Scientology Lies

April 15, 1990: Scientology's orchestration of best sellers, say former Scientologists, is merely a public relations means to a larger end. The goal is to establish an identity for Hubbard other than as the founder of a controversial religious movement. His broadened appeal can then be used to recruit new members into the Church of Scientology. The church uses two businesses to peddle its books, Author Services Inc., a Hollywood literary agency, sells the rights to publish Hubbard's works to Bridge Publications Inc., a Los Angeles company.

April 16, 1987: L. Ron Hubbard, the Scientology founder and author who died in 1986, left more than $26 million in assets, excluding trust funds, according to documents filed by the executor of his estate. Total assets listed in the inventory amount to $26,305,706. They include "$25 million even" in copyright and trademark materials and $1,305,706 in oil, gas and business investments. The estate documents were prepared in Los Angeles by Norman F. Starkey, the executor of Hubbard's estate.

April 14, 2005: CCHR is supporting two bills being considered by the Florida House that seek to further roll back the clock on the recognition and treatment of mental illnesses. In House Bills 209 and 909, unnecessary and unproductive requirements are placed on schools and the departments of Children & Families and Juvenile Justice that will make the identification and referral of children with mental illnesses more difficult.

April 14, 1997: Behind the image of a hot young high-tech company on the way up is an unpleasant tale of an ambitious super-salesman who by most accounts is on the way down - and may be taking more than a few people with him. Dozens of former company employees have gone several months without being paid. Creditors have filed suit. And one major backer of the firm alleges in a lawsuit that the company and its founder and chairman, Canadian-born Brent Luckman, have squandered nearly $1 million in company assets on first-class airline tickets, home stereo systems and donations to the Church of Scientology.

April 13, 1999: A Pinellas school district committee has refused to allow students to hear an anti-drug program based on the teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The program is a product of Narconon International. Presentations included Scientology's tone scale and required giving thanks to L. Ron Hubbard.

April 12, 1996: Two decades after Scientology secretly started buying property and establishing its considerable presence downtown, there remains an enormous amount of mistrust about its goals and motives. Unfortunately, Scientology has no one to blame but itself for much of the criticism its leaders adamantly argue is unwarranted. Scientology's recent secret purchase of three small motels north of downtown Clearwater will heighten suspicion. That secretiveness reminds Scientology critics of how the church secretly started buying land 20 years ago under the name United Churches of Florida.

April 11, 1994: A drug treatment program backed by a controversial church is trying to sell Alberta Natives addiction-cure services that medical experts have warned are unsafe and ineffective. As many as 10 Alberta reserves have been approached by Narconon, a U.S.-based program associated with the Church of Scientology. The program - which costs about $18,000 U.S. and prescribes daily saunas and megavitamin doses - has been rejected by a U.S. and state board of health because it "may endanger the physical or mental well-being of (its clients)."

April 11, 1980: A Superior Court judge refused to prevent three former members of the Church of Scientology from using church documents as part of their damage suits against the church. He also ordered that the three large cartons of papers and records be impounded until a suit by church officials seeking return of the documents is tried.

April 10, 1997: The European Commission of Human Rights today threw out a discrimination case brought by the Church of Scientology against Germany on grounds that the sect had not exhausted domestic legal channels. Scientologists complained that the Government considers their church a commercial enterprise, rather than a religion. The church has also asserted that several German states have banned Scientology members from some jobs.