The Church of Scientology's musical endeavours might be laughable yet the current storm of accusations against them is deadly serious. Edward McBride, 30, electrocuted himself at a substation near Brisbane in February 2007. Calls for Scientology inquiry The Queensland Coroner requested the Church of Scientology hand over its files as Edward had been doing intensive Scientology courses before taking his life. His brother Steve McBride is searching for answers. "I just feel my brother's life has been taken for the ...

Scientology is a relatively new religion, but it’s been tabling on the U campus longer than most religions do. For the past two months, Scientologists from the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation have stood at their station in the Union offering free stress tests to U students and faculty. Volunteering Scientologists come to the U to educate people about the book, Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health, by L. Ron Hubbard, who is the founder of Scientology, Dianetics technology and previously a ...

Nancy Many appeared on a KNOP radio show today from Washington state to promote her new book, My Billion Year Contract. She talks about her experiences in Scientology as an aide to L. Ron Hubbard, being sent to the RPF by Hubbard where she was locked in the garage of the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater when she was five months pregnant, escaping from Scientology with her husband, disconnection and much more.

One time Scientologist Lance Hoskins has had a first hand insight inside the mind and workings of the strange religion.

Scientology’s relentless hard sell has driven some members to the edge of bankruptcy, wrote one former member who had experienced such tactics. [...]

A former Scientology leader says bullying is widespread in the church, writes investigations reporter Nick O'Malley. Coerced abortion, violence, intimidation and demands for ever greater "donations" have become unofficial Church of Scientology policy, beginning at its Florida head office and leaching around the world, the church's most senior defector has said. Marty Rathbun, who until 2004 was the church's second-most powerful man, answering only to the present leader, David Miscavige, said the church leadership was obsessed with destroying dissent and increasing ...

NSW police are investigating allegations of abuse and bullying in the Church of Scientology made in a series of letters from former members tabled in Federal Parliament by independent senator Nick Xenophon. The most senior executive to defect from the church, US-based Marty Rathbun, has said the allegations, including coercion to have abortions and donate money, were unwritten church policy, dictated from its head office, according to a speech by Greens MP John Kaye in the NSW upper house. "My office ...

FEWER than 100 children will benefit from more than $1.6 million in Federal Government subsidies over four years to two schools strongly linked to the Scientology movement. The Athena School in Newtown will receive $751,519 in recurrent funding from the Federal Government for the 2009 to 2012 funding period. It has also been allocated $135,287 for a new library, $114,713 for primary classroom refurbishments and $50,000 for other refurbishments under the Rudd Government's Building the Education Revolution program. The Athena School ...

Editor's Note: A version of this story appeared in the Business Journal's November 30 print edition. The Church of Scientology has signed a 10-year lease topping $12 million for industrial space in Commerce. The lease with landlord Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America for the 184,772-square-foot building at 6130 E. Sheila St. closed Nov. 9. The church will print and distribute magazines and books there. The deal starts at about 52 cents per square foot per month on a triple net ...

Paul David Schofield described how Scientology was complicit in the cover-up of child sexual abuse – and how he helped them hide the truth about the deaths of his own daughters. [...]

Images of Britain's wartime leader are being used in recruiting posters Fight them on the beaches if you will. But the descendants of Sir Winston Churchill have decided that a more effective way to prevent the Church of Scientology from hijacking the memory of Britain's wartime leader involves stern cease-and-desist letters and the threat of a costly PR battle. In an unlikely dispute that pits Sir Winston's grandchildren against followers of the late L Ron Hubbard – the science-fiction writer who ...

Utah County sheriff's Lt. Dennis Harris may be the best example of the divide between science, the law and police who say methamphetamine sickened them. Harris spent the past month undergoing a treatment purporting to alleviate symptoms of meth exposure. In the midst of Harris' 30-day effort to sweat out poisons, an administrative judge dismissed his worker compensation claim for lack of evidence. "Physically I feel a lot better," said Harris, 54, whose treatment ended Nov. 19. "Mentally, I feel fantastic." ...

Convicted of fraud in France, impugned by former celebrity members and accused of coercing estranged practitioners to stay against their will, the Church of Scientology has encountered a fair share of bad publicity in recent months. But in Chicago, the religious movement founded by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard appears to be flourishing. Signaling that success are plans for a new seven-story Illinois church headquarters slated to open next year in Chicago's historic Printer's Row. The restoration of ...

L Ron Hubbard has joined the likes of Wallis Simpson, Eric Morecambe, Marc Bolan and Keith Moon after an application for a coveted blue plaque was rejected by English Heritage. The government agency, which runs the scheme, rejected the application by supporters of the founder of Scientology after its blue plaques panel decided that it was unconvinced about Mr Hubbard's "reputation". The decision has frustrated the Hubbard Foundation, which had nominated him. In an unusual move, a foundation representative went to ...

A scientologist doctor, who gave evidence on the suicide of a church member she treated, is promoting a controversial educational resource in New Zealand schools. Dr Helen Smith gave evidence this year to a coroner's inquiry after the death of David Sampson in December 2008. Sampson had won $651,000 in Lotto's first division in 1991, but battled with alcohol abuse and depression. A friend of Sampson was upset at the church's policy against psychiatric help: "He was suffering from depression, but ...

[Picture / Caption: Carly Crutchfield, CEO of Ccorp at the 'Massive Results Bootcamp' the Gold Coast.] Scientologists are using a get-rich-quick seminar at the Gold Coast this weekend to groom potential new members for the controversial church, say former members. Carly Crutchfield, the key speaker at a 'Massive Results Bootcamp seminar' at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Sanctuary Cove confirmed that she and two other main speakers are Church of Scientology members. She said the others speakers were Gareth Jekel, a business ...

THE PRIME MINISTER, Kevin Rudd, has expressed concern about the Church of Scientology but will provide subsidies worth more than $1 million to a Sydney school that promotes the teaching of the church's founder, L.Ron Hubbard. Mr Rudd said he shared some of the concerns of the independent senator Nick Xenophon, who used parliamentary privilege last week to level allegations of torture, perjury and financial coercion against the church. Newtown's Athena School is licensed by Applied Scholastics International, which is strongly ...

A man who blames the Church of Scientology for his brother's suicide added his voice Monday to calls for an Australia Senate inquiry into the religion. Belfast-born Stephen McBride, 35, flew from the west coast city of Perth to Canberra on Monday to support a senator's call for an inquiry into the church. The Senate could vote as early as Tuesday on Sen Nick Xenophon's motion to hold a wide-reaching inquiry into the church that was founded in 1953 by the ...

A man whose Scientologist brother committed suicide has urged Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to allow a parliamentary inquiry into the controversial church. Thirty-year-old Edward McBride killed himself in the Brisbane suburb of Everton Park in February 2007. Mr McBride had been a member of the Church of Scientology for about two years and had paid $25,000 for various courses. A coroner's inquiry into his death heard evidence that members of the church had contacted him 19 times in the days before ...