Scientology denied: Watch Clearwater church members calling Mark Bunker a bigot

 
On Thursday night, seven prominent Clearwater businessmen spoke to the city council, urging that its newest member, Mark Bunker, not be added to the city’s Downtown Development Board.

The first four of those men were members of the DDB itself, including its chairman, Paris Morfopoulos, who spoke first.

One after another, these seven speakers, who were well known to the mayor and the council, said that it would be a mistake to add Bunker as an ex-officio (advisory) member to the board because he was a foul-mouthed bigot who hated Scientologists and the Church of Scientology.

It was a stunning performance. We decided to break out all seven of those speeches into individual videos so you could watch some or all of them at your leisure. It’s not really all that common for Scientologists to speak up in public like this, and of course they’re exaggerating and lying throughout their presentations.

Yes, for more than 20 years Mark Bunker has been an outspoken critic of the Church of Scientology, and for good reason. He’s exposed the abusive policies of a totalitarian organization that has wreaked havoc on the lives of its members and torn families apart as a matter of policy. But Bunker has always had compassion for Scientologists themselves, and he’s one of the most gentle and big-hearted people we know.

But now that Scientology had managed to get a majority of members on the downtown board, it sure didn’t want Bunker spoiling the party. So watch as these members of an organization that had surreptitiously invaded Clearwater in 1975 and has decimated its lifeless downtown come up to the podium and portray the prospect of some oversight of their activities like they were being subjected to the vilest religious persecution. And then watch as the city council demonstrated some backbone and unanimously appointed Bunker to the board.

Up first was Paris Morfopoulos, chairman of the Downtown Development Board and owner of the One Stoppe Shoppe on Cleveland Street. He accuses Bunker of writing, ” Scientologists are dangerous, intolerant lunatics and any attempt to expose their ridiculous cult is to be encouraged.” But as Bunker pointed out, that’s something he quoted someone else saying on one of his blog posts.

Next up is board member Ray Cassano, who wastes everyone’s time trying to play a video that didn’t work. He’s an OT 8 and Patron Meritorious ($250,000) donor to the International Association of Scientologists (IAS).

Shahab Emrani, another DDB member, mercifully keeps it short. In 2018, we noted that Emrani was named Gold Meritorious With Honors for donating $1.75 million to the IAS.

Keanan Kintzel is the fourth and final DDB member. He’s the president of Buzzazz Business Solutions, started his OT Preps in 2018, and is involved in several different Scientology front groups.

Steve Anderson’s business is AutoLoop, which became Affinitiv. In 2014 we noted that he had become a Platinum Meritorious donor for giving the IAS $2.5 million…

Stu Sjouwerman’s business is KnowBe4, a company that is hired by other companies to train their workers about keeping safe and secure online. Last year, we noted that Stu was named Diamond Meritorious for giving $5 million to the IAS.

Brett Miller is a Patron ($50,000) donor and OT 7 Scientologist who was recently featured in Freedom magazine for his charitable work.

Mark Bunker and the other council members get their chance to speak, and then unanimously vote to add him to the board.

 
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Bonus items from our tipsters

While many Scientology facilities are closed down during the pandemic, others are still keeping open in violation of local orders. A reader let us know that there’s a battle brewing in Atwater Village, where local residents on NextDoor were expressing their outrage that Kids’ World School on Glenhurst is still operating…

 
Hey, dress up for Kate Ceberano’s webinar!

 
Winning!

 
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Jon Atack on past lives in Scientology

 
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Source Code

“I had an example of this. I had a couple of words on a line plot, when I was auditing, and they didn’t make much sense, and I let them go by! They didn’t make any sense to me and by George, we had a wrong item! And as soon as we got the thing straightened out and they did make sense, and so forth, they rocket read, and we went ahead beautifully. The point I’m stressing here is even though you have those forms, don’t try to gobbledygook it. Because gobbledygook won’t work. But sometimes it looks a little gobbledygooky, let’s get the idea of ‘to be Catholic.’ Let’s say that somebody had a goal like that. Got it down in the Vatican or somewhere, they got implanted, and ‘to be Catholic,’ you know. And you get down to the ‘-ness’ form of the goal. And you say, well that’s obviously the beingness of a Catholic. But by George, that doesn’t work! And you finally find out that it’s ‘Catholicness.’ Makes sense, doesn’t it? Catholicness. It isn’t an English word, but it’s a perfectly decent concept. It’s the ‘-ness’ ness of being a Catholic. See? And Catholicness, you’ll find out will fire right at that point, very nice.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 18, 1963

Overheard in the FreeZone

“One applies the capability to postulate at a level of pure static. Previous auditing actually accomplished this in varying degrees but it didn’t knowingly use that residual free theta to wisely postulate at that moment of conversion – a knowing and willing CAUSE. I exteriorized from whole track identities and realized it was who I thought I was. The beingness called basic personality was just a collection of winning identities up the track. I looked at the winning identities and said ‘that’s me’; lo, even these as-is and static regains with more wisdom.”

 
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Random Howdy

“It would be fun if there were real monsters, but the only real monsters on this planet are us.”

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

Criminal prosecutions:
— Jay Spina: Sentencing was set for April 3 in White Plains
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members: Trial set for October 7 in Los Angeles

Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Waiting for an appellate decision from the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for June 17
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: May 1 (Masterson new demurrer due), July 8 (plaintiff attorneys pro hac vice), August 31-Sept 1 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe’s attorneys have asked for discovery, depositions (Warren McShane, Lynn Farny), April 20 hearing set (motion to compel arbitration)
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed.

 
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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] When Scientology is caught spying, it always pretends it was the victim
[TWO years ago] Spinning cars, self-healing cuts — more ‘OT’ ghost stories from Scientologists
[THREE years ago] DOX: Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s nutty scheme to strong-arm America’s psychologists
[FOUR years ago] Louis Theroux’s ‘My Scientology Movie’ premieres at Tribeca: Our on-scene report
[FIVE years ago] Scientology hit with another federal lawsuit over refunds — but with a twist
[SIX years ago] The rising business star, his mother, and Scientology’s attempt to rip them apart
[SEVEN years ago] Hysterical Hyper-Sight, and Other Lost Concepts of Dianetics
[EIGHT years ago] One Year Ago Today: Did the Squirrel Busters Mark the Beginning of the End of Scientology?

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 18, 2020 at 07:00

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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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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