Chiropractor James “Jay” Spina of Middletown, New York entered a guilty plea last week in an $80 million Medicare scam we told you about in September.
,,,
Also charged in
the case were Spina’s younger brother, Jeffrey Spina, as well as two
employees at their chiropractic clinic — bookkeeper Andrea Grossman, 59,
and Jeffrey and Jay’s sister Kim Spina, 54 — who all entered not guilty
pleas.
,,,
The
Spina brothers have worked as chiropractors in Middletown, New York for
many years. They called their clinic Spina Chiropractic — which was
listed as a World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) business
in 1999 — then Dolson Avenue Medical until it was raided in 2017 by the
FBI and changed its name to Pain Relief and Wellness Center.
WISE
is a Scientology front organization that targets chiropractors,
dentists, and veterinarians with L. Ron Hubbard’s business
administration ideas as a way to bring them into the church itself.
New York Scientologist chiropractor pleads guilty in $80 million Medicare scam | The Underground Bunker
Showing posts with label Scientology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scientology. Show all posts
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Monday, April 22, 2019
UPDATED::Man's defense in double murder case: Scientology made me do it
UPDATE:: Killer who claimed Scientology defense sentenced to death by Arizona juryHe stands accused of using a hatchet to bludgeon his sister-in-law and her boyfriend to death and setting the house on fire to destroy any evidence. In a bid to escape the death penalty, he is trying a novel defense:
The man who tried and failed to convince jurors that his upbringing as a Scientologist helped rationalize why he bludgeoned two people to death and set their bodies on fire was sentenced Wednesday to death by a Prescott jury.The jury announced its verdict of death shortly after noon, according to a public information officer for the Yavapai County Superior Court.
Scientology made him do it.
Kenneth
Wayne Thompson is not arguing that Scientology turned him violent in
March 2012. But he is saying his belief in the religion of Scientology helps
explain his actions. In particular, he says, his devotion to
Scientology's tenets led him on a 24-hour plus drive from his home in
rural Missouri to the eventual murder scene in Arizona.
Prosecutors say
the marathon drive helps show Thompson committed the crimes with
premeditation, an element of the first-degree murder convictions they
are seeking. On each, the state of Arizona will ask for the death
penalty.
Man's defense in double murder case: Scientology made me do it
See also:: Arizona murder trial veers into the world of Scientology before jurors begin deliberation
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Scientology Opens $50 Million Movie And TV Studio Complex In Hollywood - Forbes
The old Hollywood studio system may be struggling as of late, but you wouldn’t know it by talking to Tom Cruise.
While the actor was not on hand for the grand opening of the Church of
Scientology’s massive studio complex in Hollywood last month, he is to
be heavily involved with its plans. Located right on Sunset Boulevard,
the studio system took five years to renovate and cost approximately $50
million dollars. Images have been released via the official Scientology Facebook page, with further details being provided this week via the official site.
Church leader David Miscavige aims to use the new complex as a vehicle for Scientology’s star celeb Tom Cruise and return both Cruise and Scientology to the power and influence they held in Hollywood in the ’90s during the height of Cruise’s stardom. Earlier hits Days of Thunder and Far and Away were filmed partly at Scientology’s Hemet HQ, and the plan is to do more of the same but on a bigger scale now. Cruise plans to film his Hollywood projects at the Scientology complex, which is bigger and more complex than even that of Paramount Studios, Miscavige claims. Paramount famously parted ways with Cruise in 2006 when Viacom VIAB -5.66% chairman Sumner Redstone canceled its contract with Cruise’s Cruise/Wagner production company after 14 years of working together.
Scientology Opens $50 Million Movie And TV Studio Complex In Hollywood - Forbes
Church leader David Miscavige aims to use the new complex as a vehicle for Scientology’s star celeb Tom Cruise and return both Cruise and Scientology to the power and influence they held in Hollywood in the ’90s during the height of Cruise’s stardom. Earlier hits Days of Thunder and Far and Away were filmed partly at Scientology’s Hemet HQ, and the plan is to do more of the same but on a bigger scale now. Cruise plans to film his Hollywood projects at the Scientology complex, which is bigger and more complex than even that of Paramount Studios, Miscavige claims. Paramount famously parted ways with Cruise in 2006 when Viacom VIAB -5.66% chairman Sumner Redstone canceled its contract with Cruise’s Cruise/Wagner production company after 14 years of working together.
Scientology Opens $50 Million Movie And TV Studio Complex In Hollywood - Forbes
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
End Dangerous Scientology Experiments on Gulf War Vets, Says Center for Inquiry (UPDATED) | Center for Inquiry
The Center for Inquiry today challenged
the Department of Defense’s funding of dangerous pseudoscientific
experiments on veterans suffering from Gulf War Syndrome. These
experiments involve the Church of Scientology’s “Purif” detoxifications,
a sham treatment based on religious tenets, not science. These
experiments not only put desperate veterans’ health at risk, but also
blatantly violate the separation of church and state. CFI, which
advocates for science, reason, and humanist values, will urge the
Department to immediately end these experiments and investigate how they
were ever approved.
Journalist Brandy Zadrozny revealed on August 12 in The Daily Beast that the Department of Defense has paid $633,677 since 2009 to fund the experimental study of a so-called “Purification Rundown,” or “Purif,” a religiously based “detoxification” regimen invented by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard — a man with no scientific or medical training whatsoever — as a potential treatment for Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). Involving such risky methods as overexposure to saunas and massive doses of vitamins, Purif programs have in the past also been used by the Church as a recruitment tool, with promises to “remove biochemical factors inhibiting your spiritual freedom.”
The Center for Inquiry expressed its grave concerns about the safety of veterans used in these experiments, and pointed out that government-funded Purif programs violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, being grounded in the religious beliefs of the Church of Scientology. As detailed in the Daily Beast report, CFI is also shocked at how thoroughly riddled the study is with financial and promotional conflicts of interest favoring the Church of Scientology, as well as the obvious vested interest in its outcomes by the study’s own Scientology-advocating co-investigator—a conflict unknown to the study’s own lead investigator until revealed by the Daily Beast journalist.
End Dangerous Scientology Experiments on Gulf War Vets, Says Center for Inquiry (UPDATED) | Center for Inquiry
Journalist Brandy Zadrozny revealed on August 12 in The Daily Beast that the Department of Defense has paid $633,677 since 2009 to fund the experimental study of a so-called “Purification Rundown,” or “Purif,” a religiously based “detoxification” regimen invented by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard — a man with no scientific or medical training whatsoever — as a potential treatment for Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). Involving such risky methods as overexposure to saunas and massive doses of vitamins, Purif programs have in the past also been used by the Church as a recruitment tool, with promises to “remove biochemical factors inhibiting your spiritual freedom.”
The Center for Inquiry expressed its grave concerns about the safety of veterans used in these experiments, and pointed out that government-funded Purif programs violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, being grounded in the religious beliefs of the Church of Scientology. As detailed in the Daily Beast report, CFI is also shocked at how thoroughly riddled the study is with financial and promotional conflicts of interest favoring the Church of Scientology, as well as the obvious vested interest in its outcomes by the study’s own Scientology-advocating co-investigator—a conflict unknown to the study’s own lead investigator until revealed by the Daily Beast journalist.
End Dangerous Scientology Experiments on Gulf War Vets, Says Center for Inquiry (UPDATED) | Center for Inquiry
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Jon Atack packs a lot into a new short book — ‘Scientology: The Cult of Greed’ « The Underground Bunker
What do you do if you’re Jon Atack and you’re already known for writing one of the best and most comprehensive books about the history of the Church of Scientology? Apparently, you do it again, but in digest form!
We’re pleased to announce that an 83-page, 13,000-word e-book by Jon that gives an excellent overview to L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology is now available at Amazon under the title “Scientology: The Cult of Greed.”
Jon Atack packs a lot into a new short book — ‘Scientology: The Cult of Greed’ « The Underground Bunker
We’re pleased to announce that an 83-page, 13,000-word e-book by Jon that gives an excellent overview to L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology is now available at Amazon under the title “Scientology: The Cult of Greed.”
Jon Atack packs a lot into a new short book — ‘Scientology: The Cult of Greed’ « The Underground Bunker
Friday, November 28, 2014
HBO to make film of Scientology book, hires 160 lawyers - CNN.com
HBO is backing a documentary based on "Going Clear," a book about Scientology and Hollywood -- and isn't taking any chances with the legal side of things.
"We have probably 160 lawyers" looking at the film, HBO Documentary Films President Sheila Nevins told The Hollywood Reporter. (HBO, like CNN, is a unit of Time Warner.)
"Going Clear," by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lawrence Wright ("The Looming Tower"), digs into the life of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and the influence his church has had on its believers, many of whom have close ties to Hollywood.
Among Tinseltown's famous Scientologists are John Travolta and Tom Cruise.
HBO to make film of Scientology book, hires 160 lawyers - CNN.com
"We have probably 160 lawyers" looking at the film, HBO Documentary Films President Sheila Nevins told The Hollywood Reporter. (HBO, like CNN, is a unit of Time Warner.)
"Going Clear," by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lawrence Wright ("The Looming Tower"), digs into the life of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and the influence his church has had on its believers, many of whom have close ties to Hollywood.
Among Tinseltown's famous Scientologists are John Travolta and Tom Cruise.
