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[SocialTransparency]

 Gather round all you lurkers. Lets take a trip down a rabbit hole only America could build. Lets explore the root of all our collective angst when talking about scientology. How we as a nation have allowed a bat shit crazy quasi-religious group of tin can holding misguided souls to breed offshoots, with their basis in fact , on the writings of madman and all around nut case L Ron Hubbard. Each of these groups and or entities can trace its core teachings and roots back to L Ron Hubbard and scientology.

 With the new media coverage being lavished on the so-called church of scientology, many old and new groups are being overlooked. Lets start with a list of what this poster see;s as blatantly fraudulent entities that use L Ron Hubbards teachings as the foundation of their organizations.

1. Church of Scientology. Founded by Lafeyette Ronald Hubbard.

2. WISE.       

3. ABLE.     

4. CCHR.   

5. Narconon.

6. Freezone.

7. YFHR

8. Applied scholastic's

9. Marty Rathbun's new and improved scientology.

  Please add to this list. These houses of fraud have been accepted by YOUR FEDERAL,STATE, LOCAL governments AND YOU THE CITIZEN. This poster questions the WHYS and HOWS these fraudulent organizations have been allowed to flourish within our communities. Hiding behind the 1ST amendment and religious status has allowed these groups, riff with grifters,snake oil salesmen, con men etc, to reach deep into the pockets of many unsuspecting and or gullible individuals. When did YOU the local citizen become so dumbed down, that you feared holding those that work for YOU accountable for their actions (government officials)?

  There is more to this picture than the ABUSE of the 1St amendment. This issue runs far deeper. Scientology just happens to be one of many 1ST amendment abusers. Without government oversight, frauds like scientology and its many crumb catching offshoots will continue to propagate. Only you the local citizen can put pressure on your government officials. If you do not do so. you will watch more and more of your rights slowly being trampled on. Apathy does not help a nation grow and prosper.
 

 Is FRAUD the NEW BLACK here in america?

 

[ethercat]

I've sometimes said that perhaps we need to be educating people to recognize fraud in general, instead of focusing on scientology.  The thing is, scientology has honed fraud to such a fine edge, that learning to recognize the fraud in scientology helps teach people what some of the characteristics of fraud are, so it makes an excellent example of real-life fraud, and, therefore, a superlative learning and teaching tool.

From the very beginning, dianetics (scientology) was started as a way for a B-rated science fiction writer to make money.  Numerous individuals recall Hubbard saying "Why write for a penny a word?  The way to make money is to start your own religion," before he started his own twisted "religion."

As it progressed, more ways to make money were tacked onto it, and more ways were found to avoid paying taxes on the income, culminating in religious recognition, with the IRS 501c3 status granted in 1993. 

Recognition of ANY group as a religion by the government is, in my opinion, a violation of the 1st Amendment.  Particularly combined with IRS 501c, it is just ripe for abuse, and yes, fraud. 

Back to the topic of scientology, just because they have acquired an appearance of legitimacy as a religion, does not mean it is actually anything other than a fraud.  Scientology is built on a fraudulent premise.  It is a castle built on sand.  (LOL, Sandcastle in Clearwater, where the OT levels of scientology are taught).

Another prevalent front group is Criminon.  There are many, many others, all built on the original fraudulent premise.  All castles built on sand.  All fraud.

[mefree]

This thread is definitely post-worthy.
 
Scientology and fraud covers a lot of territory. Let’s start with scientology as a religion and the tax-exemption:

There has been some debate as to whether scientology is actually a religion. Whether you believe that it is or is not a religion, there is evidence that scn altered their very scriptures to meet the definition of a religion solely for the purpose of its coveted tax exemption.

More info found about that here: http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/irs.html

The Tax Compliance Manual will be explored more fully in this series. One issue is the apparent subjugation of church doctrine and scripture to conformity with IRS regulations, particularly those found at 501(c)(3).

The manual bears evidence that at least some of Hubbard's writings--identified as scripture--have been altered to ensure that the religion is in compliance with IRS codes.

All of scientology’s front groups appear to be methods of recruitment and fundraising. 

I provide the following as evidence:

http://www.xenu-directory.net/news/images/thecompiler-1989a-2.pdf#page=1

WISE: From Xenu TV: A chiropractor and his wife describe how Scientology lured them in through management courses and ultimately harmed their business and their lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3AbDQbORLk&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUpgBlwX9bo&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d6bb3KUaqc&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKBkRwEfdxM&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urflFYCPS9w&feature=channel

Also, I found this chiro forum pretty interesting:
http://chirotalk.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=treatment&thread=198&page=1#2373

NarCONon

I think "junk science" is an apt term for what goes on at Narconon. Hubbard's theories on drugs stored in body fat, touch assists, flushing out toxins, radiation effects, and of course, that "all drugs are the same", are covered quite well here:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/junkscience.htm 

http://www.crackpots.us/

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/index.html

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Healthcare-Centers/Narconon-Vista-Bay/narconon-vista-bay-drug-reh-cedc9.htm

CCHR:

We probably only know a portion of the harm that has been done as a result of CCHR's anti-psychiatry stance:
 
http://www.xenu-directory.net/opinions/jacobsen2004.html

[Lorelei]

Longferret approves of this informative thread. Two dooks up!

