Two weeks ago, in a YouTube video and an interview in the Voice, Jason Beghe denounced Scientology as a "rip-off" that "brainwashed" its members. A veteran actor of films and TV, Beghe recently left Scientology after 12 years in the controversial church, during which he estimates he spent a million dollars on classes and training in Scientology’s arcane practices. Beghe went public with his newest offensive against the church last night by posting online a letter addressed to Scientology leader David ...

The Scientology cruise ship, the Freewinds is at the center of a scandal in the Caribbean today because of dangerous levels of blue asbestos being found on the luxury liner.

The Church of Scientology’s YouTube(TM) Channel Debuts Today with 82 Videos about Scientology Including Interviews with Scientologists from Various Walks of Life Expressing Why Scientology is Their Chosen Faith. NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—The Church of Scientology announces the launch of the official Scientology Channel on YouTube (www.youtube.com/ChurchofScientology) to expand its Internet presence and share the truth about Scientology’s beliefs with the general public. YouTube is the world’s leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch, and share originally created video. ...

WILLEMSTAD—During refurbishing and reparatory work, which involved removing the ceiling and panelling on cruise ship Freewinds, blue asbestos was released and ended up in the ventilation system. Freewinds captain did not report this when it's own personnel were working on the ship on the Mathey warf in Otrobanda. The Curaçao Drydock Company (CDM), where the ship was taken for reparatory work on the hull, heard from the surveyor that there may be asbestos on the ship. The captain acknowledged the incident ...

A previously covert member of a controversial web-based group called Anonymous is headed for Boston Municipal Court this week to face misdemeanor harassment charges for his alleged role in anti-Church of Scientology demonstrations. In an unusual case pitting First Amendment free-speech protections against an individual's right to practice religion without harassment, Anonymous member Gregg Housh is slated to be arraigned on April 30. Housh, already on probation in federal court, is charged with unlawfully participating in a series of protests between ...

A PLANNED church-based rehabilitation centre in Papaiti Rd for male alcoholics and drug addicts no longer has resource consent. Its consent was revoked this week after an investigation by a Wanganui District Council planning officers. Councillor Ray Stevens said that, after a number of complaints from residents and members of the community, council planning officers had found that the original resource consent should not have been granted. "It became clear to us that what had been written in the proposal and ...

What do you expect when a program as mainstream as Nightline tries to take on a moving story like the new, growing opposition to Scientology? Certainly not something this weak. Stumbling in the footsteps of a recent terrific story by John Cook at Radar, Nightline tried to tell the story of Jenna Miscavige Hill last night. Why is her story important? She’s niece to the tiny leader of Scientology, David Miscavige, so her defection, and subsequent allegations about how her family ...

[Video: http://www.youtube.com/v/fQtvHqe-JIY] I have been reluctant to talk further about Gregg of Boston simply because there was so much controversy about his charges, his person and his past. I felt it was best to remain neutral. Part of the issue was related to my being aware that he had some extenuating circumstances in his past and I didn't want to be the one to draw any attention to this, simply because I didn't know the nature of what happened. Now that ...

[Picture / Caption: Denis Côté, président du CCDH.] «La psychiatrie, la vérité sur les abus», tel est le titre de cette exposition itinérante et renouvelée qui a séjourné dans 150 villes à travers le monde depuis 2004. Proposée par la Commission des Citoyens pour les Droits de l’Homme (CCDH), «elle veut sensibiliser les gens sur les effets néfastes de la psychiatrie, une pratique qui ne résulte d’aucune démarche scientifique, étroitement liée à l’argent et aux industries pharmaceutiques qui a eu des ...

YouTube has vaporized a popular user account dedicated to criticizing The Church of Scientology. Last Thursday, the world's most popular video sharer removed the 10,000-subscriber-strong "Xenutv1" channel run by Mark Bunker, a television journalist/well-known Scientology naysayer. Earlier in the week, Bunker posted a teaser for his three-hour interview with Jason Beghe - a film and television actor who recently defected from the world of Scientology - and the account was yanked just before Bunker was due to broadcast the interview in ...

The Church of Scientology made it clear from its first contacts with "Nightline" that it would not publicly discuss the ecclesiastical circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Mrs. Hill from Church staff, regardless of the nature of her allegations. The Church will not discuss matters surrounding Mrs. Hill, because given the thrust of her claims, she has used her name to make an otherwise ecclesiastical issue into a family matter and a personal attack on a family member. The Church will not ...

