1. A Totalitarian Commercial Enterprise
  2. Protecting the Constitution with Information
  3. Turning the Tides in Germany - a Scientology point-of-view

A Totalitarian Commercial Enterprise

This is an unofficial, personal interpretation of a publicly available government document, downloaded September 1, 2001 from: http://www.verfassungsschutz-brandenburg.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=59

The "Scientology Organization" (SO) was founded in 1954 in the USA by Ronald Hubbard (1911-1986), the science fiction writer. Since then it operates worldwide.

Scientology portrays itself as a teaching which promises a higher level of knowledge, and even presents itself as a "salvation religion."

But the religious trappings only serve as a smoke screen for the fact that the SO is a totalitarian structured commercial enterprise. Its only maxim of operation is ruthless profit-taking. From its members the SO demands total obedience.

Craving Money and Power

The Federal Labor Court has evaluated the practices of the SO as "cynical" and "hazardous to health." Yet the craving for money and power does not only endanger the individuals who end up in the clutches of the SO, it can also have an effect on the state's internal security. That is because the SO's claim to total power ends up including constitutionally guaranteed basic, human rights, indeed, even removal of the constitutional system of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Because of these politically motivated activities, the SO has been under surveillance by Constitutional Security since 1997.

Note from translator: "Constitutional Security" means Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which performs domestic intelligence work. In the USA, that job is done by the FBI.

Scientology

Protecting the Constitution with Information

This is an unofficial, personal interpretation of a publicly available government document, downloaded September 1, 2001 from: http://www.verfassungsschutz-brandenburg.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=192

Contents

  1. What is Constitutional Security really doing?
  2. "Scientology" - Ideology instead of belief
  3. How the SO sees people - attack on human dignity
  4. RTC, OSA, WISE, ABLE ... - Structures with totalitarian Claims
  5. Clear Deutschland ... Clear Planet - Thetans in key positions
  6. There is a good reason - Surveillance by Constitutional Security
  7. How should the SO be dealt with?
  8. Code words
  9. Brandenburg Constitutional Security hot line
  10. For those who want more information - Literature

Preface

At the Interior Ministers and State Senators Conference of 5/6 June 1997, it was found that the Scientology Organization (SO) in fact manifested key indicators of endeavors against the German liberal democratic system, thereby fulfilling the legal provisions for the surveillance of the organization by Constitutional Security.

Since then the Brandenburg Constitutional Security Agency has been engaged in the observation of the Scientology Organization in accordance with the provisions of the Brandenburg Constitutional Security Law. With this as a background, this brochure is meant to provide the curious reader with current information on the subject of the SO, thereby making a contribution of a preventive character in the sense of "Protecting the Constitution with Information." Only informed citizens are in the position to recognize the true intentions of extremist efforts, to critically evaluate them and, finally, to not be overtaken by them.

The observation of the SO by Constitutional Security does not at all mean that any political dealing with this organization is dispensable. Public information work will be of special significance in that regard.

What is Constitutional Security really doing?

Constitutional Security serves to protect the German liberal democratic system and the stability and the security of the nation and the states. Its existence is based on fundamental legal regulation. As an intelligence agency, it performs the mission of gathering and evaluating information on, among other things, political endeavors which are directed at influencing or even doing away with our Constitution's highest value-principles.

These methods of operation - simple expression of opinion is not included - are described in their totality as extremism. Classic extremist characteristics are those which are usually exhibited by rightwing or leftwing extremists. However, it is absolutely conceivable that new forms of extremism are developing that do not fit into the traditional categories.

Radicalism is defined separately from extremism. People who carry on radical endeavors utilize the political operating field set forth by Basic Law to its outermost bounds, but they do that without making an issue out of the Constitution itself or of its basic elements. While an extremist will direct operations against the basic constitutional paragraphs, such as respect of basic/human rights, the sovereignty of the people, the division of power, the independence of the court system or the multi-party principle, a person representing a radical position exhaustively exploits these paragraphs without the explicit intention of doing away with them.

The information won by Constitutional Security is an important foundation for the political discussion with constitutional enemies of all types. This occurs in ways such as the publication of informational brochures such as this one. It must be noted, however, that forwarding personal data must be prohibited on the basis of Data Security.

Information from Constitutional Security can also serve as the basis for executive measures, such as banning associations or the initiation of criminal investigations. That sort of decision, however, is not made by Constitutional Security; this agency has no executive force in the fulfillment of its mission (translator's note: this is different from the American FBI. The FBI not only spies on people, it also makes the decision, based on its own information, of whether it will burst through the front door with guns drawn.) In particular, Constitutional Security does not have any police powers at its disposal; it may not arrest people, nor search through residences nor confiscate documents. There is a strict law of separation which sees to it that Constitutional Security may not seek help from the police in measures which it does not legally have at its disposal.

"Scientology" - Ideology instead of belief

The SO, which was founded in 1954 in the USA by science fiction writer Lafayette Ronald HUBBARD (1911 - 1986), asserts itself to be a religious denomination. In a case of failure to recognize historical and philosophical fact, it even refers to itself as a "salvation religion" in the tradition of Buddhism.

In the SO we see ourselves confronted with a well functioning enterprise which has declared its chief operating maxim to be the ruthless struggle for profit and then proceeds along those lines. In any case, any religious trapping or pseudo-spirituality serves to mask its machinations. As determined by the Federal Labor Court in 1995, the appearances put on by the SO as a "church" serve solely as a pretext to pursue its economic interests. The practices in use by the SO were assessed by the Federal Labor Court as "cynical" and "hazardous to the health" of those it affects (decision of 22 March 1995 - 5 AZB 21/95).

In addition, the written policies of the SO and its founder HUBBARD also reveal a socio-political dimension to his teachings. The policies present in detail a socio-political system in accordance with the SO teachings. In conclusion, the SO hides behind the mask of portrayed religiosity nothing more than an ideology, i.e., philosophical intellectual concepts with political and economic objectives.

How the SO sees people - attack on human dignity

What role does the person, the individual, play in the SO system? The answer to this question is all the more important, as not only the elitist anti-democratic self-perception of the organization, but also its blatant disregard for basic human rights, become apparent. The SO is striving to obtain the "perfect person." That is a person who, from the point of the teachings, is "clear." A person such as this is supposed to be free of "all physical pain and painful emotions." His "spiritual soul," called a "Thetan" in the jargon of the Scientologists, attains the state of "total spiritual freedom" and turns into an "Operating Thetan."

What this means in plain language is this: a being without rights who is subject only to the will of the SO - democratic rules of play and concurrent rights for the individual person are not taken into consideration; indeed, they are even held in contempt by the SO. This is because the SO is concerned with neither spiritual consolation nor altruistic help in the resolution of personal problems. It aims simply to get people's allegiance to its abstruse teachings, then to rigidly prohibit any deviation therefrom. In the confusing SO jargon, that deviation is called "aberration." "Aberrated" people are nothing short of fair game for the SO.

The SO does not exactly treat critics or its former members with kid gloves. There are rules of engagement within the SO such as "Handling the Suppressive Person," which advocates taking action against these people using any means. Critics and, in particular, former members are subject to methods of treatment which include constant psychic intimidation. Psycho-terrorism is deliberately employed by means of threatening calls, public denunciation and comparable measures. The SO's cynical list of measures does not stop at physical threats, either, as words to the following effect can be found in one of Hubbard's works, "Scientology Ethics," in how to deal with critics: "It may be more money for the power, or more ease, or a snarling defense of the power to a critic, or even the dull thud of one of his enemies in the dark, or the glorious blaze of the whole enemy camp as a birthday surprise." The simple yet effective rhetoric, as well as the stage tricks used upon critics by the SO, is also worthy of comment. Critics are constantly portrayed with menacing mien in poor photographs, while Scientologists are consistently displayed with happy faces, smiling and in color.

The SO never confronts factual criticism with factual statements on the topic itself, but with a series of rhetorical styles which include its favorite analogies; this serves to intentionally cloud the central issue and to divert attention to the emotional stage of a collateral war of its own making.

The apex of these methods and an example of particular reprehensibility is the analogy repeated recently about the Scientologists who allege they are persecuted in Germany in modern times as the victims of the Holocaust were in the "Third Reich." This is a deliberate, tasteless mockery to the victims of Nazi barbarism and a shameless insult to the Federal Republic of Germany.

RTC, OSA, WISE, ABLE ... - Structures with totalitarian Claims

The SO has at its disposal a strongly hierarchical, heavily compartmented structure in a large number of countries. It is characterized by total obedience from the bottom to the top. Its highest management is the Religious Technology Center (RTC) in Los Angeles, which is currently led by HUBBARD successor David MISCAVIGE. Its European headquarters is located in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Within the structure can be found an entire series of elements for monitoring. Besides them, the SO apparently uses the Office for Special Affairs (OSA) as a private intelligence service. The SO system, according to credible testimony from former members, is also host to private labor and penal camps.

The SO also makes use of the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), which specializes in the infiltration of business. WISE is supposed to install the Hubbardian "Management Technology," accompanied by its control mechanisms, in businesses. SO structures equally support the organization's megalomania and clearly reflect the thoroughly totalitarian character of the SO.

The basis of the Athens State Court's decision to dissolve the Greek branch of the SO in 1997 included the statement that the SO was regarded as a "cynical organization with totalitarian tendencies and structures," which respected neither public order and safety nor the human rights of its own members.

The Association for better Living and Education (ABLE) coordinates Scientology's efforts "to resolve problems of modern society, such as drug abuse, criminality and educational failures, using the technology of L. Ron Hubbard." With the aid of this organization, the SO attempts to penetrate the social fields of the community. Within ABLE are a number of individual organizations that do not include the word "Scientology" in their names, but which pursue Scientology's objectives. Some of these, for example, are NARCONON, a registered association which is engaged in the area of drug rehabilitation, and the Commission for Violations of Psychiatry against Human Rights (KVPM, "Kommission fuer Verstoesse der Psychiatrie gegen Menschenrechte").

Clear Deutschland ... Clear Planet - Thetans in key positions

The SO pursues more than just its stated goal of "cleared" individuals. In addition to that, its conduct aims to establish a leadership in society to "clear" it as a whole. To this end the SO is apparently engaged in attempts to infiltrate state and business.

This happens by means of "cleared" Scientologists who strive to obtain the appropriate key positions. In addition to that, the SO is also involved, as mentioned above, in spreading the "administrative Lafayette Ron Hubbard technology" in business management.

By this means, entire countries are to be "cleared" in accordance with the intention of the SO, which, in the end, means to exercise control over the governing administration. The delusion of the SO goes so far as to fantasize about a world that collapses unless it it is completely "clear."

What's noteworthy about this is the seriousness with which the SO dedicates itself in attaining these devious goals. In doing this it attains an entirely different quality, comparable to other, practically irrelevant groups that sometimes develop similarly deluded concepts.

There is a good reason - Surveillance by Constitutional Security

At the end of 1996, the Interior Ministers' Conference authorized a task force, consisting of representatives from several Constitutional Security agencies, to determine whether or not surveillance of the SO by Constitutional Security was permissible by law. After six months of intensively evaluating a wide variety of material, it came to the conclusion that the SO was glaringly worthy of surveillance.

It had been able to determine that the SO manifested an entire series indicators that it was striving against Germany's basic liberal democratic system. In the collective conduct of the organization, taken on the whole, could be recognized a political objective directed at the undermining or removal of our constitutional system. The first signs of that can already be seen in Hubbard's basic SO work, "Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health," as well as in the reports of many former SO members.

In the current situation, there are specific indicators of endeavors against the following elements of Germany's basic liberal democratic system:

How should the SO be dealt with?

In recent years it has become clear that the SO is not in any case a group which can be regarded as a cult or a "new religious" movement in the usual sense, nor as a passing phenomenon. The SO has formed into a "Moloch*" which is led not by religiosity or spiritual care, but by an insatiable lust for money and power.

Along the channels of Scientology's scrupulousness are people who have come to grief, who have been and are being delivered into victimhood by Scientology's tricks and perfidious methods. For the state, for the society which carries it and thus for the inner security of our common good lurk latent dangers from Scientology's abstruse claims of total power.

It is also valid to dedicate increased vigilance to this organization in the future.

The state has the responsibility to do anything legally permissible to protect the population from the dubious machinations of the SO. At the same time all social groups are called to take part in the offensive, but in a calm and pragmatic manner. What counts most is solidarity and active attainment of help for victims of Scientology.

Experts in the matter can be found in self-help groups of former members and in the state and church sect appointees (commissioners). In addition, awareness of the SO's evasion and escape tactics is appropriate. Continued, consistent description of Scientology's activities and its methods of operation is a suitable measure of prevention.

*Moloch, a deity, mentioned in the Bible, whose worship was marked by the burning of children offered as a propitiatory sacrifice by their own parents. II Kings 23:10; Jer. 32.35.

Code words

The SO uses language both as a weapon and as camouflage, as is the case with organizations which exhibit totalitarian tendencies. On the one hand there are a series of newly coined words, and on the other there are numerous redefinitions of existing words. In this way compartmentation/alienation is accomplished and the elitist-hierarchical and anti-pluralistic character is emphasized within the organization.

It is not an easy task to make one's way through the confusing jargon of the Scientologists. For a clearer understanding of the language, a few of the most frequently used terms are laid out as follows:

Aberration/Aberrated
According to the SO understanding, a "deviation from intelligent thought or conduct ... aberration is opposed to mental health, which would be its opposite." That includes any thought or action which deviates from the teachings of the SO. According to this, all non-Scientologists are aberrated, and thereby (mentally) ill.

Auditing/Auditor
The SO uses a technique of interrogation, which the organization itself describes as "spiritual counseling." The interrogating SO member is defined as "clergy." According to credible statements from critics and former members, this method is used to systematically probe the intimate circles of the people concerned and open possibilities for manipulation. In auditing a so-called e-meter is used, a primitive sort of lie detector which measures the resistance of the body to a weak current of electricity. By this means the situation and need for further questioning of a "preclear" is supposed to be possible.

Clear/Preclear
In the sense of the SO this is a type of ideal state which is allegedly reached through auditing - "someone who has ... neither active nor potential psychosomatic illness or aberration." Someone who has not yet reached this ideal state is called a "preclear."

Dianetics
This is a self-help method developed by SO founder HUBBARD which alleged frees up "unused mental potential and true capabilities" (Greek: dia = through, nous = mind).

Ethics
The SO understanding of the word "ethics" does not in any way correspond to the usual sense of the word. Scientology "ethics" is "intelligence and consideration in regard to optimal survival." This is meant to achieve the goal of "removing counter-intentions from the environment. After that is achieved, it has the purpose to remove other-intentions from the environment." This means nothing else but to steadfastly combat any opinion or action which runs counter to that of the SO.

Potential Trouble Source
A person who, according to Scientology, has some connection to a "suppressive person" and is "negatively" influenced by him or her.

Scientology
This is the HUBBARDian "study of knowledge" which, as opposed to Dianetics, makes claims of religious association (Latin: scire = to know, Greek: logos = study.) Dianetics is contained in this "study."

Thetan/Operating Thetan
Besides body and mind, according to the Scientology teachings, the Thetan is supposed to be a basic component of the human, the spiritual soul which gives the Ego supernatural powers. The state of complete spiritual freedom is called "Operating Thetan" (OT); it is attainable subsequent to reaching the grade of "clear."

Suppressive Person
Designation for critics of the SO. Also called "anti-social person."

Brandenburg Constitutional Security hot line

German Constitutional Security offers confidential hot lines for those in need.

For those who want more information - Literature

[There is no point in listing German literature, so here are some English translations available of German literature on Scientology.]

Brainwashing in Scientology's Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF)
by Dr. Stephen Kent

Scientology's Intelligence Service
- Principles, Missions, Structures, Methods and Goals -
Hamburg Regional Office of the German Constitutional Security Agency
books/trn1050.htm

Report of the Federal/State Work Group on Scientology of the Constitutional Security Agency in accordance with the decision of the Interior Ministers Conference of the States on 5-6 June, 1997
books/trn1060.htm

SCIENTOLOGY in Switzerland - Unofficial Translation of the
Report by the State Security Advisory Commission - July 1998
books/trn1030.htm

The Jaschke Report, December 1995
books/trn1001.htm

Book
Tom Voltz' Scientology With(out) an End
books/swoe

Book
Ingo Heinemann's Scientology and its Cover Companies
books/trn1040.htm

Book
Dr. Klaus Karbe's Rehabilitation of former Members of Youth Sects: American Experiences - 1981
books/trn1080.htm

Dr. Jürgen Keltsch -
Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior - Munich, August 4, 1999
What is Scientology? The Making of the Human Machine in the Cybernetic Learning Laboratory
http://www.innenministerium.bayern.de/english/scientology/ekeltsch.html

Also check for some English files here: http://www.hamburg.de/fhh/behoerden/behoerde_fuer_inneres/arbeitsgruppe_scientology/veroeffentlichungen.htm

Finally, you may have been wondering who we have to thank for all this free information. If you can believe a perfect stranger of unknown affiliation, it was the Scientologists. 

