August 16 in Scientology history

While we've been covering Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson's very serious criminal investigation and court case over the last several years, we also happened to discover something not to so serious that he was also involved with in federal court. It was a series of lawsuits that he and his wife Bijou Phillips had filed against the mortgage holder of their Hollywood Hills home, a $4 million landmark on Hollyridge Drive that at one point was owned by rock 'n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry. Masterson's lawsuits, filed without an attorney and containing some bizarre sovereign-citizen flavor, accused his mortgage holder, the Bank of New York Mellon and the Mortgage Electronic Registrations Systems (MERS), of filing fatally flawed paperwork that not only meant the Mastersons didn't need to make payments on their house, but also that they were entitled to $5 million in damages.

Tags: 1970, 1971, 1990, 2001, 2007, 2018, Associated Press, Bijou Phillips, California, Committee of Evidence, Danny Masterson, Easter, Flag Service Organization, Google, Hollywood, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, Instagram, Keep Scientology Working, Mortgage, Narconon, Narconon Arrowhead, New York, Newkirk, Oklahoma, OT, Rusty Tweed, Scientology celebrity, Sexual assault, South Africa

ROME—American Cardinal Raymond Burke, who staunch conservatives in the Catholic Church view as something of an anti-Pope Francis, is fighting for his life on a ventilator in a Wisconsin hospital after contracting what he often referred to as the "Wuhan Virus." The prelate was on a vacation from Rome, where he lives. The 73-year-old cardinal has shown himself to be a COVID-19 denier, publicly scoffing at Italy's strict lockdown measures during the height of the pandemic and was even seen strolling around Rome mask-free even when face coverings were mandated outside. He was the subject of a brief Italian news report that showcased Americans defying Italy's anti-COVID measures, telling the newspaper that closing Catholic churches and social outdistancing was "un-Godly." Burke has been one of Pope Francis' harshest critics, teaming up with Stever Bannon and conservative Italian politician Matteo Salvini to condemn Francis on issues such as immigration and homosexuality. He was also tapped to be the spiritual director of a failed venture by Bannon to develop an alt-right academy in an ancient monastery in the foothills of Rome, which has been curtailed by the Italian government.

Tags: 2010, 2014, 2020, Abortion, Alt-Right, American Catholic, Catholic, Catholic Church, Coronavirus, Covidiot, Doctor, Donald Trump, Europe, Italy, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Matteo Salvini, Pope Francis, Raymond Burke, Rome, US Secretary of State, Wisconsin

As you've no doubt heard by now, the Biden administration's decision to leave Afghanistan has become an unmitigated disaster thanks to the shocking speed with which the Taliban have taken control of the country. Obviously the situation isn't solely the fault of Joe Biden; rather, it's a 20-year scene in the making, started by a guy who would prefer to be associated with his painting career than with the deaths of thousands of Americans and two unending wars. As my colleague Eric Lutz noted earlier, though, it is the case that "what is happening in Afghanistan is precisely what Biden said, in no uncertain terms, would not happen," from his insistence that the Afghan government would be able to hold the line against the Taliban to his claim that under no circumstances would we see "people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan," which was almost exactly the case. Most heartbreaking, the administration had sworn it would protect Afghan nationals and other partners on the ground, but many have been left in a terrifying state of limbo. Still, Biden's three presidential predecessors aren't exactly in a position to criticize. Of course, understanding why they should keep their thoughts on the matter to themselves at this time requires self-awareness—something Donald Trump was born without, hence his absurd call over the weekend for Biden to resign: Former president Donald Trump Sunday called on President Biden to "resign in disgrace" over his handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and other issues. "It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan, along with the tremendous surge in COVID, the border catastrophe, the destruction of energy independence, and our crippled economy," the former president wrote in a statement.

Tags: 2001, 2019, 2022, 9/11, Afghanistan, Anti-vaxx, Company, Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos, Joe Biden, Joe Manchin, Quicky, Republican, Scam, Slate Magazine

It is always entertaining to read the propaganda sent out by CCHR accusing psychiatry of "scare-mongering." Anyone familiar with CCHR (and scientology in general) is aware that their reason for existing is to "scare-monger" about psychology and psychiatry. How scary is it that they are saying they need to be prepared for a spike in demand as a result of the pandemic? You bet scientology briefings to solicit "donations" are talking about the trauma and "restimulation" of people who all need help and that orgs should be getting them in....