HBO to make film of Scientology book, hires 160 lawyers - CNN.com
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Paul Haggis On The 'Chilling' Fear He Sees In Scientology Defectors
During a conversation with HuffPost Live's Ricky Camilleri about his new film "Third Person," Haggis discussed his break with Scientology, which was first explored at length in a 2011 New Yorker profile. Haggis told HuffPost Live that the powers-that-be in the church want anyone who defects to do so quietly, and those who speak about it publicly face extreme bullying and intimidation from Scientology officials. The director added that his personal interactions with former members has been emotionally troublesome.
"It was chilling to see how scared they were about speaking out or leaving. Just leaving. Just letting people know they'd left, they were scared," Haggis said. "Well-known people come to me who have been in secretly and have left secretly and just don't want anyone to ever know."
Paul Haggis On The 'Chilling' Fear He Sees In Scientology Defectors
See also:
The Apostate: Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology
"It was chilling to see how scared they were about speaking out or leaving. Just leaving. Just letting people know they'd left, they were scared," Haggis said. "Well-known people come to me who have been in secretly and have left secretly and just don't want anyone to ever know."
Paul Haggis On The 'Chilling' Fear He Sees In Scientology Defectors
See also:
The Apostate: Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Casey Kasem’s sordid family drama: Is Kerri’s involvement in Scientology relevant? « The Underground Bunker
I have been following the sad saga surrounding Casey Kasem since it began. What I was unaware of, is the topic of this article and it is now making re-think my stance. As Tony states, "Because in family court, everyone lies. The stakes are just too high. It makes reporting on such cases mostly an exercise in futility."
My 'support" has always been with his children, now I am not sure what to think; a bit of hesitancy has crept in.
_
The two sides have been fighting for years, but things really exploded when Jean moved her husband to a house in Washington from a care facility in Santa Monica without telling Kerri or her siblings. By that time, Kerri had convinced a Los Angeles County judge to give her temporary conservatorship of her father.
She then took possession of her dad after he was located at a house near Seattle, and Jean went ballistic. More legal squabbling is sure to follow. Kasem himself is apparently in bad shape, and he may not be around much longer.
Many of our readers have been asking us to look into this dispute because Jean made the accusation that Kerri is only interested in getting control of her father’s estate because she wants to donate it to the Church of Scientology. Kerri herself has denied that she’s involved in Scientology after briefly looking into it. At least one media outlet said it was ridiculous that Scientology was even mentioned.
_
I did not know that the daughter was/is involved in Scientology, and regardless of whether it should have been mentioned, I personally feel based on what I (think I) understand, it is an issue that needs to be known. Although the courts will need to decide if it is pertinent; a sentiment that Ortega also echoes in his conclusion:
_
And then we have to say, so what? Kerri may very well be deeply involved in Scientology. But it was also pretty clear to us after listening to her 2009 podcast that she was close to her father, and nothing she’s done since then has suggested she’s motivated by anything other than what’s best for him.
We only hope the courts and both sides of the family can work out something to make sure Casey’s final days are as comfortable as possible. After that, there will no doubt be a wicked fight over his money. And frankly, we don’t care enough about either side to worry about how it comes out.
Casey Kasem’s sordid family drama: Is Kerri’s involvement in Scientology relevant? « The Underground Bunker
My 'support" has always been with his children, now I am not sure what to think; a bit of hesitancy has crept in.
_
The two sides have been fighting for years, but things really exploded when Jean moved her husband to a house in Washington from a care facility in Santa Monica without telling Kerri or her siblings. By that time, Kerri had convinced a Los Angeles County judge to give her temporary conservatorship of her father.
She then took possession of her dad after he was located at a house near Seattle, and Jean went ballistic. More legal squabbling is sure to follow. Kasem himself is apparently in bad shape, and he may not be around much longer.
Many of our readers have been asking us to look into this dispute because Jean made the accusation that Kerri is only interested in getting control of her father’s estate because she wants to donate it to the Church of Scientology. Kerri herself has denied that she’s involved in Scientology after briefly looking into it. At least one media outlet said it was ridiculous that Scientology was even mentioned.
_
I did not know that the daughter was/is involved in Scientology, and regardless of whether it should have been mentioned, I personally feel based on what I (think I) understand, it is an issue that needs to be known. Although the courts will need to decide if it is pertinent; a sentiment that Ortega also echoes in his conclusion:
_
And then we have to say, so what? Kerri may very well be deeply involved in Scientology. But it was also pretty clear to us after listening to her 2009 podcast that she was close to her father, and nothing she’s done since then has suggested she’s motivated by anything other than what’s best for him.
We only hope the courts and both sides of the family can work out something to make sure Casey’s final days are as comfortable as possible. After that, there will no doubt be a wicked fight over his money. And frankly, we don’t care enough about either side to worry about how it comes out.
Casey Kasem’s sordid family drama: Is Kerri’s involvement in Scientology relevant? « The Underground Bunker
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Narconon: Misleading antidrug program back in public schools - SFGate
Narconon is back in California public schools.