From: travissargent at aol.com (TravisSargent)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Date: 02 Sep 2001 03:05:13 GMT
Subject: Turning the Tides In Germany
Message-ID: 20010901230513.01547.00006045@mb-cg.aol.com

Historical note:

Many people may not realize it, but the Church of Scientology was instrumental in helping to create Freedom of Information law in the U.S. Thus, we have become known as the experts on Freedom of Information.

We have, as a result, played a pioneering role in bringing Freedom of Information law to other countries. It has finally reached Germany, where 3 out of Germany's 16 states have now passed these laws -- and we have formed an organization to work with legislators to create them THROUGHOUT the entire country of Germany.

Cut to the present:

Of course, as soon as the laws were enacted, we filed applications to inspect the files on Scientology. And guess what -- sure enough, when our requests landed on the desks of German officials, something certainly got stirred up, to say the least.

The way Germany's leading magazine, "Der Spiegel," described it, our letters provoked, and this is a quote, "shock," "horror," "panic," and "hasty activities amongst some politicians."

In fact, we found out later that our document requests so rattled the Berlin government, that they held THREE high level conferences to work out ways to avoid answering them!"

However, they were forced to comply, and we uncovered, not surprisingly, some serious transgressions and withheld information. Such things as attempts to find "evidence" to justify their abuses, etc. They found nothing, of course. And as it turned out, they were, of course, guilty of the very crimes they were accusing us of!

There is, and will be, much more. We are starting an era of open government in Germany and other countries. You and your loved ones will either directly or indirectly benefit from our work sooner or later.

You are (sincerely) very welcome.

Insanity as a weapon

The collapse of a formerly critical institution: The Russel Tribunal meets in Berlin and talks about human rights violations in psychiatry

Berlin, Germany
July 3, 2001
http://www.taz.de

by Martin Altmeyer

The start of Russell Tribunal on Human Rights in Psychiatry was delayed, and it did not take place as planned in the Free University (FU) of Berlin. The cause of that, reported jury member Wolf-Dieter Narr, employed there as a high school teacher, was the intervention of one of his colleagues, who, in her capacity as the clinic director of the planned event, had verified that it was "closely bound in sinister anti-psychiatric ideology" and that it would only have harmed the reputation of modern psychiatry and also of the FU. Her scathing letter was photocopied and mounted on a leaflet collage under the title of "Scientists then, Scientists today," with material from Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, known for his human experiments.

With this, the Tribunal had its first accused in the FU, and the tone of the charge was continued with the theme: Today's psychiatry is keeping the tradition of the inhumane practices of Nazi medicine. The psychiatry professor emeritus Thomas Szasz, who supported the charge and who believes the term "mental illness" has been used in medical fiction for thirty years as a type of social control, came to the point in the concept: "All psychiatrists love control, and control leads to murder!" He said it was no coincidence that euthanasia and eugenics in the National Socialist era was not practiced by simple doctors, but by murderous psychiatrists: he said they had centuries of experience with bondage and forced suppression. The cautious objection by a member of the jury against this abstruse exoneration of the non-psychiatric doctors and the question of whether the Nazis would have murdered fewer people if there had been no psychiatrists was dismissed as irrelevant by law professor George Alexander, who was one of those conducting the hearing.

Just making the figurative connection between human rights and psychiatry - according to jury chairman Kate Millet - contained a self contradiction because psychiatry represented a form of human rights violation. She said it violated, as it said in the indictment, the basic principles of the UN Human Rights Declaration: its two columns were said to be forced indoctrination and illicit incapacitation; it served as a weapon in the hands of state and family in order to unduly discriminate against unapproved behavior, to make people tractable and stigmatize them with perverse conduct. Its character as a device used for torture was covered up by using it to treat illnesses and by its use of medical vocabulary. For all these reasons psychiatry, after its "atrocities in the past and present became known," would have to "end the profession's participation and support in these [atrocities] ..." It was really a stage for radical critics which left no room for reform in psychiatry, thereby leaving their representatives with no chance of defense.

Those who had expected the promised proof of the continuation of the atrocities and the evidence thereof in the hearing, which dealt with the current system and the psychiatric care of a few human rights violations, looked on in increasing dismay at the prospect of hearing about other [systems]. The first day was dedicated to extensive, overwhelming descriptions of Nazi victims who reported on their traumatic experiences in children's homes, detention camps and departments for child and adolescent psychiatry, institutions which had been used for the selection and annihilation of so-called "unworthy life" [in Nazi times]. These rending reports also showed the history of suppression in the post-war era and the resistance of the guilty parties against the discovery and labelling of their crimes, but they did not prove the accusations of the charge that the theories, forms of treatment and functions of today's psychiatry were, in essence, comparable to Nazi practices or that they were a structural progression in different form. Doubts in this theory expressed by several members of the Jury were answered by saying that back then as well as today, it was not a matter of medical diagnosis and therapy, but of stigmatization, alienation and suppression, of a cynical game of power and not a matter of helping to care for the patients.

The next witnesses, experienced complainants about the current psychiatric system, demonstrated on the Tribunal stage that serious mental illnesses could not be blamed on society, rather they were due to deep irritations in one's own reality and behavior, and to fatal distortions in concepts of self and of the world. Murder threats and murder attempts in a state of decreased responsibility, the threat of a wife by manipulating electrical wiring [sic], acute risk of suicide in a state of existential confusion, paranoid persecution fears and concepts of self grandeur, all these could be heard in the reports, and these could not be accommodated in a dichotomous world picture where the good was within and the evil outside.

The witnesses cannot be blamed for doing what they did; it can be understood that some of them who have made a life's mission out of the fight against psychiatry are doing so as a special form of trauma management; also the two witnesses who are known to be Ron Hubbard's critics of psychiatry and who speak at Scientology congresses have a perfect right to speak. But using the Jury to confirm its own worldview in this manner indicates that patients are being misused, which is what this tribunal has accused psychiatry of - and this is not too far off from the cynicism of a practice in which university psychiatry once showed their case material to the students in the lecture halls. The Russell Tribunal no longer brings to mind the humanist tradition with which it was begun back with the investigation of crimes in the Vietnam war.

[Here is Scientology's version of the event.]

http://library.northernlight.com/FB20010702570000240.html?cb=0&dx=1006&sc=0#doc

Hundreds Target Biological Psychiatry Conference in Germany: Announces CCHR

Story Filed: Monday, July 02, 2001 9:01 AM EST

BERLIN, Jul 2, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Over 1,000 people marched through Berlin today in protest against the World Congress of Biological Psychiatry. Organized by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), an international watchdog group, protestors blamed biological psychiatry for psychiatrists becoming legal drug pushers who generate a multi-billion dollar industry for themselves. Over US $10 billion (11.7 billion ECU) were made in sales of antidepressants and "anti-psychotic" drugs in 1999 alone. Stimulant use for the bogus disorder, "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" (ADHD) has soared internationally. Children now sell their prescription drugs illegally for $5 ($5.8 ECU) per pill to get high. In France, 3,400 one-year-olds have been prescribed psychotropic drugs.

Millions more unnecessarily undergo drug treatments, psychosurgery, and electroshock-the tools and trade of biological psychiatry.

The protest included people from France, Hungary, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Germany and America.

Marla Filidei, Vice President of CCHR International said, "Psychiatry should be held accountable for its questionable diagnoses and the devastation left by its treatments. Psychiatrists create 'diseases'-supposed 'chemical imbalances' for which no scientific proof exists-and drugs are developed to 'treat' them. Children are becoming legal drug addicts because of biological psychiatry's false theories."

At the demonstration, one German mother referred to the psychiatric hospital where her daughter was incarcerated and eventually died, "a torture chamber." Other parents testified about their being children ruined by psychiatric labeling, drugs and other treatments. Experts reported that 1,000 persons are committed to German psychiatric hospitals every year, many against their will.