Tags: Anti-Semitism, CCHR, Facebook, International Association of Scientologists, Quicky, Tony Muhammad, Twitter

If you haven't been paying attention to the news in the U.S. you might not be aware of the clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and police in Portland, Oregon. It's been a sometimes bloody street fight with protesters hurling rocks, eggs, and paint, while police attempt to take back control wearing riot gear and firing tear gas. The Scientology org is about eight blocks from the epicenter of the violence at the U.S. Courthouse. It's close enough to smell the smoke from street fires and to feel the burning in the throat that tear gas can bring. Scientologist and Patron Meritorious Adi Klevit described her experience driving though the area, which has strengthened her resolve to donate more money to Scientology. It's an article of faith among members that only Scientology can address the problems of war, crime, and civil unrest. The mechanism by which such a small number of Scientologists can resolve civil unrest is never explained, but it's certainly expensive. A crisis such as this can be a big boost for fundraising as Scientologists feel restoring peace and calm can only be achieved through their donations. This video came to us from a recent web-based fundraiser for the International Association of Scientologists, which raised millions of dollars for the organization. I just want to tell you what we're going to do but first of all I'm going to tell you why, right? So my husband Ben is the PS (Public Secretary) of the Portland org works with Jeremy and he's been on staff for 28 years. I'm OT 8, and OT Ambassador. And we recently did our Patron Meritorious [$250,000 in donations] in the middle of this whole insanity when it totally didn't make any sense whatsoever and since then we've been making more contributions because it is so needed. I want to tell you a story. About a week ago my son who is also on staff almost five years at the Portland org. He's a reg there. I live in [?] which is about 10 minutes from downtown Portland but it's a very nice suburb — social veneers, super sick, you wouldn't even think that anything would happen.

Tags: 1971, Adi Klevit, Black Lives Matter, Chairman of the Board, Committee of Evidence, Copenhagen, Flag Service Organization, Golden Age of Knowledge, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, International Association of Scientologists, L. Ron Hubbard, Oregon, OT 8, OT Ambassador, Patron Meritorious, Portland, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Scientology 8-80

The Church of Scientology reached out to The Post Friday with an explosive response to word that Leah Remini's A&E docuseries is going out with a bang. News broke Thursday that the final episode of "Scientology and the Aftermath" will air Aug. 26, at Remini's behest — it was not canceled. The former Scientologist-turned-anti-Scientology activist's two-hour finale, taped in front of a studio audience of former E-Meter flock , will examine sexual assault allegations against Scientologist and "That '70s Show" star Danny Masterson , who has not been charged with a crime and dubs the claims "beyond ridiculous."

Tags: 1979, 2013, 2016, 2017, A&E, Bobette Riales, Chrissie Carnell, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, E-meter, Hollywood Reporter, Leah Remini, Quicky, Religious worker, Scientology and the Aftermath, Sexual assault

A copy of the new Scientology lawsuit filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court has made its way to us, and we are reading it almost the same time as you are. Please help us go through this thing with a fine tooth comb, and let us know what you find interesting. With a powerful national legal team behind them, the plaintiffs in this lawsuit are four women who have accused Scientologist actor Danny Masterson of violently raping them in incidents between 2002 and 2004. One of the women went to the Los Angeles Police Department with her allegations in 2004 but no charges were filed. We broke the news in March 2017 that three of the women, once they had learned that each of them had been victimized, went to the LAPD for a new investigation. All three women had been Scientologists themselves, and one of them, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, decided to publicly identify herself. A fourth woman who had not been a Scientologist also came forward and joined the investigation and also decided to identify herself. Her name is Bobette Riales. The other two women continue to remain unidentified. Since 2017 we have referred to them as Victim B and Victim C, but in this lawsuit they are named Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 respectively.

Tags: 2002, 2004, 2017, Bobette Riales, Celebrity Centre, Chrissie Carnell, Church of Scientology International, Cult Awareness Podcast, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, Ex-JW, Hollywood, HowdyCon, Jackie Lacey, Jerry Minor, LAPD, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Superior Court, Measles, Police, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Saturday Night Live, Tulsi Gabbard

During the Obama years, Portland was widely seen as a redoubt of crunchy, progressive, west coast liberalism. Much of the world saw the city through the lens of Portlandia, a TV sketch show that lampooned hipsters, cyclists and fussy diners. The city was viewed as a liberal, cultural centre of the US – and a sharp contrast with more traditional conservative parts of the country. Its laid-back image was frequently satirised, not least by the comedian Fred Armisen, who said: "It's where young people go to retire." Portlandia was more a caricature than a portrait, and locals noted what it left out – rapid gentrification and displacement, increasing homelessness, the contentious policing of the Portland police bureau (PPB) and the long racist history in the Pacific north-west that made Portland the whitest major city in America. The former NBA player Greg Oden said of his time playing in Portland: "It isn't a great city to live in if you're a young African American male with a lot of money." This weekend will see the latest in a long line of far-right gatherings that have plagued the city over the last few years. Various groups, including the most visible, the Proud Boys, will descend on the downtown area. Once again they will be met by leftist counter-protesters. And once again, PPB will be under heavy scrutiny for the way in which they police the event.

