Ex-Scientologist Story #416, Fundraiser Fraud in Ireland.

Former Scientologist Kevin Stevenson is suing the cult for “undue” pressure and influence in their fundraising campaigns.  The unbridled avarice and greed of the cult when is comes to extorting money from their members has benefited Scientology hugely over the years.  But it has also driven otherwise loyal members out the door.  A story in The Phoenix dated February 22, 2013 tells a sad, but all too familiar, tale.

A High Court case coming down the tracks promises to shed some light on the mysterious internal  workings of the Church of Scientology Ireland, which is be sued for (Euro) 100,000 by a former member who is alleging “fraud”, “undue influence”, and the “infliction of emotional distress.”  

To read the full story go here; http://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/2013/02/24/kevin-stevenson-in-litigation-with-scientology-phoenix/

On September 21,1011 Kevin Stevenson left these bitter words on the blog of Marty Rathbun.

I ink the integrity and courage shown by you here and encouraged here negates the validity of any criticism in the speed of the release of the truth that will end the misery and enslavement that is guaranteed by involvement with what this organization has become under the control of this evil man.
So many people are missing and nobody asks about them. I despair about that. The contempt that CoS staff show for those they are trying “save” is just so sickening. In all of this the philosophy is almost lost, except on this blog. The idea was good. The organization was flawed somewhere and this resulted. So much pain and so many deaths. I don’t believe in Organized Religion anymore. This one failed. I believe in people and groups and good intention and it’s here in abundance. I am no longer looking for a superman to quote and paraphrase my thoughts and do my thinking for me. From what I know and have heard in lectures that was the inverse of the intended aims of LRH. Somewhere I heard him say something like “Someday you will be free. Free or me and Scientology too” and that stuck with me. The opposite of that is true in the Cult now. You will never be free. When I read u on the “Super Power” building project today I just thought, same old tactic. Create a mystery, hide nothing. A glorified “OT” gym. Gimme a break.

There seems to be a lot of fire beneath the smoke in this story, I have found a related article that delves even deeper into the fetid underbelly of the greedy Scientology beast.  From the Idependent.ie printed in July of 2012.

Daughter of publican framed by gardai is a leading Scientologist

Frank Shortt’s daughter Zabrina and her husband in upper ranks

The daughter and son-in-law of wrongly imprisoned publican Frank Shortt are in the upper echelons of the Irish wing of the Church of Scientology, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

The executive ranks of the Irish mission of the highly secretive religious organisation — that counts Tom Cruise and John Travolta as members — includes Zabrina Collins (nee Shortt) and her husband, Gerard Collins.

The revelation comes as the church braces itself for another high-profile legal battle with a former member claiming he was a victim of emotional distress and was defrauded of €100,000.

Zabrina Collins and her family went through hell in the late Nineties when their father, Frank, was falsely accused by corrupt gardai of allowing drug-dealing in the nightclub he owned in Donegal.

Since the family’s tortuous campaign to vindicate their father, 34-year-old Mrs Collins has risen through the ranks of Scientology to become an executive director. Her husband, as mission holder, is one of the highest ranking officials in the organisation.

However, Mrs Collins’s choice of religion is at odds with her family in Donegal, with her brother, Jalisco, branding Scientology as a “cult” and a “joke”.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent he said: “We still talk to her but we don’t discuss anything about that. I wouldn’t be a fan of that at all — I think it’s a joke, it’s a cult. I’ve asked her ‘what are you doing in it?’ but she’d turn away and wouldn’t discuss it and say ‘it’s none of your business’.”

For the rest of the story go here:

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/daughter-of-publican-framed-by-gardai-is-a-leading-scientologist-26873412.html

 

 

 

 

The Life of Hubbard according to Scientology.

Recently I came across an old copy of the Scientology publication, The Auditor.  This was an undated reprint of issue #13 published in 1965.  What is remarkable about it is the over-the-top, bare-faced lies told in its short biography of the Great Thetan, L. Ron Hubbard.  It would be hard to find a document anywhere that has been crammed with more lies in such a short compass.

There are some truthful statements to be found amongst the hills of balderdash here; for example he was born in Tilden, Nebraska.  It is also true that he attended George Washington University.  Not stated though is the fact that he dropped out after three years of poor grades.  True he did take some science courses but this dubious prodigy failed to shine in that area; he flunked nuclear physics for one thing.  His stay at Princeton was much shorter; he took a course there on civil administration while he was in the navy.  As for “Sequoia University” that was a diploma mill run by an Los Angeles chiropractor that was later shut down by the State of California.

The claim that he wrote some 15 million words prior to WWII is just plain nonsense.  He was a rather prolific pulp fiction author but his stories were short as were most of that era.  In later years this claim would be reduced to a mere one million words but even this vastly inflated his output.

Hubbard always puffed himself up with vain glory and bravado when it came to exploits in WWII.  But this erstwhile hero never smelled gunpowder fired in anger.  Nor was he wounded or heal himself with any special insights or powers.  He was not pronounced dead at any point.

Hubbard did accomplish one feat that set him apart from other officers of the war; he was not promoted.  In war with death from disease and combat lurking around each corner promotion for anyone competent could be fast.  Except for L. Ron Hubbard.  Perhaps reviews of his performance by his supperiors were responsilbe.  Rear Admiral Braisted stated in his report,

“Consider this officer lacking in the essential qualities of judgment, leadership and cooperation. He acts without forethought as to probable results. He is believed to have been sincere in his efforts to make his ship efficient and ready. Not considered qualified for command or promotion at this time.  Recommend duty on a large vessel where he can be properly supervised.”

Worse would be said about Hubbard by the Australian Military attaché:

By assuming unauthorized authority and attempting to perform duties for which he has no qualifications, he became the source of much trouble… This officer is not satisfactory for independent duty assignment. He is garrulous and tries to give impressions of his importance. He also seems to think he has unusual ability in most lines. These characteristics indicate that he will require close supervision for satisfactory performance of any intelligence duty.”

L. Ron Hubbard would never tell the truth where a lie would do; that is the foundation that Scientology is built upon.

For more on the military career of Hubbard go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_career_of_L._Ron_Hubbard

For a full account of Hubbard’s life this book is one of the best sources: http://www.xenu.net/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm