Blogs and Stories
Scientology's New Face
Douglas R. Clifford, St. Petersburg Times / ZUMA
In his first detailed interview since walking off Nightline last week, church spokesman Tommy Davis talks to Kim Masters about Monday's startling public defection by Paul Haggis, addresses drug allegations—and explains his relationship with Tom Cruise. Plus, his former colleague speaks out.
Tommy Davis has been busy lately. In the past week, the spokesman for the Church of Scientology tore off his lapel microphone and stormed out of an interview when Nightline correspondent Martin Bashir tried to question him about whether he believed in the intergalactic warlord Xenu—a central figure in the church’s theology. And over the weekend, Paul Haggis, the Oscar-winning director of Crash, made news when his angry resignation from Scientology—addressed to Tommy Davis—became public.
In his letter, Haggis claimed Davis had assured him the church would publicly denounce the organization’s San Diego chapter for supporting Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California. That denunciation never came and Haggis said the church’s refusal to take a stand was “cowardly.” Then he took Davis to task for denying in a CNN interview that the church has a policy of “disconnection”—requiring members to cut off contact with family members who run afoul of Scientology or its policies. Haggis said he knew that statement was false because his wife was ordered to disconnect from her parents after they had committed some “absolutely trivial” offense in the eyes of the church.
“If you work with Tom Cruise for a number of years and Anne Archer is your mother, people might look the other way.”
“To see you lie so easily, I am afraid I had to ask myself: What else are you lying about?” Haggis wrote.
In his first extensive interview since the resignation, Davis says Haggis’ letter is based on a series of misunderstandings. The church’s San Diego branch was erroneously named as backing Prop 8, he says. And he argues that his comments on CNN about disconnection have been mischaracterized. He declines to say whether, in light of his explanations, he believes Haggis might become reconciled to the church. Haggis did not respond to a request for comment.
• Kim Masters: Travolta’s Scientology Turning Point? For Davis, the 37-year-old son of actress and longtime Scientologist Anne Archer, the Haggis flap isn't the only controversy he's fending off--he's had to answer questions about his own standing in the church, his past use of pot, and his relationship with Tom Cruise. “I guess I’m the most popular boy in school right now,” he says good-naturedly.
Claire Headley, who has known Tommy Davis for many years, grew up in the church, and worked in its internal affairs office until she left the organization five years ago. She says Davis was “a happy-go-lucky” teenager who got into a fair amount of mischief, including some that would violate Scientology codes. That didn’t stop him from eventually becoming Tom Cruise’s “personal, full-time, assigned Scientology handler,” she says, explaining, “He filtered everything, reported on what [Cruise] was doing to [Church of Scientology leader] David Miscavige.” Officially, Davis was assigned to the church’s president’s office in the Celebrity Centre, she continues, but he was essentially with Cruise full-time from the late 1990s until 2005.
Davis was quickly returned to the fold and sent to the church’s offices in Clearwater, Florida, where he was required to clean toilets with a toothbrush for a week.
When Cruise visited Scientology headquarters in Hemet, a desert town about 90 miles from Los Angeles, in 2004 Headley says Cruise and Davis used an office in the Religious Technology Center building that—despite its considerable size—was occupied only by Miscavige and his personal staff. That same year, Miscavige labored to produce a video that was to be played when Cruise received the Freedom Medal of Valor award at an annual gathering in England.
“Tommy Davis was there full-time for that,” she says. “We’re talking 24/7—through the night. Both of them and probably like, 60 other staff, running for them.” (The video was eventually leaked and made quite a sensation on the Internet because of Cruise’s unusual affect.)
Davis denies essentially all of this. He says he worked with Cruise but not full-time. He says he never worked in an office at the Hemet facility. Initially he denies having worked on the video but then acknowledges that he did.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Jeff Madrick is a contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. He is the author of Taking America, The End of Affluence (Random House) and The Case for Big Government.
Oprah Changes Channels
Kim Masters covers the entertainment business for The Daily Beast. She is also the host of The Business, public radio's weekly program about the business of show business. She is also the author of The Keys to the Kingdom: The Rise of Michael Eisner and the Fall of Everybody Else.