Tags: 1980, 1988, 1990, 2015, 2016, 2017, 8chan, Africa, Alex Jones, Alt-Right, Andy Ngo, Antifa, California, Christian Right, Cider Riot, Donald Trump, Facebook, Gavin McInnes, Google, Harmeet Dhillon, James Damore, Joe Biggs, Joey Gibson, Neo-Nazi, New York City, Oath Keepers, Oregon, Patriot Prayer, Police, Portland, Proud Boys, Republican National Committee, Review, Ted Cruz, Ted Wheeler, Texas, Three Percenters, Trial, Twitter, University of Oregon, Vancouver, Voter suppression, Washington, White nationalism, White supremacist

Share this... Facebook Pinterest Twitter Linkedin

Tags: Facebook, Quicky, Regraded Being, Twitter

As soon as four women filed reports with Los Angeles Police in 2016 and 2017 alleging they were raped by actor Danny Masterson, the Church of Scientology unleashed a campaign of terror to intimidate the accusers and protect its celebrity parishioner, according to a joint lawsuit filed this week in Los Angeles Superior Court. The women repeatedly found strangers around their homes, sometimes peering inside with flashlights at night. Their email accounts were hacked and credit cards stolen. One woman's dog mysteriously died and the autopsy showed trauma to its trachea. They were chased in cars; one was run off the road. They were followed into grocery stores and nail salons. All have woken up to find their car doors and trunks wide open. The 22-page complaint names Masterson, the Church of Scientology International and leader David Miscavige as defendants to claims of stalking, libel, slander, invasion of privacy and conspiracy.

Tags: 1950, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2016, 2017, Bobette Riales, Brian Kent, California, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Child abuse, CHILD USA, Chrissie Carnell, Church of Scientology International, Craigslist, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, Delaware, Ethics Officer, Facebook, Fair Game, FBI, Gaetano D'Andrea, High Crime, Human trafficking, Jeffrey Fritz, Lauren Stram, Lawsuit, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Superior Court, Marci Hamilton, Miami, Philadelphia, Police, Quicky, Sexual assault, Stewart Ryan, Suppressive Person, Victoria, William Forman

One question hangs over every mass shooting: How could a person plot and execute such horrific violence? In the search for answers, psychiatric drugs have emerged as a culprit. One viral list that gets to the heart of this belief catalogues several dozen assailants and the psychiatric medicine they were said to be on. For example, the list includes the case of Eric Harris, one of the Columbine High School shooters, who the Washington Post confirmed had been prescribed the antidepressant Luvox. Likewise, the New York Times confirmed that Jeff Weise, a Minnesota teen who in 2005 killed nine before killing himself, and whose name also appeared on the list, had been prescribed Prozac.

Tags: 1966, 1969, 1970, 2001, 2005, 2013, 2017, 2018, ADHD, Australia, Barack Obama, CCHR, Daily Beast, Dayton, El Paso, England, Eric Harris, Facebook, Food and Drug Administration, Holocaust, Law enforcement, Medical, Minnesota, Mother Jones, New York Times, NPR, Ohio, Oregon, OT, Police, Prozac, Psychiatric treatment, Quicky, Ritalin, Shooting, Stephen Kent, Suicide, Texas, University of Alberta, Violence, Washington Post

This week I have an extended talk with former Scientologist and Sea Org member Jeff Hawkins. He oversaw a significant amount of the marketing and promotion for Scientology during the key period of Scientology's biggest success period - the 1970s and 80s. He also lived at the Int Base in Gilman Hot Springs for years and worked directly under David Miscavige (and was physically abused by him). Jeff talks about all of this and more in our chat.

Tags: 1970, David Miscavige, Gilman Hot Springs, Int Base, Jefferson Hawkins, Quicky, Sea Org

From time to time we're asked if famous jazz bassist Stanley Clarke is still involved in Scientology (and the person asking is usually hoping we'll say no). For a while there, we hadn't seen Stanley showing much involvement in the organization, and so we weren't sure what to say. But then, ten days ago, we put up a three-year-old Scientology music video that clearly showed Clarke taking part, and so we pointed out he's at least still in it to a certain extent. But then a tipster sent us this article, showing that Clarke is still so gung-ho he showed up on the cover of Scientology's 'Celebrity' magazine earlier this year. Ah, what a shame. We thought you'd like to see the piece, which is rather more tepid than the article about Laura Prepon that caused a stir three years ago.

Tags: 1970, 1980, Celebrity, Celebrity Centre, Chick Corea, Chris Shelton, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Facebook, Int Base, Jefferson Hawkins, Laura Prepon, New York Times, Objectives, OT, Potential Trouble Source, Quicky, Sea Org, Stanley Clarke, Student Hat, Survival Rundown

Columbus is DOING IT! Not really. Lots of action about Columbus this week. There must be a fundraising mission there...

Tags: 1990, Australia, Columbus, David Miscavige, OT, Quicky, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Sea Org, Thursday Funnies

The alleged ties between the administration of President Donald Trump and Russia are currently the subject of intensive media scrutiny. But perhaps less well known are the connections between a Kremlin ideologue described as "Putin's brain" and key members of the U.S. alt-right and white supremacist movement, including those behind the Charlottesville protest. Alexander Dugin is a Russian ultranationalist and former adviser to Sergei Naryshkin, a key member of Vladimir Putin's United Russia party who was appointed Russian foreign intelligence chief in 2016. Dugin supports Orthodox Russia's role as a bulwark against what he has portrayed as the decadent forces of the liberal West. Amongst Saturday's headline speakers was Richard Spencer, who claims to have invented the term "alt-right," and has disseminated its white nationalist ideology via his National Policy Institute think-tank, as well as a network of websites and publishing ventures.