[mefree]

These houses of fraud have been accepted by YOUR FEDERAL,STATE, LOCAL governments AND YOU THE CITIZEN. This poster questions the WHYS and HOWS these fraudulent organizations have been allowed to flourish within our communities. Hiding behind the 1ST amendment and religious status has allowed these groups, riff with grifters,snake oil salesmen, con men etc, to reach deep into the pockets of many unsuspecting and or gullible individuals. When did YOU the local citizen become so dumbed down, that you feared holding those that work for YOU accountable for their actions (government officials)?

There is more to this picture than the ABUSE of the 1St amendment. This issue runs far deeper. Scientology just happens to be one of many 1ST amendment abusers. Without government oversight, frauds like scientology and its many crumb catching offshoots will continue to propagate. Only you the local citizen can put pressure on your government officials. If you do not do so. you will watch more and more of your rights slowly being trampled on. Apathy does not help a nation grow and prosper.
 

I often wonder why the cult goes unchecked. There are many things I cannot personally verify but would think the authorities would be concerned about.

Is someone interested in where Shelly Miscavige is?
Are there other people at the RPF who are ill and being neglected and separated from family much like Uwe Stuckenbrock?
Are children being raised as adults, working long hours, and not attending school?
When they do attend school are they getting a decent curriculum at their scientology schools?
Is someone interested in the massive dosages of Niacin that are being given to clients at NarCONon and routinely in the purification rundown?
Is someone concerned about the fact that all of the Sea Org's mail is opened, reviewed, censored, or trashed prior to them receiving it. If they ever do receive it.
Is someone interested or concerned that families continue to be disconnected and in some cases never reunited even up to their dying days?
Is someone concerned about how allegations of VISA abuse or fraud in the Sea Org? (maybe)
Does anyone care about the amount of control the cult has over Sea Org personal belongings such as VISA, credit cards and with little to no money, how difficult it might be for them to leave when they want to?

Feel free to add to the list.

And yes, it would be nice if more people would press charges or speak to the authorities.
I see this brought up frequently on WWP about individuals who have suffered human rights abuses not reporting to the proper authorities. But, with the level of control over their lives are they really able to speak to the authorities? Does fear of disconnection or other penalties prevent them from doing so?

[Lorelei]

I suspect that a simplistic, black and white view of the definition of "freedom of religion", and accepting the cult's claim that it is a legitimate religion, scare many gov't representatives away from the appearance of meddling. Also, when the gov't HAS gone after cults, they have gone after small, insular groups, not large, global groups...and some of these confrontations remain very controversial (e.g., Waco).

The gov't also shies away from confronting cults who have powerful spokespersons (in this case, celebrities; some of which are generally well-respected, like Greta von Susteren). For example, Jim Jones managed to grow his cult while hobnobbing with dignitaries in California and Washington, D.C. and was seen as having some political and social clout.

The gov't is also leery of taking on another expensive legal case that depends on hard-to-verify personal statements. Whereas litigation against the cult would not be based on statements from very young children who were improperly interrogated by adults with agendas, as in the McMartin Preschool case (where allegations of Satanic worship and child abuse were levied against the McMartins--it remains the most expensive litigation in US history, IIRC). Scientology, if nothing else, has some skilled LAWLyers in their pockets. For every statement by a complainant with a justifiable set of grivances, Scientology could trot out some True Believers eager to apply character assassination to the complainants and willing to lie or fabricate evidence (which happened during the French trials; Scientology made documents that had payment amounts in Euros, a currency unit that was not actually being used anywhere for another 6-8 months or so, and then only by banks; the Euro as a monetary unit was not used by the average citizen until over a year later). They were caught in this lie, but that would not prevent them from trying to fabricate further "exculpatory" evidence, and perhaps doing a better job of it.

Shelley Miscavige is not being looked for, I can guarantee that, because her family members / husband are likely all in the cult or Disconnected, so there is no one to report her absence to authorities and be taken seriously. Also, all they'd have to do is trot her out once or twice like Heber Jentsch.