The Scientology-linked antidrug program visited classrooms freely for years until 2005, when medical experts and the state Department of Education determined it was promoting bogus science. The alarm went up a decade ago after The Chronicle revealed that Narconon's antidrug messages to students were based not on medical evidence, according to the experts, but on the practices of Scientology.
Narconon officials say the program is secular and that a firewall exists between it and the Church of Scientology. In fact, the connection to the religion was not readily apparent, a public school teacher told The Chronicle.
"I'm not in the business of miseducation, so if I know something is wrong, I'm not going to keep teaching it," said Heather Rottenborn, who teaches biology and anatomy at Ann Sobrato High in Morgan Hill and was surprised to learn of Narconon's connection to Scientology. Her school has hosted a Narconon lecturer in several classes since at least 2011.
Narconon is based on concepts developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the late science-fiction writer who created the Church of Scientology and Dianetics in the 1950s. The religion opposes drugs and alcohol, which practitioners believe interfere with achieving a state of mental purity that Scientology calls "Clear."
The antidrug message and its related notions of how drugs work in the body - including the idea, rejected by medical experts, that drugs reside in body fat for years and can cause people to feel high during times of stress - are part of the Narconon program and drug education materials the group currently makes available online.
[,,,]
The California Department of Education spent up to $30,000 to review Narconon's claims in 2005 before issuing a strong warning to schools about Narconon.
"Narconon's drug prevention program does not reflect accurate, widely-accepted medical and scientific evidence," Jack O'Connell, then the state superintendent of public instruction, told schools in a letter posted on the department's website Feb. 24, 2005. Department officials said they stand by those findings today.
The department lacks the authority to oust programs, but some school districts banned Narconon outright, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, which had its own medical experts review the curriculum.
Yet Narconon has given free presentations in at least 28 California public schools in other districts since 2007, The Chronicle found.
Narconon: Misleading antidrug program back in public schools - SFGate
The Scientology-linked antidrug program visited classrooms freely for years until 2005, when medical experts and the state Department of Education determined it was promoting bogus science. The alarm went up a decade ago after The Chronicle revealed that Narconon's antidrug messages to students were based not on medical evidence, according to the experts, but on the practices of Scientology.
Narconon officials say the program is secular and that a firewall exists between it and the Church of Scientology. In fact, the connection to the religion was not readily apparent, a public school teacher told The Chronicle.
"I'm not in the business of miseducation, so if I know something is wrong, I'm not going to keep teaching it," said Heather Rottenborn, who teaches biology and anatomy at Ann Sobrato High in Morgan Hill and was surprised to learn of Narconon's connection to Scientology. Her school has hosted a Narconon lecturer in several classes since at least 2011.
Narconon is based on concepts developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the late science-fiction writer who created the Church of Scientology and Dianetics in the 1950s. The religion opposes drugs and alcohol, which practitioners believe interfere with achieving a state of mental purity that Scientology calls "Clear."
The antidrug message and its related notions of how drugs work in the body - including the idea, rejected by medical experts, that drugs reside in body fat for years and can cause people to feel high during times of stress - are part of the Narconon program and drug education materials the group currently makes available online.
[,,,]
The California Department of Education spent up to $30,000 to review Narconon's claims in 2005 before issuing a strong warning to schools about Narconon.
"Narconon's drug prevention program does not reflect accurate, widely-accepted medical and scientific evidence," Jack O'Connell, then the state superintendent of public instruction, told schools in a letter posted on the department's website Feb. 24, 2005. Department officials said they stand by those findings today.
The department lacks the authority to oust programs, but some school districts banned Narconon outright, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, which had its own medical experts review the curriculum.
Yet Narconon has given free presentations in at least 28 California public schools in other districts since 2007, The Chronicle found.
Narconon: Misleading antidrug program back in public schools - SFGate
Sunday, May 4, 2014
L. Ron Hubbard’s Great-Grandson to speak at anti Scientology rally
L. Ron Hubbard’s Great-Grandson to speak at anti Scientology rally (via http://worldcultwatch.org)
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Jamie DeWolf, great-grandson of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, will speak at next week’s anti-Scientology conference “Flag Down 2014.” The five-day conference begins Monday, May 5, in Clearwater. Organizers…
Monday, April 28, 2014
The Use of Mind Control in Scientology
The Use of Mind Control in Scientology (via http://worldcultwatch.org)
This excellent article was written by our good friend Dr.Monica Pignotti. It is very well written and has great information, especially for people who want to understand how people get hooked into these cults. Read on my friend. PART I THE BEGINNING…
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Bridge Publications Wins Sixth Manufacturing Leadership 100 Award
Bridge Publications Wins Sixth Manufacturing Leadership 100 Award (via PRWeb)
Frost & Sullivan’s Manufacturing Leadership Council announced in March that Bridge Publications has once again earned the coveted Manufacturing Leadership 100 Award. Bridge Publications publishes the religious works of bestselling author and Scientology…
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Scientology Escapee Breaks her Silence – Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
Another escapee story,,,
But after 13 years and growing disillusionment, the Collbrans decided to leave the Sea Org, setting off on a Kafkaesque journey that they said required them to sign false confessions about their personal lives and their work, pay the church thousands of dollars it said they owed for courses and counseling, and accept the consequences as their parents, siblings and friends who are church members cut off all communication with them.
