December 25 in Scientology history

Merry Christmas! We're continuing to look back at 2017's most significant stories here at the Underground Bunker and today it's a flashback to May in our annual Scientology year-in-review. One of the things we're always grateful for here in the Underground Bunker as we look over our past stories is how often we got help from fellow journalists. Many reporters make the Bunker a regular stop, and we're so fortunate that they care enough about this community to want to lend us support. This year in particular we're grateful to Emma Best, Bryan Seymour, Steve Cannane, and in particular Melissa Cronin. In May, she got access to something a lot of us have wanted to see for several years — actual evidence that the FBI did investigate the Church of Scientology for trafficking in 2009-2010. Melissa pried loose the FBI's file on that investigation, and decided to share it with us, so we could bring our readers detail from it — such as the FBI's interview with Nazanin Boniadi about how she had been recruited by the church to be Tom Cruise's girlfriend. (Later in the year we made the entire file public as well.) Thank you, Melissa, for thinking of the Bunker. And to any other journalists coming by, please hit us up anytime — we're always happy to answer questions or give suggestions on getting sources for your stories. On May 5, we presented an actual text conversation that showed how a woman managed to get herself off of Scientology's legendarily sticky mailing list, primarily by being very aggressive. It proved to be a very popular piece with readers.

Tags: 1932, 1946, 1990, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, A&E, Austin, Author Services Inc, Bryan Seymour, Building 50, Caitlyn Jenner, Chinese, Church of Spiritual Technology, Clearwater, Daily Beast, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Disconnection, Eagle's Nest, Elisabeth Moss, Emma Best, Evgeny Zharkin, FBI, Florida, George Washington University, Greta Van Susteren, Hollywood, Int Base, Introspection Rundown, IRS, Irving Sorrentini, James Packer, Jamie DeWolf, Jamie Sorrentini, Jefferson Hawkins, Kate Bornstein, LAPD, Leah Remini, Lee Shewmaker, Lori Hodgson, Los Angeles, Manchester, Marc Vallieres, Mark Ebner, Marty Rathbun, Melissa Cronin, Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior, Michael Jackson, Mike Rinder, National Association of Forensic Counselors, Nazanin Boniadi, Oregon, Paulette Cooper, Phil Jones, Police, Portland, Private investigator, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Rod Keller, Ron Miscavige, Ron Miscavige Sr, Ron Wyden, Russia, San Francisco, Scott Ross, Sea Org, Spanky Taylor, Steve Cannane, Tennessee, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, Tom Cruise, Tom Mesereau, Tommy Davis, Volunteer Ministers, Wise Beard Man

The weekly show where I answer viewer questions left in the comments section of my Q&A videos or sent to me by email at AskChrisShelton@gmail.com. This week, the questions I answer are: (1) It seems people are able to get out of Scientology/Sea Organization with nothing and rebuild. I'd like to hear more about that. What line of work did you get into? Is there a list of people who would help support "defectors"? (2) Your interview on Oh No Ross and Carrie was fantastic. Could you expand on the Prison Planet, Alex Jones, Scientology connection?

Tags: 2000, Alex Jones, ASHO, Church of Spiritual Technology, Critic, David Miscavige, Ideal Org, Jesus, Leah Remini, Quicky, Ross and Carrie, Sea Org, SEC

We asked some former members of the Church of Scientology if they had a message for the people still in the organization on this Christmas Day... Paul Haggis: I wish my friends in Scientology courage; the courage to seek what Scientology promised: the truth. I wish them the courage to face that truth when they see it. And I want them to know that their true friends are still here for them, and will be, when they find that courage. Nora Crest: To my friends and family who are still members of the Church of Scientology and to my friends who are still in the Sea Org, this Christmas I wish you health and happiness and love. I am waiting, with arms wide open, to hug you and help you to recover and make it out here in the great big world any way I can.

Tags: 1952, 20/20, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, ABC, Abortion, Amy Scobee, Austin, Australia, Cathy Schenkelberg, Chris Shelton, Claire Headley, Clearwater, Daily Beast, David Haskins, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Disconnection, Evgeny Zharkin, Flag Land Base, Florida, Greta Van Susteren, IRS, James Packer, Jamie DeWolf, Jefferson Hawkins, Jenna Elfman, Jessica Baxter, Judge John Doyle, Karen de la Carriere, Kate Bornstein, KCET, Laura DeCrescenzo, Leah Remini, Lee Shewmaker, Lisa Marie Presley, Lori Hodgson, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Superior Court, Marty Rathbun, Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior, Mental Health, National Association of Forensic Counselors, New Year's Eve, Nora Crest, Oregon, Paul Haggis, Paulette Cooper, Pete Griffiths, Police, Portland, Quicky, Ron Miscavige, Ron Miscavige Sr, Ron Wyden, Russia, Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me, San Francisco, Scientology Media Productions, Sea Org, Spanky Taylor, Tax exempt, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, Tom Cruise, Tommy Davis, Wise Beard Man, YouTube

To my friends who join in the discussions and contribute meaningfully to this blog, and to all those who follow without commenting but are a silent force of support — I wish each and every one of you a wonderful holiday filled with joy. Cherish the family and friends you are with. They are truly the most valuable things in life. Sometimes that only hits home when you no longer have them. Enjoy your day, wherever you may be or whatever you may be doing or whoever you may be doing it with. Forget the bad and spend a day focusing on the good and happy.

