Volume 0, Issue 16 vom 06. 08. 1995

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review
Volume 0, Issue 16
07//95
by Rod Keller [rkeller@netaxs.com]
copyright 1995

Contents

  1. A.r.s rmgroup
  2. Hill Full Text
  3. Kobrin Correspondence
  4. Las Vegas Refunds
  5. AB Phone Number
  6. WISE Convention
  7. Fishman Court Documents
  8. Project Squirrel
  9. Hubbard Backs Goldwater
Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors, whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some of the most significant postings.

The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of the articles. Many include an excerpt, and all include message IDs for the articles I cover. This may or may not be useful to you, depending on how long your site stores articles in the newsgroup before expiring them.

A.r.s Week in Review is available free, by e-mail and is archived at:

Editor's Note: This is perhaps the least complete issue of Week in Review yet. My news feed has been sporatic at best, and I am at least 4 days behind the rest of the world. I have attempted to compensate by including large excerpts from the Fishman court documents and the Hill ruling from Canada. Any news that I can find from the second half of the week will be included in the next issue of Week in Review. Please accept my apologies, I'm told this will be "cleared" up very soon.

A.r.s rmgroup

Another attempt was made this week to remove the group alt.religion.scientology from the Usenet hierarchy. Here is the complete message, as received by the Lazarus software.

Path:
light!news.sprintlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!news.uh.edu!titan.sfasu
..edu!noc..near..net!news3..near..net!black..clarku..edu!black..clarku..edu!
rmohns
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: cmsg rmgroup alt.religion.scientology
Message-ID: 
From: rmohns@black.clarku.edu (Johnny Mnemonic)
Date: 1 Aug 95 01:14:38 GMT
Control: rmgroup alt.religion.scientology
Organization: Clark University (Worcester, MA)
Lines: 0


Hill Full Text

The complete text of the rulings in Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto was posted this week. The cos' appeal was refused, and they now owe the former Crown Attorney 1.6 million Canadian Dollars, plus interest. I've included extensive excerpts from the document that explain the case in greater detail than any of the newspaper articles.

"Long before he gave advice to the OPP in connection with the search and seizure of documents which took place on March 3 and 4, 1983, Casey Hill had become a target of Scientology's enmity. Over the years, he had been involved in a number of matters concerning Scientology's affairs. As a result, it kept a file on him. This was only discovered when the production of the file was ordered during the course of this action. The file disclosed that from approximately 1977 until at least 1981, Scientology closely monitored and tracked Casey Hill and had labelled him an 'Enemy Canada'. Casey Hill testified that from his experience, persons viewed by Scientology as its enemies were 'subject to being neutralized'.

"Scientology continued its attack against Casey Hill throughout the trial of this action, both in the presence of the jury and in its absence. More than once, it reiterated the libel even though it knew that these allegations were false. Clearly, it sought to repeatedly attack Casey Hill's moral character.

"Counsel for Scientology subjected Casey Hill to a lengthy cross-examination which the Court of Appeal correctly described as a 'skillful and deliberate attempt at character assassination'. Counsel suggested that Casey Hill often improperly coached his witnesses and took the same approach with respect to his own testimony at the libel trial. It was insinuated that Casey Hill was an untrustworthy person who would breach his undertakings as he had done in this case in relation to the sealed documents. Attempts were also made to blame him for the failure to give notice to Scientology concerning the application before Sirois J. even though he had been vindicated seven years earlier by Cromarty J.

"The day after the jury's verdict, on October 4, 1991, Scientology republished the libel in a press release delivered to the media. A few weeks later, it issued another press release attacking the verdict of the jury as 'outrageous' and 'so exorbitant and so grossly out of proportion that it was influenced more by L.A. Law than Canadian legal tradition'. Shortly thereafter, it proceeded with a motion before Carruthers J. to adduce evidence which, it contended, would bear 'directly on the credibility and reputation of the plaintiff S. Casey Hill'. That motion was later withdrawn.

"With respect to aggravated damages, the Court of Appeal examined the circumstances existing prior to, at the time of and following the publication of the libel. It concluded that the jury was entitled to find that its award for general damages was not large enough to provide adequate solatium to Casey Hill for the aggravation of his injury which was caused by the Scientology's malicious libel and reprehensible conduct.

