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Six years ago, when I was a reporter at New Times LA, I’d written several stories about Scientology (Los Angeles is one of its headquarters), and I was about to uncork the longest one yet—a 7,000 word piece about an embarrassing, $8 million defeat Scientology had just suffered, when the weekly paper suddenly folded. That unpublished story has been sitting in storage ever since. Fast forward to 2008, and the world of reporting on Scientology has changed radically, thanks in part to the lunacy of Tom Cruise, but also in part to a worldwide, leaderless movement that calls itself Anonymous....

“Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don’t give it any value.” Investigator for the Canadian Human Rights Commission Scientology, the new age "religion" founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, has a new opponent, scores of anonymous protesters across the web who have aptly named themselves, Anonymous. Anonymous, with its legions of cyber-warriors, has been busy exposing Scientology's murky past and the inner workings of the "Church", and its practice of "fair gaming". Damian DeWitt, a member of Anonymous, makes some great points about the "prosecution" of Free Speech by Canada's largest oxymoron, the Human...

A scrappy Web site that's built a reputation for taking on Goliath-sized corporate and government corruption is now fighting a holy war over copyright infringement. Wikileaks.org — a watchdog Web site that leaks corporate and government documents — hasn't officially launched, yet it has already uncovered human-rights violations in China, claimed to have swayed Kenya's Dec. 2007 elections and exposed the inner workings of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. So many were surprised when it recently turned its sights on two lawyer-heavy religious groups: the Mormons and the Scientologists. The Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City

A scrappy Web site that's built a reputation for taking on Goliath-sized corporate and government corruption is now fighting a holy war over copyright infringement.Wikileaks — a watchdog Web site that leaks corporate and government documents — hasn't officially launched, yet it has already uncovered human rights violations in China, claimed to have swayed Kenya's elections and exposed the inner workings of Guantanamo Bay. So many were surprised when it recently turned its sights on two lawyer-heavy religious groups: the Mormons and the Scientologists. Founded in December 2006, Wikileaks boasts of an archive of 1.2 million released documents, sent in...

Tom Cruise and Dr. Drew are feuding over Drew's views on Scientology. Drew Pinsky asked in a Playboy interview why Cruise would be drawn to "a cultish kind of environment like Scientology." He said it's a symptom of "a very deep emptiness and suggests serious neglect in childhood" and "maybe some abuse." Cruise's lawyer shot back a response to what he called "this unqualified television performer." Bert Fields tells the New York Post that Pinsky is "so grotesquely unprofessional as to pretend to diagnose Tom and others without ever meeting them." He said: "The last time we heard garbage like...

Is it just me, or is Scientology all over the National Review campaign blog? campaignspot.nationalreview.com What are they thinking?

"Anonymous" While we go about our daily lives--surfing the web, using it to pay bills or catching up on the latest news and chatting with friends and family--little do we realize that just beneath the digital surface of the worldwide web a war is being waged: the first Cyber World War, between a modern-day David versus Goliath. Goliath is the Church of Scientology, a multi-billion dollar enterprise, who is being systematically unmasked by the group known as Anonymous, the modern day David. ALSO at DBKP.com: * 'Anonymous' Hackers Vow to Destroy Scientology * Anonymous Issues Warning Number III to...

DBKP is following up the story of the 15-yr-old youth who was issued a summons for carrying a sign that was deemed to be "insulting and abusive". The 15-yr-old faces a a fine and/or jail while his protest sign was confiscated. Just who was the youth "abusive and insulting" to and who needed the "protection" of the London coppers? The Church of Scientology The kid was at a peaceful protest against the Church of Scientology in London on May 10. The youth faces the Crown Prosecution Service. His crime: offending Scientology. His offensive and abusive statement: 'Scientology is not a...

