How desperate is Scientology to find people for its New Year’s event? This desperate.

Back on November 18, we told you about a flier that was forwarded to us that indicated Scientology was going to try to follow the success of its IAS gala in England by reviving its New Year’s tradition in Los Angeles.

But the flier was unusual because it was asking Scientologists to come to Los Angeles, which it called the “Scientology Capital of the World,” something we hadn’t seen them say before, and also because it was asking people to come to LA from out of town.

We later confirmed that David Miscavige is intending to tape a New Year’s event this Saturday at the Shrine Auditorium, which was the tradition before the pandemic.

Yesterday, Mike Rinder at his blog showed that Chicago Scientologists are being asked to make the trip, which again is unusual — in past years, there were plenty of Scientologists in the LA area to fill the Shrine — and it suggests that Miscavige is somewhat worried about being able to fill the venue with bodies.

And now, we have even more evidence that there’s a sense of desperation about getting enough people to make the place look full.

One of our sources, who has not been involved in the church for some time, sent us this account of an odd visit they received in the last few days…

Two Scientologists in uniform, a man and a woman, rang the bell on the outside gate to my home. When I went outside to see who was there, they addressed me by my first name and introduced themselves.

The man wore an ASHO official pin with his name on it. He told me that he was delivering an invitation to the New Year’s Event at the Shrine Auditorium. He handed me a small black gift bag that contained a letter and a flyer. It also contained a small New Year’s Eve black and gold tooter.

He told me that they wanted to personally drop off my invitation as there were a lot of Scientologists in the neighborhood. (Hard for me to believe.)

The woman said nothing and just stood next to him as he spoke. I am sure I looked surprised and a bit puzzled.

Then he asked if I was planning to go to the event. I responded that I was not. He asked me if I was not going because of work or something else. I responded, “No.” Then he replied, “Can I ask why you aren’t going?” I said, “Because I am no longer a Scientologist.” They both looked at me and said, “Oh,” as I turned around and walked back into my house.

They then got into a car and drove away. In other words, they were apparently only targeting my house.

I guess it’s not a surprise that they are out “pounding the pavement” to get people to the event. Miscavige is probably demanding attendance numbers are high, or else.

I believe they found me at my new address as mail from Scientology has escalated over the past year, along with texts and phone calls.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

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Technology Cocktail

“You can alternate an ARC command with an out-of-ARC command. ‘What have you done?’ (means one had to reach for and contact) can be alternated with ‘What haven’t you done?’ (means not reached for and not contacted). But if one runs the out-of-ARC (not reached for and not contacted) process only the pc will soon bog.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1964

 
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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

Source Code

“If you went into this technical society and you could just make better screwdrivers than anybody else, why, if you had any acumen at all, you eventually would make some kind of a minor success of the situation. But we’re not talking now about screwdrivers. We’re talking about the stuff of which life is made: life itself. And any time you get a technology of that character going forward, and you have a grasp of that technology, you cannot help but win. You don’t even have to try to win. People will come ahead and present you with large sections of Earth. That is all. I mean, it can’t help it. For instance, right now I’ve told them occasionally, from time to time, they’d never get into space without us. I’ve told them that from time to time. Well, what do you know? Cape Canaveral just sent for a Scientologist. They won’t get into space without us.” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 12, 1961

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“NO ONE is to send telexes, telegrams, telephone messages or mail ashore without security clearance of CS-1. This includes the Ships Rep and Operations on international and mission lines but does not affect daily purchasing, PRO and port/agent cycles. This DOES include personal favors asked of persons leaving the ship on mission or on leave — they may NOT be given things to send specially for crewmembers or money to be transferred off normal org lines that are set up to handle just that.” — Ellen Klayman, F/Communicator, approved by Lt. Brian Livingston CS-1, December 12, 1969

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“My understanding is that Ron expected Class VIIIs to be the ones to export the Tech to the next planet and the next planet and so on. Otherwise, if LRH is the only exporter around, you’re looking at a universe which will never be cleared until the last sun is just an ember. Now consider the practical aspects of exporting Scientology to another planet. How much time are you really going to spend explaining who the Founder was? Consider that you could be dealing with a population of doll bodies, lizard bodies, insect bodies, no bodies, meat bodies, etc. It’s doubtful you’re going to walk around with 8x10s of Ron in your meter case to pass out. I would never take credit for developing Scientology; I would always say it was developed by this guy who lived on the third planet on your left. But I sincerely doubt I would dwell for any length of time on the personal details of Ron. Someone asks, how many times he was married or how many kids he had… who cares? What brand of coffee did he like the most? Honestly, folks, I have no idea. In the broad scheme of things, Ron and who he was won’t matter much. But the Tech will.”

 
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Past is Prologue

1996: PA News reported that a member of the British House of Lords has announced he is a Scientologist. “A Liberal Democrat peer today disclosed he is a member of the Church of Scientology, as a Home Office minister warned of the ‘potential dangers’ of becoming involved in such organisations. In Lords question time exchanges on the operations of the organisation, Lord McNair, 49, declared: ‘I have to tell the House that I have an interest — and that interest is that I am a member of the Church of Scientology.’ Tory Baroness Sharples earlier told the House: ‘Those who have left the cult, a number of them, have been both threatened and harassed and a considerable number of them have been made bankrupt by the church.’ Home Office Minister of State Baroness Blatch said: ‘People should be warned of the potential dangers of becoming involved in organisations of this kind.'”

 
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Random Howdy

“I remember one time I was talking to vaLLarrr and she let slip that the universe was 76 trillion years old. The next day she tried to make out she had been talking about the multiverse theory, but when I pressed her on it she admitted that wasn’t what she originally meant — she was honest in a weird way. That was a big win for me to get her to engage in verbal tech because normally she was super slick about avoiding that.”

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

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Next pretrial hearing January 29, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Complaint filed August 2, motion to strike/anti-SLAPP motions by Scientology to be heard January 9, 2024.
— 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] SEASON’S GREETINGS: Mark Bunker shares fan mail from Scientology members
[TWO years ago] Lose weight, regrow hair, and best of all, help an OT 8 donate to Scientology!
[THREE years ago] Wild scene in court papers: Scientology leader David Miscavige finally, really served?
[FOUR years ago] The LAPD has evidence a Scientology official it’s seeking has been sent to the Freewinds
[FIVE years ago] Tiponi Grey, 1968-2018, a woman who told off Scientology for its lack of compassion
[SIX years ago] For the first time: The FBI file of Gabe Cazares, the Clearwater mayor targeted by Scientology
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology and ‘aliens’: What did L. Ron Hubbard actually say about space invaders?
[EIGHT years ago] More leaked video: Watch Scientology welcome 2007, a year David Miscavige would regret
[NINE years ago] Jon Atack packs a lot into a new short book — ‘Scientology: The Cult of Greed’
[TEN years ago] Judge Whittemore grants Luis Garcia discovery of Scientology’s murky trusts in fraud lawsuit
[ELEVEN years ago] Only 2,418 Scientologists in England and Wales, Vastly Outnumbered by Jedi Knights

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 12, 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