"The publication of the libellous statement was very carefully orchestrated. Members of the press and the television media attended at Osgoode Hall in Toronto to meet two prominent lawyers, Morris Manning and Clayton Ruby. Osgoode Hall is the seat of the Court of Appeal and the permanent residence of the Law Society. The building is used as the background in a great many news reports dealing with important cases emanating from the Court of Appeal. In the minds of the public, it is associated with the law, with the courts and the justice system. Manning went far beyond a simple explanation of the nature of the notice of motion. He took these very public steps without investigating in any way whether the allegations made were true.

"The misconduct of the appellants continued after the first publication. Prior to the commencement of the hearing of the contempt motion before Cromarty J., Scientology was aware that the allegations it was making against Casey Hill were false. Yet, it persisted with the contempt hearings as did Morris Manning. At the conclusion of the contempt hearing, both appellants were aware of the falsity of the allegations. Nonetheless, when the libel action was instituted, the defence of justification was put forward by both of them. The statement of defence alleging justification or truth of the allegation was open for all the public to see. Despite their knowledge of its falsity, the appellants continued to publish the libel. Although Manning withdrew the plea of justification, this was only done in the week prior to the commencement of the trial itself. For its part, Scientology did not withdraw its plea of justification until the hearing of the appeal. Finally, the manner in which Hill was cross-examined by the appellants, coupled with the manner in which they presented their position to the jury, in light of their knowledge of the falsity of their allegations, are further aggravating factors to be taken into account.

"In this case, there was ample evidence upon which the jury could properly base their finding of aggravated damages. The existence of the file on Casey Hill under the designation 'Enemy Canada' was evidence of the malicious intention of Scientology to 'neutralize' him. The press conference was organized in such a manner as to ensure the widest possible dissemination of the libel. Scientology continued with the contempt proceedings although it knew its allegations were false. In its motion to remove Hill from the search warrant proceedings, it implied that he was not trustworthy and might act in those proceedings in a manner that would benefit him in his libel action. It pleaded justification or truth of its statement when it knew it to be false. It subjected Hill to a demeaning cross-examination and, in its address to the jury, depicted Hill as a manipulative actor.

"In summary, every aspect of this case demonstrates the very real and persistent malice of Scientology. Their actions preceding the publication of the libel, the circumstances of its publication and their subsequent actions in relation to both the search warrant proceedings and this action amply confirm and emphasize the insidious malice of Scientology. Much was made of their apology tendered at the time of the hearing in the Court of Appeal. There is a hollow ring to that submission when it is remembered that it was not until the fifth day of oral argument before the Court of Appeal that the apology was tendered. Scientology can gain little comfort from such a late and meaningless apology.

"There can be no doubt that the conduct of Scientology in the publication of the injurious false statement pertaining to its 'enemy' was malicious. Its publication was carefully planned and carried out in a manner which ensured its widest possible dissemination in the most damaging manner imaginable. The allegation made against Hill was devastating. It was said that he had been guilty of breach of trust, breach of a court order and that his conduct and behaviour was criminal. Scientology's actions from the time of publication, throughout the trial, and after the trial decision was rendered constituted a continuing attempt at character assassination by means of a statement which it knew to be false. It was such outrageous conduct that it cried out for the imposition of punitive damages.

"There might have been some concern that, in light of the award of general and aggravated damages totalling $800,000, there might not be a rational basis for punitive damages. However any lingering doubt on that score is resolved when Scientology's persistent misconduct subsequent to the trial is considered. On the very next day following the verdict, Scientology republished the libel in a press release delivered to the media. It then brought a motion to adduce fresh evidence which it stated would have 'a bearing on the reputation and credibility of the plaintiff S. Casey Hill' which, if presented at trial, 'would probably have changed the result'. Its actions were such that Hill was forced to bring an application for an injunction enjoining Scientology from republishing the libel. In his reasons for granting the injunction, Carruthers J. stated that he was forced to take that action because 'no amount awarded on account of punitive damages would have prevented or will prevent the Church of Scientology, from publishing defamatory statements about the plaintiff'. Even the injunction did not deter Scientology which moved to set it aside. Further, in its notice of appeal of the libel judgment, Scientology alleged that the trial judge had erred in ruling the decision of Cromarty J. in the contempt proceedings was res judicata of the issues raised in the libel trial.

