Scientology Raided, Smacked Down in Court, and Accused of Killing Trees — a Thursday Roundup

Yes, the video we’re embedding here is in Russian, (Update: there are now English subtitles, press the “cc” button) but the action is understandable enough: Moscow law enforcement raiding the Church of Scientology there, and getting rather medieval on its locked doors.

We made a rare foray out of the underground bunker this week, and what a strange trip it’s been. On a school visit, we created controversy just by our very presence, and it doesn’t even have to do with our Scientology watching! A note about that later. For now, we hear the cats are OK back at the bunker, so we’re going to try to keep to our regular schedule with our weekly Thursday 2pm Stats report, in which we decide whether it’s been an upstat or downstat week for the church.

First, to Moscow, where things seem to be getting rather hardcore for Scientology’s continued existence.

We had reported earlier that a Moscow court had judged L. Ron Hubbard’s writings to be extremist literature. And now, apparently, officials there are taking the next step.

Have to say, these pictures are pretty startling. A news story from a Russian website sheds no light on the matter, saying the nature of the investigation really is unknown.

Any help from readers on the words being spoken in the video would be of great help (and I know some of our loyal commenters are familiar with the language, so please chime in).

Thursday’s Stats: Upstat or Downstat? I know this looks very bad for Scientology, but I warned when news first reached us about the Russian court judgment that banning Hubbard’s books had serious backlash potential. Hubbard’s books are extremely dumb, and will lower your IQ by significant amounts just trying to get through them, but extremist? There are plenty of reasons for the government to be concerned about the practices and abuses of Scientology. But its books? Harmless nonsense. This could end up a big upstat for the church in the long run.

Story #2: Expansion plans smacked down

Despite its dwindling numbers, Scientology can’t seem to cure its real estate fever.

In Sandy Springs, Georgia, however, that urge to expand has been put in check. A judge there denied Scientology’s request to add an extra floor to its church there.

Scientology, naturally, is crying about its freedom of religion being violated, but at least somewhere — in a suburb of Atlanta, at least — some government officials aren’t bending over for an organization that never saw a local rule it didn’t intend to break.

Thursday’s Stats: Upstat or Downstat? This seems a pretty clear downstat situation for the church. Stories about them fighting the city to expand a building will only get the locals reading into what Scientology is all about, and that never ends well.

Story #3: OSA hates trees?

Over at Marty Rathbun’s blog, former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder told a fascinating tale this week claiming that his boss, a man named Robert Almblad, has been getting the usual OSA harassment treatment. even though he’s never been in Scientology or said a word about the church (Oops. Didn’t read Rinder’s piece carefully enough, I guess. Almblad was in Scientology. But he’s clearly being targeted because he employs Rinder. I’ll have more on this story when I get back to town.)

Almblad is being targeted, it seems, merely because he employs a man, Rinder, who is a huge threat to Scientology.

I’m hoping to talk to Almblad directly about this after I return home, but in the meantime, I have to say my favorite part of Rinder’s story was his assertion that when OSA goons wanted to keep an eye on Almblad’s office but found that there were some mature oak trees blocking the view from their perch, the trees mysteriously were chainsawed in the middle of the night.

Now that’s low.

Thursday’s Stats: Upstat or Downstat? OSA thuggery is always a major downstat for the church when it’s made public. I mean, why is a church involved in this kind of skullduggery, even if it doesn’t like a former member speaking out? And especially when someone, like Almblad, has no connection to Scientology whatsoever?

Overall, a down week for the church, I’d say. And an odd one for your narrator. I came to Southern California for a visit at my alma mater, Cal State Fullerton, where I’ve been visiting classes and talking about the state of journalism in this economic morass. Tonight, there will be a social event held by the alumni association, and they’ve been good enough to name me the host. (I won’t even be speaking; I’m just there to mingle with folks and maybe give a sentence or two publicly in thanks.) We learned earlier in the week, however, that an activist group is using the opportunity to put on a protest — and no, it appears to have nothing to do with our Scientology watching. One of the groups that doesn’t like the adult ads you find in the Voice is calling me a pimp. Well, I’ve been called worse. We hear CNN may even be sending over a crew, but it’s hard to imagine that my having a few drinks with fellow alumni really rises to the level of national news. I’ll let you know what happens!

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology
#1: L. Ron Hubbard
#2: David Miscavige
#3: Marty Rathbun
#4: Tom Cruise
#5: Joe Childs and Tom Tobin
#6: Anonymous
#7: Mark Bunker
#8: Mike Rinder
#9: Jason Beghe
#10: Lisa McPherson
#11: Nick Xenophon (and other public servants)
#12: Tommy Davis (and other hapless church executives)
#13: Janet Reitman (and other journalists)
#14: Tory Christman (and other noisy ex-Scientologists)
#15: Andreas Heldal-Lund (and other old time church critics)
#16: Marc and Claire Headley, escapees of the church’s HQ
#17: Jefferson Hawkins, the man behind the TV volcano
#18: Amy Scobee, former Sea Org executive
#19: The Squirrel Busters (and the church’s other thugs and goons)
#20: Trey Parker and Matt Stone (and other media figures)
#21: Kendrick Moxon, attorney for the church
#22: Jamie DeWolf (and other L. Ron Hubbard family members)
#23: Ken Dandar (and other attorneys who litigate against the church)
#24: David Touretzky (and other academics)
#25: Xenu, galactic overlord