The Dror Center Schism, the Cook Letter and Scientology's

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Dror Center Schism, the Cook Letter and Scientology's chapter 20 The Dror Center Schism, The Cook Letter and Scientology’s Legitimation Crisis James R. Lewis Suddenly you have factions, schisms, all kinds of very horrible things – they will never occur to this Church, never… steve marlowe, Scientology Inspector General On the first day of 2012, Dani Lemberger, head of the Church of Scientol- ogy (CoS) Mission in Haifa, Israel, was given a copy of an email by one of the Mission’s auditors (Scientology’s name for its counselors), Aviv Bershadsky.1 Lemberger was initially taken aback. The message was from Debbie Cook, a prominent Scientologist who had been a longtime member of the Sea Org (a religious order that has been described as Scientology’s Jesuits) and Captain of the Flag Service Organization – one of the top posts in the Church of Scien- tology.2 Lemberger and his wife Tami knew Debbie from time they had spent at the Flag Land Base, CoS’s spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. Cook’s email, which had originally been sent out to a wide range of Scien- tologists on New Year’s Eve, 2011, presented a startling analysis of various ways in which the Church had become dysfunctional and was beginning to decline. Furthermore, each of the problems she identified were described as deviating from the principles and guidelines laid down by CoS’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986); she backed up all of her points with references to policy letters and other sources authored by Hubbard (also referred to as lrh). Cook was not hesitant to assign blame to cob – Scientologese for ‘Chairman of the Board’ – David Miscavige, the Church of Scientology’s current leader. Lem- berger, a stubborn non-conformist within an organization that over the years has become increasingly conformist, had voiced a few of the same criti- cisms himself. Other issues raised by Cook were revelatory. As one might have 1 The following account is derived from Harman (2012), Ortega (2012a) and ongoing communi- cations with Dani Lemberger and Tami Lemberger. 2 ‘Org’ is short for organization. In addition to groups like the Sea Org, Scientologists refer to their official centers as Orgs. For general information on Scientology, refer to Urban (2011), Lewis 2012a and Hellesøy 2014. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���7 | doi �0.��63/978900433054�_0�� <UN> The Dror Center Schism 463 anticipated, the Church later sued Cook, but then reached a settlement in ex- change for her promise to say no more in public (Ortega 2012b). Lemberger’s response to the e-mail was to forward it to Church adminis- trators for comment. Instead of receiving the requested commentary, howev- er, Scientology officials put him ‘in ethics’ – a kind of interrogation program which implicitly questioned his loyalty. They also asked him to read a special issue of the Church’s Freedom magazine which attacked a variety of different former CoS members who had spoken out against the Church. A sampling of titles from relevant articles that have appeared in Freedom capture the intem- perate tone of these attacks: The Posse of Lunatics: A Story of Lies, Crimes, Violence, Infidelity and Betrayal Jason Beghe: Apostate Poster Boy and Hollywood Psycho A Liar is a Coward; A Perjurer is a Criminal The charges were so over the top that Lemberger knew most if not all of them had to have been fabricated. However, the magazine also mentioned that Mar- ty Rathbun, a former CoS leader, had a blog. So Lemberger went to the Internet and began exploring not only Rathbun’s blog, but also other critical informa- tion available about the Church of Scientology on the World Wide Web. It was an eye-opener. He was particularly intrigued by information on the growing independent Scientology movement. The Lembergers then brought together their staff, discussed the Cook email and encouraged staff members to do their own research into the critical material about Scientology that seemed to fill the Internet. Eventually, everyone reached the same conclusion, namely that they should leave the Church.3 They subsequently composed a letter to Miscavige stating that the Haifa Mission was resigning from its affiliation with the Church of Scientology. The Lembergers also continued to explore the independent movement, sometimes referred to as the Free Zone. For example, Dani Lemberger phoned Max Hauri, head of Ron’s Org, an independent Scientology organization that had left the official Church back in the 1980s. They had a long conversation; he liked Hauri’s frankness and self-deprecating humor. The Lembergers also flew to the United States and visited Marty Rathbun in south Texas. 3 In the Introduction to Sacred Schisms (2009), the editors indicate that one of the major sources of schisms is a significant change in the primary group. The Cook letter focused on changes within CoS that had taken place since Miscavige took over from Hubbard. <UN>.