Tags: 2014, 2015, 2016, Aleksandr Dugin, Alex Jones, Alt-Right, AltRight Corporation, Bashar al-Assad, Business Insider, Charlottesville, Confederate, David Duke, Donald Trump, Europe, Germany, Hungary, Infowars, Kremlin, Ku Klux Klan, League of the South, Matthew Heimbach, Moscow, National Policy Institute, Neo-Nazi, Nina Kouprianova, Richard Spencer, Russia, Sergei Naryshkin, Skype, Southern Poverty Law Center, Syria, Trevor Smith, University of Texas, Vladimir Putin, White nationalism, White supremacist

Don't know about you, but after last night's episode of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, we were left feeling a bit up in the air. If you remember, at the opening of the episode, we were reminded that at the end of last season, Mike and Leah were talking about meeting with attorneys to get some legal action going in regards to Scientology. And then, over the summer, we were teased with a brief scene about "detectives" showing up to talk to Leah. Last night, we didn't really learn much about that discussion in Manhattan with an attorney, but we did learn that the subjects of last night's second season premiere episode, Mirriam Francis and Saina Kamula, met recently with Los Angeles Police Department detectives and brought along Leah Remini and Mike Rinder for support. Cameras weren't allowed in that meeting, and we weren't really sure from last night's episode what to conclude about those talks. So we asked Mirriam and Saina about it directly. Mirriam: The meeting with the detectives went well. I had first lodged my police statement in Australia in 2012. Over the course of a few years the investigator compiled a thorough and complete case, which he submitted, only to be told it had to be sent to US Authorites as that's where my father currently resides. Since that time I have had no update on my case and the Australian police have not been able to give me any information. So, I felt somewhat re-charged sitting down with the LAPD detectives. A feeling that perhaps now something would happen. The LAPD detectives were lovely. They seemed to listen and care about what we had to say. Our statememts were officially lodged. But nothing much has resulted.

Tags: 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2012, 2013, A&E, AOLA, Australia, Canyon Oaks, CCHR, Child labor, Completed Staff Work, Ethics, Facebook, Int Base, L. Ron Hubbard Way, LAPD, Leah Remini, Los Angeles, Manhattan, Mike Rinder, Mirriam Francis, Org Board, Police, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Religious Technology Center, Saina Kamula, Scientology and the Aftermath, Sea Org, Sexual assault, Sydney

Thanks to everyone for supporting the show last night. There were too many tweets, messages, FB posts, blog comments here and at the Underground Bunker to possibly keep up, or respond to all the expressions of support and outrage. So let this be a general thanks to everyone. But thanks beyond all thanks goes to two incredible, brave women, Mirriam Francis and Saina Kamula who stood up, spoke up and gave voice to every victim of similar abuse in scientology. There is MUCH more to their stories as you might imagine. Only so much can fit in the minutes available for the show. I wish we could tell the entire story of every person as the amazing details and information they have is so compelling and so heartbreaking. A&E provides the opportunity to tell these stories, but there are limitations in what can be included and what has to be left out. We have to try to capture the important essence of their stories in 48 minutes. From the reaction I have seen so far, it was powerful.

Tags: A&E, Critic, Dead Agent, Disconnection, Leah Remini, Quicky, Scientology and the Aftermath, Underground Bunker

On Tuesday night's second season premiere of A&E's Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, two women born into Scientology gave their accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of members of the church, and alleged that other church members ignored them when they shared what had happened. Saina Kamula, who appears first in the video above, said that she was bullied when she began attending the Scientology-run Apollo Training Academy (which she described as "basically a school," with a laugh). When she was 8, she says a teacher took her under his wing, only to begin touching her inappropriately and kissing her on the neck. When she told her mother she didn't want to go to that school, Kamula recalls, "She didn't ask me why. She just said, 'You're being counter-intention to my dreams, to my purpose.'" Kamula then alleges that she attempted to tell another teacher, who accused her of "nattering"—Scientology speak for "negative chatter."

Tags: 1994, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013, A&E, Abuse, Apollo Training Academy, Canyon Oaks, Dianetics, Gabriel Williams, Jennifer Stewart, LAPD, Leah Remini, Mike Rinder, Mirriam Francis, Saina Kamula, Scientology and the Aftermath, Sea Org, Sexual assault, Suppressive Person, USA Today

They were all friends until the Charlottesville protest happened on the weekend. Then the so-called "alt-right" bared its fangs, running afoul of Canada's more euphemistic brand of racism. The rally to Unite the Right ended up fracturing it instead — at least in Canada.

Tags: Alt-Right, Anti-Semitism, Barbara Kay, Bell Media, Brian Lilley, Canada, Charlottesville, Donald Trump, Ezra Levant, Faith Goldy, Jewish, John Robson, Muslim, Neo-Nazi, Richard Spencer, Unite the Right, White supremacist

Underground Bunker reader Once Born, who runs the always informative blog, Scientology Books and Media, got his hands on a fascinating 1951 issue Marvel Science Stories that contains a three-part debate over Dianetics, L. Ron Hubbard's invention that had been released the year before. In this piece, being released simultaneously here and at his blog, Once Born goes through the magazine debate, which featured Hubbard himself. The Marvel Science Stories that we're looking at today came out in May 1951 — one year after the first article describing "Dianetics" appeared in Astounding Science Fiction. During this time, the editor of Astounding, John W Campbell (initially an enthusiastic convert) had promoted Dianetics for all he was worth. However, by March 1951 the Dianetics fad had run its course in Astounding (you can follow the rise and fall of Dianetics in Astounding here).

