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Who's who in this installment — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) David Miscavige, 49 Born: Suburban Philadelphia Joined Scientology: As a child, with his parents; joined Sea Org at age 16. Family status: Married to Sea Org member Michelle Miscavige. They have no children. Career highlights: The ecclesiastical leader of Scientology since 1987, when he became chairman of the board of the Religious Technology Center. The RTC is responsible for preserving, maintaining and protecting Scientology and ensuring that its practices hold true to the original "technology" set out by founder L. Ron ...
Oct 31, 2009
Chased by their church: When you try to leave Scientology, they try to bring you back — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Joe Childs ,
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) For years, the Church of Scientology chased down and brought back staff members who tried to leave. Ex-staffers describe being pursued by their church and detained, cut off from family and friends and subjected to months of interrogation, humiliation and manual labor. One said he was locked in a room and guarded around the clock. Some who did leave said the church spied on them for years. Others said that, as a condition for leaving, the church cowed them into signing ...
Oct 30, 2009
Liddy Show: Exposing Scientology
Oct 28, 2009
Today Show: 'Crash' director splits with Scientology — MSNBCMore: Youtube
Oct 27, 2009
Scientology's new face — The Daily Beast
Type: Press
Author(s):
Kim Masters Source:
The Daily Beast In his first detailed interview since walking off Nightline last week, church spokesman Tommy Davis talks to Kim Masters about Monday's startling public defection by Paul Haggis, addresses drug allegations—and explains his relationship with Tom Cruise. Plus, his former colleague speaks out. Tommy Davis has been busy lately. In the past week, the spokesman for the Church of Scientology tore off his lapel microphone and stormed out of an interview when Nightline correspondent Martin Bashir tried to question him about whether ...
Oct 27, 2009
Tommy Davis: Scientology's new angry, unstable pitchman — Gawker
Oct 25, 2009
'Crash' director Paul Haggis ditches Scientology — Village Voice
Type: Press
Author(s):
Tony Ortega Source:
Village Voice "I am only ashamed that I waited this many months to act. I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology." Over the past few days, a remarkable letter was published in four parts at the blog of Marty Rathbun, a former high-level Scientology official who has left the church and now criticizes Scientology's leader, David Miscavige. In the letter, written to Scientology's current national spokesman, Tommy Davis, 'Crash' director Paul Haggis explains why he is leaving Scientology after 35 ...
Oct 22, 2009
Nighline: Former Scientologists level accusations — ABC News
Type: TV
Author(s):
Martin Bashir ,
Ethan Nelson Source:
ABC News Ex-members say leader David Miscavige hit subordinates; church denies accusations. Some call it a manipulative cult. Others say it's a well-established religion that helps people reach their potential. Since its inception in the 1950s, the Church of Scientology has rarely been far from controversy. And now the Church is under attack again. Former senior insiders claim the Church's current leader, David Miscavige, has created and encouraged a climate of violence within senior staff and was frequently violent himself. Marty Rathbun was ...
Sep 15, 2009
Hernando County planners deny adult congregate living facility — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Sep 8, 2009
Scientology vs Paulette Cooper // How the daughter of Holocaust victims took on a powerful religion — Jewcy
Type: Press
Author(s):
Paulette Cooper Source:
Jewcy Paulette Cooper, a journalist based in Florida, wrote the book The Scandal of Scientology in 1971. She was the first reporter to expose some of the unsavory elements of the Church and its teachings. As a result, the Church hounded her for years and tried to intimidate her into no longer challenging them. She didn't give in. ''Paulette agreed to respond to some of her frequently asked questions here on Jewcy, as well as discussing her Jewish roots and explaining ...
Sep 4, 2009
Scientology seeks road closure in Riverside — Daily Kos
Aug 11, 2009
Church of Scientology rolls out new ad campaign in bay area — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Eric Deggans Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The advertisement is sleek and subtle, surfacing on the upper right side of the St. Petersburg Times ' Web site, tampabay.com. The text floats onto the screen: "Love" then "Hate" then "What is the answer?" The final display comes in a flash of light: "Scientology.org." It's a small spot, rotating among a lineup of online ads that includes commercials for Radio Shack and BlackBerry. But it has drawn some attention, partly because the newspaper has published several stories recently featuring serious allegations ...
Aug 8, 2009
Letters to the Editor // Don't overlook the good Scientology does — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Don't overlook the good Scientology does I think it is disgusting that you chose to tear apart Scientology and Scientologists. You discriminate against and attack a religion that has much to praise and respect. Have you actually taken a look at what local Scientologists do for their communities? Take Clearwater for instance. There is Criminon, a group of dedicated volunteers who work with criminals in jail to help them change their lives so that they will be worthwhile individuals when they ...
Aug 4, 2009
A Times Editorial // Scientology's ugly truths revealed — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Scientology calls itself a religion and claims to offer purpose and meaning to its members. Yet for some who worked in the church's militaristic Sea Organization, Scientology provided something different: physical punishment, humiliation, beatings, sleep deprivation, and long and ruinous separation from loved ones. The stories of 11 former staffers, reported in a St. Petersburg Times special report Sunday, are told with such detail and emotional heft that the church's official denials of abuse ring hollow. It takes courage to challenge ...
Aug 2, 2009
Brief bios of more former Scientology member who have come forward — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Jeff Hawkins, 63 Joined Scientology: at age 21, in 1967 in L.A. Left Sea Org: 2005 Career highlights: Marketing and design, created TV ad that featured exploding volcano to promote Dianetics. Now: Single, lives in Portland, Ore. Freelances as a graphic designer. Scientologists "say they're the experts in organizational technology. ... Well, then how come you need to have that level of threat and duress to get people to do what you want them to do?" Video: Jeff Hawkins '''Marc Headley, ...