The RPFers would b e a good place to start, but, again, the Feds may conclude that any adults in the RPF have willingly accepted being sent to the RPF, something that is no doubt covered by documentation (regardless of its legality). If the cult stressed that the RPF was a religious retreat for penance and contrition, they'd open a can of worms challenging it.

The child abuse and neglect in the cult is an even better hot button issue. Again, you run into the problem the gov't has faced with Christian Scientists, etc., who deny their children the best medical care due to their religious beliefs. That would be the angle I'd take, as a prosecutor, however: I'd look into cases where parents of various religions use their beliefs as an excuse or reason to deny their offspring basic care and nurturing were compelled to provide suitable care, regardless of their religious programming or beliefs.

Since the cult hides its child labor pretty well, with only a few slip-ups documented on camera or video in recent years, and since the cult is so insular, then, once again, you run into the problem of the cult anticipating a exploration into the problem and hiding child labor or temporarily putting a halt to it, and coaching parents and older children to lie about it. There's also the problem of proving it is abusive and improper. When I was a child, I willingly helped my parents with chores around the house and yard, and did adult labor, but I saw it as a fun thing. (It would be vastly different if I was compelled to do that kind of labour on a regular basis.) So you have to prove that the children do this kind of work regularly, not once in a while on their own initiative and with parental approval, and you have to prove that the work they are doing is unsafe or inappropriate for children to do, and so on. I can see this being difficult to prove. Anecdotal evidence would inspire me as a gov't representative, to keep a close watch on the problem, but I suspect I'd be frustrated trying to actually prove it.

The overdoses fo niacin, long hot saunas and dispensing of medical advice improperly are another avenue of confrontation, and one that I can see as being far more successful. Again, adults have autonomy in the US to make foolish medical decisions for themselves and to accept advice from quacks and charlatans, be they cultists or psychic surgeons or voudoun masters, or WHATEVER. The focus would have to be on the fraud, and improper oversight, and lack of qualified medical personnel overseeing the procedures. Once again, the cult could claim a cultist with a medical degree is always on premises and available to intervene, or that they do not exceed FDA recommended quantities of niacin, or any number of things. They could even produce faked-up documents "proving" this, if necessary.

The mail fraud angle is also a concern, and likewise hard to prove. If you don't receive something in your mail, how do you ever know for sure it was ever sent at all? Did the post office lose it? You'd have to prove that intercepting mail was an ongoing and rampant problem, which would require a True Believer to document that it was while still "in." You see the problem.

Disconnection also sucks, but, aside from the fact that there are SO MANY stories about it, evidence remains anecdotal, and any True Believers confronted about it will toe the cult's party line and deny that they were coerced in any way not to contact their friends or families.

The religious worker VISA fraud has been addressed, I believe, but I don't think it got very far. There have been chances in the religious worker legal guidelines in recent years, IIRC, so this may become an issue if the cult chooses to defy any of the new guidelines.

As for leaving the cult, and the cult taking control of finances and cutting off avenues of external emotional and financial support, well, again, you have anecdotal evidence, plus a bunch of paperwork contradicting that it was in any way involuntary. A savvy cult lawyer could argue that just because the ex-cultist now regrets financial decisions made while in good standing with the cult, that does not compel the cult to issue a refund to a disgruntled parishioner. I can see them arguing that Xtians do not expect to get money back that they place in a collection basket passed around in church, even if they become disgruntled with and leave that church. You'd have to establish that these monetary "donations" were coerced or compelled or that the cultists were actively defrauded in order to make any case stick.

It is a huge problem. Because cults ARE so insular, and because Scientology in particular is so savvy about hiding their sins when outsiders sniff around (and they seem to always get a heads up), even a prosecutor or gov't agent eager to topple the cult or expose their various illegal and extralegal and human rights infringing activities has to rely mostly on hearsay, even if it is echoed by a LOT of victims, the fact that most of the outspoken exes, if not all, are adults of legal age who made decisions about belonging to the cult when adults of legal age, and so on.

Where there is smoke, there is fire, but proving it legally and putting a stop to it and regulating it are far more difficult than we think--or so I suspect. And, again, that "freedom of religion" bit freezes some people in place before any serious examination even gets started. Just saying you are a religion apparently makes it so, and it apparently doesn't matter if your so-called religion is an abusive cult that preys on adults and children and non-cult relatives and friends of cultists, at least in the eyes of those who cling to that "freedom of religion" issue.

Add to this that most people do not focus on or research the cult as thoroughly as most critics and exes do, and you can see it is hard to get justice for those who definitely deserve it, or to stop the cult from doing the harm it does. All we can hope for is keeping authorities apprised of the situation, urging them to keep an eye on the cult, and cross our fingers that the cult slips up and reveals some of its abuses in front of an authority figure who has the clout to run with it and get some justice.