Topic: Corporate scams and rackets
Scientologists in Action: The True Nature of Scientology's "Vulture Ministers"
One of the Scientology cult's many front operations is called the "Volunteer Ministers." Scientology delights in relentlessly producing an endless supply of "press releases" extolling the pure, selfless altruism of these heroic humanitarians, who, according to Tom Cruise, are the ONLY ones who REALLY know what to do at the scene of a disaster or emergency.by Lilly von Marcab
(libertarian)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
One of the Scientology cult's many front operations is called the "Volunteer Ministers." Scientology delights in relentlessly producing an endless supply of "press releases" extolling the pure, selfless altruism of these heroic humanitarians, who, according to Tom Cruise, are the ONLY ones who REALLY know what to do at the scene of a disaster or emergency. Namely, to deliver "touch assists" (a sort of creepy, inappropriate massage), take down names and addresses, and give out their bizarre "Way to Happiness" pamphlet.
Human rights advocates, public health officials, and emergency personnel in nations worldwide have another name for these jet-setting opportunists. They call them "Vulture Ministers."
One of the Vulture Ministers' most famous public escapades was at the ruins of the World Trade Center in the days following 9/11. Legitimate mental health professionals were there, of course, to help the victims and counsel the witnesses. Meanwhile, the Vulture Ministers in their bright yellow t-shirts descended upon the scene. Scientology's maniacal hatred of psychologists and psychiatrists is well known. True to form, the Vulture Ministers performed blocking maneuvers to prevent psychologists from doing their work.
"Additionally we are trying to move in and knock the psychs out of counseling to the grieving families and that could take another 100 plus people right now. Due to some brilliant maneuvering by some simply genius Sea Org Members we tied up the majority of the psychs who were attempting to get to families yesterday in Q&A, bullbait and wrangling. They have a hard time completing cycles of action and are pretty easy to disperse."
The Scientologist actually admits that at Ground Zero, he and the other Vulture Ministers obstructed the work of mental health professionals through arguments and physical intimidation. After asserting that only Scientologists know what the hell they're doing, he goes on to disparage the ministers of various (legitimate) religions who were "working hand in hand with the psychs."
"The fire-fighter company down the street from the org lost 14 members on Tuesday. No one can do anything for them or the rest but Scientologists. The other religions here with their ministers have shown their true colors and are working hand in hand with the psychs to give these people as much false data and restimulation as they can. They HAVE NO TECH and they're not even trying to hide it anymore. They've crossed over and abandoned anything spiritual and to hell with them."
The Scientologists also somehow scammed Fox News into believing they were a group of mental health professionals called "National Mental Health Assistance" (NMHA). For five hours on September 14, the toll-free phone number for this deceptive group crawled across the bottom of Fox News programming. It was a toll-free number to Scientology headquarters in Hollywood. Meanwhile, the real NMHA, the National Mental Health Association, issued a public warning in response to the conduct of the Vulture Ministers, saying that they were "intentionally confusing the public" by presenting themselves as mental health service providers. According to NMHA President Michael Faenza, "The public needs to understand that the Scientologists are using this tragedy to recruit new members. They are not providing mental health assistance."
The September 11 attacks were only one opportunity of many that the Vulture Ministers have taken as a means of exploiting the victims of tragedies and disasters, and recruiting new members. Every time there is a natural disaster or school shooting somewhere, the Vultures will appear.
In Russia, after the Beslan school hostage crisis in 2004, the Health Ministry ordered Scientologists out of the area, saying "that various psychological tactics the groups use, including what it called hypnosis, may be harmful not only for adults, but for children that have already suffered severe mental shock."
