Scientology
Battling Scientology's attack on free speech
I won't be able to keep my secrets from you much longer, but I
am neither a public speaker nor do I possess any formal training
on the subject of cults. However, over the last three years, and
particularly in the last 9 months, I have received a rather
fiery baptism on cults and free speech from an organization that
Cynthia Kisser said "is quite likely the most ruthless, the most
classically terroristic, the most litigious and the most
lucrative cult the country has ever seen. No cult extracts more
money from its members".
Yes, I am involved in a controversy with the Church of
Scientology over the most fundamental right in a democracy--the
freedom to speak. Scientology hypocritically cries that theirs
is a persecuted religion attacked by bigoted and intolerant
critics. Further, Scientology's mantra, repeated ad-nauseum
throughout their paranoid and delusional history, continues to
be that those individuals and governments who dare criticize
their anti-social goals, tactics and civil rights abuses of
their own members are engaged in some grand conspiracy to
destroy Scientology. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I am just one of many persons working actively through the
internet, the Cult Information Service, FACTNet, the American
Family Foundation and in our own individual ways to force much
needed reform on Scientology. These reforms must acknowledge
that all of us, Scientologists especially, have an inalienable
right to criticize, oppose or scrutinize practices and tactics
used by their organization which we view as contrary to the
respect and dignity required towards our fellow man. Without
these most basic rights, there certainly cannot be religious
freedom, or in fact any freedom, in our democracy.
Scientology's own creed, which uses the phrase "inalienable
rights" seven times, states in part:
"That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk
freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or
utter or write upon the opinions of others"
These are very noble words but this is truly an organization
whose so-called leaders have no shame. When will their hypocrisy
ever end?
In the United States, many of us take our inalienable rights for
granted, because by definition they cannot be taken away. But
ask your own sons and daughters who have experienced
Scientology's orgy of thought reform or Paulette Cooper from New
York, Larry Wollersheim from Colorado, Stacy Young from
Washington, Arnie Lerma from Virginia or Frank Oliver in Florida
if their inalienable rights were in any way protected while in
Scientology, or if scientology has shown any respect whatsoever
for any of their rights since they departed.
Ask Lisa McPherson and Noah Lottick if their rights to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness were sacred to Scientology.
A little known fact in our society is that we have no rights
under our constitution unless we are willing to stand up and
affirmatively assert them. This is a price that all cults and
litigious entities like Scientology force us to pay in our
society because they are so willing to strip their members and
critics alike of as many of our rights as we will cede them.
Let me tell you a little about personal boundaries and how an
organization like Scientology tries to prey on and destroy the
personal boundaries of family members, friends, associates, and
yes, even children to stop the truth from being told.
Before detailing scientology's campaign of harassment and
intimidation against me, I want to share some thoughts with you
that I had in August 1997 when I actually began to doubt some of
the critics' stories I had heard about the incredible harassment
people had suffered at the hands of scientology.
By this time I had given financial help to a lot of critics, and
some of that help was public knowledge, yet I hadn't been
subjected to any kind of harassment, no threatening phone calls,
nothing. And I began to wonder if these people were really as
bad as everyone said they were. I honestly thought that the
critics must be exaggerating. But that was only the calm before
the storm, and now the veracity of critics' stories rings true
for me.
There is a scientology directive called "Critics of
Scientology," written by Hubbard in 1967, which has taken on
particular meaning for me over the past few months. This is, in
part, what it says:
Quote:
We are slowly and carefully teaching the unholy a lesson. It is
as follows: We are not a law enforcement agency. BUT we will
become interested in the crimes of people who seek to stop us.
If you oppose scientology we promptly look up - and find and
expose - your crimes. If you leave us alone we will leave you
alone.
"It's very simple. Even a fool can grasp that.
"And don't underrate our ability to carry it out.
Unquote
I can tell you from firsthand experience that you should not
underrate the amount of money scientology is willing to spend on
private investigators to try to dig up - or make up - some sort
of criminal past on someone they are trying to stop, as they are
trying to stop me.