Recommended publications
  • The Miscavige Legal Statements: a Study in Perjury, Lies and Misdirection
    SPEAKING OUT ABOUT ORGANIZED SCIENTOLOGY ~ The Collected Works of L. H. Brennan ~ Volume 1 The Miscavige Legal Statements: A Study in Perjury, Lies and Misdirection Written by Larry Brennan [Edited & Compiled by Anonymous w/ <3] Originally posted on: Operation Clambake Message board WhyWeProtest.net Activism Forum The Ex-scientologist Forum 2006 - 2009 Page 1 of 76 Table of Contents Preface: The Real Power in Scientology - Miscavige's Lies ...................................................... 3 Introduction to Scientology COB Public Record Analysis....................................................... 12 David Miscavige’s Statement #1 .............................................................................................. 14 David Miscavige’s Statement #2 .............................................................................................. 16 David Miscavige’s Statement #3 .............................................................................................. 20 David Miscavige’s Statement #4 .............................................................................................. 21 David Miscavige’s Statement #5 .............................................................................................. 24 David Miscavige’s Statement #6 .............................................................................................. 27 David Miscavige’s Statement #7 .............................................................................................. 29 David Miscavige’s Statement #8 .............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Dangerous Discourse of Dianetics: Linguistic Manifestations of Violence Toward Queerness in the Canonical Religious Philosophy of Scientology
    Relics, Remnants, and Religion: An Undergraduate Journal in Religious Studies Volume 2 Issue 2 Article 4 5-5-2017 The Dangerous Discourse of Dianetics: Linguistic Manifestations of Violence Toward Queerness in the Canonical Religious Philosophy of Scientology Francesca Retana University of Puget Sound, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/relics Recommended Citation Retana, Francesca (2017) "The Dangerous Discourse of Dianetics: Linguistic Manifestations of Violence Toward Queerness in the Canonical Religious Philosophy of Scientology," Relics, Remnants, and Religion: An Undergraduate Journal in Religious Studies: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2 , Article 4. Available at: https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/relics/vol2/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at Sound Ideas. It has been accepted for inclusion in Relics, Remnants, and Religion: An Undergraduate Journal in Religious Studies by an authorized editor of Sound Ideas. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Retana: The Dangerous Discourse of Dianetics: Linguistic Manifestations Page 1 of 45 The Dangerous Discourse of Dianetics: Linguistic Manifestations of Violence Toward Queerness in the Canonical Religious Philosophy of Scientology I. Uncovering the Anti-Queer Sentiment in the Dianetic Perspective At present, there is a groundswell of public sensational interest in the subject of Scientology; and, in fact, in the time since I began this research paper, a nine-episode documentary series has premiered and reached finale on A&E titled “Scientology and the Aftermath”— a personal project hosted by sitcom celebrity, ex-Scientologist, and author of Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, Leah Remini.1 I could not begin to enumerate the myriad exposés/memoirs of ex-Scientologists that have been published in recent years nor could I emphasize enough the rampant conspiracy theories that are at the disposal of any curious mind on what many have termed “the cult” of Scientology.
