Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review
Volume 2, Issue 19
08/24/97
by Rod Keller [rkeller@voicenet.com]
copyright 1997

Contents

1. Australia
2. Birgitta Dagnell
3. Dennis Erlich
4. Factnet
5. Germany
6. Grady Ward
7. Joe Neal
8. Ray Mithoff
9. Keith Henson
10. Mace Kingsley Ranch
11. Scottish Prison
12. Wayne Whitney
13. Christer Lindstrom
14. Letters to the Editor
15. David Alexander

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 informtion. 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 
rkeller@voicenet.com
It is archived at:
        http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html
        http://www.thur.de/religio/publik/arsfaq.html
        http://home.sol.no/heldal/CoS/archive/WIR/
        http://www.i1.net/~mallen/scn/arswr/ars-summary.html

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Australia

"A local mother warned parents last week that young people who travel to Perth in search of education, work or adventure could be influenced by cult groups. Young people often gravitated to Perth in search of excitement and some cults have been accused of preying on the lonely, offering friendship to young people feeling lost in an unfamiliar place, the mother said. Matilda, not her real name, said she wanted to warn others because her life had been turned upside down and her family had been divided after her daughter, Jill, joined the Church of Scientology in Perth.

"Matilda said she was puzzled for years by the peculiar personality changes that turned her well-liked daughter into a militant and hateful person. 'It wasn't until six months ago after Jill rang me and one of her brothers in a panic, saying she needed $1000 immediately, that my grandson told me

Jill was a Scientologist,' she said. 'She needed the money to be 'enlightened' by the Scientologists through some ritual that supposedly knocks the nasties out of your body. 'Jill refused to speak to me for six years prior to that call and in that time she has successfully turned my family against each other with malicious acts.'

"Church of Scientology spokesman Carmen Sferco said Matilda's accusations were completely unfounded and went against the whole idea of Scientology. 'If her (Matilda's) daughter has lost contact with her mother it has been her daughter's personal choice,' she said. 'The Church encourages members to keep in close communication with their families. This woman's accusations go against everything the Church stands for.'"

Message-ID: <slrn5vt3f3.pef.fun@thingy.apana.org.au>

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Birgitta Dagnell

"I went over and met with the person in charge Allan Hubbert from Special Unit in Los Angeles. He smiled and told me nicely that I had to do a little 'spring-cleaning-programme' called DPF (Deck Project Force). I was told that all remaining staff from the GO's in Europe should show up on the DPF. The reason was that we were the cause why the churches didn't expand and that we were enemies of the Church. The GO's should close down and be replaced by 'Department of Special Affairs'. Only very clean, especially chosen, non-guardian people should be appointed to this Department. We, the enemies and traitors should be put onto the DPF as an rehabilitation.

"There was no time to go back home to change clothes or bring more clothes or even to make a phone call to my husband and children. So there I was in my black long trousers, black jumper and my mink coat. Those clothes I had to wear for more than one month. The 'rehabilitation' consisted of lots of work, mainly cleaning, and started at 8 AM with roll-call. We had to say 'Aye Sir' when called upon or spoken to. We were not permitted to talk to people outside the DPF and later on not to DPF-members from other countries. I remember one morning when the 82 of us got 16 slices of bread to share and one man took 6 of them. It was near a civil war got started. The meals was eaten in a cellar where we shared the space with lots of pigeons. It was very dirty, filled with bird shit. At one occasion I had to fight with the pigeons to get my meal. The food was never enough for all of us and consisted of rice and beans. No plates, no cutleries and no pots.

"The work consisted of mainly cleaning toilets, corridors and hotel rooms or some painting and construction work. I was mainly doing cleaning at Hotel Nordland and the small hotel opposite to Nordland. At one occasion I should clean bathrooms and a long hallway in the other hotel. I had high fever and the floor in the hallway was very dirty. I had to do the cleaning with a toothbrush, crawling on my knees as I wasn't able to stand up. Next day I couldn't get out of my bed, I was too sick in pneumonia. Guards came and tried to get me up, but I couldn't. The day after I had to get back to work again. The working hours was to 11 PM but we were often waked up in the night for doing more work. Sometimes we worked till 5 in the morning with only two breaks of 30 minutes each, during all those hours.

