Church of $cientology Expose on ABC Nightline
For those of you who read my previous post, first some updates on the Sedona, Arizona incident: a 3rd person died; lawsuits are being pursued; and the authoritiies are investigating the case as a homicide.
On the subject of new age/cult spirituality, ABC is running an expose on the Church of Scientology on Thursday and Friday on Nightline. Please, if you're interested, take a look at these other peddlers of pseudoscientific healing. Among the more ridiculous of their claims: disciples can achieve perfect memory; they have methods to purge the body of radioactivity; and disciples experience significant increases in IQ.
St. Petersburg Times reporter Tom Tobin to appear Thursday in Scientology investigation by ABC's Nightline
Since I'm plugging ABC by necessity in this post, I may as well throw in a bonus video.
Click here to watch an Interview with the Scientology Leader.
Forgive me, it's old. But I'm pretty sure it's the only televised interview that reclusive David Miscavige has given. Please watch Nightline's report if you have an interest and the time. It is extremely rare for the Church of Scientology to receive coverage on network television, in part because of their history of harassing critics.
On the subject of new age/cult spirituality, ABC is running an expose on the Church of Scientology on Thursday and Friday on Nightline. Please, if you're interested, take a look at these other peddlers of pseudoscientific healing. Among the more ridiculous of their claims: disciples can achieve perfect memory; they have methods to purge the body of radioactivity; and disciples experience significant increases in IQ.
St. Petersburg Times reporter Tom Tobin to appear Thursday in Scientology investigation by ABC's Nightline
Thanks for your attention. If you'd like to know more about the abuse and the pseudoscientific quackery of the CoS, just do some browsing on your search engine for a few minutes -- obviously, you should check some independent, unbiased sources first. Wikipedia's entry on "scientology controversies" is reliable.
St. Petersburg Times reporter Tom Tobin is expected to appear Thursday night in the first of two nights of reports on the Church of Scientology scheduled to air on ABC's late-night news magazine Nightline.
The show plans to explore much of the same ground the Times uncovered in its first three-part series on the Church published in June, The Truth Rundown, outlining tales of violence allegedly perpetrated against high-ranking church officials by leader David Miscavige.
According to a spokeswoman for the show, Nightline on Thursday will feature interviews with at least some of the sources featured in the Times' reporting -- former high-ranking Church officials coming forward to publicly reveal controversial stories about Scientology leadership in a way never seen before. The show also features a recently-recorded interview with church spokesman Tommy Davis.
Friday's story is expected to focus on the celebrity angle of Scientology -- the church has aggressively courted celebrities such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta for decades -- showing how famous names are treated inside the group and examining how Miscavige may be influencing Cruise's behavior, according to the spokeswoman.
Nightline airs at 11:35 p.m. weeknights on ABC .... It is likely the Scientology stories will fill 60 percent of each night's show.
Since I'm plugging ABC by necessity in this post, I may as well throw in a bonus video.
Click here to watch an Interview with the Scientology Leader.
Forgive me, it's old. But I'm pretty sure it's the only televised interview that reclusive David Miscavige has given. Please watch Nightline's report if you have an interest and the time. It is extremely rare for the Church of Scientology to receive coverage on network television, in part because of their history of harassing critics.
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I agree scientology is crazy but I am not sure it is any crazier than any other religion. Religion is designed to help people cope with things that they can't control through supernatural beliefs. Almost by definition all religion is crazy, so I don't think it is fair to single out scientology.
October 22, 2009 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
You should do your homework before you make claims that you don't immediately back up. Scientology espouses some rather unique craziness.
I know of no other religion that:
-claims to give its disciples perfect memory
-claims to be able to "cure" radiation
-investigates and harrasses its former members and critics (see fair game
-charges a lot of $ for their services, and pursues debts against those who leave
-has a billion-year contract for their private navy
-has "trade secrets"
-pursues copyright lawsuits on those perceived to be stealing their "trade secrets"
Sounds strange for a group that calls itself "The most ethical people on the planet."
