Archbishop Robert Rivas Denounces Scientology Front Group

Following on the heels of Cardinal Marc Ouellet's momentous statements criticizing Scientology, the Archbishop of Castries, Robert Rivas, fired a salvo at the Scientology front group the Way To Happiness International devoting no less than the final third of his Easter homily to the subject.

Archbishop Rivas is the highest-ranking Catholic prelate to speak out against Scientology in English. Cardinal Ouellet made his remarks in French We reproduce below an article from Dialog Ireland reporting on the homily which includes its complete text.

A Challenge to Faith and Catholic Identity-Scientology in view: Archbishop Robert Rivas, O.P.

Posted on April 11, 2010 by dialogueireland

A Challenge to Faith and Catholic Identity

Scientology in view:

In his Easter homily Archbishop Robert Rivas, O.P., of the Archdiocese of Castries the capital of St Lucia, has denounced Scientology’s penetration of his nation through the Scientology front group, The Way To Happiness. The homily is an historic document. Archbishop Rivas is the first Roman Catholic hierarch in the English-speaking world to speak out against Scientology. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec and Roman Catholic Primate of Canada publicly criticized Scientology on two occasions in 2009 and warned Catholics about Scientology at his annual press lunch in February of this year. However, his remarks were made in French and not reported outside the francophone media of Quebec. Archbishop Rivas refers to Cardinal Ouellet in his homily.

Archbishop Rivas’ homily addresses three subjects of concern: the current drought in St. Lucia, the aftermath of the earthquakes in Haiti; and the subversion of St. Lucia by Scientology. Dialogue Ireland has received the complete text of the homily, and we print below the concluding section, which deals with Scientology..

The Freewinds is a cruise ship operated by the Church of Scientology in the Caribbean. Training for the most advanced level of Scientology’s expensive courses of self-improvement may be taken only on board it. In March the ship docked in Castries to launch Scientology’s campaign to distribute L. Ron Hubbard’s The Way To Happiness, a simple, yet subversive compilation of moral principles. The campaign is being carried out by a Scientology front group in St. Lucia called the National Youth Mentoring Programme, which is promoting the book as a means of crime prevention and criminal rehabilitation.

Prime Minister Stephenson King and Senator Guy Mayers, Minister for Home Affairs and National Security. gave speeches on board the ship praising the launch of the campaign. Books were later distributed to children in the heart of Castries at Walcott Square, on which is located Archbishop Rivas’ Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception..

Archbishop Rivas is scheduled to be interviewed concerning the Scientology affair on Thursday, April 15, by Helena Television in St. Lucia. Here is the section of his homily dealing with the cult of Scientology

A Challenge to Faith and Catholic Identity

Save Now

This Easter, many Catholics in St. Lucia have found themselves looking into the tomb for answers to their faith in response to the perceived invasion of Scientology on our fair and ordinarily peaceful isle. The apparently harmless and surreptitious Freewinds, the flagship of Scientology, has revealed that it is not here merely on a goodwill mission. It has a plan. This is evident from the propaganda presently circulating

in our society in form of a booklet titled The Way to Happiness – A Common Sense Guide To Better Living. While it may or may not lack common sense, it certainly is not literature to be put in the hands of eight and ten year olds from our primary schools as happened after a Rally at the Derek Walcott Square on March 10, this year.

There are over 140,000 copies of this booklet to be distributed in St. Lucia. If the objective of local collaborators in disseminating this literature was to teach virtue and stem crime in our nation wouldn’t 140,000 Bibles with the teaching of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, the Ten Commandments and I Corinthians 13, Paul’s Charter of Love, just to mention some references in the rich heritage of our faith, have made more sense. There is no quick fix to repairing the moral decay in our society. Collaboration and education in spiritual and moral values are needed at every level: The home, school, workplace, community and Church.

If the way to happiness lies along the road to truth then the concept of truth in this booklet (‘what is true is what is true for you’ cf #7) is relativistic. Relativism is a subjective philosophy that does not accept objective truth. How does a Catholic Christian accept the teachings of Christ if he/she gives credibility to, without critiquing, the teachings of the Way to Happiness: ‘If it is not true for you, it isn’t true’? This is the literature being put in the hands of the children of our nation to teach them virtue and morality. Instead it undermines the principles of authority, faith and truth itself. Faith and truth, for Scientologists, are personal beliefs. Believe what you want; Truth is whatever you deem to be true. This is contrary to Catholic teaching where faith and truth are absolute. This matter needs serious review on the part of the Civil Leadership of our nation. Good, healthy, drug free living in a crime free society is what we all want but not at the price of compromising our faith and Christian values. The fundamental teachings of Scientology are in conflict with the teachings of the Christian faith. As Catholic Christians if we are going to critique Scientology we need to have a good grasp of our own faith. This is a challenge to all Catholics to be better grounded and educated in their faith.

Are we aware that in our neighbouring island of St. Vincent the Freewinds has been banned from entry into the country? Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec, Canada, has spoken out publicly about Scientology on more than one occasion in 2009. Now is not the time for Catholics in St. Lucia to be looking into the tomb. Now is the time to come out of our comfort zones, rise from our complacency and witness to our faith with greater conviction, deeper commitment and clearer identity. Our Vision 2020 – Disciples on Mission in its goal emphasizes the need to rediscover Catholic Identity. The Challenge is now ours to know our faith and who we are as Catholics.

This Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. HE IS RISEN! (Lk 24:6). This is the truth and we believe it. We have heard the wake up call: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light’ (St. Augustine – Homily for Holy Saturday). ‘Christ is the champion of the truth: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’ (Jn 14:6). He came to witness to the truth and says: ‘all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice’ (Jn 18:37). The Truth has spoken. Now is the time of reckoning. Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

Your Archbishop,

+ Robert Rivas, O.P.,

Archbishop of Castries.

March 25, 2010.

Here is the complete text

Easter Message:

“He is Risen”

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

The peace and blessing of the risen Lord be with you!