"Another lady I remember was from Belgium. In the session she told them that she finally understood how much she had neglected her husband and children because of scientology. After the above treatment she tried to escape but failed. The following week after this incident, she didn't speak with anybody. She sneaked around on the yard, sometimes laughing hysterically for herself. I was told that she went mad.

"After a month I got permission to go home and see my children over the weekend. When Saturday came, I was told that my permission was cancelled because they thought I shouldn't come back or tell people about what's going on in Denmark. Half of the day was spent trying to convince them that I had to go home to see my children, that they were expecting me and so on. As I couldn't stand the thought of my little girl being so happy, making dinner for me, I decided to escape in the evening. So late in the evening I sneaked out from Nordland, walked my way to the ferries and went to Malmoe. I arrived to my home around midnight and waked up the family. We were all so happy to meet again until my husband told me that I had to go back in the morning. I said no, no way, I never go there again. But he persuaded me by saying that I had to go to the RPF or that we had to divorce if I didn't. So I went back.

"One night all of us were yelled at by the missionaries. After the yelling one of them asked if we had any questions. I had a question and stretched my hand. As they thought it to be very impudent of me having a question, they should make an example and ordered me to come forward. The three missionaries yelled at me and derided me for two hours in front of the others. Finally my comrades was told to go and I was alone with them. I was sitting on the chair for three hours with them yelling at me, telling me that I had never done anything good in my life. Mike Sutter worked up such an anger that he spit into my face, threw chairs around and threw a table so it hit my stomach. Mike told me I should be expelled from Scientology for ever. After those three hours, I started to cry and told them that I always had been trying to do all right and that I had been following LRH policies all the time on staff.

"That became the turning point. I was told that this setup was a test to see if I could keep my position. And I was their star! I should become the first officer in the new Department of Special Affairs! I felt very happy and very, very strong as I wasn't broken."

Message-ID: <33F77880.D9B48024@extrico.se>

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Dennis Erlich

"MoFo will argue for a motion to compel the scienos to produce the following documents, originals and people for deposition:

"May 1982 Family Trust Agreement May 1982 Advanced Tech License 1993 IRS letter Originals of all the works at issue in Elrong's own hand RTC works at issue in the course packs first issued without copyright notice NOTs indoc materials All agreements with David Mayo Notary Logs for transfers Other original documents the scienos produced bad copies of Depositions of Sherman Lenske, Norman Starkey, Ryland Hawkins, and Mary Sue Hubbard."

Dennis also reported harassment of his mother. Scientology is attempting to depose her in the child support case in San Diego.

"My 80 year old mom who lives in Palm Springs got served with a deposition notice in my scieno-backed ex-wife Rosa's ongoing litigation barrage against me on behalf of the cult. Mom has been ordered to produce all documents relating to any loans she has made me since 1995. And documents relating to the car my mom loaned me to drive after my dad died. The deposition is scheduled in Los Angeles on Sept 10th."

Message-ID: <34078775.10021725@snews.zippo.com>
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Factnet

"I am President of Fisher Associates Questioned Documents Examiners, Inc., a California corporation formed in 1982 specializing in the examination of questioned documents. I examined copies of signatures, initials and handwritings purporting to be those of L. Ron Hubbard. I studied the graphic characteristics of the signatures and had questions about the genuineness of some of them. I have questions about the signature of L. Ron Hubbard on the May 16, 1982 assignment agreement. I have questions about the signature on the 1983 codicil to Mr. Hubbard's will due to unaccounted for extraneous marks in the first name, 'Lafayette.' I have questions about the authenticity of two sets of initials, on pages 12 and 13 of the 1986 will, because they are written in a different style than any of the other initials on previous estate documents and other writings."