The intimidation began in September 1997, when I was contacted
by Elliott Abelson, a former Mafia attorney who now works for
scientology. Abelson said he was aware that I was funding Larry
Wollersheim and Ken Dandar, the attorney for the Lisa McPherson
estate. It was not the case with Ken Dandar, but now I thank Mr.
Abelson for giving me that idea, as I have since indeed assisted
Lisa McPherson's estate.
During the course of our conversation he warned that my family
stability and financial stability were at risk because I was
attacking scientology. I suppose I must have made it clear to
him that I would not capitulate. Within two weeks I heard from
some very distant relatives in Tennessee that scientologists
were there doing a background check on me.
In November I got a call from a woman at the scientology org in
Boston. In a subtle but firm way she said that if I did not stop
giving financial support to critics of scientology they would
attack me on five fronts, and she listed them for me:
Family
Children
Ex-wives
Former business partners
Federal and state tax status
The morning after that phone call was the first time my children
were followed. That was not the only time.
Later this woman signed a declaration, witnessed by a colleague,
swearing she never said any of these things, but when you hear
what I have to say, you will know that they have done just what
she promised.
Soon after that call I received the following letter from
Elliott Abelson:
November 18th, 1997
Dear Mr. Minton:
You appear to have undertaken the financial maintenance of a
significant number of litigants adverse to Scientology Churches
in the United States. You have even become the patron of "dog
and pony show" witnesses without legal claims, like the Youngs,
who instigate disputes and sell their testimony to the litigants
you underwrite. You're now even financing the travel of
hate-filled individuals, some of whom have already been
prohibited by courts from committing further acts of violence
against members of the Churches of Scientology, from across the
United States to the Church of Scientology's premises in
Clearwater, Florida. You are, in this manner, a responsible
party in fostering a climate of hatred in Clearwater, which
endangers our staff and parishioners who work and live there.
The distraction to Church ministers and parishioners engaged in
religious services by the potential hate crimes committed by the
individuals you are financing, would not be occurring were it
not for you going out of your way to foment their irrational
hatred. If you have not realized it before, then recognize now
that this creates a serious potential liability for you. A
number of those with whom you have associated yourself through
your patronage, such as Dennis Erlich and Keith Henson, have
engaged in threats and acts of violence, attempts at
intimidation and scandal-mongering.
Association with lawbreakers such as these, combined with the
monetary demands that inevitably accompany their involvement in
litigation or similar fertile areas for attempts of extortion,
make your actions of interest to the prosecutors to whom such
conduct has been referred.
My client holds you, your associates and backers, financial or
otherwise, personally responsible for any and all damages it has
suffered or will continue to suffer as a result of your
tortious, officious intermeddling in Church litigation. The
Church will not tolerate such conduct. I demand that you
immediately withdraw all financial support for such matters and
am warning you that you and those you're financing have crossed
the threshold of legality.
I advise you to inform me forthwith what you have done to cease
fomenting and financing unlawful attacks against my client.
Elliot J. Abelson
As I have done at every step of the way, I detailed this
harassing action by posting this letter to the internet, to keep
everyone abreast of what was being done. It was also at about
this time that I decided it would be prudent to retain competent
legal counsel, which I did.
In late November scientology subpoenaed me to be deposed in the
Lisa McPherson case in Clearwater. They told the judge I was an
agent of the German government funneling money into the U.S to
destroy scientology. They also told the judge I was trying to
substitute my agenda, which they perceived as putting the entire
church on trial, in the McPherson case, when in fact scientology
was trying to divert attention from the real issue-the tragic
death of Lisa McPherson. The judge eventually allowed them to
depose me in January to discover my motives.
