http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:40:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23876/scientology-disconnection-policy-destroys-relationships http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23876/scientology-disconnection-policy-destroys-relationships#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:16:53 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23876 I knew Scientology was in trouble when the media moved on from the usual silly gossip about its celebrity members to much darker, disturbing issues at the heart of the movement – issues, as I have come personally to understand, that actually matter, Jonny Jacobsen writes in Herald Scotland.

After a Paris court last month convicted several Scientologists and two organisations associated with the movement in France of organised fraud, and amid other investigations in France looking at a suicide and an alleged abduction, Oscar-winning film-maker Paul Haggis, a long-time member, quit Scientology.

Haggis, who wrote and directed Crash, denounced the practice of "disconnection", which sees members forced to cut off contact with anyone – even their loved ones – if they are deemed an enemy of Scientology.

In Edinburgh in the early 1990s, I found out just what the practice of disconnection could do to ordinary people when a close friend became involved in Scientology. It was an experience which marked me so profoundly that I have been tracking the movement ever since...]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23876/scientology-disconnection-policy-destroys-relationships/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23875/church-of-scientology-told-to-drop-churchill-images http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23875/church-of-scientology-told-to-drop-churchill-images#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:37:41 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23875 The family of Winston Churchill has asked the Church of Scientology to stop using images of the former prime minister in its recruitment literature, The Times reports.

The controversial religious organisation has been circulating promotional material to recruit staff in the UK which includes photographs of Churchill along with quotes from some of his most famous speeches.

It has also used Churchill’s image to promote speaking engagements by its members and campaigns to raise money to create new Scientology facilities in Britain.

The church defended its use of Churchill in its materials and accused detractors of “trying to stir up mischief”.

The cult apparently sees aligning itself with respected causes (e.g. human rights), celebrities or respected personalties (e.g Einstein as an effective recruitment tactic.

Another favorite ploy is the use of the impressive sounding -- but basically useless -- Oxford Capacity Analysis test.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23875/church-of-scientology-told-to-drop-churchill-images/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23854/newspaper-continues-series-of-exposes-of-scientology-cult http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23854/newspaper-continues-series-of-exposes-of-scientology-cult#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:11:05 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23854 The St. Petersburg Times is continuing to expose the Church of Scientology to daylight -- by reporting on the destructive cult's unethical tactics.

Billed as The Truth Rundown, its series of special reports highlights the alleged abusive behavior of current Scientology leader David Miscavige, as well as other criticism leveled at Scientology by a number of high-level defectors. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23854/newspaper-continues-series-of-exposes-of-scientology-cult/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23840/scientology-fraud-quackery http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23840/scientology-fraud-quackery#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:57:36 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23840 French judges said they did not order the church offices closed because they did not want to drive Scientologists underground, where they could not be monitored.

At least five other cases involving complaints against the church are under investigation by courts around France, according to press reports. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23840/scientology-fraud-quackery/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23833/french-court-convicts-church-of-scientology-of-fraud http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23833/french-court-convicts-church-of-scientology-of-fraud#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:45:16 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23833 A French court on Tuesday convicted the Church of Scientology and six of its members of organized fraud, but stopped short of banning the church.

As part of the penalties, the church was ordered to publish the results of the verdict in several national and international magazines to warn people, the judge said, about what Scientology offers and what was discovered at trial. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23833/french-court-convicts-church-of-scientology-of-fraud/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23829/paul-haggis-leaves-scientology-church http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23829/paul-haggis-leaves-scientology-church#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:15:34 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23829 Paul Haggis, the Hollywood film director, has resigned from the Church of Scientology after 35 years as a member in protest against its apparent opposition to gay marriage.

In his letter Haggis also highlights a lie told by Scientology spokesperson Tommy Davis, who in an interview with CNN denied Scientology's policy of disconnection -- in which the destructive cult forces some of its members to sever relationships with friends and family members. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23829/paul-haggis-leaves-scientology-church/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23820/scientology-snubs-coroner-over-suicide-soldier-audit-file http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23820/scientology-snubs-coroner-over-suicide-soldier-audit-file#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:46:25 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23820 The Church of Scientology refused to provide records demanded by a coroner investigating the death of an Australian soldier who committed suicide two days after finishing one of the church's intensive courses.

The Australian reports that the American headquarters of the church instructed its Australian branch to send the soldier's "audit file" to the US - outside the coroner's jurisdiction - before warrants were issued.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23820/scientology-snubs-coroner-over-suicide-soldier-audit-file/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23818/former-scientologists-level-accusations http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23818/former-scientologists-level-accusations#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:33:16 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23818 Since its inception in the 1950s, the Church of Scientology has rarely been far from controversy.

And now some senior insiders who have left the church are leveling disturbing accusations against the current leader, David Miscavige. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23818/former-scientologists-level-accusations/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23730/scientology-russia-2 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23730/scientology-russia-2#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:46:27 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23730 The European Court for Human Rights has fined Russia for refusing to register Scientology churches in the cities of Surgut and Nizhnekamsk as religious groups.

The Strasbourg court’s statement says the country has broken Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and must pay €10,000 for punitive damages and another €10,000 in legal costs, RIA-Novosti news agency reports. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23730/scientology-russia-2/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23701/westboro-baptist-church-14 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23701/westboro-baptist-church-14#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:31:01 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23701 A federal appeals court has thrown out a US$5 million ($7 million) verdict against fundamentalist Christian protesters who carried signs with inflammatory messages like "Thank God for dead soldiers" outside the Maryland funeral of a US Marine killed in Iraq.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church -- a cult-like hate group -- have deluded themselves into thinking they are Christians.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23701/westboro-baptist-church-14/feed 0