Evening Standard, UK (Jan. 12, 2007): "Labour takes cash from cult charity" by Jason Beattie
R. Hill
Jan. 12, 2007
p. 2
Labour takes cash from cult charity
JASON BEATTIE Political Correspondent
THE Labour Party received thousands of pounds from an offshoot of
Scientology, the Evening Standard reveals today.
The decision to accept money from a charity linked to the controversial
cult was taken at the highest level by members of the National
Executive Committee.
They allowed the charity, the Association for Better Living and
Education (ABLE), to take a stall at the party's annual conference in
Manchester. Exhibitors have to pay up to £13,500.
The stand was part of an extensive
THE Church of Scientology is one of the world's fastest-growing
religions, claiming to have more than eight million members, with more
than 100,000 in the UK. Scientology means "the study of truth". The
late science-fiction author L Ron Hubbard founded the church in the US
in 1954, based on his self-help philosophy Dianetics. lobbying
operation by Scientology members to promote its drug treatment
programme, Narconon, and the criminal rehabilitation scheme Criminon.
Correspondence obtained by the Evening Standard under the Freedom of
Information Act reveals how Graeme Wilson of the Church of Scientology
met Baroness Scotland - then a Home Office minister - in Manchester
in September. Baroness Scotland was later invited to attend the opening
of the Scientology's new base in London and was handed information
about Narconon.
The invitation was passed to drugs minister Vernon Coaker, who
declined.
Critics of Narconon claim it is a front for Scientology, a
"religion" founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard which
counts John Travolta and Tom Cruise among its devotees.
Labour allowed ABLE to exhibit despite concerns about the Scientology
operation. The director of the Prison Service has said Narconon is not
a "validated programme" and has advised against its use as a
treatment. Drugs charity Addaction also opposes the programme saying it
is "not scientifically sound".
Labour confirmed that the decision to allow the exhibit was taken by a
committee of the NEC, whose members include Tony Blair, Gordon Brown
and party chairwoman Hazel Blears.
A Labour Party conference spokesman said the money received was a
business transaction not a donation. He added: "Approval for
organisations looking to attend conferences is made after careful
consideration by the NEC board."
Skipper
"THE Church of Scientology is one of the world's fastest-growing
They've been using that lie for decades. It's particularly untrue now.
In article <1168700554.0...@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, R.
barbz
> Terrible reporting with the reporter apparently using a press release -
> "THE Church of Scientology is one of the world's fastest-growing
> religions..."
>
> They've been using that lie for decades. It's particularly untrue now.
Yeah, it's kind of like the pundits denying the existance of global
warming, as seals have their pups on gravel beaches because there's no
pack ice, polar bears becoming cannibals because of the lack of their
usual hunting grounds (pack ice) islands slowly being inundated by the
ocean, glaciers disappearing, Mt. Erebus in Antarctica now free of its
ice and snow...yeah, nothing to see here. Scientology is expanding
before our very eyes! Expanding like Greenland, yep.
--
--
Spidergraham
Chaplain, ARSCC
xenu...@netscape.net
"Comparing Scientology to a motorcycle gang is a gross, unpardonable
insult to bikers everywhere. Even at our worst, we are never as bad as
Scientology."
-ex-member, Thunderclouds motorcycle "club"
R. Hill
Skipper wrote:
> Terrible reporting with the reporter apparently using a press release -
> "THE Church of Scientology is one of the world's fastest-growing
> religions..."
>
> They've been using that lie for decades. It's particularly untrue now.
Actually, that's quite funny:
"world's fastest-growing religions, claiming to have more than eight
million members ..."
The were claiming 10 million in 2005 and 2006 (see links.) 9 million
somewhere in 2006. Now it's 8 million? And growing ever faster? Huh?
I have been collecting sources of claimed membership over time, it's
quite funny how inconsistent they are in their claims about membership:
http://www.xenu-directory.net/practices/membership1.html
Ray.
Android Cat
> Skipper wrote:
>> Terrible reporting with the reporter apparently using a press
>> release - "THE Church of Scientology is one of the world's
>> fastest-growing religions..."
>>
>> They've been using that lie for decades. It's particularly untrue
>> now.