Scientology Escapee Breaks her Silence – Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
But after 13 years and growing disillusionment, the Collbrans decided to leave the Sea Org, setting off on a Kafkaesque journey that they said required them to sign false confessions about their personal lives and their work, pay the church thousands of dollars it said they owed for courses and counseling, and accept the consequences as their parents, siblings and friends who are church members cut off all communication with them.
Scientology Escapee Breaks her Silence – Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)
Escape From Scientology | Vocativ
A must read,,,
On the morning that 29-year-old Jillian Schlesinger finally decided to leave the Church of Scientology, she awoke early and wondered whether she was losing her mind. Was she about to do something she’d always regret? A native Californian, she’d spent most of her life in the church. Her parents were Scientologists, as were her friends—basically everyone she knew. If she left, they’d disown her. On the other hand, if she stayed, her misery would continue. Either way, Schlesinger knew her escape attempt would change her life forever.
She was not just a member of the church, she was part of its elite, the Sea Organization, Scientology’s management body of members who sign contracts promising to serve the group for a billion years. She lived at Scientology’s big blue West Coast headquarters on Sunset Boulevard, known as the Pacific Area Command, or PAC Base. Every day, she went to work with hundreds of other Sea Org members, all dressed in starched uniforms—khakis and button-downs for men, skirts and neat blouses for women. The facility, once a hospital, is monitored by security cameras and armed guards. Everywhere she went, someone, somewhere, was watching her.
[,,,]
For most of her life, Jillian Schlesinger was a good Scientologist. Her parents, long divorced, raised her in Orange County, and she joined the Sea Org at the age of 19, though she’d been active in the church for seven years. “They pressure you a lot to join,” she says. “They’ll tell you how bad everything is in the world, and that they really need your help.”
Escape From Scientology | Vocativ
On the morning that 29-year-old Jillian Schlesinger finally decided to leave the Church of Scientology, she awoke early and wondered whether she was losing her mind. Was she about to do something she’d always regret? A native Californian, she’d spent most of her life in the church. Her parents were Scientologists, as were her friends—basically everyone she knew. If she left, they’d disown her. On the other hand, if she stayed, her misery would continue. Either way, Schlesinger knew her escape attempt would change her life forever.
She was not just a member of the church, she was part of its elite, the Sea Organization, Scientology’s management body of members who sign contracts promising to serve the group for a billion years. She lived at Scientology’s big blue West Coast headquarters on Sunset Boulevard, known as the Pacific Area Command, or PAC Base. Every day, she went to work with hundreds of other Sea Org members, all dressed in starched uniforms—khakis and button-downs for men, skirts and neat blouses for women. The facility, once a hospital, is monitored by security cameras and armed guards. Everywhere she went, someone, somewhere, was watching her.
[,,,]
For most of her life, Jillian Schlesinger was a good Scientologist. Her parents, long divorced, raised her in Orange County, and she joined the Sea Org at the age of 19, though she’d been active in the church for seven years. “They pressure you a lot to join,” she says. “They’ll tell you how bad everything is in the world, and that they really need your help.”
Escape From Scientology | Vocativ
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Ex-Wife Of ‘My Name Is Earl’ Star Jason Lee: ‘The Church Of Scientology Harrassed Me’ After Our Divorce | Radar Online
As the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, continue to fight allegations that they harass former members, yet another ex-Scientologist has come forward to describe the “abuse” she says she suffered after deciding to leave the Church.
Scientologist actor Jason Lee‘s ex-wife, model Carmen Llywelyn, tells Radar exclusively, “The whole Scientology thing has been sort of just this thing that I can’t shake off. It’s really messy.” She even claims, “The Church of Scientology harassed me.”
Llywelyn first became involved in the church when dating Lee in 1994. “I had never heard of it,” she tells Radar. “In fact, I came from a strict Bible belt religious background, that if something was anti-godly, it was very cult.”
Then one day, “Jason and his friend came to pick me up,” she says. “His friend… had on one of those clear bracelets that means something for a very high status place you reach [in Scientology]. It was expensive-looking, and I’m like poor, like ‘Whoah, were did you get that?’”
Not long after, “I got into Scientology,” she admits. “The way it presented it to me was so rational. There was nothing about it that you end up learning later on. That is very compromising.”
