoman for the actor told The Scoop. 'And, in a
separate meeting, he met with a few White House officials to discuss his
concern about the state of human rights in the world today, especially
religious intolerance in parts of Western Europe.'"

From the New York Daily News on June 22nd:

"Tom Cruise wants to get your children off drugs. We're talking about
medications doctors prescribe to help them conquer learning disabilities
such as hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. Last week, Cruise
went to Washington to push one of the key causes of his Church of
Scientology.

"'There's a bill that just passed the House that makes it unlawful for
schools and doctors to coerce children to get on drugs,' he told us
Thursday night at a benefit for MENTOR, the school charity that honored
him for his work with tutoring programs. 'We have some serious problems
with education. I know a lot about it. There are 8 million kids that are
being medicated with educational medication.

"A few days before, Cruise, who has credited Scientology with helping him
overcome dyslexia, lobbied for his position at a lunch with Education
Secretary Rod Paige in Washington. Cruise, who previously was a Bill
Clinton supporter, may have been lobbying the White House for the funding
of Scientology programs through President Bush's faith-based initiatives
program, according to some familiar with the organization."

Message-ID: <575016bf.0306192201.f97d146@...>
Message-ID: <1056285917.373734@...>

#####

> Narconon

The North County Times reported on June 17th that a new Narconon facility
has opened in the San Diego, California area.

"Narconon Southern California recently opened its second rehabilitation
center near Warner Springs. Narconon is a 35-year-old nonprofit drug
rehabilitation and education organization providing residential
rehabilitation services.

"Performing the official ribbon cutting ceremony are, Don McKinney from
U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa's office; Clark Carr, president of Narconon
International; Tommy Thompson from State Assemblyman Ray Haynes' office;
Gerry Marshall, president of Narconon Southern California Inc; John Allan,
chief of the Sunshine Summit Volunteer Fire Department; and David
Worthington, executive director of Narconon San Diego."

Message-ID: <1056196973.234392@...>

#####

> In Memoriam

Former Scientologist Robert Vaughn Young passed away on June 15th after a
long battle with prostate cancer. From his wife, Caren Cohen Young:

"Robert died at 1:10 pm on Sunday, June 15, 2003.  It was a couple of
hours after his son, who spent the night with him, left to return to
California. I was at his side, holding Robert's hand in mine. He was in no
pain, resting calmly and peacefully until his last breath. Robert will be
cremated in accordance with his wishes, and his ashes will be scattered
over water. Robert loved Vashon Island and Puget Sound and had fond
memories of the sailing scene around San Diego.

"Robert asked that in lieu of flowers or other memorials, tax deductible
donations be made to Phoenix5 so that the work can continue. There are
instructions as to how to support Phoenix5 at
http://www.phoenix5.org/Phoenix5/support.html. I will continue to maintain
the Phoenix5 website in accordance with Robert's wishes as I have computer
expertise to do so.

"Robert found fulfillment and joy in helping all those in the prostate
cancer community. My life and I'm sure many others' are richer because of
his life and his work.  I want to thank the many of you who have written
to me in these past weeks while Robert was ill. There were so many heart
warming emails that I wasn't able to respond to them all personally."

Message-ID: <797f716c.0306161152.35bb8cbb@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 11
6/29/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> APUME

Cultnews.com reported on June 23rd that a new Scientology organization has
been formed to distribute The Way to Happiness in the Middle East to
promote peace.

"The so-called 'Association for Peace and Understanding in the Middle
East' (APUME) seems to be little more than another ploy to promote
Scientology. On its website APUME says, 'We are volunteers - American,
Palestinian and Israeli' with offices in 'Florida' and 'Los Angeles,' two
bastions of activity for Scientology.

"Their featured publication is titled The Way to Happiness by
Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard. APUME says it has handed out more
than a million of these booklets in Hebrew and Arabic and hung up
'thousands' of promotional 'posters.' APUME claims it is 'not a religious
group and does not have a religious agenda.'

"APUME says you too can help bring peace to the Middle East by giving them
money to produce and distribute more booklets. They advise, 'Every dollar
that you donate buys one copy of The Way to Happiness booklet for an
Israeli family and one for a Palestinian family.'"

Message-ID: <3ef659a2@...>

#####

> Australia

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on June 24th on a student at a
Scientology school in Sydney, Australia who has overcome his shyness.

"Tears before school was a Monday morning ritual for Raja, a little boy
lost at his large local primary school in the inner west. Then she
stumbled across an advertisement for a Newtown school which boasted that
no class exceeded 15 pupils. Mrs. Nallathambi, a Hindu, was unaware that
The Athena School is Sydney's only Scientologist school. 'Now he's more
confident, there's no more tears,' she said. 'At the other school he had
no friends, now I can't get him to come home at the end of the day.'.

"The Athena School has 90 pupils, from pre-school to year 10, and eight
teachers, who have reportedly completed six months training in L. Ron
Hubbard teaching techniques, rather than holding formal qualifications.
Fees are about $1500 a term. The principal, Clare Holbrook, says that no
religion, including Scientology, is taught. But the school does base its
teachings on Hubbard's philosophy of education, centred around the theory
that children, like adults, need to 'learn how to learn.'

"Values are inculcated through a Scientologist booklet, The Way to
Happiness, whose principles would not look out of place alongside the
commandments of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0306231248.5f27a02f@...>

#####

> Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on June 25th again
addressed the issue of Scientology's impact on downtown Clearwater.

"The Church of Scientology has done more to clean up and rebuild downtown
Clearwater than any other single group that I have seen since I first came
here in 1970. They have rid N Fort Harrison Avenue of most of the hookers
and undesirables and they have turned the dilapidated motels that were
populated with drug dealers and vagrants into clean units that have
clean-cut people coming and going all day.

"We can walk freely to a concert or an event in Coachman Park (many of
those supported by the Church of Scientology) and not worry about leaving
before dark out of fear of being assaulted. We can shop downtown or enjoy
sitting outside having a cup of coffee while watching the people or the
sunset from the bluff because of the prosperity the Church of Scientology
has brought to Clearwater.

"As a good Catholic, I do not want to belittle the author of 'It's a
cult,' but suggest that he and all of us live together, respect each
other's views, religions and lifestyle preferences, and make Clearwater
and Pinellas County a great and prosperous home for ourselves, our
children, our grandchildren and the tourists. - Thomas J. Murrin, Belleair

"What prompts this letter is the specific warning in your editorial about
church officials marketing downtown Clearwater. You should be applauding
the effort, not deriding it. I was assistant city manager for economic
development in Clearwater for more than four years.  I never had a more
honorable ally and advocate than church staff, starting at the very top.
Directly said, the church is a key and positive component on the downtown
mix.

"The church's efforts in the mailing were small, targeted and based on
public information. As your story pointed out about halfway through,
senior city officials knew well in advance what the Scientology staff
wanted to do. Just because they neither raised an objection nor informed
their elected officials is hardly reason for commissioners, top management
or you to imply that something untoward had occurred.

"Downtown development is going to take a lot more than pretty pictures and
vague promises. It is going to take the concerted efforts of everyone who
has a stake in progress and the future of Clearwater. The Times needs to
make a decision of conscience and without old prejudices. Are we going to
work in the present and the future or continue to live with past mistakes
and biases? - Robert Keller, Clearwater

Message-ID: <1056535988.654045@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

The St. Petersburg Times reported on June 27th that Scientology has asked
that the Lisa McPherson wrongful death case be moved out of the county
that includes Clearwater, Florida. A similar request to move the related
counter-claim case was recently withdrawn.

"The Church of Scientology says that media coverage of the landmark Lisa
McPherson wrongful death case has turned back the clock to days of 'overt
hate mongering and media-fueled public animus' and it can no longer get a
fair trial in Tampa Bay. The church on Wednesday filed a motion seeking to
move the wrongful death trial to either Palm Beach or Broward county.
Church attorneys blame a 'barrage of negative media coverage' about the
lawsuit for widespread community prejudice against Scientology, documented
in a random survey of shoppers at Tyrone Square Mall in early spring.

"And the culprit for much of that negativity, the motion argues, is the
repeated inclusion of 'inflammatory and unethical' quotes from Ken Dandar,
the attorney for the estate of McPherson, a Scientologist who died in 1995
after 17 days in the care of the church in Clearwater. 'For six years
Dandar has made outrageous claims, accusing Flag of 'capturing' and then
'imprisoning' Lisa McPherson, then torturing and intentionally causing
Lisa McPherson's death - indeed murdering her,' the motion states. 'Yet
Dandar knew all of these allegations to be utterly false and eventually
they were found to be false by judges.'

"Dandar stood by his statements Thursday. Dandar said the church's attempt
to move the trial is aimed at running up his expenses in hopes it will
persuade the estate to settle the lawsuit.

"According to the motion filed Wednesday, decades-old community prejudice
against Scientology had 'subsided markedly' prior to Dandar filing the
wrongful death suit. 'To the extent the tide had been turning by 1997,
however, this case changed matters,' the motion states. Attached to the
motion are copies of hundreds of newspaper articles, editorials and
letters to the editor - enough to fill a shopping cart - which contain,
the motion states, 'derogatory content of one kind of another on
Scientology.'

"After taking a public relations hit when it released the results of the
survey in the previous motion for change of venue, this time church
attorneys were careful to characterize the context of the negative
comments made about the church. Robert C. Sorensen of New York, who
orchestrated the survey of 300 people, noted that on the subject of the
Scientology religion generally, there were an equal number of neutral and
negative responses. But when asked about Scientology in connection with
the wrongful death case, four out of five gave negative opinions, he
stated."

Message-ID: <1056708717.192739@...>

#####

> Narconon

The Battle Creek Enquirer reported on June 28th that Scientology has
opened a new Narconon facility in Battle Creek, Michigan.

"The Narconon Stone Hawk Rehabilitation Center has been in operation since
late January. The facility will hold its grand opening today with
residents, local officials and the leadership of the national Narconon
organization in attendance. Festivities, will include food, entertainment,
a traditional Native American blessing and guest speakers including State
Reps. Michael Nofs and Lorence Wenke.

"'Tomorrow is going to be a huge celebration,' Kate Wickstrom said Friday.
Wickstrom is executive director of the facility, on St. Mary's Lake in
Pennfield Township. Wickstrom, who operates the facility with her husband,
Per, said more than 400 people have turned in reservations for the event,
and it's open to the public. Narconon centers follow a strict regiment of
classes, proper eating habits and the use of saunas, as laid out by
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in his book 'Clear Body, Clear Mind,'
to teach people how to beat their addictions, Wickstrom said.

"Last year, when the Wickstroms sought approval for a use variance from
the Pennfield Zoning Board of Appeals to begin operations, numerous
neighbors spoke out against the property being used as a drug
rehabilitation facility. However, the variance was approved 2-to-1.

"One neighbor moved soon after the Pennfield Zoning Board of Appeals
approved the special use permit for Narconon, he said. 'He put it on the
market the day after the township approved it,' Booher said. 'I think
there's some skepticism among the neighbors.'

"Currently there are about 45 residents in the facility, which is expected
to house as many as 100 people when it's at full capacity. So far,
Wickstrom said, nine people have graduated from the program."

Message-ID: <1056796689.493133@...>

#####

> Scam Artist

The Arizona Republic reported on June 28th that a Scientologist has been
sentenced to prison for stealing the money of investors in his company.

"A former Carefree man who pleaded guilty to spending elderly investors'
money on planes, luxury cars, and jewels was sentenced Friday to 17 1/2
years in prison. Benjamin Franklin Cook III, 55, who has been jailed since
October 1999, agreed to plead guilty to three theft counts in exchange for
the dismissal of more than 30 other charges. Admitting that 'mistakes had
been made,' Cook asked for probation so he could try to repay about 300
investors more than $43 million he collected between Jan 1, 1998, and
March 15, 1999.

"'If this isn't an aggravated case, I don't know what is,' he told Cook,
who once lived on a 10-acre spread in Carefree. 'This is so much money and
the fraud is so gross, there just has to be a major sanction against you.'
Cook's Dennel Financial Limited collapsed after a nearly three-year
investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Arizona
Corporation Commission, the U.S. Customs Service and state Attorney
General's Office. Prosecutors said Cook promised to sink investors' money
into a secretive European Bank Trading Program but spent it on two planes,
a 31-foot cabin cruiser, jewels and fat commissions for top salesmen,
including a BMW.

"Lawrence Warfield, a certified public accountant appointed as the
receiver in the Cook case, testified Friday that the money was never
invested and the type of foreign investment Cook promised 'doesn't exist.'
Warfield's seizure and sale of Cook's home and other assets netted about
$15 million. That includes the $1.5 million Cook donated to the Church of
Scientology, which handed over the money as part of a civil suit."

Message-ID: <1056796510.2055@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

Knight Ridder Tribune Business News reported on June 19th that a hearing
was held in the Reed Slatkin investment fraud case, which may lead to some
investors getting money back from the Slatkin estate. Slatkin was a
Scientology minister, and many of the investors are Scientologists.

"There were hundreds of winners and losers after a court decision
Wednesday concerning the Reed Slatkin investment scandal that erupted two
years ago in Santa Barbara.  More than 400 defrauded investors are now a
step closer to receiving the first distributions of recovered money in the
$254 million case.

"But there's disappointment among more than 100 others who object to Mr.
Slatkin's guilty plea and the very foundations that the case is built
upon. After their arguments were rejected Wednesday by U.S. Bankruptcy
Court Judge Robin Riblet, their attorney said he plans to appeal.  The
dissenting group, represented by attorney Howard Kollitz of Los Angeles,
wants to convince a judge that Mr. Slatkin did not operate a Ponzi scheme.
They also argue that Mr. Slatkin was a stockbroker and was ineligible to
seek bankruptcy relief under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection two years
ago.

"Judge Riblet said Wednesday that Mr. Slatkin was not a stockbroker and
did run a Ponzi scheme - a Ponzi scheme is illegal because investors are
not told that their money is simply being used to pay off earlier
investors.

"Friday, Judge Riblet will review and possibly approve the long-awaited
plan that's been OK'd by a vast majority of creditors. That would lead to
millions of dollars being sent to victims later this year.  Mr. Neilson
said these 100 dissenters received more money from Mr. Slatkin than they
invested with him, and are using these tactics to try to avoid refunding
millions of dollars. Mr. Neilson has already sued some of the dissenters
to recover funds."

Message-ID: <c8vjfv49dnnofn0s6qgr5iju1onfmi6tea@...>

#####

> UK

The Western Gazette, a newspaper in Dorset and Somerset, England, reported
on June 19th that Scientology is being accused of harassing potential
recruits in public.

"A Top politician has criticised the methods a religious sect is using to
spread its message, saying shoppers are being unfairly harassed.
Shoppers said they felt uncomfortable at the way they were persuaded to
follow representatives into the centre's temporary base at Woods Wine Bar
in Middle Street and given a pamphlet offering a 'free personality test'.

"This included questions such as: Do you often 'sit and think' about
death, sickness, pain and sorrow?; Would it take a definite effort on your
part to consider the subject of suicide?; and Do you ponder over your
inferiority?

"Anne Davis, aged 22, of Yeovil said: 'This girl just stopped me in the
street and started asking me some questions. They started off quite
general but when she asked me to follow her to the basement below Woods
wine bar it got a bit creepy. By this stage I was starting to have my
doubts and when she sat me in a chair and told me to look through a book I
started to get a bit worried. The simple fact is her perseverance started
to unnerve me. I felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car. The
questions got more and more personal and she started asking me about past
relationships. I don't necessarily have a problem with people's belief in
Scientology but I don't like having it shoved down my throat.'

"South Somerset District Council chairman Tony Fife said he was uneasy,
too. He said: 'I am concerned about this religion and I would not like to
see them encouraged in Yeovil. There are enough established religions in
the town. I think it is totally outrageous that they are persuading
shoppers to go into this basement with them.

"The Dianetics Centre's local representative Simon Harrison, 34, of Yeovil
said he was sorry if people had felt unnerved. It carried out these kinds
of book-selling sessions every Friday and nobody complained. Mr Harrison
said: 'We ask people a few questions and if they will do a survey. If they
say yes, we ask them to come in and ask about the book. I am not a
salesman, I do not get paid.'"

The East Grinstead Observer reported on June 25th that Scientology
volunteers have organized clean-up events near the Saint Hill compound.

"Volunteers have been giving a brush-up to the Park Road Bridge site in
East Grinstead over the past couple of weekends. The team spent two
consecutive Sundays clearing the site in liaison with the Town Council.

"About 120 bags of rubbish were removed with 11 shopping trolleys and a
host of other debris, such as traffic cones, signs and old batteries. The
clean-up operation was organised by the East Grinstead Scientology
Volunteer Minister Group, assisted by residents and town clerk Chris
Rolley.

"Tom Shuster of the group said: 'The intention is to put two waste bins at
either side of the bridge, but until that occurs we ask people not to
discard their rubbish but take it home with them."

Message-ID: <1056622545.380831@...>
Message-ID: <1056536716.752687@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 12
7/6/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on June 30th again
discussed the role of Scientology in downtown Clearwater.

"I am incensed over the Times' pointless attacks on my religion. I have
been a Scientologist for over 20 years.  I do not understand why you
continually print editorials or articles which portray Scientology in such
a negative light. I do not see any such treatment of Christianity or
Judaism.

"The Times has a constitutional right to print whatever it sees fit, just
as its readers have their right to express their opinions.  As a practical
matter, however, we see all around us examples of how exercise of these
rights can lead to prejudice, bigotry and even war. I feel it is the
responsibility of the Times in its exercise of its rights to be careful
not to promote an atmosphere where discrimination and mistrust can grow.

"Religious intolerance has been part of man's history since the dawn of
civilization. Your contribution to it by publishing inflammatory articles
and editorials on Scientology is irresponsible and brings your motives
into question. - John J. Beachy, Belleair

"Although I agree that past errors should not be a basis on which to judge
an organization for eternity, in this instance it is wise to remember.
When the FBI raided Scientology offices, some of the documents that they
recovered included plans to set up then-Clearwater mayor Gabe Cazares for
a staged hit-and-run accident; to infiltrate local newspaper offices; and
to set up a former Scientologist who had written a book on her
experiences. In fact, Scientology so successfully accused her of crimes
which she had never committed, that she was arrested until the truth came
out in those seized documents.

"This very paper ran a story in March of this year that included
information on Richard Weigand, who is still a very active member of the
church and who was convicted of one of those 'past mistakes.' The mistake
was conspiring to conceal theft of government documents. Mary Sue Hubbard,
wife of Scientology's founder, was also convicted. Has she been purged
from the church?

"I was a member of Scientology for 20 years. I have lived in the
Clearwater area since 1995 and have no intentions of leaving. I want to
say: Do not forget what happened in the past. Do not forget that all of
Scientology's activities are, per their own policies, geared only toward
forwarding their own aims and purposes.

"The people of Clearwater can see with their own eyes what Scientology has
contributed to them; we are not led by the nose by the St. Petersburg
Times. However, it is by remembering the past and keeping a keen eye on
the present that we will be able to embrace the future from a fully
educated viewpoint. - Teresa S. Summers, Dunedin

Message-ID: <1056968284.813717@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Dave Bird reported a protest at the London Scientology org on June 28th.

I arrived at the venue early before the others, but we soon had a good
crowd crowd comprising Dave, Jens, Hartley, Katie, Tony, SteveCT, plus
Andy and Pam.  The clams were quite snappy, but I was in remarkably good
voice and spirits. I did the mic 95% of the time. Tony went on the mic for
a few minutes too, and a guy came past who laid into the clams based on 20
or 30 years of experiencing them. We just gave him the mic and let him
rip!!

The police were there at the start of the start of the demo. They were
particularly concerned that the sidewalk south of the Org, which was
already narrowed by scaffolding, should not be further obstructed by
leafleters and we carefully complied with this by staying at least 5
meters north of there.

"The most notable feature for me was that I acquired a barnacle, who
persistently stood in front of me with his back to me. I responded by
using him as an example 'this is your mind on Scientology, staring with a
googly-eyed look and parroting his few set phrases. I couldn't see the
reaction on his face, but others tell me he was becoming a bit of a
steamed clam."

Message-ID: <kHdr06ApLg$+Ewc4@...>

#####

> Tax Exemption

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on June 30th that Scientology is
appealing a decision by St. Louis County in Missouri that it is not
entitled to a tax exemption on the org building

"The Church of Scientology is fighting the decision by St.  Louis County
to deny tax-exempt status to the group's property at 6901 Delmar Boulevard
in U. City.  Armstrong Teasdale's Donald Beimdiek filed an appeal on
behalf of the Scientologists. The county Board of Equalization denied the
group's exemption, saying the property was not 'regularly used exclusively
for religious (or) charitable' purposes, as required. The Scientologists
have an identical appeal pending before the St. Louis County Council. The
county billed the building's former owner $10,277 in 2000, the last year
taxes were assessed on the building."

Message-ID: <1057054467.571071@...>

#####

> Tampa

The St. Petersburg Times reported on July 6th that Scientology has bought
another cigar factory building in Tampa, Florida, and plans more expansion
in the area.

"A group of high-ranking Scientologists, concerned the church's Tampa
facilities aren't up to snuff, is investing more than $2.5 million to buy
a second cigar factory in West Tampa and to lease and renovate a two-story
building on one of the hottest corners in Ybor City. The church's three
properties, staffed by nearly 100 people, will be the base for
Scientology's most aggressive appeal for members to the Tampa Bay
community.

"This 'dissemination' campaign, primarily focused on Tampa, often comes in
the form of an invitation to take a personality or aptitude test.  It will
be bolstered by television advertising and taking to the street to spread
the word.

"The remarkable growth spurt for the Church of Scientology in Tampa began
this spring with the grand opening of the newly renovated Andres Diaz
building. It was purchased last year for $1.2-million. The church then
moved to acquire a smaller cigar factory next door, for use as a community
center. Now under lease, the church plans to buy the building in September
for $425,000. The church spent $500,000 renovating this second cigar
factory and its newly opened Life Improvement Center in a leased brick
building on Eighth Avenue, in the heart of the Ybor entertainment
district. Well-dressed staff members fan out in the crowded streets
nightly to offer free 'Scientometric Testing.'

"'We want to make ourselves more known,' said Wayne Fuller, a
Scientologist for 31 years and executive director of the Tampa church.
Fuller is one of an elite group of Scientologists who have completed the
highest levels of Scientology training, called OT ambassadors. The OT
ambassadors living in the Clearwater area had talked for years about
upgrading the Tampa church, he said.

"Clearwater Scientologists played a key role. Fuller, the Tampa church's
executive director, Louise Cournoyer, who runs the community center in the
recently opened second cigar factory, and Peggy Guigon, who runs the Life
Improvement Center in Ybor, all commute to the Tampa church from
Clearwater.

"The church estimates it has 12,000 members in the Tampa Bay area;  5,000
in Tampa. Fuller said about 800 of the Tampa parishioners are active
members, who are taking courses or participating in church services.

"Personality tests, a popular tool used by the church to introduce
Scientology to the uninitiated, are showing up on windshields at hockey
games. Cards inviting residents to Scientology Sunday services can be
found on countertops of diners and delis around town. Newspaper
advertisements tout the benefits of the church's 'purification rundowns.'
What's more, the publishers of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's book
Dianetics have begun making an area push with television ads and a
campaign to place Dianetics books in prominent displays at local
large-chain bookstores, Shaw said.

"A team of some 200 field staff members of the church also spreads the
word about Scientology at flea markets and other events throughout the
region. Field staff members are not employees of the church, but make
commissions on what the people they bring to the church spend on
materials, courses and services. Some make a living out of it.

"The Tampa church also plans to add another 20 to 30 employees. The 93
employees of the church are paid based on a percentage of what the church
collects in fees for services during a given week. General, full-time
staffers typically earn about $200 per week, Fuller said.  Unlike
employees at Clearwater's Flag, called Sea Org members, Tampa staffers pay
for their own living arrangements.

"The church has also begun reaching out to its neighbors in West Tampa.
During walks around the predominantly Hispanic West Tampa neighborhood,
church spokeswoman Ana Tirabassi said she was told by many that they would
like help learning English. So the church offers English as a Second
Language courses on Monday and Tuesday nights in its community center. 'We
want to be part of the community,' Tirabassi said."

Message-ID: <MKXPHR9E37808.2966319444@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 13
7/13/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> In Memoriam

The Daily Camera reported on June 25th that Robert Penny has passed away.
Bob was a former Scientologist and co-founder of Factnet, a cult
information service.

"Robert T. Penny of Niwot died of multiple sclerosis Thursday, June 19,
2003, in Louisville. He was 60. The son of Robert T. Penny Sr. and Mable
Hammack Penny, he was born May 25, 1943, in Hodge, La. He married Barbara
B. Sommer in 1966. They divorced. 'He will be remembered for his love of
the Colorado mountains,' his family said.

"Contributions may be made in his name to HospiceCare of Boulder and
Broomfield Counties, 2594 Trailridge Drive East, Lafayette, CO 80026."

Message-ID: <okbigv4tdic945eqq6oijdgu6t2eeib7ps@...>

#####

> Clearwater

Letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on July 8, 2003
responded to previous letters regarding the attitude of Clearwater
residents towards Scientology.

"The letter writer is incensed and does not understand why people
constantly criticize Scientology. Could it be the reason is that
Scientology is not a religion but a cult/business which tries to portray
itself as a religion? You don't see people criticizing Christianity and
Judaism, because those are real religions.  The people of Tampa Bay are
tolerant of all religions. If the cult were a religion there would not be
a problem.

"The cult brings the criticisms upon itself by its actions, past and
present. So when Scientologists argue that they can't practice their
faith, it may be because they practice by lining the cult's own pockets
with the livelihood of their victims. Not a faith to admire. - David
Rodman, Dunedin

"This letter included fraudulent claims which I wish to correct. He stated
that Clearwater citizens and your newspaper 'attack' his 'religion.' In
looking over the St. Petersburg Times for the last three years, one can
clearly see that it is abuse and criminal behavior that people have been
'attacking' regarding Scientology Inc. and not 'religion.' In the online
search of the Times, I didn't find even a single letter that attacked
Scientology as a 'religion.'

"Religion isn't the issue. Lies, deception, harassment, intimidation and
another dead woman are the issues. Why isn't this obvious to Scientology
customers? It is not an issue of 'religious tolerance.' If Scientology
were a religion, they still would not have the right to commit crimes and
human rights abuses. Tolerance doesn't mean ignoring abuse. - David Rice,
San Clemente, Calif.

Message-ID: <1057659389.893041@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

People Weekly published an article by Tom Cruise, in which he credits
Scientology for helping him overcome dyslexia.

"In 1986, the year Top Gun came out, I became a Scientologist. A friend
gave me a picture book on Scientology, and through this I was introduced
to the writings of L. Ron Hubbard, who had founded the religion. Mr.
Hubbard was also an educator who had been researching the field for
decades. He had found that literacy and comprehension levels were
declining worldwide, so in the 1960s he had developed 'Study Technology.'
It pinpoints three barriers to learning: Lack of mass (you can't learn to
fly a plane by just reading about it - you have to sit in the cockpit or
at least have a picture of a plane); skipped gradients (trying to master
skills or information without mastering or understanding that which comes
before them); and misunderstood words (the most important one and a cause
for stupidity).

