Tom Cruise and a trial that could drive Scientology out of France
Movement accused of 'organised fraud' against two female members persuaded to part with €20,000
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Independent Minds
REX; GETTY
Tom Cruise (right) lobbied Nicolas Sarkozy not to support prosecution of the Church of Scientology, founded by L Ron Hubbard (left)
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The Scientology movement went on trial in Paris yesterday for "organised fraud" in a case which could lead to the cult's organising bodies being outlawed in France.
The French state prosecution service has failed to back the trial but denies that its decision was influenced by the lobbying of French politicians, including Nicolas Sarkozy before he became President, by leading Scientologists, including the actor Tom Cruise. After an 11-year inquiry, following complaints from four French former Scientologists, an independent, investigating magistrate decided that the prosecution should go ahead.
Two female plaintiffs allege that, between 1997 and 1999, the French movement persuaded them to pay the equivalent of €20,000 each on drugs, vitamins, counselling, saunas and equipment to improve their mental and physical health. This included an "electrometer" to measure the state of their "spiritual condition".
The movement is accused of pretending to "identify and resolve alleged psychological difficulties" and "promoting the personal flowering" of its adepts with the "sole aim of seizing their resources" and "establishing psychological control over them".
Although individual Scientologists, including the cult's founder, L Ron Hubbard, have previously been convicted in France, this is the first time that the movement itself has been accused in a French court of systematic criminal activity. Seven leading members of the movement in France are also on trial.
Scientology, officially accepted as a religion in the United States, is on trial for "escroquerie en bande organisée" – or organised financial fraud. It is also accused of dispensing drugs illegally to its members. Two of the original plaintiffs have withdrawn their actions.
If convicted after a two or three-week trial, the main French organisations of the movement could be ordered to close down.
The cult's French spokeswoman, Danièle Gounord, protested yesterday that Scientology was the victim of a "heresy trial" and "mendacious accusations". Maitre Olivier Morice, lawyer for the two remaining plaintiffs, said the court would have an opportunity "once and for all" to examine the evidence that the leaders of the Church of Scientology are driven by financial gain.
This was the conclusion drawn by the report submitted by the investigating magistrate, Jean-Christophe Hullin, three years ago. He said that Scientology was "first and foremost a commercial organisation" motivated by "an absolute obsession with profit".
The French state prosecution service rejected Judge Hullin's conclusions and decided in 2006 that Scientology should not be sent for trial. Whatever outsiders might think, the prosecution service decided, Scientology was motivated by "religious conviction" and not "personal gain". The actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise had led a lobbying campaign to block the legal action, which is the latest of five against the movement in France since the 1970s. At one point, he sought, and was granted a meeting with M Sarkozy, before he became President. The prosecution service, or parquet, denies any connection between this political lobbying and its decision to recommend an acquittal.
Judge Hullin decided to send the case for trial despite the parquet's decision. Under French law, the investigating magistrate can, in effect, overrule the state prosecution service but the chances of a successful prosecution are inevitably dimmed.
The defendants, including the Church of Scientology itself, are formally accused of cheating the defendants "by systematic use of personality tests of no scientific value ... with the sole aim of selling services and products".
Scientology was founded in 1952 by a former science fiction writer, L Ron. Hubbard. Although the complete teachings of Scientology are available only to senior adepts, the core of its beliefs is that all humans are immortal beings who have strayed from their true nature. Human souls or "thetans" can be reincarnated. Many have already lived on other planets in the universe.
The movement "audits" the souls of members and would-be members and – in return for fees or donations – prescribes "purification" courses, including vitamins, drugs and lengthy saunas.
Scientology claims that it is a religion, like any other religion with beliefs that may seem implausible to outsiders. Its approach would, the cult argues, lead to a world without crime and war.
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Comments
Do they deserve tax free status - nahhh. Let the idiots who subscribe pay, that is their right, but please don't subsidize them.
A "religion" that won't reveal its "sacred texts" until its adepts have reached a certain level is automatically suspect.
A "religion" that copyrights its "sacred texts" and other works, and then sues violators, is automatically suspect.
Need I go on?
"Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion"
...I don't really see how it's defensible. The 'sacred texts' bear more than a passing resemblance to pulp sci-fi (written by a sci-fi author, quelle surprise), and are, frankly utterly risible. I suggest doing some research; Operation Clambake is a good point to start, and you can gasp in awe at the sheer scale of the psychological manipulation and weirdness of this bizarre, exploitative cult.
'Operation Clambake' info pack on Scientology: http://www.xenu.net/archive/infopac
They apparently believe that by telepathically communicating to a cosmic Jewish zombie, who is also his own father, you can free yourself from an evil sin force put there because a rib woman was persuaded by a talking snake to eat a magic apple.
Sounds crazy I know. They then wanted my money and to know what I'd been up to. Abhorrent.
At least I think it was Scientology....
Seriously :D
As long as there is ignorance and stupidity, religions will come (and go), and every faithful soul will claim, that theirs is the one true religion.