[,,,]
“Because I did grow with the teachings,” she admitted. “It would be a lie if I said I didn’t. And that’s what I loved about it. But Scientology is an extreme lifestyle. And no one should have to exchange every corner of their mind written down.”
“If anyone is considering joining the Church of Scientology, know this 1st,” she wrote in another tweet. “Your first confessions in session will be used against you if you leave.”
So why do people join to begin with? She recently wrote, “Honestly I think some people want to succeed at any cost. And they tell you if you become a Scientologist you will.”
Ex-Wife Of ‘My Name Is Earl’ Star Jason Lee: ‘The Church Of Scientology Harrassed Me’ After Our Divorce | Radar Online
Scientologist actor Jason Lee‘s ex-wife, model Carmen Llywelyn, tells Radar exclusively, “The whole Scientology thing has been sort of just this thing that I can’t shake off. It’s really messy.” She even claims, “The Church of Scientology harassed me.”
Llywelyn first became involved in the church when dating Lee in 1994. “I had never heard of it,” she tells Radar. “In fact, I came from a strict Bible belt religious background, that if something was anti-godly, it was very cult.”
Then one day, “Jason and his friend came to pick me up,” she says. “His friend… had on one of those clear bracelets that means something for a very high status place you reach [in Scientology]. It was expensive-looking, and I’m like poor, like ‘Whoah, were did you get that?’”
Not long after, “I got into Scientology,” she admits. “The way it presented it to me was so rational. There was nothing about it that you end up learning later on. That is very compromising.”
[,,,]
“Because I did grow with the teachings,” she admitted. “It would be a lie if I said I didn’t. And that’s what I loved about it. But Scientology is an extreme lifestyle. And no one should have to exchange every corner of their mind written down.”
“If anyone is considering joining the Church of Scientology, know this 1st,” she wrote in another tweet. “Your first confessions in session will be used against you if you leave.”
So why do people join to begin with? She recently wrote, “Honestly I think some people want to succeed at any cost. And they tell you if you become a Scientologist you will.”
Ex-Wife Of ‘My Name Is Earl’ Star Jason Lee: ‘The Church Of Scientology Harrassed Me’ After Our Divorce | Radar Online
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Fla. Woman Says Church of Scientology Ripped Her Family Apart - Yahoo News
Photographs and memories are all that remain of Sara Goldberg's relationship with her daughter, Ashley, a situation the mother is blaming on the Church of Scientology.
The Florida resident says she spent 36 years in the church, reaching the top level of spiritual progression. She says the problems began when her son, Nick Lister, developed doubts about the church. He started associating with vocal critics of the church, including Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder, former high-ranking officials who quit and are now condemned by the church as liars and apostates.
"I didn't like the way they recruited," Lister said. He also had concerns about the church's theories about life and the universe. As a result, he said, he was labeled a "suppressive person."
His mother says church officials actively and repeatedly pressured her and her Scientologist husband to "disconnect" from her son, to cut off ties completely. She feared that refusing meant that she, too, would be labeled "suppressive" – likely leading to the loss of her relationship with her daughter, still a devout Scientologist.
Fla. Woman Says Church of Scientology Ripped Her Family Apart - Yahoo News
The Florida resident says she spent 36 years in the church, reaching the top level of spiritual progression. She says the problems began when her son, Nick Lister, developed doubts about the church. He started associating with vocal critics of the church, including Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder, former high-ranking officials who quit and are now condemned by the church as liars and apostates.
"I didn't like the way they recruited," Lister said. He also had concerns about the church's theories about life and the universe. As a result, he said, he was labeled a "suppressive person."
His mother says church officials actively and repeatedly pressured her and her Scientologist husband to "disconnect" from her son, to cut off ties completely. She feared that refusing meant that she, too, would be labeled "suppressive" – likely leading to the loss of her relationship with her daughter, still a devout Scientologist.
Fla. Woman Says Church of Scientology Ripped Her Family Apart - Yahoo News
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Please Tell Facebook That This is a Scientology Advertisement (via http://worldcultwatch.org)
SPONSORED Delphian Summer Camps summeratdelphi.org Normally, I don't much care how Facebook makes their money. This, however, I can not, in good conscience let slide. Do they just accept any ad without investigation? Or do they just not care…
Friday, March 14, 2014
The Elisabeth Moss dilemma: Is it possible to be a fan of a Scientologist? - Salon.com
An article shared by my friend Robert Robinson of World Cult Watch. The consensus amongst ex-Scientologists Moss is a liar for the church, focusing on this particular snippet:
No matter what one believes about the reported abuses within the church of Scientology, it’s easier to accept that the religion’s most recognizable faces all have a devotion verging on the messianic, from Tom Cruise’s mission of conversion to Kirstie Alley’s rants against apostate Leah Remini.
