June 17 in Scientology history

The weekly show where I answer viewer questions left for me in the comment sections of my Q&A videos or sent to me at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I answer are: (1) If I understand correctly, the Sea Org is a paramilitary organization loosely modeled after the U.S. Navy as Hubbard knew it during World War II. Most military forces have policies on haircuts and facial hair. The U.S. Navy, in particular, has a long on-again-off-again relationship with beards; over the years, they have been repeatedly allowed and then banned again (the ban presently in force was instituted in 1984). Also, unlike the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force, the Navy doesn't allow moustaches. Anyway, my question: what, if any, is the Sea Org policy on haircuts and facial hair? (2) Are you concerned with Jada Pinket's Red Table Talk. It appears to be a new way to sell Scientology without saying the word. Check out her discussion on raising kids as adults.

Tags: 1984, 1998, Aaron Smith-Levin, Critic, L. Ron Hubbard, Leah Remini, Mike Rinder, Quicky, Sea Org, Space Jazz, Xenu

I know there are some withdrawal symptoms accompanying the end of the Sunday Serial. To help, here is another of Terra's signature essays. Groups, Collaboration, and the Bank In Keeping Scientology Working, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, "The common denominator of a group is the reactive mind. Thetans without banks have different responses. They only have their banks in common. They only agree on bank principles. Person to person the bank is identical."

Tags: Aftermath Foundation, Comm Line, Doctor, Keep Scientology Working, L. Ron Hubbard, NASA, Quicky, Sea Org, Terra Cognita

"Ron Miscavige Life After Scientology" will explore Ron's time with the Church of Scientology and expose information that the Church does not want you to know. Please support my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/itmuststop Visit my website: https://www.therealronmiscavige.com/

Tags: David Miscavige, Facebook, Quicky, Ramina Nunnelee, Twitter

Rod Keller has a pretty alarming update for us on Scientology's sneaky "interfaith" efforts scoring some pretty serious paydirt... On June 28 Scientology is co-sponsoring an event in Brussels with ACRE, the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe. Faith and Freedom Summit 2018 is the most important political event for Scientology in years. Speakers and participants include ambassadors, United Nations officials, diplomats, professors, and human rights activists. The list of speakers is packed with Scientologists and their allies. The Solvay Library was constructed in 1902 to host an Institute of Sociology. Scientists such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Niels Bohr participated in the 1927 Solvay Conference during which Einstein was quoted as saying about Heisenberg's theories of quantum mechanics, "God does not play dice," to which Bohr replied, "Einstein, stop telling God what to do." Today the library is open for tours and may be rented for private events.

Tags: 1927, 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, Aaron Rhodes, Ahmed Shaheed, Alec Nevala-Lee, Bashy Quraishy, Belgium, Brussels, Chicago, Chicago Fire, Christian Stolte, Council of Europe, Cult, DC, Dianetics, E-meter, Eric Roux, Europe, European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom, FECRIS, Forum for Religious Freedom Europe, France, Greg Mitchell, HowdyCon, Human Rights Without Frontiers, Hungary, Ideal Org, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, Isaac Asimov, Ivan Arjona-Pelado, Jan Figel, John W. Campbell, Juan Ferreiro-Galguera, Kansas, Kyrgyzstan, Lobbyist, Marco Ventura, Muslim, Office of Special Affairs, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Patricia Duval, Poland, Quicky, Rod Keller, Russia, Sam Brownback, Spain, UN Human Rights Council, United Nations, US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, US State Department, Washington, Willy Fautré

I've received more than a few e-mails telling me that the Scientology Money Project only displays one page and then stops. I was able to recreate this exact problem on Microsoft Edge but no other browsers. After research and troubleshooting, I turned off one plug-in that seems to be the bad actor. This appears to have resolved the problem on my side. Please send feedback to scienowriter@gmail.com

Tags: Microsoft, Quicky

In the latest video that Mark "Marty" Rathbun posted to his website as part of his general attack on Lawrence Wright and his 2013 book Going Clear, Rathbun calls Wright's book a "phony narrative," and accuses Wright of deceiving readers about the way that director Paul Haggis came to investigate and leave the Church of Scientology. Rathbun claims that he deserves credit for putting Haggis on that path, which is left out of the book. Paul Haggis tells us that Rathbun is right about that, and Rathbun does deserve credit — but that it was Paul's own decision to keep that from Wright. Last night, we described to Haggis what Rathbun had said in his latest video ("Going Clear, Part 15"), about Wright omitting Rathbun's role, and a claim about Haggis asking Rathbun to hold back something about his daughters.

