Subject:

Religion

  • Blogs

    March 9, 2012

    Scientology on the High Seas: A Bunch of Dope Smokers, Say the Greeks!

    In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from late 1968 through 1971, a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 9, 2012

    Scientology: Told to Chill in Texas, and Another Embarrassing Admission in Israel

    After a flurry of court filings in the Church of Scientology's lawsuit against former church executive Debbie Cook, there was a showdown of sorts this morning at the Bexar County, Texas courthouse. Leading up to the hearing, Scientology's attorneys had been pushing for a fast resolution to the case ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 8, 2012

    Scientology Nation of Islam Charter School to be Exorcised from the Earth Forever and Ever

    What we've learned from years of reporting on Scientology is that if you don't watch carefully, it will get its tentacles into your school district or worm its way into your local city council chambers or somehow use one of its "secular" front groups to fool some other group of chuckleheads who don' ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 7, 2012

    Scientology: Dear Judge, Protect Us from Rathbun and Rinder!

    Yesterday, we reported that Debbie Cook had gone on the offensive in the lawsuit filed against her by the Church of Scientology. The church had earlier filed a motion for summary judgment, asking the Bexar County, Texas court to award it an early win in the case; Cook answered back that she wants t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 6, 2012

    Scientology, Deposed? Debbie Cook Goes on the Offensive

    On Friday, the Church of Scientology did as promised and filed a motion for summary judgment in its lawsuit against former executive Debbie Cook. The church is asking the Bexar County, Texas district court to see this lawsuit as a simple contract dispute, and one the church deserves to win without g ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 4, 2012

    Scientology Sunday Funnies: Use Kids to Solicit Donations? Why Not!

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    March 3, 2012

    Scientology Counterattack: Commenters of the Week!

    There's been so much enturbulation in the underground bunker lately, it's been hell on the cats, who just want to catch up on their sleep. So we installed one of those kitty hi-rises this week and it was an instant hit. The little carnivores are remaining more calm in their tiny carpeted condos whil ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 2, 2012

    Scientology on the High Seas: Three Major Enemies Scalped!

    In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from late 1968 through 1971, a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 1, 2012

    Nightline's Scientology "Exclusive": What was Exclusive About It, Exactly?

    I had a strange and powerful case of déjà vu last night while watching Nightline's interview with Debbie Cook as she talked about being held in "the Hole" at Scientology's international base in California, where executives who fall out of favor with church leader David Miscavige are sent to rot in ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 1, 2012

    When Scientologists Talk To Each Other About Scientology

    I felt precious IQ draining away as I watched this video a few times, and I may not actually be doing our readers a service by subjecting them to it. But sometimes, it's important to counter Scientology's preferred public image -- as a somewhat vague and possibly glamorous undertaking that appeals ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 29, 2012

    DEBBIE COOK COUNTERSUES SCIENTOLOGY: We Have Her Counterclaim, and the Church's Legal Salvos

    The Voice has learned that Debbie Cook filed a counterclaim against the Church of Scientology Monday afternoon, the first significant development since her stunning victory against the church in a Texas courtroom on February 10. In her counterclaim, Cook is aiming directly at Scientology's ultimate ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 28, 2012

    How Scientology Drives Your Local Librarian Nuts

    We've been hearing pretty regularly from librarians near and far who have had it with the aggressive tactics of Scientology. You see, as we learned Sunday with a story about "study tech," Scientology is like an octopus that wants to get its tentacles into as many places as possible through front gr ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 27, 2012

    Scientology's Secret Behind "Ideal Orgs" Revealed At Last

    David Miscavige opened yet another "Ideal Org" this weekend, showing up to cut the ribbon at the new Church of Scientology in Florence, Kentucky (servicing the Cincinnati area). As you can see in the photo to the right, Miscavige showed up long enough to open the new building Saturday, which is jus ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 26, 2012

    Scientology Sunday Funnies: The "Dwindling Spiral"?

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 26, 2012

    Scientology and Nation of Islam Exposed in Florida School Takeover; In Israel, Miscavige Shown to be a Liar by Own Attorneys

    The Tampa Bay Times has done it again with another explosive report on the Church of Scientology. Drew Harwell's thorough report shows an alarming partnership between Scientology and the Nation of Islam that has drained dry a troubled charter school in Dunedin, Florida. We also have a startling rep ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 25, 2012

    Scientology Thaumaturgy: Commenters of the Week!

    This was some spooky week here in the underground bunker where we keep an eye on all things Scientology related. Some downright eerie things showed up in our stories this week: Surfers who can see the future. Beings living in clouds. Egyptian gods showing up in some lady's kitchen. And The Great Bea ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 24, 2012

    Scientology on the High Seas: Hubbard Welcomes the New Meat!

    In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from late 1968 through 1971, and this time we'r ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 22, 2012

    More Scientology Miracles! And L. Ron Hubbard Tells You How to Make a Slave

    Fellow Scientology watchers, we're working on several big stories for you. In fact, we went out of town this weekend on a fact-finding mission, and we are planning to tell you about that soon. But for now, those stories aren't quite ready. In the meantime, we were so happy to see how popular was Mo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 22, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 21, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 20, 2012

    Scientology's OT Powers! A Hubbard Holiday Miracle

    Scientology watchers, we have a special treat for you this holiday Monday. Recently, one of our readers who is a longtime former Scientologist mailed us a treasure trove: Copies of early Advance! magazines, a complete run from issue 11 in 1971 to issue 56 in 1979. (That's L. Ron Hubbard's photo of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 19, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 18, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 17, 2012

    Scientology on the High Seas: LRH on the "Wogworld!"

    In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from late 1968 through 1971, and this time we'r ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 17, 2012

    Debbie Cook: "I Have Seen L Ron Hubbard's Technology Create Many Miracles"

    Scientology took on Debbie Cook, Debbie Cook kicked Scientology's ass, and now...Scientology wins? This afternoon, former Church of Scientology executive Debbie Cook posted a public thank you to her supporters at the blog of Marty Rathbun, who is also a former high-ranking church official. She des ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 16, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 15, 2012

    SCIENTOLOGY'S DISGRACE: AN OPEN LETTER TO TOM CRUISE

    Dear Tom, It's time for you to start talking publicly about Scientology again. Your religion is in serious trouble. In 2005, you ended a longtime policy of not talking about the church by suddenly bringing it up in interviews. Most memorable, of course, was the way you challenged Matt Lauer, tell ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 13, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 12, 2012

    Scientology Sunday Funnies: Fresh Meat in the Windy City!

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 12, 2012

    Archbishop Dolan In Rome To Be Made Cardinal

    New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan has arrived in Rome, NY1 reported, after leaving from JFK International Airport last night. The flight was the first set in Dolan's journey to be elevated to cardinal. The New York Daily News caught Dolan as he was leaving his St. Patrick's residence yesterday eveni ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 11, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 11, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 10, 2012

    Scientology on the High Seas: "You Chilluns Will Get Shoes"

    NOTE: This is our regularly-scheduled Friday morning feature about L. Ron Hubbard aboard the Apollo. Our second day of reporting from the Debbie Cook hearing begins soon. Please check back for that coverage. In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of c ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 10, 2012

    Scientology Waves the White Flag in Texas: The Debbie Cook Interview

    ​I'm sitting in a remarkable conference happening right now with Debbie Cook, her husband Wayne Baumgarten (pictured above), their attorney, Ray Jeffrey, and several other journalists. It's just a few hours after the Church of Scientology surprisingly waved the white flag and dropped its atte ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 9, 2012

    Scientology, Deep in the Heart of Texas: The Voice at the Debbie Cook Hearing

    Update: For a wrap-up of today's hearing and some analysis of the day's performances, we now have this new piece. Today, former Scientology executive Debbie Cook will try to convince a Bexar County, Texas district judge to lift the strict terms of a temporary injunction as she defends herself again ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 9, 2012

    Scientology vs Debbie Cook, Day 1: Our Totally Unscientific Handicapping

    ​What an amazing time we had reporting from the Bexar County Courthouse today as Debbie Cook testified in the lawsuit filed against her by her former employer, the Church of Scientology. We got back to our hotel room and saw for the first time the amazing comments left by our loyal readers. ( ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 8, 2012

    Scientology's Gag Reflex: The Church's History of Enforcing a Vow of Silence

    Tomorrow, one of the most remarkable legal hearings in the litigious history of Scientology should unfold in a Texas courtroom. Two weeks after filing suit against Debbie Cook, the former executive who for 17 years ran its spiritual mecca in Florida, Scientology will be seeking to turn a 14-day res ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 7, 2012

    Scientology Headaches: Another Felony Count for Exec; Anonymous Anniversary Saturday

    There's so much happening in the world of Scientology watching right now, we can hardly keep up with it all. Most of our attention is being taken up with the Debbie Cook lawsuit and its big hearing on Thursday -- we're going to have more on that tomorrow morning. But for now, more big developments h ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 6, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 5, 2012

    Scientology Sunday Funnies: The Denver Miracle!

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 4, 2012

    Scientology Jurisprudence: Commenters of the Week!

    The underground bunker might need some new paneling after the way we were bouncing off the walls this week. I mean seriously, how are we going to keep up with all of this Scientology news? It's like this is turning into a real job or something. We started off the week with our regular feature, Sund ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 4, 2012

    Scientology Wants It Both Ways: The Church's Opposite Legal Strategies In Florida and Texas

    Back in November, the St. Petersburg Times uncorked its best expose of the Church of Scientology yet -- "The Money Machine," a look at Scientology's incredible appetite for fundraising among its members. Just three months later, two court cases are putting an exclamation point on that investigative ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2012

    Scientology on the High Seas: Squirrel Cookery!

    ​In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from late 1968 through 1971, and this ti ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 2, 2012

    Scientology in France: Still Guilty of Fraud

    Big news this morning out of a French appeals court, where a decision was handed down regarding Scientology's 2009 conviction for fraud. Scientology watchers around the world have been keeping an eye on the proceedings, which were wild and woolly: in November, Scientology's entire contingent of att ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 2, 2012

    Debbie Cook Files to Dissolve Scientology's Temporary Restraining Order: We Talk To Her Attorney, Ray Jeffrey

    Yesterday, Debbie Cook began her defense against Scientology's lawsuit which seeks $300,000 in damages because she dared to speak out to her fellow church members in an e-mail sent on New Year's Eve. Cook, through her newly hired San Antonio attorney, Ray B. Jeffrey, filed to dissolve the temporary ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 1, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    February 1, 2012

    Indiana Senate Votes to Teach Scientology in Schools

    UPDATE: We now have an interview with Vi Simpson, the woman who put Scientology (and other religions) into a Creationism bill in order to neutralize it. Yesterday, Indiana's state senate voted 28-22 to adopt yet another creationism-in-the-schools bill, which have been routinely found unconstitution ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 1, 2012

    Vi Simpson: The Woman Who Punked The Radical Republicans in the Indiana State Senate and Their Creationist Bill

    After interviewing Vi Simpson, the Indiana State Senate Minority Leader, I'm wondering why the hell I haven't already seen this woman on national television or in the mainstream press. I hope you see what I mean after you hear what she had to say about the way she crippled the latest Creationism-in ... More >>

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