Who are these masked men?

By Writer U Weekly Staff

Scattered throughout the world, they sit at their computers, posting comments on messages board that are often vile, crude, and tasteless. Online, they are largely able to do or say whatever they please, masked behind the curtain of anonymity that the internet provides. They call themselves Anonymous, a collection of internet users with no discernible leader or hierarchy, and for the first time they are taking their efforts beyond online message board comments and into the real world, including right here in Columbus. The target: the Church of Scientology.

The group (for lack of a better word, since its members do not consider themselves an organization) began protesting the Church of Scientology earlier this year in January when a video produced by the Church of Scientology featuring an infamous interview with Tom Cruise was leaked onto YouTube. The Church then issued a copyright violation claim to YouTube to have the video removed. Anonymous subsequently declared war on the church, stating that “[f]or the good of your followers, for the good of mankind — for our own enjoyment — we shall expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form.”

Locally, it’s hard to say how many members there are of Anonymous, given that their activities take place largely on the internet. Despite this, Anonymous actively recruits for new members by flyering Ohio State’s campus. The group has also staged protests against the Church of Scientology in the real world, showing up near the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio on Feb. 10, and again earlier this month. One member we talked to, who goes by the name “Ursa,” said about 100 people have shown up for the real life protests.

“We do not target the belief system of Scientology,” she told us. “We do not target its individual members. The business structure and organization of the "church" is what we are fighting. We are fighting so that the members of Scientology can believe what they want, without going into debt, without cutting off ties with their families and friends, and without being censored. We are fighting so they can believe freely.”

Actually, there seems to be no shortage of reasons that members of Anonymous (or “Anons”) are going up against the church. Some disagree with the church’s tax-exempt status, while others allege that the church censors its members and has committed human rights violations against some of its members in the past.

The Church of Scientology, naturally, has equally unkind things to say about Anonymous, calling them “a group of cyber-terrorists who hide their identities behind masks and computer anonymity,” in a news release last month, and that Anonymous perpetrates “religious hate crimes against Churches of Scientology and individual Scientologists for no reason other than religious bigotry.” They say it is Anonymous that suppresses free speech, by launching denial-of-service attacks against the church’s websites.

Local members of Anonymous say they are unfairly portrayed by the Church of Scientology and some media accounts.

“We were just horribly misrepresented in the Dispatch,” Ursa told us. “The writer said we had all read Mein Kampf.... I had never even heard of it before.”

While the legality of some activities by the group has been questioned in other cities, members in Columbus say they strive to protest peacefully, but in highly visible and intelligent ways. Lately, the group has been spotted at the monthly Gallery Hop in the Short North, passing out fliers and engaging anyone who will listen in a discussion about the church.

“Some days I stand outside their building alone or with a friend, holding a sign and a video camera, talking to people who are interested, and greeting every Scientologist with a smile and a pleasant hello or other appropriate greeting,” another Anon tells us. “The camera is my body-guard, to document that I am engaged in no illegal, violent or threatening activity.”

While members protest peacefully, two protestors were injured in February in an accident completely unrelated to the Church of Scientology — they were clipped by a COTA bus. One member received a gash across his stomach, while another was taken to the hospital for treatment (both are now fine). One local Anon took the opportunity to prank call the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio and inquire about the incident, posing as a Scientologist. During the conversation, which was then uploaded to YouTube, the woman on the phone at the Church can be heard laughing about the accident, before backtracking after the caller tells him that he, in fact, was one of the people hit by said bus.

Whether you consider them cyber terrorists or peaceful protestors, one thing seems certain: Anonymous is not going away any time soon. The group has scheduled another protest for Saturday, April 12, that members say will focus on the “disconnect” policy of the Church of Scientology, where members sever all ties between themselves and those in their lives who oppose Scientology, be they friend, co-worker, or family.

“At our last protest, several parents shared their stories of how they lost their spouses and children to the Church's disconnection policy,” says Ursa. “We see this as an effort to isolate Church members; to make them so dependent on the Church that they would never think about leaving.”

Originally Published: Issue 684 - March 26, 2008

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Comments

I’m not a Scientologist but it sounds great to me, maybe it could the people who are attacking it with some of their crimes.

Bruce Benson Angela Gupta Nina Reyes | 2008-03-25 - 06:16:03 PM (CDT)
The article quotes an "Anonymous" protestor as saying:

"We do not target the belief system of Scientology, We do not target its individual members. The business structure and organization of the "church" is what we are fighting. We are fighting so that the members of Scientology can believe what they want".

But while she may be speaking for herself, she does not speak for the vast majority of "Anonymous" members, who post constantly on blogs, groups, and forums their desire to obliterate Scientology completely. They aren’t just out to clean out Church management and correct the wrongs, they clearly state that what they want is to get rid of the entire religion permanently.

They also ridicule individual Scientologists online for stating their beliefs and defending them, calling them cultists, nutjobs, clams, brainwashed dupes, and plenty of other charming names.

Both Scientologists and anti-Scientologists are social do-gooders of sorts, both trying to save us all from something we didn’t even know was threatening us. But the difference is that, like the KKK and Al-Qaeda, the "Anonymous" crew wear masks.

They’re made further suspect since they mostly make their point in childish and cowardly ways like prank phone calls, anonymous threats, computer hacking, and cyber-stalking.

Monty Cantsin | 2008-03-25 - 07:24:16 PM (CDT)
Whatever your thoughts about a band of anonymous individuals, it is clear that there are now thousands of people peacefully protesting the crimes committed by the Church of Scientology. I find it hypocritical that the CoS accuses its critics of ’terrorist’ tactics when it has a track record of using fear and intimidation to silence critics. Look at what they did to Paulette Cooper (google Operation Freakout). They even accused the BBC of making death threats and organizing protests.

In 1995, Lisa McPherson died after being imprisoned for 17 days by Scientologists.
In January 2008, Italian Police rescued Frenchwoman Martine Boublil from a house where she was being held against her will by four Scientologists, who were arrested.
In both these cases the women were being subjected to a Scientology procedure called an ’Introspection Rundown’ - isolation and imprisonment.

Abusive practices must stop. Laws must be followed. It doesn’t matter if you are a cult with an army of lawyers or a real religious organization. Human rights are protected by law and will be defended by society. I am glad someone is speaking out against Scientology’s abuses.

If you are curious I recommend reading http://truthtopplestyranny.blogspot.com

Steven Livingstone | 2008-03-25 - 07:49:46 PM (CDT)
Most Anonymous do find the beliefs system of Scientology to be somewhat amusing--alien souls blown up in volcanoes 75 million years ago being the source of headaches and depression does sound a bit far fetched. However, they are within their First Amendment rights to do so--just as they recognize and respect the individual Scientologists’ First Amendment rights to believe in that. The beliefs are NOT the reasons for the protests.
The policies of the organization calling itself the "Church of Scientology" that violate the human rights of its followers, suppress the rights of Free Speech of its critics, and generally abuse the legal system ARE the subject of the protests, however.

Scientologists are trained to never respond to any criticisms--no matter how well documented--and simply attack the person making the criticism for any personal shortfalls they may have in an effort to change the subject and discredit the critic. If no shortfalls can be found, they are instructed to make up claims.

In contrast, the document linked below contains nothing made up; all charges and crimes listed within are cited with government documents, sworn testimony, and seized Scientology memos.
http://rapidshare.com/files/102157292/Info_Packet_FINAL_DRAFT.zip.html

Download, read, and learn what the Corporation of Scientology DOESN’T want you to know.

Anonymous | 2008-03-25 - 07:57:14 PM (CDT)
If you really want the inside info on Scientology, ask the kids! The kids of high-level Scientologist (including the leader’s niece) speak out here:

www.exscientologykids.com

Tony Meman | 2008-03-25 - 07:59:44 PM (CDT)
We are Anonymous
We are Legion
We do not Forgive
We do not Forget

ALL HEIL XENU!!

Sir Mudkip | 2008-03-25 - 07:59:56 PM (CDT)
I forgot to add that the really sad thing about Mary Panton, is the "skill" she demonstrates in "handling" Mark Bunker probably cost her more than a college education to acquire.

Shawn Lonsdale | 2008-03-25 - 08:04:16 PM (CDT)
Misconceptions abound.

Scientology has their own agenda when they attempt to "improve" things. Their CCHR emails, leaked to wikileaks now, and their infiltration of institutions like the IRS and the Ontario Mental Health organization show how far they are willing to go to get their goals acheived.

Besides, the whole tactic of attacking Anonymous is already old. Check out Hill vs. Church of Scientology of Toronto.

in during terryeo

Terryeo | 2008-03-25 - 08:05:47 PM (CDT)
Excellent article. It shows that you have clearly done your research. The reason Anonymous wears masks is to protect themselves from The Church of Scientology’s well known Fair Game Policy which states that any Suppressice Person (SP) or enemy of the church

"May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed"
L.Ron Hubbard
HCOPL 18 Oct 67 Issue IV, Penalties for Lower Conditions

Many Scientologists will argue that Fair Game was canceled and often refer too HCOPL 21 Oct 68 Cancellation of Fair Game, which states "The practice of declaring people FAIR GAME will cease. FAIR GAME may not appear on any Ethics Order. It causes bad public relations. This P/L does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling of an SP"

However this did not cancel Fair Game, it only made it so Fair Game does not appear on any documents. It’s apparent by this video that it is still going on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqlGslGXM_c

Hers an article about the above video.
http://uweekly.com/newsmag/03-26-2008/7952

Robert Bule | 2008-03-25 - 08:14:52 PM (CDT)
I heard Mary Panton left Scientology!

lumar | 2008-03-25 - 08:15:43 PM (CDT)
Lost my original post...

Mary Panton aka Mary DeMoss has recently blown (escaped from) the Sea Org. She had been assigned to harass the people of the Lisa McPherson Trust as their top Bull Baiter. She was so good at it that she was promoted to Executive Director of CCHR (Citizen’s Commision on Human Rights) a semi-covert arm of the Co$ whose mission it is to obliterate the field of psychiatric care- don’t laugh! They have successfully lobbied public officials at every level including congress and even had the president’s brother, Neil Bush stumping for them in Washington. Here is a clip of Mary applying LRH tech to "handle""suppressive person" Mark Bunker during a legal picket:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvhHD8bUl5I

Mary will certainly have damaging information about the Co$’s criminal activities and one day soon she is going to spill the beans. And the Anonymous movement is making it safer for her to do so. Welcome to the other side Mary. We are glad to have you and BTW, Mark Bunker wants to know if you will have dinner with him now.