Tags: 1989, 1991, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013, Bill Clinton, Chris Shelton, Clay Irwin, Clearwater, Cleveland Street, Copenhagen, David Miscavige, DC, Dead Agent, Disconnection, Fair Game, Flag Land Base, Florida, Germany, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Graham Berry, Hamburg, Hernandez v. Commissioner, Interpol, IRS, Jason Beghe, Jason Scott, John Travolta, Karen de la Carriere, Kelly Preston, Kirstie Alley, Lawrence Wright, Los Angeles, Lucky Anchor, Marty Rathbun, Michael Pattinson, Mike Rinder, Monique Rathbun, Music, New York, Office of Special Affairs, Paris, Paul Haggis, Primary Colors, Private investigator, Proposition 8, Pulitzer Prize, Quicky, Robert Cipriano, Sea Org, St. Petersburg Times, Tax exempt, Texas, TIME, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Ursula Caberta, US Supreme Court, Washington

This week I discuss destructive cults, Scientology and cult recovery with Dr. Natalie Feinblatt, an LA-based psychotherapist and cult recovery specialist. Natalie's website: http://drnataliefeinblatt.weebly.com/ CRITICAL MERCHANDISE IS AVAILABLE NOW!

Tags: Cult, Natalie Feinblatt, Quicky

Why have so many of LRH's Scientology policies been twisted to the point where they do more harm than good? Did the man consciously intend that these policies be used for evil purposes? Did he write them expressly to harm mankind? To exploit others? Was this all some elaborate scheme to make himself rich? Did he intentionally include material in these policies that would inflict hurt and damage? Did he really plan it all out this way? Examples abound of polices that were horribly twisted and misapplied over the years: conditions; disconnection from "suppressive persons;" Keeping Scientology Working; ethics presence; etc. I could spend this whole article simply compiling a list.

Tags: Clear, David Miscavige, Disconnection, Ethics, Keep Scientology Working, L. Ron Hubbard, Norman Starkey, Rehabilitation Project Force, Scientology organization, Sea Org, Suppressive Person, Terra Cognita

Haunting Howdy is a suitably spooky melody to honor the late, great Captain Howdy, and to celebrate the first annual HowdyCon. Grab a turkey leg and raise a toast Cleveland! Written and performed by our own Moxie McGee aka The Hole Does Not Exist. ©2016 Moxie Bay Music

Tags: Captain Howdy, Cleveland, HowdyCon, Moxie Bay Music, Quicky, The Hole

The county council in Frederick County, Maryland, is fighting the Church of Scientology in court to keep the church from putting one of its quack drug rehab centers in a former fish camp known as Trout Run. Readers know we've been following this dispute for some time, and that it's a bit technical. But it's another great example of how Scientology tries to run roughshod over local government officials and local courts, and so we've been keeping an eye on the case, step by step. And now, we think there's an interesting new wrinkle you'd want to hear about. First, the quick rundown to remind you what this fight is all about: Three years ago, Scientology, through its real estate arm Social Betterment Properties International, paid $4.85 million for a parcel of land that included the lodge for a fish camp. The property, known as Trout Run, had once stood in for Camp David in some scenes for The West Wing. Scientology had learned that although the current zoning didn't allow a rehab center, if SBPI could get the parcel put on the county's register of historic places, it would qualify for a zoning exception that would allow renovation of the place for a 20-bed Narconon center.

Tags: 2013, 2015, Captain Howdy, Cleveland, David Miscavige, Frederick County, Historic Preservation Commission, HowdyCon, John Mathias, Judge William Nicklas, Kai Hagen, Katherine Kuranda, Mary Marinelli, Maryland, Michael Proffitt, Narconon, Quicky, Social Betterment Properties International, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, Trout Run

Decades later and still no word on who killed the two friends, but the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office cold case task force won't rest until they figure it out. With the help of social media videos the team creates and posts, they recently got new leads. Investigators want to talk to anyone involved with Tahoe's Church of Scientology in the 1970s and 1980s. "We know they had friends associated with the church," said Stevenson.

