Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review
Volume 3, Issue 45
02/21/99
by Rod Keller
rkeller@voicenet.com
copyright 1999
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 articles posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original articles, and many have a URL to get more information. You may be able to find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles in the newsgroup before expiring them.
Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available, just email me at
Clearwater Buses
Adweek published an article this week on the controversy over
anti-Scientology advertising on public buses. The next meeting of the PSTA
is scheduled for February 23rd.
"The ads were purchased by Former Scientologists Speaking Out, which asserts its First Amendment rights were violated when the ads were removed. 'When you look at the board's definition of political advertising, it is limited to that for candidates running for office,' said Ken Dandar, the ex-Scientologists' attorney. 'They now have a nonprofit organization that is willing to sue them if they don't do the right thing.'
"Scientology lawyer Paul Johnson said the PSTA should move to strike any noncommercial ads from public transportation, or else the county could see 'hate organizations like the KKK' running ads on its buses. 'This is important stuff under the First Amendment, but the American Association of Advertising Agencies believes that advertisers should be able to advertise,' said John Kamp, a Washington, D.C., attorney at the 4A's.
"'I run a business. I don't want to limit commerce, but this has created a real problem in Clearwater,' said Bob Clark, a PSTA board member and Clearwater commissioner. 'There's no question in any person's mind that these were attacks, and as a public official ... when I saw them, I was very upset.'"
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CCHR
Scientology's Citizen's Commission on Human Rights won a partial victory
this week in Arizona, in an attempt to ban electroshock therapy. From the
Arizona Daily Star:
"Lawmakers took one step closer to tightening controls on electroshock therapy Thursday. A House committee approved a bill requiring psychiatrists to report such treatments to the state. Currently, there is no state reporting requirement of how many treatments occur and how often people have adverse reactions.
"Psychiatric providers opposed the bill, saying it was unnecessary regulation and defending electroshock as a good way to treat depression when all else fails. But the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, established by the Church of Scientology, argued that without reporting requirements, there is no way to determine the safety of the treatments."
"The House Human Services Committee last week scrapped a plan to ban shock treatment of anyone under 16, require the patient's consent and require doctors to give new warnings. Members voted to have the state Department of Health Services devise a standardized consent form. They also directed state health officials to come up with statistics on how many people undergo shock treatment each year, both voluntarily and otherwise, and whether the procedure worked or had complications.
"That is a partial victory for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, an arm of the Church of Scientology. Les Koel, president of the Arizona chapter of the commission, said the study should provide the ammunition necessary to change the laws in Arizona. Koel's group ran newspaper ads seeking comments from Arizona residents and found some horror stories."
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Scieno Sitter
Danish newspaper Politiken published an article on Scientology's filtering
software, which prevents access to a large number of critical web sites.
"'Members have their own choice if they want it or not, but we give it to them to protect them, not for controlling them', says Anette Refstrup (PR OSA Denmark). 'We want to protect them against manipulated thoughts when they are at such a spiritual level that they can't deal with criticism'. Scientology have 13000 web sites for their members and they are all identical. One can only contact a member through the org's PR people. Catarina Pamnell left the movement in 1995 and tells that 'Scientology wants to control peoples thoughts and that's why Internet is such a huge problem for them'."
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Dennis Erlich
Dennis Erlich posted a filing to Judge Wyte's court in San Jose this week.
It seeks to allow counterclaims against Scientology to continue even
though they have withdrawn all claims against Dennis based on violation of
trade secrets.
"This declaration addresses three subjects: RTC's contention that Scientology has tolerated my criticism without comment, except for this lawsuit, and my apprehension that I will be sued in the future on trade secrets claims; the fact that Scientology's Advanced Technology is widely available on the Internet and should no longer be afforded trade secret protection; and my interest in continuing to expose, discuss, and critique the Advanced Technology materials, as to which trade secret protection has been claimed.
"I understand that in its motion to dismiss my trade secret declaratory judgment claim, plaintiff RTC asserts that Scientology took no action against me until I began posting their allegedly copyrighted and trade secret materials on the Internet. Although it is true that this is plaintiffs' first lawsuit against me, I have been harassed by Scientology related organizations since I began speaking out against the organization in 1984.
"In 1984, shortly after an essay on cults I had written was published in an Omaha newspaper, the Scientology organization sent private investigators to harass my friends and associates, and to vilify me publicly. This conduct was consistent with the Scientology policies toward treatment of Suppressive Persons, described above.
"In 1990, and again in 1991 when I was quoted in various newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, the Clearwater Sun, and the Hemet News, Scientology spokesmen had published in the Hemet New and in the Clearwater Sun false and defamatory information about me, including that I had been expelled from Scientology for selling and using drugs. Around the same time, my neighbors were leafleted with similar defamatory information.
