Clearwater



The letters to the editor of the St. Petersburg Times on January 21st

contained a letter comparing the activities of Scientology and the

Presbyterian church next door.



"I could not help but notice the contrast in happenings on the corners of

Pierce Street and S. Fort Harrison Avenue in Clearwater on Saturday night.

On one side there were red carpets and stretch limos, thousands of

twinkling lights, beautiful flowers and potted palms, brilliant spotlights

illuminating a tall building and a street blocked off for valet parking.

On the other corner, at Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church, a group of

dedicated men and women fixed and served a hot meal and provided warm

overnight shelter for more than 150 homeless people on a very cold night.

- Anne C. Epling, Clearwater"



Source Magazine reported news from the Clearwater Scientology orgs.



"The Fort Harrison's Crystal Ballroom was the setting for the Fourth

Annual Flag Mecca Groundbreaking Anniversary. The evening began with a

spectacular banquet, followed by entertainment for Sherwood Ball and his

band. Sherwood, known by Scientologists the world over as the lead

vocalist on the musical adaptation of L. Ron Hubbard's Hymn of Asia was a

huge hit with the crowd - particularly since he ended his performance with

two songs he had co written and produced for Super Power. The first was

entitled 'Three Hundred and Sixty Degrees' all about the 57 perceptics;

the second was entitled 'Break the Chain' about one of the Super Power

Rundowns, the Ethics and Justice Repair List."



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Germany



BZ-Berlin reported on January 20th that Thomas Gandow and Gerry Armstrong

have come under Scientology surveillance in Germany.



"He is regarded as one of Scientology's most fearsome opponents - Thomas

Gandow, sect commissioner of the Berlin Evangelical Church, gave his

sermon to the Luisen congregation yesterday under police protection.

Having been followed and photographed on his way to church, Gandow was

concerned that the church service would be interrupted.



"As Gandow and former Scientologist Gerald Armstrong were on their way to

the Luisen Church, they were followed and photographed by a person unknown

to them. While under pursuit, he notified the police, who pulled over the

following vehicle at the Michendorf roadside stop to ask for personal

identification. According to Gandow, it was Mirko O., an active member of

the Scientology Organization. At that point the Luisen congregation was

to receive police protection for church services. Several members of

Scientology were among the congregation. Rev. Gandow recognized one of

them as a leading member; it was a woman writing down statements made by

the clergyman and sect victim Gerald Armstrong."



From Der Tagesspiegel on January 25th:



"The Scientology Church has admitted to having put Thomas Gandow, sect

commissioner of the Berlin-Brandenburg Evangelical Church, under

surveillance. One of its members was said to have been working for an

attorney to investigate the American ex-Scientologist, Gerald Armstrong,

who was wanted in court. There have been various orders issued on

Armstrong in US courts, said Sabine Weber of Scientology Germany. It was

also intended to take legal action against him here in Germany to prohibit

him from claiming that the Scientology was out to get him.



"Last Sunday Gandow and Armstrong were tailed by at least two cars, said

Gandow, to a church service in the Luisen Church in Charlottenburg. His

vehicle was closely approached by one of them on the way from Brandenburg

to Berlin. The driver swerved erratically while photographing Gandow and

Armstrong. The situation got tense enough to where he finally called the

highway patrol at Brandenburg for assistance. The police gave him a

cautionary fine for unregulated use of a cell phone from a vehicle. The

police escorted Gandow's vehicle to the city limits, where he received

protection from Berlin police.



"They also placed the Luisen Church under guard during the church service

while Armstrong talked about his experiences with Scientology. Gandow says

he observed a second vehicle on the autobahn with at least three occupants

who were following and photographing the same time the first was. The

clergyman is certain that those men also had something to do with

Scientology."



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Ireland



The Irish Times reported on January 22nd that Dr. Stephen Kent is

scheduled to testify in the case of a woman who is suing the Dublin

Scientology org for her treatment while she was a member.



"Mr. Michael Collins SC, for the church, objected to the hearing of

evidence from a Canadian professor of sociology on the grounds that

admitting such evidence could lead to the 11-day case, taken by a woman

against his client, continuing until the end of February.



"Ms Mary Johnston, a former member of the church, is seeking damages for

alleged conspiracy, misrepresentation and breach of constitutional rights

against the Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin and three of its

members, Mr. John Keane, Mr. Tom Cunningham and Mr. Gerard Ryan.



"After almost two hours of legal argument, Mr. Justice Peart decided he

would hear evidence from Prof. Stephen Alan Kent. Responding to Mr.

Justice Peart on whether he was obliged to accept that Scientology was a

religion, Mr. Collins said the church believed every human being had a

soul and an immortal existence. The court was told there were 2,000

churches in 110 countries.



"In evidence, Prof. Kent said he had studied new religions and cults and

had written extensively on the subject. He had interviewed about 50 former

Scientologists. He described the structure and organisation of scientology

as very complicated with 'international management' at the top. Asked by

Mr. Michael Cush SC, for Ms Johnston, if there was a general body of

complaints about the church's dianetics auditing policy, Prof. Kent said

there was and he was also aware of individual testimony about its harmful

effects."



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Jeff Jacobsen



Scientology critic Jeff Jacobsen reported this week that Scientology

operatives have contacted his father in an attempt to intimidate him into

silence.



"Here's the message, which was anonymous and no listed phone number.



