Five days ago I reported that the Netherlands revoked Scientology’s status as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization because of the high prices it charges to scam its “faithful” with its endless courses. Now, according to PuffHo, Belgium is after Scientology as well, putting 11 members of the Church on trial for a variety of misdeeds, including “fraud, extortion, running a criminal organization, violating privacy laws and practicing illegal medicine.” The investigation leading up to what could be a month-long trial has been in the works for 18 years. But then, after giving a headline that “Belgium could expel Church of Scientology from Country,” PuffHo says this:
Should the trial result in a conviction, Belgium may find it difficult to actually ban the organization. Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports that Scientology could simply start anew in the country under a different name.
Well, I don’t know Belgium law, but it seems strange to me that an organization could continue practicing the same scams it’s been doing for decades, but then become legal by simply changing its name. Regardless, Scientology is on the back foot, and the number of its members are waning. The tell-all books of Lawrence Wright, and now Leah Remini, won’t help the Church, either.
And where is Shelly Miscavige, anyway?
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Pays-bas pay-back: Walloon loons in Flemish nemesis. x
PuffHo says this:
Should the trial result in a conviction, Belgium may find it difficult to actually ban the organization. Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports that Scientology could simply start anew in the country under a different name.
Doubtful since they use their name as a selling point in the first place. Illogical. This isn’t a fly-by-night-scam. This is full on multi million dollar hoax.
You’re right, scientology could start anew under a different name, but if they dare to break the law again, that organisation will be banned too. This all hypothetical ofcourse – for now.
It isn’t just the low countries though. A few years ago a french court convicted scientology for fraud. And Germany is a bit of wary of scientology as well.
Let’s hope the Belgian police doesn’t bungle this case, then. Previous results with the Nijvel gang and the Dutroux case don’t make one optimistic about that.
They should put Hercule Poirot on the case.
Or Tintin.
Real people will do better.
I’d suggest Shelly tired of the games and backed out. She no doubt is in hiding to avoid repercussions.
Miscavige is shorter than Cruise?
And, yes, where is Shelly?
Probably ran off with Jimmy Hoffa (1.65m).
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(David’s only 1.55m)
Damn, you beat me to it.
My line was “Tonight she sleeps with Jimmy Hoffa!”
They could start again as AFC Scientology.
Changing names is pretty normal when you want to rid yourself of your past. That’s why people incorporate businesses under a numbered company. If your company goes belly-up and there’s no personal criminal liability you can leave clean and open a new company immediately after. Same goes for any sort of organization. It all depends on how it’s organized, and I’m sure Scientology knows all about corporate structure and evading liability. I’m not anti-corporatist, but that’s just one of those loopholes.
Scientology starting anew under another name? Probably Neurotology if Saturday Night Live is to be believed http://mashable.com/2015/04/05/snl-scientology-neurotology-video/#OWmjH1X2cSqs
Its amazing what religions/corporations can’t get away with in countries with strict campaign finance regulations. But I’m sure that’s just sheer coincidence.
Where is Shelly Miscivage?
Is there going to be another post with the reveal later?
In the meantime, my answer is hidden in a reprogramming session because she said one of Cruise’s films was a bit rubbish.
Sects use the tactic of changing the name, headquarters and “official” hierarchic components to continue their activities. For example, Heralds of the Gospel in Brazil has also Arautos do evangelho, TFP, ACNSF each one with no relations among them. Wrong: they are the same people, the same ideology, the same tactics to get money. Simply some members from Arautos are directors of ACNSF, etc. But the guru from Heralds (Joao Cla) chose and moves everything in all of them. If Vatican forbids one, sends the other to do the same…
David Miscavige looks extraordinarily similar to the late U.K. comedian Norman Wisdom. I should think about the same height too.
Hmmm, Normal Wisdom was better on the banjolele though?
Why is the blatancy of Scientology’s inherent scamminess obvious to everybody but the United States?
Meanwhile, speaking of legal action, everyone ready to go in on a class action suit against WordPress for STILL NOT FILLING IN OUR COMMENT DATA FIELDS, raise your mouse! (Or flip your phones, or pet your Pads, or–whatever.)
I have been following this probelm people are having with interest, hoping someone will figure out what the anwer to this puzzle is.
I have yet to have a single problem. I use Chrome and a Google identity exclusively no matter what device I am using.
Well, maybe it’s the Google Identity then. I have refused to make a “new account” with Google ever since they became evil.
It’s true that such a stance does lead to a lot of Pyrrhic victories, alas.
I don’t think it’s a matter of ignorance in the US case so much as it is a matter of don’t care; such scams are legal here. Sure if you pull fake chicken guts out of someone or use a microphone and database to appear to be working miracles we’ll go after you. But charging $150/hr up front for a useless treatment such as e-meter reading? That’s just caveat emptor.
Well, good point for a lot of their BS. But what about things like tax-free status?
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Nicely done. 🙂
My take away from this post is . . .
That picture. Comical, but disturbing at the same time. I really think Tom Cruise may be clinically delusional. He seems to always be acting out a fictional character. He seems more normal acting out a character in a film than he does when he is not supposed to be acting. In real life his behavior resembles the acting of a D level movie ‘star’ in a movie like Sharknado.
But dang it, he is a pretty good actor. Even when he is in a movie that is not the kind of movie that I like, I still like Tom Cruise in it.
Reluctantly, I agree. He has been pretty good in several films. That makes the contrast with how he appears in real life, mega-cheesey, fake, all the more dramatic!
That is really amusing to think about. He’s already a very dramatic/expressive actor. Imagine he shows up on set and the director reminds him “okay Tom, we’re on set now, time to tone it down.”
I’d bet money that that has happened. In any case, that is amusing. That should be a Saturday Night Live, or similar, skit.
I remember so well that great skit about the Moonies crossed with Dawn of the Dead.
What – you mean that he appears to be a Luvvie?
I’m sorry. I thought we valued science, reason and objectivity on this site. Under any criteria, Tom Cruise absolutely sucks as an actor.
That is my competely objective and testable observation.
And he is even worse as a thinker.
All that said…. snappy dresser.
and not a bad dancer. Hey, isn’t John Travolta also a Scientologist and a good dancer, ergo…
Yes, probably Tom Cruise does employ a snappy dresser to choose his clothes for him.
Acting quality – I don’t think the topic is worth the effort of considering ranking criteria, let alone accumulating data.
As much as I despise all religions, cults and tribes, this is wrong and government should not have the power to ban or outlaw a crazy sect unless it is abusing children and/or animals. Of course, no religious or secular group should have a special tax exempt status and I don’t feel sorry or sympathize with any adult who gets voluntarily suckered into and abused by the church. They deserve it. The state can be just as bad and often times worse than any religious group.
Really? Those are the only two crimes that they should be accountable for? Srsly?
So you wouldn’t ban them if they were attempting to compromise US Federal Agencies by inserting their people as employees and also committing burglaries? How about stealing Federal documents that contained evidence against them. Planning to frame a Mayor for a hit and run crime? Actually framing a journalist for sending bomb threats and getting her arrested and indicted? They really, really don’t like being criticised publicly.
How about getting IRS status as a church by massively litigating the IRS to the point that they caved in. Sort of a SLAPP suit meets DDoS attack approach.
Touché!
Well played, sir. Well played.
Upon further reading of your comment, I wonder if you really do think that the RCC should be banned for their organized abuse of children? A lot of change would have to happen before such a ban might occur, what with the Constitution and the public attitude toward Religion.
That would be a step too far, I think. Kind of like throwing out the baby with the Baptismal Holy Water.
Now if there only were enough big lawsuits to cut deeply into their wealth, that might be something worth working for.
Abusing animals? What on earth are you talking about? Those Satanic panics that were figments of Christian investigators’ imaginations?
The US takes such groups at their word instead of doing due diligence. Not wanting to “breach” the First Amendment. Though that is nonsense since the idea that somehow taxation equals breech of free speech seems to not have been noticed. Like they are blind to the idea.
Scientology is a for profit corporation which means they pay taxes unless you live in our weird universe where it is invisible under the rubric of “religious freedom.”
I guess Scientology could indeed start anew under a different name in Belgium. I happened before with the political party Vlaams Blok. They were convicted for racism and started anew under the name Vlaamse Belang.
Are they comparing lobotomy scars in that pic’?