You know the drill: The Church is a prison that shackles the hearts and minds of people who yearn for the freedom to think and act as they please. It is a stifling cell in which the best and the brightest are not allowed to be free due to the brutal restraints of dogma.The reality is that most anti-Catholics are terrified of the intellectual freedom of the faith and much prefer some small ideology, cramped superstition or cozy little circle of slogans and simplicities that can be easily memorized and repeated. I was reminded of this recently when the headlines...

Tom Cruise Giving the Scientology "Salute" If there's any doubt that the enforcement of political correctness in the U.K. is turning ordinary citizens into criminals, a 15-yr-old youth was issued a criminal summons after he had written on a sign that Scientology was a cult. Police confiscated his protest sign at a demonstration against the Church of Scientology at their headquarters in London and then issued him a criminal summons. According to the British newspaper the Guardian, the 15-yr-old had written on a sign: "Scientology is not a religion, it is a dangerous cult". The police called it "abusive and...

At the bottom of the webpage of the Swedish branch of the Citizen's Commission for Human Rights, located at http://www.kmr.nu/ , there is featured quote and photo from everyone's favorite lying weasel filmmaker, Michael Moore. "... I'll tell you, they would had me so doped up, you guys.. never even would have heard of me." The Citizen's Commission for Human Rights is a well-known front group for the Church of Scientology, which aims to replace the practice of psychiatry worldwide with it's own wacky form of mind control.

Ruggedly handsome actor Jason Beghe was best man at the wedding of "X-Files" star David Duchovny (his childhood pal) and actress Tea Leoni. In 1998, he starred as Demi Moore’s love interest in "G.I. Jane." He’s been featured in numerous TV dramas such as "Criminal Minds," "Numb3rs" and "CSI." In 2005, Beghe appeared in promotional spots for the Church of Scientology. But now, Beghe has escaped the church after taking courses since 1994. He’s made a video that’s up on YouTube. This is what he has to say: "Scientology is destructive and a rip-off." He also says: "It’s very, very...

04/09/2008 01:57 AM ID: 69863 Wikileaks Leaks Scientology Secrets Wikileaks has "leaked" some of Scientology's top secret bibles and is not backing down from threats coming from lawyers. Instead of taking down the documents, they instead told the world that it has been verified. Some of the drills L Ron Hubbard says will reach OT1 is: 2) Note several large and small female bodies until you have a cognition. Note it down. 3) Note several large and several small male bodies until you have a cognition. Note it down. Scientology attorneys are claiming that the works are copyrighted while Wikileaks...

The raid on a polygamist compound in Texas could signal the beginning of the end of a lifestyle that has flown under the radar in America, according to an expert on cults. The Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints, which operates the compound near Eldorado, Texas, along with other communities around the country -- including Colorado City, Ariz. -- fits the classic criteria of a cult, according to Rick Ross. He says there are about 50,000 polygamists living in North America and Mexico. ``The level of harm done by polygamist groups is horrific, and, in particular, this group (FLDS) has a...

Ever wonder what celebs follow the teachings of Scientology created by L. Ron Hubbard? Well wonder no more. Here are 67 celebrities(minor and major) associated with Scientology and written below their picture is how they are best known.

It seems Scientology is not all that bright, as if we didn't already know that. Having set up a web site called Anonymous Exposed. You would think they would take extreme measures to ensure its security. After all, Anonymous was formed by a group of skilled computer hackers. But it seems Anonymous has had the last laugh. I'm fairly certain THAT is not the video the CoS wants us to be seeing on that page,

THE Church of Scientology is striking back at a group that's been harassing it. The wacky religion - which claims Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Juliette Lewis and Leah Remini as members - has been the target of a group calling itself "Anonymous," whose members take credit for bombarding Scientology churches across the country with prank calls, bomb threats and cyber attacks since January. But now the church has counterattacked by posting YouTube videos under the title, "Anonymous Facts," detailing the death threats from Anonymous and identifying its members, who are labeled "terrorists" although they look more like frat...