"I had run the gamut, hiring specialists for myself privately, bringing in
tutors and hearing why I would just have to 'learn to deal' with being
dyslexic. Many people had tried to teach me, but no one had taught me how
to learn or how to study; I had been told I had all the symptoms of
dyslexia, but no one had given me a solution.  I'm now a founding board
member of the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project (H.E.L.P.), which
opened its doors in 1997. H.E.L.P. is a non-profit program that uses the
Study Technology in a totally secular setting to provide free tutoring in
communities all over the world. Before this, I was supporting Applied
Scholastics, H.E.L.P.'s parent organization, which was started by teachers
to make Study Technology available broadly. When you consider that
schoolteachers are sometimes dealing with four or five different levels of
literacy in one classroom, you can see what they have to contend with."

Message-ID: <cevvgv8hgipmlvek45ef5ccpbdfmid2db2@...>

#####

> Org News

The San Francisco Examiner reported on July 8th that Scientology has
purchased a building in the North Beach area of the city.

"North Beach residents are whispering about the new owners of the old
Transamerica Building on Montgomery at Columbus - the Church of
Scientology. It's a historic landmark. 'As long as the building is not
being altered in any way,' says Sarah Owsowitz, who deals with historic
landmarks at the City Attorney's office, 'then it is just another purchase
of private property.' So far, there's been no activity around the site.

"I once took one of those personality tests the Scientologists around
United Nations Plaza often proffer. The results were inconclusive. My
personality remains undetectable. The Church of Scientology bought up lots
of property in West L.A. and that seems to irritate a lot of the locals.
'Don't write anything about them,' someone down there warned me."

GlobeSt.com reported on July 8th that the New York Scientology org will be
renovating its building in Manhattan.

"The Church of Scientology New York will renovate and expand its current
home at 227 West 46th St. Brennan Beer Gorman/ Architects has been
selected as the architect to develop the church's concept, which includes
a total renovation and expansion to the six-story building. Upon
completion, the building will total approximately 46,650 sf. Currently in
construction, the project is expected to be complete by spring 2004.

"The renovated facility will serve Church members with office space,
classrooms, a bookstore, 250-seat auditorium, small film screening rooms
and a variety of rooms for interviews and spiritual counseling. An
existing airshaft will be filled in on floors three through six,
contributing another 2,000 sf to the building and allowing more open and
efficient floor plans. A skylight will cap the sixth floor infill.
Leveling out the raked balcony of the current auditorium will create
additional interior space for office and administrative functions while
retaining views into the auditorium.

"A mansard roof will be replaced with a 1,771 sf 'purification rundown'
used in a program for eliminating the effects of drugs and toxins.
Featuring three skylights, the new structure will be clad in a material
complementary to the building's existing limestone facade and be topped
with a standing seam roof.

"'We approached BBG with a broad plan based on Scientology founder L. Ron
Hubbard's methods for individual improvement and serving the needs of the
community,' notes Rev. John Carmichael, president of the Church of
Scientology New York. 'Working closely with us, they have designed a
renovation that provides the spaces we need now to deliver those services,
and enables us to continue that expansion into the future.'"

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0307081319.4259606b@...>
Message-ID: <ehv0hvge2ddjh7qbe6g7km0cn7f8d0tpgb@...>

#####

> Narconon

News24.com reported on July 7th on the Narconon program in South Africa.

"'The Narconon First Step programme is new to South Africa and was only
launched here a few months ago, after extensive research and piloting in
the United States,' said Paul Kruger, director of Narconon New Life Centre
in Cape Town. He said the programme had operated successfully for over 30
years and was used in several cities and countries, including Melbourne,
Sydney, Los Angeles, New Mexico, Brazil, Jakarta, Buenos Aires, Mexican
prisons and Pakistan. He said the programme was a cost-effective approach
for handling large numbers of people needing to get off drugs, and
involved voluntary, drug-free and pain-free drug withdrawal. 'We can train
a family member or concerned friend to administer the programme with a
two-day intensive workshop.'

"Kruger said that the new programme helped with the withdrawal symptoms
before real treatment could begin. Each individual was assessed to
determine if the First Step Program was suitable to his/her personal drug
history. This involved doses of CalMag - a tonic of calcium gluconate,
magnesium carbonate mixed with cider vinegar and water - and something
called a 'drug bomb,' a vitamin and mineral formulation. 'A third
important component of the programme is the use of physical assists, that
bring the person back into communication with his body and also helps with
the associated physical symptoms of withdrawal. There are different types
of physical assists, including nerve and touch assists,' he said.
Communications exercises are also used to get the recovering addict to
look 'outward' and to get back into communication with his/her
environment.

"Discussions were currently under way with religious bodies, government,
community-based organisations and other agencies to try to co-ordinate the
programme. Narconon is an international non-profit organisation started in
1966 by William Benitez based on the research of L. Ron Hubbard. There are
over 100 drug education and prevention offices worldwide. Narconon has
received support for its advanced technology from Scotland Yard, Britain's
National Treatment Agency, the European Centre Against Drug Abuse, and the
American justice department."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0307070515.289b4fcb@...>

#####

> Saint Hill

The Auditor UK reported on a celebration of the anniversary of the Saint
Hill compound in East Grinstead, England.

"Saint Hill staff and public celebrated the 38th Anniversary of Saint Hill
Foundation in the Great Hall at Saint Hill. LRH established Saint Hill
Foundation on the 11th of June, 1965. Up until that time Saint Hill had
operated only as a Day org. The anniversary celebration included speeches
from two people who were involved with Saint Hill Foundation from the very
early days.

"The first was Rosalie Delacy, the AO Case Supervisor AOSH UK, who had the
privilege of working as the HCO Exec Sec Saint Hill Foundation under LRH
in 1966. Rosalie talked about her experiences at Saint Hill during those
early days, the excitement of the first Clears being made, and the volume
of students coming through the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course.

"Then Margaret Meal, who has been involved with Saint Hill Foundation for
well over 30 years, shared her experiences from the beginning to the
present day. She arrived here in the 1960s, and in 1970, after doing the
Flag Executive Briefing Course on the flagship Apollo, she returned to
Saint Hill under LRH's direction to assume the post of Executive Director
Saint Hill Foundation.

"The final speech of the evening was delivered by Captain Saint Hill
Foundation, Mr. Thomas Fehn. He briefed the audience on the increase in
the org's delivery areas over the past year and the plans for the future.

"Entertainment was provided by local Scientologists Mike Ricketts, Adrian
Pownall, Francois Mairaux, Roland Boucher and John Wood, who performed a
selection of live music from the 1960s up to present time and ended with a
special song written for the anniversary of the org."

Message-ID: <BI4SJ6F837814.604224537@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 14
7/20/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> CCHR

An email sent to Scientologists urged them to contact their U.S. Senators
in support of the Child Medication Safety Act.

"The U.S. House of Representatives passed the 'Child Medication Safety Act
of 2003,' by the overwhelming margin of 425-1, sending it to the Senate.
As written and if signed into law, school personnel would be legally
prohibited from requiring that a child take any psychotropic drug under
the Controlled Substances Act as a condition of attending school or
receiving school services.

"It is critical that each and every one of us contact our Senators and
urge them to support and co sponsor SB 1390 introduced by Senators Ensign
and Alexander. The best way is to call. The second best way is to fax. You
can also e mail, but it does not have the same impact as the first two.

"Just so you know, several psychiatric front groups have been fighting to
stop these pieces of legislation claiming the coercive situation in
schools relates to only a few. This is not true. Your help is needed NOW!!

"Peter Dockx
Governmental Affairs
CCHR International"

Message-ID: <bf258r.3vveofj.1@...>

#####

> Clearwater Academy

The St. Petersburg Times reported on July 15th that a teacher at the
Scientology-run Clearwater Academy has been arrested for leaving her son
in a locked SUV in a parking lot.

"A schoolteacher was arrested and accused of leaving her 3-year-old son in
her locked vehicle for up to a half-hour while she grocery-shopped. The
child was not hurt. Kimberly D. Pesch, 38, a teacher at Clearwater
Academy, was arrested on charges of child abuse and resisting arrest
without violence. She posted $5,250 bail and was released from the
Pinellas County Jail.

"A witness reported seeing a woman leave a young child in her black
Chevrolet Suburban when she went into the Publix, sheriff's reports state.
The Suburban was locked with the windows up. The child was asleep in a
safety seat in the back. Deputies reported the weather was overcast but
warm.

"Pesch told deputies she didn't do anything wrong. She came outside in the
middle of her shopping and turned on the air-conditioning for a time, she
told deputies. Deputies told her to call someone to pick up the child. She
pulled away from deputies during the arrest."

Message-ID: <3f1ac5a4.14765750@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

Fox News reported on July 14th that the educational organization promoted
by Scientology celebrity Tom Cruise in a recent issue of People magazine
is a part of Scientology.

"The new issue of People magazine is out and contains a five-page spread
endorsing a program affiliated with the Church of Scientology. The program
is Hollywood Education Literacy Project, and in the feature story
superstar actor Tom Cruise credits it with curing his illiteracy. But what
is barely mentioned is that HELP, as it is known, has been roundly
criticized by mainstream educators as a propaganda tool of Scientology.

"Also not mentioned is that the not-for-profit Hollywood division of HELP
- which is based at Scientology's garish Celebrity Centre - dispensed in
2001 a mere $100 in grants and contributions. HELP had total expenses,
though, of $273,000 - more than half of which was for staff salaries. This
is according to the group's 2001 tax filing.

"Was People magazine so desperate to get a Cruise interview that they
didn't mind shilling for a cult organization? The answer, it seems, is
yes. Hidden in the story is the headline that Cruise was not able to read
until age 22. The first reading material he had, he claims, was a
Scientology picture book. That book led him to HELP and, consequently,
Scientology.

"People also gives little space to the many vociferous critics of
Scientology and of HELP, mentioning only briefly that they exist. This
came as a surprise to Carnegie Mellon University professor David S.
Touretzky. The professor, who has written an exhaustive analysis of HELP,
said, 'Fannie Weinstein, the reporter, called me and talked to me a lot.
She went out and got all the source materials and did a lot of research.
But I was cut out of the story.'

"Touretzky says that HELP is a rigid learning system full of Scientology
jargon, lingo and philosophy, and is designed to lead participants
straight into the science fiction-worshipping, pay-through-the-nose
'religion.' He writes that the HELP manual 'is no more a secular learning
methodology than wine and communion wafers are a Sunday morning snack.
Indoctrinating students into Study Tech's unconventional language and
world view, with its implied acceptance of L. Ron Hubbard as authority
figure, would do much to soften them up for future recruitment into
Scientology itself.'"

The Internet Movie Database reported on July 19th that Cruise is being
criticized by a Dyslexia charity for his statements in People.

"Tom Cruise has been criticized for speaking about how Church of
Scientology teachings helped him overcome his learning difficulties. The
movie star spoke exclusively to America's People magazine last week about
his involvement with Scientology's learning programs.  But the
International Dyslexia Association has hit back at his claims, insisting
his statements are unscientific. Executive director J. Thomas Viall says,
'When an individual of the prominence of Tom Cruise makes statements that
are difficult to replicate in terms of what science tells us, the issue
becomes what other individuals who are dyslexic do in response to such a
quote-unquote success story. There is not a lot of science to support the
claims that the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard are appropriate to overcoming
dyslexia.'"

Message-ID: <1058177863.323235@...>
Message-ID: <i8ughvgcrafmc51osoou95mberu4bkir0c@...>

#####

> Health Med

MSNBC reported on July 17th that Scientology has established Health Med, a
detox program in New York to assist rescue workers who were part of the
rescue efforts after the World Trade Center disaster.

"A center has been set up in Lower Manhattan to 'detoxify' Ground Zero
workers with techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
'The tragedy of 9/11 left hundreds of members of the New York Fire
Department and other rescue workers at the World Trade Center site,
severely debilitated from the toxins they were exposed to during the
tragedy,' notes an article on a Scientology Web site. 'To get rid of the
toxins a group of the rescue personnel recently began L. Ron Hubbard's
Purification detoxification program at Health Med, a medical clinic that
delivers the program.'

"But critics of the group say that Hubbard's 'detoxification' process has
been called into question, and may even present health risks. 'And the
firefighters may get more than they bargained for since Scientology often
recruits new members from Hubbard-inspired programs,' says Rick Ross, who
wrote about it on his Web site. Nevertheless, the program seems to have
found favor among at least some 9/11 rescuers. The Scientology article
quotes one firefighter as saying: 'From the very first day on the program,
I had three times more energy and felt so great.'"

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0307170741.469cfa60@...>

#####

> France

The Associated Press reported on July 17th that a judge has ruled that a
French teenager may not leave home to join the Sea Org in Copenhagen.

"A judge for children in Nantes prohibited a teenager from leaving. The 14
year old girl who lives in Nantes was to join a center of Scientology of
Copenhagen. An aunt who, by discovering a mail which the girl had
addressed to her grandmother, alerted the authorities in Nantes.

"Her parents, a couple of teachers, are followers of Scientology, an
organization classified among the sects by a national parliamentary
report. According to them, their daughter made this choice freely.  The
judge for children must determine which protection it can consider if it
estimates that the teenager is in danger."

Message-ID: <bfblcr.3vvgd75.1@...>

#####

> Gold Base

The Riverside Press Enterprise reported on July 18th that Scientology's
Gold Base has filming permits that will close for two weeks a road near
the compound.

"Gilman Springs Road east of Highway 79 will be closed for two weeks
beginning Saturday because of a film production at Golden Era Productions.
Golden Era makes educational and training films for the Church of
Scientology at a studio along Gilman Springs Road. The studio needs to use
the road for time-lapse exterior photography on a film about the adverse
effects of drugs on youth, spokeswoman Muriel Dufresne said. The road will
be closed between Highway 79 and Soboba Road from Saturday through August
2, said Mojahed Salama, permit engineer for Riverside County's
Transportation Department."

Message-ID: <20030718141702.18124.00000162@...>

#####

> Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Independent reported on July 16th that Scientology is
behind on property taxes in Los Angeles.

"The Church of Scientology has failed to pay more than $94,000 in property
taxes for the last fiscal year on four of its Hollywood properties,
marking the second time in recent years that the religious group has had
an outsize tax delinquency.

"The Church of Scientology expects to pay the taxes this year, but has not
done so yet because other financial priorities must first be taken care
of, said Linda Simmons Hight, church spokeswoman. 'It's a question of
priorities,' she said. 'You know, we have an enormous amount of community
activity in Hollywood, and we'll always put the funds there first. It's
strictly a question of priorities. It's not a protest or anything like
that.'

"Last year, The Independent reported that the church owed back taxes in
the millions of dollars and was in danger of having at least one of its
properties, at Hollywood Boulevard and McCadden Place, seized by the
county. The church recently paid off those back taxes. But now it once
again is in arrears, having failed to pay taxes for the fiscal year
spanning July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003.

"The local BID was counting on receiving those assessments from the church
to help fund its security services, trash cleanup and graffiti removal,
said Kerry Morrison, executive director of the Hollywood Entertainment
District.

"Hight says the church is not in the habit of being late on its property
taxes. Last year, when it owed millions, the church decided not to pay
because it was still seeking tax exemptions from the county. 'That was a
completely different set of circumstances,' she said. 'At that time, we
were in negotiations, long-term discussion, with the county tax collector
in establishing [tax] exempt and non-exempt portions of each of our
properties.' Hight says the church will pay all taxes but adds that it
doesn't believe nonprofits should be obligated to pay into the BID because
they already contribute to the community.

"But other property owners disagree.  Non-profits benefit just as much
from district services, such as street cleaning and security, as
for-profit groups do, says Sheila Holincheck, general manager of 6253
Hollywood and Vine, formerly known as the Hollywood Equitable Building.
'All those services are still received no matter if you are making a lot
of money or [are] a non-profit,' she said.

"In response to non-profits' concerns, the Hollywood Entertainment
District will give nonprofits a credit of up to $1,000 per square-ft. on
their property assessments starting next year, Morrison said. Church
officials have asked the district to give them a future credit on taxes
owed, and so for the next few years, the church will owe the district
nothing on that property, she added."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0307170744.71c2006b@...>

#####

> Russia

Regions.ru reported on July 14th that the Russian Orthodox Church in
Yekaterinburg is protesting Scientology's Say No to Drugs campaign there.

"A representative of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed outrage that
while the Yekaterinburg administration was sanctioning numerous actions
being carried out by totalitarian cults in the city, the police were
interfering with religious ministers in performing informational work
among residents.

"Last Friday near TsUM, where a Scientology 'Say No to Drugs' operation
was being carried out, employees of the Leninski ROVD Yekaterinburg
detained two representatives of the diocese missionary department who were
passing out booklets that warned about religious fraud. 'First sergeant
Martynov, sergeant Mitkin and Major Pidzhakov compelled the religious
ministers to sign a statement saying they allegedly arranged an
unsanctioned picket. Particularly disgraceful was the remark in the
official statement, that the police confiscated 75 booklets.'"

Isvestia reported on June 22nd that three residents of Volgograd have
apparently left their families to become involved in Scientology.

"Vera ran a home business, raised the sons and in the evening sang in the
church choir. They enjoyed the outdoors and spent free time in their dacha
doing honest work. And all this would have been fine if Vera had not been
bothered by the pain in her back. A friend offered to introduce her to a
specialist to help her recover.  A special physician performed a massage
and stuck her with needles. The pain stopped but Vera had nightmares, the
cause of which Sergei still cannot understand. Vera had a constant dream
with the 'Savior' appearing in a vision. A friend advised going to a
wonderful woman, Natalia Simonova. At that first meeting, Natalia Simonova
explained to Vera that this fell into the realm of black magic, that there
was a black spot that remained on her soul, which urgently needed to be
removed. The cleansing of the soul would be carried out according to the
methods of Scientology founder Ron Hubbard. Natalia Simonova provided her
ward with literature for home study.  Vera became completely immersed in
the doctrine by the name of Dianetics, which promised her deliverance from
sickness, from failure, and from the suffering of this world.

"Sergei felt a wall of alienation growing between him and his wife. She
suddenly began to hate the older son - only because he refused to go to
the sessions with Natalia Simonova. Sergei tried to explain to his wife
that her enthusiasm was starting to be dangerous, but she neither listened
nor wanted to listen to him. More than that, she also tried to get him to
go to the 'purification' with Natalia Simonova. 'You are the person
nearest and dearest to me, and if you want to be with me, do it. But if
not then don't interfere with me, you're holding up my development.' For
the sake of saving the family, Sergei went for a session to the spiritual
instructor. He paid her a thousand rubles for twelve hours of 'auditing' -
two sessions of six hours.

"Vera demanded money to conduct her home business. For her it was like the
children no longer existed. No warmth, no kindness, no ordinary
politeness. At the first call, she'd report to her spiritual instructor.
When Sergei was not home, Vera collected her things and, without saying a
word to the children, left for parts unknown. The neighbors said that a
blue Zhiguli arrived for her and two women loaded her things.

"In one of the local papers there was published an interview with a
certain Olga S., who related good things about 'Dianetics' and about the
'heavenly' woman Natalia Simonova. Sergei found Olga's telephone number on
a note pad left behind by Vera. We called and a woman picked up who said
she was Olga's mother. She said that her daughter had left home at the
same time Vera had. And the blue Zhiguli - that was her car. The next day
the woman, Anna Ilinichna, arrived at the editor's department and told how
back in 1997 spiritual instructor Natalia Simonova had turned her daughter
into a novice.

"We found out the name of a third victim of Natalia Simonov, Svetlana K.
Her husband told us where to find the three women and the blue Zhiguli.
The next day we drove to the area where the dachas were, to the dacha of
the spiritual instructor. With the help of the bookkeeping cooperative we
quickly found the dacha in question. At the gate was wound a thick rusty
chain, which had not been taken off for a minimum of two years. Not a
blade of grass was on the lot. The neighbors said the owner and three
other women lived here. Only the gate was not used here; they climbed over
the fence. And they also entered the house strangely - not through the
door, but through the window.

"We didn't get to storm the dacha. Everything was written in a statement
to the district attorney. The old assistant to the district attorney Yurii
Panchishkin promised to see to the matter him self.  The families are very
hopeful that he will keep his promise."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1030716201428.111A-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1030719061114.114B-100000@...>

#####

> Chaplains

The New York Journal News reported on July 20th that a group of clergy
would like chaplains who respond to disasters such as the World Trade
Center to be screened and have credentials.

"The group aims to weed out clergy prone to proselytize at disaster sites,
those not trained to refer survivors and rescue workers for counseling or
other services, and those who are simply not up to the taxing work of
disaster relief. It is an unprecedented and potentially controversial
effort that organizers hope will become a national model for providing
spiritual care in the face of tragedy.

"'A lot of people managed to get to Ground Zero who did not go through any
channels,' said Rabbi Zahara Davidowitz, a veteran New York chaplain who
is leading Disaster Spiritual Care Services. 'Anyone who goes through us
will have to demonstrate that they can do nonsectarian, nonproselytizing
work. And they will be bound by an agreement that says so.'

"Disaster Spiritual Care Services intends to screen would-be chaplains,
including those recommended by religious denominations, to make sure they
are willing to offer spiritual care to people of all faiths - or those who
have none. Chaplains who pass will be trained in disaster relief, entered
into a database and given ID cards. It remains to be seen who will be
rejected and whether religious freedom issues will be raised.

"The Church of Scientology had dozens of 'volunteer ministers' on hand to
offer counseling, and their involvement was criticized by the mental
health establishment. It is unclear whether Scientologists can meet
Disaster Spiritual Care Services' standards, which will likely ask that
chaplains be prepared to refer people for psychological services.
Scientology rejects traditional mental health treatment.

"The Rev. John Carmichael, Scientology's president for the state, was
skeptical when told of Disaster Spiritual Care Services' goals. 'I don't
think they'll be able to define who can help at a disaster site,' he said.
'If they have a way to smooth things out and ensure that proper care is
given, that's tremendous. But as far as involving mental health people, my
observation at Ground Zero is that they were not in great evidence, and
when they were, they did not help.'"

Message-ID: <1058700338.895455@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 15
7/27/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://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 25th that Scientology has
opened a new headquarters for the Applied Scholastics program.

"In a multimillion-dollar complex overlooking the Mississippi River, a
company called Applied Scholastics International has opened its national
headquarters - a training center for teachers, tutors and business
trainers. The center uses methods developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the late
science fiction writer and founder of Scientology. The company has moved
to north St. Louis County from Los Angeles because of Missouri's central
location and the area's rich history of education, said Bennetta
Slaughter, chief executive officer of Applied Scholastics.

"Leaders of Applied Scholastics say their organization is separate from
Hubbard's Scientology, that it is based on his educational techniques. 'We
are strictly an educational organization,' said Slaughter. 'We are not
part of the church,' she said.

"Applied Scholastics paid $2.9 million to buy the complex and 55 acres two
years ago from the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The company also bought
an adjacent 45 acres and plans to expand, Slaughter said. St. Louis County
lists the property as taxable, a county spokeswoman said. Applied
Scholastics spent about $2 million on renovations.

"The company says it trained 6,000 teachers last year. It employs about 45
people at the center. On the front wall of the complex's former chapel are
panels describing Hubbard's 'three barriers to learning.' The barriers
arise when a student: Cannot visualize an object, such as a combine when
the student is studying about food production. Fails to master all the
steps in a concept. Doesn't understand a word. Hubbard's solutions: Have a
student use a dictionary. Provide a student a picture or model of
unfamiliar objects. Review concepts students fail to understand.

"Applied Scholastics was at the center of a debate in California six years
ago when some teachers proposed that the state buy the group's books to
supplement school textbooks. State officials approved the purchase after a
review group found the books did not appear to advance Scientology.

"Applied Scholastics employees have begun to introduce themselves to
school districts, churches and other agencies in the St. Louis area,
Slaughter said. She said several local school districts were considering
using ASI's training.

"Scot Danforth, who oversees teacher education for the University of
Missouri at St. Louis, said he searched a database of four decades of
published educational research and could find no study on L. Ron Hubbard's
instructional techniques. 'In my opinion, they are involved in the worst
kind of deception. They make grandiose claims about the effectiveness of
their methods and materials with data that has never been published in a
legitimate educational research journal,' he said.

"Greg Jung, president of the Missouri National Education Association, is
cautious. 'We don't know if the people who are providing training are
qualified and if the teachers providing the tutoring are qualified,' Jung
said."

From the Associated Press on July 27th:

"Executives with Applied Scholastics International say the center is
completely secular, licensing educators and schools in the learning
methods Hubbard developed, known as study technology. 'We have no
religious materials. They are separate organizations,' chief executive
officer Bennetta Slaughter said.

"Use of Applied Scholastics materials raised questions in Los Angeles in
1997 and in Boston in 2001, when some educators expressed concern that the
program could have links to Scientology. J. Gordon Melton, director of the
Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbara, Calif., has
written about Scientology and visited Applied Scholastics centers. He said
Applied Scholastics presents itself as separate from Scientology, and from
everything he's seen, that's the case. Applied Scholastics isn't licensed
to use any Scientology materials. 'It has to be separate, or it would just
be too controversial,' Melton said.

"The Rev. Alfreddie Johnson Jr., a Baptist pastor in Compton, Calif.,
founded a literacy program that uses Hubbard's methods. He compared the
current state of education to a house on fire - he doesn't care about the
religion of the firefighters. 'You want trained individuals who will pull
your kids out of the burning house safely,' he said.

"The new campus can train about 700 educators at a time and has rooms to
house about 180. Prices range from $125 for a weekend workshop to roughly
$13,000 for a semester of study and accommodations in a suite.

"A county economic official said it's always good to see a new development
come into the area. 'We're not endorsing any particular teaching or belief
system. That's not our business. We also don't want to be disrespectful of
any beliefs,' said Steve Anderson with the St. Louis County Economic
Council. 'It appears it will be good for the neighborhood.'"

Message-ID: <1059221192.923796@...>
Message-ID: <1059318225.902615@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

The Irish Examiner reported on July 21st that the International Dyslexia
Association has criticized Tom Cruise for his promoting Scientology to
help with learning disabilities.

"Tom Cruise has upset members of the dyslexia community by claiming in an
interview that Scientology had cured his dyslexia. Cruise, who is a
founder of the Scientology-based Hollywood Education and Literacy Project,
told People magazine that after he read The Basic Study Manual by L Ron
Hubbard, his dyslexia disappeared.

"'There is not a lot of science to support the claims that the teachings
of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard are appropriate to overcoming
dyslexia,' said J. Thomas Viall, executive director of the International
Dyslexia Association. 'When an individual of the prominence of Tom Cruise
makes statements that are difficult to replicate in terms of what science
tells us, the issue becomes what other individuals who are dyslexic do in
response to such a success story.'"

Message-ID: <1058782151.910735@...>

#####

> Gold Base

The Valley Chronicle reported on July 26th that residents in San Jacinto
are unhappy with the closure of a highway through Scientology's Gold Base
for the purpose of making a time-lapse film.

"San Jacinto Mayor Jim Ayres said it reduces the number of entrances to
San Jacinto to one at time. The city and Eastern Municipal Water District
are involved in a two-pronged plan to lay a wastewater line under the
road, and repave and widen the road when that is finished.  'It was built
and paid for with taxpayer dollars,' he said and should be available to
the public.

"Riverside County Supervisor Jim Venable acknowledged that the timing of
the closure probably wasn't the best, but said it is neither the first
time it has been done, nor the longest closure. 'We closed Domenigoni
Parkway for three weeks,' he said. 'People didn't like it but they got
used to it.' That closure was to film the movie 'The Fast and the
Furious.'

"Muriel Dufresne, public relations director for Golden Era Productions,
the Church of Scientology's in-house movie production company, said the
reason the road is closed for two weeks is that cameras have been set up
in the road to capture changes in the sky above San Jacinto.  'They are
doing time lapse photography,' she said.  'We apologize if it's caused any
inconvenience,' she said. 'It's not going to happen that often.'

"Ayres believes it shouldn't happen at all. 'Maybe they picked a poor spot
to build a studio,' he said. The closure has also revived a rumor that the
road will be closed but Venable said that will not happen. 'I will
guarantee that road will not be closed off,' he said. 'It is one of the
major arteries in that Valley.' Venable said he has heard the rumors about
closing the road and is aware that the Church of scientology would be
happy if it were closed, and he has even discussed it with the church
representatives, but that the only way that could happen is if the church
builds a road to replace Gilman Springs."

Message-ID: <20030726204047.10328.00000476@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Jens Tingleff reported a protest at the Birmingham, England org on July
26th.

"Six of us had a very nice and productive afternoon out protesting in
front of the body-routing grounds of the Birmingham, UK, shop of the
criminal organisation known as the 'church' <spit> of $cientology. Dave,
John, Hartley, Neil and myself started off somewhat apprehensive.
Waiting for us was a police van with three friendly police-persons in it.
They wanted us to be nice and would expect the clams to be nice. It also
turned out that no clams came out to play, so we had a clear run to do our
thing.

"Dave had new balloons (larger, clear, single two-toned image) and a lot
of balloon gas. I was basically busy for one and 3.4 hours handing out
balloons and ended up giving away everything we brought - roughly 250
balloons festooned with Xemu's friendly face and the message '$cientology
Sucks!' We were joined later by a local parent and a friend of the parent,
bringing our total number to a very healthy seven. The leafletters managed
to pretty much give away all the five hundred leaflets we'd taken along."

Message-ID: <bfukit02ntm@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 16
8/3/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Acting Seminar

The web log site justanormalgayguy.blogspot.com described on July 24th a
seminar at the Celebrity Center in Los Angeles for actors looking to get
into the movie industry.

"Last night I attended a seminar on 'How to Get Into the Industry'
presented at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International in
Hollywood, presented by Terri Novitsky. I presumed the 'seminar' would be
some hook for something else that may or may not be legitimate or in my
best interests. I was escorted by a nice gentleman in a suit to a back
room where others were waiting for the seminar to begin. It was warm
inside and those in attendance were sitting nervously, fanning themselves,
and waiting for the seminar to start. Meanwhile people were flipping
through the booklets we all got written by L. Ron Hubbard.

"Terri came in about 5 minutes late, but full of sincere energy and
enthusiasm. I could tell she was a little nervous herself.  There were
about 12 of us, all shapes/sizes/ages. We did some exercises where we said
a line and she told us what emotion to express. I went in front of the
class and found myself getting into it.

"Terri has great things to offer, but the seminar was a hook to get us to
buy another seminar for $35.00 which is probably good, but I declined. The
Scientology people tried pressuring me into signing up now and not
'procrastinating.' I saw it for what it was and decided if I wanted to do
the seminar, I'd do it later after I've done more exploring."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0307311028.558f295d@...>

#####

> Los Angeles

The LA Independent reported on July 30th that Scientology has paid the
back taxes it owed to the local business district.

"The Church of Scientology on July 18 paid more than $94,000 in delinquent
property taxes on four of its Hollywood properties, including tens of
thousands to the local business improvement district. The Independent
reported the day before that the church had failed to pay $94,625 for the
fiscal year that ended June 30 on its properties, including $41,227 to the
Hollywood Entertainment District.

"'The payment was in the works and this happens to coincide with your
article,' said spokeswoman Linda Simmons Hight. 'It's really a non-issue,'
she said. 'I can't think of anything of less interest to the Hollywood
community than when somebody is going to pay their property taxes. I know
it's of great interest to the [business improvement district], but that
really isn't of general interest.'

"The Hollywood Entertainment District had counted on receiving money from
the Church of Scientology this year to fund services like street cleaning,
security patrols and graffiti removal. The church, whose members include
several celebrities, had owed about $31,200 in total taxes on its 6331
Hollywood Blvd. property, $41,700 on its 6349 Hollywood Blvd. property,
$4,800 on its 1715 Ivar Street property and $16,700 on its 6724 Hollywood
Blvd. property."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0307311048.d9a66ac@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled on July
22nd that a judgment against the estate of Lisa McPherson be set aside for
lack of jurisdiction.

"In 1997, the Estate of Lisa McPherson filed a wrongful death action in
state court in Tampa, Florida against various corporations and individuals
affiliated with the Church of Scientology.  Upon being served with the
complaint, and ostensibly as a cost-saving measure, Defendant Flag Service
Organization (Flag) proposed to the Estate that they enter into an
agreement to limit the number of Scientology-related corporate entities
and individuals that would be named in the suit. The Estate and Flag
consequently entered into a contract in which the Estate agreed to forego
adding certain enumerated corporate defendants, and Flag agreed to forego
encumbering its assets.

"In 1999, the Estate moved the Florida court to add David Miscavige to the
list of named defendants in its wrongful death action. Miscavige is the
Chairman of the Board of RTC, a Scientology corporation, and while RTC was
listed among the parties which the Estate was contractually bound to
exclude from its action, the Estate sought to add Miscavige under the
theory that it was not contractually precluded from adding Miscavige in
his personal capacity.

"RTC filed suit against the Estate for breach of contract, and against
Liebreich personally for tortiously interfering with the contract between
the Estate and Flag. RTC filed in United States District Court in the
Eastern District of Texas under a diversity of citizenship jurisdictional
theory. The jury returned a verdict for $258,697.10. RTC petitioned the
district court for an award of $549,015.84 in costs and fees for the
litigation of this single-issue breach of contract case. The district
court reduced the award to $327,654.00. The court did impose sanctions
against the Estate's counsel for 30% of the attorneys' fees awarded, which
totaled $98,296.00.

"The contention here is that Liebreich, as the personal representative of
the Estate, created in personam jurisdiction over the Estate. There are
two ways in which Liebreich might have brought the Estate into the reach
of the district court.  First, the district court found general
jurisdiction over the Estate via Liebreich. Moreover, RTC argues that
Liebreich created specific jurisdiction over the Estate. However, neither
general nor specific jurisdiction existed over the Estate.

"The district court correctly found that it had general personal
jurisdiction over Liebreich as a resident of Texas. However, the district
court impermissibly imputed that general personal jurisdiction to the
Estate.  As a creature of the Florida probate regime, the Estate resides
in Florida. Thus, for an estate probated in a foreign jurisdiction to
establish the type of continuous and systematic contact necessary for
general jurisdiction, the representative of the Estate must have made
those contacts in her representative capacity, on behalf of the Estate. It
is not sufficient that the personal representative herself lives in Texas.

"In sum, the district court lacked personal jurisdiction over the Estate.
Liebreich's general jurisdiction cannot be imputed to the Estate, and the
Estate did not establish minimum contacts relating to the breach action
with the forum jurisdiction sufficient to support specific jurisdiction.
Therefore, the district court erred in failing to dismiss the action
against the Estate for want of jurisdiction."

Message-ID: <c8n7iv81odl5aberb2d7cqu4et7rn052a4@...>

#####

> WISE

Press newspaper from New Zealand reported on July 26th that public money
invested into a plastics factory run as a member of the World Institute of
Scientology Enterprises has not produced the jobs that were promised, and
is going bankrupt.

"A year ago, the Westland District Council was defiantly pushing ahead
with plans for the now-infamous Hokitika plastics factory.  Ratepayers
were assured that $581,000 of their money entrusted to some Australian
entrepreneurs would jackpot within a year into a world-first factory, and
Hokitika would be the world headquarters.

"They were promised 53 jobs, quickly growing to more than 100, with the
added benefit of having the plant licensed as a Wise training academy for
local staff training. No-one was told that means World Institute of
Scientology Enterprise, an offshoot of the Church of Scientology.

"Even when the Australians pulled out in November (having established
nothing more than a phone book listing in Hokitika) to focus the venture
in Sydney, the council continued to express faith that they would be back
and have the factory running before Christmas this year.  As public
dissension with the project grew louder, the decision was made for a
delegation to fly to Sydney to reassure itself that all was well. It
returned to pronounce that everything was on track.  None of that will be
forgotten now as the council scrambles to rescue the public money it
risked.

"FT Manufacturing (Westland) Ltd, the company hailed by Mayor John Drylie
as leading the 'next generation' of plastics technology, has gone bust,
and Westland ratepayers are going to be demanding answers, if not more."

Message-ID: <9uoaivgve9d7pp12ihai9usptsmo417t5k@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 17
8/17/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

Note: This issue covers articles from the past two weeks of
alt.religion.scientology.

#####

> Clearwater

The St. Petersburg Times reported on August 11th that Scientologist
investors plan to buy land from Calvary Baptist Church in downtown
Clearwater, Florida.

"An investor from Mexico has inked a deal to buy two Cleveland Street
buildings and a parking lot from Calvary Baptist Church, a move that would
consolidate nearly two city blocks and set the stage for sweeping
redevelopment downtown. Elias Jaffif will pay $1.59-million for .84-acres
in the 400 block of Cleveland Street, according to church officials. The
property includes a parking lot north of the buildings with access from
Laura Street.

"The investors, who noticed the properties while visiting Clearwater for
Church of Scientology services, have discussed developing some mixed uses
in a high-rise: perhaps condos and hotel rooms atop a parking garage and
street-level stores. There also has been talk of a movie theater.
'Obviously that's the crown jewel of downtown, and they're going to do the
best thing for downtown and the best thing for their investors,' said Tom
Wright. 'What that is, is absolutely not fixed.'

"Calvary Baptist is selling its downtown holdings in preparation for a
move across town to a new complex at McMullen-Booth Road and Drew Street.
The property under contract includes roughly 30,000 square feet of meeting
and storage space in buildings at 410, 418 and 420 Cleveland. The
buildings now house Calvary Baptist's Heartline and singles ministries."

Message-ID: <1060596934.921916@...>

#####

> Denmark

The Copenhagen Post reported on August 8th on the case of a French girl
who hoped to move to Copenhagen to attend a Scientology school there.

"A French court ruling, banning a 14-year-old girl from traveling to
Denmark to enroll at the Copenhagen Scientology school, could turn into a
test case against France's hard line efforts to outlaw the controversial
sect. When a judge in Nantes imposed the travel-ban on 14-year-old Marion
Chauchreau in July, at the request of the girl's concerned aunt and
grandmother, the case turned into a 'cause celebre' in the French media
because the girl's mother has been a member of Scientology since 1979, her
brother is a teacher at a Scientology school and the girl herself has
grown up within the confines of the sect since birth.

"Local social authorities, backed by the court's ruling, have launched a
full-scale investigation into the young girl's social, psychological, and
psychiatric well-being, before making a final decision on the potential
danger of her joining the school in Copenhagen. French legal experts have
warned that if the investigation concludes that Marion hasn't been
manipulated by Scientology, it will be a severe blow to the French
authorities' consistent hard-line opposition to the sect. However, if
medical and mental evaluations find her to be brainwashed, the 'Marion
affairre' could become the legal catalyst desired by authorities to
implement a total ban on Scientology in France. The investigation is
expected to take at least six-months."

Message-ID: <9v59jv0jvn0vf8rgo9kvebb9vc0dr3ov1g@...>

#####

> Dianetics

The Wichita Eagle reported on August 12th that Scientology is offering a
reward, seeking early writings by L. Ron Hubbard in Wichita, Kansas.

"Half a century ago, L. Ron Hubbard produced some of his earliest writings
on Dianetics in Wichita. Now the Church of Scientology, which Hubbard
founded, is seeking those papers. Church officials, who are offering a
$5,000 reward, hope they might be tucked away in a Wichita attic or
basement.

"Philip McComish, manager and partner of Watermark West-Rare Books, said
he wasn't surprised to see an ad in Monday's Wichita Eagle asking about
the papers. 'When I first opened the rare books shop in the 1980s, I'd get
a call about once a month wanting to know if I had any Scientology letters
or documents,' he said. McComish said he has never come across any. 'I
think these documents are probably gone,' he said. 'They were probably
piles of 8 1/2-by-11-inch papers sitting in boxes in someone's attic. The
house changed hands a couple of times and the boxes got landfilled.'

"The ad in Monday's paper said that Hubbard, the author of 'Dianetics: The
Modern Science of Mental Health,' lived at 910 N. Yale in 1951 and 1952.
While in Wichita, he gave more than 140 lectures at the Hubbard Dianetics
Foundation and wrote several books on Dianetics.

"An Eagle story in March 1995 indicated that by 1952, Hubbard was seeking
to leave Wichita. His second marriage had ended in divorce, and his
company had gone bankrupt. When he left in March 1952, Hubbard left
instructions with his housekeeper to ship his personal papers and
manuscripts to Phoenix. For some reason, those items never arrived."

Message-ID: <1060682828.628701@...>

#####

> France

Agence France Presse reported on August 7th that a Scientologist has been
arrested for burning a student in an attempt to develop his healing
abilities.

"A 21 year-old was imprisoned Wednesday evening for 'torture and acts of
cruelty' by an examining magistrate for having burned a teenager in order
to transmit the capacity to him to cure. The young man, a follower of the
Church of Scientology, had involved the 16-year old girl and two friends,
also minors, in Vigneux-on-Seine.

"He inflicted serious burns with the girl, marking her on the arms and in
the back with burning cigarettes and on her calves with a heated knife
under the pretext of transmit the capacity to him to cure and influence
the course of its life. The father of the teenager described her as
fragile psychologically. The young man and his two friends were placed in
police custody."

Message-ID: <3f3279ff$0$6230$626a54ce@...>

#####

> Switzerland

Vendredi reported on August 8th that a Scientology school in Littau,
Switzerland has been denied permission to open.

"A school whose teaching principal is part of the Church of Scientology
does not have 'necessary credibility,' according to the district of
Lucerne.  It has refused to reopen the establishment in Littau.  The
establishment was closed at the end of July by cantonal authorities. The
director, a follower of Scientology, had resigned his post."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0308071520.3d369983@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

The St. Petersburg Times reported on August 13th that the trial in the
breach of contract case against the estate of Lisa McPherson has begun in
Clearwater, Florida.

"For the first time in Pinellas County, a jury has been convened to
consider a case involving the Church of Scientology. The case is a complex
civil matter, with the church claiming it was the victim of a breach of
contract. As the trial began Tuesday, the church fielded a legal team of
nine lawyers and legal assistants. Boxes of their legal documents filled
most of the back row of the courtroom.

"On the other side was attorney Ken Dandar, represented by Luke Lirot,
longtime attorney for nude-dance club operator Joe Redner. The case is an
offshoot of the wrongful death lawsuit against the church by the estate of
Lisa McPherson, a Scientologist who died in 1995 after 17 days in the care
of the church, whose spiritual headquarters is in downtown Clearwater.

"Picking a jury proved difficult. Under questioning, some in the jury pool
referred to Scientology as a cult - 'No offense,' several told the
church's legal team. Others questioned whether it should be considered a
religion and admitted they doubted they could be impartial. Several
potential jurors said they overheard people in the jury pool making
disparaging comments about Scientology as they waited in the halls to be
interviewed. But after nearly two days, six jurors and an alternate were
culled from a pool of 50 people, and the jury was sworn in Tuesday
afternoon.

"In his opening statement, Scientology's lead attorney, Samuel Rosen,
argued the wrongful death case was being used as a springboard to attack
all of Scientology. Rosen contended Robert Minton, a wealthy hard-line
critic of Scientology, persuaded Dandar to use the lawsuit to 'nail the
cult's ass to the floor.' To that end, Rosen argues, Dandar added top
church officials, including the church's worldwide leader, David
Miscavige, as defendants in the wrongful death suit. In exchange, Rosen
said, Minton paid Dandar more than $2-million.

"A month after Dandar filed the motion to add the church leaders as
defendants, a judge denied it, ruling the motion directly violated a
written agreement Dandar made with church attorneys two years earlier. The
church sued Dandar, his law firm and the McPherson estate, seeking
attorneys' fees and punitive damages. Pinellas-Pasco Judge W. Douglas
Baird concluded the estate had breached the contract. At issue now is how
much the church is owed in damages.

"The church tapped significant legal resources, including four law firms,
and spent more than $50,000 to defeat Dandar's attempt to add church
leaders to the wrongful death suit. The church wants to be reimbursed that
$50,000 plus 'a significant amount' in punitive damages, Rosen said.

"Dandar's attorney, Lirot, argued Tuesday that Dandar intended to pursue
church leaders in the wrongful death lawsuit long before he ever met
Minton. He said there was no conspiracy to change the case to accommodate
Minton's aims. In his opening statement, Lirot argued the church is owed
no more than $2,500 in legal fees."

Message-ID: <1060769264.563300@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

Wes Fager protested against Scientology at the Fort Harrison Hotel in
Clearwater, Florida on July 27th.

"Wesley Fager staged a one-man demonstration against Scientology's east
coast headquarters in occupied Clearwater, Florida. His hastily made
banner reads L. Ron Hubbard is a Liar! The protest started at the side
entrance, talking to a space cadet, asking her if he was at the Coast
Guard Academy or something because everyone was wearing naval uniforms.
She told him he was at the Church of Scientology and if he had some time
maybe she could arrange a tour.

"Wesley then positioned himself at the main entrance where his banner was
unfurled. Several cars passed and gave Wesley a thumbs up. Then he walked
to the end of the building and turned back onto the side street,
approached the side entrance and held his banner for those in the
courtyard to see. The clams in the beehive just stared.  A man appeared
and got in Wesley's face screaming at him to get off their property.
Wesley calmly stated that he was an American citizen exercising his
Constitutional right to free speech. At that the guard started walking
down the street, pointing and ordered Mr. Fager to follow him, at which
point Mr. Fager answered, 'I'm not following you anywhere.' At that point
the guard screamed that he was calling the police. As Wesley was walking
away to leave, a Clearwater police car passed him and his sign without
incident."

Message-ID: <1060164862.484202@...>

#####

> John Travolta

ITV reported on August 15th that John Travolta may purchase a Scottish
castle, possibly as a new Scientology center.

"John Travolta's name has been linked with the purchase of a Scottish
castle. The American film star is rumoured to have viewed Lee Castle in
South Lanarkshire with a mind to buying it. There is speculation that he
wants to turn the historic building into a centre for Scientology.

"Lee Castle dates back to the 13th century and one of its Lairds was
honoured for his part in in returning Robert the Bruce's heart to
Scotland. The property boasts 14 bedrooms, a ballroom and a swimming pool.
It stands in extensive grounds with three themed gardens, including a
Japanese garden."

Message-ID: <1060942328.71430@...>

#####

> Tom Cruise

The St. Petersburg Times reported on August 7th that Scientology celebrity
Tom Cruise lunched with Tampa, Florida politicians, possibly in connection
with Scientology's recent expansion in that city.

"Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio thought Tom Cruise, superstar and prominent
Scientologist, just wanted to hang with her and her husband last May.
Their dinner at a political consultant's house in Clearwater was just a
gathering among friends, Iorio said. 'What would Tom Cruise be lobbying me
about?' Iorio said.

"For starters, try the Church of Scientology's plans for expansion in
Tampa. Indeed, the church has hired a lobbyist to represent its interests
before city government. The church needs city approval to use its center
on Habana Avenue for some church purposes.

"Lobbyist Todd Pressman, who filled out a lobbyist registration form to
report a meeting with city officials on the project, said he doesn't
consider his work lobbying. 'That's not really lobbying,' Pressman said.
'Obviously, we have to have interaction with those officials for obvious
reasons.' He said city officials aren't treating the church differently
from any other property owner."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0308071524.f06ef0c@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 18
8/24/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Lisa McPherson

The St. Petersburg Times reported on August 20th and 21st that the trial
in the breach of contract case against the attorneys for the estate of
Lisa McPherson was held in Clearwater this week.

"Large and imposing, Church of Scientology attorney Samuel Rosen stood
before a Pinellas County jury Tuesday, arms waving, voice booming.
Pointing at Tampa lawyer Ken Dandar, he growled to jurors that Dandar had
taken a 'garden variety' wrongful death lawsuit and allowed a church
critic to turn it into 'a frontal attack on an entire religion.' Now,
Rosen said, Dandar must be punished. And real punishment, he told jurors,
doesn't even begin until they force Dandar to pay Scientology more than
$2-million.

"The battle stems from the wrongful death lawsuit Dandar filed on behalf
of the estate of Lisa McPherson, a Scientologist who died in 1995 after 17
days of care at the church's spiritual headquarters in downtown
Clearwater. Church officials cried foul when, more than two years into the
wrongful death case, Dandar sought to add as defendants several top church
officials, including the church's worldwide leader, David Miscavige. The
ensuing bad publicity was devastating to Scientology, church officials
said. It also violated a private agreement between the church and the
McPherson estate not to add additional defendants, church attorneys
contended. So the church sued.

"Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge W. Douglas Baird agreed that the private
agreement was breached. Now, the jury will decide how much Dandar and the
estate owe the church in damages.

"Dandar said his case has been handicapped because Judge Baird would not
allow the jury to hear, among other things, why he attempted to add
Miscavige. Dandar has said in the past that he based his attempt to add
Miscavige as a defendant on the testimony of a former, high-ranking church
official who said decisions about McPherson's care would have come from
top church officials. 'This jury does not have the full picture,' Dandar
said after jurors had left for the day."

"A tiny smile creased Ken Dandar's face as a clerk read the first count of
the jury verdict. Compensatory damages he owed the Church of Scientology:
$4,500. Dandar knew then he had won. The grin widened and Dandar began to
playfully pat his attorney, Luke Lirot, as the clerk read through the rest
of the counts. The amount he was obligated to pay the church in punitive
damages: zero. The legal team assembled by the Church of Scientology sat
silently, then quickly filed out of the courtroom.

"The church claimed Dandar was paid $2,050,000 from a wealthy church
critic to turn a 'garden variety' wrongful death case into a broad attack
on Scientology by naming the church's worldwide leader, David Miscavige,
as a defendant. The jury didn't buy it. After less than 21/2 hours of
deliberation, the jury concluded no punitive damages were warranted.

"Jury forewoman Kandice Brockmeyer, a Pinellas-Pasco assistant public
defender, said the church's legal team did not nail down its case. 'They
asked us to speculate on a lot,' Brockmeyer said. 'They didn't show us
enough proof. We spent a lot of time looking at the bills,' Brockmeyer
said of the jury's decision to award the church $4,500. 'This is what we
thought was reasonable and necessary.' The jury took issue with the
expenses incurred by out-of-town attorneys who appeared to duplicate
services of the church's local legal team, she said. Summing up the case,
Brockmeyer said, 'It came down to the big law firm versus the little law
firm.'

"Dandar considered the verdict personal vindication. 'They wanted to hold
me out as an example to people who file suit against them,' Dandar said.

"Several hours after the verdict, church spokesman Ben Shaw issued a brief
response: 'We're exploring our options, including the effect of 40
violations of court orders by Mr. Dandar and Mr. Lirot and their
cumulative effect on the jury.' Shaw would not elaborate."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0308200025.2d023816@...>
Message-ID: <1061460979.132855@...>

#####

> Belgium

Agence France Presse reported on August 18th that Scientology plans to
open a new headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

"The Church of Scientology will open in mid-September a new office
'devoted to humans rights' in a building located near the European
institutions in Brussels. For Marc Bromberg, the goal of this new office
is 'to present, in the form of a permanent exposure, the activities of the
Church of Scientology as regards rehabilitation of the drug addicts and
the criminals, of fight against the illiteracy and the general decline of
morality.'

"'We want to also show our actions for the defense of humans rights and
the denunciation of the psychiatric abuses,' affirmed Martin Weightman.
The building, a beautiful building of two floors recently renovated which
will be officially inaugurated on September 17, was in particular selected
for its proximity with the European Parliament, according to Mr.
Weightman."

Message-ID: <3f430b06$0$26378$626a54ce@...>

#####

> Drug Free Marshals

La Prensa San Diego reported on August 22nd that the San Diego, California
Police Department participated in an anti-crime night with Scientology's
Drug Free Marshals program.

"On Tuesday, August 5th, the San Diego Police Department's Central
Division celebrated National Night Out with a Crime-Free Walk from police
headquarters in downtown to Central division's station in Logan Heights.
Public Officials, community leaders, local organizations and churches came
together to walk with the police to celebrate community spirit,
cooperation and commitment for safer neighborhoods.

"The Drug-Free Marshals, kids who have taken the pledge to be drug-free,
passed out badges and drug educational booklets on Cocaine, Ecstasy and
Marijuana. Community Relations Officer Gary Gonzalez for the Heights area
said, 'The event was a total success. It not only brought an opportunity
to address crime issues, but it also gave the youth the opportunity to
take the pledge to be drug-free. There's a nexus with drugs on almost
every crime we have. If we address the drug issue, crime will slowly
decrease. The pledge done by the Drug-Free Marshals program (sponsored by
the Church of Scientology) is a perfect example of how community and youth
can band together to fight drugs and crime. For next year's event, we want
more neighborhoods to participate in the National Night Out.'"

Message-ID: <1061643394.181229@...>

#####

> Safe Harbor

Hamburger Morgenpost reported on August 2nd that a new Scientology group
aimed at alternatives to Psychiatric treatment has been established in
Hamburg, Germany.

"The Safe Harbor association was recently founded in Hamburg. It is a
cover organization for the sect that serves only one purpose: to
infiltrate new social groups and to spread to crazy ideas of Ron Hubbard,
the sect's founder. After drug addicts it is now the turn of the mentally
ill.

"'The case is exemplary,' said Rudiger Hintze from the Working Group
Scientology at the Department for Domestic Affairs. 'We can see here what
cunning methods Scientology uses to try to tie people to the organization
and to spread Hubbard's ideology.'

"Melanie Herff from Hamburg studied nutrition therapy in London - a
science that is based on the assumption that most psychiatric disorders
have physical causes. And that depression and schizophrenia need not
always be treated with psychopharmaceuticals - that instead it is often
only a matter of the right diet. Melanie Herff had only just returned to
Hamburg after finishing her studies when the Scientologists started to
take note of her. She received an invitation to attend the inaugural
meeting of an association called Safe Harbor in a hotel in Ochsenzoll.
So Melanie Herff went along, presented a paper - and before she knew it
she had been proposed as chairwoman. She felt honored - and agreed to
stand for election. Something she now very much regrets.

"Scientology's strategy has long been to set up organizations that at
first sight promote good causes. They try to get people on board who are
already working in that subject area. The sect for instance used the
Ritalin debate to recruit allies against hated psychiatry. The 'EIFFRIG'
association was set up to fight alleged human rights violations in
Germany. And 'Narkonon' carries the veneer of a well-meaning anti-drugs
program. All these organizations are designed to find new victims for
infiltration with Ron Hubbard's so-called 'technology.'