    [Show full text]
  • 20170102-Gary-Soter-To-Nancy-Dubic-R.Pdf
    Law Offices of GARY S. SOTER Ms. Nancy Dubuc January 2, 2017 Page 2 • On December 25, the Washington Post wrote: “In a statement released on Christmas Eve, an A&E spokesman said the network learned that the show’s producers - from a third-party production company - made cash payments to “facilitate access” to participants, which violates A&E policy... Though some reality TV producers do pay their subjects, the network emphasized that it is against this practice for documentaries.” (emphasis added) • On December 28, Variety wrote: “A&E declined to comment to Variety on whether participants in ‘Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath’ were paid - other than Remini, who is an executive producer on the docuseries. But, an insider close to the network tells Variety that even if participants were paid, financial payments would be common practice for participants in a television docuseries.” (emphasis added). Tellingly, A&E has declined to comment on whether anyone other than Ms. Remini is being paid. That silence speak volumes, raising questions if, like the KKK show, the sources in Ms. Remini’s series were paid. (Church officials have confirmed that Mike Rinder, the interview subject of the entire second segment and an interview subject in subsequent segments, was indeed paid.) Slauson Productions unambiguously described both Ms. Remini and Mr. Rinder as subjects for their series. In his letter of August 3, 2016, Alex Weresow declined to meet with Church representatives unless the meeting were to: “involve our key subjects, including but not limited to Leah Remini and Mike Rinder.” The same letter, describes Mike Rinder as a “victim, witness, or both.” Both are being paid for their participation.
    [Show full text]
  • Freedom of Religion and the Church of Scientology in Germany and the United States
    SHOULD GERMANY STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE OCTOPUS? FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY IN GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES Religion hides many mischiefs from suspicion.' I. INTRODUCTION Recently the City of Los Angeles dedicated one of its streets to the founder of the Church of Scientology, renaming it "L. Ron Hubbard Way." 2 Several months prior to the ceremony, the Superior Administrative Court of Miinster, Germany held that Federal Minister of Labor Norbert Bluim was legally permitted to continue to refer to Scientology as a "giant octopus" and a "contemptuous cartel of oppression." 3 These incidents indicate the disparity between the way that the Church of Scientology is treated in the United States and the treatment it receives in Germany.4 Notably, while Scientology has been recognized as a religion in the United States, 5 in Germany it has struggled for acceptance and, by its own account, equality under the law. 6 The issue of Germany's treatment of the Church of Scientology has reached the upper echelons of the United States 1. MARLOWE, THE JEW OF MALTA, Act 1, scene 2. 2. Formerly known as Berendo Street, the street links Sunset Boulevard with Fountain Avenue in the Hollywood area. At the ceremony, the city council president praised the "humanitarian works" Hubbard has instituted that are "helping to eradicate illiteracy, drug abuse and criminality" in the city. Los Angeles Street Named for Scientologist Founder, DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR, Apr. 6, 1997, available in LEXIS, News Library, DPA File. 3. The quoted language is translated from the German "Riesenkrake" and "menschenverachtendes Kartell der Unterdruickung." Entscheidungen des Oberver- waltungsgerichts [OVG] [Administrative Court of Appeals] Minster, 5 B 993/95 (1996), (visited Oct.
    [Show full text]
  • Behar-Forbes-1986.Pdf
    L. Ron Hubbard, one of the most bizarre entrepreneurs on record, proved cult religion can be big business. Now he's declared dead, and the question is, did he take $200 million with him? The prophet and profits of Scientology There is something that FORBES L. Ron Hubbard gone underground in New York City: 1973 still doesn't know, however. It is something no one may know outside a small, secretive band of Hubbard's followers: What is happening to all that money? Hubbard himself has not been seen publicly since 1980, when he went underground, disappearing even from the view of high "church" officials. That's in character: He was said by spokesmen to have retired from Scientology's management in 1966. In fact, for 20 years after, he maintained a grip so tight that sources say since his 1980 disappearance three appoint­ ed "messengers" have been able to gather tens of millions of dollars at will, harass and intimidate Scientol­ ogy members, and rule with an iron fist an international network that is still estimated to have tens of thou­ sands of adherents—all merely on his unseen authority. How could Hubbard do all this? As early as the 1950s, officials at the American Medical Association were By Richard Behar wife, went to jail for infiltrating, bur­ glarizing and wiretapping over 100 warning that Scientology, then NLY A FEW CAN BOAST the fi­ government agencies, including the known as Dianetics, was a cult. More nancial success of L. Ron Hub­ IRS, FBI and CIA. Hubbard could hold recently, in 1984, courts of law here bard, the science fiction story­ his own with any of his science fic­ and abroad labeled the organization O such things as "schizophrenic and teller and entrepreneur who reported­ tion novels.
    [Show full text]
  • USDC IN/ND Case 1:16-Cv-00101-JD-SLC Document 1 Filed 03/24/16 Page 1 of 34
    USDC IN/ND case 1:16-cv-00101-JD-SLC document 1 filed 03/24/16 page 1 of 34 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA 1. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FORENSIC ) COUNSELORS, INC., a Nevada Non-Profit ) Corporation, and ) 2. AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CERTIFIED ) FORENSIC COUNSELORS, INC., d/b/a ) AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CERTIFIED ) FORENSIC COUNSELORS, a Nevada For- ) Case No. 1:16-cv-101 Profit Corporation, ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) v. ) ) 1. NARCONON INTERNATIONAL, a ) California Non-Profit Corporation; ) 2. NARCONON OF GEORGIA, INC., a Georgia ) Jury Trial Demanded Non-Profit Corporation; ) Attorney Lien Claimed 3. FRIENDS OF NARCONON INTL., a ) California Non-Profit Corporation; ) 4. PREMAZON, INC., a California ) Corporation; ) 5. NARCONON SPRING HILL, INC., d/b/a ) SUNCOAST REHABILITATION CENTER, a ) Florida Non-Profit Corporation; ) 6. BEST DRUG REHABILITATION, INC., a ) Nevada Non-Profit Corporation; ) 7. A LIFE WORTH LIVING, INC. d/b/a ) NARCONON COLORADO - A LIFE WORTH ) SAVING, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation; ) 8. NARCONON FRESH START, INC., a ) California Non-Profit Corporation; ) 9. NARCONON SOUTH TEXAS, INC., a Texas ) Non-Profit Corporation; ) 10. NARCONON EASTERN UNITED STATES, ) INC., a Virginia Non-Profit Corporation; ) 11. ASSOCIATION FOR BETTER LIVING AND ) EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL, a California ) Non-Profit Corporation; ) 12. RELIGIOUS TECHNOLOGY CENTER, a ) California Non-Profit Corporation; ) 13. NARCONON FREEDOM CENTER, INC., a ) Michigan Non-Profit Corporation; ) 14. GOLDEN MILLENNIUM PRODUCTIONS, ) 1 USDC IN/ND case 1:16-cv-00101-JD-SLC document 1 filed 03/24/16 page 2 of 34 INC., a California Corporation; ) 15. INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ) DETOXIFICATION SPECIALISTS, a California ) Non-Profit Corporation; ) 16.
    [Show full text]
  • EXCERPT of Bennick PROOFED
    General Affidavit: Declaration of Information, Jason L. Bennick Page 1 Excerpts from Affidavit of Jason Bennick State of Florida County of Hillsborough BEFORE ME, the undersigned Notary, JAMES T. WELLS, on this 22nd day of July, 2009, personally appeared JASON L. BENNICK, known to me to be a credible person and of lawful age, who being by me first duly sworn, on his oath, deposes and says: 1. My name is Jason L. Bennick... 2. I am employed at this writing, as COO (Chief Operations Officer) of...a privately owned company. 3. The Church of Scientology (CofS) does not employ myself, either directly or indirectly, nor do any of its affiliate groups, organizations, units or subunits. I do not currently provide active, employed participation in the direct or indirect employed activities of the CofS, nor its affiliated membership groups or organizations, and do not currently engage in direct or indirect business relations with the CofS, nor currently gain personal profit or any/other monetary or material benefits and/or gains through any current relations with the CofS, nor any of its enlisted volunteers or staffed employees, or affiliated membership groups or organizations, units or subunits. 4. After 30 years of satisfactory volunteer service from 1978- 2008, I discontinued [as staff] with the CofS in January 2008... I credit my current personal success to both the knowledge and General Affidavit: Declaration of Information, Jason L. Bennick Page 2 experience gained through media, marketing, organizational and management activities while a [staff] member of the CofS... 5. During my...tenure with the CofS from 1978-2006, I have personally known and/or participated through regular acquaintance by nature of direct or indirect working relations and/or personal friendship with David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, through my [staff] participation within the CofS International and/or the Religious Technology Center.
