Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review Volume 0, Issue 44 02/25/96 by Rod Keller [rkeller@voicenet.com] copyright 1996
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.
Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available, just email me at
rkeller@voicenet.com
It is archived at:
http://www.amazing.com/scientology/ars-summary.html
http://users.aimnet.com/~jdiver/scieno.htm
http://www.thur.de/religio/publik/arsfaq.html
http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html
http://www.eecs.nwu.edu/~mallen/scn/arswr/ars-summary.html
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>From Jeff Jacobsen:
"So far there are 8 cities on the demonstration page for March 9 (http://www.primenet.com/~cultxpt/demo.htm). If anyone is organizing a 'stop the harassment, Scientology' picket in your city for March 9, let me know and (if I trust you) I'll put a link to you on the demo page."
>From David Gerard:
"And don't forget, Melbourne residents, that one of these is on in Melb. Please email me and I'll keep you up to date."
>From Pim:
"I am trying to get a group of people together in Washington to demonstrate on March 9th in Seattle. This will be coordinated with similar protests in Clearwater Florida and London (UK) to protest Scientology's actions on the Internet and beyond.
"If people are interested please send me e-mail at entheta@eskimo.com."
Message-ID: <4ge8dh$m15@nnrp1.news.primenet.com>
Message-ID: <4gh0rm$ana@cougar.vut.edu.au>
Message-ID: <DMutu1.KJ@eskimo.com>
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Declaration of Religious Commitment
Martin Poulter this week posted the Declaration of Religious Commitment, which is signed by all staff members. The form was used in the UK, and has presumably been updated since the death of some individuals mentioned within. A few highlights/lowlights include a min-sec check, an exhaustive guarantee against filing suit, an agreement to assume freeloaders debt, and a description of assignment to an RPF prison camp..
"I am not related to or connected to intelligence agencies either by past history or immediate familial connections.
"I do not have a parent or guardian who is a rabid antagonist of Scientology.
"I am not here to obtain news stories or data for any other organization or to generally disrupt the Church organization.
"I recognise, understand and agree that in consideration for the Church permitting me to become an active participant pursuant to this Declaration, I shall not commence any action or assert any claim against either or both of them, their heirs, successors, or assigns, based on any matter arising out of or in connection with the Church, and I hereby release L. Ron Hubbard and Mary Sue Hubbard and their heirs, successors and assigns, from and against any and all claims or causes of action of every nature and sort which I or my successors or assigns from and against any or all claims or causes of action of every nature and sort which I or my successors or assigns ever had, now have or may hereafter acquire, arising out of my dealings with the Church as a staff member pursuant to this Declaration.
"BREACH OF COVENANT An active participant of the Church, having forsaken traditional commercial and financial motivations and concerns, by making this religious declaration, and who receives services at no cost or 50% of costs shall, if he breaks his agreement either by leaving staff before completing his covenant or by violating his good standing as a Scientology staff member so that he is dismissed in accordance with policy, he or she shall remit forthwith to the Church a sum equal to the full value, or 50% to the donation rates, (or as modified by Church policies on covenant breakage) of all services, at the rate at which they were received while such person was a staff member, is such person is declared a 'freeloader'.
"A person who continually violates the ethical codes of the Church despite attempts by the Church to help him/her get ethics in may, if he/she honestly seeks redemption, be assigned to a REHABILITATION PROJECT FORCE as a means to raise his/her ethical standards to a point where he/she can again participate and exchange in an ethical environment in accordance with Church doctrine."
Message-ID: <Dn1BEL.4sG@uns.bris.ac.uk>
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An anonymous poster summarized the revenue produced by the cult's Flag Service Organization in 1992. Dollar figures quoted are in dollars per week. Apologies for the lack of a glossary to the acronyms below.
"With the average GI of 1,500,000 $ the FSO was the top-organization of all orgs worldwide and therefore under close supervision by the executives of the management in Los Angeles. The Advanced Organization in Los Angeles (AOLA), the second best, made only a fraction of the FSO-GI, around 250,000 $.
"The usual GI range from 1,200,000 to 1,700,000 $ of the FSO per week was produced by the following money making departments:
"Department 6, the body reges: 700,000 - 900,000 $ Department 17 b, the FSC-Network: 400,000 - 600,000 $ Department 7, Income-Dept.: 50,000 - 90,000 $ Department 17 c, the Tours-Dept.: 50,000 - 90,000 $ Department 5, Letter Reges, ASR: 30,000 - 40,000 $ Department 4 b, Pubs-Dept.: 10,000 -20,000 $ (fresh GBS)
"The best registrars of the FSO and their usual production-peaks at that time were:
"Sonya Jacques, Department 6: 300,000 -350,000 $ Per Almquist, Department 6: 200,000 $ David Foster, Department 6: 200,000 $ Fred Swartz, FSC WUS: 200,000 $ Paul Hickock, Department 6: 150,000 $ Paul Miller, Department 6: 150,000 $ Tito Mazza, FSC Italy: 100,000 $ Klaus Weber, FSC Germany: 100,000 $ Kitty Georgius, Department 6: 90,000 $ Jean Nichols, Department 7: 90,000 $ (before her RPF-Assignment)"
Message-ID: <199602201740.SAA20995@utopia.hacktic.nl>
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Peter Lucey reported this week concerning the Jive Aces, a bar band preaching cult propaganda at gigs in the U.K.
"I was in the 'Bier Keller', a bar under the Coppid Beach Hotel, Bracknell, UK on Friday, 16th Feb and the band booked was called the 'Jive Aces'. [T]hey were 'sponsored' by Dianetics and there was much more 'buy Dianetics' adverts on the flyers than band info.
"Scn was not mentioned but the band's booking address was Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead.
"I talked to the leader - he described Jon Atack as a 'w*nker' and said he was expelled from the CoS for drug dealing; my retort, that the 'unconvicted drug dealing' was a confession taken from his PC-folders after he left, fell on stony ground."
Message-ID: <4g4h8j$ls2@hpscit.sc.hp.com>
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Karin Spaink and Johan Wevers this week posted that they are removing the Fishman Affidavit materials from their web pages on the advice of their lawyers. It continues to be available on dozens of other web pages in the Netherlands. First from Karin:
"At the beginning of this week, Felipe Rodriquez, Pieter Bakker Schut (our lawyer) and me were finally able to see the new notary statement that RTC etc referred to in their subpoena of Feb. 1, a statement that was also referred to in their drafted subpoena of Jan. 18. It transpired that the notary's statement had only been finished on Feb. 16.
"The Dutch Protest started because Scientology raided a Dutch provider without showing *any proof whatsoever* that their copyrights were infringed; their claims were, so to speak, disproportionate to the severe claims they had. Now that they *finally* have shown proof, we need to evaluate the proof on its own merits, and try not to weigh or like or dislike of the organisation that shows the proof.
"Our lawyers were at last able to asses the evidence. Bakker Schut and Pors & Van Maanen for Planet Internet - have thereupon given advise to take down OT 2, OT 3 and Exhibit G.
"This afternoon, on Feb. 21, 1996 at 12.00, I have removed those three articles from my homepage at XS4all and from my homepage at Planet Internet."
And from Johan:
"Due to new developments in the coming lawsuit of scientology against Dutch internet providers (they finally provided proof that they have copyright on OT 2 and 3), my internet provider has recommend me to remove these from the Fishman affidavit on my homepage and replace them by summaries. Since I don't want to change the original court document I have removed it completely. People who want to get the complete, uncensored document can email me with as subject line SENDME Fishman."
Message-ID: <312c6048.65100570@news.xs4all.nl>
Message-ID: <312d4ed8.56554c43414e@vulcan.xs4all.nl>
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The Cancelpoodle used up another of a seemingly infinite supply of Netcom accounts to cancel a repost of Scamizdat 11, containing several OT documents. As always, the account has been revoked by Netcom.
"Control: cancel <053406Z15021996@anon.penet.fi> Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,alt.cyberspace.rebels Path: news.lightlink.com!news.netrail.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.clark.net!eu ropa.chnt.gtegsc.com!ra.nrl.navy.mil!news.math.psu.edu!chi-news.cic.net!n ewsfeed.internetmci.com!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!m assy From: massy@netcom.com (Massoude Radmanesh) Subject: cmsg cancel <053406Z15021996@anon.penet.fi> Message-ID: <massyDn1s4M.9F@netcom.com> Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 1996 00:02:45 GMT Lines: 3 Sender: massy@netcom12.netcom.com
"CANCELLED BECAUSE OF COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT"
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A first had account from the Apollo was posted this week which counters the cult's claim about the cover of Hubbard's book All About Radiation. As cult spokesman Andy Milne posted, the cult claims that the claim that Hubbard was a "Nuclear Physicist" was invented by book editor Lauren Sullivan. Neal Hamel responded with his own remembrance.
"On 12 Feb 1996 15:57:07 -0800, milne@crl.com (Andrew Milne) wrote: >L. Ron Hubbard never claimed to be a nuclear physicist, only to have >attended the first class in nuclear physics. The perpetrator of the idea >that he claimed to have said he was a nuclear physicist was Laurel >Sullivan, who stuck the claim 'by a nuclear physicist' in an early >edition of the book All About Radiation.