"Melanie Herff became suspicious shortly after she was elected. 'I soon
thought the people and what they were saying was pretty strange. And so I
did some research on the Internet.' The results were alarming. She
suddenly realized that she had unwittingly become a pawn of the
Scientologists. The Working Group Scientology at the Department for
Domestic Affairs had known for some weeks about the Scientologists’ plan
to set up Safe Harbor. Thanks to Melanie Herff the Working Group now has
information about the leaders.  'I don't want to be made to work for
Scientology,' said Melanie Herff to explain why she left. She asked the
association in writing to delete her name and her personal data and to
refrain from any future contact.

Message-ID: <RJV6211A37850.3731944444@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

The New York Post reported on August 20th that members of a laborer's
union protested outside a New York Scientology org building to protest
their selection of building contractors.

"Members of Laborers' Local 78 installed their familiar giant inflatable
rat in front of the Church of Scientology's headquarters at 2 W. 43rd St.
yesterday. 'We're exposing them for being frauds,' says the union local's
business manager, Sal Speziale. Frauds? Well, it's not what you think.
'They hired a non-union company - Asbestos and Lead Inc. - that exploits
immigrant workers,' he says."

Message-ID: <8es6kv0k47g3uitplgp6gpftuvprvc036n@...>

#####

> Saint Hill

Web site Thisiskentandeastsussex.co.uk reported on August 15th that a
week-long music festival was held at the Saint Hill Manor Scientology
compound in East Grinstead, England.

"The week-long festival, now in its 12th year, began with the traditional
opening night classical concert, featuring artists from Budapest and
Vienna as well as London and East Grinstead.

"Following words of welcome from the executive director Robin Hogarth and
executive producer Sheila Gaiman, Liz Nyegaard, of the L. Ron Hubbard
Foundation, spoke of Mr. Hubbard's outstanding contribution to the arts
through his music, photography and writings. Messages of good wishes and
encouragement for the festival participants were received from celebrities
including soul legend Issac Hayes and star of the film Carmen, Julia
Migenes, and were read to guests by Krystyna Louw, vice-president of
Celebrity Centre in the United States.

"Participants and performers from over 10 different countries were
attending an extensive variety of workshops this week, on subjects ranging
from dance, acrobatics and drama, to painting screenwriting and singing."

Message-ID: <d539d572.0308190841.5f324e14@...>

#####

> World Trade Centers

Vail Daily reported on August 16th that Scientology is raising funds in
Vail, Colorado to help fund a detoxification center established in New
York to treat workers at the World Trade Centers disaster site.

"New York firefighter Joe Higgins can no longer fight fires. He
involuntarily retired from the New York Fire Department shortly after
responding to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center because of
health problems caused by a variety of toxins released when the
skyscrapers collapsed. Five New York firefighters and emergency medical
services personnel who suffered physically and mentally from the tragedy
of Sept. 11 visited the Vail Valley Tuesday. They attended a fund raiser
Tuesday night.

"The toxins released after the buildings came down caused many to suffer
asthma, heart conditions and trauma. 'These guys weren't sleeping, they
weren't eating and they couldn't exercise,' said Joanie Sigel, a
spokeswoman for the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Fund. 'In
September 2002, we opened a detoxification clinic in downtown Manhattan
with more than 150 rescue workers who received the detox.'

"The detoxification clinic is part of a research project that was founded
more than 20 years ago to help remove drugs and residuals from the body,
said Jim Woodworth, director of operations for the New York Rescue Workers
Detoxificiation Project. Two clinics were set up in Los Angeles by medical
doctors who used L. Ron Hubbard's method of detoxification.

"The program involves a precise regimen of daily sauna bathing and
exercise along with vitamin-, mineral- and oil-supplements, he said.
Through sweat, excretion and glands, the toxins leave the body, Higgins
said. The detoxification program might be one of the leading, cutting edge
projects in the country, Gulick said."

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0308170638.3a8521aa@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 19
9/7/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Buffalo Org

The Buffalo News reported on August 29th that the Buffalo, New York org is
being outfitted for business by volunteers from around the world and
prisoners from a nearby prison.

"Volunteers from around the globe have been hard at work in the Church of
Scientology's new three-story, two-mezzanine home at 836 Main St., on the
southwest corner of Main and Virginia streets. Members have come from as
far as Hungary, Lithuania, South Africa and Italy to work on the
23,232-square-foot building's restoration, scheduled for completion in
mid-September.

"This week marks the fifth month that Benac, owner of a specialty painting
company in Chicago, has spent painting and plastering the 19th century
building. His skillful hands have built up the bases of the building's
pillars by applying as many as eight coats of plaster of Paris, and
restoring the decorative egg and dart molding at the top of the columns.
'This is in the traditional manner of how church buildings were done,'
said Teresa Reger of East Aurora, president of the church's Buffalo
chapter. Reger said the Church of Scientology regularly updates its
worldwide chapters about new events through video or satellite, and that
spurred the interest of some members to help.

"Not all of the labor has been volunteer. Hired contractors have done some
of the work. So did a crew of six inmates from the Erie County
Correctional Facility in Alden. They were removed after Sheriff Patrick M.
Gallivan was questioned by The Buffalo News about the propriety of a
government agency providing free labor to a church.

"The Scientologists then paid $300,000 for the Main Street building,
constructed in 1893 by the Buffalo Catholic Institute, a group of
German-American Catholics who used it for religious research and lectures.
The building has been vacant in recent years. The center will be the home
to scientologists in Western and Central New York, Pennsylvania, and some
parts of Ohio and Canada. The staff will increase to 75 to 100, from about
25 six months ago, Reger said. She said she couldn't say how many members
the Buffalo church had because of the broad area from which it draws.

"The space, with cathedral ceilings as high as 19 feet, includes an
intimate, horseshoe-shaped sanctuary on the third floor and
'detoxification rooms,' including saunas, that Scientologists use to rid
the body of impurities. State-of-the-art flat screens, beaming videos
about Scientology and its founder, the late science fiction writer L. Ron
Hubbard, are found in the visitors entrance and third-floor lounge."

Message-ID: <nhmukvg6rjoquv61p9gltib28m5su1c2t7@...>

#####

> Legal Agreement

Fox News published a story on September 3rd on the legal agreement
Scientologists sign in order to take courses.

"The contract - called the 'Agreement and General Release Regarding
Spiritual Assistance' - makes it clear that the signee does not believe in
psychiatry and does not want to be treated for any kind of psychiatric
ailment should one befall him. Instead, once the paper is signed, the
agreement calls for the Church of Scientology to step in if there's ever a
problem. The result would be total isolation and constant surveillance.

"The question is: Will the stars upon whom Scientology has depended to
carry its message - including Cruise, John Travolta and Kelly Preston,
Lisa Marie Presley and her mother, Priscilla - sign a new agreement that
could potentially hand over their rights and personal freedom to the
church?

"The wording of the agreement is shocking, to say the least. If a member
of the church becomes what we might call 'mentally incompetent,' he
automatically agrees to be placed in the care of Scientology counselors,
potentially barring family, friends or anyone else from interceding,
including doctors and psychiatrists.

"The new agreement seems to stem from a long-simmering wrongful-death
lawsuit brought by the estate of Lisa McPherson against the Church of
Scientology. By having members sign the contact agreeing to be isolated
from family and medical professionals, the church apparently believes it
would be immune to such lawsuits. The lawsuit, which has suffered several
postponements, may come to trial in 2004.

"Outspoken critics of Scientology - such as Carnegie Mellon professor Dave
Touretzky, who uncovered the new agreement - claim the form is designed to
protect the church from further litigation.

"The Spiritual Assistance agreement reads in part: 'I understand that the
Introspection Rundown is an intensive, rigorous Religious Service that
includes being isolated from all sources of potential spiritual upset,
including but not limited to family members, friends or others with whom I
might normally interact.  As part of the Introspection Rundown, I
specifically consent to Church members being with me 24 hours a day at the
direction of my Case Supervisor, in accordance with the tenets and custom
of the Scientology religion. The Case Supervisor will determine the time
period in which I will remain isolated, according to the beliefs and
practices of the Scientology religion.'"

From the New York Post on September 4th:

"Rick Ross, a well-known cult watcher, writes on his Web site,
rickross.com: 'It seems that Scientologist superstars may be signing away
rights most citizens within free countries take for granted.' The 'church'
has a document titled 'Agreement and General Release Regarding Spiritual
Assistance' which states, 'Others may think that I need psychiatric
treatment. I instead desire to receive Scientology spiritual assistance.'
The same agreement prohibits 'any psychiatrist, medical person, designated
member of the state or family member' from placing the Scientologist into
a hospital or facility for psychiatric treatment.

"Instead, the Scientologists are subjected to the 'Introspection Rundown,'
an 'intensive, rigorous Religious Service that includes being isolated
from all sources of potential spiritual upset, including but not limited
to family members, friends or others.' The subject is supervised by
'church members 24 hours a day at the direction of [a] Case Supervisor
[who will] determine the time period [the subject] will remain isolated.'"

Message-ID: <i04clv05vhkbkdendoe1v2j4v28td6qtqq@...>
Message-ID: <3f574099$1@...>

#####

> ABLE

The Lovelock Review-Miner reported on August 28th that a Nevada school
district will no longer be conducting a test program involving Scientology
study methods.

"The Pershing County School Board has ordered the discontinuation of a
study program currently being used at Pershing County Middle School until
further research could be done by the school board members.  The chief
concerns include the fact that the books being used in the program are
authored by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology and
that the terms used in the books may be the fundamental basis for the
Church of Scientology.

"This study method is called LEAP, Literacy and Education Awareness
Project and comes from a non-profit company called Applied Scholastics.
While the program has been used within the school district for over a
year, the concerns were just recently raised when Pershing County High
School teacher Valdine McLean learned of the program's connection to
Hubbard and the Church of Scientology. She said that L. Ron Hubbard is as
revered in the Church of Scientology as the pope is in Catholicism and
Joseph Smith is with the Church of Latter Day Saints. She said, the fact
that he authored the books concerns her. 'My question is, if the pope's
name was on any public books,' McLean said, 'would it be appropriate for
school?' She said that she would think that it was not.

"McLean said that while the books say nothing directly about Scientology,
the terms used in the books are the fundamental basis for the Church of
Scientology. McLean provided information to the board that showed that the
three principles of the study method are also fundamentals in the Church
of Scientology.

"Special Programs Coordinator Anita Fisk, who was instrumental in bringing
the project to Lovelock, and Debra Scilacci, PCMS teacher, spoke about the
program. Fisk urged the board to talk to the teachers before making a
decision about whether or not to use the program.  She also said that
there was nothing underhanded on her part to hide anything about the
program. Scilacci has been using the program in her classes and presented
the board with information on how the program helped in her summer school
classes.

"During the special board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, the room was packed
by more than 100 people. Dave Noonan from the University of Nevada
facilitated the meeting so that the board members could concentrate on the
information and testimony being given. Fisk said that the study is used
across the United States in private and public schools. She said that the
books used in the program do not proselytize for any religion. She
explained that if any funding were being diverted from Applied Scholastics
to any religion, it would not be non-profit. She said that 28 teachers
that had initial training with the program moved forward with additional
training.

"PCMS Principal Charles Safford said that he has looked through the books
and has determined that they are secular. He said that several PCMS
teachers said that they would like to add the study method to their
curriculum. He said that district staff members who are in favor of the
program asked him not to use their names because they were concerned of
people's reaction. Several people from out of town spoke positively about
the program. The people included LEAP staff members and Ed Fila, a
representative from a Utah-based company called Innovations in Education.
Fila said that several schools in Utah use this program including the best
academic school in Utah.

"McLean, Quint Hughes, Richard Wagner, Tom Moura, Walter and Coni Jo
Brinkerhoff were amongst those that were opposed to the program. McLean
said that it is her faith as a Catholic that has prompted her to do what
she has done. She said that it was interesting that people from Las Vegas,
Utah and California had to be brought in to testify for the program. She
said that she doesn't care how good the program is and if it does raise
test scores if it undermines people's faith.

"McLean said that she wasn't there to make accusations against school
district staff, she was there to demonstrate her concern that the program
violated the separation of church and state. She said that a strong
connection between the study method and Scientology is that the same
publisher published both the program materials and Scientology books.
McLean also said that on the Church of Scientology's website, the Church
claims the books as their own.

"Wagner said that he was there to speak as an individual. He said that he
didn't care if the program was good or bad, he cared if it was
constitutional. He said that there could be a violation of constitutional
rights if the board decided to use the program despite the concerns of the
citizen. He stated that he had a problem with the usage of the program. He
showed a copy of the booklet being used with the instruction of teachers.
He asked that if the name L. Ron Hubbard was replaced with the name Jesus
Christ, a cross placed on the cover and a synopsis of Hubbard's life
inside the book was replaced with a synopsis of Christ's life, would it be
allowed in schools? 'That's what this is about,' he said.

"Lovelock Elementary Literacy Specialists Sandy Condie and Shea Murphy
said that the Applied Scholastics is drastically different than the
reading methods they are teaching in elementary school. They were both
concerned about the differences between the two programs and the different
teaching methods that students would receive.

"Another special board meeting was set up for Tuesday, September 2 at
5:15.  The location is yet to be determined, but Fox said that he would
try to find a location to better suit the number of people. Tacker said
that the next special meeting won't be for testimony, but to give the
school board an opportunity to discuss the issue amongst themselves and
make a final decision. An audience member asked why it seemed that the
program was brought in the back door. Board member Clingan said that it
wasn't brought in the back door. Both the initial presentation and the
approval of the program were on the school board agenda.

"In an interview McLean said that much of her research was based on an
essay on Scientology's Study Technology and compares the terms used in the
Applied Scholastics program to the terms used in the Church of
Scientology. She said that website can be found at
studytech.org/study_tech.php McLean said that all the information on the
website can be validated. It offers weblinks to where the information was
obtained from and all the words are used in the same way."

Message-ID: <1062941680.101474@...>

#####

> Netherlands

Karin Spaink reported on September 4th a court has found that portions of
the OT materials on her web site were are within Dutch law.

"While the court of appeals considers OT2 and OT3 to have not been legally
published, the freedom of expression prevails and my website containing
quotes form OT2 and OT3 is completely ok with them: Scientology needs to
pay all costs.

"The courts damned Scientology for the secrecy surrounding OT2 and OT3 and
says that Scientology - which they call an 'organisation', not a 'church'
- uses that secrecy to wield power over its members, and furthermore
states that Scientology is attempting to overthrow democratic values."

Message-ID: <3f573e17$0$49107$e4fe514c@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

Former Scientology minister Reed Slatkin was sentence to 14 years in jail
for his role in a Ponzi investment scheme that took millions of dollars
from Scientologists and other investors. From Reuters on September 2nd:

"Financier Reed Slatkin, a key player in the creation of Internet service
provider EarthLink Inc., was sentenced on Tuesday to 14 years in prison
after pleading guilty to bilking investors out of hundreds of millions of
dollars. A federal court in Los Angeles also ordered Slatkin to pay more
than $240 million in restitution to clients of his fund management
business.

"The government had asked that he be sentenced to the minimum in a range
from 11 years and three months to 14 years after defrauding investors of
nearly $600 million, but Judge Margaret Morrow chose the more severe
option. 'The havoc that the defendant has wreaked is immense, the loss is
immeasurable,' she told a courtroom packed with attorneys and victims of
Slatkin.

"Referring to the 500 or so days he has already spent in federal custody,
Slatkin said, 'Not one of these days has gone by without (my) feeling the
overwhelming responsibility for the harms I caused these people.' Slatkin
pleaded guilty in 2002 to 15 counts, including mail fraud, wire fraud,
money laundering and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

"His attorneys blamed much of his behavior on the influence of the Church
of Scientology, of which he was a member and from where many of his
victims came. 'There is no question that the hold the Church had on Mr.
Slatkin was significant,' lawyer Brian Sun told the court. 'It took us a
while to de-program Mr. Slatkin.'

"But an attorney for the Church told Reuters that Slatkin's claims, and
those of his lawyers, were all a ruse designed to draw attention away from
his crimes. 'We were pleased the judge saw through it,' said David
Schindler, an attorney from the firm of Latham & Watkins who represents
the Church. 'It was shameful of (Slatkin). He sold the psychiatrists a
bill of goods.'

From the Los Angeles Times on September 2nd and 3rd:

"During more than 15 years of fraud that cost his investors $240 million,
Reed E. Slatkin seemed as much trusted friend as money manager. He
schmoozed clients with tips on how to landscape their estates, attended
funerals of their family members and all the while offered assurances that
he would protect their college and retirement funds.

"Slatkin, 54, has admitted he fabricated account statements that showed
clients beating the stock market's heady returns of the late 1990s, while
using their funds to pay for airplanes, luxury cars, real estate, artwork
and gold for himself. The long-running scam ended in his bankruptcy in
2001, followed by his guilty pleas last year to 15 counts of fraud,
conspiracy and money laundering.

"'If the sentence is 11 years, you can wrap a fish in it,' said John
Poitras of Santa Ynez, Calif., a former venture capitalist who lost $15
million with Slatkin. 'We're just going to walk away from it, because it
stinks.' Slatkin took millions from Poitras toward the end of his criminal
career, at a time when Slatkin was stalling an SEC attempt to investigate
him.

"At about the same time, the family of cellular telephone entrepreneur
Michael Azeez entrusted about $17 million to Slatkin, bringing their total
investment with him to nearly $44 million. 'He's some type of psychopath,'
Azeez said in a telephone interview from his home in New Jersey. 'I don't
know how you go into people's parties, religious functions, like he did.
He even went to my dad's funeral.'

"Slatkin had a number of high-profile clients, including actors Peter
Coyote and Joe Pantoliano, model Cheryl Tiegs and legal commentator Greta
Van Susteren. Those notables were among the relatively few Slatkin clients
who were repaid more than they invested. Their profits were bogus,
however, as Slatkin admitted in his plea agreement: The payouts were part
of a long-running Ponzi scheme that plundered some investors to pay
others.

"Attorneys for the trustee and the creditors have sued to recover funds
from Slatkin's bankers and from his clients who came out ahead. They also
are negotiating with groups affiliated with the Church of Scientology that
allegedly wound up with tens of millions of dollars in donations from
Slatkin clients. Many of the clients who came out winners already have
settled the cases, but Alexander Pilmer, an attorney for the creditors and
the trustee, estimated there still may be $100 million in such 'bogus
profits' to pursue for investors whose accounts were drained.

"Slatkin's plea agreement acknowledged that his financial career had been
a fraud since 1986, when he was managing funds for fellow Scientologists.
As years passed, he acquired many clients who did not belong to the group,
whose belief system is based on the works of science fiction writer L. Ron
Hubbard."

"Citing 'the tremendous harm he has done,' U.S. District Judge Margaret
Morrow rejected the former Santa Barbara money manager's claim that he had
acted under 'duress and diminished capacity' because of threats from
fellow Scientologists who allegedly urged him to continue his scam so they
could profit. Morrow credited Slatkin with helping authorities unravel the
financial fiasco, as Slatkin had pledged to do in his plea bargain last
year, but raised questions about the timeliness and degree of his
assistance.  'The cooperation has been, shall we say, somewhat checkered,'
the judge said.

"A lawyer for the Church of Scientology praised the judge, saying she 'saw
right through' Slatkin's claims about Scientologists. 'The church had
nothing to do with the fact that he lied, cheated and stole,' the lawyer,
David Schindler, said after the hearing. Slatkin's fraudulent financial
empire lasted 15 years, dissolving into bankruptcy proceedings in May
2001, leaving investors with a loss prosecutors set at $240 million. Taken
into custody in April 2002, he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud,
conspiracy and money laundering.

"Summarizing their lengthy filings with the court, including reports on
Slatkin by two psychologists and a criminologist, the defense argued that
Slatkin feared Scientologists would harm him and his family if he shut
down his scheme. His lawyers contended that Slatkin paid millions of
dollars in purported profits to Scientologists who then made large
donations to the Scientology organization, which knew of his long history
of falsifying financial statements.

"'The hold the church had on Mr. Slatkin was significant even up to the
points of his surrender into custody,' Sun told the judge. Morrow said she
found 'very little evidence of direct pressure on the defendant' to keep
the scam going so donations would continue flowing to Scientologists. She
said she tended to believe the story of Daniel W. Jacobs, a Scientologist
who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy for helping Slatkin stall a
Securities and Exchange Commission investigation of his operation for more
than a year.  Jacobs testified briefly Wednesday about a conversation in
which Slatkin allegedly suggested he would try to blame the organization
for his crimes.  He told how Slatkin, saying he was facing more than 10
years in prison, 'was going to say that the church was a significant
negative influence on him in his state of mind.' Asked if Slatkin
mentioned worrying about Scientologists harming him, Jacobs replied, 'No.'

"Federal prisoners are eligible for release after serving 85% of their
sentences. With that allowance and deducting time already served, Slatkin
could be released in 10 1/2 years, when he is 64. He will remain for an
undetermined time at Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A., to
more easily assist the bankruptcy trustee, and later will be transferred
to a federal prison somewhere in Southern California, Morrow ruled."

From the Santa Barbara News-Press on September 3rd:

"Imposing a harsher punishment than even prosecutors sought, a federal
judge Tuesday sentenced former Hope Ranch resident and Earthlink
co-founder Reed Slatkin to 14 years in prison for bilking hundreds of
investors out of about $240 million. Before the sentencing, three of Mr.
Slatkin's many victims were allowed to voice their wrath, and each urged
the maximum sentence possible.

"'There's something inherently evil in the way he carried out this
scheme,' said investor Michael Azeez, whose family lost $42 million. 'He
befriended us, he visited our homes, he met our families,' but then ended
up swindling money from investors' retirement funds, college accounts and
even life-insurance proceeds. 'Each and every time, he stole everything he
could,' asserted another investor, John Poitras of Santa Ynez, who lost
$15 million. 'He is enormously cruel. Punish him harshly.'

"Since entering his guilty pleas, Mr. Slatkin has extensively shared
information with criminal investigators on how the Ponzi scheme operated
and who assisted him. He has also cooperated with a bankruptcy trustee
seeking to identify any remaining assets that could be used to partially
repay his victims. But his cooperation has been less than complete, a key
factor cited by Judge Morrow in imposing a 14-year sentence after
prosecutors had recommended 11 years. 'His cooperation has been, shall we
say, somewhat checkered,' she said.

"Defense lawyers suggested that was mostly due to his reluctance to
implicate people who were members of the Church of Scientology. 'It took
us awhile to deprogram Mr. Slatkin,' attorney Brian Sun told the judge. It
took several months, he said, 'for us to wean him off the influences of
this group. There is no question that the hold the church had on Mr.
Slatkin was significant, even up to the time of his surrender.'"

Message-ID: <1062544382.52382@...>
Message-ID: <1062497068.296406@...>
Message-ID: <1062583665.135064@...>
Message-ID: <1062584376.521032@...>

#####

> Saint Hill

This is Kent reported on August 22nd that a Scientology exhibition is
being held in East Grinstead, with a goal of recruiting more volunteer
ministers.

"The Church of Scientology's travelling volunteer minister exhibition was
opened by the Lord McNair on Tuesday in West Street, East Grinstead,
aiming to bring simple solutions to everyday problems, such as with drugs,
crime, conflict and illiteracy. The exhibition is housed in the
Scientology Centre.

"The exhibition includes demonstrations of simple practical methods to
help deal with the daily problems in life, and also shows the work done by
the volunteer ministers in disaster areas, such as in the immediate
aftermath of the September 11 disaster. Scientology volunteer ministers
worked alongside the fire brigade, Red Cross and the police at Ground
Zero, New York.

"Opening the exhibition, Lord McNair said: 'We have the answers to many
common problems, such as problems with study, how to understand others,
how to be happy, how to communicate, how to help someone recover from
illness or injury, problems with drugs, how to resolve conflicts, problems
with stress, marriage problems and how to be more organised.'

"The church plans to train thousands of volunteer ministers
internationally by the year end and wants to train hundreds in West
Sussex. The exhibition runs until August 25."

Message-ID: <d539d572.0308270849.1bc4a5a@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 20
9/21/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Belgium

Expatica News reported on September 17th that Scientology has opened a
human rights office in Brussels, Belgium, near the offices of the European
Community.

"The Church of Scientology opened the doors to its all-new European
quarter offices Wednesday, amid skepticism from local politicians. The
luxurious address at 91 rue de la Loi will be representing the
controversial spiritual group in the European Commission and Parliament
neighbourhood in an attempt at increasing its credibility. The European
Scientology Office of Public Affairs and Human Rights has been seen as an
attempt to confuse visitors by attempting to appear like part of the
conglomerate of European institutions in the area.

"'They are the charlatans of human rights,' Antoine Duquesne, former
rapporteur during the investigation into sects in Belgium in 1997, told La
Libre Belgique. Politicians across all party lines criticised the
organisation's new offices. 'I think it's dangerous and a sect - it's not
for nothing that they've encamped themselves in the European quarter, we
know their lobbying capabilities,' said Mayor of Schaerbeek Bernard
Clerfayt. 'The Church of Scientology is only after money and nobody is
safe from what they are capable of,' said Mayor of Watermael-Boisfort
Martine Payfa."

Message-ID: <1063879075.231684@...>

#####

> Org News

The New Haven Register reported on September 20th that Scientology's New
Haven, Connecticut org will be moving to a new building.

"After 31 years in Westville, Hallock's has sold its Whalley Avenue
building and plans to move by the end of the year. The Church of
Scientology bought the 35,000-square-foot building for $1.5 million. Carol
Yingling, a church minister, said the church plans to move its Connecticut
headquarters into the building. The current headquarters is in 9,000
square feet of leased space just down the street. 'We are really busting
out at the seams,' she said. 'I'm looking forward to having a place to
hold community meetings.'

"Yingling said the move will allow the church to potentially quadruple its
staff of 35. 'We need four times that many to make full use of the new
space,' she said."

Message-ID: <1064062341.961470@...>

#####

> CCHR

An email to Scientologists announced that a protest will be held at a
meeting of the Florida Psychiatric Society in October.

"The Florida Psychiatric Society is holding their 2003 Fall Meeting at the
Ponte Vedra Beach Sawgrass Marriott Resort in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida,
October 3 - 5, 2003. They're encouraging all their members to attend but
the 'Ethics meetings' are closed to the public. They say the meeting is
important to 'strengthen and broaden the scope of our work and our
position within organized psychiatry.'

"The focus of our protest will be to halt the psychiatrists' use of
teachers to identify children as mentally disabled and forcing parents to
give drugs to their children as a condition for them continuing school. We
expect 500 - 1000 demonstrators! We are planning to have a rally in
downtown Tampa where we can organize this event on Sep 12, at 8:00 PM.

Mary DeMoss
Executive Director
Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida, Inc."

Message-ID: <ZTIGO1B237873.5001967593@...>

#####

> Netherlands

CNET News reported on September 8th on the victory in a Dutch court to
keep links to Scientology's OT materials legal on the web site of activist
Karin Spaink.

"The Church of Scientology has lost a courtroom battle to compel a Dutch
writer and her Internet service provider to remove postings from a Web
site, in a ruling that keeps hyperlinks to copyrighted material legal.
The Court of Appeal in The Hague, Netherlands, denied the Scientologists'
latest appeal in an online copyright dispute that dates back to 1995.

"In denying the appeal, the court also overturned two previous rulings
that lower courts had handed down. One of these decided that ISPs should
be held accountable for any illegal or copyrighted materials posted by
their subscribers and that ISPs should take down hyperlinks to such
materials. An Xs4all representative cited the overruling of that decision
as the larger of the two victories.