Shawn Lonsdale | 2008-03-25 - 08:19:01 PM (CDT)
While it’s true that Anonymous generally finds the beliefs of Scientologists to be silly and bizarre, and doesn’t afraid to say so, it remains that it is not one of the factors that anon protests or finds despicable.

Anon likely finds the beliefs of the Westboro Baptist Church likewise offensive, misguided, and stupid, but the WBC does not regularly break the law and harass people at home, their jobs, try to ruin their reputations... etc. It doesn’t actively try to tear families apart to preserve its own crumbling self image.

The Church of Scientology does. And that’s why anon continues to protest, through fully peaceful and legal means.

S. Duranjaya | 2008-03-25 - 08:32:18 PM (CDT)
Now this is the religion all about how,

Hubbard’s wallet got flipped turned upside down. So hook up an E-meter and sit right there I’ll tell you how you became a human Preclear.

On the planet Coltice born and raised Mining Vespene gas is how I spent most of my days, Being overpopulated and relaxin’ all cool and all playing some Thetan ball outside Scientology school. When a couple of Psychiatrists who were up to no good, started freezing brothers in my neighborhood, I got in one little volcano and my Overlord got scared and said "your moving with the homospaiens on Teegeeak, that planet with air"

So I Whistled for a DC8 and when it came near, It had no propellers just rockets in the rear If anything I could say the in-flight brainwashing movie was rare but I thought "nah forget it, Then they put me in a box using some Ghostbusters gear"

I pulled up to the planet about 7 or 8 million years ago And yelled to Xenu "Yo ho, Imprison you later" I looked at my Thetans, we were finally there To haunt us some primates with little body hair.

Anon Smith | 2008-03-25 - 08:37:21 PM (CDT)
Monty Cantsin said:

"But the difference is that, like the KKK and Al-Qaeda, the "Anonymous" crew wear masks."

Flunk. Straw man.

Who we are doesn’t matter. If wearing masks to protect ourselves, our families, and our kittens makes us cowards, then chalk me up as the biggest wuss known to man (next to ninjas, football players, and Batman). I’d rather have a stranger on the internet think little of me than wake up to a dead pet.

Scientology’s crimes are heinous, plentiful, and well-documented. All anyone needs to do is look.

Anymous | 2008-03-25 - 08:40:26 PM (CDT)
I was under the impression that the KKK and Al Queda did wear maks. At least the women anyhow.

Lisa McPherson | 2008-03-25 - 08:55:48 PM (CDT)
This article goes South in the first sentence.

I’ve been to both protests, and I don’t spend time on messageboards at all, nevermind posting "vile, crude, tasteless" things.

You’re behind the times my friend.

Those protesting scientology are not the geek hackers you think they are. I’m a 40 something professional who became aware of what scientology does just recently. My disbelief and outrage has me protesting.

So that makes me what? I guess you make it up, and tell us.

Sean | 2008-03-25 - 09:07:52 PM (CDT)
I am curious as to why the author didn’t bother getting information from the Church’s perspective.

I have been posting and following the "campaign" of Anonymous as an independant Scientologist for two months now. I have been to the critic sites, read through the partvan site and links to Chanology where the group spawned from, and have even received communiction from a couple of "high profile" ex scientologists. In all this stuff I have been able to deduce a couple of things.

One, a large part of the Anonymous crowd are not terrorists or some such, mostly younger kids who only parrot what they have read on the critical sites. After all some of the stories have an apparency of truth and they are quite sensational to rouse an emotional response.

The other part of this crowd however is not so nice. They are quite few who are simply off their rocker. Their communication is threaded with paranoia and conspiracy. They read into everything some nefarious plan by the church to victimize their paritioners and more importantly critics like themselves. In this group you will find a variety of the baser human endeavors and discussions. I can tell you first hand I have seen the discussions about violent threats and other potential illegal activity. No matter how much a certain few of the Anonymous crowd try intervene with their brethren’s vile calls and no matter how much they try and downplay it we are seeing a good old fashioned bigoted campaing replete with bomb threats and harrasment.

I have seen discussions by many within this group about not having to prove anything only allege so as to help further the desire for destruction of Scientology.

If the church were indeed such an evil organization and L. Ron Hubbard the devil incarnate then I think we would have seen some other activity on the part of the authorities to intervene. If this group has proof of immoral behavior than by all means bring it to the attention of the appropriate people. The problem is that this group shouts often and loud about conjecture and assumption.

One would ask themselves why a group would go out of it’s way to cause this much trouble to the Church and individual Scientologists. The idea that they are somehow protesting only the church but magically safeguard the rights of individual Scientologists to practice Scientology is pure and unadulterated fantasy.
The only thing that amazes me more is that anyone would buy that line of tripe. As a Scientologist I can definitly tell you that what they do does me absolutely no good. They are ONLY making my life more difficult by mocking and degrading my religion and spreading untruths and accusation. It is not that I don’t think Scientology will hold out, it is and will. Unfortunately every new religion on the face of this earth has undergone it’s share of attacks both covert, overt and often hostile.

The question to anyone reading my comment here is what type of person are you. Are you the type to easily parrot gossip and buy into slander or are you the type who defines themselves by gaining your own perception of things and defining your own truths. In otherwords are you a follower or a leader?

I have written many pieces debunking the accusations about disconnection, fair game, Lisa Mcpherson and the rest. I have held much discussion on why a handful of ex-Scientologists with almost believable stories say what they say but I will not belabor that point here.

I can say that as a Scientologist of many years and having worked for the organization for 6 of them, that I know more about this area than the critics. I am a father, cub scout leader and business owner and I have never, nor anyone I worked with, had some insidious plan to dupe it’s parishioners or the public. The church does what it says it does. If you don’t believe me you can get testimonials form non scienologist in the videos describing the social betterment activities on

www.scientology.org

The question then left is if the Church is actual benevolent and it is truly non profit and all of that than why? Why would some individuals feel the need to take up this call? Why would they set up websites that are very sensational? Are these truly heroic peoples fighting the good fight? Did they decide to take up this cause vs. joining the peace corps or their own church activities, or become staff of a soup kitchen?

Well, for one I think we can single out a portion of the group who does it for the lolz (laughs). Why some think this is funny I may never know. I don’t think it is funny in the slightest to mock and defame unless this was just a comment on their character. Not exactly virtues they are displaying

Secondly, we have the group that I spoke about earlier whose intentions are of a destructive nature. After all, it is much easier to be a destroyer of something than to be a builder of something. They in some way seem to see most of the world as an enemy and can’t conceive of the idea that people actually do go out of their way to help other people. They actually will pretend help in an effort to destroy.

Lastly, we have the remaining. Some I think just don’t know what they are doing. Some I believe are a little, I am sorry to say, gullible. Some are heavily influenced by those of a destructive nature and have a hard time holding their own position. This type of person is usually ill, has accidents, constantly filled with doubt, fairly introverted and cause others and himself a great deal of trouble even if unintentionally. They are on a roller coaster in life doing well, then poor, then well, then poor etc. You can actually read about how Scientology handles this condition by visiting the website:

www.scientologyhandbook.org. There you will find a reference to overcoming ups and downs in life. On this page you will also find helpful information about how to learn how to study and more.

If the author would like some direct information from me tha he can post a response asking and I will contact him via the website.

bgodley | 2008-03-25 - 09:13:58 PM (CDT)
There is no other group in the civilized world you would have to wear a mask to protest.

Welcome to the world of scientology.

Associating the current anonymous movement against scientology with any action taken by any other anonymous person is ridiculous, in the 24 hours of the march 15 protest, them member count at enturbulation.org rose by 5000. 5000 people who joined the fight fresh to the 8000 there previously.

Everyone is out there for their own reason. No one is the master of another. In all the time i have been on enturb, all i have seen is compassion for people. Thats all i can tell you. 12000 members, and no hate speech.

If you want to raise the use of slang terms for scientologist, bear in mind scientologist is a very long word to type so it was bound to happen. I suppose its similar to why the good folk of scientology refer to ’non scientologists’ as WOG (look that up ) and raw meat. Yep. Scientology has pretty soft ground to stand on if they plan to bitch about that.

al | 2008-03-25 - 09:27:37 PM (CDT)
scientology.org is fake testimonials from people who thought they were talking about something else. come on bgodley pay attention.

anonymous | 2008-03-25 - 09:28:54 PM (CDT)
Expect Us
04.12.08

Operation Reconnect

We are Anonymous
We are Legion
We do not Forgive
We do not Forget

We Are Your SPs

CyberChrist | 2008-03-25 - 09:31:51 PM (CDT)
"They also ridicule individual Scientologists online for stating their beliefs and defending them, calling them cultists, nutjobs, clams, brainwashed dupes, and plenty of other charming names."

Funny, Anon regularly works alongside both Freezone and ex-Scns. Freezoners still believe in Scientology, only they don’t require any money(oh, and lack any abuse/murder scandals).

Troll harder, OSA seed.

Dio Brando | 2008-03-25 - 09:39:43 PM (CDT)
Oh hi BGodley.

You’re here again trying to look knowledgeable. Didn’t I refute you at the LA Times site?

Yes, yes I did.

In any case, you still need your citations. Show me where it says Fair Game is over and I’ll show you Scientologists harassing Anonymous members with threats of legal action against perfectly legal protests. And a LRH document that shows you wrong.

Show me somewhere where Scientology is doing something good and I’ll show you ulterior motives.

Show me brainwashed kids and I’ll show you the kids who lived to flee the organization you love to protect.

Talk about lolz and I’ll laugh, because it’s lulz. (They do it for them) If you’ve been following this group apparently you haven’t been doing so very well.

Talk about the testimonials and I’ll show you denials and threats of potential legal action from people who were filmed.

