Today in Scientology -- August 1st
Scientology Today
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Margarita and the Scientologists
August 1, 2005, New York Observer
http://www.observer.com/node/27383
It's worth adding one footnote to today's Post story on the tight
relationship between Margarita Lopez and groups affiliated with the
Church of Scientology. (Short version: She steers city funds into
their, er, unconventional health programs; they give her campaign money.
)
Tags: Gay, Margarita Lopez
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The A-listers' belief system
August 1, 2005, Boyd Farrow, New Statesman
http://www.newstatesman.com/200508010024
Some observers of the sect attribute Cruise's sudden outspokenness to
his attainment of one of the most advanced grades along the "Bridge to
Total Freedom", invented by Hubbard. Scientologists become "clear"
(after it has been proved to them that their personal flaws result from
trauma built up over trillions of years of reincarnation) by taking
multiple courses, and through "auditing" via an "E-Meter", a
Scientology brain-monitoring gadget. Church members past and present
say reaching the highest levels usually takes between ten and 30 years.
Conservative estimates for the cost of this are roughly $30,000, but
some people claim to have spent $250,000 on the "journey".
Tags: Celebrity Centre, David Miscavige, FDA, Freewinds, John Carmichael,
Mimi Rogers, Narconon, Tom Cruise, Volunteer Ministers
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Never Mind the Mollusks - Spiritual Philly should welcome the Scientologists.
August 1, 2007, Steven Wells, ON THE RADAR, Philadelphia Weekly
http://www.phillyweekly.com/view.php?id=15164
So let's cut Tom Cruise and co. some slack. Let's welcome the
Scientologists to Philadelphia. Let's smile understandingly when they
double-park outside their brainwashing center in the exact same way
Christians double-park outside their brainwashing centers all over
Philadelphia every single Sunday.
And so on behalf of all spiritual Philadelphians I'd like to say:
Aloha, crazy, swivel-eyed,
ridiculous-stuff-made-up-by-a-not-very-good-;science-fiction-author-with-a-silly-name
believers. Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love. Good luck with the
human hunting. Now how about paying some taxes?
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$5M purchase paves way for Helmer building renovation
August 1, 2008, Portland Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/08/04/story7.html?ana=from_rss
The Church of Scientology is out and California-based First Republic
Bank is in as a new owner takes control of the historic Helmer building
in the heart of downtown Portland.
The Goodman family, which owns or controls numerous commercial sites in
downtown, closed its purchase of the Helmer building at 969 S.W.
Broadway on July 25 in a deal worth about $5 million.
Tags: Gwen Barnard, Portland, Real estate
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Red Alert: Scientologists creeping back
August 1, 2008, Janaka Perera, Asian Tribune
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12505
Among the 'garbage' that was washed ashore in Sri Lanka in the
immediate aftermath of the tsunami were a number of foreign-funded,
unscrupulous evangelist groups. Among these were the 'Scientologists'
trying to fish in troubled waters. After exposure by several foreigners
including some German journalists as well as the Venerable Medagama
Dhammananda of the Asgiriya Buddhist Chapter Sri Lanka, the group kept
a low-profile, while 'helping' in the tsunami relief operations for
sometime.
It now appears that these nefarious crusaders are creeping back into
the island. Buddhists and followers of other established religions here
need to be the high alert against these frauds.
Tags: Buddhism, Richard Behar, Sri Lanka, The Way to Happiness, Volunteer
Ministers
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Web version:
http://home.primus.ca/~ronsharp/FrontCiteTW.html#ScientologyToday
Android Cat
> On August 1st in Scientology history
> Red Alert: Scientologists creeping back
> August 1, 2008, Janaka Perera, Asian Tribune
> http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12505
>
> Tags: Buddhism, Richard Behar, Sri Lanka, The Way to Happiness,
> Volunteer Ministers
Hmm. The site seems to have busted the links to older stories, and Wayback
doesn't have it.
Here's the full thing:
Red Alert: Scientologists creeping back
Fri, 2008-08-01 02:10
By Janaka Perera
Among the 'garbage' that was washed ashore in Sri Lanka in the immediate
aftermath of the tsunami were a number of foreign-funded, unscrupulous
evangelist groups. Among these were the 'Scientologists' trying to fish in
troubled waters. After exposure by several foreigners including some German
journalists as well as the Venerable Medagama Dhammananda of the Asgiriya
Buddhist Chapter Sri Lanka, the group kept a low-profile, while 'helping' in
the tsunami relief operations for sometime.
It now appears that these nefarious crusaders are creeping back into the
island. Buddhists and followers of other established religions here need to
be the high alert against these frauds.
The Venerable Dhammananda alleged that before the tsunami many Korean
Scientologists were engaged in proselytizing activities in Sri Lanka posing
off not as charity workers but as businessmen. They had set up businesses
here with the permission from the Board of Investments. Kabool Lanka was one
such establishment that covertly promoted Scientology while providing
employment to people here, the Ven. Dhammananda pointed out. To the BOI of
course nothing matters as long as there are foreign investments with little
or no regard to who the investors are.
Commenting on the Scientologists claim that they respected all religions and
especially Buddhism, the Venerable monk said that this was a ploy to deceive
Buddhists.
The fact of the matter was that Scientologists were mixing aspects of
Buddhism with their own "scientific" theories and calling this religious
pickle, Scientology. The term Dianatecs, which Scientologists frequently
use, is really a mixture of the Sanskrit Hindu-Buddhist word `dhyana'
(meditation) and the English word 'technique.'
Soon after the tsunami a group of them were found distributing a 30 page
full color, propaganda booklet in Sinhala, titled, Santhoshayata Maga (The
Path to Joy) in Colombo suburbs of Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia. A copy of the
half A-4 sized booklet that came into the hands of the late Deeptha
Leelaratne, Editor of the U.S.-based Sri Lanka Express. The booklet carries
maliciously distorted facts on Buddhism's history.
In a chapter that warns readers against wrong sexual behavior, the author
states on page 8: "Adultery is nothing new. Buddhism, which was a powerful
religion in India in the Seventh Century, disappeared from there *as a
result of sex perversions of Buddhist monks in temples*."
Celebrities such as Hollywood Star Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Anne Archer
being notable adherents of Scientology have been to the advantage of these
crooks to conceal their true nature. But that has not deterred countries
like Germany from refusing to recognize Scientology as a religion and
regarding it as a cult masquerading as a church to make money.
Worldwide, numerous police actions and legal measures have been taken
against them, for over a decade. In addition, they had lost lawsuits - the
most famous of these was a U.S. Federal Appeal Panel upholding the dismissal
of libel suit against the Time magazine for carrying on May 6, 1991 a
special report (cover story) titled "Scientology - The Cult Of Greed," that
exposed this `church' as a ruthless global scam that ruined lives and
destroyed fortunes. In a section of the special report that appeared only in
the magazine's international edition, Journalist Richard Behar recalled how
nearly 40 years ago Britain, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Venezuela closed
their ports to Scientologists, following public outcry. At one point, a
French court had convicted Scientology Founder Ron Hubbard of fraud in
absentia.
- Asian Tribune -
Out_Of_The_Dark
Good post, Ron.