A truck carried child-like mannequins stuffed with psychiatric pills, illustrating the drugging of millions of children. Grim Reapers and gravediggers symbolized the tens of thousands of deaths while undergoing brutal psychiatric practices. Large photos showed the cemeteries of German psychiatric institutions. Protestors carried signs saying: "Psychiatric drugs destroy the will to live," "Psychiatry Kills" and "Psychiatry: Death instead of Help."

Elvira Manthey, the last survivor of the Nazi Brandenburg Havel institution, could testify to this. She spoke of how she and her 3-year-old sister, Lisa, were declared feeble minded and incarcerated by a Nazi psychiatrist in 1938. Lisa died in the gas chambers, aged 4. Mrs. Manthey called for psychiatric drug use in children to be abolished.

CCHR was established by the Church of Scientology in 1969.

Letter to the Editor

Lack of Professionalism

Berlin, Germany
April 20001
Esotera 4/2001

The report which said that Lisa McPherson died in 1995 under unexplained circumstances in a Scientology Church center in Clearwater, Florida, is incorrect. According to medical opinion she died of a lung embolism. It can be seen from a document from the Florida state attorney's office that the state attorney's office itself filed in the court which had jurisdiction in the matter for its case to be dropped. After that the criminal proceedings were closed.

The silence about these facts from the "Lisa McPherson Trust" speaks volumes about its lack of professionalism. This Trust is actually a commercial establishment. It's owned and financed by an American financial shark by the name of Bob Minton. Minton has repeatedly been in the headlines because he made millions in profit in dubious debt buy-back deals with Nigerian ex-military dictators.

Georg Stoffel
Pressestelle der Scientology-Kirche Deutschland e.V.
Munich

"Freiheit" letterhead

Munich, October 17, 2000

To:                        Copy to:
Reverend Thomas Gandow     Berlin-Brandenburg State Church
per Fax                    per Fax

Subj: Next Freihet

Dear Reverand Gandow,

In the scope of our investigative work for one of the next editions of Freiheit magainze, we would like to obtain your response to the following items:

1. We are in the process of finding out whether Mr. Robert Minton has also been sending financial grants to different people in the Federal Republic. Therefore we would like to ask you whether you have personally come into possession of money or loans from Mr. Robert Minton

2. In the written announcemnet of your "Prayer for Lisa McPherson" Sunday services on September 17, 2000, it says, "Today's collection is meant to go to the work of the sect commissioner of Berlin and Brandenburg." In the closing ceremonies at the end of the church service, Mrs. Caberta herself communicated to those present that the collection was not meant for church work, but was going to a special project, namely, the "Lisa McPherson Trust." In that regard we request response to the following questions:

a) Which internal church regulation justifies Mrs. Caberta's redisposition of the collection for which a purpose had already been stated in favor of a for-profit corporation in the USA?

b) Had this redisposition been permitted in advance by the state bishop?

c) Has the money already been transferred to the Lisa McPherson Trust in the USA?

We require your brief response at the latest by 1 p.m., 10-18-2000.

Many thanks.

Cordially

/signature/

Sabine Weber 

    Subject:    Noisy Investigations
       Date:    Thu, 05 Oct 2000 21:55:31 +0200
       From:    Thomas Gandow 
 Newsgroups:    de.soc.weltanschauung.scientology

On Monday I was informed by higher authority that Sabine Titzel (now: Weber) is conducting a so-called "noisy investigation" against me.

She called up the Evangelical Church Diaconate (EKD) office in Hannover and asked for the lady in charge of ministerial and official legal obligations and asked whether the legal obligations of a minister were comparable to the obligations of an official, and what one could or would have to do in order to be able to put a preacher up on charges of accepting bribes and/or favors.

Naturally Titzel/Weber was questioned as to what kind of a case it was and where it took place (the EKD only has jurisdiction for those ministers who directly serve the EKD; the EKD is a sort of group association of Evangelical Churches in Germany.)

Titzel/Weber was more than happy to give the information:

My bosses first thought it was about Minton's lawsuit for slander, etc. I was able to tell them it had to do with the civil lawsuit about Lisa and the SO.

Shrill and noisy, yes, but, when it came down to it, just about as effective as a [shall we say] footbullet, since now there is further possibility to distribute new, critical information about the SO.

Mrs. Titzel/Weber, however, should not blame herself for her failure; instead she should demand her money back from courses for having given such a poor performance.

TG

Scientology attacking sect expert Thomas Gandow

Berlin, Germany
October 2, 2000
Berliner Morgenpost

mib Zehlendorf/Steglitz - The Scientology sect has recently used its official periodical, "Freiheit," to attack the sect commissioner of the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg, Thomas Gandow. On the title page of the magazine, which gives the circulation at 200,000, the religious minister and sect expert is described as "Chief Inquisitor," among other things. Scientology is said to have distributed several thousand issues of this magazine via mass mailing in Zehlendorf and Steglitz alone.

The background of the operation against Gandow was his membership in the founding committee of the "European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA." The committee, described by Scientology as a "state church-directed cover organization to fight minority religions," brought into being the "Alternative Charlemagne Award" which it then presented to U.S. businessman Robert S. Minton, who has financially supported opponents of Scientology.

Gandow expressed concern about the personal attack, but rated it as the usual method of operation for the psycho-sect. He has received much encouragement and support from the public for his work.

Debate after Sermon for Scientology Victim

Berlin, Germany
September 17, 2000
Die Welt

There was an intense debate after a memorial service in the Luisen Church in Charlottenburg between Scientologists and the sect commissioner for Berlin and Brandenburg. Gandow gave his sermon in memory of a victim of Scientology in the USA: "After she attempted to leave, Lisa McPherson was held against her will for 17 days and tormented. She died on December 5, 1999 [typo, was 1995] at the age of 36 years."

Scientologists had threatened Gandow in advance of the event and defamed him in flyers which they distributed as an "anti-sect commissioner" and "Chief Inquisitor." "Within the past week Scientology has terrorized me by telephone and threatened to disrupt our gathering," said Gandow. Scientologists assembled in front of the church and distributed glossy brochures in which they disparaged critics who were involved with the "Lisa McPherson case."

In a round of discussion afterwards Scientologists, who had traveled from all over the country, chided Thomas Gandow as a "liar." They said that Lisa McPherson had died as a result of a car accident. Apparently Gandow has not been stopped by these attempts at intimidation from taking further steps against Scientology.

In a letter to State Bishop Wolfgang Huber, Scientology, with offices in Munich, demanded the immediate dismissal of the clergyman. Thomas Gandow has initiated legal steps against Scientology.

balt

Fanatical Activism

Scientology is defaming Thomas Gandow, the sect commissioner of the Evangelical Church. Reason: the bestowal of an award to an opponent of Scientology. Gandow taking legal steps.

Berlin, Germany
September 5, 2000
taz

by Barbara Bollwahn de Paez Casanova

For several weeks Scientology has being going to great expense to mobilize against the sect commissioner of the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenbrug, Thomas Gandow. On his birthday, August 18, glossy brochures were distributed with the daily mail in Zehlendorf. In them, Gandow, who has been involved in sects since the end of the 1970s and who has been sect commissioner of the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg since 1992, was defamed as "chief inquisitor," "anti-sect commissioner," "notorious exorcist of belief," and "chief architect for the discrimination campaigns against religious and weltanschauung communities and their members in parts of Europe." One week later, residents of Steglitz found the same brochure in their mail. In addition, Scientology Church Germany with its offices in Munich demanded Gandow's immediate dismissal from state Bishop Wolfgang Huber for "fanatical activism."

The occasion for the attacks was the first "Alternative Charlemagne Award" given out by the "European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA," of which Gandow is a member as a private individual, in June in Leipzig. The reason: The award went to U.S. American Robert Minton, a proven opponent of Scientology. The award took place as a counter-presentation to the granting of the "Charlemagne Award" to U.S. President Bill Clinton, whose liberal attitude towards Scientology is controversial.

Minton, who worked as a debt regulator for the Nigerian government, is the founder and financier of a private incorporated organization in the USA which supports and makes legal referrals to people who have been adversely affected by Scientology - thereby being a thorn in the side of the Scientologists. Therefore they never pass up an opportunity to describe him as a "white-collar criminal" and to described the citizens committee as a "front organization directed by the state church to fight minority religions."

As far as Gandow is concerned, the campaign against him is a symptom of the sect's financial difficulties, "They're worried because their sales have dropped dramatically." Scientology sees an "archenemy" in the Evangelical Church in Germany, which has been issuing warnings about Scientology for many years in its handbook of religious communities. It is plain to him that, "I am being attacked because of my efforts against Scientology."

The Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg stands completely behind its sect commissioner. Press spokesman Reinhard Lampe stated, "We are decisively against all attempts to defame the work of the sect commissioner." He says Scientology is "sensitive" because the Evangelical Church is providing information about a group "which pretends to be religious, but which uses methods which violates human rights." In the meantime, Thomas Gandow is taking legal measures against Scientology for asserting false statements and for insult to person.

Cult supporters' view of the Alternate Charlemagne Award

[Finally in Fall 2000 a bitter-sweet article appeared in a cult lobby student magazine, "Spirita," drafted by Thomas Schweer of Marburg, which we abridged slightly as follows:]

Summer Lull in Berlin

The bestowal of the "Alternative Charlemagne Award" on June 3, 2000 in Leipzig

... With "Bob Minton or Bill Clinton, a slogan that has all the quality of "Cats instead of Rats," the "European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA" made its public appearance, according to committee member Thomas Gandow, to give a sign that "despite the Clinton administration there are people who think differently in America who do not go with the Scientology flow" (Der Tagesspiegel, 3 June 2000). The USA firmly in the grip of the Scientologists and Bill Clinton a promoter of dangerous sects in disguise? If you want to lend credence to the beliefs of the Citizens' Committee, then this idea is not all too deviant, given that there actually are various contacts in the American government with professed Scientologists like John Travolta or Tom Cruise. In addition, Scientology obtained tax exemption on grounds of religious activity during Clinton's time in office, Germany and other European nations were criticized for their dealing with the Scientology community, and the President even made an article from his pen available for publication in a Scientology magazine. After the committee listed these and other "deficiencies" in American politics, it said in the founding for the bestowal of the award to Bob Minton:

"President Clinton's public support for Scientology is shared neither by the American people nor by their elected representatives in Congress. ... Among many who have recognized Scientology's mandatory practice of systematically perverting religious freedom into reverse religious discrimination, one man has distinguished himself

  1. through his support of freedom of speech,
  2. through his accurate reporting on the activities of the Scientology Organization (SO),
  3. through his assisting the victims of the SO, including Lisa McPherson's relatives in their legal proceedings against the SO
  4. by the founding of the Lisa McPherson Trust.

This man is Robert S. Minton."

Multi-millionaire Minton has been at grips with Scientology since 1995. His statement of what happened is that he learned that many victims, due to a lack of financial means, could not adequately legally defend themselves. Besides that he was riled about Scientology's forceful attempts to stem the distribution over the internet of critical information. Therefore Minton is today involved on the side of the Scientology opponents, paying attorney and court fees, wanting to help people who want to leave Scientology, thereby bringing about the exposure of Scientology's "fraudulent and abusive practices."

People who are on the advisory board of the Lisa McPherson Trust include Steven Hassan and Margaret Thaler Singer.

Shortly before the award was made, Scientology attempted to exert some pressure and demanded of Berlin Bishop Wolfgang Huber that he dismiss sect commissioner Gandow without notice. The reason they gave was that former investment banker Minton (53), who was able to retire early thanks to successful business, supposedly earned his money in a fraudulent manner with debt buy-backs from developing countries, primarily Nigeria. (Saechsische Zeitung, 2 June 2000) Although these accusations follow a known Scientology mania that all critics have a criminal side to them, the accusations appear not to have been pulled entirely from thin air. "Transparency International," an organization which combats corruption, verified without naming names that illegal transactions have occurred in connection with Nigerian debt buy-backs. While the church administration has been shaken up and wanted to do its own research into the matter, Gandow seemed convinced in advance of his award winner's innocence. It was said that business of that nature had indeed taken place, but it had been "solely and alone to the advantage of the Nigerian people." It was reported that in no case had Minton unfairly personally enriched himself (Der Tagesspiegel, 3 June 2000).

... More interesting than the question of the worthiness of the individual person of the award winner is the fact that the Citizens' Committee explicitly modeled itself after the tradition-rich Aachen Charlemagne Award. That is bestowed annually "for the most valuable contribution in the service of the European union, and community work in service of humanity and world peace." In the Citizens' Committee Basic Charter, however, it is stated that one supports "human rights and religious freedom in the USA and worldwide, and is involved particularly in discussions about new totalitarian organizations." Hardly anything can be distinguished as far as content goes, but that may be why the committee, whose award was supported by the AGPF, Ruediger Hauth, Ingo Heinemann, Norbert Pothoff, Renate Rennebach, Eduard Trenkel and Hartmut Zinser, didn't take it any further. It was probably much more a matter of sheer opportunity which was cause to present the award as an "alternative." That kind of publicity stunt will not again soon stand out and present itself to the Citizens' Committee: a prominent "friend of Scientology" who does not share wholesale the German air of superiority and the unsolicited advice for anti-sect measures in "God's own country" can be made a fool out of by being confronted with a "genuine model." For that sort of an effect the more sensible name of "Friedrich-Wilhelm Haack Memorial Award" would have been hard to beat. We fear that the committee will not be able to maintain the concept in the future for its public due to the lack of names that rhyme.

Spirita 1/99 (ca. September 2000)

The Battle of Scientology against itself

From: "ZVW-Online"
August 8, 1998

Evangelical and Catholic church offices are addressees of booklet entitled "Psychiatry destroys Religion"

by our editorial staff member Hans Poschko

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits..." This is a Bible quotation from the Scientology glossy booklet "Psychiatry destroys Religion" which could best be used to describe the authors of the booklet itself, who call themselves "In the Name of Salvation."

Evangelical and Catholic deacons and ministers were blessed with this booklet by the "Commission for Offenses of Psychiatry against Human Rights (reg.)" To anybody who did not immediately recognize who was behind this booklet: Scientology.

Granted, the booklet, which was officially "financed with the help of the International Association of Scientologists," did not appear to reach that many people. The deacons and many of the ministers are on vacation at this time. However, isolated inquiries about the 70 page publication have been made to Elke Gorf and Jorg Stolzenberger of the sect information center "Krokodil." The people responsible for these kind of things in both large churches, in one case the Evangelical Center for sect questions (EZW) in Berlin, and in the other case the Catholic Social ethics Work Group (KSA), have already reacted so that there will be no misunderstandings at all in the ministerial offices.

Confused Combination of Bible Quotes and Attacks against Psychiatry

"Brainwashing destroys Clergy and Faith," is one of the sub-titles of the glossy booklet, which, as determined by the KSA, "consists of a confused combination of Biblical quotations and attacks on psychiatry." More of the booklet's content is described by the KSA, "pictures of Radovan Karadzic, visions of hell from the Middle Ages, and cremation ovens in German concentration camps are supposed to illustrate the Scientology message: 'Genocide by Psychiatry'." Naturally, the [booklet's] authors themselves state in a two page insert that their request is essentially harmless, that there is an increase of violence, a decline of moral values and an increase in the number of people leaving churches, and then they ask the question of what is stopping the church from being able to reverse these "devastating social trends." Their simple answer: psychiatry. The authors continue their debate into the popular realm of sexual criminality and state that psychiatry justifies the "most gruesome crimes with diagnoses incapable of guilt."

"With this cost-intensive broadcast operation, the Scientologists make a misfired attempt to stand shoulder to shoulder with Christians who make up one of their classic enemies," assesses the Catholic Social ethical Work Group, which was commissioned by the German Bishop's Conference, and presumes that this could be "an example of the zombie-like obedience shown by the German Scientologists for their American squadron leaders." The Evangelical Center for sect questions finds that the booklet, which appeared in America in 1997 and has now been translated into German, is "in view of recently recognized information about Scientology and their hierarchical group structure, outright grotesque." One of the articles faxed us by Krokodil was from a paper in Wurzburg in which an evangelical minister is quoted as accusing Scientology of showing concern about the endangerment of religion for the purpose of supporting their own claim of being a religious community. The EZW, at least, is convinced that the attempt of Scientology to divert attention from their own methods of manipulation will fall victim to the majority of the booklet's addressees. They state, "in this case, Scientology is fighting against itself."