Spiritual Drought

As we celebrate Easter this year we welcome the first showers from the heavens after a long drought. For some of us the drought in Lent may have reminded us of our own spiritual dryness and emptiness as well as the wilderness of our own existence where we, at times, find ourselves on the periphery, estranged, struggling, disenchanted, and even alienated. A water shortage during the drought taught us to conserve, appreciate and search for water. Becoming aware of our spiritual drought can help us to recognize much of what we take for granted in our faith and the distance that exists between our faith and our daily lives. We need a better connection between what we believe and what we do. Faith involves a personal relationship with Christ which is nurtured in prayer, a desire for God in our lives, meditation on the Word of God and the daily response to Christ’s call to take up our cross and follow him.

Faith gives us the desire for something more in our lives and, in a time of spiritual drought, it urges us to a search for the living water Jesus offered the woman of Samaria: ‘If you only knew what God is offering…you would have been the one to ask, and he would have given you living water’ (John 4:10). Her encounter with Jesus totally revolutionized her life and her entire community. Drought is an experience of death which can lead to life. Drought in our lives is a time for facing the truth about ourselves. Only the truth will set us free (Jn 8: 32). St. Lucia has faced its drought. Can St. Lucia face the truth?

From Ashes to Glory

As we celebrate Easter this year we remember the dust and ashes of Haiti following the catastrophic earthquake that left hundreds of thousands dead. Lives wiped out. A nation under a shroud of suffering! How will Haiti celebrate Easter this year after facing such disaster and suffering? Haiti has had its passion and death; will it have the resilience to rise with Christ in celebrating his full mystery of Passion, Death and Resurrection? Is Haiti still looking into a tomb? Are our sisters and brothers in Haiti still counting the dead? Will they be Mary of Magdala weeping in the cemetery or Peter and John seeing the empty tomb and believing? How challenged will be the people’s faith when they hear the words of the Gospel at the Easter Vigil: ‘Why look for the living among the dead’ (Luke 24:5)? The Paschal Mystery is not complete without the Resurrection. Nor can it exclude suffering and death.

People who know death can relate to life. Haiti has shared in the Paschal Mystery in a dramatic way. I believe that this Easter Haiti will be empowered to rise from its experience of death and devastation by the same hand that raised up Christ from the dead: ‘The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds’ (Ps 117:16-17). The risen Christ who has conquered evil, sin and death will be Haiti’s source of hope and liberation this Easter. Contemplating Christ’s passion, death and resurrection will take away the sting of death for Haiti this Easter. In the same way that death has no power over Christ any more, so shall it be for Haiti. I also believe that the regional as well as the global response to Haiti is a great sign of solidarity and a promise of a new time of hope for Haiti. Haiti will rise from its ashes. The response to Haiti by the three local Churches under my jurisdiction, Castries, Kingstown and Bridgetown, has been stupendous. We have shared Haiti’s pain and loss. One day we will share Haiti’s glory which already begins with Easter and the Resurrection.

A Challenge to Faith and Catholic Identity

In his Easter, many Catholics in St. Lucia have found themselves looking into the tomb for answers to their faith in response to the perceived invasion of Scientology on our fair and ordinarily peaceful isle. The apparently harmless and surreptitious Freewinds, the flagship of Scientology, has revealed that it is not here merely on a goodwill mission. It has a plan. This is evident from the propaganda presently circulating in our society in form of a booklet titled The Way to Happiness – A Common Sense Guide To Better Living. While it may or may not lack common sense, it certainly is not literature to be put in the hands of eight and ten year olds from our primary schools as happened after a Rally at the Derek Walcott Square on March 10, this year.

There are over 140,000 copies of this booklet to be distributed in St. Lucia. If the objective of local collaborators in disseminating this literature was to teach virtue and stem crime in our nation wouldn’t 140,000 Bibles with the teaching of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, the Ten Commandments and I Corinthians 13, Paul’s Charter of Love, just to mention some references in the rich heritage of our faith, have made more sense. There is no quick fix to repairing the moral decay in our society. Collaboration and education in spiritual and moral values are needed at every level: The home, school, workplace, community and Church.

If the way to happiness lies along the road to truth then the concept of truth in this booklet (‘what is true is what is true for you’ cf #7) is relativistic. Relativism is a subjective philosophy that does not accept objective truth. How does a Catholic Christian accept the teachings of Christ if he/she gives credibility to, without critiquing, the teachings of the Way to Happiness: ‘If it is not true for you, it isn’t true’? This is the literature being put in the hands of the children of our nation to teach them virtue and morality. Instead it undermines the principles of authority, faith and truth itself. Faith and truth, for Scientologists, are personal beliefs. Believe what you want; Truth is whatever you deem to be true. This is contrary to Catholic teaching where faith and truth are absolute. This matter needs serious review on the part of the Civil Leadership of our nation. Good, healthy, drug free living in a crime free society is what we all want but not at the price of compromising our faith and Christian values. The fundamental teachings of Scientology are in conflict with the teachings of the Christian faith. As Catholic Christians if we are going to critique Scientology we need to have a good grasp of our own faith. This is a challenge to all Catholics to be better grounded and educated in their faith.

Are we aware that in our neighbouring island of St. Vincent the Freewinds has been banned from entry into the country? Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec, Canada, has spoken out publicly about Scientology on more than one occasion in 2009. Now is not the time for Catholics in St. Lucia to be looking into the tomb. Now is the time to come out of our comfort zones, rise from our complacency and witness to our faith with greater conviction, deeper commitment and clearer identity. Our Vision 2020 – Disciples on Mission in its goal emphasizes the need to rediscover Catholic Identity. The Challenge is now ours to know our faith and who we are as Catholics.

This Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. HE IS RISEN! (Lk 24:6). This is the truth and we believe it. We have heard the wake up call: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light’ (St. Augustine – Homily for Holy Saturday). ‘Christ is the champion of the truth: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’ (Jn 14:6). He came to witness to the truth and says: ‘all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice’ (Jn 18:37). The Truth has spoken. Now is the time of reckoning. Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

Your Archbishop,

+ Robert Rivas, O.P.,

Archbishop of Castries.

March 25, 2010.

Damian DeWitt on G. Gordon Liddy today on recent momentous Scientology events - 10:30 am Eastern Time

Update: I just finished the show and will post a link to the podcast when it is up.

I spent most of the time talking about the French verdicts, the e-meter, which the G-man thinks is really screwy, and the Purification Rundown. I wanted to talk more about the Paul Haggis defection because I think that and the Van Sickle cases are the greatest the greatest threat to Miscavige and greatest hope for hastening the downfall of the Miscavige regime.

I spoke with the producer, and he is eager to have me speak again.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just in time for Halloween I am giving an update on the G. Gordon Liddy Show today on David Miscavige's most horrible week of 2009 .

The G-man's show runs from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Eastern time, and I should be on around 10:30 am.

You can listen live here.

Reminder: This is a conservative radio show.

Reminder: The joint effort of Anonymous and an increasing army of critics and defectors from David Miscavige's Church of Scientology is non-partisan.

Everyone needs to be part of putting an end to Miscavige's reign of violence and abuse, his repression of free speech on the internet, his coerced Sea Org abortions, and his destruction of tens of thousands of family relationships through disconnection.

I don't know how much time I will have, but will be talking at least about the French fraud convictions and the $1MM fines, Paul Haggis' defection, and the Tommy Davis' ABC Nightline walkout.

I also want to let people know about Marc Headley's new book Blown For Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology and point people to Jonny Jacobsen's blog Infinite Complacency as the best place to go for in-depth reporting and commentary.

I also want to let people know that there are important books just out by former Sea Org women: Bonnie Wood's Deceived - One Woman's Stand Against Scientology and Nancy Many's My Billion Year Contract.

This will be about the fifth time I have been on the show, but the first time I will be speaking as Damian DeWitt. Previously I have always spoken as "Anonymous".

The show contacted Why We Protest many months ago asking for some one from Anonymous to speak, and I volunteered. Though no one anonymous speaks for Anonymous, I felt it was appropriate (and cool) to speak as "Anonymous" since the request had come directly to Anonymous at WWP.

I have decided to speak as Damian DeWitt because I want to give people a chance to check in here at For Great Justice for commentary from an anonymous blogger on developments in the Church of Scientology's War on the Planet.

The G-man is a cool guy, and I am grateful he is giving his audiences a chance to hear about the collapse of the Miscavige regime as it unfolds.

Scientology Human Trafficking and Coerced Abortion Cases to Trial in November 2010

Larry Brennan has just reported that the cases of Marc and Claire Headley will be going to trial in November of 2010.

These cases are momentous and have huge potential for damage to Scientology. The essential cause of action in Marc's case is slave labor wages in the Sea Org - 100 hour work weeks for 39 cents an hour. Since there are about 5,000 Sea Org staff in the US David Miscavige would have to pay millions in lawful wages if he loses.

Claire's case is of significance on the coerced abortion issue. The latest word I have is that coerced abortions are not a matter for a jury. The Headleys attorney, Barry Van Sickle, has so designed the complaints that what is sought is an injunction against coerced abortions with no request for damages for emotional suffering. Thus, the court can respond with an injunction that could be settled in fairly short order long before the trial begins.

Here is Larry's post. What is most significant is the Plan for Discovery. Scientology has done everything to stop discovery in other cases, dreading the disclosure of what is sure to be a mountain of damning evidence.

The other fabulous thing is the plan for David Miscavige to be disposed along with Shelley Miscavige. Shelley Miscavige is David Miscavige's wife. No one knows where she is. He has apparently dumped her for his executive assistant Laurisse Stuckenbrock whom he brings to car races with Tom Cruise.

He had her husband Uwe Stucknbrock sentenced to the RPF Gulag when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis where he died last year as I have written about previously. In typically cruel fashion, Scientology stymied his grieving brother Markus' attempts to find out any information about his brother's death, like whether he died alone.

Here is Larry's post from the Ex-Scientologist Forum. RTC is the Relgious Technology Center of which Miscavige is the Chairman of the Board. CSI is the Church of Scientology International. Both are defendants in the cases. Emphases are mine:

This is a brief partial update on the Claire Headley vs. RTC and CSI case as of October 2009.

This update covers the filing of one document in the case. Any more information to be released at this point re the case will likely be done by Marc or Claire as they deem relevant.

First of all, both Marc's and Claire's cases have been set for jury trail in November 2010.

A document recently filed in the case summarizing what the case is about, the main issues and the current state of the case can be found at the following link:

http://www.scribd.co...-Rule-26-Report

Of note, is the following from the filing:

from section D:

"Similarly, Plaintiff contends that not only is the business nature of RTC and CSI relevant, inurement to the boss is also relevant. This would include, in Plaintiff’s view, that the driving goal is to make money and that the wealth of the Scientology enterprise inures to the benefit of its sole leader, David Miscavige. Plaintiff submits that the financial power, significant salary, hidden income, and benefits of running the Scientology empire show the commercial nature of the enterprise and that it is the personal business of Mr. Miscavige. Defendant presumably disagrees".

from section J:

"DISCOVERY PLAN
Plaintiff plans to take the depositions of David Miscavige, Shelly Miscavige, and the depositions of witnesses disclosed by defendant or suggested by documents produced in discovery.

Plaintiff will seek financial records of defendants including records of sales, license fees, trade secret agreements, contract work, salaries, and inurement to David Miscavige. Plaintiff will also seek documentation of the license agreements and similar documents under which RTC and CSI control access to the trademarks, copyrights and purported trade secrets of L. Ron Hubbard.....".

Also of note is this from section S:

"OTHER ISSUES

This case has unusual issues. There are now a large number of former workers who have potentially relevant evidence, however, an unknown number of the former workers, and potential witnesses, are afraid to speak out. Some have signed “confidentiality’ agreements with penalty clauses labeled liquidated damage agreements, and believe that they can be sued for telling the truth about their scientology adventure. (Plaintiff was forced to sign such an agreement when she was demoted from RTC.) There are potential witnesses who have been essentially bought off with forgiveness of purported debt known as “freeloader debt. At least one witness is not in this suit because of threats made against his family relationships. There are witnesses who reasonably believe they will be declared suppressive persons and labeled “fair game” if they testify for Plaintiff.

Plaintiff contends that defendants should be forced to disclose the persons involved in this activity, the identity of potential witnesses and claimants contacted the identity of all who signed agreements or waivers of this nature, and all of the documents and purported confidentiality agreements generated by this inappropriate activity. Plaintiff may then move for relief and seek an order that will assure witnesses that they cannot be penalized thousands of dollars for serving as witnesses in this case".

Separate to this filing, a partial witness list has been made for the upcoming trial. It is extensive but is not being included here due to concerns for the privacy of the witnesses. I waive my own right to this privacy and list here what is included in that private filing under my name:

"Larry Brennan:

Former high executive knowledgeable on historical development of scientology corporate structure, and reasons for “church” to have elaborate corporate structure to hide control, assets, true management structure and similar attempts to present misleading facade to public. Also took part in efforts to shield operations and scientology orgs by use of religious cloaking. Knowledgeable on wide range of scientology topics based on his management experience. Also knowledgeable on Hubbard writings".

This is as much as I can update the cases right now. Again, anything more will either also be a public record or will likely be released by Marc or Claire as they see fit.

Stay tuned for what IMO will be an announcement of additional litigation involving David Miscavige, the abusive leader of organized scientology who is behind all of this.

- Homeward Bound

blog: larrybren.blogspot.com

Larry adds in a post at Why We Protest:

This in my opinion is going to be one hell of a case that shakes the rafters of organized scientology and its abusive trafficking in humanity. As will Marc's, Laura's and more to follow shortly.

Political implications of today's explosive revelations by high-ranking Scientology defectors

***

The St. Petersburg Times has published the first of three block-busting articles on the regime of Scientology leader David Miscavige.based on interviews with Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder, the highest-ranking executives ever to defect from The Church of Scientology (CoS). They are speaking out for the first-time.

Democratic and Republican politicians everywhere and at every level with the slightest connection to Scientology should tremble.

Scientology is now complete political poison.

A legion of Scientology critics and survivors of Scientology abuses have long been waiting for high level defectors from the Miscavige regime to speak out.

Four of them have now begin to expose Miscavige in the St. Petersburg Times in today's The Truth Rundown by Times staff writers Joe Childs and Thomas C. Tobin.

The Associated Press has picked up The Truth Rundown story, and it is spreading widely throughout the media.

The Times has established a special Truth Rundown section on its site which is full of articles and videos relating to the scandalous new revelations, like this one.

In addition to Rinder and Rathbun. The Times also interviewed two other Scientology executives, Tom De Vocht who supervised the church's Flag Land Base headquarters in Clearwater, Florda; and Amy Scobee who helped create Scientology's celebrity recruitment program that successfully snared Tom Cruise and John Travolta. The three men all report being beaten numerous times by Miscavige along with other Sea Org executives and managers. .

All of them confirm the abuse and violence of David Miscavige and his regime reported so eloquently by journalist Jonny Jacobsen at Infinite Complaceny.

Political significance of the Rinder-Rathbun revelations

The abusive totalitarian regime of David Miscavige is run by the Sea Org. Sea Org is a para-military fraternal association of fanatic Scientologists who form the mid-level and executive management of Scientology. They run everything in Scientology the world over.

Sea Org is rife with human rights abuses of human trafficking slavery, coerced abortion, and hard-labor punishment camps. Sea Org members, including teenagers work 100-hour weeks, seven days a week. They are paid thirty-nine cents an hour.

Three lawsuits have been filed by attorney Barry Van Sickle alleging human trafficking slavery, coerced abortion, fraud, and interrogation by lie detector.

The plaintiffs are all second-generation Scientologists and former Sea Org members who worked for David Miscavige.

These suits expose severe human rights abuses and are a potential trouble source for politicians associating with Scientology.

Impact on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Secretary Hillary Clinton is going to be called to account for her Scientology connections. She and President Clinton have long been entangled with Scientology through Scientology celebrity agents John Travolta and John Coale. Coale and his wife Greta Van Sustereren are Scientology's two most prominent celebrity lawyers and are well-known among Washington DC law firms..

Coale boasted of his easy access to the White House during the Clinton administration. He was on Hillary Clinton's campaign finance committee last year. He endorsed McCain and Sarah Palin alleging misogyny in the Democratic Party. Interviewed on the day of President Obama's inauguration Coale declared, "I am still a Democrat."

Scientology is on trial in France for corporate fraud. Arguments have been concluded, and the prosecutor has asked for the dissolution of Scientology.The court will deliver its judgment in October.

Belgium is preparing a similar case. Mrs. Clinton and her European ambassadors are going to be assaulted by Scientology to intervene not only in these cases. Amnesty International is studying human trafficking enslavement in the Sea Org, and moves are being made by several groups to present complaints to the UN Human Rights Commission.

Scientology is already laying siege to the European Union and the UN Human Rights Commission in Brussels.

Greta Van Susteren will soon be gone from Fox News

Greta Van Susteren is going to lose her job at Fox News. The critical Van Sickle lawsuits have exposed Sea Org's human trafficking slavery of Sea Org members and its policy of coerced abortion.

Moreover, Dr. Nada Stotland of the American Psychiatric Association effectively called Scientology an anti-psychiatry hate group in a video interview in May at the APA's convention in San Francisco. John Coale has been a leading figure in Scientology's lawfare wars on psychatric drug manufacturers.

As high-profile celebrity Scientologists, the Coales are committed to David Miscavige's War on Psychiatry and Global Obliteration of Psychiatry campaign.

Millions of conservative Fox News viewers are not going to be happy with Greta's membership in the Scientology anti-psychiatry hate group and Church of Human Trafficking and Coerced Abortion. Nor are her pro-life colleagues Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Glenn Beck.

Attorney Barry Van Sickle over the last several months has filed lawsuits on behalf of Marc Headley, his wife Claire Headley, and Laura DeCrescenzo.

The Headleys are in their mid-thirties with two children. Laura is 29. All of them are second-generation Scientologists who worked at Gold Base. Claire was forced to abort twice. Laura was inducted into the Sea Org at 12, was married at 16, and coerced into abortion as a minor at age 17.

The Six Stooges of Congress

The Six Stooges of Congress, as Gawker and Anonymous have dubbed them, are in the hot seat to explain to their constituents their entanglement with the Miscavige regime and its intelligence agency, OSA, the Office of Special Affairs.

The Scientology fellow-travelers signed a letter to French Ambassador Pierre Vincent complaining about a recent revision of the list of dangerous cults in France by governmental cult watchdog group, MIVILUDES. Michael Cosgrove at DigitalAge reports its reaction to the congressmen's letter.

The letter was written on the official stationery of Congressman Trent Franks, R - Arizona, co-chairman of the Congressional International Religious Freedom Caucus.

Anonymous is a world-wide alliance of members of the millenial generation joined by ex-Scientologists and human rights activists of all ages. They have been relentlessly exposing Scientology's suppression of free speech and human rights abuses since January of 2008.

Anonymous has done the research on connections with Scientology of the Six Stooges. They are:

Gus M. Bilirakis - 9th District of Florida, Republican and Greek Orthodox member of St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Tarpon Springs

Dan Burton - 5th District of Indiana, Republican and member of East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis

Bob Inglis - 4th District of South Carolina, Republican who attends Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Travelers Rest, SC.

Trent Franks - 2nd District of Arizona, Republican and member of North Phoenix Baptist Church.

Diane Watson - 33rd district of California, Democrat and Catholic

Frank R. Wolf - 10th District of Virginia, Republican and Presbyterian. He sits on the House Appropriations Committee and is co-chair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

Long-time Scientology critic and activist Barbara Graham writing at Daily Kos has summarized the congressmen's' Scientology connections.

Watson, Burton, and Inglis sit on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The significance of the religious affiliations of politicians

Publicly Scientology proclaims it is compatible with all religions, that one can be a Catholic or Baptist and a Scientologist at the same time. Internally, Scientology members are forced to give up such alternative practices under threat of punishment.

Scientology is utterly inimical to the beliefs and practices of all authentic religions of the great faith traditions. No church believes that Scientology is an authentic religion.

- German Lutheran Presiding Bishop of Bavaria Johannes Friendrich toured schools warning of Scientology's dangers, denouncing its claim to be a church as "a pack of lies".

- Papal Nuncio to Hungary Archbishop Karl-Josef Rauber has called Scientology "a totalitarian business."

- In February the Catholic Primate of Canada, Archbishop Marc Ouellet of Canada spoke twice in criticism of Scientology saying "It is not a church". He also defended Anonymous' right to free speech. The Cardinal's earth-shaking remarks been ignored by the Catholic News Agency and the Catholic blogosphere as well as the secular press outside of Quebec.

- Evangelical Christianity boasts two women who escaped the Sea Org and now have ministries to the abused survivors of Scientology. They are Bonnie Woods in England and Karen Pressley in Atlanta.

Bonnie maintains the Escape Ministry to aid families whose relationships have been destroyed by Scientologists. With Bonnie Woods' support, Susan Talbot journeyed from England to Los Angeles, hoping to see her daughter Amanda in the Sea Org after nine years of not knowing where she was or even if she was alive. OSA made sure Susan was not able to see Amanda.

Bonnie has just published Deceived, a moving and distubing account of her personal experience of Scientology abuses. It is available for download at her site, and may be purchased at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Karen Pressley established the Wings of Love ministry in Atlanta. She has spoken on Scientology on the wonderful program The Things That Matter Most in Texas hosted by Evangelicals Rick Davis and Lael Arrington. Damian DeWitt of For Great Justice also recently appeared on the show.

- The Orthodox church in Greece has condemned Scientology. It pursued a long campaign to prevent Scientology from establishing a presence as a religious organization. In the process, OSA attempted to defame and destroy Greek Orthodox priest and cult fighter Father Antonios Alevizopoulos.

American Greek Orthodox Bishop Maximos Aghiorgoussis of Pittsburgh. has also pointed to the psychological dangers of Scientology auditing (counseling) and its dealings with the occult.

The handwriting is on the wall for these six members of Congress and other politicians associating with Scientology.

Gus Bilirakis has a big fat Greek Orthodox problem

A poster on the Anonymous activist forum Why We Protest (WWP) posted the comment below addressed to Gus Bilarakis. Scientology's important Flag Land Base in Clearwater lies in his district. (I have corrected spelling and orthography errors):

Well, Representative Gus Bilirakis. Damage has been done.

Last night I met with my friend, a Greek, in a wealthy and influential Greek family in the Orthodox church of Tarpon Springs where you are from and a member of the church. My friend was appalled at the info I had about your dealings with the cult. Conversation something like:

Me:"By the way, do you know Gus Bilirakis?"
Greek:"Gus? Oh yea, of course! He's great, my dad knows him really well."
Me:"You know he supports Scientology?" This is where I show my friend dox.
Greek:"WTF. I can't vote for him now. I gotta tell my dad this."
Me:"Will this news not go over well at church this weekend?"
Greek:"No it won't. Greeks hate Scientology."

Pick your friends better, sir. And I'd advise no more letters supporting the cult to other countries if you want to keep office. Have a good one.

Tarpon Springs is a community of 35,000 and is known for its substantial Greek community. Bilirakis is a member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

In January crowds of people up to 60,000 people are drawn to the church's Epiphany celebration. After the blessing of the waters, the Bishop tosses a cross into Spring Bayou. As many as 60 young Greek men then dive into the water to retrieve the cross for a special blessing.

In 2006, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinope threw the cross into the water, and the Ephiphany celebration was broadcast on the Hallmark Channel.

That is how significant Tarpon Springs is in the Orthodox world in the US and indicates what a disaster associating with Scientology is going to be for Gus Bilirakis.

I have dwelt at length on the religious affiliations of politicians because it is a scandal for them to be associated with Scientology. Furthermore, now that Cardinal Ouellet has spoken other religious leaders will also speak up, particularly those with strong human rights, social justice and anti-human trafficking programs.

The churches cannot ignore Scientology's human rights abuses. All of them are committed to combatting human trafficking. In the Washington Post last week, Mrs. Clinton published an eloquent statement on human trafficking and President Obama's commitment to ending it. .

Rathbun and Rinder are exposing the violence, abuse, and coercion of human trafficking in the Sea Org. The three Van Sickle cases all allege human trafficking slavery in the Sea Org domestically.

It is known from accounts by former Sea Org members that Sea Org human trafficking also takes place in other countries, across international borders, and has involved minors.

Apparently Sarah Palin has gotten the messsage

Sarah Palin will wisely continue to distance herself from John Coale and Greta Van Susteren. It was a scandal that she as a pro-life icon was associated through them with a church whose management coerces every single pregnant woman on its Sea Org staff to abort.

Republican, Catholic, and Evangelical members of Anonymous quietly informed her through back channels that her association with the Coales spelled disaster. She has recently limited her public contact with them and appears to have gotten the message.

Sea Org also staffs Scientology's intelligence and secret service agency, the Office of Special Affairs (OSA). OSA is responsible for developing relationships of political influence and neutralizing opposition from churches by infiltration of inter-faith groups. OSA is also responsible for interrogation of Sea Org members with lie detectors in frequent security checks.

One of the most shocking of the Rinder-Rathbun revelations is confirmation of use of material from Scientology members' purportedly confidential counseling files for these investigations.

This was actually confirmed by the Church of Scientology in its attack on the four courageous defectors. Speaking of Scientology lawyer Monique Yingling and spokesman Tommy Davis, the St. Petersburg times writes:

Yingling and Davis said the church doesn't relish using documents from ethics files. But after the four defectors spoke out against Miscavige, the lawyer and spokesman said they had no choice.

You can watch The Times video of Tommy Davis' response here. It is a vehement rant in which he repeatedly calls Marty Rathbun psychotic.

.

Every Republican and Democratic politician associated with Scientology and particularly those associated with it through the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL), which is thoroughly infiltrated by Scientology agents, needs to re-examine her relationship with the organization and its many fronts groups. See here, here, and for Arizona, here.

NFWL's treasurer is Scientologist Bruce Wiseman, President of the anti-psychiatry hate group and Scientology front organization, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). See here for an account of CCHR spreading its potentially lethal psychiatric misinformation among students at Concordia University in Montreal.

Republican Jeff Stone is doomed

The politician most entangled with Scientology at a local level is Republican Jeff Stone, a Supervisor of Riverside County in California. He has just kicked off his campaign for Senator of California Senate District 36 in 2010.

He is doomed by these revelations.

Stone has shown himself to be a complete tool of OSA from Gold Base, the international headquarters of Scientology. Gold Base lies between Hemet and San Jacinto about 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Last October Stone introduced a revision to the county's residential picketing ordinance on behalf of OSA at Gold Base. It was intended to eliminate protests by Anonymous of its human trafficking slavery of members of the Sea Org and forcing Sea Org women to abort when they get pregnant.

Respected UCLA constitutional law scholar Eugene Volokh flatly declared it unconstitutional. To convince the Board of Supervisors to pass an ordinance, Stone passed to his fellow supervisors a scurrilous 53-page booklet defaming Anonymous. He denied he had received it from OSA at Gold Base. His prevarication has been relentlessly exposed by Anonymous in board of supervisors meetings.

In order to win Stone has to build a constituency in heavily Republican, Evangelical, Catholic and Hispanic eastern San Diego where he currently does not have a base of support..

All of these constituencies will be appalled by his association with Scientology. The City of La Mesa has just defeated a Scientology attempt to restrict free speech through the Hate Free San Diego campaign.

The FBI

Another reason politicians should tremble is that it appears inevitable that the FBI will sooner or later publicly announce an investigation. One cannot imagine that the Courageous Four have told everything they know to the St. Petersburg Times.

There are other issues at stake other than David Miscavige's penchant for assaulting his executives. Human trafficking is an important one. Another is perjuries to the IRS by David Miscavige alleged by former high-ranking Sea Org executive Lawrence Brennan. If proven, they threaten the loss of the Church of Scientology's religious tax-exempt status.

It is likewise difficult to believe that the Courageous Four would have spoken to the Times without having told what they know to government officials and been assured of some sort of legal immunity. Over the past year there have been numerous contacts and ongoing conversations between the Bureau and former Scientologists and critics.

Politicians now have every incentive to reinforce the urgency of whatever investigations the FBI is making. Their political future depends on it.

They have absolutely nothing to gain from associating with David Miscavige's version of organized Scientology.

More to come

The St. Petersburg Times has perfomed a great public service in the finest tradition of newspaper investigative reporting. There are more revelations to come in Parts 2 and 3 of Truth Rundown.

Part 1 contains inside information on Scientology's successful hounding of the IRS to get its religious tax-exemption. It also reveals the cover-up of the most scandalous death due to Scientology medical and psychiatric malpractice, that of Sea Org staffer Lisa McPherson. Rinder admits he destroyed incriminating evidence about the medical neglect that led to her death.

Part 2 promises us more details on Scientology's cover-up of the death of Lisa McPherson. She was a Sea Org staffer and is the iconic martyr to Scientology's medical and psychiatric malpractice.

Part 3 is devoted to further detailing of abuses of the Miscavige regime and its internal Sea Org police and punishment systems.

A final note

Attorney Barry Van Sickle and his defendants have shown extraordinary courage in filing their three lawsuits. With the Rinder-Rathbun revelations of the abuses within Sea Org, one can now understand clearly what risk of re-traumatization they have undertaken in courageously speaking out and pursuing justice in the courts.

These cases are an opportunity for socially-conscious law firms to join Van Sickle in what may be precedent-setting cases in Federal Court in the 9th Circuit.

The Rathbun-Rinder revelations now raise the possibility of a flood of heretofore intimidated former Scientologists coming forward to file claims and the possibility of class-action lawsuits.

Barry Van Sickle welcomes inquiries from attorneys interested in finding out more about the cases and supporting them. You may contact him as follows:

Barry Van Sickle

1079 Sunrise Avenue

Suite B-315

Roseville, CA 95661

(916) 549-8784

What you can do to help

Anonymous welcomes members of the public who wish to educate themselves or become engaged in ending human trafficking and other human rights abuses.

Anonymous have compiled a useful booklet called Some Facts about Anonymous and Scientology which you can download, print, and present to congressional representatives and community and church leaders.

Anonymous activists and former Scientologists have established Reaching for the Tipping Point. RFTTP is a forum intended for members of the general public where they can ask questions and dialogue with former Scientologists and human rights advocates. It is particularly geared to local communities concerned about Scientology infiltration of schools and community organizations.

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Shoop credit: Anonymous

Anonymous Iran

Anonymous began as a millennial generation revolt against Scientology's suppression of free speech on the internet. It has joined Pirate Bay in Sweden and members of the Pirate Party in opposing internet censorship in Europe, particularly in Germany.

Anonymous has also joined the movement for defense of free speech in Iran in these days of its murderous suppression when people are being killed for the right to tweet on Twitter.

Anonymous has established the Anonymous Iran forum as a meeting place for Iranians and free speech activists all over the world.

The forum has contributed cutting edge internet technologyand facilitated cross cultural cooperation. One cannot but be moved by the messages of support for Iranians and thanks to Anonymous from Iranians inside Iran and the heart-rending accounts they are posting as they manage to get messages out.

Anonymous has also set up a dedicated irc chatroom atirc://irc.whyweprotest.net/iran which has been frequented by tens of thousands of users.

Anonymous activists have established the Anonymous Iran blog. Red.Heron writes of an email he received from a friend in Iran:

Says one part of my possibly final email from my friend

I go into an uncertain future, save one certainty: our friendship will last until the moment of my death. It is a shame that you have never accepted the Holy Word of the Prophet, peace be upon him. I only hope you continue to read the Holy Word, and that you understand the need for the blood of martyrs today. I hope that God permits the military and the police an opportunity to see Khamanei in the correct light, just as I wish this for myself. The Basiji are certainly not in God’s favor. Be well, and goodbye.

As I read these words, I am actually crying. I’m not a particularly religious person, but if there is a God, may he protect my friend.

This is why we fight.

Cardinal Ouellet's rumored move to the Vatican and Catholic Church - Scientology relations

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Image credit: Québec Archdiocese

Cardinal Ouellet's rumored move to the Vatican and Catholic Church - Scientology relations

  
For Great Justice - The Catholic archdiocese of Québec has officialy denied today rumors that Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Catholic Primate of Canda has been called to a position in the Vatican. 

A call to Rome for Cardinal Ouellet would be significant for the Church's relationship with organized Scientology under the leadership of David Miscavige and its more general concern for human rights abuses. The Cardinal's critical remarks on two occasions in February have moved the Church for the first time ever into a publicly critical stance towards Scientology. 

 
The news of the Cardinal's rumored appointment first broke with a report today in the Québec daily Le Soleil: 
 
Cardinal Ouellet to Rome? (Article in French. Google translation is here . ) 
 
This has been followed by a second report: 
 
Cardinal Ouellet to Rome: Diocese ends rumours . (Article in French. Google translation is here . ) 
 
 
At the annual meeting of diocesan clergy at the convent of the Sisters of Charity in Québec on the anniversary of the birthday of the first archbishop of Québec, Mgr François de Laval, Cardinal Ouiellet announced that recently appointed auxiliary bishops  Paul Lortie and Cyprian Gérald Lacroix, would provide continuity of leadership within the archdiocese. 

Québec is rife with rumours, speculation, and gossip that Cardinal Ouellet will move to Rome and take up a unannounced position in the Vatican. Mgr Ouellet has counseled people not to believe everything written in the newspapers.

However, certain key facts stand out. Cardinal Ouellet has a friendship of long-standing with Pope Benedict. He is knowledgable about the concerns of Catholic Bishops around the world. His masterful summary of their reports in a 70-minute speech to them in flawless Latin at the 2007 Synod of bishops was hailed as a tour-de-force. He has spent on unusual amount of time in Rome recently, beyond what arrangments for the two new auxiliary bishops would require.

Whether or not speculation of a Vatican appointment is confirmed, Cardinal Ouellet remains a prime candidate for a position there at some point. He has shown exceptional intelligence and generosity of heart in navigating the treacherous challenges in Québec of increasing secularization in a multi-ethnic and pluralist society where opportunity for religious instruction for students of all faiths in the secular school system has been recently been eliminated. 
  
Cardinal Ouellet's courageous pronouncements have allowed Catholics in North America to undertake serious investigation into Scientology's suppression of free speech in society and the internet, along with a range of human rights abuses. Some have already become activists. Knowledge of Scientology's human rights abuses continues to spread throughout the media and the religious and secular blogosphere in North America, Germany, and francophone Europe. 
 
 
It is significant that the Holy See chose Cardinal Ouellet in Québec to take a critical stance in regard to Scientology. Through him it was able to address both anglophone North America and more importantly, francophone Europe where France radiates enormous cultural influence. 
 
