It has purchased more spacious quarters on Chestnut Street and plans to expand. Retailers, restaurants and other businesses are flocking to Center City. Now comes another flock. The Church of Scientology last month paid just under $8 million for a vacant 15-story office building and an adjoining one-story former toy store in the heart of downtown: the 1300 block of Chestnut Street — across the street from Macy's and next door to the furniture store Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The ...

The church faces two felony charges in its treatment of Lisa McPherson. The Church of Scientology in Clearwater has been charged with criminal neglect and practicing medicine without a license in the 1995 death of Lisa McPherson, the mentally disturbed Scientologist who turned to outsiders for help before church officials intervened and placed her under their care. Unlicensed Scientology staffers "medicated her without her consent," isolated her and took other measures to treat her physical and mental condition at Scientology's Fort ...

David Miscavige, the seldom-seen leader of the church, comes forth in his first newspaper interview to talk of a more peaceful time for Scientology. LOS ANGELES — When David Miscavige recounts his rise to power in the Church of Scientology — a journey that began when he quit high school at age 16 — it is mostly a story of war. War against renegade Scientologists. War against Scientology’s critics. War against its one-time arch enemy, the IRS. But Scientology’s 38-year-old leader ...

They never broke into church buildings or planted electronic bugs, but for the past 13 years, undercover Clearwater police detectives have investigated the Church of Scientology. They never developed a case against the church that was prosecuted. The work ranged from gathering Scientologists' names to seeking refunds for dissatisfied parishioners. Police once stormed Scientology headquarters after hearing anonymous allegations - unfounded, it turned out - that Scientology children were being strapped to gurneys and given electric shocks. The investigation boils down ...

Scientologists believe they are saving the world from insanity, war and crime. "Saving the world is an understatement," said former member Kenneth Wasserman. "Saving the universe" is more like it, he said. This intense sense of purpose explains why some Scientologists are willing to work 12-hour days for $30 a week. Others pay up to $800 for an hour of counseling, and one couple brought a $35,000 counseling package. Critics say this sense of mission has another consequence: Next to saving ...

Congratulations to The Times (Nov. 5) for revealing the absurdity of the core beliefs of Scientology. I hope that everyone will now laugh this so-called "religion" off the face of the Earth. "A tyrannical ruler 75 million years ago, overpopulation on Earth and other planets, H-bombs exploded way back then, the tan spirits captured in chemical compounds and contaminated with evil"—Leapin' Lizards, it must be a job for Superman! It is obvious why Scientology doesn't want this nonsense made public: the ...

The Church of Scientology faces mounting legal pressure in courts worldwide to explain its actions, policies, beliefs and inner workings. In the United States, Canada and Europe, Scientology is under ever-increasing scrutiny by law enforcement agencies, courts and even governments. And a ruling handed down last week by it Los Angeles Superior Court judge may complicate the legal proceedings involving the Clearwater-based sect. Judge Paul G. Breckenridge stated in an intended ruling Thursday that Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard is the ...

The Church of Scientology has embarked on a citywide publicity campaign in the wake of five days of public hearings on the sect by the Clearwater City Commission, a church minister said Monday. At a 10:30 a.m. press conference, Scientology spokesman the Rev. Hugh Wilhere announced the beginning of an "open house" publicity campaign. Less than an hour earlier church attorney Paul B. Johnson of Tampa had told the Commission he would not use the four days set aside for church ...

[Picture / Caption: A crowd looks on as the Clearwater City Commission begins hearings on the Church of Scientology.] CLEARWATER — Pushing 80, Stewart Wilson is too old and too sick to do the raucous anti-Scientology crusading he once enjoyed. But he came to Clearwater City Hall Wednesday with the Holy Bible and an American flag almost as big as Richard Tenney, the ex-city commissioner who led many of the anti-Scientology rallies, to show his opposition to the Clearwater-based organization. Wilson ...

What they said: [Picture / Caption: Attorney Michael J. Flynn promised that Wednesday's testimony "is just laying the foundation" for revelations concerning Clearwater.] [Picture / Caption: "If Hubbard decides to leave this planet, he will take these people with him," said former Scientologist Edward Walters, drawing a comparison to the late Rev. Jim Jones.] [Picture / Caption: "My father only knew how to do one thing and that was to destroy people," said the former L. Ron Hubbard Jr., now known ...