The Church of Scientology: a hate group?

The Church of Scientology wants the "Global Obliteration of Psychiatry"
Evening Standard (London, Oct. 2006): "Tom's aliens target City's 'planetary rulers'" by David Cohen
International Association of Scientologists event of 2004: "Go to guns!"
Michael L. Tilse's "False Purpose Rundown"
David Miscavige's pledge to "eradicate psychiatry"
ABC News (Feb. 1992): "A Conversation with David Miscavige" — the vilification of the medical profession
Scientology scripture: psychiatry involved in a world conspiracy
Further reading

"Never fear to hurt another in a just cause."

— L. Ron Hubbard, "Code of Honor", The Creation of Human Ability, p. 5

The Church of Scientology wants the "Global Obliteration of Psychiatry"

Update, February 7, 2008: A video from which the pictures below were apparently taken has been posted on Youtube:

I am currently looking to obtain a better version.

International Scientology News, Issue 35:

[...] At our IAS Anniversary celebration, I told you psychs were about to believe in the Divine Wrath of God. And, sure enough, they now know that wrath is swift and certain.

Because in just the last eight weeks came 37,824 column inches of anti-psych press to "mess them up but good"—and that's our 2006 campaign for the Global Obliteration of Psychiatry.

An insider provided pictures of the Church of Scientology 2007 New Year's event: images of an exploding grenade are associated with the Church of Scientology's campaign for the "Global Obliteration of Psychiatry":

Hand grenade over the word "Psychiatry" The Citizen Commission of Human Rights' ("CCHR") logos are visible	Hand grenade explodes	"Global Obliteration"
	Hand grenade marked "PSYCH BUSTER"	Hand grenade over the word "Psychiatry" Foreground: CCHR's "Psychiatry: Industry of Death" DVD
Exploding hand grenade over the word "Psychiatry" Foreground: CCHR's "Psychiatry: Industry of Death" DVD	Transition to David Miscavige
Front row: Tommy Davis, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes can be seen applauding in the front row

Images: source (fair use, and a reminder)

Evening Standard (London, Oct. 2006): "Tom's aliens target City's 'planetary rulers'" by David Cohen

On October 23, 2006, the Evening Standard of London published an article titled "Tom's aliens target City's 'planetary rulers'", in which David Miscavige seems to promote the machine-gunning of psychiatrists:

I expect the evening to have something a spiritual dimension — after all, Scientology calls itself a religion — but what happens next is truly eye-opening.

Up front, David Miscavige is dramatically - and somewhat bizarrely - attacking psychiatrists, his words backed by clips from a Scientology-produced DVD are broadcast on four giant high-definition TV screens and sensationally called: Psychiatry — an industry of death."

"A woman is safer in a park at midnight than on a psychiatrist's couch," booms Miscavige, backed by savage graphics of psychiatrists - or "psychs" as he calls them - being machine-gunned out of existence.

Tom Cruise once publicly criticised a postnatally-depressed Brooke Shields for taking antidepressants, for which he later apologised, but I am now witnessing the raw dogma that lies behind his outburst.

As Miscavige begins to crescendo "our next step is eradicating psychiatry from this planet, we will triumph!" the audience rise as one, wildly clapping and cheering.

I look around, half expecting people to be rolling their eyes at this ridiculous, over-the-top message, but instead they're staring at the screens with a rapturous gaze, almost as if they are hypnotised. A few minutes later, Miscavige crescendos again, and, on cue, the audience rise to hail the chief.

"A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates hate, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other designated sector of society"

— Wikipedia on "Hate group" (as of Jul. 2007)

International Association of Scientologists event of 2004: "Go to guns!"

A fair use/fair dealing excerpt from one of the now famous leaked Tom Cruise videos:

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Fran Andrews, Executive director, CCHR International: "Not only has Tom Cruise personally toured people through CCHR than anyone I have ever know or seen, but he has also gotten that he knows to do the same thing."

Jan Eastgate, President, CCHR International: "Tom is more involved in CCHR than any other Scientologist that I have come across in my twenty-seven years."

Tom Cruise: "Oh I'm going hard at those guys and their... reign. Those uh... psychiatrists, I just... I've had it, absolutely had it. It's disgusting to me." [...]

Tom Cruise: "OK, you know what? Go to guns, I've just had it. I've absolutely had it." [...]

