Yesterday, Tony Ortega reported the news out of Australia concerning the perpetrator of the tragic murder at the Advanced Organization in Sydney. Stefani Hutchinson weighed in with her always cogent and fact driven take on things like this, I recommend reading her blog on the subject. While there is much to be said about what happened, the tragic circumstances, the scientology refusal to acknowledge real mental illness and other things, there is a singular point I want to make. Scientology seized on this tragedy to make baseless and … [Read more...]
Scientology “Arbitration”: They make up the rules as they go along
The recent, very disappointing decision from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in the Garcia case highlights once again the problem of trying to deal with scientology in the courts: they understand too well how to game the system. The old adage that when the facts are not on your side, argue the law is page 2 of the scientology playbook. Page one is: baffle them with bullshit disguised as "religious practices." Legal decisions are based on precedent: Precedent refers to a court decision that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar … [Read more...]
A Scientology Committee of Evidence is NOT Arbitration
Scientology has managed to persuade courts that people who signed Enrollment Agreements as a condition of starting a scientology service, are bound by a paragraph of the agreement where they agree to resolve disputes through a scientology "religious arbitration." Here is the language from those agreements. This is the paragraph concerning religious arbitration: Set aside whether an agreement to participate in services can encompass claims that have nothing to do with the service that is the subject of the agreement; there is another more … [Read more...]
Shameful Scientology “Religious Arbitration” Destroying Justice
Anyone who paid attention to the Masterson case Preliminary Hearing last week got a glimpse of the triggering experience of recounting a rape for the victims. After hearing their testimony, Judge Olmedo ordered that Danny Masterson to stand trial for rape. The role of scientology in the matter was not lost on her. Which makes the order of Judge Kleifield in the civil court virtually next door even more egregious. The same women who testified as victims in the criminal case are also plaintiffs in a civil suit. Their civil case was filed before the criminal charges were announced, when … [Read more...]
Scientology Tells Another Big Lie or Two
The prosecution of Danny Masterson is becoming a predictable nightmare for David Miscavige and scientology. Forced into making a public statement after damaging testimony in the Preliminary Hearing, scientology resorted to its time-honored tradition and lied. Not just a little lie. A big, bold, easily disproven denial. They rely on the fact that most are uninformed about their actual practices, and that the vast majority of people think when someone makes such an emphatic statement, they could not possibly be lying. Sociopaths use the good nature of the vast majority of people who … [Read more...]
Letters to Congress
Leah and I have often responded to the question "What can I do to help?" by saying people should write to their elected representatives to demand action. I have been asked a number of times whether there is a form letter to use. Two people have recently sent me copies of letters they have written that may help. The first is a fairly lengthy, footnoted letter and the author has made it possible for you to download it here including the footnotes. He also graciously provided some instructions and guidance on how to go about this: Hello! Beginning on the next page is a … [Read more...]
L. Ron Hubbard Racist Statements
A very revealing collection of Hubbard quotes from the wonderful Scientology 101 website. If you have never read the article at the Home page of this site "Scientology 101" I very much recommend it. It is a brilliant summary of MANY aspects of scientology. I mentioned in my post of yesterday Scientology Targeting Black America that I would provide this collection today. I also note that many of these quotes come from a time when statements such as these were far more acceptable and commonplace, but that does not change the fact that society was more overtly racist then. You will note, … [Read more...]
Thought Reform and Scientology
On one of the recent Fair Game Podcast, Chris Shelton recommended Robert Jay Lifton's book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism . Then Mockingbird posted a comment concerning this and I thought it important to include it as a post, as he summarizes the eight criteria for Thought Reform isolated by the author. I should note, there are many excellent articles at Mockingbird's Nest blog. Here is his comment in full. I have highlighted the 8 criteria. Mike Rinder recently pointed out something that most people miss, even experts. He pointed out that the E meter is used … [Read more...]
Scientology vs God
When we were talking to Chris Shelton on the Fair Game podcast, we covered some ground concerning the belief in God in Scientology. And recently I saw Jim Meskimen spouting off on the STAAD League and realized it was important to lay out what L. Ron Hubbard said about the subject. Meskimen of course omits all of what is below, but plucks a single Hubbard quote about the fate of societies that do not believe in God to "prove" that scientologists really do believe in God. The quote itself proves nothing. In fact, maybe it was one of Hubbard's cruel jokes on his followers that he … [Read more...]
Reforming Scientology?
Leah recently reminded me of this wonderful website, and in particular, this article by my old friend Jeff Hawkins. Jeff is one of the kindest, smartest and most decent people I know. When Miscavige blew him off, he lost one of the only real marketing geniuses in scientology. Jeff was responsible for the single successful marketing campaign in scientology -- returning Dianetics to the top of the NY Times bestseller list in the 80's. He is a wonderful writer -- I highly recommend his book Counterfeit Dreams -- and a thoughtful analyst of the world of scientology. I am taking the liberty … [Read more...]