"[...] request this Court for orders to either (1) strike the renewed summary judgment motion of Plaintiff Bridge Publications, Inc.; or (2) a continuance of the motion for summary judgment filed by plaintiff Bridge Publications, Inc.. This Request is made pursuant to Rule 56(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on the grounds that further discovery is vital to Defendants' Opposition to BPI's Motion. Specifically, Defendants need a continuance in order to pursue further discovery with respect to, at the very least, the following: when and whether the various works at issue were published; the identity of the author(s) of the various works at issue; the circumstances and procedures surrounding the purported copyrighting of any of the various works at issue; the circumstances surrounding the assignment and transfers of rights and claims by any and all persons in connection with any of the various works at issue, including L. Ron Hubbard's purported assignment of the works at issue.

"In addition, the sheer volume of BPI's Renewed Motion for Summary Judgment renders impractible an opposition being filed within ninety days."

"Defendants also seek the deposition of the following deponents in relation to, among other things, the pending summary judgment motion:

"David Miscavige: David Miscavige is the ecclesiastical head of the group of corporations comprising the Scientology organization. He is the senior-most officer in Scientology's Sea Organization; he is L. Ron Hubbard's successor, the managing agent of Scientology (as was Hubbard), and he is the chairman of the board of directors of Religious Technology Center, Inc. which is one of the plaintiffs herein. Moreover, the declaration of Vaughn Young filed concurrently herewith demonstrates that David Miscavige is one of the most relevant witnesses in connection with BPI's pending motion for summary judgment. In his declaration, Mr. Young testified that David Miscavige was in charge of the project to register certain of the claimed copyrights in 1983. When advised that many of the documents which Scientology wished to copyright were already in the public domain, David Miscavige allegedly responded that the copyright applications were to be filed and that Scientology would 'fight that battle later.'

"Norman F. Starkey: Norman Starkey's deposition is relevant for a number of reasons. First, he was the executor of the Hubbard estate which is alleged to have succeeded to Hubbard's claimed copyrights prior to their ultimate transfer to the Church of Spiritual Technology. Thus, he is expected to have relevant and admissible evidence in connection with that very relevant and disputed factual area. Second, various copyright registration certificates indicate that he was one of the people (along with David Miscavige, Mary Sue Hubbard and Patricia Brice), who were personally involved in various of the copyright registrations that are directly in issue in connection with the pending motion for summary judgment.

"Patricia Brice: Patricia Brice worked for Author Services, Inc., under the supervision of David Miscavige and apparently was LRH's personal secretary for many years. Accordingly, the copyright registration documents themselves demonstrate that Patricia Brice was personally involved in the copyright registration process and is therefore a relevant witness in connection with the issues raised by the pending motion for summary judgment.

"Pat Broeker: Pat Broeker, along with his wife Annie Broeker, were LRH's constant companions during the final years of his life when LRH was in hiding, seclusion, and a fugitive from the courts of justice. In those circumstances, Pat Broeker is likely to be able to provide admissible evidence in connection with the circumstances surrounding the purported assignments, notarizations, last minute changes to LRH's Will and LRH's death itself.

"Mary Sue Hubbard: Mary Sue Hubbard was once the second highest ranking member of the Scientology organization. Mary Sue Hubbard's testimony will be directly relevant to the issues of authorship, assignment and transfer of the alleged copyrights in connection with the various documents at issue herein. Furthermore, her testimony will be relevant to certain of the defenses and affirmative defenses."

http://www.factnet.org
Message-ID: <5tc82n$2o1@netaxs.com>
Message-ID: <5tca9f$6gn@netaxs.com>
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Germany

"[T]he state agencies for protection of the constitution (= internal counter intelligence) are satisfied about their scientology hotlines. The Berlin agency got 136 calls, and about 15% of them have been 'very valuable' for the agencies. They got names of people and companies, mostly from the real estate market, that are connected to scientology. Additional 30% were 'interesting'. No scientologist has called yet. The Brandenburg agency got 73 calls, of which some brought them new data about scientology's activities there, especially in the real estate market.

