The Church of Scientology has gotten quite upset with my post The Church of Scientology Loves Disasters as quoted in Catholic Online's article Scientologists in Haiti: Volunteers or Vultures?
It seems they took issue with my statement:
“The Church of Scientology provides no money towards the victims in Haiti. None. Not one penny. The church supplies no food, no water, no medicine, no building materials, no personnel, no expertise, nothing for Haiti.Well, do I need to issue an apology? Do I need to make a correction?
“But they claim, in their press releases, that their Volunteer Ministers are 'a major relief agency' helping in Haiti. If they do nothing, how can they claim this?"
Let's take a look at the Church of Scientology's claims, shall we? Here's the "facts" from Tommy Davis, Church of Scientology spokesman:
- Volunteer Ministers who have served or are currently serving in Haiti: 146OK, but a lot of people would not call that a good thing. These Volunteer Ministers have been known to interfere with vital, legitimate help.
- Doctors, nurses and EMTs transported to Haiti since January 16: 394These were not Scientologists. The Church of Scientology is trying to claim credit for what other organizations are providing. These other organizations accepted the church's offer of transport, not realizing the church would try to claim credit for all their good work.
- Doctors, nurses and EMTs on waiting list for next VM flight: 100
How many Scientology doctors has the church provided? None! How much medicine and medical equipment has the church paid for? None! What has the Church of Scientology done besides fly planes donated by others?
- Approximate individuals directly helped by Volunteer Ministers: 41,000And that "help" was... what? "Touch assists?" Directions to the locations where the victims could get real help from real aid organizations? Interference in the activities of the real aid organizations?
- Approximate meals served to patients, refugees and medical teams: 6,000The Church of Scientology wants you to think that they supplied the food, but the Church of Scientology didn't give one penny for these supplies. It just so happens that Volunteer Ministers were there, as were hundreds of other non-Scientology volunteers, to assist in distribution.
- Tons of food and supplies transported to Haiti since January 16: 20
- Tons of food and supplies distributed with World Food Program: 420
Oh, and by the way, the Church of Scientology didn't pay a penny for the Volunteer Ministers to be there. Those Scientologists paid their own way, and use their own money while there. The Church of Scientology didn't and doesn't help.
Seven MDs and two Volunteer Ministers gave tetanus shots and delivered hygiene supplies to 175 villagers in a remote area cut off from supply lines.Seven non-Scientology doctors. Note that all the other non-Scientology volunteers who were there and helped are carefully not mentioned -- as if the Scientologists were key organizers. Nope!
And the claims go on and on, I won't bother quoting them. In each claim made by the Church of Scientology, they want you to to be fooled into thinking they organized things (they didn't), they provided food, doctors, specialists (they didn't) and were doing vital, important work (the Volunteer Ministers are untrained, fit only to "help" the real relief agencies).
Go ahead and read the full statement from the church. Look at what isn't being said. Look at the carefully worded claims. Note that the Church of Scientology's official statement confirms everything I said. The Church of Scientology didn't supply anything, didn't pay for anything, didn't send doctors, didn't send skilled personnel, didn't pay for food, clothing, shelter -- even for Scientology volunteers, in short, they are making vast claims without having to pay a single, solitary penny.
No, what I said in my post is absolutely true. The Church of Scientology didn't spend a penny to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. But with this "response" they continue their real agenda -- using disaster as a public relations opportunity without spending any money.
Sorry Tommy, no corrections or apologies coming from here -- I told the truth and your church is trying to profit from disaster.
What I said before still stands -- even more so:
All decent people, including Scientologists, should add their voice to absolutely condemn the Church of Scientology for their disgusting greed in the face of such human suffering.
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You must feel honored that little Tommy Davis felt the need to respond to your piece Bill.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a response it was!! No facts, just vague generalities thrown around to make it appear that the "church" itself has actually donated from its own pockets.
Disgusting, despicable lies from a despicable organization.
Rachel99
Yes, the church of scientology had had profitereed from disasters, claiming helping from Indonesia to Haiti trough volunteer ministers. Yes, they are aking me for lot of monies via IAS to be "delivered to Haiti". Ha ha ha. Where in the world Mis(Chivas) is going to do anything for anyone?
ReplyDelete@Rach
ReplyDeleteLOL! "Honored." Yes indeed! I know they read my blog.
It was awfully nice of Tommy to officially verify everything I said. Well done Tommy!
I'm so glad you're sticking to your guns. These guys are lowlifes, and while that's not very eloquent it is concise. They are LOWLIFES.
ReplyDeleteThey're like the ambulance chasing lawyer following the ambulance from the scene of a horrible accident,who then goes on to claim responsibility for the emergency medical care given the victims on route to the hospital, (Hey! he was right there, behing the ambulance the whole way!) when all he wants is to make a buck off the whole mess.
But they don't stop with even that ridiculous lie. The "church" also claims responsiblity for the work of the ER doctors and nurses, the medication given the victim, the bed he lies in, the food he's fed, and if they can get away with it, anything good done by the recovered victim for the rest of his life. (Hey, they were there! Here's a photo of two guys in yellow shirts to prove it!)
Not only is this despicable, it's entirely unsupportable. Anyone examing the facts (as you have) will clearly see (as you point out) that the c of s is trying to take credit for the blood, sweat and tears of others. And the worst part is, in the one place that they could easily help (and god knows they have the money to do it), providing financial support to their own vms, they don't even step up to the plate there.
I think 60 Minutes should do an investigative piece into what the hell the church of Miscavige actually and factually did to aid in Haiti, how much of their own money was spent, and why only 146 (questionable in itself) vm's landed when dm has claimed something like 26,000, world-wide! (Where were the other 25,852? Were they in attendance at another, more important crisis/human tragedy we didn't hear about?) How do miscavige's CLAIMS, made not only in the media but to his own followers, compare with the FACT?
There is a HUGE string to be pulled here of all kinds of bad behavior; potential fraud, financial irregularities, exploitation by a church of a human tragedy for the purpose of financial profit, and just plain bad behavior.
Somebody in the media, please give this string a good, hard tug!
Congrats! Hey, I got The Auditor in the mail the other day and it was thin and pale. Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteRe: The Auditor
ReplyDelete(Anyone who doesn't know: The Auditor is the monthly newsletter of a Scientology "Saint Hill Organization")
Yet another indication of the continuing collapse of the Church of Scientology. They don't have resources and they don't have money. Yes, indeed, woohoo!
Thanks for the news.
Thanks for the support and comments, everyone. I did notice all the support I've received over at Catholic Online as well. Thanks for that too!
ReplyDeleteYoure site has a nice mention in http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=35377&page=2
ReplyDeleteAnd finally, the rest of the Blogosphere is realising what sterling work you do here, Bill. Congratulations! Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteMany see scientology as an sect, but i was wondering how you think a sect is chategorised?
ReplyDeleteRe: What is a "sect", and is Scientology one?
ReplyDeleteI've covered this before. In the U.S. we tend to use "cult", but the labels are equivalent.
See Is Scientology a Cult?. It's a bit long, but covers the question rather well.
I revisited the subject more recently in Scientologists: Can You Remove the Cult From Scientology?. Same basic question from a slightly different perspective.
Bottom line: If you use the criteria of well-respected experts who have studied sects (cults) for years, you will find that Scientology fits all the criteria very, very well.
As a Scientologist, I would never have thought of Scientology as a sect. As a newly-out ex-Scientologist, I was completely shocked to find that Scientology fits the criteria so completely.