"'I think this establishes an important freedom of speech precedence for
the Internet and ISPs in particular,' said Edith Mastenbroek, an Xs4all
spokeswoman. 'Any laws set to control how ISPs interact with copyright
laws must be made crystal clear.'

Xs4all representatives said they were particularly happy with the ruling,
as it relates to hyperlinks.  'After all, a hyperlink is merely a road
marker on the Internet, and it can therefore never be unlawful,' the
company said in a statement.

"Scientologists have taken a vigorous approach to squelching critical Web
sites, pressuring site operators, ISPs and even Internet heavyweights such
as Google into removing links to Web pages. In 1999, Amazon.com removed
but later restored links to a book critical of Scientology."

Message-ID: <mike-55C7BC.15440508092003@...>
Message-ID: <3F5DCD45.2C21F85D@...>

#####

> Protest Summary

John Ritson reported a protest on September 13th at Scientology's Saint
Hill complex and the nearby town of East Grinstead, England.

"Five regulars plus one new recruit arrived at East Grinstead on a
beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon. They have abandoned their presence
('Saint Hill Information Centre and Bookshop')  on the main shopping
street opposite the Broadway pub. They have a new location opposite the
Ship pub, but I completely failed to spot it. We set off by taxis to the
main gates of Saint Hill, and parked ourselves opposite the gates. Despite
our boombox turned up to full volume only one security guard (head glued
to mobile phone) made an appearance, although we glimpsed Graeme Wilson
sneaking around in the bushes.

"The police were very helpful and erected a 'SLOW' sign to ensure safety.
Many of the drivers passing shouted encouragement. Drivers going into and
out of Saint Hill maintained a stony silence. After about forty minutes
the taxis turned up to take us back to East Grinstead and the Ship pub,
where the new Scientology presence was pointed out to us.

"We emerged to picket the Scientology dump, which eventually opened one
door, to let a couple of Scientologists with mobile phones wander about.
The police asked us to turn down the volume as their had been complaints.
We were happy to comply as even on moderate volume I could still be heard
clearly on the far side of the road. Much support from the public, and the
local Baptist church even brought us out tea and biscuits, so I expanded
my usual spiel to include a section about the 'R6 implant.'"

Tory Christman, "tannman1" and Jeff Jacobsen reported a protest in Los
Angeles on September 14th.

"We decided to head out to the HGB: Hollywood Guarantee Building (Which is
International Management), and the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition right
next door.  As we began picketing, Hollywood rallied with us. Cars drove
by all day long with people honking, yelling, and giving us the thumbs up.
Many people walked by and told us their own personal horror stories re
Scientology.  We also had two people walk up and ask us if they could join
the picket. We had extra signs, so we gave them signs and they too began
walking back and forth. One had a dog, and had a sign on it saying, 'Do
Not Believe L. Ron Hubbard.'

"We continued talking with people and passing out Xenu Flyers (at least
300, and 400 flyers and about 300 cards with Web sites). People of all
walks of life and all ages came up to talk with us. Meantime, Scientology
hid inside.  As we traveled down to the Scientology Testing Center, things
heated up. Down from them were Black Israelites screaming non-stop about
how Jesus was really Black. They were screaming constantly. We were
passing out flyers, the Web sites, and I had the sign, 'Honk if you Think
Scientology is a CULT.' People were literally honking from both sides of
the street. Also, if they didn't have a car, and were walking by, they'd
go 'HONK' into my tape recorder.

"I realized this Cab was parked right outside of the Scientology Testing
Center, basically semi-blocking our signs. I realized no doubt OSA had
requested the cab, with the intention of blocking our signs. So I leaned
in and asked, 'Are you picking anyone up?' The gentleman said, 'No.' I
leaned in and said, 'These people are against Free Speech, and we are
fighting FOR Free Speech. You cab is blocking our signs, so you think
about that and decide what you want to do.' I walked away, and to my great
surprise, a few minutes later I heard the cab start up and he roared off,
honking loudly down the street. This happened two different times while we
were there.

"All during this time, Mellony and Jean were on their Cell phones. Finally
the police showed up! At first it was just someone from OSA, talking with
two LA PD. Finally the cops came over to me and told me they had a report
we were disrupting a residency. I asked where, as the Testing Center is
totally a business. He pointed above it (Three stories) and said those
residence were complaining. I told him first off we have a Constitutional
right to picket, and secondly, I was pretty sure they (OSA) were lying
about anyone living above the Testing Center.

"Finally after much talk, more OSA Int people arrived. Pam Bowen and one
of their top dogs who runs the attorneys, Ed Parken arrived on the scene.
Pam was furious and I could see was sent with orders to get rid of us.
The two cops came back and said they were 'Just trying to keep the peace'.
I said, 'So are we.' They said, 'Well, we have a request. You can say yes,
or no, but we would like you to go over to the other side of the street.'
I looked at the young cop and said, 'I heard your request and here is my
answer: No! We are here, we are going to continue to picket per the
Constitution of the USA.'

"We continued picketing, and more people began honking than all day long.
I saw OSA skulking around the corner, so I walked around to hear what was
being said. Pam immediately said, 'I don't want her here!' I said, 'Well,
since you're talking about me, I'd like to hear what is being said.' At
that point I hear the Supervisor ask Ed, 'Well, if you live here, I'd like
to see your driver's License proving it.' At that point I could only
laugh, as I knew once again the infamous 'Office of Special Affairs' had
blown it. The cops finally drove off as Scientology had NO proof that
anyone lived above the Testing Center."

"They feared our presence. They scooped anyone up who were out side the
walls and ushered them in like parents dragging kids in from the ocean
where a shark was sighted. We spoke to folks and offered our information.
Some accepted others refused. We moved to the Testing Center and this my
friends was where I received my first witness of the OSA. Here the fear
was even worse, It was RED ALERT for them. 7 people got an entire cult
hive in such a state of disarray I couldn't believe it. The clams resorted
to calling LAPD who basically didn't do a damn thing but ask us to move
across the street knowing we would refuse and no more could be done. OSA
was swarming like bees."

"I saw that L. Ron Hubbard Way had been closed off and lots of tables and
decorations had been set up. On the south side they had placed cloth walls
about 10 feet high across the entrance to the road. That way, any
picketers outside that wall could not be seen. I saw people making some
more of those walls, probably for the north side. The parking lot was
surrounded by this same high wall of cloth. There was a big stage set up.

"We went to the Hubbard Life Exhibit, a great place to hand out fliers. We
probably handed out about 200 fliers there (a guess). Skippy was very good
at handing out fliers. Graham and Tanman joined us there, as did another
ex and 2 pedestrians.  Many people walking by said in low voices 'boy
we're glad you're out here!' And, 'Finally somebody is doing this!' We got
positive responses and several good conversations there. Some people
refused our fliers saying 'I already know it's bad, give it to someone who
doesn't know.'

"We just out of the blue decided to go to the testing center down
Hollywood Blvd. and protest there for a while.  Graham and I held up the
WWW.XENU.NET banner closer to the testing center than the black guys (I
think their group is Black Israelites or something like that - they claim
to be the Lost Tribes). Others walked up and down with the great new
picket signs. Tanman somehow had parked his car right in front of us, and
suggested we drape the banner on his car. So we draped it on the left
side, holding it in place with the windshield wipers front and back. This
was great as any cars going by and anybody across the street would see
this.

"We had a pretty good time, even with the competition of the black guys
accosting pedestrians, us handing out fliers, and the Scientologists
handing out fliers, all in the same little area. There were no
confrontations or anything from that."

Message-ID: <3ilH22Q5i1Y$EwR9@...>
Message-ID: <3f643a81@...>
Message-ID: <BnS8b.2703$UN4.506@...>
Message-ID: <vmafi13f2ck05a@...>

#####

> Russia

A press release from St. Irenaeus of Lyon Religious Studies Center on
September 22nd announced that protests would be held at a number of
Scientology orgs in Russia.

"The All-Russian 'Fellow Travelers' youth organization, with support from
the Russian Orthodox Youth Movement, begins a long-term nationwide protest
action against the activity of the Scientology cult. On the appointed date
the first leg of the action will begin simultaneously in Moscow, St.
Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, and Kaluga.

"On the following five days the 'Fellow Travelers' activists will picket
the cult centers daily from 7 a. m. to 10 p.m., distributing leaflets and
explaining to those who want to enter the dangers of the cult. Large
posters will inform the citizens and all passers-by that the dangerous
cult is near. In Moscow the action will begin on September 22 at 3 p.m. in
four locations of the cult - three in the city and one in the suburb. The
official opening will be held by the Russian headquarters of the cult (B.
Galushkina St., 19). The guest speaker of the opening is Professor
Alexander L. Dvorkin."

Interfax reported on September 17th that a Psychiatric institute believes
Scientology will be protesting the center this week.

"Scientology is officially banned in Russia, Tatyana Dmitriyeva, director
of the Serbskiy Centre for Social and Criminal Psychiatry, said at a
conference on prison psychiatry in Moscow on Wednesday. 'However,
Scientologists continue to work in this country in the guise of human
rights organizations in order to cover the large sums put into
Scientology,' Dmitriyeva said. She said one of the Scientologists'
postulates has to do with psychiatry. 'They believe that psychiatrists
must not be allowed to treat people, as everything must be left to the
will of God,' she said.

"She announced that Scientologists regularly hold protest actions in front
of the Serbskiy centre and plan to hold another picket on Wednesday.
'Their main slogan is 'Psychiatrists, hands off humans!' They are also
urging the government to stop financing psychiatry,' Dmitriyeva said."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1030921055718.116B-100000@...>
Message-ID: <t54hmv43smhqesk5v8nddf6h9nnu41int9@...>

#####

> Reed Slatkin

The Los Angeles Times reported on September 17th that the law firm that
represented former Scientology minister Reed Slatkin will pay $650,000 to
settle claims that they should have been aware that he was running a Ponzi
scheme.

"Slatkin was sentenced to 14 years in prison this month for taking $593
million from investors in a Ponzi scheme. Slatkin, a Santa Barbara money
manager, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud, conspiracy and money
laundering. Bankruptcy trustee R. Todd Neilson alleged that Bryan Cave, a
St.  Louis-based law firm that represented Slatkin, mishandled his case,
allowing investors to continue to pour money into his illegal schemes.

"Slatkin's attorney, Gerald Boltz, a former Securities and Exchange
Commission administrator, should have discovered the pyramid scheme in
early 2000, shortly after he was hired, Neilson said. But Slatkin's scheme
wasn't spotted until it began to come apart shortly before he filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2001.

"Under the terms of a tentative settlement filed last week, the law firm
does not admit to wrongdoing. But it will pay $650,000 to Slatkin's trust
to be distributed to creditors, said R. Alexander Pilmer, Neilson's
attorney. Investors who gave money to Slatkin still are owed about $240
million, and more than 200 lawsuits are pending to recover money from the
banks and investors who profited from the scheme, Pilmer said.

"Attorneys also are negotiating with groups affiliated with the Church of
Scientology that allegedly wound up with tens of millions of dollars in
donations from Slatkin clients. In court filings, Bryan Cave said that it
too was a victim of Slatkin's deception and that he gave the firm fake
documents. However, the firm claimed it was shielded from liability in the
case, because its duty as Slatkin's counsel was to represent its client
and not investors."

Message-ID: <1063792615.161532@...>

#####

> Way to Happiness

The Los Angeles Times reported on September 15th that Scientology is
opening a Way to Happiness headquarters in Glendale, California.

"In a move that city business development officials see as another way to
drum up activity in a struggling business hub, The Way to Happiness
Foundation International is relocating its headquarters into a vacant
building at 201 E. Broadway. The building is owned by ABLE International,
which stands for the Association of Better Living and Education. The
foundation is an affiliate of ABLE. The foundation is a nonprofit
organization that is based on one book, 'The Way to Happiness,' written by
L. Ron Hubbard, whose tenets ushered in the Church of Scientology.

"The two-story, 22,000-square-foot building, built in the 1920s with a
basement and mezzanine was also perfect for the organization, she said.
The group will publish Hubbard's books from presses in the basement. City
officials were pleased the organization chose to move to Glendale. 'It is
going to provide activity on this corner, which we think will be very good
for the area,' Development Services Director Jeanne Armstrong said about
the move.

"The building is in the area of The Exchange, a retail and restaurant
open-air mall anchored by a movie theater. Merchants in the area have
lamented a lack of customers. But already, the foundation is trying to
drum up interest with a grand opening scheduled for Oct. 4 with a
community festival."

Message-ID: <1063619981.519924@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 21
10/5/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Perfect Score

The Advocate newspaper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana reported on September
22nd that a student who earned a perfect score on the ACT college entrance
exam plans to join Scientology programs in New York City.

"Craig Gehring went over an old math test to prepare to take the ACT back
in June, but that's it. He ended up getting a perfect score, a 36. He was
the only student in Louisiana to get a perfect score that day and one of
only 72 such students across the nation.

"The ACT Assessment is taken by roughly two million high school seniors
each year, and was taken by 355,000 students in June. The ACT tests a
student's skills in English, math, reading and science reasoning.
Gehring's perfect score represents a composite score of all four tests.

"Both the ACT and the 1600-point SAT, which measures students' math and
verbal skills, are used as factors in college admissions and placement and
in awarding scholarships. Gehring, however, may not go to college. A free
thinker, Gehring said he plans to join a drug prevention and literacy
program in New York City, loosely affiliated with the Church of
Scientology. His father, Kyle Gehring, however, is uneasy. He said the son
has discovered Scientology on his own. 'We're encouraging him to go to
college,' he said. 'We think there is a lot he's going to miss out on.'"

Message-ID: <1064224829.843439@...>

#####

> World Trade Centers

The New York Times reported on October 4th that a Scientology program in
New York aims to treat firefighters suffering from having worked at the
World Trade Centers disaster with the Purification Rundown.

"For the past year, more than 140 New York City firefighters, some ailing
from their work in the ruins of the World Trade Center, have walked into a
seventh-floor medical clinic just two blocks from the former disaster
site. Once inside, some have abandoned the medical care and emotional
counseling provided to them by their own department's doctors, and all
have taken up a treatment regimen devised by L. Ron Hubbard, the late
science fiction writer and founder of the Church of Scientology.

"The firefighters take saunas, engage in physical workouts and swallow
pills - all of which together constitute what for years has been known,
amid considerable dispute, as Mr. Hubbard's detoxification program, one
meant to wash the body of poisons or toxins. The firefighters are not
charged for their trips to the clinic, called Downtown Medical.

"One retired firefighter is a paid member of the clinic's advisory board,
and the city's main fire union has pledged its 'full support' to the
clinic as it seeks government grants and other forms of financing. 'The
statements I have heard from firefighters who have completed the program
are truly remarkable,' Stephen J. Cassidy, the president of the Uniformed
Firefighters Association, wrote in a letter that is posted on the clinic's
Web site. The letter adds, 'The work you are doing in this regard is
unique in the city, and is very welcome.'

"But the existence of the clinic has upset city Fire Department officials,
who, among other concerns, are alarmed that the medical treatment
prescribed by its doctors is being discarded by some firefighters who
enroll at Downtown Medical. They say the clinic's detoxification program
requires firefighters to stop using inhalers meant to help with their
breathing and any medications they may be taking, like antidepressants or
blood pressure pills.

"The exact makeup of the pills taken as part of the program, for instance,
is not widely known, although they are believed to contain niacin. One
clinic board member wrote a report published in a firefighting magazine
that firefighters produced blue beads of sweat during the program. One
city firefighter said that the man next to him in the sauna once appeared
to sweat a quarter-size black substance - evidence, he said, that toxins
were being drained out of his body.

"Officials with the clinic, while acknowledging some of them are
Scientologists, said the clinic is not formally affiliated with the Church
of Scientology. An official at the church's office in Los Angeles said
they were aware of the clinic, but described it as a secular enterprise
employing Mr. Hubbard's methods. Joseph Higgins, a retired firefighter who
is now a paid member of the clinic's advisory board, said Tom Cruise, the
actor, had paid for 'quite a bit' of the treatments for rescue workers,
estimated by Mr.  Higgins to cost $5,000 to $6,000 apiece.

"In a blistering 1988 report, Dr. Ronald E. Gots, a toxicology expert from
Bethesda, Md., called the regimen 'quackery,' and noted that 'no
recognized body of toxicologists, no department of occupational medicine,
nor any governmental agencies endorse or recommend such treatment.' The
report ended Shreveport's dealings with the program. In an interview
yesterday, Dr. Gots said of the program, 'It's an unproven, scientifically
bereft notion.'

"Officials at the Manhattan clinic said that shortly after the terrorist
attack, an official with the firefighters' union contacted the Foundation
for Advancements in Science and Education, a group that promotes the
detoxification program developed by Mr. Hubbard, to request the regimen
for New York firefighters.

"Stacks of of pamphlets about the program have appeared at Fort Totten,
the department's training center. Department officials have tried to
distance themselves from any impression that they endorse the regimen, but
they say that it has been difficult. 'This is a very hard battle to win,'
said Dr. Prezant, who noted that firefighters do the regimen on their own
time and do not have to report to the department that they are undergoing
it. 'It's not our job to say you can't go. All we can do is say there's no
proven evidence it works.'"

Message-ID: <1065272223.388528@...>

#####

> Legal Waiver

The Oracle, newspaper of the University of South Florida, published an
article on September 24th on the waiver Scientologists sign to be eligible
for courses.

"Rights and freedoms often go unnoticed until they are threatened. So why
someone would choose to sign his or her freedoms away intentionally is an
anomaly. However, the Church of Scientology has been making its members do
exactly that. With this in mind, one must ask why a church, which is
protected under the First Amendment, would force its members to forgo the
rest of the rights given to them by residing in this country.

"In order to be allowed to reach higher levels of success in the church,
members must sign contracts that sign away their national rights. By
signing, members waive the right to seek medical or psychiatric care as
well as the right to see their families during church-provided treatment.
This means family members or outside medical or psychiatric personnel
cannot force the member into an outside medical situation. According to
The New York Post, these contracts also say that members seeking advanced
treatment must sign to 'forever (giving) up (the) right to sue the church
and its staff for any injury or damage suffered in anyway connected with
Scientology.'

"Instead of medical treatments, members receive vitamins and introspection
rundowns in which a guide assists the members in channeling past lives in
order to determine the source of the ailment. Under the First Amendment,
Americans have the right to practice whatever religion they see fit. But
it is contradictory of a church, protected by such an amendment, to force
its members to give up the rest of their rights if they want to be
successful in the church's eyes. It is also suspicious that they take such
precautions against potential legal actions if they did not see them as
being inevitable. It makes one question the intention of a church that is
attempting to administer such control over its followers."

Message-ID: <1064483929.342047@...>

#####

> Hate Crimes

The Palm Beach Post reported on September 26th that Palm Beach County,
Florida ranks high on the state of Florida's list of cities with the most
hate crimes, in part due to vandalism at the Scientology org there.

"Palm Beach County ranked fifth in the state in hate crimes, according to
a state report released Thursday. There were 24 hate crimes reported
countywide last year, 13 of which were motivated by the victim's religion.
Boca Raton recorded the most incidents - nine - one more than the Palm
Beach County Sheriff's Office reported in the entire unincorporated area.

"Palm Springs reported two hate-related incidents in 2002, both at the
Church of Scientology in the Shores Plaza Mall, according to police
spokesman Lt. Mark Hall. Twice vandals broke in and rummaged through the
storefront church, painting graffiti on the walls. No arrests were made.
'As far was we know, it could have been kids,' Hall said, 'but because
(the graffiti) was directed at the beliefs of the church, it was
classified as a hate crime.'"

Message-ID: <1064570210.811542@...>

#####

> Belgium

French newspaper Le Soir reported on September 19th on Scientology's new
offices in the heart of Brussels, Belgium.

"It's clear that Ron Hubbard's adherents love luxury. Their European
office, which officially opens 17 September 2003, is an expensive
three-story building at 91 Street of Law, in the very heart of the
European quarter of Brussels. 'For us it's nice here, thank you!' smiles
Fabio Amicarelli, director of the European office of the international
'Scientology Church' cult. In the building, painted with white flowers,
there are a few thematic halls. 'Here,' explained the director, 'no
religious services are held.' They claim this is a 'human rights embassy,'
which is 'a place for open and transparent dialogue.'

"The staff consists of ten permanent employees. 'They accept everybody
here,' emphasizes Fabio Amicarelli, 'on terms of mutual respect.' The
stage setting is thought out to the most minute detail: photographs,
symbolism, didactic paneling, slogans. Scientology does its best to show
that it is somebody you can trust, and that using the 'cult' label on them
is absolutely unjust. 'We serve as a religious association which is
officially recognized all over the world,' insists our interlocutor.

"The European office of the 'Church of Scientology' opens it doors 17
September. 'There will be many people,' asserts Fabio Amicarelli. How
many? What are their names? Unknown. Brussels was not chosen by accident.
The Church of Scientology makes no secret of its wish to have its
activities known in the capitals of Europe. Lobbying? 'If you like, yes.
But what is reprehensible about that?' And how about that speech in the
Belgian parliament from 1997 in which talks about a 'harmful cult?' 'We
respect Belgian laws and the government. But we think that Belgium lives
fifteen years in the past. Scientology is not what they say at all.' And
the questionable methods of proselytizing? And the sources of the
organization's financing? 'Rumors and prejudice,' says Amicarelli.

"The European office is a site for conducting conferences and meetings.
'We will invite the most diverse people so they can tell about our actions
in defending human rights,' says the director. 'We will work here through
our social programs: the fight against drug addiction, eliminating
intolerance and rehabilitating criminals.' The office doors will 'always
be open.' Even for the press? 'If they want to call on us.'"

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1030922170403.112B-100000@...>

#####

> Russia

Newsru.com reported on September 19th that Scientology continues to
operate in Russia, and have protested outside a psychiatric institute in
Moscow.

"The director of the V.P. Serbsky Center for Social and Forensic
Psychiatry, Tatyana Dmitriev, expressed annoyance with the activities of
Scientologists on Russian territory.  Appearing today in Moscow at a
conference on problems of prison psychiatry, she mentioned that officially
the activities of the Scientologists were prohibited in the Russian
Federation. Meanwhile, in her words, the Scientologists continue to
operate under the mask of rights advocate organizations. 'And that is how
the big money works that is invested in Scientology,' said the Center
chief. 'They believe,' explained T. Dmitriev, 'that psychiatry in general
does not need to concern treatment of the sick - that, as the saying goes,
God gave you whatever you need.' It was in this respect, T. Dmitriev said,
that the Scientology protest actions were carried on outside the V.P.
Serbsky Center. One of their principle slogans, said T. Dmitriev, was
'Psychiatrists: hands away from people!' Participants of such actions also
appeal to the government to stop financing the country's psychiatry."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1030922170556.112C-100000@...>

#####

> Applied Scholastics

The Lovelock Review-Miner reported on September 4th that a pilot program
to use Scientology's study tech in a Nevada school district will be
discontinued.

"During a special meeting of the Pershing County School Board on Tuesday,
Sept. 2, the Pershing County School Board voted to permanently discontinue
use of the Applied Scholastics study program within the Pershing County
School District. Several people throughout the community, including
parents and teachers, had expressed concern with the program because the
books used in the program are reportedly based on the teachings of L. Ron
Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology.

"Pershing County Middle School teacher Debra Scilacci was one of those
teachers who supported the program. She said that she has used the program
in her classroom and it has helped several students improve reading
skills. Those who spoke against the program said that the link to Hubbard
was reason enough to cause them concern. Pershing County High School
teacher Valdine McLean expressed her opposition to using the program. She
said that she felt that Hubbard's connection to the program was her major
concern.

"Also speaking out against the program, were Pershing County Elementary
Literacy specialists Sandy Condie and Shea Murphy. Condie and Murphy run a
literacy program at the elementary school and said that the Applied
Scholastics program is radically different than what they teach in the
younger grades.

"School Board member Todd Plimpton made a motion that 'the Pershing County
School Board, upon further consideration and review of the materials and
testimony as presented, hereby suspend indefinitely, without prejudice,
the Applied Scholastics program.' Board member Rachel Clingan seconded the
motion. Clingan said that her decision was not a reflection of any the
people who have been involved with the Applied Scholastics program. 'It
has helped some students,' Clingan said 'that's not an issue here.' She
said that suspending the program is the right thing to do for the
community at this time.

"Board member Brad Arnold said that when the issue came up what he wanted
to know was if the program met the needs of the district. 'After the
reading the results presented by staff,' Arnold said 'I am not convinced
that this technique, by itself, has proved or produced a mainstream
improvement.' Arnold said that he is convinced that increased
individualized instruction as provided by staff either in school or summer
school has proven to be beneficial.

"The motion to discontinue use of the Applied Scholastics program was
unanimously passed by the board."

Message-ID: <1064311545.492938@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 22
10/19/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Psychs

Psychology Today published an article on October 8th on distrust by blacks
of the mental health profession Scientology's targeting of blacks with
anti-psychiatry messages.

"Blacks do not volunteer for studies, observes the University of Illinois'
Carl C. Bell, M.D. 'So it is difficult to document that they need half the
dose of antidepressant medication that whites need.' The cultural mistrust
that keeps blacks from treatment has been successfully fueled by the
Church of Scientology. Bell is particularly distressed that Scientology
has specifically targeted black communities with its anti-psychiatry
message. 'They are forever pumping into the black community scare tactics,
that there's a genocidal plot to put black children on Ritalin, there's a
genocidal plot to put black people on antidepressant medication.'

"But when all is said and done, it may be that blacks turn less to the
mental health system because they have long had other sources of coping.
'For us, the church has been our psychologist,' says Morrow.
Unfortunately, she notes, 'the church has not often sanctioned people
getting help other than from the church. Religious beliefs are supposed to
sustain you through everything. There's the belief that 'your faith will
carry you.'' But because African Americans 'pay attention to their
pastors' she has sought the help of the religious community to give
parishioners permission to take advantage of available treatments."

Message-ID: <1065693705.323894@...>

#####

> Tim Robbins

MSNBC reported on October 6th that actor Tim Robbins helped raise money
for a Scientology-linked detoxification program for New York firefighters.

"Did Tim Robbins know he helped raise money for a group linked to
Scientology? Robbins's Actors' Gang recently performed a run of 'The Guys'
in Vail, Colorado to benefit the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification
Fund. The group has drawn fire from certain quarters because it uses
'purification' techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

"'Tim Robbins should have done a little Web surfing,' says Rick Ross of
CultNews.com. 'He and Susan Sarandon may mean well but Tim was being used
as a pawn.  If he had gone to this group's Web site, he would have read
that Tom Cruise is the co-founder, and that might have set off a few
bells. And he would have read that their methods of 'detoxifying'
firefighters are the ones outlined by L. Ron Hubbard.'"

Message-ID: <1065434170.370646@...>

#####

> Ireland

The Sunday Mirror reported on October 5th that a Scientology recruitment
van in Dublin, Ireland is causing controversy.

"Dublin City Council has been slammed for allowing an infamous sect to
park a recruitment van on the city's busiest street. The Church of
Scientology was allowed to park its trailer at Grafton Street for 11 days.
In a bid to enrol members, they offered free personality and stress tests
from their new location as they have abandoned their building on Middle
Abbey Street.