Tags: 1982, Dana Dearing, Dave Stevenson, El Dorado County, El Dorado County District Attorney's Office, Julie Schossow, Marilyn Putt, South Lake Tahoe

Tags: Quicky, Regraded Being

(Nibs and his grandson, Jamie DeWolf) Last week, we told you we'd found yet more interesting and previously unseen documents about L. Ron Hubbard and his family in records that have been released lately by the FDA. Researcher R.M. Seibert has been doggedly pursuing the records with the help of the MuckRock website, prying out of the FDA an investigation it did in the 1960s as part of its litigation against the Church of Scientology. Last time, we told you that as part of its investigation of Hubbard, in 1963 the FDA had tracked down and interviewed Hubbard's first wife, Polly, as well as their two children, L. Ron Hubbard Jr — also known as "Nibs" — and Katy.

Tags: 1950, 1952, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1991, 1993, Bob Thomas, Buddhist, Catholic, Christian, DC, Denmark, E-meter, FDA, Founding Church, Gerald Wolfe, Guardian's Office, IRS, Jamie DeWolf, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, Mandy Stadtmiller, Mark Ebner, Mary Sue Hubbard, Muckrock, Nathan Dodell, New York, Paulette Cooper, Quicky, R.M. Seibert, Researcher, Robert Kaufman, Ron DeWolf, Scientology organization, Snow White Program, Tax exempt, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, Trial, Washington, WFMU

Here are some more outrageous claims about Super Power, including from the mega whale himself. The most outrageous statement is in the third paragraph. And the scientologists wonder why people think they are "anti-doctors" and the church loudly proclaims this to be a lie. Meanwhile they promote this sort of nuttiness Scientologists generally ARE "anti-doctor" (unless they are a wealthy doctor who can donate to the cause...)

Tags: Bob Duggan, Chairman of the Board, David Miscavige, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Ideal Org, Jason Beghe, L. Ron Hubbard, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Sandy Dodwell, Sea Org, Super Power

CLEARWATER — Officer Dennis Shane Cason was off-duty, bar-hopping, and drinking Bud Light on Dec. 9. Although he felt a "buzz going," he got behind the wheel of his Ford pickup and crashed into a tree on Hercules Avenue just before 4 a.m. Several witnesses reported that he smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, and an unsteady gait, but his blood-alcohol level was never measured and responding officers did not charge him with DUI, deciding instead to cite Cason for careless driving, according to internal affairs records released Wednesday by the Clearwater Police Department. Cason was also suspended for eight days and will be removed from the SWAT team for two years.

Tags: 9/11, Clearwater, Clearwater Police Department, Cleveland Street, Dan Slaughter, DUI, Fort Harrison, Morton Plant Hospital, Police, Quicky, Raniel Heredia, State Attorney's Office

Church of Scientology OT's refuse to publicly discuss the OT levels for many reasons. One major reason of which the public is unaware is the $100,000 fine OT's agree to pay if they make public any parts of the OT Levels. You read that correctly: OT's sign a contract with Flag Services Organization (FSO) which binds them to pay $100,000 for each and every time they disclose any information about the OT Levels.

Tags: Flag Service Organization, OT, Quicky, Religious Technology Center

Kerri Kasem, Casey's 41-year-old, daughter from his first marriage, is accusing her stepmother Jean, 60, of cheating on her father in the last years of his life.

Tags: 1980, 2007, 2013, California, Casey Kasem, Hollywood Reporter, Jean Kasem, Julie Kasem, Kerri Kasem, Liberty Kasem, Logan Clarke, Los Angeles, Mike Kasem, Nevada, Private investigator, Santa Monica, Steve Haney, Troy Martin, Washington, Wrongful death

The Underground Bunker has been leaked a rare 1952 L. Ron Hubbard recording that surfaced online only briefly five years ago. When it did, some longtime Scientology researchers were astonished, saying they thought it was mere legend. Despite the secrets it unlocks about the formation of Scientology's beginnings, you won't see a mention of this recording in any of the most important books on Scientology — not in Lawrence Wright's Going Clear, not in Russell Miller's Bare-Faced Messiah, or even in Jon Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky. Even Arnie Lerma's vast online archive contains only a very short portion of the full transcript of what you are about to hear. So why is it coming up now?