DAKAR, Senegal - The Muslim world has created a battle plan to defend its religion from political cartoonists and bigots. Concerned about what they see as a rise in the defamation of Islam, leaders of the world's Muslim nations are considering taking legal action against those that slight their religion or its sacred symbols. It was a key issue during a two-day summit that ended Friday in this western Africa capital. The Muslim leaders are attempting to demand redress from nations like Denmark, which allowed the publication of cartoons portraying the Prophet Muhammad in 2006 and again last month, to...

By the time Bill (not his real name) left the Church of Scientology a few years ago, he had amassed quite a collection of Scientology material—mostly books, tapes, e-meters. But ex-members of Scientology (especially staff members) find themselves in a difficult spot in this regard when they leave Scientology: their books, tapes, and e-meters are only valued by Scientologists, who, quite inconveniently, are strongly discouraged (read: disallowed) from communicating with ex-members—as any ex-Scientologist will tell you. Not surprisingly, he turned to eBay, where a Scientologist buyer can remain blissfully unaware that his seller is a declared suppressive person. But every...

He seemed to abandon the fight in the last year.CLEARWATER - Shawn Lonsdale, whose one-man crusade against Scientology made him a public enemy of the church, was found dead at his home over the weekend in an apparent suicide. He was 39. Police discovered Lonsdale's body at 12:20 p.m. Saturday after neighbors reported a foul odor. They found a garden hose stretched from the exhaust pipe of Lonsdale's car into a window of his home at 510 N Lincoln Ave., according to Clearwater police spokeswoman Elizabeth Daly-Watts. Daly-Watts said there were no signs of foul play, and police found...

One side of East Carson Street had members of a "violent cult." The other side had "cyber-terrorists, communists and religious bigots." At least, that's how the opposing groups saw each other. Despite frigid weather, 40 to 50 people -- many concealing their identities with plastic masks, wigs and sunglasses -- gathered in the South Side across from the Church of Scientology's small Pittsburgh office yesterday afternoon, just as similar protests against the controversial religious movement were taking place in cities across the globe. The protesters had been inspired by "Anonymous," a murky group of computer experts who accuse Scientologists of...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A group of 100 people lined an Orlando road over the weekend, claiming the Church of Scientology is a dangerous cult. The group of protestors waved signs along East Colonial Drive and said the church is responsible for crimes and even deaths, Local 6 reported. Saturday night, the Church of Scientology of Orlando issued a statement thanking the Orlando police for their support during the protest. The statement from Dr. Lee Sheldon of the Church of Scientology of Orlando said, "While we recognize the right to legal protest, when such protest escalates to spreading lies and...

Longtime Scientologist Nancy Cartwright, also known as the voice of Bart Simpson, last year gave the church $10 million to help spread the word of founder L. Ron Hubbard into other galaxies. It was all part of Scientology’s Global Salvage effort, which aims to “de-aberrate” Earth, meaning to rid mankind of psychology ills and other “aberrant” behavior. Surprisingly, Nancy, 50, forked over twice as much as the Scientology’s most prominent member, Tom Cruise, who only gave $5 million in an installment plan.Also, recent Scientology publications reveal that a host of A-list Scientologists were honored for their generosity at a black-tie...

Los Angeles (AP) -- Authorities Thursday were trying to determine who sent envelopes containing apparently harmless powder to Church of Scientology locations, prompting street closings and evacuations. Envelopes containing the mysterious white powder were mailed to at least 19 church addresses in Los Angeles and Orange counties, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. The letters began showing up Wednesday.

Nancy Cartwright, the voice behind Bart Simpson, has been awarded Scientology's Patron Laureate Award after she donated $10 million in 2007. Cartwright's gift -- almost two times her annual salary from "The Simpsons" -- puts her top of a list of celebrity benefactors. She gave even more than Tom Cruise who has donated $5 million in the last four years. Kirstie Alley gave $5 million last year. John Travolta and Kelly Preston gave $1 million, while Priscilla Presley was handed the Patron Award for a donation of $50,000. The prizes were handed out at a top-secret ceremony in Florida.

PARIS (AFP) - The author of a controversial new biography on celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise has found an unexpected new ally: the niece of Scientology's current leader, David Miscavige. In an open letter to a senior Scientology official that has been widely posted on the Internet, Jenna Miscavige Hill described how her own family was broken apart by the movement's policies. Hill's father is Ron Miscavige, the older brother of David Miscavige, the current leader of the Church of Scientology. "Hell, if Scientology can't keep his family together -- then why on earth should anyone believe the church helps brings...

"For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind--for the laughs--we shall expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form. We acknowledge you as a serious opponent, and we are prepared for a long, long campaign. You will not prevail forever against the angry masses of the body politic. Your methods, hypocrisy, and the artlessness of your organization have sounded its death knell."

Hacker Group Declares War On Scientology Group Upset Over Church's Handling Of Tom Cruise VideoPOSTED: 9:02 pm EST January 24, 2008 LOS ANGELES -- An anonymous group of hackers, fittingly known as "Anonymous," has declared war on the Church of Scientology, reported KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. In a video posted on YouTube on Monday, the group appears to be upset over the way the church tried to eliminate a video of Tom Cruise from the Internet. "We shall proceed to expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form," said the video's narrator....

It seems every celeb has acted scared s******s when asked about wacky Tom Cruise and Scientology -- that is, until Jerry O'Connell came along! Jerry's spoof on FunnyOrDie.com is hi-larious!

Where in the World is the Internet’s new Most Popular Video — the Tom Cruise Banned Video? FACTNet Found Them!!! In 2004 Cruise made a secret interview video just for Scientology cult members. This secret video was leaked to the Internet on January 15, 2008 on YouTube.com. This was the same day that the considerably less damaging Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography by Andrew Morton was released in bookstores all over the world.

Didn't get a chance to watch the terrifyingly creepy Tom Cruise video yesterday before Scientologists pulled it off YouTube? Well, we've managed to get our hands on a copy and now we'd like to invite you to watch in all its technicolor glory. Nevermind the orgs, nevermind the SPs and nevermind David Miscaviage, Defamer won't hesitate to put our ethics on ANYONE! Don't miss out, over one billion earth humans have been served. KSW and KFC forever (or something). This is must-see. Do not pass go without watching this video.

A celebrity biographer could be handed a $50m lawsuit by Tom Cruise over claims made about the US star in a new book. Andrew Morton faces a hefty penalty for claims the actor is second-in-command of the Church of Scientology and comments about the conception of his young daughter, Suri. Cruise is said to vehemently deny the claims and has enlisted lawyers to sue St Martin's Press, publishers of Tom Cruise: An Unauthorised Biography. The book will not be published in the UK but goes on sale in the US on January 15. Morton, a former Fleet Street journalist who...

Tom Cruise has become the de-facto second in command of the Church of Scientology, according to a new biography - which makes an extraordinary attack on the star by comparing his 20-month-old daughter Suri to the Devil's child in the film Rosemary's Baby. Andrew Morton's unauthorised biography claims Scientology has taken over the 45-year-old actor's life, with its officials selecting many of the staff at his Hollywood mansion. The biographer of Princess Diana alleges Cruise is consulted by Scientology leader David Miscavige on "every aspect of planning and policy" and is tailoring his career to fit the aims of Scientology....

BERLIN (Reuters) - German federal and state interior ministers declared the Church of Scientology unconstitutional on Friday, opening the door for a possible ban on the organization. Federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and 16 state interior chiefs agreed "that we do not consider Scientology an organization that is compatible with the constitution," Ehrhart Koerting, Berlin's interior minister and chairman of a ministers' conference in Berlin, told reporters. Germany does not recognize Scientology as a religion. seeing it as a cult masquerading as a church to make money. Scientologists reject this view.

