Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 65
Praying with Victims
Scientologists set up a tent and prayed with the relatives of missing children as authorities
searched for the youngsters‘ bodies following a flash flood near Johannesburg, South Africa.
(Jonathan Ancer, Lee Rondaganger, and Shaun Smillie, The Star, Internet, 12/10/04)
Cruise Promotes Nobel Concert
Tom Cruise referred with pride to his being a Scientologist as he co-hosted a Nobel Peace
Prize Concert with Oprah Winfrey in Norway in December. ―One of the things that we
[Scientologists] believe is peace, freedom. I‘m just proud to be here, and very proud to be a
Scientologist here and to be part of this.‖ (Jeanette Walls, MSNBC News, Internet,
12/14/04)
Teaching Tibetan Monks
American Scientologist Agnes Barton and several of her co-religionists have conducted a
series of workshops in Mysore, India, teaching Tibetan Buddhist monks easy techniques
developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard to help the body heal from injuries and
accidents. She also held a series of workshops for students at colleges and universities in
Mysore in conjunction with the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society. (Star of Mysore, Internet,
12/21/04)
Scientology-Trained Monks Aid Victims
Tibetan Buddhist monks living in exile in India have arrived in the town of Nagapattinam to
counsel victims of the tsunami, using the ―Assist,‖ a method learned from Scientology and
based on persuading people not to focus on a particular event. (AFP, Internet, 1/7/05)
Assisting Australians
Scientology volunteers from the US have been assisting Australian efforts to preserve
bodies of tsunami victims in Thailand. The leader of the Scientology team, Patrick Bundock,
says his group has formed close bonds with the Australian police on the scene, and that
they have counseled relief workers as well as victims. (AAP in The Australian, Internet,
1/2/05)
Helping Psychiatric Patient
Rodney Yoder, who spent almost 15 years in an institution for the criminally insane after
beating his wife, has gained his freedom thanks partly to the support of Scientology and
Chicago attorney Randy Kretchmar, a Scientologist. They supported Yoder‘s claim — he
studied psychiatry while in confinement and mounted a campaign to gain his freedom —
that he was a ―psychiatric prisoner‖ who had been subjected to ―forced psychiatry.‖
Prison officials argued that Yoder be admitted to a regular penal institution, and not simply
released, because of his alleged violent outbursts. While in prison, Yoder wrote to judges
and famous people, including Playboy‘s Hugh Hefner, threatening to kill them. (Scott
Moyers, Southeast Missourian, Internet, 1/16/05)
Weight Loss Credit
Actress Kirstie Alley credits Scientology and Oprah Winfrey for giving her the fortitude to
lose weight in 2005. Winfrey‘s own diet, calculated to deal with heart palpitations, according
to Alley, stimulated the actress, ―so I went over to my Scientology center and did a little
program.‖ Alley has become a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig and will try to lose 50 pounds
by this summer. (Contactmusic.com, Internet, 1/13/05)
Praying with Victims
Scientologists set up a tent and prayed with the relatives of missing children as authorities
searched for the youngsters‘ bodies following a flash flood near Johannesburg, South Africa.
(Jonathan Ancer, Lee Rondaganger, and Shaun Smillie, The Star, Internet, 12/10/04)
Cruise Promotes Nobel Concert
Tom Cruise referred with pride to his being a Scientologist as he co-hosted a Nobel Peace
Prize Concert with Oprah Winfrey in Norway in December. ―One of the things that we
[Scientologists] believe is peace, freedom. I‘m just proud to be here, and very proud to be a
Scientologist here and to be part of this.‖ (Jeanette Walls, MSNBC News, Internet,
12/14/04)
Teaching Tibetan Monks
American Scientologist Agnes Barton and several of her co-religionists have conducted a
series of workshops in Mysore, India, teaching Tibetan Buddhist monks easy techniques
developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard to help the body heal from injuries and
accidents. She also held a series of workshops for students at colleges and universities in
Mysore in conjunction with the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society. (Star of Mysore, Internet,
12/21/04)
Scientology-Trained Monks Aid Victims
Tibetan Buddhist monks living in exile in India have arrived in the town of Nagapattinam to
counsel victims of the tsunami, using the ―Assist,‖ a method learned from Scientology and
based on persuading people not to focus on a particular event. (AFP, Internet, 1/7/05)
Assisting Australians
Scientology volunteers from the US have been assisting Australian efforts to preserve
bodies of tsunami victims in Thailand. The leader of the Scientology team, Patrick Bundock,
says his group has formed close bonds with the Australian police on the scene, and that
they have counseled relief workers as well as victims. (AAP in The Australian, Internet,
1/2/05)
Helping Psychiatric Patient
Rodney Yoder, who spent almost 15 years in an institution for the criminally insane after
beating his wife, has gained his freedom thanks partly to the support of Scientology and
Chicago attorney Randy Kretchmar, a Scientologist. They supported Yoder‘s claim — he
studied psychiatry while in confinement and mounted a campaign to gain his freedom —
that he was a ―psychiatric prisoner‖ who had been subjected to ―forced psychiatry.‖
Prison officials argued that Yoder be admitted to a regular penal institution, and not simply
released, because of his alleged violent outbursts. While in prison, Yoder wrote to judges
and famous people, including Playboy‘s Hugh Hefner, threatening to kill them. (Scott
Moyers, Southeast Missourian, Internet, 1/16/05)
Weight Loss Credit
Actress Kirstie Alley credits Scientology and Oprah Winfrey for giving her the fortitude to
lose weight in 2005. Winfrey‘s own diet, calculated to deal with heart palpitations, according
to Alley, stimulated the actress, ―so I went over to my Scientology center and did a little
program.‖ Alley has become a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig and will try to lose 50 pounds
by this summer. (Contactmusic.com, Internet, 1/13/05)