>
> Actually, that's quite funny:
>
> "world's fastest-growing religions, claiming to have more than eight
> million members ..."
>
> The were claiming 10 million in 2005 and 2006 (see links.) 9 million
> somewhere in 2006. Now it's 8 million? And growing ever faster? Huh?
>
> I have been collecting sources of claimed membership over time, it's
> quite funny how inconsistent they are in their claims about
> membership:
>
> http://www.xenu-directory.net/practices/membership1.html
>
> Ray.
Hubbard claimed an "estimated" 15 million in the intro to _Final Blackout_,
Leisure Books paperback edition. October 1970.
"L. RON HUBBARD is perhaps one of the best-known personalities of our day.
A prolific and prophetic writer, his early works of science-fantasy were
both hailed and damned. Yet his works have remained in today's literature
as outstanding examples in their field, along with Jules Verne and H.G.
Wells."
"HE IS ALSO renowned as the founder of Scientology and the creator of
"Dianetics," with an estimated 15 million adherents around the world."
I don't have a page scanner, and I doubt the macro-focus on my camera is up
to the job.
--
Ron of that ilk.
Skipper
Hill <rh...@xenu-directory.net> wrote:
> Skipper wrote:
> > Terrible reporting with the reporter apparently using a press release -
> > "THE Church of Scientology is one of the world's fastest-growing
> > religions..."
> >
> > They've been using that lie for decades. It's particularly untrue now.
>
> Actually, that's quite funny:
>
> "world's fastest-growing religions, claiming to have more than eight
> million members ..."
>
> The were claiming 10 million in 2005 and 2006 (see links.) 9 million
> somewhere in 2006. Now it's 8 million? And growing ever faster? Huh?
>
> I have been collecting sources of claimed membership over time, it's
> quite funny how inconsistent they are in their claims about membership:
>
> http://www.xenu-directory.net/practices/membership1.html
>
> Ray.
Well, maybe they're counting David Miscavige's space cooties?
Hartley Patterson
> I have been collecting sources of claimed membership over time, it's
> quite funny how inconsistent they are in their claims about membership:
The funniest one was when Heber decided they'd been stuck at '8
million' for too long and announced '9 million' in 1999. However as he
isn't Chairman of the Board everyone ignored him, and it stayed at '8
million'.
> http://www.xenu-directory.net/practices/membership1.html
Nice selection. Two of your entries, '45,000 in the USA', are referring
to the same 1990 survey I would suppose.
--
http://www.newsfrombree.co.uk
A medieval spreadsheet and enturbulating entheta.
PGP: 0xC27CDDDC
R. Hill
Hartley Patterson wrote:
> R. Hill rh...@xenu-directory.net:
>
> > I have been collecting sources of claimed membership over time, it's
> > quite funny how inconsistent they are in their claims about membership:
>
> The funniest one was when Heber decided they'd been stuck at '8
> million' for too long and announced '9 million' in 1999. However as he
> isn't Chairman of the Board everyone ignored him, and it stayed at '8
> million'.
>
> > http://www.xenu-directory.net/practices/membership1.html
>
> Nice selection. Two of your entries, '45,000 in the USA', are referring
> to the same 1990 survey I would suppose.
You're right -- fixed.
Thanks,
Ray.
R. Hill
Found out they were also claiming 15 million members as earlier as Dec.
1969:
Scientology Leader Denies Manson 'Family' Connection
By Randi Mettetal
The Valley News
16 December 1969
p. 3A
«Rev. Mustain noted there are about 15,000,000 members of the Church
of Scientology throughout the world. About 5,000,000 are in the United
States and of those, 250,000 are in Southern California, he said.»
http://www.xenu-directory.net/topics/charlesmanson/19691216-us-valleynews-p3a.html
If the Rev. Mustain didn't lie (aren't good standing scientologists the
most ethical people on the planet?), the "fastest growing religion"
lost 6 million members since 1969... But... Maybe Rev. Mustain lied,
there wasn't 15 million members in 1969, this isn't the "fastest
growing religion", and good standing scientologists aren't necessarily
the most ethical people on the planets.
Ray.