 
In the space opened up for Scientology criticism by Anonymous in the last year, the governments of France and Belgium have revived cases of corporate fraud for engaging in practices that are uniform and universal throughout Scientology around the world. If convicted, Scientology could be dismantled in both countries.   

Organized Scientology is opening a sumptuous "veritable supermarket of religious business" Ideal Org in Brussels, home to major European Union institutions. According to the International Association of Scientologists, 

facilities were acquired in Brussels to be the home of a greatly expanded Church of Scientology International European Office for Public Affairs and Human Rights.  These facilities are within walking distance of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers of the European Union.

Scientology's war on the European Union and  the UN Human Rights Commssion engages France, Belgium, Germany, the Holy See, and the United States. There is a long history of Scientology celebrities like John Travolta and Tom Cruise building relationships with the Clinton and Bush administrations to lean on the State Department to plead Scientology's case to all of these countries. 
 
 
Domestically, Scientology has become a scandal in the relationship of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin with public lawyer celebrity Scientologists Greta van Susteren of Fox News and her husband, trial-lawyer John P. Coale. Her unusually close relationship with them has associated her also with Scientology's abuses taking place within its internal staff and management organization, the Sea Org. 
 
The most serious is the abusive treatment of women who are forced to abort if they get pregnant or be expelled from the Sea Org. The most destructive of families is the extreme practice of shunning known as disconnection. Knowledge of these abuses is spilling beyond the boundaries of the Scientology-critical movement. ABC-affiliate KESQ in Palm Springs is reporting on them in a continuing series. Three lawsuits have been filed alleging abusive treatment, coerced abortion, and human trafficking.  
 
 
Whatever position Cardinal Ouellet might be appointed to now or in future, he will affect the relationship of the Church to organized Scientology. Further moves in Rome on the human rights front would no doubt be of interest to two prominent figures in the international Catholic world of concerned about human rights abuses , Canadian Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour and Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon . 

Justice Arbour has recently retired from being High Commissioner for the UN Human Rights Commission and now lives in Montréal. 

Ambassador Glendon was ambassador to the Holy See in the Bush administration. She teaches constitutional and comparative law at Harvard. She is a heroine to the right to life movement. The interest of either of them would be significant.  

Most significant of all, with his critical remarks about Scientology on two occasions in February Cardinal Ouellet has become a Suppressive Person to all Scientologists. An SP is anyone who criticizes Scientology. SP's are considered to be criminal psychopaths. Tom Cruise longs for a world without SP's. Only criminals could criticize Hubbard's 100% correct technology for transforming all of society according to his unchangeable and infallible doctrines and practices.  

Cardinal Ouellet now has joined in SP fellowship with Anonymous and Marc Headley as the most significant figures of opposition to organized Scientology's suppression of free speech and its human rights abuses.  

We may soon have an SP Cardinal in the Vatican.  If rumors are not confirmed, the discussion will still have high-lighted concerns about Scientology locally in Québec and in Europe.

An official announcement of Cardinal Oullet's appointment would give us further information with which to assess its effect on the Church's relationship with organized Scientology. Le Solei has quoted a well-placed source in the archdiocese: "Even if I knew, you know that I cannot confirm it." The current Cardinal Ouellet affair appears to not yet have run its course. 

Stay tuned. 

Ed. - This post is a revision of an earlier version in light of the unconfirmed nature of early reports.

 

Scientology's beachhead in Brussels at the heart of the European Union

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Grandiose Scientology Commercial Center opening in the heart of the European Union in Brussels.  

 Belgian televisision station RTL has an eye-opening report on organized Scientology's opening of "a veritable supermarket of religious business". Scientology faces indictment as an allegedly fraudulent criminal organization that could lead to its dismantling there. (See translation below)

The website of the International Association of Scientologists (IAS), to which all Scientologists must belong and to which they are required to make substantial donations, reports:.

Thus, with assistance from the IAS, new facilities were acquired in Brussels to be the home of a greatly expanded Church of Scientology International European Office for Public Affairs and Human Rights.  These facilities are within walking distance of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers of the European Union. It is an ideal location from which Scientology’s solutions can be presented to the leaders of Europe, and from which human rights can be forwarded at a pan-European level. 

The new offices contain displays of every facet of Scientology and its social betterment activities. Integrated into the design of the building is a permanent “What is Scientology?” display which presents basic precepts of Scientology. Other displays show the international accomplishments of Scientology-related organizations, including reforms in the field of mental health, investigative journalism in the public interest and human rights activities. Hallways throughout the building are lined with proclamations and acknowledgements from cities, states and nations.

Etrange: les plans de la prochaine Eglise de scientologie à Bruxelles  

Translation:  

Strange: plans for the next Church of Scientology in Brussels  

 
Our colleagues at Le Soir have unveiled plans for the future temple of religious business designed by the Church of Scientology. Six levels, meeting rooms in the cellar, three cinemas, saunas, cafeterias, all on 2200 m². 
 
The next building of the Church of Scientology will be at numbers 100 to 103, Boulevard de Waterloo. The plans for this veritable supermarket of religious business carried out by a prestigious firm of architects in Atlanta: Gensler & Associated. Scientology has big plans: it's the same firm which designed the 632-meter high Tower of Shanghai, . 
 
 
The strange plans: 2.200 m² of offices  
 
Spread over six levels 2.200m ² there are offices, with saunas for purification according to the procedures ordained by Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. The offices are fully computerized and contain rehearsal rooms and auditing by the electrometer. You do not know the term? Note that the electrometer is a device intended to measure, palm to palm, the disturbances in a person ... 
 
 
Two directions open to the Church 
 
At these premises, the same services will be offered which have already led to the initiation of prosecutions in 1997 and 2008 in Belgium. The Church is therefore the subject of two indictments for fraud, one of them determining the facts of illegal practice of medicine and pharmacy, breaching the law on privacy, and being a criminal organization.