He's one of the biggest box-office draws in history, but in recent years Tom Cruise has become more than just the face of his films. He has also become the face of his religion – Scientology. A recent video of Cruise – made for a Scientology event and leaked online – showed the star's unbridled passion for his religion and piqued the public's interest in a belief system that has long been surrounded by controversy. "I think it's a privilege to ...

Pulling up to the Church of Scientology – Baton Rouge Mission, I felt very afraid. I was intimidated not only by my own preconceived notions about Scientology, but also by the sign in front of the building with “Dianetics” written in red and an erupting volcano pictured on it. Granted, I had absolutely no reason to be scared. The director of public affairs, Craig Gehrig, called to invite me to the center and was nothing but polite and friendly. I also ...

Approximately 200 Washington homeowners who paid for a service they thought would help save their homes from foreclosure will receive partial refunds under a settlement announced yesterday by the Washington Attorney General’s Office. The homeowners each paid between $1,200.00 and $1,500.oo to Foreclosure Assistance Solutions LLC, of Clearwater, Florida. More than 70% of homeowners who signed up with Foreclosure Assistance Solutions ended up losing their homes anyway. The company went out of business in fall 2007. From Washington State’s Attorney General, ...

When actor Jason Beghe finally explained Scientology to pal David Duchovny, they fell down laughing. This is one of the many revelations that come out of Beghe’s seven-part video with Mark Bunker on vimeo.com. Last week, we brought you actor Jason Beghe’s stunning statements about leaving Scientology. They were part of a three-minute teaser video. After 13 years and a million bucks, Beghe finally decided the cult was “dangerous” and left. By that time, he was estranged from family and friends. ...

The Church of Scientology has been given the go-ahead to build a new facility on Dublin Road. Columbus City Council on Monday night voted 7-0 on a variance that will allow the organization to construct a 50,000-square-foot church in the old Time-Warner headquarters, 1266 Dublin Road, just outside of Grandview Heights. No one spoke against the request. "The new quarters will permit us to serve our parishioners and the community better," said Rev. John Carmichael, president of the Church of Scientology ...

Cebu, Philippines (20 April) – Scientology International donated an18-volume limited edition of The BASICS, authored by L. Ron Hubbard to the City Library of Cebu. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers' International Goodwill Tour donates books to selected libraries all over the world, and the latest addition to the roster of recipients is the Cebu City library located at Osmena Boulevard, Cebu City. Cebu City Librarian Rosario C. Chua welcomed the goodwill gesture of the Volunteer Ministers to house under her keep the ...

Narconon Stone Hawk's drug rehabilitation clients at the Pennfield Township inpatient treatment facility will be relocated by May. The center's approximately 75 patients will be moved to Albion's Narconon Stone Hawk East facility, President Per Wickstrom and Executive Director Eric Tenorio said. Narconon Stone Hawk is a private-pay drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. Clients shell out about $29,000 for typically three to six months' worth of treatment. Treatment includes classroom lessons, a vitamin regime, exercise and two to three weeks' detoxification ...

[Picture of Scientology stress-test table]STRESS-TESTES: Mange barn syns det er morsomt med stress-testen på Karl Johan. Kirken avviser at de forsøker å verve barna. - Vi lar dem prøve for moro skyld, sier pressetalsmann Matthias Fosse. Foto: Roar Dalmo Moltubak KARL JOHAN (VG Nett) Fra denne standen på Karl Johan i Oslo forsøker Scientologi-kirken å verve nye medlemmer med en egenkomponert stress-test. Lørdag formiddag stoppet et titalls forbipasserende, deriblant flere barn og unge, og tok plass på stolene foran standen for ...

A video interview showing American TV actor Jason Beghe criticising Scientology has been removed from YouTube, writes Veronica Schmidt. The 48-year-old was the first celebrity to speak out against the religion, telling how his 12 years with the church damaged him and accusing Scientology of being “destructive” and a “rip-off”. After Beghe’s criticism of the church made headlines yesterday, YouTube suspended the account of the prolific Scientology critic who posted the video, making the clip unavailable to viewers. But the suspension ...