"Mike Garde, of cult watchdog Dialogue Ireland, said the council was being
irresponsible. He said: 'It is no coincidence the group has intensified
their enrolment campaign at the same time young, vulnerable teenagers are
starting college.' Fine Gael health spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell TD said:
'It is regrettable that an organisation that preys on vulnerable students
who are away from home for the first time has been facilitated in this
way.'"

Message-ID: <1065434468.480643@...>

#####

> Kate Ceberano

The Sydney Morning Herald published an article on Australian musician Kate
Ceberano on October 11th.

"What did Kate Ceberano, one of Australia's highest-profile
Scientologists, really think of John Travolta's movie Battlefield Earth?
The singer's brown eyes widen, her head tilts back and she laughs
raucously. 'Oh, shithouse film!' she cackles. 'I hated that film!'

"Would she say that to Travolta, a fellow Scientologist? 'Hmm,' she says,
still shaking with laughter. 'Yeah, I'd probably tell him it was a dog.'
Travolta's big-screen adaptation of the novel by Scientology founder L.
Ron Hubbard was abysmal. But it's still something of a relief to hear
Ceberano rubbish it.

"She's a third-generation Scientologist, after all. Her latest album The
Girl Can Help It carries a dedication to Hubbard and links on her website
make her allegiances clear. But there's nothing sanctimonious about Kate
Ceberano; she makes up her own mind. After 20 years in the business, she's
grown used to journalists clearing their throat, gripping their pens a
little tighter and saying: 'So, Scientology?'

"'It's not really people who flip out [over Scientology], it's the media,'
she says calmly. 'All I know is that Scientology has been a very practical
tool to confront a very impractical world.' Specifically, Ceberano says,
personal responsibility and education are two cornerstones of the
religion. 'The ignorant can be controlled, but an educated person can have
a point of view,' she says. She also talks about confronting adversity
with a courage that 'can be learned' and endorses her religion's negative
view of psychiatry and associated drugs such as Prozac. 'I don't want to
be labelled [by a psychiatrist] and I certainly do not want to take
anything which would subdue the honesty of the situation,' she says."

Message-ID: <d80eb3832dc3e7dd8d4e155794beb7f9@...>


#####

> Russia

Izvestia reported on October 2nd that a program to reform psychiatric
institutions in Russia is opposed by Scientology.

"The chief Russian specialist in the field of psychiatry appealed to
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov in an open letter.  Psychiatric
assistance is the only branch of medicine that is not financed by medical
insurance. Therefore the majority of our pscyh patients are in asylums
like the orphanages in horror films, with no treatment or food. To what
this may lead, doctors know, and the government knows it doesn't want.

"The number of people who need help from psychiatrists is increasing every
year. The mental health of the nation is under threat, think the eminent
doctors; the human and economic loss from this outweighs the damages from
military operations in Chechnia, the scholars add.

"'All our efforts have met with opposition from the Scientologists, who
have found a way into the State Duma,' thinks professor Valeriy Krasnov,
director of the Moscow NII psychiatric MZ RF. 'The deputies, who promised
support, are now refusing to associate with us.  The active role in this
opposition is played by the so-called Citizens Commissioner for Human
rights, which has gotten generally out of control in our cities,' said
Vladimir Agishev, chief doctor of one of the largest hospitals in Saint
Petersburg, psychiatric hospital No. 3. 'They mass distribute leaflets,
they write letters saying that psychiatric institutions ought not to
receive one copeck, that psychiatrists are killers and their medicine is
poison. We've had repeated conflicts with them. For example, over the
summer they took pictures through the fence and made videotapes of our
patients without consent. The heat stagnated and the patients were
half-dressed in old pajamas (purchasing finances 5 percent of the
inventory we need), and then they distributed these photographs under the
title 'here is how people are treated in psych hospitals.'

"It is known that this charitable organization is closely connected to the
totalitarian cult of Scientology, which is prohibited in our country but
finds the City of Peter a first-rate place to be. Now the hands of the
Gekachepists ['CCHRers'] have stretched to the capital, they say their
letters have even found their way to Gennadi Seleznev and they got a
resolution 'examined and announced.'"

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1031007174917.112A-100000@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 23
11/2/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Mongolia

The Star newspaper from Malaysia reported on October 19th that Scientology
will be introducing study technology methods in Mongolian schools.

"A study technology, developed by L. Ron Hubbard, will be introduced in
Mongolian schools through Applied Scholastics, an organisation that makes
available Hubbard's educational methods to the world.  At the invitation
of Tumor Ochi, the Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament, representatives of
Applied Scholastics went to Mongolia, including S. Krishnan, the executive
director of Applied Scholastics Malaysia.

"'Democracy is new to Mongolia and reforms in all aspects of Mongolian
socio-economic life have been introduced over the last decade,' said Ochi,
who was introduced to Hubbard's learning technology during a visit to
Britain.  A memorandum of understanding for the implementation of the
study technology was signed by the Mongolian Ministry of Education.

"Krishnan said 'It will be a tremendous challenge as the course materials
and books would have to be translated. The Mongolian national language,
Altaic, has the same roots as the Finnish and Hungarian languages. Modern
Mongolian is written in Cyrillic script,' he said."

Message-ID: <4i76pv0492vsppgjhe1uea227l9rndcnjc@...>

#####

> California Fires

The San Bernardino County Sun reported on October 27th that Scientology
volunteers were among those working at the site of extensive fires in
Southern California.

"Hosea Taylor, a volunteer with the American Red Cross, spent Saturday and
Sunday overseeing food donations for what were then about 1,000 evacuees.
He nearly became one of them. Early Sunday afternoon, he anxiously ended
an interview with a reporter so he could rush home to his East Highlands
Ranch home, where nervous residents were watching a nearby hill burning as
the fire advanced into Highland. Taylor intended to rescue his two cats,
he said.

"Members of Grace Church on 39th Street in San Bernardino were busy Sunday
making sure those affected by the Old Fire had a little sustenance to keep
up their spirits. Members of the church passed out about 15 cases of water
and potato chips, cookies, doughnuts, apple sauce and about 80 hot dogs to
those affected by the blaze. Volunteers from area churches were seemingly
everywhere in the San Bernardino International Airport hanger that became
the main shelter for Old Fire evacuees.

"Some were hard to miss, especially those in the yellow T-shirts of the
Church of Scientology. Others had to be asked. Sloane Allen and others
from the River Christian Reformed Church of Redlands sported name tags
made of duct tape. Katie Martinez came from Kansas, by way of Calvary
Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, with a group of student volunteers. A
freshman, she was sitting on a cot talking with teenagers displaced by the
fire.

"Bat Child" reported that a local radio station broadcast news that
Scientology volunteers disagreed with local officials about the need for
donations for firefighters.

"The local San Diego TV station KUSI has been reporting extensively on the
wildfires from Gillespie Field in El Cajon, a San Diego suburb, where
apparently there is a location for people to go to donate materials for
firefighters (things like socks, T-shirts, toothpaste, eye drops, etc.).
They were saying the traffic was really heavy because a lot of people were
bringing donations.

"The reporter was saying that there was a disagreement between the
California Department of Forestry and 'volunteers from the Church of
Scientology'. The CDF is saying they still need donations but the Scienos
were claiming they DON'T need any more donations!  The reporter said the
CDF asked to please announce that they do indeed need more donations."

Message-ID: <1067252805.825899@...> Message-ID:
<fke3qvk11hjlone8jpehcckqgs8v5pe7k6@...>

#####

> New York

The New York Daily News reported on November 1st that comedian Denis Leary
raised money recently to allow New York firefighters to undergo
Scientology's purification rundown.

"Denis Leary is denying allegations that he's being used by Tom Cruise to
spread the word of the controversial Church of Scientology. Leary raised
$720,000 for firefighters this past week at his third annual Bash for New
York's Bravest, attended by Robin Williams, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and
John McEnroe, among others. Leary said recently that Cruise wants to build
the smoke-eaters 'a steam and sauna place on Long Island [to help] their
condition' - which, he said, Cruise is funding privately.

"'I think Denis Leary is well-meaning,' says Rick Ross, executive director
of the New Jersey-based Ross Institute, which monitors what it sees as
cults. 'But he's savvy enough about the Hollywood scene to know that if
Tom Cruise does charity work, it's almost always related to Scientology.'
Ross suspects that Cruise's 'steam and sauna place' is based upon what
Scientologists call the 'purification rundown,' a ritual based on the
teachings of science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.

"Ross says the same rundown is touted by Downtown Medical, a controversial
Manhattan clinic whose staff includes some Scientologists.  FDNY officials
are worried by the clinic's requirement that firefighters abandon their
inhalers and medication. FDNY Deputy Commissioner Francis X.  Gribbon told
us that Downtown Medical 'is not a bona-fide detox program.  It should not
be a substitute for the medical treatment that our doctors have advised.
We don't endorse it.'

"'I'm sure the clinic doesn't overtly proselytize to the firemen,' said
Ross. 'But they use them as sympathetic, heroic figures who can garner
public support and federal and state funding. The firemen may be getting
the treatment free. The public won't.' A staffer at Downtown Clinic said a
21-day purification treatment runs $5,200."

Message-ID: <1067776600.541841@...>

#####

> Netherlands

Het Parool reported on October 31st that Dutch Scientologists are the
victims of an investment scam.

"Not only does the Dutch Church of Scientology lose huge amounts of
members, but also the followers of the Cult are not withholding themselves
to crook each other via all kinds of companies. The 'church' pre-eminently
leans itself to mutual swindling: it is strictly forbidden to sue each
other in court. A reconstruction of the case Thomas G.

"On the end of the nineties Thomas G. founded Source Business
Administation GmbH, located in Baar Switzerland. Beside G. (who both has
the dutch as well as the Swiss nationality) also his brothers and sisters
as well as Scientologists acted for him in the little company. The papers
told Source Business Administration was focused on 'management and public
relations.' Companion followers tell: in reality G. practised a complete
other kind of core business: to apparently develop serious and profitable
plans, get as much money from all kinds of sources, and then - with all
the money - disappear completely.

"In 2000 Thomas G., acting as main shareholder in Source Business,
developed a plan to create a chain of fitness centers under the heading of
Survive Group in the Netherlands.  The Orangeclub Keep Shape in Oss was
supposed to be the first fitness center of the chain. They rented an
expensive space, after the Van der Goor family members first rebuilt it
and turned it into a sports studio.

"However The Orangeclub bv didn't pay the rent, the money for memberships,
according to the ones involved, weekly got collected by G. and in the end
he let it explode, leaving behind a whole group of creditors. 'Time and
time again i did not receive my rent, so at one moment i send them out,'
says Harry van de Goor. 'It also just looked like a movie. That G. parked
his Mercedes right in front of my door, and after that they all stood out
there on the street and opened a bottle of Champagne. That was just to
laugh at everybody, this guy doesn't withhold anything. Make a lot of
impression, trick money, and then disappear. Officially the brother of G.
was the director, but he hardly had anything to say: That G. is the one
that pulls the strings. ' "Also staff belong to the creditors, they were
not paid for a long time, the tax office, as he did not pay income taxes
and 'premies' and director Jan van Maastricht, who also never got his
salaries. Last year, in the end, Orangeclub Keep Shape went bankrupt;
short time after that the same happened to the holding company Eurotrade.

"The problem with his case is that Scientologist are not allowed to start
a civil court against another Scientologist: in this way the church keep
dirty matters undisclosed. For criminal acts (even when it is about sexual
abuse of kids) and juridical disputes the followers of L. Ron Hubbard have
their own courts, like the Court of Ethics, the Executive Court, and the
Committee of Evidence.

"Also because of that reason Johan keeps the Church of Scientology
partially responsible for the challenging swindle practices of Thomas G.
'The ethics of Scientology creates a situation in which I cannot go to
court to get back my money, so that's why I say they must bear the
consequences of it.'

"In various letters and mails to Scientology Johan ordered the cult to pay
for his damages, which not a long time ago resulted in the the top of the
'church' to pay him some tens of thousands of euro's for damages. 'Way too
little of course, but it shows they feel responsible for it too. I know
they feel very fed up with this G. and that they put a lot of pressure on
him.'"

Het Parool also reported on October 25th that the Amsterdam Scientology
org is experiencing mass defections.

"The Scientology Church Netherlands, located at the Nieuwezijds
Voorburgwal in Amsterdam, is recently confronted with a massive exodus.
According to former big bosses of the sect, during the last few months at
least 50 of the approximately 150 active core members stepped out. The
management talks about 'mutiny' in internal documents, as always whenever
there is the slightest doubt about the teachings of the founder L. Ron
Hubbard. High-ranked Scientologists have been flown in from outside of the
country to avert the crisis in Amsterdam.

"The desertion can, according to the apostates, be traced back to a number
of causes. One one hand, slowly but surely a separation came into being
between Trade Marks (adherents who think along fixed lines, who think that
the Church of Scientology has the monopoly on the teachings of Hubbard),
and the 'Independents': Scientologists who discover that it can be done a
lot better, more enjoyable and especially cheaper outside of the
straitjacket of the Church.

"On the other hand, a number of adherents also turned their back on the
'Org' on the Nieuwezijds, as the head office of the sect is called
internally, because of a fraud scandal. Scientologists have swindled
fellow adherents and non-adherents for hundreds of thousands of Euros via
little companies inside and outside of the country. A large part of that
money has via-via ended up in the coffers of Scientology, according to the
victims.

"Both of the movements are busy organizing outside of the sect. The
victims of the fraud scandal are preparing legal claims with help of a
lawyer. The Independents have united in a new, much more liberal movement
with their own website, www.ronsorg.nl, which stands for 'Ron's
Organization and Network for Standard Tech'.

"A large problem has always been, according to De Rijk, that Scientology
'strongly manipulates the mutual communication of the members,' among
others via the notorious system of sanctions, the so-called 'ethics.' You
are not allowed to talk to your family anymore, you are not allowed to
talk anymore with people who are critical. You aren't allowed anything
anymore. So before, you never discovered that you can also be a
Scientologist outside of Scientology. Internet, New Age in general and
other factors have changed that. What Hubbard one day started, is now
being reduced again to normal proportions.'

"For Scientology Church Netherlands, the departure of dozens of active
members must be a large financial drain. Not only does the sect miss out
on income, on the site of Ronsorg apostates are also accurately instructed
on how course moneys and donations can be reclaimed by the International
Association of Scientologists in East Grinstead, England. With such a
reclaim action Scientology will go to great lengths, warns Ronsorg: 'What
you can expect, is that they will try to make you change your mind by
pushing all of your buttons that are known to them.' Scientologists are
continually being 'audited' for years during their stay on the 'bridge to
clear.' During that, very personal things also come up for discussion,
that will be put in a file. Future deserters or apostates with wild plans
only need to be reminded that they once, for example, cheated on their
spouse or have used drugs, to make them change their minds. Scientology
does not hesitate to start extensive smear campaigns and to use member's
files for that.

"The management of Scientology has until now reacted fully according to
protocol on the massive exodus. Against a few apostates an 'SP declare' is
issued: a declaration that a certain member is from now on considered a
'Suppressive Person' - The worst that can happen to you with Scientology.
SPs are allowed to be tricked, prosecuted or lied to, or destroyed
according to internal 'ethics.' They are excommunicated because they 'went
into communication with and joined a group that is declared Suppressive.'
Another serious crime is also that they have given 'non-standard
materials' to other Scientologists 'hoping that they would join this
Suppressive group.' The number of excommunications is limited, by the way,
for strategic reasons:  It is hard to explain internally that more than a
third of the active membership is suddenly 'suppressive.'"

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Message-ID: <a9206111.0310251339.7aea811a@...>

#####

> Michael Jackson

FOX News reported on October 27th that Michael Jackson will be donating to
Scientology a portion of the money raised with a multi-star song.

"A lot of big name stars are unwittingly about to start raising money for
Scientology, thanks to Michael Jackson. Jackson is launching a worldwide
Internet download of his charity single, 'What More Can I Give?' For $2 a
shot, Jackson fans will be able to hear this record, made two years ago
but never released. The record features Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, members
of 'N Sync, The Backstreet Boys and others.

"But what fans - and the two dozen participating artists - probably don't
know is that proceeds from the single download are going, in part, to
Scientology. Jackson has designated The HELP Organization, which uses
study techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, as one
of the beneficiaries of his largesse. The other charities Jackson will
send 'part' of these proceeds to include: Oneness, Mr. Holland's Opus
Foundation and something called the International Child Art Foundation.

"Scientology's HELP - as well as Oneness, Mr. Hollands and ICAF - were not
the designees when Jackson convinced people like Usher, Luther Vandross,
Tom Petty, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Beyonce Knowles and other
superstars to participate in this recording two years ago. At the time,
the stars thought they were participating in a fund raising event for
families of the Sept. 11 tragedy. Now, however, 'What More Can I Give?'
will be collecting money for causes many of the stars may not have
intended.

"HELP, which stands for Hollywood Literacy and Education Program, is a
subsidiary of the Church of Scientology. Jackson was briefly married to a
Scientologist, Lisa Marie Presley, in the late 1990s."

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#####

> Protest Summary

Tory Christman reported a protest in Los Angeles on October 25th.

"About 10 of us came, including 70+ year old, kick ass Mother, Ida Camburn
who lost her son to the Cult, 30 years ago. Graham and I were there, and
our friend from Riverside who often pickets with us. An X-Sea Org member
joined us for awhile, as well as many critics, and a few X-Scientologists.

"Our first picket was down L. Ron Hubbard way, and as we rounded the
corner by AOLA, Class 12 auditor, James Fuller walked by me and told me,
'Get out of here!' I knew James from years ago-so I said, 'Hey, what
happened to Free Speech and 'Man's inalienable Right to Free Speech?' He
grumbled and huffed off. We all continued down the road, past AOLA, ASHO,
on up to LA Org.

"We then drove down Sunset and over to Hollywood Blvd. and Vine, where the
HGB (Hollywood Guarantee Building) Is. This is the offices for all the
International Executives. We picked here, and again it was rather quiet.
Richard pointed out to me that the doors on the side, that used to have
glass on them, are now solid wood. This way there is NO chance that the
staff will see our signs.

"Many people came up as usual thanking us, talking with us, as we talked
and handed out both flyers and cards one Critic had made up with web sites
on it. I had the 'Honk if you know Scientology is a CULT' and the horns
began to blast, as well as people walking by going 'Honk, Honk'.

"Two of the critics noticed the H.E.L.P group (which is the Hollywood
Literacy/tutoring group) was across the street, so they went over to
picket there too. One mother was going to put her child there, but sat in
the car and read the flyer the critic gave to her.

"Around 1:30 we headed up to the Scientology Testing Center. They were
quiet as mice. One girl stood outside trying to pass out invites to take
their personality test. No one would do it. Once again a large Taxi was
parked outside the testing center, blocking the view of our signs. I
leaned in and asked if Scientology had called him. He barely spoke English
but said no, this was a Taxi stop. Ok, fine, I explained I understood
that, but that we are protesting Scientology. He told me, 'They hire me.'
I said, 'Fine, but by your van being HERE, you are blocking our signs, and
we are protesting they trying to stop Free speech.' All of a sudden he
drove off. This has happened a few times.

"One of the critics had brought a blue blow up 5 foot tall Xenu Doll, with
www.xenu.net on the front. I suggested she and I walk Xenu down to
Growman's Chinese Theater as I could see TONS of people there. Sure
enough, people loved Xenu. I walked behind them handing out cards saying,
'Find out why she's carrying this Xenu doll' or 'Find out about the other
side of Scientology.' People almost always take the card or flyer."

Jens Tingleff reported a protest at the Birmingham, England or or November
1st.

"Six hardy suppressives descended on a completely non-confront Birmingham
org on Saturday.  We had new and better balloon tech for this demo - a
three-foot balloon with a globe print on it. Xenu chose to float from
beneath it through the demo. We handed out approx 150 'XENU LOVES YOU'
balloons to children A few hundred leaflets went to passer-bys.

"It was mainly John on the sound system, informing the public and
reminding whatever clams were inside the org that things were not peachy
in Amsterdam. Dave stepped up to the mike occasionally and regaled us with
a couple of songs.

"A new-looking sign was in front of the entry to their stair-case and one
protester had seen two clip-boarders when he arrived shortly after lunch,
but we didn't see hair or hide of one on the street during the demo. Once
or twice, a camera poked out of their windows.  A passer-by shouted
'Scientology saves lives' and then scurried off."

Message-ID: <3f9cec5a@...>
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#####

> Neighborhood Watch

LA Weekly reported on October 24th that the residents of the Silver Lake
neighborhood of Los Angeles were the victims of a fake neighborhood watch
meeting organized as a recruiting drive by Scientology.

"Neighbors shaken by deadly gang violence in the area surrounding the
triangle-shaped Laurel and Hardy Park south of Sunset Boulevard in Silver
Lake are reacting cautiously to promises from city officials and police to
crack down on shootings and other crimes.

"It remains to be seen whether the stepped-up police presence and
neighborhood organizing will sway people like Jules Shapiro and Juliette
Tworsey, bandmates who moved to this corner of Silver Lake from West
Hollywood to be near the clubs and other musicians who have made the area
an Oz for urban hipsters.

"The two were among dozens of Silver Lake residents who said they
enthusiastically responded to an earlier call for a community meeting on
neighborhood violence, only to be repelled and discouraged when, many
claim, the September 30 'emergency' gathering turned out to be a
recruitment effort for the Church of Scientology. For three weeks, angry
recriminations have coursed across cyberspace from residents who believed
they were betrayed into believing that the session was to be an official
city or neighborhood council response to the violence.

"Barbara Dakin, a longtime community activist who has led anti-crime
efforts in the neighborhood, denied there was any recruitment effort at
the meeting, which featured LAPD officers and a member of Garcetti's
staff, before performances and presentations by people who many neighbors
claim represented Scientology. But Dakin took responsibility for
misunderstandings about the meeting, which she said was never intended to
be marketed as an official city function.

"Longtime resident Rusty Millar, recently elected co-chair of the new
Silver Lake Neighborhood Council, predicted there would be no lasting
damage from what apparently was a clumsy organizing effort by a well-known
local activist. 'Barb is good at wanting to get together with the public
to talk about problems in the agenda,' Millar said. 'It became apparent to
a lot of people, including myself, that there was another agenda at that
meeting. But it was an excellent idea to get the police to come in and
talk to people in the area.'

"Millar added that 'We all have a right to express our opinions in this
country, and once people see that the neighborhood council is not a front
for Scientology, I think they will come back.'"

Message-ID: <3e471c14.0310291848.63fdfab9@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 24
11/23/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Off Broadway

The New York Times reported on November 14th that a New York play has
drawn criticism from Scientology.

"An Off Off Broadway production performed by a cast of children has
received some unwanted attention from the Church of Scientology. 'A Very
Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant,' tells the life story
of L. Ron Hubbard, the science fiction writer who founded a religion whose
adherents include Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Alex Timbers, who
conceived and directed the show, imagined it in the 'idiom of a Nativity
pageant,' so he cast children 8 to 12.

"The Rev. John Carmichael, president of the Church of Scientology in New
York, is not amused. He has visited the artistic staff to express his
concern three times and sent a stern letter to the producer, Aaron
Lemon-Strauss. 'I have not seen the show,' Mr. Carmichael said by phone on
Wednesday, 'but in general I don't think you should ridicule a religion
that helps people.'

"Mr. Timbers says the show has a 'deeply ironic concept' but does not mock
the church. 'We allow the church to speak for itself,' he said, calling
the show 'a celebration of sorts.' But just to be on the safe side, Mr.
Timbers consulted lawyers. 'We've been told that the letter is a precursor
to a lawsuit,' he said.

"Mr. Carmichael said: 'I've been assured that the intention is humor, not
ridicule. So if it's genuinely funny, that's O.K.' He'll find out next
Friday, when he plans to see the show."

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#####

> Buffalo Org

Radio station WGRZ reported on November 17th that the new Buffalo
Scientology org has opened its doors.

"The Church of Scientology had a marching band, a Hollywood-style set,
even Hollywood celebrities promoting the religion, created by science
fiction write L. Ron Hubbard in 1954. 'You find something that works for
you, that makes you happy, and you want to tell them about it,' said
actress Jenna Elfman, of 'Dharma and Greg' and the new 'Looney Tunes'
movie.

"Last year, the church bought the former Buffalo Catholic Institute on
Main Street and put in a reported 50,000 man hours to restore it. 'It's
another sign that Buffalo is coming back. People want to invest in our
buildings, but also invest in our people,' said Buffalo Mayor Anthony
Masiello. City leaders hope the new church will spur more development
along Main Street, including a block of empty buildings right across the
street. That block includes the Metzger Building, nearly destroyed by
fire, and saved from the wrecking ball by preservationists.

"Local church President Teresa Reger said they will offer social services
and are committed to improving Buffalo. 'What we do with our literacy
programs, our drug rehab, that is going to help the community, and that's
why we are here. It's not only for the church,' Reger said.

"The church ran into some trouble over the summer, when several teenagers
responded to a 'we're hiring' sign at the church, only to find out they
were volunteer positions. After a Channel Two investigation, the church
said it made an honest mistake due to numerous inquiries."

From the Buffalo News on November 17th:

"A large insignia engraved on a dramatic backdrop stood in commanding
fashion over a red-carpeted stage. In front rested a sculpted wooden
podium flanked by a TelePrompTer.  Politicians and celebrities sat among
rows of filled white seats, as plainclothes security wearing earphones
surveyed the crowd. Meanwhile, hundreds of red, white and blue balloons
waited to be released.

"Despite a chilly, gray afternoon, a crowd estimated by organizers at
1,400 came out to hear outdoor speeches, get a tour of the restored 1893
building and celebrate Scientology's expanded presence in Buffalo.

"It is the latest chapter for a worldwide organization that has long been
accused of being a cult rather than a religion. 'What we have here in
Buffalo are great people, great architecture, great opportunity, and I
think this represents the best of the best here today,' said Mayor Anthony
M. Masiello, who read aloud a proclamation that declared Church of
Scientology Day in Buffalo.

"Other speakers, including David Miscavige, chairman of the
Scientology-related Religious Technology Center, and Ellicott Council
Member Brian Davis, praised the work of the church and its potential
impact on Buffalo. The building, which was the Buffalo Catholic Institute
when it originally opened, replaces the church's former home in the Hurst
building at 47 W. Huron St. The city paid $740,000 in December for the
right to demolish the building and expand the Owen P. Augspurger Parking
Ramp.

"The Scientologists then paid $300,000 for the Main Street building and
relied on volunteers from around the globe to repair and restore the
building at a cost of 1.4 million, according to Teresa Reger, the Buffalo
chapter's president.

"Viewers gazed at the renovated facade that now boasts buff brick, glazed
white terra cotta and limestone trim. Inside, visitors paraded through the
freshly painted and polished spaces, while moving images of founder L. Ron
Hubbard appeared on plasma screens. The Buffalo center will now be the
regional home to scientologists in Western and Central New York,
Pennsylvania and some parts of Ohio and Canada."

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#####

> Clearwater

Television station Bay News 9 reported on November 3rd that an underground
explosion damaged power lines leading to Scientology's Coachman building
in downtown Clearwater, Florida.

"An underground explosion in Clearwater early Monday knocked out power for
for several blocks.  Most service was restored as of 9 a.m. Progress
Energy says a problem with an underground feeder line under Cleveland
Street and Osceola Avenue took out electricity to about 100 customers at
approximately 4 a.m. Witnesses say the explosion blew out windows and
tossed manhole covers into the air in Clearwater's downtown section.