Tags: 1950, 1951, 1952, Astounding Science Fiction, Clear, Dianetics, Dianetics Foundation, Forrest Ackerman, Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation, Jack Parsons, James Blish, John W. Campbell, L. Ron Hubbard, Lester del Rey, Quicky, Shrine Auditorium, Sonya Bianchi, Theodore Sturgeon

After nearly a decade on the real estate market, Holy City, located in the Santa Cruz mountains near Los Gatos, was purchased for the bargain price of $6 million. Holy City's new owners are Robert Duggan and Trisha Duggan. Forbes estimates their worth at $3.2 billion, and they are the Church of Scientology's biggest donors.

Tags: 1919, Bob Duggan, Holy City, Trish Duggan, William Riker

"Father Riker was a reverend who was less than stellar and quite a bigot in many respects," Darren Eastman, a neighbor to the property told CBS San Francisco. Trying to avoid the word "cult," Eastman calls the former inhabitants a "religious society," and notes that today, nearby kids often follow the old footpaths, looking for the abandoned zoo. Now, the property has recently been reclaimed by a wealthy Silicon Valley couple, who, in a weird twist, also happen to be Scientology's biggest donors. Duggan served as CEO of Pharmacyclics, a biotech company, when it sold to AbbVie in 2015 for $21 billion, but even prior to that, Duggan and his artist wife Trish had in 2013 reportedly given $20 million to the church.

Tags: 2013, Bob Duggan, Holy City, Pharmacyclics, Silicon Valley, Trish Duggan, William Riker

Why am I not surprised. The mystery has been solved: How come the greatest advance in planetary dissemination in history has been unnaturally quiet? Not a single ad has appeared. The airwaves have not been flooded with all the good news about scientology. In fact, it is deafening silence from the center of the universe as we know it. Remember how much hype there was about how this was the "uncorrupted communication line to the billions" and all sorts of other vast overstatements? This is the headline and first paras of the article on scientology.org.... But the explanation of SuMP's invisibility has now been revealed. And it's a familiar one.

Tags: Bridge to Total Freedom, Cathy Grist, Colin Davie, Command Intention, OT, Quicky, Scientology Media Productions, Zee Fear

The show where I answer your questions. Please leave any comments or feedback in the comments section here below. I see everything and want to hear from you, If you can't or don't want to comment here but have a question you would like to ask me, you can also email me at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. Subscribe to my new podcast at http://sensiblyspeaking.com Questions asked this week:

Tags: 1960, Christian, Critic, David Miscavige, Howard Stern, Ireland, Jenna Elfman, John Sweeney, Kirstie Alley, Leah Remini, Quicky, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Tony Ortega, Touch Assist

Yes, of course they did. The Moneywinds is now promoting they have an "OT VIII, IX and X C/S." Love to go to one of those briefings and get the full rundown from Bob on how he C/Ses OT IX and X....

Tags: Bob Anderson, Clear, Freewinds, OT, OT III, OT IX, OT VIII, OT X, Quicky, Stevens Creek

While Bob Duggan and Grant Cardone continue their epic journey — Summer of '15, the Bromance — we're busy here in the Underground Bunker chasing down a dozen new leads that came in while we were traveling in Europe. We have some big stories coming down the pike, including some big announcements, but for now we're researching and making phone calls and sending out emails so you'll have plenty to read in the coming weeks and months. While we're deep in the weeds in some very complex new Scientology documents, we learned yesterday that Bob Duggan's summer reading fare is a bit lighter, as his bro Grant Cardone explained to a fan who sent in this question…

Tags: Bob Duggan, Bromance, Europe, Grant Cardone, Jeffrey Augustine, Student Hat, The Way to Happiness

We want to thank LA Curbed for so generously crediting the Underground Bunker with our scoop last year about Mary Sue Hubbard's Los Feliz house. After a year's delay, it's on the market for the price we said it would be listed at, a cool 2.5 million clams! You may remember the strange tale we told last summer: Mary Sue Hubbard, the third and final wife of Scientology's founder, was rewarded for her loyalty with a lovely home near Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Mary Sue had taken the fall after the 1977 FBI raid on Scientology and the ensuing prosecutions that brought prison sentences for 11 top Guardian Office executives. L. Ron Hubbard himself was only named an unindicted co-conspirator as his wife took the blame and went to prison in 1983. (He had gone into hiding in 1980 and died in seclusion in 1986.) She served a year of her four-year sentence, and after she got back out, lived out her years in the nice home at 2345 Chislehurst Drive.

Tags: 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986, 2002, Barcelona, Curbed, David Miscavige, Dianetics, FBI, Guardian's Office, Int Base, Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Mary Sue Hubbard, Quicky, Spain

This new book is a must read for anyone interested in scientology and what goes on inside the church. Peter Bonyai recounts his experiences from the day he first walked into a mission in Pecs, Hungary through his life in the Sea Org and ultimately to his departure 10 years later. I helped Peter by editing the english translation (he wrote it in his native tongue and translated it himself).