Scientology flew three high-priced attorneys from Florida to
Boston, one paralegal from the Office of Special Affairs, and
Earl Cooley as their local counsel. Cooley, as many of you know,
is now the chairman of the board of trustees of Boston
University, a long-time scientologist, and a fierce defender of
scientology's rights to abuse, harass and intimidate critics. In
addition to a number of questions relevant to the funding of the
Lisa McPherson litigation, they also tried to use the
opportunity, as they always do when they depose someone, for
intelligence gathering, but I simply refused to answer such
questions.
In December I went down to Clearwater to picket in front of the
Ft. Harrison hotel, now the spiritual headquarters of
scientology, with 30 other internet activists on the second
anniversary of Lisa McPherson's death. While we picketed in
Clearwater, scientology did their first picket of my house in
Boston. The picketing of my house continued for the next two
months, and about every two or three days there would be either
a picket or hateful fliers handed out throughout Beacon Hill.
The picket in Clearwater was very significant because
scientology closed the Ft Harrison during the two days of the
picket. Members of the paramilitary wing of scientology, the Sea
Organization, weren't allowed to wear their Sea Org uniforms in
Clearwater, apparently because the scientology leadership was
afraid these violent picketers (that I had supposedly flown in
from all over the country) might attack them.
Instead of confronting the picketers, 4,000 Sea Org members
picketed the Clearwater police and St. Petersburg Times and
damaged scientology's own standing in the community even further.
The December 1997 picket in Clearwater was an incredible moral
victory for many ex-scientologists -- a turning point in the
battle with this organization. Scientology was so afraid of
exposing its members to anyone questioning its tactics and
policies that they seemingly have since felt compelled to hide
when anyone shows up for a picket, whether it's one person or
fifty.
While I was in Clearwater in February to film an interview with
a German TV station, I met with Gabe Cazares, former mayor of
Clearwater who was harassed relentlessly by scientology because
of his criticism of them. He told me that before the picket in
December he was all but ready to give up on ever having an
opportunity to control scientology's influence in Clearwater.
But scientology's reaction to our picket, which was not to
confront us but instead to lash out at the community, created
such animosity among the citizenry that it set back
scientology's public relations in Clearwater by 20 years.
In March, I flew to LA for a picket for L. Ron Hubbard's
birthday, which is always a big event for scientology. In all,
50 picketers flew in from all over the world to defy this
organization which is so consumed with its own self importance
and so intent upon silencing its critics.
Obviously scientology is not able to confront a handful of
peaceful picketers protesting an organization that has so
devastated many people's lives. They chose instead to put tarps
up in front of one of their buildings to keep the picketers away
from the staff, and they actually canceled a birthday party that
had been planned on L. Ron Hubbard Way and kept everyone off the
street as long as the picketers were there.
A much smaller group of picketers went to Hemet, the home of
scientology's fearless leader, David Miscavige. We saw nothing but
security guards at the gate, security cameras everywhere, and people
hiding behind closed curtains peaking out at us. Not one person ever
came out to confront us. Hemet looked like the Ft. Harrison did in
December - completely deserted.
This is an organization that literally cowers at the truth.
Scientology claims to be able to create supernatural powers and
enable people to confront any situation except one --- the truth
about their organization. Perhaps Jesus has an explanation for
this anomaly that can be found in (John 3:20-21) when he warned:
"For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh
to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved [exposed and
rebuked]. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his
deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
Proving that I was not afraid to shed light on the story I
wanted to tell, December started with articles in the St.
Petersburg Times, the Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, and the
New York Times. As these articles came out, I think I became
far more threatening to scientology because mainstream media
were looking more closely at an organization that wants no
scrutiny. This seemed to heighten scientology's disdain for me
and only intensified the picketing and fliers.
In the week prior to the McPherson deposition, scientology hired
private detectives to visit my family members, my son, my
mother, my brothers, father, stepmother, aunts, uncles, and
untold others.
In December, I was also on a WGBH show, Greater Boston with
Emily Rooney, and when scientology went to see my family they
took a copy of the videotape of that show with them as a ploy
for entering into a dialogue with my family members.