After the Indian Ocean tsunami at the end of 2004, the region was invaded by religious groups of all stripes, hoping to gain converts. The UK's Guardian reprints a disturbing passage from a Hong Kong paper's article:
One of the religious groups in Aceh is the Church of Scientology. Gregory Churilov, who is working for the Scientologists there, explained his faith offers the Acehnese "a methodology to handle loss and trauma". But, as England observed, "in an unusual twist on the notion of bringing aid to the destitute, Churilov says his group arrived in Aceh with nothing and were given tents by the army and food by friendly locals. Unfazed that the aid flow was meant to go the other way, he used this as an example of how well accepted the Scientologists were by local people, rather than as an example of traditional manners.
In a recorded discussion with an undercover BBC reporter, two top Scientologists admitted that the purpose of the Vulture Ministers was to keep the psychologists and psychiatrists away from the victims and witnesses, and called this "spiritual security."
After the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, dozens of Vulture Ministers showed up on the campus. Bulletins to Scientology members said that help had been requested by the university provost, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross, but these organizations denied that any requests had been made.
No matter how much phony, "feel-good," happy-slappy propaganda Scientology releases about its "Volunteer Ministers," it doesn't change the truth about these unskilled, obstructive cultists: Their only goals are to give the impression that Scientology is a benevolent, ordinary religion, and to recruit more paying customers. Fortunately, no matter how many self-congratulatory press releases they write, they are not having much success with either goal.
The views expressed
in this article are those of Lilly von Marcab only and
do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
Lilly von Marcab is solely responsible for the contents
of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated
with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
How exactly are the Volunteer Ministers a "front group" for Scientology? They are completely obviously and openly Scientology ministers, and no effort is made to conceal this fact. A "front group" makes it sounds like some secret shifty thing. Hell, they wear bright yellow t-shirts that say "Scientology" right on them.
Google the author of this attack piece ("Lilly Von Marcab") and you will see that he is doing these on a daily basis on several blogs and sites. Clearly this person seems to be carrying some sort of biased and hateful grudge to be devoting so much time to attacking the religious beliefs of Scientologists online.
Borax, you've got to stop smoking that weed! Just because "Mankind's Greatest Friend," as you call him, cult founder L. Ron Hubbard, declared that one should "always attack, never defend," you persist in semantic quibbles and attacking the messenger. Why not address the actual concerns of the article? Better yet, why not use your critical thinking abilities to recognize the dissonance between your reality and what you're being told by Scientology? It's a sinking ship. You should get out.
Are you getting your money's worth from Scientology?
You've got to re-engage your critical thinking ability. Use it or lose it. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
One-sided and written for the purpose of stirring up hate. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program, what they do and think is described here: volunteerministers.org .
I find it disgusting how the effort behind hundreds of thousands of hours of manpower by volunteers, who are quiting their jobs for some time to help others, can be so bluntly mispresented.
Posted By: General Public
Date: 2008-09-09 23:04:56
It's no good, you scientologists. We have all the information we need about you, and we spread it daily. From the TR's to OTVIII in Hubbard's original handwriting, as well as his sociopathic recordings -all are available to us. And your coached bleatings in protest are useless against us.
You will be held accountable for the crimes of your organisation. Leave now or go down with Miscavige.
Posted By: John Armstrong
Date: 2008-09-10 00:27:38
I'm not a Scientologist, nor will I ever be one.
I do think Scientologists have some odd beliefs.
But when you distance yourself from your dogma, how much crazier is it, really, to believe that God became a man, was killed in barbarian manner called crucifixion, died, came back to life three days later, and now you get to go to heaven if you believe that story?
Why attack scientologists? These "ministers" may be merely recruiters, but what are missionaries in foreign countries once you peel back the humanitarian "front"?
If people get "sucked in" because of their weak minds, maybe having something (like scientology) regardless of how misguided you may feel it is, to cling to will help them be more productive citizens.
At least these yellow shirted "vultures" are out doing something. If you don't think what they are doing actually "helps" anyone, don't attack them for going out and doing something--go organize and do more.
May the best God, or Alien-free Mind or whatever win.
