Panorama: Scientology

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Im afraid i cant provide a (legal) link to this episode of the BBC program Panorama. But to the Brits out there who watched it. What did you think? Was the reporting Biased as the Scientologist claimed, or were they entirley out of line with the way they handled the Panorama team?

Personally i think the report ended up biased as the Scientologists forced it that way with all their interfering with interviews, and the stalking of the film crew. Its such a shame that they runed a perfectly good report on their "religion" by proving to everyone just why they are hated by many.

 

To be honest, that program just affirmed what I already knew about Scientology. I doubt there was any intentional bias, since Panorama is run by the BBC, but the fact that the Church kept on interfering with the investigation and were generally uncooperative meant that the investigation ended up looking a bit lop-sided. Although the Scientologists got what they wanted out of it: more ammo in their war against their critics. When Sweeney blew his top they won.

 

I didn't know how silly Scientology is until I saw the South Park episode about them Through South Park I also learned about the Mormons

 

it is available on youtube
and you are right, these guys are creepy

 

I haven't seen it - but it's hard to honestly portray Scientology in anything but a bad light...

 

Yup. In my view they are a business enterprise posing as a religion, probably because of the tax benefits. And that doesn't even take into account their authoritarian leanings toward dealing with (ex-)members - or film crews, or how persuasive their doctrine is.

Haven't seen the program, but I think it's naive to just say that they are inept at PR to allow themselves be pictured badly on BBC. That's probably how they are, not only how they haplessly present themselves.

 

Tom Cruise and John Travolta like to rail and wail how evil Germany discriminates Scientology. Why that is so is easy to see: German law requires that they embrace a simple constitutional requirement that we call the 'Freiheitlich-Demokratische Grundordnung', the constitutional principles of individual liberty and democracy*. Thus far they don't.

It's that easy. The guardians of our constitution usually note first that they are geared toward profit generation before they go to the key issue - Scientology's anti-democratic orientation: Their teachings stress the unchangeable rules of the founder, Hubbard. Namely the goal of an ideal society that consists of 'cleared' individuals only, or where only 'cleared' individuals hold citizen rights (so-called 'OT-Civilisation'). That cannot be reconciled with constitutional principles like separation of church and state, freedom of faith or equality before the law.

Scientology displays clear authoritarian tendencies and disregard for individual freedom. Among other things members are required to ask iirc three Scientology functionaries to permittance when they want to go to a doctor. The severe 'ethical condition of treason' is the consequence of high crimes such as shortening the time for auditing for reasons of either saving time or money or acting in any way that restricts spread and use of the teachings of 'Dianetics' - like speaking out critically.

Add to that their demonisation of psychiatrists (anyone remembers Tom Cruise railing against psychiatric medication on tv?), the sort-of logical address for a psychologically ****ed-up ex-member of an exploitative dependency cult to look for help.

I'll spare you the stuff about aliens in Hubbart's teachings.

What the film-crew experiences was probably Scientology's Office of Special Affairs (OSA) at work. OSA engage in campaigns against critics - and traitors, ex-members. Talk about stalking. Scary stuff.

* Several Islamist organisations fail that test, too.

[ May 18, 2007, 22:58: Message edited by: Ragusa ]

 

I have seen the Panorama documentory and I am amazed that the Scientologists allow their representatives to be so stupid. They were very clearly attempting to stop the documentary - no doubt about that. Their tactics consisted mainly of smart-arse interuptions which are very visible to any educated audience. The whole attempt to derail the documentary totally backfired on Scientology itself - including the scene where the reporter joined the main antagonist in a shouting match.

People are not stupid, they can see this for what it really is - a very poor attempt to force their own opinion on the BBC and to stop the BBC from 'finding anything out'.

If Scientology is really so great - where are their speakers? Where are the representatives that reflect well on their church? This episode did huge damage to their cause.

... and I still don't know much about it ... pity.