stc

photo of scifag leaving court






Scientology stands trial in France

Mutante

Yes. Lurk moar.

Scientology On Trial in France for Fraud, Illegal Drugs: Faces Ban | ChattahBox News Blog

Uncle Bruce

This is easy to answer. Go the the link below to the universal life church in California and register. Congratulations! You are now a legally ordained minister and can marry and bury people in all fifty states! For a small additional "donation" you will be provided with handsome credentials and a cd that explains all you need to know to set up your own "church", including registering with the IRS as a non-profit. There are hundreds of store front churchs operating this way.

The story behind the ULC is almost as interesting. It was founded by a completly illiterate
man who dictated his writings to his wife. When the IRS questioned his right to ordain clergy and issue degrees, (i hold a Doctor of Divinity, very attractive framed!) he took them all the way to the US Supreme Court and won. The story is all on the site.

Universal Life Church Free Online Ordination - Become A Minister Online

Anon1720

Win, lose or draw this is excellent publicity against the cult of scientology. Millions more people across the globe have just been informed that scientology is indeed a scamming, dangerous cult - bwahhhaaa.

"Scientology is essentially a spy and mind-control network set up to extract the most money it can from it’s members as well as to enforce the maximum amount of production out of each individual, at minimal or no cost to the organization. It’s as simple as that. " - John Peeler

AnotherMrPink

That link Mutante is just more backdrop. I mean what is actually happening in the courtroom? Have things been thrown out? What witness' etc. I dont know French law, I assume it involves a giant chess board with the king declaring, "Gang Rape!" on the queen piece, but what has happened in courtroom these now 2 days?

Anonymous - the most ethical people on the planet.

TrevAnon

See Dutch newspaper Trouw, estimated circulation 110.000:

Scientology op de korrel - Trouw



Quick and very very very very rough translation, including some comments:

Scientology under scrutiny

The Church of Scientology in France is on trial. Does the church try to get the faithful out of their money on fraudulent charges - and is Scientology a church?

Tens of thousands of euros were lost, some people even lost a hundreds of thousands. They readily paid Scientology for course materials. Ex-members demand their money back - and would prefer a ban on the church. Yesterday a trial in Paris, brought by a 43-year-old Parisienne, began. Her involvement in Scientology began, as she told, on the street, where she was being clinged to by members of that church. She received a free personality test - she felt unstable after a divorce and could use some support. Then, there was little any more free of charge. Now she wants to get back at least 20,000 euros. That, according to herself, she has paid to Scientology for expensive courses and vitamins that would clean “communication and self”. There was also the e-meter, a device that measures the skin and thus provide insight into the mental load of the patient.

The electric meter is a well-known attribute for Scientologists. Whether the effect is scientifically substantiated, may not be so important during the trial. The defense attorneys announced they will get Scientologists to court to explain that they keep a set of religious beliefs - just like people that adhere to other beliefs.

According to the indictment against seven leading French Scientologists Scientology deals with organized fraud and the unauthorized practice of pharmacists work.

According to the Scientology lawyer the allegations false and his client does not use psychological pressure on its members.

Justice in France follows the corridors of Scientology for years exactly. Ten years ago members of Scientology were on trial and a convction followed . Now the church in France, that has several thousand supporters, is sued itself.

Preferably France would like to get rid completely of Scientology, that was started in the fifties by the American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. In France they like to quote ex-Scientologist who now calls his old church a criminal cult.

Germany has tried to declare Scientology unconstitutional, Spain recently announced that the church should be accepted as such.

The lawyer of the complainant does not only hope for a conviction for "organized fraud" of Scientology, but that the church can effectively be prohibited in France. If the seven scientology leaders who stand trial for all charges are to be condemned, they can get ten years in prison.

The church looks forward to the outcome of the current process with confidence. "We have won so many lawsuits."


'Sects no problem'

The press chief of President Nicolas Sarkozy, Emmanuelle Mignon, was subject to a lot of criticism a year ago when she said that there were "no problems with cults in France'. She referred to a long list of cults that the government established in 1995. Mignon called the list, which next to Scientology, for example, displays anthroposophy, 'disgraceful'. "There were some groups on the list that shouldn't have been there. If they do not cause public unrest, there is no reason to ban them. The mere fact that a spiritual group is not affiliated with a traditional church and the Roman Catholic, does not make it a cult. She called Scientology explicitly.

Sarkozy had to appease criticism of his press chief by saying that he had "never been limp" in the fight against cults.

France sees upcoming “vague therapists”

A recent report by the French government warns against the growth of religious cults. " It suggests a tripling of their numbers in fifteen years, the country now has 600 of these groups and movements.

It is not so much their religious activities or documents that the investigators concern. They are busy for the endless parade without self-appointed therapists accredited paper, active in the market for personal coaching and self-help, which they set out to 'influenceable people.

A quarter of the French psychotherapists lacks adequate training, according to the report.

The cult watchdog of France, Miviludes (Mission inter Ministerial de lutte contre les sectes, inter-ministerial team cult Control) recommends a clear definition of the requirements for therapists and a limited but useful list of cults that must be combatted.

According to Miviludes, cults are groups that try to get individuals in, then try to tear the strings with their family-members apart and then financially undress them.

Critics accuse Miviludes uses an obsolete definition of cluts and does not take into account modern developments in religious groups and activities.

Scientology is based on "Dianetics, a science of mental health" that tries to accomplish “a world without insanity, violence and war“, the website reports. The religion has “millions of followers, 6000 churches in 59 countries”. Famous American topacteurs are Scientologists John Travolta and Tom Cruise.


Comments (4)

This article reports a rise in France of vague groups with vague therapeutic recipes. Now we know in the Netherlands more than enough of such groups: Landmark, CSA, Essence Training, and there will be still more.

For additional information:
Stelling / landmark

Supposedly therapeutic and healing, but there is something quite wrong. And then these groups are not going to give any answers.

Parvus, Amsterdam on 26-05-2009, 16:56

As far as I can judge Scientology indeed is a false cult, but they now complain because you have opted for expensive course materials they purchase, which I find rather strange.

cristata, Waddinxveen on 26-05-2009, 10:33

A few years ago I saved one of my Spanish / Catalan cousins and his friend just in time from the clutches of those money-making gangsters. After considering their proposals for a man who ended up in a divorce to 'save' we came to the conclusion that 'Scientology', based on the insane, said professional military L. Ron Hubbard. 'Dianetics', their Bible or Koran (' The tales of Muhammad' as I call that nonsense now) had useful methods to those found in ordinary daily problemn were swindle. Compared with the fascist "Opus Dei” Scientology contains a lot of villains.

Jan Arends, Torroella de Montgrí (Girona) SPAIN on 26-05-2009, 09:30

Well, Scientology is being prosecuted in France, there are raids and prosecutions in Belgium, and they are begin scrutinized by the BLVD in Germany ....

Anyone recognize a pattern here??

Bet that Scientology in the Netherlands is guilty to the same list of misdeeds. Simply because the organization is a scam practice, run by its victims, who believe that with the tens of thousands of euros in Scientology courses cost superpowers can get ...

Do you believe me?

It costs no more than a few seconds to check whether this is true ... just go to
Scientology-amsterdam.org.

David, Amsterdam 26-05-2009, 09:24

Ogsonofgroo

Links to here have been posted at various times but its always nice to bump it up I think :)
For udated news feeds etc.>

Current Newspaper Articles Index

Out and about the interwebz EU to see what's surfacing on yesterday's court case opening, will link if anything new shows up, but mostly the news has been recycled Reuters from a couple of days ago (or further back). Waiting to hear from some of the en Francais anons that can follow the media in France, like there must be some court info sites there that do daily's? Dunno.

Thanks TrevAnon for the ^^^rough translation ^^^ and update! I especially lieks this part (sometimes the trans are pretty lol-worthy :D )>
Eloquent :)

'Nemo me impune lacessit.'

LRon wuz a jeenious! >

"We, by the way, have generated atomic fission without the use of uranium. This is not a difficult thing to do. All you do is synthesize a gamma ray and synthesize some other rays and by concentrating them, you can get an atomic explosion."
("Radiation", lecture of 5 November 1956)

http://www.scientology-lies.com/liesindex.html

Herro

If this trial goes well it would set a nice precedent that would be beneficial in other suits against the church.

Shitposting Shitposter of the Year - 2009

Sponge

Yeah, there's like zero hot sexy court reporting action going on.

(or at least none that's being translated to english)

David Miscavige's worst nightmare: www.truthrundown.shows.it

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whyaretheydead.net replacement site now live at: http://www.whyaretheydead.info

zebrafaced

It's good to be the king.

Anonymous

Just saw in Twitter:
twitter.com/BBC_WHYS


GOGOGOGO

Mutante

zebrafaced

404'd for me. :/ Probably due to a filter.

Oinkertron9000

From the BBC twitter

Scythe

Correction: The tv channel who interviewed Jean Paul Dubreuil yesterday was BFM TV la nouvelle chaîne de l’information sur la TNT, le câble, le satellite et l'ADSL and not France 2. The stream is here, the interview starts at 19h21. waiting for translation/subtitles.

vegnej

Scientologists in France go on trial for fraud - Europe, World - The Independent

A spread from the broadsheet in todays Independent, well respected national paper. !!

Poons required.

Oinkertron9000

Scientology on trial in France | Marketplace Scratch Pad | Marketplace from American Public Media

Sponge

check here soon for podcast/download:
BBC - Podcasts - World Have Your Say

David Miscavige's worst nightmare: www.truthrundown.shows.it

Operation Clambake on Twitter: http://twitter.com/oper_clambake
whyaretheydead.net replacement site now live at: http://www.whyaretheydead.info

Anonymous

hey, they are talking right now on CNN about the trial!!!

maybe someone can record it? I am sure they are gonna repeat it again after some time...

JohnnyRUClear

"Reziga's boss, Max Barbault, was originally a defendant but has died"

Coward.

Whoa there, Hoss. Any "incorporated" group can be so labeled. It doesn't mean commercial vs. spiritual, just group vs. individual.