Scientology is on trial in France. This week, six congresscritters signed a letter demanding that France respect the religious rights of Scientology.
You know, the right to lie, the right to defraud, abuse, and ignore laws of the land.
Doesn't every religion have the right to ignore man's law in favor of L. Ron Hubbard's?
Of the six who signed, the majority of them have links to Scientology or Scientology front groups.
Yesterday, Gawker.com released a copy of a letter sent to the Ambassador
of France, Pierre Vincent. Printed on official Congressional stationary
from the office of Congresscritter Trent Franks and signed by five other
active representatives of Congress, this letter serves to identify who in Congress dances to the Scientology organization's tune.
Trent Franks, Frank R. Wolf, Dan Burton, Gus Bilirakis, Diane Watson and
Bob Inglis have all put their names to this letter.
These Congress members are either ignorant, disingenuous, or hypocritical fools, acting as part of the Scientology smokescreen that would have us believe the cult is merely a misunderstood religious group.
It's sadly a not very surprising letter, as Scientology's goal to take
over the planet requires the cooperation of naive, gullible or greedy
politicians.
Let's look at Diane Watson, a Democrat from Los Angeles. She has been in bed with Scientology for years, touting its front group outreach programs and being feted by high-ranking Scientologists. A profile of Ms. Watson in Freedom Magazine portrays her as a champion of human rights.
"Although the United States abolished slavery in 1865, 139 years later an estimated 50,000 slaves labor in their own private hells in America—in sweatshops, brothels and other harsh environs. Most are women and children.
One of those leading the battle to eradicate the practice, to find those
responsible and bring them to justice, and to provide help to the victims is U.S. Representative Diane Watson (D-CA), ranking member of the House Committee on Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness.
"Studies have shown that more than 8 million children are enslaved around the world," said Watson, adding that human trafficking "has reached staggering dimensions" because of a failure to tackle the problem on a coordinated, international basis that would deal with all aspects, including demand."
Curiously, that publication, Freedom Magazine,, is put out by a known
violator of human rights, the "church" of Scientology. Watson is quoted
as saying, "Some of the worst offenders seem to be granted leniency by
the U.S. government."
Indeed, Ms. Congresstool Watson. Scientology has been allowed to run
rampant over human rights for years. And now that France is calling the
organization to task for fraud and giving unqualified medical advice,
here comes Diane Watson, utterly ignoring the fact that Scientology is
not being persecuted for its religious beliefs, but prosecuted for its
criminal activities.
In the United States, three trials are moving forward; trials involving
victims of Scientology's Sea Organization, a paramilitary branch which
imposes punitive imprisonment, coerced abortions, and slave wages on its
members. Why aren't you fighting for the rights of the people imprisoned
in the Sea Organization, Ms. Watson?
Watson also benefits from donations distributed by the
Citizens for Social Reform, a PAC founded by Scientologists "and like-minded people," a commonly used term when Scientology wants to appear as a part, rather than the whole, of a front group organization.
Now let's look at Frank Wolf, a Republican Congressman from Virginia. On one hand, he's co-sponsored a bill addressing the needs of military families who have autistic children. Does Mr. Wolf realize that the Scientology organization doesn't believe in autism? And that this ignorant belief likely caused the death of Jett Travolta because his parents don't believe in medical treatment for the weekly "deathlike" seizures the poor kid suffered?
Apparently, severe seizures several times a week were acceptable to the Travoltas, while medication to control them was not. They allowed their child to suffer, solely because of their reliance on the teachings of a science fiction writing college dropout!
Does Congressman Wolf have any idea of the magnitude of suffering brought about by Scientology's destructive and ignorant beliefs regarding modern medicine?
In 1998, Wolf sponsored the "Freedom From Religious Persecution Act"
(HR 2431) which was later passed as the International Religious Freedom
Act.(S.1868)
The new law provides statutory authority for the U.S. President to impose sanctions against countries which discriminate against religious
minorities. In determining violations, the commission will rely on the
United Nations' covenants and recognize the authority of the
International Criminal Court.
Michael Bilirakis is a Congresscritter representing Florida. Clearwater, the town Scientology has occupied since the 1970s, lies in his district. You can interpret that any way you like.
