1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ⇑ Latest ↑ Later Earlier ↓ Earliest ⇓ Nov 21, 2009
Scientology's dark secrets — The Age (Australia)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Barney Zwartz Source:
The Age (Australia) Senator Nick Xenophon's stunning attack on the Church of Scientology this week has shone a light on a worldwide group many former members accuse of ruining their lives through fear and abuse. SCIENTOLOGISTS lured Dean Detheridge off the street using their tried and tested technique of offering a personality test. He wasn't much interested, but they were extremely skilled and persistent persuaders, and he found he couldn't say no. Seven days later he was on staff in what turned out to ...
Nov 20, 2009
Infinite Complacency: Aaron Saxton's letter I: Australia
Nov 20, 2009
Science or fiction? — The Australian
Type: Press
Author(s):
Natasha Bita Source:
The Australian EVEN for a religion started by a science fiction writer, the allegations levelled against the Church of Scientology in federal parliament this week sound stranger than fiction. Blackmail, cover-ups of child abuse, labour camps, embezzlement and coerced abortions are spelled out among the 53 pages of allegations by seven former Scientologists - some of whom had climbed high in the church hierarchy - tabled in the Senate. In what the church has decried as "an outrageous abuse of parliamentary privilege", independent ...
Nov 19, 2009
Former Scientologists allege abuse, intimidation — The Age (Australia)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Katharine Murphy ,
Misha Schubert Source:
The Age (Australia) FORMER members of the Church of Scientology have made explosive allegations about forced abortions, child abuse and financial extortion, prompting calls for a parliamentary inquiry. Letters tabled by independent senator Nick Xenophon reveal claims of vulnerable people preyed on by a coercive and ruthless organisation that punished and shamed dissenters by physical incarceration, withholding food or intimidation. But the Church of Scientology hit back, arguing the claims came from seven ''disgruntled former members who use hate speech and distorted accounts of ...
Nov 18, 2009
Australian News Coverage [A useful collection of TV media items re. Australian Senator Nick Xenophon] — XenuTV
Nov 18, 2009
Govt to move calmly on Scientology: Rudd — The Age (Australia)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Crystal Ja ,
Stephen Johnson Source:
The Age (Australia) Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has concerns about Scientology but says the government will exercise caution in examining allegations of abuse levelled against the church. Mr Rudd says the government will consider the need for a formal inquiry into the church - and its tax-free status. South Australian senator Nick Xenophon used parliamentary privilege on Tuesday to castigate the church, labelling it a criminal organisation hiding behind so-called religious beliefs. Advertisement: Story continues below Tabling letters from eight former followers, he said ...
Nov 18, 2009
Polaris Media EMC asked to attend Scientology courses — Ozsoapbox
Type: Blog
Source:
Ozsoapbox Since writing about the public connection between Scientology and Polaris Media Group a lot of accusations and claims have been thrown around as the discussion ran hot. There’s been a lot of claims made and from what I gather the revelation of the link, which up until only recently hasn’t been publicised with any concrete proof, has made a lot of people uncomfortable. Up until now I’ve been written off by Polaris EMC as spreading rumours, despite the fact that I ...
Nov 18, 2009
Scientology is a criminal organisation rife with beatings, abortion and fraud, claims Australian senator — Daily Mail (UK)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Richard Shears Source:
Daily Mail (UK) Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is to investigate claims that Scientology is a criminal organisation that sanctioned beatings, imprisonments, forced abortions, sexual abuse and fraud. The sensational claims about the church, whose members include many high-profile celebrities, were made by a South Australian senator, Nick Xenophon, who shares a surname with an ancient Greek warrior. But unlike the mercenary of history who fought armies in central Asia in about 400BC, Mr Xenophon has gone into battle with Scientologists after receiving letters ...
Nov 17, 2009
Australian Senator Nick Xenophon calls for senate inquiry into Scientology More: Youtube 1 , Youtube 2 , PDF transcript (1.13MB) , Church of Scientology's official response
Type: TV
This is a speech Senator Nick Xenophon gave in the Senate on November 17, 2009 I rise to speak tonight on an issue of utmost seriousness that I believe deserves a great deal of scrutiny by law enforcement agencies and by this parliament. In the past few weeks, I have been contacted by former members of the Church of Scientology after I questioned the tax exemption status the organisation has under our tax laws during an interview on the Seven Network’s ...
Nov 17, 2009
Doit-on s'inquiéter de la scientologie à Québec? — Impact Campus (Université Laval, Canada)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Patrick Petitclerc Source:
Impact Campus (Université Laval, Canada) L’Église de scientologie a investi 4 millions de dollars pour l’aménagement d’une église de nouvelle génération au centre du quartier Nouvo St-Roch. Ce super centre, qui sera le plus moderne au Canada, ouvrira d’ici peu ses portes sur la rue St-Joseph. Avec les scandales qui éclaboussent l’Église depuis quelques mois, doit-on s’inquiéter de son expansion à Québec? ? La question n’est pas de critiquer les croyances de qui que ce soit. Par contre, il est nécessaire de se questionner sur certaines ...
Nov 17, 2009
Xenophon hits out at Scientology — Australian Associated Press (AAP)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Bonny Symons-Brown Source:
Australian Associated Press (AAP) INDEPENDENT senator Nick Xenophon has accused the Church of Scientology of being a criminal organisation.
The South Australian parliamentarian said he had been contacted by a number of former Scientologists, after he questioned the organisation's tax exempt status in a recent television interview.
"They have provided long and detailed letters to me about the workings of this organisation," he told the Senate.
"These people rightly see themselves as victims of Scientology."
Senator Xenophon said their correspondence implicated the organisation in a ...
Nov 8, 2009
Church of Scientology told to drop Churchill images — The Sunday Times (UK)
Nov 8, 2009
I know the dark side of Scientology...I almost lost my friend to it — The HeraldMore: heraldscotland.com
Type: Press
Author(s):
Jonny Jacobsen Source:
The Herald I knew Scientology was in trouble when the media moved on from the usual silly gossip about its celebrity members to much darker, disturbing issues at the heart of the movement. After a Paris court last month convicted several Scientologists and two organisations associated with the movement in France of organised fraud, and amid other investigations in France looking at a suicide and an alleged abduction, Oscar-winning film-maker Paul Haggis, a long-time member, quit Scientology. Haggis, who wrote and directed Crash, ...
Nov 5, 2009
Blown for Good / Behind the iron curtain of Scientology (book) - 23 Dangerous — BFG Books
Nov 4, 2009
'Tom Cruise told me to talk to a bottle': Life at Scientology's secret headquarters — Village Voice
Nov 2, 2009
Will France ban Scientology? — The Daily Beast
Type: Press
Author(s):
Eric Pape Source:
The Daily Beast Five years after Tom Cruise called Nicolas Sarkozy a “wonderful guy,” a French court convicted his church of fraud. Eric Pape on Scientology’s latest crisis. Scientology isn’t a religion, it’s a dangerous sect overseen by convicted criminals—at least as far as France is concerned. There is no doubt that the last week has brought a flurry of bad news for Scientology. There was the vocal defection of respected film director Paul Haggis, as well as fresh indications that John Travolta, one ...
Nov 1, 2009
Defections, court fights test Scientology — Seattle Times
Type: Press
Author(s):
Eric Gorski Source:
Seattle Times The Church of Scientology is going through a difficult season. Over the course of two days last week, a French court convicted the church of fraud and Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis' resignation from the church over a litany of concerns was aired publicly. On one hand, it was just another bad press week for the embattled institution founded in 1953 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. But for former Scientologists and scholars of the movement, the setbacks pose ...
Oct 30, 2009
Liddy Show: Exposing Scientology
Oct 30, 2009
Scientology - Former Scientologist [Interview with Marty Rathbun] — CBC
Type: Radio
Author(s):
Hana Gartner Source:
CBC Despite the upbeat tones of its advertising campaign, it's been a tough week for the Church of Scientology. First, Canadian movie director Paul Haggis — one of the church's oldest and most respected members — quit over what he says is the church's refusal to denounce an anti-gay marriage bill in California. He outlined his reasons in a letter to the Church's spokesperson, Tommy Davis. Despite the upbeat tones of its advertising campaign, it's been a tough week for the Church ...