Alley, Cruise and other celebrity Scientologists like John Travota and Jenna Elfman, have come in for derision due to their public association with the religion. But, with all respect due, none of them are exactly at the center of the culture; Cruise is by far the most famous public Scientologist, and his amped-up advocacy in the mid-2000s (along with his general weirdness about his wife, Katie “Kate” Holmes) led to a career downward spiral that he’s only now recovering from. Other celebrity Scientologists say little about their practice: Beck, for instance, has said that he “has had lots of benefits from it,” and that “it’s just something that I’ve been around.”
[,,,]
Moss is entitled to defend herself, and her defense is articulate such as it is; perhaps there’s some corner of Scientology, removed from the high-powered corridors in which Cruise and Miscavige travel, that provides actual solace to Moss and those like her. I only know about Scientology what is reported in the media, and those reports are to my eye chilling. But Moss’ defense of Scientology as a framework for healthier living that is wide-open to the worshipers’ own interpretation stops short of actually explaining what it does for her, or how it has helped her in her own life. The last time a public figure used their media spotlight to defend the tenets of Scientology specifically was Tom Cruise’s disastrous “Today” appearance in 2005 during which he called Matt Lauer “glib” for tolerating Ritalin use; is Moss’ unwillingness to defend anything about her religion, all while calling those who find it objectionable uninformed, coincidental?
The Elisabeth Moss dilemma: Is it possible to be a fan of a Scientologist? - Salon.com
"She did not elaborate further, encouraging readers to seek out her previous comments on the matter, which were made to the gay publication the Advocate in order to say that she, personally, believed the freedom-centric teachings of Scientology allowed for same-sex partnerships, and that “Many of my church’s stances and concepts are grossly misunderstood by the media. It’s a long list.”"
No matter what one believes about the reported abuses within the church of Scientology, it’s easier to accept that the religion’s most recognizable faces all have a devotion verging on the messianic, from Tom Cruise’s mission of conversion to Kirstie Alley’s rants against apostate Leah Remini.
Alley, Cruise and other celebrity Scientologists like John Travota and Jenna Elfman, have come in for derision due to their public association with the religion. But, with all respect due, none of them are exactly at the center of the culture; Cruise is by far the most famous public Scientologist, and his amped-up advocacy in the mid-2000s (along with his general weirdness about his wife, Katie “Kate” Holmes) led to a career downward spiral that he’s only now recovering from. Other celebrity Scientologists say little about their practice: Beck, for instance, has said that he “has had lots of benefits from it,” and that “it’s just something that I’ve been around.”
[,,,]
Moss is entitled to defend herself, and her defense is articulate such as it is; perhaps there’s some corner of Scientology, removed from the high-powered corridors in which Cruise and Miscavige travel, that provides actual solace to Moss and those like her. I only know about Scientology what is reported in the media, and those reports are to my eye chilling. But Moss’ defense of Scientology as a framework for healthier living that is wide-open to the worshipers’ own interpretation stops short of actually explaining what it does for her, or how it has helped her in her own life. The last time a public figure used their media spotlight to defend the tenets of Scientology specifically was Tom Cruise’s disastrous “Today” appearance in 2005 during which he called Matt Lauer “glib” for tolerating Ritalin use; is Moss’ unwillingness to defend anything about her religion, all while calling those who find it objectionable uninformed, coincidental?
The Elisabeth Moss dilemma: Is it possible to be a fan of a Scientologist? - Salon.com
Thursday, March 13, 2014
OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW AIMED AT SCIENTOLOGY DRUG REHAB « The Underground Bunker
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin today signed SB 295, turning “Stacy’s Bill” into “Stacy’s Law.”
On July 19, 2012, Stacy Dawn Murphy died of an overdose at Narconon Arrowhead, the Church of Scientology’s flagship drug rehab facility near Canadian, Oklahoma. Hers was the third patient death in only nine months, and it launched county and state investigations, multiple lawsuits, and now a new law that will give the state greater oversight of the facility.
Governor Fallin took less than a week to sign the bill after it was forwarded to her by the state legislature.
“I think she did it because it gives the state agencies more time to formulate the new rules. And it keeps Scientology from lobbying her not to sign it,” says Stacy’s father, Robert Murphy.
He tells us the law will actually take effect on November 1. And between now and then, he says he’s going to regroup and try to get more peace into his life after what has been a tumultuous ten months since the death of his daughter.
OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW AIMED AT SCIENTOLOGY DRUG REHAB « The Underground Bunker
On July 19, 2012, Stacy Dawn Murphy died of an overdose at Narconon Arrowhead, the Church of Scientology’s flagship drug rehab facility near Canadian, Oklahoma. Hers was the third patient death in only nine months, and it launched county and state investigations, multiple lawsuits, and now a new law that will give the state greater oversight of the facility.
Governor Fallin took less than a week to sign the bill after it was forwarded to her by the state legislature.
