Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Church of Scientology accused of fraud

Church of Scientology accused of fraud

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:36:50 GMT
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=68963§ionid=351020603




A French court is to try Church of Scientology and 7 top members on fraud charges, saying the church swindled a woman for more than $28,000.

They are to stand trial in Paris on fraud charges after an investigation into allegations by a former member who has filed a case against the group.

The complainant, a 33-year old woman, said she joined the church in 1998 after she was recruited at a subway station. She invested thousands of mostly borrowed euros in Scientology courses and so-called purification packs containing vitamins and other pills.

The woman's lawyer, Olivier Morice, hailed the decision to hold court trial as "courageous," saying the case will strengthen France's fight against sects.

France has had a contentious relationship with the Church of Scientology.

Some French judicial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Monday that the church and the 7 members are to face charges of "fraud in an organized group" and "illegally acting as a pharmacy." A trial date has not yet been set, AP reported.

In 2002, a French court fined the Paris regional branch of the church for a data protection violation but acquitted it of attempted fraud and false advertising charges.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Countries like France, Germany and Australia are infamous for being intolerant of alternative religions, so pointing to the Church's troubles in those places is pretty meaningless. Wiccans and Crowleyites and New Agers get harassed there too.

The Church of Scientology that "Anonymous" THINKS exists and that they THINK they're fighting is a total fiction, created by a handful of disgruntled old farts who wanted revenge on the Church after it didn't meet their bizarre and wrong-headed personal expectations of it. The entire "Anonymous" cult and their internet battle against this imaginary dragon is as masturbatory and fictitious as cybersex.

Timothy said...

Here's my response.

Scientology isn't perfect and many critics were ex-members of that organizations. All of them aren't a bunch of liars. One example of the corruption from Scientology is the treatment is Lisa Pherson who died. Even Scientology was forced to pay a sum of money to Lisa's family. Now, banning Scientology in countries like Germany is wrong because I believe in religious freedom.

Although, people have a right to criticize Scientology as I do. Also, people have a right to expose Scientology as I do. Pointing to Scientology's troubles isn't meaningless. It's apart of free speech and making Scientology accountable for their inherit problems. I don't know exactly what agenda Anonymous is other than they oppose Scientology. I disagree with Scientology, but I do so independent of Anonymous.

With that being said, you have a right to your views. Yet, the truth is that Scientology was invented by L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard made many false statements and extremist views. He based the disabled and created Scientology as a means to control people. Scientology believes that an evil Xenu created the material world 70+ million years ago into a prisonplanet. Now, I don't subscribe to those tenets at all.

By Timothy