Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review Volume 0, Issue 40 01/28/96 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
"Check out CNN news article on Arnie's trial. http://www.cnn.com/wires/TECH/01-20/scientology
"In making her ruling, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of United States District Court in Alexandria, Va., affirmed that the church holds a copyright on the documents and that Mr. Lerma infringed on the copyright by posting church documents without comment, criticism or other significant changes that would have constituted fair use. She said the church was entitled to statutory damages and legal fees, which will be determined later.
"'They were trying to argue that different rules applied for the fair use of copyrighted material on the Internet, and the judge rule otherwise,' said Helena K. Kobrin, a lawyer for the Religious Technology Center in Los Angeles.
"Judge Brinkema ruled last year that the documents were not trade secrets but could be copyrighted."
And an anonymous poster claiming to be "Capricorn" put forward a theory of his/her own, in two posts this week.
"Just found out from my sources that Judge Brinkema was successfully handled by OSA-INT. They found some things in her life, call it dirt, which they used with great leverage. Her Summary Judgment for RTC and the Church of Scientology is due entirely to extreme pressure exerted on her."
"The Scientologists are going to take the Lerma victory now and use it to crush Lerma and make an example out of him. They will then use this as a precedent to follow the same pattern in the Erlich and FACTNet cases. They will now force the insurance company to spend the rest of the policy coverage to pay their fees so Wollersheim and FACTNet have no money to defend against a Summary Judgment in Denver. This will then not be well defended and they will put Wollersheim in a similar position.
"Now that they have the advantage, they will start piling on and the predicted RICO suit will be based on a conspiracy theory that various posters have engaged in a coordinated plan to violate their copyrights.
"Mark my words. Next we will see an onslaught in Denver and San Jose, followed shortly by a massive RICO suit that will have many defendants. The Scientologists won't ever stop - they are fanatics."
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960120152910.11011A-100000@light.lightlink.com> Message-ID: <4drdk1$15c_002@CRASH.TEST> Message-ID: <4dp7q1$rsc@utopia.hacktic.nl> Message-ID: <4e6hq1$gu5@utopia.hacktic.nl>
Dennis Erlich, copyright defendant and target of a suit from his cult member ex-wife, posted a letter this week to attorneys Dominic Cantalupo and Fred Silberberg
"In the past week you and Petitioner have served me with three separate sets of papers:
"1) an OSC for contempt, 2) a Civil Subpoena for my bank to turn over to you my bank records for the past eleven years, and 3) another Civil Subpoena for a former employer to turn over my personnel records.
"However, there is no evidence that the latter two sets of papers have been properly filed with the court.
"With regard to the OSC for contempt, I would first point out to you that since Petitioner came out of hiding with my child and seized my bank account last April, I have paid every child support payment required by the court. I have not missed making a single payment.
"Secondly, according to CPC 1218.5, the statute of limitations for such a contempt finding is 3 years. Thirdly, the matter of my arrearages prior to August 31st, 1995 was addressed and ruled on by Judge Mason on that date. Hence, my child support payment history prior to that date is res judicata. (a thing decided)
"With regard to the other two sets of Civil Subpoenas which direct my bank and former employer to turn over statements and personnel records to you, I again point out that the statute of limitations for contempt and related discovery is three years. Henry Marshall has already produced and been deposed regarding the personnel records you claim again to need. I have made all my monthly child support payments since I obtained the Petitioner's address. And additionally, the matter of my arrearages prior to 1995 was already addressed by Judge Mason in his August 31, 1995 ruling.
"If you pursue these filings, in spite of these obvious facts, it will be clear that you are engaging in malicious prosecution."
Bob Penny posted a message this week on the status of FACTNet officers.
"Bob Penny was elected Executive Director of FACTNet effective January 1, 1996. Lawrence Wollersheim had offered his resignation in November, 1995, effective the end of December, 1995.
"Lawrence Wollersheim has shown profound dedication to FACTNet and its principles, and the Board is extremely appreciative of his contributions.
"With pending litigation, it is difficult for FACTNet to make definitive statements about its position(s) on a number of matters. While we regret this silence, we hope that ars understands and accepts its import."
