GILLIGAN!
Posted on 09/25/2007 6:07:11 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
CLEARWATER, Fla. (Sept. 25) - Sure, says Mayor Frank Hibbard. It can be a little unsettling sometimes - throngs of Scientologists wandering Clearwater's streets in their blue or khaki trousers and crisp dress shirts.
Sometimes, it makes the neighbors a bit uneasy.
"When you come to downtown, no one likes being a minority," Hibbard says.
But mostly, folks in this picturesque Gulf Coast city have come to accept that Clearwater is to Scientologists what Salt Lake City is to Mormons, what Mecca is to Muslims. Though not everybody is happy about it.
"I think there's been a slow shift from a very strong adversarial relationship to a tolerance," says Ron Stuart, who clashed with church officials as an editor of the now-defunct Clearwater Sun in the '70s.
"There's still a lot of people in the city who don't trust them and wish they weren't there," says Stuart, who now works for the county court system. "But you can't deny that they contribute, particularly to the economy. Without them, there probably wouldn't be a downtown."
It's all unfolded over more than 30 years, since 1975, when L. Ron Hubbard came ashore.
The science fiction writer and his associates, who for years operated from aboard a yacht at sea, secretly bought a historic hotel in a dying downtown with a vision of making Clearwater a spiritual home for his Church of Scientology.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.aol.com ...
Mayor Hibbard is so deep in the pockets of Scientology that it borders on criminal. Even the Clearwater Police Department is beholden to the church, because they are employed when off-duty as security quite often. Who do you side with when faced with duty versus the guy signing the paycheck that will buy you that nice new 23-foot fishing boat? Clearwater is a lost cause - I know, I live there, but I expect a lawsuit against the church to one day deliver a crippling blow to it.
GILLIGAN!
Crazy is contagious
Watch out domenad. These guys play dirty!
Interesting article.
I’ve seen downtown Clearwater before and after the Scientologists moved in. There is a distinct change. The downtown looks cleaner and more well-kept - although there is an almost paramilitary aura with all of the Scientologists walking around wearing the same clothes.
My brother used to live in Clearwater and he had some business dealings with Scientologists. He said that, for the most part, they were very organized, efficient and ethical in their business dealings.
“Inside Scientology”
Published in Rolling Stone, here is one of the best investigative articles on Scientology:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology
lol
If Cruise, Travolta and other big monied celebs weren’t so deep into this cult, the media would be treating them like the kooks they are. These people make David Koresh look sane.
Welcome aboard mately!!!
Given the various trajectories cities can take, having the Scientologists around might not be a bad thing, given the Crips/Bloods types aren’t likely to be around....
Mohammed = Xenu?
Didn't he already say this a few years ago? Even the city government are a bunch of robots.
The Aliens have landed.
‘If Cruise, Travolta and other big monied celebs weren’t so deep into this cult, the media would be treating them like the kooks they are. These people make David Koresh look sane.’
Yep. Heavens Gate with money.
***Suspicion grew in the late ‘70s when Hubbard’s wife and 10 other top church officials were convicted in Washington in a plot to steal federal government documents. ***
HMMMM...
Greta Van Sustren likes it....(eyes rolling)
As usual, the politicians are willing to be bought.
Heaven’s Gate was never able to buy out cities, counties, politicians, lawyers and bar associations and huge masses of land the way the Hubbardians do.
This is the most powerful satanic cult America has ever seen. And they get bigger with every passing day.
They are really weird. It’s hard to put your finger on them. They have a hyper-aggressive belief in this “system”. I would liken it to Amway or the like.
Whereas Christians focus on the next life, they really focus on the next 10 minutes. We had to practically throw them out of town after the VT shooting. The zeal was understandable but it was poorly timed. They see sad people and they want to “fix” them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.