"Andy, I was on Flag with Hubbard, something you did not have the opportunity to do. While I was there, Laurel Watson was there. I observed an incident with Laurel where she was preparing a book cover for a new release of one of Hubbard's books.
"He read her the riot act for a mistake she had made on a book cover (I forget which one). I remember her coming down the ship's corridor in tears and quite upset.
"Hubbard dictated every damn word on the book covers that were released. He also specified and approved the cover art. Your story simply has no credibility."
Message-ID: <3127d40a.3176916@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>
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An amusing message was reposted this week from America Online, in which the writer "Spieler7" proposed that perhaps cult member John Travolta could manipulate German government officials using OT mind control powers to benefit the cult.
"In Berlin, the federal minister of the interior, Mr. Kanther, opened the yearly Berlin Film Festival. He is certainly one of the most important persons in both our government and in his party, the CDU, which is the most critical party against some of the tactics of Scientology. Now guess, who was the Starguest of the evening: John Travolta himself. Isn't Travolta already very high on his OT-Levels? Is there a chance, that he could manipulate our minister just through his mental power? Or do some other supernatural thing? Isn't it also bad for Travolta's level to have such close contact with such an important SP?
Message-ID: <960219120737_225791772@emout09.mail.aol.com>
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Koos Nolst Trenite has bitten off more than he can chew with recent posts purporting to channel Maggie Butler from beyond the grave. Maggie's allegations pale in comparison to those of the target of the attack, cult critic Jon Atack.
Koos Nolst Trenite <Koos.Trenite@trenite.de> wrote: > Maggie Butler on 28 Oct 1995, 22:56 GMT > I was overwhelmed by Jon Atack! > He enforced his beingness [his space] on me. > He dominated me, upset me, and he invalidated me and my paintings.
Koos might be referred back to the famous Ron dictum 'the overt doth speak loud in accusation'. It seems pointless responding to the babblings of a lunatic, but I am offended that he abuses the memory of Maggie Butler (who died in a car crash in 1984). She was a dear friend, and one of the most intelligent and well-educated people it has been my good fortune to meet. She definitely wasn't intellectually intimidated by me! I most certainly never had anything but praise for her paintings, especially her social commentary paintings, which Koos doesn't seem to have seen. Maggie, on the other hand was rather concerned that Koos failed to pay her for paintings he took. He still owes me the downpayment of 300 for six paintings he took and subsequently destroyed (in 1980). He also left Glen Rossiter penniless after selling thousands of pounds worth of his paintings in about 1977."
Message-ID: <312b71f9.4113498@news.xs4all.nl>
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An account was posted this week describing the procedures followed in the Narconon drug rehabilitation program. Many are lifted directly from the beginning courses given at cult Orgs and Missions, lending credence to the assertion that Narconon is purely a recruitment tactic, not a treatment organization.
"Therapeutic TRs Course Once withdrawal is complete, a gradient series of communication drills (called training routines or TRs) are use to extrovert the person and get him back in touch with other people and the environment. Each TR increases the person's ability to face life and to communicate effectively with others. This step usually takes 4 to 5 days.
"The Learning Improvement Course This gives the student the ability to study and retain knowledge along with the ability to recognise and overcome barriers to study and learning. The student learns data on the three barriers to study. He learns how to clear a word in a dictionary so that it is fully understood, how to do demonstrations of concepts so he can easily grasp them and how to spot and handle any difficulties in his study.
"The Ups and Downs in Life Course Now the student gains the knowledge to spot and handle those influences in his environment that would cause him to lose any gains he has made. He learns the characteristics of the antisocial personality and the social personality so he can recognise the two, spot the differences between them and better choose his friends and associates. Completing this course makes the student less susceptible to those who would influence him to revert to drugs.
"The Personal Values and Integrity Course On this step the students gains data he needs to improve his survival potential. It teaches the student the eight dynamics, gives him invaluable knowledge about personal ethics, honesty and integrity and shows him how to correct contra-survival behaviour by ridding himself of past harmful deeds.
"The Narconon Changing Conditions of Life Course This gives the student the exact step-by-step method he needs to improve his life. Earlier conditions clearly helped to precipitate the turning of the student to substance abuse. To return a student to those conditions without the knowledge and ability to recognise and change them is like sending a person saved from drowning back to sea without first teaching him to swim. This ethics method was developed by L Ron Hubbard and covers exactly how to apply these steps to improve conditions in life. It also teaches the student how to repair previous bad conditions.
"The Narconon Way to Happiness Course This teaches the student a non-sectarian moral code which is a guide to living a happy life based on the book The Way to Happiness'. Gives the students a guide to living a life where real happiness is attainable for themselves and others. It demonstrates how helping others can be the best way to unselfishly help oneself.
Message-ID: <AD511E539668FA17@peekay.dircon.co.uk>