"The notoriety surrounding the raid on my home caused a business deal I was working on at the time to collapse. The business I was working for suffered a downturn and I was unemployed. When I eventually found seasonal employment at KTLA in Los Angeles, I was pursued by Scientology private investigators in my car at high speeds for several mornings while on my way to work. Shortly thereafter, a Scientology official from the Celebrity Center in Los Angeles contacted a colleague of mine, believing that he was my employer, and urged him to fire me. I was given to understand that this same Scientology official wrote a letter to the General Manager of KTLA, urging that I be fired. A well known Scientology investigator named Eugene Ingram later contacted the personnel office of KTLA on behalf of my ex-wife, purporting to need information about me.
"Today, it is very easy to download information about and copies of the Advanced Technology materials from the Internet. Exhibits 2-11 are true and correct copies of anonymous postings from a.r.s. discussing or revealing the content of the Advanced Technology. Exhibit 2 is a true and correct copy of a series of anonymous postings I downloaded transcribing part of the OT III course. Exhibit 4 is a true and correct copy of a series of anonymous postings I downloaded discussing 'power processing.' Exhibit 5 is a true and correct copy of an anonymous posting I downloaded transcribing portions of Grade 6. Exhibit 7 is a true and correct copy of an anonymous posting I downloaded transcribing the old OT I. Exhibit 8 is a true and correct copy of a posting I downloaded that includes some summaries, and some transcriptions, of materials from OT I through OT VIII. Exhibit 9 is a true and correct copy of an anonymous posting I downloaded that transcribes portions of NOTS Series 1. Exhibit 10 is a true and correct copy of an anonymous posting I downloaded that transcribes portions of NOTS Series 2. Exhibit 11 is a true and correct copy of an anonymous posting I downloaded that transcribes portions of NOTS Series 14.
"I have found that one of the most effective ways to help current members recognize the scam that is being perpetrated on them, and to ensure that young people don't get caught up in the organization, is to discuss the contents of the Advanced Technology materials, and particularly OT III with them. Many people who are or were attracted to Scientology on the basis of dianetics or auditing are appalled when they learn what the supposedly secret 'upper levels' are going to reveal."
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Germany
Stuttgarter Zeitung reports that there is opposition to the plans of
Scientology's Stuttgart org to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
"The city administration has been fighting in court for a long time to prohibit the Scientology Church from advertising in the city proper. On the first specification, the court had decided in favor of the city, said Till Neumann, the Director of the Municipal Codes Office. 'This is a very delicate kind of legal issue,' said Neumann. In the opinion of the administration, Scientology is not counted as a church, but as a business. >From their point of view the sect is not advertising for their outlook on life, but for a product. Even if the parade by the sect members this past weekend violated the city's idea of the law, there was nothing that could be done this time.
"The city is trying to give some fundamental signals that it does not approve of the sect and its meetings, said Mayor Dieter Blessing. However, nothing can be done to prevent them from renting the Cannstatt community hall, which is to be used starting tomorrow. Since there have been many protests on the sidelines by the citizens against this arrangement, the city administration once again discussed the possibility of a ban recently. 'However, we would have lost the legal dispute,' said Blessing.
Stuttgarter Nachrichten reports that a railroad company refuses to advertise for Scientology.
"The advertisements for the sect have been a sore point for the transportation company because of the complaints of its customers. 'We regret that this has happened,' said Dieterle, who made a reference to the standards for advertising in train stations. Posters praising the psycho-sect are prohibited there, as they also are on construction fences. In the marketing of the fence space surrounding the development of the the area under construction by 'Stuttgart21', the DB real estate company uses the German Railroad advertisements as a model. That company offers space to 'Moplak' in Duesseldorf. The 'Monumental und Plakatreklame GmbH' advertising company has been in business for 20 years, and has been placing its posters on about 100 available spaces in Stuttgart for 15 years. As the city does, they also have internal policies. They have a ban on sect material. Scientology is not explicitly mentioned. However, the owner of the property can stipulate a restriction clause in Duesseldorf. And 'all advertising space without a restriction clause has to be available for all advertisement.'"
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Grady Ward
Grady Ward posted to a.r.s some developments in his copyright infringement
case, and his appeal of the settlement agreement.
"The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied the criminal cult of scientology's motion to dismiss Grady Ward's appeal or alternatively to revoke Grady Ward's pauper status. The order also requires RTC to follow the briefing schedule already established.
"Although substantive motions are ordinary heard by a motions panel of judges, in this case the Ninth Circuit felt the merit of the Religious Technology Center's claim was so minuscule that the order was entered by Peter L. Shaw, Appellate Commissioner."
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The Way to Happiness
The Miami Herald reported that The Way to Happiness club participated in
Valentine's Day activities.