"Both agencies are allowed to use 'intelligence gathering methods' (= phone tapping, etc) but did not comment whether they actually use these methods."

http://www.welt.de/archiv/1997/08/18/0818hb02.htm
Message-ID: <340c7d88.55930888@news.snafu.de>

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Grady Ward

"My litigation with the criminal cult of scientology is slouching toward a January 1988 trial in San Jose. There has been virtually nothing from cocksucker Thomas R. Hogan except a very odd letter claiming that I never 'retracted' a December 1996 posting and demanding that I do so with some kind of evidence mailed to the criminal cult. (The court in an extension of a preliminary injunction ordered me to 'retract' a post lawfully soliciting the works of the criminal cult). I also got a letter from the court denying my request that an internet expert be appointed in order to educate the court (the court of Hon. Ronald M. Whyte has had some difficulty with some of the concepts such as 'web site' and 'usenet group.')

"The clerk for the court of appeals also dismissed my appeal of the preliminary injunction since I had not 'perfected it.' Unfortunately the local clerk of the district court neglected to send me a current docket even after repeated requests and I did overcome that handicap. The effect of this means that the current preliminary injunction will remain in effect until trial or until it is further modified and effectively appealed.

"I will probably be entering chapter 7 bankruptcy soon. Again the timing may have some tactical significance entering bankruptcy automatically effects a stay upon all civil proceedings, pushing out the trial date."

"RTC has applied to the court to add yet another attorney (total 7) to the array against me.

"Michael T. Mervis (admitted to NY bar in 1991) one of Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker droids of 399 Park Avenue, 31st flr, NYC (same firm as Milgrim and Hart)."

Message-ID: <33fc14d1.4261076@199.4.94.14>
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Joe Neal

"I have it on good, good information that 'Joe Neal' is NOT his real name. I don't know what his real name IS, though. Whatever his name is, one thing is certain, he answers to Rinder, and HIS job is to oversee the investigation of critics. But if anyone wonders what the job of 'Joe Neal' is, well he's the man behind Russell Shaw's homepage, behind the DAing of Jeff Jacobson, and oh so much more."

http://www.dancris.com/~rshaw
Message-ID: <33fdb194.30716733@news.rmi.net>

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Ray Mithoff

"A highly placed source in the L.A. Scientology hierarchy has intimated on a secure line that he has reason to believe that Senior C/S Int Ray Mithoff is no longer 'on the lines.' If this could be confirmed, it could be the first indication that the Miscavige Dynasty is beginning to crumble at the core."

Scientology publications have conflicting clues as to Mithoff's status.

"The last clam publication that I read through, had a picture of Ray, and labeled him as being 'from the Snr C/S office'. He had no gold stripes on, and was definitely NOT Snr C/S Int. I have not seen a new listing for the Senior C/S Int - as soon as I find out who it is, I'll post and let you all know."

"On page 24 of Int Scientology News, which arrived in the past few days, he is shown still wearing the rank insignia of a Commander, and his speech on the Freewinds is quoted at length, although he isn't specifically labeled as Snr C/S Int."

Message-ID: <pmI/zMdlg8iA092yn@islandnet.com>
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Keith Henson

"I got there at 2 pm and had been there less than ten minutes when Darlene (local DSA) came out. Darlene wrote down what my signs said (recycled, Odhran on one side and 'Both UFO Cults!' on the other and started whining about me being a bigot. I was walking up and down the sidewalk and blandly agreeing with her---when the yellow scientology bus the Jive Aces travel in pulled into the org's parking lot! As you can imagine, I was all grins about seeing it and told Darlene I would have to organize a big picket for this weekend. Darlene said they were just leaving, so we missed our chance.

