FORMER members of the Church of Scientology have told a Senate committee of the "ruthlessness" of the church and its judicial system, and argued it should not be eligible for tax-free status. "Australian taxpayers should not be funding systematic, organised abuse," said Janette Vonthehoff, who claimed her passport was taken from her and she was forcibly prevented from returning to Australia from the United States when she was eight weeks pregnant, because the church ordered she must finish "training". Sydney tax ...

The Church of Scientology has compared itself to The Salvation Army, while defending its benefit to the community in a Senate inquiry. The organisation was scrutinised by an inquiry into legislation proposed by independent senator Nick Xenophon, which would require religious groups to prove what public benefit they provide, before getting tax breaks. Its representative, Virginia Stewart, told the committee its members lent a hand in times of disaster and promoted drug-free messages. "The church believes the proposed bill is inherently ...

Once again you try to paint an ugly picture of a religious movement that has helped hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of people lead happy and successful lives. So let me address your latest falsehoods. My experience in Scientology has been incredible. I have been a member of the Church of Scientology since 1973. I met and married my husband while working for the church. I have raised two sons in the church. They are both practicing Scientologists. ...

Among the beliefs listed in the "Creed of the Church of Scientology": "All men have inalienable rights … to the creation of their own kind" and "no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly." Yet a very different picture emerges from women who became pregnant while working for the church. They relate painful stories of intimidation, shaming, shunning or outright coercion by the church until women agreed to abortions or were ...

Twenty years ago, when Natalie Hagemo was 19, pregnant and working for the Church of Scientology, she couldn't wait to be a mother. She was near the end of her first tri­mester, she says, when colleagues in Scientology's military-style religious order, the Sea Organization, began pressuring her to get an abortion. Two high-ranking officers said terminating the pregnancy would allow her to keep working. They berated her when she said no. Supervisors told her to hide her expanding belly lest co-workers ...

Laura Dieckman was just 12 when her parents let her leave home to work full time for Scientology's religious order, the Sea Organization. At 16, she married a co-worker. At 17, she was pregnant. She was excited to start a family, but she said Sea Org supervisors pressured her to have an abortion. She was back at work the following day. Claire Headley joined at 16, married at 17 and was pregnant at 19. She said Sea Org supervisors threatened strenuous ...

Former Scientologists Claire and Marc Headley are suing the Church of Scientology in separate actions in federal court in Los Angeles. Marc Headley, 37, alleges he was the victim of unfair business practices, labor law violations and forced labor, or human trafficking, during his 15 years in the church's Sea Organization. Claire Headley, 35, alleges the church forced her to have two abortions during her 13 years in the Sea Org. She also claims working conditions at the church's international management ...

The Church of Scientology does not take a position on abortion. However, the subject comes up in the writings of church founder L. Ron Hubbard, which the church regards as sacred scripture. Scientology counseling seeks to rid the mind of "mental image pictures" or "engrams" created during painful moments in one's past — including previous lifetimes and time spent in the womb. Hubbard expressed concern about the "prenatal child" and how the emotional traumas of "attempted abortion" can cause problems after ...

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has slammed the major parties for blocking his moves for an inquiry into the Church of Scientology. Senator Xenophon has been calling for a full inquiry into the church since revealing claims of forced abortions and other abuses in Parliament last year. Today he accused Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of hiding behind process and vowed to continue to fight for further examination of Scientology in Australia. "There is a certain cowardice in turning your backs on people ...

Violence and abuse in Scientology can be traced right back to the founder, L. Ron Hubbard, said a former Sea Org veteran who worked alongside him. At a conference in Hamburg Friday a former veteran Scientologist who worked directly with L. Ron Hubbard painted a devastating picture of the movement’s founder. [...]

[Transcript by Anonymous @ http://forums.whyweprotest.net/1207770-post6/] Thank you for allowing me to speak to you guys today. My name is Marc Headley and I'm here to tell you about a business enterprise. I'm not gonna be talking about any religious matters whatsoever; I'm going to be talking to you about an organization that I worked for. I worked there for fifteen years, and even after working there for fifteen years, not once was I told of the core religious or philosophy ...

