Oh Paul Haggis how I love you. The director gives an interview in this week's New Yorker that is a joy to read. It is 21 pages long and is all about Scientology and just how awful it is. The director used to be in Scientology and he talks about everything. The article also discusses Scientology and quotes one former member who says the FBI has been conducting an investigation into Scientology looking into whether they have trafficked humans and enslaved them.
I previously posted Haggis' letter to Scientology where he resigned from the church over their refusal to apologize for supporting Proposition 8 and not allowing gay people to get married. Considering who some of the members of the church are, that was kind of a shocker.
There is no way I can summarize the article and interview, but if you do anything this week, I ask you to read the interview. It is free and online and if you have ever had any questions about the organization or what they do and why they should lose their tax exempt status, you need to read this piece.
They are a bullshit "religion" it hurts my head even to call them any kind of a religion....a crutch for weak people...
ReplyDeleteIt's really just a pyramid scheme...those on top get the cream, the others get the shaft..
Good for the New Yorker; other US publications in the past have been too scared to do anything critical of Scientology!
ReplyDeleteThe FBI should be able to take them down, and rip away their 501C3 status.
ReplyDeleteOh and I would say, put little Hitler/Miscaviage in prison, but he would like all the 'boyz'.
ReplyDeleteMISCH, you are so right. CO$ is all about the money. Scary people.
ReplyDeleteHi Enty,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this information. Just a teeny correction...whether the FBI is investigating is not a question. If you read the article (all 26 pages!!) you'll see that the New Yorker has confirmed the investigation directly with the FBI. Its happening and has been ongoing since atleast Dec 09. Again, thanks for posting this. The more people who know, the better!
Yay! this is great news!! They never deserved 501c3 status. Let them pay taxes like any other corporation that brainwashes peoples minds.
ReplyDeleteIf only LRH were around to see this and do the (possible) jail time - but I'll gladly accept Miscavage in his place.
ReplyDeletePlease, please please let this play out like it should if common sense exists in the Universe.
I'm worried for this guy's safety, but admire his bravery.
ReplyDeleteIt's a crime they ever had 501c3 status, considering L.Ron Hubbard himself famously said, "The way to make real money is to start a religion."
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting! Investigative reporting a la The New Yorker at its best needs to be supported... and Miscaviage needs to be outed more than Cruise.
ReplyDeleteIf you're interested in smart journalism, check out http://www.propublica.org/ (even though it has nothing on CDAN in terms of community).
And Paul Haggis comes to an untimely end in 3...2...1....
ReplyDeleteWow. Took me over two hours to read this in between "working" and dealing with people at work, but what a great expose. I felt it was written pretty even-handedly. The author didn't seem particularly to keen to trash the religion.
ReplyDeleteI just read the whole article. It is jawdropping!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope Haggis stays safe.
CO$ needs to go down now. Go FBI, do you shit to them
I don't have time to read this now but I definitely will! I have gotten sucked into so many Xenu horror story sites before.
ReplyDeleteYou have to send in a resignation letter to quit the church? WTF?
They were discussing this story on The Today Show this morning & Matt Lauer was saying he didn't really understand how so many seemingly smart people were involved with this organization...
I agree w/ the others that worry for Haggis' safety. :-/
The UK papers have drawn a link from the Anonymous group influencing change in Egypt to the CIA. Wouldn't be too surprising if Obama's FBI was bent on taking down Scientology. And since "Anonymous" goes after Scientology ...
ReplyDeleteAnd here's CoS's response/denial of everything:
ReplyDelete"It is unfortunate that The New Yorker chose to introduce its readers to Scientology through the eyes of an apostate, someone religious scholars unanimously denounce as unreliable, rather than take advantage of the Church's invitation to experience its practices and humanitarian works firsthand. The New Yorker doesn't mention Scientology's global human rights initiative, which has educated millions on human rights. Or its "Truth About Drug" crusade, teaching millions how to live drug-free. Or its global Volunteer Ministers program, whose work in Haiti alone has been hailed by the international community. Or its dozens of new Churches bringing Scientology's life saving technology to communities around the world. Indeed the newest Church opened just this last week in Melbourne, Australia.
"The one grain of truth in the article is its acknowledgement of the positive effect Scientology has had on the lives of its adherents and the world at large—that is the message of Scientology.
"The article is little more than a regurgitation of old allegations that have long been disproved. It is disappointing that a magazine with the reputation of The New Yorker chose to reprint these sensationalist claims from disaffected former members hardly worthy of a tabloid. As for the claim that the Church is the subject of a federal investigation, the Church has never been advised of any government investigation, a fact The New Yorker knew before it went to print. Moreover, the subject of the alleged investigation was recently raised in a lawsuit by the same individuals who are the sources for the article and the complaint was resoundingly dismissed by a Federal District Court Judge. The New Yorker was aware of
this fact but irresponsibly sought to use the claim of an "investigation" to garner headlines for an otherwise stale article containing nothing but rehashed unfounded allegations.
"Anyone who wants to know the true story of Scientology should find out for themselves by coming to a Church of Scientology, whose doors are always open, or going to the Church's website, www.Scientology.org.
I find it a totally uncreative and preposterous response to the article. It's like pretending that if you speak in a really authoritative tone and demand that people are dispelling rubbish, we should forget the authors argument and declare it rubbish. Except that it's not and we won't.
ReplyDeleteI call bullshit. Great article. Someone help me understand how CoS is legit. Thanks.
If it's going to come down any time it will be with this administration. Justice Department has been doing lots of business since the election. Lots of good stuff that will help every one of us. This is only a small part of what they're doing. Watch and see!
ReplyDelete@Ells - interesting. I actually thought the article DID speak in great length to the charity support from the CoS, and it's efforts to promote alternatives to drugs. Nice try though, Church.
ReplyDeleteRocketQueen--I totally agree! The writer really did go in (I thought) pretty great length to note positive things about the church. It's not all bad. I feel like it was pretty objective.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, it's almost laughable that with every single accusation that was made, Tommy Davis (CoS spokesperson) simply said "That person lies" or "So and so doesn't recall the conversation," the throws out that stupid written response. It's so f-cked! Their only defense is that a defector must be lying to make the church look bad? Right.
Fascinating read. Completely f-cked.
Paul Haggis said it best at the end of the (excellent) article:
ReplyDelete“These people have long memories,” he told me. “My bet is that, within two years, you’re going to read something about me in a scandal that looks like it has nothing to do with the church.”