Scientology on Trial?

Question

"A Belgian prosecutor on Tuesday recommended that the U.S.-based Church of Scientology stand trial for fraud and extortion, after a 10-year investigation that concluded the group should be labeled a criminal organization. The church said it would fight the criminal charges recommended by investigation prosecutor Jean-Claude Van Epen, who said up to 12 unidentified people should face charges. Investigators have spent the last decade trying to determine how far the church went in rectuiting converts after numerous complaints were filed with police by former members who say they've been the victims of extortion."

Do you think this kind of investigation should be done in other countries?

Answer 1

Deffinately.

Scientology is the only religion still opreating today that i've come accross which I oppose. I do not think people should be allowed to practice; I have a genuine hatred for those who endorse it knowing what damage it does.

There have been countless articles that have been published focusing on deaths within Scientology which are suspicious, and people who have literally been held against their will by Scientologists when trying to leave the organisation. There are probably nearly as many complaints about scientology as satanism, and look at the rep. that's got.

It's a bloody terrifying cult, and it shouldn't get the status of being a true religion. As a society, we should be terrified of it and seek to erradicate it. It's actions speak for it loud and clear; it gets called a cult by a cult-watch organisation, and it buys the whole freakin' organisation, someone says something bad about it, they get taken to court and shut up. Bribes and fear aren't the right way to spread any message worth spreading.

It's not right to tell people the only way that their gonna be happy is by giving money to you, and that's exactly what scientology says. Seminars and silly little machines that do nothing at all cost people hundreds of thousands of dollars over their lifetime - when someone tries to cure cancer in the medical world by selling placebo's for a rediculous amount of money, we call them a monster. When scientology does the same thing to try to cure people's (natural human) fears and worries with the same thing, aiming to fix their soul, we call them a religion. If someone wants to go on a pilgramage, let them; if a priest wants, for free, to anoint an unwell person with oil, let them; if a person wants to sing a free praise to their God, let them, but don't let them take everything people have and then tell them you will fix their soul. That's wrong.

http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/
http://www.lisamcpherson.org/
http://www.whyaretheydead.net/
http://usminc.org/scientology.html

Answer 2

No Scientology is not on trial. Someone has been trying to get them on trial for 10 years and has just flapped some papers around again.

This type of investigation has been done time and time again in many countries.

Same old news. I was in a taxi today today when I heard the lastest made up rubbish. I was and will continue to wear my International Association of Scientologists t-shirt.

I talk to most people I meet about Scientology because they ask or I can see that they may be able to use some of the technology.

Why do some people oppose Scientology?
http://www.scientologytoday.org/Common/question/pg56.htm

Answer 3

If it is brought to the US I think you will see a lot of odd religious groups and evangelists siding with Scientology. Will this country start keep people from spending their money on religion... ya right, the pigs will never leave the ground!

Answer 4

It has been in Greece where the Greek offices of Scientology was raided by the police after the investigation. Copies of the document are available online......

Answer 5

II'm a Scientologist , for the past 36 years, so I have a longer term persepective on this kind of government based attack on a religion. (Mine in particular)
This kind of attack has been going on since Scientology was first founded back in 1952.
The first Church in Washington DC was raided in the early 60's.
The CIA/FBI raided the LA Churches in 70's.
The OPP raided the Toronto Church in Canada in the 80's
Governments of the UK ,Spain, France and Italy have all made similar attacks in the past.
Each time they were groundless and we fought back for religious freedom and each time we have won.
In the USA the battle was long and only finally won about 15 years ago when the IRS eventually stopped making unfounded "accusations" and actually LOOKED. They finally agreed to our request to inspect and audit all the US church accounts as well as out affiliated activities. After a THOROUGH audit of all our organizations they
gave us full religious recognition with tax exempt and charitable status.
In other words, they found nothing criminal of "profit making" so they had no choice. You can imagine that if there had benn ANYTHING to find of this nature the IRS would have found it.
The deal with Germany ( which is behind the Belgium Govt) is that they are not prepared to do this and would rather continue with a general black propaganda campaign, making unproven accusations and innuendo with a 10 year "investigation" which has basically found nothing , ( I mean 10 years!!)
With the help of the media they have stirred up continuous doubt to justify descrimination against the Scientology religion in Europe.
(The last time Germany attacked a religion 6 million people were murdered.)

The "raids and attacks" get the media attention. Not the results of lengthy and costly court battles, none of which have been won by the governments that launched them. (The tax payers of those countries paid for their govts investigations and legal costs. We have to pay ourselves to fight the false accusations).

It's real easy for governments to accuse and then label someone or an organisation or a "criminal". Then tie them up in lengthy court battles to make them prove they're
innocent. When governments start doing this with religions I think we are all at risk. Yours could be next.
You might want to think about that before you start encouraging this kind of thing, or thinking that the media and goverments are unbiased and without agendas.
Support a government designed and run for ALL the people.
Your rights and freedoms are at risk aswell .

