Saturday, August 1, 2009

Margarita Lopez Sells Scientology Frauds

On August 1st in Scientology history
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Margarita and the Scientologists
August 1, 2005, New York Observer

http://www.observer.com/node/27383

It's worth adding one footnote to today's Post story on the tight relationship between Margarita Lopez and groups affiliated with the Church of Scientology. (Short version: She steers city funds into their, er, unconventional health programs; they give her campaign money.)

Tags: Gay, Margarita Lopez

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The A-listers' belief system
August 1, 2005, Boyd Farrow, New Statesman

http://www.newstatesman.com/200508010024

Some observers of the sect attribute Cruise's sudden outspokenness to his attainment of one of the most advanced grades along the "Bridge to Total Freedom", invented by Hubbard. Scientologists become "clear" (after it has been proved to them that their personal flaws result from trauma built up over trillions of years of reincarnation) by taking multiple courses, and through "auditing" via an "E-Meter", a Scientology brain-monitoring gadget. Church members past and present say reaching the highest levels usually takes between ten and 30 years.

Conservative estimates for the cost of this are roughly $30,000, but some people claim to have spent $250,000 on the "journey".

Tags: Celebrity Centre, David Miscavige, FDA, Freewinds, John Carmichael, Mimi Rogers, Narconon, Tom Cruise, Volunteer Ministers

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Never Mind the Mollusks - Spiritual Philly should welcome the Scientologists.
August 1, 2007, Steven Wells, ON THE RADAR, Philadelphia Weekly

http://www.phillyweekly.com/view.php?id=15164

So let's cut Tom Cruise and co. some slack. Let's welcome the Scientologists to Philadelphia. Let's smile understandingly when they double-park outside their brainwashing center in the exact same way Christians double-park outside their brainwashing centers all over Philadelphia every single Sunday.

And soon behalf of all spiritual PhiladelphiansI'd like to say: Aloha, crazy, swivel-eyed, ridiculous-stuff-made-up-by-a-not-very-good-;science-fiction-author-with-a-silly-name believers. Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love. Good luck with the human hunting. Now how about paying some taxes?

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$5M purchase paves way for Helmer building renovation
August 1, 2008, Portland Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/08/04/story7.html?ana=from_rss

The Church of Scientology is out and California-based First Republic Bank is in as a new owner takes control of the historic Helmer building in the heart of downtown Portland.

The Goodman family, which owns or controls numerous commercial sites in downtown, closed its purchase of the Helmer building at 969 S.W. Broadway on July 25 in a deal worth about $5 million.

Tags: Gwen Barnard, Portland, Real estate

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Red Alert: Scientologists creeping back
August 1, 2008, Janaka Perera, Asian Tribune

http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12505

Among the 'garbage' that was washed ashore in Sri Lanka in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami were a number of foreign-funded, unscrupulous evangelist groups. Among these were the 'Scientologists' trying to fish in troubled waters. After exposure by several foreigners including some German journalists as well as the Venerable Medagama Dhammananda of the Asgiriya Buddhist Chapter Sri Lanka, the group kept a low-profile, while 'helping' in the tsunami relief operations for sometime.

It now appears that these nefarious crusaders are creeping back into the island. Buddhists and followers of other established religions here need to be the high alert against these frauds.

Tags: Buddhism, Richard Behar, Sri Lanka, The Way to Happiness, Volunteer Ministers

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Web version:

http://home.primus.ca/~ronsharp/FrontCiteTW.html#ScientologyToday

Red Alert: Scientologists creeping back
Fri, 2008-08-01 02:10
By Janaka Perera

Among the 'garbage' that was washed ashore in Sri Lanka in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami were a number of foreign-funded, unscrupulous evangelist groups. Among these were the 'Scientologists' trying to fish in troubled waters. After exposure by several foreigners including some German journalists as well as the Venerable Medagama Dhammananda of the Asgiriya Buddhist Chapter Sri Lanka, the group kept a low-profile, while 'helping' in the tsunami relief operations for sometime.

It now appears that these nefarious crusaders are creeping back into the island. Buddhists and followers of other established religions here need to be the high alert against these frauds.

The Venerable Dhammananda alleged that before the tsunami many Korean Scientologists were engaged in proselytizing activities in Sri Lanka posing off not as charity workers but as businessmen. They had set up businesses here with the permission from the Board of Investments. Kabool Lanka was one such establishment that covertly promoted Scientology while providing employment to people here, the Ven. Dhammananda pointed out. To the BOI of course nothing matters as long as there are foreign investments with little or no regard to who the investors are.

Commenting on the Scientologists claim that they respected all religions and especially Buddhism, the Venerable monk said that this was a ploy to deceive Buddhists.

The fact of the matter was that Scientologists were mixing aspects of Buddhism with their own "scientific" theories and calling this religious pickle, Scientology. The term Dianatecs, which Scientologists frequently use, is really a mixture of the Sanskrit Hindu-Buddhist word `dhyana' (meditation) and the English word 'technique.'

Soon after the tsunami a group of them were found distributing a 30 page full color, propaganda booklet in Sinhala, titled, Santhoshayata Maga (The Path to Joy) in Colombo suburbs of Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia. A copy of the half A-4 sized booklet that came into the hands of the late Deeptha Leelaratne, Editor of the U.S.-based Sri Lanka Express. The booklet carries maliciously distorted facts on Buddhism's history.

In a chapter that warns readers against wrong sexual behavior, the author states on page 8: "Adultery is nothing new. Buddhism, which was a powerful religion in India in the Seventh Century, disappeared from there *as a result of sex perversions of Buddhist monks in temples*."

Celebrities such as Hollywood Star Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Anne Archer being notable adherents of Scientology have been to the advantage of these crooks to conceal their true nature. But that has not deterred countries like Germany from refusing to recognize Scientology as a religion and regarding it as a cult masquerading as a church to make money.

Worldwide, numerous police actions and legal measures have been taken against them, for over a decade. In addition, they had lost lawsuits - the most famous of these was a U.S. Federal Appeal Panel upholding the dismissal of libel suit against the Time magazine for carrying on May 6, 1991 a special report (cover story) titled "Scientology - The Cult Of Greed," that exposed this `church' as a ruthless global scam that ruined lives and destroyed fortunes. In a section of the special report that appeared only in the magazine's international edition, Journalist Richard Behar recalled how nearly 40 years ago Britain, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Venezuela closed their ports to Scientologists, following public outcry. At one point, a French court had convicted Scientology Founder Ron Hubbard of fraud in absentia.

- Asian Tribune -

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