France should be a little more honest about it, and either condemn all, or none.
All of the religions mentioned in your title are not money making scams as a core part of their operation (well perhaps some of the Christian sects might stray into that territory as far as properties are concerned).
Some threaten murder. Soem burn and stone you. other's just rip you off and sue you.
Charlatans.
Well - ALL organisations are evil, dead, man-made fixions; cash-grabbing parasite scams with no: breath, soul, conscience, guilt, empathy nor inhibitions. By definition, sociopathic.
What Tom cruise does well is to put on make up and stand under the lights pretending to be someone else, speaking someone else's words. He doesn't have to believe a word he's saying. I would have thought those skills well qualify him to be a priest.
Looking at the Mormon foundations you find it is not much more ridiculous than Scientology,
Joseph Smith and Hubbard con men both, and you can find a host of other examples of cults which to any sensible person are without any foundation
Cannot imagine how the US govt classes a business as a religion
Sponge off the members of public looking for God who fall into their "venus trap".
Should be banned all over the place as a money making scam.
The Scientologists are acused of soliciting money by encouraging belief in things "of no scientific value." That is exactly what the big four do every tme they pass the collection plate.
The Scientologists are accused of soliciting money by encouraging belief in things "of no scientific value." That is exactly what the big four do every time they pass the collection plate.
Hubbard didn't believe a *single word* of his 'religion', and always intended it to be 'fake' religion, comprising the most preposterious and absurd ideas that he could think of - thetans, Xenu, etc. (he was probably laughing so much that he wet himself when he wrote all that stuff) - but with just enough pseudoscientific gobbledeegook to make it *sound* convincing to a certain type of person, so that it would catch on, gain a following and become self-sustaining.
In addition, he *wanted* his religion to attacked as ruthlessly materialistic and profiteering, and criticized for shamelessly exploiting the vulnerable and credulous, and for exerting an unhealhty - even dangerous - degree of psychological manipulation and control over its followers. And he always *intended* that his religion should one day be brought before the courts on these charges. And he hoped that it would be found guilty.
Why?
Because he wanted to expose *all* religions as fake, as comprising preposterous and absurd beliefs, as being ruthlessly profiteering, as exploitating the vulnerable and credulous and psychologically manipulating them. And he hoped that if these accusations could bring down *his* religion, then people might start to look at the 'respectable' religions - e.g. Christianity, Judaism, Islam - and wonder if they too could be guilty of the same crimes, and should be judged similarly. Or, if this did not happen, then at least it would expose, for all to see, the double-standards and hypocrisy of the political and legal establishment when it comes to the major organized religions, and the huge power and influence wielded by the vested religious interests in our society - power and influence that effectively place them above criticism, and above the law.
As I said, one must be extremely charitable to Hubbard to imagine that this was his real intention behind setting up Scientology. But if it *is* actually true, then Hubbard deserves to be rehabilitated and his reputation revised, from being one of an eccentric crank who invented his own religion, to that of a mischievous anti-theist whose plan to bring down *all* religions along with his own borders on sheer genius....
The good thing is that Scientiology's silliness allows us to see the silliness of all the other supernaturally-inclined religions - which many comments here demonstrate.
Twain also said (and I'm paraphrasing) that 'the quiet confidence with which I know the other man's religion to be foolish, makes me wonder if mine is foolish too.'
This is the good that Scientology does.
Learn to do meditation; and the use of one's own words, and poetry show more value, and love to the Supreme Father than the repetitious, boring rituals of all religions. Presently, religion is being used to manipulate, control and exploit the masses, which is something that displeases greatly a God that is about unconditional love and honesty, while fear and dishonesty are mankind's tactics.
Oh and to the scientologists and people who are flooding the comments section comparing scientology's money-for-enlightenment to Christianity, Christianity doesn't charge a set fee for it's "redemption". You can get everything you want for free and if you like can give money, maybe 10p maybe £10 to help the pastors live, as they don't get real wages. It's entirely up to you. You still get the whole religion and all of it's services. Jesus, the talking snake, everything. In scientology if you don't pay the extortionate costs, you get nothing. They even lie about Xenu and body thetans being dead aliens as Graham Wilson did recently, on a bbc radio program, until you've paid upwards of £200,000. There really is no comparison.
The church of scientology has tried numerous times to shut down these groups numerous times alleging copyright infringement and other claims (apparently it's breach of copyright to use scientology materials you have previously paid for, on your own if you don't presently give them money). The higher up levels of sietnology from OT3 the Wall of fire with Xenu etc, also state that there was no Christ.
End religious intolerance, stop the church if scientology now.
Spiritual freedom is the public relations handle to bring in the inquisitive and the searchers with their pocket books. So today France maybe the tax exempt status next followed by dismantling of its undeserved tag as a religion from Australia to the European Continent. Its a business with a lousy product!
While there are vunerable people they will thrive.
How many more so caled religions will spring up before we are educated in athe sams of religion. No we will not be as money talks and these cults make money.