Scientology and Scandal

Scientology, a practice that combines religion, philosophy and, in some countries, non-profit organizations, has recently come under fire for its questionable practices. A group known as Anonymous has declared war on Scientology, claiming that its practices and beliefs are nothing short of fascism. Perhaps a brief look into Scientology and its controversies can give some insight into this claim.

Scientology was founded in December 1953 by L. Ron Hubbard, a prominent science-fiction author. The general goals of Scientology are to promote “a civilization without insanity, without criminals, and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights.” Putting these goals into practice, however, has generated 50 years of controversy, fuelled by several incidents in the 1990s and the growing power of the Internet.

In terms of the actual beliefs of Scientologists, there is a large canon of private information to which the public is not privy. The group publishes privately and controls distribution to carefully monitored groups during carefully monitored times. There are several levels of study in Scientology, and it takes years to move from introductory to advanced study. All study is strictly confidential, however, and the best information the public can gain about the tenets of this group come from unofficial Web sites like Wikipedia and blogs from former members. Scientology.org, the official site of the group, briefly explains the eight dynamics of existence, the state of man’s relationship between body and spirit, and practices such as auditing (purging your spirit of negative influences) and the e-meter (an instrument which supposedly measures the state of your spirit). The deeper applications of these practices, however, remain hidden. So rather than speculate about the nature of silent births and the signing of billion-year contracts (Scientologists believe in reincarnation), I am going to outline briefly several of the better-known controversies that sparked such interest among groups like Anonymous:

Operation Snow White: In the 1978, several high-ranking Scientologists, including Mary Sue Hubbard, the wife of founder L. Ron Hubbard, were convicted in the largest case of domestic espionage in our country’s history. They were involved in wiretapping, infiltrating, and stealing government documents from a federal attorney’s office and from the IRS. They defended their actions based on an argument of “religious freedom,” though at the time, according to Hubbard, Scientology was not organized around religious tenets.

Hubbard in France: Also in 1978, France convicted L. Ron Hubbard of fraud in abstentia. They fined him 35,000 francs and sentenced him to four years in prison. The Scientology organization was also suspended for a year due to his actions.

Heber Jentzsch: In 1988, the president of Scientology, Heber Jentzsch, and ten other members were arrested in Spain for various charges including coercion, fraud, and labor law violations. Jentzsch jumped bail and the Church of Scientology paid a $1 million dollar bond. He never returned to Spain, and the case was finally dismissed in 2002.

Noah Lottick: Noah Lottick, an American student of Russian studies and a member of the Church of Scientology, committed suicide by jumping off a building in May 1990. His family remarked that he had begun to act strange after his introduction to Scientology, maintaining that his family was spreading rumors about him and that his father’s heart attack was not real, but psychosomatic. Lottick’s family blamed the Church of Scientology for his change in behavior, and though no connection was ever proven, Lottick’s father, Dr. Edward Lottick, began researching the psychological implications of cult associations. He presented his research to the Pennsylvania State Medical Association.  The Church of Scientology blamed Dr. Lottick for his son’s death.

Lisa McPherson: McPherson was a member of the Church of Scientology. She died in the care of Scientologists at the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida in 1995 at age 36. The Church of Scientology was accused of being partially responsible for her death after she exhibited public, mental instability at the site of a traffic accident. When taken to the hospital after the accident, McPherson was released for injuries, but the hospital requested she stay for psychiatric observation. She signed a waiver to release herself into the care of the Church of Scientology. Records show she was placed in isolation and prescribed several psychiatric medications by a doctor who did not examine her. She collapsed one morning and was dead by the time she reached the hospital, with cockroach bites covering her body. She was pronounced dead of pulmonary embolism. Her family filed a $100 million lawsuit against the Church of Scientology, and the Church settled in 2004 after criminal charges were dropped.

These instances present just a brief overview of the more famous documented cases against Scientology, and they are several of the reasons cited by Anonymous for its supposed war against the Church of Scientology. Anonymous has pursued its campaign electronically by employing a group of hackers to destroy Scientology Web sites and support group sites. It has even gone public with protests and demonstrations worldwide against this group.  The group claims that it does not oppose religious freedom, but it opposes cult organizations that mistreat and brainwash members. They claim that the Church of Scientology is not a true religion. 

With regards for the struggle between Anonymous and the Church of Scientology, the outcome remains to be seen.  While the destruction of private property, such as the Scientology Web site, is never condoned, it nevertheless remains interesting that such a bizarre “religious” organization is being combated by another equally shadowy group.

Comments

[Ruth Lorenzen]

Dear Sarah Hoff,

I am an alumna of Vanderbilt (1983) and am embarassed to say that I got into Scientology in Nashville in 1994. After 13 years in, and now one year out, I can positively verify that the Church of Scientology is a cult that inhumanely treats it members and staff, and whose entire focus is on emptying the pockets of others while maintaining an enormous charade of religious legitimacy.

Though Anonymous started on a lark, the participants soon found out about the abuses and criminal acts related to Scientology, and many remain active to protest Scientology long after the "lark" is gone. I support anyone who protests or speaks out against Scientology's abuses.

Thank you for writing the report you did for The Vanderbilt Torch. If I can help anyone to NOT get involved with Scientology, and help keep Scientology off the VU campus, then I will be pleased.

Sincerely,
Ruth Lorenzen
www.whyileftscientology.com

[Anonymous]

Thanks for a good article, unlike the other VU newspaper.

[HubbBudd]

Learn the TRUTH about Scientology, one of the most secretive organizations in the world.

- Why is TOM CRUISE such a fervent believer in Scientology?
- What are the HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS of Scientology?
- What SECRETS is Scientology hiding, and why?
- Why are there so many DEATHS connected with Sceintology?
- Is Scientology just a "church" or a BRAIN-WASHING CULT?
- Who is ANONYMOUS and why do they protest Scientology?

www.XENU.net
www.WhyWeProtest.net
www.WhyAreTheyDead.com
www.YouFoundTheCard.com

[HubbBudd]

Or just Wikipedia SCIENTOLOGY or its predecessor DIANETICS or XENU or its founder L. RON HUBBARD