For Scientology it all comes down to the price of religious freedom.
All Scientologists know that the real price of freedom is constant alertness and constant willingness to fight back.
Bottomline when real freedom is at stake, which it is , there is no other price.
So we're used to it. We are expanding and growing like never before in our history. Each time in the past when we have expanded we have been attacked. So this time is really no surprise. In fact it is an indication of just how well we are doing, particularly in Europe.
For me media hype about a government attack like this is confirmation that we are achieving our aims:
A civilization without war, insanity and criminality where able people can prosper and honest beings can have rights.

Answer 6

Yes. Scientologists, of course, won't admit it, but they're a dangerous cult. They stalk, harass, and threaten people, and they've been behind quite a few very questionable deaths.

Answer 7

it sounds like those females asked for help then what replaced into informed them in the event that they offered and paid for his or her books then why might the church be in violation if no person compelled them to do it they went to the church for help the church did no longer hunt them

Answer 8

If someone is ignorant enough to believe their teachings i do not feel sorry for them. save our money and let them throw their money away. people are sending Oral Roberts money still after all these many years. Gotta wonder.

Answer 9

It absolutely should be done in all countries which currently allow this criminal enterprise free reign as a "religion". Scientology is a scam and a cult. It's a danger to all adherents and anyone who stands up and tells the truth about it.

There are multitudes of people who have suffered tragic experiences during their involvement with Scientology. Read about them here:
http://www.lermanet.com/persecution/
http://www.whyaretheydead.net/krasel/
http://xenu.net/archive/personal_story/cheryl_s

Here are more "bad experiences" with the cult including an illegal plot to infiltrate the government, brainwashing techniques, mind control camps, attacks on critics, and DEATHS caused by Scientology doctrine and members:

● Operation Snow White – Under this official program, Scientology operatives committed infiltration, wiretapping, & theft of documents in government offices. This program constituted the single largest infiltration of the United States government in history. Among the 11 prominent Scientologists convicted of this conspiracy was Mary Sue Hubbard, the wife of Scientology’s “prophet”.
http://lisatrust.freewinds.cx/scientology/snow-white/index.html
http://en.allexperts.com/e/o/op/operation_snow_white.htm

● Operation Freakout - Their campaign of sabotage & violence against Paulette Cooper, the writer who published her research & findings on several cults, including Scientology. Scientology’s official plan: to frame Paulette, ruin her career & reputation & get her either incarcerated or locked up in psychiatric confinement.
The official plan: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Krasel/cooper/frk1.html
Her book: http://holysmoke.org/cos/books/scandal-of-scientology-cooper.pdf

● Fair Game - the Scientology policy detailing how the organization may confront & handle critics & perceived enemies. Here is a direct quote: "Enemies may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.”
http://www.xenu.net/archive/disk/fairgame.htm
http://www.planetkc.com/sloth/sci/Fair_game_ord.html
http://www.fairgamed.org/

● Physical & psychological punishment: Scientologists who "break the rules" while members of the "Sea Org" must subject themselves to the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF), which includes regimes of harsh physical punishment, forced self-confessions, social isolation, hard labor and intensive ideological indoctrination.
http://www.xenu-directory.net/practices/rpf.html
http://www.lermanet2.com/scientology/gulags/BrainwashinginScientology'sRehabilitationProjectForce.htm
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/cos/rpf/escape_2.htm

● Brainwashing & mind control: Scientology exerts control over its members by means of typical cult tactics, including but not limited to controlling information about internal doctrine & criticism of the organization, severely restricting social contact outside the cult (including the practice of “disconnecting” with any family who question the credibility & trustworthiness of the cult), creating an “us against them” mentality by villainizing a specific out-group (for Scientology, it’s psychiatrists), & claiming all those outside the cult are unenlightened.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/24/Tampabay/The_unperson.shtml
http://www.factnet.org/Books/SocialControl/scs.html#toc http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/s/scientology/pignotti/
http://xenu.net/archive/personal_story/funkydonny.html

● Violent Kidnapping - Lisa McPherson was a Scientologist, was involved in a car accident & resultantly became mentally unstable. She was kidnapped from the hospital by agents of Scientology, held against her will, refused proper psychiatric treatment & allowed to STARVE TO DEATH.
Video: http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/
News Coverage: http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/Lisa_McPherson_Scientology_Deaths.html
Website: http://www.lisamcpherson.org/

● Tragic Murder - A CBS “48 Hours” special on Jeremy Perkins, the mentally disturbed son of Scientologist parents who, because of the Scientology doctrine of opposing psychiatry, refused to put him on the anti-psychotic drugs that would have stabilized him & prevented him from killing his own mother.
Video: http://www.scientomogy.com/jeremy_perkins.php
CBS article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/25/48hours/main2124568.shtml
Website: http://perkinstragedy.org

Answer 10

yes i do.then maybe the brain washing cult will be stopped and innocent lives saved.