1 2 3 4 5 ⇑ Latest ↑ Later Earlier ↓ Earliest ⇓ Oct 23, 2009
Nighline: How Scientology attracts celebrities — ABC News
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 ...
Oct 15, 2009
Declaration of Kurt Weiland More: tampabay.com
Type: Declaration
DECLARATION OF KURT WEILAND 1. I, Kurt Weiland, declare under penalty of perjury that the following is true and correct. 2. I have worked for the Church of Scientology International (CSI) since 1987. Since that time, I have primarily worked in executive positions concerned with the direction, management and supervision of the Office of Special Affairs International, the CSI department responsible for the legal, government and other external affairs of the Church. I am therefore personally knowledgeable and competent to put ...
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: Steve Hall — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Jul 31, 2009
Scientology expert describes how the church recruits and controls its members — Overnight America
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 ...
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 ...
Jun 22, 2009
Scientology (Part 2 of 3): Death in slow motion — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: Lisa McPherson case: events leading to the death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin ,
Joe Childs Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The night after Lisa McPherson died, the leader of the Church of Scientology sent word for one of his top lieutenants to wait by a pay phone at the Holiday Inn Surfside on Clearwater Beach. When Marty Rathbun answered the ringing phone in the lobby, David Miscavige let him have it: Why aren’t you all over this mess? The police are poking around. Do something. "Yes sir," Rathbun said. McPherson, a 36-year-old parishioner in apparent good health, had spent 17 days ...
Jun 21, 2009
Scientology (Chapter 1 of 3): The Truth Rundown — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)More: A letter from David Miscavige , David Miscavige bio, and bios of Scientology officials who defected
Type: Press
Author(s):
Joe Childs ,
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Part ONE of THREE The leader of the Church of Scientology strode into the room with a boom box and an announcement: Time for a game of musical chairs. David Miscavige had kept more than 30 members of his church's executive staff cooped up for weeks in a small office building outside Los Angeles, not letting them leave except to grab a shower. They slept on the floor, their food carted in. Their assignment was to develop strategic plans for the ...
Jun 21, 2009
The Truth Rundown, a special report on the Church of Scientology — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Jun 21, 2009
The Truth Rundown: Marty Rathbun — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Joe Childs ,
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Marty Rathbun Born: California Age: 52 Joined Scientology: at age 20, in 1977 Left Scientology: 2004 Family status: Divorced from Sea Org member Anne Rathbun. They had no children. Career highlights: A top lieutenant to Miscavige. Key player in legal affairs unit. Miscavige's "detail guy" during lengthy negotiations with IRS; among those who signed settlement agreement. Inspector general and board member of Religious Technology Center, church's top ecclesiastical authority. Known for his auditing skills. Audited Tom Cruise. Coached auditors working with ...
Jun 20, 2009
Scientology's response to church defectors: 'Total lies' — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Joe Childs ,
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The Church of Scientology pressed vigorously Friday (June 19, 2009) to delay publication of the Times ' Scientology story. Its spokesmen and lawyers said that the few days the newspaper gave the church to respond to Mike Rinder, who only recently agreed to go public, was not enough time. The church also said the Times needs to talk to more people. Church spokesmen, executives, attorneys and others flew in from around the country to meet with reporters in Clearwater. The parade started ...
Jul 23, 2008
Counterfeit Dreams - Chapter 15: Nine Lives, Part One
Jul 15, 2008
Counterfeit Dreams - Chapter 13: Attacks and Informercials
Type: Book
Author(s):
Jeff Hawkins I had never been this close to a real cobra before. As it rose up and spread its hood, I could feel my hackles raise and a primordial fear tickle some primitive level of my brain. The handler said we were perfectly safe, but even so, I didn’t want to get too close to the thing. [...]
May 6, 2008
Declaration of Lawrence H. Brennan
Type: Declaration
Author(s):
Lawrence H. "Larry" Brennan Tag(s):
Author Services, Inc. (ASI) (dba, Galaxy Press) (subsidiary of Church of Spiritual Technology) •
Bridge Publications, Inc. (BPI) •
Church of Scientology International (CSI) •
Church of Scientology of California (CSC) •
Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) (dba, L. Ron Hubbard Library) •
David Miscavige •
David Miscavige: physical violence •
Disconnection •
Elwood Rickless •
Fair game •
Fort Harrison Hotel (also, Flag Land Base) @ 210 South Fort Harrison Avenue Clearwater FL United States •
Fraud, lie, deceit, misrepresentation •
Front groups •
Gordon Cook •
Hana Eltringham Whitfield •
Hard sell •
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) •
International Association of Scientologists (IAS) •
Inurement •
Julie Christofferson Titchbourne •
L. Ron Hubbard •
Lawrence "Larry" Wollersheim •
Lawrence H. "Larry" Brennan •
Legal •
Lyman D. Spurlock •
Mark C. "Marty" Rathbun •
Mary Sue (Whipp) Hubbard •
Mission Corporate Category Sort out (MCCS) •
New Era Publications International, ApS (NEPI) •
Norman F. Starkey •
Office of Special Affairs (OSA) (formerly, Guardian's Office) •
Omar V. Garrison •
Patrick D. "Pat" Broeker (aka Mike Mitchell) •
Perjury •
Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF) •
Religious cloaking •
Religious Research Foundation (RRF) •
Religious Technology Center (RTC) •
Ronald L. Pook •
Royalties, license, trademark, management fees •
Scientology Missions International (SMI) •
Sea Organization (Sea Org, SO) •
Security check ("sec check") •
Southern Land Development and Leasing Corporation (SLDLC) •
Tax matter •
United Churches of Florida •
United Kingdom (UK) •
Watchdog Committee (WDC) •
William W. "Bill" Franks •
World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) Apr 29, 2008
Former Scientologist Actor Wants His Confessional Files Back — Village Voice
Type: Press
Author(s):
Tony Ortega Source:
Village Voice 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 ...
