VOLUME 6 |ISSUE 3 |2015 3739
fines, and court costs after failing in his attempt to have
Revenue Canada tax him and his followers not as individuals
but as a religious commune.” (Vancouver Sun, 1/13/15)
Raëlians push White House for alien embassy to save
humanity
A press release on April 2 (which led some to think it was
an April Fool’s prank) announced that the Raëlians “were
delivering a project file to the White House with plans to
construct an embassy for extraterrestrial visitors.” The Raëlians
have maintained for decades that the survival of Earth
requires the creation of such an embassy. They believe that
we will destroy ourselves if we do not prepare for the arrival
of benevolent aliens who will bring an era of peace. (Religion
Dispatches, 4/6/15)
Group proposes construction of an embassy for
extraterrestrials
The Raëlian Movement formally requested that the
government of Portugal build an embassy for extraterrestrials,
with the proposed structure covering more than an acre
and including a lawn, swimming pool, meeting rooms, and
accommodations for intergalactic visitors. (Folha.com, 7/17/15)
Father falsely accused of satanic-cult abuse speaks out
According to a BBC interview, a father in the UK has been
falsely accused of being part of a satanic cult and sexually
abusing his two children. A High Court Judge ruled the
claims as “baseless” and “evil and/or foolish” after it became
evident that the two children, ages 8 and 9, had been forced
to “provide false accounts of horrific events” while they
were being filmed. Through the course of the case, it was
discovered that the children’s claims had “come about as the
result of relentless emotional and psychological pressure as
well as significant abuse,” according to Justice Pauffley. The
father still receives death threats from people who believe
the children’s stories to be true. He is still concerned about his
children’s welfare and the long-term impact the events will
have on them, but he says he thinks things are going to be
okay. (The Independent, 4/20/15)
Satanic killing was to send victims to another planet
In Ontario, Canada on May 2, 2012, Mark Dobson admitted to
the murder of his girlfriend, Mary Hepburn, and their friend,
Helen Dorrington, in a motel room. Dobson met the women
on an Internet chat site called The Joy of Satan. Dobson
says the killings were supposed to be a suicide-cult pact, and
that it was part of his job to do the other two and then kill
himself. Dobson said that he was trying to send himself and
the women to another planet, and that it had to be done
before dawn or “they” wouldn’t take them. After killing the two
women, Dobson slashed his neck and arms, and then went to
take a warm bath. The hotel staff was alerted when the bath
water overflowed into the hallway.
Robin Dobson, Mark’s sister, says that her brother was a sweet
kid who wouldn’t hurt anyone. Dobson pleaded not guilty to
two counts of first-degree murder his lawyer wants the court
to find him not criminally responsible for the killings. The trial
will explore the nature of Satanism, Wicca, and witchcraft,
and also mental illness as it applies to the term “not criminally
responsible.” (Toronto Sun, 9/23/14)
Court records link Scientology to convicted email hacker
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York gave
Eric Saldarriaga a 3-month prison sentence for conspiring to
engage in computer hacking. The Scientology connection
was discovered when Mike Rinder, a former spokesman for the
organization, and journalist Tony Ortega said they were both
victims of Saldarriaga. Prosecutors had asked both men for
victims’ statements in the case. Ortega wrote to the court, “It
would strain credulity to accept that Mr. Saldarriaga’s targeting
of Michael Rinder and myself was coincidental, given that we
are both high-profile targets of Scientology’s surveillance and
harassment campaigns.” The Church of Scientology did not
respond to interview requests or emailed questions from the
newspaper. (Tampa Bay Times, 6/26/15)
How much does Scientology pocket from its tax-exempt
status?
Jeffrey Augustine, author of the blog The Scientology Money
Project, says that the church has a book value of $1.75 billion.
Real estate, mostly at the church’s headquarters in Clearwater,
Florida and in Hollywood, California, accounts for about $1.5
billion of that value. Augustine estimates that church income
is about $200 million, with about $125 million coming from
auditing services. Currently, that income is tax-exempt, as are
most of the church’s real estate holdings. (Fortune, 4/8/15)
Meet Scientology’s lobbyist who works the halls of
Congress
US Senate and House disclosure documents reveal that
Scientology paid more than $1 million to Greg Mitchell for
lobbying services since 2003. The disclosure documents
indicate that Mitchell has focused on “pursuing federal
funding for Scientology’s educational programs and
disaster-relief efforts, promoting efforts to help prisoners
reenter society, working to promote programs to help
religious workers immigrate to the US, and working to make
‘international religious freedom’ a priority for the government.”
