US government proposes new rule on ‘religious visas’ Scientology is obsessed with

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: There’s little doubt that Scientology is abusing ‘R-1’ religious visas in order to bring indentured servants to its ‘Sea Org’ operations. Now, a the government is making changes and it’s a mixed bag for Scientology: Easier access, but more oversight. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“If we get a person fresh out of the study of ‘the mystical metaphysics of Cuffbah’ he’s going to have trouble. His pcs are going to ‘Itsa’ their heads off and never get well or better or anything. Because that person doesn’t know Scientology but thinks it’s all imprecise opinion. The news about Scientology is that it put the study of the mind into the precise exact sciences. If one doesn’t know that, one’s pcs ‘Itsa’ by the hour for one doesn’t know what he is handling that he is calling ‘a pc’.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1971

 
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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 [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones

 
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Source Code

“So, somebody trying to understand life sitting down on a mountain top some place in lower Jesus or some place — Jerusalem, excuse me — and he’s contemplating his navel or something, and trying to get the hot dope, he gives you all sorts of things. If he starts to get close to the truth, then the things he utters appear to be idiocies, see. If he gets close to the truth. Like, there really is no universe – Mary Baker Eddy. There is no universe. All is infinite mind. Isn’t it true? It’s very, very, very true but that doesn’t prevent Christian Science from being the leading religious faith you find on the rosters of insane asylums.” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 14 1964

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“To all staff & students: Per HCO P/L 26 July 1965, ‘All students of any course are debarred from visiting any medical or healing practitioner unless they are given Ethics clearance first and all possibility of ‘rollercoaster’ (sudden case decline) has been looked into and any suppressive or bad auditing precisely isolated. The exception is an emergency involving severe injury, or infectious disease, but in this case the student must be cleared by Ethics to be permitted back on course or even in the Org. This includes all accidents.’ This line is to be in as of now. Course Admin is to ensure student goes to Ethics first. Staff are to go to HCO Reception and route to MO then MAA & Examiner. Until the new routing forms are approved & issued — Reception and Course Admin will have to write it in. The point is this line is effective now and no one sees the MO without following the line.” — Norma Randell for HAS, July 14, 1971

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“A dwindling spiral of confront has been implanted in all of us, a culture of fear. Well, to hell with all this nonsense and Marcab PR. We are the FREE people. This planet is OURS. Times must change and a new breed of Scientologists must arise from the ashes and rise high like The Phoenix. This time is NOW.”

 
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Past is Prologue

2001: Spiegel magazine published an article on the decline of Scientology in Germany and the efforts of Ms. Ursula Caberta. “It is difficult for a business to differentiate between harmless providers and Scientology members. For this reason the Hamburg Anti-Scientology Crew works closely together with the Chamber of Commerce. Their goal is to help businesses protect themselves from Scientology’s attempts at infiltration. An important means of doing this is the so-called ‘Technology Statement’ developed by Caberta and her team. In the Statement, companies, staff and seminar directors must declare that they reject the technologies of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. ‘That’s a genuine mortal sin for Scientologists,’ explained Caberta. Denying Hubbard, together with the technology he propagated, would be viewed as a ‘high crime,’ so that signing the statement would not be possible for members. Ursula Caberta has first-hand experience in finding out that the fight against Scientology is not without adverse effects. For years she has been spied and informed upon by the organization’s intelligence agency. Telephone calls to her friends and acquaintances or specific questions to her neighbors have been the daily routine for years, reported the Scientology opponent with near disinterest. In the Administrative Court in Saarland one of the Scientology organizations members denied responsibility for carrying out ‘operative measures’ against the Task Force director. In its decision of March 29, 2001 in which it dismissed the charges, the court nevertheless did determine that Scientology had authorized the procedural methods being used against the Task Force director. The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution said somewhat more clearly how these methods were to be understood, namely the ’employment of intelligence agency methods.’ It is exactly with these methods that the organization is currently trying to silence their highest-profile opponent in Germany. The accusations against Caberta go up to soliciting for favors and to bribery, for which the psycho-concern has filed charges. Scientology asserts that the director of the Hamburg Task Force accepted money from American businessman and renowned Scientology opponent Bob Minton on a trip to the USA. Caberta views the charges as part of Scientology’s overall strategy to torpedo the critics it does not like. That strategy would also include a petition from Scientology to the Hamburg Burgerschaft, the goal of which is to have her removed from her position. In order to be able to counter the organization’s measures she is promoting legislation for Germany – similar to the so-called anti-cult law passed in France in June. ‘We should recognize that psychic bodily harm is criminal, too,’ Caberta demands. And ‘The organizations responsible for their subordinate members’ deeds should finally be held accountable.'”

 
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Random Howdy

“If the ‘tech’ is perfect, how did all these SP’s slip through into the upper echelons of Scientology management in the first place?”

 
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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 May 31, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Leah seeking to amend her complaint.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: motion to file new complaint, hearing on May 29.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, on hold until appeal over new judge heard.
— 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] Losing a friend they knew in Scientology: A tribute to a remarkable woman
[TWO years ago] The nice Scientologist who was caught writing code for ransomware scammers
[THREE years ago] Another hype video! Scientology still begging members to go to the cruise ship’s ‘OT Bubble’
[FOUR years ago] ‘Scientology Black Ops’ series with Leah Remini & Paul Haggis spiked by Aussie network
[FIVE years ago] Is it time for Scientology to replace its cruise ship? If so, we’ve done the shopping.
[SIX years ago] Scientology fundraiser: ‘It was commonplace to lie to church members to get donations’
[SEVEN years ago] Now that Neil deGrasse Tyson is up against Leah Remini for an Emmy, will he rethink Scientology?
[EIGHT years ago] To Scientology’s Emily Jones: We have a message from your mother
[NINE years ago] Wise Beard Man visits Scientology’s new Fantasyland in Clearwater
[TEN years ago] The Dallas Morning News asks a question about Scientology, and we want your response
[ELEVEN years ago] Someone Apparently Forgot to Notify the VA that Scientology is a Religion

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 14, 2024 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), 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