Mar 17, 2008
Cult Friction — Radar Online
Type: Press
Author(s):
John Cook Source:
Radar Online Cult Friction
After an embarrassing string of high-profile defection and leaked videos, Scientology is under attack from a faceless cabal of online activists. Has America's most controversial religion finally met its match?
By John Cook
[Picture]
Masked hackers have declared war on Scientology. Could the celebrity-friendly religion be in its final days? (Photo: Sam Comen)
This article is from the April issue of Radar Magazine. For a risk-free issue, click here
Clearwater is prepared for its enemies. It's a warm, if ...
Nov 9, 2003
Be glad you lost, Julie
Type: Account
... I froze. I wasn't moving much to begin with, but I froze solid. I didn't want to breathe. I forgot all about our immediate problems. My CO had just said he was going to murder Julie Titchbourne. He was absolutely serious. I was in shock. Sure, she deserved to die — all SPs did. But you can't actually do that that sort of thing. My thoughts raced. Please, I thought, please, somebody say something that will make this stop. I ...
Jun 2, 2002
The CEO and his church — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Deborah O'Neil ,
Jeff Harrington Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Months of interviews and thousands of pages of court papers show the effect that influential church members had on a Clearwater company that was a darling of the dot-com boom. It was New Year's Eve 1997 when Digital Lightwave's chief, Bryan Zwan, made his biggest deal: a $9-million contract for his signature product, a 10-pound device that tests telephone lines. At 5:30 p.m., Zwan phoned his production staff and gave them a tall order: Ship the 308 units right away. It ...
May 2, 2002
Affidavit of Jesse Prince More: groups.google.com
Type: Press
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR PINELLAS COUNTY, STATE OF FLORIDA GENERAL CIVIL DIVISION Case No. 00-5682-C1 Section 11 ESTATE OF LISA McPHERSON, by and through the Personal Representative, DELL LIEBREICH Plaintiff, vs. CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY FLAG SERVICE ORGANIZATION, INC.; JANIS JOHNSON; ALAIN KARTUZINSKI; and DAVID HOUGHTON, Defendants. —– APRIL 2002 AFFIDAVIT OF JESSE PRINCE STATE OF FLORIDA COUNTY OF HILLSBOROUGH BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority, personally appeared JESSE PRINCE, who after being duly sworn ...
Jul 26, 2000
German visitor takes on Scientology — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Church leaders say the German official is a "fascist demagogue'' who has stoked a hate campaign. She says they exaggerate. CLEARWATER — The battle between the Church of Scientology and the German government, a long-running dispute steeped in emotion and international politics, has come crashing into Clearwater with a visit by a controversial German official. Ursula Caberta, who heads a government office in Hamburg that works to curb Scientology in Germany, said Tuesday at a downtown news conference that Scientology is ...
Jun 13, 2000
Florida drops charges against Scientology in 1995 death — New York Times
Type: Press
Author(s):
Douglas Frantz Source:
New York Times Criminal charges against the Church of Scientology in the death of a church member who was under the organization's care were dropped yesterday because Florida prosecutors said they could no longer prove the accusations. Bernie McCabe, the state attorney for Pasco and Pinellas Counties, said in a document filed in state court in Clearwater that his office was dismissing the charges because the medical examiner had determined earlier this year that the death of the church member, Lisa McPherson, was accidental. ...
Jun 13, 2000
State drops charges against Scientology — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Blaming the medical examiner for damaging their case, prosecutors quietly end the inquiry into Lisa McPherson's death. CLEARWATER — State Attorney Bernie McCabe's weekend reading was a memo by his chief assistant urging him to drop the first criminal charges ever filed in the United States against the Church of Scientology. The 31-page document was filled with medical words that McCabe had never heard, but its essence was all too clear: The star prosecution witness, Medical Examiner Joan Wood, really didn't ...
May 12, 2000
Battlefield of dreams — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) L. Ron Hubbard said he didn't want his science-fiction work to be a press release for the church he founded. Nevertheless, the connections between Battlefield Earth and Scientology are worth noting. Put him in front of a typewriter and L. Ron Hubbard's fingers flew. He did not "piddle around" with his prose like other writers, as his friend and fellow science fiction author, Robert A. Heinlein, observed in a 1982 letter. Known in the 1930s and 1940s as a writer of ...
May 11, 2000
'Battlefield Earth': Film Dogged by Links to Scientology Founder — New York Times
Type: Press
Author(s):
Rick Lyman Source:
New York Times HOLLYWOOD, May 10 — The anticult networks are kicking up a fuss. Discussion on Internet movie sites is picking over the potentially sinister implications. Anonymous e-mails are whizzing around the country charging that, among other things, subliminal messages are being used to recruit unsuspecting moviegoers. Big summer action movies, filled with stars and special effects, don't often come with such fascinating accessories. Battlefield Earth, starring John Travolta as a nine-foot alien with talons for fingers, will open in more than 2,000 ...
Mar 26, 2000
Records outline Scientology case — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER – The records came in unrelenting batches. Medical studies, scientific research, sworn testimony and more – thousands of pages from the Church of Scientology that Medical Examiner Joan Wood considered over five months before changing her ruling in the 1995 death of Lisa McPherson. Wood refuses to say what finally tipped the scale, prompting her to rule last month that McPherson's death was an accident. But records from her office examined by the St. Petersburg Times show she reviewed a ...
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