Did L. Ron Hubbard believe his own rap? Here’s what he admitted about Scientology in 1952

In 2011, an Ohio State University professor named Hugh Urban came out with a book he titled The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion. We wrote about the book when it came out and interviewed the man.

Continue reading Did L. Ron Hubbard believe his own rap? Here’s what he admitted about Scientology in 1952

Scientology takes on the evil psychs at the APA, and more in our weekly social media review!

It’s time again for Rod Keller’s Scientology Social Media Review. He’s made a specialty of hunting down the odd and wonderful things Scientologists post to the ‘net. He’s a chronicler who piece by piece builds a highly detailed assessment of what Scientology is doing around the world, and this is what he found for us this week…

Continue reading Scientology takes on the evil psychs at the APA, and more in our weekly social media review!

Ron Miscavige shakes off Scientology smears, rockets to #1 in ebooks

Your proprietor left his underground lair recently to make a kitty litter run, and found himself in one of those cavernous wholesale warehouses where you have to buy everything in bulk. And while passing by pallets of industrial-sized boxes of breakfast cereal and five-gallon drums of peanut butter, we saw it. On a table overladen with self-help volumes and coloring books, there was a stack of Ron Miscavige’s Ruthless about 20 copies high.

Scientology is so screwed.

Continue reading Ron Miscavige shakes off Scientology smears, rockets to #1 in ebooks

Document leak: How Scientology freaked out over losing Lori Hodgson and her mom

[Dee McMurdie and Lori Hodgson]

We told you recently that a new source, a current member of the Church of Scientology, had sent us a small collection of documents (with promises that more are forthcoming). The first document we published was a really entertaining internal memo showing how, in 2008, the church was panicking about the way the Anonymous movement had figured out how to alter Google Maps so that orgs showed up labeled as “Cult of Scientology.”

Now we have a document from 2010, and it provides a really interesting look inside another panicky situation: When two Scientologists had decided to turn their backs on the organization.

Continue reading Document leak: How Scientology freaked out over losing Lori Hodgson and her mom

Monique Rathbun formally ends her lawsuit in Texas; Ken Dandar wins again in Florida

Monique Rathbun’s harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology which she filed in August 2013 has now ended with a document she filed Tuesday in Comal County, Texas.

Continue reading Monique Rathbun formally ends her lawsuit in Texas; Ken Dandar wins again in Florida

‘Freedom’ magazine is back after a six-month absence, and it arrived with a surprise!

We started hearing from readers in late April that a new issue of Scientology’s propaganda magazine, Freedom, had appeared. One of our readers even sent us scans of the new issue (and thank you very much!).

But for some reason, the Freedom website was unchanged, and it stayed that way — until yesterday.

Continue reading ‘Freedom’ magazine is back after a six-month absence, and it arrived with a surprise!

Phil and Willie’s excellent adventure: Taking on Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ policy in L.A.

Phil and Willie Jones won’t rest. Despite the success of their Echo Park billboard that got a ton of media attention, the Las Vegas couple was back in Los Angeles yesterday with another mission to raise awareness about Scientology’s toxic policy of ‘disconnection.’ When Phil told us what they had planned, we asked him to send us a report about their latest adventure. Here’s what he sent us.

Continue reading Phil and Willie’s excellent adventure: Taking on Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ policy in L.A.

66 years ago, L. Ron Hubbard transubstantiated from pulp writer to god among men

Sixty-six years ago today, L. Ron Hubbard published his surprise bestseller, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.

Continue reading 66 years ago, L. Ron Hubbard transubstantiated from pulp writer to god among men

Giant certificates and other weirdness from Scientology in our weekly online review

Scientology may be shrinking, but Rod Keller points out that at least its commends are expanding! It’s time again for Rod’s Scientology Social Media Review. He’s made a specialty of hunting down the odd and wonderful things Scientologists post to the ‘net. He’s a chronicler who piece by piece builds a highly detailed assessment of what Scientology is doing around the world, and this is what he found for us this week…

Continue reading Giant certificates and other weirdness from Scientology in our weekly online review

Scientology’s hypnotic suggestion: What’s true for you is what’s true for L. Ron Hubbard

Jon Atack is the author of A Piece of Blue Sky, one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. He has a new edition of the book for sale, and for more than three years he’s been helping us sift through the legends, myths, and contested facts about Scientology that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet.

Continue reading Scientology’s hypnotic suggestion: What’s true for you is what’s true for L. Ron Hubbard

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