Mark Bunker

Scientology and the Occult: Hugh Urban's New Exploration of L. Ron Hubbard and Aleister Crowley

The Rosy Cross, appropriated in a similar form by Crowley and OTO​Last June, we brought you the first review of The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion by Ohio State professor Hugh Urban, and then the first interview with the good professor himself. During that interview, Urban ... More >>

Scientology Hip Hop: The Melbourne Day Rap Battle Team! (UPDATED)

We can't get enough of Scientology's rap videos. The latest comes to us from Melbourne, which has been stepping up its game in a big way lately. We recently published mailers from the Melbourne Ideal Org as it celebrated its first anniversary with parties that looked like they were off the hook. Bu ... More >>

Scientology Sunday Funnies: There's a Chill Down Under!

Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>

Scientology Campout: Commenters of the Week!

It never seems to be a quiet week here in the underground bunker where we keep an eye on all things Scientology related. The cats had barely settled down from our brief trip to Texas when the bat signal on the Antipodean circuits went off, alerting us to an imminent bombshell. But let's not get ahe ... More >>

Scientology's Secret Ranch: Where LRH Will Reincarnate?

Last week, we had a bit of fun publishing detailed maps to Scientology's super-secret underground vault locations. The vaults are the project of the Church of Spiritual Technology, a hush-hush entity inside Scientology that owns the trademarks and copyrights to L. Ron Hubbard's works, and that digs ... More >>

Anonymous vs Scientology: Chanology's Quadrennium in NYC

We got a little confused by the International Dateline and what not -- hey, you try converting Sydney time to New York and see if it doesn't leave you dizzy -- so that big story we were promising today won't be here for another 18 hours or so. In the meantime, we have this short video we pieced toge ... More >>

VIDEO: The Debbie Cook Interview

​ We can't remember a time when the attorneys of the Church of Scientology gave up on a case like they did today when they withdrew their request for a temporary injunction that would keep Debbie Cook and Wayne Baumgarten under a gag order until the church's lawsuit against them could come to ... More >>

Scientology Dramaturgy: Commenters of the Week!

Things back at the underground bunker are peaceful and calm -- the cats dig the new scratching post, we hear, and they're finally getting some quiet time while we're on the road frantically trying to keep up with Scientology's ongoing implosion. Things started out quietly enough as we began another ... More >>

Scientology vs Debbie Cook, Day 2: More Live-Blogging by the Voice

We're heading down to the courthouse now to begin talking to folks before the action heats up again. Yesterday afternoon, Bexar County district judge Martha Tanner said that she'd begin day 2 of the temporary injunction hearing at 9:30 am, CST. If you're just joining us, the Church of Scientology ... More >>

Scientology's Secret Vaults: A Rare Interview With a Former Member of Hush-Hush "CST"

Over the years, we've talked to a lot of former Scientologists, many of whom worked at the church's secretive desert headquarters in Southern California, "Int Base." They were cut off from their families and the outside world, and became accustomed to living in secrecy. But even these people adopt ... More >>

Debbie Cook's Motion Denied: Scientology's Restraining Order Remains in Place Until Thursday Hearing

As we reported yesterday, Debbie Cook, who is being sued by the Church of Scientology for speaking out to her fellow church members in a New Year's Eve e-mail, filed a motion to dissolve a temporary restraining order so broad, it prevented her from hiring an attorney (she hired one anyway) or talkin ... More >>

Scientology Cartoon Tops Reddit: We Talk to its Creator, Abbey Neslen, 18

A "rage comic" created by an 18-year-old college sophomore in Bozeman, Montana has grabbed the attention of Reddit users tonight. At more than 100,000 views, the cartoon, titled "What the Church of Scientology did to my family" is a quick success, and has generated more than 900 comments at this po ... More >>

The 5 Worst Things Judges Have Said About Scientology

How many times do judges have to say this stuff?​Monday evening, we learned that Debbie Cook, who dared to question the health of her religion, is being sued by the Church of Scientology. That night, Joe Childs and Tom Tobin of the Tampa Bay Times broke news of the lawsuit, which alleges that ... More >>

Scientology Sunday Funnies: May the Force Be With You! (UPDATED)

Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>

Scientology: L. Ron Hubbard Still Surfing the Galaxy

Twenty-six years ago today, L. Ron Hubbard decided to leave his body after using it for 74 years. A young David Miscavige, a Sea Org member who behind the scenes had been clearing the way to become Hubbard's successor as leader of the Scientology movement, announced Hubbard's death to his followers ... More >>

Scientology Network TV Ads: More Precious Reactions!

Scientology's aggressive network TV ad campaign continued last night with another 2-minute commercial that aired on Fox's American Idol right after the New York Giants defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC championship and earn a spot in the Super Bowl. Poughkeepsie's Michael Farrell was ... More >>

Scientology Sunday Funnies: The "Thrill" of Fundraising!

​Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other ... More >>

Did You See a Scientology Ad This Weekend?

Update: After the jump, we'll show you the church e-mail that confirms just about everything we were told by Jefferson Hawkins about this sudden ad campaign. The Church of Scientology bought network TV ad time in a big way this weekend. On Saturday, we started noticing Twitter users complaining tha ... More >>

Scientology's "Super Power Rundown:" What is it, Anyway?

Prepare to unleash your super self! Secrets ahead!​On Monday and Tuesday, we released previously unseen renderings and architectural drawings of what Scientology's $100 million "Flag Mecca" -- also known as the "Super Power Building" -- is going to look like when it finally opens. (The buildin ... More >>

Scientology Sunday Funnies: Happiness Coming to a Library Near You!

Scientology doesn't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>

Is Scientology Imploding? Watching the Panic After a Former Executive Dares to Question Church Management

UPDATE: We look back at Debbie Cook's career, from enforcer to whistleblower. The world of Scientology watching is still reeling after Debbie Cook's New Year's Eve e-mail landed in the inboxes of thousands of church members Saturday night. A few minutes after midnight, we began receiving copies of ... More >>

Scientology Shoop of the Year -- The Vote Is In!

We're continuing our year-end celebrations here at the (newly refurbished and upgraded) underground bunker. Today, we have the voting results for best Photoshopped image as chosen by you, our fellow Scientology watchers. The talented Photoshoppers over at WhyWeProtest.net constantly turn out clever ... More >>

Scientology Kids: Fully Indoctrinated by 18

​On Sunday, we published a disturbing new document which was produced by Scientology recruiters in Australia. It purports to be the testimony of an 18-year-old named Denny Chang, who extols the virtues of Scientology's most hardcore contingent, the Sea Org, and urges other young church members ... More >>

Scientology Sunday Funnies: In the Sea Org at 18 and on Top of the World!

​Scientology doesn't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other ... More >>

Martin Bashir Compares Newt Gingrich to Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, and more in our Thursday Stats Roundup!

It's that time of the week, when Scientology workers scramble to get their statistics turned in. And with the Thursday 2pm deadline looming, we like to do the same, rounding up the church's stats for the past week. First up, a little political humor... Yesterday, Martin Bashir did a bit of editor ... More >>

Jason Lee, Twitter Newbie, Goes After Dude with 6 Followers For Asking About Scientology

​ A day after joining Twitter, actor Jason Lee didn't take kindly to a fan, Sean Coleman, griping about his being a member of the Church of Scientology. So Jason took a swipe at Coleman, who has all of 6 followers.

Scientology Sinking Like a Cruise Ship: Time for Thursday Stats!

Each Thursday at 2 pm, Scientology workers madly dash to finish up their work before turning in their weekly statistics. We like to do the same thing here at the Voice, and on Thursday afternoons add up the wins and losses for the church around the world. We took last week off in order to highli ... More >>

Scientology Celebrities Who Partied on the Freewinds While Valeska Paris Was Held on the Ship Against Her Will

We've been reporting all week on the stunning story of Valeska Paris, the Swiss-born woman who now lives in Australia and who says that from 1996 to 2007, beginning when she was only 18 years old, she was held on Scientology's private cruise ship, the Freewinds, as a virtual prisoner. Valeska alleg ... More >>

Chill EB and Me: Rappin' About Scientology

Last night, rapper Chill EB showed up in the comments to the story we had written about his interesting career as a 1990s Bay Area up-and-comer who today is Scientology's in-house hip hop act. What ensued was several hours of interaction, as the rapper dangled the possibility of an interview with t ... More >>

More Scientology Hip Hop, Yo: The Curious Career of Chill EB

Thursday night, we were quick to jump on the leak of a video that was only meant for internal Scientology consumption. It featured pallid European Scientologists breakdancing and pantomiming to a hip hop track that extolled the virtues of the International Association Scientologists -- the IAS. Wit ... More >>

Scientology in Israel: Arson, Attempted Murder, Foreclosure, General Paranoia -- And a Visit by the Voice!

Scientology's unopened building in Jaffa​Here at the Voice we've reported this year on some pretty hard to believe worldwide developments in the ongoing Scientology saga -- from allegations of lying about child molestation in Australia, to splitting up families in California, to a months long ... More >>

Scientology's Sales Pitch: "Pure and Simple Blackmail"

Today sees another explosive installment in Tom Tobin and Joe Child's latest investigative project examining Scientology at the St. Petersburg Times. The previous day, the SP Times duo had introduced us to Hy Levy, a fomerly successful "registrar" who brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars t ... More >>

Scientology Thursday Stats: This Week's Roundup!

Heldal-Lund takes on an Idol​Every Thursday afternoon, Scientology's "orgs" -- its churches, as it were -- scramble to report their weekly stats to show how much progress they've made over the week before. And woe to those whose numbers are sagging! We do something similar here at Runnin' Sca ... More >>

Michael Sandlofer, 1st Husband to X Factor's Stacy Francis, on Her Past, Her Scientology, and Her Problems With The Truth

X Factor's Stacy Francis​"I have to defend what I know. And I know how serious domestic violence is, and I'm not with that. To be potentially accused of that is gross." An exclusive here at the Voice this morning. We have the first interview with Michael Sandlofer, the first husband of X Fact ... More >>

Tom Cruise and Stacy Francis Singing Together on Scientology's Ship Freewinds

If you've been following along with the drama around X Factor contestant Stacy Francis, you know that her entire past has come under inspection as her fans and detractors have attempted to sift truth from legend. In particular, we have noted that Francis has been quiet about her long membership in ... More >>

Scientology Wins Some, Loses Some in our Thursday Stats Roundup!

Scientology Investigation of South Park the Last Straw for Katie Holmes: Aussie Magazine Report

​An Australian gossip magazine is reporting something about Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise which is probably about as reliable as most of the stuff written about Tom and Katie by similar tabloids here in the U.S. So why would we care what a supermarket tab from the other side of the world is say ... More >>

Mark Chauppetta, Private Eye Who Worked for Scientology at the time of the South Park Investigation: "I'm a Fucking Mercenary"

Mark Chauppetta, comparing notes with a certain presidential candidate​Just got off the phone with Mark Chauppetta, a private investigator who has done work for the Church of Scientology, sifting through the trash of the church's perceived enemies. Chauppetta worked for Scientology for severa ... More >>

Lloyd Kaufman on Scientology and South Park: Eric Sherman Did Ask Me about Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Kaufman​Just got off the phone with Troma Studios founder Lloyd Kaufman, who says he's been getting a lot of calls since we reported this weekend that he is mentioned in Scientology documents which detail a retaliatory investigation of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In 2005, ... More >>

Scientology Responds in Typical Fashion to South Park Investigation Documents

Karin Pouw loves the word "apostate"​As we've been reporting the last couple of days, a man who was once the second-highest ranking executive in Scientology, Marty Rathbun, has made public several documents showing that in 2006, the church attempted to dig up dirt on South Park creators Trey P ... More >>

Scientology's South Park Investigation: Orders to Send in a Young Mole

South Park deeply embarrassed Scientology with its 2005 episode, "Trapped in the Closet."​Yesterday, we reported that former Scientology executive Marty Rathbun had revealed at his blog that in 2006, Scientology's Office of Special Affairs -- the church's intelligence and covert operations win ... More >>

Scientology Targeted South Park's Parker and Stone in Investigation

Stone (left) and Parker​Another interesting revelation at Marty Rathbun's blog this morning: Rathbun released what he said was an internal Scientology document which suggests that the church targeted Trey Parker and Matt Stone for a classic OSA investigation in retaliation for the infamous Sou ... More >>

Scientology Petition Meets Its Goal: Will Obama Wiggle Out of It? (UPDATED)

Looking for a loophole?​Just three days ago, we pointed out that a White House petition regarding Scientology had a long way to go to meet its Monday deadline of 5,000 signatures. But a big surge in signatures pushed the petition past 5,000 last night. And now, the Obama administration will ... More >>

Jesse Prince Back From the Brink; Scientology Petition Takes Off: It's The Thursday Stats Roundup!

Jesse is back!​There's been a lot of disturbing news for Scientology watchers to sift through lately -- what with mothers separated from their sons, and a woman stalked because she's trying to design a better ice-maker, it's been a weird and depressing week. But last night, we were stunned by ... More >>

Scientology Mailbag: We Hear it from Church Members

I can feel the Niacin working -- I can fly! I can fly!​We have several really interesting stories working this week, but we thought we'd start things off with something a little different. Since we started moving to nearly daily coverage of Scientology back in April, the tips coming in here t ... More >>

Scientology Hates Clean Ice, Part 2: Another Target, and the Web as Weapon

Checked your cubes for bacteria lately?​On Wednesday, we told you about a Scientology "Fair Game" operation that seems beyond the pale: the church, known for its vindictive treatment of perceived enemies, is accused of harassing a business to keep it from bringing to market a potentially life- ... More >>

Scientology Hates Clean Ice: The "Fair Game" Operation That Should Turn Your Stomach

Xenu hates sterile cubes, for some reason​One of the first things people ask me when they hear that I cover Scientology on a regular basis is whether I've been targeted for harassment by the church. Despite some evidence that the church does intend to "handle" me, I've been left alone for th ... More >>

Scientology High School, Dating, and Super Powers! A Post-Countdown Roundup

We're struggling with a little post-countdown hangover here in the underground bunker, but time marches on, and we can't let down on our Scientology-watching duties. For the second week in a row, then, we're doing a roundup of items in time for Thursday 2pm Stats -- is the church upstat or downstat ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 2: David Miscavige

On August 5, we started a countdown that will give credit -- or blame -- to the people who have contributed most to the sad current state of Scientology. From its greatest expansion in the 1980s, the church is a shell of what it once was and is mired in countless controversies around the world. Some ... More >>

Ex-Scientology Official Scrambles As His Blog Gets Hacked

Marty Rathbun (left) and actor Jason Beghe​Our old pal, Mark Bunker (a/k/a Wise Beard Man) sends along this holiday breaking news... Marty Rathbun's blog has been hacked and hijacked, and with Wordpress folks unavailable for a week or so, the former high-level Scientologist is relying on a ba ... More >>