"The award of punitive damages, therefore, served a rational purpose in this case. Further, the circumstances presented in this exceptional case demonstrate that there was such insidious, pernicious and persistent malice that the award for punitive damages cannot be said to be excessive. Scientology has alleged that the size of the award of punitive damages had a chilling effect on its right to freedom of expression. However as stated earlier, in spite of the slow and methodical progress of this case to trial and appeal, and despite the motion brought six years before the trial which drew attention to the need for evidence, Scientology adduced no evidence as to the chilling affect of the award. In its absence, this argument should not be considered. It may be that different factors will have to be taken into consideration where evidence is adduced and where a member of the media is a party to the action. However, those are considerations for another case on another day."

Message-ID:
<3velio$knm@utopia.hacktic.nl>


Kobrin Correspondence

The following people were added this week to the growing list of Helena Kobrin's legal threat targets.

Dave Barron, Jim Byrd, Marina Chong, Keith Cochran, cuthulu, the Grand Clavister, David Gerard, David Iain Greig, Joel Hanes, Elisabeth Higgins, David Iain Greig, Farrell Griffith, H Keith Henson, Chris Lyman, Michael R James, George Pratt, Andrew J. Testa, Felis Uncia

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Las Vegas Refunds

Ted Mayett, former Scientologist, has been attempting to get a refund from the Las Vegas org, and has taken the unusual step of attempting to picket their location.

"The picket reads
They
Lie
About
Money

"When I arrived at the building there were 5 cars parked there. I park across the street and through the glass storefront I look at them and they look at me as I approach. And now I'm right in front of the glass, on the property, as I proceed to unsling and untie the picket. Before I get off the property. You may find this hard to believe. The door opens and one of them comes flying out. And it's the DSA Las Vegas. She happened to be there.

"Well, the picket never happened. We stood in the heat for an hour, this woman and I. I do not mention her name because I am not sure of the legality of it. Ted, what is the problem? ______ you are being fed lies, this entire church is built on lies. She wants to know what lies. These people are truly brain dead. I tell her the people in this building alone have lied to me five times regarding this money.

"One of the boys comes out with a check for $500.00. I had already declined another partial payment, told them it was no big deal. That when they had the full amount I would be right out here and they could give it to me. Now I have two of them asking me to take the five hundred and not picket.

"I said yes and that I would be back Tue. for the balance. The said they would not have the balance by then. I said no problem, five hundred a day would keep me from picketing. But not less."

Message-ID:
<3vk4d4$fbq@bighorn.accessnv.com>
<3vk73e$fbq@bighorn.accessnv.com>
<3vklrn$qnp@bighorn.accessnv.com>


AB Phone Number

This week, Old Timer provided some skeptics investigating the AB, Linda Woolard, Penet, Caltech case with the phone number of Linda Woolard, provided to her by AB.

"This is to inform all who have an interest, that I have given the famous phone number to a person that, in my opinion, has very good investigative skills and has the purpose of seeking the truth. The truth being...did the church set up Tom K.? This person is also anti-scientology therefore, this person is not going into this investigation with good feelings for the church. In the end you will all be most satisfied with my choice of investigator."

Message-ID:
<DCMFor.E8G@crash.cts.com>
<DCoCo0.GnL@crash.cts.com>


WISE Convention

The announcement of a WISE (World Institute of Scientology Enterprises) convention was posted to a.r.s this week. It will be held on August 26-27, 1995 at Saint Hill Manor. Speakers are: Mark Shreffler, Klaus Hilgers and Morten Runow, who will hold seminars covering: Marketing, Organizing Board, Finances, Admin Scale, Personnel, and Sales.

Tickets were available at a discounted price of $175 until June 30th.

Message-ID:
<214302Z27071995@anon.penet.fi>


Fishman Court Documents

Arnie Lerma posted the entire text of the unsealed court documents on file in the Fishman case, including the statement from which this description of Stephen's financial status is taken.

"My financial condition is still indigent. I am employed as a receptionist and data entry clerk at the wage of $5.00 per hour. My gross pay is $200.00 per week, as I work a forty hour week. My net pay after deductions is $164.00 per week. Out of that check I pay $50.00 In subsistence payments to the Dismas House, and I make child support payments of $41.00 per week to my ex-wife, Jaime Lee Nureyev, in order to help support my two minor children. I further make a monthly non-committed fine payment of $25.00 to the Debt Collection Unit of the Northern District of California and I contribute $20.00 per week to the support of my father, Jack Fishman, who is also destitute and has been adjudicated bankrupt by the Southern District of Florida, and is living only on his social security check. I wish the Court to know that I am indigent and destitute and besides not being able to afford the cost of bringing witnesses to testify at trial in the Central District of California I cannot afford even a plane ticket or money for a hotel room to come out there for the trial myself."