Posted By: David Freehug
Date: 2008-09-10 03:59:21
Yup, these Vulture Ministers are "out doing something". They are trying to recruit people into a dangerous money-making enterprise which indulges in basic thought reform processes for profit. There's a lot of people "organising and doing more" in order to help. They are effectively informing the public of the true intentions of these people - and protesting the abuses and inhumane nature of this monstrous pyramid-scheme.
The Volunteer Ministers is a cynical programme with two aims, Public Relations for the cult and recruitment. People lose their homes, their life-savings and their sanity to this "Church" and pretending to be in the same league as those who genuinely extend the hand of charity is disgusting.
I am someone who *does* support genuine relief organisations with both time and money when I can. Organisations which "make a difference", not with quackery such as "touch assists", not with promotional material to make L. Ron Hubbard look like a great humanitarian instead of the con-man and cult leader he was, but with targetted aid, help and services with the needs of those who are being assisted as the goal - not the needs of a dangerous mind-control profiteer...
It sure is odd that on the internet and in gossip-column tabloid trash media, we find this immense litany of horrors and crimes alleged to have been committed by the Church, and yet nothing EVER comes of these fairy tales in the real world.
Where's the outrage? Where's the congressional inquiries? Where's the FBI investigations? Reagan did nothing. Bush did nothing. Clinton did nothing. Bush Jr. did nothing. Obama will do nothing. That's because there's nothing there to do anything ABOUT.
If these Scientology-haters have succeeded in exposing the truth about an evil cult, why isn't anyone in power listening to them in America? Scientology has to be one of the most scrutinized groups around, so if there was ANYTHING to nail them on, it would have happened already.
Countries like France, Germany and Australia are infamous for being intolerant of alternative religions, so pointing to the Church's troubles in those places is pretty meaningless. Wiccans and Crowleyites and New Agers get harassed there too.
The CoS that you THINK exists and that you THINK you're fighting is a total fiction, created by a handful of disgruntled old farts who wanted revenge on the Church after it didn't meet their bizarre and wrong-headed personal expectations of it. The entire "Anonymous" cult and their internet battle against this imaginary dragon is as masturbatory and fictitious as cybersex.
Actually, until Scientology in 1993 filed more than 2500 lawsuits against the IRS, and personally blackmailed numerous top IRS officials, AND Clinton caved in to pressure from his Hollywood friends and John Travolta, Scientology WAS under investigation almost coninuously since its inception. Moreover, 11 top Scientologists, including Mary Sue Hubbard, went to federal prison for conspiracy and burglary in 1979. L-Ron and Moxon were unindicted co-conspirators. Do you want the legal opinions about Scientology from judges from around the world? UK, Canada, USA, Australia, etc. etc.? It is not a pretty picture.
As for why Scientology has got a free ride since 1993 in the USA? How about harassment, intimidation, and other forms of "fair game." (No, only the NAME of the fair game policy was canceled. It continues to this day.)
You can read on Wikipedia about Scientology's vicious behavior and abuse of the legal system: [link edited for length]
Here is what "Mankind's Greatest Friend," as you call him, cult founder L. Ron Hubbard, said in 1966 about what to do if Scientology is being investigated:
This is correct procedure:
(1) Spot who is attacking us.
(2) Start investigating them promptly for FELONIES or worse using own professionals, not outside agencies.
(3) Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them.
(4) Start feeding lurid, blood sex crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press.
Don't ever tamely submit to an investigation of us. Make it rough, rough on attackers all the way.[
So "Cassandra" (who curiously says the exact same things, word for word, in his posts as the notorious nutcase "Lilly Von Marcab"), are you really saying that Scientology harassed and intimidated every U.S. President since 1979?
Funny how the anti-Scientologist spiel is usually that The Church of Scientology is small and fake and powerless, but then when it suits their rhetorical needs, they abruptly switch gears and say that Scientology is amazingly scary powerful and can influence judges and Presidents.
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