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Kim Masters covers the entertainment business for The Daily Beast. She is also the host of The Business, public radio's weekly program about the business of show business. She is also the author of The Keys to the Kingdom: The Rise of Michael Eisner and the Fall of Everybody Else.
Meet the Movie Theater of the Future
Kim Masters covers the entertainment business for The Daily Beast. She is also the host of The Business, public radio's weekly program about the business of show business. She is also the author of The Keys to the Kingdom: The Rise of Michael Eisner and the Fall of Everybody Else.
This "religion" is nothing more than an big cash cow.
Yea, it's kind of like the Mormons with less money and bad LSD flash backs.
Like the Mormons? Why that example? Why not the Christians? Or, more specifically, the Catholics, who are against homosexuals, yet are perfectly fine with their seminaries being 1/3rd openly gay (as long as they're celibate).
Why celibacy in the Catholic Church? To prevent children being born who might turn out not to follow the church, and, therefore, would take their land holdings elsewhere. It's a historical fact.
Now the Catholics are going to welcome the Episcopalians, even if they are married. Odd that these Episcopalians, unhappy with their church's ordination of a gay bishop, would join a church with 1/3rd of their "priests-to-be" being openly gay.
Religion used to be a way to get people to hold to certain social standards by threatening them with a shitty afterlife so they didn't blame those in power for these restrictions. Now it's all about the money.
OKDale - Can you cite the 1/3 stat?
Sounds like most "religions" to me.
except this one actually charges you for church services. Can you imagine swiping an ATM card before stepping into the confessional?
A cash cow? Sounds like the Federal Gov doesn't it? Give me all your money and I'll make your life all better for you.
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Enough. This is not newsworthy. Scientology is a secretive and frankly quite ridiculous, money making cult masquerading as a church to get tax benefits. Let it fester away in its weirdness. There is no doubt that its current leader has a monstrous ego, and is a control freak but then thats what cults are all about.
The hell it ain't news - the only reason this historic sham was declared a 'religion' for tax purposes was that they were clogging the courts with counter-lawsuits as they are trained, and the Government threw in the towel.
If you'd ever known a person or family financially and emotionally trashed by this group of charlatans, you would think differently. Let a light shine - this 'faith' is incredibly dishonest, deceitful and destructive.
All "Organized" Religions are "Cults." All about signing up new "contributors."
Are things written in the Bible any more provable than what's written in L. Ron Hubbard's book ?
*stands and applaudes you*
My sentiments exactly. The Bible was written thousands of years ago by men who claimed to be divinely inspired. If they were alive today they'd look a lot of David Koresh, and would likely be branded heretics and committed to asylums. There is absolutely no discernible difference between those people and people like L. Ron Hubbard.
Amen. Every religion is a cult. Some organized religions are more dangerous than others. Scientology, I suspect, is one of the most dangerous of the lot, but one could argue that all the others have their dangers too. Inquisition and Crusades and DOMA and DADT and Prop 8, anyone?.
sophia5 - a resounding YES!
Historical events cannot be proven scientifically - scientific evidence requires repeatability under controlled circumstances, so you can't scientifically prove that you ate breakfast this morning. But what you can do is examine the circumstantial evidence, testimony of others, exhibits involved, etc. If we hold the Bible and anything that L. Ron Hubbard put out, the Bible stands firm and Scientology withers away.
"More than a Carpenter" is a splendid little book that tries to examine the evidence for the legitimacy of Christ and the Bible. Check it out sometime!
Religion.......Opium for the masses........
The freedom of information made available by the internet could very well be tearing Scientology apart piece by piece. A lot of ex-members were able to validate their mutual problems with each other via e-mail, and by viewing renegade websites and postings by other ex-members, shedding a great deal of light on subjects which were kept in total darkness previously. I hope it comes down.
While that's true, and the benefits thereof have been immense particularly to those who have left or are seeking to leave Scientology, it seems that Scientology as an organization continues to possess enough resources and political clout to shield itself from any real external intervention. In spite of considerable negative publicity and, as of late, some pretty devastating investigative journalism pieces (there was one in the St. Petersburg Times a little while ago, maybe that was follow the Rinder thing?), there has been very little follow up in terms of political or legal repercussions.
