"It is not true that lawyers from any firm representing the Church have visited anyone. If anyone is suggesting otherwise, that is false."

Scientology officially adopts a policy of telling "acceptable truths" to non-scientologits, so you have to read that quote carefully, and ask proper followup questions to these spokespersons.

They have only denied that a LAWYER delivered notices. That means anyone representing a firm that represents scientology could have delivered the letter and DVD. It could have been a private investigator, or an intern, or even someone from scientology running errands for the lawfirm.

You'll find this sort of slippery answer to your questions repeatedly. Technically they are correct, if you don't dig or followup at all. It's when you start to dig past their facade that you see the rotting timbers, mold and slime that supports the foundation that the "church" was built on.

Never accept what they say at face value, because what they say is carefully constructed to mislead.

Good point. Here is the follow-up questions I have posed to the spokesperson: "is it possible that the person who delivered a package to Jonathan, formerly of Anonymous, was a working in any capacity -- as a lawyer or PI or in any capacity -- for the Church of Scientology? In other words, was he there on Church business?"

Further: "Would you say the Church condones or condemns someone (affiliated or not) showing up in person to a Scientology opponent's residence and making accusations of terrorism, coupled with multimedia materials that do the same, to that person's parents? Put another way, does the Church feel Jonathan or his parents deserved a visit?"

Response, hopefully, forthcoming.

Dear Tyler Gray,
I can attest that the evidence that the Church of Scientology is responsible for these threatening letters and DVDs is really quite strong.
The church of Scientology has already publicly confirmed that they made the content of that DVD in the New York Times:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03152008/gossip/pagesix/toms_church_counterattacks_101990.htm

"A spokesperson for the Church of Scientology said, "We absolutely made the videos."

"We have researchers that have found these men. When you get death threats and bomb threats directly going after the church, we don't take it lightly." "

It should be noted of course that a Clearwater court has dismissed two injunctions against Anonymous as the 'Church' was unable to supply proof for their terrorism claims.

Only the Church of Scientology would have access to high resolution footage for DVD production.

There are several reported cases of receiving copies of this footage in DVD format, with full DVD resolution 16:9 aspect content, that could have only come from the source of the footage, the 'hurch of Scientology.

1. Another minor being served by "Pope Boko, Ruppel & Burn. LLP" (full scans, and photo of the DVD being handed out): http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?postid=340993968#post340994035

2. G. Allen was merely an observer of the Anonymous protests on 02/10/08, was both served with the same legal letter and DVD mentioned in your story and also was included on an injunction sought by the Church of Scientology, the same injunction that also falsely accused a merely passing Starbucks employee ( http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/article416511.ece )

G. Allen, a retired with honours serviceman, wrote an account of receiving a similar legal letter and DVD on his blog, including scans of the legal letters. On this occasion the letter served was via "Pope Boko, Ruppel & Burn. LLP" (the images are small on the blog as they have been resized , but right click "view image" for larger versions)

http://blackfish.biz/allen/?p=246 :G. Allens Blog

3. http://forums.enturbulation.org/showthread.php?t=5682&highlight=Latham+Watkins : user "gregg"'s account of receiving a legal letter and DVD from Latham & Watkins.
Scans of the letters included in "gregg"'s posts :
http://img329.imageshack.us/my.php?image=document0001uu1.jpg
http://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=document0002fk4.jpg

Users "the anti" and "dwpirate" have also stated they have received similar.

After these events the 'Church' apparently started also sending these accusative DVDs to members of the press.

RadarOnline quotes a representative of the Church of Scientology : "It is not true that lawyers from any firm representing the Church have visited anyone. If anyone is suggesting otherwise, that is false."

I put it to you that this representative is either :

1. Reporting the truth biased towards their aims: perhaps the person physically delivering the letter was indeed not a lawyer, but the letter was certainly from a law firm.
2. Not aware of the facts and has chosen the default attack stance of the 'Church' against all critics, calling your source a liar.
3. Fully aware of the facts, in denial and maintaining the Church of Scientology's ad hominem attack stance: lying in full knowledge of the lie.

Please view this video

http://www.vimeo.com/824772

I may still be trapped in the Cult of Scientology but I am no longer a believer. I can no longer stand idly by while my higher ups tell me to outright lie about a group of peaceful protestors. Too long have I been told there is no such thing as constructive criticism against Scientology. Too long has the CoS treated law abiding citizens like criminals. I know that if I were to leave Scientology I too would be declared an SP, and I would be hounded like the Jews were in Nazi Germany.

Why does the CoS call people nazis when they are the ones with the totalitarian mindset? Why does the CoS call people bigots when they call Jesus a pedophile and slander the Prophet Muhammed? Why do they call people terrorists when they are the ones with their own secret police?

Find out more, google Operation Freakout and Operation Snow White and come to your own conclusions. Don't let the CoS do it for you

inb4bgodley

"I may still be trapped in the Cult of Scientology but I am no longer a believer. I can no longer stand idly by while my higher ups tell me to outright lie about a group of peaceful protestors. Too long have I been told there is no such thing as constructive criticism against Scientology."

This is nonsense. No Scientologist would post this drivel, especially the guff about being "trapped" (in what exactly?) or not being a "believer" (again, in what?). You either DO Scientology or you DON'T. It's that simple. Like going to an evening class, or a counsellor. There is nothing to "join", "belong to", or become "trapped" in (unless someone can be trapped in a Cult of Spanish for Beginners). This is more nonsensical scare-mongering from someone who has no real understanding of Scientology, what it is and what it can do.

