Scientology

Scientologists convicted of fraud in France

PARIS (AFP) – French judges fined the Church of Scientology almost a million dollars on Tuesday for defrauding vulnerable followers but stopped short of banning the group from operating in France.

Scientology's Celebrity Centre and its bookshop in Paris, the two branches of its French operations, were ordered to pay 600,000 euros (900,000 dollars) in fines for preying financially on its followers in the 1990s.

Alain Rosenberg, the French leader of a movement best known for its Hollywood followers Tom Cruise and John Travolta, was handed a two-year suspended jail sentence and fined 30,000 euros on the same charge.

Well, I expect that there will need to be a lot more "auditing" recommended to the sheep in order to pay for these fines.

Who, me, cynical?

Jim Downey

Hat tip to ML for the link.

OK, I never really had a 'moment of enlightenment', when it came to religion. I grew up in the Catholic church, but somewhere around the time of puberty I started thinking about what they told me to believe and it just didn't really make any sense. That grew into a questioning of all kinds of religious nonsense over time, rejecting all of it and trying to be rational and realistic about the world. For me, it was just a process, not an event.

So I must admit to being somewhat interested to see what it is that causes some people to just break away from their religion - what is the "final straw", so to speak. Like this one:

'Crash' Director Paul Haggis Ditches Scientology

Over the past few days, a remarkable letter was published in four parts at the blog of Marty Rathbun, a former high-level Scientology official who has left the church and now criticizes Scientology's leader, David Miscavige.

* * *

Hoo-boy, has the St. Petersburg Times just asked for a whole world of trouble:

Scientology: The Truth Rundown, Part 1 of 3 in a special report on the Church of Scientology

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.

* * *

The next evening, early in 2004, Miscavige gathered the group and out of nowhere slapped a manager named Tom De Vocht, threw him to the ground and delivered more blows. De Vocht took the beating and the humiliation in silence — the way other executives always took the leader's attacks.

This account comes from executives who for decades were key figures in Scientology's powerful inner circle. Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder, the highest-ranking executives to leave the church, are speaking out for the first time.

News item you may have heard:

Will the Voice of Bart Simpson Get In Trouble for 'Unauthorized' Scientology Call?

wentieth Century Fox television would not comment on whether Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart on "The Simpsons," will face disciplinary action following her voice message urging Scientologists, in Bart's voice, to attend an upcoming conference.

But "Simpsons" executive producer Al Jean makes clear that the show does not back Cartwright's call.

"This is not authorized by us," Jean said in a statement. "'The Simpsons' does not, and never has, endorsed any religion, philosophy or system of beliefs any more profound than Butterfinger bars."

The way I see it, only good can come from this. One of several things will happen:
* Cartwright will get fired or have to apologize and repudiate using the 'Bart' voice.
* The Simpsons will suffer, losing more viewers, and maybe get canceled (it's been around for what, like 213 years?)
* Scientology will get more exposure for being the nutsoid religion that it is.

Works for me.

Jim Downey

Hmm . . . no 'Scientology' tag. Well, anyway . . .

(It's there now... Good catch! -Brent)

A teenager is facing prosecution for using the word "cult" to describe the Church of Scientology.

The unnamed 15-year-old was served the summons by City of London police when he took part in a peaceful demonstration opposite the London headquarters of the controversial religion.

Officers confiscated a placard with the word "cult" on it from the youth, who is under 18, and a case file has been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.

* * *

The incident happened during a protest against the Church of Scientology on May 10. Demonstrators from the anti-Scientology group, Anonymous, who were outside the church's £23m headquarters near St Paul's cathedral, were banned by police from describing Scientology as a cult by police because it was "abusive and insulting".

And evidently under UK laws, saying nasty if true things about a religion is illegal. Well, maybe. Maybe the London police have another reason: