Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2008, Page 56
Scientology in March failed to get a court order in Clearwater to restrain further protests
by the Internet-based anti-Scientology group Anonymous. The judge said Scientology had
failed to link individuals named in the church‘s recent lawsuit with alleged harassing phone
calls, obscene emails, and bomb and death threats. The suit also says that the alleged
vandalizing of Scientology churches around the world has been encouraged by videos on
YouTube. A statement sent to the St. Petersburg Times, purportedly from Anonymous,
denied and condemned such acts or threats of violence.
In January, St. Martin‘s Press published Andrew Morton‘s Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized
Biography, which paints ―a scathing portrait of the actor‘s chosen religion as a money-
making, fascist, mind-control sect led by Cruise‘s closest friend, David Miscavige, a gun-
loving high-school dropout with a Napoleon complex who runs a religion like a paramilitary
group.‖ A Scientology video of the presentation of its 2004 Freedom Medal of Valor to
Cruise features a ―manic‖ Cruise urging his co-religionists to commit themselves to
Scientology. ―Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident, it‘s not like anyone
else,‖ he said. ―As you drive past, you know you have to do something about it. Because
you‘re the only one who can help.‖ Scientology‘s attempt to keep the Cruise video off the
Internet — on the ground that showing it infringes copyright laws — is failing. It‘s still
showing on YouTube as well as on the Manhattan-based media site Gawker, where
segments have been viewed more than 2.7 million times. A journalist researching
Scientology calls the production ―a brilliant work of agitprop.‖
Thanks to the Internet, says a former Scientology official, ―Members of the general public
know more about Scientology than decades-long members do. (Scientologists are forbidden
to access anti-Scientology Websites.) High-level Scientology defector Robert Vaughn Young
once said that the Internet was going to be Scientology‘s ―Waterloo.‖ Former members say
Scientology is now targeting for recruitment regions that are statistically less likely to have
Web access, like Central America or where relevant Web material is not available in English,
as well as African Americans.
An Anonymous member says that its anti-Scientology campaign isn‘t against ―their people
or religion. We respect the right for them to believe what they want. We oppose their
lawsuits and their bully tactics. Every religion goes through its stages of infancy. The
Catholics had the Crusades, but for the first time in history, the common people have
enough power to stop Scientology before it gets to that.
Former members, especially highly ranking ones, are leaving the church. One who worked
in the Office of Special Affairs for 20 years, and spent more than $200,000 on Scientology
courses, left because she was not allowed to take her epilepsy medication, even when
Scientology methods couldn‘t cure her. She says members remain for a very long time
because there‘s always another level in the organization to reach for. ―You don‘t want to
give up. It‘s a group fantasy.‖ The departure of chief spokesman Mike Rinder, the Australian
baritone — who told 20/20 in 1998 that Hubbard was one of the great men of world history
— is like Goebbels leaving the Nazis,‖ says another defector.
To keep high-level members active and striving, president David Miscavige announced in
1995 ―the golden age of tech,‖ which was ―essentially a claim that Scientology‘s auditors
had been doing everything all wrong.‖ ―We just discovered a treasure trove of L. Ron
Hubbard,‖ Miscavige said, meaning that everyone needed to do his or her courses over.
―And pay for them, naturally.‖ In another move to retain commitment, Scientology will
soon introduce a ―super power rundown‖ course at the massive high tech, office-residential
facility it‘s building in Clearwater. Billionaire hedge fund manager and Scientologist Matt
Feshbach, who has piloted the new program, now says, ―I am not [any longer] dependent
on my physical body to perceive things,‖ adding that he saved the life of a young boy with
his new abilities by stopping him from running into the street.
Scientology in March failed to get a court order in Clearwater to restrain further protests
by the Internet-based anti-Scientology group Anonymous. The judge said Scientology had
failed to link individuals named in the church‘s recent lawsuit with alleged harassing phone
calls, obscene emails, and bomb and death threats. The suit also says that the alleged
vandalizing of Scientology churches around the world has been encouraged by videos on
YouTube. A statement sent to the St. Petersburg Times, purportedly from Anonymous,
denied and condemned such acts or threats of violence.
In January, St. Martin‘s Press published Andrew Morton‘s Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized
Biography, which paints ―a scathing portrait of the actor‘s chosen religion as a money-
making, fascist, mind-control sect led by Cruise‘s closest friend, David Miscavige, a gun-
loving high-school dropout with a Napoleon complex who runs a religion like a paramilitary
group.‖ A Scientology video of the presentation of its 2004 Freedom Medal of Valor to
Cruise features a ―manic‖ Cruise urging his co-religionists to commit themselves to
Scientology. ―Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident, it‘s not like anyone
else,‖ he said. ―As you drive past, you know you have to do something about it. Because
you‘re the only one who can help.‖ Scientology‘s attempt to keep the Cruise video off the
Internet — on the ground that showing it infringes copyright laws — is failing. It‘s still
showing on YouTube as well as on the Manhattan-based media site Gawker, where
segments have been viewed more than 2.7 million times. A journalist researching
Scientology calls the production ―a brilliant work of agitprop.‖
Thanks to the Internet, says a former Scientology official, ―Members of the general public
know more about Scientology than decades-long members do. (Scientologists are forbidden
to access anti-Scientology Websites.) High-level Scientology defector Robert Vaughn Young
once said that the Internet was going to be Scientology‘s ―Waterloo.‖ Former members say
Scientology is now targeting for recruitment regions that are statistically less likely to have
Web access, like Central America or where relevant Web material is not available in English,
as well as African Americans.
An Anonymous member says that its anti-Scientology campaign isn‘t against ―their people
or religion. We respect the right for them to believe what they want. We oppose their
lawsuits and their bully tactics. Every religion goes through its stages of infancy. The
Catholics had the Crusades, but for the first time in history, the common people have
enough power to stop Scientology before it gets to that.
Former members, especially highly ranking ones, are leaving the church. One who worked
in the Office of Special Affairs for 20 years, and spent more than $200,000 on Scientology
courses, left because she was not allowed to take her epilepsy medication, even when
Scientology methods couldn‘t cure her. She says members remain for a very long time
because there‘s always another level in the organization to reach for. ―You don‘t want to
give up. It‘s a group fantasy.‖ The departure of chief spokesman Mike Rinder, the Australian
baritone — who told 20/20 in 1998 that Hubbard was one of the great men of world history
— is like Goebbels leaving the Nazis,‖ says another defector.
To keep high-level members active and striving, president David Miscavige announced in
1995 ―the golden age of tech,‖ which was ―essentially a claim that Scientology‘s auditors
had been doing everything all wrong.‖ ―We just discovered a treasure trove of L. Ron
Hubbard,‖ Miscavige said, meaning that everyone needed to do his or her courses over.
―And pay for them, naturally.‖ In another move to retain commitment, Scientology will
soon introduce a ―super power rundown‖ course at the massive high tech, office-residential
facility it‘s building in Clearwater. Billionaire hedge fund manager and Scientologist Matt
Feshbach, who has piloted the new program, now says, ―I am not [any longer] dependent
on my physical body to perceive things,‖ adding that he saved the life of a young boy with
his new abilities by stopping him from running into the street.
