Tabs keep telling us Tom Cruise is ditching Scientology, and always with zero evidence

How many times have the tabloids written this story, that Tom Cruise is maybe, perhaps, leaving Scientology, basing that claim on nameless “insiders” whose quotes always turn out to be built on pure vapor?

Continue reading Tabs keep telling us Tom Cruise is ditching Scientology, and always with zero evidence

My family followed Scientology from the start, and here’s how I managed to escape

[L. Ron Hubbard and his flagship]

Recently we heard from Pamela Williams, who told us she was working on a book about her life, titled “Clearly, Lies Are True.” She says that a part of her story involved Scientology, and she sent us the prologue. We told her we thought she had put together an interesting snapshot of the organization in its early history. She graciously agreed to allow us to share her chapter with our readers.

I have often and seriously wondered, what came first? Insanity or Scientology?

Continue reading My family followed Scientology from the start, and here’s how I managed to escape

John P. Coale, OT 6 Scientologist, among attorneys suing Big Tech for Trump

[Greta and John]

Back in 2015, we had a lot of fun writing about attorney John P. Coale and his wife, former Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren, who were not only both longtime Scientologists but who had both also completed Scientology’s bizarre auditing level “OT 4,” which helps a person put the invisible alien entities sticking to them through drug rehab.

Continue reading John P. Coale, OT 6 Scientologist, among attorneys suing Big Tech for Trump

News from Texas reminds us of a legendary fight against Scientology’s goon squad

[Back in the day]

One of the reasons that Marty Rathbun’s bizarre about-face in 2016 was so startling and disappointing was that until that time, interviewing him was one of the absolute highlights of the work we had done here and at the Village Voice.

Continue reading News from Texas reminds us of a legendary fight against Scientology’s goon squad

Scientology’s cruise ship isn’t going anywhere, but the new hype video is here anyway!

The new Freewinds hype video has arrived, and we knew you’d want to see it. It’s dope!

Continue reading Scientology’s cruise ship isn’t going anywhere, but the new hype video is here anyway!

Take Scientology’s quiz to see if you qualify for the Sea Org and its billion-year contract!

Remember Jasper? We featured his Sea Org advertisement the other day, but we noticed later that it was a mailer from the New York org that encouraged Scientologists to fill out a questionnaire to test their interest in joining that most theta of Scientology initiatives, the Sea Organization.

Continue reading Take Scientology’s quiz to see if you qualify for the Sea Org and its billion-year contract!

Jon Atack and Mike Rinder on Scientology’s wackiest book: ‘A History of Man’

We’re very glad that Jon and Mike have taken on this awesome task, and you might also look at the fun we had when we read this most insane of Scientology textbooks with biologist PZ Myers in 2013. Now, here’s Jon’s introduction to today’s video, which is worth the price of admission all on its own.

When I last chatted with Mike Rinder, he suggested that we discuss Scientology’s founding text, Scientology: A History of Man. In the comments section, several people endorsed this crazy idea, so I had to read the damn book. In doing so, I realized that it is almost forty years since I read a Scientology (or Dianetics) book from cover to cover. It will be the last. It was an endurance test, and, if I hadn’t agreed to the chat with Mike, I would have put this bizarre and silly book down after the first page.

Continue reading Jon Atack and Mike Rinder on Scientology’s wackiest book: ‘A History of Man’

Scientology ‘Hogwarts’ in Oregon has Covid outbreak: 43 students, 8 staff

[Illustration by Observer]

The Oregon Health Authority in May reported that Delphian School in Sheridan had one of the biggest school-based Covid outbreaks in the state: 43 students and 8 staff were infected.

Continue reading Scientology ‘Hogwarts’ in Oregon has Covid outbreak: 43 students, 8 staff

‘Global psychiatric obliteration’: Scientology’s ongoing war on psychiatry

[Kirstie Alley and Kelly Preston attacking the psychs]

Chris Owen concludes his three-part series on Scientology’s war on psychiatry today. Make sure you don’t miss part one and part two.

Scientology continues to battle psychiatry to this day, but its ‘war’ has shifted focus and tactics since David Miscavige took over as its leader in the 1980s. In 1983, Miscavige abolished the discredited Guardian’s Office and replaced it with the Office of Special Affairs (OSA), which fulfils many of the same functions. The Citizens’ Commission on Human Rights, Scientology’s anti-psychiatry front group that formerly sat under the Guardian’s Office, was transferred to the control of OSA’s ‘social reform’ section.

Continue reading ‘Global psychiatric obliteration’: Scientology’s ongoing war on psychiatry

Defeating the ‘Satan worshippers’: Scientology’s secret war on doctors

Historian Chris Owen’s deep dive into Scientology’s war on the mental health profession continues with part two today. Please see his dynamite part one from yesterday.

In parallel with its overt anti-psychiatry campaign detailed in part one of our series, Scientology also conducted a covert campaign against medical doctors. As far back as the early 1950s, Hubbard had been deeply paranoid about supposed infiltration by the American Medical Association (AMA), to the point that one of his associates recalled him seeing “a spy from the American Medical Association in every student applicant, in every preclear in for processing, in every non-student customer in the FranTom Luncheonette downstairs.”

Continue reading Defeating the ‘Satan worshippers’: Scientology’s secret war on doctors

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