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'Best way to make money is to found a religion'

Title: 'Best way to make money is to found a religion'
Date: Thursday, 26 November 1992
Publisher: Chichester Observer (UK)
Main source: link (251 KiB)

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Jesus is a fantasy Implanted in our minds millions of years ago, according to the Scientology cult.

And L Ron Hubbard, who founded Dianetics and Scientology, dabbled in anti-Christian rituals with a disciple of black magician Aleister Crowley.

Former Scientologists Jon Atack and Bonnie Woods spoke to a Chichester audience of head teachers and representatives from churches, Scouts, local councils and the police.

Mr Atack, who thought the city was the cult's latest target, said Scientology has "200 front groups" including Narconon, the drug charity which has former Chichester man John Wood as its British president.

Hubbard, a science fiction writer who had been involved in black magic in the 1940s, once told a friend "the best way to make money is to found a religion."

His followers believe humans are made of spirits, called thetans, brought to Earth 75 million years ago by Xenu, a galactic tyrant.

"They were put around volcanos, exploded with hydrogen bombs, packaged in clusters and exposed to movies for 36 days, which were the future culture of Earth.

"The Christian religion, according to Hubbard's secret doctrines, was a fantasy. Hubbard told Scientologists to tell an 'acceptable truth'.

"So if you say Hubbard said Christ was an implant, they will say Hubbard didn't say that. If you show them Hubbard's bulletin they will say you've misinterpreted it," said Mr Atack.

The cult uses "manipulation rather than brainwashing". New recruits carry out prolonged meditation techniques to induce trance states, which make them susceptible.

The bizarre training involves using phrases from Alice in Wonderland and repeating questions while another person tries to distract them, and every aspect of their personal life is recorded.

The expensive courses include counting people on the street for £1,000 and hearing about Xenu and thetans for £3,000. Mr Atack believes the highest course would "reveal" that Hubbard is his followers' god.

He said Scientologists' have "had their minds changed to such an extent that re-entry into normal society and to normal thinking takes years."

Taking all the course would cost about £200,000. The cult's East Grinstead base "takes about £100,000 a week."

Both Mr Atack an Mrs Woods urged Chichester people to show compassion to the cult's members.

He said: "They cannot help it, they have been taken over. I am oppose to the technology, the teaching and the practice of Scientology, not the human beings involved. They are victims."

[Picture / Caption: PAYING ATTENTION: The audience listens to Jon Atack.]