Mitchell is a member of the church and founder and CEO of
The Mitchell Firm. Religious freedom is the current focus on his
lobbying efforts. (Business Insider, 4/8/15)
Parliament member requests inspection of Scientology
churches
Following numerous inquiries from residents of St. Petersburg,
Russia concerned about the Church of Scientology center
in that city, Vitaly Milonov, a member of the St. Petersburg
Legislative Assembly, sent a letter to Federal Security Service
fines, and court costs after failing in his attempt to have
Revenue Canada tax him and his followers not as individuals
but as a religious commune.” (Vancouver Sun, 1/13/15)
Raëlians push White House for alien embassy to save
humanity
A press release on April 2 (which led some to think it was
an April Fool’s prank) announced that the Raëlians “were
delivering a project file to the White House with plans to
construct an embassy for extraterrestrial visitors.” The Raëlians
have maintained for decades that the survival of Earth
requires the creation of such an embassy. They believe that
we will destroy ourselves if we do not prepare for the arrival
of benevolent aliens who will bring an era of peace. (Religion
Dispatches, 4/6/15)
Group proposes construction of an embassy for
extraterrestrials
The Raëlian Movement formally requested that the
government of Portugal build an embassy for extraterrestrials,
with the proposed structure covering more than an acre
and including a lawn, swimming pool, meeting rooms, and
accommodations for intergalactic visitors. (Folha.com, 7/17/15)
Father falsely accused of satanic-cult abuse speaks out
According to a BBC interview, a father in the UK has been
falsely accused of being part of a satanic cult and sexually
abusing his two children. A High Court Judge ruled the
claims as “baseless” and “evil and/or foolish” after it became
evident that the two children, ages 8 and 9, had been forced
to “provide false accounts of horrific events” while they
were being filmed. Through the course of the case, it was
discovered that the children’s claims had “come about as the
result of relentless emotional and psychological pressure as
well as significant abuse,” according to Justice Pauffley. The
father still receives death threats from people who believe
the children’s stories to be true. He is still concerned about his
children’s welfare and the long-term impact the events will
have on them, but he says he thinks things are going to be
okay. (The Independent, 4/20/15)
Satanic killing was to send victims to another planet
In Ontario, Canada on May 2, 2012, Mark Dobson admitted to
the murder of his girlfriend, Mary Hepburn, and their friend,
Helen Dorrington, in a motel room. Dobson met the women
on an Internet chat site called The Joy of Satan. Dobson
says the killings were supposed to be a suicide-cult pact, and
that it was part of his job to do the other two and then kill
himself. Dobson said that he was trying to send himself and
the women to another planet, and that it had to be done
before dawn or “they” wouldn’t take them. After killing the two
women, Dobson slashed his neck and arms, and then went to
take a warm bath. The hotel staff was alerted when the bath
water overflowed into the hallway.
Robin Dobson, Mark’s sister, says that her brother was a sweet
kid who wouldn’t hurt anyone. Dobson pleaded not guilty to
two counts of first-degree murder his lawyer wants the court
to find him not criminally responsible for the killings. The trial
will explore the nature of Satanism, Wicca, and witchcraft,
and also mental illness as it applies to the term “not criminally
responsible.” (Toronto Sun, 9/23/14)
Court records link Scientology to convicted email hacker
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York gave
Eric Saldarriaga a 3-month prison sentence for conspiring to
engage in computer hacking. The Scientology connection
was discovered when Mike Rinder, a former spokesman for the
organization, and journalist Tony Ortega said they were both
victims of Saldarriaga. Prosecutors had asked both men for
victims’ statements in the case. Ortega wrote to the court, “It
would strain credulity to accept that Mr. Saldarriaga’s targeting
of Michael Rinder and myself was coincidental, given that we
are both high-profile targets of Scientology’s surveillance and
harassment campaigns.” The Church of Scientology did not
respond to interview requests or emailed questions from the
newspaper. (Tampa Bay Times, 6/26/15)
How much does Scientology pocket from its tax-exempt
status?
Jeffrey Augustine, author of the blog The Scientology Money
Project, says that the church has a book value of $1.75 billion.
Real estate, mostly at the church’s headquarters in Clearwater,
Florida and in Hollywood, California, accounts for about $1.5
billion of that value. Augustine estimates that church income
is about $200 million, with about $125 million coming from
auditing services. Currently, that income is tax-exempt, as are
most of the church’s real estate holdings. (Fortune, 4/8/15)
Meet Scientology’s lobbyist who works the halls of
Congress
US Senate and House disclosure documents reveal that
Scientology paid more than $1 million to Greg Mitchell for
lobbying services since 2003. The disclosure documents
indicate that Mitchell has focused on “pursuing federal
funding for Scientology’s educational programs and
disaster-relief efforts, promoting efforts to help prisoners
reenter society, working to promote programs to help
religious workers immigrate to the US, and working to make
‘international religious freedom’ a priority for the government.”
Mitchell is a member of the church and founder and CEO of
The Mitchell Firm. Religious freedom is the current focus on his
lobbying efforts. (Business Insider, 4/8/15)
Parliament member requests inspection of Scientology
churches
Following numerous inquiries from residents of St. Petersburg,
Russia concerned about the Church of Scientology center
in that city, Vitaly Milonov, a member of the St. Petersburg
Legislative Assembly, sent a letter to Federal Security Service