Patients and dependents are unsettled by this kind of publication

For Dr. Olaf von Maltzah, the medical director of the Hospital for Psychiatry and Neurology in Winnenden, the attacks by the KMPV, which has its headquarters in Munich, are nothing new. After hearing a few passages from the work read to him, he said that it was "laid on very thick," and had been written to establish a new, close connection with both the churches. Maltzahn, who has sect victims among his patients, knows from past experience that these kind of smear letters are unsettling for patients and their dependents. This happens rather easily, since the psychiatrist naturally already has somewhat of a problematic relationship with his patient. The medical director reports, that to some degree, the influence comes from the patient who sees the psychiatrist as the one who is "creating the evil." This has already led to refusal of necessary therapy by some patients - and to their end.

http://www.zvw.de/aktuell/1998/08/08/news1.htm

Evangelical Center for Sect Questions, Berlin
Press Release

Berlin
July 30, 1998

Scientology cottons up to Churches

In a far-reaching advertisement campaign, the "Commission for Offenses of Psychiatry against Human Rights" (KVPM) has peppered Evangelical and Catholic church offices of numerous state churches, along with selected high school teachers and others at the end of July with the 70 page glossy brochure, "Psychiatry Destroys Religion." The self-appointed "Commission," which was founded in 1969 by Scientology, deals with "Responsibility for Human Rights," according to its letterhead. Whether the organization itself deals with those or not, Scientology categorically rejects, in this publication, "psychology, psychiatry, psychotherapy and all their affiliated branches."

Now translated into German, the 1997 pamphlet blends quotes taken out of context from Freud and Rogers with Hubbard's teachings. It is obvious that this is tailored to American culture and contains much which is irrelevant in Europe. Using references to outdated, obsolete literature, it states that dangerous psychological and psychiatric theories are the cause of the rising crime and suicide rates, as well as of the "brutalization" of society. Churches, in particular, are said to be predisposed to "psychological infection." Scientology feigns the role of counselor-at-law to Christianity in that it warns of the "serpent" in the form of psychological science; it brands psychiatric diagnoses as "contrived insanity; and it states that "psychology destroys pastoral counseling." Every chapter is decorated with Bible verse and augmented with overdrawn, theatrical graphics.

In light of recently recognized Scientology methods of indoctrination and hierarchical levels, the message carried in "Scientology against Psychological Manipulation" has a grotesque effect. Does the organization really hope that they can use the plea for human rights as a platform from which to direct their own manipulation techniques? It may make sense to direct this type of action toward American churches, but in Germany it only makes a bad thing worse. For one thing, there is too much awareness of this group [Scientology] here, for another an observant public intercedes for the psychiatrically ill. It is more likely that this campaign is the projection of a defense mechanism - that which Scientology does not wish to see in itself, it ascribes to its "evil [twin br] other", which in this case is psychiatry. In this case Scientology is fighting itself in that its publication will quickly turn into a boomerang under the gaze of the critical reader.

CDU warns about Scientology

From: "taz"
July 24, 1998

According to a statement by the CDU, the Scientology sect is currently going door to door in Bremen with a personality survey in order to gather personal data. Brigitte Dreyer from the CDU said, "I advise against making any statement to the sect. Doing that opens the door for misuse by the Scientologists." Dreyer also said that the sect's promise of personal evaluative assistance after answering the 200 question survey which addresses the positive and negative sides of the person is just a ruse to get money from people.

Personal Report

on the traveling Scientology show

Visiting the exhibition in Steglitz

From: Tilman Hausherr
Newsgroups: de.soc.weltanschauung.scientology
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000

By the way, I visited the Scientology show, too - quite a strange experience. On Schloss Street in Berlin-Steglitz there were friendly people passing out leaflets and balloons, as well as a clown who was driving a junky car that was falling apart and a gray-haired minder.

Walking into the exhibition, I was immediately greeted, and one of the people showed me the sequence in which I should look at the texts in the room so that I would not have "misunderstood words." While this was going on I saw them speaking to a young woman who had entered who, from the look on her face, was blithely naive.

Then I walked through the exhibition... in one room a video tape of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard (LRH) was playing, of all they could have shown, they had the one where he had green lips. There were also many photographs of him, even the one with the tomatoes.

http://www.xenu.de/cos_fun/flubbard.html

The pictures at the show were basically the same ones as in the book, "What is Scientology?", only with bigger sub-titles.

I tried to jive one of the women about the picture with the tomatoes. I told her that I had always thought that was a parody by Scientology critics. She said it was genuine, and that plants also had memories and reactions which showed on the e-meter.

Several Scientologists were talking among themselves in one corner; it was about some kind of counter-demonstration which was supposed to have happened somewhere. It was unclear whether it was in Berlin or in Hamburg... they thought Rev. Thomas Gandow was funny. Somehow this reminded me of the conversations "we" had after our campaigns, since we always have something about "them" to laugh about, too. heh heh.

The high point of the exhibition was a demonstration on the Quantum E-Meter. Too bad I don't have a picture of me with the cans in my hands :-) A woman did the pinch test. The theory is that the e-meter will indicate afterwards when one recalls the pinch. The indicator needle (which shows body resistance) was actually moving a little bit back and forth, regardless of anything she did or said. I could not make out a connection. That was not the case with her at all. She also wanted me to think of what I had done that morning (went shopping and read the internet - naturally I did not tell her that.) In any case she was always reading some kind of meaning into it. What struck me, however, was that the needle reacted to even the tiniest hand movement. The woman said that one could make out the difference between a physical and a spiritual reaction on the e-meter. It went on like that for a while. I'll have to say that her demonstration was probably the stupidest thing I had heard in a long time. The e-meter is nothing but an electronic divining rod. One time she told me the e-meter had registered a thought, but I had not yet thought it; another time I thought about what she wanted me to think about, but the e-meter did not react until 5 seconds later. (I was being "fair" and was thinking about what she wanted me to think about).

I was even interrogated while I held onto the cans... she systematically tried to find my "hot" points. Interestingly enough, she did not succeed, despite the e-meter.

After the e-meter session I made a comment that this electrical current was "electroshock on the installment plan." (That is a theory of Arnie Lerma's which is scientifically nonsensical but which drives Scientologists crazy). She said she thought the e-meter was not an electroshock because then "people would die from it." She said that Hemingway had committed suicide afterwards and that the expression "The operation is a success, the patient died" came from him. She said that Vivien Leigh had also gotten electroshock and then died and that everybody in the film "Von Winde verweht" ["Gone with the Wind"?] who had received that treatment had then died. I thought I was not hearing her right.

In the scope of the discussion she also speculated that one could also audit animals, e.g., calm down dogs.

She asked another visitor whether he had had breakfast. Upon hearing that I asked whether one could also give nutrition advice with the e-meter. She only said "no."

One of the women told about Dianetic auditing and how it could help all people with their problems, but not "the bums lying in the gutter" because they didn't want to be helped. A nice example of what Scientology thinks about the socially weak.

Other than that I talked with several people... and asked questions, etc., but still kept my distance. One of them had been at it for 10 years and still not made "clear". She was a staff member.

We talked about a picture where a man audited a woman (in the picture they sat directly facing each other). She said that auditing was something like confession was with the Catholics, at least how it was shown "in the movies." I commented that "in the movies" there was a sort of a visual barrier between them and that in Scientology both sat directly facing each other. Wouldn't sexual tensions appear that way? She thought not, because the auditor would be above something like that, and not return meaningful looks. But outside of that, then one absolutely could. I acted surprised. She said, "yes," and that she was regularly audited by her husband. To that I inquired what would happen in auditing then, if she confessed to "having thought about Tom Cruise." "No problem," she thought, the auditor is in control of things like that. She said that even if she confessed to her husband that she had been unfaithful, this would be all gone after the session. At that point I was stunned and speechless.

I told one of the others that I had already heard a lot about Scientology from the press and even once from the "other side." I told her that I had learned things from the internet, from both Scientology and the critics, namely www.xenu.net. She said she didn't know that site.

I managed to leave without buying anything and without leaving my name. But I did drink a glass of mineral water.

Tilman Hausherr
http://www.snafu.de/~tilman/scientology_ger.html

Fotos aus Clearwater:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/4497/clearwater1999
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/4497/clearwater1998

Come to Scientology . . .