Message-ID: <4drste$9m9@natasha.rmii.com>
A German court this week banned a cult operated company from training young people because of its use of the cult's OCA personality test. From Reuters:
"The court ruled that the personality tests were used to harshly interrogate the Dusseldorf real estate company's trainees. The tests amounted to maltreatment of young people entrusted to the company, violating laws on vocational training.
"It was the first time a German court had ruled against the tests which the Scientology church also uses to recruit new members, offering expensive books and courses of treatment to resolve personality problems diagnosed in the tests.
"The Dusseldorf case centered on three young women who were in training at the real estate company in 1993. They were told to take the test to examine their communication skills.
"The women complained to the local Chamber of Commerce because they felt the company was exerting psychological pressure to make them take the test."
Message-ID: <4e3rp3$ooc@utopia.hacktic.nl>
As an excerpt from the TV tabloid Extra posted this week shows, the gossip press has begun speculating over the impact of the cult in the Jackson/Presley divorce.
"Jackson family sources are saying Michael may also have had a problem with Lisa Marie's religion, the Church of Scientology, a forty year old philosophy that basically trains people with techniques to achieve happiness in their lives. Lisa's divorce attorney, John Cole, is a Scientologist, as is his wife, CNN legal commentator Greta Van Sustern.
"[Reporter] I know that the church of Scientology does play hardball with its members occasionally, and I was told that there were some conversations regarding, listen, you know, this guy's not interested in being a member, why are you wasting your time with someone that may not have your same views.
"People magazine's Todd Gold has toured with Michael Jackson and agrees Scientology could be behind the split. 'Lisa Marie is very devoted to the church of Scientology, and Michael's refusal to go in as deep as she is would create some sort of irreconcilable difference.
Message-ID: <4dq14f$ikk@clarknet.clark.net>
Ted Mayett posted a description of gambling in the cult this week. Ted was formerly on staff at the Las Vegas Org.
"Over the years Jim and other visiting ot's and sea org executives would discuss how they won at the casinos. I quickly determined that on the whole they won as often as the tourists did. They did not always have a tale to tell of winnings. This was because they won only as often as probability predicted they would. No more, no less.
"Over the years I have been in steady argument with local and visiting scienos because I gamble for a living. My usual response was to say that I would get a job building nuclear bombs for the government. And that my stat would be how well they worked. And would I then be OK because I had a job with a product. Over and over I would be told that I had no product. One woman told me about a live poker player who went up the bridge by paying for it off poker winnings. She said it caved him in. I said he was probably a bad poker player.
"When I would get hotels for visiting sea org and others I would see these people playing video poker. I learned quickly that they did not want any advice. Not when they had postulates. In all the years and all the rooms I got for them only one guy asked me what would be the best gamble for a twenty dollar bill. This was an older sea org boy. Somehow he got the bright idea that as I had put 12K on the bridge I must know what I'm talking about.
"Local staff gamble their few coins in supermarkets and convenience stores. I have offered them strategy's for the machines and they decline. Yet, like others, they do enjoy playing a few hands of video poker. I've offered to teach them repeatedly and they decline. They say they do not really play that much.
"And then there is the story of Hubby in one of the London casinos. It was time to leave and Hubby said 'wait till I lose these chips back' Hubby was able to win when he wanted was the morale of the story. Fluctuation is the fact of the story. A monkey will win no more or no less than you or I at roulette.
"Jim tells the story of how one time when he went to play blackjack the pit boss picked up on him. And how he, Jim, was able to overcome the postulates of the casino. Such dribble, you would have to hear it to believe it. And the locals just ate it up. Jim had given them another reason to go OT.
"Sea Org would come into town and work the phone list of active publics. I would always get a cheery hello on the phone. They would ask, 'what kind of work do you do?' When I would answer, 'I gamble for a living' their voices always dropped to a disapproving tone. Many times I would say I was really a dishwasher and that would make them happy."
Message-ID: <4e7b60$kqu@news.skylink.net>
David Mayo posted this week to clarify a point of authorship: who created Body Thetans?