I was angry about the visits to my family - it was
extraordinarily hurtful, the fact that in such a short period of
time some of my own flesh and blood could so question my
dedication to them as a family.
It was like having been violated by these people when they went
into the homes and businesses of my family members simply to
antagonize me, to gather intelligence for their investigation,
and to further illustrate their willingness to harass and
intimidate someone who was prepared to help people stand up
against them.
This is where I first felt, what I can only describe, as a cold
steel ball of fear in my gut.
Scientology even authorized someone to pass out scurrilous
leaflets about me in St. Bart's in the French West Indies while
I was vacationing there with my wife and daughters.
(Read Flier)
In January I was served with two more subpoenas for depositions
in other cases, one a bankruptcy case in California where I'd
given financial support to Grady Ward, an internet critic who
was under totally unjustified attack by scientology; and the
other, involving a temporary restraining order against another
internet critic, Keith Hensen who had been roughed-up by a
scientology detective, which they tried to get against him in
Clearwater to prohibit him from picketing.
More national media began broadcasting or filming in January.
NBC's Dateline, CBS's Public Eye, ABC's Turning Point, and a
major German television station all have or plan to air major
exposes about scientology. In fact, the German show is airing
tonight in Germany, and an article based on that show was
published yesterday in a German newspaper and beamed all over
the world via the internet last night.
When these media talk to scientology spokespeople about me, they
pretend that I am nothing to them, that I'm not important and
try to get the media to lose interest in me. Yet in Clearwater,
when scientology public relations man Brian Anderson saw a
German TV crew filming me in front of the Ft. Harrison, he
canceled all interviews that had been set up with that German
crew because the scientology leadership was offended that
scientology had not been told by the German crew that they would
be interviewing me for this documentary.
Following the article in the New York Times in December, I was
contacted by the United Nation's special envoy who is
responsible for preparing the UN's reports on Human Rights and
religious intolerance. I met with him at his request and
presented the other side of the scientology picture.
I believe my meeting with Professor Abdulfattah Amor was useful
and I was very pleased to see that his April report to the UN on
religious intolerance and discrimination denounced several of
scientology's rants. Specifically, he denounced scientology's
claim that Germany's treatment of scientology could be equated
with Jews in Nazi Germany as so ridiculous as to be purile.
Further,his report counters criticisms made by scientology, and
by the US State department in its annual human rights report.
In the meantime, the private investigators have tracked down
more of my business associates all over the world -- in Turkey,
in England, in Brazil and other countries. They have dug up
business associates of my wife's family, and the families of my
former business associates. People who have refused to meet with
them were themselves subjected to investigation.
Then their friends were visited and contacted by these private
investigators in an attempt to get them to comply with their
desires to talk with them. The really unnerving thing about it
is that in almost every case it has worked. These people have
ended up talking to these private investigators. These are the
boundaries scientology loves to violate.
I want to tell you some of the things they have said to my
former business associates:
First, scientology's private investigators show them a detailed
psychological evaluation of me, and say they are convinced that
I'm so unstable they're afraid I'll go into an org and shoot 25
to 30 scientologists at any given moment. And it goes downhill
from there. Every detail of my life, everything negative,
everything they can distort or paint in a bad light -- this is
what they tell my friends and associates, so these people will
feel uncomfortable with me, and then I will in turn feel that
discomfort and eventually, scientology hopes, I won't want to
put everyone in my life through this and will back off.
But every time they go after one of my friends or associates, it
increases my resolve. It's like waving a red flag in front of a
bull. The tactics they use against me and others who criticize
them are wrong. I'm just one in a long line of people they've
been doing this to since they have existed. Hubbard even did
this to his wife and children. These tactics and policies are
wrong and must be changed.
My experience, coupled with my friends' reactions, has made it
more understandable how what happened in Nazi Germany could have
occurred. People laughed at the nazis at first, then they were
scared and intimidated into total, utter silence. And then there
was nobody left to fight them and they took over.
