The Church of Scientology has gone on trial in the French capital, Paris, accused of organised fraud.
The case centres on a complaint by a woman who says she was pressured into paying large sums of money after being offered a free personality test.
The church, which is fighting the charges, denies that any mental manipulation took place.
France regards Scientology as a sect, not a religion, and the organisation could be banned if it loses the case.
In the 1970s many of the top leadership of this destructive cult were convicted in Federal court of breaking into and stealing government files. This is a fact on record.
Other facts on record include mysterious deaths (including that of the founder, who was not seen by anyone for about 2 years before his “ascension” was officially announced), financial shenanigans and relentless, “Fair Game” persecution of anyone and everyone who dares to criticize them — including the former mayor of Clearwater, FL.
The viciousness with which people who try to leave the cult are treated is legendary — and also on public record.
They were banned in Germany because of all people the Germans know totalitarian subversion when they see it.
This is not just another new, slightly eccentric religion. Opposing them is not some kind of religious bigotry. If they want to think that we all have many multitudes of “spiritual” beings inside us called, “Thetans” (which they do) they are certainly free to do so. If they want to think that these Thetans were trapped inside physical bodies when some evil scientists stuffed them into volcanoes and blew them up with “thermo-nuclear devices” millions of years ago (which they do) they are welcome to do so.
Heck, the “tech” of the Operating Thetan Level VIII even says that L. Ron Hubbard understood himself to be the AntiChrist. Ok — you can think that. Woops, reading that before you have been prepared by thousands of hours of very expensive “auditing” is supposed to make you get sick and die — sorry folks.
They can believe all this if they want, and everything I have stated above is merely factual reporting of their own beliefs.
However, when they start blackmailing, threatening, lying, cheating and even following people’s children into day care centers to scare them near to death (all of which is also on public record)– well, then that’s not religion.
That’s evil. And I am more than willing to say it (again) to their faces.
Vive La France!!! Go to it, Frenchmen. Save yourselves and your children.
I remember when I was taking Civil procedure in Law School we studied a bunch of cases involving the federal investigation of Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who was a master at dragging out the legal process by avoiding getting served with subpoenas, etc.
I remember in the final court case where they had L. Ron Hubbard on the stand (after about 10 years) that they finally got him to admit his created Scientology on a bar bet with some friend who didn’t think he could create an actual religion based on his science fiction novels.
Scientology is a monumental fraud, and its believers are colossal dupes who have been deliberately bilked for billions of dollars and euros……and whatever other currencies there are!
Yes, Archer #2 L Ron is also on record as saying something to the effect: “If you really want to make a lot of money in this country, start your own religion.”
For many, many years this cult was denied tax-exempt status because it charges big-bucks per hour for “auditing” which is their pseudo-therapy. If it is pastoral care, then their “clergy” shouldn’t be charging by the hour. It also costs a huge amount to buy one of their franchises. It is all about making as much money as possible, and always has been.
However, a while ago they were given their tax-exempt status after many people in the IRS and the courts were plagued by multiple lawsuits and harassment of all sorts.
Wow. Beating people down with lawsuits. Sounds familiar somehow……..
It is being reported that Wikipedia has banned all computers and IP addresses affiliated with Scientology from making any edits to the online encyclopedia. Apparently Wikipedia was being swamped by abusive edits traced to computers at the cult’s headquarters.
This is not just some garden variety scam or cult. It’s a major organized criminal enterprise. I wonder if one could apply the RICO statutes against them.
I agree totally #5 Ad Orientem
However, it takes a very special kind of person to take them on. They have a totally scorched earth policy toward anyone they deem to be an enemy. I have seen people utterly destroyed physically emotionally, financially, and a few have even died from stress related diseases brought on by the relentless nature of the harassment. They have no fear of going after people in government, law enforcement and the courts, so legal action often gets dropped because there is no one left standing to deal with them. Live rattlesnakes have turned up in mailboxes. I am not kidding.
How would you feel if men in dark suits went around to your neighbors briefly flashing badges and asking everyone if they had ever seen you acting strangely around other people’s children and implying you were being seriously investigated for crimes you never even thought of committing……etc.
Back in the good old days when the internet was wide open and no one expected civility of anyone else, there were events called “flame wars.” Two sides of an argument would take each other on with absolutely no holds barred. The greatest of all the flame wars came to be known as “The Great Clam Bake.” Some ex-Scientologists decided to expose all the dirt of the cult and to warn people about getting involved with them. Squads of cult members were assigned to spam and harass the ex-members 24/7. People on the internet used to sign in to the message boards (as they were called then) just to watch the war being carried on. It was amazing. Before it was all over people had been arrested, home computers were confiscated by government officials and investigations were instituted which lasted for years. The ex-members had the vindication of seeing a whole lot of dirty secrets brought out into the open, but some paid heavy prices.
The Clam Bake is probably a major reason why so many blogs have so many rues of behavior and disclaimers today.
I am just hoping that they haven’t been googling their name (as they commonly do) and taking down all our ISPs.
But hey. Life does go on.
Synthetic religions die out. Their livespans are relatively short. Unfortunately, their victims suffer long-term consequences.