German suspicion of Scientology resurfaced in Hamburg this week after a security official said he would seek a nationwide ban against the organization. He's arguing that Scientology is an "unconstitutional" big business. Germany and Scientology have never been the best of friends. German officials consider Scientology a business, not a religion, and tax the outfit accordingly. Scientology has responded by complaining about "religious discrimination." Yet Berlin has a Scientology center, and the famous Scientologist Tom Cruise came to Berlin this year to film a big-budget Hollywood film -- even, after some debate, in restricted Nazi-era buildings. Now an official in...

Hugh Hewitt and Duane Patterson link to this Jack Cafferty commentary at CNN tonight, discussing the speech Mitt Romney will give on Thursday, "Faith in America". Cafferty said that he felt the speech would be a waste of time unless Romney gave a detailed apologia regarding Mormon doctrine and practices. He based this on the supposedly secretive nature of temple practices and the small percentage of Americans who have experienced them: The specific quote from Cafferty is, "It's not like he's a Catholic or a Protestant or a Lutheran or a Methodist or a Baptist." The implication is that any...

With word that the FairTax political operation has run out of money, the talk in Iowa is that a new organization may be coming to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's aid. A 501c4 organization is said to be forming to help Huckabee in the 30 or so days leading up to the Iowa Republican caucus. Huckabee has been leveraging the support of two semi-obscure groups in Iowa, the FairTax group, a one-time offshoot of the Church of Scientology, and a second-tier home-schooling coalition, which operates a 501c4 and has been attempting to organize support for Huckabee in Iowa, South Carolina,...

A controversial Church of Scientology treatment used on World Trade Center emergency responders is being used in Utah to "detoxify" cops who raided methamphetamine labs in the 1980s and 1990s. The Utah Meth Cops Project is treating around a dozen former and current police officers at taxpayers' expense, using a regime devised by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard at a Bio-Cleansing Centers of America facility in Orem, Utah. State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff brought the project west after seeing it used to treat emergency workers in New York who were injured working at Ground Zero following the Sept. 11, 2001,...

TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- Some Christian congregations, particularly in lower income, urban areas, are turning to an unlikely source for help -- the Church of Scientology. Rev, Charles Kennedy uses Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's book during a Friday night sermon. 1 of 2 Scientologists do not worship God, much less Jesus Christ. The church has seen plenty of controversy and critics consider it a cult. So why are observant Christians embracing some of its teachings? Two pastors who spoke recently with CNN explained that when it comes to religion, they still preach the core beliefs of Christianity. But when...

TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- Some Christian congregations, particularly in lower income, urban areas, are turning to an unlikely source for help -- the Church of Scientology. Rev, Charles Kennedy uses Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's book during a Friday night sermon. Scientologists do not worship God, much less Jesus Christ. The church has seen plenty of controversy and critics consider it a cult. So why are observant Christians embracing some its teachings? ....The Rev. Charles Kennedy, of the Glorious Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal church in Tampa, Florida, and the Rev. James McLaughlin, of the Wayman Chapel African...

Drugging Our Poor by: Bethany Stotts, October 22, 2007 Many public schools have begun incorporating mental health screening tests into their curriculum, and may soon be analyzing family circumstances as a factor influencing low school performance under the No Child Left Behind requirements (NCLB). The proposed We Care Act (H.R. 3762) would amend the NCLB Act to stipulate that “Each State plan shall include an assessment of the nonacademic factors influencing student achievement, a description of public and private organizations and agencies within the State that are working to impact... including but not limited to state departments....and nonprofit youth development...

The smiling photo of Gavin Newsom and the city seal emblazoned on a booklet called "The Way to Happiness" sure make it seem as though San Francisco's mayor is heartily endorsing Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's writings. The booklet's back cover even shows a letter of support purportedly written by Newsom that echoes some of the mayor's favorite buzzwords: San Francisco is "a city of innovation" and is "the finest city in the world." But the giveaway is in the second paragraph, in which the fictitious letter from Newsom says San Francisco is home to "740,000 souls." He usually prefers...

