It’s always interesting to see which local figures are so desperate for attention that they accept an invitation to give a speech at the local Scientology ‘Ideal Org’ grand opening and then pose with church leader David Miscavige.
It’s especially interesting to see who is willing to pose with the diminutive pope of Hubbardism now that he’s been named in a couple of lawsuits alleging child trafficking, kidnapping, sexual abuse of minors, stalking and slander.
But hey, it’s a new church! And it’s located right in the revitalized downtown of Kansas City at 18th and Grand across the street from the building that used to house the Kansas City Star.
Speaking of which, we spoke with a KC Star reporter yesterday afternoon who pointed out in his story that the church not only wouldn’t let him in the building yesterday, it would only take questions via email about Saturday’s event, which the church claimed attracted 1,000 members.
Photos suggest to us that the crowd was about half that size, but whatever: David Miscavige got the kind of opening he puts on everywhere else, with some musical performances, some brief remarks by him about the local town, and a series of local shills who welcomed him and the new church. Let’s take a look at who Miscavige managed to rope in this time.
First up was Scott Wagner, a northsider who served on the KCMO city council and from 2015 to 2019 was appointed “Mayor Pro Tem,” meaning that he sort of acted like the mayor when the actual mayor was out of town. Term limited after eight years on the council, Wagner ran for actual mayor, but didn’t come close to winning.
“In the end, it’s all about partnerships,” Wagner told the crowd. “No single agency can do everything. What ties those of us who live and work together is we know Kansas City is great and has the potential to become even greater. Planting your new Church here says to others: ‘Hey, there’s something going on in Kansas City — maybe we should be a part of that too.’ Thank you for investing in our future, and thank you for pouring your heart into the future of this American heartland. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
Isn’t that special. Next up to the podium…
This is Jeff Owens, Vice President of the Crossroads Arts District, which has been breathing life into downtown KCMO. Scientology’s new org, if it’s like the rest, will soon be nearly empty all the time and won’t be contributing to the local revival.
“That’s right, your home stands at the very center of the Crossroads Arts District,” Owens said. “But you didn’t take that distinction for granted — you took action. When you came along and restored this treasured landmark, you declared: ‘There’s no boundary line to art — we are going to make a masterpiece right here on this lot.’ Well, I was simply amazed when I walked inside your grand entrance and saw just what you had done. It’s a beautiful preservation of Kansas City Americana. Which is to say, your home reflects the personality of our home as a community.”
Well, there’s that: When Scientology finally collapses, it will leave behind a very pretty restored building downtown, and the next owner may actually put it to good use.
Next up on the parade of pablum…
Cleo McLaughlin, advisor to the National Association of Addiction Counselors, praised Narconon, a deceptive business that lies about nearly aspect of its program and actually delivers Scientology training, not drug counseling.
“I attended a Graduation and heard the stories of desperation from those who had fought through and won against drugs,” McLaughlin said. “It was emotional, it was unforgettable. These precious beings, each one of them, had succumbed to something that was not giving life, but taking it. Yet now, with Narconon, they had returned to living. I became a lifelong believer. And it’s been a joy to work with you, resurrecting human lives from Arkansas to Oklahoma and from right here in Missouri.”
In fact, Narconon is such a dangerous and deceptive racket, after a series of patient deaths it went into retreat, and increasingly is opening clinics overseas or in such small facilities here that they go unregulated. But sure, Cleo is a lifelong believer.
And finally…
Pastor Melvin Merritt, founder of Ground Level Ministries, provided the usual “interfaith” pap…
“The talk today is too much about different religions and different churches and how different and separate we all are,” said the pastor. “If we just came together, look at how much power that would create. And there begins my bond with the Church of Scientology. We’ve already been working side by side with your Volunteer Ministers at our community collaboration events.… Yes, I am excited! The world needs to realize we’re all Volunteer Ministers. And here in Kansas City, common to the cause, together we’re gonna be Doing Something About It!”
We know that newspapers are struggling everywhere, but wouldn’t it be something if an enterprising reporter took on the task of getting each of these shills to sit down and talk with them about what they actually knew about Scientology, what they were told about it, and why they decided to help out David Miscavige in an event that the public and press was excluded from?
