Date Sent: 2008-04-20

Scientology is under fire around the world this week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21 APRIL 2008
RE: CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
To contact Anonymous or for additional information about the Church of Scientology and Anonymous. global protests, visit Enturbulation.org Scientology Activism and Organization.

Hollywood, CA

The infamous celebrity religion Scientology is under fire around the world this week. In Belgium, federal agents have raided and closed the church because of accusations of deceitful recruitment methods[1]. The Russian government has raided and closed Narcanon, a Scientology group that claims to help people overcome chemical additions, for practicing medicine without a license[2]. In Israel, a number of kindergartens, operated by the Church of Scientology, have been shut down for being unlicensed[3]. During this month's world-wide protests to oppose Scientology, members of Anonymous, a loosely-affiliated group of internet users protesting Scientology, were pleased to discover that the Scientology Org in Dusseldorf, Germany had been completely abandoned.[4]

But the most significant of all may be the situation in Norway, where citizens are reeling after revelations that a Member of Parliament's daughter committed suicide within hours of completing a Scientology 'stress test.'[5]

The stress test, one means of recruiting used by the Church of Scientology, is a sales tool whereby unwary passersby are given a series of obtuse questions with an official-sounding title. The auditor running the stress test will interpret the answers to these questions, ensuring that the test indicates something 'terribly wrong', a tactic referred to in Scientology as "finding your ruin". Once they've pinned a pseudo-diagnosis of depression, anger issues, or poor time-management skills on you, they attempt to cajole you into purchasing Scientology books or courses. For those who join Scientology, this can add up to hundreds of thousands of US dollars, and/or years of barely-paid work in scientology services, such as stress test booths.

The suicide death of Kaja Bordevich Ballo - after recieving one of these high-pressure sales pitches - has put the Church of Scientology under a microscope in both her native country of Norway and in France, where she took her life. There is now a strong public backlash in both countries.

Anonymous states emphatically that "This is just the beginning." They state that "As people become more aware of the cruel methods Scientology employs to recruit and to silence critics, and as they become aware of the extortion of money and obedience from followers, more and more governmental agencies across the globe will act in opposition to the cult." Anonymous insists that they support the rights of individuals to believe and say what they like, and opposes legislation to outlaw belief systems - but they support government efforts to prevent criminal activity, regardless of who is doing it.

[1] http://www.mister-info.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=10452&format=html
[2] http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=4579
[3] http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3521983,00.html
[4] http://forums.enturbulation.org/76-europe/duesseldorf-germany-8601/
[5] http://glosslip.com/2008/04/15/breaking-daughter-of-norwegian-parliment-took-life-after-taking-scientology-personality-tests/