The Government and Opposition have again blocked Independent Senator Nick Xenophon's moves for a Senate inquiry into the Church of Scientology. But the failed motion has not deterred Senator Xenophon's desire to probe the church's activities and he will move another motion when Parliament sits in May. Senator Xenophon wanted the Senate to examine whether the criminal code is adequate to deal with allegations of abuse and harassment made by former church members. He also wanted the inquiry to consider the ...

A woman who claims she was pressured by Scientologists to have two abortions has urged the Prime Minister to support an inquiry into the church. Janette Lang was a member of the Church of Scientology for 13 years from when she was 20 years old. She says she has been damaged by her involvement with the church and some years worked for a pay of just $2,000. Speaking at Parliament House in Canberra today, Ms Lang says she was pressured to ...

A CANBERRA woman has given a tearful account of how the Church of Scientology coerced her to have two abortions, as a fresh attempt was being made for a Senate inquiry into the organisation. Senator Nick Xenophon's effort to get an upper house inquiry into the tax-free status of religious groups, including Scientology, failed last week, when both Labor and the Coalition voted against it. The Senate on Thursday will vote on an inquiry with revised terms - looking at alleged ...

A Canberra woman has given a tearful account of how the Church of Scientology coerced her to have two abortions, as a fresh attempt was being made for a Senate inquiry into the organisation. Senator Nick Xenophon's effort to get an upper house inquiry into the tax-free status of religious groups, including Scientology, failed last week, when both Labor and the Coalition voted against it. The Senate on Thursday will vote on an inquiry with revised terms - looking at alleged ...

Independent senator Nick Xenophon plans to make a fresh bid for a Senate inquiry into Scientology. Labor and coalition senators this week joined forces to vote against Senator Xenophon's motion to launch an inquiry into the tax-free status of religious groups and whether they should be subjected to a British-style public benefit test. But the South Australian senator, who will address a forum on cults in Brisbane on Saturday, said he planned to make another bid for an inquiry when the ...

Reporter Quentin McDermott talks to men and women who were members of an elite unit inside the Church in Australia and the United States. They explain why they joined, how they worked tirelessly for Scientology, and how, in some cases, they were pressured, and pressured others, to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Church. Some of them describe the separation from relatives that occurs when they were expelled from the Church. They also describe how they worked long ...

Read the full program transcript from Quentin McDermott's report, Scientology - The Ex-Files, first broadcast 8th March 2010. Reporter: Quentin McDermott Date: 08/03/2010 (On screen: Cars passing big blue building with 'Scientology sign') QUENTIN MCDERMOTT, REPORTER: Many religions claim to hold the key to man’s salvation. Scientology is no exception. TOMMY DAVIS: The most fundamental explanation as regards Scientology’s basic beliefs is that man is basically good, and that the individual’s a spiritual being; that you’ve lived before and you’ll live ...

Scientology has been hit by a fresh wave of allegations, likely to give added weight to calls for a Senate inquiry into the church. Several Australians have spoken out for the first time about their experiences with the church, accusing it of forced abortions, holding slave labour camps and exploiting child workers. Former rugby league player Joe Reaiche told ABC's Four Corners program on Monday of being coerced into spending $400,000 on spiritual books and being paid just $20 a week ...

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Raised as Scientologists, Christie King Collbran and her husband, Chris, were recruited as teenagers to work for the elite corps of staff members who keep the Church of Scientology running, known as the Sea Organization, or Sea Org. They signed a contract for a billion years — in keeping with the church’s belief that Scientologists are immortal. They worked seven days a week, often on little sleep, for sporadic paychecks of $50 a week, at most. But after ...

Last week, the Senate Privileges Committee permitted the Church of Scientology to respond in Hansard to issues raised by Senator Nick Xenophon in November last year. The Scientologists promptly issued a press release declaring they had responded to Xenophon “in Parliament”, as if they had some sort of elected status. In allowing the Scientologist response into Hansard, the Privileges Committee has allowed itself to be made party to an attack on individuals who were brave enough to raise their treatment at ...

Hollywood - The Church of Scientology is coming under fire from six former members. They claim they were mentally and physically abused and forced to work around the clock. Susan Hirasuna was live at the Scientology headquarters in Hollywood and has the latest in this video report.