Tags: 1985, 1994, 2007, Amazon, Basics, Budapest, Clear, Clearwater, Continental Liaison Office, Copenhagen, David Miscavige, Denmark, Dianetics, Disconnection, Ethics Officer, Europe, Flag Service Organization, Florida, Hungary, International Association of Scientologists, Isaac Asimov, Justice Chief, L. Ron Hubbard, Money, Power, Servitude, Munich, Office of Special Affairs, Personality test, Peter Bonyai, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Scientology organization, Sea Org, The Forum, Walter Kotric, Werner Erhard

Atheists Talk cable program by Minnesota Atheists. "Scientology, Part 1" recorded 5/7/2014 James Zimmerman interviews former Scientology Sea Org member Chris Shelton about Scientology. Part 1.

Tags: Chris Shelton, Minnesota, Quicky, Sea Org

Atheists Talk cable program by Minnesota Atheists. "Scientology, Part 2" recorded 5/7/2014 James Zimmerman interviews former Scientology Sea Org member Chris Shelton about Scientology. Part 2.

Tags: Chris Shelton, Minnesota, Quicky, Sea Org

Tulsa attorney David Keesling, who represents the National Association of Forensic Counselors, said the lawsuit is the first to "connect the dots" linking the Church of Scientology, its leader, David Miscavige, and a host of related entities to Narconon's programs. Narconon claims that it operates 100 drug rehabilitation and treatment centers in 30 countries, and that its Oklahoma facility is the largest. In addition to the federal suit, 10 lawsuits have been filed in Pittsburg County District Court alleging wrongful deaths of Narconon patients, negligence, fraud and other claims against the drug rehabilitation facility.

Tags: Anonymous, David Keesling, David Miscavige, David Riggs, Eric Tenorio, Gabriel Graves, Gary Smith, Hillary Holten, Insurance fraud, Jeffrey Dismukes, Marty Rathbun, Mike Rhodes, Narconon, Narconon Arrowhead, Narconon Georgia, National Association of Forensic Counselors, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma Insurance Department, Oklahoma Multi-County Grand Jury, Paul Wilkening, Pittsburg County, Planetary dissemination, Stacy Murphy, Texas

Radical Corporate Scientology has become a collection of individuals begging for money under various guises and for an almost unlimited number of reasons. It is hard to imagine what it must be like to be one considered fair game by the circling vultures. I am sent the pleas and demands on a via and invariably the person who send it to me reports the insane volume of calls, texts, emails and snail mail that they receive. Fortunately, I get nothing from the RCS directly. As time goes by the "reasons" to give become more and more "creative." It's like a convention of snake oil salesman gathered around a table — those with the best (most pathetic?) pitches will get to eat from the ever-diminishing amount of meat left on the few remaining carcasses. As the salesman get hungrier, their pleas become louder, more frequent and more insane. See the post a couple of days ago concerning using Sea Org Day as a poor excuse to give money to the IAS.

Tags: Author Services Inc, Dan Sherman, David Miscavige, International Association of Scientologists, L. Ron Hubbard, Loyal Officers, Quicky, Sea Org, Tony Ortega

MailOnline can today reveal the first close-up pictures of the Church of Scientology's 'alien space cathedral' built in a remote part of the New Mexico desert. The mysterious building which leads to an underground vault sits next to two giant symbols carved into the ground - believed to be markers for the religion's followers to find their way back from the ends of the universe after humanity is destroyed in the future. While no one knows the definite meaning of the pair of overlapping circles, each with a diamond in them, it is believed to have been trademarked by the Church of Technology, a branch of Scientology.

Tags: 1953, 1980, 1990, Armageddon, BBC, California, Church of Spiritual Technology, Clear, Dianetics, John Sweeney, L. Ron Hubbard, Lake Arrowhead, Las Vegas, New Mexico, Operating Thetan, OT, Quicky, The Church of Fear, Tim Gallagos, Tom Cruise, Trementina, Vault, Xenu

Lecture on assessment

Tags: L. Ron Hubbard

We're still hearing from people about the Church of Scientology's denials that it forces "disconnection" on members who have been excommunicated ("declared a suppressive person"). Cindy Plahuta, of Colorado, has a sadly typical story of how she learned about disconnection. After more than 20 years in the church, she became concerned about things she couldn't ignore — that the president of the Church of Scientology International, Heber Jentzsch, has reportedly been a prisoner of "The Hole" since about 2004, for example. When Cindy asked her daughter, Kara Landry, what she thought about Heber's plight, Landry reacted by turning in her own mother to church ethics officers. (Previously, they had been very close — that's them in a photo taken on Kara's wedding day.) Landry subsequently disconnected from her, and since then Cindy has heard nothing from her daughter, who works at Scientology's South Coast Mission in Orange County, California.

