Cult's continuous harassment of multi-millionaire critic backfires

[July 28, 1998]

The Scientology cult, infamous on and off the Internet for ruthless intimidation tactics and human rights abuses, has been involved in a continuous harassment program to silence Robert S. Minton, a multi-millionaire critic of Scientology. Recently, the television news program Dateline documented Scientology's harassment of Minton, harassment which included following Minton and his family to the Bahamas while they were on vacation there.

However, the cult's vindictiveness appears to have backfired. Former Scientology members and other individuals who were silent previous to Dateline's program for fear of Scientology, are speaking out. Inspired by Minton's courage in standing up for basic freedoms and the protection of human rights, they too for the first time are taking a stand. They are helping put the law and education into practice to restrain the cult from such activities that curtail freedoms of thought, speech, and religion.

Other advocates for freedom and human rights -- wealthy and otherwise -- have come forward with financial support. Former Scientology members, including high-level defectors, are going public with detailed information on Scientology's illegal activities. Many for the first time are breaking their silence to tell personal stories of abuse, forced abortions, involuntary imprisonment in concentration camp-like facilities, psychosis, and suicides.

Through the power of the Internet, the story of Bob Minton's courage has been heard around the world. Scientology's technique of continuously harassing Minton, far from scaring its opponents into silence, has galvanized and motivated tens of thousands of people into a dynamic global counter-force to Scientology's abuses.

Minton's courage, along with the courage of others who for years have voiced the dangers associated with Scientology, appears to have triggered the release of long pent-up energy to deal with this cult's abuses. Advocates for human rights and fundamental freedoms have joined forces. Minton's plight may have catalyzed a recognition that Scientology is wildly out of control, and that if law and education are not used to stop the cult, greater social harm will occur.

According to a former high-level member of the cult, the purpose of Scientology's continuous harassment of Minton "is to wear the critic down, drive him insane, and scare anyone else from speaking out against them. That's their written secret policy." The ex-member is referring to a Scientology policy, written by founder L. Ron Hubbard, that says those who criticize Scientology "may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist; May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed."

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