Now this is the kind of celebrity endorsement Scientology desperately needs

Tom Cruise’s appearance at this weekend’s IAS gala was obviously a big thrill for his fellow Scientologists, and it no doubt helped convince them that leader David Miscavige has the church headed in the right direction.

Jenna Elfman also pitched in, emceeing the Sunday night charity concert, but so far we haven’t seen evidence of other big Scientology celebs showing up to help out the cause.

Ever since founder L. Ron Hubbard announced “Project Celebrity” in 1955, Scientology has counted on its celebrities to help burnish its image with the public and counter all of the negative stuff dished out by the merchants of chaos (which is what Scientologists call us ink-stained wretches in the press).

And now, what’s this? Our thanks to the Irish reader who forwarded us this rather unusual sighting: It’s a ringing endorsement of Scientology’s Dublin Community Center by Terry McMahon, a pretty well known writer, actor, and director in Ireland, whose credits include a small part in Batman Begins (2005). And he is, as far as we know, not actually a Scientologist himself.

McMahon recorded himself wishing the Community Center a happy fifth birthday, and made it sound like Scientology had singlehandedly saved the Irish people and their culture from succumbing during the pandemic.

Heartfelt kudos from a non-Scientology celebrity? Now that’s a rare animal. And McMahon’s very skilled with his words. No wonder the Dublin org is beside itself with this tribute, and featured it on its Facebook page as a result.

See the video here.

 
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Technology Cocktail/

“The idiotic and wonderful precision of the Time Track defeats the sloppy and careless. They wonder if it went. They question the pc’s being there. They fumble about until they destroy their command over the Time Track. ‘Go to 47,983,678,283,736 years 2 months, 4 days 1 hour and six minutes ago.’ Well, a clear statement of it, unfumbled, will cause just that to happen. The tiniest quiver of doubt, a fumble over the millions and nothing happens.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1963

 
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON

We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.

 
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THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?

[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH

— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see

[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf

— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond

[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman

 
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Source Code

“Down in Arizona they put an H-bomb nine feet below the ground and blew it up. Why? To find out if it’d lift dust? Well, it certainly did!….In 1947 it was very easy to run an engram. Even in early 1950 it was still fairly easy to run an engram, but it was a little harder. By the end of ’50 it was getting difficult to run engrams. In 1951 we had to beef up our processes like mad in order to run an engram cleanly. By 1952 we were beginning to run into nothing but whole track. 1953, we just had to look for other processes than engram running. And we had to look hard, and we looked into exteriorization. In ’54, in ’55 and in ’56 we have actually been researching further and further, into more and more powerful techniques. Why?….People haven’t changed, have they? Not at all. We even see a difference of techniques which, run two or three years ago, don’t work very well today. This fascinating panorama has just unfolded before my view as a distinct possibility. And it may or may not be true, but it is certainly a distinct possibility, and there is a coordination here between the amount of radiation in the atmosphere and the difficulty of auditing a preclear.” — L. Ron Hubbard, November 8, 1956

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“BEEF: Not all the meat on a haunch of beef can be used for steak. If you want steak you have to have two or three haunches and plan what to do with the rest. Roundsteak has to be floured and pounded, peppered and salted before frying. If not pounded it will be tough.” — The Commodore, November 8, 1969

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Overheard in the FreeZone

“No wonder advance beings don’t say who they were after they reincarnate; so many of us are such extreme doubters; we very much want to hold onto our cushy positions as opinion leaders. To these kind, in their secretly held needs, their very self survival depends upon not having spiritual leaders other than themselves and their friends. This is how PTSs and SPs treat people who do good deeds. I say leave this Lafayette Hubbard alone, becoming silent in your doubts, unless you actually have evidence of tech fraud. Hubbard could have returned WITHOUT reveal but so many of us very much needed and wanted him to return, if for no other reason than we Scientologists are the scientists of the Science of Reincarnation and we ought to be able to publicly demonstrate a successful return that continues where he left off.”

 
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Past is Prologue

1997: The Christian Science Monitor carried an article this week on Scientologist and Baptist Alfreddie Johnson. “The Rev. Alfreddie Johnson says the problem with inner-city America is not the usual litany of woes: drugs, crime, gangs, teen-pregnancy, domestic abuse. All of the above are deeply rooted in something far more fundamental, he says. In a word, illiteracy. ‘If you go into any American city and look into the eyes of young people, you will see anger and alienation,’ says this nondenominational preacher. ‘Why? They are surrounded by a wealth of opportunity in this country yet are convinced such opportunity is not for them. This is the result of illiteracy.’ The curriculum Johnson uses is a simple system from a controversial source. In the 1930s, L. Ron Hubbard, who later founded the Church of Scientology, designed a way to help potential readers of all ages overcome their own barriers to learning: He stressed that readers must know where, when, and how they become confused. In the WLC program, students are urged to look up any unclear words in dictionaries before proceeding in schoolwork or reading. They are taught to backtrack to lesson areas where their comprehension derailed or attention waned, to continually monitor their own understanding, and to construct ideas and concepts in materials like clay so they may literally grasp them. ‘The concepts are incredibly simple, which is partly why they are powerful and why they have been overlooked elsewhere,’ says Sandy Chapman, a 20-year reading specialist and curriculum writer in San Diego. Students are also encouraged to master drills in communication, composure, and self-control that enable them to focus on education, ignoring the host of intrusions that are common in most classrooms. This ability to give students the tools to change their own lives – and through that, a sense of hope – is perhaps the major reason for WLC’s success. The educational writings of Mr. Hubbard, which form the foundation of the course, made national headlines this summer after a Los Angeles teacher applied to start a charter school that would use them as core curricula. Concern was expressed that such books might contain religious views, breaching the separation of church and state. But the state Department of Education review panel – and some experts – say the materials have no religious content.”

 
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Random Howdy

“Monsanto made everybody fat, TV made everybody stupid, and the Internet made everybody crazy.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Complaint filed August 2, Scientology submitting anti-SLAPP response Oct 26.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration. Plaintiffs allowed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Circuit.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Discovery phase.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Ordered to mediation.

 
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SCIENTOLOGY: FAIR GAME

After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.

LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH

An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.

SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z

Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

 
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. 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 a weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Danny Masterson sis-in-law Chynna Phillips after watching trial: Seeing the light?
[TWO years ago] Scientology’s magic and mysticism, as told by L. Ron Hubbard’s blogging son Arthur
[THREE years ago] John Travolta crashes the Scientology social media feed as we dip back in for a look
[FOUR years ago] Columbus going Ideal! David Miscavige to open 2nd Scientology cathedral in a week
[FIVE years ago] Scientology’s weirdly detailed shrine to L. Ron Hubbard in Florida even has ocean sounds
[SIX years ago] Scientology plan to shut road through its secretive ‘Int Base’ in California foiled again
[SEVEN years ago] It’s Election Day, but screw that — Chick Corea is finally superhuman thanks to Scientology!
[EIGHT years ago] Up next for Scientology: Sending out Tom Cruise to put on a grand performance?
[NINE years ago] The Heinlein Letters: What L. Ron Hubbard’s close friends really thought of him
[TEN years ago] The Tom Cruise Smear Machine: Accusations From His Deposition You Haven’t Heard
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology Excommunication: Documents the Church Usually Keeps Under Wraps

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on November 8, 2023 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, 1995-2022 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2022), 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, 15 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

 

Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast

 

Tony Ortega at Rolling Stone