Tags: 1986, 2000, 2004, Angry Gay Pope, Auditing, California, Church of Scientology International, Church of Spiritual Technology, Cindy Plahuta, Claire Headley, Clearwater, Colorado, Daily Mail, David Miscavige, Denver, Dianetics, Disconnection, Dylan Gill, E-meter, Flag Land Base, Florida, Heber Jentzsch, Hollywood, Hollywood Guaranty Building, Int Base, J. Swift, John Travolta, Kara Landry, Karen de la Carriere, Kirstie Alley, L. Ron Hubbard, Las Vegas, Leah Remini, Lisa Marie Presley, Lori Hodgson, Los Angeles, LRH House, Margery Wakefield, Marty Rathbun, Master at Arms, Mike Rinder, National Enquirer, New Mexico, Office of Special Affairs, Operating Thetan, Orange County, OT, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Sec Check, South Coast Mission, Suppressive Person, The Hole, Tom Cruise, Tom DeVocht, Trementina

While the site remains a mystery for many, The Mail found one non-Scientologist who has seen the "alien space cathedral," Tim Gallagos, a Las Vegas Sheriff's Department officer in the 1990s. Gallagos said the lair contains machines to copy the works of Hubbard to share post-Armageddon and described the vault as a "giant time capsule" where all the scriptures were being kept. He said there was a one-bedroom house near the vault but it had no technology, adding he "wouldn't want to live there. "I was suspicious of it, the whole thing," he said of the guided tour he went on in the '90s. "It did feel like they were hiding something. I wasn't allowed to go into certain areas. I know when people are lying to me, I can tell from their body language and voice they were concealing something."

Tags: Church of Spiritual Technology, John Sweeney, New Mexico, Tim Gallagos, Vault

Gwinnett Police still have not determined the cause of death or the identify the body of a man found in Technology Park in narby Peachtree Corners on Monday.

Tags: Death, Narconon, Narconon Georgia, Ronald Corona

But standing in their way was the editor of a small weekly newspaper who proceeded to give Scientology hell over the next three years. His name is Bob Lobsinger, and this week I had a lengthy conversation with him. "If they'd just come in here and been honest about who they were and what they wanted, it probably would have flown. But they lied every step of the way," Lobsinger told me by telephone from his home in Newkirk, Oklahoma.

Tags: 1968, 1980, 2000, 2007, ABLE, Anna Schecter, Arrowhead Lodge, BBC, Bob Lobsinger, Bureau of Indian Affairs, California, CARF, Chicago, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, David Miscavige, Eugene Ingram, Facebook, Florida, Georgia, Harry Smith, Los Angeles, Mary Sue Hubbard, Mental Health, Narconon, Narconon Arrowhead, Narconon Chilocco, Narconon International, NBC, Neil Gaiman, Newkirk, Noisy investigation, Oklahoma, Phoenix, Private investigator, Rena Weinberg, Rock Center, The Hole, The Master, Tom Cruise, Vin LoPresti

"There's just not a demand for the kinds of things that we do and used to do at Glorieta," said LifeWay spokesman Marty King. So, last September, LifeWay's trustees decided to investigate selling the campus. The plan was to sell to the Baptist Convention of New Mexico for the nominal price of $1. However, the convention said the cost of upgrading Glorieta and potential environmental liability made acquisition unattractive. Then came an offer from San Francisco–based Olivet University. (The school has no connection to Illinois-based Olivet Nazarene University.) The school, founded by Korean pastor David Jang in 1992, has several affiliate ministries and Internet businesses that reportedly helped it to raise enough funds to buy and run the Glorieta campus. The bad news for LifeWay was that Jang is a controversial figure who, according to credible reports, has been hailed by some of his followers as the "Second Coming Christ."

Tags: 1992, Baptist, China, Christian Right, David Jang, Environmental, Illinois, New Mexico, Olivet University, Other group, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Southern Baptist

As we've seen, different people have rotated in and rotated out of the Squirrel Busters crew, and there's solid evidence now that the entire operation is being run by a longtime Scientology private investigator named David Lubow, who operates a "war room" in a local hotel and keeps in touch with church officials in Los Angeles. One member of the Texas goon squad that Rathbun has also identified is Edward Bryan, a La Mesa, California resident and such a longtime Scientologist, he's reportedly reached its highest spiritual level, known as "OT VIII."

Tags: 2004, 2007, California, Corpus Christi, David Lubow, David Miscavige, Ed Bryan, Florida, Hugh Urban, Ingleside, Jim Lynch, Los Angeles, Marty Rathbun, Miami, Miami Beach, Mike Rinder, Ohio, OT VIII, Police, Private investigator, Squirrel, Squirrel Busters, Texas

Breaking News regarding the last post, reference: https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/rome-smolders-while-the-phoenix-rises/ The Miami Beach Police incident report was just obtained on OT H8 busted Ingleside on the Bay Ghost Buster, Ed Bryan. Read it in detail. Trash diving and harassment. Pure Miscavige tech. Caught red handed he couldnt deny it.