And wouldn’t it be fun for that reporter to ask each of them about a particular passage in the book Dianetics, to see how they might react?
If we still lived there in Kansas City, we’d love to do it. How about it, Star or Pitch or KCUR? We’re offering you gold here.
Anyway, here’s some more views of the KC shindig…
And here’s a look at the Commodore’s office, per regulations…
——————–
Bryan Seymour welcomes John Travolta to Australia
Our friend in Sydney makes a bold statement to John Travolta while the Scientologist actor is Down Under for some gladhanding.
“Almost everyone I’ve met, including most of the former Scientologists who know him, say John Travolta is a great guy,” Bryan writes. “That’s why it’s so hard to question him about allegations of the church’s involvement in child abuse, human trafficking, physical assault, brainwashing and the destruction of families.”
Unfortunately, we can’t get the video to play at the Channel 7 website, but perhaps later we’ll have an embeddable version we can post here.
Here’s the finish to Bryan’s article…
John Travolta, I offer to sit down, amicably and politely, with you to talk about the issues in your church. You are welcome to film it, as happened when I interviewed some of your fellow parishioners at the Celebrity Centre, including Anne Archer and Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson).
Other churches and their faithful followers have had to deal with the truth and the facts about the abuses committed in the name of their religion. I am not criticising your beliefs or doubting your devotion and what it means to you.
It might be a revelatory experience for you. As your beloved founder once wrote:
“There is no shortstop on the road to truth. That is the only track that you have to go all the way on. Once you have put your feet upon that road, you have to walk to its end. Otherwise, all manner of difficulties and upsets will beset you.”
——————–
Bonus items from our tipsters
Meanwhile, in Canada…
——————–
Source Code
“We’re not trying to make superman here, because after you’ve done that is when you start to work to really make superman. Now you really have to get clever. Of course, a thetan in real good operating condition can make himself visible. It would be the shock of somebody’s life to suddenly realize that he was visible. And it would ruin this whole society and put us squarely in the hands of Bishop Shenanigan if you were to start doing this. Because you as a MEST body would never be able to explain fast enough to tell him you really weren’t Christ. They’ve been looking for him to come back — with blood in their eyes. You know, they only got a few nails in that guy last time.” — L. Ron Hubbard, November 4, 1953
——————–
Overheard in the FreeZone
“Outside of Dianetics and Scientology, there’s no actual tech capable of as-ising mental mass and shedding our own ball-chains and handcuffs. It is just fantastic to me that people on this planet have fallen for the falsehood of material existence, what they call Reality; and any slightest clue that there is anything else triggers a vast field of booby-traps — all of which are self-imposed. Who would believe that?”
——————–
Random Howdy
“The way things are going evidence-wise and if DM is required to appear in court, I think Monique could demand an 8-figure deal without an NDA, without any contention.”
——————–
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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology is pulling out all the stops for its next gleaming Clearwater landmark
[TWO years ago] Read the police report for the 17-year-old injured at Scientology’s ‘Flag’ building
[THREE years ago] Trouble for Scientology in 1966: When the Daily Mail called L. Ron Hubbard’s degrees ‘bogus’
[FOUR years ago] Hey, Mark Bunker, what’s taking that film of yours — ‘Knowledge Report’ — so long?
[FIVE years ago] Scientology’s own plans show it paid $37 million for a building to serve only 87 people
[SIX years ago] Claire Headley Takes Us OT! Here We Go with Scientology’s Operating Thetan Level ONE!
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: The Road to Clear!
[TEN years ago] ‘Tom Cruise Told Me to Talk to a Bottle’: Life at Scientology’s Secret Headquarters
——————–
Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,618 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,747 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,251 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,771 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 791 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 682 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,989 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,857 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,631 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,405 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,751 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,317 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,236 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,404 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,985 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,246 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,285 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,997 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,523 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,049 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,612 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,752 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,072 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,928 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,047 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,402 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,705 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,811 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,213 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,085 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,668 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,163 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,417 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,526 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on November 4, 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