Tags: Quicky

While David Miscavige excitedly runs to his Christmas tree this morning to find what gifts his Sea Org workers bought him by scraping together money from their 40-cents-an-hour pay (yes, they actually do that), we have our own Christmas miracle for our readers. Frequent Underground Bunker correspondent Chris Shelton has published his first book, which just became available at Amazon — and it carries a clever title we wish we'd thought of, Scientology: A to Xenu. Chris spent 27 years in Scientology, much of it as a Sea Org worker and expert in the arcane world of Hubbard "technology." And he begins his book with a really interesting review of that history. He was brought up by parents who were Scientologists, but his own involvement didn't begin until he was in high school. Chris skillfully recounts his journey into the church and then out again so many years later.

Tags: 2008, 2013, 2014, Amazon, Arkansas, Austin, Big Blue, Bob Duggan, California, Center for Inquiry, Chad Essley, Chris Shelton, Clearwater, Daily Beast, David Miscavige, DC, DMCA, East Grinstead, England, Evgeny Zharkin, Florida, Fox News, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Google, Greta Van Susteren, Hollywood, IRS, Jamie DeWolf, John Coale, Keep Scientology Working, Leah Remini, Lee Shewmaker, Lori Hodgson, Marty Rathbun, Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior, Mimi Rogers, Miss Lovely, National Association of Forensic Counselors, Oregon, OT, Patrons Ball, Paul Noble, Paulette Cooper, Police, Portland, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Ron Miscavige Sr, Ron Wyden, Russia, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Scientology: A to Xenu, Sea Org, South Africa, Spanky Taylor, Steve Allen Theater, Sundance, Sylvia DeWall, Tax exempt, Tennessee, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, Tom Cruise, Trish Duggan, Venezuela, Washington Post, Wise Beard Man, Xenu

And to all readers, contributors, friends and the world at large:

Tags: Quicky, Regraded Being

Tags: Quicky

Merry Christmas! We hope you're having a lovely Saturnalia as we continue to look back at the most significant stories we covered here in the Underground Bunker in 2014. In this installment we're looking at the stories we covered in May. One of the things that characterized 2014 was the rising number of Scientology defectors prepared to tell their stories right after leaving. It can take a former member years to decide to speak publicly, and many or most never do. But this year, we were stunned repeatedly by people talking about their Scientology experience only weeks after walking away. In March, it had been Jillian Schlesinger who spoke of her escape from the Sea Org, and now, to start the month of May, we talked to Florida horse doctor Lee Shewmaker, who was tired of being an easy mark for the church's fundraising efforts.

Tags: 1991, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013, Amy Nicholson, Anonymous, Austin, Clearwater, David Keesling, David Miscavige, Evgeny Zharkin, Flag Down, Florida, IRS, Jamie DeWolf, Jeffrey Riffer, Jillian Schlesinger, Judge James Whittemore, LA Weekly, Lee Shewmaker, Lori Hodgson, Luis and Rocio Garcia, Marty Rathbun, Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior, Narconon, Narconon death, National Association of Forensic Counselors, NPR, Oregon, Police, Portland, Quicky, Richard Teague, Ron DeWolf, Ron Miscavige Sr, Ron Wyden, Russia, Sea Org, Tax exempt, Tiziano Lugli, Tom Cruise, Wise Beard Man

While we continue our year in review, we have a great interruption that we weren't expecting — a gift to the Bunker community from one of our best, The Hole Does Not Exist. She sent us a sound file, and we threw together some familiar Bunker images for it that we hope resonate for our loyal readers. Can you identify everyone in them? What a great surprise present! Thank you, THDNE, and Mr. Hole, and L. Wrong, for putting something so fun under our tree.

Tags: A Piece of Blue Sky, Andrea Doven, Atlanta, California, Dallas, David Miscavige, Eric Tenorio, Escape, Georgia, Harlan Ellison, Jenna Miscavige Hill, Jon Atack, Lori Hodgson, Mario Fenninger, Michael Sitrick, Narconon, New York, New York City, Patrick Desmond, Quicky, Rock Center, Super Bowl, Sydney, The Hole, Tom Cruise

The big, new news on the Volunteer Minister front, worthy of a paid press release on Christmas Eve, is NOT the activities of the VMs in the Philippines, nor even their feeble presence at the Oklahoma City tornados earlier this year. Nope, its "news" from 2004 — 9 YEARS AGO. This is the headline from the 24 December PR Press Release under the byline "Karin Pouw."