Tom Cruise: "No mercy! None!" [...]

On his web site, Mark Ebner says that "go to guns" is a "is a fighter pilot term," so of course I will assume Tom Cruise was using the expression (irresponsibly) as a metaphor. Now, consider the following statement from former scientologist Martin Ottman:

The Scientology management and its various entities propagate that psychiatry is the "root of all evil." — Martin Ottman, "Affidavit In Support Of A Citizen Complaint"

With the extreme irrational view of scientologists that psychiatrists are at the "root of all evils," let's hope no unhinged scientologist will interpret Tom Cruise's "go to guns!" literally.

Michael L. Tilse's "False Purpose Rundown"

In 2003, Michael Leonard Tilse shared his account of a Church of Scientology's event he attended, in which images of violence toward psychiatrists were shown:

You see, [Mike Rinder] accompanied this presentation with extremely EVIL INTENTIONED images of "psychs" being hung, being thrown in the toilet with excrement and of "psychs" going down the sewer.

David Miscavige's pledge to "eradicate psychiatry"

Narconon Exposed, "Is Narconon Valid? Scientology versus Medicine":

But Scientology's attacks on psychiatry go far beyond mere rhetoric. At a 1995 conference of Scientologists, it was announced by David Miscavige, the de facto leader of the Church of Scientology, that it would "eradicate psychiatry" by the year 2000. [...] Each year Scientology leaders inform their flock of the success they have had in "crushing psychiatry", through the Citizen's Commission in Human Rights [...]

[Fair Use scan more]

IMPACT - The magazine of the International Association of Scientologists 66: "A world free of psychiatry".

Clearly, the Church of Scientology wishes to replace psychiatry with Scientology.

ABC News (Feb. 1992): "A Conversation with David Miscavige" — the vilification of the medical profession

Source: Xenu TV		In this excerpt, David Miscavige states that the American Psychiatric Association was motivated to "attack" Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard because supposedly, his great new 'science' of the mind was a threat to their "vested interests."
David Miscavige's statements: Mr. MISCAVIGE: [...] But to understand what this war is, this is not something that we started. In fact, 22 days after Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health came out, the attacks from the American Psychiatric Association started. This was the first popular book on the mind ever in existence, it was running up the best-seller list, it was popular with the people. I have the letter sent out by the man who was in the American Psychiatric Association asking for ad hominem reviews on the subject of Dianetics. These people absolutely felt that we were cutting across their vested interests [...]		David Miscavige states: "I have the letter sent out by the man who was in the [APA] [...]" Unfortunately, it seems he never produced this letter in support of his claim. There is this however: in September 1950, four months after the first publication of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, the American Psychological Association (note, Psychological, not Psychiatric) did pass a resolution: While suspending judgement concerning the eventual validity of the claims made by the author of Dianetics, the American Psychological Association calls attention to the fact that these claims are not supported by empirical evidence of the sort required for the establishment of scientific generalizations. In the public interest, the Association, in the absence of such evidence, recommends to its members that the use of the techniques peculiar to Dianetics be limited to scientific investigations designed to test the validity of its claims. I can't see the "ad hominem" mentioned by D. Miscavige. There is also no statement that Dianetics is invalid, it simply states that as of September 1950, there is no evidence supporting Hubbard's claims regarding Dianetics. Dianetics received a lot of negative reviews in the press after it came out. But this certainly has more to do with the total lack of scientific evidence, which is still the case today. In a way, by transforming Dianetics into Scientology 'scripture', Hubbard confirmed that his theories could not stand scientific scrutiny.