This left him with $28 per week. There were numerous cos documents also on file. Among them:

"ON CONTROL AND LYING

"THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM. You can write that down in your book in great big letters. The only way you can control anybody is to lie to them. When you find an individual is lying to you, you know that the individual is trying to control you. One way or another this individual is trying to control you. That is the mechanism of control. This individual is lying to you because he is trying to control you - because if they give you enough misinformation they will pull you down the tone scale so that they can control you. Conversely, if you see an impulse on the part of a human being to control you, you know very well that that human being is lying to you. Not 'is going to', but 'is' lying to you.

"WITNESS PREPARATION: HATTING THE WITNESS

"During cross-examination (conducted by the opposition lawyer, for the purpose of unmocking the credibility and consistency of the witness), the witness should NEVER VOLUNTEER ANTHING. The exact question asked should be answered, no more, no less. Q: 'When did you read that policy letter?' A: 'On the 16th May as best I can recall.' NOT A: 'I recall It was the 16th May as I had just returned that morning from a mission.' (The latter would give the lawyer a string to pull--what mission? Where? Why? Etc.)

"Part of answering only the exact question asked is hearing and responding to only the words used; the tone level of the question is to be Ignored. Most cross-exam Is conducted at the tone of covert hostility, and this Is to be taken into consideration. A clever cross-examiner can make any statement sound suspicious and any question sound accusatory; but our witness, expecting this and listening only to the words and not the tone, will not take the bait."

"HATTING

"Generalities vs. specifics. Scientologists usually try to avoid dealing in generalities, but there are such things as good generalities. Entheta and suppressive statements from the cross-examining attorney will often take the form of generalities.

"When confronted by the opposition lawyer by generalities, our witness should ask for specifics. That will often totally cut the lawyer's line of cross-exam (as he is proceeding by generalities and cannot have or use the specifics). On the other hand, our witness should look for opportunities to use theta generalities; since it's theta, the cross-examiner will not ask for specifics--he's stung and he'll want to get away from that area. If he does ask for specifics, the witness should supply them, and chances are it will end up hurting the opposition. Examples: 'Every Scientologist knows it would be violative of the creeds and codes to lie about or falsify records,' or 'Scientology has helped thousands of people to better lives,' or 'We all know, or any Scientologist who has read and understood the writings of our religion would surely know, that it is a religion and it deals with the Spirit of Man,' or 'We all know that the aim of Scientology is a civilization without war, crime, insanity ....' An entheta cross-examiner will steer away from that stuff like a vampire from a cross. Just let him have it--with theta!!"

"PROJECT QUAKER

"It may be deemed necessary for all the DC Staff who could be pulled in for questioning to suddenly leave. This must be done in such a way So that they never can be accused of 'fleeing prosecution'.

"A 'safehouse' or 'safehouse area' should be chosen in an out of the way place, like a ski resort - Dude ranch - farm - Canada - Mexico - etc., This "place" should be investigated to ensure it can be used anytime of the year by people just 'showing up'. This 'safe house' is for Sabbaticals to go til it is shown one way or another that they must stay away or come back."

"MAGAZINE ARTICLES ON LEVEL 0 CHECKSHEET
BY L RON HUBBARD

"There are several things we would like the general public to say to the general public about Scientology. The first of these is that we would like the general public, when it sees an individual or group problem, to be quite certain the proper thing to do is for that individual or group to consult a Scientologist. For instance, if some- body is having headaches, we would his friends to come to the obvious solution that this person should see a Scientologist or should join a group undergoing processing.

"We have no more quarrel with a psychologist that we would have with an Australian witch-doctor. We have no quarrel with a psychiatrist any more that we would quarrel with a barbarian because he has never heard of nuclear physics. As to the medical doctor, we know very well that modern medical practice, having lately outgrown phlebotomy, has come of age to point where is can regulate structure in a most remarkable and admirable way. In Scientology we believe a medical doctor definitely has his role in a society just as an engineer has his role in civil government. We believe that a medical doctor should perform emergency operations such as those made necessary by accidents; that he should perform orthopeadics; that he should deliver babies; that he should have charge of the administration of drugs; that his use of antibiotics is beneficial; and that wherever he immediately and curatively addresses structure his is of use in a community. The only place we would limit a medical doctor is in the field of treatment of psychosomatic medicine, where he has admittedly and continuously failed, and the only thing we would ask a medical doctor to change about his practice is to stop taking money for things he knows he cannot cure, i.e., spiritual, mental, psychosomatic, and social ills."

Also included, the full text of the OT levels, including:

"OT I
"L.Ron Hubbard"

With this explanation:

"There have been three different OT I's put out by Hubbard."

"OT COURSE - SECTION TWO
24th April, 1967
WHOLE TRACK TABLE

"OT II
O.T. COURSE - PART ONE
1 November 1966

"OT II
O.T. COURSE PART ONE B 15.11.66
ADDITIONAL DATA
'DOUBLE ROD'

"OT II
THE BB GPM'S

"OPERATING THETAN
Section Three

This is the description of Xenu, Body Thetans and Clusters.

"Exterior - OT IV
List of Volcanoes

"OT V
CAUSE OVER MEST
Gain Freedom from Fixated
Introversion into MEST

"OT VI
Be Three feet in back of your head.

"OT VII RUNDOWN
June 1979 Revision

This is the famous "go to the zoo" level.

"OT VIII
HCO BULLETIN OF 1 OCTOBER 1969
SECRET
WHY THETANS MOCK-UP

"HCO BULLETIN OF 5 MAY 1980
OT VIII Series I
CONFIDENTIAL STUDENT BRIEFING

This is the description of Jesus as a child molester.

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Project Squirrel

A Directive, dated December 2nd, 1966 was posted this week. "Project Squirrel"

"It will be found uniformly (despite first view there is no evidence of it) that anti-Scientologists have in their background this life crimes for which they could be arrested.

"When the person is arrested, one then sues the person for anti-Scientology libels and slanders.

"If we do the above as our pattern, we will successfully bring the following facts into public consciousness:

"a) People who attack Scientology are criminals.
b) That if one attacks Scientology he gets investigated for crimes.
c) If one does not attack Scientology, despite not being with it, one is safe.

Message-ID:
<175329Z30071995@anon.penet.fi>


Hubbard Backs Goldwater

A new document was released to a.r.s this week concerning the death of US President John F. Kennedy. LRH sent a Telex on November 23rd, 1963 to discuss the events. He was apparently in his "Red Scare" phase.

"Resume or policy and events. Kennedy assassination regrettable but we could have prevented it if the government had not been fighting meters.

"We had long standing and insistent offer to government to be permitted to check out all repatriates from Russia and China. Only Scientologists can detect brainwashing.

"Our offer of 1962 to help administration with Scientology was only one of many such offers which included in 1955 strenuous offers of help to be permitted to handle all Russian and Korean repatriates for brainwashing and sub-conscious hypnotic suggestions such as Oswald was undoubtedly given.

"All attacks on Scientology and the meter and Scien. Orgs. can be traced to original Communist influence and misinformation carefully fed to government agencies, police and organizations such as the AMA.

"Please inform Los Angeles and New York of our policy on these matters. We will ride our position as known right wingers very hard and demand the location and ousting of every commie element and extreme left winger in the US. Scientology should publicly demand the right to be permitted to spot subversives in the US including the US government.

The story that right wing elements had assassinated Kennedy was broadcast on Radio Moscow the moment the news was received and simultaneously the Moscow grapevine all over the world issued the same statement via left wing mouthpieces. This coup was designed to blame rightists for the assassination but evidently judging from partial data to hand they failed to get the assassin away and the whole plot collapsed on their heads. You see everybody but Moscow mouthpieces guessed it might have been one of several groups that assassinated Kennedy. However Moscow line held only that it was right wing.

"So get this data around however you do it and let all Scientologists in on it and raise some hell. We're going to clean up the US eventually. Play it close with the Birch Society and all other rightist groups. Back Goldwater. Subversion came within an ace of sweeping America and we were only saved by a crazy freak."

Message-ID:
<199507311630.SAA17513@utopia.hacktic.nl>