Tags: 2004, International Association of Scientologists, Karin Pouw, Oklahoma City, OT, Philippines, Quicky, Volunteer Ministers

Merry Christmas! We're still looking back at this amazing year for Scientology watchers, refreshing your memory about what got our attention in 2012. We hope you have plenty to say as we look back at the stories that mattered in the past twelve months... June 29, 2012 will be remembered as the day the news broke that Katie Holmes had filed for divorce from her husband Tom Cruise.

Tags: 1968, 1989, 2004, 2007, 2010, Abortion, Apollo, Armageddon, BBC, Beck Hansen, Business Insider, Class XII, Daily Mail, David Jentzsch, David Miscavige, DEA, Diana Hubbard, Haifa, Heber Jentzsch, Hollywood, Int Base, Israel, Jason Beghe, John Brousseau, Karen de la Carriere, Katie Holmes, Laura DeCrescenzo, Los Angeles, Mike Rinder, Mission, Narconon Arrowhead, Neil Gaiman, New York, Oklahoma, Patty Moher, Paul Thomas Anderson, Paulette Cooper, Quicky, Review, Roanne Horwich, Ron Miscavige Sr, Sea Org, Sec Check, Stacy Murphy, Suppressive Person, Tami Lemberger, The Hole, The Master, TMZ, Tom Cruise, Xenu

"Santa, were you an implant too?" Scientology doesn'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 three of them to gaze upon, hoping that it inspires you to wax eloquent in our comments section. So here we go... Sure, enjoy your Christmas morning by the tree, or whatever you Christians and Jews and Muslims and Hindus and pagans are doing this morning. But just think, you could have been getting up for some auditing on the Freewinds today!

Tags: Christian, Dallas, Freewinds, International Association of Scientologists, Muslim, Quicky, San Diego, Sunday Funnies, Sunday service, Xenu

The program's president said every one of her clients is there on a judge's order. "Actually we leave it up to a judge to make that determination as to whether somebody would be appropriate to receive rehabilitation or not, Joy Westrum said. The city's chief public safety officer is skeptical. Pete Dinelli said 11 of the 46 now in the program committed crimes that would violate the terms of the city's lease with Second Chance.

Tags: Albuquerque, Joy Westrum, New Mexico, Pete Dinelli, Second Chance

Brat Productions presents A VERY MERRY UNAUTHORIZED CHILDREN'S SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT running until December 30, 2007

Tags: Quicky

ONE DAY in November, Arnaldo P. Lerma, an audio-video technician from Arlington, opened his front door and encountered two unsmiling men in dark suits. He tensed up; he recognized them as the strangers who had been tailing him as he drove into town that morning. "We represent the Church of Scientology," one of the men said. Lerma hurriedly shut the door. The pair wedged a three-page, legal-looking document inside the screen door. It was titled "Declaration of Arnaldo Pagliarini Lerma," but Lerma hadn't written it and in fact had never seen it before. He left Scientology in 1978, after serving several years as a low-level staffer. The document amounted to a confession, with a line left blank for Lerma's signature.

Tags: 1938, 1948, 1950, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, alt.religion.scientology, Apollo, Arlington, Arnaldo Lerma, Astounding Science Fiction, Austria, Bare-Faced Messiah, Church of Scientology International, Clearwater, Clearwater Sun, Dianetics, Ethics Order, Fair Game, FBI, First Amendment, Flag Land Base, George Orwell, Germany, Guardian's Office, Heber Jentzsch, Holocaust, IRS, Isaac Hayes, John Travolta, Karin Pouw, Kurt Weiland, L. Ron Hubbard, Lloyd Eshbach, Los Angeles, Mary Sue Hubbard, Mental Health, Nancy Cartwright, New York, Office of Special Affairs, Robert Vaughn Young, Sam Moskowitz, Sea Org, Suppressive Person, Teegeeack, The Guardian, Time magazine, Tom Cruise, Washington, Xenu

ONE DAY in November, Arnaldo P. Lerma, an audio-video technician from Arlington, opened his front door and encountered two unsmiling men in dark suits. He tensed up; he recognized them as the strangers who had been tailing him as he drove into town that morning. "We represent the Church of Scientology," one of the men said. Lerma hurriedly shut the door. The pair wedged a three-page, legal-looking document inside the screen door. It was titled "Declaration of Arnaldo Pagliarini Lerma," but Lerma hadn't written it and in fact had never seen it before. He left Scientology in 1978, after serving several years as a low-level staffer. The document amounted to a confession, with a line left blank for Lerma's signature.

Tags: 1948, 1968, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1989, 1991, alt.religion.scientology, Arlington, Arnaldo Lerma, Bare-Faced Messiah, Clearwater Sun, DC, FBI, Flag Land Base, Fraser Mansion, George Orwell, Germany, Guardian's Office, Heber Jentzsch, Isaac Hayes, John Travolta, Karin Pouw, Kurt Weiland, Lloyd Eshbach, Nancy Cartwright, Office of Special Affairs, Robert Vaughn Young, Sam Moskowitz, Sea Org, Tom Cruise, Xenu