Tags: 1952, 1960, 2005, 2009, A History of Man, A Piece of Blue Sky, Arnaldo Lerma, Bare-Faced Messiah, Bruce Hines, Cuba, Dianetics, E-meter, Giovanni Ribisi, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, J. Swift, Jon Atack, Kansas, Laura Prepon, Lawrence Wright, Mary Sue Hubbard, Mental Health, Operating Thetan, Phoenix, Quicky, Russell Miller, Sara Northrup, South Park, Venus, Xenu

More OTC Minutes because they contain some unvarnished information about the state of affairs in the church. We will soon hear the hype from Maiden Voyage with the usual magnificent "straight up and vertical" expansion lies news. The clubbed seals will applaud enthusiastically and offer standing ovations prompted by the shills in the front row that would shame a jack-in-the-box on steroids. They will talk about how "incredible" things are and how "this was the greatest event ever" and "we are so fortunate to have COB leading us to a cleared planet" blah blah blah. It's what they WANT to hear. Do you think David and Bonita Wilson, sitting there in the front, want to hear anything other than the "comfortable lies" that the half a million dollars they forked over to the Valley Org is going "make clearing a reality" just like it has now done in Portland and Sydney and Taiwan.... But here is the REALITY. And Sue and Nick are so KoolAid drunk they think this is GOOD news. Proof if ever they needed it that they "are clearing the planet for real."

Tags: 1962, AOLA, Bonita Wilson, CCHR, Chairman of the Board, CIA, Class IV, Class V, Clear, David Miscavige, Don Davis, Edy Lundeen, Extension Course, Field Staff Member, Flag World Tour, Fran Andrews, Golden Age of Tech, Hollywood, International Association of Scientologists, International Management, Jeff Mintz, Kevin Bernes, L. Ron Hubbard Way, Los Angeles, Maiden Voyage, Mission, Nick Lekas, OCA, OT, OT Ambassador, OT Committee, OT V, OT VII, OTC, PAC Base, Portland, Purification Rundown, Quicky, Raw Public, Ray Dolby Ballroom, Saint Hill Special Briefing Course, Super Power, Survival Rundown, Sydney, Taiwan, Tampa

The investigation widens into the Scientology based rehab center Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon's flagship rehab center on Lake Eufaula has been under investigation ever since three people died at the facility during a nine month time period in 2011 and 2012. Sources tell News 9 the Oklahoma Multi-County Grand Jury will now also be investigating the facility. The multi-county grand jury will meet next week. What they are investigating is typically kept secret. However, a former Narconon executive tells News 9 he has been subpoenaed to testify.

Tags: Eric Tenorio, Gary Smith, Narconon, Narconon Arrowhead, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, Oklahoma Multi-County Grand Jury, Pittsburg County Sheriff

I wonder if it is a coincidence that a number of people recently sent me OT Committee pix from this site? Kathy True is right on the ball, as usual. Tracking down the perps like a hounddawg on the trail of a wounded critter. Maybe this will lead her to the leak of her photo of Moxon?

Tags: Harold Beach, Kathy True, Office of Special Affairs, OT Committee, OTC, Quicky

The Church of Scientology International ("CSI") has often been accused of pulling out all the stops to suppress speech critical of the organization. Surprisingly, however, they have not yet made it into the EFF Takedown Hall of Shame. Until now.

Tags: After Earth, Cyberbullying, David Miscavige, Will Smith

The Church of Scientology International (CSI) demanded that GoDaddy take down a website, cheerupwillsmith.com, that uses parody and satire to tweak CSI, its alleged relationship to actor Will Smith, and its reportedly aggressive control over the activities of its members. The site included a letter, purportedly from Scientology leader David Miscavige, requiring CSI members to see After Earth, a new movie starring Will Smith that hasn't done well at the box office, at least three times in order to cheer Will up. The site also demanded that members make videos supporting Smith.

Tags: After Earth, Cyberbullying, David Miscavige, Will Smith

As we predicted, a version of Channel 4's documentary, "Scientologists at War," has appeared on the Internet. We don't know who's responsible for it, but we're embedding it here so our readers not in the UK can get a look at it. We also asked some ex-Scientologists in the UK to give us their impressions of the show after they got to see it when it first aired. And we want to thank our readers who gave us live updates of the program earlier today. Now for the rest, give it a look and tell us what you think!

