Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2009, Page 67
side, have changed their religious affiliation at least once many Americans have switched
faiths altogether the number of ―unaffiliated‖ adults now stands at 16 percent Roman
Catholics leave in disputes over church teachings Protestants converted in response to life
changes, such as marriage and relocation, or because they have come to dislike institutions
or practices. The poll concurs with other surveys indicating that ―unaffiliated‖ has been the
fastest growing category in the past two decades, although many of these respondents are
still seeking a religion. More than half say they became unaffiliated because they found
religious people hypocritical and judgmental, too focused on rules and not enough on
spirituality. Of the seven percent raised without an affiliation, most have become religious.
For all of those who switched allegiances, the reason most often given for joining a new
church is the appeal of the worship service. There does not seem to be a basic rejection of
the religious worldview in this country, even though 40 percent of respondents say they
don‘t believe in God.
The Irish Roman Catholic Church‘s Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, following
nine years of investigation, was expected in May to make public a report that says
thousands of former pupils in state schools and orphanages were subject to sexual abuse
during the last 60 years by some 500 priests. A second report will say how the Church
handled the multitude of abuse reports it received over the years critics will allege
systematic cover-ups. The Irish government in 2002 offered compensation to the victims—
£725 million, based on 10,000 claimants, but the cost will likely be £10.8 billion if the
estimated 150,000 victims come forward. Bishop Pat Buckley said that at least 1 in 10 of
the 5,000 Catholic priests in Ireland regularly had sex with women, and that 40 percent of
Catholic clergy in the country were sexually active. ...
The belief of some Catholics that pedophilia is linked to homosexuality reveals ―woeful
ignorance at best, and pathological denial at worst.‖
A contractor in rural Sweetwater County, Wyoming, reports that he has been hired by
Scientology to build a 22,000 square foot underground storage vault in which to store
documents and perhaps other items. ...
Scientologist Marion Whitta, who came to India as director of a Scientology tour in 2005,
intending to stay three months, has remained four years. She says she‘s trained ―thousands
of civil defense personnel in Maharashtra, police in Bangalore, Delhi and Mysore, and the
Border Security Force in Kilkata [Calcutta],‖ as well as ―hundreds of personnel in the
corporate world who‘ve received Scientology training under the aegis of their company. In
all, we must have trained 20,000 to 30,000 Indians so far,‖ including Delhi-based actress
Sheena Chohan.
Scientology mounted a huge and controversial anti-psychiatry display at Concordia
University, in Montreal, in late April. The presentation, employing Gothic imagery,
suggested that declining education standards, the Columbine shootings, 9/11, and the
death of Kurt Cobain, were caused by psychiatry‘s pernicious influence. ―You see these black
panels with big, red scary letters. It looks like a dungeon,‖ said a student, who refused to
give his name because he feared Scientology reprisals. ―This is Scientology. I knew it right
away.‖
Wikipedia said in May that it would ban entries originating from Scientology IP addresses
because of the church‘s self-serving Wiki-revisionism. In response to the bad PR its
activities have generated over the past couple of years, the church has launched a series of
brilliant, new, non-threatening commercials, suffused with a tonal waveform of celestial
bliss, that invite fellow questers on a journey of self-discovery. ―One ad [among several
analyzed in this LA Times article of 7/28/09) is a direct co-opting of Christianity‘s language
of resurrection and eternal life. which is of a slightly different spiritual chemistry than
side, have changed their religious affiliation at least once many Americans have switched
faiths altogether the number of ―unaffiliated‖ adults now stands at 16 percent Roman
Catholics leave in disputes over church teachings Protestants converted in response to life
changes, such as marriage and relocation, or because they have come to dislike institutions
or practices. The poll concurs with other surveys indicating that ―unaffiliated‖ has been the
fastest growing category in the past two decades, although many of these respondents are
still seeking a religion. More than half say they became unaffiliated because they found
religious people hypocritical and judgmental, too focused on rules and not enough on
spirituality. Of the seven percent raised without an affiliation, most have become religious.
For all of those who switched allegiances, the reason most often given for joining a new
church is the appeal of the worship service. There does not seem to be a basic rejection of
the religious worldview in this country, even though 40 percent of respondents say they
don‘t believe in God.
The Irish Roman Catholic Church‘s Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, following
nine years of investigation, was expected in May to make public a report that says
thousands of former pupils in state schools and orphanages were subject to sexual abuse
during the last 60 years by some 500 priests. A second report will say how the Church
handled the multitude of abuse reports it received over the years critics will allege
systematic cover-ups. The Irish government in 2002 offered compensation to the victims—
£725 million, based on 10,000 claimants, but the cost will likely be £10.8 billion if the
estimated 150,000 victims come forward. Bishop Pat Buckley said that at least 1 in 10 of
the 5,000 Catholic priests in Ireland regularly had sex with women, and that 40 percent of
Catholic clergy in the country were sexually active. ...
The belief of some Catholics that pedophilia is linked to homosexuality reveals ―woeful
ignorance at best, and pathological denial at worst.‖
A contractor in rural Sweetwater County, Wyoming, reports that he has been hired by
Scientology to build a 22,000 square foot underground storage vault in which to store
documents and perhaps other items. ...
Scientologist Marion Whitta, who came to India as director of a Scientology tour in 2005,
intending to stay three months, has remained four years. She says she‘s trained ―thousands
of civil defense personnel in Maharashtra, police in Bangalore, Delhi and Mysore, and the
Border Security Force in Kilkata [Calcutta],‖ as well as ―hundreds of personnel in the
corporate world who‘ve received Scientology training under the aegis of their company. In
all, we must have trained 20,000 to 30,000 Indians so far,‖ including Delhi-based actress
Sheena Chohan.
Scientology mounted a huge and controversial anti-psychiatry display at Concordia
University, in Montreal, in late April. The presentation, employing Gothic imagery,
suggested that declining education standards, the Columbine shootings, 9/11, and the
death of Kurt Cobain, were caused by psychiatry‘s pernicious influence. ―You see these black
panels with big, red scary letters. It looks like a dungeon,‖ said a student, who refused to
give his name because he feared Scientology reprisals. ―This is Scientology. I knew it right
away.‖
Wikipedia said in May that it would ban entries originating from Scientology IP addresses
because of the church‘s self-serving Wiki-revisionism. In response to the bad PR its
activities have generated over the past couple of years, the church has launched a series of
brilliant, new, non-threatening commercials, suffused with a tonal waveform of celestial
bliss, that invite fellow questers on a journey of self-discovery. ―One ad [among several
analyzed in this LA Times article of 7/28/09) is a direct co-opting of Christianity‘s language
of resurrection and eternal life. which is of a slightly different spiritual chemistry than