"'Harlan, I'm a friend of yours. There's an investigation starting, and

you're going to be involved in it. Due to your son Jeff, the trouble he is

starting for a whole lot of people. You might want to talk to him. Listen,

the thing has started already, so talk to Jeff. He's in a lot of trouble.'



"Meanwhile, someone has gotten a list of my father's employees and is

calling them saying they are my father's CPA, or that they're doing a

project for his business, then asking personal and financial questions

about my father and his business."



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Lisa McPherson



The Tampa Tribune reported on January 21st that Bob Minton has requested

that the judge in the Lisa McPherson case be disqualified.



"Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer blames multimillionaire

Robert Minton for the breakdown of settlement negotiations in the case and

has concluded Minton is a criminal because he invoked his constitutional

right not to answer questions in court, a motion filed late Friday states.



"The judge has put the counterclaim on hold until the original lawsuit is

settled. A trial scheduled to begin today was postponed indefinitely while

the church appeals an order issued by Schaeffer on Jan. 12. In the order,

Schaeffer denied the church's bid to have Ken Dandar removed as the

estate's attorney. That bid was based on testimony from Minton, who said

Dandar told him to lie under oath about $2 million Minton purportedly gave

Dandar to fund the lawsuit. Schaeffer concluded it was Minton who was

lying about Dandar and said he did so to cover up Minton's own tax

evasion.



"Minton's new motion also attacks Schaeffer for issuing her order on a

Sunday, which Minton contends is against Florida law and renders the order

void. And because the order is void, the judge 'may be liable for

substantial damages to Minton' for defamation, the motion states."



From the text of the court filing:



"Robert Minton moves for the disqualification of Judge Susan F. Schaeffer

for prejudice and in support thereof would show that Minton fears that he

will not receive a fair trial or hearing because of specifically described

prejudice or bias of Judge Schaeffer.



"In November 2002 after the close of the evidence in the Omnibus Hearing,

Judge Schaeffer determined that the case should be mediated and scheduled

a series of separate meetings with counsel for each of the parties in the

case in order to assist in the mediation of the case. Though not a party

to the main case, Minton was ordered to participate. Judge At this

conference, Judge Schaeffer also strongly suggested that in order to

assist in settling the case that Minton waive his claim against the Estate

or Mr. Dandar for over $2,000,000 in loans made to the Estate or Mr.

Dandar. Mediation took place on November 27, 2002. Minton attended with

counsel and fully participated. A tentative settlement was concluded. For

reasons outside of the control of Minton, the mediation/settlement

thereafter broke down and the settlement tentatively agreed to among the

parties was not consummated.



"Minton has a well-founded belief that he is being punished for the

settlement not concluding or has become the 'fall guy' for the settlement

not concluding; i.e., that this Order was in retaliation for the

settlement falling through. As such, Minton has a well-founded belief that

Judge Schaeffer is biased or prejudiced against him.



"Minton believes that Judge Schaeffer has improperly pre-judged him based

on his permissible exercise of Fifth Amendment privileges and that in

further proceedings Judge Schaeffer will continue to believe Minton is a

criminal based solely on the exercise of his constitutional rights. Minton

believes that since Judge Schaeffer has already determined in her mind

that he has committed various criminal offenses she cannot objectively and

fairly sit as a judge in any further proceedings involving him."



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Lisa Marie Presley



Fox News reported on January 22nd that Lisa Marie Presley will release an

album based in part on Scientology's opposition to psychiatry.



"At least one song will preach the Scientology cause that tries to stop

parents from giving their children drugs like Ritalin to treat Attention

Deficit Disorder. Scientology wages a constant war against psychiatry in

general, hoping to attract alienated young people before they can be

treated by doctors.



"Presley's official web site is linked to a charity called the Citizens

Commission on Human Rights, which promotes the teachings of L. Ron

Hubbard. Its main chapter, in Los Angeles, has a substantial war chest to

fight against psychiatry. Fellow Scientologists Kirstie Alley and Juliette

Lewis are featured in pictures with Presley at rallies protesting against

psychiatry.



"Both Lisa Marie and her mother, Priscilla, are longtime members of

Scientology, which requires hefty annual donations from its members. One

wonders how much of Elvis Presley's estate has gone to Scientology and

whether his millions of fans have any idea where their money has gone.

Scientology seems to be in direct conflict with Elvis Presley's own

personal credo, which was 'Shake, rattle and roll' with a barbiturate

twist."



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Tom Cruise



The Sunday Star-Times reported on January 19th that Scientology celebrity

Tom Cruise is campaigning against the use of Ritalin by children.



"The so-called 'kiddy-speed' has harsh and high-profile critics, alarmed

at the sharp rise in Ritalin use. Film star Tom Cruise, in Taranaki to

film The Last Samurai, spoke out last week, claiming the drug was

'lethal'. The outburst is likely to stem from his Scientology Church's

opposition to drugs being used to treat mental illness. Confirms Church of

Scientology New Zealand spokesman Mike Ferriss: 'We view Ritalin as a from

of social control.' Other critics accuse parents of using the drug as a

quick fix.



"In New Zealand, Ritalin is now prescribed to about 8000 children - 1.6%

of the child population. But Werry says several more thousand children

would benefit from it. Paediatric Society president Nick Baker says

Ritalin is being grossly overprescribed in parts of the US and Britain,

but not here. 'Many parents I deal with are upset about the latest bad

publicity. But the thought of depriving a child who has the chance of

benefiting from Ritalin seems harsh. 'It turns people's lives around.

Children are made safe and families no longer live with unbearable

stress.'"



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