    [Show full text]
  • Part I – Introduction
    Part I – Introduction Introduction to the Freewinds The owner of the Freewinds is the Church of Scientology. It may appear unusual that a religious organization runs a cruise ship, but the Church of Scientology historically has strong maritime ties. The founder of Scientology, L Ron Hubbard, was a naval commander during WWII before starting the Church in the fifties. In the late sixties he headed the Church from a small fleet of three ships. To run this fleet, he established an organization called the “Sea Org” the 1967 . The Sea Org soon developed into the religious order of the Church, responsible for outreach activities of the Church and delivering the highest levels of training within the Church, known as the Operating Thetan or OT levels. The Sea Org moved to back to land bases in 1975. However, the Church decided in 1985 to return to sea with the purchase of another vessel, the Freewinds. The Freewinds is staffed entirely by Sea Org members and is used as a religious retreat, conference centre and training location. In fact, it is the only place in the world where training for the Church’s highest level, OT VIII, can be received. Sea Org members consider themselves to be ministerial volunteers and they work for food, lodging and a small stipend. They have also signed an employment contract however1, so it is often unclear whether Sea Org members should be considered volunteers or employees from a legal point of view. For the purpose of this complaint, I will be assuming that crew members are legitimate volunteers meaning that the low salaries of crew do not constitute a non-conformity of minimum wage requirements.
    [Show full text]
  • David Miscavige.Affadavit.17 Feb 1994
    Affidavit of David Miscavige 17 Feb 1994 This file is also available from ftp.lightlink.com and ftp.primenet.com. ((Editor's comments in double parenthesis - Homer)) DAVID MISCAVIGE AFFIDAVIT Copyright (C) 1994 David Miscavige Redistribution rights granted for non commercial purposes. William T. Drescher 23679 Calabasas Road, Suite 338 Calabasas, California 91302 (818) 591-0039 Michael Lee Hertzberg 740 Broadway New York, New York 10003 (212) 982-9870 Attorneys for Non-Party DAVID MISCAVIGE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, a California Non- Profit Religious Organization, vs. Plaintiff, STEVEN FISHMAN and UWE GEERTZ, Defendants. CASE NO. CV 91-6426 HLH(Tx) DECLARATION OF DAVID MISCAVIGE I, DAVID MISCAVIGE, declare and say: 1. I am over 18 years of age and a resident of the State of California. I have personal knowledge of the matters set forth in this declaration and, if called upon as a witness I could and would competently testify thereto. 2. I am not a party in the above-referenced case. nor am I affiliated in any corporate capacity with the plaintiff, Church of Scientology International ("CSI"). I make this declaration for several reasons. First, until January 4, 1994, the date on which I was informed that my deposition had been ordered in this case by Magistrate Judge Tassopulos, I had no idea that I would be required to testify in this case. I was never served with any subpoena for such testimony, I have never had any contact whatsoever with either defendant, and I had nothing whatsoever to do with this case until now.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF 162.68 KB
    Barowsky 1 Sophie Barowsky Professor Candland Political Logic & Persuasion 21 December 2017 Scientology: The Art of Cultic Persuasion Introduction The Church of Scientology remains one of the most controversial religious groups in the United States. Scientology was founded in 1954 by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard (LRH) (Reitman, 2011). After writing Dianetics—a book discussing psychoanalytic techniques to purify the mind—L. Ron Hubbard established the Church of Scientology to apply the principles he created. Scientologists regard Dianetics as a scripture or holy text of sorts (Gibney, Vaurio, Wright, & Nevins, 2015). Following the death of LRH in 1986 a man named David Miscavige, who grew up in Scientology as a protégé of Hubbard’s, took over as the leader of the Church of Scientology (Lindsey, January 29, 1986; Gibney, Vaurio, Wright, & Nevins, 2015). One of Miscavige’s biggest accomplishments for the Church was the court win against the IRS providing religious tax exemption (Lewis 2015: 227). With its religious tax exempt status, the Church’s assets amass to billions of dollars, mainly due to their lavish buildings as well as the sheer amount of real estate they own (Reitman, 2011). Although the Church of Scientology was founded in the United States, Scientology has since spread to many other countries like England, Australia, and a number of European countries (Reitman, 2011). Scientology presents itself as “the study of knowledge” and truth-seeking through the use of technology developed by their founder LRH (n.d., What Is Scientology). The Church of Scientology is set up in a hierarchical Barowsky 2 structure with members working to reach the next level, eventually becoming “clear,” or fully aware and free from the “reactive” mind1; the highest level one can reach is OT VIII.
    [Show full text]
  • Leadership in Scientology Towson
    Running Header: LEADERSHIP IN SCIENTOLOGY TOWSON UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES AN EXPLORATION OF LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY by Stephanie Elizabeth Berke A thesis Presented to the faculty of Towson University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science Department of Mass Communication & Communication Studies Towson University Towson, MD 21252 (May, 2018) LEADERSHIP IN SCIENTOLOGY ii LEADERSHIP IN SCIENTOLOGY iii Acknowledgments The completion of this thesis became a reality because of the support and encouragement of many individuals. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them, especially: God – my creator, Savior and the One who gave me the strength and mental capacity to complete this assignment. Thank you for bestowing upon me the wisdom and perseverance needed to accomplish this goal. I am forever blessed by your grace. My thesis committee – Thank you for your guidance, encouragement and support. The research you conducted on public relations and the Church of Scientology laid the groundwork for my own study and inspired me to explore leadership theory in a new context. Thank you for challenging me, guiding me, and pushing me to explore theory in a way I never thought possible. My wonderful friends and mentors – Thank you for your patience, unending support and prayers. Your encouragement, positivity and belief in my ability to succeed meant more than you could ever know. My entire family, especially my parents – You are the root of my strength and the source of my will power. Your constant encouragement inspired my determination to succeed. It is because of you that I always knew I could not fail in any endeavor that I pursued – especially this thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • Russbellin PROOFED
    DECLARATION I…hereby declare and state as follows: 1. I am a resident of California, a United States citizen and am over the age of 18 years. I am of sound mind and body, and not under the influence of any drug or other substance that would affect my memory or ability to tell the truth. I have personal knowledge of the facts that I set forth in this Declaration, and if called as a witness in any proceeding, I could and would competently testify to those facts. 2. I have prepared this Declaration by choice, not compulsion, as an exercise of my own free will, and without any pressure, coercion, or duress concerning its content or preparation from anyone. 3. I have been a member of the Sea Organization for 30 years, having joined the Sea Org in 1979. I am currently a volunteer staff member of the Church of Scientology International and live and work at the Church’s International Headquarters and central dissemination center in San Jacinto, California. I currently hold the position of International Reserves Director, the senior executive finance post in the Church, within the Commodore’s Messenger Organization International. 4. I have known Mr. Miscavige for 21 years. I have worked on a large number of projects under his direct supervision during which I have either met with him on a daily basis or have been in direct written communication with him on a daily basis, as covered in greater detail later in this Declaration. 5. I have spent hundreds of hours with David Miscavige under many different circumstances and experiences, both as a direct subordinate and also as his friend at many social gatherings and events.
    [Show full text]