The Electronic Telegraph 15 March 1995

Cult's hopes of improving its image takes a knock

By John Steele, Courts Correspondent

THE acquittal of Stephen Cooper is a major setback for the "Church" of Scientology in its efforts to dispel its image as a sinister and manipulative cult.

The decision will go down in the demonology of the cult - or, in its own terminology, on the ever-lengthening list of anti-scientology "suppressive acts" - alongside a bench-mark case in the family division of the High Court in 1984.

In that hearing Mr Justice Latey decided a custody dispute between a father who was a committed scientologist and a mother who had left the cult by removing two children from the father and giving them to the mother.

After a three-week trial in which he heard evidence about scientology and its late founder, the science fiction writer turned spiritual guru, L Ron Hubbard, he said: "Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious. In my opinion it is corrupt, sinister and dangerous. It is corrupt because it is based on lies and deceit and has as its real objective money and power for Mr Hubbard, his wife and those close to him at the top.

'Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious'

"It is sinister because it indulges in infamous practices, both to its adherents who do not toe the line unquestioningly and to those outside who criticise or oppose it. It is dangerous because it is out to capture people, especially children and impressionable young people, and indoctrinate and brainwash them so that they become the unquestioning captives and tools of the cult, withdrawn from ordinary thought, living and relationships with others."

The cult , which offers endless press releases and glossy brochures to the media, has denounced the Latey hearing as a "travesty of justice" in which it was not allowed to defend itself.

Scientology was created by Hubbard more than 40 years ago. In essence, he suggested humans are reincarnated from the beginning of time and inside everyone there is a thetan - or spirit - trying to help the human improve.

But the thetan is handicapped by engrams - bad thoughts or past misdeeds - which have to be cleared by the processes of scientology known as dianetics, to guide the individual human towards spiritual enlightenment.

The central tool of dianetics is "auditing with an e-meter", a machine which is used when scientology members are quizzed by "auditors" about their innermost thoughts.

Auditing, the theory goes, enables members to confront and overcome engrams.

Hubbard, who died in 1986, was a 'charlatan and worse'

Within the cult there is a cadre of dedicated members known as "Sea-Org" whose recruits sign a contract to work for a billion years and they audit their way "up the bridge" of spiritual improvement towards the levels of "clear and Operating Thetan".

As evidence in the Cooper trial showed, cult members wear uniforms and the East Grinstead castle is patrolled by guards with handcuffs and heavy torches.

The jury heard of "ethics officers" and "ethics penalties" for those committing harmful acts. The "rehabilitation project force" was a euphemism for an internal disciplinary body.

Cooper's lawyers were unable to adduce the Latey judgment in his case but the detailed evidence before the judge in 1984 convinced him that Hubbard, who died in 1986, was a "charlatan and worse" who had lied about his background and war record to promote himself and had created a quasi-"religion" to make money for himself and his cohorts.

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