. . . because through the glasses of L. Ron Hubbard the world scintillates like gasoline in water puddles.
A report on the rocky road in the presence of a veteran used car dealer

Berlin, Germany
April 20, 2000
taz

There are glasses which are meant to be more than simple glasses: Scientology glasses. They can wind their way about on the noses of the Scientologists into shapes resembling musical clefs, they can zigzag like stock prices and they can have tinted lenses which shimmer like gasoline in water puddles. Glasses so loud that they draw all attention to themselves until the faces behind them fade like a television screen in sunlight. That is a shame. Because the people who look at the world through these types of glasses have existential questions written on their foreheads: Where do I come from? Where am I going? Will I earn more money there? And what, really, is Scientology?

"What is Scientology?" This question rolls like a billiard ball through the head of Hansjuergen, our used car dealer. The 45 year old man wears a hawthorn colored jack, white loafers with tassles, and is one of the victims of the metaphysical homelessness of our "complicated times" (L. Ron Hubbard). He is a veteran (of Heidegg), a being with experience on the paved parking lots of a used car dealer, "Hyundai and Daewoos that hold entire Koreans," says the car salesman, his hands perched skeptically on his hips. Bound and determined to play dumb - if he thinks it will pay off. On which account he is here, too, at the "What is Scientology?" exhibition, which is taking place in Berlin from 18-20 April as part of a new information campaign of the Scientology Church Germany, Inc.

The hotel the Scientologists had originally booked threw them out; they shipped their movable partitions to a nearby office building in short order. Barely a dozen Scientologists were tending to barely a dozen visitors who pressed toward a table with cookies and orange juice. Marble colored paper walls suggested an ambience of wealth. Here is where one could "visually re-live" the life of sect founder L. Ron Hubbard in gilded letters. In black and white photographs we see Lafayette Ron Hubbard: taking a nap, in a Navy uniform, with mountain scenery, as a bronze bust on the high seas, with one arm outstretched to point the way. It is "the Way to Happiness" which is based "in all points upon sound human understanding."

"Sound human understanding" - as maybe Sigmund Freud or Constitutional Security would think of it - has nothing to do with the faithful of Scientology. They depend solely upon "practical, proven results," like they get, for instance, from the electrometer, a lie detector in the visually attractive shape of an oval with little lights and a numerical dial like you would find on an Italian motor scooter. "Would you like to see a thought?," a woman auditor slyly asked and pushed two tin cans with wires to the e-meter into Hansjuergen's hands. "I am an atheist!" protested Hansjuergen. "All the much better!" responded the thought-washing machine incarnate.

The road to awareness and happiness is rocky, but "technically do-able," as L. Ron Hubbard reassured us in a videotape. L. Ron Hubbard is the one "who found the formula upon which all human existence is predicated, and this formula is: Survive!" When asked whether he made money on Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard broke out into quite strange, gruesome laughter. His eyes narrowed into coin slots, the edges of his mouth strained upward, his whole body shook like a cyclist riding over cobblestones - no sound passed through his lips.

No, it was not the money he wanted to earn, responded Hubbard. Instead, the all-powerful savior of mankind said he wanted to help people "to recognize their immortal being." In order to cure any form of illness. Cancer and drug addiction. And blindness, too. With the special Scientology glasses.

Arno Frank

Few guests at exhibition

Nothing but Scientologists

Berlin, Germany
April 20, 2000
Berliner Zeitung

Thorkit Treichel

According to statements by Anne Ruehle, sect commissioner of the Senate, the Scientology Organization had sent out a half million invitations in advance. On Tuesday, however, when the "What is Scientology?" exhibition opened on the fourth floor of a building in Steglitz, there was practically nobody there but its own members. They were helped neither by the leaflets which the Scientologists pushed into the hands of pedestrians nor by the little girl who was giving out blue and yellow balloons at the entrance to the building. About ten visitors found their way inside in the afternoon; they were greeted by about twice that many, permanently smiling Scientologists. They did not let the guests out of sight. "Do you have another question?" "Can I explain that to you?"; no visitor could look at the display tables without being disturbed.

Despite the scanty response, the arrangers looked like they were thrilled. They said they had already counted about 100 visitors. "Based on the great demand, we will extend the exhibition for a couple of days," said the sect spokesman, Georg Stoffel. He also expressed himself optimistically as far as the number of Scientologists in Berlin. He mentioned up to 2,000; Anne Ruehle, in contrast, assumes there are a few hundred members in the city. "Scientology does not have a running start," she said. She also said that the exhibition served the purposes of recruitment and of bettering their image. The sect, which has been under surveillance by Constitutional Security since 1997 because it positions itself against the basic system of a liberal democracy, presents itself as a religious community. The exhibition, said Ruehle, only shows a facade and conceals the true goals of the sect: coordinating and establishing a totalitarian society. "There is no reason to call off the alarm."

The exhibition had originally been planned to take place in the Best Western Hotel in Steglitz. Hotel management terminated the agreement after intervention from the federal press office. Scientology spoke of it as "religious discrimination." (tt.)

Hotel turns down Scientology

A Steglitz hotel will not tolerate a Scientology exhibition in its spaces after protests

Berlin, Germany
April 18, 2000
taz Berlin

The invitations to the Best Western Hotel Steglitz International had already been sent out, but now the worldwide sect business must change the address for its "What is Scientology?" exhibition. The hotel on Albrecht Street in Steglitz, where the exhibition was supposed to have opened today, cancelled Scientology's rental contract without notice.

"No public meetings had been arranged with us," the business manager of the hotel, Klaus-Volker Stolle, founded the cancellation yesterday. He said the 500,000 leaflets in which the Scientologists have been advertising for their exhibit in recent days violate their contract with the hotel.

Key to the decision, though, was said to have been that after the business contract with the Scientologists became known, other customers announced there would be consequences. One of the customers was the federal press office, which rented rooms from the hotel for visiting groups from the federal house of representatives. It was said that the press office had written a letter which announced that it would reconsider its business relations with the hotel. "From a commercial point of view, perhaps the contract was hurting us more," said hotel business manager Stolle. He terminated the contract.

Scientology sees the behavior of the federal press office as "incredible and unprecedented official discrimination." The press office reacted calmly to the accusation. "We are free in making our selection of a hotel," said a spokeswoman. Instead of the hotel in which the Scientologists arranged a congress three years ago, the exhibition will be opened in private spaces on Dueppel Street in Steglitz. taz

Scientology obstructed

Hotel terminates agreement under pressure from federal press office

Berlin, Germany
April 18, 2000
Tagesspiegel Online-Dienste GmbH

wik

Under pressure from the Press and Information Office of the federal government, the Hotel Best Western Steglitz International has terminated an agreement with the "Scientology Church" for spaces for an exhibition. The sect, which is under surveillance by Constitutional Security, had wanted to open their "What is Scientology?" exhibition today in the hotel. Their reservations, as verified by Klaus-Volker Stoller, the hotel's business manager, were cancelled. Stolle gave his reason as being that it had been assumed that Scientology had wanted to organize a closed seminar, not a public arrangement. Cancelling the reservations, though, started with pressure from the Press Office.

The office was said to have indirectly threatened in a letter to cancel reservations for visitor groups from the federal representative assembly for the current and next years. The press office's letter said that "understandably" one would expect guests to spend the night in "indubitable hotels." Otherwise, business relations, it continued, would have to be reconsidered. According to Stolle, about 3,000 guests would be affected by a possible cancellation. Scientology speaker Georg Stoffel expressed rage at the intervention. He said that Scientology had never been so clearly discriminated against before. The exhibition, Stoffel said, was supposed to be put on in 52 European cities and had already been presented in four German cities without any complaint. Scientology wants to file a claim for 200,000 marks in damages against the hotel. The exhibition will be opened today in privates spaces.

Perfidious Propaganda

The Scientology March in Berlin

Berlin, Germany
October 27, 1997
REPORT from Suedwestfunk in Baden-Baden

Report: Ulrich Neumann, Gabriele Probst
Camera: Ingo Mantzke, Oliver Gurr
Editing: Ingo Himmler

Moderator: Ulrich Craemer

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Southwest Broadcasting's REPORT from Baden-Baden.