Also I’d like citations other than $cientology for your claims that we’re evil terrorists. So far anything somewhat illegal I’ve seen has been warned, reported to the FBI, and taken down because that’s not what anonymous wants.

I’d love to give you citations of when Scientology advocated framing other people for terrorism, though. A critic, even.

Sounds kind of familiar.

Oh well. See you again at the next article... and the next.

Nameless Envoy | 2008-03-25 - 09:42:58 PM (CDT)
THE INTERNET IS DESTROYING YOU.

phyllis diller | 2008-03-25 - 09:43:10 PM (CDT)
LOL the first comment:

"I’m not a Scientologist but it sounds great to me, maybe it could the people who are attacking it with some of their crimes."

You have to understand scientology to appreciate the brilliant humor of that comment.

Scientologists think that anyone who doesnt’ think scientology is the bees knees has crimes they’re hiding. Why? Because their God (a.k.a. LRH) told them that was the case.

They follow every word of a drug-riddled paranoid alcoholic like it’s gospel. Believe me, I know.

Herman | 2008-03-25 - 09:54:56 PM (CDT)
I totally know who was interviewed for this piece, and happen to know she did a VERY good job writing the responses and forming them in a way that the reporter was able to understand. She had me proofread, and it was really well done.

Also, thank you for actually taking the time to research and dig deep enough to find out the real truths behind what is going on, after the dispatch fiasco, we needed someone to take more than a quick glance at our masks, and cast us aside. Props to you for taking the initiative, and props to "Ursa" (You know who you are).

LoyalAnon | 2008-03-25 - 09:56:06 PM (CDT)
Scientology, you have no chance to survive make your time.

Anon | 2008-03-25 - 10:05:38 PM (CDT)
Dear Church of Scientology,

We are coming for you in ten thousand ways until you are destroyed. We will not forgive your transactions, and we will not forget your crimes. Your organization is marked for destruction. Our unorganization is the manifestation of an aware mankind. Pleased to make your acquaintance .

Sincerely,
The Internet

Anonymous | 2008-03-25 - 10:09:08 PM (CDT)
bgodley, FLUNKED "apparency of truth" look up the word and try again. Did LRH make this word up just like enturbulate?

To any readers, bgodley will never answer any questions on try to steer the discussion.

See the fact is that many of these young persons are being fair gamed by scientology, it’s PIs, and lawyers. People right here in Columbus have witnessed harassment by Scientology and are taking to the streets to tell their stories.

Quit killing the pets of critics. Quit imprisoning scientologists for your Introspection Rundown (Lisa MacPherson and the French woman). Quit "Disconnecting" scientologists from the family and loved ones.

What kind of Church tells all its members to choose between the religion and their families and if you don’t choose scientology you are discommuniticated (declared SP).

miek chan | 2008-03-25 - 10:09:43 PM (CDT)
How did Lisa McPherson die then, BGodley?
Why was Paulette Cooper framed for bomb scares by the OSA?
Why does Scientology hire PIs with handguns to try to snap Anons + critics with their masks off, and follow them home?
Why is it, when critics are named, that PIs start swarming their homes, killing their pets, and breaking into their homes to cause trouble?
Why does the OSA commit burgularies on \"SP\’s?\"
Why does scientology demand that members disconnect from their families as they progress up the \"bridge.\"
Why does David Miscavige look like a used car salesman, and why are there stories of him beating his underlings?
Why does Scientology teach that its members are the master race, and everybody else are \"Wog\’s?\"
Why does Scientology encourage its members to rat each other out and spy on each other?
Why does Scientology order other Scientologists to disconnect with members who \"blow,\" or leave the church?
Why is Scientology posting the names of Anonymous members on YouTube on accounts that they admit they own, from pictures by their PIs?
Why does Scientology require you to pay to go up the \"bridge?\"
Why does Scientology require you to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to fully get all of the information in their religion?
Why does Scientology purposely bullbait protesters and critics, and attempt to plant bogus assualt charges on people for little things like brushing into them?
Why does Scientology claim to keep photos of critics for \"safety\" of their church, yet has been proven to have files on SPs and use them to attempt to ruin that SP\’s life?
Why does the OSA follow protestors home?
Why does the OSA try to sexually harass and intimidate women?
Why does Scientology deny the existance of Xenu and laugh it off, but actually have Xenu at the proper OT level?
Why does Scientology tell members that thinking for themselves will give them pneumonia and kill them?
Why did Lisa McPherson die of dehydration, and have cockroach bites all over their body?
Why does Scientology use junk science such as overdosing members on Vitamins, as opposed to giving them the treatment they need?
Why does Scientology want to obliterate all Psyciatrists from the earth? Sounds like Hitler.
Why are there 2 reports so far of pet deaths from critics of Scientology? 1 is a problem, 2 is a coincidence, and I bet there will be a 3rd - stalking.

Can you answer these questions Bgodley, or any other COS member? Of course you can\’t. It would make your Reich look bad.

COS murderers | 2008-03-25 - 10:18:43 PM (CDT)
You know, you could just hire a puppet or a parrot to squawk "LISA MCPHERSON!!!!" every time someone pulls its string, or anytime anyone else tries to ever say something.

Would save a lot of time and energy, and make for just about as useful and intelligent a debate.

Benjamin Linus | 2008-03-25 - 10:28:00 PM (CDT)
Lol, Gawd.... if Lisa was the only proof of Scientology’s atrocities we wouldn’t even be here right now.

Check out the above "COS Murderers" list, and explain every single on of those away. Then get back to me.

LoyalAnon | 2008-03-25 - 10:35:42 PM (CDT)
Oh wow. That last scientology post is a real corker.

You are deh supor expert yes?

A good old fashioned hate campaign? Tell that to two peaceful protests by almost 9000 people. Where was your hate there.

You want to know what the truth is, mr expert. You want to know what scientology is terrified of. Its not anonymous. Its the idea of an opponent who cant be spun so easily into being religious bigots. How prey tell, will you spin operation reconnect, where anoymous will strive to bring families disconnected by scientology back together?

You want to know what i think of scientolgists, i think they are good people. I think they are trying to change the world. But i think as evidenced from tactics like fair game, which is happening today, this very day to people scientology is stalking with PI’s for carrying out peaceful protests, tactics like disconnect where ex member after ex member has spoken out with the same voice, introspection rundowns like that which lisa mcphearson was put on, and of course the recent case of a woman kidnapped in italy that scientology utterly denies, but which tough luck, they WILL be heading to court for as she has filed an official complaint.

I think the system at the top of scientology has gone very very wrong. And while scientology tried to stop all the protesters by labelling them as terrorists, as readers of mein kampf and the communist manifesto, we are dedicated to preserving scientology while removing the management, and systems which are the cause of the vast volume of drama that scientology pulls down on itself. Why else would we so publicly support freezone, which practices the scientology faith without the management.

Scientolgoists have every right to believe what they want. But not when it hurts others.

You claim to know more than the critics, because of working in there for six measly years? Some of the critics of scientology were in for twice as long as you have been, they HEADED entire sections. And you know more than them. They were OT 7 or 8 and you know MORE THAN THEM ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY? Are you serious? Do you expect people to disregard the critics, because you say you know more than them- so there. Are you trying to be funny??? Do you know what these people say when they come out of the SO and OSA. They say they were doing exactly what you are doing now, trolling sites to get their stats up. You fail sir. Let me tell you why.

You are the master debunker.

Explain the following.

Scientology declared operation snow white the act of a few bad apples. That the GO was disbanded and the clean and virtuous OSA set up in its place. Why then, in the late 90’s was scientology sent packing out of greece. apparently some naughty boys had been infiltrating the greek secret service, and were in posession of greek airforce base plans. Do you know the conclusion the greek court came to, when it went to liquidate all scientology assets in greece. Let me quote if for you.

"it is an organization with totalitarian structures and tendencies, which in essence despises man, though it deceivingly acts freely in order and exclusively to attract members who in turn undergo... brain washing, so as to render their way of thought controllable..."

oops.

Secondly. Scientology actively proclaims that one can practice other religions while remaining a scientolgist. That other faiths are compatible with scientology. And yet i have listened to time and again, the tapes of the founder of scientology l ron hubbard outlining quite clearly, facts which make scientology totally incompatible with other faiths. Was the voice a fake, would you like to get it professionally compared with other voice samples of his maybe?

This is bait and switch sir, at its most bold. You say one thing to get people in the door, but at some point down the line the truth in scientology is the exact opposite.

Can you explain why the rate for blowing (leaving scientology suddenly) at the top is so high. By this point, scientology had delivered no? By this point, you have developed supreme powers, and can alter the mest universe. I could understand someone blowing maybe at OT 3 or 4, if they haven’t developed anything, but OT 7 OR 8??? by this point they have gotten the payoffs that scientology is all about, no? How can they get to OT7 without mastering the abilities expressed in the previous ones. Surely, upon seeing the proof, by their own hand, they would know scientology is the one true path.

And yet even in the last few days, one of your top people blew, left scientology as fast as her legs could carry her. Didn’t even wait for the six months of crap she was supposed to to avoid an SP declare. If you can explain how one person can reach ot 8, then blow, i will be very impressed.

I’m also pretty shocked by your logic. You refer to the testimonials of ex scientologists as ALMOST BELIEVABLE then encourage people to seek proof by going after testimonials on www.scientology.org Not even third party site that could pretend to be impartial but home freaking base.

To be frank, i take the critics with a pinch of salt. I dont take the fbi reports with any salt though, Or the investigations in canada, germany greece belgium and soon france and probably italy after that last mistake.

Then and i totally love this, we get the classic scientology pattern of. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY! YOU HAVE TO GET THE INFO RIGHT FROM THE SOURCE! Yes, that makes perfect sense man. I’m sure the help desk at the Reich offices was a great place to get totally unbiased opinions on nazism. By your logic i should be looking for info about psychiatry from no one but psychologists. God knows, you would not advocate THAT strategy now would you. I have yet to see the anti psychiatry campaign from scientology that says , head to your local psychiatrist because that’s the source!! you have to get your true facts there!

Your logic is laughable, because you apply it in a bizarre, patchwork manner to suit you, or rather its one set of rules for scientology and a different one for everyone else.

And then, the other scientology classic, you start taking swipes at the character of the people protesting you? How does attacking the person change the information in the fbi files? How so? Explainez vous? Not only do you partition them into separate jars of failure, you even go onto to diagnose the problems and offer solutions. All on the basic you ’believe’ they are gullible, or prone to ups and downs and getting sick? Getting sick. You can tell we get sick now?

Listen man, if that is your debunk logic, you have a long way to go to reach OT SHERLOCK HOLMES buddy.

By your logic i can claim all doctors to be serial killers because SHOCK HORROR, almost every person who dies in a hospital is in the same room as one.

Welcome to the real world, welcome to critical thinking. one plus one equals eleven will NOT fly here.

As a parting gift lets examine your super debunk logic one last time.

"The idea that they are somehow protesting only the church but magically safeguard the rights of individual Scientologists to practice Scientology is pure and unadulterated fantasy."

And yet people managed to protest the child abuse that went on in the catholic church, without protesting the religion just fine! Even catholics themselves. And there is NO WAY your church can survive unless it stays exactly how it is, which is why the catholic church IMPLODED when they stopped doing the crusades a few centuries back, and why they then un imploded and them exploded when they stopped the practice of excommunication.

Scientology will survive this. Be it through freezone, or whatever is left when various governments and human rights organisations are done bringing it into compliance. And i hope it does, because our actions against it will ensure that it does not get banned outright in nation after nation. We will make sure, that the scientology that comes out of this, is compatible with national constitutions. That there will be no more fair game. No more disconnect. No more introspection. No more rpf.

on my internetz? | 2008-03-25 - 10:38:25 PM (CDT)
"bgodley" - I’ve read the accusations; I’ve read your "debunking" and the whole "Scientology Myths" site; I’ve read the original materials quoted by both.

Sorry, the debunking doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, and they always avoid certain facts, narrowing it down to half-truths and misrepresent the accusations so that they can be dis-proven as "misunderstandings."

The reason McPherson is the call of the day is because it is emblematic of the extent to which the "church" manipulates the courts, the law, witnesses, judges, and ultimately the truth itself. If you read the actual court docs and circumstances and opt for "accidental death" ... well, let’s just say it’s not an opinion, but an intelligence test - and you fail.

Her story will not be left untold. She is perhaps the Anne Frank of Hubbard’s Reich. And paraphrasing the sign above the throne of Jim Jones at the Guyana Massacre,

"Those who forget the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them."

Riddick | 2008-03-25 - 10:52:55 PM (CDT)
Side note -

If you ever wonder why a reporter doesn’t get the "church’s" side of the story, most articles you will find the same occurrence: The church doesn’t give real interviews. The only purpose of the press to them is to have them say what they want to be said. They will not answer questions except in carefully prepared rare cases. That is from their "scripture" (policy).

Riddick (2) | 2008-03-25 - 10:54:59 PM (CDT)
One thing the article, and ESPECIALLY the Scientologists don’t mention is that anyone who openly criticizes Scientology in the media will have Private Investigators sent to stalk them, harass them, and if necessary (in the mind of a Scientologist) have their lives utterly ruined, their names dragged through the mud, and their careers destroyed. Who are the terrorists now?

I dare anyone who’s claiming all these threats of terrorism from Anonymous to call their local police department and inquire about specific incidents. I guarantee you there will be little to no reports. To call the Church of Scientology drama queens would be an insult to drama queens.

Anna Neemuss | 2008-03-25 - 11:14:03 PM (CDT)
I used to be a member of anonymous until it begin to leave its children at home to march on the weekends. I despise such poor parenting.

Nanymous | 2008-03-25 - 11:15:21 PM (CDT)
I find it rather coincidental that nearly a year ago the Church of Scientology was lodging the same accusations of terrorism against the BBC. Yes that’s right, the Church of Scientology accused the British Broadcasting Channel of terrorist threats? Why? Because they had the audacity to do an expose on their TV series Panorama.

R. Astley | 2008-03-25 - 11:16:11 PM (CDT)
Nanymous, I thought YOU scientologists were saying anonymous is a bunch of kids? Now you’ve changed your tune all of a sudden hmmm

Not Nanymous | 2008-03-25 - 11:17:05 PM (CDT)
Getting back to the original question about who are these masked men... "a collection of internet users with no discernible leader or hierarchy". I think the operative word there is DISCERNIBLE.
Scientology has been a target for smart brats on the net for years, since the a.r.s. newsgroup in the 1990s or even earlier. The smug kids who think it’s clever to mock immigrants, gays, nerds, geeks, aspies and anyone else they find at a disadvantage saw this minority religion as another soft target.
But this year’s campaign under the faceless banner of Anonymous is different in that it’s well organised and (to use an unfashionable word) disciplined. It’s no longer just individuals and small groups who stand in corners sniggering, but a movement with a direction. And direction doesn’t happen spontaneously: it implies a director. Anonymous has professional-looking websites, coordinated protest marches, and uniform logos used in every country where it operates.
The hierarchy is apparent in their forums and protests, where some members give the orders, others follow, and those who don’t conform to the Anonymous message are ejected.
There are leaders at the top of this hierarchy, but I don’t expect they’re eager to come forward.

David | 2008-03-25 - 12:18:30 AM (CDT)
Even if you told me scientologists dance in Nazi uniforms and eat babies in moonlight murder-club rituals, I just don’t give a fuck. What is it about scientology that makes all you people just totally shit your pants?

Yeah, they’re a loony UFO cult. So what? Satanism cults and vampire-wannabe cults probably outnumber the amount of active scientologists ten to one, and have demonstrably killed and hurt a lot more people.

I’ve looked at official scientology websites and the many "scientology sucks" sites, and both sides’ stuff just bores the living piss out of me.

I think all you people who have gotten so attached to scientology by way of attacking it are actually subconsciously closet scientologists deep inside! Why else would you let it dominate your lives so much, even if it is to oppose it?

Just like how Tom Cruise insists a little too often and a little too loud that he’s not, not, not gay.

Butters | 2008-03-25 - 12:20:56 AM (CDT)
Sorry, I meant to say i’m a biased member/supporter of Scientology, who thinks that limited trolling of anonymous forums and sites gives me some predestined knowledge, when in fact im ill informed. I also love Tom Cruise, for he is the epitome for what I strive to be. - Fixed

David | 2008-03-25 - 12:27:47 AM (CDT)
Not hierarchy, Hive mind, get it right, we are like internet superheroes!

We are anonymous

We are legion

We are one

Anonymous | 2008-03-25 - 12:37:34 AM (CDT)
yknow butters kind of has a point in a way. in going after the cult, now i know so much scieno lingo now about thetans, dianetics, tone scale, the arc triangle, straight wire, auditing, floating needles, past life incidents, clams, gorilla goals, ethics, TR’s, orgs, regs, stats, sea org, RPF, IAS, CCHR, narcanon, crimanon, study tech, silent birthing, free zone, reactive mind, operating thetans, body thetans, xenu, coltice, purification rundowns, exteriorization, disconnection, SP’s, fair game, e-meters, the "golden age of knowledge", flag base, gold base, tremintina base, operation freakout, operation snow white.... i didn’t intend to end up carrying all this CRAP around in my head and now it’s stuck there.

i kinda wish i’d never heard of scientology now and just gone on with my life not caring.

anothernonymous | 2008-03-25 - 12:40:04 AM (CDT)
in response to butters....

"I think all you people who have gotten so attached to scientology by way of attacking it are actually subconsciously closet scientologists deep inside! Why else would you let it dominate your lives so much, even if it is to oppose it?"

uhhh... for the lulz?!

Anonymous | 2008-03-25 - 12:45:47 AM (CDT)
I think anyone with an independant mind reading these posts can see what it is I have to deal with.

Sometimes I think the critics do themselves a disservice in saying what they do. They often say too much too often for too long. It simply becomes so unbelievable that the common man can see through the professed "do-gooding". What is almost scarier is that I think some of these guys, not all, truly believe what it is that they say. Sort of like an angry person. We have all made comments in the heat of an argument that we later regretted knowing that they weren’t all true. Even if we, in some weird way, believed it the moment it came out of our mouths. Well what if someone were angry all the time? How much do we believe?

Some say I am trying just trying to sound knowledgable or steer the conversation. What they don’t seem to understand is that I don’t have anything to hide. By being someone who doesn’t have anything to hide I can hold my position. When you do have something to hide then you cannot hold your position or confront. Sometimes this can be small things like cheating on an exam or a payroll sheet. Sometimes they are large. This by the way is also discussed as a part of Scientology Philosophy and can be found here.

http://www.scientologyhandbook.org/SH9_1.HTM

My communication may come across plain and clear because I am not trying to dig up something or making efforts to slander. I don’t have any hidden agenda nor do profess to be all knowledgable about every subject. I simply post what it is that I observe. Sometimes I do wish that I could word things differently than I do. I sometimes make the same mistake of antagonizing someone in the same way the I feel antagonized. Sometimes I wish I could find just the right 5 sentences to offer other readers exactly my experience in Scientology. To show them the things that I have observed and what Scientology is and is not from every level of my awareness. It is a difficult task sometimes when faced with a mountain of recrimination, name calling and calls for my or my church’s destruction.
The experience I mention by the way is not borne out of some brainwashed existence where I am not privy to the evil doings of the church while I merrily go about my way. No, I have worked with many people in the church not all of the same ability but almost everyone with a true desire to help and some of such high caliber and decency that I have found it unmatched in many of my other endeavors in business and life. And these folks are the staff, the "church organization" that others like to defile.

My hope is that our society has not come to the level where we are solidly steered by these prejudisms. My hope is that we somehow can rise above witch hunts and venomous accusation.

I truly don’t hate Anonymous even the destructive ones. Even if they hate me.

bgodley | 2008-03-25 - 12:50:33 AM (CDT)
First of all, why would scientologists care about my kids at home. Actually, I’m more irresponsible than that. They are not at home, they are away at university. How negligent of me.

Secondly, there are no leaders of Anonymous, because Anonymous is not just a group of unidentified people. Anonymous is an idea. It is the idea that knowledge is free. It is this idea that leads. Individual self-declared Anonymous members act on the idea. The idea leads a few to create websites, causes some to make videos, others to post responses, most to protest in person, and all to denounce the crimes that continue to be committed by the Co$.

What is my crime? For some unknown reason I feel compassion for people, both inside and out side the grasps of the cult, that I have never met.

Guilty as charged.

oldfartanon | 2008-03-25 - 01:16:52 AM (CDT)
"anothernonymous" and "butters", I definitely feel ya, man. I know way too much about Hubbard stuff now thanks to Wikipedia, and although I still support Anonymous, I think I need to just get away from the whole Scientology thing before it rots my mind. I even bought a copy of Clear Mind Clear Body the other day for the purposes of "studying the enemy", you know, and then it hit me how insidious it is that I’m being tricked into learning about all this stuff when I don’t even really want to.

legionnaire | 2008-03-25 - 01:35:05 AM (CDT)
Anonymous doesn’t hate you or any Scientologist for believing in what you believe. I don’t know what sites you’ve been visiting, but they apparently are not the ones I visit. I am 40+, a mother, scout leader, and soccer mom with a graduate degree and a good career. Granted, originally Anonymous was a more homogenous composition of young males, but with their courageous leap into tackling an issue that has been a sensitive one in the US for the past several decades, more of us are coming forward to speak our minds, too.
That said, please know that I am speaking with complete sincerity when I say that the sites I have visited and the projects I have read about are operating with the goal to provide Scientology believers with the opportunity to learn and worship as they believe without having to go bankrupt to do so, without needing to formally disconnect from family and friends, without fear of reprisal for leaving the church, etc. In addition, there have been some atrocious Scientology policies and practices that caused people to lose their lives, to break laws, and to intimidate non-Scientologists.
Truly, no one is trying to sway anyone into any particular belief system. Anonymous is made up of people of all faiths, including agnostics and atheists. No one in the forums attempts to “convert” anyone, and Anonymous doesn’t want to convert you, either. I know there are many wonderful people in Scientology. Unfortunately, it seems that those are the ones who have not yet reached the echelons where they are privy to some of the insidious activities.
You seem very intelligent. Your conscience has got to be telling you something’s amiss. Entire countries, such as Germany, are banning you as a religion. Scientology is an organization claiming to be a religion yet charging exorbitant fees for you to learn all you need to know to make an educated decision as to what/whom you choose to worship.
I encourage you to listen to your inner thoughts and explore the Free Zone, where you’d be able to practice your faith, but not at the cost of everything near and dear to you.
April 12 is all about reconnecting families whose ties have been severed. If you’re honest with yourself, how in the world could that be LOGICALLY construed into being a terroristic activity?

Candy Bar | 2008-03-25 - 01:40:18 AM (CDT)
I probably visited the "chans" all of five times before I got involved in this.

I’ve done my homework. I’ve talked to Scientologists about what they believe, and I’ve done my research. I have found that the people who come out and defend the church are astoundingly prolific liars. I do not know that everything they say is a lie; I do know that, every time I am able to find concrete information on a topic they talk about, I find that they were lying. It seems reasonable to generalize.

Count me as one of the tens of thousands who do not care either way about the belief system, but are about ready to see the cult power structure gone from this world. Coerced abortions, brutal torture, and the ongoing practice of the "fair game" policy are enough to motivate me.

Curiously, Scientologists continue to deny that they still practice the fair game policy, even as other Scientologists are harassing and stalking people they think are probably members of Anonymous.

Seebs | 2008-03-25 - 01:53:21 AM (CDT)
Anonomous! Keep up the good work! Don’t budge an inche from the cult! Bgodley, that was the lamest argument I have read in a dogs age. Life is wonderful on the outside! Join us in the sunshine!

xenu | 2008-03-26 - 02:32:58 AM (CDT)
bgodley,

I don’t really have any points I want to make. I was just wondering if you could attempt to deliver a letter to Stephanie Headley from her father, Bernie Headley.

Here is the message:

Dear Stephanie,

I want you to know I miss you very much. I am sorry I couldn’t be totally honest with you when your brother blew from Gold. I was honoring his request to keep all information about him confidential. You should know he and his wife are doing very well and have two children now! Your aunts, uncles, cousins and brother also miss you. They all would like to see you again soon. It has been three years since we last spoke and I just can’t understand how you can put the church before your father and family. I hope it isn’t really your choice. If you would like to contact me be assured it would be most welcome!

Again, we all miss you and love you and hope your return is forthcoming.

Love,
Dad

Messenger | 2008-03-26 - 02:36:48 AM (CDT)
Thank you, bgodley, for once again ignoring all inconvenient accusations and all subsequent evidence confirmint those accusations.

You’re doing a good job of clouding the issue while encouraging these meat bags to visit our site. Keep up the good work, and soon we’ll eliminate all SPs.

The All Powerfull Miscavige (I can fly!) | 2008-03-26 - 03:35:53 AM (CDT)
There’s no point trying to even communicate with these "anonymous" retards, so don’t waste your time. They’re going to believe what they want and no amount of rational discussion is going to change their mind. They’re the ones with the real cult mentality, and they simply HAVE to always be RIGHT. Everything you say just bounces off their foreheads like they don’t even speak English, and then they just fire back random off-topic retorts and try to wear you out with their illogic. If the crybabies start losing one argument, they just switch abruptly to some other subject. Yet none of it adds up to any good reason why they should sadistically get off on upsetting so many innocent people who have absolutely nothing to do with whatever David Miscavige is doing. "For the lulz" is just another way of saying "because I enjoy being a jerk".

Cornish Game Hen | 2008-03-26 - 03:36:09 AM (CDT)
5. Anonymous can be a horrible, senseless, uncaring monster.
6. Anonymous always delivers
14. The more beautiful and pure a thing is, the more satisfying it is to corrupt it.
34. There is porn of it...no exceptions.
45. Rule 45 is a lie

Anon | 2008-03-26 - 04:02:02 AM (CDT)
David says:
"The smug kids who think it’s clever to mock immigrants, gays, nerds, geeks, aspies..."

Wut... Wai... hey! That is Anonymous!1!!

Brave folks who want to have trouble sleeping tonight should investigate how far Scientologists have infiltrated the Autism treatment community with their quackery: http://www.kevinleitch.co.uk/wp/?p=463

Mudkip RIP | 2008-03-26 - 04:03:44 AM (CDT)
Cornish Game Hen

OK, lets look at this coolly and logically, one issue at a time, shall we?

We’ll start slowly.

Will the church firmly state its basic beliefs regarding Xenu, thetans, and intelligent life on other planets, both to the curious and to its own members, immediately and free of charge?

Yes or no, and why or why not?

curious | 2008-03-26 - 04:04:30 AM (CDT)
Imagine hypothetically the Pope condoned child abuse, or decide to release the New Remastered King James for secret digitally restored scrolls (oh and everyone MUST buy a new Bible which includes audio tapes).

That’s what Miscavige is doing.

These "innocent people" are giving their money directly for Miscavige to have extravagant parties for celebrities. In most "churches" the followers would be outraged.

Scientology step on the wrong toes and awoke a slumbering giant when they tried their old lawsuit tactics and tried once again to bully people on the internet. They brough this scrutiny upon themselves. If they can weather the glare of sunlight, its there problem for being secretive and attacking any critics.

miek Chan | 2008-03-26 - 04:14:37 AM (CDT)
Dear OSA/bgodley.

I understand you. I truly do.

You are sitting there, trying to save the world. I understand the feeling: You have the MEANS. You have the KNOWLEDGE. More then that - you have the TECH. You have strong beliefs and truly believe that you are doing the Right Thing. You are standing up for your church against what you perceive as a pervasive threat of immorality and terror.

This is why you are doing this every day. This is why you are logging on that computer, checking your inbox, receiving tasks and hats and run what needs to be run to keep a positive image for the Church of Scientology.

I am guessing that you are already an OT. Perhaps even beyond the wall of fire. I imagine that now days you mostly sit through long auditing sessions, possibly solo, sorting through BTs, looking for clusters.

And something is wrong.

You can call us terrorists, bigots, and many other names but the underscore is this: Most of us are here because we care. We care about _you_. You are free to believe whatever it is that you want to believe.

But there are things going on in your church organization that are wrong. Things that we are not willing to be silent about. You are not our target - your organization and its crimes, is. If you really do wish to see Scientology blooming and becoming successful, you will not shut us off from your mind. You will do your own research. You will ask your own questions.

Here is one: Why is COB squirreling the tech? Do you truely agree with the whole "Golden Age of Dianetcs"? Do you truely believe that the tech is imperfect and needs D.M. to be re-arranged? Isnt there something inherently out-ethics about the whole thing?

Dont shut us off, bgodley. Every church needs to be examined for corruption and abuse of power. You may be clear, but as you have already undoubtedly noticed yourself, that does not make any of you less human or less capable of abusing your position of power.

Start questioning. Save your church. Not merely from us - but from itself.

Anonymous | 2008-03-26 - 04:24:46 AM (CDT)
Anonymous can afford to protest CO$ month after month after month indefinitely because pharmaceuticals are sponsoring Anonymous as Scientologists are keeping people from getting their meds.

Anonymuse | 2008-03-26 - 04:41:18 AM (CDT)
Hey guys, look at this:

http://www.the-electric-church.com/

Look familiar, Co$?

AnonAnonAnonAnonAnonny | 2008-03-26 - 04:48:28 AM (CDT)
BGodley,
I do not mean to level any type of attack against your name, but your first utterances were false, and untrue. To take your arguement at face value under those fabricated pretenses is to be deliberately deceived by your derisive diatribe.
You have uttered insults and slanderous libel at those who also support the protests against the Church of Scientology’s actions. This can be evidenced by previous responses by your name throughout the internet. However, this is not the real issue.
You are the writer. You tell us what it is you have done through Scientology. Do not say you wish you can tell the world, as you are human, and have the same outlets as the rest of the internet. I personally would welcome for you to tell what it is you truly do on an everyday or sporadic basis that helps the world through Scientology’s teachings.
If it is truly good that you believe you are doing, then you should feel free to divulge in what it is that you are doing to help. Does not Scientology teach to help the world become a better place by spreading the tech of Scientology?
If you are knowingly committing evil however, would it not make sense for you to use language to evade any responsibility for your evil actions, and at the same time claim to do good to society?

LeroyJenkins | 2008-03-26 - 04:57:22 AM (CDT)
Are we still on Teegeeack?

Vice Admiral Suiseiseki, 115th Battlegroup, 4th (o | 2008-03-26 - 06:07:33 AM (CDT)
I liek Mudkipz!

Terryeo | 2008-03-26 - 06:45:11 AM (CDT)
cornishgamehen = scilon chomo

Terryeo | 2008-03-26 - 06:47:52 AM (CDT)
The government of the USA has gone after the Scientologists and thrown their leaders in jail but it has been very difficult and at great expense. They have not been good at going after Mafia-style organized crime or biker gangs either, who cause far more problems than Scientology. Germany, Belgium, France, Russia and Spain are going after Scientology and doing a far better job than the USA. I am glad Anonymous is doing what they are doing. They will at the very least increase public awareness of Scientology and stop "raw meat" from taking Scientology’s poisonous courses. At best, they will induce the governements of the world into taking legal action.

Terryeo | 2008-03-26 - 09:40:49 AM (CDT)
I find it interesting that a lot of the techniques taught in scientology are how to not let someone overpower you in an argument. It’s all about remaining calm while someone is yelling at you, or getting someone else to break down. I’m not sure of what types of lives these people strive to be living, but living in peace with yourself would seem to be a better objective than being a master at altercation.

And after watching plenty of videos of their altercations with critics, they are amateurs at best. Simply not saying at all would be a lot more effective than their humorous and childish what-are-your-crimes type tactics. It’s not much of a step above "I know you are but what am I" stuff you’d expect from an elementary school playground.

Chris | 2008-03-26 - 11:23:03 AM (CDT)
Anonymous condemns any terrorist activities, including those alleged bomb threats, bad emails and phone calls. Anonymous is peaceful.

Never gonna give you up, Scientologists.

Rick Astley | 2008-03-26 - 11:30:03 AM (CDT)
I am Anonymous.

Not because i want to. Because i have to. Because your church thinks it appropriate to sue, harass and attack critics.

I have no leader. Nobody ’tells’ me what to do. I am not paid to do this.

To bgodley and Cornish Game Hen:

You can talk all you want about who Anonymous is, but that doesn’t change the fact that the current ’church’ of Scientology is a scam to rid people of their money.

You keep saying Scientology is better then anything. But that’s not the subject here. We are talking about what is wrong within the church.

Now, please, stop posting useless scienospeak and address the issues at hand.

EastAnon | 2008-03-26 - 11:46:05 AM (CDT)
I don’t know if there is a precedent for the masks warn by Anonymous. Comparing them to the KKK is a convenient way to denigrate them but it is far from a parallel. Anonymous are the underdogs here. There are about 10,000 active Anonymi compared to 50 to 100,000 Scientologists. Also, Anonymous are mostly college students with little or no financial backing. Scientology is rich. The Anonymi simply don’t want to be the next target themselves. You don’t have to go back to Paulette Cooper to see what happens to Scientology protesters. Talk to or read about the harrassment of the people who began their protests about ten years ago like Andreas Hendal, Bob Minton, Tory Christman, Gregg Hagglund or Keith Henson and you can see how much trouble Scientology will cause for people who disagree with them and make their knowledge public.

Jimmy Lightfield | 2008-03-26 - 11:46:08 AM (CDT)
We know what $cientology tries to hide, we know how they exploit their members for the $$$. We know their intimidation tactics "Always attack, never defend". We can’t let a cult/mafia-like organization thrive off innocent believers.

George | 2008-03-26 - 12:19:55 PM (CDT)
You kids are so damn CUTE!! Earnestly making bold statements and proclamations on blogs and responses to news posts, as if your simplistic opinion means anything to anyone. Keep typing your little hearts out, lonely internet geeks, you’re no threat to anyone and never will be.

Fernst | 2008-03-26 - 12:35:49 PM (CDT)
Fernst, you are so cute with your patronizing sarcasti-tone. Just keep up the superiority complex. Don’t bother to realize that the geeks aren’t bound to their keyboards anymore.

(No you are!)
(No YOU are!)
(Nuh-uh!)
(uh-huh!)

Graig | 2008-03-26 - 01:01:34 PM (CDT)
Oh yeah, I forgot, they also wear gay masks and walk around with protest signs that look like a homeless person or a child did the lettering. Yeah, that really accomplishes something. Great work, fellas.

Fernst | 2008-03-26 - 01:16:05 PM (CDT)
Extremely evil cult, it abuses its own members who join usually out of a love for others and instead get convinced the only way to help people is to get them to join in the cult and surrender their time, labour , money and freedom.
I hope anonymous can dismantle the so called "church"

Horselover Fat | 2008-03-26 - 01:57:07 PM (CDT)
Monty Cantsin, I am addressing your ridiculous statements about Anonymous, and the "Church" of Scientology.

You say that the "Vast majority" of Anon’s want the entire religion expelled, destroyed, and that we mock and ridicule it. Yeah we mock it, and we ridicule it, just as the world can wholeheartedly mock ALL religions. Why? It’s funny. I mean seriously I’m all for people believing what they want, but the resurrection of a Jewish carpenter who is the son of a magic sky daddy is just as ridiculous as an intergalactic overlord named Xenu. As for the immediate destruction of it, guess what these are individual beliefs of individual members that are mostly likely being used hyperbolically.

Our masks: These are a necessity to those who oppose Scientology, whether a part of Anonymous or not. Every single protest every single time, they have had cameras trying to get our faces, P.I.’s, or homeless people following us home, or to our cars. This sounds paranoid but it’s the sad truth. We wear our masks so as to protect ourselves, our family, and friends from the harassment, defamation, and litigation that the "Church" uses against all whom oppose it’s Policies.

And as for the prank calls, "cyber stalking", and "hacking". My explanation is that this is the nature of something that was forged in the dark pools of the tubes, a place where you can laugh at any and everything, this was our initial reaction to the Co$, but since then there have been radical and almost immediate turnarounds from the majority of Anonymous.

John Nonymous | 2008-03-26 - 02:08:42 PM (CDT)
As a Scientologist, I once considered these protests to be the hubris of youth, misdirected by the seedy side of an internet culture. But now I know better. After reading the information gathered some anti-Scientology sites I now understand why they consider the Church to be an evil tyrannical organization that fleeces it’s parishoners. If it weren’t for what this little campaign has turned me onto, I would just be another sad commentator on the, I am sorry to say, gullibility of the people of my Church. However, this organization has taken on a much brighter side no matter what is professed by some of those in my Church. I was interested in finding out where some of these kids got their info so I visited the sites including the partyvan site where their "organization" started from. I must say I was impressed at the profound and thoughtful overtones of the discussion boards. Most were actively calling for peaceful, law abiding behavior at the protests, and they swiftly rejected any ridiculous calls for burning things, overturning cars, etc. In this age where we as Americans are being constantly reminded of how insecure our way of life is in the world. Where we seem to have lost some of the sanctity of personal freedom and the joy of pursuit of our way of life as we see fit, this campaign seems to be exactly what Scientology and our country needs, right now! These individuals know the Church is involved in some nefarious activity, and they have been very active in gathering any evidence of it, which they have promptly given to authorities. I have seen proof that the Church is fleecing people for profit and run as a pyramid scheme type of business, and I encourage everyone to contact the IRS, your representatives in Congress, and all other authorities and bring them your claims. Now I clearly understand that what the spokespeople of the Church of Scientology are doing is inciting malice and prejudice. Make no mistake not all in Scientology are the same and some probably just don’t know what they are doing. However, they are some pretty nasty characters in there, I have seen it.
It is unfortunate that the leaders of Scientology feed off of our youth to pursue their personal agendas of acquiring wealth and power. Quite despicable really.

bgodley | 2008-03-26 - 02:38:37 PM (CDT)
why do people want to "obliterate" scientology?

because it’s not a religion, it’s a cult, because it’s a pyramid scheme that won’t shy from taking the nest egg (and the home) from an old woman, because they take people prisoner and simultaneously say you are "free to go" when in fact you are not free to go, because they constantly employ machiavellian tactics to grasp for control, including the machiavellian tactic of falsely accusing any critic or enemies of the very misdeeds which they actually commit, in the first place, in order to appear credible.

because they try to replace the word of the bible, koran, etc. with a cheap pulp fiction sci fi story about space invaders written by a penny a word sci fi hack.

if you don’t think there’s something very, very wrong with scientology, well just wikipedia operation snow white, or read paulette jones account of what they did to her, or operation freakout on wikipedia, then follow a few links more. i, incidentally, am not with anonymous, i just got interested since seeing the hilarious tom cruise and his euphoric rantings on youtube and since then took an interest and learned a lot about scientology, including from their own websites.

do your own research, exercise critical thinking, and understand why, like France and Germany, the USA needs to think about banning scientology alogether, in the same way we would ban a medical quack or any hate group, ban scientology and like groups, and then move on, we have enough problems without troubling with these problem children.

if you’re in scientology and thinking about getting out, "just do it", blow, there’s a lot of living for you to do, without an organization trying to control your life. incidentally, how can they rationalize sending a "freeloader’s bill", when people receive the audits in exchange for more hours of work, etc. wouldn’t that be double payment? ah well.

baloo | 2008-03-26 - 02:40:14 PM (CDT)
Go OSU!

I don’t know what the hell this is about, but from the outside looking in - ignoring the taunts from both sides and looking at the substance - how come it is the Scientologists always answer specifics with generalization? I don’t know what half of this is about but just reading this (again, zoning out the kid stuff) seems like there are some pretty specific issues not being addressed here.

Not that I give a crap, but I never heard of a church having to sue people for talking about their scripture. Wtf is that?

Buckeye! | 2008-03-26 - 03:01:53 PM (CDT)
Why attack Scientology and why Anonymous? Why don’t these internet geeks go after RIAA or some other cause? Because Scientology and Anonymous are made for each other. Like two perfectly match nerds at a spring ball they were destined to end up making out under the bleachers.

Sceintology is a bully. Both online and IRL. In fact, Scientology might be THE definition of "serious business". No group has ever gone to such lengths to attack people on the internet and destroy the lives of critics. Heck they got Isaac Hayes off southpark over the Xenu episode. Scientology will go to your house and leave fake flyers on your neighbor’s doorsteps. They will prank call your bosses and family members if you are a public critic. I mean it’s like Anonymous can help but be attracted to something like that. They gotta give respect to such a worthy foe. Forget Myspace idiots or pedo bear. Scientology is the ultimate in serious business.

And Anonymous partly evolved and changed as they listened to WBM and other "moral fags" into what it is today. Sure the original pranksters and hackers have moved on (and may even try to bring down Anonymous just for the crime of it taking itself too seriously). But what remains of Anonymous is here for the long haul. It is comprised of young folks for the lulz, and old folks who have been waiting for this cause. And too, too many people have eaten of the fruit of knowledge.

Sorry Scientology, it’s hard to forget that ugly face once someone has seen it without its masks. It’s hard to sleep at night knowing the evils Scientology is busy plotting. Anonymous won’t stop until it Clears Scientology of the hideous Org Thetan, David Miscavige.

Brutus | 2008-03-26 - 03:34:01 PM (CDT)
Fernst, guys like you are hard to take. Why don’t you just throw all your money away on poisonous services which give you a deluded take on life on just about every matter except on how to act like a prick. You will be taught well how to act like a prick. While your at it phone your friends and family and ask them to "grant you beingness as a Scientologist" while they wonder what has happened to your mind. Adopt a paronoid view of the world-- look under the bed for suppressives. Get audited! Get your TR’s in! Become clear but in a way that doesn’t at all resemble what you read in Dianetics the Modern Science of Mental Health. Learn about Xenu. Flush your money and mental health down the toilet. Lose your best years. Take up smoking, Kools, just like L.Ron. Don’t get laid. Work for Peanuts.

All those things will serve you right and probably will happen if they haven’t all ready.

I just want you to keep it to yourself that is all. You think you can do that?

Hey the comment code down below is OT7. It’s fate!!!!

Biff California | 2008-03-26 - 03:37:38 PM (CDT)
Anyone who thinks $cientology is a religion needs to see a psychiatrist.

All Hail Xenu!

anonamouse | 2008-03-26 - 04:13:22 PM (CDT)
To quote bgodley | 2008-03-25 - 09:13:58 PM (CDT) from earlier in the blog...

"I can tell you first hand I have seen the discussions about violent threats and other potential illegal activity.
No matter how much a certain few of the Anonymous crowd try intervene with their brethren\’s vile calls and no matter how much they try and downplay it we are seeing a good old fashioned bigoted campaing replete with bomb threats and harrasment."

Then, bgodley | 2008-03-26 - 02:38:37 PM (CDT)

"I was interested in finding out where some of these kids got their info so I visited the sites including the partyvan site where their "organization" started from. I must say I was impressed at the profound and thoughtful overtones of the discussion boards. Most were actively calling for peaceful, law abiding behavior at the protests, and they swiftly rejected any ridiculous calls for burning things, overturning cars, etc"

++
I am curious as to what changed your ENTIRE outlook on Anonymous in a matter of less than 24 hours?

Goodies for all!!
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Citizens_Commission_on_Human_Rights_exposed_as_a_Scientology_front

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Citizens_Commission_on_Human_Rights_exposed_as_a_Scientology_front_part_2

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Talk:Church_of_Scientology_Office_of_Special_Affairs_and_Frank_Oliver

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Church_of_Scientology_collected_Operating_Thetan_documents

^^ very interesting stuff (and for free not $350,000)

Marcabian Mechanics Union | 2008-03-26 - 04:22:27 PM (CDT)
wow, the scientologists are sure running out of things to say aren’t they? Apparently, anon’s are either dangerous terrorist nazis, or bored computer geeks who can affect no real change. I don’t think i’ve seen an actual argument attempted for quite a while on this thread. also, in comparison to the multiple links to court documents and so forth, the scientologists seem to have nothing to link to except their home site. now that’s a cult for you!, one source you believe in totally is all you need!

martin | 2008-03-26 - 04:34:31 PM (CDT)
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Church_of_Scientology_collected_Operating_Thetan_documents
Church of Scientology collected Operating Thetan documents
(copy and paste the address above for crunching goodness (602 pages of dox)!!!!)
Have your popcorn ready. nom nom nom
(By the way, OT 3, right around page 290, is where people can read the story of Xenu, galactic overlord, in L.Ron’s own handwriting.)
For those of you who don’t want to read through the whole file...
TO SAVE YOU ALL TIME:

OT3: Xenu

OT4: Drugs drug drugs, aliens on drugs, universe on drugs, and drugged up aliens stuck to your body.

OT5: Controlling MEST. Be in the sun, now be in the moon. Good.

OT6: Oodles more BTs! Gotta catch ’em all!

OT7: Go talk to trees and animals, it’s fun!

OT8: Supah Dupah Powers

here is a definition list.
http://freezoneamerica.com/Prometheus04/files/main_gloss.htm

All of your bases are belong to us.
Hail Xenu.
WE ARE SQUIRELLING YOUR TECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mudkip and Waffle Sauce. | 2008-03-26 - 04:52:59 PM (CDT)
Also, I see OT3 is leaked? guess a lot of people will be dying or getting sick huh scientologists? time to grow up and drop the lie guys, what other evidence do you need? thousands of people have read it and surprise, no calamity.

martin | 2008-03-26 - 04:58:48 PM (CDT)
It seems that someone has stooped to using my moniker. I guess that is to be expected but I think this person does only harm to any cause claimed by Anonymous whether they realize or not.

Buckeye,

I don’t know how it is that you came to the conclusion about specifics and generalization. I can tell you that in many posts I have addressed specifics but it usually falls on deaf ears. However, for your benefit I will try and answer some things for you. I warn you this will be a long post.

1) Scientology killed Lisa Mcpherson. This is a Scientologist who died many years ago and was sued by her family for damages as she had been in the church near the time of her death. A coroner first did an autopsy stating she died from dehydration etc. The report was later to be found inaccurate and the corner recanted. She died of an pulmonary event (blood clot) as verified by three independant medical experts. You can see the official death certificate here:

http://www.scientologymyths.info/lisa-mcpherson/lisa-mcpherson-death-certificate.png

Due to the publicity the case received it is used as a rally cry for critics of the Church. The aunt spearheading the case looking for money admitted in court to being estranged from Lisa in that she didn’t really know her that well.

2) The church is a cult. Technically a cult is a subdivision of a larger religious group like a sect. The term Cult comes from the Latin word meaning worship. It’s term was originally used to define many groups that held religious worship including the followers of Jesus Christ. The term is now used as a slander word to create an image in someone’s mind that is not true. If you ask any person what their idea of a cult is they may all give you different answers. The religiousity of Scientology has been acknowledged in many countries around the world. It also has also been documented in several court testimonials and white papers written by religious scholars from Rome to Oxford to Capetown.

One such expert is Dr. Bryan Ronald Wilson, Reader Emeritus in Sociology at Oxford University and internationally respected as one of the most distinguished authorities on religious issues in the world. He has written extensively about the Scientology religion.

Scientology, he wrote, “embraces features which correspond in certain respects to some of the trends evident in the mainstream of Western religion. It employs language which is contemporary, colloquial and unmystical; and it presents its dogmas as matters of objective fact. Its conception of salvation has both proximate and an ultimate dimension.”

3) Scientology is run as a business for profit. Well, this is an example of a patent lie. The church files returns as all non-profits that file a 501 c-3. Many times those filings are audited and nothing has been shown to be out of order. What else does one have to do to prove the non-profit status?

4) The church has been responsible for several deaths. This is another common wild accusation. There is even a site that is set up that lists out several people that were Scientologists and died. This, I consider quite low even for some of the heavier critics. The only connection made in that site to the church is that they were at somepoint involved in Scientology. There is no criminal report or police investigation that found any of those deaths were by some nefarious activity of the church. Not a single one. More importantly these critics shamelessly use the deaths of people who were known by Scientologists. Recently there was a discussion forum similar to this one and a college student at Georgetown La Hoya who is also a Scientologist posted a comment that he was shocked to find his brother on one of the web sites. His brother had committed suicide. He stated that not only was the website filled with lies but that his brother was not even a Scientologist only his family. This was probably very hard on the family and yet these critics find it perfectly okay to willfully mock and degrade and dishoner people.

You can find that testimonial on that blog here:

http://www.thehoya.com/node/15337

They never stop to think what some of the people connected to these deaths feel. They only THINK they are doing good by their actions but some seriously lack the ability of self correction.

5) The church undertakes "fair game" policy to harass it’s critics. This is another fallacy. The term "fair game" was from a policy having to do with internal ethics policies meaning an apostate (person who criticizes a former religion) would not receive the benefits of church membership including the use of church ethics staff and policy to redress wrong commited by other Scientologists. Thats it.

6) The chruch is heavily litigious. There is some truth to this statement in that the church has been involved in numerous judicial proceedings. This is a byproduct of being a newer religion that involves itself in the areas it does ,taking on human rights abuses, calling out psychiatric abuses and more. Not areas for the faint of heart.

In addition L Ron Hubbard was approached after the advent of Dianetics to use the technology contained in it by govts. and other unscrupulous individuals for some spurious means. He refused and the church was then summarily black listed and attacked. The fact of the matter though is that using the civil and criminal court system to protect yourself and your rights is the ethical and established system in most modern civilizations. Using those systems is not immoral. It is only those who try and go around it, like those that post unauthorized material on the web that find some disdain in it.

L.Ron Hubbard is just a science fiction writer. The fact that he wrote some science fiction is used to portray him in a bad light. Science fiction only encompasses probably less than 1% of his writings and lectures. Most are on the philosophy of Scientology itself.

Some wonder why a person who wrote science fiction and other novels, a modern man, could come to establish a philosophy and a modern religion. First off you have to understand religion has more than one meaning to many people. Some understand it to be in the form of Judeo-Christian. The belief in one god and the contemplation of god’s words and intentions. Then there are multiple god faiths like Hinduism or pagan religions like those of the Amercian Indian. Then there are religions that deal with strictly spritual matters that don’t even discuss the larger picture of god or gods as in Buddhism. Scientology is much in fashion with Buddhist concepts in that it doesn’t address the realm of god and his dictates. That does not mean it doesn’t acknowledge that these things exist. Thus making Scientology a non denominational religion. If you read "Dianetics" you will see that L.Ron Hubbad began by diving into the human mind and trying to find out what makes people tick. That led to further research where he started to bump into the concept of life forces. You can easily see this in plain English by reading "Science of Survival" which was the follow up book to Dianetics. Spiritual problems and travail then became the next area that the philosophy engaged. Thus propelling into the field of religion as I earlier described. That’s it.

I could go on and on. What I usually find is that after answering one accusation another pops up. It is a silly game without end. The littany of accusations made can fill an encyclopedia. That is why it is best to use some type of yardstick in which to judge. My suggestion when deciding who is telling the truth and who isn’t is to align yourself with the group with the best overall real world activity. Find out what the intentions and the statistics of each group are. Do not operate off of bias and rumor, it has to be an objective examination. What real world results do Anonymous have? What real world results does Scientology have?

bgodley | 2008-03-26 - 05:26:34 PM (CDT)
FYI.

In case anyone has any doubts about the type of people that get attracted to a cause such as this you only need to look no further than the comment made earlier in the string by Marcabian Mechanics.

Here is posted an altered quote of mine. The original can be found at:

http://www.richmond.com/news-features/23754

Here is proof that some of this group lie and deceive. I suggest other members of Anonymous take a deep breath and question the type of people you rub elbows with. Even if you don’t like the tactics used here it is without question that many among you have little decency or morals.

Now it is here in this string on a college site for all others too see. Black and white.

bgodley | 2008-03-26 - 06:21:36 PM (CDT)
BGodley,

The only reason the Coroner on McPherson’s death was stopped was through litigation. Scientology may not have killed McPherson but they were most probably complicit in her death. She was in Scientology’s care when she died, of dehydration.

The only way the IRS gave Scientology a tax break that violates the 1st amendment was through litigation.

The only way Scientology could stop the first leak of their religious doctrine was through litigation.

The only way that Scientology knows how to fight Anonymous is through litigation.

Fair Game is declared against anyone who’s an SP, or suppressive person. Several non-Scientologists have been declared SPs, making your point unfortunately invalid.

The reason we call Scientology a cult is simple: It’s secretive, costs a lot of money, litigious, hates criticism, and the creation story is so carefully hidden that it makes us suspicious. But our message and our tactics is not against your religion, just the illegal parts of it.

Your church may or may not be responsible for several deaths. What’s potentially damning is that some Scientologists committed suicide over debts (Scientology charges a lot of money at times... coincidences? Maybe.). Some Scientology critics have also committed suicide in mysterious ways... and similar ways.

Governments want to use Dianetics? That’s strange, then why did Scientology need to find so many actors to pretend to be government officials in their videos then...

Scientology is non-denominational? I have it from ex-Scientologists that one of LRH’s teachings tells them that all other religions are a lie inspired by evil spirits.

Scientology was founded as a corporation, it has fixed donations (tithes), and several aligned organizations that act outside of the boundaries of the non-profit status definition. Scientology denies this, of course.

I could go on and on.

What I usually find is that after answering one defence of scientology, another pops up. It is a silly game without end.

The litany of supposed defences made can fill an encyclopedia. That is why it is best to use some type of yardstick in which to judge. My suggestion when deciding who is telling the truth and who isn’t is to align yourself with the group with the best overall real world activity. Find out what the intentions and the statistics of each group are. Do not operate off of bias and rumour, it has to be an objective examination.

What real world results do Anonymous have? Protests. Exposing more tactics of the church. Informing the public. Garnering the support of the average joe. Anonymous is so effective against Scientology that we’re apparently an abusive spouse to Scientology. We’re so effective that Scientology thinks that we must be stopped. That’s the best testimony of our power.

What real world crimes has Scientology committed? Government infiltration in Canada and the United States, breaking the 1st Amendment, and attempting to stifle protests through the courts. Harassing critics. Breaking up families across the world. There may be more. We don’t yet have all the facts.

One last thing, before I close off here: You said this, Mr Godley: L.Ron Hubbad began by diving into the human mind and trying to find out what makes people tick.

This is surprisingly ironic considering various offensives against psychiatric organizations/bills originating from CCHR, which has been connected directly to LRH’s church through leaked emails. You would think someone who studied the human mind would’ve had more respect for his compatriots.

BGodley, have you been disconnected from a brother, a sister, a father, a mother, or a rebellious child?

Anonymous and the world does not hate you or any Scientologist. That is why we are organizing Operation: Reconnect on the 12th of April. Maybe someone is looking for you.

PS: Expect more people using your name in the future... Everyone here is anonymous, even you. It’s an unfortunate fact of the internet that screen names can become popular and used by multiple people.

Nameless Envoy | 2008-03-26 - 06:31:35 PM (CDT)
The thing is, bgodley, everytime I here a Scientologist say "look at the bad things anonymous did" I end up thinking of "Operation Freakout" where the church stole Paulette Cooper’s stationary and mailed themselves bomb threats in an effort to frame her.

Or the recent "anonymous bomb threats" DVD that the church used in the failed Clearwater injunction. The church claimed that they copied the video off youtube, but the video on the DVD is much higher quality than the one on youtube. How is a copy higher quality than the original?

Sorry, but the church is the boy who cried wolf, and if I ignore what each side is saying and look only at the actions of anonymous and the actions of the church, it seems far more likely to me that the church is just playing the same old games.

It’s not personally your fault, but like you said, "...take a deep breath and question the type of people you rub elbows with."

nobody important | 2008-03-26 - 06:49:35 PM (CDT)
Go anonymous. Keep typing. Keep arguing. Keep wasting your lives. I’m loving this.

blahblahblah | 2008-03-26 - 06:51:58 PM (CDT)
I get information from first hand reports on http://www.exscn.net/ and http://www.exscientologykids.com/ which are neither controlled by Scientology nor Anonymous.

Both of these sites have been created and maintained by people who were scientologists and still have family and/or friends who are "in."

They have no reason to lie. No one is giving them anything to tell their stories. Some have good feelings mixed with the bad, which is what convinced me. If it had been all "bad bad bad" or all "good good good," I would have written them off as just a couple of sites shilling for one side or the other.

What I’ve read has convinced me that terrible things are happening in the upper levels of the church. People join to better themselves or better the world, but there is rampant physical and mental abuse which gets worse the higher one goes.

The people at lower levels may be getting something good out of it, I don’t know. I hope they are. But insiders are coming forward and telling their stories, and to me it paints a picture of human rights abuse.

Look for yourself, if you want to know.

Less Neutral than Before | 2008-03-26 - 07:47:31 PM (CDT)
glad you love it blahblahblah, because anon’s aren’t going anywhere, unlike the surge of folks who have blown from scientology lately.

also, isn’t your post kind of ironic, wouldn’t you be "wasting your" life "typing" too? unlike anon’s of course, who are protesting away from their computers but also using them to spread the word.

peace to you though, remember: Rinder blew, so can you.

moses | 2008-03-26 - 07:48:36 PM (CDT)
Nice article but the 10th protests had approximately 7,200 protesters, and the ides had 8,000. Also wikimedia is more accurate than you.

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Anonymous%22_releases_statements_outlining_%22War_on_Scientology%22http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%22Anonymous%22_plans_to_protest_Church_of_Scientology_on_February_10
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Church_of_Scientology:_%27%22Anonymous%27_will_be_stopped%22
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews_international_report:_%22Anonymous%22_holds_anti-Scientology_protests_worldwide
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Church_of_Scientology_denied_injunction_against_Anonymous
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Scientology_protest_group_celebrates_founder%27s_birthday_worldwide
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Church_of_Scientology%27s_%27Operating_Thetan%27_documents_leaked_online
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Banned_film_%27The_Profit%27_appears_on_Web
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Church_of_Scientology%27s_%27Operating_Thetan%27_documents_leaked_online

Anonymous | 2008-03-26 - 08:20:42 PM (CDT)
It seems that someone has stooped to using my moniker. I guess that is to be expected but I think this person does only harm to any cause claimed by Scientologists whether they realize or not.

Buckeye,

I don’t know how it is that you came to the conclusion about specifics and generalization. I can tell you that in many posts I have addressed specifics but it usually falls on deaf ears. However, for your benefit I will try and answer some things for you. I warn you this will be a long post.

1) Scientology killed Lisa Mcpherson. This is a Scientologist who died many years ago and was sued by her family for damages as she had been in the church near the time of her death. A coroner first did an autopsy stating she died from dehydration etc. The the corner recanted after intense investigation and harrassment by the Church of Scientology. Scientology hired Dr. Cyril H. Wecht to testify that Lisa had died of an pulmonary event (blood clot.) Wecht is currently on trial, accused of using his public office while Allegheny County coroner for private gain. He is charged with 41 counts of fraud and theft.

You can read the full story of Lisa McPherson here:

http://www.lisamcpherson.org/

Due to the horrible conditions that Lisa endured before her death, it is used as a rally cry for critics of the Church symbolizing their everyday abuse and lack of regard for human rights.

2) The church is a cult. Technically a cult is a subdivision of a larger religious group like a sect. The term Cult comes from the Latin word meaning worship. It’s term was originally used to define many groups that held religious worship including the followers of Jesus Christ. The term is often combined with "dangerous" to distinguish it from those silly fun cults like Christianity. If you ask any person what their idea of a dangerous cult is they will likely think of Scientology . Scientology has been acknowledged to be an evil criminal organization in many countries around the world. It also has also been documented in several court testimonials and judges opinions.

One such expert is Justice Anderson, Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia. He Wrote:

"Scientology is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world’s largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous te

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