THE Church of Scientology plans to spend $12 million upgrading its Sydney headquarters, but faces a ban on trawling the street outside the building for new recruits. The group's controversial plans include building an extra level on its Castlereagh St premises, and renovating the facade of the heritage building. Neighbours and businesses have objected to the proposed upgrade at Scientology House, citing aggressive recruitment tactics, nuisance, loss of view, extra pollution and heritage concerns. City of Sydney councillors will vote on ...

As a fiercely secular nation, France has always had an awkward relationship with religious groups. Officials often find themselves struggling to strike the delicate balance between maintaining church-state separation and honoring the right of citizens to express their faith. But in the current case against the U.S.-based Church of Scientology, authorities have abandoned their usual attempts at fine-tuning religion's standing in French society — instead, they want to ban Scientology from France altogether. In a long-awaited trial that opened this week, ...

Two former executives have been waging a court battle against Diskeeper, alleging the software company's CEO, a Scientologist, practiced religious discrimination. As it turns out, they have documents intended to prove it. The company's former CIO and Automation Planning Officer failed to injoin Diskeeper from using the teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in the administration of the company. Now the Burbank, California company is going for the legal jugular, seeking summary dismissal of the case. Amid this legal tussle, ...

(VG Nett) Helsedepartementet mener det er på tide at Scientologikirkens aktiviteter blir kontrollert opp mot norsk lov. Etter å ha besvart 200 spørsmål i Scientologikirkens personlighetstest på internett, gikk tre av VG Netts medarbeidere hver for seg til kirkens lokaler i Karl Johans gate i Oslo. Journalistene Stian Eisenträger og Marianne Vikås svarte ærlig på spørsmålene ut fra eget ståsted. Begge opplever seg selv som stabile, og fornøyd med livet. For å finne ut hvilke tilbakemeldinger depressive personer kan få, påtok ...

VG Netts journalister tok scientologi-test * - Deprimert, tilbaketrukket, uansvarlig * - På nivå med en gjenstand som ikke lever * - Undertrykkes av en eller flere personer * - Må velge mellom kurs eller kjemikalier * - Kan forbedre livet med 1000 prosent (VG Nett) Dette var blant tilbakemeldingene VG Netts tre journalister fikk da de tok den omstridte personlighetstesten til Scientologikirken. Det er denne testen Olav Gunnar Ballo (SV) mener var en utløsende årsak til at datteren Kaja tok ...

AN EXHIBITION in Sheffield by followers of the controversial Scientology religion prompted complaints from some members of the public. Scientologists – whose celebrity members include Tom Cruise and John Travolta – set up a bright yellow tent in Barker's Pool to educate people about the religion. But critics have dubbed the religion a "cult" and Star reader Mark Nuttall said he thought it was "appalling" Sheffield Council had given the Scientologists permission to set up the tent. He said: "I would ...

Flak is flying at Concordia University this week over the school's decision to allow an exhibition sponsored by the Church of Scientology. University officials have been bombarded with email. Protesters have put together a YouTube video of the show and yesterday staged a demo outside the McConnell library building - where the exhibition is being held till Sunday - to register their objections. The exhibition was sponsored by the Citizens' Commission on Human Rights, which is affiliated with the Church of ...

Like many musicians, Charlie Brand was not a happy high-schooler. Discussing his days as an art school dropout — a troubled kid sent to a Scientology-run youth camp, where he lied to the E-Meter reader to escape, only to become a chronically depressed and morbidly obese pothead — the 24-year-old singer grimaces. Fast-forward to today: Brand's undeniably infectious and quirky indie-pop songs are getting a huge response for his band, Miniature Tigers. The four-piece has been lauded by Spin and Rolling ...

Mathieu Lamothe et Marie-Eve Lafontaine Le Nouvelliste —– Des employés cadres dy club de golf Les Vieilles Forges auraient été invités à signer un contrat dont l'une des clauses leur demandait de respecter la politique administrative de l'Église de scientologie de Ron Hubbard Photo: archives Le Nouvelliste - Ève Guillemette —– (Trois-Rivières) Un malaise important s'est installé au club de golf Les Vieilles Forges depuis que les employés ont appris qu'un des nouveaux propriétaires, Antonino Putorti, serait lié à l'Église de ...

On a recent December Sunday, on a still street nestled against Camelback Mountain, a party is in full swing at the L. Ron Hubbard House. It's meant to be a holiday open house, to show off the stunning renovation of the simple brick dwelling where Hubbard founded Scientology a half-century ago, and to smooth relations with neighbors, some of whom have lately been up in arms about plans to turn the house into a Scientology museum. These concerned neighbors, none of ...

Copyright © 2009 Albuquerque Journal Journal Staff Writer The Second Chance drug rehab program was pitched to lawmakers and the judiciary as the missing link in a broken system that recycled non-violent drug offenders between jails, prisons and the streets. The past year, it has struggled through money problems and accusations that it is housing ineligible inmates. On Saturday, faced with a city-delivered Jan. 31 deadline to vacate, Second Chance officials moved the last of its inmates out. But throughout the ...

THE Church of Scientology has appealed for religious tolerance after its $12 million bid to redevelop its Sydney headquarters sparked fears from neighbours of an increase in "menacing" and "aggressive" recruitment tactics. The church has sought approval from the City of Sydney to add two floors to its five-storey building, Scientology House, on Castlereagh Street. The increased floor space would help turn the building into an "Ideal Org", the name Scientologists give to their most significant churches. But almost 150 people ...

A Chicago dentist has agreed to pay $462,500 to settle federal allegations that he violated U.S. discrimination laws by sexually harassing workers and by forcing employees who wanted to keep their jobs to submit to indoctrination in the tenets of Scientology. The Chicago office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had filed a civil lawsuit against James L. Orrington in September 2007, asserting he had discriminated against 18 employees by subjecting them to sexual propositions, comments and improper touching. The suit ...