"I did not however invent/create/come up with the idea of body thetans or the OT III(tm*) materials or the story contained therein. I did not write the OT(tm*) levels that I think of and used to be known as I - VII (the 'old ones'). Incidentally, I think considerable confusion has existed and probably still exists as to what these levels are, as some of those have changed a few times over the years, e.g., I knew of four different versions of 'OT I'(tm*) and that doesn't include a _possible_ new, different (5th) version of it after I left.
"As for NOTs(tm*) and Solo NOTs(tm*) the question of who authored that material has been the subject of extensive litigation (from 1985) and there are related appeals pending before the 9th Circuit (hearing held on November 14, 1995, awaiting decision).
"The statement that I consider the most accurate on authorship of these materials was made by Special Master Kolts in his opinion and order of April 17, 1992: (This opinion and order was endorsed and adopted by the judge, Hon. James Ideman.)
"'Pursuant to the sanctions order, plaintiffs are prohibited from denying that defendant Mayo substantially participated in the drafting of NOTs.'
"Some have advised me that it would be better for me public relations wise to not litigate on this matter and to allow the Scientology(tm*) plaintiffs' assertions that L. Ron Hubbard was the sole author, to stand. I have not done that and have held to my position that I co-authored it because that is how it was. Furthermore, I think that as an author there are certain rights that I should be able to exercise.
"The final 'frequently asked question' for now is whether I deliver all or any of the materials referred to above. The simple, short answer is 'No.' A longer answer, ' ... and I haven't for many years.'"
Message-ID: <199601240612.BAA13567@light.lightlink.com>
Dennis Erlich has begun a campaign to unmask the anonymous poster Old Timer, who uses an account with the name Doc Morgan. I've extracted but some of the dialog on the subject this week. First, from Dennis:
"I am told by someone who had been a reliable source to this point that Lamont Johnson is not the poster in question. Since I was just guessing, this may well be so. My apologies to Lamont if the odious comparison caused him embarassment or discomfort.
"In that case I bet it's Cathy Cariotaki."
And from Old Timer:
"Thus far, Dennis has pointed a finger at three people he is suggesting I may be. Thus far he is wrong. He has retracted two of the three people he has named.
"He has already heard from one of the three he has suggested was me..and that person was most upset to see their name was brought up in this newsgroup. "Dennis forgets..or he does not care of OSA keeping files on this newsgroup..nor does he care what may happen to those he names in this newsgroup as me. He is not concerned that OSA is looking or is interested in my ID. He is operating on a fixed viewpoint. "One thing I am certain of ... I shall not be part of Dennis ... just throwing out names and possibly placing people at risk. If Margaret is still alive ... does she deserve OSA knocking at her door and questioning her..as to if she is Old Timer? No, I shall not be party to that. Dennis, in this newsgroup you seem to have found a voice and there are those that listen to you. My opinion of that is simple ... hey, talk your talk ... and walk your walk ... but do not hurt innocent people."
Message-ID: <9601190757.0B69T00@support.com> Message-ID: <4e7aup$1of@news2.cts.com>
The cult has been busy trying to influence the educational system in California.
"Seems there is some bit of trouble in the Petaluma School District with a mailing they did to the school teachers up there. Something about a magazine 'exposing' the evil ways of the ZoMbiE PsYcHLoRdS in the schools, and how to combat such.
"Anyway, this didn't seem to sit too well with the teachers, and they seemed particularly upset with the Scientologists getting their mitts on a mailing list of the teachers of the Petaluma School District. I guess they don't like the Scienos having their addresses on file?
"There is scheduled to be a meeting at 7:00 PM at the Luther Burbank Center in Petaluma tonight (Friday). If your in the area, go on down. They could probably use some information from those who have been watching them awhile, since no doubt the Scienos will show up with a bus load of clams from San Francisco."
Message-ID: <pbxtalk-2601961827200001@h96-213.ccnet.com>
Tom Klemesrud posted an update on the Linda Woolard bloody butt incident.