Hollywood star Tom Cruise is planning to build a bunker at his Colorado home to protect his family in the event of an intergalactic alien attack, according to new reports. The Mission Impossible actor, who is a dedicated follower of Scientology, is reportedly fearful that deposed galactic ruler 'Xenu' is plotting an evil revenge attack on Earth. According to American magazine Star, a source said: "Tom is planning to build a US$10 million bunker under his Telluride estate." "It's a self-contained underground shelter with a high tech air purifying shelter." The facility is said to have enough room for ten...

Berlin, Germany (CNS) - Tom Cruise was left furious after a crew member on his latest film set passed wind during a minute's silence. The Hollywood actor - who is currently shooting World War II drama "Valkyrie" in Berlin - had paused filming to honor the anti-Nazi heroes portrayed in the movie when one employee decided to use the tribute to break wind. Fellow star Christian Berkel - who plays anti-Hitler plotter Albrecht Mertz von Quirbheim - said, "The film's director Bryan Singer, the screenplay writer Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise asked us all to observe a moment's silence shortly...

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...

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — A Belgian prosecutor on Tuesday recommended that the U.S.-based Church of Scientology stand trial for fraud and extortion, following a 10-year investigation that concluded the group should be labeled a criminal organization. Scientology said it would fight the criminal charges recommended by investigating prosecutor Jean-Claude Van Espen, who said that up to 12 unidentified people should face charges. Van Espen's probe also concluded that Scientology's Brussels-based Europe office and its Belgian missions conducted unlawful practices in medicine, violated privacy laws and used illegal business contracts, said Lieve Pellens, a spokeswoman at the Federal Prosecutors Office. "They...

364 DEATHS IN GEORGIA PSYCH HOSPITALS—TIP OF ICEBERG by Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD, Neurologist Author: The ADHD Fraud—How Psychiatry Make “Patients” of Normal Children www.Trafford.com ; 1-888-232-4444 The Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution has documented 364 deaths in Georgia’s state mental hospitals in the five years, January, 2002 through mid-December 2006. Two-thirds were said to have died of natural causes, 115 were deemed suspicious. The greatest number of these--36 –died from choking on food, vomit or foreign objects, or by aspirating those substances into their lungs. A like number died from questionable care; 12 committed suicide, and two died under physical...

WHO KILLED REBECCA RILEY? By Fred A. Baughman, Jr., MD, Neurologist, Child Neurologist Author: The ADHD Fraud—How Psychiatry Makes “Patients” of Normal Children www.Trafford.com June 21, 2007 Neurologists, such as myself, diagnose and treat real diseases of the brain. Psychiatrists do not. They only claim to. A disease is a physical abnormality evident macroscopically (lump on the head visible to the naked eye) , microscopically (cancer cells on a ‘Pap’ smear) or by chemical assay (high blood sugar in diabetes). If there is no such objective abnormality, the individual is normal, disease-free. It is fascinating to behold the charges brought...

LOS ANGELES—Marijuana is a religious sacrament and a Hollywood church that burned the drug during services and distributed it to members is protected under federal law, the leader of the congregation argued in a hearing before his drug possession trial Tuesday. The Rev. Craig X Rubin, 41, the leader of the 420 Temple who has appeared in episodes of the Showtime comedy "Weeds," faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of possessing marijuana for sale. < snip > Though ordained in 1990 by the Universal Life Church, police and prosecutors describe Rubin as a drug dealer. < snip...

Tom Cruise is compared to Nazi propagandist By Paul Willis Last Updated: 12:44pm BST 23/07/2007 Tom Cruise has found himself being compared to the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in an outspoken attack from Germany’s Protestant Church. Cruise on the set of Valkyrie The Hollywood star was accused of producing “propaganda for Scientology” as he began work on a film about an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Cruise has already been barred from filming at military sites for the movie because of his membership of the Scientologists, who are regarded as a cult by the German authorities. Thomas Gandow, 60,...