“I think she did it because it gives the state agencies more time to formulate the new rules. And it keeps Scientology from lobbying her not to sign it,” says Stacy’s father, Robert Murphy.
He tells us the law will actually take effect on November 1. And between now and then, he says he’s going to regroup and try to get more peace into his life after what has been a tumultuous ten months since the death of his daughter.
OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW AIMED AT SCIENTOLOGY DRUG REHAB « The Underground Bunker
Monday, March 3, 2014
Leah Remini Shares The Truth About The Hardest Year Of Her Life
But my mom thought she was doing something good; she thought she was helping the planet. That’s what the Church tells you.”
Now where have we heard that phrase before? Read on,,,
__
“I don’t want to be known as this bitter, ex-Scientologist,” Leah Remini told BuzzFeed over a recent lunch at the luxe Sunset Tower hotel in Los Angeles. “I’m not trying to bash anybody and I’m not trying to be controversial. I just want people to know the truth.”
[,,,]
Remini’s then-friend and Church member Kirstie Alley called her “repulsive” and “a bigot” during an interview on Howard Stern’s show, and the 43-year-old actress spent much of what she refers to as a “devastating” time, hysterically crying as friend after friend abandoned her for doing what she considered “the right thing.”
Remini has since learned, albeit the hard way, that honesty isn’t always the best policy in Hollywood, a place she’s called home since 1983 when her pregnant mother, Vicki, could no longer stand the living conditions her daughters endured at The Church of Scientology’s Clearwater, Florida location.
[,,,]
“I started thinking of my own childhood and how I grew up resenting my mother because she was never home,” Remini explained. “It’s funny; somehow my father, the guy who left his kids and never paid child support, was excluded from my resentment and I grew up resenting my mother for not being home to make food, like all my friends’ moms were. But my mom thought she was doing something good; she thought she was helping the planet. That’s what the Church tells you.”
[,,,]
Remini soon began to speak to her friends within the Church, many of whom she’d known for nearly three decades, about implementing changes, yet she was only met with opposition.
[,,,]
As she’d done after every other major chapter in her life came to a close, Remini mourned. She mourned the friends she lost upon exiting the Church and she mourned the life she was leaving behind after more than 30 years. But she simultaneously gained a newfound clarity into the prejudices she’d inadvertently adopted as a result of her affiliation with Scientology.
“In the Church, you’re taught that everybody is lost,” Remini explained. “They say they’re loving, caring, non-judgmental people, but secretly, they were judging the world for not believing what they believed. To me, that is not a spiritual person. That’s a judgmental person and that is the person that I was. I was a hypocrite, and the worst thing you can be in this world is a hypocrite.”
Leah Remini Shares The Truth About The Hardest Year Of Her Life
Now where have we heard that phrase before? Read on,,,
__
“I don’t want to be known as this bitter, ex-Scientologist,” Leah Remini told BuzzFeed over a recent lunch at the luxe Sunset Tower hotel in Los Angeles. “I’m not trying to bash anybody and I’m not trying to be controversial. I just want people to know the truth.”
[,,,]
Remini’s then-friend and Church member Kirstie Alley called her “repulsive” and “a bigot” during an interview on Howard Stern’s show, and the 43-year-old actress spent much of what she refers to as a “devastating” time, hysterically crying as friend after friend abandoned her for doing what she considered “the right thing.”
Remini has since learned, albeit the hard way, that honesty isn’t always the best policy in Hollywood, a place she’s called home since 1983 when her pregnant mother, Vicki, could no longer stand the living conditions her daughters endured at The Church of Scientology’s Clearwater, Florida location.
[,,,]
“I started thinking of my own childhood and how I grew up resenting my mother because she was never home,” Remini explained. “It’s funny; somehow my father, the guy who left his kids and never paid child support, was excluded from my resentment and I grew up resenting my mother for not being home to make food, like all my friends’ moms were. But my mom thought she was doing something good; she thought she was helping the planet. That’s what the Church tells you.”
[,,,]
Remini soon began to speak to her friends within the Church, many of whom she’d known for nearly three decades, about implementing changes, yet she was only met with opposition.
[,,,]
As she’d done after every other major chapter in her life came to a close, Remini mourned. She mourned the friends she lost upon exiting the Church and she mourned the life she was leaving behind after more than 30 years. But she simultaneously gained a newfound clarity into the prejudices she’d inadvertently adopted as a result of her affiliation with Scientology.
“In the Church, you’re taught that everybody is lost,” Remini explained. “They say they’re loving, caring, non-judgmental people, but secretly, they were judging the world for not believing what they believed. To me, that is not a spiritual person. That’s a judgmental person and that is the person that I was. I was a hypocrite, and the worst thing you can be in this world is a hypocrite.”
Leah Remini Shares The Truth About The Hardest Year Of Her Life
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