Tags: Arrest, David Miscavige, Ed Bryan, Ingleside, Miami, Miami Beach, OT, Police, Quicky

Having recently recognized the depravity with which Miscavige and OSA are executing their programs to destroy me and other friends, I've thought more about the manner in which the RS enablers are being handled. I think we are being are being far too timid and mild about the well-heeled bots who continue to contribute to Miscavige's billion dollar facade and Black Ops. I hear the arguments go something like this: well, they are well intentioned just like we were when we were bots. There are a couple things wrong with that argument. First, assumed identities are not the same. When we were bots the following was evident to staff and public: a. Services were being delivered in orgs.

Tags: 1977, Alabama, Apartheid, David Miscavige, Disconnection, L. Ron Hubbard, Las Vegas, London, Madrid, Malmo, New York, Office of Special Affairs, OT, Quicky, Seattle, South Africa, Suppressive Person

In February, anti-Scientology activists in Montreal joined others around the world in the organization's first simultaneous masked protest, which now take place monthly - including today at 11 a.m. in Lafontaine Park. Last month, a video from a local Anonymous protest was posted on YouTube. In it, a Montreal woman claims that minions from the Church of Scientology began a campaign of harassment and got her fired from her new job. The Gazette spoke to this woman, known online as "Anonymiss," about her assertions against Scientology. She agreed to an interview only on the condition that her real name not be used.

Tags: Anonymous

A year ago, it was introduced quietly in Nairobi. Its offices are tucked away on the third floor of an unremarkable building along Ngong Road between two Christian churches; a far cry from the mother church. The stairway is dark. It is hard to reconcile this image with that of millionaires Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Will Smith who are all Scientologists.

Tags: Esther Macharia, IQ test, Kenya, Nairobi, Personality test

What edits on Wikipedia have been made by people in congressional offices, at the CIA and by the Church of Scientology? A new online tool called WikiScanner reveals answers to such questions.

Tags: Wikipedia, WikiScanner

"Tom Cruise is doing exactly what Scientology leaders want him to do," Pressley says. "He's a celebrity and considered to be a shaper of public opinion and he makes a good spokesman for the organization. Scientology primarily targets the 'movers and shakers' in society in order to influence others." Such high-profile personalities - - including Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie Presley, actors Kirstie Alley and Patrick Swayze, TV personality Greta Van Susteren and musicians Chick Corea and Isaac Hayes - - "add a degree of respectability that breaks down any resistance listeners may have," Pressley says. She knows well of what she speaks. For 17 years - - nearly half of her life - - she was involved with the cult. Nine of those years she served at the group's international headquarters located in a remote part of the California desert outside Palm Springs.

Tags: Golden Era Productions, Int Base, Karen Pressley, Tom Cruise

A DRUG program run by Scientologists and labelled dangerous by medical authorities is being given free rein at dozens of Melbourne schools. The controversial Narconon group gave a speech at Melbourne High on Sunday and has made classroom presentations at Melbourne schools including MacRobertson Girls High. The group -- which does not disclose its Scientology background to schools -- gives students booklets that condemn prescription drugs and equate coffee with heroin.

Tags: Australia, Narconon

The Post Falls man claims he was ousted from the Church of Scientology because he talked about changes in the religion's scripture. Then he was asked to leave his job at a Spokane office managed by Scientologists, he said. McClaughry is suing a Spokane company in U.S. District Court for alleged violations of the Civil Right Act, claiming he was fired for his religious beliefs. The office manage said McClaughry resigned.

Tags: David Morse and Associates, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Guardian's Office, Mike McClaughry, OT III, OT VII, Pat Dougherty, Spokane, Steven Crumb

Water depth at the port is about 22 feet, with the depth in some entrance-channel areas as shallow as 20 feet. The depths create a narrow margin of safety for the Boheme, the only cruise ship sailing from the port. The 450-foot vessel draws 20 feet when fully loaded. Port revenue from cruise business totaled $138,000 last year, the first year of the Boheme's operation. This includes fees charged for each passenger, docking and water. The vessel offers seven-day cruises.

Tags: Freewinds, St. Petersburg

Eleven high officials and agents of the Church of Scientology, including the wife of the founder, L. Ron Hubbard, were charged here yesterday in an allegedly widespread conspiracy to plant spies in government agencies, steal official documents and bug government meetings. Much of the evidence outlined against the church's officials in the 28-count criminal indictment appears to be based on the church's own internal memorandums and other documents. The memorandums directed church operatives to "use any method" in its battle with the government. Church spies were used, according to the indicment, to find out about Scientology's tax-exempt status, rumage through government files to get information on the church and on persons or groups it perceived to be its "enemies." They were also used as an "early warning system" to protect Hubbard from government acrunity, the indicment alleged.

Tags: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, Burglary, California, Cindy Raymond, Conspiracy, Duke Snider, England, FBI, Gerald Bennett Wolfe, Gregory Willardson, Guardian Program Order 1361, Guardian's Office, Henning Heldt, Interpol, IRS, Jane Kember, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, Mary Sue Hubbard, Michael Meisner, Mike Cooper, Mitchell Hermann, Mo Budlong, Nathan Dodell, Phillip Hirshkop, Project Troy, Quicky, Raymond Banoun, Richard Weigand, Scientology operation, Sharon Thomas, Snow White Program, US Attorney's Office, US Department of Justice, Washington