Aug 2, 2009
Strength in their numbers: More Church of Scientology defectors come forward with accounts of abuse — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) They are stepping forward — from Dallas and Denver, Portland, Las Vegas, Montana — talking about what happened, to them and their friends, during their years in the Church of Scientology. Jackie Wolff wept as she recalled the chaotic night she was ordered to stand at a microphone in the mess hall and confess her "crimes" in front of 300 fellow workers, many jeering and heckling her. Gary Morehead dredged up his recollection of Scientology leader David Miscavige punishing venerable church ...
Aug 1, 2009
Church of Scientology's response: 'Character assassination' by liars — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) This is the Church of Scientology's response to the St. Petersburg Times story that, in addition to the four church defectors the newspaper wrote about in June, quotes 11 more defectors who have provided accounts of physical or mental abuse by Scientology leader David Miscavige. The Church of Scientology provided 25 affidavits and declarations from current and former church executives and staffers who uniformly describe David Miscavige as a kind, compassionate, inspiring leader who never has been violent or abusive, physically ...
Aug 1, 2009
The Truth Rundown: Gary Morehead — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Aug 1, 2009
The Truth Rundown: Jeff Hawkins — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Aug 1, 2009
The Truth Rundown: Shelly Corrias — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Aug 1, 2009
The Truth Rundown: Steve Hall — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Jul 31, 2009
Scientology expert describes how the church recruits and controls its members — Overnight America
Jul 30, 2009
Letters to the Editor // Scientology story didn't give faith, its leaders a fair chance — Seattle Times
Type: Press
Source:
Seattle Times The Seattle Times recently printed a story about my church that originally was published in The St. Petersburg Times [
"Report: Violence common among Scientology managers," seattletimes.com, Nation & World, June 21 ]. The story lays bare the bias that newspaper has against my faith, and with only a few quotes from Church of Scientology representatives, it didn't even vaguely give the appearance of a balanced report. It was a disappointment that The Seattle Times republished this biased story. The article uncritically ...
Jul 25, 2009
Suncoast Rehabilitation Center appeals Hernando County Commission decision — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Barbara Behrendt Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) SPRING HILL — Hernando county commissioners may have thought the controversy over plans to expand a drug rehab center died when they voted down the plan in June. Wrong. The property owner and construction company that wanted to expand the Suncoast Rehabilitation Center filed an appeal in Circuit Court late Thursday asking that a judge throw out the commission's decision. Toucan Partners LLC and Gulf Seas Construction Co. sought to erect new buildings at the 3-acre site off Cessna Drive to ...
Jul 9, 2009
Allegations against Scientology's leader out there, but all else is normal — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
David DeCamp ,
Mike Brassfield Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER — Allegations of physical abuse, destruction of evidence and punishment rituals in the upper echelons of the Church of Scientology left some local political leaders saying they were shocked and disturbed. But among leaders who have reached out to the church, those contacted by the St. Petersburg Times say they aren't ready to distance themselves from Scientology and its sizeable membership after a recent Times series detailing accusations from former church executives. While some in the community saw potential for ...
Jul 6, 2009
Are you there God? It's me, Madison Avenue // How to make an ad for a church — Slate Magazine
Type: Press
Author(s):
Seth Stevenson Source:
Slate Magazine The Spot: ''"You are not your name," says a voice-over announcer, as we see a series of different nametags. "You're not your job." We see people in the uniforms of different occupations. "You're not the clothes you wear or the neighborhood you live in." Images continue to illustrate the litany of things that you are not. "You are a spirit that will never die," the announcer concludes. "And no matter how beaten down, you will rise again." The tag line: "Scientology. ...
Jun 27, 2009
Letters to the Editor // Report lays bare the Times' bias against Scientology — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The ''St. Petersburg Times June 24 editorial The abuse behind Scientology's facade proves beyond doubt that any aura of objectivity in the ''Times so-called "special report" was illusory. The report attempted to give the appearance of balance by quoting statements from Church of Scientology representatives, but the editorial exposes this exercise as a hollow pretense. The editorial uncritically accepts as true statements from a handful of former church staff without ever addressing their lack of credibility, their underlying motivations and the ...
Jun 24, 2009
Editorial: The abuse behind Scientology's facade — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) In recent years the Church of Scientology worked hard to present a kinder, gentler image to the public, claiming it had cast aside the criminal activities, dirty tricks and abusive behavior of the past that brought it widespread condemnation and sent some of its former leaders to prison. But a St. Petersburg Times special report this week revealed the reality behind the new facade: At its core, the Church of Scientology has not changed. It is an organization that uses intimidation ...
Jun 23, 2009
Scientology (Part 3 of 3): Ecclesiastical justice — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: Leaving the Church of Scientology: a huge step
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin ,
Joe Childs Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The four high-ranking executives who left Scientology say that church leader David Miscavige not only physically attacked members of his executive staff, he messed with their minds. He frequently had groups of managers jump into a pool or a lake. He mustered them into group confessions that sometimes spun into free-for-alls, with people hitting one another. Mike Rinder, who defended the church to the media for two decades, couldn't stomach what was happening on the inside. The tactics to keep executives ...
Jun 22, 2009
Lisa McPherson case: events leading to the death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) LISA MCPHERSON TIMELINE: This is part of a
St. Petersburg Times special report on Scientology. For the full report, see
tampabay.com/scientology .
1994: Lisa McPherson, a longtime Scientologist, moves from Dallas to Clearwater with her employer, AMC Publishing. The company is operated and staffed mostly by Scientologists who want to be close to the church's spiritual headquarters.
September 1995: In a ceremony at the Fort Harrison Hotel, Lisa McPherson is publicly declared "clear," a state in which a Scientologist is said ...
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