"While I was there, at least 30 scns saw my sign and two of the younger Jives dudes came out to arc with me. British accent, one of them reminded me of a rabbit. First one told me to get a life, second was nearly impossible to hear since he wouldn't get closer than about 20 feet. Darlene and her crew yanked the Jives back.

"After a consider amount of packing stuff up in a beat up van and an old blue car, the Jives pulled out just after 3 pm. Darlene's son (14?) was in the bus, and he gave me the finger on the way out. So I told him 'Arc' and 'Thank you.' I wonder what his mom will think."

Message-ID: <hkhensonEFB1wt.CB4@netcom.com>

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Mace Kingsley Ranch

"The Mace-Kingsley Ranch School was founded in 1987 to help create a new civilization by producing graduates who are willing and able to demonstrate competence in life. At this location, we receive children from all over the United States, and even other countries, many of who are in trouble, all of whom benefit from the clean, safe environment and the application of standard tech.

"We Developed a Workable Program Our program consists of ten separate requirements that we will describe later in this information pack. The backbone of this program is based on PRODUCTION. At the Ranch, peer pressure relates to PRODUCTION. It's _production_ that is considered 'cool.' Here, production is run tough and hard, but with tremendous affinity. It becomes a point of personal pride within the group to be able to stay up with the rest of the guys. Each teen achieves higher production by learning the ability to produce a product correctly, and then learning to increase the speed at which they can get that product.

"Every day is run on a tight schedule. When this discipline is repeated day after day, the kids replace their old habits and routines with new, strict ones. Each individual works, studies, stays clean, learns to stay on schedule, learns the basic chores of life and learns to do these things without protest or effort. We also train a person on how to choose workable solutions over unworkable ones. Counseling addresses areas of specific disability. The result is that each individual receives correct data that he or she understands and uses to build a new life. Our remote environment allows us to eliminate from your child's environment many of the factors that fed him false data in the past, such as TV, hanging out, gangs, and so on.

"In one-on-one counseling, the individual's personal ethics situations are addressed and handled fully. There are also ethics courses that train a person to apply ethics to their own lives.

"[E]ach teen receives the personal counseling and the basic courses that help them break free from the destructive patterns of their earlier lives, and restore the lost affinity for family and life. It is common for a teen to experience a renewal of the enjoyment of living and to begin to pursue a constructive life with interest.

"If at any point, a Ranch member shows that skills learned on earlier-completed steps were shaky or now are absent, the member would re-do each step until Ranch staff can be sure that the skills will remain in force when the Graduate returns home. Our intention is to produce graduates who are willing and able to demonstrate competence in life.

"'Being at my son's Graduation and looking at him standing in front of the group while he received what seemed like an hour's worth of acknowledgments was, by far, the biggest success I have ever had as a parent. As I sat there and watched him standing so tall and proud - the real son I knew and now have back - I was filled with gratitude. Grateful to the founder of Dianetics and Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, grateful for every single person at the Ranch, from the cook to the Ranch Director, who contributed to his program.' J.L., Parent of 16-year old"

Message-ID: <UUP+zMdlgEiJ092yn@islandnet.com>

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Scottish Prison

"Leaders of the cult are trying to sign up hardened cons in a sick bid to boost their numbers. Violent criminals and killers have already been recruited as devotees in a worldwide campaign. Now one of the Church of Scientology's latest targets is hostage taker and armed robber James Holland, currently locked up in one of Scotland's toughest prisons.

"But yesterday a top Government minister promised a full probe. Scottish Prison Service chiefs are to be asked for a report. And prisoners rights' campaigner described the move as 'worrying.' A jail insider said: 'They seem to think our prisons are fertile recruiting grounds.' Prisoners are being sent packages offering them correspondence courses in Scientology. It's thought Criminon UK, a branch of the Scientologists, have found the violent cons' names in newspaper reports. The packages they are sent include copies of sect founder L Ron Hubbard's book, The Way to Happiness.