Oct 30, 2009
Scientology faces multiple setbacks within one week // The past few days have not gone well for the secretive religion known for its celebrity followers — The Guardian (UK)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Andrew Gumbel Source:
The Guardian (UK) Most religious organisations can weather a high-profile defection or two. Many might successfully explain away a fraud conviction in a foreign criminal court, or deal with the spectacular suicide of a member, or muddle through a less than stellar public performance by a prominent spokesman. Rarely, though, does a religion have to face up to all these challenges in the same week. The past few days have been little short of a nightmare for Scientology, the strange, secretive religion that thrives ...
Oct 30, 2009
The internet has done for Scientology. Could it rumble the Christians, too? — The Guardian (UK)More: smh.com.au
Oct 29, 2009
Scientology surviving on borrowed minutes? // The Church of Scientology faces more bad PR — NOW Magazine
Type: Press
Author(s):
Enzo Di Matteo Source:
NOW Magazine Scientology’s recent travails, splattered like so much bad scrambled eggs in the mainstream press, has me thinking about that day way back when the Reverend Al Buttnor, the Church’s high priest of PR, took me on a personal tour of Scientology’s Yonge Street headquarters. Freaky, mostly. And surprisingly empty. A few curiosity seekers on one floor hooked up to Scientology’s famous E-meter, getting stress tested, presumably. But clearly searching for something else. Themselves? Salvation? On another floor, a shrine to late ...
Oct 28, 2009
Spokesman: Scientologists aren’t anti-gay // ‘Crash’ director Paul Haggis is publicly denouncing group — MSNBC
Type: Press
Author(s):
Courtney Hazlett Source:
MSNBC The Church of Scientology is responding to claims that the religion is anti-gay, an allegation made by “Crash” director Paul Haggis, who is publicly denouncing the church’s practices. “I don’t want any misunderstanding,” said Tommy Davis, a spokesperson for Scientology. “The church supports civil rights for everybody, regardless of sexual orientation, race, color or creed. We are a minority, too; we understand what it’s like to be persecuted, so to the extent that anything prohibits or inhibits on civil rights, we ...
Oct 28, 2009
Today Show: 'Crash' director splits with Scientology — MSNBCMore: Youtube
Oct 27, 2009
Church of Scientology convicted of fraud in France — Associated Press
Type: Press
Author(s):
Nicolas Vaux-Montagny Source:
Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A Paris court convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than euro600,000 ($900,000) on Tuesday, but stopped short of banning the group's activities. The group's French branch said it would appeal the verdict. The court convicted the Church of Scientology's French office, its library and six of its leaders of organized fraud. Investigators said the group pressured members into paying large sums of money for questionable financial gain and used "commercial harassment" against recruits. ...
Oct 27, 2009
Infinite Complacency: The Court's Ruling
Oct 27, 2009
Scientologists convicted of fraud — BBC News
Type: Press
Source:
BBC News A French court has convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud, but stopped short of banning the group from operating in France. Two branches of the group's operations and several of its leaders in France have been fined. The case came after complaints from two women, one of whom said she was manipulated into paying more than 20,000 euros (£18,100) in the 1990s. A Scientology spokesman told the BBC the verdict was "all bark and no bite". France regards Scientology as ...
Oct 27, 2009
Scientologists convicted of organised fraud in France — Agence France Presse (AFP)
Oct 27, 2009
Scientology centres convicted of fraud in France // Church fined over £500,000 after case brought by former members who were pressured into handing over money — The Guardian (UK)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Jason Burke Source:
The Guardian (UK) Two flagship branches of the Church of Scientology in France have been sentenced to pay fines of over €600,000 (£550,000) after being convicted of "fraud in an organised gang" today by a court in Paris. The judgment against the Scientology Celebrity Centre and a related bookshop in Paris is one of the most important to involve the controversial organisation in recent years. The judges stopped short of the total ban the prosecution had called for, so the church will be allowed ...
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 ...
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