The continued piling on of journalism pieces investigating and discussing the implications of policies like "disconnection," as well as the many allegations of physical and mental abuse within Scientology, particularly among its staff, lends credibility to those accounts. Nevertheless, Scientology as an organization remains very adept at denying everything and putting as good a face forward as possible, which seems to be enough to placate many (not all!) journalists and appears to keep other external organizations out of their very lucrative business. Beyond just shielding their organization, their repeated attempts to deny discredit the accounts of former insiders, in conjunction with some cultural momentum, seems to be enough to convince a significant number of people that they're nothing more than another kooky California religion even though that's a rather naive overly relativistic simplification. The cultivation of that widespread attitude severely undercuts and public or political momentum with respect to seriously inquiring into Scientology's business and practices.
All that to say, you're probably right that the internet represents a significant threat to Scientology. But that's only to the extent that it limits new membership and facilitates the exodus of those members and staffers from Scientology. The latter is something that is notoriously difficult to do, so even if Scientology rots from within and sloughs off members to the point that it collapses (at least as an organization -- there are, and will, doubtless be a number who carry on its "belief" structure), it will take a very, very long time in my view.
'Church' of Scientology has just been convicted of fraud, in France.
At least the French are realists.
I suppose even the French must have one virtue.
I love the French, and tis is one more reason. If only the US were as smart. How could these jokers get a tax exemption in the first place?
I think Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis were lovers.
Duh, I know, it seems so obvious. Middle America is so fucking stupid.
When he starred in "Risky Business" it was widely assumed that he was Jeffrey Katzenberg's boy toy; that, in fact, that's why he was cast in "Risky Business".
Is Jeffrey Katzenberg gay? What has Katzenberg to do with Risky Business?
Never trust a grown man who still calls himself "Tommy."
Scientology is a joke! A friend of mine who joined them in the late 90's was, they totally screwed his head up. He thought they had done such a great job on John Travolta ( Ha!) that maybe they could help him too...well he got out after 3 yrs and he's still in therapy. They are a cult and and they should not be tax excempt!!
Why are you giving all this space to these creepy nothings? More and more things are popping up in Daily Beast that aren't worth anyone's time, and raise real questions about the judgment of the editors.
You're here...reading and commenting...I'm just saying..
Most religions are ridiculous Scientology is no worse than the rest of them. When you start splitting church dogma you wind up with which is more unbelievable Scientology or Christianity. Christianity asks you to have blind faith in their version of the truth and financially support their spreading lies, poverty and hatred around the world. So where is one worse than the rest???????
Excellent point!
tumbleweed - Christianity doesn't ask for blind faith. Any step of faith is rooted in some revealed truth. See if you can find any example in the Bible where a person was told to do something with no reassurance of any kind. It's an interesting study!
Job
Job. Interesting. There's a lot we don't know about Job. Was he part of the oldest book in the Bible or did his story come later? Did he have an established relationship with the Lord? When Job said "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord," was that based on prior experience, on established precedent?
You could probably brush this off as sidestepping the point, and I'd understand that. But if Job knew of the existence and goodness of God, then that could have provided the faith needed to weather this tough time.
That BBC report is fascinating, I think he held on to his sanity for a good long time -- being followed, that Davis guy showing up at this hotel and at other interviews and then getting in his face and not allowing the reporter to get a word in edgewise. Challenging him that the interview was one-sided and when the interviewer says, "i'd love to talk to you, let's set up an interview" Davids storms off saying that he won't be interviewed because he knows the reporter has a preconceived bias. A brilliant Catch-22.
Same as the nightline interview. It seems that Miscavaige and Davis have a lot in common with Charles Manson, David Koresh, and Jim Jones in their operational style.
Isolating people from family and friends, demanding money and allegiance to the "church," secrecy regarding beliefs, confessionals of personal secrets (that they then can use against you under "Fair Game"), salvation, deception -- these are all signs of a cult.
How do people fall prey to this sort of thing? I suppose there are many parallels to other religions, but they somehow cross the line, and maybe that is the issue -- the blurring of that line.
Line? Everything you said describes every other religion. They're all cults.
I've never heard of a priest using someone's confessions against a lapsed Catholic. But under the fair game policy, Scientology blackmails adherents with their own confessions, which they keep meticulous records of. That seems to cross a line (just by way of an example).
I'm neither scientologist nor catholic, just saying from a lay observer's viewpoint, this group does seem more like dangerous cult than a benign faith.
Manson converted to Scientology during an early prison stint and claims to have reached the state of theta clear. Later he used many techniques he learned from this to influence and control his followers. There is rich amount of history concering L. Ron that shows he simply started his church for tax evasion. To quote my 90 year old mother in law: "the more I learn about actors, the dumber them seem."
Scientology is cult crap like most religion. People have subordinated themselves to such an organizations for centuries. I can only conclude that these people have so little self-esteem and so little self-control that they cede everything to some religious charlatan who promises them bliss or some other unachievable end.
People never learn and get involved with dangerous religious megalomaniacs all the time like Jim Jones in Guyana or Koresh in Waco, TX or the recent screwball who suffocated people in a tent while "purifying them."
How is this different than you liberals wanting to subordinate yourselves to the Federal Government? You have "so little self-esteem and so little self-control" that you want to cede everyting to politicians who promise to smooth out all the little bumbs of life at no cost but your right to determine your own destiny.
Well let's see;
1st, we pay the politicians as professional administrators not as people 'called' to the faith.
2nd, we don't worship the government, we scrutinise them.
3rd, we at least get to vote for them.
There y'are at least 3 good ways it's different from religion.
Well let's see...
1- The head of these churches are paid by the followers
2- People who 'scrutinize' Obama are called racist haters
3- You can walk away from religion. If you don't like what they believe or how they operate, find one you do like or none at all. Vote with your feet silly.
StinkAgain: You really are a moron. Liberals don't subordinate themselves to the Federal Government. That's what right-wingers do whenever one of their fascist despots usurps the WH, as in the recent case of the depraved Bushboy, who violated the first and fourth amendments to the U.S. Constitution with impunity, while fools like you applauded and genuflected.
Considering you're congenital mental condition, it's not surprising you can't tell the difference between politics and religion.
Way to stay on topic.
lol the only difference is that with your nanny state religion you can force your beliefs on others. Force them to pay taxes that you believe in but they don't. Force them to pay for a healthcare system that you believe in but they don't. You not only have more faith in a big corrupt government than you do yourself, you feel so strongly about your belief in it that you want to impose it on non-believers..... for their own good of course.
Yes yes thinkagain, you keep trying to push your weak point. We heard you the first time and no one cares.
I've always been fascinated by Scientology, or rather, by Scientologists, but I've never realized until this morning what it is that so many of them have in common that would lead them down this path. Looking back, I should have been able to put the pieces together much sooner.
Take a look at the list of famous Scientologists on Wikipedia. What do most of them have in common that might lead them to be vulnerable to this patent bullcrap? How many of them possess a post-secondary degree in a rigorous discipline? Many have not even completed high school. The only counterexample that I was able to find was the guy who attended MIT (Philip Gale). He committed suicide.
Scientology may have tapped into the largest pool of wealth ever controlled by such an army of ignoramuses outside of the middle east. They have no critical thinking skills and no defenses whatsoever to counter the teachings of their "church".
These are not, in general, truly stupid people. They seem to be people of above average intelligence who simply fell through the cracks of their respective systems and succeeded despite their lack of education. Imagine then the lure of a group of people that introduce themselves by administering supposed I.Q. tests and telling the subject that they are special and worthy and that their group can help to make the new convert even more special. The fact that moving to higher levels of enlightenment within Scientology involves more money than effort also plays directly to their available resources and desperate need for positive reinforcement.
It's quite the scam. I only wish that I had thought of it first. ;)
"They seem to be people of above average intelligence who simply fell through the cracks of their respective systems and succeeded despite their lack of education."
Sounds like much of Hollywood... Those not of above average intelligence tend to be blessed with above average looks. And they tend to be in need of attention and filled with insecurities (not surprising when looks are one's livelihood). No wonder they are roped in by this.
I visited the Scientology Center in Washington, DC, out of curiosity. Filled out the psychological test they give, which left me with the impression that everyone will get the same result: A statement from the counselor-auditor-welcomer-whatever that "you need Scientology and we can show you the way to happiness. Let's get you signed up for an introductory course. It will cost only..." Yeah, what a scam!!!
Well it would appear there is no moral code regarding sex in Scientology---and Hollywood people are not going to deny themselves sex whenever and however they want it, are they? Heck, how could they work--90% of entertainment promotes or shows gratuitous sex. Thats why you see so many of them involved in Scientololgy or Buddism, or Kabballah--no teaching about sexuality being something that should be reserved for marriage or of pandering to ones sexual urges as having destructive consequences or a downside. If youre a Christian in Hollywood, you are seen as a Pollyanna. Reminds me of the attitudes one encounters in Jr High--ohh youre not 'cool' if you arent having sex with every Tom Dick or Harry.
Well anyway its not an matter of intellect-- which shows you many smart people are in fact stupid about many things--or are blinded by their carnal nature. This church charges for everything big time--it costs thousands of dollars to go through their program of having your deficencies removed (can't remember what thats called) so you can progress up the OT ladder. And they have a special center for celebrities--you know, the 'superior' people.
pinkolefty - brilliant!
Addictive personalities drawn to an addiction. If it weren't Scientology, it would be drugs, alcohol or shopping.
People join churches, cults - whatever - for one major reason: They want a sense of belonging. This is especially true for the megachurches.
There is some truth to this. People are born with an innate desire for fellowship and will look for belonging in a lot of places. But going to church to find friends does not make a Christian.
Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, the book "Dianetics"....
it truly is a scam.
Who are we to judge? If people believe their lives are better because of something/anything, isn't it? Worst case it's a placebo.
Drivel.
Your worst case needs a bit of work. Consider a hypothetical people who believe that they are a part of a master race and, therefore, free to liquidate others as they see fit. That would be pretty horrible, wouldn't it? Admittedly this approaches reductio ad absurdum, but there are plenty of undesirable and unproductive middle cases.
As for, "Who are we to judge," the answer is that we are the only judges available. Not all ideas are created equal and not all practices can, or should, be tolerated. Your postmodernist, everyone-gets-a-trophy philosophy can't be allowed as a basis for running the only world we've got at the moment. Maybe someday you and the rest of the Golgafrinchans can have a planet of your own. Don't worry, we'll join you directly.
No. Worse case, people are cut off from family and friends. Worst case, someone dies. Look up the evidence.
For all your empty headed sqealing about liberals, you're taking a very liberal stance with that statement.
For all your empty headed squeeling about conservatives your self righteousness about just about anything that's not liberal makes you a total hypocrit everytime one of you posts.
pinkolefty - once again brilliant retort. i'm glad you're here. thinkagain's head is about to explode. notice the misspellings and illiterate remarks. i think your letter about scientology attracting the undereducated may have just outed thinkagain.
The great science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon who served with L Ron Hubbard during WWII wrote, that Hubbard told him that someday he would pull something that would make PT Barnum look like a "piker."*** He did.
***L Sprague de Camp, "Science-Fiction Handbook."
Scientology and other "religious" oprganization should pay taxes. Aren't they selling eternal salvation?
Absolutely! Scientologists... Catholics... Mormons... Jews... Southern Baptists... Mennonites... Assemblies of God... Anglicans... all of the churches should pay their fair share. Why do they deserve tax exemptions? They are private clubs and many of them cause harm to the nation and to human beings!
The real complaint should be against the name of the so-called religion: Scientology. There is no science to go along with the "ology." If it had been named Sciencefictionology or, better, Badsciencefictionology, that would make it accurate.
How about interviewing Paul Haggis on why he left rather than this crook.
Stop legitimizing this massive fraud.
Everyone knows that the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, used it as a Ponzi scheme and that he spent his money on roaming the seas in an expensive yacht the better to escape creditors, the IRS, and other pests. Only actors and seriously unstable people would be attracted to a cult that (1) teaches that earthlings came into the control of extraterrestrials, (2) use of an e-meter (actually nothing but a skin galvinometer -- i.e. lie detector test) to "clear" one from the wicked clutches of the space beings, and (3) demands higher and higher tithes to progress through the social hierarchy of the church.
I wish everyone also knew that the Bible is nothing more than a social weapon to keep the ruling classes in power.
Scientology is no crazier than being attracted to a cult that (1) teaches that an invisible, omnipotent (extraterrestrial) "being" created reality, (2) that capitulation to a series of values dictated by this being are the only way to escape "hell" (or escape the "wicked clutches" of satan), and (3) insists that the only way to be a good person is to adhere to only THEIR teachings, and to be led in all things by the church.
Yep, Scientology is just as crazy as Christianity.
Close, but that's not Christianity. The whole point of Christianity is not capitulating to a series of values for the sake of escaping fire and brimstone. The point is that no one can adequately capitulate to a series of values for the sake of escaping hell, so Jesus came to die for our sins and free us from them. Only after we accept the gift of salvation can we then live a life that is pleasing to God, but Christianity isn't about trying to be a good person. A common misconception!
The problem with this, and all the "how's it different from other religions" comments above, is that they legitimise scientology. I'm an atheist, but to argue Scientology and Christianity (or Islam, or Hindi, or Judaism) are the same is uninformed or wilfully misleading, and hurts legitimate attempts to persecute those involved in this cult.
Quite simply, any religion will happily explain their premise and usually provide you with a complete version of their texts for free. Scientology makes you pay hundreds of thousands for that priviledge -- that makes it a cult. Throw in their infiltration of the IRS and US Government, their constant litigation, and their dangerous disbelief in psychiatry and they're as dangerous as the fringes of any mainstream religion -- but they're the mainstream.
An interesting point Kayjay, but I think not valid. Most religions have secrets that are kept and only revealed to a few. Different sects of christianity certainly do, as do many of the world's more indigenous religions.
Transparency isn't a part of any definition of religion I've ever seen, and I've read a few of them mostly from anthropologists and sociologists who belong to disciplines with no formal ties to any particular faith.
Their process reminds me of when I encountered a 'mystic' who 'read' me and then told me that someone had cursed me and for a $150 she could do her stuff and remove the curse. Scientology in a nutshell.
one sad commentary i can add is in the mid-70s "scientology" advocates would prey upon college students, some who of course were away from home for the first time, lonely, frightened. i wonder if the "church" still goes on campuses to recruit?
we lost a good friend to "scientology" back then. while we were open to almost anything, instinctively we knew that when he quit school in his junior year, sold all of his worldly goods, and went to live in the "scientology church" in clearwater, it couldn't be a good thing.
we would have felt the same thing about any other "religion" - but it seemed odd to us that he had to give all his money to this "church," before they accepted him into the "fold." he became destitute and dependent upon them for his entire being.
worst part for us was he ceased all contact with not only us, but also, his parents. he, in effect, disappeared into "scientology."
heard he resurfaced about 20 years after joining the "church" as if coming out of a coma - quit them and tried to restart his life in his 40s.
My introduction to scientology was meeting someone who lived in Los Angles and had attained the rank of "clear".
I met him after he quit them and moved to another city.
He told me scientologists were so angry with him for quitting, they put out a contract for his murder.
As you can imagine, he was very frightened.
After I found out what scientology does to it's enemies, I knew he was telling the truth.
Desertpenguin points out the big difference between Scientology and other religons, cults and ponzi schemes. Scientology 'upper-management' keeps an active 'enemies list' and uses strongarm tactics and even murder to do business. (They have also been responsible for deaths from medical neglect.)
A full list of their known crimes shows a pattern that goes back decades...
http://www.scientology-lies.com/crimesindex.html
It's not like people pick on them for no reason.
Has anyone read The Eye of the I, by David R. Hawkins, M.D.,Ph.D, or Power vs Force, same author?Research, research, research
I have question here? If the whole Prop 8 support was just a "misunderstanding". Why didn't Scientology contact the people running the list and get thier name removed. Why didn't they issue a press release when this whole thing came out? If it was really a big deal to them, then they wouldn't have waited untill one of thier celebrity members publically left to make a statement.
Also why hasn't the leader of Scientology made a statement about any of these controversies? Why is he sending his lap dogs? Usually when there is a major scandal in a company or organization, the CEO or leader will usually make some kind of statement.
This is simple: I can convert to Catholocism, Buddhism, Judaism or Islam and NOT have to pay for courses. Scientology SELLS its beliefs to members. It's not a religion; it's a business.
The difference is it is a "dangerous" business that has a tax exempt status...Deplorable!
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