"Criminon UK, run by Dutch lawyer Nico van den Berg, uses a post office box number in East Grinstead in West Sussex, where the Scientologists have their UK headquarters. Van den Berg said yesterday three Scots inmates were already studying the course. Church of Scientology spokesman Graham Wilson claimed the cult had more success rehabilitating offenders then any other organisation. He said: 'Our success rate for rehabilitating offenders reduces fall back from the usual 80 per cent to as low as two per cent.'

"But Mr McLeish said he was alarmed about their new recruitment campaign. 'Prisoners have the right to correspond with who they wish,' he said. 'But I am concerned about the Church of Scientology and its motives.' He said he would be asking Scottish Office officials and the Prison Service for a full report."

Message-ID: <33fd56b5.4074589@news.demon.co.uk>

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Wayne Whitney

"This Sunday when I arrived I was surprised to see that the Org staff had set up a table out front and a team of recruiters were giving out 'free' E-meter demonstrations. Several staff (and I think some public members) were also handing out fliers and those pink personality tests.

"I was encouraged to see that the more people they got to go over to their table the more would come over to me to hear what *I* had to say. Many times they would get up from their table and walk DIRECTLY over to me. I'd let their staff lure people over and get them interested in hearing about Scientology and then I would take over and give the person the REAL facts about their organization.

"This Saturday I was interview by another newspaper journalist out in front of the Org. I believe he was from Finland. He then took some pictures of me standing on each side the Org's front door. Janet Meinsma (the salesperson) was leaving the building when she suddenly realized that I was talking to a journalist. She immediately turned around and hustled back inside to sound the alarm. Sure enough, in less than 30 seconds there was someone out there to handle him.

"The first thing the handler said to him was, 'You know there's another side to the story than Wayne's.' The journalist gave him his card and then asked to see Jeff Quiros. He was informed that Jeff was not available right then but that he would get back to him as soon as possible. He then asked to see if someone on staff could arrange a tour of Scientology's facility in LA for him since he was heading that way anyway. He was once again told that Jeff would get in touch with him as soon as possible. With this little 'arrangement' agreed upon the journalist left. As he was walking away the handler turned to me and said, 'I'm going to have to ask you to step back out on the sidewalk.' It was interesting to observe that THIS journalist had no hesitation in giving his name and address to this staff member.

"Today as I was picketing during their lunch hour a member came out of the bakery next door and asked me why I was picketing them. I told him that I thought Hubbard's 'tech' was ALL crap, that I got defrauded and that I wanted as many people as possible to know about it so that the same thing does not happen to them. This staff member finally comes out, pats the guy on the back and then kind of leads him back inside saying, 'Don't waste your time on this guy, he's just a pervert. Let's go inside and I'll let (I forget the name he said) tell you all about him. When he said THAT I immediately decided that I was going to cancel all my plans for the next day and picket them AGAIN instead. I've discovered that it's SO much easier to KEEP people out of the cult than it is to GET them out."

Message-ID: <19970818131401.JAA28913@ladder02.news.aol.com>
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Christer Lindstrom

"I made some copies of the Xemu leaflet, and went to the Stockholm org. At arrival, the org was open, with a little sign 'now hiring' outside. The first 5 minutes, some people went in and out, and I gave them the leaflets. One person who got a copy when going out, started to read while walking. After ten meters, the steps became slower and slower, and it was obvious that this person was very disturbed about what was read. I guess this one was a newcomer to Scientology.

"Not until I was just about to leave for the other spot 100 meters away, some things started to happen. One younger guy came out and asked who I was, and why I was doing this. Suddenly he started to take away the few leaflets I had given to people by just taking them out of their hands as they started to read them. I approached them and said 'He does not want you to read that, and he is a scientologist. You can have another one if you want'. One guy with his girlfriend got very angry when the first Scientologist tried to take away the leaflet from her.