Scientia, I have spent years living the lie that is Scientology. You know as well as I do the moment I leave the Church I will be hit with a freeloader's debt, which is not legally enforceable (much like the cease and desist letter being sent to LAW ABIDING protestors of Anonymous).

Stop trumpeting the party line and start thinking for yourself. Psychiatry WORKS. Not in every case, not for everyone. But it WORKS. Unlike Scientology which is nothing more than a group of people convincing themselves that a square peg can fit into a round hole

You should really look around the internet a little bit more on what others besides scientology have to say about scientology.

Because right now people are gaining a larger and larger understanding of scientology, and what it is and what it can do. And what they are finding out is not very pleasing.

I am curious as to the status of the spokesperson's response to the followup questions posed by the author, I forgot to mention that in my last comment.

Does anyone know what became of L.Ron Jr?
He gave a scathingly denunciatory account of scientology in Penthouse years ago, retracted every word of it shortly after,and then...?

Don't quit protesting, this is EXACTLY what the Cult of $cientology wants you to do. They are using intimidation tactics to make you stop protesting. This is a very old trick used by this cult. They have no evidence that you're a "leader", other people have received the same letter you received, and it's simply a threat.

I'm happy to see gray's response. So many times (not just Scientology) reporters either play along with or don't understand the, "I'm going to LIE LIE LIE by feeding you my innocent truths" game. Because, "If I get caught, you've got nothing but truths to hang me with!"

"We have no plans of closing down the factory and laying off 200 workers on March 1st." What could be the game with that statement? They plan to close down the factory and lay off 190 workers, and they plan to do it on March 15th through March 30th.

If you suspect a group of trying to lie through using PR (especially in denial PRs), look for the all too specific denials.

bgodley,

You wrote: "Scientia, I have spent years living the lie that is Scientology. You know as well as I do the moment I leave the Church I will be hit with a freeloader's debt, which is not legally enforceable"

A freeloader's debt only applies to org staff members who break their contract of employment and logically only applies if one seeks to continue services. Even if what you are saying about your situation is true, if you are not interested in pursuing Scientology through the Church then you really have nothing to worry about, lol.

But then this is all academic, as we both know you are not a Scientologist in any capacity, and are simply lying and scare-mongering to stir up further hate and abuse.

You wrote: "Stop trumpeting the party line and start thinking for yourself."

I'm not "trumpeting" anything; I am simply stating the facts. Scientology is what it is. You either DO it or you DON'T, it really is that simple.

You wrote: "Psychiatry WORKS. Not in every case, not for everyone. But it WORKS."

Psychiatry is a religion; it is built on faith, not medical science. And it should be exposed as such. Diagnoses of mental "illnesses" are purely subjective, based largely on what drug-industry-paid APA committee members dictate to be "normal" or "abnormal" behaviour or personality. You are free to believe in it if you so wish. I do not. Diversity is wonderful, don't you think? :o)

Scientology lawyers definitely delivered a copy of this video, which can be seen here:

http://www.thefug.com/node/425

Scientia, believe what you want, I no longer can support Scientology. Not when it uses fascist, police state tactics to protect itself.

If psychiatry is built on faith than what is Scientology? Tell me how does a touch assist cure someone's pain? What about all the people in the Sea Org being exposed to toxic amounts of asbestos? Oh but its okay because LRH never said it was a problem therefore it must be true. Talk about pseudoscience.

bgodley, Scientology does not pretend it is anything other than it actually is: an applied RELIGIOUS system. That cannot be said of Psychiatry. Stop spewing this nonsensical anti-cultist guff and think for yourself. Have you even done an actual Scientology course, or had some auditing? No, of course you haven't. You, like so many others here, have read a couple of questionable websites presenting a ridiculously warped and inaccurate version of Scientology, and decided to take a stand. Well, good for you for wanting to do good, and help people. But this version of Scientology that you and "Anonymous" believe to be real is not the Scientology of today; it is not the Scientology that I know and have experienced for over a decade. Even in your recent postings, you present laughable fallacies (eg. talk of "believers", being "trapped", that you'd be "declared SP for leaving", and all the freeloader's debt nonsense, etc). At least some of the data you have been given or have come across is simply n o t t r u e. Take it from someone who knows, who actually DOES Scientology, and not from a bunch of nerds who actually believe they know more about the subject than decent, active Scientologists simply because they've read a dodgy website or two. What arrogance! lol. It's totally laughable.

I spent 5 years "in Scientology" and I can tell you FOR SURE it is one of the MOST INSANE organizations I have ever witnessed. They are 100% about brainwashing people with their quasi science-fiction/religious/lie detector so called technology in order to get their $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Having said that, it was a great place to get laid, but eventually even that was not worth being surrounded by vocal and delusional criminals pretending thay were "clearing the planet" while they committed acts that there are laws preventing people from doing to their dogs.

roflmao

We'll see how you feel Scientia when some OT8 rapes someone you care about. And when she is the one who has to get sec checked for what SHE did wrong then you'll change your mind about wonderful it is

bgodly, I suggest you should stop arguing with Scientia.

Whoever they are, they are successfully distracting you from commenting on this article.

I wouldn't want to speculate on who Scienta is, but I wil say that this type of distraction is a known tactic of those in the Church of Scientology. Don't let people bait you and be aware that this is a known strategy. Focus on the article and ignore the people who may try to muddy the waters. :-)

As regards your being trapped, come on out. There are so many out here who will support you. As you said, the freeloader bill is not legally enforceable. Good luck.