People don't want to get their families involved in the type of
battle that I'm involved in. But it's a threat to all families,
not just mine. There is no better audience to understand this
than you people sitting here today, who have seen the results of
many destructive cults violating your own families.
Sometimes I question why I'm doing this and whether I should
continue, knowing that there is no way that I personally am
going to force scientology to reform. But I keep doing it
because I want other people to get involved. It must be done.
The St. Petersburg Times asked, in March of 1997, "Can anyone
stand up to the Church of Scientology?"
In response, Frank Rich of the New York Times wrote, in an op ed
piece on March 16, 1997:
"The great American religious saga of the 1990's may be the rise
to power of a church that has successfully brought the Internal
Revenue Service, the State Department and much of the American
press to heel even as it did an end-run around the courts."
To counter this will require a tremendous amount of work for all
of us. We need to help educate the press to see what scientology
is doing and who it's willing to step on to do it. We have to
provide support to those who are on the front lines fighting
against this organization. We have to be willing to make
personal sacrifices in terms of money and time.
Scientology concentrates only on the grand conspiracy, because
Ron Hubbard and scientology were products of the McCarthy era
and have never moved on. This organization lacks the mental
agility or resources to defend itself against multiple attacks.
So they need to be exposed from all angles.
I have never advocated the destruction of the Church of
Scientology, but I am seriously interested in reforming the
tactics and policies that abrogate the human and civil rights of
its members and critics. If scientology wants to be treated like
a church, it's high time they started acting like one.
As for myself, I do not intend to surrender my rights to
Scientology without an armed struggle. I will be armed with the
stories of abuse, betrayal, harassment, intimidation, fear,
broken families, neglected children, financial ruin, and the
personal and emotional devastation that so many
ex-Scientologists have suffered.
The "strategic thinkers" at the top of scientology need to
understand a fundamental law of physics: "For every action,
there is an equal and opposite reaction." This postulate is
equally true in life. No matter what form the hate that
scientology dishes out takes, they will always be on the
receiving end of intense and concentrated actions from an
ever-growing circle of critics.
This is precisely what scientology has done with me and many
others who are now major players in this mythological battle
between good and evil. As cult apologist J. Gordon Melton said,
"They turn critics into enemies and enemies into dedicated
warriors for a lifetime." Given the current level of harassment,
intimidation and abuse dished out by this organization, my
crystal ball sees scientology's future as filled with more
negative consequences in response to their actions, including:
More press, more media and more public speaking against
scientology's anti-social policies, abuse of the legal system,
and total disregard for the rights of others,
More organized and concentrated efforts to educate celebrity
victims being used and manipulated by scientology about the true
nature and origins of its evil and vile practices, including
targeting selected celebrities for personal intervention,
More specific efforts to reach individual members with the truth
about scientology's lies and hypocrisy, and
More fund-raising from an expanding array of talented and
capable people who will no longer tolerate the bullying policies
and tactics used by scientology management.
Standing up to the Church of Scientology has been an incredibly
enlightening and enriching personal experience -- a test of my
character at every step of the way. I've gotten to know many
former scientologists, and clearly they are some of the nicest
people I've ever known. While in scientology, these very same
people were taught to lie and betray and acquiesce to having
their own rights taken away from them. This proves to me that
even an organization as totalitarian as scientology cannot strip
away innate human goodness, and gives me hope that we will get
to know many more former scientologists as our actions continue
in the coming weeks and months.
Thank you very much for you attention.
From: bob@minton.org (Robert S. Minton)
Subject: Minton's Remarks to Cult Information Service Conference 4/19/98
Date: 19 Apr 1998 00:00:00 GMT
Message-ID: <353d69b4.3926350@news.tiac.net>
Remarks by Bob Minton on Sunday April 19, 1998
Thank you Paul (Grosswald) a great honor to have been invited to
speak at this annual conference of the Cult Information Service.