Adherents of the controversial Scientology Organization demonstrated today in Berlin for religious freedom. This is the veil under which the Scientologists wish to hide their true goal - to gain influence and power in business and society. To implement their total claim to domination. With methods which, in the opinion of various courts, represent selfish suppression. And with views which are in contradiction to the liberal values of western democracy. Another court determined that Scientology is not even a religious or worldview denomination in the meaning covered by Basic Law. First we would like to show you some footage of today's demonstration. Then ask about some of Scientology's mechanisms of manipulation in an interview. And finally investigate what alternatives the state has available for defense. First, my colleague Ulrich Neumann from Berlin.

Report

Voices:
"You know what they have here for press people. Ask around. They'll give you some real special answers."

"There's a press booth here. There is information there."

"I wouldn't like to answer. Do you understand?"

"Please speak with our press people."

"Please go to the appropriate booth for the press."

"Ohh, I would not like to speak with you about that."

"Are you discriminated against?"

"No. I am personally not discriminated against by you."

Refusals stereotypical of this afternoon in front of the Memorial Church in Berlin. Hardly anybody wants to talk with us. Even the interview which Scientology Germany agreed to for 12 noon never happened. The sect speaker simply didn't show up. An act of a particularly perfidious kind. 3,000 demonstrate against alleged discrimination of religious minorities. Mainly Scientologists in Germany. But the demonstration is a flop. For weeks in advance it was propagated that 10,000 would march, praise God it's much less.

Voice of Scientologist with megaphone:
"German Basic Law is being violated every day. German Basic Law is being violated every day. German Basic Law is being violated every day. German Basic Law is being violated every day."

In spite of the failure, this is the high point so far of an international propaganda campaign by Scientology against the Federal Republic. Scientology has mobilized worldwide for this. Their sympathizers have been steered to Berlin. The sect is using all its power to become acknowledged as a church.

Voices:
"Religious freedom now. Religious freedom now. Religious freedom now. Religious freedom now."

The Federal Labor Court, however, has determined that Scientology is not a religion, but a commercial business. Profit-oriented, selfish and totalitarian in part. The goal of the sect - according to experts - control of the world. Their method: to infiltrate society with Scientologists, to take key positions in politics and business.

Founder of the sect Ron Hubbard. Author of simple science fiction novels. His life's slogan: "Make money, make more money." By order of the sect, Hubbard's life was researched. By somebody who knew him personally: Gerry Armstrong - for the first time here in Germany - found out ...

Gerry Armstrong, ex-Scientologist [translated from English to German back to English]
"I found out that Hubbard had lied about many aspects of his life. For example, about his education. About his claim to be a nuclear physicist. About his personal war experiences. His family. The alleged research into reality and the promises of Dianetics and Scientology."

Because of those lies by the sect founder, Armstrong left - 15 years ago. Since then he is the enemy.

Gerry Armstrong
"They harassed me with the help of several private detectives. They threatened me. They drove at me with a car. They tried to get me into an accident on the freeway. They spied on me and my wife. Sued me five times and tried to put me in prison based on false charges."

The Scientology Center in Berlin. Last week. Feverish preparations for the demonstration. We are not permitted to film. Which Armstrong criticized. Usury is something regarded here as completely normal. The spokeswoman for Scientology Germany.

Sabine Weber (spokeswoman Scientology Germany)
"One of the most important grades, for example is this grade Clear. If you take the training to clergyman who quasi helps other people to reach this grade, then these studies will cost approximately DM 40,000."

Scientology advertising film "That is Clear. That is spiritual health. That is being happy. That is survival."

The so-called teachings of Scientology, according to experts, is not only nonsense, but is also an evil confidence game. Besides that, the sect is militant against people who leave it.

Tanya:
I found that I went through hell. And I am still not out of this hell."

Tanya. 18 years old. Of those 17 as a Scientologist. Her parents also belong to the psycho-sect. 1995: Tanya had big problems at home. She was supposed to find her own place to stay. Her decision: visit the Scientology elite school at St. Hill, near London. First lesson: interrogation for hours down to the most private details. Degrading security checks, and she was still a child.

Tanya:
"The initial check: there they ask you if you plan on giving any kind of information to the press. Whether you have any debts. Then there are also checks where they ask if you have raped somebody, whether you have had sex with children or with animals. Whether you've murdered anybody."

Second experience in St. Hill - the so-called "cadre-smith" turned out not to be an elite school, but a punitive camp, and the treatment was degrading.


Tanya:
"I was screamed at. I was insulted. I was bumped into. I was pushed about. I had to stay longer. I had to work harder than I had worked before. I had to work 17 hours a day - and that was still short. I was happy if all I had to work was 17 hours."

Tanya could no longer stand the drudge-work, the abasements and the interrogations. She just wanted to get away. Summer 1996: an adventurous flight to Germany. It worked. The consequences of her departure: her father disowned her. Tanya lost all her friends. She had no money. She was on the brink of ruin. And that chapter of Scientology is still not closed.

Tanya:
"When my friend from South Africa went shopping, she was accosted on the street and told that she should stay away from me. And that the best thing would be if I were dead. Then the lady spit in front over her on the ground. I thought that was very shocking."

Tanya, a victim of Scientology. Disregarding her, the psycho-business continues to sell its myth of being persecuted. The most recent example from their house magazine.

Because the labor offices mark the Scientology companies with an "S," it has been concluded, "The S mark is nothing less than an electronic Jewish cross." American artists are blowing the same horn.

Isaac Hayes (musician):
"Now, there are similarities. When you look exactly at what was happening then, what is happening today. Then you find similarities."

Joerg Schoenbohm (Interior Senator, Berlin CDU):
These comparisons are intolerable, beyond words. First of all they show that the Scientologists do not at all know what horrors we Germans have done with the Jews. We gassed, murdered and incinerated them for racist reasons. That is what we did. With the Scientologists, this is about having a discussion with criminals - using the means of a Constitutional state. Nobody is being murdered or gassed; if they break a law, they go to court. Same as anybody else in a Constitutional state. Seen from that point of view, this comparison is really revolting."

The goal of the demonstration was to harm the national and international image of the Federal Republic. However, not everybody let themselves be deceived by the pseudo-religion's dramatization.

Prof. Johannes Aagaards (Aarhus University, Denmark):
"They have all the freedoms. They talk and yell exactly what they want to. And they are protected by the German police. Many police. Not against them - but for them. The whole thing is hypocrisy."

Scientologist lay siege to convention

From: "TAZ"
October 19, 1995

by Ralph Bollmann

Copyright: contrapress media GmbH

Adherents call the Evangelical Academy's convention on youth sects in East Europe the "Wannsee Conference." They dramatize themselves as victims and call out for religious freedom.

The building employees were visibly startled. "I am from the state criminal investigative office," said the innocent looking man at the door, "don't be afraid." A state of emergency reigned this week at the Adam-von-Trott building of the Berlin-Brandenburg Evangelical Academy on the idyllic Kleinen Wannsee. A police wagon was parked out front. Journalists received information after their press passes were inspected at the door.

The Academy was hosting a seminar entitled "Religion, Democracy, Youth - Youth Advisory in the area of Youth Religion and Youth Occult." The meeting centered on the growing influence of adherents of the Scientology sect in Eastern Europe. Among the speakers invited was Jon Atack, former Scientologist.

Scientologists were promptly in place this past Friday at the beginning of the convention, according to the participants. The Scientologists were photographing them without having asked their permission. Push came to shove as they tried to take the film away from the photographers.

The meeting participants also reported that the demonstrators were calling the meeting the "Wannsee Conference." With an ad campaign in the United States, Scientology had previously tried to project the impression that their organization was being persecuted in Germany the way the Jews once were. Information brochures were compared to caricatures out of the "Stürmer." The overall tone has become less shrill since then, at least on the official level.

The speaker of the Berlin Scientology Church, Hubert Bruttel, said that the [Evangelical] church seminar violated "the religious and philosophical neutrality of the state." As a "symbol of religious freedom," he announced that a watch, which was to last from Monday until today, would be placed on the Adam-von-Trott building. However, according to seminar participants, four Scientologists held a "watch for democracy and human rights" only until Wednesday. Yesterday the retreat was not bothered.

"That wasn't so bad for us," said the Scientology-wise sect commissioner at the meeting. However, for the guests from East Europe "the feeling of being photographed and put in file folders was very bad." The state police announced, amid a fireworks of flashbulbs, that the film would be confiscated. However, legal steps are not so promising. Even Scientologists may photograph whomever they want.