Tags: 2004, Channel 4, David Miscavige, Documentary, Hamburg, Hartley Patterson, Haydn James, Heber Jentzsch, Hollywood, Independent, Independent Scientology, Ingleside, International Association of Scientologists, IRS, Israel, Jesus, John McGhee, Karen de la Carriere, Martin Padfield, Mimi Rogers, Musical Chairs, Pete Griffiths, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Saint Hill, Saint Hill Manor, Sam Domingo, Samantha Domingo, Scientologists at War, Sea Org, Squirrel, Squirrel Busters, Steve Hall, Texas, The Hole, The Sun, Tom Cruise, UK, Ursula Caberta, Village Voice, Xenu

Marty Rathbun explains how Scientology leader David Miscavige micro-managed the film adaptation of L. Ron Hubbard's sci-fi book and then threw John Travolta under the bus when it was deemed one of the biggest disasters in Hollywood history.

Tags: Battlefield Earth, David Miscavige, Hollywood, John Travolta, Marty Rathbun, Quicky

Meet director Joseph Martin and producer Danielle Clark, the young duo behind tonight's 1-hour documentary on the UK's Channel 4, "Scientologists at War." The program is part of Channel 4's "First Cut" series, which features the work of up-and-coming talent in documentary film making. We ran into Martin and Clark at the home of Marty Rathbun while we were writing about Paul Marrick and Greg Arnold, two former Scientology private eyes.

Tags: Anonymous, Channel 4, David Miscavige, Greg Arnold, Houston, Los Angeles, Marty Rathbun, Narconon, New York, Paul Marrick, Quicky, Scientologists at War, UK

Here is a new message sent out to demonstrate the "straight up and verticaliness" of AOSHUK. These numbers are cumulative from October to June — 8 months. Each OT Level counts as 1 — so if someone complete OT 1-111 that is 3 "OT's" even though its the same person. I doubt this stat counts theory and auditing as two separate "levels" but it may. But give them the benefit of the doubt and count one for each "OT Level" completed. Realize, they are PROUD of these figures!

Tags: Advanced Org, AOLA, AOSHEU, AOSHUK, Belgium, Canada, Class VI, Dianetics, France, Germany, Hungary, International Association of Scientologists, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, OT, Quicky, Russia, South Africa, Spain, UK, Venezuela

L. Ron Hubbard was clearly not keen on the subject of psychiatry. But, it wasn't always that way. In the late forties and early fifties Hubbard put a lot of effort into selling the psychiatric profession on the virtues of Dianetics. In response, he was not only rebuffed but targeted by a well- financed campaign directed by the "very best" psychiatrists to expose Hubbard and Dianetics as alleged frauds. That campaign gained momentum for a couple of decades as it was joined along the way by numerous Federal and State agencies. Increasingly, Hubbard fought escalating fire with escalating fire. He gradually came off his original, soft conclusion from his first book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, that psychiatrists and psychologists did not achieve results mainly because they did not possess a workable mental technology. In the early fifties he often poked fun at the unworkability of psychiatry, psychology and psycho-analysis (their practioners collectively referred to as 'psychs' in Scientology) in his lectures. Then he began to deride mental health professionals as working not to help humankind but instead to control it. His position, while stated with increasing vehemence that betrayed a personal hurt at being attacked instead of recognized by the mental health establishment, was not without support. A four-part BBC documentary, Century of Self (available for free at freedocumentaries.com), though evidencing no connection with Scientology or Hubbard, very competently sums up the valid criticisms Hubbard had been levying for decades prior to its making and airing. It documents the primary use of mental health methodologies for controlling populaces rather than in improving or curing them.

Tags: 1982, 2011, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, BBC, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Guardian's Office, Mental Health, Quicky

Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of coursework, detoxes, fundraising, and generally clearing the planet. So here at the Voice, we've come up with a Scientology Sunday tradition of our own, and we call it Sunday Funnies! Our sources regularly send us Scientology's wacky and tacky fundraising mailers, and each week we choose a few of them to gaze upon, hoping that it inspires you to wax eloquent in our comments section. So here we go... In previous Sunday Funnies entries, we noted that Scientology has claimed credit for an Ideal State (California) and Ideal Continent (Western US), and here's another Ideal victory -- the UK is going Full OT!!! What a Jubilee bonus, as the people at this event just gave and gave, apparently.

Tags: Applied Scholastics, Birthday Event, Birthday Game, Bridge Publications, California, Catholic, Central Files, Clearwater, Dave Fagen, David Miscavige, DC, Debbie Cook, Denver, Dianetics, Facebook, Ideal Org, International Association of Scientologists, Jefferson Hawkins, Jesus, Leaving Scientology, London, Neil Gaiman, New Civilization Builder, New Year's Eve, Orange County, OT, Purification Rundown, Quicky, Sacramento, San Diego, Sea Org, Sheila Gaiman, South Africa, Sunday Funnies, Sunday service, Tokyo, UK, Xenu

I am backlogging on essays of great interest and import to Independent Scientologists. One reason is the news flashes of the now daily over-the-top, inane behavior of the Cult of Miscavige (note: I am no longer granting his dead organization the privilege of using and thereby destroying the name "Scientology"). Because of the plethora of video material of interest to the public at large that we are amassing, I will start posting it on my You Tube channel without (in most cases) distracting the blog from more important matters. You can access my channel and subscribe to it (to receive alerts when new matter is posted) at: http://www.youtube.com/user/sthtexlensman

Tags: Cult, David Miscavige, Independent, Independent Scientologists, Quicky, Twitter

IT was a rare and at times dramatic public appearance by one of the most senior members of a global religious organisation that shrouds itself in secrecy. Surrounded by supporters, senior Scientologist Janice Meyer arrived at the Downing Centre Local Court yesterday, accused of pressuring an 11-year-old girl to lie about sex abuse within the church.

Tags: Australia, CCHR, Freedom Medal, Jan Eastgate, Janice Meyer, Stuart Bouveng, Sydney

More than 30 supporters of high-ranking Scientologist Janice Meyer formed a shield around her to protect her from the media as she left a Sydney courtroom yesterday after being accused of covering up child sexual abuse allegations. Ms Meyer, 57, is facing one count of perverting the course of justice in relation to allegations from 1985 that she told an 11-year-old victim of indecent assault not to report the abuse to police. She was head of the Australian arm of the Scientologists Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a group that advocates against psychiatry, at the time.

Tags: Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Janice Meyer, Magistrate Graeme Henson, Stuart Bouveng, Sydney

It's been another big week of Scientology news here at the Voice. On Monday, we put up what we think was the 'Net's first review of Janet Reitman's masterful new book, Inside Scientology. Then we followed that up with a nugget from the book about how Scientology dictator David Miscavige encourages staff to salute his favorite beagles. But it was our third story of the week, revealing that Marty Rathbun had made public a secret Scientology list of parishioners who had volunteered to be spies for the church, that really kicked up a commenter kerfuffle. After the jump, we'll reveal our favorites from both the pro- and anti-Scientology side of things. First, from the pro- side of things, we enjoyed this skeptical jab at our story on Rathbun's revelation of spying church members by someone who called himself "Mike":

Tags: David Miscavige, Janet Reitman, Marty Rathbun, Office of Special Affairs, Quicky, US State Department

The late L. Ron Hubbard's religion-for-profit, Scientology, now stands accused of coercing employees in their SeaOrg organization into slaying their unborn children through abortions. I have always found it vastly amusing that this transparent scam calling itself a religion has been so popular among the glitterati in Hollywood, but these revelations illustrate how painfully destructive Hubbard's money making scheme has been for so many people over the years.

Tags: Abortion, Sea Org

Mr Springthorpe, who lived in a Macclesfield mansion with wife and fellow believer Yvonne, was a key member of the Manchester branch and was one of the major contributors to its proposed new £3.5m church building in Old Trafford.

Tags: College of Naturopathic Medicine, Manchester, Piers Springthorpe, Sam Butler, UK

That reception is to be expected given the internet and Scientology are still fighting what might be the net's longest running flame war, dating back to the early days of alt.religion.scientology news group. That bitter fight led to lawsuits, raids by the feds and criminal prosecutions of church critics. The criticism of the church has been the same for more than 15 years - that it's a cult which charges believers thousands of dollars for trainings and uses strong-arm tactics to keep members and critics in line. The church's line hasn't changed either - we are misunderstood and we will use the law to silence critics.

Tags: alt.religion.scientology, Anonymous, Google Adsense, Ingo Lehmann

Because of insufficient photo research by Slate's editors, we failed to discover another archival image of von Stauffenberg, which appears to be the one UA used in its publicity campaign. As a result of this mistake, the question the piece raised-whether the photo had been doctored in an effort to make Claus von Stauffenberg look more like Tom Cruise-was unwarranted.