"I strolled slowly towards the car and suddenly discovered that they were following me, guy #2 and the one with the camera! I made another 3 second run, this time towards them and did a 'kiss' to the camera, and asked them to stop following me. To my amazement they followed me even as I entered a small marine-shop a couple of hundred meters away. After some time they realized that they could not continue, and I finally got rid of them."

Message-ID: <33FF35A0.F29762B1@carasoft.se>

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Letters to the Editor

"The growth in popularity of the Church of Scientology in Clearwater and elsewhere in the world continues to expand more now than ever before in our history. That growth has never been halted by biased media reports such as what often occurs in the St. Petersburg Times. The Times article on Aug. 10, Scientology launches massive PR campaign, attempted to criticize the church for promoting its beliefs and advertising books written by the founder of the Scientology religious philosophy, L. Ron Hubbard, saying that the church must be promoting itself in response to some negative publicity.

"It is ironic that the Times does not realized something the church learned decades ago. People become interested and come in to find out about Scientology for themselves even in the face of inaccurate or slanted reporting.

"The author mentioned that some obscure detractors have criticized the church on the Internet. Were it not for the Times, which makes these people appear important even when they aren't, they would remain hidden in obscurity where their lack of knowledge and understanding has rightfully relegated them. So, if the Times wants to talk about Internet sites, then it should put matters in perspective by including that the church's own Web site has generated millions of hits since it was erected last year and has already won numerous awards. By comparison, the sites of so-called 'critics' arouse negligible interest.

"Mary Story, community affairs director, Church of Scientology, Tampa

"The latest advertising blitz from the so-called 'church' of Scientology is only one half of their public relations attack. The other half consists of a vicious, ongoing campaign to suppress any critical information, including negative media coverage, high-level 'scriptures', and administrative documents. Scientology's unethical and often illegal tactics, including harassment, intimidation, and spurious lawsuits, have been well-documented in the courts and the media. Its targets have included the St. Petersburg Times, former Clearwater mayor Gabe Cazares, and the U.S. government, among others.

"The cult has even attempted to crush opposition in cyberspace with a flood of lawsuits, including legal threats against anyone who carried the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology. Netizens all over the globe use the newsgroups and chat rooms to organize pickets of Scientology offices, such as the next protest in Clearwater, planned for Dec. 5 and 6.

"Local residents who want to know more about Clearwater's most infamous cult or participate in the December protest should take a look at web sites such as Operation Clambake (http://home.sol.no/heldal/CoS/).

"Mark Dallara, Tampa mdallara@kcii.com"

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David Alexander

"They didn't call me, but had their private investigator, Ted Banas, call me last Tuesday the 12th, and say nice things to me. Ted's the same ex-LAPD they sent last September and October. He still insists he's not a Scientologist, but fills their need for a 'disinterested party' to contact people who I guess would jump out of their skin if confronted by a Scientologist. It still causes me much enturbulation every time I relive/review the fear and domination I felt as a very devoted Scientologist. So I guess there is something to hiring non-Scientologists for this work.

"I guess I disappointed them by telling Ted I was preparing prosecution at the invitation of the Attorney General, and that I was making progress with the help of a forensic Psychiatrist."

"My favorite Private Investigator called me again today, Tuesday at 5:30pm, with a message to relay to me from OSA. OSA wants to assure me that the door is always open. I think I've heard that somewhere before. Well I'm sure 'into' the RPF is always open, and I feel there has always been an eagerness to hand out punishments of sorts.

"Ted, 'my' PI, says they want to return my money minus everything that it paid for.

"What I remember the most is what I've learned over the past few years--most notably the truths I've learned on ARS, such as, Hubbard is agnostic--in it for the money, the church will stop at nothing to enforce their reality, Hubbard was God and could 'do no wrong', larceny by false promise, many deceptions. But most of all I remember the sadistic handling of my children and the poverty they have endured while COS proved to me it was in possession of some balls or something. I remember hobbling on mangled ankles because I blew the money for surgery on holy parlor games or something."

Message-ID: <5tahql$cgj$1@excalibur.flash.net>
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