Our thanks to the reader who sent us a tip that the nation of New Zealand has just put out the results of its 2018 national census, which includes the responses from 4,699,755 people as to their religious affiliation.
The Church of Scientology will be thrilled to learn that it grew by a massive two percent since the country’s last census in 2013, when 315 people said they were Scientologists.
This time, 321 of them did.
That means that Scientologists make up 0.007 percent of New Zealand, and were outnumbered by these other colorful churches…
Jehovah’s Witnesses: 20,061
Hare Krishna: 645
Wiccan: 1,482
Satanism: 1,149
Jedi: 20,409
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster: 4,248
We have explained numerous times why the evidence suggests that Scientology has never had the millions of members around the world that it claims, and that today its total number of active members may be down to fewer than 20,000 planetwide.
Recent national census numbers — from Australia (1,684 in 2016), England (2,418 in 2011), Ireland (87 in 2016), and now New Zealand — only bolster that point of view.
But we’re sure evidence of Scientology’s constant refrain that it’s the “fastest growing religion in the world” will show up any day now!
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Your proprietor on the Internets
Your proprietor was asked some pretty fun questions on a couple of podcasts recently. We really enjoyed it and we encourage others who would like to have us on to drop us a line.
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Source Code
“Do you know that absolutely standard tech, complete, proper, hair line standard tech, used in organizations throughout the world, will at least triple the stats of each within 90 days? Couldn’t help it. And if it was really applied in a business-like fashion, and nobody messed it up in any way, shape, or form, one of our Division 5 people said we might even be able to take the planet within a year. It is hot.” — L. Ron Hubbard, September 24, 1968
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Overheard in the FreeZone
“As far back as the Egyptian hyrogliphs they called what we know as OT today ‘the advanced spirit being’. On the other side of the coin, Scripture, before its polluted version which exists today, refers to this as sorcery. Scientology is simply the practice of Crowleyan/Satanic sorcery. Thus, we see today its implosion thru all its offshoots, Scientologists at war with one another and the love that LRH talks about in What is Greatness is non existent. In general what we are seeing on Earth, among all its religions and philosophies are simply diluted versions of Egyptian sorcery.”
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] A Scientology enforcer dies, and one of his former victims is the only one to eulogize him
[TWO years ago] Scientology got plenty of photo ops out of hurricanes in Texas and Florida. But did it help?
[THREE years ago] Flirt with Scientology, and its dogged letter writers will hound you forever
[FOUR years ago] Leah Remini book out Nov. 3: ‘Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology’
[FIVE years ago] Rathbun v. Scientology: Another appeals court hearing, this time with everything on the line
[SIX years ago] JASON BEGHE ON LEAH REMINI: She’s Right, Scientology Does Want Her to Fail
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Dropkick: Commenters of the Week!
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,577 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,706 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,210 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,730 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 750 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 641 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,948 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,816 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,590 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,364 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,710 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,276 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,195 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,363 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,944 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,205 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,244 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,956 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,482 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,008 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,571 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,711 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,031 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,887 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,006 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,361 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,664 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,770 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,172 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,044 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,627 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,122 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,376 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,485 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 24, 2019 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