Tags: Tom Cruise, Valkyrie

STAND by for the Fringe's first sect scandal. The world's biggest arts jamboree is facing a boycott over a scathing parody of the Church of Scientology. A musical about the controversial religious sect will premiere in Edinburgh during the event in August. Drama group Collapsible Theatre is staging Xenu Is Loose! - a satirical science-fiction production poking fun at the doctrines of the organisation, which has a host of celebrity adherents, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta. But the spoof drama has provoked an angry response from Scientologists, which has urged people to stay away, and is considering what action to take against the play.

On June 4, Wilcox delivered a speech about the state of the school system to a luncheon sponsored by Florida Citizens for Social Reform, a nonprofit group formed by local Scientologists. The event was at the Fort Harrison Hotel, the centerpiece of Scientology's worldwide spiritual headquarters in Clearwater. In his speech, Wilcox strongly urged members of the controversial group, as well as those from other churches, to volunteer in public schools.

Tags: Catholic, Clayton Wilcox, Clearwater, Florida Citizens for Social Reform, Fort Harrison, NAACP, Tampa

The bus driver, an employee of the church's Flag Service Organization in Clearwater, told church officials the injured man ran at the moving bus and punched a window before slipping under it, according to church spokesman Ben Shaw. The bus was heading east on Cleveland Street near Washington Avenue at about 8:20 p.m. Tuesday when, police said, Milton Powell, 69, of 1365 Windsor Drive stepped into the roadway and was struck. Powell was then run over by the bus' rear wheels, police spokesman Wayne Shelor said.

Tags: Ben Shaw, Clearwater, Cleveland Street, Flag Service Organization, Police, Wayne Shelor

California's top educator said Wednesday that he has ordered the state Department of Education to investigate an antidrug program used by schools around the state whose teachings have been linked with the Church of Scientology. State schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell said the investigation could lead to an order barring schools from using the program, called Narconon Drug Prevention and Education.

Tags: Arlene Ackerman, California, California Department of Education, Clark Carr, David Smith, Igor Grant, Jack O'Connell, Los Angeles, Narconon, Narconon Drug Prevention and Education, Neal Benowitz, Ooze towel, Peter Banys, San Francisco, Timmen Cermak

Florida prosecutors have dropped felony charges against the Church of Scientology in connection with the widely publicized death of a church member in Clearwater, Fla. State prosecutor Bernie McCabe said his office could not prove its case in the 1995 death of church member Lisa McPherson, 36.

Tags: Bernie McCabe, Lisa McPherson, Mike Rinder

An unlicensed drug and alcohol treatment center can continue treating patients under an order by the state Supreme Court. The court on Monday temporarily set aside a permanent injunction to close the Narconon Chilocco New Life Center near Newkirk in north-central Oklahoma. The high court also granted Narconon Chilocco's request to seal some of the contents contained in its appeal application, according to the order signed by Chief Justice Marian Opala. The stay will remain in effect until the Supreme Court makes a decision on an appeal contesting the permanent injunction issued last month by a Kay County judge.

Tags: Gary Smith, Justice Marian Opala, Narconon, Narconon Chilocco, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Supreme Court, Tonkawa

A permanent injunction to close an unlicensed drug and alcohol treatment center has been temporarily set aside by the Oklahoma State Supreme Court. The action allows Narconon Chilocco New Life Center, north of Newkirk, to continue to treat patients. The court's stay will remain in effect until it acts on an appeal filed by Narconon International, Narconon Chilocco's parent organization, and the Tonkawa tribe, or pending any further order. The high court also granted Narconon Chilocco's request to seal some of the contents contained in its appeal application, according to an order signed by Chief Justice Marian Opala. The other justices concurred. .alignleft{float:left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0;} .alignright{float:right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;}

Tags: 1990, Arizona, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, Gary Smith, Judge Neal Beekman, Justice Marian Opala, Kay County, Narconon, Narconon Chilocco, Narconon International, Newkirk, Oklahoma, Oklahoma County District Court, Oklahoma Department of Health, Oklahoma Supreme Court, Tonkawa

An unlicensed drug and alcohol treatment center can continue treating patients under an order by the state Supreme Court. The court Monday temporarily set aside a permanent injunction to close the Narconon Chilocco New Life Center near Newkirk in north-central Oklahoma. The high court also granted Narconon Chilocco's request to seal some of the contents contained in its appeal application, according to the order signed by Chief Justice Marian Opala.

Tags: Gary Smith, Justice Marian Opala, Kay County, Narconon, Narconon Chilocco, Oklahoma Supreme Court, Tonkawa