Source: Xenu TV		In this interview, David Miscavige's "Siberia USA" is actually the Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act. Wikipedia has an excellent well-sourced article on the subject, which shows that the David Miscavige is not being truthful in this interview.
David Miscavige's statements: Mr. MISCAVIGE: [...] You say the misuse, but I don't know if you're aware that there was a plan in 1955 in this country, Ted, to repeat what was done in Russia. There was going to be a Siberia, U.S.A. set up on a million acres in Alaska to send mental patients. They were going to lessen the commitment laws, you could basically get into an argument with somebody and be sent up there. This sounds very odd. Nobody's ever heard about it. That's in no small part thanks to the Church of Scientology. I must say, though, that when that bill was killed in Congress, the war was on with psychiatry where they declared war on us, and I want you to understand something-		Contrary to David Miscavige's statement, here is the reason for the Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act: Prior to statehood, there were no mental health services available for individuals who experienced disabilities in the territory of Alaska. These individuals where removed from their homes by the federal government and sent to live in an institution in Portland, Oregon. [...] [Source: Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority] Again contrary to David Miscavige's statement, the Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act was not killed in Congress: The Church routinely says that the bill was defeated through the efforts of Scientologists.^[23] However, the bill passed, albeit minus the reciprocal commitment provisions — it was not in any way "defeated". [...] [Source: Wikipedia] As part of the transition from a territory to a state, Congress passed the Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act of 1956. [...] [Source: Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority] As can be seen from its site, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority seems to be a quite transparent organization: minutes of their meetings and budget spending are readily available. Can you say the same for the Church of Scientology?

Source: Xenu TV		Here, David Miscavige is certainly referring to the killing of William J. Fisk, in September 1963.
In this interview, David Miscavige states that the APA (American Psychiatric Association), the AMA (American Medical Association), and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) are behind the killing of a Scientology officer: Mr. MISCAVIGE: I am talking- this is- the APA, AMA, Food and Drug Administration. These people were all coordinated doing these activities, and it went on for five years, Ted, and you have to understand, we only find this out recently. They then proceed to raid our church. Now, the following takes place. They killed one of our executive directors. [...]		However, here is another version as reported in Paulette Cooper's Scandals of Scientology (1971), Chapter 2: In another case, the Reverend William J. Fisk (a Scientology Reverend) was conducting his Scientology class in Seattle when Russell Edward Johnson, thirty six, a carpenter and building contractor entered the room. According to the Seattle Times, Fisk shouted "This man is going to shoot me. Go get a cop. Please someone get a cop." But his plea was too late. With one bullet in his chest, fired by Russell Johnson, the Reverend was dead.^{15} During the murder trial it came out that Reverend Fisk, the one who was killed, was not only having an affair with Johnson's wife, but had revealed the fact to Johnson himself, boasting that Johnson's wife was completely under his control. The wife also told her husband that she had been having an affair, and in fact, sued him for divorce on the day before the murder.^{16} The wife, a mother of four children, had spent approximately $1,000 on Scientology, and had been going for help with her marital problems. [...] Related materials: Seattle Post Intelligencer (Sep. 11, 1963): "Pastor slain before eyes of horrified followers" Seattle Post Intelligencer (Sep. 12, 1963): "Detectives seek slaying motive" FBI Files on L. Ron Hubbard It would seem that Johnson's wife was told to disconnect from her husband by Fisk. This is required Scientology policy when one or more family members don't agree with Scientology counseling. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4]} Now, the U.S. government did indeed raid Scientology organisations, in January 1963: The Evening Star (Jan. 1963): "U.S. Acts to Stop Use of Cure-All Device" by Miriam Ottenberg Pacific Stars & Stripes (Jan. 1963): "'Emotion' Machines Seized" David Miscavige would want us to believe his words that there is a link between the January 1963 raids on Scientology, and the September 1963 killing involving a irate husband. There is absolutely no evidence of any link.

"Although their evidence is usually inaccurate, sub-standard and widely rejected by society, the hate group continues to propagate assertions, myths, narratives and rumours, playing upon fear, xenophobia, blame or jealousy, with the aim of harming the individuals and groups they target"

— Wikipedia on "Hate group" (as of Jul. 2007)

Scientology scripture: psychiatry involved in a world conspiracy

Hate toward psychiatry/psychiatrists permeates Scientology scripture. In "Targets, Defense, L. Ron Hubbard wrote:

The names and connections, at this time, of the bitterly opposing enemy are:

Psychiatry and psychology (not medicine).
The heads of news media who are also directors of psychiatric front groups.
A few key political figures in the fields of "mental health" and education.
A decline of monetary stability caused by the current planning of bankers who are also directors of psychiatric front organizations would make us unable to function.

For more Scientology scripture relating to psychiatry, visit Caroline Letkeman's "Obliterating Psychiatry".

"Hate groups usually assert that the targets of their attacks are harmful to society, malicious, less fit to be members of society, or are operating some hidden cabal."

— Wikipedia on "Hate group" (as of July 2007)