"Ft. Harrison Street, a major road through the downtown district, is
blocked off. Traffic is expected to be thick until power is restored. The
most significant damage was to a Church of Scientology building.
Officials with Progress Energy are working with them to replace what was
lost."

From the St. Petersburg Times on November 4th:

"A predawn explosion under S Fort Harrison Avenue Monday morning lifted a
manhole cover, shattered windows in a nearby building and led to a day of
inconvenience for more than a dozen downtown businesses and offices. Power
company officials believe the explosion was caused by an underground
electrical wire that caught fire and ignited methane gas from a sewer
line. A city utilities official, however, doubted that theory. The blast
broke some windows and the facade of an empty Church of Scientology
building classroom.

"'Thankfully, it happened at 4:30 in the morning, as opposed to when
someone was in the room or cars were out there,' said Pat Harney, a
spokeswoman for the church. In the block bordered by Cleveland Street, S
Fort Harrison Avenue, Pierce Street and S Osceola Avenue, business after
business waited to be reconnected to power Monday.

"The 4 a.m. fire began in an electrical wire below an alley that runs
between Cleveland and Pierce.  The fire traveled east along a duct and
caused the explosion. The electrical wire caught fire because it had a
short circuit that may have been caused by normal wear and tear,
overheating or an animal, Perlut said. He said Progress Energy crews often
encounter methane gas when they go into manholes to work. That's why he
suspects the presence of methane gas in this case.

"But Clearwater assistant director of public utilities Todd Petrie said
it's unlikely that methane gas played a role in the explosion. The
sanitary sewer system is designed to release methane gas through vent
stacks atop buildings."

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#####

> Michael Jackson

Fox News reported on November 5th that the web site for singer Michael
Jackson's new song promotes a Scientology literacy program.

"HELP - the Scientology-based literacy program - is back on the Web site
Michael Jackson is using to raise money for charity.  HELP was removed as
one of the groups that would receive money from Jackson's single 'What
More Can I Give?' after I reported the connection last week.

"But unbeknownst to Jackson, his supporters insist, the HELP logo was
added back to his Web site over the weekend. And, unknown to him, there is
a simple reason. The Web site, www.whatmorecanigive.com, was registered on
Oct. 14 to a high-level Scientologist.

"According to Jackson insiders, the singer himself chose only one charity,
Oneness, as a beneficiary of his single, which can be downloaded for $2.
Otherwise, Jackson is said to have left the selection to the Web site
operator, who, according to Jackson's friends, failed to tell him she was
a Scientologist and that she was choosing one of that church's
subsidiaries to receive the funds.

"The site operator, Valerie B. Whalin, hosts an Internet radio show for
Earthlink under the name 'Surfer Val,' the same name under which she
registered Jackson's Web sites.  Sources at both Clear Channel
Communications and Broadway Entertainment, the companies that hired her to
run the Web site, told me yesterday that no money would be going to
Scientology.

"The HELP logo and link, however, remained on the Jackson Web site as of
early this morning.  The big question is: How will the many celebrities
who sang on 'What More Can I Give?' feel about their work contributing
money to causes other than Sept. 11 victims and families?"

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#####

> Narconon

The Los Angeles Times reported on November 3rd that neighbors are
complaining about a new Scientology Narconon facility in Newport Beach,
California.

"Several residents near the three-story home operated on the Balboa
Peninsula by Narconon, a private network of more than 100 drug
rehabilitation and prevention centers around the world, complain about
noise, clouds of cigarette smoke drifting into their homes and traffic in
the narrow alley that separates them from their neighbors.

"But what drove them to petition City Hall for relief, they say, was
Narconon's recent rental of a smaller home across an alley that they said
worsened the situation. City Atty. Robert Burnham said Newport Beach does
not regulate drug and alcohol treatment facilities, which are governed by
state law. But after neighbors complained at recent council meetings,
Burnham instructed city staff to prepare a resolution for council
consideration that would require a city permit for facilities that treat
seven or more people.

"Narconon's second dwelling houses a maximum of five residents and is in
compliance with city ordinances, Burnham said. Company officials say the
residents of that home are not in rehabilitation. 'There is nothing that I
will not work out with my neighbors,' said Larry Trahant, executive
director of the program's Southern California division. 'There is no one
that I will not listen to resolve a legitimate problem.'

"Linda Orozco, who lives across the alley behind the main facility, on
Ocean Front, said complaints about noise and rude behavior have been
ignored. She and other residents also say that facility is overcrowded and
that Narconon has added to their problems by putting more clients in the
second home. Orozco, neighbor Michael Bacus and others contend that the
number of clients staying at the main facility exceeds the number allowed
by the city. Burnham said the city allows 27 residents in the house, even
though the state allows 32. He said the Fire Department is trying to have
the state permit amended to reflect the city's limit of 27.

"Neighbors say Narconon's incentive to overcrowd is the $20,000 fee
clients are charged. Glenn Farnsworth, director of the center, said that
even though the state allows treatment of 32 residents, the number
recently was reduced to 27 because of the anticipated change in the state
permit. Trahant, however, insisted that the facility is treating 32
clients, as the permit still allows."

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#####

> Protest Summary

Gerry Armstrong reported a protest in Karlsruhe on November 8th at an
outdoor event.

"Caroline and I learned that the Karlsruhe Scientology franchise was going
to have a table in the Marktplatz to advertise Dianetics and the cult's
other 'products,' so we decided to picket. Erik the Bear insisted on
tagging along for his first protest.  Caroline and I hooked up with a
group of perhaps twenty other people, part of whom were from the Junge
Union, the youth section of the Christlich Demokratische Union, the CDU
political party.

"Part of our protest group were from Ausstieg, or 'Exit,' a network of
former Jehovah's Witnesses and others devoted to helping people who leave
the JW cult and to educating the public about its dangers. On this
Saturday, they turned their attention and joyful spirits to the good work
of informing the public about the dangers of the Scientology cult.

"The Junge Union and the Ausstieg folks had a table with a number of
handouts right beside the Scientology table that was covered with promo,
plus magazines and books the Scientologists were 'selling' for a donation.
Among the protesters' handouts were photocopies of an article about my
history with Scientology that had appeared in May this year in the
Badische Neueste Nachrichten, Karlsruhe's main newspaper.

"During most of the time Caroline and I were there, only three
Scientologists manned the cult table.  We were told two were brothers Nico
and Danilo Carucci. Initially they were friendly, and Caroline was able to
obtain their handouts, but their friendliness disappeared when they
realized that we were with the protesters and were identified to them. OSA
personnel, of course, were also on hand, but only observed from a
distance.

"We took with us Hubbard's Bulletin of 24 April 1969RA, revised 20
September 1978, entitled 'Dianetic Use,' which is very useful for
demonstrating some of the fraudulent claims the cult makes for Dianetics.
This issue is still published by Scientology in the bound 'Technical
Bulletins.' Included in them is the claim that Dianetic auditing raises IQ
about a point per hour.

"A newspaper reporter came by our picket, spoke to us and made some notes.
We just heard that an article appeared in the Badische Neueste
Nachrichten, but we haven't seen it yet. A television reporter and
cameraman from the local TV station also covered the protest, but we
haven't heard yet what was aired.

"I tried to engage one of the 'Caruccis' about what he was doing
defrauding people by promoting Dianetics.  I asked him how he could
continue to sell this 'science of mental health' that simply doesn't work.
He spoke to me and said that he does it for the money. He moved away
again, saying, sotto voce, 'money, money, money.' He came back to me, and
I asked if he realized that what he was promoting was a fraud. He looked
thoughtful for a second, then said that I was right, but that it didn't
matter.

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#####

> Kelly Preston

MSNBC reported on November 20th that actress Kelly Preston promoted
Scientology programs on a national morning TV program.

"John Travolta's wife appeared on 'Live with Regis and Kelly' Tuesday, and
discussed her recent efforts to help open schools. She praised Delphi, a
chain of private schools that she's backing, and told the audience that
they're 'non-toxic' and 'very artistic' - but what she failed to mention
was their link to Scientology, the controversial religion that she and her
hubby follow.

"Delphi Academies are touted as non-denominational, but they are based on
the teachings and 'study techniques' developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the
science fiction writer and founder of Scientology. As one Delphi web site
put it: 'Mr. Hubbard's written works on education and child development
are applied within the school's program and are directly related to our
success in helping students and families.'

"'There's often an Scientology-related interest behind Kelly Preston' s
various causes,' said a long-time observer of the church. 'She is a very
effective proselytizer.'"

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#####

> Lisa McPherson

An article in Razor Magazine by Dr. David S. Touretzky and Peter Alexander
described the treatment of Lisa McPherson by Scientology, and the legal
forms being used to prevent future victims from suing.

"Imagine a church so dangerous, you must sign a release form before you
can receive its 'spiritual assistance.' This assistance might involve
holding you against your will for an indefinite period, isolating you from
friends and family, and denying you access to appropriate medical care.
You will of course be billed for this treatment - assuming you survive it.
If not, the release form absolves your caretakers of all responsibility
for your suffering and death. Welcome to the Church of Scientology.

"In September 2003, one of these Scientology release forms surfaced on the
Internet. The form, which describes itself as a 'contract,' states that
the signer opposes psychiatric treatment for anyone, particularly him or
herself. Should some mental illness befall them, they authorize the Church
of Scientology to 'extricate' them from the clutches of psychiatrists who
might seek to treat them. In lieu of psychiatric care, the contract says
they agree to be placed on the 'Introspection Rundown,' a Scientology
therapy invented by the Church's late founder, L. Ron Hubbard."

The New York Daily News reported on November 19th that Scientology has
reacted to the article with threats to sue the magazine.

"The Church of Scientology - never one to take criticism lying down - has
been rattling sabers at Razor magazine. The male-oriented mag's latest
issue contains a muckraking article about the religion, which claims among
its members powerful Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta,
and was founded in the 1950s by the late science-fiction writer L. Ron
Hubbard.

"Razor's story, headlined 'The Curse of Scientology - Lawsuits, Death, and
Finance,' chronicles the strange death of church member Lisa McPherson,
and was written by David S. Touretzky and Peter Alexander, a disaffected
former Scientologist. 'Imagine a church so dangerous you must sign a
release form before you can receive its spiritual assistance,' the authors
assert.

"This week, Scientology spokeswoman Linda Simmons Hight left several
urgent messages with Razor publisher Richard Botto and sent a tough E-mail
to editor in chief Craig Knight. The Los Angeles-based Hight,
communications director for Scientology International, made what a Razor
spokeswoman tells me are 'veiled threats of legal action.' Hight's
message: 'You and your magazine do not understand the agenda of the people
who wrote this article ... I suggest you return my call immediately.'
Razor is 'treading on serious ground,' she added.

"Hight's E-mail to Knight was more explicit: 'A moment ago, I logged onto
your Web site and saw the highly offensive promotion for the story. Until
we connect with each other by phone, I strongly urge you to remove it from
your site. I can only assume you do not know the persons who authored the
story, nor what their actual agenda is, nor how inaccurate and slanted the
story is. Please do return my call as soon as possible.'"

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Message-ID: <i7cnrv08l3nuubuf6u8lfui8fn9fa4200c@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 25
12/14/2003 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2003

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Affinity

The Advertiser newspaper from Australia reported on December 10th that a
Scientology-affiliated dating agency is accused of defrauding clients by
charging high fees without providing dating opportunities.

"A West Coast farmer has spent almost $320,000 with a dating agency -
without meeting one woman. The man from Cleve on the Eyre Peninsula, who
does not wish to be identified, is taking legal action against Affinity
Consulting International based in Queensland. It has led to the
Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Mark Bodycoat, to issue a warning when
using such agencies.

"The man first contacted Affinity, which has links to the Church of
Scientology, in March last year. An agency employee is alleged to have
told the farmer if he spent $5000 he would receive a 'basic introduction
service', the court papers say. During the next three days, he paid a
further $65,000 after the employee, Shannon Courtney Grant, promised him
'extra services' including that she would be his personal consultant and
fly from Queensland to his home to help him produce an introduction video.

"Ms Grant told the man she wanted to quit her job and move in with him but
she could not cease her employment until he paid Affinity more than
$250,000. He claims to have paid the company $319,890 between March 13 and
June 6, of last year. He is suing the dating agency and Ms Grant in the
District Court for breach of contract as well as breaching the Trade
Practices Act and Fair Trading Act and is seeking unspecified damages,
interest and costs.

"The Office of Consumer and Business Affairs received 23 complaints last
financial year concerning introduction agencies. The majority of the
complaints related to the failure of agencies to provide introductions as
represented in the advertisements or in the contract."

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#####

> Unauthorized Pageant

The Village Voice on December 3rd reviewed an off-off-Broadway New York
production based on the life of L. Ron Hubbard

"Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant does to L. Ron
Hubbard what The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui did to Adolf Hitler: It
reduces him to ridiculous, contemptible proportions. By casting actors
aged between eight and 12, writer Kyle Jarrow and director Alex Timbers
accentuate the puerile absurdity of Scientology's tenets as well as the
childlike naivete of those who believe such nonsense. Learning of
Hubbard's theory about Thetan spirits banished to earth by galactic ruler
Xenu, we become ever more convinced that the subject matter is perfectly
suited to the realms of pre-pubescent rationality.

"The use of a young cast doesn't make Scientology Pageant a one-gag play.
The script punches its points home quickly. Timbers has wisely counseled
the kids to avoid too much irony, aware that the material generates its
own comic absurdity without nudges or winks. The children, garbed in the
outer-space-alien equivalent of togas, generate a respectable ensemble
chemistry. They even manage to hint at the reservoir of misery that leads
people to seek solace in Scientology or other sects. Standing under
umbrellas outside the theater on 42nd Street, the boys and girls, still in
their togas, stare dead-eyed through a window at the audience as we hear a
recording of them singing - 'Just don't ask questions, and everything is
clear.'"

From New York Press on December 2nd:

"I was anticipating a lot of really low blows and recycled hyper-paranoid,
anti-cult nonsense.  I was pleasantly surprised by this show, at first.
The kids are terrific and the music is good. Little Alison Stacy Klein was
wonderful, with a poise and radiant talent that brilliantly illuminated
her depiction of the Angelic Girl. The kid playing young Hubbard is
energetic and upbeat, really fun to watch.  The twins Emma and Sophie
Whitfield do a very funny number as the analytical and reactive minds.
They do some very funny bits centered around Ron's preference for using
the initial 'L' instead of the given name Lafayette, and there's a good
recurring riff on his wide variety of endeavors - 'teacher, author,
explorer, atomic physicist, nautical engineer, choreographer, and
horticulturalist.'

"Things take a turn for the worse about midway through the production,
however, when the children start reciting the same tired old
anti-Scientology propaganda that's been circulating since the 1960s.
There's an incredibly clumsy sequence in which the production attempts to
'reveal' the 'inner doctrine' of Scientology via a barely coherent
science-fiction sketch that falls flat. So much has been written with
regard to the OT III documents by people who have no understanding of them
whatsoever that I am not going to add to the din by recapping any of it
here.

"The show stumbles badly in its presentation of Clear as a state of
flattened affect. I know plenty of Clear Scientologists, and they're as
capable of emotional response as anyone else. Their responses tend to be
more rational than most people's, but they do indeed respond. I don't know
where people get this idea that Scientology consists of some kind of loss
of personhood, but it is a very traditional way of demonizing a religion.

"What's most troubling about this show is the use of children in what
amounts to a propaganda exercise directed against the proponents of a
perfectly valid religious belief. I get the impression that Les Freres
Corbusier, the creators of this extended skit, are trying to be shocking
and provocative while at the same time avoiding any truly dangerous
targets. Bashing Scientology is a mediocre pursuit."

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#####

> CCHR

The Chicago Tribune reported in articles on December 3rd and 9th that
Scientology's Citizen's Commission on Human Rights was first denied
permission to exhibit anti-Psychiatry materials in a state office
building. That ruling was overturned, and the group will conduct the
exhibit next month.

"The Blagojevich administration Tuesday ordered the removal from the
Thompson Center of a controversial exhibit ridiculing psychiatry as a
wicked profession with ties to Nazi Germany after officials learned that
the group that erected the display was an offshoot of the Church of
Scientology. The group, which calls itself the Citizens Commission on
Human Rights, agreed to dismantle the exhibit under protest only one day
after it had been set up in the main atrium of the state office building
in the Loop.

"Officials of the agency that runs the Thompson Center said the group
applied months ago to showcase the exhibit for a week in early December in
connection with the anniversary of the 1948 UN Declaration of Human
Rights. Michael Rumman, director of the Department of Central Management
Services, said the group did not at the time reveal its links to
Scientology and only declared that its exhibit would deal with the history
of psychiatry 'It appears they did not adequately represent themselves
when they applied,' said Rumman, who acknowledged that his agency made no
effort to vet the group. 'The Illinois administrative code says that
exhibits may not promote religious philosophies and this clearly does.'

"Lynn Ward, local chapter leader of the Citizens Commission, acknowledged
that it was founded by Scientology but was not run by the organization.
'There's nothing religious about this display,' said Ward before packing
up the items. 'But because we have not disavowed any link to the Church of
Scientology, they are asking us to leave. I think that's wrong.'

"The display in the Thompson Center made only scant reference to the
group's ties to Scientology. Its main focus was to challenge psychiatry,
with materials charging that psychiatrists are 'hooking our children on
drugs.' Such views are aspects of Scientology's belief structure. 'It is a
cold, hard fact that psychiatry spawned the ideology which fired Hitler's
mania, turned the Nazis into mass murderers and created the Holocaust,'
read one panel of the museumlike display. Pamphlets making similar
arguments were distributed by members of the group to passersby.

"Central Management Services officials said the display was ordered
removed after they received several complaints that it was spreading
misinformation and violated the separation of church and state. Darrel
Regier, director of research for the American Psychiatric Association,
said the group's charges have no scientific basis. 'They are taking a
theological position that mental disorders do not exist,' Regier said. 'I
think it's not an evidence-based position, it's a faith-based position.'"

"After conferring with state lawyers, the Blagojevich administration
reversed itself Monday and said it no longer thought a controversial
Scientology-linked exhibit blasting psychiatry promoted a religious
philosophy and would therefore allow the exhibit to be displayed next
month in the Thompson Center. Officials with the Department of Central
Management Services said the exhibit promoted the Church of Scientology,
which in 1969 founded the organization that set up the display, the
Citizens Commission on Human Rights.

"After reviewing the display Central Management attorneys determined the
exhibit did not promote Scientology. Marla Filidei, international vice
president of the Citizens Commission, said the state's flip-flop was a
victory for 1st Amendment rights. 'We were prepared to go as far as need
be to ensure that justice was done in this case,' she said. 'The state was
very misguided in its initial decision. The exhibit is what it portrays
itself to be and nothing more than that.'

"The exhibit is expected to return to the Thompson Center for a week,
beginning Jan. 5, Central Management spokeswoman Pam Davies said. Despite
the about-face, Davies said she did not think the state's decision last
week was hurried. 'We really don't think it was hasty, particularly
because within hours after the exhibit went up we had an incident in which
security had to be called,' Davies said.

"Davies said the state plans to change procedures for future applicants
who wish to rent space in state buildings by asking them to disclose any
connections to religious organizations. Had that requirement been in
place, she said, the Citizens Commission exhibit would have been allowed
but the state would have known about the group's ties to Scientology and
been able to study the display before it was erected.

"Although the state will allow the group to bring the exhibit back, it is
requiring the organization to pay $1,650, in addition to rental space
expenses, to cover the cost of having a security guard. The state also
maintains that when the Citizens Commission first sought to rent the
atrium space, it did not fully disclose its affiliation to Scientology or
fully describe the nature of the display. The state contends that the
group described the exhibition as a 'history of psychiatry' in its
application."

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#####

> Former Members

Gil Spencer, a columnist for the Delaware County Times reported contact
from former Scientologists and others following a previous column critical
of Scientology.

"Astra Woodcraft grew up in the Church of Scientology and doesn't have
much nice to say about it. She wrote me after reading Sunday's column
about celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise and his interview on 'Larry King
Live.' 'I was raised in Scientology my entire life and was able to get out
almost six years ago when I was 19,' she wrote. Both her father and mother
were Scientologists. So were her grandmother, brother and sister. Today,
she, her father and sister are out. The rest of the family is still in.
'They obviously are allowed no contact with us,' she says.

"'I was forced to work there full-time from the age of 14 until I was 19
when I escaped. I was married off two months after my fifteenth birthday.
I even attended school and used to work 80-plus hour weeks.' The same year
she signed a contract promising loyalty to the Sea Org, a subgroup within
the church that practices a more intense version of Scientology. 'They say
you join the Sea Org for a billion years, and every time you die you get a
21-year leave of absence between lifetimes,' she told the San Francisco
Chronicle in 2001. 'It's ridiculous.'

"I also heard from a guy named Ken Dandar. He's the attorney from Florida
who has been suing the church for more than seven years over its role in
the death of Lisa McPherson. She was the church member who died while in
the care of fellow Scientologists in 1996. 'I have been litigating against
this UFO cult for seven years over the homicidal death of Lisa McPherson,'
Dandar wrote me. 'They stop at nothing.'

"But I can't believe that about Bruce Thompson. He's the spokesman for the
Philadelphia branch of the church. I called him yesterday. He told me
about all the great things the church does to help people - the drug
counseling, the criminal counseling, the life-improvement techniques, etc.
I asked him why he thought so many people had so many negative things to
say about his religion. 'I would disagree that there is a lot,' he
replied. 'It's really a small handful of people.'

"Not so small if you check the Net. 'Anybody can put anything on the
Internet,' he pointed out. But so much of this stuff first appeared in
magazines like Time and Newsweek and newspapers like the New York Times.
Bruce doesn't know much about the Lisa McPherson case ('I wasn't there,'
he says). But he can't believe she 'wasn't treated properly' because 'it's
not consistent with the way the church acts. We very much value and
respect human life.'

"I asked him about the billion-year contract church members sign to become
Sea Orgs. He said that it shouldn't be taken literally. I asked him if he
was a Sea Org. He said no. Sea Orgs have to devote themselves to the
church completely. Doesn't he do that? Yes, he said, but he has a job and
a life outside the church. What kind of job? I asked. 'I'm a flight
attendant.' Of course he is. And in more ways than one."

Message-ID: <3FCDE245.5070600@...>

#####

> Silent Birth

CHILD (Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty, Inc.) reported that
Scientology has introduced a bill in the Nebraska legislature exempting
Scientologists from medical screening of newborns.

"Member of the Church of Scientology have gotten a bill introduced in
Nebraska to allow a religious exemption from metabolic screening of
newborns. It was tabled, but will probably be brought up again next year.
Scientologists Ray and Louise Spiering of Wahoo, Nebraska, testified
before the Unicameral's Health and Human Services Committee explaining
their church's belief in 'Silent Birth,' which prohibits speaking any
words to the new born or inflicting any pain before the infant is a week
old. The church therefore opposes drawing the few drops of blood needed
for metabolic testing during that period.

"Ray Spiering testified that the brain has a primitive part called the
reactive mind that is 'survival-oriented' and cannot reason. Pain
activates the reactive mind to record the details of the current
situation, such as smells and sounds 'and especially words themselves,' he
said. Later, when an individual encounters the same sensory data or words,
his primitive mind turns on its old recording and tells him to fight or
flee and can make him relive the pain of an earlier experience, Spiering
said. He also described how Scientology's 'dianetics' helped a person
troubled by replays of early trauma. Because a newborn has been through so
much pain during the birth process, Scientology believes she should not be
subjected to any pain or hear any words until she is several days old.

"The committee amended the bill, changing it from a carte blanche
religious exemption to the following: 'A parent or guardian acting on the
basis of sincerely held religious beliefs may delay the specimen
collection past the period prescribed by the department. Such parent or
guardian shall sign a waiver prescribed by the department and shall ensure
that the specimen is collected no later than ninety-six hours from the
time of birth at a birthing facility or laboratory otherwise competent to
collect the specimen.'

"Several psychiatrists and psychologists we contacted said they know of no
scientific evidence to suggest that birth trauma or having a few drops of
blood drawn has any after-effects on mental health.  One pointed out that
babies can hear words for many weeks before they are born. Others pointed
out that scientific research indicates that talking to newborns is
therapeutic.

"According to R.D. Adams in Principles of Neurology, 6th ed. 93l, 'The
importance of these (metabolic) diseases relates not to their frequency
but to the fact that they must be recognized promptly if the infant is to
be prevented from dying or from suffering a worse fate, that of lifelong
severe mental deficiency. This inherent threat introduces an element of
urgency into neonatal neurology.'"

Message-ID: <20031207224038.12223.00000498@...>

#####

> Netherlands

Het Parool newspaper reported on December 11th that Scientology will no
longer be considered as tax exempt in the Netherlands.

"The Scientology Church Amsterdam can not be considered to be 'an
institute for the common good' as intended in the income tax law merely
because the church claims to be such an institute. Therefore, the revenue
service does not have to consider payments to the sect to be tax
deductible, the more because Scientology uses 'more or less commercial
tariffs.'

"Inspectors of the revenue service in Amsterdam refused to accept gifts as
deductible, after the revenue service had researched the 'factual
activities of the Scientology Church.' Even the height of the rates for
courses demonstrates a commercial intent, the tax office said to
Scientology: 'The rates vary from 125 guilders for a course for beginners,
via rates of 6,500 guilders for advanced and finally to 9,800 guilders for
courses for more advanced students. In addition, the way in which
Scientology recruits students can also be considered as commercial.'

"Of main importance, however was the fact that the 'intent and content' of
the courses is aimed mainly at taking away 'personal problems,' and
therefore 'individual' and for 'personal benefit.' 'From factual research
it therefore follows that Scientology is an institute not for the common
good, but serving personal benefit.'

"The Scientologist involved and the Scientology church now have four weeks
time to proof to the court in The Hague that the sect indeed serves the
common good. Considering the reputation of the 'church' in this area, this
will no doubt lead to truckloads of notarized and other official
statements from Scientologists which should serve to proof that
Scientology certainly is not interested in the money, but rather in the
common good of all mankind.

"At the moment, Scientology Netherlands has problems on many fronts. In
recent months, sixty of the estimated 150 active members of the sect, with
offices at Amsterdam's Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, have turned their backs on
the 'church.' They consider the sect to be too strict and far too
expensive."

Het Parool also reported on December 9th that Scientology in the
Netherlands has been placed under control of the international
organization following a large number of members leaving recently.

"The international leadership of Scientology, based in Los Angeles and
Copenhagen, has placed the Scientology Church Netherlands under
guardianship. First victim of the intervention is the highest boss of 'the
church' in the Netherlands, executive directory Maria Beekmans-Koster. She
has been relieved of her position, effective immediately. The reason is
the serious crisis in which the Dutch branch of Scientology has - through
mismanagement - found itself. The 'believers' are leaving in droves, the
church suffers big losses, and loses important legal procedures.

"The new director of Scientology Nederland for now is Italian Massimo
Pozzi. He comes from the sect's notorious Sea Organization. In
Scientology's jargon, Koster's replacement is called a bypass. Insiders
say it is 'highly unusual' that director Maria Koster has been shoved
aside and has been replaced by an bunch of elites from abroad. 'It has
never happened before that Sea Orgs have been ordered to Amsterdam. That
can mean only one thing: that Los Angeles and Copenhagen seriously
consider the possibility that they, if things continue like this, can shut
down the tent in the Netherlands.

