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Do Scientology and Tom Cruise Deserve So Much Scrutiny?
By Mary Phillips-Sandy - AOL NewsLawrence Wright's lengthy New Yorker article about Scientology and former church member Paul Haggis has renewed interest in the secretive institution. In "The Apostate," Wright describes a number of devastating allegations, including cases of abuse, forced labor and confinement of church members, and -- of course -- strange stories involving Tom Cruise. The article goes on to say that the FBI has investigated the church and that "the case remains open." AOL News reported Monday that a federal law enforcement official said the Scientology investigation had "fallen short" and that no criminal ...
Paul Haggis and Scientology: 5 Juiciest Details From New Yorker Profile
By Mary Phillips-Sandy - AOL NewsA new look at the secretive world of Scientology has revealed some shocking details. This week's issue of The New Yorker contains an epic profile of writer-director Paul Haggis ("Crash," "In the Valley of Elah"). Haggis spent 35 years as a Scientologist, but left the church in August 2009. Journalist Lawrence Wright -- who's also writing book about Scientology -- gained unprecedented insight to the church's inner workings, thanks to dogged research and Haggis' cooperation. Surge Desk breaks down some of his most noteworthy findings. 1. An undercurrent of homophobia Haggis, who has two gay ...
Church of Scientology Faces Controversy Over Latest Abuse Allegations
By Allan Lengel - AOL NewsThe Church of Scientology, which boasts such members as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, is once again steeped in controversy, thanks to a magazine article that cites numerous allegations of abusive behavior and gross misconduct. Author Lawrence Wright writes in The New Yorker magazine that ex-members told him of physical and psychological abuse and how the church brought "escapees back" through emotional, spiritual or psychological pressure and physical force if necessary. Chris O'Meara, AP The Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters is based in Clearwater, Fla.. The church ...
Florida Shooter Clay Duke's Red 'V': A Refresher on the Ominous Symbol
By Dave Thier - AOL News(Dec. 15) -- Before Clay A. Duke opened fire on a school board meeting in Panama City, Fla., he left behind what to some was probably a cryptic symbol: a red, spray-painted "V" crossing a crude circle. For others, however, the meaning behind that symbol was obvious. It comes from Alan Moore's dystopian graphic novel "V for Vendetta," later adapted into a 2006 blockbuster film starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman. In the story, a mysterious revolutionary wearing a Guy Fawkes mask leads an anarchist revolt against a totalitarian regime in a fictional 1997 Britain. The symbol itself is an ...
Larry King vs. Piers Morgan: Who's Got More Talent?
By Alex Eichler - AOL News(Sept. 8) -- Finally confirming what everyone had suspected for months, CNN announced today that it will replace iconic talk-show host Larry King, 76, with British journalist turned reality-TV showman Piers Morgan, 45. Morgan, who is probably best known in the United States as a judge on NBC's "America's Got Talent," will host a nightly interview program at 9 p.m., taking over from King, whose infamous interview show "Larry King Live" will conclude in December after 25 years on the air (making it the network's longest-running program). On this momentous occasion, it seems appropriate to do a ...
Ex-Members Say Scientology Leaders Pressured Them to Have Abortions
By Paul Wachter - Politics DailyThe St. Petersburg Times continues to unearth new and damning details about Scientology. In it's latest expose, drawing on conversations with former members, the newspaper reportd that some members say they were allegedly pressured to have abortions so that they could get back to work. "According to those speaking out, women who didn't schedule abortions were shunned by fellow Sea Org members [Sea Org is an elite group within Scientology], called 'degraded beings' and taunted for being 'out ethics,' straying from the order's ethical code," the Times reports. "Some were isolated, assigned ...
Former Scientologists Claim Church Forced Abortions
By Michelle Ruiz - AOL News(June 14) -- The Church of Scientology is denying allegations levied by dozens of former members of its highest order, the Sea Org, who say the church forced them to have abortions because having children would interfere with their religious mission. An in-depth report by the St. Petersburg Times cites several women who have filed federal lawsuits against the church, claiming they were ordered to abort their children as teenagers and young women or be shunned by the church, facing hard labor or alienation from their husbands. "The policy was if a staff member became pregnant, that they were ...
Primary Election Results: 3 Biggest Shockers-in-the-Making
By David Knowles - Politics DailyAs voters in 12 states await the results of Tuesday's primary elections -- the biggest yet in this electoral season of American discontent -- a handful of races promise to give pundits plenty to talk about come Wednesday. Surge Desk previews the potential headlines most primed to shake up the current political order. 1. Tea Party Favorite (and Scientologist?) Sharron Angle Wins in Nevada One of the stranger narratives of the 2010 campaign came when one of Angle's two opponents, Sue Lowden, cut an ad that questioned Angle's ties to the Church of Scientology. Angle, who has been endorsed by ...
New Allegations Cap Bad Year for Scientology
By Paul Wachter - AOL News(March 8) -- New accusations from two Scientology defectors are the latest in a growing list of abuse allegations that have been leveled against the church in the past year -- possibly its most difficult in the 50-odd years since it was created by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. On Saturday, The New York Times weighed in with a long article focusing on a couple in Sea Organization -- a group of the religion's elite staff members -- who said they worked long hours for a pittance. Once they decided to leave they were forced to "sign false confessions about their personal lives and their ...
Is Scientology a Cult? Is Paul Haggis the Next Martin Luther?
By David Gibson - Politics DailyIt's been a tough stretch for Scientology. The church founded by the late science fiction writer (and great prophet/odd duck/complete kook -- take your pick) L. Ron Hubbard in 1953 was dinged nearly a million bucks on Tuesday after a Paris court convicted six leaders of the French branch of Scientology of organized fraud in duping recruits out of lots of money. Of course, given the number of high-profile celebs the Church of Scientology counts as members -- Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Greta Van Susteren, among others -- and the extent of its high-end real estate holdings, even a ...
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