"Don Wager, Esq., Linda Woolard's attorney has somehow ascertained the name of my insurance company, and has contacted my insurance company, paying for my defense, in an apparent attempt to undermine my insurance coverage, and defense, in the Federal action RTC & Bridge Publications V. Erlich, Klemesrud & Netcom.
"Woolard's attorney has misrepresented the Superior Court's order of 12/6/95 to my insurance company.
"Since the Superior Court case was settled, and Woolard cannot use a lawyer for small claims, why is Attorney Don Wager working for Woolard? How is she able to pay him? How did he find out who my insurance company was? How is he paying for investigation to find this out facts about me--such as who my insurance company is?"
Message-ID: <9601230915.0D02600@support.com>
The controversy continues over the location of Annie Broeker, one of the people to care for Hubbard in his final days. Steve Fishman believes she is in the RPF at Gold base in Hemet, California.
"Ivan can't answer that, because OSA won't give him that information. Annie Broeker is rotting away in an RPF cell, at David Miscavige's orders. Why, he deposed her. Annie was Hubbard's choice for his successor. Miscavige wrestled power from her, locked her up and threw away the key.
"As far as Annie is concerned, my only fear is that she will mysteriously die from e-meter electrocution or falling off her army cot the wrong way before Miscavige produces her. After all, Miscavige's own mother-in-law, Mary Flo Barnett, 'committed suicide' shortly after she went to David Mayo for auditing, which made David Miscavige fly into a rage.
"We can't let up on freeing Annie Broeker. She is living proof that the cult has committed the worst type of crime --- denying her right to freedom and her sanity."
Message-ID: <4e1nh9$gaq@cloner2.ix.netcom.com>
New FAQ
Martin Hunt posted a new FAQ this week, including the full text of many of the most important a.r.s documents. His table of contents:
"1.0 Other FAQ's 1.1 Other newsgroups 1.2 Pointers to web pages on Scientology 1.3 Basic Scientology/Dianetics definitions 1.4 Reference books on Scientology 1.5 Ars origins 1.6 Ars timeline 1.7 Ars running jokes 1.8 Harassment of ars posters 1.9 Dennis Erlich Raid 2.0 Tom Klemesrud and the 'Blood incident' 3.0 A brief biography of Lafayette Ronald Hubbard 3.1 An overview of the Scientology public philosophy 3.2 A look at some of Scientology's practices 3.3 What is the E-Meter 3.4 Celebrities involved with Scientology 3.5 The Judges speak; Scientology and the law 3.6 How much does Scientology cost 4.0 Reference materials for high control groups 4.1 I know someone involved in Scientology; what can I do?"
Message-ID: <DLK5sE.Jty@freenet.carleton.ca>
America Online continues to delete items from folders placed by critics, causing David Rogers to cancel his account. He posted his farewell letter to AOL President Steve Case.
"From: ZonkedIV@aol.com Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 13:06:20 -0500 To: SteveCase@aol.com"I feel I have been forced into this decision by the actions of Jerry White (Sermoner1) and the R&E bulletin board staff, who have been selectively deleting posts from critics of the Church of Scientology because they were not 'sincere.' Despite the staffs' statements that they are starting off with a clean slate, bulletin board posts have apparently been removed within the last 24 hours of my writing this letter."As someone who has had his posts removed in the Scientology debate folders for unstated reasons (no one would even venture one when I asked in the forums), I will not be told when I am being 'sincere' and when I am not. I also heavily resent the fact that grown adults like myself are being told what they are being allowed to talk about and what they are not. Over the past six months, I have grown to have a very low opinion of AOL and Jerry White for treating us like children."
This letter was, in turn, also deleted.
"From: ZonkedIV@aol.com Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 04:30:38 -0500 To: Sermoner1@aol.com, SteveCase@aol.com"I see that my message regarding why I'm canceling my account was deleted. This makes me really pissed."I, for one, will not pay money to have my posts removed in such a blatant manner in order to preserve some vague type of 'harmony' because my posts aren't 'sincere.'"
Message-ID: <gigo-2501960155060001@bd.westworld.com>