"That under leadership of the Sea Orgs, a new broom is sweeping through
Scientology Netherlands is immediately noticeable, sources within the
church report: even on St. Nicholas-evening [Dec. 5] work had to be done
in 'the Org,' the head office at the Nieuwezijds, and new members had to
be recruited on the streets. 'In other words, from now on work will be
done seven days a week.'"

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#####

> Keith Henson

Dave Touretzky reported this week that efforts by Scientology to foreclose
on the house of Scientology critic Keith Henson in bankruptcy appear to
have failed.

"Henson is in bankruptcy, and Judge Whyte granted RTC an emergency
extension to block the sale of Henson's and Lucas's home. This extension
request was filed literally at the last minute, leaving no time for Lucas'
attorney or the bankruptcy trustee to file an objection. The cult's
objective was to get the house foreclosed. That way it would be sold for a
pittance and there would be no money left for Henson or Lucas.  But Helena
Kobrin neglected to properly serve the bankruptcy trustee or Lucas'
attorney. So the house got sold to a willing buyer."

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#####

> Celebrities

An article in LA Weekly on December 5th described a recruitment center in
Los Angeles aimed at musicians and other performers.

"I'm walking down Melrose Avenue minding my own business when a couple of
well-groomed 20-somethings stop me. 'What is your goal in life?' one asks.
'Nothing,' I reply, not wanting to share my innermost desires with total
strangers. The pair seem confused, as if they'd never heard this before.
Even so, they must have been obligated to ask the follow-up question: 'Do
you find it difficult to achieve your goal?' 'No, not really,' I answer.
It dawns on me that these are not your average pollsters, but rather
members of the often-maligned Church of Scientology.

"I have a morbid fascination with all things Dianetic. I've seen the
orientation film three times, and had them arrange a special screening for
me of the rare Scientology flick, Man the Unfathomable. I've even mastered
the personality tests, so much so that the person administering the exam
accused me of being an undercover Scientologist sent to study her
techniques. So, I don't need to be asked twice to follow them to an
ultramodern, immaculate Starbucks-esque environment above Golden Apple
Comics. Bookshelves carrying the numerous tomes of the mighty L. Ron line
the walls. But what makes this Scientology recruitment center different
from all other Scientology recruitment centers are the bongos and guitars
that sit at one end of the main room.

"My guide informs me that Scientology is trying to reach out to artists
and musicians. Part of the strategy involves hosting open-mike nights once
a week at 9 p.m. at this location.  A youthful Jewel wannabe wails away on
an acoustic guitar, while a ponytailed young man plays lead on an electric
ax. After her number, the brunette singer-songwriter goes into VH1's
Storyteller mode and introduces a tune that she has yet to name. Crispin,
an extremely supportive poet with an English accent, says we will all try
to think of a title while we listen to her composition.

"Next, Crispin struts to the microphone with an enormous notebook full of
poems. In a voice made for commercial voice-over work, he explains that
his first offering was written moments after he and a female poet spent
the entire evening reading their works to each other. Crispin's next poem
is based on one by William Blake. He reads the Blake poem first for
'reference,' then his.

"Finally, it's my turn. I play lead guitar while a man with his baby in
tow works some bluesy riffs. Then, a Rasta-phony-an dude wearing a
camouflage jacket with the letters H*A*S*H on it enters and says he just
wants to sing some things that come off the top of his head. Marcus plays
guitar, another gentleman plays a drum and I man the bongos.

"As I leave, a young Scientology gal asks me if I've filled out the
personality test. I tell her, 'No, I lost mine.' They want me to fill out
something called the 'Public Consultation Form,' which asks such personal
questions as, 'Are you currently receiving any sort of psychiatric,
psychological, or mental treatment? (If Yes please specify.)' I make a
hasty getaway, but plan on returning as many times as I can without
filling out any surveys. What can I say? I'm addicted to Beatnik
Dianetics."

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#####

> Protest Summary

Phil Scott reported a protest at the opening of the new Scientology org in
San Francisco on November 29th.

"The security was extreme, at least 20 probably more like 30 or more
police and 4 or 5 cruisers parked around the event. I had called the
police Friday evening informing that I would be picketing alone and was
worried about assault or attempts to frame me with a weapon or some such.
They told me to check in with an officer when I got there to be safe,
which I did, 4 or 5 different cops and showed them that I was just
carrying fliers and the sign that was it. I got a card from the Sergeant
in charge. The card reads Carl T. no last name or badge number.

"I handed fliers to two lady officers sitting in a squad car. Only one
officer seemed to be a stick in the mud and on the Scientology side. I was
not able to get close enough to hear the speakers but could see them.

"The new org is in one of SF's historical buildings, white stone of some
type, nice architecture 3 stories, wedge shaped. The event was on Columbus
St. with a big tent on one end of Columbus and the podium near the pointy
end on Columbus was blocked to all but invited guests.  The police said I
couldn't hand out fliers there as the entire sidewalk was rented by
Scientology, but they said reluctantly that I could walk on it to get to
the other end so I did that.

"Total crowd was under 300 but all mostly very well dressed and
professional looking. The Steven's Creek Org staff (15 or 20) arrived in a
stretch limo in time to look my picket sign over from about 10' away as
they each stepped out of side door. It read: 'xenu.net A Margaret Singer
Memorial Picket.' The other side read: 'It's a CULT Xenu.net. I gave the
sign to an OSA lady when the picket was over as a trophy. They took me to
dinner. We talked for an hour about reverse processing.  They declined to
give me their names as we rode in their car to the restaurant me
sandwiched between an OSA lady and OSA guy in the back seat.

"The only lapse in generally fun and decent behavior was when KTVU FOX 2
rolled up with a camera and John Sasaki to interview me. They interviewed
me on camera for about 5 minutes. One of the questions was how do I define
a cult as different from a church or some such. I said a cult is after
power and money and a church with some exceptions is a civic service
organization. The cults handers were tying to block his filming of me with
their umbrellas. He laid right into them."

Jeff Jacobsen reported a brief candlelight vigil at the Mesa, Arizona org
on December 5th.

"I did a little 10 minute or so candlelight vigil in memory of Lisa
McPherson at the local org. I held my sign with Lisa's photo, lit my
candle, and thought about Lisa McPherson, her family, what happened
exactly 8 years ago, and about previous candlelight vigils. The thing that
most came to mind was that Scientologists blew out our candles as we held
a vigil across the street from the Ft. Harrison Hotel where Lisa was held.
It just made me think, what kind of people would hold a psychotic woman
until she died? What kind of people would blow out candles at a vigil in
memory of someone? I read that Lisa was pronounced dead at 9:51pm on
December 5, 1995. So at 9:51pm Florida time, I blew out my candle and went
home."

John Ritson reported a protest at the London Scientology org on December
6th.

"Eight suppressives assembled in front of the Tottenham Court Road 'org',
which seems to be undergoing some kind of repair as it had scaffolding all
the way up the front. We had our boom-box and plenty of leaflets, while
after the usual frenzied phone calls to their controllers, the
Scientologists eventually managed to get a maximum of three people out
counter-leafletting, with one of them even being optimistic enough to call
out 'Free Personality Test?' to anyone who took his leaflet. Eventually
the DSA of the 'London Celebrity Centre' turned up and took a few photos.

"Two Scientologists tried to drown out the sound of the boom-box (fat
chance!) by using a power saw to cut out a Scientology cross symbol out of
a large wooden rectangle. Evidently they had not yet done the relevant
Scientology carpentry course, as it was all rather painful to watch.
Very positive response from passers-by, including some from France and the
US."

John Ritson also reported a protest at a fundraiser for the London
Celebrity Center.

"Scientology had organised a 150 pound a head dinner at the Institute of
Directors premises in Pall Mall to raise funds for a new 'Celebrity
Centre.' Since they have an adequate building under that name in West
London already, it was clearly just another attempt to gouge money out of
their victims. Three suppressives turned up outside the august portals of
the IOD and leafleted the incoming trickle. The invitations stated 7:30
for 8, so we were there from 7 to 8.

"It was hard to estimate how many people were there for the Scientology
bash, and how many for other functions. My guess would be somewhere
between 50-100. But absolutely no celebrities.  A few of the people going
in took our leaflets, two made rude gestures. Some were hustled in and
told not to have anything to do with us, and I had a long chat with a man
who had done Scientology courses and said that he thought they might be
doing some good, though he left the building before 8.

"Another visitor to the IOD was a bank official who was very insistent
that Scientology were crooks and told us about the time they had tried to
open an account with a pile of gold bars. We had a good time, the
Scientology officials (judging by their scowls) didn't."

Message-ID: <bqbun4$g84$1@...>
Message-ID: <939a02d1.0312051909.72700993@...>
Message-ID: <C35cpixPoi0$EwGU@...>
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#####

> Purification Rundown

The New York Daily News reported on December 13th on New York firefighters
participating in Scientology's Purification Rundown.

"Not many medical clinics frame and display a filthy gym towel. But then,
not many medical clinics are bankrolled by Tom Cruise, target ailing
firefighters who worked at Ground Zero and follow the teachings of the
Church of Scientology. 'We're helping people,' Jim Woodworth, director of
Downtown Medical, said the other day as several firefighters sat in the
clinic's 168-degree sauna. As for that soiled towel in the frame above his
desk, Woodworth said its purple stains prove toxins still lurk inside
rescue workers who toiled at Ground Zero. 'This is what our first patient
was sweating out for 13 days,' Woodworth said. 'We took that to the lab.
We found magnesium, mercury, aluminum.'

"But the Fire Department has no use for Downtown Medical and its disputed
detoxification program. FDNY officials are concerned that many of the 120
firefighters who sought help at the clinic stopped using inhalers and
medications prescribed by department doctors. Fire officials also say the
department has no proof that the clinic's regimen of moderate exercise,
vitamins and saunas removes toxins from the body. 'Our doctors went down
there and checked it out,' said Deputy Commissioner Frank Gribbon. 'Their
opinion was this was not a detoxification program.  We don't endorse it.'

"This month, the city's largest firefighters union yanked its support of
Downtown Medical. The Uniformed Firefighters Association initially praised
the clinic for its 'unique' work. But sources said the union reconsidered
after some firefighters questioned the clinic's methods and connections to
Scientology - a movement described as both a persecuted religion and a
dangerous cult.

"A union spokesman, Tom Butler, told the Daily News that Downtown Medical
'made claims that have yet to be backed up by scientific data. The
clinic's ability to prove its case to the department's top doctors is
absolutely critical in gaining the union's confidence,' Butler said.

"Bob Barrett, a 62-year-old retired firefighter, who worked at Ground Zero
for several weeks, said the clinic's care improved his breathing and cured
nagging muscle aches. 'I felt like I owed it to my family to take
advantage of this detox,' he said. The detox program follows the teachings
of the late L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer who founded the
Church of Scientology. The regimen includes doses of the vitamin niacin,
exercise, saunas, repeated showers and the digestion of a small amount of
polyunsaturated oils. The goal of the rundown is to remove toxic chemicals
stored in the body. 'We've had firemen sweat out black, yellow, gray,
purple,' Woodworth said.  'We've had patients with yellow bowel movements,
green bowel movements, purple bowel movements.' Patients undergo
three-hour treatments seven days a week, from 21 to 40 days. The regimen
costs $5,200. But rescue workers pay nothing.

"In many cases, Tom Cruise, perhaps Scientology's best-known adherent,
picks up the tab. Woodworth said other donors also provide support. The
clinic's medical director, Dr. Kawabena Nyamekye, said the clinic does not
tell rescue workers to stop taking prescription drugs but helps them get
off their medicines if they insist. 'We make sure they do it safely,' he
said.

"Dr. Kerry Kelly, the chief medical officer for the Fire Department, said
she has seen no 'objective evidence' to support Downtown Medical's claims.
'The essence of their program is you stay in it until you suddenly wake up
and say, 'I feel great,'' she said. 'It's hard to have faith in a program
like that.' She added, 'I have trouble believing in these purple-stained
towels.'"

Message-ID: <14f61$3fdc5f2b$d14730fa$26633@...>

#####

> Karelia

Regions.Ru reported on November 26th that a Scientologist has lost custody
of her two daughters in the Russian state of Karelia.

"As a result of a Karelian OMON operation in one of the districts of
Petrozavodsk, two sisters, ages 9 and 11, were freed. They were held for
two years in one of the rooms in the apartment by their own mother, a
member of the Scientology cult. The girls did not go to school for two
years and were fed waste from the nearest market. The girl's mother did
not work anywhere. When they were found, the girls asked for their father,
who has permanent residence in Finland. It was there that his former wife
joined the cult. After the divorce she first went to Saint Petersburg,
then she returned to Petrozavodsk, where they settled and made
arrangements with the welfare agencies. Now the girls are in the hospital
in poor condition. The Petrozavodsk court deprived the mother of parental
rights."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1031203174519.114A-100000@...>

#####

> Dr. Margaret Singer

The San Francisco Chronicle on November 25th reported the death of
psychologist and cult expert Margaret Singer in Berkeley, California.

"Margaret Singer, the soft-spoken but hard-edged Berkeley psychologist and
expert on brainwashing who studied and helped authorities and victims
better understand the Peoples Temple, Branch Davidian, Unification Church
and Symbionese Liberation Army cults, has died. Professor Singer, 82, died
Sunday after a long illness at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley.

"'She's one of a kind, the foremost authority on brainwashing in the
entire world,' said lawyer Paul Morantz in an interview last year. Morantz
led the effort against the Synanon cult in the 1970s. 'She is a national
treasure.' She testified in the 1976 bank robbery trial of newspaper
heiress Patricia Hearst, who was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation
Army, and at the 1977 hearing for five young members of the Rev. Sun Myung
Moon's Unification Church whose parents sought to have them
'deprogrammed.'

"She interviewed more than 3,000 cult members, assisted in more than 200
court cases and also was a leading authority on schizophrenia and family
therapy. 'I might look like a little old grandma, but I'm no pushover,'
she told a reporter last year, just before tossing back another shot of
Bushmills Irish whiskey, her libation of choice.

"She was occasionally threatened by cult leaders and their followers, and
she never backed down. Professor Singer liked to tell how, at the age of
80, she frightened off a stalker who had been leaving menacing notes in
her mailbox. 'I've got a 12-gauge shotgun up here, sonny, and you'd better
get off my porch, or you'll be sorry!' she hollered out the window. 'And
tell your handlers not to send you back!'

"She was the author of 'Cults in Our Midst,' the authoritative 1995 study
on cults that she revised earlier this year with analysis of the
connection between cults and terrorism. She was the winner of the
Hofheimer Prize and the Dean Award from the American College of
Psychiatrists and of achievement awards from the Mental Health Association
of the United States and the American Family Therapy Association. She was
a past president of the American Psychosomatic Society and a board member
of the Kaiser Foundation Research Institute Review Board and the American
Family Foundation."

From the New York Times on December 7th:

"Several members of the People's Temple, with Dr. Singer's help, left that
group before 900 people committed mass suicide in Guyana in 1978. Dr.
Singer would often help win lawsuits against groups that former members
claimed had lured them into dark, insular worlds that left them
psychologically traumatized. 'Her testimony would help people understand
the clinical impact of a cult's manipulation and exploitation,' said Dr.
Richard Ofshe, a sociology professor at the University of California at
Berkeley who worked with Dr. Singer for 20 years. 'There was a constant
stream of people who would go into these organizations and end up in
psychiatric emergency rooms.'

"Dr. Singer's battles made her a target for harassment and death threats.
At times, she found dead animals on her doorstep. Margaret Thaler Singer
was born in Denver and earned her bachelor's degree, master's degree and
Ph.D. from the University of Denver. She became an adjunct professor at
Berkeley in the 1950's. Dr. Singer conducted several widely known studies
on schizophrenia and was a renowned family therapist. She spent much of
her career at Berkeley, but also taught at the University of Rochester and
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, among others."

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#####

> Reed Slatkin

The Los Angeles Times reported on December 9th that victims of Scientology
minister Reed Slatkin's fraudulent investment scheme may recover more
money than expected from the case.

"The trustee in the Reed Slatkin bankruptcy doubled his estimate Monday of
what victims of Slatkin's Ponzi scheme might recover, saying it could
reach 40 cents for every dollar lost - and more if investors who came out
ahead in the scam would 'find it in their hearts' to return some of their
profits. Hundreds of people were cheated by Slatkin, a former investment
advisor from Santa Barbara who constructed an illusory empire using $593
million collected from Hollywood celebrities, Internet moguls and fellow
Scientologists. He pleaded guilty to operating a financial fraud that
continued for 15 years before dissolving into bankruptcy proceedings in
May 2001. He is serving a federal prison term of 14 years.

"Some of Slatkin's clients were paid back more than they invested - a
common occurrence in such so-called Ponzi schemes, which use funds from
later investors to pay phony profits or dividends to the earliest
participants. Neilson sued 430 of these so-called 'net debtors,' seeking
the return of anything they received in excess of the amount they put in.
So far, 144 of those suits have been settled - typically at about 80 cents
on the dollar - for a total of $31.8 million, most of it to be collected
in payments over the next two or three years. For example, tobacco
litigator John Coale and his wife, legal commentator Greta Van Susteren,
agreed to return about $700,000 of the $939,000 they netted. Suits seeking
an additional $138 million are pending against other defendants, including
actor Peter Coyote, who made $943,000.

"If those defendants 'were to simply find it within their hearts and
wallets to pay the $138 million without any further litigation,' Neilson
wrote, it would yield a return to the creditors of 84% of their losses. A
'more realistic approach,' according to his memo, would be to assume that
35% of the $138 million can be collected by spending an additional $7
million on litigation - a formula that would bring the recovery to about
40% of the losses."

Message-ID: <3fda5fc6@...>

-end-

Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 8, Issue 26
1/4/2004 by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2004

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://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
         http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Project CALL

The Fort Bend/Southwest Sun reported on December 15th that a new
Scientology-based literacy project has opened in Texas.

"Having just started its second year, Project CALL, short for Communities
Assisting Literacy and Learning, has helped nearly 1,000 people, including
children, teens and adults, not just to learn how to read, but to learn
how to learn. Their methods are nontraditional, but they work, says Minot
Edwards, Project CALL's technical director.

"The center uses a study technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, author of
'Learning How to Learn,' an illustrated work that teaches children how to
study. Everybody who participates in the program must read the book. 'If
they can't read the book, we read it to them,' says Edwards. Pariani says
part of the theory that works so well is that it is simple.  It works for
everyone, even adults and people who have been labeled with learning
disabilities, she says. The program also adds some fun into the mix.

"The phonics program, Reading Rescue, was developed by Edwards based on
his extensive research into the most effective ways of teaching reading.
Reading Rescue teaches the student the sounds of a language and then how
to combine them to read and spell. Using games and fun drills, the student
will master reading and spelling with the sounds of the English language,
says Edwards.

"In the learning basics program, the student learns what gets in the way
of study and what to do about it, as well as ways to ensure that they
understand and continue to use what they read. 'To study means to look at
something and ask about it and read about it, as you learn about it,' says
Edwards. 'Just reading the sounds of the words on the page does not even
begin to ensure understanding.'

"Meena Mabbu, 12, a volunteer tutor, found that as she helped others, she
also benefited from the program. While Mabbu did not need help reading, as
she completed the learning basics program and began to tutor others, she
found herself using the skills in her everyday life. 'I began using the
concepts I was teaching others in my daily life, and it has helped me a
lot,' says Mabbu.

"Project CALL was founded by Missouri City residents Dr. Willis J.
Pumphrey Jr. and his wife, Grace. Pumphrey, a successful dentist with his
own practice in the Houston area, started the program after years of
conducting truancy workshops for Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Joel
Clouser's court. The program, still going on, gives truant students who
appear in Clouser's court an alternative to fines. During the one-day
workshop, the students are taught how to learn how to learn and study
based on 'Learning How to Learn.' A parent is also required to go the
workshop."

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#####

> Unauthorized Christmas

On December 21 the New York Times reviewed an off-Broadway production
based on the history of Scientology.

"Most children would be content to play a shepherd in their first
Christmas pageant. Max Miner gets to play John Travolta. The 11-year-old
also portrays a robot and other roles in 'A Very Merry Unauthorized
Children's Scientology Pageant,' now Off Broadway through Jan. 4 at the
John Houseman Theater after a sold-out run at the Tank, also on West 42nd
Street.

"Conceived and directed by Alex Timbers, with text and songs by Kyle
Jarrow, the 55-minute show purports to tell the story of the life of L.
Ron Hubbard (played by Jordan Wolfe, 13), including his stints as a
science fiction writer and World War II Navy man, culminating in his
founding of the Church of Scientology in 1954.

"Hubbard called Scientology a religion but its critics have considered it
a lucrative business. Adherents say it is not based on the worship of a
god, but is a method of counseling and courses that helps individuals
break free from unnecessary emotions to lead more rewarding lives.

"Mr.  Timbers said he wanted to 'juxtapose that with a straightforward
retelling of the life of L. Ron Hubbard, for the kids not to wink back at
the audience but perform it very genuinely, with as much honesty and
integrity as a real Scientologist would.'

"In a recent interview, however, the Rev. John Carmichael, president of
the Church of Scientology of New York, said 'these guys just don't
understand the subject.' After visiting a rehearsal and sending a letter
of protest, Mr. Carmichael saw the show and was not amused. 'These folks
have a right to write whatever play they want,' he said, but 'they've sunk
to cliches.' Hubbard, who died in 1986 at 74, is portrayed in the show,
Mr. Carmichael said, as an authoritarian demagogue whose methods create
emotionless followers. 'We believe it's up to you,' he emphasized.
'Salvation depends on the individual.'

"Mr. Jarrow, 24, said that for his text he drew from both Scientology
literature and journalistic accounts that criticize it. Using a cast of 10
children, ages 8 to 13, Mr. Timbers's production mimics a Sunday school
class's earnest attempt at holiday theater, complete with stiff line
readings and blocking. Its portrayal of Hubbard's birth even parodies a
Nativity scene, with little L. Ron surrounded by parents and barnyard
animals as an angel (Alison Stacy Klein) proclaims, 'Billions of years of
evolution had climaxed with his birth.'

"Amid this zaniness, the tone can turn poignant, as when Sophie Whitfield,
11, who plays a struggling actress named Annie, lip-synchs to a ballad
about giving control of oneself over to someone else. After all, Mr.
Timbers concluded, Scientology is 'about clearing your mind - almost
embracing the mind of the child.'"

Message-ID: <deb91$3fe5af7d$d14730fa$27172@...>

#####

> Netherlands

Het Parool reported on January 3rd that Scientology has been attempting to
suppress the making of a documentary by the news program Network in The
Netherlands.

"At the end of last year, the Scientology Kerk Amsterdam managed to
prevent the broadcast of the news-background and analysis program Network.
Former director Caspar de Rijk, who was going to contribute to the
program, was put under so much pressure that he decided against
participating. He is now considering taking legal action against the
'church.'

"Network reporters Frank du Mosch and Jelle Broek-Roelofs (NCRV) found De
Rijk, among others, ready to contribute to the program. The ex-director
left Scientology a few years ago, and now is part of a large group of
'apostates' who have newly organized themselves under the name Ron's Org
(after Scientology's founder, Ron Hubbard). De Rijk's ex-wife and two
daughter are still with Scientology: his daughters are following 'courses'
at Sea Org in Copenhagen, his ex has a high function within the feared
Office of Special Affairs (the sect's secret service) and is alternately
stationed in Copenhagen and Dusseldorf. He hasn't seen his daughters for
years.

"According to De Rijk, Scientology discovered that Network was going to
cover the sect's problems, and that he would contribute to the program. He
was subsequently approached by his ex-wife. 'It was suggested to me that
if I would withdraw from publicity, I would finally be permitted to see my
daughters again.'

"De Rijk let Network know that he unfortunately had to withdraw from
participating. The Network reporters were, although understanding,
furious. Camera teams were canceled and the item dismissed, because De
Rijk is an indispensable source. But a meeting between De Rijk and his
daughters never came about. 'In hindsight they simply strung me along for
a while. They thought: we'll keep him appeased for a month, and after that
De Rijk will probably stay quiet.' He also received a 'SP-declare,' a kind
of judgment that marks recalcitrant Scientologists as a Suppressive
Person. Other Scientologist are strictly prohibited to communicate with
him - family or not.

"In Scientology it is common practice to manipulate the media where
possible. For instance, the sect requires makers of television programs to
sign contracts. These contracts stipulate that Scientology not only has
the right to view the final version, but also the right to correct
'defamatory statements.' If a third party in the broadcast makes any
comments, Scientology has according to these contracts the right to make
the last response.  Failure to abide by the contract results in a
'compensation for damages' of 45,000 Euros.

"Network is not going to give up. Now that it is clear what kind of game
has been played, and now that De Rijk has been declared SP, the news
programs will again attempt to produce a broadcast about the downfall of
Scientology in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Caspar de Rijk has become the
target of an old-fashioned campaign of smear tactics in accordance with
Scientology's notorious Fair Game law. 'I am supposed to have stolen money
from people, and a complaint against me is said to have been filed. That
is all inspired by the Office of Special Affairs and the theory is simple:
when there is a group of apostates, you've got to smear them one by one.'"

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#####

> Jean Janu

Stockwatch reported on December 31st that a Jean Janu has pleaded guilty
in the investigation of a Ponzi scheme run by Scientology minister Reed
Slatkin.

"The former bookkeeper of controversial EarthLink co-founder and
ex-Scientology minister Reed Slatkin has agreed to plead guilty in a
conspiracy to obstruct justice during an investigation by the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission of Mr. Slatkin. Jean Janu, 56,
formerly of Santa Fe, N.M., is charged with helping former Howe St. player
Mr. Slatkin hide his massive $593-million alleged Ponzi scheme, an
unregistered investment operation he ran from 1985 until its collapse in
the spring of 2001.

"The SEC announced Dec. 10 that Ms. Janu agreed on Dec. 5 to plead guilty,
the same day she was charged in a one-count criminal information in United
States District Court for the Central District of California. She faces an
arraignment hearing on Jan. 12, 2004, and is expected to formally enter
her guilty plea either that day or later that month. Ms. Janu is the
fourth figure to plead guilty to obstruction of justice during the SEC
investigation. Mr. Slatkin, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., was sentenced
Sept. 3 to 14 years in prison, after pleading guilty to 15 counts,
including conspiracy to obstruct justice.

"Richard D. McMullin was sentenced Dec. 1 to five months in jail and five
months of house arrest, after pleading guilty last year. Daniel W. Jacobs,
who pled guilty on Oct. 15, 2002, faces sentencing Feb. 23, 2004.

"U.S. officials have called the case one of the largest Ponzi schemes in
history. Mr. Slatkin allegedly preyed on the rich and famous, luring and
conning scores of Hollywood stars and producers, Internet executives and
high-society types.

"Although Mr. Slatkin was a high-profile Scientologist for several decades
and many of his victims and a number of his supporters and associates were
also Scientologists, the Church of Scientology makes its position clear.
'Earlier this year his ministerial status was revoked and he was expelled
from the church,' media director Linda Simmons Hight told Stockwatch in
early 2002. 'His unethical conduct violates the basic policies and ethics
codes of the church and is unbecoming of a Scientologist.' According to
Ms. Hight, there is no record of Mr. Slatkin practising as a minister in
any Church of Scientology since 1983."

Message-ID: <3ff5bca4@...>

-end-