October 22, 2009 11:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
At least scientology is not on a anti-condon tirade, like most christian cults. The misinformation spewed in schools by the Christian approved abstinence only educaters is every bit as harmful as anything scientology does. And, at least so far, scientology hasn't had a rape scandal. I know it is probably coming, religion appeals to weak minded people that are easy to victimize and scientology is just another group that feeds on the weak minded.
They do have good commercials though.
October 22, 2009 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
October 22, 2009 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
October 22, 2009 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
...google e.republic and scientology, get an eyeful.
October 22, 2009 10:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.alternet.org/story/11392/
October 22, 2009 10:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a paragraph from that Alternet link, not for the timid...
"The ultimate teachings of Scientology hold that an evil tyrant named Xenu collected all the world's beings 75 million years ago. He then chained all the beings to volcanoes all around Earth, where he dropped hydrogen bombs on them. Next, Xenu captured the beings' thetans and implanted them with sexual perversion and other afflictions to make the thetans forget what he had done. This causes the essential conflict in all humans for which Scientology is presumably the cure."
I'm not makin' this up. folks.
October 22, 2009 10:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
If we are talking about the privately-held religious beliefs of individuals, I pretty much agree, so long as those beliefs are not the cause of harm to others. But, surely, the actions of organized religions shouldn't be immune from criticism.
That goes for Scientology, Pentacostalism, Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Vodoun or the worship of Zool the Monkey God.
October 22, 2009 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, that's Pentecostalism.
October 22, 2009 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, you're right that other religions have plenty to be critical of.
This piece was written for people who have an interest in Scientology, because it is rare that this subject gets critical MSM coverage.
(If I wanted to attract people critical of all religion, I would've posted a blog favoring atheism.)
October 22, 2009 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.holytaco.com/flowchart-determine-what-religion-you-should-follow
October 22, 2009 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
much awesomeness. thanks :)
October 22, 2009 1:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Understood, SPQR.
I was responding to JohnRove's comment that he didn't think it fair to single out scientology to criticize. I agree with you that it's perfectly fair to do so.
And I've programmed my DVR to record Nightline, tonight and tomorrow.
October 22, 2009 2:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
*sheepish* Gotcha. Sorry I misunderstood. Thanks.
October 22, 2009 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you should leave Zool the monkey god out of this.
October 22, 2009 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exception noted.
Zool, as is widely known, is beyond reproach, and his worshippers rarely fling scat at passersby.
October 22, 2009 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Scientology fcommercials are knock-offs of Mormon commercials.
October 22, 2009 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have never seen a mormon commercial, I just get pimply faced kids at my door asking if I have heard about "LDS".
October 22, 2009 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
I had some friends who did LDS when they were in colege....oh, wait a minute that was different ... or was it?!?!
October 22, 2009 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cartoon banned by Mormon Church.
My sister showed me this video and told me a joke. She said that you can think of the big 3 religions as a trilogy of movies.
Jews think the 1st movie was the best. Christians think the 2nd movie was the best. Muslims like the 3rd movie.
Mormons are fanboys who liked the 2nd movie so much that they wrote a bunch of their own fanfiction to go with it, which they also believe...
October 22, 2009 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am not saying you should leave scientology alone, I just think that almost any religion is going to have similar problems, scientology may have bigger problems because they seem to have more money but I doubt they are any better or worse than any other group that claims to help people get a better afterlife.
October 22, 2009 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
No Scientology really is worse. The issue is not the religion; it's the institution which is set up to systematically take advantage of its devotees. Its attempts to destroy people for speaking out against it. Its use of sleazy lawyer tricks to silence people. Its involvement with illegal anti-government schemes (the IRS break-in) and other criminal behavior. The collection and use of supposedly confidential confessionals to blackmail memebers.
Oh and then you add the normal crazy religious beliefs.
If you even want to start comparing them to other religions you'd have to go back to the dark ages to find analogues in the Western world.
October 22, 2009 11:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
If only we could banish all religion we would all be better off.
October 22, 2009 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink