IT just goes from bad to worse for those poor, beleaguered Scientology nutsters.

After the major hit they took in a court in France recently, and their loss of prominent member Paul Haggis, they are now licking their wounds from a mauling inflicted by an Australian politician.

Senator Nick Xenophon, whose surname suggest that he might be one of them Scientology aliens – (he is NOT!) – had the audacity to accuse the Church of Scientology of being a CRIMINAL ORGANISATION!

NO! Say it isn’t so!



The South Australian parliamentarian said he had been contacted by a number of former Scientologists, after he questioned the organisation’s tax exempt status in a recent television interview.

They have provided long and detailed letters to me about the workings of this organisation. These people rightly see themselves as victims of Scientology.

Senator Xenophon said their correspondence implicated the organisation in a range of crimes, including forced imprisonment, coerced abortions, embezzlement of church funds, physical violence, intimidation and blackmail.

I am deeply concerned about this organisation and the devastating impact it can have on its followers.

Asked about the Senator’s claims, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described them as “grave allegations”.

Many people in Australia have real concerns about Scientology.I share some of those concerns. Let us proceed carefully and look carefully at the material he has provided before we make a decision on further parliamentary action.

When he was questioned about the Church of Scientology’s tax exempt status, Rudd said:

I don’t want to rush into any judgment on this, other than to say he’s (Senator Xenophon) raised concerns and made some serious allegations.

Senator Xenophon said the Church of Scientology had been convicted of fraud in France and was facing similar charges in Belgium.

A number of the organisation’s former high-ranking executives in the US had also recently spoken out against its leader, David Miscavige, saying they had seen him assaulting staff and urging others to do the same.

Senator Xenophon added:

What we are seeing is a worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality. On the body of evidence, this is not happening by accident, it is happening by design. Scientology is not a religious organisation, it is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs.

The Church of Scientology immediately issued a statement to the media responding to Senator Xenophon’s comments.

This is an outrageous abuse of Parliamentary privilege from a Senator would not even meet with Church representatives several months ago to discuss his concerns.

Senator Xenophon’s attempt to marginalise Scientologists by saying that they should not be believed, is fascistic and violates freedom of speech and the right to religious beliefs.

Scientology has fought for and upheld religious freedom around the world and is accepted as a religion throughout the world. In a few countries, the Church has been forced to litigate the issue of its religiosity, either affirmatively or in response to outrageous unfounded charges.



This is a propaganda campaign that would suit a totalitarian regime not Australia, a country that recognises freedom of religion.

The Church of Scientology internationally has grown from one Church in 1954 to more than 8000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 countries today. The Church sponsors an international human rights education initiative as well as the world’s largest nongovernmental drug education program. Four new Churches have opened in 2009, most recently the Church of Scientology of Rome on October 24, with a new Church opening in Washington, DC, on October 31. In April, three new Churches were dedicated: in Malmo, Sweden; Dallas, Texas; and Nashville, Tennessee. The Scientology religion has expanded more in the past year than in the past five years combined and more in the past five years than in the past five decades combined.

This absolutely hilarious “must read” piece about Scientology by Marina Hyde appeared recently in the Guardian. Enjoy!