"Members of The Way to Happiness Club delivered Valentines and other goodies to patients at Miami Children's Hospital. Michael Rivera, Adam Rivera, Kristin Julson, Thor Julson, and Morgan Perez were helped by Grace Copeland, community and volunteer resources coordinator at the hospital. The Way to Happiness Club was begun by a Doral mother who wanted to teach her children and others some of the principles enunciated in a booklet by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard."
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Florida Mission
Charlotte Kates posted a spammed email sent to her to publicize a planned
new Scientology mission in southern Florida.
"I am a Class VIII, OEC with many years experience as Mission and Org staff. I am a member in good standing with the Church of Scientology. I live in XXXXXX, Florida. It's a little barrier island below Sanibel Island, and located 2 hours south of FLAG on Interstate 75. I own a home and business (coffee house) on the island, and am active as a field auditor. My wife XXX, and daughters XXXXX and XXXXX, also live and work here, and are Scientologists as well.
"I have always wanted to open an upstat Scientology Mission to service upstat public. Many of you know the policy on 'publics' - I want to cater to high-toned, productive people (who doesn't, right?). I live above the city of Naples, Florida - a very dynamic city full of people looking for success and enlightenment. This is where I would like to open the Mission. What I intend to do is secure a Mission Charter/package and sufficient funding to open a space in-PR with the upstatness of the city. The staff that I'll be hiring will be those individuals who follow LRH Tech and Policy exactly, are willing to study and work in a very professional environment, and are not afraid to disseminate to the 'movers and shakers' of this area. If you're the type of person who is willing to confront influential people, get them interested in reading LRH and then get them onto their correct gradient on the Bridge, if you really love people, love talking to people, and want to have the time of your life being a Scientologist, then this might be the move for you."
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Protest
Bruce Pettycrew reported a protest at the Mesa, Arizona org this week.
"I carried a 'Scientology Hates Free Speech' and 'Another UFO Cult' sign from 3:30 to 4:30 PM today. There were 5 cars in the lot at the start of the picket, 6 at the finish. Two were staff and all were familiar vehicles. I received the usual number of honks and thumbs up during the hour. Now that the days are getting longer, Kathy and I will be able to picket morning and/or evening during the week as well as weekends. Any Phoenix area lurkers who would like to join in, please e-mail me."
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Sweden
Helsingborgs Dagblad reported this week that the Swedish government is
proposing a change to the constitution so that Scientology's secret NOTs
materials will no longer be available from Parliament.
"After fusses about the scientology bible the Department of Justice wants to change the swedish principle of public access to official records and copyright. It will no longer become possible to act in order to 'force publicity' to works. A person gave this book to several swedish authorities and The Swedish Parliament judged that the time-honoured swedish principle of public access to official records would be valid also for this work. It became allowed for anyone to have access to it. This lead to protests from the U.S. who means that Sweden is breaking international agreements of copyright.
"In the memorandum from the Department is now suggested an additive to the law about secrecy and the copyright law. The significance is that authorities should not judge it as a public document if a work is given in which not have been published earlier and where the author has not given permission. A third demand is that it would be harmful for the author to get it published. Comparison is made to a journalists draft to an article or a writers manuscript - both can be harmed if someone illegally and too early ensure that the writings becomes public in a government."
>From the news on Swedish Radio P4:
"Copyrights should be stronger at the cost of the Principle of public access to official records (Offentlighetsprincipen) says the Swedish Government. In the future should works with copyright, for example books, be able to keep secret in spite of that they have been given to authorities. The background is that the U.S. have protested against the Swedish Offentlighetsprincipen after that the scientologists secret, so called bible, could be read in the Parliament among others."
Aftonbladet published an article this week, describing the use of Princess Christina in Scientology's anti-drug campaign.
"A religious sect exploited Princess Christina in a campaign. The Church of Scientology claims that Christina is supporting an anti-drug campaign the movement is forwarding over the world. Also the pop-group Beach Boys, the singer Cliff Richard and the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber are said to support the campaign which is lead by a sect who is accused of brainwashing it's members. In December last year the Church of Scientology arranged a big concert in Vienna, Austria. It was a part of the sect's world-wide investment in 'Say no to Drugs'.
"The concert, where opera singers and pop artists take part, was thought to be the trigger for a new anti-drug campaign over the whole Western world. A press-release from the Church of Scientology in Austria is claiming that mrs Magnuson, Princess Christina, has blessed the campaign. Andreas Bock, spokesman for the Church of Scientology in Vienna, can not explain why mrs Magnuson's name is there. 'As far as I know, the Princess has not given us any active support. It is possible that she has been signing some appeal', says Bock. According to the press-release, one of the initiators is Nancy Reagan, married to the former President of U.S.A., Ronald Reagan."
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