Scientologist Brett Miller serves on Bilirakis' advisory board. How very convenient for the cult to have the ear of a Congressman in their little Mecca! Bilirakis supported a non-binding resolution that would condemn the German government for continuing surveillance on the Scientology organization's activities in their country. Again, the issue of the right to practice one's religion of choice was raised.
During that time, the St. Petersburg Times reported reported,
"Said Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb.: "I think it is important we not have Tom Cruise or John Travolta setting foreign policy in this country and think that is a driving factor behind this legislation."
Happily, the resolution failed because, of course, Germany wasn't trying
to prevent people from practicing their religion.
Dan Burton put his name on this letter, too. He's a firm believer in the connection between vaccines and autism, despite there being no scientific proof of a relationship. And his assistant is one Beth Clay, who is a board member for the anti-psychiatry Scientology front group, Citizens Commission on Human Rights.
Ms. Clay is quite active in promoting "alternative" health solutions, and is mentioned in a number of Scientology publications.
Congressman Burton seems to be a perfect Scientology stooge. He has accepted awards from the Scientology-infested National Foundation of Women Legislators for his work in health care issues; work that some would say supports quackery of the sort that Scientologists love to promote.
Bob Inglis, the Republican from South Carolina, seems to have very little invested in this issue, save for his image shift to champion of religious freedom, just in time for his 2010 election run.
And who is this Congressman who put the letter on his office stationary?
He's an Arizona Republican who fancies himself a champion of children. In fact, that is the first thing mentioned on his website, the children.
Franks, a Southern Baptist, is co-chairman of the Congressional International Religious Freedom Caucus.
"Congressman Trent Franks is a conservative Reagan Republican, and he has spent most of his life working on children's issues and trying to build a better future for all children...Trent has worked tirelessly in an effort to protect the innocent at every stage of life. He has dedicated himself to children’s issues, and is passionate in his commitment to protect all human life, including that of the unborn."
I guess nobody told Congressman Franks about the coerced abortions
imposed on women who belong to Scientology's Sea Organization.
I guess nobody told Congressman Inglis that Scientology is a commercial
enterprise cloaked in the protective guise of religious trappings.
I guess nobody told Congresswoman Watson about the slave labor conditions imposed at Scientology centers in Los Angeles and Clearwater. Perhaps nobody has mentioned the plight of foreign "religious workers" brought here by the Scientology organization. Relieved of their passports in an unfamiliar country, fearful because of the lies Scientology has fed them about our culture and society, they are helpless victims of the very thing Ms. Watson complained about when she said, "Some of the worst offenders seem to be granted leniency by the U.S. government."
And it seems that not one of these Congresscritters know the first thing
about the Scientology trial in France! They're so hung up on the
"religious freedom" issue, it seems they are blind to the fraud, abuse,
and violation of laws Scientology demands as part of its religious
practice.
Religious rights end where citizen rights begin. You do not have the
right to defraud people, to give unqualified medical advice, to
intimidate, stalk and harass, to use the law illegally to keep your
critics from speaking out. Espionage, blackmail and intimidation are
neither religious rights nor religious tenets.
The horror stories are emerging as ex-members of this vicious cult begin
to speak out. Protected by a vast web of activists and critics, they are
slowly losing the fear that has kept them silent.
And if these Congressional tools of the Scientology cult refuse to
listen, they need to be removed from office.
We have the tools to inform them. And if they refuse to listen, we have
the ability to fire their asses. If one of these cult apologists
represents you, download this booklet, print it out, and attend a town meeting. Give it to your representative.
There is no "fine line" between the right to practice your religion and
unlawful, harmful behavior. Scientology is on trial for fraud and medical malpractice in France.
Their claim that the organization is on trial for "heresy" shows that Scientology representatives have no idea what heresy is, but hey, it has religious overtones so they'll use it.
If Scientology loses this trial, they will likely lose the next one when
Belgium puts them on the floor for fraud, medical quackery, and
extortion. And it looks like Norway is about to call them into court,
too. Germany is still collecting evidence of the Scientology
organization's criminal behavior.
None of this has a damn thing to do with religion, and if these
Congresscritters are too corrupt, ignorant or stupid to understand that,
they don't deserve to hold office.